Yes, I know. I work for PSX Extreme so "of course" I'd say this. I'm not even going to dignify that with an explanation, but let's just say that anyone who knows me realizes that after a quarter-century of gaming, I have little to no "brand loyalty." And by the way, I would've reversed this same title in favor of the 360 back in 2007 because it was just that obvious...just like this situation is equally obvious.
Let's be straight about this. When I walk into a game store, or when I survey the web every day for news, I keep an eye on anything related to either the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 'cuz I own both. I was one of the first to buy Gears of War 2 last year and I own all the Halos. I also really want a sequel to Lost Odyssey and I will literally jump for joy like a pansy if it ever gets announced. But throughout 2009, all I've seen in terms of software is domination by the PlayStation 3. The Wii is essentially non-existent this year in terms of games (like that's anything new) and besides a few choice selections - me wants Alan Wake, for instance - I see nothing all that pressing for the 360. This year, Killzone 2 has already rocked my socks and inFamous is another fantastic addition to the PS3 exclusive lineup. Oh, and did you see all that new gameplay footage for Heavy Rain? It may not be as impressive as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but it took my breath away in a whole different way...
Oh yes, Uncharted 2 is gonna blow you away, as will MAG. Then, I realize I've been complaining about the lack of RPGs on the PS3, but perhaps that time is over. Disregarding the FFs that are coming, there's also the recent announcements of Demon's Souls (coming to US; yay!), White Knight Chronicles and Last Rebellion, along with this week's release of Cross Edge. We also can't forget Gran Turismo 5 looming out there in the future, and we can pretty much guarantee that Insomniac is cooking up another winner in Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time. God of War III will just...you know...BLOW THE EFF UP. Then you've got whatever Kojima is working on, which is most likely another PS3 exclusive (just a guess) and at this point, can we come to any other conclusion? Seriously? I look for 360 games all the time. I really do. I look at the upcoming release list just about every day to see if I can spot something I really want. I see a few, but none come even close to the potential excellence of the titles I've just listed, and that's that.
The PS3 may be in the single best position it has ever been in, especially with rumors of a price drop and/or redesign on the way. And I'm well aware that all the 360 fans will just toss a horde of sales numbers in my face, but that's just because they know - deep down in their bitter, uncompromising hearts - that the PS3's current and future exclusive lineup vastly outstrips the competition. This is about software, and software will eventually push hardware sales when we're talking about exclusives. Bottom line? The PS3 is on a roll, and I just don't see the 360 doing much of anything. Such is, my friends. Such is.
5/27/2009 Ben Dutka
