Popular Post Gotakibono Posted May 9, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted May 9, 2013 (edited) Playstation 3: A Retrospective Well, here we are - the year that the Playstation 4 will make its debut; the very same year that gamers the world over will finally get to experience the hallowed ground of the new generation. But, it is also the year that the PS3 will begin its polite, subtle and inevitable retreat into the realm of history books, attics, pawn shops and nostalgic places underneath television sets. All good things must end, but how will Sony's seventh generation console be remembered by gamers and beyond? What was its defining moment? What was its biggest missed opportunities and disappointments? What was its most delightful surprises and shocks? And is the arrival of the PS4 truly its coup de grâce? My goal with this article is to thoroughly dissect the PS3's time in the spotlight; from its games to its controversies, and from its various remodels to its lasting legacy. Every few weeks I plan on adding new sections of focus, and hopefully within time for the PS4's release this coming winter this article will be well on its way towards being a fitting epitaph to a console all of us here have spent our fair share of time on. Now, time to look back as we move forward... Sony's Playstation 3 - not to ever be confused with Spiderman 3. Ever. Next Article coming soon: Miss - YLOD and the Death of Backwards Compatibility: Miss - Remote Play: Before I briefly explain to you, the reader, why remote play was most definitely a miss, let's read Sony's official definition on what 'Remote Play' is: Remote Play allows a PSP system to connect wirelessly to a PS3 system and transfers some functionality of the PS3 to the PSP system. With remote play, a PSP system may access files that are located on the PS3, as well as, play certain software titles... Okay, let me get this straight: I can stream content (whatever little PS3 content that is actually compatible with remote play) to my PSP from my PS3, but only if my PS3 is on and I'm within a certain distance of said PS3. I have to ask - what is the fucking point? Honestly, if your PS3 is on and you're within five metres of it, why wouldn't you just use the PS3? This is the equivalent of being around the corner from the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, but just looking up a picture of it on your phone instead of seeing the real thing a few metres away. Remote Play was (and remains to this day) inherently pointless and gimmicky in my eyes, and Sony did little to no nothing to convince me otherwise; very few games actually supported the feature, and the few games that did weren't exactly barn-storming IPs. It was a feature that even Sony didn't seem to give two shits about, therefore I felt no need to give the feature any of my shits either. Gotakibono, April 20th, 2014 Hit - Playstation 3's Exclusives: In my lifetime I have seen a lot of shit: the birth of the internet; WWF's Attitude Era; technological advances and medicinal breakthroughs; and Nicolas Cage winning an Oscar. But, all those brilliant - and not so brilliant - things aside: I have been lucky enough to be privy to the evolution of the games console before my very eyes. As my great-grandmother once said, whilst debating the benefit of a bar of soap up the arse, "It's one thing reading about history, but it's another thing entirely to live it, son." Consoles have gone from being a one-dimensional system that required the odd bit of blowing to function properly, to an out-an-out technological behemoth capable of providing all aspects of home entertainment - and then some. Never did I think, back in the days of playing Harvest Moon: Back to Nature on my PS1, that my console would evolve into something capable of storing music, HD films, a multitude of games, have an internet browser and be host to a game such as Grand Theft Auto V. And yes, I am desperately looking forward to Grand Theft V - what gave it away? The introduction of analog sticks really did make you trip balls. But, pushing all of that technological advancement aside for a while: why have I bought every incarnation of the Playstation? The Playstation 2 didn't make a huge leap from the original Playstation in terms of being an all-round beast of an entertainment system; it did feature a rather nifty DVD player, but apart from that the main difference to be found was in graphical processing juice. The Playstation 3 was, in many ways, inferior to the Xbox 360 in terms of being a home entertainment system. But for me there is one reason I buy a console, and it's the reason that will always dictate my heart and mind whenever I'm purchasing a console. The reason I'm talking about is the form of entertainment that will always take precedent over any other addition tacked on. And that enduring reason is this - the games. The games that are available on a system are the harbingers of that console's legacy, and stellar titles subsequently become synonymous with that generation of consoles: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the N64; Pokemon Red and Blue on the Gameboy Colour; Metal Gear Solid on the PS1; Grand Theft Auto on the PS2, etc. I could literally list and list games that are always associated with particular consoles, and carry a certain sting of nostalgia for gamers the world over, but that's a story for another day. I buy consoles to play games, and I bought the Playstation 3 with its games wholly in mind. Don't get me wrong - Netflix support, Blu-Ray playback and countless other features are more than welcome, but for me such additions should never deter away from a games console's primary mission: to provide good games for me to enjoy. Now