Why Sony Struggles With Launch Games For the Playstation

Where's The Killer App?

If you think of the console wars like a huge horse race, Sony's horse is always the racer that starts off with a limp.  Eventually the system takes full speed and stays neck and neck with the competition.  This is the 6th console/handheld to be unleashed on the market and it comes as no surprise that there is no killer app in the lineup.  Historically, Sony has never had very strong starts since the PS2 arrived.  Look at the other starting lineups.

When the PS3 was released we were introduced to Genji, Untold Legends and Resistance: Fall of Man.  Resistance was the only game that had a future in the lot.  The other games sizzled out.  When the PSP was released Sony tried to entice its fans with Untold Legends, Wipeout Pure, Ape Escape and Lumines.  When the Playstation Move came out, Sony barely scraped by with Kungfu Rider, The Fight: Lights Out and Sports Champions.  The trend continues with PSVita's Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Modnation Racers: Roadtrip getting forgotten.  Finally, with the PS4 welcoming gamers into the new age, we had Knack and Killzone: Shadowfall weighing in against Xbox One's Killer Instinct, Ryse: Son of Rome and Dead Rising 3.  Knack and Shadowfall got critically mediocre scores* leaving gamers to have to find solace in Octodad: Dadliest Catch (What?) and Contrast.

This should have dominated the launch markets.

The Playstation medium is a struggling artist, trying desperately to meld beauty with creativity.  Usually, if you are going to get a Playstation it is because you love Anime, want a game that feels like a movie or you want to control a beautiful flower through a luscious landscape.  Sony can hold its own despite not being the preferred system for frat college boys and competitive shooter leagues.  I always cringe a little when Playstation enters the foray and the games are either half baked, uninspired or rushed.  You can't fault the system, Sony has tried desperately to fight against the Halo and Mario tide with each new system and it feels like they can't win for losing.

If and when the PS5 comes knocking at our door (2020) will we expect to find the same lackluster trend?  Is it better for Sony to skip right to the JRPG and something from Quantic Dreams Studios?  No one can predict these things, but I have strong suspicion that the PS is haunted by what I like to call Crowd Winning Control.  That is the pressure for a system to release 1 or 2 games at launch that truly capture the audience and spirit of the system.  For the Xbox it is always a sci-fi FPS, a racing game or a Kinect game.  For Nintendo it is a Mario game, a Donkey Kong game or a Zelda game.  The Playstation, on the other hand has not really had a recognizable or solid Crowd Winner and that is where they struggle.

System's biggest strengths: Little Japanese boys with swords

And maybe that is why Sony eventually picks itself up by the boot straps and carves out its own niche in the market, it does not rely on a formula like the other guys.  While it may fail to dominate the crowds with a launch title, it gains momentum by throwing unpredictable wild pitches, surprising and lovable gems (like Little Big Planet).  So while Sony can't seem to entice with a killer app that can scratch the Halo/Fable/Mario itch it will emerge with something beautiful.  Playstation is the vintage wine of systems, it gets better with age. 

*

To be fair, the Wii U and Xbox One should be on this same chopping block for lackluster launch titles, but those systems can easily tide over gamers with a Mario game or a Halo.  Even when Sony leads with a sequel that has been known to sell well (Uncharted and Killzone) the games still do not make as big as a splash.   

Xbox One Vs. PS4 (What are gamers really looking for?)

Can Gaming Consoles Keep Up with What gamers Really Want?

The numbers and peripherals may not be enough.

Back in the Early 2000's PS2 and Xbox had some pretty clear differences.  Xbox was an American focused company that utilized a lot of PC software and showed off crisper graphics, while the PS2 was the import king, giving tons of RPGs and Japanese games.

Now the PS4 and Xbox One have unveiled their next generation models and it seems like both companies are fighting for the same market.  What does the gamer care about?  Here is a list of what the gamer's care about

1. Will it Be Pretty and Smooth?

PS4 uses a Jaguar processor with an AMD chip, while the XB1 uses an 8-Core CPU.  Loads of internet sources will tell you that the PS4 has the better hardware or that XB1 has the better layout, but you have to remember one thing; everything is speculation thus far.  We will be lucky if everything speculated comes out accurately within a year.  I remember when the original Xbox came out and my friend was bragging about how this system could "be upgraded so you never have to buy a new console" or that the graphics are "3x the power of the PS2."  We like to hear those numbers pre-purchase because it gives us security in our buying decision. Those numbers all sound impressive, but in the end the average gamer is looking for two things...

Will the game look pretty?

Will it run smoothly?

But then you have the peripherals like the Kinect, the controller, the Eyetoy, and the Illumiroom.  Both companies are fighting to put motion control and voice activation in their games so that will be really close (unless Sony scraps their motion gaming again).  The Illumiroom is going to be expensive and requires that you have a pretty sizable living room.  It will be as exciting as 3D television. If you are like me. you are going to buy a third-party controller to save money (Thank you Walmart).  The only reason I would make a purchase for one over the other is if one company decides to scrap motion gaming (ahem...Sony).

