It’s hard to believe that Sony released the PlayStation 3 in North America five years ago today. We all have memories and stories tied to Sony’s powerful console, and your friends at PSU want to share them with you. While some made day-one purchases, others waited a year or so in hope the hefty price would drop. While the past five years have been anything but simple when it comes to the PS3, we can all agree it is home to an exciting lineup of software. In addition to our personal stories, we wanted to share our five favorite PS3 games. Drop us a note below or join the forum discussion to share your story. Congratulations to Sony, and happy anniversary!
Adam Dolge
Executive Editor, PSU
I admit that I feel a little bit like a sucker when it comes to my early experience with the PlayStation 3. It was probably about four years ago when I spent more than a week’s paycheck at the time on a game console, Sony’s newest black box of wonders. With a PS1 and PS2 under my belt, it was logical to get the successor. But, I really got the PS3 because I was anxiously awaiting the latest Final Fantasy game. Sure, it went cross platform, but I couldn’t be happier with my investment. Here at PSU I’ve had the privilege to play and review a ton of games, and it’s been a blast to see developers learn to work with the powerhouse and make better and better games. So, on the five year anniversary of the PS3, I say go enjoy some great games, brag to your friends on your elite trophy collection, watch a couple new game trailers, and above all, enjoy your PS3.
Favorite Games:
– Red Dead Redemption
– God of War III
– The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
– Heavy Rain
– LittleBigPlanet
Steven Williamson
U.K. Editor, PSU
It doesn’t feel like five years since I spent over £400 on the PlayStation 3. That was a lot of money. At the time I was saving up to get married and my fiancée was absolutely livid when she saw me come home with the PS3 under my arm. I remember walking out of GAME clutching onto my console like my life depended on it. I hot-footed it toward my car, anxiously keeping an eye out for any shady character who might attempt to mug me for it. I was so excited nothing would have stopped me getting the PS3 home. I played Motorstorm religiously for the first few weeks. Since those initial launch games, there’s been so many highlights. I’ll never forget the marathon session I had on Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot. What a game!
Favourite Games:
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Mass Effect 2
God of War III
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Matt Raspe
Australian Editor, PSU
Ohai and Happy Birthday, PlayStation 3. You grew up so fast, didn’t you? Soon you’ll be wearing booties and trotting off to kindergarten. One of the major reasons why I bought myself a PlayStation 3 was so that my girlfriend could play the latest installment to her favourite game series, Final Fantasy XIII, on the day of its release. There are a few other reasons outside of being a good boyfriend, one of which was to play with some of my PC gaming clan buddies, in various games that they played. Also, I saw a review of Resistance: Fall of Man and Heavenly Sword by none other than Good Game’s @thejunglist and @bajopants – so I pretty much knew which games I wanted when I bought my PS3, and funny enough, JB Hifi had a deal with those two games – how sweet is that? I don’t play my PlayStation 3 as often as I probably should (given that I still buy games for it), but I’m glad it’s there. Happy Birthday!
Favourite Games:
– Killzone 2 / 3
– God of War 3
– Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
– Motorstorm, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
– Dead Space
Don Oliveira
Editor / News Reporter, PSU
First off: Happy Birthday, PS3. What can I say about you that hasn’t already been said? I remember going to a friend’s house to see Resistance: Fall of Man in action on launch day. Nothing turned my friends and I into giddy little 5-year-olds like Sony’s new black box of Blu-ray. I was itching to buy one after that. I even went as far as buying Resistance: Fall of Man a month before I even got my own PS3 out of sheer excitement. Fast-forward five years, and I still use my PlayStation 3 nearly almost every day, whether it is for gaming, movies, Netflix, or music. You were off to a rocky start, but it’s been a great five years, PS3. Cheers.
Favorite Games:
– Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
– Fallout 3
– Dead Space 2
– Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
– Heavy Rain
Rob Zwetsloot
Freelance Writer, PSU
Two years after the console launched, I finally relented and bought a PS3. It took about two months and several failed eBay attempts, but I finally got my hands on an American 80 GB model, the one with software backwards compatibility, so I could import PS2 games. I’d been one of the critics of the PS3 from day one, but I’m a reasonable man, and I felt the console had matured over 2008 to be a very desirable product. Now it’s probably my primary console, and has replaced my dedicated HTPC. Sure, I’m about ready for the next generation of consoles, but this unprecedented slew of late era games will keep me going until the PS5 at this rate.
Favorite Games:
– Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
– Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
– Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
– You Don’t Know Jack
– Valkyria Chronicles
Timothy Nunes
Freelance Writer, PSU
The announcement of the PlayStation 3 would have been enough for me to buy it. However, in that same E3 event, a first-person trailer was aired by the one and only Hideo Kojima. I was horrified that he had changed his ways, until Old Snake appeared from behind a corner and took out the soldier being played. That trailer alone would have also been enough for me to buy a PS3. After all that, I still long for the evening when I can spend quality time with my PlayStation. It’s only been five years, but the time has gone so fast; about as fast as so many games have come and gone. That’s the beauty of such a console, in that having so much variety makes the console so much more desirable. At this point, what else can we do but prove why we bought these black boxes. Go out, get a game, and veg on the couch for the evening with the birthday boy!
Favorite games:
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
-Final Fantasy XIII
-Red Dead Redemption
-Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
-Killzone 3
Ghost-Rhayne
PSU Community
I got my PS3 in 2008 and Metal Gear Solid was my first game. I came to Austria with my PS3 with 6 games, 3 years later I have 67 retail games, 26 of which are PS3 exclusive titles. Sony have perfectly catered to my gaming needs, and additions like Move, Sharpshooter and 3D made the PS3 my 1 stop shop for gaming, just like the PS2 before it, and the PS before that. Picking my top 5 games is tough, but I think in the light of my appreciation for 3D, I would have to say…
Uncharted 3
Batman: Arkham City
Assassins Creed: Revelations
These games look FANTASTIC in 3D, I can’t even play them in 2D anymore.
…are among my top 5 at the moment. Skyrim is on the way and I am pretty sure that this title will make it to my top 5 too. It’s hard; there are so many awesome games that I want to add, Killzone 3 and Resistance 3 get honorable mentions, as does the amazing inFamous 2. Deus Ex was also awesome. Hmmm…Ok, for my last 2, I will go with…
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
inFamous 2
inFamous MAY get replaced with Skyrim when it arrives.
ERC1980
PSU Community
Got my PS3 at launch. Still alive and ticking (like so many Sony products). So many brilliant games on this worthy successor to the ps2. No other gaming console can satisfy my gaming needs like the PS3. My first true experience playing online, getting to know other people from around the world (Ghost Rhayne for example).
My top 5 games in no particular order
inFamous 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Dead Space 2
and a majority of these AAA gaming experiences are found ONLY on ps3!