2014 Gaming: The Console War from Origins to the Future
It has been a very exciting, albeit controversial, year for gamers. With the release of the Playstation 4 (PS4) and the Xbox One at the end of 2013, gamers the world over have started to make the transition into a new-found world of gaming. With the heavy-hitting competition that the next gen consoles bring Nintendo has shown the world that it is very capable of returning to the spotlight. Yet, where did the major players get their start in the gaming industry? And where are they destined to end up with the direction the gaming industry is headed?
The general populace may only have a vague understanding of where, and why these companies got their start. There may even be a lack of understanding for why certain generations of consoles do better than others. While there are many other companies worth exploring in regards to gaming origins, as well as many other platforms to game, this article will primarily focus upon home-consoles as opposed to handhelds or PC gaming experiences.
Part I: Sony
Sony’s Playstation console had its 20th anniversary on December 3rd. In the past 20 years, it has all but dominated the gaming world with its innovative games and more versatile content. The Playstation is ultimately responsible for making games accessible to an adult audience. According to Aleks Krotoski, “PlayStation introduced the idea that gaming can be for grown-ups” (Twist). While the arcade generation opened its doors to youth audiences, Playstation created games for more mature audiences. The company’s success has boasted a vast fan-base of young and adult gamers alike and moved the world into a generation in which gaming was for more than just children. Sony successfully popularized console gaming and has a strong grip on the gaming market over-all. It’s no wonder that – despite its financial failures with the Playstation 3 – Sony is still going strong as the head of the gaming market.
Sony joined the gaming market thanks to Sega’s failure with the 32X system. Without Sega as a lead competitor, and with Nintendo’s new system not to come out for another year, Sony seized the opportunity to establish itself in the gaming market. The original Sony Playstation introduced new ideas to gaming systems, and improved what the market already had to offer. For the system itself, its compact size made it a welcome part in the family living room, and the use of a memory card system made possibilities virtually endless for gamers. Without an in-console or in-game save, anyone could bring their game and memory card to a friend’s house so long as they had a Playstation available. As for the graphic capabilities, Sony foresaw gaming moving into 3D graphics as opposed to flat sprites and their most popular games have implemented 3D graphics for the PS One system Its remote implemented handle-bar grips and four shoulder buttons for more possibilities in its games as well as comfort.
What made the original Playstation most popular however was more than just its elegant design, graphic capabilities, and its easy to handle remote control. From the beginning, Sony boasted impressive titles that implemented its 3D graphics, like Ridge Racer and Battle Arena Toshinden.
Sony was able to boast a strong line-up of games and exclusives to its system. Game-changers like Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider, Tekken, Crash Bandicoot, Twisted Metal, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and Dance Dance Revolution all appealed to a large variety of people and presented opportunities for everyone to try a gaming experience that appealed to their own interests. Sony also dominated the JRPG market with games like Suikoden I, Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy VII, and even more titles.
Fallout
Each of these games, combined with the innovative – for its time – system, secured Sony’s place at the head of the market. Their follow-up with the Playstation 2 was even more successful than their first system despite the new-found competition found in the release of Microsoft’s Xbox. However, with this renowned success, Sony grew overconfident and made terrible mistakes upon the release of their third home console: the PS3.
While the system itself was generally decent, its library was a clear representation of something that could be put off. Its most iconic exclusives (Metal Gear Solid, God of War, etc.) were not readily available upon its release in 2006. The appeal of having a system that doubled as a Blu Ray player was also not a good enough reason for purchasing the PS3 because – at the time – anyone that wanted a Blu Ray player merely purchased one. The backwards compatibility on the original PS3 systems were appealing, but – once again – why bother when most gamers were still quite fond of their PS2’s? Without any worthwhile games to buy for years to come, and without any other appealing features, the PS3 had some of the absolute worst sales to date. The combination of a Blu Ray Player, PSN, and HD games lead Sony to believe a launch price of $599 was an appropriate price for their system. They trusted that fan loyalty would help them conquer the 360 and the Wii in the market, but sadly it was what ultimately lost them a lot of their credibility.
Sony’s failure stemmed from their lack of care for the most important thing a gaming console depends upon: games. The PS3 sacrificed much of the gaming experience to incorporate the Blu Ray capabilities. The implementation of the Blu Ray system caused a lot of its early games to take an extensive amount of time to load which can make gaming quite frustrating. Add this to their poor implementation of its online experience (which crashes often) and the PS3 deserved its place at third during this wave of systems.
However, Sony is quite capable of learning from its mistakes. They heard the fans’ complaints about pricing, and they knew about their issues with their online connectivity. Thus leading to the most recently released PS4 system.
Playstation 4
Although the PS3 lost to the Xbox 360, Sony made a strong comeback in its production of the PS4. The console’s sales are much higher than the PS3’s sales, and compared to the other next-gen systems.
All told, the PS4 dominated the charts in September, selling 1,040,097 units. That means it beat the Wii U by a whopping 492%, and the Xbox One by 90%, even beating its own sales in August by almost 90%. In other words, Sony has continued its massive lead, taking the number one spot for the ninth month in a row.
