Soon after Sony’s announcement the PlayStation 4 system all eyes turned to Microsoft to see what their response would be. It is widely expected that their new console will be announced sometime between now and E3 this June. There has been much speculation about the abilities, hardware specs, and possible limitations of the new systems but much like the long-running Coke versus Pepsi debate, gamers will soon be forced to pick a side.
While gaming journalism is what we do, we will of course get both systems and sure have many years of solid use out of both. That being said, the PlayStation 4 is the one that we’re going to pick up first and we may possibly delay picking up the new Xbox system for several reasons beyond just personal preferences.
You can see those in our new article here Response Article
First the sins of Xbox past are not easily forgiven or forgotten for me. I do not forget the waves of system failures on the Xbox 360, nor the lousy customer support we were given trying to resolve the issues. One year after the launch of the system, a new system we put into the office, went into the red ring of death mode six days after we received. As such, the system was not a priority for us up until the Kinect came out and Microsoft finally provided a more stable unit with the new black design systems.
Even so, the system did not have the power, features, or the number of exclusive titles that the PlayStation 3 did and let’s not forget the fact that Microsoft has the audacity to require people to pay a monthly fee to play the games that they just paid $59.99 for.
I want to see something innovative from Microsoft rather than something that is imitative. Show me something better than a system where I’m expected to pay to play the games online, has fewer exclusive titles, and hardware that is reportedly below what the PlayStation 4 will offer.
We have heard from third-party developers that while both systems are impressive, the Playstation 4 has an edge over what Microsoft offers and is very eaasy to work with and design for. There is also the matter of the exclusive titles such as new entries into the Killzone and Infamous franchises and you know that a new Uncharted title cannot be far behind.
A recent article at IGN Cites issues in dealing with Microsoft and other factors as reasons developers will be more willing to embrace the new system from Sony. Combine that with the recent entry of NVIDIA to the side of the Playstation 4
I also want to see some exclusives of substance other than the Halo and Gears of War franchises that will make me want to buy the system rather than purchase it and play it rather than have it out of professional obligations.
Now hopefully Microsoft has learned from their past errors and first and foremost will present a system that is stable at launch and not plagued by issues that frustrated so many users of the Xbox 360. Let’s hope that their decision to essentially admit that they were wrong when they endorsed the HD DVD format and reportedly pay to license the Blu-ray technology for the new system is a step in the right direction.
I also want to see both companies do something different from what Nintendo did with the Wii U and ensure that there are plenty of high-quality games upon launch. I was a very big skeptic of the new Nintendo system but was eventually won over and purchase the deluxe set at launch. That being said, aside from the new Super Mario Brothers, and ZombiU, there’s been little on the system that has made me want to play it is not uncommon for our system to go a week or two between sessions when we are not reviewing a title on it.,
As the old saying that talk is cheap as any resident state of Missouri will proudly tell you, “Show Me”, is their motto. Sony has made a very intriguing and interesting introduction to their new system that despite some questions and potential areas of concern does look to be an innovative step forward for gamers that shows enough promise to get me excited about the possibilities it offers.
Now it’s up to Microsoft to show that they are prepared to offer gamers a system that will provide power, reliability, innovation, and not simply rely on their brand-name for sales and hype. I’m extremely curious about what they’ll come up with but for now thanks to their impressive reveal and years of trouble-free enjoyment from the PlayStation 3, Sony is getting our money at launch.
I want to be very clear on this, I am not saying the new Xbox will be a bad system and that people should not get it nor be excited for it. Far from it, I am saying that based on what we have heard from sources in game development and the industry, both sound like very impressive systems and both systems will be taking their place on our shelf of consoles. That being said, for me, based on what I have heard about both systems from those I trust, and based on past issues we have had with the Xbox 360 and original system will take a wait and see approach to the new Xbox system.
Follow us on twitter as sknrgareth
Facebook at Gareth Von Kallenbach or Skewed and Reviewed
Google+ at Gareth Von Kallenbch
Catch us on BJ Shea’s Geek Nation on KISW FM and during our panels at The Phoenix Comicon.
BETA Codes for WARFRAME are up for grabs. If you want one, please e-mail me at [email protected]
Check out the latest issue of our new magazine at Barnes and Noble Here for the Nook, Tablets, and Smartphones.
