pokoko said: The only part that I'd argue is that the PS3 didn't really struggle to achieve parity. It outsold the 360 during most of its lifetime and by a pretty nice margin. I know what you're saying about total sales but sales rate is just as important. It's a marathon instead of a sprint, after all. It showed that the Playstation brand was stronger than the Xbox brand during this generation. That being said, the PS3 was kind of lacking as a device. It had quite a few faults which I really hope they improve on. If you remove the exclusives from the picture, the 360 is probably the better console (though it has faults, too). What the PS3 did have, which made it special, was the support of World Wide Studios. WWS, in my opinion, is the life's blood of Playstation. I think they're the best group of developers in the world, and Sony is the best publisher. WWS rescued the PS3 and lifted it up. If they can get the console part of the PS4 right, and I think they can, then World Wide Studios gives them a great shot at the top--and that's not even to mention all those yummy third-party exclusives. |
I wasn't talking about sale, I was talking about content and service - it took ages for Sony's online service to come close to Microsoft, the fact that it was free is obviously a factor but it was still an inferior service. There was also way more content both at retail and on Xbox Live Arcade during the early years of the PS3, parity really didn't happen until at least 2009 (Killzone 2, Infamous, Uncharted 2, Demon Soul all landing on the same year was like manna from heaven).
I mean I can name a plethora of games for the 360 from the 2007 - 2009, and it was a very healthy pool with lots of variety! Any sheep that was bleating about the 'shooterbox' in those days was a blind idiot: Dead or Alive 4, Forza Motorsport 2, Viva Piñata: Party Animals, Lost Odyssey, Ninja Gaiden II, Infinite Undiscovery, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Fable II, Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Halo Wars, Deathsmiles, MagnaCarta II, Forza Motorsport 3, Tales of Vesperia, Halo 3, Halo: ODST, Mass Effect.
Seriously look at that! Not even taking into account the content of Live Arcade which was also superior back in those days, the 360 has something for everyone! JRPG, WRPG, Plaformer, Shmup, hack&slash, RTS, FPS, TPS, Single player games, co-op game, mutliplayer game it was literally all there (And not on the PS3). And lets not get into superior third party support.
Sony's offering in the early year in comparison was aneamic. Resistance was the only decent launch window exclusive (Going up against Gears of War), and we would see nothing else until Uncharted and Heavenly Sword came into the scene in holiday 2007. It wasn't until 2008 that a system defining exclusive finally did came out, Sony should thank Kojima and Konami for saving their ass, because their worldwide studio didn't come into force until later that year, when Little Big Planet finally starting the salvo.
I remember those early days, I remember buying a 360 when the JRPG temptation was finally too much (Lost Odyssey is still one of the better game I played last gen) and I'm sure Sony remember them as well... they won't do that same with the PS4 that's for sure!