Really bad article - that said, I do think Microsoft most likely "wins" next-gen (probably best hardware, large "core" user base, 3rd party love, subscription based model, Kinect as default, SmartGlass....). Still prefer Sony as gaming company, but I think Microsoft is pulling all the right business decisions.

Yeah, really. I actually thought this was going to be a blast from the past predicting that the original Xbox's failure was teeing Microsoft up for success in the seventh gen. Silly me, it was just a bunch of stupid shit about how cross game chat is a system seller.

I'm really interested to see how Microsoft does next gen. There's a pattern of no console being ascendent two generations in a row, seemingly mostly down to corporate hubris. I wonder if MS can break that cycle. The social connectivity aspects of consoles these days might make people less likely to change brands between generations, and if so, then having the strongest online presence has to help them.

Although it is not quite over, it’s safe to say that the next generation of consoles isn’t too far away from right now. - Wii U is releasing within a MONTH, but isn't considered next-gen? He's assuming next-gen "isn't too far away"? It's here pretty son.

if we were to decide a winner of each of those by sales figures [...] it’s clear Sony won both. [...] With that said, Nintendo has “won” this generation (SALES WISE) - One of his main points in the article is that MS did GREAT by increasing their instal base from 25m to 70m - which is true and great. But he's discrediting Nintendo, saying they won SALES WISE not considering they made the most money of the three console makers AND they increased their instal base from 22m to nearly 100m. He's heralding MS as a great example of doing things right this gen while totally ignoring Wii almost the whole article.

Microsoft knew this (as did Sony and Nintendo presumably) but Microsoft was the smartest out of these three. -Opinion, nothing else.

Sony is going to have to really fix up any and everything currently wrong with the PS3 -What is wrong with the PS3 right now? As far as I know it's the best selling home console currently... It seems like SONY fixed what was wrong with the PS3.

Their exclusives and first party roster will only go so far in supporting their platforms. -This point is true for MS as well. Not even Nintendo can rely on its first party games (GC sold 22m - enough to make them hang around, but not much more)

Only time will tell on how each of the next-gen consoles perform, but until then, my money is on Microsoft. -And his reasoning is... what? He haven't given any reason what so ever as to why MS will win next gen. None. He's been talking about xbox360 - which is a current gen machine. Yes, by looking at the past you can prophecies about the future, but he isn't looking at the future - is he?

In my reply to kowenicki I list a whole bunch of wrongs from the article :P And if he's going to write an article and publish it online, he really should have had someone read it and fix certain spelling errors... Now, I'm a Swede so I understand that writing an article in a foreign language can be hard, and even harder to get it spelled right - but that's why someone else should read it through and correct any errors...

Whoever wins_we lose.jpg

I have a question, and this is for you or for anyone with a better understanding than I. How will some of these business decisions affect the industry in general? I know some analysts predict that console owners will eventually migrate to the PC. Now I don't know if this is going to happen, but will Microsoft's decisions make it more likely or less likely? I imagine things like SmartGlass, digital sales, and subscription fees will move consoles and PCs closer than ever before. But again, I'm no expert.

I guess what I'm getting at is this: will Microsoft win the next generation, but damage the console market in the process?

What do you think, HoloDust?

I've never understood why console gamers would migrate to PC... Let me ask you this: where would you rather watch a nice movie; in (on?) a chair infront of the PC, or on your couch? I know I much rather slouch in my couch than sitting infron of my PC, never quite finding a comfortable position...

Well, I'm no expert myself, so I'm pretty uncertain of what next 6-7 years are bringing us - I don't think most console users will migrate to PC, but I think it's possible we'll see some shifts. I think Microsoft is going for double hit in that period, both in console market and on PC - their is good article on Gamasutra about similarities of shift from DOS to Windows and shift from Win desktop applications to Windows Store apps in the future (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/179420/). This means (when gaming is concerned) they are going after Steam in long run (and I guess Valve will have their counter-measure ready). I really can't wait to see if and how much Win8 and NextBox are connected, but I sense Xbox 720 will be just one of the parts in Microsoft's Next-Gen entertainment platform. That said, I'll probably keep doing what I usually do, enjoy the show, get PS for Sony's exclusives and PC for everything else.

That's the same thing i thought, that Ms lost the onther gen to win this one or something like that.

Thanks for you response :)

I think your last sentence speaks to the idea that consoles and PCs may merge sooner or later. I own all three seventh generation consoles, and love them all. But to be honest the most expendable one is Xbox 360, only because most of its high-profile games are available elsewhere, on PS3 and PC. If I lose my Wii, I lose Super Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Pikmin, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Star Fox, F-Zero, Donkey Kong, etc. If I lose my PS3, I lose Gran Turismo, Uncharted, Killzone, God of War, Ratchet & Clank, etc. If I lose my Xbox 360, I mostly lose Halo and Gears of War, and also Forza and Fable, but not much else.

So if Xbox 720 becomes even more like a PC, including a high price tag, and a PC offers almost everything an Xbox offers plus other applications and utility, won't fans eventually notice the similarities and jump ship?

We still don't know what exactly the next Xbox will be, so maybe my question is moot.