Is the Playstation going the way of Sega?

Hello! I made this huge addendum to my regular blog ( http://www.freewebs.com/captain_gamer/ ) so I figured it might be well received by a larger audience. If the topic is old or has been explained better by somebody else, please say so. In a, uh, civilized manner is best.

Speaking of which, be fairly warned now. This contains a lot of Console-related speculation Any flaming based off of console zealotry is... no. Just no. Please. No.

I’m beginning to notice a trend in gaming that started in the last generation. The current gaming scene was set when Sega officially dropped off the console scene and left Nintendo alone with returning rookie Sony to vie for gamers’ hearts and wallets. Suddenly, newcomer! Microsoft emerges on the scene with the allegedly ill-fated Xbox! Western developer after developer failed to harness the medium of video games. Could the software giant, Microsoft, POSSIBLY make a dent in the gaming scene? As it turns out, it could! Touting the ludicrously popular Halo series and harnessing its own branch of the market for sports games, the Xbox became THE Western console that wedged gaming into the modern popular culture scene. It seemed that the standoff would remain a triangle of contenders.

The line was drawn, however, between Nintendo and the other two in this generation. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 stuck to their guns, amplifying their processing power while making minimal changes everywhere else. Nintendo, however, turned its back, gleam in its eye, and turned back around to show us all the DS and the Wii. The DS did not meet graphical standards, but included a slew of unique features, primarily two screens and touch control. Its competition with the large and versatile PSP would be a prelude to what’s to come. The Wii’s controller was the cross between an NES controller and a remote control, and came with a Nunchuk attachment for more options. I think this has defined the gaming scene most clearly because before, it was a matter of a company’s image and their console/controller design that made the company. Now, Nintendo has made crystal clear the two camps in which gaming falls under.

What are these camps? I refer to these camps as Yokoi vs. the World. I am referring to Gunpei Yokoi, a major player in concept and design in Nintendo and producer of the Metroid series. His most notable contribution to the medium, aside from the previously stated franchise and the Game Boy, is his philosophy of Lateral Thinking of Withered Technology. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpei_Yokoi#Lateral_Thinking_of_Withered_T... ) In short, it was Yokoi’s vision that as knowledge increases, old technology must not be discarded, but instead reinvented, renovated, and reused in new ways. This way, the possibilities of what can be accomplished in the medium are nearly endless. I’d like to think that Yokoi’s philosophy can be applied to much more than just video games. It may have set Nintendo back when it kept the Nintendo 64 in cartridges, but now, after Yokoi’s tragic death (of which if it didn’t happen, we would not have that disgraceful scene in Super Smash Bros. Brawl), Lateral Thinking has finally taken shape and has set Nintendo apart from the rest. The DS and the Wii may be behind the times when it comes to computing, sound, and graphics, but the unique features have been used by Nintendo and third-party developers alike to treat gamers to new ways to play.

The other camp is what I referred to as the World. I cannot come up with an iconic name for this camp, and it IS the more widely subscribed-to camp, so I shall refer to it as the World, in that you do not have to have any inside knowledge to understand it. Put simply, video games were defined by the 8-bit generation. A game and a controller, that’s all the player needs. What developers need to do is keep upping the ante on who can deliver the most immersive gaming experience. This means creative use of the controller scheme and the most processing power for anything from cartoon graphics to photo-realistic settings. Popular culture exists for a reason, so give the people what they want. If gaming is to be part of this society, then it can’t be an island unto itself. It’ll need a side to it that matches up perfectly with what’s “in.” Thus, the medium is more accessible and everybody can pick up and play. Whereas the Yokoi camp presents something unique for people to examine and acquire a taste for, the World camp comes FROM the people to inspire the creation.