with all that in mind, let's talk about the PS3's most important legacy. The younger generations will never understand... The fundamental question here is the following: Did the PS3 provide enough console-defining exclusives to warrant your money? After casting a poignant, nostalgic eye across my back catalogue of PS3 games I can say that (with confidence) Sony really brought their A-game to the table this generation. Despite Microsoft's early hits (Mass Effect, Fable, Gears of War) Sony recovered and ran the marathon by slowly but surely releasing stellar game after stellar game. It's not even the sheer number of great exclusives that has me a little upset of this generation's inevitable descent into the past, but the sheer diversity Sony provided with its first-party games: Demon's Souls, Journey, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, The Last of Us, The Unfinished Swan, Flower, Rain, inFamous. That's not a line-up to balk at, and that's not even half of the truly noteworthy, exclusive games Sony has supplied us with on the PS3. In comparison with the PS1 and PS2, I firmly believe the PS3 could lay claim to having the best back catalogue of exclusive games than either of Sony's previous efforts. Yes, that is a divisive, strong statement, but I am not throwing it out there willy nilly trying to bait on or troll some poor PS2 exclusive fanboy - it's simply what I think. I have played games on the PS3 that genuinely affected me in a profound way, and there are a few select games that I can safely say are up there for me in terms of any form of medium: movies, books, music, etc. The PS3's added technological power has enabled creativity and imagination to be created and/or re-created more beautifully than ever before. Now, I do feel somewhat inclined to discuss each notable game in detail, but I feel like I cannot do so without throwing spoilers around the gaff. That's the beauty of it, though - the PS3 has provided so many top-notch exclusive games that I could literally write an article on any number of them. But I'm lazy, and with the PS4 on its way I would rather play as many PS3 games as humanly/financially possible. Heavy Rain was one of the many fantastic PS3 exclusives. Sometimes you look forward to what's ahead of you so much, that you don't fully appreciate what you have in the present until it's gone. We are currently living through the swansong of the PS3; the console that will go down in the annuals of gaming with numerous pros and varying cons. However, undoubtedly its crowning achievement is providing a multitude of games that solidify the reason behind my choice to buy a Playstation 3. The PS3 was the only console that enabled me to travel to the very top of a mythical mountain in Journey, and make me emotional and philosophical whilst doing so. In The Last of Us, I genuinely had my moral compass swing like a drunken pendulum, as I often asked myself, "How would I handle a scenario like this?" In Heavy Rain, I was perplexed and engrossed by the Origami Killer and the initiative, engaging gameplay that responded to my decisions and evolved to my actions. Flower gave me an ethereal experience by showcasing the simple beauty of travelling as a flower peddle on the wind. I would not have had these experiences had I not bought a Playstation 3. The PS4 has a hell of an act to follow in terms of first party games, but I will be there to hopefully enjoy the simple art of gaming on the latest chapter of the Playstation. I've been with Sony every step of the way - and the next step is looming on the horizon. If Sony add a step can make cheese and toast whilst converting MP3 to Super HHHD files that's super, but the first step in crafting a console should always be its games. Without a first step you go nowhere. Author note: What are your favourite PS3 exclusives? Explain your favourites and your answers will be added to the main thread. Gotakibono, September 4th, 2013 Hit - Trophies, bitch!: There it is. Hmm dat noise! I know you hit play on the video above if you are reading this - the temptation for an avid trophy hunter like myself is much too strong to resist. The sound that many PS3 users have heard hundreds (for some thousands of times) is a sound that many yearn to hear again and again and again. The sound which was probably devised by Sony employees with the single goal of creating the sexiest sound known to mankind. The sound that has gone on to represent so much, even though it's an inherently simple, short noise: the sound that defines success; the sound that can mean a reward for time, effort and skill; the sound that can also represent failure. Above all, it's become an aural representation of change, and how games are played very differently for many different reasons these days. Ladies and gentleman, let's talk about trophies. There are two types of people in this world: the people who care about trophies and those that don't. There is no middle ground; if you've ever consciously gone for a trophy then you care. But why do we care, and more importantly why do we, as PS3 gamers, pour so much time, effort and patience into unlocking what is essentially a block of pixels on our television screens? Well, there are a multitude of different reasons, and those reasons vary from person to person. Nothing compared to my trophy collection. For starters, I know you what trophies are, and the basic concept behind them, but I feel obliged to give a quick synopsis of what they are for the sake of literary cohesion. Trophies made their debut in 2008 - and very much akin to Xbox 360's 'achievements' - you could now unlock evidence that you had done any of the following within a game: finished a game on its highest difficulty; killed 