Why Do Gamers Opt For PlayStation?
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Let me give you a brief back-story before I elaborate: I have always, for the quarter-century that I have been gaming, been drawn to great video games. Brand loyalty seemed like an entirely counter-productive mentality; biased purchasing simply leads to missing out on the best games available. It’s why I had both the Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. It’s why I had both the PS2 and Xbox. It’s why I would turn to the PC every now and then throughout all these years. But over the past decade, I’ve realized that despite my multi-console approach, I’ve continually returned to play most of my games on a PlayStation. But why?
It has nothing whatsoever to do with bias or loyalty or fanboyism or anything like that. I wanted an Xbox ‘cuz I wanted to play Halo. I have my 360 now because I adore the Gears games. And although we all have our gaming preferences, I know for a fact that mine have changed over time so I can’t very well say that PlayStation just “always has the games I want.” All I want is good games to play. Back in the PS1 days, I was a RPG freak and the PS1 was - no debate allowed - the king of the RPG. Some of my most memorable experiences came from that machine, and the N64 was a colossal disappointment to me (especially after the glory that was the SNES). Then I got the PS2 and the Xbox. Multiplatform games were almost always better on the Xbox; I knew this, and I went about buying my games with this knowledge at hand. And still, I ended up with far more PS2 games…I wanted the RPGs, yes, but I also wanted the GTAs (which I did not want to wait for on the Xbox), Metal Gears and Gran Turismos. The Xbox was the more powerful machine, and I loved the likes of Ninja Gaiden.
But in the end, I spent most of my time on the PS2. It was the first time since the NES/SNES generations that I had sided with one company for two generations in a row. But now it’s going to become three… At first, the 360 had better versions of multiplatform games (I think we all remember the piss-poor PS3 ports), there were more titles available, and we already had a few great games. Yep, there was a time when I had 5 360 games and 3 PS3 games. Now, I have 21 PS3 games and 8 360 games. …what happened? I honestly just noticed this. Well, we can’t attribute it to my love of RPGs because I don’t even own a single RPG on the PS3, and although Sony’s machine is far more reliable, we can’t attribute the change to this, either (my 360 has yet to fail). But hey, MGS4…Hot Shots…Resistance 2…Uncharted…and yes, it seems that certain multiplat games are slightly better on the PS3, and this trend should continue. Looking into 2009, there’s Killzone 2, God of War III, Heavy Rain, and hopefully Gran Turismo 5. I want ‘em all.
In the end, it just seems inevitable that I’m going to end up spending more time on my PlayStation console. Different games, different power/capabilities, different prices…it has all switched about multiple times, and even so, the PlayStations end up with more of the games I want to play. Now, considering I really only want to play the best of the best, I suppose I could conclude that Sony’s consoles always end up with the best software. Well, one can easily make that argument for the PS1 and PS2, can’t they? Should it be any surprise that we’ll make the same argument for the PS3 when all is said and done? Personal preferences are all over the map, but many a gamer ends up opting for PlayStation, and if you ignore everything but the games - the only thing that matters most - it’s tough to make an argument against any PlayStation. I guess this is just the way things are.
P.S. The Wii isn’t part of this debate because it’s not a next-gen console. It’s a gadget. Yeah, abuse me all you want Ninty fans…then point to top-notch software of 2008 and compare it to what the 360 and PS3 had. DONE.
A very unhappy Christmas for Haze developer
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Free Radical Design, the Nottingham-based developer of the Timesplitters series and the PS3 first-person shooter Haze, is facing an uncertain future after it went into administration over the Christmas period.
A sequel to Haze was widely predicted from the company, who also had a fourth installment of the Timesplitters series in development. All company projects has now been put on hold as the developer seeks a buyer in the New Year.
The company is now operating with just 40 employees with over 75% of its workforce given their marching orders. Free Radical Design’s administration company, Resolve Partners, is calling for investors to come forward.
“We are inviting all interested parties to come forward. Significant interest has already been shown and we are hoping to make further announcements by the middle of January.”
With EA, Ubisoft and Codemasters all having a hand in previous company projects, it seems likely that if a bidder does come in to save Free Radical, then one of these three will be first knocking at the door.
