Is 2008 the year of the PlayStation 3?

So, where are the exclusives?
Another problem that the PS3 must conquer in 2008? Its lack of exclusive releases. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 had a great 2007, with exclusive titles such as “Halo 3” and “Mass Effect.” Sony needs to step up the number of titles for its new system, period, and the number of games that can’t be played anywhere else as well.

"Exclusive content is one of the hallmarks of the PlayStation brand," says Scott Steinberg, vice president of product marketing at Sony. "And we'll have that in 2008."

The calendar looks good so far. The announced titles on deck for 2008 are Sony's racer "Gran Turismo," the sci-fi shooters "Resistance 2" and "Killzone 2," and the inventive "LittleBigPlanet," an action game that relies on gamer-created content to flourish.

All the anticipated games look fantastic so far, but "LittleBigPlanet" has potential to be a true breakout hit if it catches on via word of mouth, not entirely unlike a Facebook or Second Life. And speaking of Second Life, Sony will also debut "Home," its 3D virtual world community for both the PS3 and the PlayStation Portable in 2008.

Will 'Metal Gear,' 'Final Fantasy' be the ticket?
The PS3 will also be supported by Konami's anticipated "Metal Gear Solid 4" and Square Enix's "Final Fantasy XIII" — as long as these games remain PS3 exclusives.

Because games now cost tens of millions of dollars to develop, and the Xbox 360 has sold almost 10 million consoles in America alone, many publishers have converted former PS3 exclusives to multiplatform games, such as Capcom's "Devil May Cry 4" and Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed."

What’s more, these games repeatedly sell better on the Xbox 360. "Assassin's Creed" sold only 377,000 copies on the PS3 last November, compared with 980,000 on the Xbox 360.

It's all about differentiation
The PS3 was also dealt a blow when decided to make its much-anticipated “Grand Theft Auto 4” for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. What’s more, Microsoft also secured exclusive bonus content for the Xbox 360 version of the game.

To really win this console war, Sony needs to figure out a way to differentiate the titles that go multiplatform, like “Grand Theft Auto IV.”

"If these games look like Xbox 360 games or are not as fun as Wii games, that's a problem," says Sebastian.

Will Blu-Ray keep exclusives on the platform?
Sony counters that the success of Blu-ray will help keep exclusives on the PS3 and provide that needed differentiation.

"The industry is moving toward large blockbusters that only fit on Blu-ray," says Steinberg, referring to the 50GB of storage available on a Blu-ray disc. (The Xbox 360 uses regular DVDs that store only 9GB.)

Size matters, but is the market really moving toward physically bigger games? With the graphically inferior Nintendo Wii as the uncontested winner of last year’s console slugfest, the unscientific data would seem to indicate that bigger isn’t always better.

"(Sony) probably miscalculated in terms of where the market was going. Sony moved up-market," says Sebastian. "The market has moved a little bit more casual."

In an attempt to capture this casual trend, Sony has its PlayStation Network, a place where gamers can download smaller games, such as the upcoming "echochrome," a puzzle game that looks like an M.C. Escher illustration.

These games should sell to a dedicated Sony fanbase, but it's doubtful that Sony (or Microsoft, for that matter) can wrest the casual narrative away from Nintendo at this point. The only thing that could possibly nudge the needle is another price drop, which Sebastian thinks is in the works for 2008. But Microsoft could immediately neutralize that salvo with an expected (and much overdue) price drop of its own for the Xbox 360.

This is now Nintendo's game to lose, and they show no signs of relinquishing the table — especially with the anticipated release of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" next month, a title more hyped than last year's best-selling "Super Mario Galaxy."

The contest is for second place right now. And Microsoft just has too much of a head start on Sony to make 2008 a reversal of fortune, leaving Sony again holding the bronze over a console that was supposed to deliver the gold.

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