10 reasons why the PS3 is relevant again

by Jem Alexander { Mar 4th 2008 at 3:00PM }

If you're reading this blog, then you probably don't need convincing that the PS3 is "relevant" in the video game industry today. You probably already know exactly what makes the system great. If not, however, be sure to check out our latest feature, entitled "10 Reasons why the PS3 relevant again."

We've put together a decent list that covers all of our bases with regards to hardware, software and firmware. All the wares you could ever need in a decent current-gen console. If you agree or disagree with any of the points, or feel that something was left out, let us know in the comments.

Tags: joystiqfeatures, ps3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Ranus Studios @ Mar 4th 2008 3:12PM

Call me a jerk, but I don't really care about any of these.

And I have one of the things.

HalaMadrid!!! @ Mar 4th 2008 5:06PM

I wonder what will make the playstation4 relevant when it comes out? Thats the name of the new system right????? oh well I agree with the first reason Blu-Ray

AnonyMack @ Mar 4th 2008 5:37PM

hmm... none of this stuff interests me either.

I Don't have an HDTV, not a fan of MGS, and I already have Xbox Live...

I think I just justified my continued apathy towards the ps3.

The PSN games are the only thing I like after a year+... and 3 10$ games that I'll play for a month isn't enough to justify a 400$ purchase.

LJ @ Mar 4th 2008 3:20PM

Bad tittle.

coplice @ Mar 4th 2008 3:27PM

Shouldn't number 1 be because it has good game?

AnonyMack @ Mar 4th 2008 5:38PM

thats what I always say! no one hears us, man...

SkeetSkiLee @ Mar 4th 2008 7:51PM

but it does have good games! dont 360 need good games too besides shooters??? and what about the wii?? motion controls dont work with everything... and the library of game it has proves it too.. most of them suk besides the 1st party games witch i like... no reason to go buy a 3rd party game on wii

taz10_remix @ Mar 4th 2008 3:37PM

Another reason: free themes

Am I the only one who doesn't like paying for customization? 500 Microsoft Spacebucks for an avatar? 800 for a theme?

With PS3, free themes on PSN and on the internet (user created) on top of Sony having released an XMB Theme Editor for PC that allows you to make your own XMB themes for PSP and PS3.

Free themes and an ease of use OS in Cross Media Bar, if that isn't user friendly to you *cough*X360Fanboy*cough* then I don't know what is.

Edge @ Mar 4th 2008 5:46PM

Way to miss the point.

Sure you can get the paid themes... or you can load your own background images.

If you missed that fact *cough*PS3Fanboy*cough* I don't know what to tell you...

a.j. @ Mar 4th 2008 3:37PM

I love when people say "still relevant" like the thing is 20 years old. Lame story. PS3 rules. We know.

Kinglink @ Mar 4th 2008 3:42PM

A lot of these reasons are quite weak, outdated, or biased. Home
should have been out already, but we're going to be waiting for a
LONG time. Regular updates are for both systems, but the 360 didn't
need the XMB. Dual shock 3 should have been a launch product. That
being said the other points are pretty spot on.

I own a PS3, but to be honest... Most of us are tired of this waiting
game. We heard all of these reasons 6 monthes ago... Nothing has
really changed. We did get some good games at the end of the last
year, but waiting is getting tiring.

Carl;)G @ Mar 4th 2008 3:46PM

Yeah PS3 rules & that(i got a 60GB one), but
5 of those things on that list are not available yet!?!?
i.e
HOME
DS3 pads(U.K,U.S)
LBP
MGS4
In-Game XMB
+it's cheaper coz they took out PS2 B/C!!! :-/
When they bring all of those things out PS3 WILL be worth every penny!!! ;)

marklar @ Mar 4th 2008 3:49PM

Agreed - it should've been a top 5 list. A top 10 is just pushing it...

doc j @ Mar 4th 2008 3:54PM

I think people underestimate the awesomeness of Remote Play. I just got a PSP last friday and I am totally digging the Remote Play capabilities. Comining TVersity and Remote Play I now have 1 TB of potential media for viewing anywhere with a wireless connection.

