Skip to main content

Oh look, more FANFICTION in video game writing!

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8734&Itemid=2

It's blanket statements like this that make me LOL. No, wait....statements like this make me LOVVLAROTFLMAO:

"But the PlayStation brand and the Sony brand have survived. They have clung on. They are still here. And now they are going to come back into play. The battle against Xbox 360 (let’s leave Wii aside for now) is not over. In fact, it’s only just beginning. And PlayStation will be the ultimate winner, although what that actually means is something I reckon is worth analysing in its own right."

Oh my goodness. So funny!!!

The craziness never ceases in paid advertising game journalism.

More delusionary video game writing here....including all my arguments against it. Why reiterate what's already been said before?

This generation's console battle (between Sony and Microsoft) is already over. Sony should be looking towards the next generation (2010 and beyond) for any chance of success, because the hole they've dug themselves into is far, far too deep:

1. Sony has lost too many third-parties to Microsoft (in the USA and in Japan. Japan sales are lackluster for the Xbox 360 but Japanese developer support for the Xbox 360 is unparalleled in the history of the platform).

2. Sony's installed base won't ever catch up with the 360 given the incredible sales in the United States (the only market which really matters to third party software makers worldwide)

3. In terms of looking at their business, Sony's hurting pretty badly considering their dismal console software sales (a key part of making money in the console business is to sell a lot of software---which Sony has never accomplished at all, since launch). The Playstation 3 is burning a hole in Sony's bottom line. The press never covers this fact because it's just beyond their level of understanding to see the significance of it for their future performance (less profits means less marketing for future games, less big exclusives in the future, etc etc...)

4. As a hardware device, the Playstation 3 may be more reliable, but time and again it's been stated (by third parties in various interviews) that developing games on the PS3 is far more complex than for the Xbox 360, and that may explain the weak support that the machine is getting from developers worldwide. The delays for key games like Final Fantasy 13 and Metal Gear Solid 4 attest to this assertion. The complexity of the Playstation 3 hardware may be great on paper, but because of this, developers are unable to deliver games for the platform in a timely manner, and in my opinion, this is what hurts the Playstation 3 the most. Games sell consoles. Software sells hardware. And until Sony can establish a very solid library of titles for the PS3 that comes out with some regularity throughout the year, it will be difficult to convince console gamers who already own the Xbox 360 or the Wii to invest in a third machine for their gaming needs.

5. From the very beginning, Sony's Playstation 3 has suffered from an identity crisis. Is it a blu-ray player or a gaming device? This lack of focus is one of the things that has hurt the platform severely. For one thing, it made the console incredibly expensive at the outset, ruining its reputation with gamers early on in the race. Blu ray also does nothing for game developers, considering the machine only has 256MB of video RAM and 256MB of system RAM. The massive storage media is meaningless from a game design standpoint, considering that one is still limited by the available RAM. If the PS3 had upwards of 2GB of RAM or better, the massive storage space of blu-ray media would have been well justified.

What video game writers could do for Sony, instead of giving them even more false hope for this generation, is to encourage the company to jump the gun on Microsoft. Release the next Playstation earlier than the next Xbox, with a Final Fantasy/Metal Gear Solid sequel bundled with the hardware on launch. For this generation, Sony should just content itself with third place, try to sell as much hardware as it can, but they shouldn't waste their resources on impossible ambitions.

And video game writers like Colin Campbell should stick to posting fanboy dreamz on http://www.neogaf.com/forums . His "Editor's View" is no different from the usual Sony fanboy tripe that you'll find there every day.

Popular posts from this blog

More on PS3 Hardware Failures: AICN's Moriarty Hit By BDL

Earlier I posted about how the PS3 is no less susceptible to hardware problems. The issue was dubbed the 'BDL' (Blu-Ray Disc Laser problem) over on Pinoyxbox by the multi-console users in the community. You'd find a lot more information about this by searching for error 80010514 and 80029906. That said, I saw this post on AICN from Moriarty ....apparently he also got hit by the BDL problem. He had the console repaired by Sony, and when he got his replacement, he was hit by another problem: he encountered an issue while updating his PS3, causing his system to get bricked. So now he's had two broken PS3s in a row, and the system has lost his recommendation as a blu-ray player system of choice for consumers: "Regarding Moriarty’s Awesome Non-Stop Blu-Ray Coverage... Or Lack Thereof! Dear Sony... Y’know, some days it doesn’t pay to be a movie fan. I’ve done tons of DVD coverage over the years here at AICN, and it’s funny... I’ve heard some people actually say, “But yo

Lost Odyssey Theme Song - "What You Are" by Sheena Easton

I've uploaded the theme song for Lost Odyssey in YouTube. Check out the video below: At first, I wasn't so into the song but when I heard it in full it grows on you. The song is actually quite beautiful. It was sung by Sheena Easton. With the lyrics from Hironobu Sakaguchi and the composition by Nobuo Uematsu. Very moving song, specially once you understand the lyrics. Below are the lyrics for the song "What You Are" by Sheena Easton When you touch me It feels just like a dream With the warmth that's in your eyes When you look at me I hear your voice beside me It whispers to me I can't hide how it makes me feel The shyness you see I may never Understand how deep it goes But I know how I feel What I hold deep in my heart There's just no way to stop this It's hopeless but true I feel this love More than anything So what more can I do You know I thought I would be much stronger than I am But then I feel the boldness that's inside my heart Just melt aw

Gamers based in the Philippines: How to get in Xbox Live

NOTE: This article has recently been updated (as of August 12, 2006). Singapore no longer lets you input '00000' as your zip code. Please see below for alternate zip codes. So you're a Filipino living in the Philippines with a brand-spanking new Xbox 360. You've heard about all the wonderful stories on Xbox Live. You happen to have a pretty good broadband connection. One day, you try out the Xbox Live sign-up options on your 360, and you find out to your dismay that your country is NOT listed. What do you do? Now, you can probably enjoy your 360 without live at all, but I have to tell you: YOU ARE MISSING OUT. As Peter Moore said in the recent MS Press Conference: "Having your 360 connected to Xbox Live is as vital as having your computer connected to the Internet". He is so damned right. I've been playing on Xbox Live for almost a year now (both on my original Xbox and the Xbox 360). Essentially I found out all of this with a little bit of research, a lit