Launched in North America on November 17, 2006, the PlayStation 3 hits the 5 year mark today. It doesn’t seem like it’s really been half a decade since people were admittedly shelling out $600 for Sony’s newest entry into the console business but here we have it, the PS3 has proved itself as a solid system and is still picking up steam as it continues with it’s prescribed 10-year plan.

Thinking back on it, the PS3 had one of the slowest and rockiest starts in the industry. The systems were hard to find and the price tag for the console at launch made even the most ambitious of early-adopters pretty shaky. The Xbox 360 was already out the gates and had a yearlong head start (along with an impressive games library behind it) while Nintendo’s newest console (the Wii) was coming out in roughly 2 weeks after the launch of the PlayStation 3 and carried with it a very attractive price tag of $250. You could say there was some very heavy guns aimed its way.

In the five years since launch, Sony and their favored console has seen some of the biggest ups and downs this generation but at the end of the day, no one can say that the PS3 isn’t the sum of it’s parts. Having pioneered Blu-ray and beaten out Microsoft’s HD-DVD, Blu-ray has become a household name and was thrust into the forefront of digital entertainment. PS3 systems showed up everywhere triumphantly beside high-powered television and home entertainment rigs changing how movies (and television) would be watched. A vast catalog of features such as a built-in web browser, multimedia (music/video/photo) services, built-in Wi-Fi and out-the-box HDMI-readiness have helped to make the PS3 what it calls itself — a Computer Entertainment System.

Sony’s high priced demon was a force to be reckoned with, but the company did it at a considerable financial loss after manufacturing costs came into play. It took over 3 years for Sony to start making a profit on each unit sold — happening in early 2010. Hardware revisions helped to get Sony an upper hand as the system to this day has seen 10 different models (6 original and 4 slimline) each featuring less and less features — the biggest hit being the removal of PS2 backwards compatibility. Price cuts happened making the PS3 more appealing to the consumer and with a stellar lineup of first-party exclusives to run alongside regular console releases, entertainment is the name of the game.

The PlayStation Network, which is still free-to-use, keeps getting better and better offering an ever-expanding catalog of diverse gaming and movie options. The PlayStation Store is not the only face of PlayStation Network, as services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Music and Video Unlimited offer more multimedia options to the system besides just gaming. PSN also loans its services admirably to enhancing the experience with Life with PlayStation (formerly Folding@Home) and the gamer lobby hub PlayStation Home.

With all the triumphs of the PlayStation 3, there have been a few fumbles along the way. Litigation over the patents for PlayStation’s trademark DualShock technology saw the system releasing in 2006 without a rumble controller. The Sixaxis controller (which bore the same shape and simliar design of Sony’s featured controller from the PS1 and PS2 eras) had to stand on its own for almost two years before seeing the reintegration of rumble to the controller. Sixaxis wasn’t a bad feature, but a lot of people were left at a disadvantage behind the fact that they had to manually manipulate the controller for enhancements to their games.

While the PS3 is built a lot sterner than its rival the Xbox 360, Sony would soon have to deal with similar nightmares as a result of product wear and tear when reports started showing up on forums and blogs about the dreaded Y(ellow)L(ight)o(f)D(eath). As with the RRoD, the YLoD basically signalled it’s time to spend more money and either replace your system or call Sony for repair (sometimes at a cost).

PlayStation Network took over 2 years to get a lot of the kinks straightened out and many a consumer felt that even with the service being free, the headaches sometimes didn’t justify all the hype. To make matters worse, PSN would suffer a critical blow to its viability after intrusions to the infrastructure resulted in a serious breach of private and financial information to Sony customers (PSN, Qriocity and SOE) and services on the PSN had to be halted temporarily. Sony managed to bounced back and through use of the Welcome Back Program, were able to not only regain the trust of the consumer, but to also bring in more and more customers.

With Sony’s vested interest in its current flagship console, the future is starting to look good and it’s definitely a good time to be a gamer — a PS3 gamer. Sony’s commitment to a 10-year strategy for the system means simply, more hard work and devotion for the consumers over the next 5 years. PlayStation Home has already received a facelift and Sony has started working on making PS2 games playable on the non-backwards compatible consoles via the PlayStation 2 Classics on PSN service. Sony has also made a better commitment to 3D and the PS Move which a lot of modern gamers/consumers view as little more than gimmicks.

