Alright. I've had just about enough of the stupid console fanboy tirades that seem to make gaming headlines every day on gaming "news" sources like N4G.

Which is better: The Playstation 3 or the 360? This question is the current definition of the console war, and although fanboys (who have decided, seemingly, to let their friendships and enemies be drawn almost entirely from some perverse loyalty to a brand of corporate-driven electronic merchandise) have a seemingly infinite well of topics about which to argue on the internet (hardware, peripherals, XMB, the PS3's web browser, manufacturing costs... hell, I've even seen flaming arguments about which has better support for video codecs), these are all relatively minor battle-fields compared to the largest, and bloodiest, of confrontations. Despite all their fancy frills, these consoles are - after all - little more than machines upon which to play video games; the burning question, thus, becomes: which console has better excusives?

We've recently had two different responses, one pro-Sony and one pro-Microsoft, from a few gaming blogs whom shall not be named, though I hardly wish to unfairly single out these editorials; they are, after all, little more than the latest examples of a war being fought on message boards all across the internet.

Therefore, in a humble (though probably futile) effort to end these asinine arguments, I shall attempt the most unbiased and analytical examination of console exclusives heretofore accredited. Before webegin this process, we shall design as objective a system for quality measurement as possible. Given the limited resources of a simple internet blog, I have (regretably) only a single reliable source for an objective measurement of quality exclusives: metascores.

Q: So how are we going to do this?

A: Simple, really. In order to fairly "count" which system has more (and better) exclusives, we need some ground rules to determine which games are (and are not) eligible. The first rule is obvious, but may have some surprising ramifications: in order to count which system has more exclusives, we can count ONLY exclusive games. Multi-platform gems like Prince of Persia and Dead Space ultimately don't add anything to either side of the equation; only platform exclusives like Halo 3 or Killzone 2 help us infantile internet arguers decide which console is "better." The first rule, therefore, is that we are only counting exclusives. A consequence of note, however, is that we are counting only platform exclusives; however, the personal computer is still a gaming platform. Xbox 360 "exclusives" like Left 4 Dead and Mass Effect are not exclusives at all if they can be played on a PC, alright? So we're not counting those.

Secondly - and almost as importantly - we need to determine a cut-off line for quality. If we counted each and every "exclusive" game to a platform (e.g., if we included all the shovelware), then the Wii would undisputably be the greatest platform of this generation (although it has many more quality "hardcore" games than it gets credit for, but that's another editorial entirely!). I have decided only to count exclusives that score a 70 or higher on Metacritic. I certainly do not mean to imply that a game's worth is determined purely by it's meta-score, as (sadly) many game consumers... as well as publishers... seem to feel. I simply decided that, within the American school system, below a 70 would be a D. In other words, although I am sure there are many exclusives whose meta-score falls below 70 that some might find entertaining (Earth Defense Force for the Xbox 360 comes to mind), I have decided only to count what most would generally consider a "good" game, or perhaps a game that would make them wish they owned that particular console.

Thirdly, I am not counting remakes, re-issues, or re-releases of games which have been released on previous consoles. This was a personal choice, though I think it's a valid one; while Nina Gaiden Sigma is a fantastic game with great graphics, at the end of the day it is essentially the same game as Ninja Gaiden Black, which is available on the original Xbox. The same also goes for games like Portal: Still Alive (original also available on PC and PS3) and Rez HD (original available on PS2 and Saturn). Many of these remakes are great games in their own right, but I don't feel it is fair to count them as console "exclusives," especially when a lot of the games that would make the list are negligibly different from other versions of the game (games like Lumines and Puzzle Quest, with their hundreds of different versions and re-releases, come to mind). So, in summary, the rules are as follows:

1) Exclusives only! (1A: If it is also available on the PC, IT IS NOT AN EXCLUSIVE!)

2) Has to score 70+ on Metacritic.

3) No remakes or re-releases (Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Rez HD, etc.)

4) Xbox Live/PSN releases count.

