It's always difficult to talk about overall quality when comparing games across all genres and platforms. Therefore, perhaps it's best to assess the innovation and groundbreaking design and creativity; when we do this, we come to the logical conclusion that when it comes to platform exclusives, the PlayStation 3 leads the pack.
We're currently basing this on three exclusive titles: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots , LittleBigPlanet , and Killzone 2 . Arguments can be me made for or against each one of these, and we certainly appreciate that; in fact, many will argue that Guerilla didn't actually do anything "new" with KZ2. We will disagree, but we won't discount the other side of the debate, because both sides can make valid points. However, when looking at the PlayStation 3 exclusives currently available, it appears they are the titles that are making the strides that seem to be "next-gen." That term is something everyone in the industry has over-used in the past few years, but it may be quite accurate to say that such a term applies more to Sony's platform exclusives than to anything else. The strides designers, story tellers, and engineers have taken with the likes of MGS4, LBP and KZ2 are most impressive, and in our view, currently unparalleled.
Obviously, we've got a long way to go in this generation. And one could easily make a case for Gears of War , which may have revolutionized the third-person shooter. However, GeoW kicked off right around the time the PS3 limped into the generation and many like to say the "combat" didn't begin until that time, when all three consoles were finally on the market together. Counting the last two full years, it seems abundantly clear that PS3 exclusives have pushed the envelope more often. Furthermore, looking down the road, we imagine the likes of God of War III , Uncharted 2: Among Thieves , and Gran Turismo 5 may only reinforce the point, although Naughty Dog's sequel may only be bigger and better than the original; it may not be "groundbreaking." GoWIII and GT5 on the other hand…? Yeah, our expectations are super high. Based on what we have and what we will have, the truly groundbreaking games are on the PS3, and we still have a ways to go.
We're not saying the 360 or PC (or even the Wii) won't ever produce groundbreaking titles; this is more of a current situation analysis. Also, please bear in mind that this isn't an overall quality assessment, either; we're merely focusing on one facet of the titles in question.
True, True. I still have to beat all these damn games that I already have before these come out though!!!
But I would say Mass Effect was a groundbreaking game. I love the RPG space thing. Not a MGS4 or KZ2, but still a great game in my eyes.
Last edited by ImTheMan on 3/15/2009 10:59:26 PM
I don't know who would want to give that a thumbs down lol, but some 'newb' did.
o_O
I loved Mass Effect, but what was so revolutionary about the game. The dialogue tree?
Orvis,
Can you honestly say you've played another game like Mass Effect? Not just the dialogue tree, but the galaxy exploration, thorough voice acting, and unique combat system all make it what it is. One of the best games of this or any generation.
-Arvisman
I love LBP it's very inovative and fun. Not a big fan of Killzone but the graphics are great. I think GOW 3 will push the limit and will be great addition to the PS3 exclusive line up.
that avatar is cool, robo.
This is why I chose the PS3 over Wii and the 360. I know Sony constantly tries to raise the bar when it comes to the quality of their games. The wii may have sold more units and live may be better than psn but the PS3 has the edge in quality.
not only does ps3 have better excluzives it also has cooler acronyms
Thumbs up +1
LBP was the most revolutionary title of the generation in my opinion. The other games were baby steps ahead. LBP was a huge leap.
Ben, you forgot to mention Heavy Rain
Having played through KZ2 2.5 times (im working on it!) it keeps becoming more apparent to me just how amazing the game is. Of course the graphics are great, nobody can deny that, but KZ2 also has amazing AI, perfect audio post-processing, amazing attention to detail… The Ai is just amazing to me. I was walking in a corridor and hear a Helghast yell "theres his shadow" and 3 of them jumped out and killed me. The next time i carefully watched the ground and just when my shadow peeked around the corner they started to attack. Its the simple things like this that really impress me. I've played Crysis a few times and the AI in that is retardedly stupid, it looks like psx AI.