So: The Yokoi camp is gaming to the culture, while the World camp is the culture to gaming. I suppose PC gaming could represent a peripheral third camp, but that is beside the point in this discussion. I am not saying any of the camps are good or bad, inferior or superior, lesser or greater. In fact if I had it my way, I would lift and trumpet the praises of both camps so they would do their best. After all, both have their faults, but that is beside the point in this discussion as well. Now that we know the camps, let me reiterate that there’s TWO of them. Two camps and three consoles on the market. We know that Nintendo monopolizes the Yokoi camp, so it’s no big stretch to see Sony and Microsoft occupy the World camp. The Yokoi camp is actually very flexible. If another company came along that could make odd and fun use of the medium (I can’t begin to comprehend how), they might have a niche to carve in the industry. The World camp, however, is not so flexible. Ironically, the only thing that could REALLY set something apart in that camp is the controller scheme or the company’s image, which are Yokoi camp things. For the sake of simplicity, it actually would be much easier on consumers if they could clearly define who to go with when they’re looking for what they want. In other words, if there were just one console for the Yokoi camp and just one console for the World camp, making choices would be so much easier.

This concept of camps didn’t hit me until I watched Zero Punctuation’s review of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. ( http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/251-Star-Wa... ) In it, he spends a few moments comparing his Wii version to a PS3 version that was superior in every regard except for the aspect of using his Wii Remote like a light saber. As it turns out, the Wii version’s shortcomings are more than enough to overshadow the novelty. If that is all Yahtzee has to present to justify his claim that the Wii has jumped the shark, then I will have to kindly ask him to try a bit harder in convincing ME. Just in case he ever does, to arm myself after my initial hiding behind bolted-down objects, I took a look at a Wii game that Yahtzee reviewed much earlier, No More Heroes. I dare say that just because No More Heroes happened, that doesn’t mean that no more games with that level of creativity and compatibility with the Wii will ever come along again. Yahtzee cited the use of the Wii’s controls during the side jobs to be the game’s strengths along with the basics of its battle system. I then took note that No More Heroes was originally going to be on the Xbox 360 but went to the Wii because of the system’s unique controls. In this rare instance we were about to have a World camp that turned right around and became a poster child for the versatility of the Yokoi camp. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, on the other hand, was released for everything. Thus, we have a game attempting to please both camps at once. Did it do it? According to Yahtzee, no. Which version was superior? According to Yahtzee, the World camp edition of the Force Unleashed was superior. The Force Unleashed, then, may just be a World camp game that attempted to squeeze through a Yokoi camp space. We can then wonder how his review would have been had the Force Unleashed been released on ONLY the World camp consoles. He may have purchased the PS3 or 360 version and may have had a more positive review. Emphasis on MAY. The lesson to be learned here is that now, more than ever, the two camps of gaming are making themselves known. Games are most often made with the philosophy of one camp in mind. Therefore, trying to fit a game into the other camp will be justifiably difficult.

If only it were so simple to analyze the current gaming scene by way of camps, but remember that the World camp is shared by the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360. Being separate entities, they can’t be exactly the same. Neither of their controllers are particularly radically different, so how can you classify these? There are a number of ways. The price of the consoles, what the consoles are capable of, and what I consider the smoking gun: the exclusives. Each console has franchises exclusive to their console, either by being the product of the console’s developer, or by having a contract with the developer. The first name in first-person franchises is Mario. Everybody knows Mario, core to casual. The second name in the current gaming scene is Master Chief. Everybody know Master Chief as well, either by being a huge fan or by inevitably hearing OF him. I remember all the way back when the Sony Playstation first came out and Crash Bandicoot was touted as Sony’s answer to Mario and Sonic. I think Spyro got some love, as well. Well, we know how much we hear from THOSE two, nowadays. Instead of mascots and the like that got Nintendo and Sega through the day, the Playstation had other things going for it, mainly tie-in after tie-in after media tie-in. Fate dealt Sony the trump card when they were deemed worthy of Final Fantasy VII. The gaming world was never the same. After that point, everybody thought of Sony, “Yeah, they’re not going anywhere” while looking at Sega and trying to avoid eye contact like you would with a terminally ill person who thinks they are merely sick. Nintendo was Nintendo, and the Playstation was garnering the contemporary audience in droves.

