All bets are off on who will win this generation in terms of unit sales, but lets focus on Sony for a moment. Many considered 2008 to be the Year Of The PlayStation and aside from Metal Gear's released there has nothing to suggest that to be true. As the year started with PS3's outselling 360's on a consistent rate in North America we all deemed it to be the starting point for the anticipated revolution of Sony's luck.
However, even for the months it has outsold the 360 or is rumoured to have outsold them, it never reached the 2:1 ratio (or more) that is needed for it to be in 2nd place by 2009. To make matters worst, Microsoft came on top in the following periods and Grand Theft Auto's launch hardly did anything to help either especially Sony whom it was expected to benefit most from the hardware. How many times have we heard people argue, both gamers and critics, that most of Sony's fanbase would jump to the next gen when the new GTA would be launched? It fell on silent ears.
Aside from Metal Gear being potentially a system seller, there are big reservations that it will not make much of an impact on hardware figures let alone carry it to a 2:1 ratio of Microsoft for the North American market.
Even with the biggest hopes for Metal Gear, there are no other recognisable system sellers for the platform this year other than possibly the rumoured Final Fantasy release.
What people often forget to mention when they see those NPD numbers, is not simply who has outsold in regards to these two but by the margin of sales which is the most critical here. I'm flaberggasted as to why Sony supporters rejoice when they sell 20,000 more than Microsoft when it doesn't matter considering the gap between the installbases. Indeed, outselling them by that 20,000 and they would never close the gap.
I don't see Sony finishing anything but 3rd this generation, and side from a few exclusives, I think that's quite deserved so far from their overall performance in regards to the gamers and what we've lacked from them. For Sony to be so dominant, to drop down to 3rd place in just one generation, is nothing short of a punishment for them. Microsoft move up to 2nd place, whilst Nintendo have captured the casual market ensuring them probable domination in hardware sales in the future.
Saad from eXputer: "After suffering from massive financial hits, Square Enix & Bandai Namco appear to be turning over a new leaf but I'm still unconvinced."
With confirmation that Larian Studios will not develop another Baldur's Gate game, the fourth entry has a major challenge on its hands.
Fahad from eXputer: "Yakuza combat trades the series' classic brawling for menus and strategy, leaving some fans missing the beat-'em-up thrill."
It completely murdered the series for me. I love beatem ups, it's my favorite genre, always has been. The Yakuza series has always been the golden standard of that in my opinion and the annoying part is that they only went turn-based because of the reaction to a April fool's joke. Turn-based was something that I could never really get into despite trying. I wish I could get into it but it just does nothing for me and so when this game decided to go turn-based it just completely killed my favorite series which just really sucks.
I finished LaD and LaD:IW and still am of the opinion that the combat is absolute trash. Just the same couple animations over and over and over and over and SO much grind to unlock each new animation for each job. Really absolutely despise the combat and the systems built around the combat - still played through them though and would definitely put IW up there as a GOTY contender. Theres soooooo much more to do outside of the combat and the storytelling has just gotten phenomenal - but god damn i wish it had the classic combat.
I love the turn based battle system but I do wish they would have split the series into two franchises, the ones with Kiryu follow the classic battle system while the new ones with Ichiban do turn based combat
Least then both fans could have been happy and they could have cycled between each of them to keep things fresh.
I think that was the plan. The Yakuza series has finished ditching the old combat system with Gaiden and moving forward would go with turn-based combat. Whereas the Judgment series would keep the beat 'em up style and bring it to newer heights. But there were all those rumors about the actor from the Judgment series and his agency were not willing to renew the contract, so we might never get any new games there.
Funny thing is i think the turn based would have fit the Judgement series more as the protagonist is more of a thinking man.
I just finished getting all the yakuzas for ps4 and ps5. I've played up till 4 on ps3 and ps2 but then there was the whole not bringing 5 to the west bs back then. Anyway since then I haven't really played so I started all the way at 0 playing/streaming and plan on working my way up. I look forward to the new ones but I'm not sure how they'll turn out yet. I do love turn based though.
You're in for the single greatest series of all time my man. If you've already played 3 4 and 5, maybe skip them and watch a plot synopsis. They've aged really poorly - 3 in particular
I used to love using an arcade stick for these games. It's really really fun this way.
