Ben-DutkaHas anyone felt as if the past few months for the PlayStation 3 has been like a whole new launch? Do you realize that a huge number of people out there think it actually did just launch a few months ago?
There's only one possible translation: the time has finally come for Sony and the PlayStation 3. I think we can all admit that its first year wasn't up to snuff; in fact, if you consider the nigh-on disastrous launch in terms of hardware availability, the initial (yet always expected) lack of software, unattractive price, and the "wait-and-see" situation for Blu-Ray, 2007 was a rough, rough year for the system in question. But 2008 was a lot better and many journalists, analysts and gamers will agree that 2009 is (yes, I'll just say it) has been the year of the PS3. It took immediate Game of the Year contenders that showed the power and potential of the console – Killzone 2 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – plus the long-awaited price drop to make it happen, but it's here. The time is now.
I can't watch TV for more than an hour without seeing one of those "It only does everything" commercials – gotta love that one with the hot girlfriend because the final line is, "yeah…I'm gonna file this under 'not an issue'" – and it's about damn time . We've all been calling for more marketing from Sony and suddenly, it's everywhere! That $299 price tag dropped it into full and direct competition with the Xbox 360, Netflix is here, Blu-Ray is the accepted high-definition format across all video entertainment venues, the PlayStation Network has expanded at a ridiculous rate (and contains easily the best exclusive DLC titles), and oh yeah, the games . I know I forgot inFamous earlier and it's one of my favorites, so I apologize for that, and I also apologize for missing Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time and Demon's Souls . But that's exactly the point.
Everything seems to have come together at exactly the right time. Sony is marketing like mad. The price is at the sweet spot. The games are here. The Network is great. The reliability is more than solid. It's an absolutely awesome Blu-Ray player (check the comparisons against standalone players). And above else, everyone knows about it now. It's effectively in the limelight and suddenly, people are starting to learn more about 2010 and the likes of God of War III , Gran Turismo 5 , Heavy Rain , and even The Last Guardian . Consumers have looked at the PS3 because it was placed in front of them (finally), and in making comparisons to the competition, many are concluding the PS3 is the better value.
The PS3 continues to narrow the gap versus the 360 and I still refuse to compare the same set of statistics, anyway, because I remain convinced that the 360 numbers are massively skewed. If everybody on earth knows someone who has bought at least two or three 360s due to its catastrophic failure rate, that means Microsoft is counting the same consumer's purchase three times. Yeah, not sure that's fair. But anyway, the shift is here and in looking at next year, it seems the PS3 is in prime position to make the final push to the top. But again, marketing is huge. We needed this from Sony and you can bet it's going to continue through the holidays, so gear up, PS3 fans. The ride is only just beginning. 😉