LittleBigPlanet is a game that some people cant understand for some reason. It takes us back to the roots of platform gaming like simple levels with tons of secrets, a loveable character, and oodles of charm while giving all the benefits of next-gen like amazing textures, a beautiful art style, and great online play. Its a perfect balance of everything, yet it remains deceptively simple and fun. Its the perfect game to have amid the onslaught of COD, KZ2, Resistance…
It is not possible to beat the creativeness of sony's exclusives. It just cant be done.
I didn't know this detailed existed in the KZ2 AI NoSmokingBandit… that is incredible!
Q!
"i am home"
Believe it when I say that shadow things is the opposite of simple in the programming department =D
But it is a small thing, and that's why Killzone 2 is great!
I just bought KZ2 and Res 5 on the weekend. I haven't tried KZ2 yet, and I won't until I beat Res 5 (I love the RE series). So I can't really say anything about it. I think anyone who played LBP would like it, people judge because it looks "kiddy". But that is just silly.
Yeah, Migabyte, i hate when people use the "kiddie" argument. Ratchet and Clank is my favorite game series, i think they are the most fun games ever made, but most of my friends wont play it because "it looks like a little kids game."
Sure, its cartoonish, but nobody can say R&C:Future isnt beautiful. R&C is never hard, its not a challenge to beat it, but its FUN. Remember FUN? So many games focus on things that arent fun just so they can impress a target audience. Fancy visuals, art styles, sound, and physics engines dont mean a damn if the game isnt fun in the end.
/mini-rant
@Banky
I meant "simple" as in its nothing that completley blows your mind when you see it, but it just shows how great Geurilla is. From what i gather (im no programmer), good shadows are hard to pull off to begin with and making the AI interact with it is a whole different story.
Last edited by NoSmokingBandit on 3/16/2009 10:27:14 AM
It's funny you should mention the AI of Killzone 2, as I got Killzone Liberation on the PSP the other day and with it being the first Killzone game I played, I was unsure, but the AI was awesome for a handheld game. The enemy wait for you to reload before attacking, look for you when you're not in sight, even where you're not (unlike the games like CoD where they know where you are somehow), and they even do the dodge roll to avoid open spaces!
"The strides designers, story tellers, and engineers have taken with the likes of MGS4, LBP and KZ2 is most impressive, and in our view, currently unparalleled."
(The "is" should be "are")
Aaaanyway, I think Uncharted 2 will be pretty ground breaking based on how smart the game seems from what Naughty Dog has to say about it. I mean come on; they're rendering like EVERYTHING in the environment!
Last edited by KevinCairo on 3/16/2009 12:12:24 AM
"Aaaanyway" (Should be anyway) "Ground breaking" (Should be groundbreaking)
People make mistakes. As you can see, you made more obvious ones than he did. Even worse, you made one of those mistakes on purpose. So don't try to correct someone then purposely misspell a word yourself. Just lay off.
Last edited by ImTheMan on 3/16/2009 12:22:56 AM
Chill ImTheMan, I don't think KevinCairo meant anything malicious by pointing out those small grammatical mistakes, we all do em… I don't think Ben would be that fussed either…
All taken on the chin…
Q!
"i am home"
No worries, people. I just didn't catch it in my re-read.
LOL!…..imtheman.
hahahaha, that was pretty funny tho! 😉
I got KevinCairo's "Aaaanyway" as anyway moving on lets change the topic back to what it was. Pretty funny though all the same 🙂
Again speaking of exclusives, even though its pretty much true it seems like you guys have done a half a dozen variations on this one article by now. We get it already, most of us have gotten it a long ago, why else would we have ps3s and therefore visit a ps3 exclusive site? And still waiting on an update for WKC.
Nerull, the industry moves fast… peoples tastes and wants move even quicker. Ben revisits interesting subjects of note to see how reader opinion changes over time… somethings come in and out of fashion… alot of the readers are quite technically minded too, they see a good or bad product quickly and punish publishers with their wallets decisively…
It is interesting to discuss these elements… how exclusives change your buying behavour; how exclusives measure up technically agains multi-plats and/or other platforms… how exclusives influence your buying pattern and how the future line-up of exclusives may either keep you on the same platform or force you to change.
