Why Sony Scares Me

Posted on February 18, 2013 By Contributor Editorials, Video Games

ps4 controller

I’m writing this just days before Sony’s totally-going-to-be-a-PS4-announcement press event on Wednesday, and reader, I am terrified.

You see, for the longest time, I’ve been a Nintendo fan. I have a Wii, I have a DSi, and that’s about it. No Xbox 360, no PS3, so I’ve had the opportunity to just sat back and watch things….progress. This coming announcement scares the crap out of me. Sony’s past releases, in terms of hardware, haven’t been the strongest of inputs into the gaming collective. Does anyone still have a PSP GO? Who is using Wonderbook? Are Move controllers being used for anything other than Johann Sebastian Joust? I truly think there’s more games to play on the 3DS than there are on the Vita. It’s safe to say that Sony has been disappointing, in the last few years. The only positives I can see are the free online access and the PS+ service, the latter of which I think is worlds better than Micr- okay, I’m getting off track.

Look, what truly scares me about this forthcoming announcement of a new console is that everything released since the PS3 has received a largely ‘meh’ impression from critics and fans alike. What does this mean for a new console? If you look at the past track record they’ve had since the PS3′s launch in 2006, it really hasn’t been too positive.

What would it mean, then, if a giant gaming company, one of the major two companies in the console market(sorry Nintendo!), releases a console that isn’t favored well? A PSP GO can crash and burn, and a Vita can underwhelm, but this is a full-priced console we’re talking about here. If this hardware giant can’t surpass expectations(which they’ve been hyping for about two weeks now), I can’t see the PS4 being all too successful. It’s a very long, very early, possibly pessimistic viewpoint, but Sony better really pull out all the stops on this one.

Even then, when it’s finally revealed…I truly hope the specs aren’t outdone by a two year-old PC. I truly hope the price point is affordable and fair. I truly hope it’s received well by critics and gamers alike, because otherwise, this is going to be pretty damn ugly.

[Written by contributor Frank Falcone]

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  • http://twitter.com/shanepeltzer Shane Peltzer

    Let’s see, I hadn’t felt the pain of console disappointment before the Wii came out so my status as a Nintendo fanboy was pretty known throughout my circles, but after that it was like I had been manipulated and betrayed by a lover and I still haven’t learned how to move on yet. Sony has had such a rocky road the past few years, especially with the post-PS2 era that if this fails I feel it may spell the end of Sony. We can only wait and see but as of right now I could care less about a PS4 — hell I just got a PS3 New Year’s Eve lol.

    • http://www.facebook.com/dan.s.connor Dan Singe Connor

      I’ve always admired Nintendo’s work, but I remember reading somewhere that if they weren’t careful they could lose their entire market share. Kotaku also posted an article about them potentially becoming software only, like Sega did. Personally I think that would be their smartest move. As much as the WiiU impresses me, the issue with it is it should’ve been out 5 years ago. They are now trying to break into the biggest demographic of gaming; the 16-25 crowd. Unfortunately, that crowd like the best graphics, the biggest games, the loudest bangs, the most guns, the best stories and While Nintendo can strive to do their best to provide that, ultimately it will be down to the machines that can provide the most. If this was an actual fight to the death, the Nintendo brought a WiiU shaped knife, Microsoft have still to unveil what they’re bringing and…well, Sony look like they’re bringing a Starship.

      All of this is almost completely irrelevant to what you said, I just remembered it when read that. Apologies, haha.

      • http://twitter.com/shanepeltzer Shane Peltzer

        I think if Nintendo goes the Sega route that would be fine because I still like Nintendo games but just not their hardware. They seem to be playing a game of cat and mouse with gamers and it’s a game they are going to lose if they don’t come out with the shiniest, awesomest, gamer system out there. The Wii U is not that system nor is it the 3DS. Time will tell and like you said Microsoft still have a chance to blow both out of the water, especially if they don’t lockout their previous system’s digital content and make multiplayer free like Sony did.

        • http://www.facebook.com/dan.s.connor Dan Singe Connor

          I should really check replies on here more often. Well I guess it’ll be a much more interesting reply, since I’ve had two months to think on it. :P

          In all honesty, Nintendo becoming software only would be crazy. I’ve spoke at length about this, on and offline, and I shall say it again here. I would kill a man just to see Sony do a 3D, next-gen Pokémon reboot. I’ll film it and everything, Sony. Don’t test me…

  • Kamille

    PS3 is the strongest console right now. Most exclusive games in 2013, highest hardware and software sales, and according to a forecast from GameIndustry.biz the PS3′s about to surpass the X360′s total hardware sales in the coming months even though the Xbox launched a year earlier. So I do think Sony needs to take advantage of this momentum to launch a new console like right now.

    Kojima is teasing an announcement for tomorrow about the Phantom Pain, Hashimoto’s going to the conference too and posted a pic on his twitter of a perfume bottle with the name of Noctis on it (FFvs maybe?), Ubisoft’s teasing next-gen Assassins Creed, Media Molecule are teasing a new IP on their website, Sony has plans with Gaikai… Tomorrow’s conference is gonna be the most epic thing ever.

    The hype Sony have created through cheap online marketing alone it’s impressive to say the list. No matter to what forum you go from Gamespot to IGN, Destructoid or GameTrailers everybody’s talking about the PS4 like the second coming and this is a good thing. In fact, you as a Nintendo fan should be scared that the PS4 hype could decimate the Wii U which is doing even worse than the PS3 in its early days. =/

    • http://www.facebook.com/dan.s.connor Dan Singe Connor

      I agree with all of this, you are absolutely, positively correct.