Developed by PlatinumGames (with Kojima Productions assisting), Revengeance focuses on Raiden four years after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Cyborg soldiers are more common, and he’s at odds with rival PMC, Desperado. Unlike the mainline series, Metal Gear Rising focuses heavily on fast-paced hack-and-slash action.

Those who pick up the PC version can avail of various armor options for Raiden, from his MGS 4 armor to the Cyborg Ninja from Metal Gear Solid 1. It also includes downloadable content like VR missions and story content featuring Blade Wolf and Jetstream Sam as playable characters. Of course, there are also options to face off against the bosses only via the Chapter menu, rewatch cutscenes and codec conversations and more.

Datamining from last year’s leak of the game’s source code indicated that several DLC were in the works, including Agent Trevor. Actor Steve Ogg confirmed its existence in an April 2024 YouTube stream with Ned Luke (who voices Michael de Santa). Even more alleged details have emerged, courtesy of former senior camera artist and virtual cinematographer Joseph Rubino.

In an interview with SanInPlay (transcription via VGC), Rubino, who worked at Rockstar for six years, claims, “I was one of the main editors, camera artist and doing a lot of the second unit on-stage stuff. We split our teams into two, so I stayed on GTA Online and then this DLC, which Steven Ogg was a very important part of, and then some of the team overlapped and went to Red Dead Redemption 2 early on.”

The success of Grand Theft Auto Online ultimately led to the DLC’s cancellation. “When GTA Online came out, it was so much of a cash cow, and people were loving it so much that it was hard to argue that a standalone DLC would out-compete that. I think, looking back now, I would say that you could probably do both, but that was a business decision they made.”

Rubino confesses to being “a little upset” at this, and it was “a lot of reason for me being a little sour at that time, because I was like ‘yo, what the f*** guys, this s***’s awesome, let’s keep going, let’s finish this s***.” Agent Trevor was allegedly half-finished at the time, though, “A lot of that stuff did end up making it, I believe, into later iterations of GTA Online, I think. It’s not like they wasted it. It was really, really good.”

Rockstar North has added its fair share of story-focused content to GTA Online, including “The Contract.” It focuses on Franklin Clinton, one of the three protagonists, years after the campaign and features music by Dr. Dre.

The development team is currently focused on Grand Theft Auto 6, launching in Fall 2025 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s rumored to receive substantial content additions post-launch, but nothing is officially confirmed. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

Of course, if you own any of these games, the single-player campaigns remain playable. Furthermore, each title will remain available for other platforms. Those still enjoying Battlefield 3 on PC or Battlefield 4 and Hardline on Xbox One, PS4, or PC can continue to do so without any issues.

The announcement comes a few months after Electronic Arts confirmed no further seasons for Battlefield 2042. The next title in the series has yet to be officially revealed. However, it has the largest team in the franchise’s history working on it, including DICE, Motive Studios, Ripple Effect Studios and Criterion Games. EA CEO Andrew Wilson described it as a “tremendous live service”, though details on its setting and mechanics remain unknown. Stay tuned for further updates.

https://t.co/2W8dLlGjBM

— Battlefield Comms (@BattlefieldComm) June 28, 2024

The same was claimed in a recent episode of the XboxEra Podcast by XboxEra co-founder Nick Baker, while journalist Jeff Grubb also made similar claims on his Giant Bomb podcast, Game Mess Mornings. Allegedly, native emulation of PS3 titles on PS5 is being worked on at Sony, though when exactly that will be made available to users worldwide remains to be seen.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that such rumours have emerged. Grubb made claims that native PS3 emulation was in the works for PS5 back in 2022 as well.

If native emulation of PS3 titles does become available on PS5, that could potentially free up a significant number of fan-favourite titles that have been shackled to the PS3’s library exclusively for years, including the likes of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Liberty, Killzone 2 and 3, Insomniac Games’ Resistance trilogy, and more.

Coming fresh off of Assassin’s Creed 3, which was considered by many to be a generally disappointing entry, there was a sizeable section of the series’ fanbase that was going into Black Flag with lowered expectations. With many, in fact, there was a strong feeling that a new game in the franchise shouldn’t be releasing so soon after a major flagship release in the form of Assassin’s Creed 3. Given all of that, it’s fair to say that Black Flag turned out to be a much, much better game than a significant number of people had expected it would be prior to its launch, to the extent that a healthy chunk of the series’ fanbase considers it to be the absolute peak of Assassin’s Creed. If you’ve played the game, you probably don’t need convincing that it’s very much worthy of the praise that it receives from all corners, and then some. After all, he list of reasons to love Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is a long one.

