Did PS4's focus on gaming prove to make a difference between it and Xbox One?
- Thread starter VanWinkle
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- There are only two more exclusive titles on the Xbone.
- Xbone doesn't have indie support at launch.
- Sony Worldwide Studios has a much larger stable of quality studios than Microsoft Studios does.
- The biggest of the "exclusives" is the result of moneyhats anyway.
- And other than that, they are playing the exact same third-party titles.
So, no. Microsoft may have the games available for the Xbone, but the approach was completely different from Sony, and that makes all the difference. As someone else had posted, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Microsoft made a console that is made for a metaphorical sprint, while the PS4 has longevity and future support on its side.
That being said, it makes no sense to try to declare Microsoft as a winner on the games front. The console isn't out yet, and the games for it have not been played...
I think Sony just went out of their way to fix past mistakes this time around. They seemed to have remembered their roots and are focused on the games this time around (both the PS2 & 3 had new proprietary formats to deal with - DVDs & Blu Rays), and this time they are using the games to sell the system.
It helps that they have also made the system easier to develop for. Both the 2 and the 3 had the same story, where developers were wrapping their arms around the programming process to unleash the power, whereas this time Sony made it straightforward and gave them the hardware to work with.
Sony also fixed a past mistake by putting the system out with a reasonable price tag. Yeah, the past consoles were sold at a loss just like this, and they didn't necessarily jack up the price, but this time around they seemed to have thought about what went into the system with more of a cost-conscious approach. In the past they just seemed to throw all of the components in, not caring how easy they were to work with and how much they cost.
Sony seems to have been humbled a little, and I'm curious if they will keep following this path. By that I mean they aren't just selling their product based on their name brand. I'm just wondering how Microsoft is going to counter this. I love my XBoxes and they were my primary systems for multiplats, but I think they still have some work to do with the Xbox One. It doesn't feel like we've seen the final package for it yet and it's too early to judge. In any case Sony is definitely off to a great head start and it feels like the gamers will be the winners this time around.
It helps that they have also made the system easier to develop for. Both the 2 and the 3 had the same story, where developers were wrapping their arms around the programming process to unleash the power, whereas this time Sony made it straightforward and gave them the hardware to work with.
Sony also fixed a past mistake by putting the system out with a reasonable price tag. Yeah, the past consoles were sold at a loss just like this, and they didn't necessarily jack up the price, but this time around they seemed to have thought about what went into the system with more of a cost-conscious approach. In the past they just seemed to throw all of the components in, not caring how easy they were to work with and how much they cost.
Sony seems to have been humbled a little, and I'm curious if they will keep following this path. By that I mean they aren't just selling their product based on their name brand. I'm just wondering how Microsoft is going to counter this. I love my XBoxes and they were my primary systems for multiplats, but I think they still have some work to do with the Xbox One. It doesn't feel like we've seen the final package for it yet and it's too early to judge. In any case Sony is definitely off to a great head start and it feels like the gamers will be the winners this time around.
I think they should have had development of Puppeteer moved to the PS4, as well. Would have given that great game an extra lease on life.
I'm not remotely declaring Microsoft a winner on the games front. Sony has proven to support their system with great first-party content long after Microsoft. BUT, that doesn't take away from the fact that XB1 isn't lacking in gaming features whatsoever, and it does have more exclusives at launch. I'm just saying that the messaging and the mindset seemed to indicate that, if you're a gamer, it would be dumb not to go with PS4, and if you want media you get an XB1, but I'm not sure it's so clear cut like that. It has ended up, in the beginning, looking like Sony focused on games, and Microsoft focused on media and just as heavily as Sony on games.
It's such a welcome change for a console maker to actually focus on games. I have a perfectly wonderful solution for viewing my media (an army of Apple TVs and iOS devices), and the shitty media and device streaming features of the PS3/360 were such an embarrassment by comparison, that I was worried I would just have to quit if they doubled down on it.
