Welcome to the latest Sony Spin Gate. If this is your first time joining us, think of it as an objective, weekly guide to the recent, present, and future world of Sony video gaming, with a healthy dose of constructive criticism thrown in where need be. If you’ve been with me since “day one” (three weeks ago), then please excuse the previous cut-and-paste sentence. And regardless of any of the aforementioned, let me know what’s on your mind concerning the PlayStation 2, PSP, Sony’s mulish cockiness as their potential fatal flaw, or general comments on what you’d love and hate to see in the text of this feature each week.
How Do They Do It? I was talking with a friend the other day, and amidst the relative banality of our conversation, he brought up a very good question: How does the technically inferior console quadruple the sales of its closest competitor? Of course, he was referring to the PlayStation 2 as the technically inferior and its closest competitor the Xbox.
And as we all know, (or should all finally force ourselves to accept) the PS2 is the least technically impressive system out of the current three. The chief shortfalls of our beloved system are its inherently tricky development techniques, a painful 4MB of video memory, and aliasing (i.e. “jaggies”) problems that plague almost every game to date. What all that translates into is the usual poorer textures, lower polygon counts, and a generally more crappy visual experience than the more capable Xbox and GameCube offer.
Another thing is that the PS2 is lacking two features that the Xbox has built-in: Ethernet support and a hard drive. These two components are available for the PS2 through different devices, each separately purchasable at a reasonable and not so reasonable price, respectively. And Xbox Live is arguably a much better online gaming service than the hodgepodge that is the independently supported “PS2 Online”.
What makes or breaks a system, ideally, is its game library. And unfortunately today, a successful library of titles is becoming increasingly based upon quantity over quality. For better or worse, the original PlayStation did in fact make gaming “cool”. It’s no longer a rhetorical statement: Sony’s first console single-handedly introduced mainstream America into video gaming. The PlayStation brand is now more recognizable than Pepsi. When the PlayStation 2 was announced, all Sony had to do was rely on its immensely popular brand name to sell systems. Couple the immense PS2 launch hype with the fact that the Xbox and GC were still one year away, and Sony was pretty much set for the long haul. If there’s one thing this generation of console wars has taught Microsoft and Nintendo, it is that timing is everything.
Both of these currently trailing companies seemed to have already learned that lesson and are proving their newfound insight by doing everything they can to have their respective next-gen console launch first. The stakes will be much higher this time, as Sony will more than likely not be the first console out of the gate. Microsoft will be much more established as a console maker with the Xbox 2, and you never know what Nintendo is thinking of next. In addition to more aware and prepared competitors, Sony will also be facing the dreaded “third console curse” that has plagued the industry. Sony would never admit to it, but you know someone is worrying...
Game Boy Advance: Not Exactly Doomed With all the talk around the PSP and how it’s going to give Nintendo’s time-tested handheld a run for its money, I wonder if that will actually happen. After reading that Nintendo has sold over 20 million GBAs in the U.S., will the much more expensive PSP steal the GBA’s thunder? Surely, the PSP will sell well (assuming the games are good), but I think its price will keep it from catching up to the sales numbers of the GBA for quite some time. The PSP will obviously cater to older gamers, not just because of its advanced functions but again, because of the price. If I had young children, I sure as hell wouldn’t buy them a $199-$250 (according to current estimates) multimedia device to bring to the schoolyard.
Speaking of high prices, it’s crucial that Sony retails the PSP at a cost that won’t scare off initial buyers. Yes, the system is powerful enough to go for $200, but that doesn’t mean the mainstream gamer is willing to spend that much on a portable gaming device. I’ve already spoken with many of my casual gaming friends about the PSP, and they all react with a great interest towards it until I reveal that it won’t be light on the wallet. High launch prices have ruined system sales in the past, and no matter how much developer support the PSP gets, it won’t mean anything if consumers refuse to pay such a premium.
And if consumers can swallow the hefty cash requisite, there is still the battery life to worry about. Last we’ve heard, Sony stated that the PSP will last approximately 3.5 hours on (presumably) rechargeable batteries. Putting it bluntly, that sucks ass. The Game Boy Advance lasts anywhere from 10 hours (with the light on) to a whopping 20 hours on two AA batteries. Short battery life killed the Sega Game Gear, which had incredible potential. The same thing could just as easily happen with Sony’s own.
Next Week’s Releases (02/15 to 02/21) The latest James Bond game arrives in the upcoming week, as well as the latest (and greatest?) soccer game in Konami’s venerable series. All release dates are subject to change.
Unlike his previous adventures, this time Bond will do all his secret agent duties and woman-grabbing attention in a third-person view. It’s definitely is a change longtime James Bond game fans will have to get used to, but honestly, Everything or Nothing looks to be one of the best Bond games since GoldenEye 007 way back on the Nintendo 64. The new third-person POV does allow for new gameplay styles and more effective stealth sequences:
Players will make choices ranging from direct confrontation to subtle misdirection when interacting with enemies. When it comes time for combat, Bond can engage in hand-to-hand fighting, using objects from game environments as weapons, as well as accessing a guns and gadgets. The discerning player, however, may find a multitude of different options ranging from disguise to distracting guards to using cover -- and using these Bond-style tactics to outsmart the bad guys will reward the player with special enhancements including Q-Lab gadgetry.
Konami will try to reclaim the title of best soccer game (from EA’s FIFA) in the seventh iteration of their football simulation. The following is from Brian William’s recent preview of the game:
“The Winning Eleven series has always been touted as the most realistic game on the market, and for a football fan, it’s easy to see why. To put it succinctly, FIFA changes every year not to improve on previous editions, but to be more like Winning Eleven. Everything about Winning Eleven simply feels right. The shooting takes much practice to perfect, as well as the crossing. For first time players, goal scoring is extremely difficult. The computer AI is always top-notch, making it hard to create spaces in the defense.
The best part of Winning Eleven is the reward of systematically breaking down a defense and taking advantage of a weakness. Winning Eleven 6 really allowed different playing styles; some like to play a Real Madrid-type offense with an aggressive attack, and others, like myself, love to build a wall of defense and then counter when the opposing team slips up.”
Sounds good? It gets even better. GamingWorld X is currently holding a Winning Eleven 7 Giveaway where you have the chance of winning one of three copies of the game, posters, and jerseys!
Thanks for joining me in the third edition of the Sony Spin Gate. Please drop an email in my inbox letting me know what’s on your mind when it comes to all things Sony gaming related. Next week I’ll finally be tackling the sticky issue of the alleged racism in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Yes, this time I mean it.