And if you have any level of familiarity with the game, you’re well aware of the thing that stands out most prominently as the game’s defining element- its naval gameplay. Assassin’s Creed 3 introduced an entirely new side to the series’ gameplay experience in the form of naval traversal, exploration, and combat, and Ubisoft decided to crank that up to eleven in its successor. In Black Flag, players were let lose in a massive open world recreation of eighteenth century West Indies, where, as a pirate-slash-assassin and the captain of your own ship, you had the freedom to explore the vast, gorgeous seas and the many islands scattered throughout the endless stretches of water.

It was an absolutely magical experience. Seriously, no amount of superlatives feels like it’s enough to describe just how good Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’s naval combat and exploration were. Whether you were leisurely moving on top of calm waters with your crew singing jolly shanties in the background, or engaged in a furious exchange of artillery, canon fire, and what have you in naval battles that end with exhilarating takeovers of hostile ships, or you’re boldly steering your ship through colossal, angry, violent waves in the middle of a black and angry storm- no matter how you’re engaging with the game in Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’s open seas, the game manages to keep its hooks sunk deep into your flesh.

The whole pirate aesthetic and setting, in fact, is one of Black Flag’s biggest strengths as a game. At the time, when it came out, it had its fair share of detractors in the series’ core fanbase who felt that it being as detached from the larger Assassin’s Creed story as it was (especially with its modern-day story) made it a less significant entry for the series. Many would tell you, however, that that was one of its biggest strengths. Black Flag’s portrayal of pirate life, and the way it blends that vibe with the series’ core assassins vs templars hook, in both story and gameplay was one of its brightest highlights. No other game in the series can even hope to come close to Black Flag’s distinct aesthetic.

Of course, while Black Flag’s pirate-infused gameplay elements were clearly its best parts – from the intense naval battles to exploring the seas – other parts of the game (those that were much more familiar to fans of the series) also contributed to how well it turned out. The old Assassin’s Creed formula isn’t exactly ingenious design at this point, but in spite of its extreme familiarity, it remains an inherently strong framework- one that, more importantly, Black Flag implemented spectacularly.

Not only was its open world a compelling one to explore, complete with its many side activities and optional quests (the majority of which were, let’s face it, pretty darn formulaic), it also used its familiar blend of stealth, combat, and parkour to great effect throughout its excellently designed campaign. And, of course, the game was also very aware of what its biggest strengths were, which means a significant percentage of its main story placed more than a little bit of emphasis on naval gameplay.

More than a decade on from its launch, for many Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag remains the series’ best game for a large number of its fans. Ubisoft released several more games using that old Assassin’s Creed template after Black Flag, while since 2017, it has also released multiple games that have adopted a new action RPG formula, but in all those years, with all of those multiple instalments, very rarely (if ever) has the franchise ever come close to scaling the sort of heights that it was able to scale with Black Flag.

Whether or not we’re going to get an Assassin’s Creed game anytime soon that will be able to replicate the 2013 pirate masterpiece’s success is anyone’s guess, but interestingly enough, if leaks are to be believed, Black Flag itself may be coming back in the not too distant future. Recent leaks have claimed that a remake of the 2013 title is in early development at Ubisoft. Assuming that that’s accurate, it’ll likely still be a handful of years before it releases, though the question still needs to be asked- does Black Flag even need a remake?

Sure, it’s eleven years old at this point, and gaps between games and their remakes have been similar (like with The Last of Us) or even shorter (like with the original Resident Evil) in the past. But even though Black Flag is more than a decade old, it doesn’t feel like any part of it needs a remake. The game has aged remarkably well, both from a gameplay perspective and a technical and visuals one, which means one can’t help but wonder how exactly Ubisoft is going to justify a full-fledged remake. Is it just going to be a better looking but otherwise conservative recreation of the original game? Is it going to expand things significantly by, say, having a larger map? If it’s the former, many are going to wonder why the remake even exists, while if it’s the latter, Ubisoft will be running a high risk of making the sort of changes to the original that fans don’t appreciate. Either way, it’s a risky venture.