What I mean to say is that while Nintendo defined the medium, Sega stepped up to “do what Nintendon’t” and appeal directly to the popular culture by being rad and hip and with the times more than be its own thing. For the most part, this worked. Sega had a great western market and Blast Processing (whatever that is) attracted the likes of some iconic characters… even though Sonic seems to be the only surviving one, and I use the term ‘surviving’ very loosely. Then came the Sony Playstation. Sony already had leverage in the world market with its technology, and after a deal with Nintendo fell through, they developed their own console. It was a smashing success for the reasons I listed above. Furthermore, it cornered the western market because of its influence in other mediums of entertainment. The niche that Sega filled, Sony could fill better because it stretched the medium of Yokoi vs. the World even further. The popular culture took to it well and the Playstation attracted more of Sega’s business until everything seemed to vanish or jump ship one way or the other. What didn’t help was the numerous spectacular failures that Sega incurred while trying to innovate or upgrade while Nintendo sat pretty and took its time while the Super Nintendo held down the fort strongly. It really is too bad because the Dreamcast really did have an impressive library to its name.

The following generation saw Microsoft’s pitch into the medium. War games, space, realism, and most of all ammunition were and still are the flavor of the popular culture. The Xbox delivered and it delivered hard with Halo. They challenged the notion of a Japan-centered medium with their success as an almost niche system appealing to the ‘modern gamer’ with its slew of First Person Shooters and games that resemble Hollywood norms. The works of Team Ninja come to mind, elevating the sense that video games are hardcore with violence and sex appeal with out any of that Yokoi camp stuff that tends to turn away the casual audience. The inherent goodness or badness of this is debatable. Xbox Live was also Microsoft’s claim to fame. It’s natural, given that the world is turning more toward the digital information age as time goes on. To this day, I believe Xbox Live is still the most widely used and recognized online service amongst consoles. The Playstation 2, I think, still came out on top because it kept its exclusives like the flagship Final Fantasy games and faithful franchises like Metal Gear.

Now we’re entering into the current generation. Nintendo dominates the market ever so slightly less every day while Microsoft’s prestige grows and grows as more developers are getting curious. Nobody expected the Xbox 360 to be an RPG console, but with titles like Eternal Sonata, it was proved that it was possible. A turning point came when Namco gave the console a whirl with Tales of Vesperia. This resulted in an unprecedented surge of Xbox 360 sales in Japan. Absolutely unprecedented. This seems to have opened the floodgates for other companies to play with Microsoft and turn multi-platform. Upcoming games like Street Fighter IV and Resident Evil 5 will be available on the 360 while longtime faithful franchises Tekken and Final Fantasy will also have their newest installments go multiplatform. If rumors and murmuring by Konami and Microsoft are to be believed, Metal Gear Solid 4, THE defining game of the Playstation 3’s launch, just may have an Xbox 360 edition. This is all worrisome for Sony, but the last straw came to me when I heard news about downloadable content in Soul Calibur IV. Apparently, Darth Vader and Yoda will be downloadable in their respective non-exclusive titles. I saw this as getting Darth Vader to the 360… because if gamers, especially casuals, had a choice between having Yoda or Darth Vader in a game, it’d be Darth Vader all the way. Now that the PS3 no longer has that advantage, we can write out that profit for Sony.

Pardon my tone, but this IS what I’m starting to see. The Prestige of the Xbox 360 grows and grows. Microsoft is becoming a titan in the gaming industry, and all the third-party developers know it. Everything that’s for the PS3 seems to also be available for the 360. With the earlier release date, more people are bound to have 360, so more 360 versions are bound to be sold. If something starts off as a PS3 exclusive, chances are the developers will find it profitable to reach out to the Xbox 360 gamers as well. It would just seem that Sony’s list of exclusives is dwindling rapidly. The reason to own a Playstation 3 over an Xbox 360, or both, is becoming obscured. Games may have exclusive content, different graphics or different framerates, or something of the sort, but the difference between the 360 and the PS3 is much, much less than, say, that 360 and the Wii.

