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.