PS3 Fanboy

Update: Slight change of plans; according to MTV Multiplayer, Sony isn't allowing you to export the music. Rather, there is an option to swap discs -- by pressing select during a session of SingStar on the PS3 and exchanging the disc for any PS2 SingStar game, you will be allowed to choose the songs from the PS2 disc. This is not permanent and you will need to have the PS2 disc in the drive in order to sing these songs.

Moreover, as one of our readers asked, there were those of you who were concerned that PS3s without backwards compatibility would lack this feature. No need to worry; Sony has stated a free patch is coming for current SingStar game and this new disc-swapping feature will now be standard on all future incarnations of the title.

The PS2 is unquestionably one of the greatest successes of videogaming history. However, it appears that the high manufacturing costs of Sony's latest effort has negated all the profit they made from the PS2 hardware -- at least according to developer Dave Perry, with information obtained from research firm DFC Intelligence (via 1UP). It's estimated that the console, which cost Sony up to $260 of losses per system sold, has left Sony with a total loss of $3 billion in the PS3's life so far.

While these figures seem rather bleak, one has to note the careful language used in the report is specifically about hardware, not software. Ultimately, Sony's goal is to profit off of its first-party offerings, and the licensing fees imposed upon third party developers.

[Via Joystiq]

Sony has already denied the rumors regarding PS2 games for the PSN. Sony's Patrick Seybold, director of corporate communications & social media, spoke to GamePro: "I'm not sure where the image came from. At this point, we haven't made any announcements, and there are no plans for PS2 downloadable titles on PS3."

Take Mr. Seybold's answer for what it's worth -- an honest sounding, and somewhat surprised, reaction. We don't know what to take from this and perhaps we shouldn't read into it any further as there's nothing really left to go on. Then again, the image in question belongs to the UK store while Mr. Seybold is with SCEA ... hmm. Anyway, it is an interesting response to say the least. It is a very different answer to the usual robotic auto-reply "we do not comment on rumors and speculation."

Perhaps our previous feature on the ten worst PlayStation ads has left you with sleepless nights? We apologize for any bodily harm or psychological damage we may have caused you. You just need to remember that the history of PlayStation ads and campaigns is rich and rife with content. Sometimes these ads can be undeniable hits ... and sometimes they can be wayward misses. You just have to learn to take the good with the bad.

Like we promised, we're now presenting our top ten best PlayStation brand ads to balance out our previous feature. Are these good ones as memorable as the awful ones? Or are they not shocking enough to deserve your attention? You'll find out soon, won't you?

Yes, we're called PS3 Fanboy and we also love working with our portable brother/sister site, PSP Fanboy, but as siblings we can't ignore our incredibly famous predecessor: the PlayStation 2. While 2007 saw a surge in sales for the PSP and the expanding user base and support for the PS3, we'd be remiss if we didn't take a look back on some of the more notable releases on the PS2 in 2007. We say notable because, like with most aging consoles, many of the games are Barbie-inspired mindless crap.

Whether you love them or not, 2007 was easily the year of the JRPG on the PS2. But that wasn't all that made a splash. Below, we're going to give you the ten most noteworthy releases of 2007 and because we don't want to put them in any specific order and suffer the wrath of fanboys of one game or another, we'll put them in order of US release. Since Final Fantasy XII was released in 2006 in the US but 2007 in Europe, we'll mention it here as being awesome and worth your time, but it's regrettably disqualified. Same with Okami, sorry to say. Let's begin after the jump!

Sony fared relatively well in this month's NPD figures. It may still have been beaten by other platforms, but it's finally generating respectable sales numbers. 466,000 PS3 systems were sold in November, a 285% increase over the previous month's sales. According to Sony, the "PS3 had the biggest October to November sales increase of any hardware platform."

Surprisingly, PS2 sales are still going strong. In fact, the incredible strength of the PS2 may still be getting in the way of PS3 performance. Hardware sales reached 496,000, a 170% increase over last month's sales. The press release also reiterates that "Since its release in North America on Oct. 26, 2000, more than 120 million hardware units and more than a billion units of PlayStation 2 software have sold worldwide, making it the best-selling gaming platform ever released."

Software sales were also strong in November, with retail dollars from PS3 sales totaling $138 million, a 192% increase over last month's sales. A seeming first for the platform, PS3 had two titles reach the top ten list: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for PS3 sold 444K units and Assassin's Creed for PS3 sold 377K units.

For more info on how the other platforms fared in November, check out Joystiq.

