yeah not funny...I actually agree with the Australian Classification Board on this one, which is weird... because I have never really agreed with them on anything. Volition are just being gross and stupid because they don't have any better ideas.....Seriously, who wants to play a game where you shove things up NPC's asses?? How old are we really??
The sooner the immersive sim & witty sardonic humour make a comeback in games the better...and the sooner this sort of unimaginative rubbish dies the better.
To be fair, I think Sony are doing quite OK atm...Killzone, Knack, The Order, Infamous, etc.. are all looking like the sort of traditional single player experiences, while offering online options, etc..., as we've come to expect. It's really Microsoft, Ubi, EA and Activision that are the problem, and what's worrying me looking forward...
Not at all... Major publishers, particularly Ubisoft are really pushing this 'connected' experience, which essentially constitutes a merging of traditional offline single player & open world MMO style co-op & multiplayer. The point is not to innovate, but to convince gamers that an always connected, 'always online' future is actually 'desireable' and 'necessary'. For UbiSoft, restrictive DRM on PC games failed, always online consoles failed, and now they will get people to be always online through altering actual game design. What happens to these games you've bought when publishers inevitably shut down their servers??
People might be celebrating the fact that Sony stuck to it's relatively consumer friendly hardware vision, and that Microsoft backtracked on some of their more draconian policies. In the end, it may not even matter. Because it seems as though industry innovations (amongst the major players) in next-gen game design are going to either force you to play online, or otherwise persuade us to do so in order to get the 'full, unadulterated, un-gimped experience'.
I'm not convinced that open, connected worlds are going to deliver a compelling experience. I think the actual narrative aspect of games is going to really suffer, while we're distracted by an endless array of 'activities' and 'events'. I don't see why we can't have offline single player experiences that deliver a great and personal narrative, emergent gameplay, and large sandbox environments to be immersed in. I'm sorry, i just don't want other people interfering in my single player experience ala Watch Dogs. I don't want the single player and co-op/multiplayer experience to merge...
I think i'll wait until the dust has settled before buying a next-gen console. Because if Titanfall, Destiny, The Division, The Crew, Drive Club, Sunset Overdrive, Watch Dogs etc...is the future of gaming, then i'm not really interested.
Sammy...that's pretty much what I was thinking...and i'm liking the Goldeneye reference too. Not many know that the 'Thief' (greatest game of all time..) developers actually lifted the mission structure from Goldeneye 64 back in 98'...but yeah, it's true..
Wasn't interested in this until they said the missions would be sandbox in nature, and that you could approach any mission objective in any order..however you wanted. That's just like my perfect FPS..
Yeah, it's a bit generic in it's SCI-FI man-shooter schtick thing....but it looks like it will at least be fun to play through the campaign having been given more freedom in how to approach missions and objectives...
It looks great visually...a little generic...but so long as it holds true to being a 'playground' as opposed to a 'rollercoaster'.. i think it will be quite fun to play...
Don't Starve, Oddworld, and Transistor would be good..
I would also like to see the upcoming Spelunky, Binding of Isaac and Stealth Bastard: Tactical Espionage Arsehole make their way from vita/ps3 to PS4..
I'm disappointed by Nintendo's showing. A sequel to 3D Mario Land (3DS) is the big new 3D Mario title. Really?? There's nothing at all there that hasn't been released already in the last few years. I don't understand Nintendo at this stage. They have a console that's only slightly less expensive than the beastly PS4. No 3rd party support, and ultra-conservative 1st party titles that look like expansions to previous games.
PS4 gives me a fresh, gorgeous looking action-platformer IP in Knack day One. What's Nintendo's excuse??
I'm sure this will upset some people...but the subscription sort of pays for itself with all the free games you get. I don't really see it as a problem. It's much less important an issue than used games/DRM imo..
I haven't been a PS gamer prior to today...but that's changed now.
Let's see...
$100 cheaper than the XBone, which has inferior specs.
No compulsory 24 hr internet check (DRM)
No block on used games.
No disc based authentification required.
No unwanted & expensive features like kinnect/gamepad.
PS Plus is a MUCH better deal than XBox Live Gold.
Self-publishing for indies & an emphasis on their games for PS4.
Great and varied 1st party support (i.e. not just FPS after FPS..).