That being said, I think the PS3 is relevant again mostly because of the impending onslaught of hyped games... if they can live up to the hype.

Dahk @ Mar 4th 2008 4:27PM

You... must... MUST get Pixeljunk Monsters then lol.

Actually I haven't tried my copy of Lair on Remote Play. (yeaaaaaah I was one of the Lair suckers.)

doc j @ Mar 4th 2008 6:24PM

Already got pixel junk monsters :)
Haven't tried Lair though, I'd probably get it if it does end up getting the analog patch (and yeah, I know the psp can remote play it with the analog - but that'd be 60 bones for essentially a psp game. count me out)

Supino @ Mar 4th 2008 4:04PM

Home and DualShock 3 as two of the reasons... really?

I own both 360 and PS3.. here's what wrong about both of em'..

PS3:
* Need more exclusives
* A better PSN Store
* BC on at least one modle!! (why sony? why..)
* Better online service
* European PSN Store; this just makes me angry...
* In Norway, PS3 games cost more than X360 games...

XBOX360:
* Online play should be free
* Make the machine less noisy!
* Make quality hardware!!
* Make the HD mandatory.
* DL-DVD isn't enough space.
* XBLA gamesize limit -> make it higher!

dannyCage @ Mar 4th 2008 5:38PM

a positive note to your list is that the PS3 requests will propably be fixed in the lifespan of the console, while the X360's list wont.. :)

deaftly @ Mar 4th 2008 4:06PM

I understand this is a "fanboy" site but half these reasons are just moot points. You're making the damn system just look desperate now.

deaftly @ Mar 4th 2008 5:44PM

btw...

"This means there's no extra cost for the complete PS3 experience - just grab a console, a game and you're off."

Complete experience ya say? Yea who needs HD cables, a headset and a vibrating controller you'll want to buy later on. Sorry but this whole article is misinforming.

stirlo @ Mar 4th 2008 8:24PM

lame, if you're trying to compare it to the 360, the machine where everything is an add on, and has to be an Official MS addon... ( no using your own BT headset, hard drive etc )

James @ Mar 4th 2008 4:11PM

Ugh. I'll give you 1 (Blu-ray), 7 (Remote play), 8(MGS), 9 (LBP), and 10 (Home), but the others I take serious issue with.

2 and 3.) Downloadable games -- all 3 new-gen consoles have great DLC, and frankly PS3 has the weakest showing of the 3. Wii has piles of awesome VC games, XBLA has about a hundred games now (I think), and PSN has... WP says 34 to date, compared to 118 for XBLA and 61 for VC. This is not something you want to brag about.

4.) DualShock - "Hey, we screwed you on rumble, but for ONLY the price of a new game (each), you can have it! Two years after launch! Oh, and good luck getting rid of your original controllers, suckers!" Uh, yeah.

5.) I guess the PS3 does more, but that doesn't hide the fact that you don't even have the *option* of forgoing stuff you're not going to use and getting one on the cheap. Worse yet, you lose one of the best features first: the hundred-dollars-off model is the one that doesn't play PS2 games.

6.) If anything, you could word this as "Free value-add features tacked on once or twice per year". To my knowledge, the only thing worth a damn they've added has been extra video-format support. That's great and all, but IIRC they did it a month *after* the 360. Frankly, it sounds like "we play catch-up as quick as we can".

If I were writing this list, I'd include
* the fact that it supports MPEG-2 over the network (important for those of us with TV-capture cards, most of which still record in that format)
* The web browser (360 has none; Wii one sucks because of the low res)
* XMB is a better interface than 360 dashboard (I'd say that's a pretty objective truth)
* Linux support + user-replaceable hard drive

I own a PS3, but I bought my 360 first, because I wanted a game machine, and PS3 just hasn't delivered on exclusives the way the 360 did. They're working on it (see #8 and #9), but it's taking time. In the meantime, at least we should be honest about the console's flaws.

JKPierce @ Mar 4th 2008 4:59PM

I hate lists in posts.

-You're confusing quantity with quality. It's infinitely moronic, especially considering its first year status.

