Can anyone remember what it was like when Sony's Playstation 2 came on the scene? If you've been following the industry long enough, you would conclude that the PS3's launch was almost identical to that of its predecessor. People complained about the price, doom and gloom articles were all over the place, and developers moaned over the architecture of the then new hardware. It's the same with PS3 today, but look at what's happening now; Sony is set to dominate again, just like the PS2 before it and the comparisons invoke dejavu. We'll remind you.
The Games - Just like the PS2 before it, the PS3 was criticized for not having enough games to survive, and was even mocked because of it. The PS2 launched with virtually no good games. By the end of its first 12 months, that myth was no more. Ico, Devil May Cry, MGS2, Jak and Daxter, Madden, Tony Hawk 3, SSX Tricky, and a slew of others were on the market.....while the Gamecube and Xbox were just launching. That battle was over before it even began. Cries of the PS3 having no games (compared to its competition) lasted for far longer than its first year. Now no other gaming console in the world has more games than the PS2 with over two thousand titles as part of its library, and the PS3 is on track to join it's older brother.
Shortages - In 2000, only a few million people had purchased the gaming device because of Manufacturing delays. Directly after its release, it was very difficult to find a PS2 on store shelves because they were almost always sold out and people were paying thousands of dollars on site like eBay just to get their hands on it.
PS3 went through the same dilemma. Because Blu-ray was new tech at the time and the PS3 was the only gaming device to carry a Blu-ray drive, components for the technology was constantly faced with shortages, hence stalling development of PS3 to the dismay of unsatisfied consumers. As I recall, the PS3 was sitting on shelves mere months after it launched. To everyone's surprise, the Wii was always sold out. The PS2 was in low supply for months and months. It took me almost six months of intense looking to finally get my hands on one. I personally saw PS3's on store shelves during the launch holiday. This lead to a worldwide shortage and just like the PS2, people were paying big bucks on sites like eBay just to get a PS3 People payed big bucks for the Wii and 360, too.
New Formats - The PS2 according to many was doomed because it carried a DVD drive that at the time was unknown DVD, at the time was expensive, but already embraced. If anything, the PS2 was PRAISED for the addition of a DVD drive. The Gamecube was criticised for the lack of a DVD option and the Xbox was criticised for making DVD playback cost extra., and the critics deemed it a mistake by Sony to take such high risk that according to them, had a low chance of succeeding. It was also a format that gave more space to develop better quality games. Little need to be said about the success of DVDs now, a format that was made successful by the PS2.
The PS3 suffered the same scorning in the beginning for implementing Blu-ray disc. Again the skeptics said it was alien tech and no one knew if it would succeed. It was also a format that made the PS3 second to none in terms of storage, and now the best looking games are on PS3 Because of Blu-Ray?.
The Price - $299 was the launch price of Sony's PS2 and a good portion of the media was crying about it, saying PS2 was just too expensive and that Sony should reduce the price immediately if they wanted to remain relevant in the industry Nope. Never happened. The Dreamcast and Gamecube tried to use price point as a weapon against the PS2, but consumers weren't very vocal in their complaints. Rings a bell?
The PS3 for most of its life received heat for the device's price point. $599 was the launch price of the console so you can imagine the amount of flak Sony received. Now the PS3 is only $299 and selling out all over the world.
Design - The PS2 design gave developers a challenge from the onset. They claimed Sony and the mastermind behind all the Playstations, Ken Kutaragi, built the system too difficult and it was a real struggle for developers to get their minds in line with that of the PS2 After the PS1's record setting sales and profit, the PS2 was the only game in town. In the unnofficial Playstation Magazine (PSM), it was openly stated that developers had to learn the PS2 or get left behind. In the PS3's case, there was at least one comparable option.
Needless to say the PS3's cell technology is giving devs hell. In fact just recently, Brink's boss told Eurogamer that PS3 tech is "alien" to him. But some were able to get their smart brains to overcome the system's intricate build. Developers like Naughty Dog have mastered the cell and now, they're sharing all their secrets with anyone who wants to know.
There's only one more piece that's missing to complete the puzzle, and it's to see the PS3 dominate like its predecessor. All eyes are on 2010 to see what will Sony do, and how will they outperform what has been a stellar year for them.
Everything is already in place, and with games like God of War III, Gran Turismo 5, Final Fantasy XIII, MAG, Heavy Rain, Agent, Resistance 3, and The Last Guardian all coming next year, the conclusion is not so difficult to fathom; PS3 will dominate from next year and until PS4 comes along.
Also to be considered: The PS3 marks the first time that Sony launched a console against a console other than a doomed Sega product. The 360 had a year's head start. The Wii launched only a couple of days later. This gen marks the first time that Sony's true competition didn't give them a year to own the market. If the PS3 had hit the market first, even at $599, it would have totally dominated the competititon for the 3rd time in a row. Sony finally has its act together (Good games, good marketing, a consumer friendly price) but there is no way in the world that it will ever dominate like the Sony consoles of old.
