PlayStation's "State of Play" aired on the 2nd of June and gave gamers a glimpse at some incredible games set to release in the near future. However, as PlayStation 5 gamers look ahead at what's to come, it's worth looking back at the history of the console with one of its predecessors, the ground-breaking PlayStation 3.
First released in the November of 2006, the PS3 saw Sony improve greatly upon the PlayStation 2 with impressive new graphical capabilities, a sleek user interface, and a more accessible system for online gaming. With these advances came a whole host of widely popular, high-selling games that would shape and define the futures of their respective genres.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
The first game in the Uncharted series and a PlayStation exclusive, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune sold over 4.8 million copies worldwide, per Forbes. The action-adventure game was received with an extremely positive critical response, spawning several sequels and even an Uncharted movie.
Released in 2007, the game owes some of its success to being one of the first major exclusives released on the Playstation 3. Due to this, the team at Naughty Dog tried to implement many of the PS3's new features such as the controller's motion-sensing capabilities and force feedback vibration which gave gamers an incentive to buy the game and test out the new console's unique capabilities. Aside from this, the game also boasted highly engaging action-adventure gameplay and a cinematic story.
Gran Turismo 6
After much anticipation, the racing game Gran Turismo 6 was released in the December of 2013 to a great amount of praise. The Gran Turismo series has a history of producing some of the best racing games of all time and this release is no exception to that, selling over 5 million copies exclusively on the PS3 according to the Polyphony website.
The success of the game probably stems from the immense popularity of its predecessor, Gran Turismo 5, which sold a massive number of copies in 2010. Those who loved GT 5 likely purchased its sequel wanting a new and improved version of the game they fell in love with. On top of this, GT 6's impressive graphics and the addition of further car customization options would have also attracted many racing fans to the game.
God of War 3
God of War 3 sees Kratos take on Zeus himself in a brutal hack-and-slash adventure game through Ancient Greece. Released in the March of 2010 as a PlayStation exclusive, GoW 3 sold an impressive 5.2 million copies worldwide, per the Sony Interactive Entertainment website.
God of War 3 has its incredibly fun and fluid combat system to thank for its success with gory finishing moves and new weapon options being fan highlights. Gamers were also drawn to the sheer impressiveness of some of the game's levels with massive enemy bosses populating beautiful landscapes.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Grand Turismo 5 Prologue is a somewhat unconventional release from the team behind the Grand Turismo racing game series as it essentially serves as a mega-sized demo for Grand Turismo 5. The game was released for the PS3 in 2007 (three years before Grand Turismo 5) to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the series and sold over 5.35 million copies, according to the official Polyphony website.
A $40.00 demo may sound appalling to most gamers but, upon seeing what the game had to offer, millions of Gran Turismo fans were happy to pay the fee. The prologue offered gamers a chance to play a large amount of the game early and was practically a full game in its own right. This extensive look at a highly anticipated game, coupled with the game's new mechanics and improved physics, made for an extremely popular early PS3 game.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
The Metal Gear series is truly a giant in the gaming world, and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots helped to cement this position. Released in June 2008, the stealth shooter sold a huge 6 million copies exclusively on the PlayStation 3, per GameDeveloper.
The success of the game stems from the fact that this is the sixth Metal Gear game directed by Hideo Kojima, a man whose projects always generate an immense amount of hype. Arguably the Alfred Hitchcock of video games, Kojima is known for his innovative mechanics and gameplay elements that make every game of his feel fresh and consistently surprising. This is exemplified in Guns of the Patriots which was praised for its intuitive new control system, technically impressive mechanics, and refreshingly unique storyline.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The second game in the ground-breaking series, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves blew the first game out of the water with 6.5 million copies sold, per Forbes. Released exclusively on the PS3 in 2009, Uncharted 2 continues the cinematic, globe-trotting adventures of Nathan Drake.
The immense success of Uncharted 2 likely comes from the original game's status as an instant classic, therefore generating a large amount of hype surrounding its sequel. The game also promised fans an even greater cinematic feel with stunning visuals and motion capture performances, and it delivered.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Continuing the momentum of its predecessors, Uncharted 3: Drake Deception was released on PlayStation 3 consoles in the November of 2011. With an unprecedented amount of hype for the series, the action-adventure game sold 6.6 million copies worldwide according to Forbes.
The game's impressive number of sales is a symptom of the Uncharted series becoming a game industry titan along with long-running series' like Halo and Call of Duty. With the previous two games receiving heaps of critical acclaim, it is no surprise fans were rushing to buy the third installment in the franchise. The game was praised for its incredible technical and visual achievements as well for containing the cinematic storytelling fans have come to expect from the series.
The Last of Us
Known for producing PlayStation best sellers with the Uncharted series, Naughty Dog truly outdid themselves with The Last of Us. The post-apocalyptic action-adventure game was released exclusively on the PS3 in 2013 and sold 7 million copies, per IGN, beating any previous Uncharted game.
The game's success makes sense as it came after three great Uncharted releases from Naughty Dog. As such, fans were excited to see the team take their cinematic storytelling and engaging gameplay in a new direction with darker themes and aspects of the zombie survival-horror genre. Fans were right to anticipate the game's release as it was hailed by critics for its beautiful visuals, intense gameplay, and expert storytelling, going on to be considered one of the greatest games ever made.
Gran Turismo 5
Following the success of its prologue three years before, Gran Turismo 5 was released in 2010 and sold a massive 11.95 million copies on the PlayStation 3 exclusively, per the Polyphony website. As of present, it is the highest selling installment in the GT racing game series.
This ridiculously high number of sales can be attributed to the hype generated by the extensive GT 5 demo released in 2007. Garnering a huge fanbase with the demo, Gran Turismo 5 promised to expand on the already huge Gran Turismo 5 Prologue with the inclusion of over 1000 cars, 77 tracks, new game modes, and an improved physics engine. Those who played the prologue to death were clamoring for new content and GT 5 delivered.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V smashed records like never before when it was released in the September of 2013 to much anticipation. Beating every other PlayStation 3 game by a country mile, the open-world action-adventure game sold a humongous 29.52 million copies sold on the PS3 alone, according to MarketWatch.
The overwhelming success of GTA V comes from its position as the most expansive, most innovative entry into the series yet with incredible improvements in graphics and gameplay. The game's predecessor, Grand Theft Auto IV was already popular on the PS3 and so fans could not wait to play GTA V with its huge open world, lengthy storyline, and extensive multiplayer mode. Trailers for GTA V released as early as 2011 suggested that it could be the biggest game of the decade and Rockstar certainly lived up to expectations.