300 enemies; did a back-flip while taking a shit; or reached the highest multiplayer level. Essentially they act as visual proof that you've completed any number of tasks the developers have set you in their game's trophy list. The first games I played with trophies were Grand Theft Auto IV and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. At first I was quite confused after my PS3's firmware update as to what the new icon on my XMB was: what is this 'trophy collection' thing? However, I slowly kopped on that these trophies under the trophy collection header were tied in with my account, and that people could see what I had unlocked and as a result I could do the same with anyone on my friend's list. Each game had its own list and its own tasks and unlocking criteria - unlock every single trophy and you get a shiny platinum to prove your utter mastery of a game. Pretty cool. But no-one really had trophies to compare with, and the system didn't seem too important as only two of my games supported the feature. Still, curiosity prevailed and I cautiously attempted to platinum Uncharted: Drake's Fortune after its trophy patch; somewhat uncertain of what I was doing I managed to slowly unlock these trophy things. After about a month of using a normal guide (there were no trophy guides online like there is today) I finally unlocked my first platinum. And upon earning it I just sort of went, "That's pretty neat" and proceeded to play Metal Gear Solid 4 again. I didn't really think too much about trophies after I earned my Uncharted platinum. I got the platinum when the interface was still in its infancy, and at the time there wasn't much of a trophy community online to show off to or discuss trophies with. Besides, my internet presence was practically non-existent due to the fact I lived in the west of Ireland and couldn't even play games online without experiencing pure,undiluted lag. I was also still rather fond of outdoor pursuits and enjoying my last year of drinking alcohol illegally with friends. How times have changed. My, what big trophies you have. Nowadays is a very different story. There is a thriving online community based on that previously innocuous 'trophy collection' option on the XMB. On a personal level, I have always been a bit of a perfectionist with my games; something I wish bled into other areas of my life, as I would be a much more successful, productive human being on account of it. Anyway, I obtained 100% in many games during the PS1 and PS2 eras. Most notably, I've gotten 100% in every GTA game without being wasted or busted; a feat which could only be proven by a crummy photograph or by a friend calling over to your house to inspect the validity of my claims. Why did I bother doing this you may ask. Well, at the time I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could actually do it; I didn't do it for any other reason other than to add another layer and reason to play the game. I would set myself little challenges in numerous games, and trophies seem like a natural evolution of those little tasks I used to assign myself. In my eyes, the trophies are the evidence of success and the closure that you've done all there is to do. Trophies provide empirical evidence of your prowess at a particular game, all the while showcasing how deep you've ventured into a game. The completion rate is strong in this one. So, around 2009 I had that dawning realisation and shortly thereafter is when I actively started becoming a trophy collector in the way that I am today. My flirtation with the system around its inception was now a fully-fledged love affair. I started knocking out platinums left, right and centre. I did it out of my inherent OCD and the fact that I wanted to squeeze every bit of juice out of my money by doing everything a game had to offer. It gave me an extra incentive to play my games more, and that's what I think the trophy system has done so well - it adds longevity to games. I know that there are many games on my list that I would've cast aside long ago if there weren't still trophies to pursue. So, in that regard, developers are probably thankful for the trophy system as it means that the time and effort put into creating a game is properly acknowledged; I've noticed many Easter eggs and secrets that would've gone unnoticed had I not been replaying a game for a few trophies. Moreover, online trophies keep servers busier for longer. Although, online trophies are infamous for being overly long-winded, difficult and glitchy. But then why do I still continue to go for them? Trophy list includes 30 online trophies. I want to get the 100%. Simple. I collect trophies for that sole reason; to know that I've completed the game thoroughly and completely. Some people play shitty games for easy trophies, a fad which has become known as "trophy whoring". Some people get trophies as a way of showing their skills. Some people collect them because they're bored. Some people collect them as a reason to play through a great game again. Some people collect them to be the best and have the most in the world. Truth is, do what you want and play for whatever reason you want. If I love a game, I want to know I've done all there is to do - that's why I collect trophies. Gamers are competitive by nature - no two ways about it. Simply put, the trophy system implemented a system by which gamers can showcase their talents and accomplishments seamlessly, quickly and clearly, while providing a competitive edge to gaming. And that can only be viewed as a good thing. Gotakibono, July 22nd, 2013 Miss (A Big Fucking Miss) - The PSN Breach/Blackout of 2011: April 17th, 2011. It was meant to be an unspectacular day. A day that would more than likely