5 or so odd years later , has your opinion changed on ps3?

[G-Boobie]

How the heck did the 360 manage to get so many Japanese-developed games?

It's much easier to develop for than the PS3. No Cell!

I'm one of those guys who got badly burned by the Xbox 360 red ring fiasco early in the life of this console generation, so my perspective is tainted. I play (most) multi-platform games on the PS3 purely from habit. The exceptions are the rare FPS I play and Elder Scrolls titles.

The PS3 is fine I guess, but there's little to distinguish it from the 360 at all other than Blu-Ray playback. I mean, it's fine. You know?

[98PaceCar]

How the heck did the 360 manage to get so many Japanese-developed games?

The rumor in the SHMUP world is that Sony does not allow letterboxing of any kind. That seems a bit suspect, but pretty much all of the devs went to the 360 with just a couple of PS3 releases.

[The 1 2 P]

The fact that its now practically neck and neck with the 360 despite all of its missteps early on in this console generation speaks to that.

Actually that speaks more of the koolaid that the Japanese drink when it comes to Sony. The 360 being made in the US automatically means they won't buy it.

The rumor in the SHMUP world is that Sony does not allow letterboxing of any kind. That seems a bit suspect, but pretty much all of the devs went to the 360 with just a couple of PS3 releases.

I was told that as early as last gen Sony didn't really want that many 2D games on their systen, specifically shooters. This is why the 360 (and original Xbox before it) got more of those games, Microsoft welcomed them with open arms. Of course I have never had this officially confirmed but assuming it's true I've always wondered why Sony wouldn't change this stance when the 2D shmup genre is still very popular in Japan. And as already stated, they won't even touch the plentiful amount of shmup games on the 360 because they're missing that "made in Japan" sticker they crave.

As for my opinion on the PS3, it's come a long way from being an overpriced paperweight with a pretty weak launch line up, horrible marketing and some of the worst PR sound bites ever. Today they have a fair amount of first party exclusives, the system is much more reasonably priced and Kevin Butler deserves an award for helping turn the companies image around. He's much more amusing than a creepy laughing baby in a white room.

Having said all of that, I still seldom find myself turning the system on. Despite having three fully working PS3's, the last time I turned it on was to get free Home swag during the relaunch. The exclusives are nice but they just haven't resonated with me. I tried MAG and stopped playing after two days because it was just so generic. Then I found Resistance and was really getting into it until the flood of holiday games hit.

So today I don't see the PS3 as a bad system at all but despite the bluray player, exclusives like Uncharted and free online multiplayer, it doesn't do nearly enough to pull me away from my 360. My opinion from when it launched has definitely changed but not enough to make it the most played current gen system in my house.

[Game Hoarder]

Say good bye to the good ol' days. Consoles from here on out are going to be simplified PCs with fragile hardware. Gone are the days of simple, built like a tank consoles. Fortunately none of my current gen stuff has broken (though many of my friends have had problems). However, I did go through 5 different PS1s due to hardware problems... I hear you on the overly frequent, lengthy updates.

.

My first 360 damaged the discs from heat and my ps3 60gb got ylod from overheating. I decided to fix the ps3 myself, because the warranty expired. After I disassembled it and replaced the thermal compound, I had it working again. I played it for about a month and then a firmware update bricked it.

It's depressing to think about the future of consoles. So far I'm not interested in buying a wii-u, 3ds, or even vita. There's a good chance that I'll just skip 8th gen altogether and just collect for the consoles I already have.

[98PaceCar]

I was told that as early as last gen Sony didn't really want that many 2D games on their systen, specifically shooters. This is why the 360 (and original Xbox before it) got more of those games, Microsoft welcomed them with open arms. Of course I have never had this officially confirmed but assuming it's true I've always wondered why Sony wouldn't change this stance when the 2D shmup genre is still very popular in Japan. And as already stated, they won't even touch the plentiful amount of shmup games on the 360 because they're missing that "made in Japan" sticker they crave.

I've heard that as well, now that I think about it. Perhaps both are part of the same desire for HD games to make the system look impressive. <shrug>

I think the bulk of SHMUPS on the 360 are made by Japanese devs, in particular, Cave. I don't follow any of the ones on XBLA though, just disk releases, so that may be where I'm unfamiliar with the titles in the library. Even the ones released in the US on disk are just ports of JPN titles.

[LiquidPolicenaut]

I like both systems and my opinion of the PS3 has not changed since launch. I still enjoy it as much as I did back then and find myself using it more than the 360 as of now. I use it mostly to play dvds, blu-rays, store/watch videos and music on it and some PS3 exclusives on it (MGS4, GoW 3, Collection and Origins, Yakuza 3, 4 and Dead Souls). While I like the 360 as well, I realize I'm not that crazy about this generation of games. While I have found many I DO love (besides the ones I listed), I'm just not loving it as previous generations. I actually find myself playing or replaying many more classic games now...

[substantial_snake]

Actually that speaks more of the koolaid that the Japanese drink when it comes to Sony. The 360 being made in the US automatically means they won't buy it.

