The PlayStation 3 was the last of the current consoles to be released, and despite having about a bazillion features, it was the slowest console to generate sales, due mostly to the fact that it cost a bank-breaking $599. Although the price has come down since those early days, the PlayStation 3 may not be worth the investment. Champions tout its Blu-Ray capabilities and numerous exclusive games, but the PlayStation 3 may not be for everyone. Here are five reasons why you should just say no to the PlayStation 3.
5. You're All About Online Features
Though the PlayStation 3 features plenty of online-enabled features, when it comes to actually playing games online, the console falls flat. Sure, games like MAG buck this trend, but if you've ever tried to play Call of Duty on a PlayStation 3, you know there's a problem. In fact, if you like Call of Duty, you should just abandon hope on the PlayStation 3 altogether, as the console will not run Modern Warfare 2 (thanks to a weird update that just broke the game) and Black Ops is so hacked that you can't take two steps without being affected by some rogue exploitation glitch. Add that to the PlayStation 3's lack of cross-game chat and a persistent invite system, and you've got an online experience that is sub-par on every level.
4. You Like Playing Games Immediately
Much was said when the PlayStation 3 was released about its required install time. Sony's response? Go make a sandwich. But if you've already had lunch (or are on a carb-free diet), waiting the twenty minutes (or more, in the case of games like Gran Turismo) to play a game is a little ridiculous. I don't want to have to plan ahead for my game time, and the idea of putting a game in the machine and then going to do something else seems counter-intuitive. I recognize the idea behind game installs is a solid one, but man, sometimes I wish I could just take the longer loading screens instead. And then add this to almost-weekly firmware updates, and you may just feel like the only game to play on your PlayStation 3 is the waiting game. This is especially bad if you have a highly-scheduled life. For instance, if you only have an hour carved out for your personal game time, you can expect to spend twenty minutes updating your firmware, twenty minutes installing your game, and then you're left with twenty minutes to play. Doesn't quite seem fair, does it? If you like playing games in short bursts, or are just impatient, the PlayStation 3 isn't for you.
3. You Don't Like Disappearing Features
While the other two home consoles have been slowly adding features to their consoles to make them more competitive in the rapidly-changing world of video games, the PlayStation 3 has been systematically taking features out of its console. First on the chopping block? PlayStation 2 backwards-compatibility. Unless you shelled out the $599 at launch, you never even got the chance to check out this feature. Next up? An alternative OS. If you were a fan of Linux, the PlayStation 3 used to allow you to use the open-source platform with your console instead of the default operating system. Now? Not so much. Though you may not have ever used these features in any great capacity, it wouldn't surprise me if even more features get axed in the future, especially in Sony's continuing war on the hacking community.
2. You Like Being Social With Your Gaming Friends
The PlayStation 3 was not built for social games. Plain and simple. If you're playing MAG and then want to talk to your niece, who is playing LEGO Harry Potter, you'll have to exit your game, she'll have to exit hers, and you'll both have to enter a communal space so you can use the voice chat feature. That's not fun. And of course, if you and said hypothetical niece have a competition going about who can get the most trophies in Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, you'll have to select her name, and then wait the 4.5 billion years it takes for the trophy system to sync both of your trophies before you can compare and contrast. Though the PlayStation Eye is the exception to the poor social offerings, and is a great way to webcam straight from the PS3 dashboard, if you want to play games, and then check out what your friends are playing, and then maybe strike up a conversation with them, you'll have to jump through some serious hoops to do so. And even though I might love my hypothetical niece, after waiting for updates and trophy synchs and mandatory installs, the last thing I want to do is waste any more time not playing a game on my PlayStation 3.
1. Homebrew And Hacking Are Your Favorite Pastimes
Look, if you like creating your own software or "modding" your console, Sony already hates you. Though piracy is an issue across all consoles, Sony has taken the most radical stance against it and is severely punishing anyone who plays games on systems that have been altered or use non-Sony approved software. Of course, you can argue about how "legal" the activities of hackers and modders are, but no matter what your intentions are, Sony won't stand for it, and you could find yourself at the receiving end of a banned PSN ID, bricked console, or, in the case of George Hotz, a nasty lawsuit. If you like modding consoles, you really need to stay away from the PS3. In fact, you should stop reading this article and never think about the console again. Sony's watching you.
The PlayStation 3 is a great console overall, and certainly benefits from being the only Blu-Ray equipped console around (hooray for pure HD!) However, just because the picture is pretty doesn't mean it's right for you, and there are plenty of reasons why you shouldn't buy a PlayStation 3.
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