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ravensword

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4 years after PS3s launch, a Retrospec.


Ok, so the console gen isnt over yet, and these type of things are mostly done AFTER the hardware gen is over, but I thought it would be cool to get a retrospec of the last 4 years of the consoles life. So I will be doing blog posts like this up until the day it launched, which was Nov. 17th 2006 in North America.  Since i owned the console since pretty much its launch, I thought I would do this to chart the PS3s story up until this point, from a  factual and personal perspective.
 
2006: November 17th, 2006. The PS3 is officaly launchd in North America for the suggested price of 599.99 for the main SKU, and 499.99 for the less feature riched model. While the price was indeed a bitter pill to swallow, and every console before hand that launched at anything above 400 dollars has pretty much ended in miserable failure, the console did indeed warrant that price from a strictly value proposition, grant it that you thought what it offered (bluray, built in wifi, rechargable controllers, blutooth, functionality, and memory stick and SD card readers in addition to HDMI) was indeed a value for the price. Compared to 360, it certainly had more value out of the box tfeature wise. It launched with 12 launch titles, most of which were middling to bad save for one or two (namely Resistence: Fall of Man, arguably the strongest of the launch titles) The launch itself was successful and most stores were sold out of the syestem at launch, sparking Jack Trettons infamous boast that he would pay 1,200 dollars to anyone who can find a PS3 console on store shelves at launch. (Spoiler: people did find them on shelves and he never made good on that bet)  
 
2007: The PS3 would be out of a full year at the end of this year, and things were looking rough. Even though the launch sales looked good, there were issues with the experience. First of all was the multiplatform problem. 360 has been out for a full year when PS3 launched, meaning that games that would hit had 360 hardware in mind originaly because devs had the dev kits for 360 alot earlier then they did the PS3 dev kits, meaning that multiplatform games that were on PS3s launch performed noticeably worse on PS3, and this extended to multiplatform games for 2007 as well save for Call of Duty 4 (which was the first multiplatform game where the devs refused for the PS3 version to be a lesser experience) and a few others. This would be something PS3 would struggle with even today. However, many found this odd because of PS3s supposed tech supperiority to the 360 that SONY had claimed during launch. Another issue that arose was the Online and PSN. While Functional, it seriously lacked the ease and interface that Live did at the time, which did little to steer people away from playing on Live and moving over to PSN if they owned both consoles. The only thing that it could considered it had a advantage in was that you can play online and do everything for free. Also, the PSN store wasnt necessarily well integrated to the PS3 at this time. It was much more like a website then it was a application and updated weekly with little to no new content. Another issue that appeared was the lack of quality or compelling exclusives. This lead to many infamous phrases like "PS3 has no games" that will still be joked about even today. While games like Heavenly Sword were well made, it didnt make up for PS3's lack of compelling software to call its own. Many were considering PS3 a bust at this point and the magazine EGM even went so far as to seriously inquire what was wrong with it or if it was a bust in a rather famous (or infamous, depends on your view point) cover story and interview with Jack Tretton. Indeed, it was a hard time to be a PS3 owner, and some even started to question their 600 dollar investment. It didnt help that in this same year, 360 would be getting some of its biggest and most defining games in Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Halo 3.  
 
Could the consoles fortune turn in the new year to come? Well, it could take the effort of  one of their biggest franchises and its climactic conclusion to try.  
 
(I will post 2008-2009 maybe next week.)
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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword

Ok, so the console gen isnt over yet, and these type of things are mostly done AFTER the hardware gen is over, but I thought it would be cool to get a retrospec of the last 4 years of the consoles life. So I will be doing blog posts like this up until the day it launched, which was Nov. 17th 2006 in North America.  Since i owned the console since pretty much its launch, I thought I would do this to chart the PS3s story up until this point, from a  factual and personal perspective.
 
2006: November 17th, 2006. The PS3 is officaly launchd in North America for the suggested price of 599.99 for the main SKU, and 499.99 for the less feature riched model. While the price was indeed a bitter pill to swallow, and every console before hand that launched at anything above 400 dollars has pretty much ended in miserable failure, the console did indeed warrant that price from a strictly value proposition, grant it that you thought what it offered (bluray, built in wifi, rechargable controllers, blutooth, functionality, and memory stick and SD card readers in addition to HDMI) was indeed a value for the price. Compared to 360, it certainly had more value out of the box tfeature wise. It launched with 12 launch titles, most of which were middling to bad save for one or two (namely Resistence: Fall of Man, arguably the strongest of the launch titles) The launch itself was successful and most stores were sold out of the syestem at launch, sparking Jack Trettons infamous boast that he would pay 1,200 dollars to anyone who can find a PS3 console on store shelves at launch. (Spoiler: people did find them on shelves and he never made good on that bet)  
 
