Tom Warren coming across as a cunt like usual lol. So with PS5 sales crashing and no first party titles again this year …. Probably best to stick with Xbox 🥲

PlayStation's recent financial report is really telling, despite pulling in record revenues, it sounds like the rest is negative news.

• Despite a record revenue, their operating margin is a quite bad 5.9%.
• Didn't meet their expectations over the Holidays, revised forecast down from 25m to 21m.
• PS5 entering "latter stage of its life cycle", expects hardware sales pace to start falling from next fiscal year.
• They will put more emphasis on the balance between profitability and sales.
• Their COO talking about how SIE doesn't necessarily have a deep understanding of how their work is being translated to growth, sustainable profits and higher margins.
• Drastic price cuts on PS5 like the PS4 are difficult as room is limited to cute production costs on PS5 vs PS4.
• No plan to release a major franchise titles next FY (April 2024- March 2025)
• Heavily hinting at layoffs to improve profit margins: "We are reviewing measures for further improvement in profitability in advance of the annual forecast results announcement this May.""

I mean sure, even with a light 2023/2024, PlayStation is still absolutely spanking Xbox but their business on its own does not sound that healthy at all and that's with double the amount of consoles sold as Xbox, Lol. I understand why people would be upset about Xbox's change in business strategy but I do believe they're setting themselves up to survive whatever the future is.

I'm going to be real, I truly believe that only Nintendo has a healthy console business right now and it's a combination of Nintendo's uniquely positioned hardware which sells at a profit plus Nintendo's AAA are fairly conservative budgets, Nintendo doesn't chase after insanely photorealistic graphics, they focus on gameplay and graphics are a distant thought, art-style is more important.

I think there's a pit coming after Western AAA development and unfortunately they've put themselves in an awkward position, if Nintendo doesn't chase after photorealism, massive Hollywood blockbusters, nobody gives a shit, but if Sony or Microsoft don't have the absolute best graphics and biggest titles, they'll be mocked for it. I like that Microsoft's AAAs look more conservative in their budget cause it's safer for the studio.

You can still have an amazing title, which isn't tens of hours long, which doesn't have the absolute best graphics imaginable.

The console market has a ceiling and Sony has been hitting that ceiling since PS2 gen, meanwhile budgets are absolutely exploding causing margins to be really slim, Sony is practically carrying the high end console market but it still doesn't look good enough for Sony. Outside of the console manufacturers, Publishers will need to have a long hard think about AAA development before it's too late.

Long Live the Hybrid Market! Nintendo Wins! Joking

But Nintendo easily has the healthiest business right now and it isn't even close.

"In the past, we wanted to popularize console and the 1st party titles' main purpose was to make the console popular. It is true, but there is a synergy to it. So if you have strong first party content, not only with our console but also other platforms like computers, 1st party can be grown with multiplatform and that can help operating profit to improve. So that is another one we want to proactively work on.

I personally think there are opportunities out there for improvement of margins, so I would like to go aggressive in improving our margin performance."

It won't be long until Sony starts doing day one PC releases for everything.

Xbox vindicated once again 👀

Console warriors in shambles /kappa.

I do not believe you understand what I mean.  It has nothing to do with being announced its whether the games announce appeal to you.  That is pretty much it, you either care about the games coming or you do not.  You would wait a century if you cared and you would waste no time if you do not.  As for the region situation, I have no clue on how it works so no opinion on it.  I know that MS only really concentrate on the markets they are successful in probably because marginal markets are harder to support.  Either way, if you do not like what is coming from the Xbox team, I would not waste my time with the product but that is just me.  As I stated, I have way to little time to worry about stuff that has no bearing on me, I either like a product or I do not.  I do not get caught up in these fan wars were you simp for one mega corporation or another.  I see them all the same and the only thing I care is if they provide a product I am interested in, not trying to defend them because I chose their product.

Moment I switch to PS, I see these reports. Unreal.

Same. I’m done with gaming. Xbox is a clown show. PS is dead. Nintendo is Nintendo. What a shit time to be alive.

If you kind of think about it, a lot of moves MS does first probably because they are not first in console sales.  Putting all their games on PC, Gamepass, moving to a more multiplatform strategy.  I believe Sony has realize that in order to support spending huge amounts of money on first party games, they need to get a wider market then just the console market.  The console market has reached a certain saturation point but gaming in general is huge and still growing.  I believe MS realize this first or probably closer to the truth because they are pretty much 3rd place in the console market and do not really have to protect their share, they seek to capitalize on the bigger gaming market as another means of generating and sustaining revenue and profits.

Don't swap exclusively to Switch, you're a fucking curse.

*Switch 2 flops*

Even if (when) Sony does day one releases on PC for everything, they'll still be a sizeable console market.

• Those who don't want to lose their digital libraries/are entrenched in PS ecosystem already.
• Those who can't afford PC/Want a cheaper entry.
• Those who are intimidated by PC Gaming.
• Those who are too lazy/want convenience.

If none of the above apply to you, then PC is becoming a bit of a no-brainer now.

Otherwise, stick with console, nothing bad will happen to you by them doing day one on PC.

I think Helldivers II big success on PC will push them even quicker to start doing more and more day one PC.

By the end of the generation, I expect we'll see a major single player PlayStation exclusive release day one on PC.

It'll be better for their profit margins, as simple as that, a profit margin of 6% on record revenues is quite frankly, shit.

I think the damage Jim Ryan did with his GaaS plans is starting to hurt. No major release in the coming financial year? No wonder they moneyhatted some stuff, but had it to be Foamstars? They really need these Xbox titles propping up their library.