I play COD and it is the same story with everyone I play with (but we’re all older, like 25-45). Losing COD players is a pretty big deal considering non-Xbox platforms are seen as second class citizens in the world of COD (because Microsoft gives ATVI moneyhats), getting DLC a month later, etc.
Canuck
3128
If not being a dudebro makes me a second class citizen then that’s a title I will wear with pride!
It’s not even about being a dudebro since the CoDs and Battlefields of the world will still have their community no matter the platform. Being one of the few PS3ers it was hard to find others to play with or leagues to join here since everybody had a 360. Want to do the Madden league, too bad it’s on the Xbox.
But the PS3 was in almost this exact same hole at the start of this gen. Their PR was a nightmare shitstorm. And it hurt them, definitely, but they turned it around, ending up pretty much even with Xbox. So we’re just assuming MS can’t do the same?
Spam
3131
People like Sony. People are either misinformed or paid to like MS.
I think it is entirely possible Microsoft can slowly undo the massive damage they’ve done, but that doesn’t make their actions thus far any less of an epic failure. They made what should have been a fairly easy lay-up for them to retain their audience in the next generation and turned it into an uphill battle they will have to struggle a lot for just to get near a draw.
I would also actually argue that the path back for Microsoft will be harder than it was for Sony because Sony always enjoyed a strong international following for the PS3, even early on, while Microsoft seems to (still) be giving the non-USA parts of the world the finger at every turn.
There’s a spectrum of doubt:
<-----hates all things Microsoft irrationally-------hates all things Xbox irrationally--------thinks the consoles wars are over!--------thinks Xbox brand is in trouble, doubts a recovery is possible--------thinks Xbox is in trouble but believes a recovery is possible--------disagrees the brand is in trouble; this is all just the usual uninformed, pre-launch fanboi noise--------loves all things Xbox irrationally-------loves all things Microsoft irrationally------>
I’m squarely here: “the Xbox is in trouble and a recovery is possible.”
I respect the guys on my left and right; I disagree with both of them, but I see their point of view. The rest… well… this is what I think of every time I read your posts: the consoles wars are over! and this, of course.
It took years, and nearly the entire generation for them to pull even if not slightly pass the Xbox. And with that they never got the foothold in the target demographic of dudebros that buy every FPS and all the DLC. Sony had to diversify and make new and unique games like Little Big Planet. Maybe the opposite will happen now and MS will take chances at uncharted markets instead of just going through the cycle of CoDs, Gears, Halo every year as their major release. While many are not too happy with MS I doubt anybody wants them to fail. The One Console to Rule them all is never a good thing and competition is a good thing to have.
I’m not saying the path ahead for Xbox is clear or easy. My point is that calling the next gen a foregone conclusion is jumping the gun just a bit.
Canuck
3136
I guess that depends on what your definition of foregone conclusion is. Can we safely assume that Sony will sell more consoles than MS? I would say yes. My reasoning for that is because despite releasing one year later than the 360 and despite a horrible release and ridiculous price by the end of this gen the PS3 still managed to pull just about even and perhaps even surpass the 360 in world sales. So if MS couldn’t pull out a clear win in a situation where they did just about everything right and Sony, to start, did just about everything wrong, what chance will they have when the situations are reversed.?
Because we don’t have anything approaching complete information. You’re buying into all the prerelease hype as if it’s fact. Nothing matters until we have consoles and games in our hands.
Sony made a good comeback from a disaster of a start but they still lost major ground. The PS2 was the best selling console ever. It crushed the Xbox and Gamecube in sales. Sony had total console gamer mind share outside of Halo players and they blew it. MS is looking at the huge gains they made with the 360 over the first Xbox and feel confident regardless of the bad PR so far. Calling a winner now is extremely premature.
Nesrie
3139
Their biggest supports mourn the loss a feature that was so clear in what it did you have people talking from 1 hour demos to 10 devices able to play the entire game.
MS blew their messaging. That’s a hard recovery. No hype about it.
It’s all hype until we have devices and software.
