I have no doubt the PlayStation 3 will be one heck of a gaming console when the bugs get worked out.
My problem with the console and Sony in general right now is that it seems to me the PS3 is being rushed through to the point of lunacy. It’s almost like Sony wants this console to fail.
Case in point, the latest announcement in a long string of disappointments before the PS3 has even hit the stores. Tony Hawk’s Project 8 will lose its online play ability in order to launch along with the PS3.
According to Games Industry.biz, Neversoft just got its hands on the development kits for the PS3 so it doesn’t have the time to make the online play a go for the PS3 version of the game if it’s going to launch in November. The Xbox 360 title will, of course, offer online support for up to eight players.
So, why is this such a big deal? Every delay, every diode problem, every scale back just makes it look like Sony doesn’t have a clue what it’s doing. If the game developers aren't getting their kits on time, what else has Sony overlooked?
Microsoft went through similar problems last year, and I frankly, was hoping Sony would learn from the lesson and just be above board with its launch.
Rather than set a Nov. 17 date it’s clearly not ready for, why didn’t it just wait a bit longer? Sure, it would have missed the all-important 2006 holiday season window, but with only about 500,000 consoles shipping out in two regions would this really have been that big of a deal?
It seems to me Sony would have been better off sitting on the release until all the little details (such as development kits to third-party creators) had been hammered out. Maybe it would have been a really good idea to make sure it could really deliver a worldwide launch before it promised one?
I know for a fact die-hard Sony fans will be lining up for the console and its titles no matter what. But to win the next-gen race or at least make some cash, Sony will need others to fall in line to buy, too. This means Sony needs to inspire confidence in gamers beyond the PS3 fan boys. It will have to wow the socks and wallets off casual gamers, movie fans and more.
Right now the headlines just don't seem to be inspiring confidence in Sony’s abilities. But, maybe that’s just me.
The sad thing is Sony could have avoided all of this by pulling back, regrouping and making sure it was really ready before it said it was. Sony fans and even those just mildly interested in the console would have taken a “Gee, we’re sorry, but we’re going to wait and make sure the PS3 kicks some serious butt before we put it on the market.”
After the Xbox 360 fiasco of last year, we would have accepted and probably respected that. But, instead, we’ve gotten nothing but arrogance and broken promises.
Related:
The Blu-ray Debacle
PS3 European Launch Delayed
Sony Talking Up PS3 Launch
Xbox 360 Shortages To Continue
Faulty Xbox 360s Spur Petition Drive
Sony Talks PS3 Release
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