What Does "PlayStation" Mean to You?

As I sit here getting pumped for E3, I'm reminded of the very different approaches taken by the "Big Three." If this year's E3 press conferences follow tradition, Microsoft's will be a dazzling geek fest -- half rock show, half Microsoft nerd party. Although they've had little to show in the past, they make a lot of noise and do a great job of walking that line between hungry newcomer and confident leader. Their conferences are a lot of fun, and this year's presentation should be their best ever since they'll most likely be the only first-party to fully reveal its next console.

Nintendo's pre-E3 show is either the best or worst, depending on whether or not you're a hardcore fan. The audience at these things seem to be at least 90% Nintendo fanboy, who roar in approval whenever one of Nintendo's classic franchises appear on screen, or when legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto makes his appearance on stage. I was there last year when the new, more "adult", Zelda was unexpectedly revealed, and people actually *wept*. These fanboys unashamedly chug down Nintendo's Kool-Aid, and I think it makes the show a helluva lot of fun. The Zelda reveal ranks just below the E3 unveilings of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Super Mario 64 as my third favorite E3 moment ever.

Finally, there's Sony, who -- year after year -- seem to do very little with so much. Rather than blast first looks at mind-blowing PS2-exclusives like Metal Gear 3, God of War or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, you get guys in suits showing PowerPoint. The presentation is slick enough, and you can tell they drop a hefty chunk of change on the stage setup, but there's just no excitement. No cheering, no big reveals, no balls-to-your-nuts presentations that leave you desperate to "play in their world." Yes, we understand that you sold a lot of units this year. Yes, we know you're number-one. But don't just tell us this, make us *feel* it.

Okay, so now I'm getting to my real point of this post: what *is* PlayStation? What is associated with that brand? Who is a PlayStation gamer? The brand is slick, modern, and cool... but... isn't it kind of hollow? I mean, if you like Nintendo, you like Nintendo's games, their characters, their heritage. If you're an Xbox gamer, you're into Live, military games, tech power, Halo. Nintendo and Microsoft offer very specific visions of the experiences they offer. PlayStation 2, on the other hand, is like the VCR of gaming. Everybody has one, but its use is purely functional -- you own it because it plays the widest selection of games and because it's number-one.

Sony does have a few big first-party series, such as Gran Turismo, Jak, Ratchet & Clank and SOCOM, but there's no vision to tie those together into an overall "experience"... nothing about those titles that say "THIS is what it's like to play PlayStation!" When Sony talks about its vision for the future of gaming, it's in a very corporate, generic, by-the-numbers way. They don't say anything I haven't heard before. Meanwhile, you've got Microsoft's J. Allard preaching about how the next Xbox will usher in the "HD Era", and cater to the "Remix Generation." Whether you buy into what he's saying or not, there's value to *how* he's saying it. He's painting a passionate picture of how gaming on his platform will be different and better.

I love PlayStation games and respect the incredible things that Sony has achieved in this industry, but I want them to excite me, lead me, and make me more passionate about my hobby. Anyone else out there feel this way?