Wednesday 7 October 2009

Can Drake Save The PS3?

As any regular readers will know, I’m a big fan of the PS3. It has some cracking games available for it, many of which are exclusive to the Sony console. However, almost without exception, the big titles that were meant to sell by the bucketload and to sell the console have failed to deliver. After the disappointment of both LittleBigPlanet and Killzone 2, can Uncharted 2 finally manage to do what it’s being hyped to do?

The Playstation 3 is a great console. It was lumbered with poor launch titles and a hefty price tag which meant it got off to a slow start. But things have improved ever since, especially in terms of the games. Unfortunately, even the biggest exclusive titles have failed to really sell in the numbers that were expected and arguably deserved.

I’m thinking first of LittleBigPlanet. Here is a game that couldn’t fail to delight anyone who played it, and the review scores proved this was generally the case. It was one of the best games released in 2008 and yet it failed to really sell in the quantities Sony would have liked it to. Also, maybe even more importantly, it failed to sell the console.

Then there was Killzone 2. Here is a first-person shooter, a genre always guaranteed to invoke interest and a considerable amount of publicity. And so it proved, much of which was positive to the point of hyperbole. And yet Killzone 2’s sales fell off rather sharply after the initial rush to buy. And again, crucially, the game failed to sell the console.

And so we come to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. This is the latest PS3 exclusive to have been hyped as the game which will sell to everyone and finally persuade people that the PS3 is a console worth owning, even if they already have an Xbox 360.

The game looks absolutely fantastic, and the reviews which are still coming in thick and fast show that the title, despite a few minor flaws, is even blowing the minds of hardened reviewers. But is that going to be enough to make people dip their hand in their pocket and buy the game, and possibly a PS3 to go with it? Especially in the middle of a recession and with a host of other great titles also releasing this side of Christmas.

I’m not convinced. I think we’ll have to wait until Gran Turismo 5 comes along until the PS3 gets a true system seller.

stolen and posted by [mobiletone]

ps: my copy of GT on UMD got shipped last night. updated firmware to 6.01

19 comments:

  1. I for one cannot wait for Uncharted 2. Really, really enjoyed playing through the first one and what I've played of the beta tells me that the multiplayer (especially the co-op) has been implemented well. Hopefully ND will support that side of things with some DLC.

    Judging from the reviews and hype I'd say it stands a great chance of giving fence sitters a reason to pick up a PS3 (although the slim seems to be doing a good job of that - over 1m sold in 3 weeks!)

    Tone, I'm sure you will, but let us know what you think of GTPSP. Heard a lot of people say it's really good.

    Should be getting my copy of Operation Flashpoint 2 today, so will post up some initial impressions over the next few days. Not sure I'll get chance to play it tonight because I am going wine tasting! Seriously!

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  2. @Pablo

    You dirty old man!

    It had better be wine poured off the body of 18 year old virgins or I'm gonna be horribly dissapointed!

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  3. but of course Mr Sketch.

    You're telling me there's another way to drink wine?

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  4. unfortunatly I can't play Uncharted on launch day, I've been instructed to play it with the gf which is a whole 3 days after launch!!!!

    Played a co-op game with reakt the other day, excellent fun!!! Hope to play with the rest of you lads.

    @ lordpablo, is this the type of wine testing that after you've taken a sip, you eat a piece of cheese on a stick? or is it posh tlak for going out tonite?

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  5. @E-Rolius Prime

    It is actual wine tasting yeah, I think the theme this evening is French wine.

    J'ai soif!

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  6. Wine tasting? Come on - it's an excuse to meet women right? (and drunken ones at that!)

    As for Drake - It's another solid, exclusive title. I reckon he'll do pretty well over Christmas.

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  7. @reakt

    My good lady will be in attendance too, so any ladykilling will have to take place via the art of footsie!

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  8. Remember pablo, if they wink, you're in!

    Also remember to sniff the cork, not lick it!

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  9. Killzone 2 and little big plante are good games.
    specially i like killzone II
    The Gamer,
    http://budurl/5ps7

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  10. wine tasting. i have some demis full of a xmas special brewing up in the kitchen, apple and cinnamon! yepp, it's just about finished fermenting and is now settling, once it's done i'll decant it into bottles and add some blackberries. it does indeed taste like a warming apple pie. nom nom nom nom.

    being a norfolk hick does have it's advantages somedays :D

    James May was up the road near me on monday at the airfield flying around in a caravan attached to the bottom of an orange blimp. Normal For Norfolk -haha- you heard it here first ;)

    @ pablo - yeah, tell us about Flashpoint i'm tempted by that, it's uber hardcore real from what i gather.

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  11. Hi - The Gamer, nice to see new faces on the site.

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  12. I love a good story mode game, on my Veteran pass of Resi Evil, should be done in time for Unchartered 2. Looks like the whole U3S massive will be all over this, Party Up should be good!

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  13. Hmmm looks like I'm the last to change my little icon from the default one!
    *rushes off to find something awesome!*

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  14. test! - can you guess who it is!?

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  15. George Foreman?

    Nice one reakt, a bit of Nathan to spice up your life

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  16. if you guys keep going on about Drake i'm gonna have to change the site's name to Gay Gamers :D

    i love me a good story too, but one i feel in control of, probably why i like sandboxers so much. that said, Condemned 2 is a pretty messed up tale, it's as good as Dead Space, or better, you can keep your plasma cutter beam or whatever it is, i know where i am with a length of metal pipe -heh-

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  17. LMAO tone I love you! Just not... that... way...

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  18. haha funny - I just posted from my missus' cached account I am MRJ

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