Will be the lead platform for 3rd party multiplatform.
You have to take your hat off to Sony. They said they were 'listening' when the used games/DRM thing with XBone blew up. They stayed true to their 'gamer focused' premise, and I love the way they highlighted a number of times today that a 'consumer focus' was at the forefront of the PS4. Microsoft deserve to take a battering at launch for not listening to what their customers wanted, and for their anti-consumerist approach in general. There's no excuse for anyone wanting a next-gen console to NOT pick up a PS4 because it beats the XBone on every level, and is $100 cheaper...It looks like it mightn't make an appearance here in AUs till 2014...but that's ok, i'll just wait. There's not a snowballs chance in hell i'll pick up an XBone even if Microsoft reverse some of their nonsense.
I think it will sell very well in North America. It's not being pitched to a particularly savvy segment of the US population for sure. I'm Australian and it was kind of bewildering watching the presentation, and how utterly focused it was on the US market...but not even American gamers. It was 30-something male sports fans??! It was as if Microsoft believed that no-one from outside the US actually bought an XBox360 this gen.
I'm definately pretty pessimistic as to where the AAA gaming industry's headed in general, and it will be interesting to see what Sony have to say on these things. At the moment, I really feel like just sticking to pc gaming and supporting publishers who release DRM free games, and who actually listen to what their supporters want. There's tons of great DRM free games on PC and more coming with the whole kickstarter thing. The best way to get the message through to publishers like EA is to just stop buying their games. It's that simple. For me it's not hard, because I don't want any of their games...except maybe Mirror's Edge 2. Hopefully, Sony give us a more palatable alternative to Microsoft's Orwellian walled garden. I think it will be better, but by how much is another issue.
Whether it's intentional or not, I think the strategy has the potential to cripple retailers like Gamestop, because they don't make any money from new games and consoles..it's mostly from used sales.
I don't know about you, but one of the main reasons I got into gaming in the first place was through shareware games on pc....and also through 'trading' amongst buddies with what few games I owned. Most kids don't come from wealthy families that have parents who buy them whatever they want, so getting into gaming as a kid can often be prohibitively expensive...to the point I don't know whether i'd even be a gamer if I didn't get the opportunity to play a variety of different games through trading with friends at school. The ability to purchase adiscounted 'used copy' performs much the same function as 'trading' games did, in that it provides an entry point for kids getting into gaming, as well as people who don't have much disposable income. They're not thinking of the big picture...
At the end of the day, studios and publishers are going bust due to mismanagement, unrealistic expectations and reckless risk taking. Take Tomb Raider for instance... it sold 3.5 million copies and is considered by Square Enix to be a commercial failure. That just does my head in. I mean, they spent $100 million on a game that wasn't a commercially successful franchise in the 1st place, and SE are disappointed they didn't balance the books. This way of doing things just isn't sustainable. Publishers need to start 'spreading the risk' of their investments instead of betting the house on a longshot everytime.. The Witcher 2 is just about the best and most visually impressive game i've played this gen and it cost $12 million to make. That's 8 games of Witcher 2 quality SE could've funded instead of Tomb Raider. These people are just shifting the burden of their own ineptitude onto retailers and consumers when they get up on their soapboxes and complain about used games...
What Microsoft, EA and other big publishers are effectively doing is shutting out future generations from the hobby of gaming by erecting ever steeper barriers to entry. I don't know how much i've spent on gaming to date, but it'd would be in the thousands of dollars region.
The thing is, Microsoft and EA 'are' going after Gamestop and the retail industry. That's the whole point... This fee on used sales will kill them off. Their bread and butter is used games, but if Microsoft are demanding a sizeable cut of whatever Gamestop charges I have no idea how it would be even feasible for Gamestop to sell used games.
Yes I am against it. Why on earth should Microsoft profit from on-sold games?? It's like the example of a car manufacturer, say, Toyota demanding payment for owners of 2nd hand Toyota's, after they've bought a car from a generic car dealership saying..."Sorry, you have to pay us a cut if you want to drive that thing!" It's absurd and extremely greedy. This whole thing has mainly been driven by EA though it seems. The shady lurker in the background..
