I don’t know what the term is for what happens to a console in the year its successor console comes out. What is it, a lame duck session? That’s not quite right, because a system like the PS2 winds up getting support well after the year the PS3 comes out. The PS2 simply isn’t Sony’s newest console anymore. So let’s call the year these changes happen “displacement years.”
This year is the PS3’s displacement year, and, what do you know? It’s getting some promising games. In fact, the PS3 line-up looks so good that you might not think it is a console in decline. It turns out that displacement years tend to be good for the displaced console…most of the time.
I’d thought that the PS3’s strong line-up this year was a fluke. In the same year that’ll be capped with the release of the PS4, we’ve already gotten a new Sly Cooper and a new God of War on PS3. We’re getting the much-anticipated The Last of Us later this spring, the ambitious Beyond: Two Souls beyond that, the quirky Puppeteer in September and maybe more.
https://lastchance.cc/i-just-saw-the-last-of-us-in-action-and-it-looks-amazi-5910930%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Late last week, my colleague András Neltz flipped through the pages of Wikipedia to see just how good or bad most major consoles’ displacement years have been. His research used North American release dates. Here are the results (apologies in advance if we omitted a game or two):
Sony Displacement Years
Major PSOne games in the year of the PS2’s North American debut (2000)
Ace Combat 3
Breath of Fire IV
Chrono Cross
Dino Crisis 2
Fear Effect
Final Fantasy IX
Front Mission 3
Incredible Crisis
Legend of Mana
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Mega Man Legends 2
Parasite Eve II
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Resident Evil Survivor
SaGa Frontier 2
Spec Ops: Stealth Patrol
Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Syphon Filter 2
The Legend of Dragoon
Vagrant Story
Valkyrie Profile
Wild Arms 2
Major PS2 games in the year of the PS3’s North American debut (2006)
.hack//G.U. vol. 1//Rebirth
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny
Black
Bully
Destroy All Humans! 2
Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
Drakengard 2
Driver: Parallel Lines
Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires
Final Fantasy XII
Flatout 2
Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers
God Hand
Grandia III
Hitman: Blood Money
Just Cause
Justice League Heroes
Kingdom Hearts II
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Monster Rancher EVO
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Okami
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
Phantasy Star Universe
Shadow Hearts: From the New World
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner – Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army
SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals: Combined Assault
Sonic Riders
Steambot Chronicles
Suikoden V
Tales of Legendia
Tales of the Abyss
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
Wild Arms 4
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
Yakuza
Nintendo Displacement Years
Major NES games in the year of the SNES’s North American debut (1991)
Adventure Island II
Battletoads
Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Nobunaga’s Ambition II
Star Wars
Major SNES games in the year of the N64’s North American debut (1996)
Kirby Super Star
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
SimCity 2000
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Terranigma
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Major N64 games in the year of the GameCube’s North American debut (2001)
Bomberman 64
Conker’s Bad Fur Day
Dr. Mario 64
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
Major GameCube games in the year of the Wii’s North American debut (2006)
Baten Kaitos Origins
The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Major Wii games in the year of the WiiU’s North American debut (2012)
Just Dance 4
Mario Party 9
Rhythm Heaven Fever
Kirby’s Dream Collection
Skylanders: Giants
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Last Story
Microsoft Displacement Year
Major Xbox games in the year of the Xbox 360’s North American debut (2005)
Advent Rising
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
Burnout Revenge
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Conflict: Global Terror
Conker: Live and Reloaded
Dead to Rights II
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down
Destroy All Humans!
Doom 3
Far Cry Instincts
FlatOut
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Gun
Half-Life 2
Indigo Prophecy
Jade Empire
Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
Medal of Honor: European Assault
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Ninja Gaiden Black
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
Operation Flashpoint: Elite
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Psychonauts
Serious Sam II
Shadow the Hedgehog
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
Sniper Elite
Spartan: Total Warrior
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
The Punisher
The Suffering: Ties That Bind
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland
True Crime: New York City
Ultimate Spider-Man
All in all, these displacement years aren’t so bad. I guess that’s one more reason not to rush out to buy a new console. Be aware, of course, that the PS4 won’t play PS3 games, not right away. Keep on enjoying that PS3. There’s life in it yet.
