PlayStation 3 Analysis: Episode 1
This is a new series we're starting that takes a look at how the PlayStation 3 is progressing, and how it currently stacks up against the competition. At the end, we'll issue a score on a 10-point scale, so as an example, the system would've scored a 2 or 3 - if only for potential and a few decent exclusives - during the early months of its existence.
We've all noticed how rapidly and significantly the PS3's position has changed over the past couple of years, so we believe it's time to step back and take both an objective and subjective look at the system's current market position (there's always a hint of subjectivity, regardless of the situation). As of now, let's take a look at the pluses and minuses:
Plus: Killzone 2 just launched: It's easily one of the best games of the generation, arguably the best FPS in history, and arguably the best PlayStation 3 exclusive to date. It's both intense and highly polished and is widely considered to be a must-play by most journalists and avid gamers. This should translate to the title being a legitimate system-seller, too, but we won't know that until we see an increase in hardware sales in the next stat report.
Plus: The PSN is on the seemingly permanent upswing: With more and more content flooding our way, we've seen great additions to great titles, a lot of cool content (like Qore and Pulse), and exclusive downloadable titles that have been well worth the price of admission. Most recently, we would point you in the direction of Flower, which remains one of the more impressive achievements we've laid eyes on.
Plus/Neutral: PlayStation Home: This is like a cross because while Home keeps garnering new members and the new Spaces certainly enhance the experience, it seems they're a ways from recognizing the application's true potential. The expectations remain super high, but they've got a lot of work to do.
Neutral: Blu-Ray is still a bonus...but leveling off: Standalone Blu-Ray player prices have fallen and in this economy, it may not be worth it to spring for the $400 PS3. Furthermore, with no massively huge releases since "The Dark Knight," Blu-Ray sales haven't done much of anything. However, the benefit to game developers becomes clearer with every passing day, and let's not forget about the Blu-Ray version of "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children"...
Negative: Still a lack of marketing/advertising: Killzone 2 came and went, and while we did see a few commercials and there was plenty of promotion in print publications and online, I think we all agree it could've been much more visible. They've still got to work this out, and they had better push upcoming exclusives like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and God of War III with more vigor.
Negative: Price: It's still the priciest console out there and the economy just makes everything worse.
In the end, the future outlook for the PS3 remains good. It appears as if it will thrive on the excellent exclusives on the way, and there should be a price cut some time later this year. So in looking at things right now, we will assign a current analysis score of-
7.5/10
3/9/2009 Ben Dutka
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Comments (57 posts)
VinTheDean
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 7:09:19 AM
rell
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 7:42:25 AM
Jay123baller
Sunday, March 15, 2009 @ 9:38:03 AM
Jay123baller
Sunday, March 15, 2009 @ 9:38:06 AM
AceTatsujin
Monday, March 09, 2009 @ 11:31:58 PM
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homer23
Sunday, March 15, 2009 @ 12:56:03 PM
Neurotoxiny
Monday, March 09, 2009 @ 11:44:32 PM
Reply
city96
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 2:11:25 PM
NiteKrawler
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 @ 6:55:00 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 1:20:33 AM
Reply
psxjunkhead85
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 1:27:57 AM
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Then it was the ps2 against dreamcast once again sony system is going to lose this war and look what happen in the end ps2 not only killed a system but also sold more than xbox dreamcast and gamecube combine and is still selling as we speak despite that there is a current war going on right now. My conclusion is ps3 is doing fine its not doing as good as the ps2 because the economy,but you have to look at it this way despite ps3 price its still got some good sales numbers even though it cost way more than its competition. I know for a fact if this recession was not here and the the ps3 drop its price it would be game over. Ps3 will win the war whether people like it or not remember this race is a marathon not a sprint.
jdt1981
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 1:30:13 AM
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Qubex
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 2:01:49 AM
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Q!
"i am home"
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 3:36:41 PM
bxshotboi
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 2:06:01 AM
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Archos
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 2:18:13 AM
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The price is also a factor. The sales are good, but if PS3 cuts the price, the console will see like hot cakes cause there are many people are still on the edge to buy a PS3. They still are expecting a price cut.
Thanx PSX I will look out for this series.
Alienange
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 5:54:36 AM
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However, I wouldn't necessarily point to Flower as a big plus. Yeah, it's kinda cool, but no FPS crazed xboxer is going to give two hoots about it. They'd probably laugh in your face when you show it to them as the next big PSN launch title. Better off having KZ2 in your library and show them the online play over free PSN than that.
