We already looked at how the Xbox 360 faired in terms of being future-proof (
find that article by clicking here) so now it's time to move on to the Playstation 3, look for the
last console - the Nintendo Wii - now online by clicking here.
According to Sony, they have a ten-year plan in regards to their flagship console, the PlayStation 3, but as time progresses the steps taken to future-proof the system have seemingly done more to set back the system than move it forward as a platform. Initially released to the general public with a staggeringly high price tag, gamers and average consumers alike were encouraged to purchase the game based solely on its potential. Potential for graphics, gameplay and the assumption, made by Sony’s PR department, that the console would be capable of doing just about anything short of singing you to sleep, unless you have music loaded to the hard drive. Integration between the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation Network were set to create a new trifecta of seamless digital distribution on top of the overwhelming visual quality of blu-ray discs. But, despite all the amazing pluses, Sony hasn’t been bashful about removing features via system updates and it has caused them more than a bit of trouble. Thus, it truly calls into question the long term viability of the system as Sony’s, or even the game community’s platform of choice.
Doubtlessly, Sony released a powerful console to the gaming community and even with the amount of money they were asking for; they were still taking a loss on the product. Having become one of many penultimate memories of E3 was when the price tag was announced to be $599.99 in the United States. Controllers that had done away with rumble functions based on explanations that eventually proved to merely be Sony beating around the bush for the sole sake of giving motion controls to a fan-base that really couldn’t have cared less was a pitifully poor move on the part of the company. While this would later be rectified, the justification for the price tag continued. Despite a slew of poorly made and reviewed launch titles, the console did it’s best to hold its own even after becoming somewhat of a laughing stock, even among Nintendo fanboys. Titles like Lair, which remained virtually unplayable with motion controls until a better-late-than-never update arrived, seemed to set the early precedence for the console. Falling into the hands of people at launch who merely wanted to sell them on eBay, the issue of artificial scarcity and underlying problems with the console seemed to fall upon deaf-ears in the upper-echelon of Sony leadership.
The E3 the year following the release of the console was no less disappointing than the previous following the unveiling of Sony’s offerings. It was becoming clear that the company had not only lost its place as the industry leader, but was increasingly losing touch with its core community as well as the greater periphery of the gaming population. In an attempt to recoup losses retailers were taking on the consoles and software accompanying them, they began touting the system as a cheap blu-ray player. The word “Console” had temporarily left the vernacular of vendors hoping to offload the PlayStation 3 before the gaming arm of Sony seemingly imploded. The system and the company that produced it was slowly endangering themselves of being phased out completely, but Sony had a ten-year plan and they planned on seeing it through to the bitter end. The first step in the right direction was Sony openly admitting that there was no viable reason for the PlayStation 3 to be stuck with the Sixaxis controller. By reintroducing their lauded favorite, the DualShock, in its latest and greatest iteration the company began demonstrating that they still had the capability to identify with their user-base.
This also assumes that the company started listening to the screaming demands of the gaming community for the Sixaxis to be ditched in favor of the rumble-enabled DualShock3. Very much like Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, few people liked the Sixaxis and couldn’t be happier when there was a viable alternative. The next step would be for Sony to begin offering titles for the console that would make it a must-own system. Microsoft, having done everything in its power to lay claim to exclusives that had long belonged to the PlayStation 3 producer, needed to be stymied somehow. Titles like Uncharted, Killzone 2, and MAG were doubtlessly steps in the right direction. However, lukewarm reviews of franchise favorites like God of War 3 have only merely served to highlight up and coming series like Uncharted 2, which remains a critical favorite among many. Additionally, while Final Fantasy XIII did release to both the 360 and PlayStation 3, it has been noted to appear significantly better on the latter system. On the other hand, the 360 has few platform titles that can compete with the “Play. Create. Share” mentality of games like Little Big Planet, its impending sequel and ModNation Racers, a Mario Kart-esque style title that allows gamers to create their own tracks. This has proved to be a step in the right direction in conjunction with the current offerings on the PlayStation Network.
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This feature editorial continues on the next page, please click below to see our final breakdown of whether or not the Playstation 3 is really future-proof.