Given the immense legacy of the game, however, it’s fair to say that even though there will be plenty of questions asked about why it exists, if a remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is indeed officially announced we’re going to be more than ready to give it a chance. The original 2013 title was and remains an unabashed masterpiece, so any chance we get to re-experience it, we’ll take it in heartbeat.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

15. Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty!

Oddworld has always been something of a niche series, and thankfully the remake of 1997’s Abe’s Odyssey hasn’t lost that unique charm. New ‘n’ Tasty successfully takes the janky early 3D game and brushes it up to 2014 polish with modern HD graphics. The clearest demonstration of this polish is the much-improved level flow thanks to the elimination of screen partisions in favor of seamless platforming. Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty is the best way to play the 1997 classic today, and it helped pave the way for a wider Oddworld audience.

 14. The Last of Us Part 1

The Last of Us Part 1 took one of the greatest games of all time and made it even better. The graphical improvements showcase the power of PS5 hardware with remarkably dense foliage and improved animations across the board. AI got a substantial overhaul as well, as companions help you fight off the improved enemy AI. And as if the enhanced AI didn’t bolster the challenge enough, The Last of Us Part 1 features a speedrun mode that tracks your time per chapter. The Last of Us Part 1 may not be the most needed remake in the world, but it sure stands as one of the most impressive.

13. Shadow of the Colossus

2018’s Shadow of the Colossus is another example of a 1-to-1 faithful remake that doesn’t distance itself far from the original. As expected, Bluepoint Games updated the graphics to modern standards. The result is a truly transformed vision of the classic PS2 game where the slightest change in lighting can give a totally unique ambiance from the original. Best of all, the controls are vastly improved with a bevy of convenience features the original lacked.

12. Star Fox 64 3DS

Who doesn’t love Star Fox 64? It’s such an easy game to pick up and play, and the 3DS remake makes it even easier with its portability. Star Fox 64 looks amazing on the 3DS, with some of the most attractive 3D visuals on the system. By and large, Star Fox 64 3DS is a faithful remake of the arcade shooter original with a host of cool enhancements. The orchestrated soundtrack is easy to love, and the new Score Attack mode is a fun way to replay all those classic levels with added challenge and rewards.

11. System Shock

1994’s seminal System Shock redefined what a shooter can be and helped create the immersive sim genre. Fast-forward to 2023 and the remake is just as fascinating and immersive as it was back in the day. 2023’s System Shock is by far the best way to experience the game. The gunplay is worlds apart from the janky original with tight and snappy controls and a convenient interface. The sub-par music is fully redone here with an ambient soundtrack that accompanies the HD graphics wonderfully. System Shock gets the royal treatment in this faithful remake, even keeping the backtracking in the original. There’s never been a better time to experience System Shock, especially with the console release dropping in a couple of months and the sequel coming soon.

10. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Metal Gear Solid had some rough gameplay segments on the PS1. Pseudo-tank controls compounded some of the game’s backtracking issues and made it a slog at times. Well, the remake smooths those control issues over with the wonderful Gamecube control stick scheme and gameplay lifted from Metal Gear Solid 2. Twin Snakes also adds updated cutscenes, which serve to fill in transitions and add more comedy relief to the game. Best of all was the improved graphics to the jagged polygonal PS1 original. Metal Gear Solid has some of gaming’s most hardcore fans, so this remake didn’t satisfy all of them, but it certainly did go over well for most and helped pave the way forward for future entries in the series.

9. Yakuza Kiwami

Yakuza Kiwami is a faithful remake of the very first Yakuza, many systems and general story connectivity from Yakuza 0. Goro Majima is a recurring character in a quest chain that delighted and bewildered us in equal measure. And the inclusion of Yakuza 0’s pocket racer and many minigame don’t hurt the remake either. All in all, Yakuza Kiwami stands as the most quintessential remake in the series, making for a quirky but fantastic sequel to fan-favorite Yakuza 0.

8. Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories has long been the ugly duck of the popular series. The original Chain of Memories released on the Game Boy Advance, which just further distanced players from accepting it. But when the remake came out, it was suddenly accepted as a must-play (or watch) entry. Without hyperbole, RE: Chain of Memories supplies the best narrative of all the Kingdom Hearts games. The compelling mystery surrounding Castle Oblivion and the sinister Organization 13 get their HD treatment in this remake with full voice acting. If you want the true KH story experience, you owe it to yourself to play RE: Chain of Memories … or just watch the brilliant cutscenes.

