Sony Believes in What If, Microsoft in What Was

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There is a change coming to the video gaming industry that all gamers need to be aware of, and the change is for the better. In order to understand the future of the gaming world, you need to get a grasp on the past. Sony has had a leg up in the gaming industry long before the original Xbox came to fruition in 2001, and no, it’s not simply because the first PlayStation released seven years before that. Back in 1986 the “Father of the PlayStation”, Ken Kutaragi, was working on a joint project with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM for the Super Famicom/SNES console. However, soon after it was revealed, Nintendo decided to have Philips build the CD-ROM for them even though it would be using the same technology that Sony brought to the table. That same technology went on to become the first PlayStation released in 1994. Before we continue it is important to realize that going up against Nintendo, an obvious giant in the video game industry and Japanese peer to Sony, was an extraordinarily bold move at the time. This was not a simple task, but the executives and Kutaragi decided to give it go because they felt what they had was special.

They were right.

Sony proved 25 years ago that it wanted to push the envelope of gaming and put games onto discs during a time when even music was still being recorded on cassette tapes. They wanted to give players a 3D experience with higher quality graphics and gameplay because Mario just wasn’t enough. Did it cost more? Sure. Did most consumers and industry executive’s doubt it? Yes. Did it work? Absolutely. All Sony did was take an idea and not only improve on it, but revolutionize it. Not many other manufacturers can make that claim.

In today’s video game market, there are four major contenders: PC, Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation. PC gaming is in a state of limbo. It doesn’t know whether to succeed or fail. To put it simply, if it was not for the advent of Steam, PC gaming would be even more of a niche way to play games than it already is. Although PC games can many times offer gamers more than their console counterparts, players and people in general are addicted to simplicity and popularity. Love it or hate it, it is just the way it is in all forms of industry. Nintendo has fallen in upon itself, but there is more on that later.



Microsoft has certainly done some great things for gaming; there is no denying that. Whether you believe online gaming was made popular (not invented, different argument) by PC, Xbox or PlayStation, the fact remains that Microsoft’s Xbox certainly did not hold back its ascension. There are many features that the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Marketplace still excel in and that other developers strive for. The voice chat feature alone is apparently impossible for Sony and Nintendo to match. However, Microsoft is on the same path as Nintendo. Both companies have decided that they want to do things their way and not let video game developers or consumers decide what is best for their business. The newest news with Portal 2 and Valve is a perfect example. Since Microsoft made it so difficult for Valve to patch Team Fortress 2 on the Xbox 360 (120 updates on PC, under 5 for Xbox), they have decided to put their release focus for Portal 2 on PS3. The PS3 version of the game will include a key for the PC and Mac versions of the game and will also include a cloud-based storage of PS3 saved games. Even better, players will be able to chat and play with gamers cross-platform from PS3 to Mac to PC.

Another fact to consider is that Microsoft’s cash cows are all but gone. Mass Effect and Bungie’s Halo are two Xbox only series that have either gone cross-platform or moved on to develop other titles. The only thing truly keeping its head above water at this point is Activisions refusal to release DLC and updates in a timelier manner on PS3 or even fix any issues at all, just ask the millions of angry Black Ops gamers. Not even the upcoming Mortal Kombat creators could think of a significant Xbox character to put in their game like they did with PlayStation’s Kratos. History is proving to Microsoft, through Nintendo, that people just do not want to play as Mario or Link forever. Change and adaptation is needed to provide an experience that never gets stale, and giving gamers a movement controller that scares away developers is not going to do it.

The simple fact is that Sony has continued with its stance on bringing people what they want, without regard for what the industry thinks is right or what the fad of the day is. The newest technology available near the time of the release of the PS3 was Bluray, so they decided to include that feature in their systems. Microsoft did something similar with the adaptation of HD-DVD, but that idea fell through. Instead of accepting its mistake and atoning for it by implementing it into their new Xbox Slim or providing an attachment for their consoles, they have stubbornly taken the stance to ignore the issue. Is that a sign of growth and adaptation? Or even a sign of concern for their consumers? No, they’re content just living in their past glory. There is a saying that is said in most mechanics shops around the world, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The problem is, that if people realize their car is breaking down because their mechanic is not looking at possible upcoming problems, they go somewhere else.

As we look towards the future, gamers on all platforms need to find out if they are on a sinking ship, or a space ship. Sure, maybe the Xbox 360 will rule this generation of consoles thanks to a few popular heroes and some nifty features, but what about the next generation? As gamers, our only hope is that our peers see quality for what it is and what it will be, not for what it used to be.

http://www.battlestrats.com/_/general-news/sony-believes-in-what-if-microsoft-in-what-was-r614

Good read, I completly agree with this. With MS' ability to unleash a $1billion advert budget they could have saved HD-DVD and nothing's really making me want a new 360 anytime soon.

I can respect what both companies have done and they've both contributed towards the growth of gaming, but I'd hand Sony the victory over Microsoft. Microsoft has slipped up more than Sony has this gen. Which is a shame because I really liked the original Xbox.

But I run Windows so I'm happy Microsoft did that. Much better than OS X... shudder.

The only reason I'll ever buy a mac is for Photo/Video editing and to download stuff for my main computer to avoid viruses, but Blu Ray I do think it's more of MS pride that is keeping it away from the 360.

Microsoft's "cash cows" are all but gone?
I'm sorry this statement is just incorrect. Firstly, Mass Effect was never a "cash cow" for Microsoft. Sure it is one of the most amazing games this generation, but when it was exclusive, no one ever really considered it a cash cow as it never sold like crazy.

As for Halo, just because Bungie is moving on, doesn't mean that Halo is no longer a cash cow. 343 Industries still consists of most of the core people who created Halo and have worked on it for the past 10 years and with Frank O'Connor overseeing all Halo projects, it couldnt be in better shape.

Gears of War 3 will also still be a massive cash cow for Microsoft, and whether you guys like it or not, Kinect shipping 8 million units (selling in excess of 6 million units) in 2 months, thats quite a cash cow if you ask me whereas Move has basically died out from the gaming media already.

As for the HD-DVD thing, Blu Ray won that battle years ago so there is no point in implementing a media platform that is considered dead.

Ihsahn wrote:

I can respect what both companies have done and they've both contributed towards the growth of gaming, but I'd hand Sony the victory over Microsoft. Microsoft has slipped up more than Sony has this gen. Which is a shame because I really liked the original Xbox.

But I run Windows so I'm happy Microsoft did that. Much better than OS X... shudder.

Facepalm.

at least its just your opinion.

Not sure what you're referring to, but yeah, it is that's basically this whole forum. Almost nothing on this forum is factual other than maybe sales (which doesn't mean anything, in my opinion).