Literally 10% or less of the XMB or Xbox dashboard were things I used last gen. The PS4 & Vita, meanwhile have interfaces that almost entirely focus on gaming. Yay
Literally 10% or less of the XMB or Xbox dashboard were things I used last gen. The PS4 & Vita, meanwhile have interfaces that almost entirely focus on gaming. Yay
There is no focus on games, there is a focus on having a $100 price advantage.
Me personally I would have a preferred a $500 PS4 with more than 2 usb ports, hdmi in, and the camera included in.. but if Sony was forced to compete at the same pricepoint with MS... I dont think they'd stand a chance even with the graphics advantage.
Me personally I would have a preferred a $500 PS4 with more than 2 usb ports, hdmi in, and the camera included in.. but if Sony was forced to compete at the same pricepoint with MS... I dont think they'd stand a chance even with the graphics advantage.
Do you think there was no marketing or mindset that showed PS4 as the gamer-focused console and XB1 as the media-focused console? Do you think the $100 price difference is what prevented them from having many of the media functionality, like MP3/DNLA support, seamless switching between games and media apps, voice commands, etc?
Who said PS4 doesn't have switching between games? It does. It has voice commands as well, which I hear are surprisingly responsive.
Lack of MP3/DLNA support is due to rushed consoles and other stuff taking priority. But it is coming.
Nightengale
Member
Switching between games and media apps requires the game to be suspended. Like I said, it's not seamless. It has voice commands, and they work pretty well, but, like I said, there's a big lack of them. MP3/DNLA support should have been a given and not a priority thing, but yes, those are coming.
What games are you referring to, and is it the same people doing both of these? I ask because some people view a game that is on one console + PC an exclusive for that console, and some say that is not exclusive. It's not a mutually agreed upon thing.
Speaking from owning the PS4 and the XB1 not being out yet, the PS4's UI is amazing, and it's crazy how important the quickness of it is. Something I never realized until now. With that said, even though many people are saying that XB1s focus on entertainment is a hindrance, I actually found myself wanting the PS4 to be more multimedia friendly. For instance, my 360 was my primary way of streaming clips from my PC to it through DLNA, and it not being on the PS4 is actually rather annoying. Granted, it's most like coming but I think the XB1s capability of being just as much an entertainment machine as it is a gaming machine might give it an upper hand.
It does more alright and cost more.
This is how I feel. I WANT a games console, but I expected us to have more media functionality than the last-gen PS3, but instead we're getting far less.
Hi-Scores_
Neo Member
We'll find out over the long term if the games focus makes any difference. It does make a difference to consumers though (me included) they have stellar sales numbers in NA already, which has belonged to MS for a few years now, so they did something right promoting their system. I think they are in great position, better than they have been in years because it seems like they know what their audience wants, while MS has looked lost for the last few months.
From a gaming standpoint the PS4 seems to offer better overall performance in multiplats. It's early days here but 1080 vs 720 is one disparity between them. Aside from gaming, feature for feature,I'm curious what the XB1 offers that PS4 doesn't.
From a gaming standpoint the PS4 seems to offer better overall performance in multiplats. It's early days here but 1080 vs 720 is one disparity between them. Aside from gaming, feature for feature,I'm curious what the XB1 offers that PS4 doesn't.
DirgeExtinction
Member
Personally, I do think the PS4 is more focused on the games than the XB1. Apart from Forza, DR3, KI, Zoo Tycoon, and Ryse at launch, what else does XB1 have coming in the next year? Titanfall(also on XB360/PC), Halo, Quantum Break, and that new Black Tusk(is that the dev's name?) game.
The PS4 launched with KZSF and Knack. Soon, there will be Infamous Second Son, Driveclub, MLB: The Show, The Order: 1886, and perhaps the new SSM game. Oh, maybe even Lilly Bergamo, Xrd Guilty Gear, Yakuza Ishin. And then we still have 2015 games to be announced.
It seems like the PS4 has 2014 mostly planned out, while the XB1 has quite a few gaps for the next year.
The PS4 launched with KZSF and Knack. Soon, there will be Infamous Second Son, Driveclub, MLB: The Show, The Order: 1886, and perhaps the new SSM game. Oh, maybe even Lilly Bergamo, Xrd Guilty Gear, Yakuza Ishin. And then we still have 2015 games to be announced.