Really, who DOES Sony have? They have Heavenly Sword, the other launch title which really remains that, “That other launch title.” Sony actually DOES have a mascot. MascotS, actually. The trio of Jak, Ratchet, and Sly Cooper have often been called Sony’s unofficial trio of mascots. Each have only made appearances on Sony systems, and I believe that they are contractually bound to Sony. The only problem is that Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch are slow to the trigger in releasing Jak and Sly games for the PS3. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is the only title out for the PS3, and when compared to other PS3 exclusives, it tends to be the most Yokoi-ish of the bunch. Don’t get me wrong, Ratchet and Clank is a very unique and fun series, but would the World camp think so, on a system that is allegedly overprices understaffed when it comes to franchises they can call their own? In appeal and in popularity with third-party developers who are merely trying to do business, Sony seems to be slipping.

Where have we seen this before? In the above paragraphs, unfortunately. It’s in my opinion that what happened to Sega two generations back is now happening to Sony. When the Xbox 360 came out and showed its stuff, everybody thought of it, “Yeah it’s not going anywhere.” Nintendo is still Nintendo. Sony, like Sega, is losing franchises. The only difference is that Sony isn’t flailing around and dabbling in ill-fated projects like Sega did. It seems that Sony is just going to keep going, head up high, chest out, and brave the perils of the console ‘wars.’ Even in the face of hemorrhaging its western demographic out to Microsoft, Sony keeps going. Even after an oft-parodied E3 showing, memes to its expense, and allegations of copying Nintendo, Sony keeps going. Even after discontinuing it’s ideal 60 gig models and releasing its 80 gig models at a reduced price, Sony keeps going. I do not ‘predict’ that Sony will go the way of Sega. I don’t claim to have all the information, nor do I claim to be up-to-date or 100% accurate. I am just relating what I am observing to whoever is willing to listen. If this comes off as some sort of anti-Sony deal, it isn't. The Playstation has, is, and will continue to play an integral part in my life in general and as a gamer. As I've said, I wish the best for ALL consoles... which is why I just have to get this off my chest if not for the express purpose of having a discussion over it. We have the 60 gig fully backwards compatible PS3 and it is amazing. We also just may be adding the 360 to our repertoire, but despite everything I've said above, in our house, support for one system does not denote lack of support for another. I might even have been a little HARSH on the Playstation 3, Heavenly Sword, et all in this entry. Every company has its place, and I hope that the business world does not obscure this.

It's my opinion that Sony has hardly BEGUN to enter the console race in this generation. As I've said, hardly any of the mascots have made a showing, which means they have yet to. Recently becoming familiar with Jak, Ratchet, and Sly myself, those three represent some of the best from Western developers. When the latecomers present their high-quality PS3 entries, I'm sure it'll cause quite a stir. I'm hearing a lot about the durability of the technology, not to mention international markets. Things might be "worrisome" for Sony, but far, far, from bleak. It's the support of their fans (less so of their violent ones) that keeps them going, and until I see anything officially stated, I see many more generations of quality gaming from a quality company. It truly is unfortunate that Sega did go the way it did, but if in its fall it can serve as a lesson and inspiration to everybody else, that's all we of the current generation can ask for. Go Nintendo! Go Sony! And go Microsoft!

Thank you for reading, and good luck to all the consoles!

EDIT: Ahem... the title's been rephrased. Of COURSE Sony's going nowhere. They have a lot more than just the Playstation. If the Playstation were to not be profitable enough, it's unthinkable, but they COULD drop it if it were best for business. I am in no way for this. Sony is awesome, as are the other two.