Lights Dimming For Sony’s Playstation 3
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Sony’s PS3 is struggling to find the “sweet spot” in the video game market as its sales drop again.
Despite Sony’s Playstation 3 quarterly sales growth doubling from last year, the end result from this year’s holiday sales doesn’t bode well according to the Wall Street Journal.
Sony hoped the PS3 would take the number-two spot in video-game consoles, as it currently trails the Wii and Xbox 360, respectively. Instead, PlayStation 3 sales are down 19 percent from last holiday season. Contrast that to Nintendo and Microsoft, which saw the Wii double its sales and Xbox 360 sales rising by eight percent, respectively.
Sony places a lot of hope on its videogame division as its electronics business is suffering terribly due to the global economic crisis. Sony projected last spring that its games division would finally make a profit since launching the PS3 in 2006.
Earlier this month, I reported that by 2010, Sony plans to eliminate 8,000 jobs (four percent of its global work force). This is certainly the result of a tail spin of poor electronics sales.
Here’s where Sony probably went wrong.
A pricey console featuring fancy components is backfiring on them as this recession continues to spiral out of control and people are less inclined to drop money on the priciest gaming console. And why should they?
An entry-level PS3 model costs at least $150 more than the Wii or the cheapest Xbox 360, right? And although the PS3 has Blu-ray functionality that isn’t in the Wii or the Xbox 360, it’s still a bitter pill to swallow when parents just want to buy a respectable video-game console for their kids. Besides, the cost of actual Blu-ray players are relatively inexpensive, and you still can get one with an Xbox 360 for cheaper than what it would cost you to buy a PS3. Dang!
We also know that Microsoft helped its sales of the Xbox 360 when it slashed the price this past fall and bundled games, too. Nintendo kept the Wii’s price at $249 but cranked out more consoles taking care of the shortage problem.
Let’s also be frank…Sony hasn’t had the great exclusive titles it enjoyed with the PlayStation . Microsoft has its heavyweight giants Halo and Gears of War franchises. Nintendo’s big money makers are mostly in-house games. While Sony used to have a stronghold of exclusives, clever Microsoft found a way to get publishers to launch biggies simultaneous with Sony.
Lastly, the PS3 just costs way too much to make. Last week, I told you Sony found a way to take the console which once took $840 to manufacture, and make it for $448.73. Granted, it still loses money on every PS3 it sells because it retails at $399, so Sony is going to have to cut the price to help boost sales.
Let the numbers speak for themselves. Since its launch, the Wii has sold nearly 35 million units, the Xbox 360 has sold 22 million, with the PS3 trailing at 17 million. Let’s get even more specific. Last month, in the US, the Wii sold 2 million, consumers bought 836,000 Xbox 360’s, and only 368,000 PS3’s were purchased.
While Sony’s best seller last month (according to The NPD) was Call of Duty: World at War…dang again! The Xbox 360 version sold twice as much.
Sony Surges On News of PS3 Production Cuts
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When a company announces that they’ve cut production costs on a flagship product, investors tend to take notice. Recently, an iSuppli report showed that Sony has shaved 35 percent off the production of the PlayStation 3 console, leading to a surge in the company’s share price.
Sony has gained 2.7 percent in today’s trading session on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, outperforming the exchange average gain by 2.4 percent.
Today’s surge has sent Sony’s share price to the highest level in two weeks.
Sony struggles with creation of its virtual world
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Michael Marsh, an 18-year-old gamer from Norwalk, Conn., wanted to set up a gay/straight alliance club in PlayStation Home, Sony’s new free 3-D virtual world component for the PlayStation 3.
The problem was that the words he was using - “gay,” “lesbian” and “bisexual” - were being filtered from text chats and were not being allowed in the naming of clubs or in postings in club forums. Marsh, who is straight but supports gay rights, said he raised the issue with Home community managers during the private beta test, but the problems persisted after the public beta introduction of Home on Dec. 11.
“I can understand if they’re filtering out profanity, but if feel like it’s discrimination,” Marsh said. “By blocking a word like ‘gay,’ which is a preferred term by the gay community, you’re encouraging it as a bad word.”
