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Sony Wouldn't Be Sony Without...

In the video game world, competition never ceases, and to remain a contender, each console manufacturer needs to maintain an identity among consumers and offer them something they can't get on any other platform. This weekend, TGR will take an in-depth look at the games -- one key franchise for each company -- that make Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony what they are today.

Which of Sony's franchises is the absolute biggest and most important?

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italianbreadman - contributor
Published: 271 days ago | Article | PlayStation 3 | Sony PSP | PlayStation 2

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SlamVanderhuge - 271 days 1 hour ago

1 -

Kratos' badassery is certainly identifiable as Sony's flagship title, but I wonder what will come of the series after the 3rd chapter.

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Trollimite - 271 days ago

1.1 - true

but sony is made up of many differnt games that apeal to differnt people.

there is no, "ultimate" franchise for sony, just a lot of great ones.

if god of war didnt exist there like 16 other games that could step up and be the flagship.

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sonarus - 271 days ago

1.2 -

I disagree. Gran Turismo is more representative of sony considering they have been with them since the original Playstation. GOW is a great game but sony was sony long before GOW. You can't say the same about Halo for Xbox or Mario for Nintendo

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ThanatosDMC - 270 days 23 hours ago

1.3 -

I disagree. The PS brand never had a definitive franchise since it's composed of many different franchises that made Playstation the Playstation we know and love today.

It was Devil May Cry for me. Kratos has nothing on Dante.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

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solideagle1 - 270 days 21 hours ago

1.4 -

Snake
Final Fantasy
Tekken
GOW
Gran Turismo
nayghty dog
insomniac

thanks

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Robondacob - 270 days 19 hours ago

1.5 -

The defining franchise for the original playstation was no doubt Crash. Whoever had that game back then got all the girls, no joke.

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SuperM - 270 days 19 hours ago

1.6 -

Gran Turismo is the defining franchise of the PS3. One of the best selling franchises in the history of gaming and by far sonys biggest franchise. Every game in the series has sold aproximately 10 million copies.

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LoVeRSaMa - 270 days 5 hours ago

1.7 - Sony would still be Sony..

Just without 1 small part of there gaming division, multibullionaire company anyone?

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Zeus Lee - 271 days 1 hour ago

2 - " Which of Sony's franchises is the absolute biggest and most important? "

In terms of popularity and worldwide sales,Gran Turismo is Sony's biggest franchise.

To put it in better perspective,it's sold more copies than all God of War games,Halo games,and Gears of War games combined;So it's the one game that Sony values most(Hence the reason why it's not being rushed for release).

Very few games can match the success of GT(And by very few I mean it's mostly Nintendo and EA games that have surpassed the franchise)

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cain141 - 271 days 1 hour ago

2.1 -

Your probably right about GT; however, I'm more interested in games with plots myself. Sony has done a great job with racing with GT, but it's still just a racing game.

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Viewtiful - 271 days ago

2.2 -

GT is huge, but I think that's mostly a European audience. So while it is big for them to maintain a Euro following, there are also other very important games in the other territories.

I would even go so far as to say Dragon Quest or Kingdom Hearts could be just as important to Japan as GT is to Europe. Ditto with God of War/Killzone to North America.

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cain141 - 271 days ago

2.3 -

@2.2

Yeah I'd agree with that. I will never understand the appeal of PES and I'm sure many Europeans will never get Madden...

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cain141 - 271 days ago

3 -

I still normally think of Snake when I think Sony, but maybe thats just me... Though I can totally see Little Big Planet becoming a very prominent face for them.

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redsquad - 270 days 22 hours ago

3.1 -

I also tend to think of Snake as a Sony figurehead, but Sackboy makes more sense simply becaue he can become any other major Sony character: Snake, Helghast, Kratos or whatever, yet still remain identifiable as Sackboy. Two franchises advertised for the price of one!!

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Heath134 - 271 days ago

4 -

KRATOSSSSS....Sony's God.