Unfortunately, I get the impression Sony are going to try and weasel their way out of this by saying "WE won't impose any DRM, but if publishers want to that's there choice..." So of course EA, Ubisoft and Activision will, then the others will get on board. So that stance doesn't cut it. Sony need to definatively come out and say, "we will not allow any DRM restricting used game sales on our platform...we will not allow publishers to impose fees for used games".
And that's why you never pre-order anything... I've pre-ordered a couple of things in the past, because of this brilliant new tendency of publishers locking you out of content if you don't. There's no good reason to pre-order...I mean, look at all those people who preordered Aliens: Colonial Marines. Just don't do it!! Wait for the dust to settle...
That's the thing, it hasn't been designed for convenience..it's been designed so that Microsoft can 'control' the living room space, and nickel 'n' dime you to unprecedented levels..
Well, you didn't miss anything good that's for sure!! It doesn't seem as though Microsoft want your money unless you happen to be living in Seattle, LA, Chicago or New York..
Microsoft have won over the Iranian people??? That's hilarious. They obviously don't realize that the Kinect exists so the US government can spy on them.. In all seriousness, I don't think Sony are over the line just yet..but my god, they only have to not do anything monumentally stupid to win this.
I don't like anything about it, which I don't think is something I could say about any other console in previous history. Being Australian, a lot of that multimedia stuff is irrelvant because a fair amount of it won't find its way to Australia anyway. XBox is definately no longer a gaming console, it's a Home Entertainment device, and that's fine...I mean, Microsoft have a good idea of what their demographic does with their consoles and a lot of these changes reflect that...but as a gamer looking for a GAMING machine, it holds little interest for me.
Aside from the anti-consumer approach, I couldn't justify spending money on one, because of that bundled kinect. That's not a freebie...it will add to the overall cost...money which could have been spent on at least matching PS4's system specs. I have no interest in kinect, but I can see why they've done it, because they've made it so central to this 'home entertainment' experience they're pushing. It's just not for me..
I think they're all important really. I do think that if Sony push a 'consumer friendly' attitude at E3 by displaying greater flexiblity with PS4 connectivity, and not imposing fees on used games, that this will be a huge selling point for core gamers. If I were Sony, considering the degree of vitriol most gamers seem to have for Microsoft atm, I would really be making the message of a 'consumer friendly' approach a priority for all major upcoming presentations.
Showing off what the PS4 is capable of from a specs. perspective would also be a good idea. It's capable of doing more than XBox1 from a graphics perspective, so I think they need to show something which really pushes the PS4 and shows what it's capable of doing from a gaming perspective as well.
All Sony has to do is to not force a daily internet connection with the PS4 as far as i'm concerned, or impose any other DRM trojan horse. If they also do not impose a fee on 2nd hand games...Sony wins the majority of console gamers next gen I think.
I thought my choice of console (I only plan on buying one) for this upcoming gen might not be so straightforward. As it is at the moment, Sony are the last man standing. So they, in Steven Bradbury fashion win the race by virtue of not falling over.
It's just...I mean, if you're a 15-40 year old American male who has a deep love for multimedia apps, Call of Duty, Madden, live 'American' sports, mediocre system specs, consoles that look like VCR's, and always online DRM...and you don't mind being spied on 24/7 with a COMPULSORY kinect, and you don't mind Microsoft controlling EVERY aspect of your home entertainment, then the XBoxOne is the system for you. Personally, it's like Microsoft took a list of everything I DIDN'T want, and put it into their next console. I mean, since 2001, things have changed dramatically in the console gaming sphere, where I don't think it even makes sense to talk about Sony vs Nintendo vs Microsoft anymore, because they are so clearly differentiated in what they do and who they target. Sony seems to be the only one of the three focused on bringing the best possible console GAMING experience to the world at this stage...So again, the choice is straightforward. The PS4 is the only console I have anticipation for, and i'm prepared to spend a bit extra to get a GAMES focused experience.
Comments 21
Re: Alien Anal Probe Ensures That Saints Row 4 Is Banned In Australia
yeah not funny...I actually agree with the Australian Classification Board on this one, which is weird... because I have never really agreed with them on anything. Volition are just being gross and stupid because they don't have any better ideas.....Seriously, who wants to play a game where you shove things up NPC's asses?? How old are we really??
The sooner the immersive sim & witty sardonic humour make a comeback in games the better...and the sooner this sort of unimaginative rubbish dies the better.