involve me returning to University for another week of inner battles between going to my lectures or sleeping in and having a day of lazying around the apartment; which would include exhilarating events such as ordering pizza, smoking cigarettes and playing video games. It was, in every sense, another day. But then upon my return to my University apartment after my normal bus journey from my hometown - and after some witty banter with my flat-mates - I made a cup of tea and decided the time was apt for some Uncharted 2: Among Thieves online. I was working towards the 100% at the time (I finally managed to achieve the 100% late last year) and felt that if I work towards some online wins now then I could retire to bed early; therefore rising fresh as a daisy for my 9AM U.S. Politics lecture. However, as I went to sign-in to the PSN I saw something I'd never seen before: An error has occurred. You have been signed out of Playstation Network. (80710A06) So, upon getting denied/ejected access to the network I sorely wanted to sign-in to, I engaged in a futile twenty-five minute mission of repeating the sign-in process hoping each and every time I'd get my desired result. After those depressing and confusing twenty-five minutes, I gathered my thoughts and proceeded to go and get another cup of tea, all the while thinking to myself, "Well, fuck." I ended up going to bed after cursing my, in retrospect, completely innocent internet modem, and went soundly to sleep. The next morning I went to my lecture completely oblivious to the PSN apocalypse that was happening around the world. Turns out this wasn't your average, everyday PSN error - it was a full-blown, professional hack of the entire system. I only became aware of the ramifications after my house-mate told me whenever I arrived home that I "might not be getting that 100% in Uncharted 2 for a while." The hacking of Sony's PSN and Qriocity serives resulted in the personal details of approximately 77 million customers being compromised, which means it has the unwanted honour of being one of the largest data breaches in history. To make matters even worse, as the days rolled on (and more information was coming to the fore) the situation was only becoming more embarrassing and damaging to Sony, and had real potential to have serious, far-reaching consequences for all its users. My house-mate and I's reaction to hearing the ramifications of the PSN hack. First and foremost, Sony's week-long delay in actually informing their customers the full-extent of what had happened was abysmal and quite honestly a dick move. On April 26th, almost an entire week after the initial outage, Sony confirmed that it "cannot rule out the possibility that personally identifiable information such as Playstation Network account username, password, home address, and email address had been compromised." Whenever i read that I immediately thought that the information I had entrusted to Sony (the most delicate, sensitive information I could give them, apart from sending them a long-winded poem expressing my love for Pepsi) was now, potentially, in the hands of a hacking group that could use my information for whatever purpose they saw fit. I kept thinking how could this information be so easily swiped from under their noses? Wouldn't this be the kind of information that Sony would spare no expense in protecting from prospective invasions like this? I was mad. I was not mad like some kind of gaming Hulk desperate to play my games online anymore, but as a customer who had given this information in response to Sony stating that they'd keep it safe. It only got worse as Sony then went out and admitted that there was a little issue in regards to the "possibility that credit card data was taken." So, now not only do these hackers know where I live, know about my silly middle name and my passwords, but now they have access to my money?! The first wave of statistics made for some grave viewing - over 12,000 credit card numbers from non-U.S. cardholders and additional information from 24.7 million SOE accounts were reportedly stolen. Sony, in an attempt to fan the flames of a fire that already burnt down the forest, claimed that the credit card data was encrypted and that it would be pretty damn difficult and very time-consuming for the external hackers to break through the protective walls and clarify the data enough to do any damage with it. Okay, so surely all the other information granted to Sony was given the same treatment and was all encrypted? Well, this is when it just got awkward for Sony. Turns out Sony had not encrypted any other user information at the time of the intrusion. That essentially meant that you didn't need to be a qualified, gifted hacker to read the information - you just need to be able to read. Sony later stated that, "While the passwords that were stored were not 'encrypted,' they were transformed using a cryptographic hash function. There is a difference between these two types of security measures which is why we said the passwords had not been encrypted. But I want to be very clear that the passwords were not stored in our database in cleartext form." At this stage there was nothing Sony could say to make me feel better. The whole incident was just shambolic, and Sony did not handle it with too much grace in the light of their information's defensive frailties. Yeah, we didn't encrypt your shit - sorry about that. As the fiasco continued, and whilst the PSN was undergoing complete reconstruction, Sony faced the consequences the world over for their lacklustre and embarrassing handling of the intrusion. Data protection authorities everywhere condemned Sony. Just one example of the multiple spankings Sony received would be