Sony better win

[Atarifever1]

I was thinking this morning about what happens if (in an incredibly unlikely scenario) Microsoft wins this upcoming generation.  Think about it, Nintendo doesn't have always online restrictions that can kill your ability to play if your ISP screws up, or if money problems get you to cancel your internet, or if you move houses.  Now, as we all know, Sony agrees.  Sony and Nintendo are saying that if you buy a physical copy of a game you own it, and can sell it, lend it, or trade it in.  Sony is saying no to the silliness that is region locking.  Nintendo and Sony both are saying a sensible starting price is under $400. As I've said, barring a huge (bigger than any game company, ever) advertising push at Christmas, I don't think Nintendo will win this generation, but I'm sure they'll make a lot of money.  The question then is, will Sony beat Microsoft?  I can't see that not happening, based on prices alone, but what if Microsoft pulls this off?

They are alone in the DRM, always online, $500 console space.  They are, thus, a test case for the industry.  If they win, imagine what it tells the industry.  If you lease games to consumers rather than sell them, they'll thank you.  If the core gamer market completely and utterly revials what you do, it's okay, they're stupid.  If you make your console check in daily to make it still work, despite someone already owning it, that's cool.  Draconian DRM is something the market enjoys.  Charging, indirectly, $40 more for your jammed in gimmicky perephrial than your nearest competitior's similar product, and giving consumers no choice about buying it despite your competitor giving them that choice, and for a lower price, is amazingly good for business.  And most importantly, charging $100 or $200 more than the competition is fine, even with all this other stuff, because reasons. 

Just follow this message to the boardrooms and imagine the next generation after the Xbox One.  It will be completely disgusting.  If prices don't matter, anger at companies doesn't mean anything, listening to consumers doesn't pay off at all, draconian DRM doesn't matter, leasing games instead of selling them doesn't hurt, if all that proves true, what will we have to look forward to?  I plead with the Xbox fans, if you are saying "I would prefer no DRM and a lower price," think about how much you would prefer that.  Because if they win you better not prefer it much, as you'll have the opposite of that forever more. 

Thinking it through, I need to give Sony some money somehow.  I already have a 3DS, still buy stuff for Wii (physical and downloads), and will eventually get a Wii U.  So Nintendo and me are good.  But if nothing else, I'll have to buy a PSN card and send it to someone for free, just to help Sony's bottom line.  Normally I wait for a price drop on expensive systems, but I can't wait long on this one.  Sony has to beat MS, or we're all in for a horrible future. 

[Sut1]

Atarifever I am more or less agreeing with every post your making at the minute.

PS4 - pre-ordered !

[darkrage61]

Well i'm still getting a One no matter what people say to me, the games are what ultimately matter to me the most, not the policies, and I think it will at the very least have better sales then the Wii U. 

[Rev1]

Yes, I think we are all jumping on the PS3 bandwagon for sheer hope that Microsoft doesn't accomplish what they are setting out to do. If Microsoft wins this console war then we (as consumers) have just told all game companies that it is a-ok to do everything Microsoft is trying to do. Remember microtransactions? Of course you do, those have become standard. Most of EA's crazy, penny pinching strategies sold well enough that they are now standard. Now if something as big as Microsoft takes it to the next level, then goodbye gamer freedoms. People aren't just upset about Microsoft but at this radically different approach that restricts rights of gamers. If we vote yes (with our dollars) then we are basically giving free reign to all other companies to do the same thing.

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=darkrage6]Well i'm still getting a One no matter what people say to me, the games are what ultimately matter to me the most, not the policies, and I think it will at the very least have better sales then the Wii U. [/QUOTE]


It most likely will outsell the Wii U.  And, like with the Gamecube and original Xbox, I predict it will cost Microsoft billions (in losses obviously) to do a tiny, little bit better than what Nintendo will do while making a billion.  The numbers may change due to inflation, and differences in market size, but they will line up pretty well ratio-wise.  The big difference this time is that MS went into the Xbox prepared to lose billions exactly so they could make money by the end of the Xbox 360 generation, and then on into the future.  They did not convince their investors and board members they were going to lose $ 4 billion so they could earn it back in the 360 generation, then lose it all over again.  

Nintendo investor this generation: "Why are we in third and only making hundreds of millions on our latest console?  We made billions last generation on consoles.  If it weren't for our handheld market, we wouldn't be winning any videogame markets.  I think you need to come up with something big for next generation on the console front, and we better still be able to count on our nearly 25 year streak as the winner of the handheld market continuing again next generation after the 3DS, which just won it again."

