The PlayStation 3 Retrospective

by Jan Hutchings | Nov 17, 2011 | 21 comments
Jan Hutchings

In case you didn’t know, November 17 , 2006 was a day that made history. It was the day that the PlayStation 3 was released to the world. And that means today marks the PlayStation 3’s fifth birthday.

Let’s take a few minutes to remember and celebrate the events, features, and exclusives that have made the PlayStation 3 the HD/Gaming/Movie-playing success it has become.

Hit the jump to relive the PlayStation 3’s lowest and highest moments.

The PS3 in 2006


2006: The Year It All Began

  • The PS3 is released in North America, Europe, and Japan. For $600… Mass hysteria ensues.
  • Resistance: Fall of Man and Call of Duty 3 become the system sellers of the year.
  • Genji: Days of the Blade deals massive damage to PS3’s reputation.
  • RIIIIDGE RACER!

Sony introduces the world to Nathan Drake


2007: Forever Known as Nathan Drake Day
  • Sony releases more PS3 SKU’s (20GB, 40GB, 60GB, 80GB) with a lower price point of $399.
  • Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Ratchet and Clank lead PlayStation 3 exclusive blockbusters.
  • Third party games were of varying quality. Many ran better on the Xbox 360.
  • PS3-exclusive third party games took the system by storm. (NG: Sigma, Unreal Tournament III, Virtua Fighter 5)
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is released; earning Activision millions and revolutionizing the FPS genre.
  • Sony announces the PlayStation Home at GDC 2007.

MGS 4 Grabs it's competition by the ....


2008: PS3 Exclusives Bring The Heat
  • Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is released. Liquid Ocelot shoots people with his fingers. AND KILLS THEM. (To quote Kevin Butler: “PEW PEW PEW”)
  • Little Big Planet, Resistance 2 lead the PS3 in exclusives warfare.
  • Killzone 2 is pushed back to 2009 much to the dismay of Halo and Xbox 360 haters.
  • Valkyria Chronicles comes out and blows people away with great gameplay and amazing story. (But sells poorly.)
  • In-game cross media bar support finally added via firmware update.
  • Trophy Support added through a firmware update. The term “Trophy Whore” becomes an internet meme.
  • PlayStation Video store opens, allows digital film rentals and purchases.

Uncharted 2 punches it's competition to win Game of the Year


2009: Uncharted 2. Nuff Said

  • Uncharted 2 is released, wins hundreds of Game of the Year awards. Sells millions of copies and PS3’s.
  • Spike VGA actually features a Sony game?!
  • Kevin Butler is born along with the ever popular “It Only Does Everything” PS3 advertising campaign.
  • PS3 Slim comes out and makes the original PS3 look phat.
  • $299 price drop results in millions of PS3’s flying off the shelves.
  • Killzone 2 is released and actually meets/beats the hype around it. Rico was an ass.
  • PS3 exclusive games take over the holiday season. (Infamous, Ratchet and Clank Future, GOW: Collection)
  • Demon’s Souls arrives, killing everyone in it’s path. Eventually becomes one of the most loved games on PS3.
  • Social Media on PS3. Facebook, Twitter, Netflix arrive on the system.
  • Oh yeah, and Modern Warfare 2 releases. PS3 hackers and glitchers celebrate by ruining online experiences for everyone.

Kratos shows competition what GOW really stands for.


2010: The PS3 Starts To Move

  • Sony releases PlayStation Move to the world. Vibrator jokes die down and people start to play move games.
  • Heavy Rain is released. Interactive movie becomes a reality and mature gaming actually becomes “mature.”
  • God of War III is released. Millions of mythological Greek figures get mutilated in creative ways.
  • Top-rated exclusives flood the PS3 (3D Dot Game Heroes, Sly Collection, ModNation Racers)
  • Gran Turismo 5 releases with more than 500 cars. Auto enthusiasts around the world rejoiced (or had a heart attack.)

Kevin Butler brings 2011 to a close with Long Live Play


2011: Exclusives Galore! Plus Uncharted 3

  • Killzone 3 is released with PlayStation Move and 3Dsupport. Sells millions of copies. Rico is still an ass.
  • PlayStation Network gets hacked to hell. Service out of commission for a month.
  • PSN returns with “Welcome Back” promotion. (Free games + one free month of PS Plus)
  • Infamous 2 is released in time for E3 2011. Cole becomes more of a badass. And will be an exclusive character in the PS3 version of Street Fighter X Tekken.
  • Triple-A PS3 Exclusives come out in droves. (SOCOM 4, Resistance 3, Little Big Planet 2)
  • The complete Mass Effect 2 experience comes to the PS3. All in one Blu-Ray disc.
  • PS3 price cut down to a super affordable $299!
  • Mortal Kombat comes with Kratos exclusive character. Poor MK characters get mutilated in creative ways
  • Uncharted 3 is released. PS3 fanboys break into dance and cheers.

So there you have it folks, the five year retrospective of your favorite console. The PlayStation 3 started out really badly with a horrible advertising campaign, a $600 price tag, and poor launch line-up. Yet 5 years later, it’s only trailing the Xbox 360 (which had a year head start) by only 2.1 million units. Think about it. It only took the PS3 five years to get where the Xbox 360 is where its at now. And it took them six years.

The PS3 does Online, Uncharted, 3D, Move, PS Home, Social Media, Netflix, Hulu, Internet Browser, Built-in Wi-fi, PSP/PS Vita Remote Play, Video Editor/Uploader, and Blu-Ray movies.

It really does do everything doesn’t it? Long Live Play people!

Discuss:

What PlayStation 3 events, news, features, or games defined the system for you? Let us know by commenting below!