in the UK. Under the UK's Data Protection Act, Sony were fined £250,000 for the breach and were investigated by numerous government bodies to decipher whether Sony had taken necessary precautions to protect customer details. In short - they hadn't and had to pay a fuck-tonne more money as a result. On the 23th of May, Sony stated that the outage costs were in excess of $171 million. The outage lasted for 24 long days. Sony promised to have the PSN back within a week in the aftermath of the hacking - it didn't happen that way. However, the PSN eventually returned. Whenever I signed back in for the first time I (and millions of others) were obligated to change our passwords and sign-in details, which I did as fucking quickly as possible. Sony tried to ease the still very open wounds by gifting a month's free PSN+ subscription to all users and introduced the "Welcome Pack" program. I can't stay mad at you... The "Welcome Pack" program that Sony put together in the aftermath of the incident was a sign of good will to all of its customers, and it was one I appreciated, but trust takes years to build and be destroyed beyond repair in a moment. I like to think that Sony has learnt immensely from the experience, but I would be terrified to think what would happen if a similar event was to occur again. The fact is that some users weren't willing to go back to a company that the consensus believed was too nonchalant with the delicate information entrusted to them. It was a watershed moment for Sony and its Playstation Network, and one that left an indelible mark on this generation of gaming. Gotakibono, June 20th, 2013 Hit... Eventually - Bringing Playstation Gamers Together with the PSN: I honestly can't start writing about the PS3, its hits and misses or its legacy, without first talking about what is undoubtedly the most pivotal feature it's brought to the table this generation - the Playstation Network. The PSN (as it's come to be called by pretty much every gamer who prefers to use acronyms in over to conserve precious oxygen for gaming which -- let's face it -- is nearly all of them) is the online domain Sony created and introduced to drive its console into the new era. It must be noted that the PSN wasn't techincally Sony's, or Playstaion's, first venture in to the online world; the Playstation 2 did infamously have its own online network. However, it required a network adaptor which had to be purchased separately from the original console, it had a scarce selection of online-compatible games for gamers to choose from and quite simply the Playstation 2 was wholly out of its depth technologically to provide a stable, thriving online community. In other words, it was fairly shite and disjointed. The PSN launched in tandem with the Playstation 3 on the 11th of November, 2006, but it was plagued with teething problems from the onset. It was heavily criticised for being woefully underdeveloped, lacking in features and for its absolute mess of a UI; problems which were only more accentuated whenever gamers made comparisons between the PSN and Mircosoft's 'Xbox Live'. XBL (again, acronyms and oxygen) was praised for its rich pool of content, easy-to-use, stable interface, as well as its consistent updating - qualities that were sorely absent in the fledgling days of the PSN. In order to compete with Xbox 360's fantastic Xbox Live service, Sony had to make up a lot of ground with their online service in order to take some wind from Microsoft's sails, as well as garner some much-needed wind in their own; the Xbox 360 was released over a year prior to the PS3 and Mircosoft's experience with creating and maintaining an online network was all too apparent. The early days of PSN were indeed tough; a serious lack of quality titles, features and support almost brought the network to its knees. Yet, here we are in 2013, on the cusp of the Playstation 4, and the PSN is standing proud with a staggering community of over 90 million and growing. Those early dark days now seem like a distant past, and it's safe to say that the PSN is well and truly thriving; even if the network remains anything but perfect. So, that begs the question - what the hell did Sony do to stem the tide? Upon some thinking I have drawn up four reasons why I personally think the PSN has come on leaps and bounds since its quite disastrous induction: The PSN has always been free: Perhaps the biggest attributing factor in PSN's eventual success was the fact that it remained free for everyone throughout its lifespan. In stark contrast, Xbox Live required gamers to part with money just to play the rudimentary online components of their games. While is easy to argue that you were getting what you paid for with XBL, is also easy to turn back and say that you were getting the most fundamental aspect (online gaming) for free, and everything else that comes with the territory is relatively inconsequential. The PSN being free kept its doors open to everyone who bought the PS3 and had an internet connection; something that also kept people without a credit card happy, i.e, under 18-year-olds, avid penny-pinchers, etc. Furthermore, the fact that the service was free perhaps saved Sony's blushes in the tumultuous early days of the PSN. Sony could almost come out and say, "if you don't like it at least you aren't paying for that shit." It wouldn't be a very sage business move, but that shouldn't deter from the truth of such a statement. Playstation Plus (Predominantly Cloud Storage): Who'd have thought that a free online service subsequently adding a paid subscription, which would be separate from the main PSN, could prove to be such a shrewd move? Well, turns out it was a very clever move and one that has paid dividends