Jubenhimer
Member
A video game platform is only as good as the games on it, and games that are developed or published by the company who made the system are perhaps the most important. First party games are what ultimately drive consumer and developer interest in a console. Whether some of the games fail or not, having a wide variety of games produced by the platform holder themselves gives the system a built in library out of the box.
So which consoles do you think, had the best first party libraries? The top 3 consoles in this regard IMO are...
Dreamcast - Sega's last hail marry in the console space, and the games are emblematic of that. With nothing left to loose, Sega gave it's internal development teams the full greenlight to do whatever the hell they wanted during the Dreamcast's short life. What resulted were some of the most innovative and iconic games of all time. Shenmue, Sonic Adventure, Chu Chu Rocket, Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Skies of Arcadia, Rez. All games still beloved by fans to this day. The Dreamcast may not have been the savior of Sega's console business, but it arguably showcased Sega as a developer, at it's absolute best.
Nintendo 64 - More than other platform makers, a game system by Nintendo lives or dies based on it's first party games. And the Nintendo 64 was living proof of that. With a lot of third party publishers absent and defected to PlayStation, Nintendo's own games were more than enough to keep the N64 relevant. Groundbreaking titles like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, and Golden Eye 007 still top greatest games of all time lists to this day. Innovative multiplayer games like Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros., and Mario Party made the system a must have a gaming parties. And niche titles like Sin & Punishment and Tetrisphere rounded out the lineup. And that's not even counting most of Rare's output.
PlayStation 3 - While the PlayStation 2 saw Sony Interactive Entertainment establish itself as a powerful first party development force that could challenge Nintendo, the PlayStation 3 firmly cemented that position. During the PS3's life, SIE and it's army of development teams aggressively pumped out one genre defining title after another. Uncharted, InFamous, Resistance, Little Big Planet, The Last of Us, Journey, Motorstorm, Flower, Puppeteer, and many others all became some of PlayStation's most iconic games and franchises, running alongside solid continuations of series like Ratchet & Clank, God of War, Killzone, Gran Turismo, and others. It's amazing looking at Sony's anemic output on PlayStation 5 in comparison.
So which consoles do you think, had the best first party libraries? The top 3 consoles in this regard IMO are...
Dreamcast - Sega's last hail marry in the console space, and the games are emblematic of that. With nothing left to loose, Sega gave it's internal development teams the full greenlight to do whatever the hell they wanted during the Dreamcast's short life. What resulted were some of the most innovative and iconic games of all time. Shenmue, Sonic Adventure, Chu Chu Rocket, Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5, Skies of Arcadia, Rez. All games still beloved by fans to this day. The Dreamcast may not have been the savior of Sega's console business, but it arguably showcased Sega as a developer, at it's absolute best.
Nintendo 64 - More than other platform makers, a game system by Nintendo lives or dies based on it's first party games. And the Nintendo 64 was living proof of that. With a lot of third party publishers absent and defected to PlayStation, Nintendo's own games were more than enough to keep the N64 relevant. Groundbreaking titles like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, and Golden Eye 007 still top greatest games of all time lists to this day. Innovative multiplayer games like Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros., and Mario Party made the system a must have a gaming parties. And niche titles like Sin & Punishment and Tetrisphere rounded out the lineup. And that's not even counting most of Rare's output.
PlayStation 3 - While the PlayStation 2 saw Sony Interactive Entertainment establish itself as a powerful first party development force that could challenge Nintendo, the PlayStation 3 firmly cemented that position. During the PS3's life, SIE and it's army of development teams aggressively pumped out one genre defining title after another. Uncharted, InFamous, Resistance, Little Big Planet, The Last of Us, Journey, Motorstorm, Flower, Puppeteer, and many others all became some of PlayStation's most iconic games and franchises, running alongside solid continuations of series like Ratchet & Clank, God of War, Killzone, Gran Turismo, and others. It's amazing looking at Sony's anemic output on PlayStation 5 in comparison.
