I didn’t know 5-year-olds were allowed on this blog.

@ reakt:

With so many delays and false starts to Home, I thought it was still in beta - that’s what I meant by “not out yet”, actually - but it seems they slipped it out through the back door eventually tail end of last year (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/playstation-home-now-open-to-all), so I stand corrected on that.

And if you think 4 months is “ages ago”, then hahah back in your face!

@ Apnomis:

I see you’re still kissing a***, right up to the last blog. See you on the official one, when it eventually gets going.

Over & Out.

Well said sir.

However, i wouldn’t waste my breath if i were you. Until the source of the anti-PS3 brainwashing mind ray that affects so many is discovered, you might as well trying to get blood from a stone…

But still, well said.

This argument about lack of games really bugs me too, it may have been somewhat true at launch but nowadays it’s a complete fallacy - the fact is nearly every major game release is available on the PS3 and in addition they have without doubt the best first party game development support of any of the current generation of consoles - and in this new gaming world where economics means 3rd party games are a thing of the past (let’s not forget even the mighty EA Sports franchises were PlayStation exclusives at one point) that is a crucial differentiator, and it baffles me that people can’t see it. Each new PS3 sold will continue to add $$ to the figure on the cheques MS use to pay for their big games - and what happens when that number becomes too large, or they realise it simply doesn’t work ($50M for the GTA DLC has got to be the biggest waste of money ever when you look at how much, or rather how little, it helped them gain market share).

Also let’s not forget Sony are not primarily a software company, and personally I think Sony have done an amazing job with the XMB and PSN. It may lack a few finishing touches (some of which may be a result of MS patents), but what they’ve built up over the last couple of years is truely amazing. I personally prefer Sony’s open ended approach rather than MS’s restrictive ‘walled garden’ approach. So all the menus don’t look the same game to game - big deal - what it allows the developers to do is innovate - be it huge expansion packs for UT3, 256-player MMO FPS games, or 32 player online FPS games with full website integration and replay features - the ability to give the devs more freedom breeds innovation which ultimately provides a better service to the consumer. Yes on MS you pay a fixed fee and get a fixed service - but what have they done that is truely innovative in that space in the last 3 years - there are drawbacks to having a uniform service.

As for the PSN, it is true that the EU normally get the shaft compared to other regions, but that will change eventually (and it took MS a long time to bring all their features to the EU market as well, with some like NetFlix still not available outside the US). I personally discount Shovelware when comparing stores, the PSN may have less content overall but for my money it has more gems - like Flower or PixelJunk Monsters or Everyday Shooter etc. This is only likely to continue with the very attractive offer Sony is giving to new indie devs in return for PSN exclusivity.

Two things will happen with the PS3 - either people will break out of their internet media fuelled hypnotic trance that says MS can’t put a foot wrong and the PS3 has no games and is too expensive (don’t even get me started on that one!). Or it will finished 3rd and people will look back fondly on what in hindsight was a better console that was treated harshly by fanboys because of some unwritten rule that the same manufacturer can’t have 3 successful consoles on the run. I honestly believe that history will treat the PS3 far more kindly than it will treat the Xbox 360 and it’s shoddy (rushed to gain market share) hardware. Whenever I look at MS and their various press releases and blogs I can’t help but think all their claimed success this generation is just smoke and mirrors…

I will end this rant (likely my final ever rant on ThreeSpeech, *sniff*) with a list of 2009/10 exclusive games confirmed for the PS3 (courtesy of VGChartz):

