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| This is all we've seen until now. |
Well, if you have an internet connection and are even vaguely interested in video games, chances are you've heard of Sony's press conference. Only a small portion of that is due to games. Microsoft took a huge gamble with some of the XBox One's features.
Features such as restrictions on game sharing, and requiring an internet connection even for single player gaming. Needless to say, the bulk of gamer reactions to those plans were negative. The surprising part was most people expected Sony to also be implementing some sort of restriction on used games. But they didn't. And it is kind of a big deal.
The internet's reaction is amazing. That is just the tip of the iceberg. The amount of gifs you can find are endless. But this isn't about petty internet gloating.
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| Oh, BURN! ...wait... |
"Why is it a big deal?" you ask? Even if you didn't ask I'm going to tell you. It's likely just a PR stunt to boost sales, but it shows that Sony actually listens to their audience. By comparison this move makes Microsoft out to look like ravenous money grubbers. Limiting used games is the same thing as limiting the market. The entire used games market exists because many people can't afford to buy new all the time.
"Alright. So it plays used games. What else does it do?" It's all very technical, thankfully Sony has taken care of that. Unsure of what this means? Well the folks at IGN have provided a very useful comparison chart that you can find here. That's right folks. Sony has set a $399 USD price point. Sony clearly learned their lesson from when the 60gig PS3 debuted at $599 USD. Sony has a scored a hat trick of wonderful. It's cheaper, plays used games with no conditions, and has a small technical advantage. But it's not all rainbows and glitter.
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| A system in italics. |
This is where Microsoft actually showing off the XBox at their conference pays off. This could easily be called a knock off of the strikingly similar XBox One, despite drawing more strongly from the classic fat PS2 design. Secondly, Sony was rather quiet about mentioning the fact that PlayStation Plus will be required for online gaming. Oops. I am someone that subscribes to PS+ as it is, so this doesn't affect me personally. That being said, I don't agree with the idea that playing with others should cost extra. There is also the fact that the system is not backwards compatible, and as of right now purchased digital PSN content will not transfer. Ugh.
After this conference popular opinion around the web is overwhelmingly pro PS4, and it's easy to see why. But we definitely shouldn't count the XBox One out. I predict it will still sell well enough to keep Nintendo out of the number two spot. And when you look at the comparison chart, it isn't all that inferior of a machine. Microsoft will likely find themselves in the exact same position Sony was in when they first launched the PS3.
So, was Sony's big reveal the harbinger of Microsoft's destruction? No. Not likely. It did, however, sway me from uninterested to listening. And as E3 continues I'll certainly be looking forward to what else the PS4 has to say.
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