With the consoles success, it would seem that Sony has an opportunity to once again dominate the market. From its simple, and elegant design, to the Dualshock 4 controller, reviews have generally raved about the new system. Naturally, the system has built up its graphic capabilities but perhaps what is most impressive is Sony’s consideration for the growing popularity of play through videos. With the implementation of the Playstation camera and the headphone jack, gamers can stream their reactions while playing. As for recording of actual game footage, the system offers a means of capturing their gameplay and seamlessly sharing their experience with Twitch or Ustream.
Like any launch console, the PS4 isn’t perfect. The software is lacking some key functionality, the DualShock 4’s more distinctive features are underutilized, and remote play is still rough around the edges. But in spite of these issues, the PS4 is an exceptionally well-crafted console. It’s impressively small and attractive design sets a new bar for the industry, and its powerful hardware offers not only stunning visuals, but higher player counts, constantly connected experiences, and larger, more detailed worlds.
In regards to its online usage, Sony is currently not charging for using the system’s online capabilities. However you must purchase a Playstation Plus card for an online multiplayer experience. The Playstation Plus subscription also offers exclusive discounts and free games for instant download per month. If the application is not game-related, the usage is entirely free without a Playstation card. Thus, using Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu Plus are readily available if you pay for their respective services.
What will ultimately make or break a system is the library it has to offer, and as of now the PS4 is severely lacking in exclusives that are worth buying. Although the system has released some excellent titles: Destiny, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, etc. Sony has made a point to release these same titles for the PS3. The demand to purchase the new system is very low. In fact, their more popular titles like the Kingdom Hearts Remix and Borderlands the Pre-Sequel have been released as PS3 exclusives. Indeed the PS4 has much to offer in its virtual library, but it is not anything that could not be similarly purchased for the PS3. If Sony wants to have any chance of staying ahead in the market it will need a more expansive, and compelling library to set it apart.
What does the PS4 have to offer in the coming years?
Hellblade
From the makers of such titles as DMC, Heavenly Sword, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Theory is developing fantastic action-adventure games with great combat mechanics. While the trailer does not say much in regards to game play, fans can at least expect a gritty story-line and a strong, female protagonist.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The first three Uncharted games were introduced for the PS3, and the incoming fourth installment to the series is exciting to many fans. Sony seems to be following a trend with some darker titles, and Uncharted 4 is no exception.
Kingdom Hearts 3
While there has not been a release date set, Kingdom Hearts fans have been waiting for years for a third game, and the PS4 appears to be the perfect system for its official release. The potential implementation of Marvel and Star Wars characters to “close” the series is worth purchasing a PS4 for.
Along with building its game library, the PS4 will undoubtedly release software patches and updates to further improve its system capabilities. So long as it maintains its focus on the gaming experience it will surely stay ahead of the market.
The Future
Sony has a lot to learn from its past mistakes and its successes. The vast array of exclusives it held with its first two systems and comfortable, easy to use controllers make gaming seamless. However, their implementation of a Blu Ray player with their third system slowed down the gaming process for the PS3. The PS4 fixed a lot of the hardware problems that the PS3 had, plus the low price has put it ahead of its competition. Ultimately, it will come down to the exclusives the PS4 has to offer. Perhaps bringing back Crash Bandicoot or finally releasing a Suikoden sequel will give Sony the edge it needs.
Part II: Microsoft
While the Playstation struck the balance between adult and youth oriented games, Microsoft’s Xbox system’s initial creation catered to adults. According to former VP of Windows Sales, Joachim Kempin, the Xbox was created “to stop Sony.” Since its release date in 2001, the Xbox was an underdog in the market. It had a limited amount of exclusives to its library and had to compete with the ever-popular Playstation 2 and the Gamecube, a Nintendo console. The Xbox was the first American-made console to make it to the market since the Atari Jaguar stopped sales in 1996. The Xbox allowed Microsoft to make the kind of money that the company could never make from its PC gamers. Despite its short history in the gaming world, it has steadily made its way to the forefront of the gaming community.
Microsoft’s original Vice-President of games, Ed Fries, revealed much about Xbox’s origin in an interview for Develop. According to this interview, in 1999 Microsoft’s DirectX team sought out creating a game console that hid the Windows operating system (OS). Fries seized this idea claiming:
It was an appealing suggestion for me personally. It looked like a way for me to get my groove in the console business without having to deal with a completely different architecture, or a completely different operating system.
However, there were two development teams that sought the creation of a Microsoft console. While the DirectX team wished to implement the Windows OS into their console, the other team wanted to make a very straightforward game console. Ultimately, Bill Gates decided that the DirectX team would take on the project because they would implement the Windows OS. Using the Windows OS would have made it easier to send PC games to the system, thus providing an expanded list of exclusives for the Xbox system. Even so, the DirectX team soon discovered that they had to create a “custom operating system” to run the Xbox properly. Eventually the final design and concept for the Xbox fused the ideas of the DirectX team and the other team.