-DualShock - 'We got sued over a vague patent and fought over it; courts ruled we couldn't have access to the technology while under process. After hearing the demand for it, we decided to give the consumer choice.' Yeah.

-I guess the PS3 does have more, and excluding features brings the price point down from 'lose asston of cash' to 'almost break even,' and again provide consumer choice while still maintain a standard feature list to provide a homogeneous upkeep of games.

-If anything, you could word this as "Free value-add features tacked on once or twice per month. That our userbase requested. And we added." To my knowledge, you've got no goddamn idea what you're talking about.

If you genuinely wanted a gaming console with elaborate library, you wouldn't purchase one in its infancy years, nor would you compare a new versus old.

It's genuinely heartwarming you've found a console you enjoy. Its got its own site with its own, varied 'flaws' one also shouldn't overlook.

You dare use the word 'objective.'

Kabapu @ Mar 5th 2008 12:41PM

"DualShock - "Hey, we screwed you on rumble, but for ONLY the price of a new game (each), you can have it! Two years after launch! Oh, and good luck getting rid of your original controllers, suckers!" Uh, yeah."

It's already been said, but if you'd done your homework (or actually paid any attention to news related to the gaming world at all), you'd have known they were sued for the technology and *couldn't* use it.

"To my knowledge, the only thing worth a damn they've added has been extra video-format support. That's great and all, but IIRC they did it a month *after* the 360. Frankly, it sounds like "we play catch-up as quick as we can"."

This again shows how uninformed you are. It's actually the other way around. Yes, the 360 achieved it first, but only a month after it was announced that the PS3 was being DivX certified. MS then quickly threw together the feature so they wouldn't be beaten to the punch by Sony (keep in mind, it *is* essentially thrown together since, unlike Sony, they aren't technically DivX certified [unless something's changed in the last 2-3 months], and it also shows that they only innovate for the sake of their customers when they're trying to out-do their competition).

Supino @ Mar 4th 2008 4:26PM

spot on. I agree 100%

Edge @ Mar 4th 2008 4:35PM

Wow...talk about reaching.

This is a laundry list of "yeahbut"s. 360 excels in most aspects compared to this list, but the real crime is that we as PS3 users are expected by this kind of viral marketing to pretend the 360 doesn't exist.

PSN games are a JOKE! 360 knows that demos make all the difference and anyone who thinks otherwise, frankly, has to be delusional. PSN games are not a value until they consistently remove the leap-of-faith...

Ridah @ Mar 4th 2008 4:39PM

I have a PS3 and I find it extremely infuriating when I play a game and find that it has no Anti-aliasing. FFS why can't Sony force developers to use AA??! It burns me up so bad that after spending so much on a console ($799 on the console, then $100 for a game in Aus) then extremely high prices for PS3 games that the damn game does not even use basic rendering technlogies like anti aliasing. WTF sony, no PS3 is not relevant until Sony puts the flamethrower on these lazy fucking developers.

Consolcwby @ Mar 4th 2008 8:35PM

O.o Wtf are you talking about??? Which games have extreme aliasing problems?? I own about 15 and the only ones with those kinds of problems are launch games!... Are you still using a SD monitor or something? o.O

Eggy @ Mar 4th 2008 4:39PM

It has and will have a great line up this year. Don't care about this list nor do I see the need to make one. Sony has nothing to worry about anymore, unlike last year.

Piddy @ Mar 4th 2008 4:43PM

You meant to say "background" downloading, not "backwards" downloading in #6 right? That doesn't sound like a selling point.

WTF iz dat about @ Mar 4th 2008 4:45PM

10 reeeeeeal reasons why the ps3 is relevent1.strong library of games2.free online 3.bluray 4.strong 1st/3rd party support 5.remote play6.free themes/creatable themes7.almost all video format compatibility and all music pic formats8.Internet browser optional/os installer9.direct downloads from the web or psp10. 0.2% hardware failurethese are all thing that make the ps3 relevent..."today". Things like in game xmb and Mgs4 makes it relevent in the near future. First the not so cool 08 game poll and know this hmmmmm sometimes I wonder

