Ok so the hype train is in full force, and i must say the anticipation for this game is almost at an overload. I'm almost saturated by it. No gaming site or publication is devoid of the hype train. As the reviews come rolling in, most if not all is positive, but is it enough to reverse the trend.As much as i want to believe it will, as many fanboys share my sentiments, i think Killzone 2, as awesome and monumental as it may be, won't reverse the fortunes of the ps3 as the bottom feeder of the 3 consoles.

Adressing why the ps3 got to where it is at should be fitting. First, sony shot itself in the foot thinking they can sit on a later launch with no real true good games, and the most expensive console and expect to suceed. Having an inferior online service and lack of feature to counteract achievement points was another missstep. Not throwing big budgets for the console didn't help either. Loosing exclusive games like assasins creed,ut 3, gta 4. dmc 4, tekken 6, and final fantasy was really bad. Even when they had a full head of steam at the begining of the year, not cutting the price is as boneheaded a move as ever. If the structure was sell consoles at a loss while recouping thru software was a sucesses, y not repeat what works? its baffling how they turn their back on a succesful business model just to milk every cent out of a consumer. I thik the biggest mistake they ever made was thinking they were untouchable based on past success. Well now that they are in their perdicament, they expect one game to be the ps3's savior: Killzone 2.

As great as ps3 has been, aside from OPM (official playstation magazine), everyonehas a negative view of the ps3. First it was the horrible ports. Then came the no good exclusive games. Then the dissapointment of HOME, not enough advertising, corporate missteps etc...The list goes on and on regardless of how many times Sony tries to fix the problem. It is true that the ports were bad, but now the developers have had a grasp and the multi-plat games are on par with the 360's. No exclusive games have been adressed with many great titles like metal gear solid 4, little big planet, resistance 2, and valkyria chronicles.For gamers, and even game critics, the first impression is a lasting one. It feels like the fat kid trying to loose weight, he isn't loosing enough for other people to notice. Its all over the internet: ps3 and sony have failed. Anyone that tries to reflect on the positive things are automatically ruled a fanboy with a schewed perception on reality. So sony once again tries to reverse the perception with Killzone 2, or any game for that matter, but it may never get a chance to make a second impression to most gamers who have written off the ps3.

When it all comes down to it, money talks. As i mentioned earlier, the ps3 is not devoid of great exclusives, yet these games have been under achieving. Is it the result of disinterest, or lack of casuals being uninformed? Who really knows, but fact is ps3 game sales don't compare to that of its predecesors. With 3 ps3 exclusive AAA/AAAA titles for 2008, none have lasted long in the top 10 US game charts for more than a month. Will this be the same fate of killzone 2, or will it really be a system seller like halo 3 and the gears of war franchise has been for microsoft? Sony is hoping so, but i'm mildly scheptical that it would reach 1 million sales in its first week. One reason, Microsoft isn't going to sit on its laurels and let sony have that one week of glory. To counteract Killzone 2's launch window, they are realeasing halo wars and gta 4 dlc to make gamers who actually are on the fence about purchasing killzone 2 that much harder.Even if a person were to want Killzone 2, a gamer who doesn't currently own a ps3 will be hard pressed to spend $500 just to play one game. As we found out in 2008, the gaming industry is not recession proof and $500 is a lot to invest in especially if you are a U.S. gamer. If Killzone were to be a system seller, it would need a lot of help from sony, not just with advertisement but with a cheaper console.

With all the hype for one game, some gamers are going to run the opposite way. I think they hype will generate a backlash from gamers and critics alike. When gta 4 got lots of perfect scores, a lot of people nitpicked and dissected every flaw in the game. But was it not a great game? I thought so. But how many gamers fun factor went down a couple of notches after knowing the score. Killzone could very well suffer the same fate. As i'm typing this, OPM has given killzone 2 five stars, and ign just gave it a 9.4. The hater will come out in full force from microsoft and sony fanboys alike. I'm going to hear endless comparisons to Call of Duty's perk system against Killzone 2's mix classes. The graphical comparisons will flood the forums (beware mods) of people over analyzing every pixel, jaggies, lighting and particle effects. Killzone seems to be living up to the hype, but will the hype take away from the game? only time will tell.

I wish sony and Killzone 2 the best of luck. Selling 21 million consoles is a great achievement for a console that came out a year later and the most expensive console.But all is fair in love and System wars. With the xbox 360 game and consol sales surging, and the reemergence of ninty as a console maker, ps3 has a lot on its plate. With all that said Killzone 2 won't be the system seller or the single catalyst that would turn the tide because there isn't enough going for the console for the game to really live up to its potential. It takes a lot of decisions from sony to find a way to make a price cut, advertise their gaming library, and re-establish relationships with developers and publishers who once staunchly supported sony consoles exclusively. Most of all, though it may not exist in those vice presidents and ceo's way of thinking, re-establish the faith of all those gamers they have lost by being arrogant little pricks. Help the struggline gamer, help the fanboy jumper, and help the casuals know that the ps3 is worthy of an investment. Maybe and maybe then, the Killzone 2's and gran turismo's and resistances don't have to carry a console on its shoulder and be its savior, but be what these games were meant to be: a collection of great exclusive from a great console for all gamers like us to enjoy