Its hard to believe that its been 20 years since the PlayStation 3 came out in November 2006. The mid-00’s felt like another lifetime and life looked and felt so much better in general. PlayStation 3 was the console that followed Sony’s universally praised PS2 console which was released in late-2000. The original PlayStation 3 was a stronger and faster console than PS2 and featured multiple versions that included 20GB, 60GB and even 80GB between 2006-2008. The original fat version of the PlayStatin 3 was probably the most iconic version of the console since it was the first one. However, the design of the original version of the PS3 did not look as appealing the PS2. Eventually, Sony began producing a slim version of the PS3 between 2009-2012. The PS3 Slim came out in September 2009 and averaged around $299 following its initial launch. The prices for the PS3 Slim felt more reasonable than the original version of the PS3 which was priced around $499 for a 20GB model. The price for the 60GB model of the PS3 was even more absurd because it averaged around $599 during the time of its release. There were many gamers who were aware of Sony’s cheap cash grab tactics during the late 00’s and were not too happy about it. In fact, Sony’s tactics began to push many players towards the competitors of the PS3 which included Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

The Xbox 360 was priced either $299 or $399 following its launch depending on which players bought while the Wii console originally cost around $250. Ironically, during the late 00’s-early 10’s the Nintendo sold more than its competitors with the Wii console; while the Xbox 360 ended up being Microsoft’s best-selling game system to date. Despite, not selling nearly as much as the PS2 the PS3 was still successful reaching more than $87 million in worldwide sales. It should be noted that the PS3 was not discontinued until Spring 2017. In the years prior to its discontinuation Sony had release a Super Slim model that featured up to 500 GB for around $299 which actually a pretty good deal back in 2012. The late-00’s-early 10’s felt like one of the rare periods in time where Sony’s dominance over the gaming market was truly challenged. Also, the world got to witness the release of some amazing video games during the PS3/Xbox 360 era.

The PlayStation 3 is considered to be legendary because some of the most iconic video games of all-time came from its generation. The PS3 featured games like Persona 4, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Heavy Rain, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3 & 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption, The Last of Us and more. Also, the Call of Duty series was arguably at its peak during the PS3/Xbox 360 era allowing players to enjoy games like Black Ops I & II on either console. Despite, the success of the PS3 its often seen as the black sheep of the PlayStation family. Sony’s strategy for selling multiple versions of the PS3 was a tactic that caused its consumers to lose faith the company while killing the momentum the PS2 had gained back in the early 2000’s. To make matters worse Sony used unethical business tactics to sell multiple versions of the PS3 during the late-00’s when the American economy had experienced a very rough recession. Despite, the pricing controversy and backlash regarding the PS3 its a console the millions of gamers still have fond memories about.