My daily routine always begins with browsing the internet to see what’s new in the world of PlayStation. Today I was greeted with an article that has hit the top of gaming news aggregation site N4G and has, quite rightly, caused quite a bit of debate/argument between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners. “The PlayStation brand needs to die,” reads the headline to Alex R. Cronk-Young’s article on BITMOB.
Ouch, that’s a bit harsh, was my immediate reaction. After then reading his article I felt I needed to respond as someone who is at the heart of the PlayStation community at PlayStation Universe. As a representative of one of the largest dedicated PlayStation communities outside of the official channel, I know that many of our readers and all of my colleagues would agree: the PlayStation brand is going absolutely nowhere. In fact, it’s only going to get stronger. Cronk-Young is way off the mark in his assumptions.
Before you continue, read his article.
Let me first start off by saying that I own an Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3. In fact, I wrote for Xbox 360 websites before I came on board at PlayStation Universe, and I was even on the beta phase when Xbox Live first launched, a full year before the PS3. I love my Xbox for many reasons, but I also love my PS3 and PS Vita, but I’m a fanboy of neither. The article by Cronk-Young, however, in which he suggests that the gaming community have lost faith in the PlayStation brand, is blatant Xbox 360 fanboy-ism.
The BITMOB journalist argues that PlayStation as a brand should die a death and Sony should start all over again in order to shake off what he says is its negative image. He believes that the global hardware sales stats, which tip slightly in the favour of Microsoft, is one of the indicators that the gaming community is dissatisfied with PlayStation, though he largely cites the negative comments about the brand from his 30+ co-workers, who he admits are “fairly new to gaming.”
That’s the point, right? PlayStation is for core gamers. Go online at 2am in the morning and the servers are packed with fanatical competitive gamers. Yes, Sony tried (and failed) with PlayStation Move to capture some of that casual crowd, but just like PS Vita, PS3 is a console built for core gaming experiences. It doesn’t need motion-sensing gimmickry to convince those PlayStation fanatics who understand what the brand is really all about.
Because Sony needs this guy to like them
Those gamers are right there now, playing some of the best games to have ever graced a home console: God Of War III, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, inFamous 2, Gran Turismo and the many other great franchises that Xbox 360 and PS3 have in common, such as Batman, Mass Effect and BioShock, to name just a few.
Our community is buzzing with positive PlayStation chat from thousands of people who are satisfied with their PS3 console and new handheld. Sony would be absolutely crazy to change a brand that is so far embedded into the heart of real gamers. There’s not a chance in hell that it would ever consider changing that; and if it did it would be an absolute travesty and a huge loss to those who have grown up with the brand and discovered it in recent years.
Sony has, of course, made mistakes with PlayStation. Over-pricing with the PS3 didn’t help shift units at the beginning, the XMB and online infrastructure admittedly isn’t as smooth and robust as it could be, and, yes, the hacking of the PSN pissed us off too. But, there’s a great deal to evangelise about PlayStation.
I’m on my fourth Xbox 360 now (three Red Rings of Death,) yet my PS3 has never failed me. The hardware is quality and it has enabled developers such as Naughty Dog to create cinematic experiences that couldn’t work on Xbox 360. We’ve had stunning exclusives, enjoyed HD-quality games and Blu-ray movies, an in-depth Trophy system which has spurred on the core competitive crowd, and – though PlayStation Home is rarely mentioned in media channels – it’s a place brimming with social activity.
What really makes PlayStation so great though is the community. Yes, they’ve had their frustrations with Sony, but they’re fiercely loyal to the brand. Those people have poured hours into games, they’ve connected with each other through social channels and forums, and even in the last few months I’ve seen how well the community is interacting with PS Vita and its social connectivity options.
PS Vita is set up very nicely to be the best dedicated gaming handheld ever launched for core gamers. Vita is a great device and proudly stands for what the PlayStation brand has always tried to do: deliver core gaming experiences and top quality hardware that pushes the technical boundaries and consistently encourages developers to create games that can outperform and visually outshine its competitors.
Mark my words; the launch line-up for PS4 is going to blow people away. Sony doesn’t need to rebrand PlayStation at all; the core audience will always be here, and with such a rich history behind it, they will always support them as long as they continue to do what they do best. Sony undoubtedly needs to learn from its mistakes with the PS3, but with the launch of PS Vita recently and the impending announcement of the PS4, the PlayStation brand is only set to get stronger.
Editor’s note: BITMOB has contacted PSU to tell us that Mr. Cronk-Young does not actually own an Xbox 360 and that he explains this in the first couple of paragraphs, which it believes we misinterpreted. After some discussion, we’re happy to accept that he is not actually an Xbox 360 fanboy as stated in the headline and PSU article and apologise for any problems it may have caused.