In regards to the system itself, it was decided that the original system would implement an internal hard-drive for extra storage space. The system’s controllers could support memory cards for any form of data transfer, but the ultimate winner for the original Xbox was Xbox Live. With online capabilities on a steady rise, Xbox developers decided to take a gamble on a system that had excellent (for its time) online functionality that would make it competitive in the market. Microsoft’s President of Entertainment & Devices Division had one demand for the Xbox system:
This was one of the clear demands that Robbie made, he said we were building the machine for the future, that we were going to bet on people signing up to broadband.
Clearly it was the right choice. What followed was over a decade of success for Microsoft’s console.
Despite its very limited amount of exclusives. The Xbox still managed to boast some very popular exclusives that showed Microsoft’s ability to take innovative ideas and improve upon them.
The Xbox’s great herald was the science-fiction, first-person shooter (FPS) game known as Halo. The game immerses its players into an alien world with futuristic weaponry and broad landscapes. The game’s multiplayer capabilities allowed for a more interactive gaming experience than the solo games than the Playstation was known to release. Halo was an exciting experience akin to the Nintendo 64’s (N64) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. To many of its fans it was different, and it was different done well.
The Xbox was praised for many games, and it made clever choices in its following system to hold its own in the market.
Fallout?
The Xbox 360 (2005) was able to take innovation to the next level. With its initial release date on November, 2005 Microsoft was able to get a hefty lead against the PS3 and the Wii. The 360’s launch marked the product at $299 making it greatly appealing. This, on top of its more mature games and excellent online services placed the Xbox 360 at the forefront of international gaming. With the ability to play with anyone around the world at the touch of the button, and with easy communication via headset, gaming had taken an even greater step forward than it had with the original Xbox console.
However, while its initial sales were much higher than that of the PS3, the Xbox 360 eventually fell out due to its infamous, “Red Ring of Death.” The one year head start implied that the Xbox 360 was rushed in its production and its users soon discovered its hardware was undependable and unreliable. After 2-3 years of use, Xbox 360’s had a tendency to shut down and be entirely unusable. This dark day for the Xbox 360 could have been the end for Microsoft’s home console had it not been for the release of the Xbox Kinect in in 2010.
While Nintendo’s Wii System took the first major step toward motion-control in mainstream gaming, the Xbox Kinect perfected it. This was the Xbox 360’s breakthrough to being a living room console. The Kinect made games like Dance Central more enjoyable because the players no longer had to hold an awkward remote control. Had it not been for the Kinect the Xbox would never have made it to the next generation.
Of course the exclusive titles to its library are no small feat. From its focus to first-person shooters, to its racing games, the Xbox 360’s high definition graphics drew all types of gamers to their consoles. Had it not been for the PS3’s high price, the Xbox One may never have been developed.
The Xbox One
In a way, the Xbox One is facing the same issues that the PS3 had; their initial launch had limited sales because of poor and selfish choices made by Microsoft. The company made the Kinect a mandatory part of their product sales, thus skyrocketing the price beyond what gamers were willing to pay. With the mandatory Kinect, the system ran for $499 and it was not anywhere near worth the price. It is a bit eerie how similar the mistakes are with the PS3. While the PS3 focused upon implementing a Blu Ray player with a gaming console, the Xbox One’s initial sale pitch had a multitude of issues that pulled away from the gaming console.
Microsoft is not being prideful though. Referring to E3, the gaming industry’s largest trade show, Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox Division, openly admitted that poor choices were made within the first year of Xbox One’s release and is changing the company’s marketing strategy.
E3 is a big time in our industry. We know that this E3 is really important for us. People are looking for ‘okay, what is this change in Xbox, and what does it mean to have a Head of Xbox that’s really focused on games?’ E3 is a great gaming show and I want to make sure that when we’re there, the fans hear us and understand why we’re there.
With a new-found direction for the Xbox One, the system’s future is much brighter. A focus on innovative games, and a well-rounded gaming experience will surely build up the Xbox One’s popularity and success.
In the coming years, Xbox One’s exclusives stay true to its content that helped skyrocket the original Xbox to fame while offering up some other goodies worth waiting for.
Fable Legends
While it may pull away from the style that made Fable so famous, Lionhead appears to be working diligently on something entirely different. Since Fable II co-op has existed as a minor part of the game’s experience, but Fable Legends takes this feature and expands upon it. It can be played with up to five people featuring four heroes and a villain. It has a play style akin to classic table top RPGs, with heroes traversing the obstacles and challenges to reach the end villain.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Although Tomb Raider got its start on playstation, it would seem that a partnership with Microsoft will lead to the release of this game on Xbox One first. The game appears to be an exploration of Lara Croft’s PTSD. She needs to cope with her experiences on the island so she can assimilate into a normal life, but perhaps it would be too difficult for her? Still, this added dynamic to her character is sure to be worthwhile.
Halo 5
The next installment to the Halo franchise is absolutely gorgeous to say the least. Halo 5: Guardians was supposed to launch this past year, but clearly there is more work being done and there is nothing wrong with that. Releasing a game before it is ready leads to glitches (Assassin’s Creed Unity) and the more meticulous the makers are, the better the game will turn out.
While the Xbox One had its fair share of mistakes, Microsoft has worked around the clock to make amends. The Kinect is no longer mandatory, and the system’s price has dropped significantly over the year. The console shares a lot of the same graphic capabilities and features as the PS4, but what will ultimately decide which console wins out is exclusives.