Standing behind the slogan “It only does everything,” the PS3 is taking the spotlight at being the centerpiece of every living room.

As of yet, word of the PS3 Remaster series is only for Japan — a US and EUR announcement will follow hopefully. For Japan, the first “PSP Remaster” title to be introduced will be Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver. from Capcom Co., Ltd. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd for the PSP system is the latest installment of the blockbuster Monster Hunter franchise, which has alone shipped over 4.5 million units in Japan since its release in December 2010. The graphics of the PS3 version, including monsters, fields, equipment, as well as Felyne Comrades, are more gorgeous and vibrant than ever, and will deliver dynamic gameplay when played on the large TV screens.

In a parting statement from SCE, the promise that SCE will continue to further expand the PS3 platform and create a new world of computer entertainment with innovative and exciting new titles. With Monster Hunter Portable 3rd getting a PS3 port, this will definitely help put a dent in recent losses that Sony has reported due to the intrusion of the PlayStation Network (and subsequent other related Sony online networks).

In addition to bringing new functionality to upcoming titles, the DualShock 3 will be backwards compatible with nearly 30 PS3 games that have already been released. The list of these titles can be found below.

Formula One Championship Edition*
MotorStorm™*
PAIN
High Velocity Bowling™
MLB®08: The Show™
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune™
Resistance: Fall of Man®*
Ratchet & Clank®Future: Tools of Destruction™
Go! Sports Ski™*
Folklore™*
Heavenly Sword™*
Warhawk™*
Super Stardust™ HD*
Snakeball
Toy Home
PSOne Emulation
Piyotama™
PixelJunk™Monsters
Blast Factor™*
Condemned 2: Bloodshot™
Lost: Via Domus
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2*
Burnout Paradise™
Dynasty Warriors®6
Devil May Cry 4
DragonBall Z Burst Limit
Turok
*Titles will be given rumble functionality through an update.

The DualShock 3 will go on sale this year in Japan and in 2008 in the States. The following is a list of games that will support DualShock 3. Titles listed below that are already released will be able to use the rumble features through a software update.

The Darkness 2K Games
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Activision
Soldier of Fortune Activision
BIOHAZARD(R) 5 CAPCOM
Devil May Cry(R) 4 CAPCOM
N-Cube Creat Studios
Warbit Creat Studios
Dark Sector D3 PUBLISHER
Turok Disney Interactive
Highlander Eidos
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Eidos
Burnout Paradise ELECTRONIC ARTS
FIFA franchise (title name TBD) ELECTRONIC ARTS
Legendary: The Box Gamecock
To End All Wars Ghostlight
RAGE id Software
WarDevil – Unleash the Beast Ignition Entertainment
Within
Dynasty Warriors 6 KOEI
Fatal Inertia KOEI
METAL GEAR SOLID 4 GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS Konami
Blacksite: Area 51 Midway
TNA Wrestling Midway
Unreal Tournament 3 Midway
Wheelman Midway
Cops (codename, title name TBD) Pyro
Planet One (codename, title name TBD) Pyro
Heroes over Europe Red Mile Entertainment
Condemned 2 SEGA
Iron Man SEGA
The Club SEGA
The Crucible SEGA
The Incredible Hulk SEGA
Blast Factor (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
echochrome Sony Computer Entertainment
Elefunk Sony Computer Entertainment
Folklore (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Go! Sports Ski (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Heavenly Sword (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
High Velocity Bowling Sony Computer Entertainment
MLB 08: The Show Sony Computer Entertainment
MotorStorm (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
NBA 08 (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
PAIN Sony Computer Entertainment
Rat Race Sony Computer Entertainment
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Sony Computer Entertainment
Destruction
Resistance: Fall of Man (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Snakeball Sony Computer Entertainment
SOCOM: Confrontation Sony Computer Entertainment
Super Stardust HD (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
TOY HOME Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Sony Computer Entertainment
Warhawk (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
WipEout HD Sony Computer Entertainment
GirpShift(R) Sony Online Entertainment
NBA 2K8 Take Two Sports
Destroy All Humans 3 THQ
Stuntman Ignition THQ
Assassin’s Creed UbiSoft
BEOWULF UbiSoft
HAZE UbiSoft
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced UbiSoft
Warfighter 2 (*1)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas (*1) UbiSoft
Prototype Vivendi Games
The Chronicles of Riddick: Vivendi Games
Assault on Dark Athena