Video, Video Games

Will Sony Ever Stop Playing Catch Up with the Playstation 3?

07.15.08 | Comments

Today Sony announced that they would be selling and renting video content over the Playstation Store, and I suppose if this was a year ago, that news would have actually been somewhat interesting. But coming off the recent Netflix/Xbox 360 announcement, wherein the 360 would become a Netflix streaming device this fall a la the Roku, any impact from Sony’s announcement has been practically nullified. The sad thing is that this isn’t a new trend for Sony with the PS3, and along with the constant delays of Home, it’s clear that this situation isn’t going to improve anytime soon.

As I’ve stated before, Sony’s main competition this generation is Microsoft. Nintendo is clearly off in their own territory with the success of the Wii, and neither Microsoft nor Sony would gain much by competing directly with the Wii’s low price, motion controls, and mainstream appeal. Instead, they need to scrap it out for dominance among the more regular and hardcore gaming crowds.

In this particular fight, it seems the Playstation 3 will always be left behind. Sony started off a year after the 360, and they also didn’t have the benefit of a strong online platform in the PS2 generation like Microsoft did with the Xbox 1. MS learned a lot from the original implementation of Live, and in doing so they were able to craft a much more polished product for the 360. We may take it for granted now, but I’ll always consider the 360 Live’s focus on online multiplayer to be a major turning point for console gaming.

The notion of just being a few clicks away from gaming with your friends, aided by Microsoft’s uncharacteristically wise implementation of an easy-to-use global dashboard, is something that should now be considered standard for all future gaming consoles. That Sony has yet to mimic the experience is inexcusable. And no, I don’t care how “revolutionary” Playstation Home may be. The multiplayer experience should have been sorted out first–not tied to an unproven Second Life clone.

Microsoft (and arguably Nintendo) have also succeeded at building up strong game libraries this generation, something which the PS3 is still currently struggling with. While they’ve had their share of very good titles, the only real system seller that the PS3 has had so far is Metal Gear Solid 4. Final Fantasy XIII was another important exclusive (and potential system seller as well), but of course Microsoft put an end to that on Monday when they announced that FFXIII is coming to the 360 this Fall in North America and Europe.

At this rate, I suspect Sony will announce a similar Netflix deal as MS next year, but of course by that point many people would have already invested in 360’s and Roku boxes instead. And while it’s cool that your PSP can also play downloaded PS3 videos, that’s really only going to benefit the folks who actually have PSPs. It’s also yet another move by Sony that takes the PSP away from its core gaming functionality, and brings back dirty memories of their failed UMD platform.

Thus far the only great success from the PS3 continues to be its Blu-ray functionality, but of course that comes at the expense of all other similarly priced Blu-ray devices. The 80GB PS3 price drop to $400 is clearly a sign of desperation by Sony, given that most console price drops occur at about $50 every year. The loss of backwards compatibility from that 80GB model is also not a good sign, but considering their consistent efforts to diminish the importance of BC, I suppose it was inevitable.

I believe all of Sony’s current issues with the PS3 stem from their confused direction for the product. Is it an entertainment center, or a game console? I suppose the same can also be said for the PSP, but given how long that device has taken to really find its stride, this similarity is not exactly heartening. Despite all of the 360’s many features, it never felt as if MS ever strayed too far away from the goal of making it a console first, and an entertainment device second.

That’s a lesson Sony would do well to learn.

Update: Tycho from Penny Arcade offers up a great analysis on all of the disappointing E3 conferences. On Sony:

There is nothing I hate more than a foregone conclusion. Beneath every vicious (that is to say, factual) statement I have ever made regarding the company, there has existed the indubitable truth of their ultimate victory. This certainty extends, yea, even unto the company itself, which is why they have done so little to earn your love. The rumble-free controller with built-in batteries, the one that turns off while you’re updating your console every other week, that one that inexplicably loses signal from time to time but everyone is too chivalrous to discuss it, the one that is now obsolete because two years ago they tried to save money on something they knew they would have to pay anyway - this “six axis” is the icon of a system coasting on global brand inertia.

Announcing features that your competitors have had for coming up on two years does not a riveting presentation make. Exclusive PSN content (like a movie length Ratchet and Clank game, or thatgamecompany’s Flower) is still the company’s most compelling asset.


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Viewing 5 Comments

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    Well, Sony's service is free.

    A year's worth of netflix and XBL would run you hundreds of dollars. I suppose if you used it a ton it would pay off, but its unlikely. Also consider that Netflix's watch it now isn't in HD, its actually lower quality than a standard DVD. Sony is on the right track offering HD content.

    It may not be a perfect solution, but I don't think MS had quite pegged it yet either.

    I also don't get why he says Sony has yet to "imitate" the 360's universal dashboard. Update 2.40/2.41 gave us ingame XMB with music etc. Sony now has trophies, and pretty much everything XBL offers, only its free! I'd say Sony is actually ahead in this area (even though they did have to "catch up" to pull ahead)

    I'm pretty sure whoever wrote this doesn't own a PS3, as they don't really seem to know what they are talking about.
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    Both MS and Sony have HD content for purchase and rental, so there's not a big difference there. The Netflix streaming quality is comparable to a low-quality DVD, and of course that will only be improved upon over time.

    You're right to mention XMB update 2.4/2.41, but it's still not a perfect solution when it comes to a global friends list. It's a developer option to implement the friends system and custom soundtrack, whereas that's all standard on the 360 end.

    (And yes, it's still an example of them playing catch up :P)

    While Sony's service is free, it's still nowhere near the level of what the 360 offers. Personally, I'd rather pay $50 a year for Sony's service if it offered the same sort of multiplayer options.

    And I do plan to get a PS3 soon, mainly because it seems that's the only way I'll get one with actual backwards compatibility ;)
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    "You’re right to mention XMB update 2.4/2.41, but it’s still not a perfect solution when it comes to a global friends list. It’s a developer option to implement the friends system and custom soundtrack, whereas that’s all standard on the 360 end."

    Um, I can play my music in the background of any game I choose, its not up to the developer. All I have to do is turn down the BG music in the game, bring up the XMB and play something. No biggie.

    I have both a PS3 and a 360 (and a Wii), and honestly, I feel depressed when I have to pay that yearly fee for XBL knowing full well Sony is providing it to me for free. This is a major factor in which console I pick up any given title for (non exclusives obviously).

    That being said, even if Sony is behind (I don't see it that way), they are quickly dropping new features on us, and not charging for it along the way.

    I still feel Sony is ahead of the curve in many areas, and the store is one of them. You can't purchase/rent anything on XBL from your PC, with the PS Store you can.

    O well, its been a fun discussion. Ta!
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    I also own a 360 and a PS3, and I gotta say, I think the article is right on the money. The comments by Chaos were pretty thinly disguised fanboisms ("well, I don't see it that way" is usually a dead giveaway).

    I mostly use my PS3 for Blu-Ray. XBox Live is easily worth $7/mo for a superior service that does a great job keeping me connected to all of my friends. The fact of the matter is that XBox Live is the reason that multiplayer support on 360 games is the de facto standard, not an optional feature these days.

    Anyone who's trying to make the argument that Sony is ahead in online support because they can "purchase/rent things from the PS Store on their PC" is off their rocker. That's a useless fluff feature and you know it.
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    I also own a 360 and a PS3, and I gotta say, I think the article is right on the money. The comments by Chaos were pretty thinly disguised fanboisms
 

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