Black and Blu-Ray

After taking a beating from Microsoft throughout 2007, is 2008 the year Sony starts to punch back? This year began with a huge win for Sony when Toshiba bowed out of the HD-DVD format and conceded victory to Blu-Ray. After being continually raked over the coals for foisting their format on gamers, Sony has to feel vindicated now that the market has proven them to be much more forward-sighted than the gaming press and community gave them credit for. Last month's NPD numbers saw the PS3 besting the 360 in total units sold, and I'm getting a strong sense that the wind is changing out there when it comes to the public perception of Sony's console.

Now that Blu-Ray is an established format, the new perception of the PS3 is that not only is it no longer overpriced, but its a great bargain. When you combine all of the PS3's functionality with a cost that equals that of a bare bones Blu-Ray player, you'll find it hard to resist the PS3 from a financial perspective. This all being said though, a victory in the next-gen DVD war certainly does not guarantee a win in the next-gen console war. It's time for Sony to start putting the hurt on the 360 if they want to really get back into this war. Here are my tips to Sony on tipping the scales in their favor this year:

1) Start getting some AAA exclusive titles out there!

Sony has got to get some juicy exclusive content out there that delivers. Microsoft has a huge line-up of games but their most prized possessions are exclusives like Gears of War and Halo. Now that Bungie is an independent developer, I wouldn't look for Halo 4 any time soon. Also, Epic Games has no official ties to Microsoft, and its very obvious that Epic is less than pleased with Microsoft's handling of UT3's mod support. Now is the time to strike Sony! With titles like Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, and Resistance Fall of Man 2 hitting this year you can prove that you have the goods to the gaming community.

2) Leverage your hardware.

Now that Blu-Ray has won, there is no reason for your developers to hold back on maximizing Blu-Ray discs capacity when making games. In addition to your Blu-Ray drive, your built-in hard drive also guarantees more room for developers to flex their content-producing muscles. Let's not forget also that your machine can produce high resolution audio tracks through your standard HDMI audio output. Make sure that all of those juicy exclusives you have coming this year play to all of your unique strengths. The 360 lacks the optical drive storage space, the built-in hard drive, and the audio capabilities that the PS3 boasts, now is the time to show the gaming community that these features really matter with games that cannot be replicated on the 360's standard hardware.

3) Keep the hardware on store shelves.

With Blu-Ray player demand sky-rocketing in the wake of HD-DVD's surrender, it is imperative you keep production steady on the PS3. Gamers and home theater enthusiasts are going to be sorely tempted by your hardware now that the public perception of pricing is on your side. Make sure that it is as easy as possible for new users to get their hands on your hardware, especially in the 4th quarter this year when demand reaches its highest point.

4) Keep producing reliable hardware and offering better than average customer support.

The 360 has taken a public beating for its higher than average defective rates and their sub-par customer service. Take care not to repeat the mistakes Microsoft has made and you will guarantee a loyal base of users.

That's all of my tips for Sony this year. If all goes to plan for the PS3 the gaming landscape could look very differently this time next year...