The odd problem of the 9th gen.

[KBG29]

Gen 8 to Gen 9 is going to be the most wild transition in home elctronics history.

Sony is positioning PS4 as a replacement for the PC, the game console, the cable box, and the set top boxes. PlayStation is the only thing keeping Sony relevent in consumer electronics, and they are putting every effort into growing the PS4 OS, PSN, and the PlayStation ecosystem into something that can compete with Microsoft, Apple, and Google. They have to hit a home run at every appearence and they need PlayStation Vue and PlayStation VR to be major success's to help them gain an upper hand in the next era of home entertainment and home computing. I believe the future of PlayStation will be quite similar to the tablet and smartphone market in the near future. Yearly revisions, that continue to keep the PlayStation OS and Hardware at the forefront of home computing. I believe a PlayStation 4(X) will be released before the PlayStation 5.

Microsoft is trying to unifiy their ecosystem across all platforms, and they are also trying to real their platforms in, by building exceptional hardware. Xbox seems lost right now, but I see the platform thriving in the future as its position becomes more clear. Just like PlayStation is for Sony, Microsoft will continue to reiterate the Xbox as the ultimate Windows experience. It is the Microsoft PC built and optimized for the best indows experience on the market. Xbox, Surface, and Windows Phone will be the MS platforms of the future. Xbox will also see a much more tablet and smartphone approach going forward.

Nintendo looks to be in a last ditch effort to continue to be in the game. NX has to change the way we interact with home and mobile electronics if they want to succeed. They have to bring Live TV, they have to bring VR, they have to have music, movie, and tv services, and all of the rest of the things you find on every other console, set top box, and mobile device. Not only that, but they have to do it in a way that is so amazing, it will get people to give up their PC, PlayStation, Tablet, or Smartphone. If they succeed, the same structure of a Smartphone or Tablet like yearly revision approach will be put in place.

The way I see it, gen 8 is building the road to the future. Nintendo is getting into the game very late with NX, as I don't consider WiiU or 3DS platforms built for continued revenue, and sustanable growth. Sony and MS are already well on their way to building mega ecosystems. Then we have Apple and Google the current kings, inching their way in with things like Apple TV and Chromecast, and way outside, we have Amazon.

How this all plays out is going to be very interesting. In the end I think it will be a world that is split between Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Sony. All 4 in such powerful positions it will be nearly impossible for anyone to every compete.