Onto the meat and potatos... the lists! (NOTE: Games are listed in descendig order, with the games listed first scoring the highest metacritic scores.)

Xbox 360:

Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned*, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Forza Motorsport 2, Fable 2, Project Gotham Racing 3, Project Gotham Racing 4, Dead or Alive 4, Dead Rising**, Bomberman Live, Viva Pinata, Crackdown, Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, Castle Crashers, Lost Odyssey, Halo Wars, Tales of Vesperia, Uno, Rockstar's Table Tennis, Ninja Gaiden 2, Perfect Dark Zero, Ace Combat 6, Catan, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Naruto: Broken Bond, Kameo: Elements of Power, Marble Blast Ultra, Blue Dragon, R-Type Dimensions, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, Outpost Kaloki X, Mutant Storm Extreme, Undertow, The Maw, Scene It? Box Office Smash, Culdcept Saga, Ridge Racer 6, Weapon of Choice, Galaga Legions, Scene It? Lights Camera Action, Omega 5, Lips, Chromehounds, The Outfit, Full Auto

*GTA IV: Lost and the Damned is technically an episodic expansion for GTA IV (hence the title), but it's content is such that it could easily be released as a retail title, so I decided to include it.

**Dead Rising technically is not a 360 exclusive; the Wii version, however, is on-rails like a light gun shooting game, so I have made a personal exception in this case and included it as an Xbox 360 exclusive... because the Wii version has cut so much content that it's sort of joke.

Notable exceptions: Gears of War (available on PC), Mass Effect (PC), Braid (PC), Left 4 Dead (PC), Portal: Still Alive (remake), Rez HD (remake), Doom 3D (remake), Every Extend Extra Extreme (remake), Infinite Undiscovery (score), Last Remnant (score... AND available on PC).

PS3:

LittleBigPlanet, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot, Killzone 2, Ratchet & Clank: Future Tools of Destruction, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Flower, Wipeout HD, Valkyria Chronicles, Resistance 2, Resistance: Fall of Man, MLB 08: The Show, Motorstorm, Warhawk, PixelJunk Monsters, Singstar, Gran Turismo HD Concept, Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, Super Stardust HD, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, Cuboid, EchoChrome, Metal Gear Online*, Buzz! Quiz TV, PixelJunk Eden, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Heavenly Sword, Crash Commando, SIREN: Blood Curse, Disgaea 3, The Last Guy, Calling All Cars!, MLB 07: The Show, Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty, Singstar v. 2, Folklore, Eye of Judgment, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, Noby Noby Boy, Savage Moon, PAIN**, LocoRoco Cocoreccho!, Afrika, flOw, Piyotama, Elefunk

*Metal Gear Online was bundled with MGS4. However, it was also sold as a separate retail product at a later date, and since its release it has received several expansions (which cost money). I count it separately from Metal Gear Solid 4 because it was available as a stand-alone product, and because it is a game entirely different from MGS4 (as opposed to, say, Halo 3's multiplayer, which plays much the same as single-player). If this decision bothers your delicate sensibilities, simply subtract one from my total count of PS3 exclusives.

**PAIN had two separate 70+ metacritic listings (PAIN and PAIN: Amusement Park). PAIN: Amusement Park requires the original PAIN in order to work (i.e., it's an expansion), so I decided to lump them together as one listing, because no one would be playing PAIN: Amusement Park if they didn't already own PAIN.

The Final Verdict?!

XBOX 360 EXCLUSIVES: 46

PS3 EXCLUSIVES: 45

Commentary?

CONGRATULATIONS, XBOX 360 FANBOYS! You won the contest by one whole game! In other words, the only difference between your console and the Playstation 3 is LIPS, or Scene it? Box Office Smash! What a monumental victory for all those loyal Microsoft fans! Take a bow, boys and girls, you deserve it!