Re: Naughty Dog Working To Remove Sex Line Numbers From The Last Of Us
Well, i'm not too interested in the game, but hey....what I can do is appreciate the intrinsic links between pest control and phone sex..
P.S. liked the 'cock-up' insertion, that was quite subtle
Re: Reaction: E3 2013 Uncovers the Trends That Are Poised to Define PS4
@Reverend_Skeeve
To be fair, I think Sony are doing quite OK atm...Killzone, Knack, The Order, Infamous, etc.. are all looking like the sort of traditional single player experiences, while offering online options, etc..., as we've come to expect. It's really Microsoft, Ubi, EA and Activision that are the problem, and what's worrying me looking forward...
Re: Reaction: E3 2013 Uncovers the Trends That Are Poised to Define PS4
Not at all... Major publishers, particularly Ubisoft are really pushing this 'connected' experience, which essentially constitutes a merging of traditional offline single player & open world MMO style co-op & multiplayer. The point is not to innovate, but to convince gamers that an always connected, 'always online' future is actually 'desireable' and 'necessary'. For UbiSoft, restrictive DRM on PC games failed, always online consoles failed, and now they will get people to be always online through altering actual game design. What happens to these games you've bought when publishers inevitably shut down their servers??
People might be celebrating the fact that Sony stuck to it's relatively consumer friendly hardware vision, and that Microsoft backtracked on some of their more draconian policies. In the end, it may not even matter. Because it seems as though industry innovations (amongst the major players) in next-gen game design are going to either force you to play online, or otherwise persuade us to do so in order to get the 'full, unadulterated, un-gimped experience'.
I'm not convinced that open, connected worlds are going to deliver a compelling experience. I think the actual narrative aspect of games is going to really suffer, while we're distracted by an endless array of 'activities' and 'events'. I don't see why we can't have offline single player experiences that deliver a great and personal narrative, emergent gameplay, and large sandbox environments to be immersed in. I'm sorry, i just don't want other people interfering in my single player experience ala Watch Dogs. I don't want the single player and co-op/multiplayer experience to merge...
I think i'll wait until the dust has settled before buying a next-gen console. Because if Titanfall, Destiny, The Division, The Crew, Drive Club, Sunset Overdrive, Watch Dogs etc...is the future of gaming, then i'm not really interested.
Re: E3 2013: Killzone: Shadow Fall Takes Place on Large, Non-Linear Maps
Sammy...that's pretty much what I was thinking...and i'm liking the Goldeneye reference too. Not many know that the 'Thief' (greatest game of all time..) developers actually lifted the mission structure from Goldeneye 64 back in 98'...but yeah, it's true..
Wasn't interested in this until they said the missions would be sandbox in nature, and that you could approach any mission objective in any order..however you wanted. That's just like my perfect FPS..
Yeah, it's a bit generic in it's SCI-FI man-shooter schtick thing....but it looks like it will at least be fun to play through the campaign having been given more freedom in how to approach missions and objectives...
It looks great visually...a little generic...but so long as it holds true to being a 'playground' as opposed to a 'rollercoaster'.. i think it will be quite fun to play...
Re: Feature: Eight New PS4 Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar
Don't Starve, Oddworld, and Transistor would be good..
I would also like to see the upcoming Spelunky, Binding of Isaac and Stealth Bastard: Tactical Espionage Arsehole make their way from vita/ps3 to PS4..
Re: Talking Point: Did Sony Do Enough to Win the Battle of the E3 2013 Press Conferences?
@MrSRArter
I'm disappointed by Nintendo's showing. A sequel to 3D Mario Land (3DS) is the big new 3D Mario title. Really?? There's nothing at all there that hasn't been released already in the last few years. I don't understand Nintendo at this stage. They have a console that's only slightly less expensive than the beastly PS4. No 3rd party support, and ultra-conservative 1st party titles that look like expansions to previous games.
PS4 gives me a fresh, gorgeous looking action-platformer IP in Knack day One. What's Nintendo's excuse??
Re: E3 2013: You'll Need a PS Plus Subscription to Play PS4 Online
I'm sure this will upset some people...but the subscription sort of pays for itself with all the free games you get. I don't really see it as a problem. It's much less important an issue than used games/DRM imo..