7. Dead Space (2023)

The 2023 remake of the original Dead Space is without a doubt one of the most intense gaming experiences out there. The inclusion of enhanced DualSense rumble facilitates the ultra-detailed visuals to a scary degree. Most of you already know just how phenomenal the original Dead Space is, so imagine that but turned up several notches. I particularly appreciate the added nuance they added to Isaac Clarke and other characters’ personalities. There’s just the right amount of small additional details to fill in story gaps of the original without taking away its lean pacing and tension. Dead Space‘s remake is one of the best showcases of how modern hardware can enhance a masterpiece, and just how intense and visceral gaming in general can be.

6. Ratchet And Clank (2016)

Three years may not seem like a long time, but up until 2013, Insomniac was releasing a new Ratchet and Clank like clockwork every year. The three years of silence was broken with the first PS4 Ratchet and Clank title, and it was a remake of the very first entry to boot. 2016’s Ratchet and Clank remains the smoothest action-platformer game I’ve ever played. Sure, Rift Apart for PS5 featured next-gen tech with the new dimensional rift gun, but you just can’t beat the simplicity and excellent pacing of the remade original game. The planet of Rilgar is a highlight in the series I’ll never forget, not least of all due to the fun hoverboard minigame and pixelizer gun. Ratchet and Clank 2016 is my favorite game in the series due to its tight pacing and excellent recreation of the original’s unmatched level design.

5. Spyro Reignited Trilogy

It’s not cheating to have three games for one entry since that’s how Spyro Reignited is packaged, and what a sweet deal it is. The Spyro Reignited trilogy faithfully recreates the first three games in the Spyro series with fluid controls and completely redone graphics and physics. Each of the dragons is fully voiced and the music is completely redone while remaining faithful. Toys from Bob nailed the visual aesthetic with Spyro Reignited, giving the old PS1 series Pixar-level attention to detail. This is as faithful as remakes get, so don’t expect new or changed content here. That adherence to the original source is what makes this remake so special and deserving of a high spot on this list. Out of all the entries here, Spyro Reignited may just be the one hardest to find criticism for due to its straightforward 1-for-1 approach.

4. Black Mesa

Black Mesa is a remake of the original Half-Life, built within Half-Life 2’s engine. The well-optimized controls of the original weren’t bad to begin with, but they’re made even better with the polished Half-Life 2 tech. It’s more than just a graphical and controls overhaul though, many areas have been redesigned to feature a more balanced enemy and weapon layout. One of the biggest flaws of the original was the final area, Xen, which got completely redesigned into a very fun and well-paced level with Black Mesa. If you’re a Half-Life fan, or just a shooter fan in general, Black Mesa is a must-play for its adherence to the source material and dedication to fixing its flaws.

3. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

RPG fans rejoice, the decade-old promise of a fully fleshed and remade Final Fantasy 7 has been fulfilled. The developer has somehow managed to squeeze a blown-up HD version of the middle portion of Final Fantasy 7 into a single game. Iconic locales such as Costa Del Sol and the infamous Gold Saucer amusement park are blown up to a glorious HD scale without losing any of their original charm. It’s a faithful remake that expands on the story elements of the original in ways the PS1 couldn’t quite communicate. The acting, soundtrack, and deep battle system continue to blow me away 150 hours later.

2. Super Mario 64 DS

Super Mario 64 is one of those classics all gamers speak fondly about, yet hesitate to return to. Whether due to the rough N64 controls or the terrible camera system, the original has aged rather poorly. That’s where the Nintendo DS remake comes in. Controls are vastly improved and the camera is downright perfect for its 3D environs. Super Mario 64 DS was the first time me and many other fans experienced the awe of added content to a beloved classic. The remake added 30 new stars, totaling 150 for the full game. Super Mario 64 DS is the definitive way to play this classic; I just wish it was available on a modern platform so more could experience it.

1. Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Pretty much every modern remake owes something to 2019’s Resident Evil 2. The RE2 remake established a new benchmark of what it means to take an original game and polish it to modern specifications while expanding and adding to it. Characters such as William Birkin and Chief Irons receive substantial development compared to the original, and the narrative cohesively ties into the wider Resident Evil setting following the events of RE2. Obviously, the tank controls of the original had to go in favor of precise over-the-shoulder shooting. In addition to the rich expansions on the original content, the remake adds a 4^th Survival mode and dozens of unlockable secrets ranging from new playable characters to an unbreakable knife for future playthroughs. Resident Evil 2 shines as an example of how to remake a classic game, earning it the top spot for the second year in a row.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Today, we will be taking a look at Starbreeze Studios’ 2012 release Syndicate which definitely falls under this category of games that slipped under the radar for most fans. Syndicate was subject to divisive critical reception which led to underperforming sales and eventually deemed the game a disappointing release – but that’s not indicative of the entire story. Sure, Syndicate does have plenty of rough edges that we will be talking about – but it also has plenty of merits that are worth discussing. 

Syndicate takes place in the year 2069 and paints a dystopian yet familiar vision of the future where megacorporations rule the world and huge cities are filled with towering skyscrapers and bustling air traffic. The narrative here revolves around a peculiar data chip that enables users to access any information available across a massive databank and those who choose to use the chip fall under the indirect influence of these megacorps. As a mercenary for hire, it’s up to you to put an end to these digital shenanigans by whatever means necessary, and that leads our protagonist Miles Kilo down a path lined with conspiracies and plot twists. 

The story isn’t anything special, but the characters are well-written and well performed which makes for a pretty entertaining ride through and through. And despite the familiarity of it all, Syndicate’s representation of a cyberpunk future looks visually appealing with great art direction evident across its environments. The team makes heavy use of bloom in the visuals which was one of the major points of criticism when it was released, but that also lends a rather distinct sense of visual identity to the game. The game has a pretty clean visual aesthetic overall that surprisingly holds up well to this date, though some of it could be credited to the high-resolution textures and gorgeous lighting effects that are used to render its maps.

But much of what makes Syndicate so great stems from the gameplay side of it all. You see, Syndicate was actually a real-time strategy game that came out back in 1993, and the 2012 FPS serves as a spiritual successor to that title. Translating those elements into a completely different genre is obviously a pretty tough task, but Starbreeze Studios has done a commendable job of handling that transition. On a surface level, Syndicate’s first-person shooting mechanics look like a pretty standard affair – you can run, jump, slide, and hide behind cover as you clear out rooms filled with enemies. But as you start to really dig into the game, you will come to realize that Syndicate has quite a bit more to offer than just shooting dudes in the face. 

The protagonist has a DART chip infused in his head that enables you to perform different kinds of special moves on your enemies. You could hack an enemy’s operating systems and cause their weapons to malfunction, lose control, and temporarily serve as your ally, or just straight up shooting themselves in the face for an easy kill. It’s not much in terms of the numbers themselves but using these abilities smartly in a tactical fashion while actively seeking out cover can make for some really engaging firefights. 

It also helps that the enemy variety here continuously forces you to keep changing your strategy and remain quick-witted to ensure chances of survival. The game often throws in heavier armored units with lighter cannon fodder enemies which can quickly down you in a matter of few hits forcing you to use the aforementioned utilities in smart ways to clear out rooms of enemies without getting obliterated by the opposition. 

Syndicate’s variety of weapons is also something that helps in adding depth to these firefights. Unlike many shooters of the time where almost every firearm can be used to great effect in any situation, Syndicate’s offerings of weapons demand that players use them with intention to ensure maximum effectiveness. Furthermore, you could also fit these weapons with different attachments and upgrades that can sometimes even change the functionality in a drastic manner. 

You also get the occasional mini gun with unlimited ammunition to decimate entire rooms of enemies without breaking a sweat, and that makes for some really interesting sections that deliver an unmatchable sense of power fantasy. In addition to this, there are also more than a couple of boss fights with augmented soldiers peppered throughout the campaign, and while they might not be the toughest fights in all of gaming – they definitely serve the purpose of adding some much-needed variety to the experience.

One of the more interesting things about Syndicate is that it’s a largely animation-driven game that adds a rather refreshing sense of realism and tangible heft to every movement that the player makes. Just notice how the placement of your weapon subtly changes as you hide behind different pieces of cover, and how it all functions when you lean over and shoot. Animations rarely break, and transitions happen pretty smoothly which looks very pleasing to the eye. Many of these ideas and concepts can be traced back to Starbreeze’s prior works like The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, but Syndicate improves on these aspects by a significant margin which makes for a very endearing gameplay experience. 

