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4/4/2013 8:42:14 PM
7
For perspective on the following statements, I would like to note I have not owned a Sony console since the PS2. I bought an Xbox 360 console during the Halo 3 launch and it's been my main console since.
That said, the rumors surrounding the 720 have been bugging me. It's interesting to note the PS4 and the 720 share similiar hardware specs, (if leaks are to be believed) so the question of pure processing power won't be a decisive issue this time round. No, instead this battle is going to be fought on the fields of social networking and flagship titles.
And in my opinion the Xbox doesn't (at first glance) have much to show.
Consider first the networking issues. Xbox 360 attracted the majority of social players due to the innovations of Xbox Live: Party systems, connected voice chat, etc. These are now features of the PS4, as well as significant improvements such as drop-in/drop-out, voyeurism mode, the ability to record and share screenshots/videos on console, and all the others mentioned at the launch event.
Meanwhile the rumors we hear from the Durango are all about "Kinect integration" and "turning the Durango into your living room entertainment hub". Those aren't features I'm interested in as a gamer. I'm a little worried that Xbox is pulling what the Wii did: trying to expand the market while similtaneously isolating their hardcore crowd.
Then it comes to flagship titles. Games that make or break console sales. What's the point of having a fancy box if you don't have any good content for it? Here's a list of console exclusives off the top of my head:
[b]Sony Playstation Titles:[/b] Uncharted, Killzone, Little Big Planet, Infamous, God of War, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance.
[b]Xbox Titles:[/b] Fable, Gears of War, Halo (343i), and Saint's Row
And as we all know. Halo is subpar in the hands of 343i. God knows when the next Fable is coming out. Saint's Row, while very fun, is a sandbox I can't spend more than an hour or so in per month. And Gears of War, while a well designed and moderately popular franchise, just isn't the powerhouse needed to drive console sales.
So honestly, at this point I think the PS4 is pretty well set up. Again, we'll see what comes out with E3. But right now it's pretty polarized in Sony's favor.
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While Sony may hold the upper hand on the exclusive content, they've consistently shot themselves in the foot with a lack of backwards compatibility for all their new consoles. Players need an incentive to buy the new console, and if Sony doesn't have enough new content to make the purchase of the PS4 at launch worthwhile, it's going to get [i]thrashed[/i] by the next Xbox in side-by-side launch comparisons. Not only does the PS4 not offer backwards compatibility to prior generations, one of Sony's big selling points is that they will stream prior generation games to the new console. Sounds cool? Yup. But how does this work? Will Sony charge players to stream PS1, 2, and 3 games they have already purchased in disc form? If they do, players will revolt. But Sony can't just let players stream games for free, plus continue to offer free PSN. That's an unprofitable business model, and if I've learned one thing from Sony about their PlayStation business model, they love to make money hand-over-fist. Microsoft didn't make that mistake with the 360 launch, and they permitted original LIVE to continue for three years after the new console launch. I think the new Xbox will retain backwards compatibility with both the games and the online gameplay factor. This allows player to carry over with their original investments in games, and it will [i]feel[/i] like buying the new console will be better worth their money because they can keep playing games that they got last Christmas on a new console [i]and[/i] start accumulating the launch titles and new content as it comes. I think both game and online backwards compatibility was a big reason for the Xbox 360's overall success and why the PS3 had a really slow start, even if the PS3 was the superior console in terms of graphics. If the PS3, and now 4, both lack the incentive to make players feel compelled to drop 100% of their prior investment into prior consoles into the new one, while Microsoft rewards players with holdovers that expand its launch library, Microsoft will wipe the floor with Sony's ass.
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To be honest both consoles will need some strong, [i]new[/i] exclusive titles to really be impressive. The existing exlusives matter little because most of them are "has-beens".
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I disagree. Most of the PS3 titles have remained strong. (The exceptions being God of War and Resistance) All three of the major Xbox exclusives have suffered from subpar installments in the last few years. You're correct however. We'll see what [i]NEW[/i] titles come down the line.
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[quote]All three of the major Xbox exclusives have suffered from subpar installments in the last few years.[/quote] Honestly I can't speak for PS3 titles, as I admittedly don't have one, but we can agree that the Xbox exclusives have gotten tired. The only franchise I have high hopes for is Alan Wake, but that hasn't been exclusive since the PC port.
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what bothers me more is the always online feature that people say the 720 will have. If they do that I refuse to buy it. I want to be able to play my single player games offline whenever and years to come after services are shut down. I just cannot support a console that does crap like that.
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Believe it or not, there are multiple interpretations of this "always online" and I'm more inclined to believe the one you're not using. And that is, it's "always online" as in, you turn the thing on, you don't have to connect - because it's already connected. You turn it off, it's still connected and can update itself and games. It's always online - whenever it can be online.
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[quote]It's interesting to note the PS4 and the 720 share similiar hardware specs, (if leaks are to be believed) so the question of pure processing power won't be a decisive issue this time round.[/quote] It never is.
