When gamers go to select their console, they first look to the available and impending software, as they most certainly should. And as we all know, everyone has different tastes and preferences when it comes to various genres; for instance, while some can't stand the idea of a role-playing game, others put the niche genre #1 on their priority list.
Therefore, wouldn't it be important to determine which of the available consoles has the best games for your favorite genres? It's a legitimate question but in considering the answer – and after trading in Star Ocean: The Last Hope – I'm starting to wonder if the PlayStation 3 will have the best exclusive titles in each available genre. Of course, I'm no psychic and the generation is far from over, which means we could see many, many more Xbox 360 exclusives that could reign supreme. I can only go on the current information, and in doing so, I come up with the following assessment:
Action/adventure : Obviously, the biggest genre out there, and most titles are multiplatform, anyway. But really, for the time being, this seems to come down to the 360's Gears of War and Left 4 Dead titles versus the PS3's MGS4, Uncharted and God of War , with the possibility of certain IPs like Heavy Rain , Quantum Theory , and inFamous having good potential. We should also toss in Alan Wake for the 360 as well. I'm sorry, but I just don't see the 360 stacking up to what the PS3 has; GoW and Uncharted trump Gears, IMO. Heck, MGS4 alone beats out everything else in my book. I doubt many would disagree.
Platformer : Eh, this isn't the huge genre it once was, but all I've got to say is that right now, it begins and ends with LittleBigPlanet . Not much else to talk about.
Racing : This is hard because most all racing games these days are multiplatform, and it really only comes down to a battle between Gran Turismo and Forza . I'm not going to get into a long drawn-out compare-and-contrast session, but anyone who actually knows something about cars and racing realizes that GT vastly outstrips Forza in a multitude of ways. Ask any amateur racer, mechanic, etc.; just trust us on this. If they do a Forza 3 , in no way will it be able to compete on a simulated/realistic level with GT5. Plain and simple.
First-person shooter (FPS) : This will always be a hotly contested genre, but right now, it boils down to Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 versus the Halo titles, and the result is a no-brainer at this point in time. I'm sure we'll see another 360 exclusive FPS that should rock our socks but if it's out there, currently in the works, I haven't heard of it yet. Right now, the benchmark is KZ2, and R2 is pretty damn good, too.
Role-Playing : This is the only genre where the PS3 may not end up leading the 360 in my eyes. I may not have liked Star Ocean , but it certainly wasn't a bad game and many RPG fans would've liked to have had it on the PS3. Furthermore, past RPGs like Lost Odyssey (which I loved ; I hope they do a sequel) and Blue Dragon have really made me turn to the 360 for my RPG fix. It'll probably happen again if they do a LO sequel, too. But I have faith in Final Fantasy Versus XIII – even if it is about a million years off – and NIS America has a currently unannounced PS3 RPG we're all waiting to hear about this week. I'm also waiting for Atlus to jump fully into this new generation, so there's a lot more to come in the future… For now, though, the edge definitely goes to the 360.
I know there are other genres, like Puzzle and Flight and things like that, but these are the major ones. There's the fighting genre, but are there any exclusive fighting titles out there? I mean, significant ones? Obviously, the key lies with exclusives, and right now, I really can't see how the 360 matches up competitively with the PS3. But again, things can always change, and we have yet to see what happens at E3… In short, nothing is definitive.
I definitely think that Sony will take the majority of these genres.
PS3 wins, but sadly not in the area where most of my interest lies. Thankfully I have plenty to keep me occupied until RPG's make a real PS3 debut. And Ben you're forgetting about the off chance that the 360 FFXIII will have to be cancelled due to multiple hardware explosions and the cost of six DVDs.
More like twelve DVDs my friend. …………………………….Oh for god's sake the demo was 5GB!!! – It has to be 12 DVDs. What are they planning to make a 6 hour RPG? – OH BOY THAT WILL BE THE FIRST!
If they are real ambitious it will be more than twelve disc;)I kind of want the 360 to be made, I really want to have a good laugh seeing 360 owners switching discs every 10 minutes..XD
Maybe all the cutscenes will be lower quality/shorter/etc. on the 360 to fit it on as few discs as possible…360 game licensing DOES have a per-disc royalty paid to M$.
Or one disc for each cutscene lol
Shadow If you played the translated Tenchi RPG on the SNES it is about only 1 to 2 hours. It was very short.
Well, SE does seem to have some of the better compression techniques in the biz. The 360 version will most likely have compressed audio and video.
But 360 DVD9s only have what? 6.5 gigs of space really available do to Microsoft's anti-piracy protect on the disc.
Hmmm… It will be interesting how many discs it will be to say the least.
I just read on a website that if the game is as long as is predicted there may be the need for 70 (NO SH*T) SEVENTY disks or above. This is just speculation based on the demo though, and sounds like bull. But even so it will need upwards of 5 360 disks for full quality surely, and may even have to lose some content such as, well…all audio and cutscenes ;), maybe it'll be needed to be played in black and white on the 360 😛
I think this probably proves once and for all Final Fantasy, was, and will never be, (EVER) a 360 game. Throwing money at things doesn't neccessarily mean it'll all work out Mr. Gates.