2007: The PS3 would be out of a full year at the end of this year, and things were looking rough. Even though the launch sales looked good, there were issues with the experience. First of all was the multiplatform problem. 360 has been out for a full year when PS3 launched, meaning that games that would hit had 360 hardware in mind originaly because devs had the dev kits for 360 alot earlier then they did the PS3 dev kits, meaning that multiplatform games that were on PS3s launch performed noticeably worse on PS3, and this extended to multiplatform games for 2007 as well save for Call of Duty 4 (which was the first multiplatform game where the devs refused for the PS3 version to be a lesser experience) and a few others. This would be something PS3 would struggle with even today. However, many found this odd because of PS3s supposed tech supperiority to the 360 that SONY had claimed during launch. Another issue that arose was the Online and PSN. While Functional, it seriously lacked the ease and interface that Live did at the time, which did little to steer people away from playing on Live and moving over to PSN if they owned both consoles. The only thing that it could considered it had a advantage in was that you can play online and do everything for free. Also, the PSN store wasnt necessarily well integrated to the PS3 at this time. It was much more like a website then it was a application and updated weekly with little to no new content. Another issue that appeared was the lack of quality or compelling exclusives. This lead to many infamous phrases like "PS3 has no games" that will still be joked about even today. While games like Heavenly Sword were well made, it didnt make up for PS3's lack of compelling software to call its own. Many were considering PS3 a bust at this point and the magazine EGM even went so far as to seriously inquire what was wrong with it or if it was a bust in a rather famous (or infamous, depends on your view point) cover story and interview with Jack Tretton. Indeed, it was a hard time to be a PS3 owner, and some even started to question their 600 dollar investment. It didnt help that in this same year, 360 would be getting some of its biggest and most defining games in Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Halo 3.  
 
Could the consoles fortune turn in the new year to come? Well, it could take the effort of  one of their biggest franchises and its climactic conclusion to try.  
 
(I will post 2008-2009 maybe next week.)
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ChickenPants

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Edited By ChickenPants

A good read.
 
For me, the PS3 didn't hit its stride until after the release of MGS4 and its strong Christmas '08 period. '09 was an awesome year for it gamewise. 2010 has been great so far and 2011  looks to be heavily stacked with great games, especially considering the ones that were pushed back from '10.
 
I do remember the dark days of '07 though. Think the run of disappointing exclusives during that period ruined the PS3's image for a long time afterwards.

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Edited By s0ck

2011 is going to be sonys biggest year ever...........
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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@ChickenPants:

Yeah, thats what I was trying to say in the article. It really was doomsday clock during that year, and many peopel STILL think its on that clock. (I dont agree with them, but whatevs.) Not to spoil what im gonna say in my Part 2 of this, but I think 2009 was when PS3 REALLY did great stuff to try and turn it around.  Honestly, its a stigma im trying to get over as well. I do still have it in my subconcious that its not good basicaly based solely off the 2007 apocalypse I had to endure owning the console. Something i need to get over, but it still sticks with you.
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gamb1t

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Edited By gamb1t

Already the PS3 on the boundary of outselling the 360 which had an extra year or so from launch. + a lot of 360 owners bought a 2nd one LOL!

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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@gamb1t:

Yeah, but who knows if 360s sales momentum will kepp up or if Kinect will really boost 360 sales. Its too early to tell really.
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gamb1t

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Edited By gamb1t
@Raven_Sword:
i think having a year or so extra already deflates the race and ps3 wins
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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@gamb1t:

Why if the final results still end up 360 selling more overal? We fo by final sales numbers, not how well the 3rd place console did to try and close the gap.
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deactivated-5c5cdba6e0b96

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sins_of_mosin

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Edited By sins_of_mosin
@gamb1t said:
" Already the PS3 on the boundary of outselling the 360 which had an extra year or so from launch. + a lot of 360 owners bought a 2nd one LOL! "
The number one market for video games is USA/North America.  I don't know if you noticed but the 360 has been outselling the PS3 every year and nearly every month the past four years.
 
And if you recall, the PS3 was the first blu-ray player so A LOT of the first year sales was mainly for movie watching.  You could say that for 2007 as well.  So, LOL all you want in the back row.
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Edited By Diamond

If they actually manage to get Gran Turismo 5, Last Guardian, Killzone 3, Little Big Planet 2, and Twisted Metal out in 2011, that should be pretty huge.

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deactivated-5c5cdba6e0b96

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@sins_of_mosin said:
" @gamb1t said:
" Already the PS3 on the boundary of outselling the 360 which had an extra year or so from launch. + a lot of 360 owners bought a 2nd one LOL! "
The number one market for video games is USA/North America.  I don't know if you noticed but the 360 has been outselling the PS3 every year and nearly every month the past four years.  And if you recall, the PS3 was the first blu-ray player so A LOT of the first year sales was mainly for movie watching.  You could say that for 2007 as well.  So, LOL all you want in the back row. "
None of this really matters, the gap is a pretty thin line at this point compared to a few years back.
 