2009 Exclusive Blu-Ray Titles
Atelier Rorona - June 25 2009 JP, TBA 2009 NA/EU
Demon’s Souls - February 5th 2009 JP, TBA 2009 NA/EU
EyePet: Your Virtual Pet - TBA 2009 NA/EU/JP
God of War III - Q4 2009 NA/EU/JP
Gran Turismo 5 - Q4 2009 NA/EU/JP
Heavy Rain - TBA 2009 US/EU/JP
inFamous - June 2009 NA/EU, TBA 2009 JP
Katamari Damacy Tribute -TBA 2009 JP/NA/EU
Killzone 2 - February 27 2009 US, February 25 (27 UK/Aussi) 2009 EU, April 23 2009 JP
MAG - Q4 2009 NA/EU, TBA 2009 JP
Quantum Theory - TBA 2009 (2010?) NA/EU/JP
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time - Q4 2009 NA/EU/JP
Uncharted 2: Among Theives - Q4 2009 NA/EU/JP
Under Siege - TBA 2009 NA/EU/JP
WarDevil: Unleash the Beast Within - TBA 2009 NA/EU/JP
White Knight Chronicles (aka White Knight Story) - Q3/4 2009 NA/EU, December 25 2008 JP
X-Edge - March 2009 NA, TBA 2009 EU, September 25 2008 JP
Yakuza 3 - February 26 2009 JP, TBA 2009 NA/EU
Yakuza: Kenzan! - TBA 2009 US/EU, March 6 2008 JP

2009 Exclusive PSN Tites
Fat Princess - Spring 2009 NA/EU/JP
Flower - Ferbuary 2009 NA/EU/JP
Noby Noby Boy - February 19th 2009 EU, TBA 2009 NA/JP
The Punisher: No Mercy - Q2 2009 NA/EU/JP
Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic - TBA 2009 NA/EU/JP
Savage Moon - January 15 2009 NA, December 23 2008 EU, TBA 2009 JP

2009 Semi-Exclusives (i.e. also out on another platform like PS2 or PC, bit like all 360 exclusives really!)

Free Realms - TBA 2009
MLB ’09: The Show - March 3 2009 NA
NBA ‘10 - Q4 2009 NA
Trine - TBA 2009

2010 Exclusive Blu-Ray Titles
Final Fantasy Versus XIII - TBA 2010
L.A. Noire (vaporware?) - TBA 2010
Twisted Metal - TBA 2010

2010 Semi-Exclusives
The Agency - TBA 2010
DC Universe Online - TBA 2010
Resistance 3

So M0nk3y_R1mm3r ‘lacklustre number of games’, are you sure about that? I’d say PS3 owners are spoiled for choice really, and these are just the ones that have been confirmed so far!

Oh and finally, can anyone say ‘3rd year price cut’, fanboys who run internet blogs seem to have very short memories - but the 360 was on very shakey ground last year until they drasically reduced the price of their console and paid multi-millions on a blanket TV advertising campaign to rescue it’s flagging sales. Let’s not forget that the PS3 is yet to reach that point yet (remember the headstart for the 360 folks) so when they do reach that point what makes you think it wouldn’t have the game effect for Sony? Take a look at the Hardware From Launch graphs over at VGChartz and compare the PS3 with the PS2 and the 360, they make for interesting viewing…

We all know how Nintendo have faired this generation, and fair play to them.

Dare I say it, but Microsoft even seem to have hit the nail on the head, albeit with a questionable quality console that does seem to be becoming more stable.

Sony on the other hand don’t seem to be bothered. As someone earlier stated, there’s a lacklustre number of games, Home just doesn’t seem to know what it is or what direction it’s going. The PSN store has been a veritable wasteland for some time! They seem to have created a behemoth of a machine technically, but lack the balls to do anything with it! Sony don’t seem to have covered the basics such as online communication, a standard lobby system throughout all games (a la Xbox Live lobby systems).

It’s a shame, I’ve loved playing on sony consoles since the PSX, but now, my shiny upgraded PS3 just sits there gathering dust in comparison to my other consoles. Even my DS gets more of a look in lately!

I don’t want promises of games that are coming, I’ve had my PS3 for well over a year and half, but to look at my games collection, you wouldn’t think so!

Get it sorted Sony, start delivering or face the inevitable!

I hope they can redeem themselves with a seamless transition from Three Speech to Official Blog, alas, I think we all know how this is going to go down……

admire your perseverance..

get a day job though!

good riddance!

to you