The censorship issue is just one of a number of glitches and problems that have dogged Home, which was designed as a virtual social community for gamers. Users had trouble getting into the world on the first day and continued to have trouble connecting, prompting Sony to issue a patch aimed to fixing those problems. The fix, however, temporarily suspended voice chat.
But connections haven’t been the only issue. Users have taken to Home forums to complain about harassment in the virtual world, with some women and minorities speaking up about racist or sexist comments. Others have complained that the virtual items in Home, like Diesel clothing, are priced too high. And a few have noticed their items have a way of disappearing from their virtual apartments when they’re away.
Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesman Patrick Seybold said the company is working to improve Home on a daily basis and is incorporating user concerns and suggestions. He emphasized that while the virtual world is open to the public, it is still being tested and is a work in progress.
“The key message is it’s a beta and it’s evolving on a daily basis,” he said. “We’ve said early on that user behavior and feedback will shape where we go with Home.”
In the case of the censored words, Seybold said, Home employed filters to prevent defamation in Home’s closed test version. But when the service went public, he said, it should have started allowing those words. Some other users, however, noticed that the filtering continued, and blocked words like “Christ,” “Jew” and even “Hello,” which apparently was flagged because it starts with the word “hell.” Seybold said the company is looking into the censoring of words in Home’s clubs.
Sony has reminded Home visitors about its policy of zero tolerance, which allows users to report abuses in Home to community moderators. And they’re actively soliciting feedback.
The long-delayed Home has been a major undertaking for Sony as it tries to build a more robust online community around its PlayStation 3 video game console. The world is not only aimed at fostering more connections between gamers but also represents money-making opportunities for Sony and other brands that want to sell virtual goods.
Ted Pollak, a market analyst at Jon Peddie Research and portfolio manager for the Electronic Entertainment Fund, said users need to be patient with Home, which is bound to have numerous kinks in the beginning. He said it took other virtual worlds and online games like Second Life and World of Warcraft a while to get a handle on problems and address them.
“I have to respect Sony for its Home efforts because it’s a fascinating environment and it’s very, very complex,” Pollak said. “There’s no way anyone can come out with a perfect virtual world out of the gate.”
Still, users of Home are impatient and want Sony to make the fixes, particularly about the censorship issue.
“It’s not enough to say it’s a beta,” said Kevin Johnson, a 52-year-old retired graphic artist who has been following the issue since he started as a private beta tester. “Sony is major company, and they should have had a good understanding of these issues long ago. And it was brought to their attention before the open beta was launched.”
A totally new look at PlayStation®Home to celebrate the joyous Christmas season!
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A new update of PlayStation®Home is now available for you to enjoy a white Christmas there! The lawn is covered with snow and a huge Christmas tree is put in the square to create a real winter atmosphere. It will only be available for a limited period of time so make sure to check it out quickly!
Further, we will be holding seasonal events and giving out free items at PlayStation®Home to keep your experience there full of surprises!
Hidden Message in Playstation Home Beta
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A hidden message found in Home beta.
The message says, “YOU REALLY SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO READ THIS” and is located in the scenery of the harbor house personal space.
To get to this area you must use the sofa escaping glitch to get outside the boundaries then move the chair across the map to the end of the harbor behind the yacht. This was discovered by Chris Lawrance.
Sony: Shoddy machines won’t grow the market
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Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves says releasing quality hardware is key to growing the games market.
“… Another thing we have committed to for supporting market growth is putting out quality hardware - you don’t grow the market by putting out shoddy machines,” he said. “So we try to make sure that PS3s have a failure rate of just two to three percent, which is very low by industry standards.”
The Sony exec’s comments come from an interview with MCV, in which he doesn’t directly refer to Xbox 360’s dreaded Red Ring of Death failure, although it’s hard not to draw the link from what he says. Our Wii’s still working anyway…
It’s a fair thing for Reeves to point out too. Only yesterday we were talking about how reliable PS3 seems considering the fact that we’ve all experienced the RRoD with our 360s, some of us on four different consoles.