More realistically, the REAL conclusion you should be drawing from this analysis is that the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are neck and neck when it comes to quality exclusives. It's going to be a photo-finish, and we probably won't be able to tell who "won" until years from now. Even if we counted unreleased games it would be a tight contest: the 360's Alan Wake, more GTAIV and Fallout 3 episodes, Halo 3:OSTD, and Splinter Cell: Conviction versus Sony's Uncharted 2, God of War III, Gran Turismo 5, Infamous, MAG and Heavy Rain.

There are only a few minor caveats where I could see owning one platform over another. The most major is that if high definition means nothing to you (which you may feel very differently about a few years from now, by the way), then the 360 is available for much cheaper. Personally, even if you bought a 360, I would invest in the Elite model with HDMI output so you can eventually enjoy those games on your cheap LCD television. If you're a huge fanatic for racing games, the 360 is probably your console of choice: in addition to Burnout Paradise (both platforms), you have three exclusive franchises to enjoy: Forza Motorsport, Project Gotham Racing, and Ridge Racer. Sony's Gran Turismo is considered by many to be the king of racing games, but they take so long to develop their games that you can't really enjoy the yearly itinerations. Finally, if you live and breathe baseball, then the PS3 is your console of choice. Sony's MLB: The Show franchise has provided baseball fans with a fantastic baseball game that easily rivals E.A.'s yearly Madden and NHL games in terms of fun and quality.

Additionally, if you count the number of multi-platform releases available on both consoles, the amount of quality games available for both platforms is staggering. You could be playing these games for YEARS and still not be done. Sit back, calm down, and enjoy your platform of choice, and for the love of everything holy stop listening to those stupid internet people when they slam you for your console of choice. Just point to the list of exclusives and say "hey, stupid, I bought my console for THESE games!"

Role-playing games and the Playstation have always had a dysfunctional relationship. Even from the beginning, Sony was the proverbial rock star luring a hot chick (rpg publishing aficianado Squaresoft) away from her long-time boyfriend (Nintendo). The PS1 was a sultan's harem of fine role playing games, and the PS2 years were golden years, whence Sony grew fat from the blood of thousands of devoted JRPG exclusives.

Oh, how times have changed! These days Square Enix is demanding a divorce, tossing all of Sony's stuff out of the window, and babbling about how her new boyfriend Microsoft understands her more than Sony ever could. All the hot RPG groupies that were hanging around the PS2 during his rock-star days of fame and glory have left long, long ago, and can we truly blame them?

With the cost of development rising sharply this generation and game finance skewing heavily towards western markets, the once-mighty JRPG seems to be going the path of genres like text-based MUDs or the point-and-click adventure game. The capricious march of technology has made Japanese RPGs a risky endeavor. For those like me, RPG veterans nursed on a steady diet of Dragon Quest, this transition has been a very painful one.

I know, deep within my hear, that I am not the only one who has beseeched the fickle gods of video game development for more quality Playstation rpgs while gnashing my teeth and weeping. As such, as much as I would love to recommend the port of Eternal Sonata as our long-awaited JRPG messiah, I simply cannot. To our review.

STORY

The main character is not a plucky, happy-go-lucky teen with a convenient case of amnesia. You are not the chosen hero destined to overthrow the corrupt Western hegemony and metaphorically restore Japan to its highly-romanticized feudal glory. You are not tasked to defeat the ultimate evil. On the surface, everything seems promising.

The premise? Celebrated Polish pianist Chopin is terminally ill, and in his mind he has been transported to a colorful fantasy world where shadows and light conjure different sets of abilities and everyone is apparently named after musical terminology.

With a premise so bizarre, Eternal Sonata seems rife with the possibility of being a uniquely captivating rpg. Sadly, any pretense of originality is thrown out the window shortly into the story... namely, when you meet your first plucky, happy-go-lucky teen companion (the first of many, I assure you).

What begins as Chopin's terminal illness quickly devolves into the wily adventures of Chopin and Friends, all of whom are plucked straight from the shelves of Anime Stereotypes 'R Us. A promising plot involving two warring political powers (Forte and Baroque) eventually unfolds with bland predictability. The possibility of exploring complex shades of morality during a time of war is lost when the story shifts into a generic battle between good (your party) and a remorseless evil (Count Waltz).

