E3 has come and gone. The console war is now upon us again. The future landscape of the video game industry has been in constant flux the past couple weeks and its worth recaping some important information on where each console stands and what its offering the consumer.
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The Playstation 4, the prohibitive internet console favorite so far, comes with $399 price tag and no digital rights management concerns. The next-gen Playstation represents a conservative approach to the future of console gaming as the features offered differ very little from the Playstation 3. The Playstation network now requires a subscription fee that promises to give gamers access to exclusive content such as game DLC's, indie games and more. Also on the horizon is a streaming service from Sony Pictures that will provide another alternative to Netflix. The Playstation 4 does not require an internet connection and can play used games.
The Xbox One, on the other hand, presents a radical approach to the future of console gaming. With a day one price of $499, the Xbox One is a bit pricier than the PS4 but includes the Kinect device in all console packages. Microsoft is banking on the fact that console gamers want an all-in-one entertainment device as opposed to just a device to play video games on. This is evidenced by the HDMI port to connect your Xbox One to your cable or satellite box to enhance your TV viewing experience. More so than the PS4, Microsoft is stressing the future of cloud computing and how it will change the way games are developed and played. Continuing its Xbox Live subscription service in conjunction with Windows 8 compatibility, Microsoft hopes to fuse the experience between its gaming console and operating system even more.
Update: Microsoft has decided to lift the DRM and online requirement policies of the Xbox One through a day-one patch. This changes the landscape of the console war as most of the qualms over the Xbox One stemmed from the consumer dissatisfaction of digital rights management and the online connection. Gamers have complained and Microsoft has responded. Microsoft, however, will not adjust their $499 price tag.
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With this quick overview, let's discuss the implications of the most recent updates on each console. The Playstation 4 is steaming along, riding a huge way of public positivity in which the company has handled well. After their vicious corporate throwdown against Microsoft at E3, Sony has profited greatly from Microsoft's misstep in having DRM and online requirements for the Xbox One. Several separate PS4 package bundles are leading Amazon's best selling devices list. We will wait and see if Sony can continue this profitable surge. History has shown Sony to be prone to making mistakes regarding their console. One worry I have is that the PS4 is too conservative in its approach. While it no doubt will be profitable now, will PS4 feel a down surge two years from now? It remains to be seen.
The Xbox One has had a horrendous start, at least on the internet. Microsoft has been the constant punchline for many jokes and, for a moment, it seemed the Xbox One would be left behind in the console war. That has changed since Microsoft's reversal of the Xbox One's DRM and online requirement policies. These changes come at a cost of losing some features like being able to access your digital game library anywhere and being able to share it with up to ten friends. The removal of the online requirement has made some Xbox fans question whether games will be able to take advantage of cloud computing if developers have to account for offline players. IAs of now, the Day One edition of the Xbox One is the highest selling device on Amazon. Pretty impressive turn around in just a matter of days for Microsoft. We will continue to monitor pre-order sales of each console to give you up to date information on how consumers are responding to news about each console.
Overall, I am glad the consoles are placed on a more even playing field. While I understand (and even accepted) Microsoft's DRM and online requirements, I am glad I won't have to lose gaming friends over differing policies on each console. I really hope these changes don't affect such things like buying games directly from Xbox Live, cloud computing in games and other such features. The Playstation multiplayer subscription fee was entirely necessary and people who complain about it need to understand that Sony can no longer offer similar services to Microsoft without charging a price to play games online. As of today, I would say the Playstation 4 is leading the console war; however, Microsoft's reversal of hindering policies pushes the Xbox One closer to the Playstation 4. Two weeks from now the landscape could be entirely different and Station 1621 will be right their giving you up to date information on each console.
Station 1621 would also like to announce that, starting tomorrow, we will be profiling all the big games displayed at E3 this year. The first game the station will give a rundown on is Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall. So staty tuned as system operations turn a focus to the exclusive games each console will be offering. As always check out our Twitch Channel for live streaming events.
See you starside.
-1621
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