However, it wasn’t all cheeky sniping, with Reeves actually going on to praise the other platform holders, showing a bit of Christmas spirit between the big guys.
“On the competition, I will say Nintendo have only done good things. They have expanded geographically and dramatically extended demographically. They have never been afraid to try new products, be that hardware, or software or peripherals.
“For Microsoft, again, I can understand that, again, they have put money into the market and have initiated growth. In some ways what they have done is brought forward consumers from next year into this year.
“By bringing the price down they are trying to establish themselves quickly, as they did with the first Xbox. But they have built online in a meaningful way and the competition they have brought to the market place is great.”
Home 1.04 Patch Out - Removes Voice Chat, Unlocked Items
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PlayStation Home will be patched today to version 1.04 in a “first step” effort towards resolving various connection issues users have been experiencing. While this is a good thing, the PlayStation.Blog also notes one side effect of this new patch: voice chat will be temporarily disabled. The removal of voice chat (for now) should alleviate the crushing bandwidth load on Sony’s servers since the official “open beta” launch of the service.
The blog recommends “to make use of the Wireless Keypad for PLAYSTATION 3 or any USB or Bluetooth-enabled keyboard for text chat and also the “phone friend” features to communicate within PlayStation Home.”
Sony Didn’t Intend PS3 To Succeed As A Console
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Everyone was probably glad to know that the PS3 managed to sell more than a 150k during November. And while many Sony fans would see the glass half full, analysts and skeptics would see the glass half-empty, considering that the PS3 and PS2 combined didn’t come close to the Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii’s numbers. However, selling a console during this generation wasn’t Sony’s priority for the PS3 to begin with. Good numbers or not, Sony already accomplished what they wanted from their third-generation console.
It all started back in E3 2005 with an article on IGN comparing Sony’s and Microsoft’s console specs. A lot of people are going to say “But the specs have changed since then.” However, it’s not the specs that gave away the PS3’s general purpose, it was the intention of the specs. The one comment that stands out above them all in the article is the one that pinpoints what the PS3 has displayed in realtime gameplay (at present) and for what Sony was really using the PS3 for, as the comments states: “Sony’s CPU is ideal for an environment where 12.5% of the work is general-purpose computing and 87.5% of the work is DSP calculations. That sort of mix makes sense for video playback or networked waveform analysis, but not for games.”
That comment has stuck with me for the past three years, and with good reason. Now I’m sure techies will break down the PS3 specs to justify it as a more suitable gaming platform than the Xbox 360, but the fact of the matter remains: Developers needed multithreaded middleware just to keep the framerate stable when developing high-end games on the PS3. However, there was nothing needed for optimized video playback for high-definition optical media, specifically, Blu-ray media.
It all comes full-circle, and the facts are these: Even if the PS3 is Sony’s last console Sony still wins. Whether the PS3 turns a profit or tanks, Sony still wins. For those of who you don’t know what I’m talking about, simply understand that Sony, as an electronic giant, simply needs to survive the economic ebb to reap the benefits of what the PlayStation 3 established for the company. That establishment happens to be the Blu-ray format. The company didn’t intend for the PS3 to succeed as the next big console, so much as they intended it to push their new format through the door, successfully. And it did.
Unless another form of high-def optical media emerges within the next two years, Sony will control the high-definition era of optical media for visual entertainment. Anyone who wants to see high-def movies, guess what format you’re going to have to go with? Anyone who wants to burn high-def media, guess what format has to be used? If Microsoft wants the Xbox 360 to play anything other than DVD9 material, guess what format they’re going to have to use? Sony didn’t need the PS3 to just win over gamers, they just needed a vessel to carry over a new format that they would own. Something that Sony’s BetaMax and their UMD failed to do in the past.
While Nintendo may control the console gaming market, and Microsoft has a stranglehold on the hardcore gaming arena, Sony will own all with Blu-ray. Even Microsoft and Nintendo will have to bow to Sony if they plan to use the formats for their current or future consoles. The only thing gamers can hope for is that Sony doesn’t abandon the PS3 too soon (since they have no need for it anymore), or otherwise the entire gaming community will be stuck with Wii shovelware and Halo spin-offs for the rest of this gaming generation.