It seems like the PS4 has 2014 mostly planned out, while the XB1 has quite a few gaps for the next year.
Of course it requires the game to be suspended. Isn't that the whole point? Why have the game hogging resources in the background if your watching Netflix?
When you switch back to it it resumes. I call that seamless.
You will have more. These consoles will be dramatically different in 5 years time.
XBO has more exclusive retail games than PS4. PS4 has more overall launch games than XBO (thanks to indie and F2P). PS4 has better looking and performing multiplat games than XBO. PS4 F2P games are actually F2P.
Not sure who you can say is the winner. But I'm happy with my purchase.
Not sure who you can say is the winner. But I'm happy with my purchase.
Yeah Sony takes a while to get there with firmware updates, but they do get there usually. Hopefully they don't slow it all down in the process
MP3 and the home network video streaming should not have been compromised, I agree. Even the usb and bluetooth stuff is a bit ridiculous, and that's gaming stuff.
I heard switching between apps was fast like a phone application - not simultaneous though, I understand.
Anticitizen One
Banned
Sony's MARKETING is focused on saying that PS4 is all about the games however the system has almost all of the same media functionality as Xbox One (minus TV input and the NFL app). Hulu, Netflix, and music services are all part of the system and Sony has already said they will be making there own TV content for PS4 (remember that e3 segment?).
In reality if they were so focused on games how comes their launch lineup is so horrendous? Why did they phone in another killzone instead of creating a new IP that would wow us and how in the world did Knack get green lit in the first place? They may have gotten everything worng with PS3 but at least it had Resistance at launch. PS2 library was weak but at least it had SSX and Tekken Tag Tournament among other decent exclusives.
Seriously if it wasn't for Resogun, Contrast, and Warframe I wouldn't have even bought the system. As it stands I'm considering returning it once I beat Reso and just buying it again down the road when it has decent exclusives.
In reality if they were so focused on games how comes their launch lineup is so horrendous? Why did they phone in another killzone instead of creating a new IP that would wow us and how in the world did Knack get green lit in the first place? They may have gotten everything worng with PS3 but at least it had Resistance at launch. PS2 library was weak but at least it had SSX and Tekken Tag Tournament among other decent exclusives.
Seriously if it wasn't for Resogun, Contrast, and Warframe I wouldn't have even bought the system. As it stands I'm considering returning it once I beat Reso and just buying it again down the road when it has decent exclusives.
There's no way you could have watched the initial XB1 reveal and come away with the conclusion that it was a system that put games first. Impossible. Up until very recently MS had been treating games as just another app that the XB1 can do.
You're seeing things from the wrong perspective IMO. It's not that the Xbone has less games, it's that from it's inception, games weren't the main focus and that's why you have a product $100 more expensive and less capable for games than the cheaper more games focused choice. MS focusing so much on TV and media means the Xbox hardware design had to make room for those features and it's clear that meant the games took a hit as we can already see from the launch line up.
We know that the PS Camera is at least comparable to the original Kinect and lets face it, for casual that was more than enough, and yet Sony barely even mentions it.
Don't get me wrong, the Xbone is a great system, the OS looks lovely but i care about games first and when we're talking about a cheaper option being best for games in terms not only of power but in ease of development then it's a no brainer for me.
The point is that this is not an issue on the Xbox One. You can switch between, say, Netflix and Forza 5 seamlessly. The media functionality is not as good on PS4, and the gaming features are practically at parity when you factor each console's exclusive features. This brings me to the point of the thread, which is that the gaming-focused marketing and mindset of the PS4 hasn't really led to a substantial difference between it and the Xbox One, and that's a little disappointing. I know more things are coming (on both consoles). I'm speaking as to the difference between how they were perceived at their announcements and they ended up being at their launches.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think there's a winner there. I'm just disappointed that, with the PS4 so focused on gaming, it doesn't provide a distinct advantage in console gaming features over the Xbox One, a console that has a focus on both media and gaming.
breakfuss
Member
Sure, you can throw Ascension in there as well. I'm not sure how it would have been any more difficult than developing them for ps3.