Simstim @ Mar 4th 2008 4:58PM

positives
- Blu ray player
- Upgradible firmware for the BR profiles
- ergonomic XMB
- good media server
- original IP for the PSN with some quality games
- free internet service
- dedicated game servers
- original IP for the PS3 instead of only cashing in on sequels
- bells n whistles like wallpaper, themes, modulated voices, upgradable HDD, universal adaptable USB for keyboards, mouses, cams etc..
- BC upscaling and smoothing of games for HDTVs (with faster loadtimes)
- Sony's best game lineup for one of its consoles in its first year ever (PS1, PS2, PSP PS3).

negatives
- lack of an infrared receiver, as a consequence lack of Bluetooth compliant universal remotes compatible with the PS3
- lack of standardized in-game XMB for pick up games
- lack of in-game music player
- cumbersome PS Store
- small selection of PS1 games for PSN
- small selection of PSN games with only a handful of quality games
- overall lack of content on the PSN, movie and game trailers, development trailers and interview videos
- limiting uploads to the PSN to Thursdays instead of throughout the week
- delayed or lack of PS3 game demos
- poor presentation of PSN games (demos, screenshots, trailers, file size, simple list of features and genre of game) how the hell is a person suppose to know what they are buying?
- sluggish and inconsistent PS Store speeds both for browsing the store and downloading content
- sloppy pricing for the PS Store for different regions
- sloppy release schedule for PSN games for the various global PS Stores
- the RSS functions of the PS3 have yet to be fully implemented
- cumbersome web browser
- lack of a quality media player for quick selection and organization of video and music files
- inconsistent standard quality of games from 3rd party publishers compared to the 360
- incompatibleness of the PS3 with 3rd party devices like Apple's iPhone or iPod. I'd like to see other devices be able to take advantage of some of the PS3's remote view features as a media server.
- last but not least delays delays delays delays

thehunter1320 @ Mar 4th 2008 5:02PM

really... those are reasons the PS3 is "relevant" now?

spare me... i own the damn thing and it hasn't been plugged since february 2007

the only thing worth a damn on that list is MGS4 and LittleBigPlanet

Devin @ Mar 4th 2008 6:16PM

Are you serious? You haven't turned it on for almost a year......riiiggghhtttt......why did you even buy it?

What games do you own at the moment? As for exclusives: Motorstorm, Heavenly Sword, UT3, Uncharted, Folklore, Warhawk, other exclusive PSN games are not enough for you....

On another note, I love how 360, with all of its problems, still gets considered a great console when over 16% (and this is conservative btw considering they expect it to be around 60%) of the units were/are defective or RRoD'd....

Don't get me wrong the 360 IS better in terms of features right now, and only because the PS3 doesn't have in-game XMB. When that day comes, along with games like MGS4, LBP, KZ2, Home, FFXII, Haze, Crysis, etc (games that should hopefully be out by the end of summer)....people will begin to think otherwise about the console....

I, myself, am waiting for a price drop/HW revision, and also for games (that I want) to come out; hopefully by this summer, of course.

thehunter1320 @ Mar 4th 2008 8:18PM

i bought it for MGS4 and LittleBigPlanet... and maybe some FFXIII... that's all this console has going for it anyway

MartyK2500 @ Mar 4th 2008 5:17PM

PS3 rules.Period.Home...a complete waste of time.Why not just a simple user-friendly interface.You won't find Me wasting my precious time in HOME...

Popfrogs @ Mar 4th 2008 5:29PM

Hahaha...who wrote page six?

"Over the last twelve months we've been given DivX support, backwards downloading"

Backwards downloading? Isn't that...uploading? Or backGROUND downloading, more likely.

Sony still needs to fix this. Why? Because if you have an external hard drive, it still downloads in the foreground. Only downloads direct to the PS3 internal hard drive can be backgrounded, which is just silly.

John @ Mar 5th 2008 10:16PM

not silly. An external hard drive requires quite a bit more resources than internal (usb, etc). Geez, dude, freaking read up.

yomama07024 @ Mar 4th 2008 5:40PM

The title of this should be "10 Reasons Why the PS3 is Relevant"
You guys should have left out "again".

ajiezer @ Mar 4th 2008 6:05PM

Well very important to me is the reliability of the hardware, it's was designed by a true engineer kudos for Kutaragi-san.

