Everyday Gamer

Now over the years, especially since I’ve become a “industry insider,” I have taken a lot of slack from Sony fanboys and fangirls who accused me of being “pro-Xbox.” Consequently these are the same types of people who labeled me a Nintendo fanboy circa 1996 when I said that Super Mario 64 was the single most influential game of the 1990’s. I of course rolled with the punches and laughed the whole time because the truth is that I’m just a gamer. I have owned two Playstations 1’s, one Playstation 2 (technically two but one broke,) a PSP, not to mention various Nintendo, Microsoft, Sega, NEC, and Atari systems. I will probably buy a 60 or 80 GB PS3 pretty soon as well. I love great games that appeal to me, but that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate every game that a developer puts their hardwork into that becomes a critical success. For example most who know me know I really don’t play RPG games unless they are the action RPG variety, namely Zelda. The fact of the matter is that I like what I like and some games that others find astounding may not be as interesting to me. World of Warcraft is one example that I can think of from the top of my head. I can still appreciate the depth and hard work of the developers though.

So back to the point, I have been skeptical of the Playstation 3 since Mr. Kutaragi first started talking about it. We all remember that Blu-Ray is akin to the second coming, 4D graphics, Playstation 3 isn’t a gaming system… it’s a computer, and of course how people will want to work harder to buy a PS3. Well that may make me sound a bit cynical and it’s not that I didn’t think the PS3 was a capable piece of hardware but I knew how much Sony needed it to be a success for them. Again there was the fact that they forced Blu-Ray upon us despite consumer alerts that they preferred a unified standard for next generation discs. It’s no secret that Sony has been feeling pressure from emerging companies such as Samsung, Toshiba, and valued priced electronics from the like of Vizio. The quality gap has been closing for a while in that aspect of things and the Sony brand isn’t what it was in the 1980’s (when you HAD to have a Walkman or it was junk!!!) That’s not to say that Sony doesn’t make quality products but rather quality control has increased for the lower end market.

So recently I’ve been toying with the idea of which version of the PS3 I will be buying now that it looks like Blu-Ray may very well end up being the standard for next generation movie discs and the fact that they finally have some exclusives, outside of Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man, worth playing. Heavenly Sword is a must have for every PS3 library. It’s a very short game but it’s very engaging nonetheless. After that I would say Warhawk is a must have because it conjures up memories of when I still believe Sony to have been at it’s best, the Playstation 1 days. It’s obviously a follow up to the original game Warhawk but it’s different in that it’s focused on multiplayer action for 32. It has somewhat of a Battlefield style, mostly due to being able to swap vehicles, but it still feels fresh. Lastly I would recommend Folklore. I know some Xbox fanboys will say that it’s the Sony version of Fable but that’s mostly because of the action RPG style gameplay.

So there you have it Sony Fanboys, I’m showing you all some love. Honestly I hate all things “Fanboy” but this is the PR me coming to an understanding that I don’t hate Sony. It’s not that I ever hated Sony, I just hated some of their misleading marketing practices and being a audiophile and videophile I tend to think people are “bat shit crazy” when they say to me they have Full HD with their PS3. The ATSC has established 18 formats for HD but most people all agree that 720p and 1080i are the HD Broadcast standard. Most PS3 games are optimized for 720p anyway so their marketing and points are mostly moot on that matter. PC’s have been running in “HD” resolutions and higher for about the past 10 years now as well. Now if I could just get Sony to put in some last generation technology like Force Feedback on the Six Axis Controller we might get somewhere.