SuperChunk's Final Word: Xbox One vs Playstation 4

[starcraft]

superchunk said:

starcraft said:
I think it entirely comes down to price and whether you care about DRM.

The vast majority of consumers do NOT care about DRM. That, or they are unaware of its implications.

As such, the Xbox One will still perform very well due to (currently) better game offerings.

HOWEVER, Sony have found a FAR better entry price point than Microsoft, so expect them to outperform Microsoft in the near-term at least.

But any suggestion that Sony has this generation in the bag at this point is ridiculous. They had one genuinely hilarious moment in their conference which pro-Sony viewers used to gloss over the fact that they presented surprisingly few quality looking exclusives.

Indeed, it ultimately proved that the whole point of the comedic spiel at Microsoft's expense was simply to lay out a cover for the immediate announcement that Sony will charge for online, something they always maintained they wouldn't do.

This happens every year, Sony goes last (well, after Microsoft) and gets the last-mover media advantage. Then the months roll by and people realise that Microsoft had a pretty good idea what they were doing. Even more so this year given Microsoft's objectively excellent conference.

Your games argument is purely subjective as I don't see any difference in the offerings.

Additionally, I don't know about gamers you know but even people who in January didn't realize WiiU was an actual new console knew that Xbone had DRM and that it was shit.

Adding to that, its been all over mass media and you know damn well Sony is going to push that hard at launch. Furthermore, the people buying a $400 and $500 game console at launch are not the ignorant mass that doesn't follow gaming news, so they will all know.

Sony hasn't won outright. But they have clearly out gunned MS at the start. I think Sony has the opportunity to easily dominate MS for time being and if Nintendo doesn't do amazing things tomorrow and this holiday, they will be seeing Sony in their rear-vew mirror sooner than they would like.

At this moment ALL of my gaming friends have X360s. Two have PS3s and quite a few also owned Wiis at some point in time. NONE are buying a Xbone and that was before I even opened my mouth about it. (btw, nearly all could easily afford it at launch and only one has a WiiU, yes I'm the odd man out in this group)

You're right, it is subjective, but most gaming media has so far expressed similar sentiments, whilst maintaining that due to DRM Sony won E3 regardless.

But you have now missed my point.  I agree upfront that in the short-term, the price advantage will lead to a Sony lead, as is the norm (remember Xbox 360 last generation).

But the thing is, the gamers you and I know tend to be amongst the best informed, if only by virtue of the fact they know us.  But the idea that you havent engaged with is that most people who own current generation machines simply wont care.  The target marget MS is going for always have their PS3/Xbox 360 tied up to the internet regardless.  Most studies indicate that a tiny portion of gamers actually go to the trouble of trading in games (which is why EB Games is in such trouble, their captive market is miniscule).

All the doom and gloom is ridiculous.  The gaming media loves Sony for pandering to their wishes.  But Sony loves Microsoft for going to far, allowing Sony to get away with charging for online and deferring DRM to publishers (which outside of the 24 hour check in thing, will result in largely equivelant systems).  And you and I, as dutifully engaged gamers, hate MS for what they are doing.

But the vast majority of people who will buy an eighth gen console will never know.  And even if they did, they wouldnt care.

Games. Games. Games.