PS3 Fanboy

On the eve of the PlayStation 3's first birthday, the entire team was huddled inside PS Fanboy Headquarters, located deep inside a cavernous mountain off the coast of Bangladesh. There, we were visited by a celestial being who spoke only one immensely insightful sentence: "There is perhaps no greater litmus test for measuring success than to look back at one's past accomplishments."

At first, we weren't quite sure what our ethereal host wanted us to do with this incredibly important message. After hours upon hours of internal discussion, we made no headway into uncovering what we believe is certainly the key to finding the meaning of life.

With nothing else to do, we began talking about our undying love for the PlayStation 3, but the PS2 and PS1 kept creeping into the conversation until we started to compare the three systems. And now that the PlayStation 3 has just turned a year old, what better time to look back at how it stacks up against the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation than the present?

So sit down, grab a hot cup of cocoa and be prepared to be wowed, because some of our findings may surprise you.

Do you want it? Let me hear it! Ladies and gentleman, we're celebrating the one year anniversary of the PS3 by giving away a free system. Yes, you heard right: a free system. Join the PS3 Fanboy ranks by nabbing this 80GB system, which includes Motorstorm and a bonus copy of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune simply by commenting on this page.

To enter, shout out "Happy Birthday PS3" in a language of your choice. The comment must be left before November 23rd, 5PM EST. You may enter only once. One (1) winner will be selected in a random drawing. Winners will receive an 80GB PS3 with Motorstorm and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (ARV $559.98). Click here for complete Official Rules. You must be a US resident, age 18 or older to enter.

Once again, thanks to everyone that's been reading us for the past year. We're growing as a community, and we have to thank all of you for that. Good luck! Also, don't forget to check out our other anniversary features:

• The games press looks at PS3's first year
• Fanswag: Win an incredible Uncharted prize pack
• PS3 Fanboy review: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
  
• SCEA's Kim Nguyen looks at the PS3's first year
• One year ago: a look at PS3's violent launch

The PS3's first year has come to a close, and we wanted to ask our friends at various gaming outlets to tell us what they thought about Sony's debut performance in this new gaming generation. Obviously, the company has received a lot of flak, but can they turn it around? Read on in this PS3 Fanboy exclusive:

Siliconera
Sony took a step in the right direction by slashing the price of the Playstation 3 and introducing the 40 GB model. Sure, it doesn't play Playstation 2 games, but the cheaper model will get the PS3 into more homes and that makes it a more viable console for third party developers. Yes, the Playstation 3 needs more games, but more importantly it needs a unique experience that is only on the PS3. Easier said than done right? Perhaps, developers can look at the Playstation 3's underutilized features for inspiration like remote play, the MMC slot for importing media and the Playstation 3's internal web browser. I'm imagining an alternate reality hacking/detective game where players surf websites, carry their PSPs to get data from sham networks around the world and then create their own mysteries with the help of the MMC reader.
-- Spencer Yip


GameTrailers
Sony's sheer dominance in the prior generation of consoles seemed to pave the way for a clear run at the crown in this generation of gaming, but by not offering the complete online experience or game play innovations delivered by its prime competitors, Sony has taken a significant hit in the current console war. A revamped online presence, key PS3 exclusives and a clear approach to the system as game machine and not just an media centerpiece for high-income families will be essential for Sony to return to it's once dominant position of prominence.
-- Daniel Kayser

Happy Birthday PS3! One year down, nine more to go. Sony's first year in the new video game generation has been a rough one. But, what does Sony have to say about it? We chatted with SCEA's Kim Nguyen, Marketing Manager of the PS3, to find out more.

PS3 has struggled quite a bit during its first year of release. Why do you think the games media has bashed the PS3 so much?
Looking back on year one, we're proud at how far the PS3 has come and are sure that the future will only be brighter. There were some bumps in the road but that's to be expected during the first year of a platform's lifecycle. Regardless, we are very confident in the future of PS3 given our new hardware and pricing, along with the strong line up of upcoming software titles that will place PS3 in a very strong position this holiday and for years to come.

What has Sony done to turn things around?
We recently launched new PS3 hardware and pricing and are already seeing strong sales momentum at retail--PS3 sales have increased by 192% over the past 2 weeks at major retailers in North America . We have more than 160 games coming to the platform including 19 exclusives. We also recently launched a new ad campaign, our biggest marketing effort to date, that conveys the overall benefits of PS3 including Blu-ray and PLAYSTATION Network. Again we feel PS3 is in a very strong position this holiday and for years to come.

What better way to look at our one year retrospective than to go all the way back to launch? The PS3 launch was a nightmare. With supplies in incredibly short stock, people went a bit crazy trying to secure one. People were shot, and as seen in this video, people were probably trampled too. Of course, once people actually secured a system, they immediately sent it to eBay, trying to mark it up to ridiculous $1000+ levels (one auction went for over $10,000!). To think, a year afterwards, the system is still in third place in the next-gen console wars and is now available for $399. A lot has changed over the past twelve months, and we're certain that the next twelve will feature even more drama and turmoil.