The Dark Age Of PlayStation (2005-2008)

Maintaining The Momentum

In doing so, the overall reputation of the PlayStation 3 among the masses began to massively improve. Once the system moved past the initial ridicule it had received in the first three years. The focus on continuing franchises guided Sony through 2011 and 2012 as Killzone 3, Uncharted 3, Resistance 3, Starhawk and Twisted Metal all succeeded in tiding players over.

All was not perfect however; the PlayStation Network hack in April 2011 was a critical blow that seriously damaged both consumer and corporate trust in the brand. With over 77 million console owners and their details compromised, it stands as one of the biggest consumer tech breaches in history. Sony issued a solemn apology and got a lid on the situation, offering two free games to players as a consolation. Had the hack been worse, it would have surely torpedoed their rising momentum.

The arrival and subsequent abandonment of PlayStation Move didn't help either. In a bid to compete with the Nintendo Wii's continued success in motion controls, Sony put their own spin on it and released their own motion controlled peripheral.

At best, it could be viewed as an improvement on existing technology, but at worst it was viewed as a rip-off product that didn't offer much beyond the competition. Thankfully, Sony wasn't shoving the device down player's throats like Microsoft with the Kinect, but that's a tale for another time.