What Does the PS3 Have This Holiday Season?

One of the things I remember from this year’s E3 is when Jack Tretton said that the year 2008 is the year where the Playstation 3 will rise up to its competitiors With the launching of the Playstation Video Store this year, and LittleBigPlanet finally approaching by the end of the year, is 2008 really the year of the Playstation 3?

The Playstation 3 has lost a lot of third party exclusive games this year such as Devil May Cry 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, Ace Combat 6, Tales of Vesperia, and Star Ocean 4, but this doesn’t stop Sony from going. Even though Sony has lost the faith of its third party developers, they have big studios all around the world to bring you first party exclusive titles that we await this year, such as Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet. Will these first party titles of Sony be enough to sustain the glory that the Playstation brand once had? Will this year’s Holiday titles be enough?

With 111 days left before year 2009 kicks in, let’s take a look of the exclusive games Sony has this fall:

NBA 09: The Inside
Release Date: 10/7/2008

For the first time on PS3, NBA 09 The Inside includes “The Life”, providing fans with a completely unique and inside experience of life in the league. This year The life starts fresh, allowing players to control the paths of three different characters while guiding them through all-new challenges and storylines in the quest to go from development league to the NBA. In addition to The Life, NBA 09 The Inside delivers a full featured Franchise Mode, allowing players to experience every facet of running their own NBA team.

Socom: Confontation
Release Date: 10/14/2008

With the power of the PS3, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will deliver the most intense and authentic high definition modern combat action. The title’s focus is on online play and the global community and clans that support it. With an emphasis on Tournaments, Clan Ladders, Leader Boards, the latest title in the multi-million unit selling franchise is exactly what SOCOM fans have been clamoring for.

LittleBigPlanet
Release Date: 10/21/2008

The LittleBigPlanet experience starts with players learning about their character’s powers to interact physically with the environment. There are obstacles to explore, bits and pieces to collect and puzzles to solve – requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. As players begin to explore, their creative skills will grow and they will be ready to start creating and modifying their surroundings – the first step to sharing them with the whole community.

Motorstorm Pacific Rift
Release Date: 10/28/2008

The most brutal offroad racing festival is back, with players once again descending on the wild and alternative MotorStorm Festival. However, this time the location has changed dramatically, with players attempting to tackle the diversity and unpredictability of a remote Pacific island environment. Developed by Evolution Studios exclusively for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift revisits the intense racing action introduced in last year’s MotorStorm™, this time allowing players to navigate a radically different tropical environment chock full of lush jungle, towering peaks, and crystal-clear water.

Resistance 2
Release Date: 11/4/2008

On the brink of annihilation, mankind resumes the fight against the unstoppable Chimera on the shores of the United States. And thus the stage is set for Resistance 2™, the highly anticipated follow-up to Insomniac Games’ best-selling PS3 launch title, developed exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 system. Players will once again step into the war-torn boots of Nathan Hale, who not only faces near impossible odds on the battlefield, but also constantly struggles with the Chimeran virus raging inside his own body. In addition to an epic single-player campaign, Resistance 2 will offer a truly unprecedented eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign with a separate, parallel storyline and 60-player online competitive multiplayer built upon a ‘massive battles, greater intimacy’ mantra. Players can also expect a re-designed MyResistance.net featuring social networking tools designed to enhance a user’s gameplay experience whether they’re engaged in single, co-op or competitive combat

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
Release Date: 11/4/2008

The No.1 Head-to-Head Fighting game franchise based on Naruto arrives on PS3 for the first time to reign supreme in the next generation of video gaming. Armed with gorgeous cinematic quality HD graphics, a revolutionary next-gen battle system, interactive multi-dimensional battle grounds and seamlessly explorable world of Naruto, Naruto Ultimate Ninja STORM will capture the heart of any Naruto fan! Your dream to LIVE AND BREATHE THE SHOW will come true!

Valkryia Chronicles
Release Date: 11/11/2008

Valkyria Chronicles is set in a fictitious continent reminiscent of 1930s, Europe divided in two and ruled by the Empire and the Federation. The Empire has set its sights on invading a small neutral country called Gallia, which is situated in the middle of the two great empires. The game follows a hero named Welkin and his fellow soldiers of the Federation’s 7th Platoon that are fighting against the Empire, who is intent on unifying the continent under its power. The Federation discovers that the Empire possesses a secret weapon, known as the “Valkyria”- an ancient race with special powers thought to exist only in legends. With this new discovery, the fate of the Federation’s ability to win the war and a hope for a better future hangs in the balance.

Starting October until the end of the year, 7 PS3 games worth owning for the Playstation 3 will be coming out. Due to games such as Resistance 2 and Naruto: Ninja Storm, the Playstation 3 will indeed have a great end-of-year sales, not to mention the other multiplatform games such as Fallout 3, Saints Row 2, Bioshock, and Far Cry 2. Don’t also forget the Playstation Network titles arriving every Thursday, such as Jeopardy and Fat Princess!

Even though with the recent price drop of the XBOX 360, the Playstation 3 should be able to do good this year with its blockbuster hits arriving this year. The only fanbase Playstation 3 will probably lose are RPG gamers, as AAA RPG titles such as Star Ocean 4 and Last Remnant are going to the XBOX 360.

Let’s hope 2009 will be another year for the Playstation 3… or will it?