Microsoft investor this generation: "We have now lost, over the course of over a decade, money on the Xbox line for more than half of all years we have been in the market.  We have lost money on the entire line overall again thanks to this Xbox One sales failure.  We have never sold more consoles than whatever the market leader was, any generation, ever.  We are bleeding red ink again.  We lose money on every system sold, and aren;t selling enough games, again, to cancel that out.  Our market is software for computers.  Our most valuable patents are on cell phones.  We are a business focusd company.  Why are we still here?"

[weallmissedme1]

Atarifever, are you mad? Xbone outselling the Wii U? I've thought some crazy stuff while tripping, but I'd never say something that crazy. I also like Sonys offerings.

Advantages of the Wii U over Xbone:

No online restrictions.

Physical copies will work in the far future.

Tablet controller for more involved games.

Pro controller seems more comfortable.

Backwards compatibility for all of your Wii titles.

The system has sold nearly 4 million units in 8 months at a rate that's growing, so it has an obvious head start.

From what I've seen the graphics are not a large step forward.

Has all of the major 3rd party releases that are on the other systems.

Nintendos best franchises are a huge selling point, these games ALONE will sell the system.

So please, accept nintendo as a high profile player in the industry. Will it outsell the PS4? Who knows. But I predict a VERRRRYYYYYY close race.

[Segatarious1]

This is a bad topic, simply because : The CONSUMER better  win!

MS gave Sony a knife and Sony sunk it deep, so be it. And game buyers told Sony to do it, and cheered as it happened. So that is justice, the lead dog gets cut down. But lets not let the new boss be like the old boss, cause the big boys are scared now. Even EA, the belle of the MS ball,  is distancing themselves from MS and acting like they are a consumer friendly company, and all this DRM was MS idea, as if they were not clued in on it or helped shape it - ha!

But video game industry in bad shape, and there is a lot of fear out there - its a buyers market boys, enjoy!

[Steve1]

Atarifever, I sincerely hope you are kidding with this comment, "Thinking it through, I need to give Sony some money somehow. I already have a 3DS, still buy stuff for Wii (physical and downloads), and will eventually get a Wii U. So Nintendo and me are good. But if nothing else, I'll have to buy a PSN card and send it to someone for free, just to help Sony's bottom line. Normally I wait for a price drop on expensive systems, but I can't wait long on this one. Sony has to beat MS, or we're all in for a horrible future."

IF you are even remotely serious, I would have to say it is the most ignorant and misguided comment I've ever read on these forums and I've been around longer than my posting history would lead you to believe. In my most recent 3 posts, I called the initial Xbox One reveal a failure, I've stated I won't be getting an Xbox One anytime soon, and I even shared a "Kinect is listening" story (which surprisingly no one commented on). I was also in the camp of 'Let's wait and see'. Post E3, I've been visiting this site and others quite often and the more I read, the less I want an Xbox One - at least at launch or until something changes. So, I am on the side of most people here. My primary beef, like so many others, is what happens when servers go down.....does the system become useless?

However, why is it so hard for people to just speak with their wallets? You don't like Xbox One, don't buy Xbox One. I applaud darkrage (and others) for his reasons to buy the console - the negatives don't affect him and he likes the games. It's very simple.

Your comments across the various topics (and CERTAINLY those of others who shall remain nameless) come across as insulting to anyone who even potentially wants to buy a new Xbox. Some consumers are ignorant and sheep-like but how is that any different than people who bought the Wii 'only because it was the hot item' or who bought the PS3 'because it was a blu-ray player also'. (By the way, what happened to the comments "I want a gaming console, not a device to watch expensive movies" when PS3 came out?).

I hope to keep coming to these forums to read about all the interesting things that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are doing - both good and bad. I just hope we can stop being negative on a personal level. Many people are now coming across as unlikeable now. Let Microsoft do that for themselves - they are doing a fine job.

[Irenicus1]

I hate to post this, but I think this whole drm digital distribution model is the future. We lucked out this generation by Sony waiting it out one more generation, but next generation I suspect there won't be any actual ownership of video game purchases. 

I've heard many people say that the 360 & PS3 generation was their last. I think many said that, in part, to prepare themselves for what Microsoft has presented with the Xbone. The WiiU & the PS4 might be the last generation of home video game systems that I purchase.   

[Oltobaz1]

And yet, the hostility towards XBox One and its business model all goes to show, this may not be the future after all. All this backlash makes me feel optimistic!