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Clumzyagent - 271 days ago

5 -

To me its not so much what Franchises Sony has that makes them who they are, its the developers they have working for them. All of them make solid games, and for the most part can deviate from their franchise and try out new things like Insomniac did with Resistance. Its great to keep the developers from developing sequel fatigue while bringing out solid AAA games on a yearly basis.

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theghost4413 - 271 days ago

6 -

God of War and Metal Gear hands down

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Clumzyagent - 271 days ago

6.1 -

I would agree with metal gear if it was only on sony consoles, but its also been on xbox and gameceub. They may have only been rereleases or remakes and the originals have come out on Playstation, but in my mind I don't consider it a Sony franchise

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y0haN - 270 days 1 hour ago

6.2 -

Yes you're right. All of the Solids have been on PlayStation but if you can get maybe MGS Substance on Xbox and Twin Snakes on Gamecube that's totally the whole franchise!!

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NovaUK - 271 days ago

7 -

As a person who actually hasn't played a single God of War title, I can't justify personally nominating the game for that accolade. If I were to go with a title that defined the PlayStation way back upon it's initial release, I'd have to say Tomb Raider. Sure, it was also released for the PC and Sega Saturn, but the game shifted a lot of PlayStation hardware. I think that one title isn't enough to sell a hardware unit, but in combination with other quality games, that one release can push the console forward in the mind of the consumer.

Say we have the SNES and the Mega Drive again - both consoles enjoyed a lot of success and no console was a 'clear' winner, with some territories having one console outsell the other and the reverse being true in other cases. What made the console wasn't one title in particular, more so the line-up in combination with one stand-out franchise or individual game. The Mega Drive line-up appealed to British gamers more but it wasn't vastly different from that of the Super Nintendo, so without the help of a certain blue hedgehog, I don't think there would have been much gulf between the two.

Just my $0.02, but it has to be said that God of War has been a constant impression on the general public about what makes the PlayStation brand superior.

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cain141 - 271 days ago

7.1 -

Lara Croft has been around with pretty much everyone at some point in time...

A bit of a platform slut...

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Cajun Chicken - 271 days ago

8 -

Wipeout, action/adventures (Ratchet, Jak, Sly), Gran Turismo, quirky, original titles, God of War, Ape Escape, Twisted Metal, Metal Gear, Time Crisis. The Dualshock. The little twiddly PS logo that rotates depending if your console sits or stands.

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AclayPS3 - 271 days ago

9 -

I have to agree with Zeus, I would have to go with Gran Turismo as well, but not just because of sales, but because the franchise has been around since the Playstation 1. God of War on the other hand has only been around since later on in the PS2's lifecycle

Yes, God of War has made it's impact, but Gran Turismo's impact has been there for Sony much longer.

Don't get me wrong, I love the God of War franchise, but games like Gran Turismo is what built the foundation for the Playstation consoles.

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Unicron - 271 days ago

10 -

God of War
Jak
Ratchet & Clank

I see these as their defining first party titles/characters, with Uncharted more than likely to be added soon.

Metal Gear Solid I see as the defining third party franchise. Even Kojima has said, MGS and the Playstation have grown up together.

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DA_SHREDDER - 271 days ago

11 -

Gran Turismo was great, but now its time to innovate. Its not just about graphics, its about the experience. Its a racer, so the online should be top notch, but its not. I dont know how GT5 will turn out? I just know that these japanese devs don't understand that racers should be made with an online that can compete with other racers. Personally, Im looking forward to other games in the genre.

Id say Sony has an edge with the single player experiences. Sure, Killzone 2 is phenomenal, and Modern Warfare 2 will undoubtedly be the most played game on both the 360 and ps3. Thing is though Sony has it locked down with adventure games. God of War, Ratchet, Uncharted, Infamous, Heavy Rain, and Team Icos new game cannot be matched. Not even pc gaming has a chance. Dont forget that there are more games coming like WKC, and other rpgs that will prove that Sony is the best format to put them on.