Advent Child
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 6:06:21 AM
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VinTheDean
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 7:13:50 AM
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They have never had to play catch up. M$, on the other hand, had to advertise the hell out of the first Xbox in order to compete with the PS3. So they got their advertising act together then and just wiping the floor with Sony.
Sony really (AND WE ALL MEAN REALLY) need to get their act together with their advertising.
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 3:42:49 PM
BikerSaint
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 3:52:25 PM
<<<<<Sony's advertising problem is that they never really had to in the past. The PS1 and PS2 were such success stories that they sold themselves. They have never had to play catch up>>>
Er....WHAT??????
Wrong......."ADVERTIZING SELLS"
The PS1 & PS2 machines were great in their own right, but Sony also did the right thing to move them at a greater clip during that time by marketing the hell out of the PS1 & the PS2!
"ADVERTIZING SELLS"
I can remember tons of PS1 & PS2 TV commercials coming out Sony's wazoo during both of their perspective period's.
"ADVERTIZING SELLS"
What I will agree with you is this...
Sony "SERIOUSLY NEEDS" to get off their f*cking fat cushy as*es & FIX their almost non-existant advertizing back to the good ole days, like they did on their PS1 & PS2 commercials.
"ADVERTIZING SELLS"
Oh wait, just in case I forget to mention......
"ADVERTIZING SELLS"
PS3_Wizard
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 9:56:47 AM
coldbore
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 11:07:09 AM
coldbore
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 11:12:28 AM
PS3_Wizard
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 @ 10:13:41 AM
Tim Speed24
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 8:43:26 AM
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ziggykd
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 8:46:11 AM
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It might also be interesting to put together a list of "what happened to..." features or add-ons for the PSP that were promised but never fulfilled in North America, and the potential for these things coming to fruition. GPS, keyboard attachment, camera, Home integration (even the virtual PSP was replaced by the PDA we have now, don't understand why, it's such a no-brainer to cross-advertise), etc.
If the PSP gets a version of Home, the keyboard has a shot, given that they shelled out for one on the PS3. Since the Europeans and Asians have NA map packs for their GPS's, it might happen here. But maybe this all depends on if they can convince people to buy games for it.
RadioHeader
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 9:11:32 AM
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With the PS3's web browser, blu-ray movies, supreme quality in general and the best and biggest list of exclusive game developers behind it, I'd happily pay twice the price. But that's partly because I'm still angry about my experience with the M$ junker.
raidtimedope
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 9:17:04 AM
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Troy Powers
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 9:28:06 AM
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NeutralGamer_86
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 11:01:07 AM
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 11:14:02 AM
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And I'm willing to bet that when a price drop comes and Uncharted 2 releases (with GoWIII right around the corner), I'll be more than willing to toss up a 9 as a score. ;)
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 3/10/2009 11:14:18 AM
BeezleDrop
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 11:46:42 AM
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PS3_Wizard
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 @ 10:17:08 AM
alexmac77
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 12:23:38 PM
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Robochic
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 1:00:19 PM
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Joe_III
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 2:11:59 PM
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according to NPD, PSN aint doing all that great. PS3 only holds 21% of online gaming (less than the Wii), and PSN DLs are slowing year over year.
I would also call Home a neutral/minus myself, based on anectdotal evidence.
I would give it a 5.5/10
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 2:33:42 PM
NiteKrawler
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 @ 6:58:00 PM
Arvis
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 3:41:26 PM
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Anyways, I just remember World asking me to keep him updated on this. Sorry so late, World.
-Arvis
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 4:09:32 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 4:11:54 PM
Reply
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 4:16:32 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 7:38:28 PM
BikerSaint
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 @ 4:28:31 PM
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Just my opinion but putting it out here anyways,
I'd give Bluray a bigger plus, certainly since you can find a lot of BD movies much cheaper now. For example, most of these BD's are going from 9.99 to 19.99 at Amazon right now:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_20890_11510930_pe_a2/?docId=1000344851&plgroup=1
The only other thing I'd change, is to give Sony an "Octo-mom" sized negative for their almost non-existant advertizing.
daus26
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 @ 1:30:09 AM
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With better advertising and whatnot, they should be able to convince people the ps3 is the best blu-ray player to date. One of advantage is that the Ps3 starts up in seconds, and all standalone blu-rays take centuries to turn on.
With their poor advertising, I guess it makes sense to put it in neutral because of the lowered prices of standalone BD players.
What I'm trying to say is advertising is a big factor to a lot of those evaluation.

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keaton
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Monday, March 09, 2009 @ 11:15:35 PM
But I would have to say that anyone that owns a ps3 can not complain, and should be fairly happy with where it has come and where it yet is to go. The exclusives are phenomenol for the next year or so.