It is very interesting to track the changes along the way, so I for one like to discuss these points numerous times during the year… I think this article was worth the read anyway!
Q!
"i am home"
Last edited by Qubex on 3/16/2009 12:43:27 AM
Nerull is speaking some truth guys.
*Sorry, I'm not hatin'.
Please don't Chris Brown me* 🙁 … xD
Love the site <3
Last edited by Banky A on 3/16/2009 12:43:56 AM
We talk about PS3 games. We update on a daily basis…you're just goddamn lucky I haven't repeated an entire article. Clearly, people don't want the same exact news they can find everywhere else, so we have to be original. Would YOU like to come up with brand new article ideas hundreds of times per year? 😉
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 3/16/2009 12:59:46 AM
Exactly Ben; key issues that are generally important to the life of a platform/product need to be looked at from a fresh perspective from time to time… as taste change, as tech develops and as a platform (and its associated products) matures over time; it is worth tracking and discussing the various components of that product family over time…
Q!
"i am home"
totally agree with Q here. It's fun to read these articles a few times during the year and especially the thoughts of the posters here. It breaks some of the news up and gives us the opportunity to talk about the topic extensively as well as our current stand on the generation. =)
I think all three systems are equal in the groundbreaking possibilities. I guess it might depend a little on what area you are talking about. As far as graphics, xbox and playstation will be about equal in that. As far as innovation, all three have the same possibilities with maybe the Wii having a slight edge due to the unique controls which they could implement in the far future with some crazy game. As far as content and features I think the playstation would have the edge due to blu-ray storage. To me now, groundbreaking means something that hasn't been done before that has been executed in a brilliant way. In my opinion, all three systems have the same chance overall. The question is, which system will have more in the end, I guess we will have to see in the end of the consoles lifespans. At the moment, I believe playstation has more.
@ IhateFanboys24 you have a point there.
I don't know if I agree about the Wii thing. After playing High Velocity Bowling (got it free with Qore), it was quite apparent the Wii doesn't have any advantage on motion sensing. I'm sure if they combined the PS Eye and the SixAxis, they could do anything the Wii can.
I don't think the 360 is exactly comparable graphically to the PS3; I think the jury is still out there… remember PS3 can natively pump out graphics in 1080p… the 360 can't I think! I would find it difficult to see the 360 pull off Killzone 2…
Q!
"i am home"
@jasper
I agree with you there. I just don't see the point in motion control. My mate is a long life Nintendo fan and has only just got himself a Wii. We played Maro Kart Wii and there was nothing new about that game over the last one. The controller doesn't add to the gameplay as you get the same output on your screen as you would with a traditional style joypad. Motion control really doesn't change the experience.
@IhateFanboys24; Some good points you bring up, but I have to disagree about the Wii motion controls and agree with Jasper and Bamf.
While it may be a good concept, I don't think Nintendo has fully utilized it's capabilities and won't in the future either. This is just due to the fact that they are making tons and tons of money for not bringing anything new to the table (I've been watching too much Apprentice, haha) and that they can pretty much just lay back and relax.
It's been said before, Nintendo can just keep dishing out their shovelware and people will still flock in joy over them.
Last edited by Daedusian on 3/16/2009 1:25:10 PM
i think infamous will kinda revolutionize its genre as nothing good like thats been done since Crackdown. Also, i think the wii would be the most innovative, but none of the games properly takes advantage of its controls
in all honesty, i dont really care for many exclusives the PS3 has now, i didnt like LPB,played the Killzone 2 demo wasnt fascinated, the only ones that come to mind are Resistance 2,Uncharted, MGS4 and Blood: Siren Curse. IF Tekken 6 and FF13 were exclusives like they shuld be id agree.
are you a journalist for EDGE? its just that you seem to hate everything like them
09 will be a awesome year for ps3 owners. M$ is not innovative, but sony and the wii are.
