![Dead PS3!](https://web.archive.org/web/20080923121647im_/http://images.quickblogcast.com/111134-103832/deadPS3.jpg)
So, apparently, from what Sony is saying over on their PlayStation Blog,
the format war is over and Blu-Ray has won.Mmmm... Blu-Ray... wait a minute. So now I can watch all of my high definition movies on one format and not have to worry about picking between HD-DVD and the "superior brand". *end sarcasm*
Honestly, I don't mind Blu-Ray winning the DVD wars. What I do mind, however, is Blu-Ray now being touted as the future of gaming and the PlayStation 3 now coming of age. Now, I could fanboy myself all over the place, but I want to be logical and give you a reasoned argument as to why this line of thinking is a fallacy.
Technology never makes or breaks a system - it only aids in the production of the games. We have heard it time and time again, and people still forget this very simple rule.
Games make the system. Blu-Ray being Blu-Ray is one thing, but Blu-Ray to save the PlayStation 3's library is something completely different.
These new HD formats allow the developers to put much more data onto the disk, which in theory allows them to make longer and more complex games with better graphical quality. Yet, at the same time, this puts more of a strain on the company to make higher quality games. Higher quality games mean longer production times, and longer production times mean the publisher shells out more money to the developer.
What did that long line of text just mean? Simply put, you pay more for the game or the publisher quickly forces the developer to release a half-finished product to simply turn a profit.
Right now, developers are not pushing the PlayStation 3 to its limits, and I'm tired of hearing "the developers don't know how to fully utilize the system yet" arguement. It's been two years, and I think all the developers know how to handle the PS3 SDK. What they're lacking is the time to make a professional game that CAN push the PS3 to the limits.
And superior technology never means that the games will be great. We can turn back time and look at systems like the Saturn, 3DO, and Jaguar, which all sported superior technology for the time and yet ultimately flopped. This was because the companies that developed games for these systems lacked vision. They couldn't put their foot down and make a quality game that could catch everyone's interest... they just wanted to make very poor B grade games with powerful technology.
It doesn't matter how fast the system is or how pretty the graphics look. It comes down to if the game is fun or not.
The PlayStation 3 library isn't strong, and everyone's saying it's a late bloomer in the console wars. All of this time, PS3s are sitting on shelves and games aren't being moved, which leads to developers and publishers sucking down poor profits or actual deficits. That's why you see so many PS3 exclusive titles jumping and becoming multi-platform... publishers need that money to support the development of the game.
Can Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4 break that mold? Personally, I would never place buying a system on two games - I need to know that the rest of the library is solid. That's why I followed up with the Xbox 360.
The library for the 360 is strong. Bioshock, Mass Effect, Halo 3 (less so Halo 3), Condemned, Gears of War, Oblivion, Forza Motorsport 2, Project Gotham Racing 4, and the upcoming releases of Huxley, Too Human, and Champions Online make the system look amazingly stable, not to mention the constant releases on the Xbox Live Arcade like RezHD and N+.
To support my final opinions... think back to GoldenEye. You, like most people, probably remember GoldenEye as an amazing game. I played GoldenEye a little bit ago... and it's still as fun. Even with horrible graphics, frame rate issues, and aiming controls that are laughable... the game is still amazing. Now tell me that data and graphics are everything.
I don't care how pretty your game is... I don't care how much you can fit on the disk... do you have the vision to make a great game?