A few weeks ago, i'd have said Nintendo, followed by Sony and then Microsoft, reasons being profit, and then brand goodwill, and finally pockets.

But after last weeks news, i'm inclined to say otherwise. Put Microsoft to the front, relegating Nintendo to the second and Sony to third.

The depths of the pockets to Micro$oft makes me think they're the most powerful player on deck.

After the three ring business, and the lack of pricedrops, and yet still they get the lionshare of developers. They just nabbed the last big surefire exclusive from the plate of Sony, and they have japan mostly in pocket, even tho they sell terribly over there.

Microsoft might not push consoles like Nintendo, but they push software like my cousin pushes dimebags. This sets them up as the place to go for third parties next gen, and only further alienates Nintendo AND Sony.

[QUOTE="NinjaMunkey01"][QUOTE="sonicmj1"][QUOTE="Jade_Monkey"][QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]

Clap Hanz I am sure is working on Hot Shots games and DLC

Polyphony Digital is working on GT5.

SCE Japan is working on Loco Roco 2 and Patapon 2

Team ICO is working on an unannounced game

Incognito is working on Twisted Metal and Warhawk DLC

Naughty Dog is working on a new Uncharted game IIRC.

Sony Bend is working on Resistance PSP

SCE San Diego is working on the '09 sports games

SCE Santa Monica is working on GoW3

Sony Online Entertainment is working on The Agency

Bigbig Studios is working on Pursuit Force Series

Zipper Studios is working on MAG

Evolution is working on MotorStorm 2

Gurilla Games is working on Killzone 2

SCE London is working on Home and SingStar

SCE Liverpool is working on WipEout HD and a new, full WipEout PS3 game

SCE Korea is making EyeToy games.

Two studios don't have publicly announced projects in works, AFAIK.

WAIW

Any proof to back that up ?

You do realize that nearly ALL of those projects have been announced, right?

Seriously, do you want him to link each of those to a Gamespot information page?

you see sony using just its own devs have mustered up a huge lineup.

Sony have been very clever in the past gens to build up these studios, they should buy konami too for MGS games.

MS relys too much on 3rd oarty exclusives an whuilst they have the money to do so for now, soon enough it will be more financially appealing to go multiplat.

Konami's a pretty huge company that designs only a portion of their games for Sony's platforms. They'd have ot pay an enormous price :|

Most of their first parties are top notch, and if they managed to release a large title or two earlier in the gen (instead of as late as 2010 -- GT5), I'd agree that they don't need as much third party support as M$. It's a similar system with Ninty, the coveted titles are first party... And if your theory is correct, if there will no longer be third party multi-plats, then next generation could very well be hell for M$, considering most of their megaton titles are third party (and Sony/Ninty's megatons will always be exclusive, as they're first party).

Ummm....wtf are you talking about?

Megatonwise, Sony only has Gran Turismo.

Successful but not uber hit, they have Jak, GOW, and Ico/SOTC line.

Megahit franchises that made Playstation the place to be? DMC, FF, GTA, Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile, MGS and a great number that slip my mind.

Playstation was built on the back of third party.

It's not like a Nintendo console, where the first party always has the best sales.

You bought a playstation because it got the most exclusives, and the occasional internal must have was merely an unexpected bonus. You then bought a Nintendo console for the first party titles.

That's how it was the past two gens, and Microsoft playing Sony's game is what's thrown the Big S off their feet bigtime.

I can't believe that the threadstarter says Nintendo needs to expand their first party.

Their first party alone propelled them to the head of the pack, and is whats keeping them there.

Sony's first party can't even get them to second, much less first.

Quality over quantity my friend.

Tell me wise one. Will the Dark Knight still be sold out in the future?Locke562

Till the 24th of July, evening shows alone.

Matinees can still be had, if thou arrives early.

Go and spread word of my revelations.

And will focus first and foremost first party titles.

There will be Ratchet and Clank numero 20(by the rate they're going), Pantheons(GOW offshoot) GT Pit Stop, Uncharted:Pioneering the Wild, etc etc, and so on.

Sony has learned the lesson Nintendo learned 12 years ago....

When the exclusives and multiplats stop, you must be able to stand on your own.

Of course, this all rides on whether or not Sony can produce several megahits like Nintendo and Microsoft internally.

Ratchet i can see it possibly being better than...

After all, Ratchet and Clank is the definition of a focus group tested title.

Humanoid animal that's a throwback to the days of Sonic, Jazz Jackrabbit and Bubsey the Cat? Check.

Cute robotic buddy who hitches along for the ride, the brains of the outfit? Check.

Toss in big ass guns that are hella powerful, but don't make them threatening? Check.

