Why So Successful? - How Sony and the Playstation Platform Have Evolved

Last generation, I was able to purchase every major console and handheld, basically fulfilling a childhood dream – to own them all. It was an awesome dream to fulfill as a gamer. The sad part was that most of them became paperweights or dust collectors. As you get older, the time just isn’t there anymore….so enjoy and appreciate that free time while it lasts. I predominantly played Xbox and PSP in the beginning. Once the 360 broke down, I then switched to the PS3. Even when I managed to replace it, I never really got back into the Xbox. I never really got a lot of use out of my Wii, aside from the platformers and the DS took second place to the PSP for the most part. This generation is going to be different. I already have both handhelds because I’m on the go and I get more use out of them but I can only justify one home console. So, which of the 3 am I going with? Well, I’m leaning more towards the PS4. Scratch that. I’m leaning towards the Playstation ecosystem. Sony’s runaway success with the PS4 stands in stark contrast to their abysmal PS3 launch last gen. While much of that momentum has to do with the mistakes and missteps of their competitors, to their credit, they did position themselves to take advantage of them. The success of the PS4 has much to do with a radical change in philosophy at Sony in the way they conduct business and design products and services and it’s something I want to write about because it’s something I want to see others emulate.

Sony has a great history of supporting and sticking to its platforms and devices. Even after losing the early format war against VHS, Sony supported the marginalized Beta max up to 2002, a full 27 years after launch. In the gamingverse, the early troubles of the Playstation 3 serves as a master class in how to not launch a product - a class that Microsoft apparently missed if the Xbox One in any indication. But Sony got behind the PS3 with a focus on games, abandoning their early position of a “Multimedia Box” and began to cater to what early adopters want to see. Even when many in the Industry, notably Gabe Newell, called for it to be scrapped, they persevered when no one would have blamed them for walking slowly away. The determination they showed in turning around the console certainly established a lot of consumer confidence in the brand in my eyes. Some say that the PS4 has the worst games lineup of the major 3 consoles and they may be right. But I know that the games will come and will keep coming for years to come. The last 20 years of Playstation have given me that faith. The WiiU may have the best software lineup at this point in time, but I have no idea what’s in the near or distant future for the platform. In terms of software support, Nintendo walked away much earlier than I expected from the Wii given its runaway success and I’m much more hesitant about what lies beyond 2015 for that (commercially) struggling console. If I’m to buy only one console for this generation, it won’t be a WiiU solely because of this uncertainty. Microsoft has done a lot better with the 360 in terms of software support as compared to the original Xbox (which they abandoned abruptly after 4 years), and I hope they continue in that vein.

The quantity of games wasn’t the only thing that they worked on last gen. They also put a focus on creating content that aligned with the tastes of gamers in the regions that actually supported the console. Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch and others have flourished and evolved under their stewardship and for the most part, have transitioned away from their platforming roots. Not all studios fared well, but the successes outweigh the casualties. Personally, I did not like these changes because it meant that Platformers and JRPGs were scarce last gen. If it were not for the wonderful “Tales of” series, I would have been very disappointed. The platformers came from Nintendo, the only company that seems capable of making money from them. Sony acquired a lot of western studios and set them to make games tailored to the region. In fact, not only did they acquire western studios at breakneck speed, they started to send some of that talent back home to guide (westernize?)them to align with our tastes. For example, Allan Becker, a founder of Santa Monica Studios now heads Japan Studios which went years without actually publishing anything.While this happened, the third party software out of Japan slowly declined last gen, which meant there was no game like Katamari to make me go “WTF?!”. I’m really hoping to re-encounter that quirkiness this time around. Western AAA game development has become rather “safe” which is at times a euphemistic way of saying “bland and uninspired”.

Another important step was putting the console in the hands of people in the region where it is being sold. People like Rashid Sayed| and Adam Boynes who understood the Western market, game development, game developers and tastes. Microsoft’s entry into the console space was probably the trigger for this. Their involvement in the console space accelerated the rate at which technology was incorporated into home consoles. Their success came from their deep understanding of their audience from their involvement in PC gaming. They built a great platform, courted developers aggressively, and brought a strong online experience to the consoles. Sony had to change their “build it and they will come” mentality that they grandfathered in from the PS2. They had to step out of that ivory tower and reach out to developers. Communication needed to improve and the red tape associated with publishing had to be cut and then burnt. This could not be achieved from Japan and they were forced to cede control to local representatives. In this regard, they not only copied Microsoft, but improved on the model with changes that I hope Microsoft, in turn, chooses to emulate. Get rid of that pesky “parity clause” guys – things have changed. While Japanese developers transitioned to mobile platforms, they needed boots on the ground where console games were still being made - the West. This is something that I honestly hope Nintendo chooses to emulate. It’s going to be tough moving forward without third party support and those devs are now spoilt for choice in terms of available platforms – Consoles, handhelds, PC, mobile are all doing well. I see a few Nintendo fans clamor for Reggie and NOA to have more control over the console, and I can only add my voice in support of this.

