Angry Robot

To Buy or Not To Buy: PS3

When the PS3 came out and people were literally killing each other to get their grubby paws on one of the black behemoths even though there was nothing, and I mean nothing, worth playing on it, people were outraged. Yet, the ones who had invested such wealth into owning one of these modern miracles of engineering poured their selves into a void of denial stating that the next game, that next release would prove their baby to be the Big Bad of the gaming realm.

Games came and went without much of a bang, ooh wow you can control your car with a tilty Sixaxis…Oh wait, no one wanted to pay $600+ to play a sharper version of Wii Excite Truck.

Lair exploded into the hearts and minds of PS3 owners and when the game did not deliver, nay it truly screamed its indifference to most gamers’ pleas for satisfaction, despondency settled over PS3 owners. And then:Nariko.

so sexy...

The breathtaking beauty, who like a succubus bled the essence of God of War into a vessel of her own image, and promised gamers more than just satisfaction…She promised the ultimate in gamer pleasure. Explosive graphics, epic battles, big name motion capture actors, all in all caused a great swoon to come over most of the gaming collective. The PS3 would at last be avenged. But for all her promises and sexy long legs, Heavenly Sword ultimately was a disappointment. Boring, repetitive, predictable, bland. All the things you don’t want in a hot, sexy date. The best thing there was to play for a time was Warhawk. And not everyone likes to play online multiplayer games all the time.

i want a robot on my back...

Then came on the horizon a hero from the past. No, not Link, someone far more…furry. Ratchet, alongside his trusty robot friend Clank made no promise, made no boast, with their first televised ad campaign all they projected was good clean Super Gun Fun. Finally, a savior, a reason to keep (and in most cases start) believing.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune also used a similar method of persuasion. A cocky, yet carefree, young man with rugged good looks in ruins saying ‘to hell with you pirates, I’m taking this treasure with me’. Exciting, sexy, alluring. And these suggestive glances to gamers paid off, the games were more than good and for the first time PS3 gamers could say they were _great-.

sexy, if you go for that sort of thing...

At the same time in the quiet moments between discs, the PSN called out to its forlorn members, ‘Come this way, I have something for you.’ New and unique games like Everyday Shooter and Pain were promised and delivered. Pain slyly hooked its “you must get more ooch power!” claws into the minds of young physics lovers everywhere and promised future theme packs, more characters, more game modes in the future. Suddenly it seemed the wait was over on both sides. The PS3 was beginning to live up to the expectations of gamers just enough to start soothing current owners into a state of happiness, while coaxing the uninitiated into thoughts of relieving their pockets of cash. Then came the nail in the indecision coffin: the price drop. That “still expensive but for what you’re getting it’s more than reasonable” $399 price point. A Blu-Ray player, more than a solid base of downloadable content, and big exclusive titles that finally used what the PS3 had to offer.

I used to despise the PS3 on principle. Now, I’m a happy convert eager to shed tears of frustration if it means that I can experience more gaming happiness like Ratchet sometime in 2008. And really that’s all I need. I don’t know about you though. It’s like, you know what’s been going on with this thing, you know the heartache, but you can also see the light at the end of this ever so long tunnel. To wait to step into the light, or simply embrace the current shadow with hope in your heart is a choice best left to one’s own inner voice of reason.

If you ask me though?

2008 will be a much better place for PS3 owners. Maybe you should consider becoming one…

2 comments on "To Buy or Not To Buy: PS3"

  1. DPI says:

    something I have to agree with…

  2. D says:

    You know what would be interesting? Learning more about some of the upcoming games for the PS3. I know that sounds like a preview (shudder), but in this case I think it’s warranted; it would affect my buying decisions. Cause as it is, a couple good games aren’t really enough for that $400 right now. The blu-ray thing I’m willing to hold off on because of downloads, both of the bittorrent and Rogers-on-Demand kinds.

    I know there will be Metal Gears and Final Fantasies and Little Big Planets, but when?

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