Why the PS3 won’t go extinct any time soon

The dawn of a new generation of consoles always comes with a wave of excitement – yet only to be met with an equal undertow of nostalgia. This generation in particular saw so many innovations and breakthroughs in the gaming medium with titles such as Heavy Rain, The Last of Us, and the Mass Effect series among countless others. It also lasted quite longer than most console life spans, and can competently last a couple of years more. Still, a step forward is probably necessary as new technologies and opportunities arise, opening a door on a whole heap of potential for this once obscure medium.

Doomsayers and the type may claim that the book is closed on current gen consoles, but I aim to prove them wrong. I will be talking mainly about the PS3, as it’s the console I own and currently I’m not entirely inclined to feign any kind of affection towards the Xbox 360. I know, this is the Sony fanboy in me talking, but fear not: This article is unbiased (more or less).

The PS3 doesn’t exactly rank as the number one smoothest console launch in Sony’s history. It suffered from increasingly disappointing sales in its early years, since the Wii and Xbox 360 had beaten it to the market, among other reasons, and the company suffered severe losses. The PSP Go and PS Vita didn't do much to help in later years, although the latter did fare better than the former in the market. It was only until recent years that Sony was finally cut some slack. A major reason for that I reckon is the fantastic line up of exclusives the system found launched every year. From Uncharted, to Metal Gear Solid 4 and The Last of Us, people everywhere were realizing that the PS3’s list of exclusives was growing staggeringly bigger and better by the year, and I suppose this did help push up the system’s sales.

Now, with the PS4’s release just around the corner, will the PS3 be saying farewell? I believe not. A few days ago, Grand Theft Auto V was released. The game made $800 million on its first day. Browse through Facebook or Twitter and you’ll find out GTA V has sort of taken over the world. Employees are staying home and students are skipping school just to play the game. This isn't unusual for a GTA game, as the series has always been immensely popular with hardcore and casual gamers alike. This game alone will add 12 to 18 months to the PS3’s lifespan - if not more.

Another factor to take into consideration is that the PS4 isn’t leaps and bounds ahead of the PS3 as the PS3 was with the PS2 in 2007. Many of the features PS4 possesses are present in the current gen system, such as an online network and HD graphics. Of course, the newer console will improve upon most aspects of its predecessor, but it just isn’t as big an advance as the previous upgrade in 2007.

There are still numerous eagerly-awaited titles in store for us this year, such as Beyond: Two Souls, Batman: Arkham Origins, Gran Turismo 6, and others in the coming year. It is certain production on PS3 games will continue well into PS4’s early years, with production ceasing eventually. A positive thing to note is that it is rumored you will be able to play PS3 titles on the PS4. That will motivate studios to keep working on PS3 titles, and most consumers would play them on the PS3 if they hadn't upgraded yet, which will also prolong the system’s product life cycle.

One more thing to note is that the console’s price has dropped drastically, and the presence of the relatively cheap Super Slim version will mean those of us with shallower pockets will opt for the older console over the new.

So there you have it. PS3 has still got plenty of fight in her, and it will sit in our living rooms for years to come. It has certainly been an eventful console generation, and one that will remain in our memories for a long, long time.

What do you think? Is the PS3 going to live to fight another day, or will it be gone with the wind with the arrival of the new titans of the gaming medium?