Being a lifelong Sony fan, I have the highest hopes for the PlayStation conference next week at E3.
That Uncharted gameplay should be jaw-dropping and I’m holding out hope for a new God of War announcement along with the triumphant resurrection of The Last Guardian. However, I can’t ignore the headlines in recent months and given the current circumstances, it seems like Microsoft has all the momentum going into this year’s show.
Nintendo could be the dark horse in this scenario, as their conference could explode if there was some sort of hardware-related announcement. And again, Sony usually comes strong with the games during their presentation, so you never know.
But consider:
The date of the Xbox One’s price drop to $399 (sans Kinect) is no coincidence
June 9. That’s when consumers in North America will be able to purchase the Xbox One for only $399. They won’t get Kinect, but there are a lot of gamers out there who couldn’t possibly care less about Kinect, and are much more interested in saving a hundred bucks. June 9, not coincidentally, is the day of Microsoft’s E3 press conference. It’s the same day as Sony’s presentation, too.
I absolutely guarantee this isn’t irony. This is so Microsoft can stand on that stage, crow about how they “listened to their fans” (this company has never once listened to its fans, nor have they ever exhibited even the slightest ounce of interest in catering to the consumer, but whatever), and show off that $399 price tag. The mere fact that the Xbox One will be the same price as the PS4 at the time of the conference is a huge shot in the arm.
Many analysts are predicting that Microsoft will reclaim control of North America with the $399 Xbox One, and they’re probably not wrong.
Sony may have some exclusive surprises, but Microsoft’s exclusives aren’t lacking
Historically, PlayStation absolutely dominates in the exclusive category. There’s no doubt whatsoever in my mind; at no time has the Xbox or Xbox 360 even approached the PS2 or PS3 in terms of top-tier, cutting-edge exclusive software. However, that’s not necessarily the case thus far in the generation. Titanfall is arguably the top game of 2014 thus far (inFamous: Second Son wasn’t received as well by critics, and didn’t sell as well, either), and I’m loving the look of Insomniac’s Sunset Overdrive.
There are several more exclusives on tap for the Xbox One this year, and there’s no doubt we’ll learn more about them next week during the conference. Over time, I’m sure PlayStation will once again outpace the Xbox brand in the exclusive category but right now, heading into next week’s trade show, I’m not so sure that Sony has the obvious first-party edge.
This could all change on Monday, of course, especially if Sony has more than a few tricks up their sleeves.
It’s Xbox on the comeback trail
Ever since the announcement of the price drop and the arrival of Titanfall, the Xbox One has been gaining a better foothold everywhere, especially the US. I predicted early on that no matter how well the PS4 started, the Xbox One would eventually own this territory because our consumers are a bunch of mainstream lemmings. Oh, calm down, I mean no harm. Microsoft does a better job advertising its game branch in the US, it’s a domestic company for American citizens, and we’re coming off a generation where the Xbox 360 dominated North America from start to finish.
If the PS4 and Xbox One had launched with the same price tags, there’s no doubt in my mind that Microsoft’s machine would be #1 in North America right now. I still think the PS4 would be tops in Europe and Japan but again, that’s nothing new, as the PS3 led in those territories, too. The bottom line is that with all this positive news surrounding the Xbox One, it’s impossible to say it’s not staging a comeback. It is.
Therefore, as we embark on another E3 extravaganza, I think it’s painfully obvious which manufacturer has the momentum.