Dont think Im a fanboy either. I love my 360. I wouldn't play modern warfare on any other format. Also, multiplat games just have way better online on the 360. True gamers have both systems. I have my 360 for multiplats, and my ps3 for its exclusives. BTW,, Microsoft has some decent exclusives coming out this year as well. I cant wait for Mass Effect 2.

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reuben4boston - 271 days ago

11.1 - Mass Effect 2..

isnt available until Q1, 2010.

http://xbox360.ign.com/obje...

but apart from that, yea both systems have some great games, however ATM, im kind of mad that i dont know whats coming out later for my 360 except for the ODST game that i wont buy. slam sony all you want about how they announce games early, but at least you know what your getting before a quarter of the year is over.

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Etseix - 271 days ago

11.2 -

i agree hes not a fanboy, he dont even know when ME is comming, :S
and, well SONY has more games that havnt been announced, (NO im not meaning that BBC game) <-- that game i think dosnt even exist lol, i want to know about the game PSXE said the one whos goin to sell consoles , da*m u Ben Dukta, say it already!!!!

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running rampid - 271 days ago

12 -

gran turismo is what Sony have been about. In terms of sales and reviews, nothing comes close.

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reuben4boston - 271 days ago

12.1 - GT is the shiz

i cant wait, i just like how GT feels and i feel the same way as you, its going to be fun. i love the driving simulator style instead of arcade racer style.

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DeathroW22 - 271 days ago

13 -

Sony was sony long before god of war, it is an amazing franchise, it is one of their best franchises in my opinion. However, for sony - i'd imagine their most popular franchise is gran turismo since after all, it is not only one of the most sucessful franchises of all time, but is actually sony's most sucessful.

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redfield85 - 271 days ago

14 -

I bought one of the GT games back in the day and I didn't get into it. I think I am more of an arcade racer than a sim racer.

As for what franchise I think of when I think of Sony? First thing that comes to mind is Rachet & Clank. Then both God of War and the Jak & Daxter series.

I don't count Metal Gear Solid on the sole fact that there was a GameCube version. I know that is silly to think, but that is exactly what I think. LittleBigPlanet is slowly creeping its way into my mind as a main Sony series.

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A HiFi - 271 days ago

15 -

Kratos is one of the first characters I'd identify with the Sony platform. And considering Snake has never been fully exclusive, God of War is the right choice. Especially since it is such a critical/commerical success which the article mentions.

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Godmars290 - 270 days 23 hours ago

16 - I'm going to say none.

No one franchise is important, it the number, diversity and especially the popularity of all of them.

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Phantom_T - 270 days 23 hours ago

17 - It isn't about exclusives..

its about when you think SONY/Playstation,what do you think?
MGS1/2 for me.

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Jadaking - 270 days 22 hours ago

18 - One game

Final Fantasy 7

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stewie32887 - 270 days 22 hours ago

18.1 -

I absolutely hate it when people bring up Final Fantasy as a Sony series. Firstly, FFXIII being multiplat immediately kills any future prospect of that, but more importantly, the vast majority of the Final Fantasy series has been on Nintendo consoles. 1-6, basically all the Crystal Chronicle games (however they might suck) and FFTA games are all Nintendo. FF is a series in its own right and has nothing to do with Sony alone.

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v1c1ous - 270 days 22 hours ago

19 - you know

i never found God of War to be a "face" for Sony. i understand it is a huge and popular series, but to me it was always just that.

Gran Turismo would fit that motif more in my eyes.

I guess it's because when GoW came out, i was already playing many other titles as well at the time that GoW's DEFINITIVE status wasn't that huge an impact.

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Jadaking - 270 days 22 hours ago

20 -

Final fantasy 7 is a game that made people want to buy the ps. It doesnt matter if it was multi or not ff7 changed the way people looked at sony. Doesnt this game deserved to be mentioned?