The Future
Had it not been for the Xbox One’s high price, it may have done well against the PS4. Spencer’s decision to focus on gaming over everything else is a the silver lining to an otherwise stormy future. The Xbox had always been most popular for its smooth online game play. There is little contest of this fact, but the system’s limited game play and the poor choices Microsoft has historically made from poorly made hardware, to high prices are lessons worth learning. That being said, the Xbox One is a much better piece of hardware than the 360 and the new focus on gaming will almost certainly move it forward.
Part III: Nintendo
From long ago, Nintendo has always been about creating entertainment and surprising customers. One thing that has changed is the scale of the company and the scope of everything we do. – Satoru Iwata
In ’83 the gaming industry suffered a major economic crash, and Nintendo took a risk by building its first home console. Nintendo got its start at the forefront of the gaming industry with the release of the original NES system in 1984. Naturally the video game market’s economic crash would have made this system difficult to sell to retailers, but Nintendo presented their original console as a toy by packaging the system with a light gun and a robot accessory. For the rest of the 80s and the early 90s anyone that thought of “video games” would immediately think of, “Nintendo.”
From its first system, Nintendo has boasted a vast, and impressive library including: Contra, Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, and much, much more. A vast majority of their classics are what kept Nintendo afloat and, while they generally keep with what they know in terms of games, they still make sure to create exciting systems and game play mechanics with each generation. The NES itself was set apart from previous systems with its implementation of an eight directional pad as opposed to the use of a joystick.
Nintendo’s greatest competitor in its early years was Sega. Up until the release of the Super Nintendo (SNES) in 1991, the Sega Genesis dominated the 16-bit market. It was not until the release of some lead titles (Star Fox, Donkey Kong Country, Chrono Trigger) that the SNES helped to secure Nintendo as ruler of the gaming world.
The SNES offered a vast array of games in its library. From basic platformers, to JRPGs, to racing games, there was always a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy. Even if the production teams moved their loyalties to other systems, many franchises have Nintendo to thank for their start.
Nintendo would not stay stagnant in its capabilities and innovation. They knew that to stay ahead of the game they would have to continue to produce exciting games that unified better graphics with game play mechanics. From the directional pad of the NES, to the 16 bit games of the SNES, Nintendo knew that their next system would have to be truly great.
In 1996, the N64 truly set the tone for 3D graphics in games. Although the system never shared the same amount of success as the Playstation (a trend for Nintendo since Sony joined the market), the N64 managed to completely change expectations for gaming. The N64 controller opened the door for first-person shooters to join the home-console market. Playing with the analog stick made gaming seamless and the remote was quite responsive. The N64 had the technology necessary for 3D game mechanics and were able to produce many favorites that still get reproduced for modern systems today: Star Fox 64, Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nintendo was able to take their popular stories and change the gaming experience entirely.
Fallout
Released in 2001, the Gamecube was Nintendo’s fall from the spotlight in the console war. While Microsoft and Sony were catering to mature audiences and built up a library of third-party exclusives, Nintendo stuck to what it knew. They opted for small, compact cds to prevent piracy but without the ability to play DVDs as well as play games the Gamecube became even less appealing. What is most unfortunate is the Gamecube existed at a time that the FPS genre and gritty graphics were making their way up in the world. Games like Call of Duty and Devil May Cry made their way into the spotlight while more family-oriented games like Super Mario Sunshine were not quite as popular to more hardcore gamers. What ultimately allowed Nintendo to stay afloat was how cost effective the console was. Each console churned out a profit while the PS2 and the Xbox made money back with software sales.
Nintendo’s library was ridiculously small, but what it did have to offer were worth playing. From the cult favorite, Smash Bros. Melee to the FPS Metroid Prime, gamers still want to see sequels to Gamecube titles. However, with the lack of sales these games may never see sequels or remakes for the Wii U in the near future.
The Comeback?
In recent years, Nintendo could be considered synonymous with “gimmick.” Just as they abused the stylus in the DS for games, their 2006 system, the Wii, took motion control and ran with it until there was nothing left. Their motion control concept was so popular that Sony took it and applied it as an add-on for the PS3, and Xbox perfected it with the Kinect. Still, the low price, the motion controls, and the surplus of family-friendly games, the Wii became the top pick for the living room around the world.
The Wii sacrificed the HD quality that the PS3 and Xbox 360 were praised for, in preference for a fun gaming experience, thus proving one thing: game play > graphics. At least that would have been the hope. As the first to work with motion controls, it was soon revealed that the motion controls were not quite as sensitive as they should have been. Even the “Wii-mote Plus” did little to return the Wii to the spotlight. With a few years of success, the Wii ended up becoming nothing more than a failed gimmick, Nintendo knew it had to make its move to HD.
The Wii U
The Wii U’s advertising was the first nail in the coffin for Nintendo. Despite its release date in 2012, the Wii U did not have any initial buzz going prior to its launch. If anything it seemed more like a well-kept secret that should never have existed. To the general populace, the Wii U seemed more like a gimmicky add-on to the Wii. Considering that the Wii system had plenty of ridiculous add-ons for its own system its no wonder that consumers had no interest in purchasing the Wii U with this in mind. And who could blame them, with an ad like this?