Puppeteer and Beyond? Yes. GT however will need a lot of work for next gen. That's a long standing brand, and just porting GT6 to it wouldn't do it justice.
Megadragon15
Member
Are either of these two huge sellers? I could have sworn that Puppeteer sold rather poorly and Beyond sold somewhere around 120,000 or so.
The reveal was a function of bad marketing. Read my post again. The system is about games, but there's clearly this other agenda they're trying to maneuver and they completely botched the message and, yes, forgot to talk about the games. Whether you agree with the agenda or not is one thing, but to say the system doesn't find games important is disingenuous. The games are clearly there, as has been addressed. Putting them "first" or "last" is pure marketing maneuvers.
Just because Sony took the more tactful marketing approach of talking about games BEFORE ushering in the other shit that you might not care about as much (such as MP paywall) doesn't make PS4 any more or less about video games.
Yeah, for sure. GT6 I'm not surprised at all is not coming to PS4 in the immediate future. But I do believe AT LEAST Puppeteer, and honestly, GoW Ascension, would have been great launch titles.
yeah no kidding. Lets give it some time before wanting to discuss this type of topic...it's baffling to even try to come to any conclusions...one of the consoles is not even out yet and to even try and base this discussion on the first few months is futile to say the least.
jordan0386
Member
Garrett 2U
Member
Nah, they are pretty comparable game-wise.
toxiichollow
Member
Um... you're missing games like sunset overdrive and fable legends. Also Yakuza Ishin, MLB: The Show, and Xrd Guilty Gear are all coming to the ps3.
That should've been the first reply.
LittleJohnny
Banned
+1
Both are primarily game consoles and both will have great games. I actually have a feeling that Xbox One will have some of it's launch games scoring higher in reviews than PS4's launch games. Time will tell, but my money is on Forza 5 taking the review cake home, with Killer Instinct coming in 2nd as the best next gen reviews, just a gut feeling on KI though.
PR focus aside, if you just look at the games available, they're both doing a good job in that front, and both are focusing on the non gaming side of things as well.
They're supporting 3 platforms, while Microsoft is essentially only supporting XBO. The biggest racing title for Playstation is coming out on PS3. Naughty Dog's best new IP was on PS3 this year. PSV got Killzone as a new game this year. Yeah, their PS4 support hasn't ramped up yet.
But honestly, straight up, having your heavy hitters coming well after launch ensures a better product. Even pushing off Driveclub was a good idea considering how good NFS is as an open world 30fps racer. Make a spectacular game by allowing the necessary time needed instead of pushing things out the door too quickly.
HovaHovito
Banned
Lol beyond
You can make a case with puppeteer and gt though
Being more powerful isn't a distinct advantage now? I'm sorry but you read like you're trying too hard to downplay the fact that the PS4 is more powerful amd easier to debelope for while being $100 cheaper, launch games mean nothing. If anything they have shown the gap in power might be wider than people thought it was, if you don't think that isn't important for games then i don't know what to tell you.
Edit: see also remote play, seems to me the PS4 was design with ganes as a priority, the Xbone was design with games AND media in mind, the launch line up means nothing, both consoles will sell most of their stock to hardcore gamers and CoD lovers. Why waste your load to a limited userbase?
That's what I'm saying. It's disappointing that the device whose mindset was "gamer's first" isn't doing more with next-gen gaming features than the the one who everybody felt was a "gamer's last". Only that second one has seemed to manage focusing on games AND media.
Now, a few years down the line, the outlook and situation could be COMPLETELY different. This is a preliminary thread, discussing the differences between what the mindsets/marketing were for each console at their respective announcements and onward, and what each console has ended up being at launch.
You obviously don't know me, then, because I"m a HUGE proponent of the power difference the PS4 has. It's a more powerful console, perhaps significantly. I'm talking about gaming FEATURES, like sharing, streaming, trophies/achievements, suspend/resume, etc.
DirgeExtinction
Member
I know they're coming for PS3. If Titanfall can be included, surely those can too.
Also, I honestly forgot about SO and FL.