for both Sony and gamers alike. PS+ (you know the deal at this stage - acronyms and oxygen) was launched on the 29th of June, 2010 and set out to be the proverbial icing on the PSN cake. Among its features was automatic downloads of demos, software updates and games; exclusive access to a multitude of demos and betas; exclusive downloadable content; discounts on a wide array of PS Classics, PS Minis, DLC and PS3 games; and even full-game trials, with the option of purchasing later. All in all, PS+ offered a great deal to warrant its subscription fee, and this has only improved as time has gone on (which I'll get to soon). Admit it... the + makes you feel special. Perhaps an understated feature nowadays, the cloud storage provided a real incentive for people like myself (a cynical, tight bastard) to sign-up to the PS+, as it gave subscribers 150MB to store up to 1,000 savefiles on a cloud server, including copy-protected saves in case of a HDD disaster or a severe bout of the infamous YLOD - which will definitely be mentioned again as this thread progresses. Since its induction the storage space has been expanded to a glorious 1GB worth of save-file sanctuary. For me, the cloud storage is a simple but fantastic service, and was one that first made me reconsider my stance on the necessity or benefit of a premium service on PSN. The Instant Game Collection: The primary reason to go and buy yourself a subscription to PSN+, and in my mind the PSN's greatest asset in attracting users to go premium. Bear in mind that the games Sony are giving away are not just any games, they are often very noteworthy titles. For example, in the EU store, over the past number of months if you've availed of the PSN+ service you could have gotten any number of the following games for free: Red Dead: Redemption, Batman: Arkham City, Hitman: Absolution, Sleeping Dogs, Okami HD, inFamous 2, Limbo and Uncharted: Golden Abyss - just to name a few. Furthermore, if you've been a PSN+ member since the inception of the 'Instant Game Collection' service little over a year ago, you could feasibly have downloaded over 50 games to your library. Not fucking bad, Sony, not fucking bad at all. It will be very interesting to see how this service evolves on the PS4, or if it's even carried over to the next generation. What I do know is that the 'Instant Game Collection' feature is reason enough for anyone to own a PS3, and has represented PSN's substantial rise during what is ultimately PS3's swansong year at the apex of gaming. Improved PSN Store Design and Interface: Yes, a painfully obvious choice, but that shouldn't take away from the impact of Sony's development of the focal point of its entire network. The store represents a gathering of users and the content available to them - it's a very important component to the PSN. And let's be frank: it used to be painful to navigate and underwhelming in its content. However, in the past two years particularly, the store has been revamped, re-imagined and redesigned in order to provide a much more pleasant experience whilst glancing around the store. It's much smoother than the original design, more modern and quite simply it's easier to find what you're looking for. Before the PSN store's redesign it was becoming somewhat of a joke as Sony hadn't really moved it forward in any meaningful way since its inception - thankfully that's changed. The store still has a tendency to act up for no apparent reason, but Sony are slowing but surely moving it in the right direction. It still has that new car smell. The PSN has had its ups-and-downs since it first came to the fore, but its importance to this generation of consoles can never be understated. When we look back on the PS3 we'll see Sony's first steps in managing an online gaming network; it'll be like looking at baby photos of a network that will continue to grow and develop as the years go on. Sony now has experience with an online network; the PS4 will benefit greatly from the mistakes made during the PS3 era and will be much better for it. I cannot foresee the grave errors that plagued the PSN in the beginning coming to the fore on the PS4, Sony are much too knowledgeable these days on the subject, and were much too green on the subject back then. Therefore, I think the PSN's legacy on the PS3 will be one of numerous mistakes, establishment and now - growth. I guess you could say the angsty teen years. Gotakibono, May 9th, 2013 Get Involved Fellow PS3 People: This is a thread that I hope people truly involve themselves with and enjoy. If you have any ideas, thoughts, opinions, insults or observations please don't hesitate to share. Also, if you have any ideas for any PS3 hits and misses or would like to contribute to the thread that would be fantastic. Moreover, if you want to actively contribute to the main thread with your own articles then please don't decline to message me with your idea or article; I will post it right here and of course accredit you for your work if I believe it fits in with what I'm planning on doing. I hope you enjoyed reading my shite. THANKS FOR READING & ROLL ON THE GAMING. Edited April 19, 2014 by Gotakibono 43 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memnoch Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Great idea and well thought out so far, shall be interesting to read more 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftprophet Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Nice one man. I will keep my eye on this 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xVolloxx Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Good read , awesome thread thanks will keep an eye on this . