Metal Gear Solid 4 was a solid release for the PlayStation 3, the exclusive title that gives Sony an edge over the competition. This was Sony’s Halo 3 title and it needed to be a big success in order to keep gamers confident in the Sony brand.
Sony is reporting a 300% increase in PlayStation 3 sales over last month, mainly due to the desire for people to own Metal Gear Solid 4. Remember, this isn’t an increase in game sales, this is an increase in console unit sales, providing evidence that MGS4 sold consoles.
While Grand Theft Auto 4 seemed to sell a few consoles but, overall, didn’t impact console statistics during its release, this exclusive PS3 title has done just the opposite. Perhaps because of its exclusivity? Xbox 360 consoles have been in the hands of the consumer for a few years now, most of those consumers actually purchased GTA IV (as expected and reflected in sales) but not a lot went out to purchase the console. They already had it or didn’t care to own it for a game like GTA IV.
While many people purchased Metal Gear Solid 4 because it’s “Metal Gear,” you can see from the trailers that the game looked impressive, felt complete and contained a lot of great action. You’ll get a great sales pop the first few days on a title with a huge fan base but to sustain the growth and sell consoles you’ve got to provide a well known title that doesn’t suck.
MGS4 doesn’t suck by any reviewers score; it’s not perfect, but what game is? MGS4 delivered what it was said to deliver with very few bad experiences and that’s all you can ask for a console moving title.
So, what next? Sony has promised us that MGS4 is just the first of many titles to blow our minds. Resistance 2, Little Big Planet and what of that MAG game they showed off at E3? 256 players? We won’t hold our breath for that title, but Resistance 2 and Little Big Planet, combined, may move a few more units.
It may not be about the games today that move the next round of PlayStation 3 consoles, it’s about the promise of the games tomorrow with titles like MGS4 to hold us over until then.
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😛 You can do a flashback for AvP2, it was launched in late 2001.
@Blizzard brags Diablo III will have difficulties that are harder-than-hard:
Hey, as long as the difficulty can be selected, sure, go apeshit.
I used to play games on the highest difficulty, because I liked the challenge, so I can understand people wanting more difficult games.
I will repeat myself: as long as the user can select it, it’s fine.
@Sony passed on Demon’s Souls because it was “crap“:
😀 Erm, I see a pattern here in decision making … Cure: change the decision maker.
@Sony credit rating downgraded:
Congrats to the podcast crew for the selection of news items. It is a true lecture on the principle of cause and effect.
Granted, turning down a game is only one cause that triggered the effect of Sony’s credit rating downgrade.
@Tim Schafer raises $1.6M (and counting) to develop an adventure game:
I think this is also due to the name (thanks for confirming that later in the show).
@Epic’s Sweeney: Lifelike graphics will come in our lifetime
Moore’s law might change. Ok, you can estimate how many penta flops are required in order to generate visuals. These estimates are ok and valid (the human eye won’t change in time, at least not in the next 1000 years).
But to assume that the rate of growth in computers will not change, well, as you already realized, that’s an ASSUMPTION.
If I were Tim I would limit the range (in time) for my predictions.
Regarding the 6 people on the show, well, taking turns/directing the podcast is … meh. I’ll take surprises and improvisation any time.
@QOTW:
Erm … Scrooge McDuck? 🙂
Ok, not quite a prince or hero, but I liked the cartoon. The NES games only made it even more charming.
I think the fact that he was quite determined (in the cartoon at least) in finding what was at the root of the episode’s mystery that made him my favorite.
@Blizzard brags Diablo III will have difficulties that are harder-than-hard: To me, they can make as many ultra-hard difficulties as they want, as long as they make a normal difficulty.
@Tim Schafer raises $1.6M (and counting) to develop an adventure game: This may be good news for Tim Schafer, but it’s not good news for any of the other developers. Like so many other sites highlighted, this only happened because Schafer is well-known and almost universally loved as the underdog of the industry.
@Epic’s Sweeney: Lifelike graphics will come in our lifetime: I’m not much of a graphic whore, but better graphics definitely make me appreciate the game more and maybe even enjoy it more.
@QOTW: I don’t care much for Pixie Dust, but I would guess Paul’s to be Peter Pan?
@sony credit rating downgraded
I don’t really know if sony gets most of its sales from gaming but they sure are failing when it comes to gaming this year
@ lifelike graphics will come in our lifetime
Well I’m mostly appreciating the graphics we have today and besides lifelike graphics is equal to more expensive hardware ,…. At least that’s what I think
@qotw
I would say peter pan coz he’s like immortal and he never grows up and he treats everything childsplay and he could fly whenever he wants to. Maybe I could play pixie hollow and get addicted I dunno but I could use the prize If I ever get addicted or I could just use cheat engine.. 🙂