Insomniac's Brian Hastings speaks out on the PS3

[windbane]

I read through Hastings comments and they are what one would expect from someone whose livelihood depends on the PS3 dong well. He isn't some unbiased dev at EA or Ubisoft (even they wouldn't be unbiased just less biased) but even so some of his comments can be taken at face value and have been shot down elsewhere on this thread. For example, people aren't buying the Cell anymore than people bought an EE or RSP, they are buying video game systems. Most of the market (I'd wager over 80% maybe over 90%) has no clue what Cell is. Developers mostly care about install base and until the PS3 shows any potential of moving out of 3rd place in the real world and not just in the fevered imaginations of Sony fanboys resources will continue their drift over to the Wii and 360 (despite the lack of Cell).

Just because he's biased does not mean he's wrong. His list is well defended and well reasoned. He was not saying that people would buy the PS3 directly because of Cell, he was saying developers will be able to take advantage of its power to make games better. The potential that the PS3 will move out of third place started before it was released when the 360 didn't sell in Japan as expected. The PS3 quickly passed the 360 there and has now sold very well this month in "Other" countries (you know, it really sucks that all of you guys are lumped together...I'd say Europe but that would exclude Australia and New Zealand and a lot of other places I'm sure). The potential also rests in exclusive games that are left with the PS3. I think those that think the Wii will completely dominate PS3 and 360 combined are crazy. 2 to 1 against combined numbers? Yeah, ok. If the Wii was also getting GTA, Devil May Cry, Mercenaries, etc, then maybe I'd believe you. I am VERY curious how sports games will sell on the Wii compared to the 360 and Wii. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, Hastings did not say anything untrue or outlandish. The only stretch was his opinion that the Wii would fade. That is yet to be determined but it could easily lose momentum with Halo, MGS4, FF13, GTAIV are released. The sports games will have to be programmed to control better to make up for lack of graphics and effects as well. I'm curious how basketball will control. We'll see. http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=81422 if you still need the link.