Exactly. Calling the console wars over - before they’ve yet to even launch! - is at best hyperbole. At worst, you’re an unpaid volunteer for the corporate hype machine. Again, see chart to see where this type of thinking falls:
<-----hates all things Microsoft irrationally-------hates all things Xbox irrationally--------thinks the consoles wars are over!--------thinks Xbox brand is in trouble, doubts a recovery is possible--------thinks Xbox is in trouble but believes a recovery is possible--------disagrees the brand is in trouble; this is all just the usual uninformed, pre-launch fanboi noise--------loves all things Xbox irrationally-------loves all things Microsoft irrationally------>
Just think about the PS3. After a hard start, Sony came back. Why? A variety of factors - savvy business decisions (i.e. dropping full PS2 backwards compatibility to drop costs), great games (i.e. Heavy Rain, Uncharted, The Last of Us), better features (i.e. dear lord, Netflix is so much better on the PS3. So much better) and a better price and value (i.e. you no longer have to pay $599 for a 60GB PS3).
If you can recognize that but still think the console wars are over… well… like I said, at best you’re being hyperbolic. At worst, you’re an unpaid volunteer for a corporation.
Canuck
3142
What does “the console wars are over” mean exactly? Does it mean that the Xbone is a DOA system? Because I don’t think anyone has ever suggested that (at least not since MS’ retreat over their DRM system). It doesn’t take a Nostradamus to confidently predict that Sony will sell more units than MS next gen. The PS2 blew them out of the water two generations ago, they barely managed to fight to a draw this gen despite having huge advantages in the beginning and now they’re at the disadvantage. Some of the Xbone’s most promising features probably aren’t going to be that well implemented outside of the States, especially in Europe and Asia where they traditionally trail Sony. Sony’s grip on the rest of the world will likely get stronger not weaker. The Xbox won’t even release at the same time in Japan as most of the rest of the world. They might as well raise a white flag in that region. I’m sure the Xbone will do just fine in this generation-but it won’t sell more units than Sony. Feel free to throw this post back in my face in a couple of years if it turns out that I’m wrong.
Teiman
3143
Here, I work as a unpaid volunteer to help Microsoft.
Rest of the World:
Era 1 - dumbphones: very low power machines, without a apt-get system. Made by hardware-people.
Era 2 - smathphones: very high power machines, with a apt-get system. Made by software-people.
Japan:
Era 1 - dumbphones: very low power machines, without a apt-get system. Made by hardware-people.
Era 1.5 - something between dumbphones and smarthphones. high power, no apt-get system. Cool apps made by hardware-minded people.
Era 2 - smathphones: very high power machines, with a apt-get system. Made by software-people.
My point is that you don’t want your OS made by hardware people, with a app-centric opinion. If you do, you get something like the PS Vita.
If the Microsoft OS for XBox One is made by software-people, and the PS4 OS is made by hardware-people, the PS4 will suxxx big time.
Heres some ideas software people understand, that hardware people don’t:
- Modal windows sucks.
- No, is not Ok that this app uses a completelly different style UI for a OS related thing.
- No, is not Ok to let a app stop networking.
- No, I don’t need a modal window to know that something I just asked is actually happening. I asked it.
Theres a REAL war, but is not consoles vs consoles, or consoles vs pc. Its Era 1.5 people versus Era 2.0 people.
People have suggested that. Go back and look at the thread.
As for sales, for now, the US market matters most. Of course, both Sony and Microsoft would prefer a worldwide best seller, but in the same way a film can gross huge numbers in the U.S. but flop overseas and still be a blockbuster, the same holds true in consoles.
Further, when analysts like Pachter look at videogames as an industry, they don’t just look at hardware sales. By that measure alone, the Wii won this generation, hands down. But of course, that’s not the whole story. The reason EA is not truly supporting the Wii U now is partially because of the Wii’s low attachment rate to third party software (and also because of low Wii U sales, of course).
This chart doesn’t breakdown third-party versus first party but it does show software sales per region and globally. And before anyone says, these figures look pretty close to me, they are not. This data is displayed in millions of units.
http://www.vgchartz.com/analysis/platform_totals/Tie-Ratio/Global/
Teiman, I had this exact conversation with someone a couple of weeks ago. They were making the same point you were. Maybe, I was talking to YOU (I know, I wasn’t).
The question I kept asking was what’s more difficult: For a software company to get hardware manufacturing and refinement down or for a hardware company to get software development and refinement?
Their response which stuck with me was: “Apple is proof positive that if you develop the right software eco-system and put stringent hardware reviews in place, you can farm out the hardware to third party partners. There’s a reason Apple is one of the most highly valued companies in the world and not Foxconn.”
Joe_M
3146
Yes, but we’ve all seen Microsoft’s attempts at emulating Apple and trainwreck would be a rather charitable description of their efforts. It takes an embarrassing amount of wishful thinking to believe the Xbox One’s “eco-system” will perform any differently.