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolidIroquois Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Nice read as always, Gota. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacio_Luna Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Not fucking bad Gota, not fucking bad at all. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SitusKiss Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Great thread Gota... you are quite the writer. I can't wait to see the next installment 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotakibono Posted May 9, 2013 Author Share Posted May 9, 2013 Thanks for the comments, guys! If anyone has any ideas be sure to let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mturismo Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Great idea. Sony made many mistakes and there's has been no shortage of problems for the PS3 but It holds a special place in my heart. While I'm excited for the PS4 and feel that this generation has gone on long enough I think the PS3 will always be special to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 My thoughts exactly. Not fucking bad Gota, not fucking bad at all. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1973456 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 An awesome read indeed,I'm lucky enough to have the 1st PS3 I ever played on which was owned by my uncle too bad it got YLOD'd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aipher Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Great observations. I'd love to hear what you have to say about one of the most glaring concepts born in this generation of consoles - the concept of digital 'rewards' in trophies and achievements. Personally I always played to completion on any game I played (mostly PC games), but since 2009 when trophies were introduced, a lot of us saw our achievements promoted to something more tangible and able to be more widely acknowledged by the public. Gone are the days of bragging by taking grainy VHS videos and badly framed pictures of our tv sets showing off something we felt was monumental achievement. Now there is a measurable way to quantify that achievement. The current generation has shifted the way some of us play games and created a new meta game where we play the content not only for internal gratification, but to express certain gaming conquests in a publicly visible arena. While in some ways I feel it has somehow managed to realize some of our personal completion urges, it has slowly and subtly also spawned a new breed of gamers who have different goals in gaming altogether. Just my observation and contribution to something that may perhaps be relevant. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotakibono Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 New post - hope you guys like it. Great observations. I'd love to hear what you have to say about one of the most glaring concepts born in this generation of consoles - the concept of digital 'rewards' in trophies and achievements.Personally I always played to completion on any game I played (mostly PC games), but since 2009 when trophies were introduced, a lot of us saw our achievements promoted to something more tangible and able to be more widely acknowledged by the public. Gone are the days of bragging by taking grainy VHS videos and badly framed pictures of our tv sets showing off something we felt was monumental achievement. Now there is a measurable way to quantify that achievement.The current generation has shifted the way some of us play games and created a new meta game where we play the content not only for internal gratification, but to express certain gaming conquests in a publicly visible arena. While in some ways I feel it has somehow managed to realize some of our personal completion urges, it has slowly and subtly also spawned a new breed of gamers who have different goals in gaming altogether. Just my observation and contribution to something that may perhaps be relevant. I'll most definitely be writing about trophies/achievements in the future. You mentioned essentially everything I feel about trophies and their effects right there; if you want to write something based on that topic, declare it a "hit or miss" and post it on the thread then I'll more than gladly add it to the main thread - less work for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nasty_Rory Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I liked that post about the The Darkness of 2011. And its exactly as I felt, like my bits were in the breeze and no-one seemed to give a damn about how I was going to cover them up! The only thing about all of this that really annoyed me was that Sony said that they would give everyone a years theft protection (they do have a huge insurance division afterall) and in they end they never gave this to a single soul to the best of my knowledge. I wouldn't have availed of it as I already had my own, but I would like to have had the option to refuse it since it was offered. But that's another rant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theitdemon Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Great article man. I see you are (or were) intending to write something about trophies. I remember when they were introduced (well, announced). The day before, while I was talking to someone at work saying that I liked the Xbox 360 achievements, I used the words "Sony should introduce something similar for Playstation". Talk about great minds...... (and no, I don't work for, or know anyone who works for Sony so I wasn't partial to any inside info) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Mayus Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 (edited) Hey Gota, here is a perfect movie clip to