Both systems are selling well and both have their strength's and weakness.
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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@Bucketdeth:

Who cares?
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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@sins_of_mosin:

this is classic arrogance thinking US is the only market that matters. All that matters is overal sales and overal sales are extremely close.
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zeforgotten

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Edited By zeforgotten

First: Holy shit, it's really been 4 years already?  
 
Second: A every good read.  
I find it kinda sad that some simple minded people think that only the US market matters but there's nothing to be done about that, they were wrongly raised like that.  
But going back to your blog I used to laugh my ass off at the 360 fanboys always trying to start a "fight" with their dumb "Eh, it's not outselling the 360 at all!" in the first week of the PS3 launching. No shit, Sherlock it hasn't outsold the 360 that had a 1 year head start? Amazing, yet the figures showed that it sold more on launch that the 360 did and has kept up with the 360 in mostly all other places but the US. 
 
Personally for me, though there were some good games from the start, the games really started to shine with games like Metal Gear Solid 4, Uncharted and Killzone 2. 
Games like MAG are also a lot of fun and have proven that Move isn't just for weird "casual" games.  
  
Waiting on your next blog to see what you think of the later years =D

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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@ZeForgotten:

Im glad you enjoyed it. I havent written the 2nd part yet, but ill do it as soon as I can. These types of things are sometimes hard to do because its a tad hard to remember stuff 4 years back. but 2008-2009 should be easier for me to remember.
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Edited By Miketakon

MGS4 doesn't get enough credit for saving the PS3.

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Edited By Tsoglani

The thing that actually made me go out and buy a PS3 was when MGS4 was bundled with it. I haven't regretted it since, and the PS3 is already on its way to outsell the 360. I read somwhere yesterday that PS3 will overtake 360 sales by 2012. It's a shame we don't get as many exclusives, but the ones we do get are awesome. I cannot wait for Gran Turismo 5.

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Edited By ProfessorEss

  @Raven_Sword said:

Honestly, its a stigma im trying to get over as well. I do still have it in my subconcious that its not good basicaly based solely off the 2007 apocalypse I had to endure owning the console. Something i need to get over, but it still sticks with you. "

I feel like I'm in the same boat. I have no remaining legitimate problems with the PS3, but I too have this lingering stigma.
It sat there for so long while I played 360 and waited for stuff to come out for it that it just kinda got locked in as "that other console".
 
I'm currently renovated my living room, got a new TV and a new sound system so I'm kinda hoping when that's all done it will erase the memories of the PS3's rougher years and both consoles can stand together as equals.
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EVO

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Edited By EVO
@bitcloud said:

" @Raven_Sword: The PS3 started when Uncharted 2 came out, the price dropped, they got their marketing campaign right and they finally figured out that the spus can chew through 16xmlaa. "

The PS3 started at launch with Resistance and MotorStorm.
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deactivated-5c5cdba6e0b96

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@Raven_Sword said:

" @Bucketdeth: Who cares? "

I don't care, but did you write the original work?
 
@Red12b said:
" @Raven_Sword said:
" @Bucketdeth: Who cares? "
@Bucketdeth said:
" Dude you just copy and pasted this blog from a gamespot post.  ***Unless your are that user over at Gamespot***
 
 http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27500853&tag=topics%3Btitle "
Is that for that?   "

Yeah I think he was responding to that and didn't really elaborate on if he stole it or not.
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Edited By Andheez
@ProfessorEss: 
 
Same thing here.  There were LONG stretches of time where it did nothing but let me watch Hulu on my TV, then that ended and I had to buy a Laptop with HDMI out.  I was not a fan of a lot of the exclusive games released, I really only liked Heavenly Sword early, didn't mind Ratchet in the middle, then Infamous, Uncharted 2 and Demons Souls late.  Still, that is a pretty paltry list for 4 years, hopefully the late ramp up is a sign of good things.  Haven't played Heavy Rain, I'm hoping that will give me some PS3 time until.....something.
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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@Bucketdeth:

yes, that was my original work. I posted it here and in the Gamespot forums. I like to get as much feedback as I can.
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ravensword

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Edited By ravensword
@ProfessorEss:

I will say that most of my stigma about it lies still in its Multiplatform short comings. I cant go out and buy the PS3 version of anything without feeling like im making a mistake when i could get it on 360 and itll probaly looka nd run better over there. thats if I dont do research on comparison sites before hand or if they arent even available at that time. I think I just need to find a balance of getting multiplatform on 360, unless they are better on PS3, and getting Exclusives on PS3. I wish I just had a devoted one console though so it makes those decisions on multiplatform easier and I could focus on just one consoles, but I dont wanna miss out on exclusives the other gets. I just need to find a balance.