Many importers have been curious: does the new rumble-ready DualShock 3 work for PS2 games played on the PS3? The answer is yes (provided you don't have the 40GB model -- you won't be able to play PS2 games at all!). With rumble being slowly reintroduced to the system, it appears that PS3 will finally be able to do everything the PS2 offered last generation ... and then some.

[Video by Jamie A.]

This is bittersweet news, actually. While we'd love to say that the PS2 is winding down and the PS3 is going to start steamrolling ahead (steamrollers go slow, but they get the job done), it seems developers disagree. While we'd love to rant about Ar Tonelico 2 and how we hope it comes to the US, the very prospect that PS2 games getting released into 2008 is boggling to many. Developer bigBIG disagrees, saying the PS2 is just catering to a different market. To us, that means "niche RPG market" and we smile.

So they feel there's a lot of life left in the PS2, but not for new gamers. Sure, there's a huge library of games to choose from, but if you want to get new experiences, the PS3 is the safest bet for Sony consoles. Developers are going to turn their mainstream franchises or big-budget games to the new systems, obviously, but for those of us who like the more unique gaming experiences, niche or just a little different, seems the PS2 is going to continue that trend. We don't mind. In fact, we'd ask Nippon Ichi: "Please bring us Ar Tonelico 2!" but that would be selfish. What do you guys think? Should the PS2 be abandoned sooner or later?

PlayStation 2 is one of the most successful consoles of all time. Last generation, it devastated its competition, with Xbox claiming a very distant second, and Nintendo's Gamecube trailing behind at third. Interestingly, the first six months of sales for these consoles show a similar pattern: PS2, followed by Xbox, followed by Gamecube. While correlation does not imply causality, these figures certainly show that the interest a product garners within its first six months can be quite important.

Fast-forward to today. PS3 has suffered a crucial blow last month, and with fewer than a dozen games coming out in the next month, the immediate future does not look much brighter. Infendo (a Nintendo fan site) has constructed a graph, pointing out PS3's lackluster momentum in its first six months. Comparatively, it has been outpaced by last generation's "failures."

What can we garner from this data? Firstly, Sony is going to have to try much harder. Secondly, the PS3 isn't that much farther behind the Xbox 360. Finally, the most startling revelation: people aren't as interested in this new generation of console technology as they were previous year's. A look at Wii's phenomenal success is indicative of the industry moving in a direction that many could not have predicted. As distressing as this information may be to Sony fanboys, we have to remember that the battle is far from over.

[Via Joystiq]

You know, it was fun doing these the other week, so we'll try to keep up on this a little better. Keep in mind, these lists represent requests for games -- both available now and upcoming titles not yet released. Here's what people are renting/requesting from GameFly:

Top Overall (also known as XBox 360):

1. Crackdown
2. Lost Planet
3. Battlestations: Midway

Nintendo Wii:

1. Wario Ware: Smooth Moves
2. Sonic and the Secret Rings
3. SSX Blur

Playstation 3:

1. Sonic
2. Virtua Fighter 5
3. Grand Theft Auto IV

Playstation 2:

1. God of War II
2. Rogue Galaxy
3. Bully

There you have it. We're keeping the PS2 listings because, well, it's still very much alive and kicking. Have you guys rented any of these games? What are your thoughts? We'd like to know how Crackdown plays just as much as Rogue Galaxy. Drop a comment!

Don't get your hopes up, fellow Sony defenders. No PS3 title made the top ten for the month of December, but a few PS2 games did and we're the closest thing to PS2Fanboy, so we might as well talk about it. Let's toss up the list first thing and the game at #1 shouldn't surprise anyone:

1. Gears of War (360)
2. Guitar Hero II (PS2)
3. Madden '07 (PS2)
4. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN)
5. Same... but for Wii
6. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 (PS2) ... Seriously? I never saw the appeal.
7. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
8. Call of Duty 3 (360)
9. Yoshi's Island 2 (DS)
10. [updated/corrected list] Call of Duty 3 (PS2)

As far as hardware goes, we'll just cover the Sony end because it's sort of surprising. The PS2 was in second place for December (because it's a race, so we have to have places and not just numbers) with 1.4 million units sold, behind the DS. Next was the 360, but closely following it was, *gasp* the PSP! Fourth place with 953.2 thousand units. The PS3, due to limited supply, sold 490.7 thousand units, which is still respectable, since I've only ever seen one -- the one in my living room.

I don't know if this was just for Japan or worldwide, but the source claims the PS2 has sold 37.1 million units in its life -- wasn't it closer to 90 million? Perhaps that was a dream I had. Either way, this is pretty delicious news for all gamers. We all get a taste of victory. Enjoy your medal.

