PS3 Fanboy

Part four of GameTrailers' Metal Gear retrospective completes the Metal Gear Solid line of games with a look back at MGS3: Snake Eater and MGS: Portable Ops for the PSP. Snake Eater took MGS fans back to the very beginning -- to a time before Solid Snake even existed. The game marked a huge change for the series, not only in setting and time period but also with its gameplay. Snake Eater was the most innovative and most difficult out of the three main games, and is probably the favorite for many diehard MGS fans.

With so many memorable moments and a brilliant ending, there's no doubt that this one cemented MGS as one of the best (if not the best) narratives ever told in gaming. Each successive MGS game raised the bar for excellence and we're certain that MGS4 will no doubt raise it even higher.

Retrospectives are both a great and horrible thing. This Metal Gear retrospective by GameTrailers is an excellent way to relive the long-revered franchise. To many, it may come as strange to think that Kojima was ever a troubled developer -- but that's exactly what happened. The original Metal Gear was a last-ditched attempt at saving Kojima's career. The idea of a "sneaking mission" game, where the player isn't encouraged to kill everything on sight was a daring move ... that ultimately paid off. The early origins of Snake's adventures are fascinating to see, as they help ground us for Snake's last adventure -- Metal Gear Solid 4. While this retrospective serves as a fantastic primer, it also details some of the noteworthy differences between the MSX original, and the NES follow-up. Also, find out more about the NES-exclusive sequel, which wasn't handled by Kojima at all.

Oh, and why are retrospectives horrible? Because they remind us how old we are.

[Via Joystiq]

Certainly, Grand Theft Auto must hold a dear place in the hearts of PlayStation gamers worldwide. Who could've thought that from the humble beginnings of the original PS1 GTA would launch one of the most successful video game franchises of all time? When GTA III debuted on PS2, it was a genre-defining blockbuster, and a system-selling PlayStation icon. Not only did it help define the PS2, it helped define the PSP as well. What will GTA IV bring?

Take a step back through time and witness Joystiq's prior offenses of Grand Theft Auto.

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.

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.