E3: Sony

While Sony and Nintendo remain the top dogs in Japan, here in the states, they've slipped from the top spot they've held onto since the original Playstation. Why, you may ask? Two reasons, at least in my opinion, #1, online support, and #2 Price.

Over the past year, we've seen Sony improve their online network, beefing it up with a movie store, more downloadable content, and online juggernauts like Killzone 2 and Little Big Planet. While PS3 owners should be by no means dissatisfied with their systems of choice, as they've seen a lot of former xbox exclusives find their way onto the console, such as Bioshock, or the DLC for Fallout 3 later this year. They've also lost exclusives such as the Final Fantasy series and now at E3, the Metal Gear series, who are now officially multi-platform. The question Sony has to answer, is can they justify a $500 console in a generation where exclusive content is becoming harder to hold onto?

The Sony press conference showed us that the big black box still has fight left in it to meet their 10-year longevity goal.

The first part of Sony's conference was dedicated to the worst kept secret in all of E3. Sony's Jack Trenton made no attempt to hide the fact that much of the announcements that Sony was planning had already been leaked, but still, it was good to have some concrete evidence of the PSP Go's existence.

Personally, I found it a little strange they would keep supporting both PSP versions at the same time, as it would force users to choose between downloadable content, and UMD's. At least until I read that they were working on a way for PSP owners to upgrade to the next model. Now I'm intrigued.

Afterward, we got a good look at Mod Nation Racers. Think Littlebigplanet, but instead of 2D platformers, it's a cart racer that lets you edit levels and characters, sharing them with others.

Some highlights from the show included a new Metal Gear game for the PSP, which can more or less be considered a sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3, as well as some awesome footage from the next God of War game. We'll go over some of this stuff in the weeks to come, but I'd like to move onto two of the more major highlights at the show.

Final Fantasy XIV Online


Before XIII can come out, Sony flaunted the fact that this game is exclusive to PC and PS3, though as I understand it, Square Enix may reverse that decision in the near future, and frankly I don't see any reason why they wouldn't. While the game itself did mention that PC and PS3 gamers would be able to play with and against one another, this makes me wonder if it's possible for Xbox fans and PS3 fans to do the same.

Finally... Sony showed it's own take on motion controllers, introducing a controller that seemed far superior to that of the Wiimote. Sony then gave us a demonstration of the device with a sword and shield demo in action, as the player was expertly able to dodge, block, and deflect attacks thrown at him. The design is still unfinished, but it's good to see that Sony, who already has a controller for more advanced games, will be able to get a second crack at breaking into Wii's market share.

Overall, it was good to see a focus on the games and the equipment we'll be playing with next year. We'll have more information regarding some of the more major game announcements next week, as soon as some of the rumor and speculation die down. Also, check out this week's podcast for our E3 impressions.