A console that is conceived, designed and manufactured in the East for the West is no longer a winning formula. Microsoft was doing it better with the X360. We all wonder about the logic of a mandatory tablet with the WiiU when no games really utilize in any special way. One of the reasons put forth was that the tablet would be perfect in Japanese homes where space for multiple television sets was an issue. They designed the WiiU with that in mind. Unfortunately, Japan is now a marginal-at-best market for home consoles and living room space is not that big an issue in most other countries. Their main feature is not really a meaningful one in their largest markets. Either Nintendo need to get Western hardware designers a-la Sony and Mark Cerny, or get more in touch with their main audience and their needs. The days of making something and telling people that “This is best because we know better” is long gone. That paternalistic attitude was fine when there was less competent competition that though along similar lines. I miss and appreciate Ken Kutaragi, but Cerny is more adept at merging the needs and constraints of software developers with hardware design. That X86 architecture combined with an acceptable spec sheet in terms of RAM and processing power means that PC games can easily make their way to the consoles, which further means that game droughts should be a thing of the past.

Many are unhappy with the state of the Vita and rightly so. The original vision for that console has been derailed significantly. AAA games for that console may no longer be forthcoming and that is an understandable disappointment. The thing is, I’m not as devastated as others. Sony have gone out of their way to not only get “indie” games for the platform, but have made said games cross-buy, which again, is something that needs to be emulated aong with their gamesharing policy between 2 consoles. It may not have been what I was expecting or what I wanted when I bought the device, but it’s still better than nothing. Having a game like Spelunky on the go was well worth it. Adding the Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper and other collections only makes the experience that much better. Grim Fandango on a handheld is a dream I never knew I had until Sony told me about it. Again, I give them credit for trying to ameliorate a bad situation when others would have simply walked away.

While on the topic of the Vita, I can point out one of the Major reasons for choosing Sony over Microsoft this time around – remote play. My brother already owns a PS4 whilst I do not. One of the Major reasons for my delinquency is the remote play feature which has allowed me to play his PS4 games on my vita, with proper controls, without ever entering his room. Hell, I don’t even have to be in the same house. Of course this is also possible with the Vita TV as well as the newer Xperia phones – but the Vita suits me best. Remote play was promised with the PSP, but delivered upon with the Vita and its inclusion is one of the main reasons for me choosing the Playstation platform. In a way, it’s one way to actually get that “Console Experience” on a handheld that they are always banging on about. It of course requires wifi or some extreme data charges but it’s nice to have and I certainly take advantage of it when I can steal some wifi. When the “New 3DS” was announced, I prayed that Nintendo were taking the opportunity to replace the Wii tablet with the new handheld and further integrate their platforms. I would have bought a “New 3ds – WiiU” bundle even though I don’t necessarily need a second home console. Alas, those prayers fell on deaf ears, which is good news for my wallet I guess.

Yet another way to get that Console Experience on the handheld is that of PSNow. This is yet another great addition to the software library on the device. I can’t speak to its functionality as it is not as yet available to me, but it’s a great idea. Moving forward, you may be able to get the playstation experience without any of the hardware. Just buy the right TV and live in the right area and you can jump right in. I imagine this to be more useful or attractive to those who only play a few select titles every year or who do not play a lot in general due to time constraints. It’s nice for those persons to not have to spend $400 to play Fifa a few times a year (which is what some of my friends have actually done). Hopefully, the reliability and pricing of the service evolves to make it even more attractive to more gamers as time goes on. The only thing that really confuses me about PSNow is the apparent lack of interest in the PC platform thus far. This would be a great untapped market filled with people new to PlayStation. It could also serve as a new delivery platform which is capable of eliminating piracy.

A few months ago, I would have raved about the awesomeness of PSPlus, and while the service is still a recommendation, it’s certainly not as impressive in recent times. A Plus subscription gives access to a lot of content whilst the subscription is active and they do give further discounts for purchases during sales. In all, the $50 fee is an easy sell to heavy gamers, but tougher to justify to lighter users. For me, automatic updates and back-up of saves is enough to justify it, but again not everyone may share that perspective because they never lost their 90 hour Suikoden save right before the final boss fight. *I’m not going to cry anymore*

Sony have certainly come a long way in terms of philosophy since the beginning of the last gen and are now creating an impressive and integrated platform and ecosystem for a future where games consoles may be replaced by a service-type offering. The wealth of options is now a huge attraction and we may finally, in the console space, be able to buy games without worrying about future hardware compatibility. In fact, we may now be able to buy one copy of a game and play on mobile, console and PC platforms if things go right. Its something that I hope other hardware makers look at and emulate. I for one don’t care who “did it first”. All I care about is “who does it better”, and right now, based on my needs, that would be Playstation.