The story is not without some inspired moments. Polka, one of Chopin's many companions, reminds him heavily of his long-deceased sister, and plot elements involving this contain some scenes which border on being truly tender. Otherwise, even death fails to evoke an emotional reponse, because it's hard to care for the passing of a character you've known for a sum total of ten minutes.

Summary: The amount of cut-scenes are well beyond excessive, especially since most of them are droll, if not entirely pointless. This is not a game like Metal Gear Solid, with fourty layers of plot twists, metaphors, and self-references. An original premise also eventually gives way to a story which is largely a paint-by-numbers anime story which could have been ripped from any number of other games.

Score: 6/10 (Fair)

Graphics

Much like the story, on the surface the graphics are gorgeous, but in execution they fail to deliver the sum total of their promise. The world surrounding Chopin is bright and colorful: an ideal setting for any idealistic protagonist wanting to escape his own mortality.

If the art direction had involved more than "lots of bright colors" this could have been a real winner. The animation is stiff; characters only seem to have two or three points of articulation, and lumber around like wooden dolls. The anime-inspired character designs fit well with the vibrant settings, but they are not particularly inspired. Some designs, like Chopin and Princess Serenade, show promise. Others, like Polka, fall flat: you would be hard-pressed to identify some of your party members in a line-up of random NPC townspeople.

Enemy designs fair a little better. Some enemies drastically change appearance between light and shadow, though sadly these unique enemy designs are few. Most of the enemies are standard JRPG fodder, and they lack the visual acuity that works so well in other games, whether it's Dragon Quest's iconic cartoon slimes or the demented demons of the Shadow Hearts series. Like the characters, the enemies fit... but they don't quite captivate.

The game's visual performance is solid. Save the rare stutter in framerate, the technical performance of the graphics is commendable on a platform that is notoriously hard to port games onto.

Summary:The color palette is lush and fantastical, but stiff animation and standard art design keep the game from being visually captivating. The game's technical performance is solid but not flawless.

Score: 7/10 (Average)

Sound

Save for the rare game that splurges on orchestration, rpg soundtracks tend to be a repetetive cycle of town music/battle music/town music. Luckily, this game had the foresight to include a healthy dose of the famous protagonist's works.

The exceedingly linear nature of the game creates a predictable audio experience; as stated, you'll be hearing many of the same songs or themes over and over again. The game benefits heavily by including the works of a musical genius instead of the usual offering of synthesized music. The original works are, understandably, far less captivating. Overall the experience is not repetetive but likewise it's never transcendental.

The voice acting is much the same. All the performances are solid, but none of the characters bristle with personality. Lots (and lots and lots and lots and lots) of inane, one-dimensional dialogue probably doesn't help. One or two of the characters sometimes become grating. such as the villanous Count. How long do you need to eloquate about your various schemes? This is not a 1940's pulp fiction novel.

Sound effects, in general, are solid. Enemies roar but they aren't particularly fierce. Special moves in combat trigger static sound effects. Blasters make blasting noises, fireballs explode, and little teenage anime girls squeal in a decidedly Japanese way when smacked around. You know what I mean.

Summary: The works of Frederic Chopin are timeless. The rest is standard fare. The music isn't overly repetetive and the voice acting is solid enough to avoid jokes about embarrassingly bad dialogue. Sound effects are standard, so move along. For a real musical treat, remove the game disc and pop in a Chopin cd.

Score: 9/10 (for Chopin), 6/10 (everything else), 8/10 overall

Gameplay

Ah, what a mixed bag we have here: sparkling jewels and rotten fruit living together in perfect harmony, just like ebony and ivory! (Sorry, one piano joke was mandatory for a game starring Chopin and his Magical Anime Squad.)

