The PlayStation Fixation

Prologue

Not all games, but some games will develop an exclusive long-standing relationship with one specific and particular console. This will mostly happen organically, as the 1st initial Game in a franchise will begin to build a budding relationship and will start to grow a closely-tied association with that one specific console, especially as 'said' game becomes successful and a successive series of game titles follows.

A game series then continues to grow with that console or platform through the years and eventually over a certain period or lengthy span of time, it just naturally starts to build a storied history with 'said' console and finally culminates when one day, Gamers everywhere will begin to identify that particular Game with that one particular console. The Games become synonymous with the console.

Of course, there are the 1st party titles that are developed in-house and obviously won't show up on rival consoles or platforms. But there are also plenty of 3rd party titles that don't necessarily belong to just one console, but come to be regarded as such.

Case in point: the Final Fantasy series. Most would regard this series as a PlayStation property, this perception likely stems from the wildly successful and critically acclaimed 7th entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy 7, which was a PlayStation exclusive. However, this hasn't been the case with each installment in the series as the games themselves are developed and published by Square Enix, a 3rd-party developer.

In fact, Final Fantasy begun life on Sony's rival console, Nintendo and for the first 6 installments of the Final Fantasy games they remained an exclusive to the land of Mario and Zelda, Final Fantasy 1-6 could only be played on Nintendo consoles, for a time. This all changed when the series was ready to make the leap from 2D to 3D and the rest is PlayStation History. There are several examples where a game appears to be a Sony creation and yet, it's roots lie elsewhere.

That's not to say the PlayStation brand is lacking in its fair share of exclusive Intellectual Property(short for IP). In fact the PlayStation has many strengths and one of those strengths is its impressive number of exclusive titles that reside within its already staggeringly large Game library. Sony's platform, the PlayStation, not only has consistently created monumental shifts in the industry, changing the way a VideoGame is perceived. But they've been at the forefront for many years and are responsible for some of gaming's most important innovations!

One early example is the dual analog sticks, first utilized during the PSOne's lifespan, something that comes standard in today's gaming landscape.

Constantly changing the dynamic between the Game and the Player. Sometimes even taking radically different approaches to the way a sequel to a successful game is produced and designed. This strategy is risky, but is necessary if a game is truly going to evolve organically and innovate. With the interests of gamers constantly changing, it pays to take risks cause ultimately it comes down to how the player will play and receive 'said' games.

For those creating the games, the risks can be huge, daunting and can be the death of a developer, if the game fails to sell on release. But if the game does well, the payoff is well worth the risk as chances are the title will spin into a trilogy of games or a franchise.

Developers normally don't like to rest on their laurels and it's only natural to want to improve and innovate on what's tried and true, a lot of PlayStation Games share this characteristic. A new Game in a franchise might test new waters, making incredibly bold new design choices, met with varying degrees of success, sometimes switching up it's traditional mechanics that were introduced in the 1st game of a series.

Upon the Games release, its then experienced and played by us gamers where the results are widespread and all over the map. Some will gush accolades and the Game will receive a joyful, applauded reception and then on the flipside, it'll be met with one of complete anger, derision or utter disdain. It's a double-edged sword, for sure. Some Games will be awarded with 'Game of the Month' or 'Worst Game of the Year'.

For most titles, they usually generate mixed reviews and middling sales. The cost of development has spiked exponentially and so now, the tendency amongst developers seems to be to take less risks with a sequel to a successful Game. From a business standpoint, this is understandable and yet its also unfortunate, as it only hampers the industry. So when a developer is bold enough to take certain risks with a popular Game and the end result pays off! Everyone wins!!

But Sony is especially careful with handling their marquee games, taking the time to cultivate a game that doesn't usually 'cheat' the gamer out of an experience they are expecting with certain franchises and at the same time, are giving the gamer a subtle yet fresh new spin on a Game's already solid game mechanics. Granted, the results aren't going to please everyone, but at the end of the day it's consistently a fun and unique experience which can only be found on the PlayStation.

Games like Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot and Twisted Metal, to name just a few, are all prime examples of what the platform of PlayStation consoles can deliver.

Most of these games have developed into bona-fide franchises, spawning countless sequels. But one obviously cannot predict which game will garnish acclaim and popularity. Therefore, new IP is constantly being created on Sony's part, in hopes that one game catches the public's imagination and begins a steady rise in popularity, if the Game becomes successful enough, then it will likely open the door for future installments.

The relationship between software and hardware is extremely reliant on one and the other, because obviously one cannot exist without the other. SONY hasn't forgotten this and knows that consumers are buying a PlayStation for one sole purpose-- Games!! A game console lives and dies based primarily on its game library and this is again a key aspect that's truly where the PlayStation and one of the platforms greatest strengths lies.... is in its huge and wildly impressive game library and that goes for any generation of the console.

Whether it be--

»The Original PlayStation (PSOne)

»Its successor, The PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Or finally the almighty and powerful console that ushered in the era of High Definition Gaming with the....

»PlayStation 3 (PS3)

As head honcho of SCEA, Jack Tretton had once famously proclaimed on the stage at E3: "it's all about the games!"

So what kind of VideoGames were they and what sort of bold and new innovations did these Games bring to the table? Let's take a gander and see, shall we?