2.  Will It Scratch My Shooter and Sports Itch?

If you are studying on which system to buy then you probably don't care at all that Nintendo Wii U has a huge head start.  You are probably looking for that mind blowing shooter to wow your bros (or sis') in the dorm room.  You have a choice between Killzone Shadow Fall and the inevitable Halo 5.  Also, don't forget the closet full of military shooters that will topple the market.  If you are not into that then you will probably be looking for the experience grinding, fully customizable dragon slaying RPG.  Both systems would not be caught dead without one.  You might be into the sports franchises in which case Sony's market has the slight advantage, but in most cases you are pleased with 2K and EA.  The point is that both systems will scratch that itch.  The question is...what story will you be more loyal to?  Do you want to get deeper into The Helghast or venture further into the Brute war?  It would have made a difference in the Xbox/PS2 war when Xbox was the leading supplier of sci-fi games, while Sony cared more about Japanese offerings.  Now both systems promise to be overly saturated.

Since we are up to our necks in sequels, I really think the system that will win over the new people is the one that produces an original game away from the shooter/sports agenda.

3. Will it Last?

Sony and Microsoft are betting their entire fortunes that you will throw away all your games and previous systems to get their new system.  They are confident that you will treat last year's model as crap and throw it all away for the new stuff.  In the 7 years it takes to make a new system, they will be asking us to do that again.  This seems to be the norm for systems that lack backwards compatibility.  Did we get won over by new games or prettier sequels?  I bet these new systems will make you crap yourself in excitement, but I can't help wonder if the gamer has been reduced to a formula.  A few sequels here and there, a few digital contents here, a Netflix over there and a Facebook to have the complete package.  Let's not forget that game technology is becoming more like food buffets.  Video games are no longer a single purchase investment that you get to take home.  Now they are a digital subscription on a cloud.

As a Bible scholar who cares deeply for the soul, I don't think more digital cramming is good.  The routine of buying mind blowing software every 7 years, racking up tons of digital content and throwing it all away is absurd.  We were never made to be so reckless in our purchases.  I don't care how many frames per second and pixels you have.  Jesus said it best..."The treasures of Earth fade away, rust and get eaten by moths".  Our treasure, to put it in modern terms, lose their value and purpose in 7 years.

In the end, both systems are doing phenomenally well at ensuring fun and mind blowing entertainment.  It really comes down to what franchises you want to see grow.  The question you need to ask yourself is...is it worth drooling over? 

PS Move (Why did you die?)

You may remember slightly Sony's push into the motion game market with a PS Move. That was the giant lollipop controller that used the Eyetoy to track motions. While being somewhat what the Nintendo Wii already was it did promise more accuracy and articulation. That was almost 2 and a half years ago and now the PS Move is all but defeated.
The problem was that Sony did not have confidence with it from the start. The opening lineup of games was pathetic including Sports Champions and Kungfu Rider. It was almost as if the marketing strategist realized that they had just made a glorified Wiimote as they were pushing the production button. A slew of dance games, workout games and addons to games that worked best with controllers came shortly after. Nothing seemed to lift this project off the ground even though the Move was a fun party gizmo and a neat exercise tool.
It comes down to the technology being unfinished and not quite up to par what Sony wanted it to do. Sony wanted a toy that was as accurate as a surgeon's scapel and as responsive as a tornado. But you really cannot have that with today's motion technology. Even the Kinect knows to keep the games lite, simple and incredibly easy. So here is what Sony wanted the PS Move to be, but in the end the technology is not there.

The Fight: Lights Out
This brawler was supposed to show how fast and accurate the spheres could react, linking up each movement with a perfect punch. TFLO probably has the most polished system but it is not a game of accuracy and quick reflexes. The gameplay felt more like you were controlling someone with a slight delay. Also the eyetoy needed you to stand back very far and you never could trust if it was calibrated right.

Killzone 3, SOCOM 4 and Resistance 3
The idea of using the Move as a moving gun seems like a dream come true for every FPS fan. That is probably why there are mostly rail shooters for the Move is the PS Store. The problem lies in the fact that the wand acted simultaneously as your pivoting body and your gun. The deadzone's are a real pain in the neck to mess around with until you find the perfect sensitivity to your movements. You are also not going hold the wand out like a gun and get yourself tired. You are going to hold it at your side like the lazy Americans that we are. They came out with PS Sharpshooter to simulate holding a real rifle, but that is just throwing more money at a controller that should work in the first place. Don't you dare buy ot for a competitive edge in multiplayer because it takes so much more work to turn your character responsively then a regular controller. This is another example of how the Move really accelerates when it is not taken too seriously (AKA The Nintendo Wii library).
I hate to sound like a hater because I absolutely enjoy the party experience in motion gaming, but I can clearly say that the PS Move tried to be something motion gaming wasn't. It tried to be serious gaming. Instead it died faster than Cyclops' performance in Xmen 3. You can dance, whack tennis balls, fly and drive a car with any Kinect, Move or Wii, but the serious gamers still need to hold their breath.