It was only very recently that the Wii U was advertised (not at all subtly) as an “entirely new technology” and system.
As a system, the Wii U has a great list of benefits that previous Nintendo consoles did not have. While it still cannot play Blu Rays or DVDs, it is much better at using other media applications than the Wii was. At the same time, their improvement upon an online gaming experience has allowed them to stand up tall next to the PS4 and the Xbox One. Their initial launch titles (Nintendo Land, ZombiU) were rather lame attempts to exploit their latest gimmick, but this habit is nothing new. Still, the Wii U has plenty of worthwhile exclusives that fans will want to play. That, atop their latest addition to Smash Bros and the implementation of the Amiibos (despite its issues) has steadily built up Nintendo’s finances from its past failures.
Nintendo knows what its fans love and, while it is heavily stemmed in tradition, it can still bring excitement to fan favorites with their innovative Wii U system.
Star Fox Wii U
With the Star Fox 64 game arguably being the best Star Fox game released. Fans have been craving a game that returns to its format. Nintendo responded with a 3DS release of the title. Although playing with both the Wii U Pad and the TV seems to complicate the game, if the transition and mechanics are meticulously made, the experience should be both seamless, and enjoyable.
Legend of Zelda Wii U
Shigeru Miyamoto announced an all new Legend of Zelda title with an all new Link. The game promises an open world exploration which completely steps away from the usual game’s formula (aside from the original Legend f Zelda of course). The trailer also shows Link (or who can be assumed to be Link) in a costume different from his classic green tunic. Still, Zelda fans are sure to be waiting with baited breath for this game to be released.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles had a tragic release in America. Much like certain Amiibos, the original game was released in limited supply in America. To make matters worse, the game was only released in Gamestop stores. Thus, any copy that can be found in English generally costs around $100. Even so, this game’s sequel looks very impressive and full of even more science-fiction than the original.
The Future
With plenty of exciting games coming out for the Wii U and the proclamation that, “Yes, the Wii U is a new system” the sales should potentially go up. However, just as the Gamecube failed due to its lack of third party titles, the Wii U will need third party titles to stay competitive. As of now it does have Assassin’s Creed and Ninja Gaiden titles but the Wii U’s graphic capabilities – despite being an HD system – were still not powerful enough to keep up with the software demands.
The Wii U’s own “gimmick” does have its own appeal though. The ability to watch television and play your favorite home console game at the same time is excellent. The online gaming experience, unlike that of the PS4 and Xbox One is actually free, and thus makes the Wii U more cost effective in that already. Add that to their expanding number of players per system (up to 8 in Smash Bros) and the Wii U has a strong chance of being the living room console of choice.
Final Notes
As of now, it would seem that the PS4 will dominate the market. However, in the coming years and with Nintendo’s up-and-coming exclusives the company has a clear advantage over the other two companies. There is not much disparity between the Xbox One and the PS4 consoles because a lot of their games cross over between the two. In the end gamers will ultimately go for either what is more affordable, or what they feel most loyal to. Unless there is an exclusive title for a particular system that the gamer very much wants, that will not be enough to make a dent. Furthermore the PS4 and Xbox One are too similar in functionality. They both cater to more mature audiences, and – while their games can have some multiplayer features – their games are not necessarily family oriented. The Wii U is something entirely different in how it is made and played with, and the games can cater to young and old alike. If Nintendo can further develop its hardware to support HD, third-party games, then the system could go far and continue to lead the industry with new, innovative ideas.
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What do you think? Leave a comment.
The best console ever is the Nintendo Entertainment System.
This generation is the best console war yet. I can’t tear away. There’s a lot of salt and tears and I’m just eating it up.
Nintendo NOW makes that “goofy” feel on most of there current games, but it wasn’t always that way. Look at the difference in the feel of the characters from star fox to star fox 64, big difference. Most 1st party (mario, donkey kong, zelda, metroid) all had a more serious (yet weird) feel back in 3rd and 4th gen. Don’t mind the “goof” stuff from right now, but it would be interesting to see a 1st party game with a “bad azz” style like “Kratos” or “Master Chief”
Zelda would be the easiest title to transition to that sort of game, shucks even Pokemon done in an Unreal Engine type game would be pretty “bad azz”
Team xbox one!
The console war is half the fun…. Gaming without a console war would be like watching football without rooting for a team. Yes it gets vulgar, yes we take it to extremes… But it’s all in good fun. Atleast we don’t have gaming riots like they do with soccer. Anytime you have competition you also have rivalry it’s just human nature. Microsoft and Nintendo may be good companies, they may have great games, But as far as I’m concerned YOU SUCK!!! Sony FTW!!! Dont even get me started on PC…. lol
Hahah I’m not at all a Microsoft fan (in regards to the console war), but I see where you’re coming from.
Competition is always good. It drives rival companies to compete and come out with a better product in attempts to gain an advantage on the competition. This is good for gamers, cause it drives the industry forward.