I won't deny that the Japanese public seems to be unreasonably disinterested in the 360, however that doesn't change the fact that the PS3 is now close to the 360's total sales numbers despite all of the stupid moves made in the first few years of this console generation.

The US market is the only major market that the PS3 is lagging behind in. Its not just the Japanese being Japanese.

I've heard that as well, now that I think about it. Perhaps both are part of the same desire for HD games to make the system look impressive. <shrug>

I think the bulk of SHMUPS on the 360 are made by Japanese devs, in particular, Cave. I don't follow any of the ones on XBLA though, just disk releases, so that may be where I'm unfamiliar with the titles in the library. Even the ones released in the US on disk are just ports of JPN titles.

Its not an unreasonable assumption, I've heard that both Sony and Nintendo discouraged 2D games on both the PS1 and N64 initially.

[The 1 2 P]

I think the bulk of SHMUPS on the 360 are made by Japanese devs, in particular, Cave.

You misunderstood me. I'm saying that Japanese gamers won't buy them because they are on the 360, an American made console. I know that the majority of them are made by Japanese developers but in order for the Japanese to buy them they would have to be on a Japanese made system(PS3 or Wii), hence the "made in Japan" sticker reference.

[The 1 2 P]

I won't deny that the Japanese public seems to be unreasonably disinterested in the 360, however that doesn't change the fact that the PS3 is now close to the 360's total sales numbers despite all of the stupid moves made in the first few years of this console generation.

Nobody said it changed the fact, I was just putting it into perspective. If one system only sells well in two regions and one sells well in three regions, eventually the one selling well in three regions will catch up to the one that only sells well in two regions, regardless of any head start. And for the record, both console makers had their share of stupid moves.

[Oobgarm]

Mine has been and likely always will be a movie player first and a gaming console second.

I have over 100 Xbox 360 games and just 12 PS3 games, all exclusives except Dark Souls.

I think my perception of the machine is still the same as it was 5 years ago. I don't like waiting for updates, so my machine is normally offline.

[Aussie2B]

Actually that speaks more of the koolaid that the Japanese drink when it comes to Sony. The 360 being made in the US automatically means they won't buy it.

And as already stated, they won't even touch the plentiful amount of shmup games on the 360 because they're missing that "made in Japan" sticker they crave.

Uh, you do realize that there are countless products from the US and elsewhere in the world that the Japanese adore, right? And if you want to open up that can of worms, suggesting that Japanese gamers are isolationist or close-minded or whatever, then you have to acknowledge the large percentage of the American gaming populace that would never consider playing that "gay ass Jap shit" (sorry for using such vulgar language, but that's honestly how they would put it).

The real problem with the Xbox line in Japan is that Microsoft isn't remotely in tune with the wants and needs of Japanese gamers. They've gotten a lot better in that regard, but when they started out, it was just laughably bad. They basically had an approach of "Well, if this works in the US, it must work in Japan too." So with the original Xbox, they release a monster of a system in a country that's tight on living space, with that Duke controller that they can barely wrap their smaller hands around, with a library of games that's loaded with FPS titles, in a country where a large percentage of gamers report having motion sickness from FPS games, and other completely American-centric games and almost no games representing the favorite genre in Japan, RPGs (and not of the Western variety unless it's something like Wizardry). So even though Microsoft has learned a lot about what appeals to the Japanese, they basically left a legacy of awfulness in the eyes of the Japanese with their first video game system, and I'm sure that has hurt the 360 a lot over there.

[The 1 2 P]

I agree that the original Xbox didn't appeal to the taste of Japanese gamers at all. But after this gen I don't think theres anything they could have done to win Japan over. And I don't mean be a huge success, just sell on a level that would be simiiar to the other systems selling there. But I don't want to derail the thread. I was just pointing out that Sony's three region advantage will always mean they will sell more units world wide.

[JSoup]

Uh, you do realize that there are countless products from the US and elsewhere in the world that the Japanese adore, right?

You realize that games aren't one of those countless products, right?

[The 1 2 P]

I'm sure she knows. She was just pointing that out because I made it appear that the Japanese won't buy any American made products, which is absolutely not true. I hear apple(among others) does quite well over there.

[kupomogli]

Nobody said it changed the fact, I was just putting it into perspective. If one system only sells well in two regions and one sells well in three regions, eventually the one selling well in three regions will catch up to the one that only sells well in two regions, regardless of any head start. And for the record, both console makers had their share of stupid moves.

The same could be said about the 360 and the US. In the US the 360 has 36 million and PS3 has 22 million. In Japan the 360 has 6 million and PS3 has 13 million. Three times the amount of PS3s in Japan would almost equal the amount of 360s in the US so if you were to multiple both by three it'd be 39 million and 18 million. Or if you divide the US numbers by three you'd have 12 million and 7.3 million.

When you either multiply or divide the sales figures to be similar, the end results really aren't all that different. It shows that the US favors the 360 almost as much as Japan favors the PS3.

