The Playstation 3 has come a very long way despite some vast obstacles since it was first introduced to the gaming community a few years ago and Sony could finally be very well positioned to not only have one of the best years in recent memory, but make this the year of the PlayStation 3. The superior amount of digital content streaming forth across the PlayStation Network has never been more concise giving gamers a wider selection than was previously available for the system. Additionally, by slimming the console last year and enhancing several features via system updates, Sony seems to be positioning the console as the system to own in 2010. Best of all, a ridiculously excellent line-up of games will lead-off through the summer, into the holiday season and on into the early months of 2011. While I wish we could all get along and enjoy every system equally, I would be a disservice to Xbox and Wii fanboys if I didn’t quietly pull you aside and assure you that yes, there is reason to worry. After spending some time curled up with a PlayStation 3 belonging to a family member, I’m slowly coming around again. Odds are, I’ll probably be picking up a PlayStation 3 after having gotten rid of my first almost a year ago for a slew of reasons.
Point being, the PlayStation 3 isn’t only looking a lot sexier since it was slimmed, it is standing out as a significantly powerful console since it now has a library that is genuinely able to compete with the Xbox 360. Titles like Uncharted 2, Demon Soul’s, Resistance and it’s sequel are just a few of the neo-classics available for the console that I’ve been yet to play since the console was released, let alone slimmed. Since owning a 360 and a Wii have, admittedly, skewed my initial perceptions a bit – the more time I spend with the console, the more it continues to grow on me. Digital content, such as video downloads; PSN games and PS1 classics are perhaps the most pivotal in my use of the system. Honestly, I do love knowing that any of the PS1 games I have sitting on my shelf will work with the system, but by offering them as digital content, Sony has effectively rendered the price gouging that occurs over games like Final Fantasy VII, Silent Hill, Medal of Honor, and Metal Gear Solid moot, giving gamers who may have never had the opportunity to play these games – maybe never even hearing of them – a chance to experience them in a setting that is relatively close to that of the original console. Additionally, PlayStation Network games like Fat Princess, Shatter and the PixelJunk series have set a completely different bar for smaller, independently developed games.
While Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft offer and outlet for Indie developers, I am continually gratified to see the amazing new content that is being offered at a relatively constant rate. I loathe mentioning video downloads out of the fact that people have been aware of these for sometime. But the overall selection is pretty robust and the ability to play blu-ray, at least with select films does set the bar a little higher for high-definition video in a way that the Xbox 360 and Wii are still significantly lacking. I understand that the Zune Marketplace does offer quality HD content, but the ability to play it from a disc is still something I wish Microsoft would jump on the bandwagon over. Putting blu-ray into a slimmed 360 might seem like superfluous overkill at first, but it would put a new face on the system that gamers have been staring at for around half a decade now. That is, of course, if the system can remain cool enough while slimmed to avoid melting down and presenting me with a big, fat RROD. Regardless of the video and digital content, it’s without a doubt that games that are coming down the line that have me most excited for the PlayStation 3 and certainly stand to make it the console to own before this year is over.
LittleBigPlanet 2, the sequel to one of my favorite games on the console, stands to allow for further creative control than the previous along with the ability to utilize a mouse and a keyboard. Moreover, Killzone 3 having been announced is enough for me to purchase the system out of sheer love for the series. While it has never been the Halo-killer everyone has touted it to be, it is still one of my favorite all time shooters and I can’t wait for it to be released. Addtionally, God of War 3 and Final Fantasy XIII are still both pure digital eye candy that would be more than enough to make any jaw drop at least once. Add this to the impeding release of PlayStation Move and a teased Team Ico redux and I’m more or less sold on buying myself a 250 GB slim. But that is ultimately what it takes to become a solid console when stacked up against competition like Microsoft, Nintendo and even Apple with the iPod, iPhone and iPad – a strong library of game and fluid delivery of exceptional content – no questions asked. Certainly, I’m excited for every single announcement that is coming out of E3 this month, but the sheer amount of things that Sony seems to have in store just might be the precedence necessary to carry this year and not only make it a red-letter year for Sony, but to truly seize the gaming community by the controller and make it the year of the PlayStation 3. Click here to discuss this feature editorial in our official forums and sound-off as to whether 2010 will be the year of the Playstation 3.
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