I've just bought a 320GB HDD for my PS3 and it's all nice and upgraded so I'm ready for the huge amount of memory required. Bring it on Square!!
If it took 70 DVD's for this game, it would take 12 Dual-layer Blu-ray discs on PS3…
We've seen Sony concentrate a lot on the FPS side the last 2 years…and still this year (MAG)…and it certainly has paid off in fighting against Microsoft. However…this year they really should pay attention toward RPGs. I have to agree that Microsoft still holds the upper edge on that one just because it has many more RPGs available on its console. Sure most of them are slowly heading their way toward PS3 – but still. I think after FFXIII we'll see a rise in RPGs for the PS3 just like what FFX did for the PS2.
It just needs a push in each category. Uncharted did it for the action/adventure part. Resistance did it for the fps part. LittleBigPlanet did it for the platformer part. GT5: Prologue did it for the racing part (sort of), and FFXIII will do it for the RPG part.
However I do think that Valkyria Chronicles could have done it for the RPG part…it just came out on a bad timing.
The PS3 has better games despite microsoft trying to buy everything
I don't think the rpg drought is going to get any better anytime soon, with Microsoft buying off many of the Japanese developers and all. Which is why I refuse to buy any rpg that goes multiplatform. I also miss traditional turn based rpgs, I can't stand these active time do 20,000 things while you're trying to dispacth a group of enemies rpgs lol. I just want some time to plan my next move and not have to worry about attacking, healing, casting spells, and blocking at the same time lol
I would have to disagree about the drought with the RPG's. The way I look at it the reason why developers were so willing to take Microsoft money for timed exclusives to begin with was because at that period of time when the games were being developed the PS3's install base was pretty small. Why not give Microsoft timed exclusivity when they knew they wouldn't make as much money by going multi-platform, especially when your going to get to release the game at a year later on other platforms. It is free money. Now that the PS3 install base is much larger than what it used to be and it is gaining ground everyday with the 360 I honestly don't see as many developers and publishers selling timed exclusivity like they did before. In a messed up way I thank Microsoft for buying the timed exclusivity because when a new console comes out the developers and publishers stand to lose money on developing for a small install base like the PS3 was at the time the games were being developed.
Couldn't have said it better. The only good thing about M$ is that they originated in America (which doesn't really matter since the parts for Xbox 360 are made in China like PS3's xD ). Even though PS3 doesn't have a good line-up of RPG's, I really don't care for them anymore. I want something more realistic, like FPS or racing. After all, the main purpose for high-definition gaming is to play more realistic games.
I thought it was to play better looking games.
I sincerely hope the NIS game isn't strategy, I know some people love em but I and the PS3 require something more on the regular RPG side. I'm sure people are still then thousand hours from finishing Disgaea 3 anyway.
I don't think the PS3 will ever win the scrolling shooters category… Not that I would be particularly happy if I dropped $600 for a console to be known as the best for scrolling shooters….
Lol…I'll still be waiting for the new Gradius. Gotta have my shmup.
Doesn't Rachet & Clank fall under the platformer genre ? And I don't know why Sony is not releasing Demon's Souls in other territories when an english version is available in some asian countries .
I never was a big fan of King's Field so not really waiting for Demon's Souls to make the trip over here.
RPG situation is looking better on the PS3 with RPGs going multiplat or just PS3 exclusive. The only upcoming 360 exclusive RPG I have heard of is Magna Carta 2, and honestly, It looks like complete and utter crap.
Really? After watching some of the movies and viewing the various screenshots, I think it could be one of the better RPGs of the year. And I've always loved the artwork for that series.
Seeing as the other Magna Carta game on the PS2 was pretty bad. I can't really give this one the benefit of the doubt it will be any better since this is a niche game, and they hardly ever change game play mechanics. The character art is pretty interesting and looks good, but by viewing the trailer they are not suited for 3D or the team behind the game just cant handle the designs. And the trailer showed some of the stiffest animations I've seen since the PS1. And graphically its just not up to par with other 360 RPGs.
But most of this is subjective to my own opinion. This could turn out great, I've just been burnt by this series before. So I'm going to remain very skeptical to say the least.
Ben have you played left4dead?
most over-hyped game ever. its fun for 10 minutes.
I played the PC version and there appeared to be no storyline and only like 5 weapons in the whole game
Left 4 Dead is one of the best mutiplayer co-op/vs games to come around in a while. And just about the only one I really play consistantly. The story is there are 4 survivors trying to survive long enough to be rescued at the end of each scenario. It's all about the in-your-face action, which it delivers from the very beginning. And it's even better now since the new content has been added to it.
i didn't like that game either
An excellent well thought article. This should be a sticky article on all Xbox 360 websites!
Good article, Ben. I think you're the 1st one to breakdown software superiority by genre.
And people still say that 360 is better for shooters…. I mean come on. The only FPS I think that is missing on the PS3 is Halo… whose absence is fulfilled by Resistance 1/2 and Killzone 2 big time.