Toss in competent game mechanics from decent developers, and you've got decent profit.

Sly Cooper was more original and where's he now SONY?!

Mario?

Nah.

Likely will be funnier than SMG tho. Rare is good for humor.

This is ridiculous.

Sony IS the new Nintendo, only with a significantly less profitable business model.

Waiting isn't a bad thing when you've got a constant supply of good games padding the release list between the mega titles, but Sony doesn't have this luxury anymore.

They did on PS1 and PS2, but PS3 is an entirely different scenario.

360 has the good games, padding out the waiting period between the halos and GOWs etc, but what does Sony have?

This is just like the N64 days, when months would go by without a worthwhile release, only this game has been played before.

Sony is the new Nintendo, only without the almighty first party to go with it.

And for those who think there's gonna be a ten year life cycle.....History says not likely.

Only winners stretch out the life cycle, and PS3 isn't in that position by any means.

NES -> SNES-> PS1 -> PS2.....guess what they all have in common? The biggest slice of market share.

GB -> GBA -> DS Same thing.

Master System, Genesis, GameGear, NGaGE....etc.

The least successful systems nearly always try to be the first ones out with new hardware, ala wiping the slate clean and starting from scratch.

Expect Sony or Microsoft to launch first next gen.

Grand Turismo is the only one, i'd say.

God of War follows, but even it doesn't do crazy numbers.

The thing for alot of the titles people mentioned is that they get the most sales when they drop down to twenty dollars.

Ratchet isn't a game you buy a PS2 or PS3 for. You pick up Ratchet on a whim, to have something to play while you wait for GOW, GT or some third party exclusive.

The same goes for alot of the titles listed.

As a gaming handheld?

Sure, since the software sales are terrible beyond belief.

As a multimedia device? Nope, since it's the preferred handheld for piracy.

Did it do what it was purported to do? Nope, so to Sony, it likely is a failure.

[QUOTE="Seraphimon"][QUOTE="110million"][QUOTE="Seraphimon"]

Tri-Ace has pooped out games better than the best Level 5 games.

They're merely placeholders until FF13 drops, and that tells you everything about the quality of their work.

110million

All Tri-Ace did last-gen was poop, nothing they released was close to the PS1 quality in their games, so theres no reason to believe they'll release better games now. Last gen, Level 5 made a name for itself, with several quality RPGs, like DQ8, Rogue Galaxy, Jeanne D'arc and non-RPG titles as well like Proffesor Layton, Tri-Ace hasn't released an amazing RPG since PS1.

Did you play Radiata Stories?

It had the most genuinely alive, vibrant jrpg setting last gen, hands down. Characters actually had lives and things to do...

VP Silmeria was the anticipated followup to VP, and none of the games L5 developed approach it in storytelling and characterization.

Star Ocean 3 was a miss, but it still pooped on Rogue Galaxy, aka the game with the invisible walls of linearity.

Jeanne D'Arc?

The gameplay was completely generic, aside from the awful powah uppage of the hyper mode, to the totally wtf take on French history.

The only claim to fame for the game were the high production values, which made it stand out since srpgs are known for their ugliness.

If JDA wasn't half as pretty, nobody would mention it, period.

The best games L5 makes are the Layton games, and they sell the best too. That's their niche.

At least Tri-Ace have made gems....Wtf has L5 done?

Star Ocean 3 was the best game Tri-Ace made last gen.

VP2 was no where near as good as the original, and just flat out boring.

Radiata Stories was poor overall, it didn't manage to accomplish anything it went out to do, and having voice acting in the game, but having victory quotes in text, was one of the most baffling things ever.

Rogue Galaxy was a fantastic game, as was Dark Cloud 2 in the past.

Jeanne D'arc has story, graphics, and production values to make it interesting.

No Tri-Ace game on PS2 was half as good as Star Ocean 2.

Typing one sentance then hitting enter looks really bad.

So

Don't

Do

it

Again.

I'm sorry, i think i just heard you say Rogue Galaxy was a fantastic game? And Radiata Stories might have had a cliched story, but the world the story took place in was the closest thing to an alive world seen last gen.

VPSil was great, especially if you cared about the actual characters involved.....Characters, something a level 5 rpg has yet to really have. Archetypes......sure have them tho.

JDA had story? Sure, if you cared about demonic potatoes in the context of the french revolution. And graphics fall under production values, for what its worth. Jeanne D Arc was a pretty turd, as was Rogue Galaxy.

Dark Cloud 2 was the best L5 ip made last gen, only it had to ape ActRaiser, and Legend of Mana to do it.

Tri-Ace breaks new ground, L5 merely tills the fields better developers have seeded and left.