In going first, Microsoft had laid the groundwork for their journey into the next generation, neatly constructed with exclusive titles and a sly dig at Sony in the form of Metal Gear Solid V. Come 6 PM, however, Sony irreverently pulled the rug from beneath them and the Xbox One. Traditionally, game companies have played it coy in press conferences by mentioning competitors fleetingly in their briefings, but last night Sony had Microsoft firmly between their crosshairs with the PlayStation 4.
Granted, Microsoft delivered on the gaming front in the wake of May 21st, and their on-stage catalogue – which included Minecraft, Forza Motorsport 5, and the novel, SmartGlass-driven Project Spark – was diverse and entertaining in equal measures. Still, once Sony took the centre stage – almost 15 minutes late, I may add – the tide of opinion shifted immensely. They aimed to differentiate themselves from Microsoft as much as possible and though it took time to kick into gear, their conference contained a horde of direct, unabashed dialogue that was intended to grossly undermine the Xbox One and Microsoft. Used games. Always online. Self-publishing indies. Sony didn’t hold back and the overwhelming applause at the end of their conference conveyed the support from the gaming community.
It’s rather ironic that the tussle for the next generation is being decided largely on existing, current-gen attributes – see the ability to play used software and game offline – rather than scrambling to compete with raw processing power like console generations gone by. Even Nintendo – who showcased their offerings for their domestic consoles via a Nintendo Direct – have always operated with a certain idiosyncrasy. And, at their software-centric conference today, the company continued to reside in the haven of their existing franchises. Don’t get me wrong, Pokémon X & Y and Super Smash Bros. look great, but with third-party support currently flailing, it’s hard not to long for titles such as Bayonetta 2 on a different, more powerful platform.
In terms of the new hardware, the question you have to ask yourself is: do you want a gaming system or a multimedia platform? Because on paper, a $100 dollar difference may not seem like very much, but in this industry, it’s a gaping chasm that Microsoft have found themselves on the wrong end of. So while Xbox One promises some great titles, Sony seems to have harmonised its gaming policies with what customers desire most. Which above all else, is paramount.
- Sony
- Nintendo
- Microsoft
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