Console wars is not a new concept. It has always been present in gaming. Just read an article the other day detailing the war between Nintendo and Sega. Great article that detailed the wars throughout the generations.
Sadly for this new generation of consoles the competition is using exclusivity to try and gain the advantage. Instead of innovation we are stuck with a war between which games can each company make exclusive in attempts to drive console sales. This really sucks for the avrage gamer who might only have time or money to spend on one console. Or maybe prefers a console over the others. Some games they will not be able to experience.
Games like Uncharted, TLOU, Heavy Rain, Infamous will never be enjoyed by those who are strictly Xbox or Nintendo fans. Games Like Halo, and Gears of War will never be enjoyed by those who are strictly PS and Nintendo fans. Nintendo has their slew of games that will never see other platforms. IMO this is the worst business tactic the gaming industry has seen, as far as gamers are concerned.
Each company and console will always have their first party games that utilize their consoles hardware the best. Its third party games and content that hurt. Sony and MS fighting over exclusive content and games from third party developers, instead of truly innovating with their hardware and own games. As long as they use exclusivity as an excuse to drive sales, innovation will suffer.
Nintendo appeals to women and children more when the Nintendo ds came out its target audience was kids,women and and the people that bought it to play the brain training games this was a brilliant marketing scheme because they knew the “boys” would buy it anyway because they were fanboys since the gameboy days
2015 will be a great year!
Console Wars are really, really bad for games. Why? Becasue their started fight for better graphics and more varieties. We lose an video games idea. We play games because we wanna run from grey and boring reality. I play games beacause i want to break off reality and enter to other world, explore it and have fun. Now we get games with beautiful graphics, lot of errors, simple and without good plot. For example Battlefield and Call of Duty. I know that both games are shooters, but game is reduce to kill bad guys and save world, WOW. It’s just another SAME game with SAME plot but with other characters. I dont want story like The Last of Us, but Spec Ops was the best shooter I ever played and it’s just because of storyline. Of course there are some games with both of it or with good story.
Sorry for many mistakes but my Engilsh isnt very good or even average.
I understand how you feel. I do believe that the console wars has really changed the standard for good games that implement excellent game play and a good story, but sadly that is the world we live in. It’s actually why I play indie games more these days.
Nice job on such a thorough article! Seems like they’ll be a lot of cool games coming in 2015. I’ll be on the lookout!
Xbox is the worst thing that ever happened to the gaming community. Period.
I wouldnt go that far. Xbox and Halo revolutionized FPS on consoles. This ended up sparking an entire new community in and of itself. Then Xbox and Halo 2 set the standard for console online matchmaking. Regardless if you like FPS or not, its a huge genre that is boombing in popularity and has been for the last decade on consoles.
The 360 also set the standard for the online functionality of consoles. Party system, achievements, online gaming, digital games, XBLA all of these concepts for consoles started on the 360. So successful and popular that PS adopted many of them, and so has Nintendo.
Xbox is probably one of the best things that has happened to gaming. MS fan or no these are facts that cannot be disputed or argued about. The PS3 and PS4 would not be what they are without adopting the online success of the 360.
Not saying Sony hasnt done anything far from it. Sony themselves made some revolutions in gaming with the PS1 and PS2. Things that every console since had adopted and used. their PS+ has been hugely successful. Offering crazy deals and free games, a concept that MS has adopted. Nintendo deserves their credit also.
Gaming is getting better and better, imo. This is truely the best time be a gamer. There are three great consoles out there that offer the widest range of fun and entertainment than ever before. Great games are being made for fans of all genres and all ages. Every company has left there mark on the industry, and more will come in the future that will make their revolutions and leave their marks.
Console wars keep the AAA games coming! It’s competition and it’s good for the industry!
I am a gamer, so I own both ps4 and x1. That said, the only time my XBone gets turned on is when I feel like playing Titanfall. Games that are on both I always play on my Sony (unless it’s online and my friends are on the XBox). I like the controller better, I like the dashboard a thousand times better, and I like the fact that Sony runs everything in 1080p instead of 720p.
My X1 is on all the time because I am piping TV through it. The whole 1080p thing is way overblown. I own both as well and your statement is not 100 percent correct. yes some games are upscaled on the X1 right now. Down the road that will change but not everything has been natively 1080p on the PS4 either.
Theres no difference really between X1 and ps4. They basically use the same hardware, software, and coding. Only difference is ram that’s it.
There is a difference when it comes to functionality and other things.
For example, the X1 comes with a very decent headset. I know you are comparing hardware capability but that does not tell the whole story. The PS4 comes with a very cheap ear bud.
Also by having a mandatory rechargeable battery you have to sit 3 feet from your console waiting for the PS4 controller to charge, which happens a lot. In a pinch I can switch to regular batteries if needed.
The X1 is nice because of the HDMI input and the fact that it becomes one big universal voice command remote for ALL of your components, cable box, audio equipment etc.
The fact that you can have a sport game or whatever running in the corner as picture in picture while gaming is good BUT while you are waiting for friends to log on you can also watch TV at the same time.
If you are on the PS4 you would have to keep switching your input back and forth OR check the PS4 app on your phone.