Wii Wii 🙂
Q!
"i am home"
when you have games like flower and little big planet, which you can even describe in words to other people and you just have to let them play to understand their greatness, then you know you have a special, unique and innovative game.
why would someone thumb down this post? don't worry dude, I gave you another thumbs up to counteract it. Not sure if anyone cares about them here anyways!
Yea, this is why I laugh when ppl say Xbox has a "better game library" and that the PS3 "has no games". From where Im standing, it's the Xbox that's hurting for exclusives. Are there any big game announcements thus year for Xbox?
LBP and motorstorm 2 are 2 of the most underrated games. Not enough people even know about them…
Talking about grounbreaking exclusives, I'm right now giving REX a try in MGS4 :D, that game is EPIC, even if you take all the cutscenes off you still have a really awesome gameplay, just WOW! I must say that MGS3, GoW1 and Sotc were the games that brought me to the PS brand, those days when many xbox fans were bragging about xbox1 graphic superiority, ps2 was getting awesome exclusive games.
Nowadays very simple economic reasons make exclusive third party development non-attractive, to say the least, but thanks to Sony strategy we still have the same first party blockbuster franchises (MGS4 is third party tough) and then a lot more, that is more than enough to make me a happy PS3 owner.
I need to return to KZ2, it got a very unexpected twist, things are looking grim for ISA. I am really happy, KZ2 is totally worth my hard earned 60$. Good Job GG. I hope KZ2 sells a lot.
Last edited by raztad on 3/16/2009 10:37:26 AM
Microsoft proved it is worried about this very idea as well.
How?
Sony's first exclusive AAA title in Killzone 2 was countered by Microsoft with a Halo game.
I honestly believe that we'll see a "family" of Halo games (being how MS could make a Halo chess game and sell a million copies).
Maybe offical chip & dips for an HALO PARTY!! It will be an huge hit and an must for Halo fans
Kinda sad that we have all these fantastic games and MS fanboys won't have squat all year. Feel bad for em.
I definitely think the PS3 has it this year. So many great exclusives, and then there's the current PS3 Japan exclusives that I hope someday make it to other territories (Yakuza 3 & that Japan GeoW clone – forget the name).
The 360 is getting Alan Wake sometime soon (maybe next year, idk) which I'm looking forward to. And then there's Halo3Recon, which is, undoubtedly, the juice that keeps the energizer bunny running.
However, I am expecting something huge for M$ at E3 this year, since they LOVE to keep things on the down-low unlike Sony, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Personally I hate it.
Yeah, but where MS and the Halo franchise go (and though I prefer Sony I still like the series though Halo3 wasn't up to par, imo)after ODST is another matter.
Both HD consoles have great looking games in the works that, in the vein of AW for 360(which I also have no idea when to expect it-wasn't it first announced as a 360 launch title years ago?)and Wardevil for PS3 never seem to get any nearer release! Huxley(360)is another that springs to mind as sounding great but disappearing and with few MS exclusives announced so far this year could we see some of the more "elusive" rirles appear from both sides?
Certainly, we would be silly to think that MS won't have some things to tell and show us at GDC and E3. That said there's even more bubbling under for Sony(how many journalists have you read that say they know of a title but can't tell about it yet with regards to Sony games?)with their many studios so it's a good year to be a gamer.
On topic, if I'd have seen Linger In Shadows somewhere else first I wouldn't ever have imagined it as a console download and Sony do deserve respect for the brave line they take with PSN and by and large I feel there's more to Sony games than just pleasing the audience. They understand that you innovate to go forwards in this game(as do Ninty with Motion Plus we may see much more from the Wii)and I feel with less experience MS have yet to learn this.
Lets just hope the big, quality and innovative games keep coming. Competition drives it quickly you know.
Last edited by mastiffchild on 3/23/2009 11:34:49 AM