Whether you have the title for PC or PS2, chances are this isn't your first time with a Phantasy Star game. Whether you're still wondering if Rolf and his team died or lived in the end of Phantasy Star II (I say they lived... I mean, Rune did say in PSIV that the first generation Lutz came and stored the Aero-Prism on Motavia), or if Sega will ever release another turn-based Phantasy Star title (Skies of Arcadia was rumored to be one... alas, it was not so), you know you're enjoying Phantasy Star Universe. At long last, I'm online with it.

That brings me to the point of this article. A few people did show interest in a sort of playing group for PS3 (how this would work, I am unsure as I don't have a freakin' PS3) online, so I'm extending that offer to Phantasy Star Universe. Here's what's happening today. I'm going to leave one of my characters, Rune Walsh, sitting in front of the fountain at the central table of the GUARDIANS Colony, in Universe 10, from 4PM-5PM Eastern Standard Time today and tomorrow (same time tomorrow). I'm going out to buy a keyboard today, since I'm running on the PS2. That way I can communicate better in the game. You can do a number of things should you choose to locate me:

• Leave me your partner card
• Send me a simple mail
• ...Blacklist me
• Sit down and chill with my new character until I get back from my errands (going out to buy some groceries and such)
• Leave a comment here about your character and if you'd like to meet at a better time

Regrettably, I'm about 98% certain that the 360 servers are independant from the PS2 and PC servers, so I can't play with the 360 fanboys. That sucks, since that might be where the majority of gamers are for this. Anyway, it's up to you if you want to party with fellow PS3Fanboy readers -- I think it would take our community to a level not often found on websites. I mean, do you ever play online with GameSpot, or IGN workers? Hmmm.

Like niche titles? Preferably strategy/tactics oriented? Like Japanese humor? Oddball storylines and over-the-top characters? Chances are you've played a Nippon Ichi game: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, La Pucille Tactics, Phantom Brave, Makai Kingdom, or just released, Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories. Nippon Ichi announced recently that the first Disgaea game will make its way onto the PSP, disappointing avid fans of this publisher, wishing for an original title. Well, you've gotten your wish.

Very little is known about what these two characters represent, although one thing is obvious: a new, original Nippon Ichi title. IGN reports that on September 8th, Dengeki Playstation, a bi-weekly gaming magazine, will reveal some more details about this game. When that happens, we'll report the findings. Should we hope for a PS3 title? It isn't likely since Nippon Ichi loves their 2-D sprites and upgrading to a new system wouldn't be practical at this time, but who knows? They've surprised us before.

DFC Intelligence -- a market-forecasting agency -- have recently released their likely scenarios regarding the upcoming war o' consoles. They have an interesting set of scenario guidelines/factors they used in setting up how Sony would turn out. How'd they turn out? They say last third place. But keep in mind, they said, "When we say the PlayStation 3 could end up in third place that is a worst case scenario for Sony."

If we look at the bulleted list on the site, the first three, summarized as:

• Current market position
  
• Current software library
  
• Other consoles' current software libraries

There is no question Sony rocks the socks off of analysts for the first three points. The rest of the list? A little harder to discern a clear victor. These points consider:

• Expecting upcoming software for the PS3 (debatably good or bad)
• Upcoming software for competitors (debatably good or bad also)
• Price of PS3 measured against rivals
  
• Chance/amount of price drop
• Hardware/WOW! (NOT World of Warcraft...) factor
  

A lot of debate had been risen from the fact GTA4 won't be exclusive to the PS3, however, according to DFC Intelligence, less than 20% of PS2 owners bought any of the titles. In fact, " Without GTA buyers, the PS2 would still have outsold the competition by more than 3 to 1." Nice. That's good news, even if speculation. So, will PS3 fall prey to the worst case scenario, or manage to stay on top (or even second) by the skin of its beautiful, beautiful teeth? Again, the Tokyo Game Show will hopefully give PS3 more positive press.

[Edit: changed GTA4 won't be coming ... to GTA4 won't be exclusive to. Thanks, J. Dock]

The monopoly company Electonic Arts has recently announced its newest street racing title, Need for Speed: Carbon and will monopolize release it on multiple systems this November. When I say multiple systems, I mean all current gen consoles, next gen consoles and the handhelds. So, what's different in this mod n' drive n' shift n' turn racer than previous installments?

The gents at IGN had the street cred to get some information from executive producer Larry LaPierre. His response was: canyon racing. Yep, now we take our races from the city streets into the nearby canyon roads and wind around mountains to victory. Sounds tough, since actually driving around a canyon in real life can be fairly unnerving. According to LaPierre, "Canyon Racing is a real test of a driver's skill and we think it provides a fantastic game play opportunity to lean into." Yeah, probably. Is that all?