PlayStation is the USA of videogame brands: it has risen to a position of global dominance by being all things to all people, but now there's a growing sense that it should be taken down a peg or two. Currently, games sites around the world are feverishly commissioning lengthy opinion pieces on Sony's imagined fall from grace. And having already exhausted references to PS3's expensive architecture, ambitious price point and late arrival, pundits are looking around for more signs of doom and destruction. Failing that, they're adding apocalyptic spin to harmless non-stories.
Recently, for example, there's been a push to show how developers are rebelling against the Sony hegemony by withdrawing PS3 from their multi-platform plans. Yesterday, Ferrago ran a story entitled, "PS3 SmackDown Cancelled", in which THQ revealed that, in fact, the PS3 version had been delayed until 2007.
Also appearing yesterday was a story on IGN declaring "Crave Isn't 'All In' on PS3". This could easily be interpreted as a suggestion that Crave is pulling out of PS3 development - as a result, the piece quickly leapt into the Top Ten most read stories on the games news aggregator site, Game Tab. It transpires however, that the article is about a mistake on the website of the Entertainment Software Rating Board website listing poker sim, World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer "All In", for PS3 release.
"A representative speaking on behalf of Crave told us that the developer was covering its bases in case it had decided to port the game to Sony's next-gen console, but as of now, no PS3 version is planned," explains the reporter of his soporific scoop.
This is all perfectly natural. Summer is always a slow few months in the games industry and with no live Next Gen battle taking place, internet writers are forced into desperate measures to keep those page impressions ticking over. PS3 is an easy target.
The question is, will these nudges at the PlayStation foundations provide the cracks that many are seemingly desperate for? Or is this just bitter fodder for the Sony-hating converted?