Combat is one of the highlights of the game. Each time a character's (or enemy's) turn comes up, a meter starts counting down, and you're given several seconds to walk about and machine-gun abilities as you see fit until time time expires. While simple in premise, in execution it can be quite fun - strategic, even, when combined with the game's light and dark mechanics.

Your character's abilities differ depending on whether they are in light or darkness. Wanna unleash your powerful shadow-based sword attack? Step into your enemy's shadow and pummel him. Wanna use your light-based healing but it's night? Quickly step into a strategically-placed pool of moonlight to unlock your healing abilities.

Combat against weaker opponents is little more than button-mashing till your timer expires. However, as enemies get harder and the light/dark mechanics become more involved, combat can often be a fast-paced game of careful maneuvering as you try to keep the enemies from using their powerful abilities while simultaneously using your own. The turn-based nature of the combat keeps it from ever being truly tense, but often times battles can be genuinely fun.

Sadly, the unique combat system is not packaged with inspired world design. To say that Eternal Sonata's pathways are linear is to say that Pac-Man enjoys his glowing dots a little. You are shepharded from Point A to Point B almost mindlessly, your forward progress through dungeons broken only by enemies and the rare branching path or mind-numbingly simple puzzle. Combat might be that much more fun if there were any exploration elements to be found; as it stands, the fun combat system can't always save you from feeling like a rat in a one-tunnel maze.

Summary: The combat system is inventive and often fun, but fluffy icing can't save an under-cooked cake. The pathways between towns are as linear and predictable as the story. Nary a puzzle element or mini game to be found, really. Character progression is a pretty standard system of leveling and buying new abilities.

Score: 7/10 (Average)

Conclusion

Eternal Sonata was a fun - if uninspired - release earlier on the Xbox 360. Lack of competition on the PS3 does not magically make it a stellar game. The PS3 extras are worth noting: the new costumes are fluffy and somewhat inconsequential, but extra characters are always welcome (two new characters in this version of the game).

If you're close to the point of cutting yourself due to your desperation for a JRPG to play then pick the game up, but otherwise I'd pass on paying full retail price for this game. If your PS3 has any backwards compatibility then picking up some PS2 RPGs on the cheapis probably a better option. If you're dying for a new rpg to play, Valkyria Chronicles releases next week (and White Knight Chronicles and Final Fantasy XIII... eventually).

Buy/Rent/Pass? Buy it if you love sitting and staring at your massive rpg collection for hours on end. Rent it otherwise.

Story: 6/10

Graphics: 7/10

Sound: 8/10

Gameplay: 7/10

Overall: 8/10

Two years in, the seventh-generation console war is shaping up to be the biggest and bloodiest ever. Things have not been this close since the days of the Sega Gensis and Super Nintendo. Last generation the PS2 destroyed all competition to become the best-selling console of all time, and the generation before the Playstation 1 enjoyed a huge victory over the Dreamcast and N64 (as much as either of those consoles may have had a few amazing games).

This round, though, there are three contenders instead of two. Following is a break-down of each console's current status, and then my predictions for who will be remembered as this generation's winner.

Nintendo Wii:

More than a year after its release, Nintendo Wiis are still flying off of store shelves faster than Nintendo can produce them. Along with the DS, hardware sales alone have made Nintendo the second-biggest company in Japan. From a distant third in the last generation to (currently) undisputed front-runner in this generation is quite a feat, so kudos to Nintendo.

The Wii has made impressive progress into nontraditional gaming audiences. Seniors, housewives, and fanboys all seem to enjoy Nintendo's innovative little console. I would personally think that anyone claiming the Wii has made gaming mainstream should look at sales figures for the Playstation 2 (with 150 milliounits moved, it's hard to argue games were niche last generation, but it's hard to argue the Wii's sucess when over 30% of users are G-G-G-AMER GIRLS OMG.