talk about gamers feelings on the end of a system cycle with no backwards compatibly in the future. Comes from one of my favourite movies of all time. Oh and much respect for using a 12 Angry Men gif (also one of my favourite films ) Edited June 21, 2013 by Dr_Mayus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotakibono Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 I liked that post about the The Darkness of 2011. And its exactly as I felt, like my bits were in the breeze and no-one seemed to give a damn about how I was going to cover them up! The only thing about all of this that really annoyed me was that Sony said that they would give everyone a years theft protection (they do have a huge insurance division afterall) and in they end they never gave this to a single soul to the best of my knowledge. I wouldn't have availed of it as I already had my own, but I would like to have had the option to refuse it since it was offered. But that's another rant Thank you, glad you liked it. Sony backtracked on a lot of what they said during and after the PSN breach; many promises were broken and never mentioned again, including the year's theft protection you just mentioned and many more. It was just a bad few months for Sony in general! And please - rant away. The unspoken rule of this thread is for people to rant about the pros and cons of the Playstation 3. Great article man. I see you are (or were) intending to write something about trophies. I remember when they were introduced (well, announced). The day before, while I was talking to someone at work saying that I liked the Xbox 360 achievements, I used the words "Sony should introduce something similar for Playstation". Talk about great minds...... (and no, I don't work for, or know anyone who works for Sony so I wasn't partial to any inside info) Thanks for your feedback, man - really appreciate it. I will be writing about trophies within the next few days - kind of have to as it was a major addition to the Playstation interface. Hahaha! I bet an insider at Sony was working next to you and overheard what you were saying, and their reaction was probably something like this: Hey Gota, here is a perfect movie clip to talk about gamers feelings on the end of a system cycle with no backwards compatibly in the future. Comes from one of my favourite movies of all time. Oh and much respect for using a 12 Angry Men gif (also one of my favourite films ) Hahaha! Perfect video! That's one of my all-time favourites as well - great movie. And much respect for actually noticing and appreciating the reference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamburger Helper Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 This is the very best thread to have opened up on the site thus far; Very classy and full of real discussion Anywho, Gota, do you plan on updating with some of the Playstation's best exclusives and most underrated games? Think that'd be something interesting to get people to try out if they haven't. If you'd like, I could compile a list to give you. The evolution of the Sixaxis to the Dualshock 3 is something I'd like to hear yours, as well as others, opinions about since it was a controversial topic at that time. Keep up the great work, man! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotakibono Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 This is the very best thread to have opened up on the site thus far; Very classy and full of real discussion Anywho, Gota, do you plan on updating with some of the Playstation's best exclusives and most underrated games? Think that'd be something interesting to get people to try out if they haven't. If you'd like, I could compile a list to give you. The evolution of the Sixaxis to the Dualshock 3 is something I'd like to hear yours, as well as others, opinions about since it was a controversial topic at that time. Keep up the great work, man! Oh wow, thanks a million, man! Appreciate that a lot. I will definitely be doing an article revolving around the stellar exclusives that the PS3 has enjoyed; I haven't considered an "underrated games" article, so if you'd like to compile a list and pass it on that'd be fantastic. I could maybe get a poll going based on a complied list. The evolution of the controllers is something else I hadn't considered before, but again if you want to share your thoughts about it I can post it on the main thread. Thanks again, man. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azaan60 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Good Observations,keep it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Cool article dude! Will be watching this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorry777 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 not bad so far looking good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiperzz Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Good read, nice one mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tofu341 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 This was very enjoyable to read, well done! Makes me wish even more that I'd have gotten into the PS world ages ago 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotakibono Posted June 30, 2013 Author Share Posted June 30, 2013 Good Observations,keep it up Cool article dude! Will be watching this! not bad so far looking good Good read, nice one mate This was very enjoyable to read, well done! Makes me wish even more that I'd have gotten into the PS world ages ago Thanks a million, guys - appreciate it a lot. I'll be writing my article on trophies either tonight or tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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