That said, the PS4 is far less buggy than the X1. I have never had any games freeze, lock up, fail to load etc. And I have never had issues with party chat like I did with the X1.
The whole graphical difference between consoles is very overblown. If you can only afford one console it comes down to what you want to play, what your preferences are for a console, and who you are going to interact with. If all your friends are on a particular console that may play a part.
Both consoles are going to provide many hours of entertainment.
I hope the Wii U makes a comeback, the games are fun and something my whole family can enjoy. I know the U is about as powerful as the PS3 and 360, but it shouldn’t matter how powerful a system is, it should always be about the fun factor.
I only wish that company’s would built games for specific consoles like back in the days when we had Sega, Nintendo and Sony. Today almost 80% of the games are in all platforms 🙁 so in theory it’s more about the brand of the console that people fall in love it instead of the game that it can produce.
Playstation 4 is just a playstation 3 with a little better graphic
Great read. I’m a gamer myself with I always fall in the trap of owning every new console and it’s interesting to watch the evolution.
Xbox One twerks all over the crapstation 4
Console wars ARE good. It’s competition. And it’s GOOD to point out the flaws in systems so they’ll get better.
Why? What you as a consumer win with it? It’s good for the companies (if you’re a Naughty dog fan, you must buy a playstation to play their games, even if it wouldn’t be your choice based on hardware and services), but for the consumer? Exclusivity adds nothing, it take from us. If you can buy only one platform, you have to choose which games you want to play instead of choosing the platform for the platform itself, then you end up without access to several franchises, doesn’t matter which platform you choose. If you can buy more than one platform, you are buying again a hardware you already have without real necessity, just to satisfy this companies marketing system.
Honestly, it’s sad that people even fight over exclusivity, like it’s something that give us benefits when it actually hurt us. I only wish I could choose a platform for it’s hardware, technologies and services and be able to play any game on it. leaving exclusivity for things that actually need to be exclusive, like a kinect game that actually requires a specific hardware, or a RTS game, that just doesn’t work as well without keyboard and mouse.
gotta say that the x1 has a beautiful controller.
Innovation comes from an intense interest in creating something that has never been done before, not from competition.
I personally think Sony will win this gen for sure, but I hope MS and Nintendo can at least keep it from being a runaway.
Fanboys blindly arguing about how great their console is and how there aren’t any good games anywhere else are the problem. There are a lot of great games for all of the systems out there. No one takes a fanboy seriously, especially the ones that are unreasonably blind.
Competition is good but fanBOYs are idiots, if you hate namely Sony, Nintendo or MS for whatever and hope your console of choice is the runaway winner or you even brag about it you are not a gamer, fanBOYs are brainwashed corporate monkeys, again competition is good the thing that fanBOys root for the most would put the gaming industry out of business and that’s why they are idiots and I wish they would go away so we could talk games on sites like these but as usual the dumb and immature win on the net….
Very informative article. Thank you
Thank you for helping with the revision process, Venus!
The hardware in all three consoles is reaching a point where graphics is no longer an issue. A lot of people will say the XB1 is child’s play in comparison to the power behind the PS4, but honestly that isn’t attracting people much anymore. Even the WiiU has a great bundle of hardware pushing behind the console. What this is starting to boil down to is who can produce a stable console with interesting release titles To sum it up, it seems like we are seeing a large push towards products that will create more loyal consumers to ensure the life of the console into the next gen. Eventually, the games are going to be the only things that matter.
I am not entirely certain how true that is. With the Oculus Rift further developing into the mainstream we could very likely see a competition aligned with the Wii console war.
i want to get PS4 by the end of this year. Mainly to play PS4 exclusive games
Does anyone remember Sega Genesis vs Super Nintendo? Yea, that’s the golden days of video gaming. “Sega Does what Nintendon’t”… But then again, third party companies like Capcom, SquareSoft, and other at that time dished out greatness after greatness. Think: Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Warrior… So, Yea, competition in the video game market may yield a diverse library of great gems.
I couldn’t agree with this more, it was EXACTLY what I was thinking. Nintendo vs Sega was a true console war, with both pumping out tons of exclusives and not just ports for the majority of their games. Even then, ported titles were fairly different! Mortal Kombat II, Earth Worm Jim, Street Fighter II, etc. All great games on both consoles, but each of them pumped out tons of gems.
This simply is not happening anymore, at least between Sony and Microsoft. It can be argued that Nintendo is still in the fight since they put out so many exclusives and first party games, but unfortunately they just are not nearly the same caliber they were twenty years ago.
Most games nowadays simply are not that impressive to begin with and the few that are grabbing my attention typically are Sony exclusives (very few, and only a few that are on other platforms). More often than not I go back to playing my SNES, Genesis or PS1. Retro gaming is where it’s at! I would love to see the return of quality games that we saw back in the nineties, but I am not going to hold my breath.
