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>'Why did Sony keep creating such hard-to-code-for devices and yet end up with such a monstrous install base?' * Exclusive Titles: They managed to lock down so

>'Why did Sony keep creating such hard-to-code-for devices and yet end up with such a monstrous install base?' * Exclusive Titles: They managed to lock down some of best regarded franchises in each era. * Backwards Compatibility: Each generation, at least initially, has been fully compatible the generation prior. * Versatility: DVD capability in the PS2 was a fairly big deal at the time. Blu-ray in the PS3 was not, but it did look good in a bullet-point comparison against the 360. * Free Online Features: The price of an XBL subscription is a deterrent for some. * The direct problem of being hard-to-code-for always improves with time as developers gain experience and the toolset improves. At some point, you're only going to worry about content, not what's underlying. A couple of those points are the sort that don't matter at all to 'smart' gamers and well-heeled adults who can own as many consoles as they like, but these are devices that ideally ship a few hundred million units to people of all ages and wide demographics. By the way, the Cell [1] (PS3) is pretty interesting stuff if you're into computer architecture. 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(microprocessor) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(microprocessor)

slantyyz 12y ago
>>* Versatility: DVD capability in the PS2 was a fairly big deal at the time. Blu-ray in the PS3 was not, but it did look good in a bullet-point comparison against the 360. While this statement is generally true, I'm sure the Blu-Ray was not an insignificant thing for some people. Shortly after the PS3 was released, I got my first 1080p TV, and I wanted 1080p content like Planet Earth. The PS3 seemed to be the best value for a Blu-Ray player at the time, so I bought a PS3 as my HD content player. I ended up buying a bunch of games, but at the time I bought the PS3, the console games were gravy to me.

slantyyz 12y ago

>>* Versatility: DVD capability in the PS2 was a fairly big deal at the time. Blu-ray in the PS3 was not, but it did look good in a bullet-point comparison against the 360. While this statement is generally true, I'm sure the Blu-Ray was not an insignificant thing for some people. Shortly after the PS3 was released, I got my first 1080p TV, and I wanted 1080p content like Planet Earth. The PS3 seemed to be the best value for a Blu-Ray player at the time, so I bought a PS3 as my HD content player. I ended up buying a bunch of games, but at the time I bought the PS3, the console games were gravy to me.