And who can forget the co-op campaign? Syndicate also features a co-op campaign where up to four players can drop in and complete more than a handful of missions with increasing enemy presence. Players are also free to choose between different character classes that each come with their own strengths and weaknesses, which forces you to play off each others’ strengths to have a shot at success. It’s a pretty fun game mode that serves as a great hook to keep you coming back time and time again once you are done with the solo campaign. 

To say that Syndicate is a flawless game would be a massive overstatement. There are definitely quite a few things that the developers could have improved on. For instance, the animation-driven gameplay has some downsides that it doesn’t feel as responsive as contemporaries like Killzone or Overwatch, the enemies can feel like bullet sponges at times as some stronger variants can eat up entire magazines without going down, and certain stretches of the story can feel somewhat boring and uneventful. 

But despite those flaws, Syndicate is a game that manages to deliver a consistently engaging and quality experience throughout its run. It’s not a misunderstood masterpiece by any means, but it definitely stands out amongst other shooters of its time mostly due to the fact that encounters and shooting generally have some level of depth and variety that many of its peers lacked. Sure, it might not have the constant onslaught of high-intensity set-piece moments – but that tradeoff is worth it for the added mechanical complexity. If Syndicate is something that you never tried, you should definitely give it a shot and there’s a good chance that you might end up being genuinely surprised.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The lifetime sales milestone is all the more impressive, considering Grand Theft Auto 5 first launched in September 2013 for Xbox 360 and PS3. It’s since been a staple of every console generation since then. Total sales for the franchise are over 425 million, and GTA 5 contributing nearly half of that is truly impressive.

Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar’s last major open-world title, has sold nearly 64 million units, up from 61 million. Total series sales have crossed 89 million, though Take-Two didn’t mention how well last year’s re-release of Red Dead Redemption performed on Nintendo Switch and PS4.

As for Grand Theft Auto 6, it’s launching on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 (not PC) next year. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

The Original Plan Was To Have More USB And HDMI Ports

The PlayStation 3’s original model was a feature-packed console bursting with utility. Boasting a total of 2 HDMI ports, 3 Ethernet ports, and 6 USB ports, the PS3 would have been a greatly useful console with such a large number of choices. This early variant was showcased a full year before its release, but when the PS3 re-appeared in E3 2006 – it only had 1 HDMI port, 1 Ethernet port, and 4 USB ports – presumably as an effort to cut down on production costs.

PS3 Launch Date Was Delayed By Almost A Year

A video game console is a complex web of computer parts, and to manufacture the same machine at scale – abundant availability of every part no matter how insignificant is absolutely necessary. The PS3 launched a full year after the Xbox 360, and while Sony planned to ship the console in time with its competition – the production cycle was slowed down in large part due to a small laser component in the Blu-Ray drive that reportedly cost just $0.05 apiece. Eventually, the team would end up switching to a different component for the same functionality to ensure smooth availability down the road.

The Original PS3 Had Hardware Level Backwards Compatibility

The original PlayStation 3 was a really expensive console for its time, and this can be attributed to a bunch of different reasons. One of the reasons was that the launch model of the console had the PS2’s Emotion Engine chip on the hardware itself, making it fully backward compatible with last-gen titles. Later models removed the chip on the hardware level, but some level of backwards compatibility still existed. For example, the PS3 slim model wasn’t able to play PS2 games but was compatible with PS1 software.

The Original PlayStation 3 Font

The original PlayStation 3 font is the same font that is used in the original Tobey Maguire starrer Spider-Man trilogy. The first film was released in 2002, which was around 4 years before the release of the PlayStation 3. Sony owns the font that is used in both cases and while it’s not really a big deal by any means it makes for an interesting piece of trivia nevertheless.

PS3 Online Was Initially Free To Use

It’s no secret that the PS2 greatly lacked in terms of online capabilities when compared to its direct competition Xbox, so Sony took charge to improve its offerings with the PS3. Thanks to a dedicated Ethernet port and plenty of multiplayer options in both first and third-party games, PS3 offered a strong set of features for players who would like to play online. And where Xbox charged a subscription fee for Xbox Live, PS3 didn’t charge any fee for PS Online – but that was before Sony also jumped ship and started asking a price for its online component with its PS Plus subscription.