Re: E3 2013: PlayStation 4 Will Cost You Just $399 When It Launches
I haven't been a PS gamer prior to today...but that's changed now.
Let's see...
$100 cheaper than the XBone, which has inferior specs.
No compulsory 24 hr internet check (DRM)
No block on used games.
No disc based authentification required.
No unwanted & expensive features like kinnect/gamepad.
PS Plus is a MUCH better deal than XBox Live Gold.
Self-publishing for indies & an emphasis on their games for PS4.
Great and varied 1st party support (i.e. not just FPS after FPS..).
Will be the lead platform for 3rd party multiplatform.
You have to take your hat off to Sony. They said they were 'listening' when the used games/DRM thing with XBone blew up. They stayed true to their 'gamer focused' premise, and I love the way they highlighted a number of times today that a 'consumer focus' was at the forefront of the PS4. Microsoft deserve to take a battering at launch for not listening to what their customers wanted, and for their anti-consumerist approach in general. There's no excuse for anyone wanting a next-gen console to NOT pick up a PS4 because it beats the XBone on every level, and is $100 cheaper...It looks like it mightn't make an appearance here in AUs till 2014...but that's ok, i'll just wait. There's not a snowballs chance in hell i'll pick up an XBone even if Microsoft reverse some of their nonsense.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think of the PS4's Hardware Design?
I dunno.. It's not the greatest looking thing in the world...but who cares right?? It what's on the inside that counts
Re: Gamers Bombard PlayStation Executives with Used Game Pleas for PS4
@Gamer83
I think it will sell very well in North America. It's not being pitched to a particularly savvy segment of the US population for sure. I'm Australian and it was kind of bewildering watching the presentation, and how utterly focused it was on the US market...but not even American gamers. It was 30-something male sports fans??! It was as if Microsoft believed that no-one from outside the US actually bought an XBox360 this gen.
I'm definately pretty pessimistic as to where the AAA gaming industry's headed in general, and it will be interesting to see what Sony have to say on these things. At the moment, I really feel like just sticking to pc gaming and supporting publishers who release DRM free games, and who actually listen to what their supporters want. There's tons of great DRM free games on PC and more coming with the whole kickstarter thing. The best way to get the message through to publishers like EA is to just stop buying their games. It's that simple. For me it's not hard, because I don't want any of their games...except maybe Mirror's Edge 2. Hopefully, Sony give us a more palatable alternative to Microsoft's Orwellian walled garden. I think it will be better, but by how much is another issue.
Re: Gamers Bombard PlayStation Executives with Used Game Pleas for PS4
@Zombie_Barioth
Whether it's intentional or not, I think the strategy has the potential to cripple retailers like Gamestop, because they don't make any money from new games and consoles..it's mostly from used sales.
Re: Gamers Bombard PlayStation Executives with Used Game Pleas for PS4
@Zombie_Barioth
I don't know about you, but one of the main reasons I got into gaming in the first place was through shareware games on pc....and also through 'trading' amongst buddies with what few games I owned. Most kids don't come from wealthy families that have parents who buy them whatever they want, so getting into gaming as a kid can often be prohibitively expensive...to the point I don't know whether i'd even be a gamer if I didn't get the opportunity to play a variety of different games through trading with friends at school. The ability to purchase adiscounted 'used copy' performs much the same function as 'trading' games did, in that it provides an entry point for kids getting into gaming, as well as people who don't have much disposable income. They're not thinking of the big picture...
At the end of the day, studios and publishers are going bust due to mismanagement, unrealistic expectations and reckless risk taking. Take Tomb Raider for instance... it sold 3.5 million copies and is considered by Square Enix to be a commercial failure. That just does my head in. I mean, they spent $100 million on a game that wasn't a commercially successful franchise in the 1st place, and SE are disappointed they didn't balance the books. This way of doing things just isn't sustainable. Publishers need to start 'spreading the risk' of their investments instead of betting the house on a longshot everytime.. The Witcher 2 is just about the best and most visually impressive game i've played this gen and it cost $12 million to make. That's 8 games of Witcher 2 quality SE could've funded instead of Tomb Raider. These people are just shifting the burden of their own ineptitude onto retailers and consumers when they get up on their soapboxes and complain about used games...
