The Playstation 3 Turns 15 Years Old
Written by Ryan Street
This month the Playstation 3 turns 15 and makes us all feel a little more dated.
Despite a messy initial release with an expensive price point, Sony was able to turn the tide and produced one of the greatest selling consoles ever.
Let’s take it back to 2006. Hot off the heels from the global phenomenon that was the Playstation 2, Sony was looking to hold their spot as top-dog in the console market. Looking to advance themselves from the competition, Sony sought after lucrative innovations in their next console launch.
The PS3 boasted a slew of new technologies like a Blu-Ray player and free online connectivity. Also, hardware that could support superior graphics compared to its counterparts. However, these costs were inevitably transferred to the consumer. And when a price point of $599 was revealed after a disastrous E3 conference, they quickly became the laughing stock of the gaming world.
Faced against the Xbox 360 and the Wii, the PS3 suffered a complete blowout. With no compelling games and a high price tag, the PS3 just couldn’t initially compete.
Rebuilding the Playstation 3
But over the following years, Sony would work adamantly to bring some of the most notable games of its generation. Games like Uncharted, The Last of Us, Little Big Planet, Metal Gear Solid 4, Demon Souls and Yakuza were huge successes, racking up millions in sales.
Sony also went back to the drawing board to redesign the PS3. Ditching the beefy build and edgy font, Sony would find great success in slimming down their hardware. Also with implementing a more subtle design. Coupled with a lowered price point, gamers started flocking to the PS3 as their console of choice.
These deliberate changes couldn’t have come at a better time. Popularity for the Wii was starting to decline as the market became saturated with motion-controlled games. Similarly, hardware complications caused by Xbox’s “red ring of death” were driving away potential buyers. This left one logical option for console gamers seeking more mature games with rich storytelling and gameplay mechanics: the PS3.
By focusing on their hardware and games, Sony was able to provide gamers with a product they wanted and could afford. This approach paid off, and in the end, the PS3 was able to eclipse the Xbox 360 in total sales.
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