SONY - The worst thing to ever happen to gaming?
When the Sony arrived on the videogaming scene back in late 1994 (Japan), I greeted them with open arms and a big smile. Back in those days, I always had a belief that the more systems, the merrier. I loved for new systems to be released, I was an early adopter type, and I always needed a reason to look forward to a new gaming system. So the arrival of Sony into the game was a great thing, as far as I was concerned.
The PS1 came out in the U.S. on 09/09/95, and I was there in line at Software ETC to pick my preserved unit, with cash in hand. The first playstation was a great system. Sony was somewhat of an underdog at the time, people didn't really know what to expect from a company that really didn't have any kind of track record with games. Sure, they had all the dough necessary to make it happen, but none of the experience. So initially, people were somewhat skeptical, and didn't know if the Playstation would pan out and be a successfull entry into the race.
Of course as the years went by, it became obvious to everyone, including Nintendo and Sega, that not only would the Playstation be a successful entry into the game, it would be a total market dominator.
Sony dominated gaming like no other company since Nintendo did back in the days of the NES. If you remember, back in the days of the NES, Nintendo took full advantage of their monopoly like dominance by forcing retailers to take product that they really didn't want, or to be cut off completely.
Well Sony took this practice to a whole nuther level. They went as far as making demands on exactly where their product would be positioned on the sales floor, for maximum exposure. Even forcing retailers to prematurely stop selling games for other systems, because of Sony's overwhelming shelf space demands and pressure.
Still, Sony was great for gaming, it made Sega come back much harder with the Dreamcast, and gave Nintendo all it could handle in terms of it's battle with the N64. There were tons of great games on the Playstation and everything was great.
Or was it?
The downside of one company having total dominance over an industry is the fallout that happens for the next go round. Sega had a superior product in the Sega Dreamcast. An exceptionally well designed and well planned product. The Dreamcast was really way before it's time, in terms of internet gaming, the 3D power that it had, the progressive scan 480P games, all of that. The Dreamcast was a powerhouse. Normally, the Dreamcast would have been a runaway smash at retail. Except for the fact that the best developers in the industry were literally scarred to support it. Scarred to support the DC because of a backlash that they feared Sony would show upon them when it came time for the PS2. So companies like Electronic Arts and Square decided to stick firmly in the Sony camp. Content to wait for Sony's machine and to stay in the good graces of big daddy.
One could argue that if it wasn't for the total dominance of the PS1, that the Dreamcast could have been the dominating system in the next round. But with so many quality developers scarred to anger Sony, they simply watched on the sidelines, and casual gamers decided to wait as well. Thus the Dreamcast was likely sent to a way too premature death all because of the total dominance of the PS1.
Then we have the XBOX and GameCube. The PS2 comes out, and even though it is vastly underpowered, and badly designed, all of the best developers stick to the PS2 like glue. Both the XBOX and GameCube are far superior systems, but again, the developers are going to stick with the breadwinner and not bite the hand that feeds. Sure they will port their games over to the XBOX and Cube, but they will be uninspired ports that take no advantage of the vastly superior visuals and sounds. No one is more guilty of this than Electronic Arts. In fact, EA is so far up Sony's arse, that they give Sony exclusivity to all online E.A. Sports games. A huge trump card for Sony.
Why would they do such a thing? Simple. Sony is the hand that feeds, and they don't want to bite the hand that feeds. They know that soon there will be a Playstation 3, and they want to be right there with Sony as the first to get their hands on the development kits to gain a competitive edge over all the other developers. Because in times like these companies need hit games to survive. Million selling games. It's the ocassional hit games that keep companies afloat nowadays. Even though the XBOX is a much more powerfull system, and setup perfectly to deliver the online gaming experience, EA doesn't want to mess around with a good thing. Sure they will port their games over, but they won't develop groundbreaking original technology on Sony's competing systems.
And EA is by no means the only company that is doing this. It's just a prime example of what is going on with this "TOTAL DOMINANCE BY SONY FACTOR".
The results of the rampant success of the Playstation has basically meant the death to 3 systems that are actually superior in almost every way to the Sony machine. It killed the Dreamcast, the Cube is on lifesupport, and the XBOX is in surgery.
The truly unfortunate thing is that I really don't see anything changing any time soon. This Sony thing, this Playstation thing has just snoballed. Casual gamers don't really know or even care about the XBOX and Cube. They basically totally dissregard these superior systems. Why? Because of mindshare. Sony has the mindshare of these drones that will continue to always buy the Sony system. Always jump on the Sony bandwagon. Regardless of how poorly designed the systems might be.
And don't get it twisted. I'm not saying that Sony should feel bad about this, or that they are the Devil incarnate. Sony should be very happy about what they've achieved. They've done everything perfect. They should be thrilled by what they've accomplished, in terms of totally brainwashing the general gaming puplic.
I'm not hating Sony. I'm not mad at Sony. I'm just mad that this unfortunately wave of events had to occur this particular way. Do I hope that one day something horrible will go wrong for Sony and they will be knocked off the pedastal and actually fall to No. 2 or even Gasp! No. 3 in Market Share? Hell yes I do. Not because I hate Sony and feel that they are the Evil Empire. But because I think it would be good for all of gaming in general.
What do you think, my brainwashed friends?
Originally Posted by SpasticFuctard
