The Day Playstation Became Playstation 3

Playstation have come a long way since their first console offering back in 1994. Back then gamers were content to compete against a maximum of one other player (short of physically connecting two TV's and consoles via meters of cables) in a clammy 32 bit environment.

Now with the advent of the Playstation 3 (or PS3 as it is affectionately known) Gamers have been opened up to a new vista of opportunities contained within this one console. The PS3 transcends being labeled as just a computer game console. Sony's seventh generation offering is also a home theater system with inbuilt blue-ray, DVD and CD playing capability, a multi Gigabyte hard drive, and a site for internet access.

Its slick casing certainly makes it appear very much 'at home' in the modern lounge room. Its multi-functionality adds another level of attractiveness to the PS3 for young people or those on a tight budget as it means that they can essentially score a DVD, CD and Blue ray player in one purchase!

Programmers from the 1980's would scarcely be able to believe the levels of sophistication and technical wizardry they helped pave the way for. One can imagine the bug-eyed look on their faces had someone traveled back through time with a demonstration of the PS3's capabilities.

The graphics are sharp and crystal clear, with characters in sports games bordering on the real and the blue skies in racing games bordering on radiating warmth out of the TV screen! One wonders how close the time is when we shall not be able to distinguish between the real and the computer generated in video games.

So which games are featured as an excuse to wonder through the amazingly rendered 3d fantasy reality, the gateway to which we call the PS3?

Familiar titles Sonic the hedgehog, Ridge racer (returning in its seventh incarnation), and Virtua fighter (in its fifth form) are reappearing in bigger, more realistic and more exciting installations.

Resistance; fall of man is a gloomy surrealistic sci-fi shoot 'em up revolving around forcing an invasion force of human hating evil aliens out of Britain. Throughout the course of the game the player is coerced through stunningly created 3d renders of Siberia and London which will leave you thankful that everything you just experienced was generated by your PS3 and not your local news channel!

Motorstorm is another game which showcases PS3's astonishing graphic capabilities. Zooming the player through incredible computer generated environments at top speed.

Both these games have been topping best seller lists since their releases.

The PS3 really is a portal into a whole realm of wide ranging possibilities. On the personal level it can serve as an archive or inventory of stored music (MP3's, WAV, WMA, ATRAC3+ and MP4's all being supported). Photographic storage capability allows for browsing of your virtual photo library on your TV screen.

On a communal level, it affords the opportunity to link up with other gamers around the world through the internet to pit your skills or just have fun with members of the increasingly tight global community which is being brought closer together by inventions such as the PS3.

Ant Onaf is a content producer in association with RemoteGurus.com, a job board for posting and finding programming jobs. He is also associated with Rooket.com, an online retailer where you can buy PS3 game consoles and accessories.