I remember those days. NES was the craze and my parents weren’t going to get a second console. Then the Genesis came out and the graphics were awesome. So, I started playing Sega too and respecting what they offered. Then, when SF2 came out for the SNES, I bought that and I was officially a owner of both systems and was never a fanboy again as I enjoyed what they both had to offer. EA sports games tended to be more fun for Genesis so I played that throughout college. Then the Playstation came out and that changed the game. I haven’t picked up a Nintendo system since. Bought a Wii for my nephew and I bought a 3DSXL 4 months ago…..war never changes….
Some of the funniest memes/things I’ve ever read on the internet have come from the eternal battle between Playstation and XBox
Rage on my friends. Rage on.
It gets me through work somedays!
Of course console wars are important, they drive competition on both sides forcing innovation in their technology.
What innovation?
Sony & MS release consoles simultaneously, and there isn’t any amazing difference in specs between them when they do release. Nor is the hardware in those consoles unique or ahead of the industry curve.
The closest thing to defy what I just stated would be the Kinect, and even that wore out it’s welcome in a hurry.
No, it’s all about the exclusive titles to hook the fish. That’s what most of the bickering is about anyways.
And yeah. The Nintendo cheese stands alone.
I would just like to see Nintendo cut the Mario and Zelda umbilical cord. There’s no excuse for them not to be creating more family friendly universes. All of their IPs are rooted in the 1980s and 1990s. Metroid, Kid Icarus, Pokemon, Sonic, Donkey Kong, Mario, Zelda…all 20-30 year old IPs. Sony has created several just in the last 10 years or so with Jak, Sly, Ratchet, Sackboy, and even the likes of Knack. Some take off, some fail, but Nintendo just isn’t trying.
Interesting article, a comprehensive look at the evolution of the systems. Great work!
Hellblade, Fable Legends and Rise of the Tomb Raider are not exclusive to the platforms you described. Rise of the Tomb Raider is on a timed exclusivity agreement, meaning that it will be released on the Playstation 4 and PC eventually; Fable Legends and Hellblade will be available on the PC at launch.
(I think it’s a mistake to avoid discussing the PC in this article, but I suppose it might be better to talk about the PC as a contrast to all of the major consoles, as opposed to as one of them.)
First off, I commend you for trying to condense three separate decades-long histories into one lengthy article. However, in your attempt to cover all three companies, I feel like you either glossed over, skimmed, or failed to mention key facts pertinent to the discussion.
1) Sony started out in partnership with Nintendo to create a CD add-on for Nintendo’s SNES, similar to Sega’s Genesis. However, right before they were set to make the announcement, Nintendo snubbed Sony and announced a partnership with Philips. This pushed Sony to make their own console.
2) Sony did not have a monopoly on the gaming industry during the PS1 and PS2 generations; they were just the clear and away winners.
3) You mention the problem with the PS3 is that their big exclusives were years after launch, yet when talking about the PS1’s library of games you talk about all the exclusives you listed as if they were there at lauch, when they too came years into the PS1’s life cycle.
4) PS3 was actually one of–if not the–cheapest blu ray players at the time of launch, and it remained one of the better ones for some time afterword.
5) PS3 did not have some of the worst sales to date. PS3 sold greater than 80 million units. The Sega Dreamcast and the Wii U have had some of the worst sales with roughly 8 and 12 million units sold respectively, as well as the original Xbox and Gamecube with units in the low 20 millions.
6) Blu ray was not the most detrimental aspect of the PS3 that caused it to burden developers. It was its proprietary Cell processor, which was different than any other processor available, that made it harder to develop for. The blu ray player actually allowed developers to put more information on one disc, whereas on 360 games frequently came out on multiple discs.
7) Sony isn’t deciding on putting games like Destiny and Shadows of Mordor on PS3 because it doesn’t publish those games; those are third party games published by Activision and WB Games, respectively.
8) Demand for PS4 isn’t “very low.” It’s actually the opposite. PS4 and Xbox 1 combined are outselling the PS3 and Xbox360 combine by more than 50% at the same point in their life cycles.
9) Exclusives aren’t the determining factor for which console is going to sell more. PS4 has been beating Xbox 1 so far with “no games.” And Microsoft has been $$50 cheaper than PS4 for a while, so it’s not price that’s a determining factor, either.
10) Kinect did not “save” the Xbox brand. There absolutely would have been another Xbox with or without the success of the Kinect.
11) Xbox’s greatest mistake was not because they were too expensive, but because they screwed up their messaging when they first unveiled the console. They focused on TV integration and sports, and had an always online console with their executives saying things like “#Dealwithit” or “We have a console for customers not connected to the internet. It’s called the Xbox 360”–Last one from former Microsoft President of gaming Don Mattrick; the former from Adam Orth.
12) The Wii wasn’t a commercial failure as you insinuate. It went on to sell over 100 million units compared to roughly 80 million for PS3 and Xbox 360 each. Nintendo’s problem was that people bought the console but they didn’t buy games for it, as they had a low attach rate.
It was a long list, but those were just some inconsistencies I noticed. Again though, I applaud you for taking on such a monumental task. In future, I would suggest narrowing your topic so you can get more in-depth in you research.
Cheers,
Jared
I like this summation. Particularly, I was disappointed that I didn’t see the Don Mattrick quote in point 11, because that was a big moment in gaming history (if you want to call it this).