PS3 Was One Of The Cheapest Blu-Ray Players

Much like the case with the PS2, the PS3 was one of the cheapest devices that could play Blu-Ray media. At a time when dedicated Blu-Ray players were going for prices as high as $1000 from manufacturers like Samsung or Toshiba, Sony put forth a rather appealing value proposition with the PS3 that could play the same media format for much less while also having the added utility of actually being able to play games. The reason behind it being cheaper despite having more hardware is because Sony would sell the consoles at a loss, and instead make up money through software and subscription sales in the long run.

PS3 Sold For Much Lesser Than It Cost To Make

And talking about losses, we should also talk about the specifics of the console’s productions and the massive losses that Sony incurred on that front. As per reports from multiple sources, the PlayStation 3 launch version would cost around $800 to make – which meant Sony incurred a loss of $200 on every console it sold considering the selling price of $600. The inclusion of a Blu-Ray player and a physical Emotion Engine chip on the console were two major factors for such high costs, and Sony would eventually cut down costs by 70% by 2009 – allowing for the manufacturer to make a profit off all SKUs (even the slim variant which sold for just $299).

PS3 Was Not The Most Developer Friendly Platform

The PS3’s Cell processor was a powerhouse with multiple cores and high processing speeds, but utilizing that raw power was a nightmare for developers. It had a complex architecture with multiple cores that could transfer information through dedicated channels, but crafting a system that could leverage its full power turned out to be a huge engineering challenge for most developers. This is precisely why most multi-platform games run better on Xbox 360. Later on developers like Naughty Dog had it all figured out and could squeeze out such an astonishing level of visual fidelity and stable performance levels from the same hardware.

The Curious Case Of Missing DualShock

Sony launched the console with the Sixaxis controller, which was surprisingly devoid of rumble motors. The reason behind that was a trademark infringement against the use of vibration functionality in controllers which at the time was held by a company named Immersion. Once the legal battles were sorted out, Rumble Motors made a return with the DualShock 3 controller.

Video Conferencing Before It Was Cool

PlayStation released a PS Eye add-on for the PS3, but most fans wouldn’t know that you could actually hop on to a group video call with friends through the console. It might not sound all that amazing right now, but it’s rather interesting that the PS3 did that way before virtual connections were commonplace.

PS3 As A Video Editing Machine

Those who think that PS3 could just play games might be mistaken since you can do so much more with the console itself. For instance, you could also edit videos and while the functionality isn’t as sophisticated as video editing software like say, Premiere Pro – it definitely has its utility for quickly stitching together multiple clips for a cool montage or something similar.

PS3 Media Server

Thanks to an ethernet port on the hardware, you could play remote media files of a remotely connected server. Additionally, you can also connect to the same server through wireless mode making for additional flexibility on the console.

A Handy Screenshot Shortcut

The DualShock 3 has a handy shortcut for taking screenshots. By pressing the PS button and the start button at the same time, you can quickly capture a screenshot and store your favorite moments while gaming.

A Hidden Functionality Of The PS Logo On The Hardware

The PS3 has a mini PlayStation logo below the disc slot, but not many would know that its orientation can be swapped from vertical to horizontal depending on your preferences. It actually has a spring that can be loosened by pressing it, and it locks itself on either the horizontal or the vertical position after twisting it accordingly.

The PSN Outage, Circa 2011

Unfortunately. Sony was also a victim of a massive data breach back in 2011 as a group of hackers was able to steal sensitive user data from company servers. Over 77 million accounts were compromised, and Sony took big measures to prevent any further damage. The PSN Network was down for weeks, and that outage caused a massive loss of millions to the company’s wallet.

“Journey across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico in Red Dead Redemption, and its zombie-horror companion, Undead Nightmare, now playable on PC,” reportedly reads the marketing blurb spotted in the files.

It is important to note that this is just a rumour and shouldn’t be taken at face value. Rockstar itself is yet to make any statement or announcement regarding Red Dead Redemption on PC. It is also worth noting that PC is the only modern platform where Red Dead Redemption isn’t playable, having been released on PS4 and Nintendo Switch back in August 2023, and being available through backwards compatibility on Xbox for quite some time.

Red Dead Redemption takes place after the events of its sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, and puts players in the shoes of John Marston who has been tasked with taking down members of his former gang.

It looks like Rockstar is gearing up to release #RDR1 on PC. pic.twitter.com/2xMmpFIdCk

— Tez2 (@TezFunz2) May 13, 2024