First-party titles are what they are. Everyone should be familiar with them by now. Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and Metroid (or all of the above in SUper Smash Brothers): most buyers know what they're getting in Nintendo games, as they remain fun, approachable, and extremely successful sales-wise. The Wii has been criticized by game devlopers, however: third-party titles tend to fare much better on the Xbox 360. Repetition in software (mini-game collections anyone?) also tends to be a problem. While "serious" gamers opt for other consoles, Nintendo should be able to continue producing enough quality content to keep mosfanboys and early adopters satisfied.

Xbox 360:

The 360 has had an impressive start, thanks in no small part both to a one-year lead as well as the unrivaled success of Xbox Live. Gaming headlines seem to be made weekly last year when many previous PS3 exclusives, like Devil May Cry 4, were lost. The 360's impressive graphics have been a major selling point, as has a number of quality exclusives like Halo 3, Gears of War, Bioshock and Mass Effect. The 360's software sales have also been extremely impressive, with many titles moving millions and millions of units. Microsoft's Xbox Live is a feature worthy of particular note: multi-player games like Halo and Call of Duty 4 offer multiplayer experiences worth remembering, and XBLA features dozens and dozens of uniquegames and re-released classics available for download at a marginal price. Microsoft is currently the front-runner in exploring the promise of digital distribution.

That said, the Xbox has suffered from major setbacks. Failure rates have been (at minimum) five or six times greater than standard failure rates for most consumer electronics, with some esitmates placing failure rates on older models as high as 30%! The fabled "red ring of death" has frustrated many customers; luckily, Microsoft decided to address this issue by offering a 3-year extended (and retroactive) warranty. This cost them an estimated two billion dollars! Even with the vast success of Microsoft-published games like Bioshock and Halo, Microsoft game's divisions profits for 2007 were a measly $357 million. While this may seem high, keep in mind Microsoft made several billion dollars in sales of first-party and published games... which means most of these profits were whittled away by poor hardware performance and proprietary costs.

Given Microsoft's respectable install base, it is hard to say they will truly do "bad" this generation. Future titles like Ninja Gaiden 2 , GTA IV episodic content and Gears of War 2 promise quality exclusives in the short-term. 360 fanboys might do well to read the writing on the wall, however. Sony-championed Blu-Ray has officially "won" the high-definition format war at this point, meaning Microsoft's plans for a 360 with a built-in HD-DVD player are futile at this point. Internal development studio Bungie (of Halo fame) recently split with Microsoft. Oft Xbox-champion Bioware (Star Wars: KOTOR) was bought by EA Games... and since they own the Mass Effect IP, chances of a PS3 port seem good, and chances of Mass Effect 2 appearing on the PS3 all but inevitable. We are beginning to see a reverse in the trend that created many 360 excusives; now that the PS3 is enjoying noteworthy success, IPs like Dead Rising, Lost Planet, and Eternal Sonata (all previously 360 exclusives) are slated for PS3 appearances, with the promise of more to come. Which brings us to...

Playstation 3:

Ah, the Playstation 3. What a strange console you are! Originally released at the $600 price-point, many questioned the logic behind including an expensive Blu-Ray player and Cell engine in the PS3. Original price-point alone was probably responsible for much of the PS3's dismal early showing. Many valuable exclusives were lost as a result. Though Sony has a solid line-up of enjoyable exclusives, the lack of amazing triple-A exclusive titles remains its biggest critique, and rightly so. PS3 owners can enjoy many quality titles, like Resistance, Uncharted: Drake Fortune, Ratchet & Clank, Call of Duty 4 and Assassin's Creed. Given that all of these are either new IPs or also appear on the 360, however, Sony is lacking in titles that could truly be considered system-sellers like Super Smash Brothers Brawl or Halo 3.

Ironically, the maligned decision to include a Blu-Ray player from the start may have ended up winning Sony the console war in the long-term. The strength of the Playstation Brand alone has sold over 10 million units; while this may seem trivial compared to monthly Wii sales, from the perspective of HD-media players this is staggering. Blu-Rays players outsold HD-DVD players almost 5 to 1 by the end of the format war, with 90% of those sold Blu-Ray players being PS3's. Now that Sony has "won" the format war, so to speak, they have backed Microsoft into a corner as far as high-definition warfare is concerned. Sony stands to rule a $50 billion dollar industry as HD-media penetration increases and more users make the jump from DVD to Blu-Ray.

