I don\'t have a problem with FMV being in videogames. The only problem I have with Sony is the fact that they are using it as a vocal selling point for most of their major games. I mean, when you look at the commercials for these games, all they show are CGI graphics. Of course the typical mainstream buyer will go ooohh and aaahh, thinking those are actual in game graphics, and will most likely be enticed to buy it. Before all this, in the 16-bit era, the only way a game will sell is if it is actually good. Mainstream buyers wasn\'t the main buyers, and it is the hardcore gamers, who want great games, that are the determining factor of a console\'s success.
Granted, we have Capcom milking franchises prior to Sony, but the only game that they milked was Mega man and it was a solid series despite being rehashed. EA can get away with it because their titles are sports and most gamers would prefer to have updated rosters every year. Sony basically set a "trend". More developers were jumping to the gun just because Sony was doing it and making a lot of money. Milking the series was commonplace, and many developers were definitely influenced by Sony\'s stance. Why spend years to improve a sequel when you can just dish a crappy one out and still make the same amount of money. The mantra still holds true today.
I am sorry but Neversoft and THQ are not "small in house developers graced by Sony". THQ is a multi million dollar company that buy expensive franchises such as Ren and Stimpy. Neversoft derived off of Shiny entertainment and if I can recall correctly their first game was on the Sega Saturn and not the PSX. Besides, the developement kit for the PSX wasn\'t much more than the Saturn, and if these developers, with limited funds, can afford a PSX kit, they sure as hell can afford the Saturn\'s. If its anything, Sony\'s lack of quality control paved a way for a sea of crappy titles on the PSX. Little Joe can spend two days making a videogame for the system, send it to Sony, and easily have them approve it. Whereas, he would be shot down by both Nintendo and Sega. That is part of the reason why the PSX has the worse crap software to good ratio of any console to date. I am also hard press to find any quality, small, niche game from a struggling company on the PSX, whereas I can name you a plethora of crap softwares from almost any genre.
Regarding Square on PSX. The games that are not backed by the corporates at Sony are actually the best Square has to offer. The subdivisions that made Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, Tobal 2, and Xenogears were in no way funded or helped by Sony. Those were full fledged, Square made games. Games like the Final Fantasy series and Parasite Eve were actually a Square/Sony joint project where Sony does the advertising and additional funding while Square works on the project. These games are usually rushed in hopes of meeting the deadline that Sony usually sets.
About Namco. I am sorry but you are blind if you don\'t think they are the biggest Sega ripoffs. I mean, back then any game that Sega would release there would be a Namco version of the same game. It got incredibly ridiculous. Sega released VF, Namco counters with Tekken. Daytona = Ridge Racer. Time Crisis = Virtua Cop. The list goes on from flight simulators, to Skateboarding. Basically anything Sega does Namco would copy.
The only reason why everyone loved Sony and embraced them was because of Bernie Stolar. He was a gamer for the gamer. Bernie pushed hard for RPGs and niche games from Japan, but after he left Sony, they were nothing but a bunch of corporate d*ckheads who don\'t know jack about gaming. I mean, they tried to kill 2D gaming because it was "too old fashion". Bernie is the only shining point over at Sony.