My bro accidentally dropped water on it and I opened the PS3 to dry it (the fan is huge) it still works without a problem.

I read that many of you are discontent with the things that are coming but still have not arrived. I don't consider myself patient but for now I have enough to deal with until the store is improved next month and as for games Warhawk, Resistance, UT3, Call of Duty and The Eye of Judgment are enough for me right now, I even hesitate in buying more games like Devil May Cry 4 because I'm still enjoying those titles, though looking forward to: Little Big Planet, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, Resistance 2, Naruto, GTA 4, Bionic Commando, Killzone 2, RE 5 and of course MGS 4.

I'm happy with my PS3 and it's getting better so I don't have any reason to complaint so far, lucky me?

Devin @ Mar 4th 2008 6:26PM

Well, after hearing all of the comments so far you really should feel bad about buying one. I mean, "no good games are out" and without the ability to talk to people online, it's just not worth it for anyone to buy it....

The way that people are saying "There's no good games out for it" are seriously just saying "Any games that come out for both 360 & PS3 should really only be considered 360 games since they were probably meant for just the 360....I mean the games were just ports anyways...those don't count...." That statement gets me everytime....I guess for people that have BC, PS2 games don't count either.......

Honestly ajiezer, I'm with you. Most people (such as yourself) IMO that bought the PS3 for the games that are now currently out are still continuing to play them and are enjoying them to their fullest. Of course if you own a 360 people are going to think "why did I buy it", but what do you expect when the console is still in that grace period before a good wave of 1st-party exclusives comes out. How long did it take for Halo 3 to come out for 360?

Juan Pablo @ Mar 4th 2008 6:55PM

@ Devin

That's right, It takes time for the great stuff to come. I remember some developers that were complaining about the difficulty of the PS3 now that they know it a little better some of them changed their opinions and recognized the potential of it.

I can't say anything about the 360 (at least not bad things) because I don't have it, but some of the good things it has now didn't came at launch, one game I really like (tried on a pc) is Gear of War.

I respect the opinion of the ones that complaint about the PS3, it's a free market and anyone can buy what they want, I'm just happy with my purchase, have made friends online, I have a Blu-Ray player (that by the time the PS3 was out was not a reason to buy it for me, just the games) and I love my movies in HD.

Popfrogs @ Mar 4th 2008 7:21PM

Same exact thing happened with the PS1 and PS2. Radical architectures that take bold steps forward to advance gaming and entertainment are hard to work with. At first.

Sony's problem is that they're a hardware company first and software company second. It usually takes a good 2 years before devs get comfortable, then another 2 years or so for Sony to allow access to the 'metal' of the hardware through new dev kits and software releases. We didn't get to witness truly great games from the PS2 until this happened. Take a look at GoW vs. everything that came before it, and FFXII vs. other games. Both looked and played incredibly.

I have no doubt the PS3 will attain this level of greatness in the future. The cool thing is that we get some of that future this year.

Devin @ Mar 4th 2008 9:46PM

In regards to developing for the PS3 this is only good news for future development:

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/21/gdc08-phyreengine-sonys-new-free-cross-platform-engine/

Basically, the way it works is the PS3 is the superior console, so develop for it first and then port the 360. It just makes sense....and I see this as a good thing for PS3 owners. Without this, games such as Dark Sector would only continue....development starts w/ PS3, but the PS3 version ends up being inferior to the 360......ridiculous....

ajiezer @ Mar 4th 2008 6:58PM

I dunno why sometimes my real name appears and sometimes my nickname :P, but anyway Devin, good post I agree as ajiezer and Juan Pablo :)

ajiezer @ Mar 4th 2008 7:34PM

@ Popfrogs
True, GOW and FFXII and I would add Grand Turismo 4 came long after but the results compared to the previous were jaw dropping. Fortunately Sony is in a different attitude now and they are helping developers and even reducing the cost of the kit to make it easier for them to get juice from the PS3. Almost can't wait for summer.