PS3 vs 360: It is NOT About the Games

[amirnetz]

(a topic worthy its own thread)

Starting 2009 the battle between Sony and Microsoft will not center around the games. Sony executives had admitted that the age of exclusively is over. The vast majority of the titles are 3rd parties and buying exclusivity is just too expensive for anyone.

Microsoft's 1st party exclusive may still matter. Halo and Gears are huge. Sony still has to show a defining titile that will cause people to stand in lines at midnight. If they could not show it after two years, I am not sure it is ever going to happen. But regardless, the 1st party titles are pretty much insignificant in the grand scheme at this point int he game. The majority of the block busters are 3rd parties and they will all publish to both the 360 and PS3.

So if it is not the games then what is it?

PRICE: A huge factor. If you can get 95% of the blockbuster games on both platforms but one is half priced than the other which will you buy? Strong advantage for the 360.

FRIENDS: Which is the system that your friends are playing on? Here the early leader has the advantage of virtous cycle. The more people are on the platform, the more friends will be there too will will drag in their friends. Friends are not just real-life friends but also network friends. The 360 has both the unit numbers advantage and the LIVE network advantage. Moreover, some of the PS3 install base is using the system primarily as a Blu-Ray player where they don't care about their social network and they don't contribute to the player network of the PSN. Again the 360 has the edge.

It is really hard to see how Sony can overcome these disadvantages.

Other thoughts?