Ya there is Gears, but I think MGS4 (which I do rate as a shooter) blows it out off the water.
People should stop living in 2007 and start living in the current era.
Anyways, hopefully MAG will show what an MMO FPS actually means
Last edited by Archos on 4/27/2009 1:37:06 AM
I hope so, The PS1 and PS2 did it. Though things are different now, Crash Bandicoot isnt exclusive (….), Resident Evil and Silent Hill arent exclusive anymore but we gotSiren: Blood Curse which makes up for it, FFXIII isnt exclusive, so far the 360 has far better RPGS (Lets be honest), Tekken isnt exclusive, SFIV turned out brilliant, but its not exclusive, i wont go on but as you can see this gen has been really challenging for the PS3 in comparison to the last 2.
dont forget the shovelware and casual genres!!!
wii OWNS at those
…… good for them.
When you release last you run the risk of a launch like PS3 had and it did take til the likes of R&C and Uncharted hit to start to make up ground. However the jrpg market is an odd one as SE cannot be clearing a profit on the games they've made and published for the 360. Most of their fans bought PS3 well before they changed FF13 to multiplat(three years of them spoutng "only on playsyayion" etc)so their market is vast on PS3 compared to 360-and not only in Japan.
The cheques must be effin big that's all I can say as atm it makes no sense for either MS or SE as it's not even slowing PS3 sales anymore in Japan.
Expect a big turnaround in this genre in the next twelve months.
Last edited by mastiffchild on 4/27/2009 3:07:58 AM
MicroSquareEnix's efforts are futile. Thumbs up for that one
Considering its status as THE cult underappreciated game of the generation, Valkyria Chronicles is a real strong contender for the RPG column. There's also White Knight Chronicles and Demons Soul
well i have never been a big rpg fan i always though they looked like they were for weirdos ( no offence guys) coz i didnt like anime but then my mate kept telling me to PLAY FFX oh my views changed alot lol…..i luved it so much! and from then on i luved FF and cant wait for the new one 😀
FF is though the only rpg i do like….because i think its the only really good one that gets me involved in the story….i mainly play action games though so PS3 with FF is a win for me!
I do think the PS3 is getting better games and more and more RPGS are popping out lately. I love Valykria Chronicals its a great game, can't wait for White knight Chronicals, and for FPS MAG is looking like a Console seller for PS3 can't wait for that it pushes the limits which thats what i like.
FFXIII on the 360 is either going to be 3 disc and the rest they will have to download through the xbox live store which will cost them alot more which i can see M$ doing that they like $.
know what were lacking.
a gears of war style game, yea i know theres quantum theroy but im realy iffy about that game dunno just seems well….
but we need more platformers like ratchet and clank.
and ND please bring back the crash bandicoot series to its old glory.
i would love to see a new crash bandicoot warped and a new crash bandicoot team racing.
and ben your NUTZ NOTHING comes even close to GOD OF WAR…
You haven't played Uncharted have you?
Lacking!!! did you just crawl from underneath a rock! there have been way to many macho men/mecha games, I'm sick of them in all honesty, along with comic book adaptions and FPS's.
When I have FFXIII, WKC, P5 and DQ9 firing on all PS3 cylinders, then I'll be a happy gamer.
WKC this holiday 2009, FXIII for holiday 2010. PS3 rpg aren't lacking at all. From time to time, ones like Demon's Soul pops out of no where and give you a surprise. From time to time, RPGs like Tales of Vesperia come over from the "other side". I don't see how its lacking.
I say we see some news on FXIII versus on E3 2009. It should be here in June 2011. That's when they announce FXIV…. muhahahaha this is gold!
It was cool that Ben broke it down into genre, but I really don't think that has anything to do with which console rules. I don't think that is something people even think about when they are about to spend hundreds of bucks on a system. There are many factors involved like quality,features, price ect… Besides both the xbox and the ps3 have plenty of the different genres. Go to Wal-Mart and look at games for both systems. They are usually in glass cases side beside. For the most parts both systems have the same games except for a few exclusives for each system, but they both have the same genre games.
As I told a friend of mine, the 360 has nothing on it to make me buy one AGAIN, and I seriously doubt it ever will.
Looking ahead through the end of the 2009, that trend is likely to continue.
Now we don't know what lies in store for us when E3 roles around, but something tells me Sony will be the one big announcements.
Ratchet and Clank Ben, Ratchet and Clank!
They also announced an Ape Escape back in like 2006 so hopefully that'll come out sooner or later.
PS: This is what I like 'bout the Playstation experience, it's as diverse as can be. Though now most companeis are just going for FPSs. But still ps3 is where you'll find more variety.
I've always thought R&C was a platformer but I guess it's really not…it's more of a blend, I suppose. It's hard to say for certain.
Ratchet and Clank should get its own genre
btw ben, do you have any news on the new ratchet and clank? like aside from it being on a disk. like maybe if it will suport multi? 🙂
Sorry, not sure yet.