But what of games, you ask? For reasons beyond my reckoning, Sony has been slow to mobilize their massive collection of IPs and internal development studios behind their next-generation format. Given the overwhelming success of the PS2 (the PS2 outsold the 360 last month!), perhaps, only now are PS3 owners beginning to see the fruits of Sony's labor, as triple-A titles take several years to develop.

Quite frankly, the number of exclusives planned for the PS3 is absolutely mind-blowing:

Resistance: Fall of Man 2, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone 2, Haze, Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Online, Motorstorm 2, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus-XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Hasdeia, Grand Turismo 5 Prologue, Disgaea 3, Ridge Racer 7, Tekken 6, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, Hot Shots Golf 5, inFamous, L.A. Noir (by Rockstar Games), two unannounced titles from the makers of Shadow of the Colossus, God of War III, Twisted Metal 3, White Knight Chronicles, Persona 4, Yakuza 3, Spyro the Dragon 4, an MMORPG by NCSoft...

If you try to tell me at least three of those games don't make you salivate, you're probably lying to me!

Conclusion:

The Wii will continue enjoying success. The 360 will remain a strong competitor. Most financial analysts, however, have Sony's Playstation 3 earmarked as this console generation's eventual "winner," and for two reasons. First, like the PS2 before it, Sony will probably move a huge number of units to non-gamers simply looking for the best next-generation media player at the most affordable price. As the only Blu-Ray player that is fully upgradeable, the PS3 is easily the player of choice. Secondly, the 360's success has demonstrated one underlying truth behind the entire industry, and that is this: gamers go where the great games are. Multi-platform titles like Soul Caliber, the Call of Duty series and Capcom's franchises will keep the 360 very strong along with the occasional great exclusive, but beyond 2008 Microsoft seems to have very few prospects available while Sony has finally put its full gargantuan game-development weight behind the PS3.

What was Sony's biggest mistake when first rolling out the PS3? I think most people would certainly point to the original $600 price tag. Given the overwhelming success of the PS2 (120 million units sold, versus 20 million original Xbox and 22 million Gamecube... just be quiet about outselling the PS3two toone 360 fanboys, you've still got a hundred million units to go before you earn bragging rights), it's mind-boggling to me to think how Sony would ever consider a $600 console a good idea, especially given that the very success of the original Playstation was due largely in part to its price vs. the competition (Dreamcast).

Thankfully, Sony's finally learned from their mistake (millions of dollars and several high-profile lost exclusives later) with the $400 PS3 SKU. Hopefully, as Blu-Ray costs go down, that price will drop even lower. Though Sony may have temporarily forgotten that they SHOULD be the company that makes the everyman console, thankfully Sony's developers haven't forgotten it. Here, then, are some examples of (even given that I own Gears of War and Halo 3), I think Sony has the potential to recapture the #2 spot eventually.

Solid Games over Multiple Genres

If you're looking for hardcore multiplayer or FPS action, you probably already own an Xbox 360. The Wii's huge success is due largely in part to the competition's ridiculous prices ($400+) as well as the huge media coverage it's gotten, making everyone and their grandma go out and buy a Wii. For 'real' gamers who enjoy an eclectic mix of genres, however, the PS3 is my personal console of choice. Want a great platformer? Buy Ratchet & Clank: Future Tools of Destruction. Looking for a solid FPS? We have Resistance: Fall of Man, with Haze soon coming. Want great multiplayer action? Try out Warhawk, or the aforementioned Resistance. An original time-waster? Super Star Dust-HD, Everyday Shooter, and Calling All Cars! on the PSN should give you your fix for cheap. A fantastic roleplaying game? Folklore is a PS3 exclusive, and the only good RPG for the 360 (Blue Dragon sucks, sorry, I tried it... it sucks) is Eternal Sonata, which is coming soon for the PS3. We even have a collectable card game (!) (?) in Eye of Judgment!

