Itâs an understatement to say that video games have come a long way since the days of the 8-bit consoles. Beginning with the battles between Nintendo and Sega, gaming companies have fought for popularity â and of course, sales â while consumers based their choices on a number of factors. Which generation console is coming out first? Which one is cheaper? Which one has better graphics? Which one has a better library of titles?
It seems that these factors have become less important these days. After huge failures like Atariâs Jaguar, Panasonicâs 3DO, and Nintendoâs N64, companies now learned itâs better not to unleash a console with specs so advanced that they alienate third-party developers. Yes, it can be objectively argued that the PlayStation 3 is more powerful than the Xbox 360, but not by much. This leads to a new style in business for third-party developers â being able to port the exact same game onto different systems. Now, the question isnât which system has better games, but which has better âexclusiveâ games.
We are entering the eighth generation of game consoles this year, and those factors mentioned earlier seem even less important. Not only do we have the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One competing with a large percentage of their game titles being the same, but this will be the first time the battle will begin at the same time. While neither Sony nor Microsoft have confirmed release dates, both have stated âthis year,â and we can probably expect that to be before the Winter shopping season.
Why does this matter? For one thing, having the two competing consoles released nearly (or maybe, at) the same time means competitive prices. Sony and Microsoft wonât be able to release their systems at high prices, wait for the gaming nuts to buy them at launch, then lower the price. This could mean, in fact, that both consoles may end up having the exact same price.
Furthermore, this means leveling the playing field. If both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are released at nearly the same time, and nearly at the same price, and if over 75% of the games are the exact same, then what will make up the difference? How will gamers decide which console to buy this Winter?
Aside from the personal bias of fanboys, I think it will all come down to what makes each system unique. There will always be each consoleâs selection of âexclusive titles,â of course. And based on the two recent press conferences from both Sony and Microsoft, it seems the PlayStation 4 is focusing more on the social connectability, while Xbox One is all about movies and entertainment. Still, we wonât learn more about their âuniquenessâ until E3 in a few weeks. But it will be interesting to see, when the gates are open and these two consoles start making their way down the track, which system the players will bet their money on. No one can claim that one unit sold more than the other simply because it was released earlier, or the price was cheaper. Itâs all fair game!
Personally, Iâll probably end up just buying both.
written by Damon Finos