Europe is the only region which sales are almost equal, the PS3 only ahead by a few million.

[The 1 2 P]

The same could be said about the 360 and the US. In the US the 360 has 36 million and PS3 has 22 million. In Japan the 360 has 6 million and PS3 has 13 million. Three times the amount of PS3s in Japan would almost equal the amount of 360s in the US so if you were to multiple both by three it'd be 39 million and 18 million.

When you multiply the sales figures to be similar, the end results really aren't all that different. It shows that the US favors the 360 almost as much as Japan favors the PS3.

Europe is the only region which sales are almost equal, the PS3 only ahead by a few million.

Kupo where did you get your numbers? The 360 hasn't even sold 2 million units in Japan despite being in the market for over 5 years. I think they have barely sold 1 million units there.

[kupomogli]

Kupo where did you get your numbers? The 360 hasn't even sold 2 million units in Japan despite being in the market for over 5 years. I think they have barely sold 1 million units there.

While VGChartz isn't entirely accurate and wait for the NPD to post the newest numbers, I go there because it's correct up to a point and gives a good general idea.

The consoles can only be broken down by US/Europe/Asia-Pacific. While Asia is a pretty big continent, you have to assume most of the people purchasing and playing games in that continent are the Chinese and the Japanese and they're practically the same race. Kidding about that last sentence, but I don't think the console is released outside of those two areas in that region. Maybe Korea.

[Aussie2B]

There are Western games that are successful in Japan. The aforementioned Wizardry is a good example, which was probably even more popular in Japan than elsewhere. Check out the info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizardry

[shopkins]

When they first came out I figured they were overpriced and my Xbox360 was all I would need, but I got a good deal on one a couple of years ago and now I love mine. I play games on it all the time, as well as Blu-Rays, DVDs, Netflix, PSX games and PSN games. The 360 is clearly superior for certain titles, but for the ones where it doesn't matter so much I just get them on PS3. I've enjoyed the Uncharted series, God of War III and some other PS3 exclusives. And for some reason I like the way the PSN store is set up better than the Xbox Live, I even subscribed to PSN Plus for early access to a beta and then just kept it.

[swlovinist]

Five years into the systems cycle, I can say that I have mixed feelings about the PS3. I think that the company has done a good job recovering from a terrible start, a horrible starting price, and corporate blunders in both advertising and direction of the console. As much as the PS3 BC issue totally pissed people off, I think that seeing the PS2 HD collections come out as a nice way for them to recover. Here are my thoughts

Pros:
Blu Ray Player
All in one media streaming device
Console Exclusives are OK...they have gotten better
Free Online Play
PSP ad hoc is awesome


Cons:
Price is still $250...not really making me want to jump out and buy one.
Many of my friends still dont have one...making multiplayer with them a no go
Move is stupid

Again, I think that the system is decent, and probably has a good couple of years left before it starts to be phased out. I currently have a 20GB and really would like to get another updated model with wireless. I think that when new systems hit the $199 mark I think I will spring for another one. I currently have been playing my 360 and Wii more, but still think that the PS3 is a sold choice for gaming...even with its flaws.

[frogofdeath]

Five years later and I still don't have a PS3. Of course, I didn't have a 360 until getting one as a gift a year and a half ago, so I'll just wait for the same thing to happen for the PS3. I could be waiting for a while...

[RPG_Fanatic]

My PS3 is only a Blu-ray movie player as for my Xbox 360 is played everyday.

[duffmanth]

My opinion on the PS3 hasn't really changed from 5 years ago. I knew that it would eventually have a solid lineup of games, and probably the best exclusives on the market. I still think launching the console at $599 was a colossal fuck up on Sony's part, and I still think that's the biggest reason why it remains in 3rd place to this day even though it's down to affordable prices now. The BC was never an issue with me, if I wanna play PS2 games, I'll play them on my PS2. The PS3 has come a long way from it's disasterous launch though.

I've never been disappointed with the PS3 as far as the machine itself and the games. I've had mine for 4 years with no problems, it does everything you could possibly want a modern gaming console to do, and it has the best exclusives around. The way Sony went about launching it with its high price tag, the arrogant attitude they had at the time, and the way they marketed it as a computer and/or entertainment center instead of a gaming console first and foremost were all factors that caused it to get off to a sluggish start.

[RCM]

My opinion hasn't changed much. It's the very best PS2 on the market (at least mine is), and Sony has done a great job supporting Blu Ray on the system.

I like PS3, but it's not my main system. When people ask which system they should get I still recommend 360, unless you just have to one of Sony's exclusives. They get my vote for "most improved system" of this generation, but it still has more to do to measure up to the experience 360 provides.

[thegamezmaster]

When they first came out I said no way, too rich for my blood! Then when they came down in price and were more affordable, I happened to be in Walmart and they had Batman Arkham Asylum you could play, and from that moment on I was hooked! Love both Batman games, all three Uncharted games, and the Infamous games. Glad to see Rayman Origins, just not sure which platform game is best.