Pure turn-based games seem like a thing from the past when devs were trying to do something more cinematic but could not.
i think your a little ignorant on many levels, starting with the title, as long as sony sells 50 million units then even if they are in 3rd the system is a success, 2nd the ps3 doesnt need to out sell the 360 2:1- because the ps3 will be sonys system longer than microsoft plans on holding on the 360. also look at the cost to the manufacturer- sony isnt make much of a profit off of their console, but microsoft is still paying the billion dollar debt from the hardware failure epidemic. with the experience of developers growing, the ps3 will have just as many great titles as the 360 aside from exclusives. and biggest of all is the press and patronage. the press no longer slams the ps3 as a flop, especially after the release and massive success of mgs4. and people know sony, they know playstation, they know the name and they know the hardware works and will last. so regardless of what you think, in no way will sony be the biggest loser this gen.
It's a damn blog, personal opinion not a story. Can't I say what I want in my blog?
hahaha, maybe your opinion, but completly untrue. I could say in a blog that i see Bill Gates in 2 years stopping Xbox franchise and makes games for PS3. You see, it's my "opinion". It's just sometime, if your "opinion" is completly funny how you think, why would you make it in a blog? Everybody has opinions, but nobody wanna know everyone's opinion. That's why the "comments section" of all news exist. Do it shortly.
First I know this is opinion but "Sony" and "PS3" are not the same. The PS2 is still selling well...
If you want to talk install bases. Thats kinda a mute point anymore. They both have a large enough install base that 3rd party Dev's can't really afford to overlook either system. Unless one system has something that fits their goals much better i.e. BR or XBL...
I own all consoles bro and I do have a preference. I like my PS3 best mainly because I have more friends on PSN then XBL(Matter of fact I only had one on XBL and just canceled my sub cause it wasn't worth the money to me) I like my BR movies and other features that come stock with every PS3... Sales too me don't really matter and really shouldn't to any of us. If you like Gears get a 360 if you like MGS get a PS3... I just find for myself that I prefer games on PS3... I really like Gears and NG but what I like most is sitting down with my girl and playing Lego Star Wars or something Co-Op(On PS3 cause she likes that controller more) we are both stoked for LBP more then any other game this year... LBP will release and be great so sales could really matter for nothing to me...
Feel the way you want but I have replaced 2 360's. Currently the hard drive on my elite is faulty now and all the stupid people on the xbox hotline tell me is exactly what the website says in accents I can't understand while I sit there 90% of the time saying "What?" but it's not a RROD therefore not under warranty...
BTW this gen doesn't end in 2009. It should last til 2013 at the very least...
but this blog fails.
you assume that sony is worried about microsoft as much as you think.they're not.i'll give you a reason.
sony has lead the way in what is considered next generation.as sony stated"next gen doesn't start until we say it does."and it's true.when you look at 1080p for next gen tvs,hdmi for next gen tvs,hard drives being bigger,remote play from anywhere in the world with psp and bluray setting and winning the standard,they were right on the money each time.even with CELL processing.
microsoft has backpeddled by trying to patch and upgrade what sony was right all along with.but excuse it as choice or improving features that they once bagged sony for.
but as for system sales,microsoft is worried about sony.but sony is worried about hitting 100 million consoles in 10 years...AGAIN.they only care about selling 10 million consoles every year to get to that.they don't care about microsoft.they didn't care about locking up games like GTA4.you talk about sony being the big losers TOO EARLY in the console race.but neglect the fact that sony is outselling them each month.
yes,in america it's small.but in japan,it's by thousands each week.and after MGS4,it's something like 77,000 to 1500 consoles sold.we don't yet know what the sales in america or europe are to say.but when you have microsoft saying 5 million lead just a month ago,when it used to be 10 million,that should tell you something.and it will only get better for sony and worse for microsoft.microsoft will need a miracle.
it's not a race to 5 years,it's sales to reach 100 million in 10 years or less as what sony wants.the only thing microsoft is doing is pushing sony to unify the company to beat microsoft decisively.because microsoft is well past the ability to sell 10 million consoles a year.competition and fanbase for nintendo an sony prevents that.no matter how low 360's price goes.
apocalypse.......