VAMatt said:
I think you're kind of making the point. Maybe Sony hasn't gotten sloppy exactly. But, they don't seem to be trying anything new. Cranking out good games is very important. Generally speaking, it's probably the most important thing for a publisher, especially the console marketer, to do. But, that's something that can easily be copied. Microsoft is definitely trying to do that same thing. We don't know for sure if they're going to succeed, but they're definitely trying. On the other hand, Microsoft has come up with a new distribution model and is trying a tiered console strategy. Either or both of these things may not work out for microsoft. But, they're trying. That's innovation that moves the industry forward. Whether Microsoft succeeds in launching a bunch of good exclusive games over the next couple years or not, somebody will eventually get on a hot streak with games, and Sony will at some point hit a cold streak. When that happens, if Sony doesn't have any other feathers in their cap they're going to take a beating in the marketplace. As gamers, we all want good games. Sony has definitely been delivering that. That's great. I buy most of the Sony first party AAA games. I want them to keep doing that. But, Microsoft is getting money from me every month for a Gamepass subscription. I appreciate this new distribution model, as it encourages me to play games that I otherwise might not have. If Sony will respond to the Gamepass threat, or otherwise do something new and different, that may result in another awesome thing for me to benefit from. As for the tiered console strategy, I'm not sure that it's going to benefit me directly, at least in the short term. But, opening up the ecosystem to people that are unwilling or unable to spend for the top tier systems strikes me as beneficial all around. I think gaming is a great hobby. I want every human that is interested in doing so to be able to play great games. This is the first time that I've seen a console manufacturer start the generation with an option that puts the system in reach of more people. So I think that's just a generally good development in gaming. But, let's say it results in an additional 10 million or 20 million people owning consoles over the next several years. That's a direct benefit to all of us that play games. That just makes the industry pie that much bigger, leaving room for more developers and publishers, more resources for more innovation, and just otherwise helps propel the industry forward. Anyway, I don't want to cheerlead for Microsoft too much. I just appreciate what they're doing. I want to see Sony do cool stuff too. To tie it all back in to the OP, I'll just say that buying Bethesda is a huge competitive move by Microsoft. Maybe it will help to wake Sony up. Microsoft this week is in a much better position to compete with Sony's strategy of cranking out hits. The sooner that Sony realizes that they have to do other things, in addition to cranking out hits, the better for all of us. This move can only help in that regard. |
I personally feel that the two approaches are fundamentally different though, and may have direct consequences on game quality.
For me, it seems like Microsoft has adopted the Gamepass model somewhat because of their relatively lackluster first party offering and not to mention its quite exec friendly. Any company will take subscription revenue over once off revenue. One is guaranteed and monthly the other can heavily fluctuate based on release dates and game quality.
That being said, I think we are yet to see how MS manages to do it. There certainly needs to be a balance between the number of studios they are funding and the monthly rate. I think we are in for a really good next 2 to 3 years from gamepass. But once it expands beyond that with an increased appetite for new games they might struggle to continue to push out true AAA games.
On the other hand Sony seems intent on continuing the old school model. But can they really maintain that if MS's strategy picks up momentum? I highly doubt it. We might see Sony be forced to follow suite.
I really hope both companies manage to find a good balance between quality and quantity of games. It seem quite likely that all major publishers will follow this strategy.
