Quality not quantity

There was a time when I was among the majority who thought that the library of PS3 games was pretty weak.  I was looking at my library of playstation 2 games yesterday and what did I see.  Alot of Final Fantasy, Suikoden, Disgaea and other RPG fare.  I also saw alot of Metal Gear, Splinter Cell, Devil May Cry, and God of War type action games.  For a while, I resisted the PS3 hype because there was nothing similar to the games that I already have to draw me in.

Then I thought, why would I want something similar to what I already have.  Further reflection brought me to the thought that anything similar to what I already have would be crappy anyway.  And if it wasn't crappy, its only because its a graphically enhanced re-hash of a game that was already great.  I pulled my copy of Gran Tourismo 3 A-spec off of the shelf and thought to myself, "Isn't this just a dolled up version of Gran Tourismo 1 & 2?"  It wasn't until GT4, that the game really evolved.  Same thing goes for Metal Gear Solid 2.  Yes it was better looking than MGS 1, yes it had some better AI and gameplay mechanics, but basically it was the same kind of game.  I think most would agree that MGS3 took the series to new levels.

Then I looked across the shelf to my tiny collection of PS3 titles (Resistance, Marvel, Genji).  I had just finished Resistance and I REALLY enjoyed it.  A quick scan through my PS2 collection revealed nothing like it.  The closest thing I could find anywhere on the shelf was Metriod Prime for the game cube (which I also loved).  Then I realized what had happened.  I bought Resistance because the gaming community recognized it as the cream of the (sparse) crop.  I didn't buy it because I love FPS's.  Because of the small library of games, I was not bound to my conventional game genre preferences and I discovered a really great game that I wouldn't have otherwise played.

Then I thought ahead to my future potential game purchases.  I've been thinking about Virtua Fighter 5 and Armored Core 4.  Another quick scan through the shelf revealed only a copy of Soul Caliber 2 and Front Mission 4 (still shrink wrapped).  The closest thing to Martial Arts Combat and a Mech Shooter were a weapons fighter and a (unplayed) strategy game.

I doubt that Sony did this by design, since there is no shortage of audience for FPS's and Fighting games.  I realize that I, in no way, represent the gaming community as a whole.  However, I hope that the playstation 3 lineup continues to grow slowly.  Quality not Quantity.  Perhaps the release of only a handful of spectacular RPG's will allure fans of other genres into the RPG fray.

I would rather have fewer great games than floods of average ones.  This would lead to higher sales per title, which would allow developers to continue to make more GREAT games. 

It would also create a more cohesive online gaming community. 

So I'm saying, quite literally, not sarcasticaly, and not negatively - "Thanks for nothing Sony!"

I apologize,

I didn't realize that that a gaming website forum was the appropriate venue for sharing my opinions and experiences regarding video games.

Geeeeez

Alright, perhaps I was being a little defensive.  I know it was a long post, but I was just trying to convey my thoughts as accurately as possible and it was kind of a difficult thing to explain.  It's probably not everyday that someone says "fewer games rules!"

I'm just saying that the PS2 library has a lot of licensed junk, cheap knock-offs, GTA wanna be's, and shovel ware.  So therefore, we should all enjoy this time where the majority of the games in the PS3 library (regardless of genre) all provide a unique, engaging, and technically impressive experience that can appeal to a broad audience of gamers due to their outstanding quality.  And let's hope it continues for as long as possible.

There, that's the "non-pulitzer prize" version of what I wanted to say.  I just needed some time to think it through completely.

There was a time when I was among the majority who thought that the library of PS3 games was pretty weak. I was looking at my library of playstation 2 games yesterday and what did I see. Alot of Final Fantasy, Suikoden, Disgaea and other RPG fare. I also saw alot of Metal Gear, Splinter Cell, Devil May Cry, and God of War type action games. For a while, I resisted the PS3 hype because there was nothing similar to the games that I already have to draw me in.

Then I thought, why would I want something similar to what I already have. Further reflection brought me to the thought that anything similar to what I already have would be crappy anyway. And if it wasn't crappy, its only because its a graphically enhanced re-hash of a game that was already great. I pulled my copy of Gran Tourismo 3 A-spec off of the shelf and thought to myself, "Isn't this just a dolled up version of Gran Tourismo 1 & 2?" It wasn't until GT4, that the game really evolved. Same thing goes for Metal Gear Solid 2. Yes it was better looking than MGS 1, yes it had some better AI and gameplay mechanics, but basically it was the same kind of game. I think most would agree that MGS3 took the series to new levels.

Then I looked across the shelf to my tiny collection of PS3 titles (Resistance, Marvel, Genji). I had just finished Resistance and I REALLY enjoyed it. A quick scan through my PS2 collection revealed nothing like it. The closest thing I could find anywhere on the shelf was Metriod Prime for the game cube (which I also loved). Then I realized what had happened. I bought Resistance because the gaming community recognized it as the cream of the (sparse) crop. I didn't buy it because I love FPS's. Because of the small library of games, I was not bound to my conventional game genre preferences and I discovered a really great game that I wouldn't have otherwise played.

Then I thought ahead to my future potential game purchases. I've been thinking about Virtua Fighter 5 and Armored Core 4. Another quick scan through the shelf revealed only a copy of Soul Caliber 2 and Front Mission 4 (still shrink wrapped). The closest thing to Martial Arts Combat and a Mech Shooter were a weapons fighter and a (unplayed) strategy game.

I doubt that Sony did this by design, since there is no shortage of audience for FPS's and Fighting games. I realize that I, in no way, represent the gaming community as a whole. However, I hope that the playstation 3 lineup continues to grow slowly. Quality not Quantity. Perhaps the release of only a handful of spectacular RPG's will allure fans of other genres into the RPG fray.

I would rather have fewer great games than floods of average ones. This would lead to higher sales per title, which would allow developers to continue to make more GREAT games.

It would also create a more cohesive online gaming community.

So I'm saying, quite literally, not sarcasticaly, and not negatively - "Thanks for nothing Sony!"

ghaleon0721

Excellent post!  This should be stickied for future reference as how to properly craft a post.emitsu97

I agree.