PlayStation 3: In Summary

There are two camps voicing opinions on PS3, and for the sake of diplomacy we have to let you choose between them. On one side of the fence, people have allowed themselves to be been blown away by powerful demonstrations of next-generation games, and trust Sony to deliver on broadband content in a big way. On the other side are the guys who suspect it’s all a big lie, and the best we can look forward to is slightly better-looking Gran Turismo with a few more cars and circuits. And all that Cell baloney is just hot air. Again.

Both parties agree, however, that Sony will continue to boast the biggest names in games with either full exclusivity or sizable lead times over their appearance on rival machines. We think it’s very significant for Sony to be the sole provider of Metal Gear Solid 4, ‘Vision’ Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy XII. As a format, we think that Blu-ray has a clear advantage over DVD – especially since it might help prevent piracy too. And, all things considered, PS3 is far more capable as a high-definition media centre than Xbox 360 is set up to be.

Nobody realistically expects Microsoft to out perform Sony in this next generation. But its slice of the pie will depend on how slick Sony’s online operation becomes in 2006 – not just for consumers knowledgeable about videogames, but for entertainment junkies in general. Remember, Sony isn’t just about PlayStation, it’s about Sony Pictures (The Da Vinci Code), Sony Music (The Offspring), and hit TV shows that include Dawson’s Creek and Seinfeld. If Sony gets online sewed up, it could be sayonara Xbox 360 for all but the most ardent Halo fans.

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