Weather you are a lover or a hater of the PlayStation 3, you can at least admit that the system is imperfect. It is lacking online features and Sony's PSN service can't quite catch up to the rival Xbox Live. The games on the PlayStation 3 are strong - but the system is crying for it's next batch of quality titles at this point. PS3 has a certain potential that has been locked up since it's release. However, 2008 will show some of PS3's strongest refinements and changes. Below are the main bullet points of the PS3's advancement.
PlayStation Home
PlayStation 3 has been waiting for that one feature that separates itself from Xbox Live, and it comes in the form of Home. Home allows you to interact with people all around the world and connect to different games, as well as navigate the different areas Home includes. You will have you own personal living space that you can customize down to the wallpaper and furniture. Any media content saved on you system can be streamed into Home. You can play music on your stereo, or have movies playing on the in-game TV. Your friends can come visit your living quarters with the touch of a button, and there you can interact and connect to games. Home will also feature a character customization feature that allows you to modify your physical appearance and clothing. Playing different games will unlock different items within Home (EXAMPLE: By playing MGS4, you can snag Snakes SolidEye!). PlayStation will get it's achievement system in the form of trophies. Performing in-game tasks will give you trophies that will be displayed in your apartment. These are just a few of the many, many features of Home.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Weather you are a Metal Gear Solid fan or you hate the series there is no denying one thing: This game will be big. The story has been in the making since the completion of the second Metal Gear Solid game, Sons of Liberty. The games' huge production team has been working for years on this title, and it looks promising. It is the final tale of Solid Snake, and will close his story arc. This will be the last Metal Gear game Kojima will be working on, and he plans to put all of his love and care into it.
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet has been on the horizon for what seems like forever. Thankfully the game will launch sometime in September of this year. LBP allows players to build their own whacky and fun creations from scratch. The interface is simple and quick, but the amount of freedom in the creation is staggering. You will be able to build with your friends locally or over the PSN service. LBP will feature a whole sharing network so you will be able to taste-test levels and creations from users everywhere. Ambitious and unique, LittleBigPlanet helps the PS3 advance farther.
Resistance 2
Resistance: Fall of Man was a launch title for the PS3. It was of high quality, but was lacking in some features. Resistance 2 hopes to improve on all the downfalls of the original, and deliver an incredible shooter experience. It boasts a full-fledged single-player following Nathan Hale as he travels to the States to defend them from the Chimera onslaught. It will feature an eight-player ****based co-op mode that follows a group of soldiers during the war. It will be as long as the single-player game, and will have multiple story tie-ins, etc. Finally there will be a multiplayer mode that supports up to 60 players. Insomniac hopes to have this one finished by Fall.
Killzone 2
This title has been on gamers radar ever since the first CGI cutscene was shown. The gameplay footage and screenshots confirms one thing: This game looks damn good. It is being developed by a large team (unlike the first Killzone), and has been in production for almost three years. Gamers can finally get their hands on this in 08'.
In-Game Cross Media Bar Access
A feature users have been asking for since the system launched. Now you can access the XMB from within your games and be able to set up private chats, send messages (pictures, videos) and see what everyone is doing. You can also access your music and photos. This will hopefully open up online functionality and get the community going. This, plus home will equal a more refined online system. This is a prime example of how the PS3 is improving itself.
Dual Shock 3
PlayStation 2 was always known for it's quality Dual Shock rumble controllers. For that reason it was odd that Sony announced that the PS3's Sixaxis controller would be totally without rumble support. Some shooters and racers call for rumble features, and to be without it would be truly saddening. Thanks to the Dual Shock 3, launching in April, users can finally play games the way they were meant to be played: with rumble!
PlayStation Store Re-Design
The current PlayStation Store design is far from dysfunctional. However it is archaic in design when compared to the Xbox Live Marketplace. That will be no more when the store gets a new look and new features on April 15th. Ease of functionality and content will be overhauled - good news indeed.
In closing I just want to say that the PS3 isn't a perfect console, sure, but Sony is finally starting to wise up and take charge. PS3 is getting feature upgrades, additions and refinements, as well as a slew of amazing looking exclusives. It's a great year to be a PS3 owner. Other good news is in the air, too. A Warhawkexpansion will be coming in april, and an official Sony headset will also be shipping soon. GameStop has gotten rumors of a $50 price drop, too. Basically, if you want a PS3, now is the time to own one. Thanks for reading. :)
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