Of all the consoles, Sony's PS3 ALREADY has the most original and diverse offering of games. Nintendo's crapping out more of the same Mario/Zelda/Pokemon junk. Don't get me wrong, I love Zelda, but I can only buy a Mario game so many times. I've loved Halo, Gears, and Bioshock, but all three of Microsoft's A+ apps are first-person shooters (well, third-person for Gears, if you want to be anal about terminology). The PS3 is quickly shaping up to be this generation's Dreamcast (on both the failure to generate sales as well as the line-up of fantastic, original games), and personally I think that's not an insult at all... at least as far as game selection is concerned.

Something for Everyone

The PSN network is getting Angel Love Online... a Korean MMORPG a la Maple Story. If that isn't a testament to how bizarrely diverse the PS3's software line-up, both traditional and online, is, I'm not sure what else to say. Collectible card games, cutesy anime MMORPGs, fantastic multiplayer games (Warhawk, Resistance), a solid collection of traditional 'adult' genres like FPS and action (Heavenly Sword, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Resistance), RPGs (Oblivion, Enchanted Arms, Eternal Sonata, Folklore), platformers (R &C: Future Tools of Destruction), racing (MotorStorm). Buy a PS3 now and there are plenty of games to hold you over until MGS4 comes out.

2008-2009: The Years of Sony?

We've had Halo 3 already, and later this year we will be seeing Mario Galaxy and the new Super Smash Brothers games. Sony has some current and upcoming titles (Drake's: Uncharted Fortune) already, but it is fair to say that this year Sony took 3rd place. This is not to say that the PS3 is not a worthwhile investment already, as many people think: I own all three systems, and I've played my PS3 more than my Wii and 360 combined. At least, I did until Halo 3 came out, and now that it has come and went I can finally settle down to enjoy Folklore, R & C, and get some more Warhawk going. If you need any further reason, though, you need look no further than the 2008-2009 (and beyond) release schedule. Nintendo has Mario Kart arriving. What does Microsoft have planned? Gears of War 2 will eventually be dropping, probably around '09 or '10. In 2008, Sony is rolling out it's A-game: Metal Gear Solid 4 (exclusive), Final Fantasy 13 (exclusive), Final Fantasy 13-versus (exclusive, an action RPG from the team who did Kingdom Hearts), Gran Turismo 5 (exclusive), Killzone 2 (exclusive).

The number of A-list titles Sony has planned in 2008 ALREADY has me salivating. 2009 will feature an as-of-yet-untitled Rockstar Studios game (makers of Grand Theft Auto) that will be PS3-exclusive. Would you rather be letting Rockstar milk you ofyour hard-earnedmoney with episodic GTA4 content (think of the wonderfully mediocre GTA: Liberty City Stories) on the 360 or enjoy a brand-new IP from the makers of GTA, Bully, and Manhunt that will be PS3 exclusive? Almost allof Microsoft'sA+ titles coming out between now and Christmas 2008 (Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry 4, Grand Theft Auto 4) are featured on the PS3 as well. If you get bored of Halo, you'll be just in time for Smash Brothers. When you get bored of Smash Brothers, you better buy a PS3, because the next couple years belong to Sony.

Conclusion:

I hope this didn't sound too console versus console. I own all three systems, and I love me some late-night Halo 3 or drunken Mario Party with the girlfriend. The console I always dream about, however, is the PS3, and I hope this blog entry has at least convinced a few haters that the PS3 is one great console. If not that, then I at least hope I've convinced a few Sony fanboys that they no longer need to make excuses for their PS3 purchase. The next couple years of gaming are here, and they belong to Sony.

So I finally put down the Halo 3 controller. I must have gone through 5 Xbox batteries in the past 72 hours. I think I'm finally over that addiction hump! Now's a good time anyways. I've been wanting to play Folklore for the PS3 anyways.....

From one game to another. Such is life.