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kewlkat007 - 270 days 22 hours ago

21 - Sony wouldn't be Sony without 3rd-party franchises that was horded the last couple of years like

Resident Evil Series
Tomb Raider series
Final Fantasy series
Metal Gear Solid Series
Devil May Cry Series
Grand Theft Auto Series
Tekken Series
Virtua Fighter Sereis
Dragon Quest Series
Monster Hunter Sereis
Star Ocean series
Guitar Hero Series
Ace Combat Series

Grand Tourismo is only other Game that dominates the charts and is 1st-party that have branded the PS name. God Of War sells alright on a console that has over 140 million sold. What's it like, 3 million out of 140 million? I'm sure there is more, looking at the PS2 but these games are whet kept gamers jumping from one console to the next PS. Sony never really relied on just 1st-party like Nintendo have had to do, the last few gens.

The face of Sony now will always be the GT series and the numbers prove it, amongst any other game you wanna throw at it.(TODAY)

With MS Xbox 360 in the mix, I think, because all of them games gone multiplatform it's gonna be a little tougher the the PS2 days. Though they still will sell because of all the PS2 gamers, if they have not wandered or gotten lost on the other consoles, given the bad economy.

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Blackcanary - 270 days 20 hours ago

22 - i agree with Jadaking

I agree with the dude above i think Sony gained there legs Once Final Fantasy 6 and 7 came out its 7 that made the Playstation one what it was and that open the door showing other developers what it could do.

All thanks to Square Soft and Sony coming together we miss you Square Soft if Enix hadn't of come along and messed everything up and Square was ok back then i don't think the final fantasy games would of gone down hill.

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KKanjiAnkh - 270 days 18 hours ago

23 -

Crash brought the mascot appeal to Sony, hands down, just like Mario to Nintendo, Sonic to Sega, and Bonk to TG-16, and I extremely miss, that type of representation, and fun competition.

All in all, this is why competing, against Nintendo, and Sony, is such a hidden strein on their rivals.

NES
SNES
Gameboy
PS1
PS2
PSP
Say Hi!

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BrianC6234 - 270 days 16 hours ago

24 -

I can't think of any game that made Sony as far as gaming is concerned. There were some great games I saw advertised before the PlayStation came out that made me buy it. Those were Twisted Metal, War Hawk, and even Crash Bandicoot but what has really made Sony great is all the great games of different genres. Selection has made Sony. You'd be better off talking about development studios at Sony though. Sony has the best selection of first party developers and others who they don't own but only mae games for Sony.

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Morgue - 270 days 5 hours ago

25 - ???

What about Castlevania SOTN???!!! Blood Omen - Legacy of Kain, Soul Reaver, Abes Oddworld, Ridge Racer, Silent Hill, Quake 2, Doom, Final Doom, Reloaded???!!! Anyway no matter how you slice it SONY made the pie.

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Lawliet - 270 days 5 hours ago

26 -

Without Sony there wouldn't be games claiming so much fame. It's not one sided kinda of thing. The hardware department and the software department both do their part by helping one another.

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thereapersson - 270 days 4 hours ago

27 - All these responses with different games really show how much of an impact Sony has made on videogaming as a whole

I have to give them respect for that, at the very least.

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1 Rhezin | 271 days ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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infekt - 270 days 23 hours ago

2 -

I agree. GoW series sells Playstations like crack. But so does the MGS series and games like Uncharted.. Eagerly awaiting the release of Uncharted 2.

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MainEventX - 270 days 23 hours ago

3 - Sony Would'nt Be Sony Without...

Excellent Hardware and Pushing Gaming with Creativity and Innovation

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LeonSKennedy4Life - 270 days 23 hours ago

4 - Um...

Gran Turismo still sells more copies...by a large margin.

I see GOWIII selling at least 4M though...throughout its lifetime.

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LeonSKennedy4Life - 270 days 23 hours ago

5 - influence?

What? Devil May Cry basically created the action game we know today!

I love God of War, but you can't say it redefined anything.

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