What Microsoft, EA and other big publishers are effectively doing is shutting out future generations from the hobby of gaming by erecting ever steeper barriers to entry. I don't know how much i've spent on gaming to date, but it'd would be in the thousands of dollars region.
The thing is, Microsoft and EA 'are' going after Gamestop and the retail industry. That's the whole point... This fee on used sales will kill them off. Their bread and butter is used games, but if Microsoft are demanding a sizeable cut of whatever Gamestop charges I have no idea how it would be even feasible for Gamestop to sell used games.
Re: Gamers Bombard PlayStation Executives with Used Game Pleas for PS4
Yes I am against it. Why on earth should Microsoft profit from on-sold games?? It's like the example of a car manufacturer, say, Toyota demanding payment for owners of 2nd hand Toyota's, after they've bought a car from a generic car dealership saying..."Sorry, you have to pay us a cut if you want to drive that thing!" It's absurd and extremely greedy. This whole thing has mainly been driven by EA though it seems. The shady lurker in the background..
Unfortunately, I get the impression Sony are going to try and weasel their way out of this by saying "WE won't impose any DRM, but if publishers want to that's there choice..." So of course EA, Ubisoft and Activision will, then the others will get on board. So that stance doesn't cut it. Sony need to definatively come out and say, "we will not allow any DRM restricting used game sales on our platform...we will not allow publishers to impose fees for used games".
Re: Rayman Legends Leaps onto PlayStation Vita with Exclusive Content
And that's why you never pre-order anything... I've pre-ordered a couple of things in the past, because of this brilliant new tendency of publishers locking you out of content if you don't. There's no good reason to pre-order...I mean, look at all those people who preordered Aliens: Colonial Marines. Just don't do it!! Wait for the dust to settle...
Re: PlayStation 4 Stomps Xbox One in Online Twitter Poll
@Cowboysfan-22
That's the thing, it hasn't been designed for convenience..it's been designed so that Microsoft can 'control' the living room space, and nickel 'n' dime you to unprecedented levels..
Re: PlayStation 4 Stomps Xbox One in Online Twitter Poll
@S2killinit
Well, you didn't miss anything good that's for sure!! It doesn't seem as though Microsoft want your money unless you happen to be living in Seattle, LA, Chicago or New York..
Re: PlayStation 4 Stomps Xbox One in Online Twitter Poll
Microsoft have won over the Iranian people??? That's hilarious. They obviously don't realize that the Kinect exists so the US government can spy on them.. In all seriousness, I don't think Sony are over the line just yet..but my god, they only have to not do anything monumentally stupid to win this.
Re: Reaction: PS4 vs. Xbox One - Moving in Different Directions
I don't like anything about it, which I don't think is something I could say about any other console in previous history. Being Australian, a lot of that multimedia stuff is irrelvant because a fair amount of it won't find its way to Australia anyway. XBox is definately no longer a gaming console, it's a Home Entertainment device, and that's fine...I mean, Microsoft have a good idea of what their demographic does with their consoles and a lot of these changes reflect that...but as a gamer looking for a GAMING machine, it holds little interest for me.
Aside from the anti-consumer approach, I couldn't justify spending money on one, because of that bundled kinect. That's not a freebie...it will add to the overall cost...money which could have been spent on at least matching PS4's system specs. I have no interest in kinect, but I can see why they've done it, because they've made it so central to this 'home entertainment' experience they're pushing. It's just not for me..
Re: Feature: Three Lessons PS4 Can Learn from Xbox One's Unveiling
I think they're all important really. I do think that if Sony push a 'consumer friendly' attitude at E3 by displaying greater flexiblity with PS4 connectivity, and not imposing fees on used games, that this will be a huge selling point for core gamers. If I were Sony, considering the degree of vitriol most gamers seem to have for Microsoft atm, I would really be making the message of a 'consumer friendly' approach a priority for all major upcoming presentations.
Showing off what the PS4 is capable of from a specs. perspective would also be a good idea. It's capable of doing more than XBox1 from a graphics perspective, so I think they need to show something which really pushes the PS4 and shows what it's capable of doing from a gaming perspective as well.
Re: Talking Point: How Has Xbox One's Reveal Affected Your Anticipation for PS4?
All Sony has to do is to not force a daily internet connection with the PS4 as far as i'm concerned, or impose any other DRM trojan horse. If they also do not impose a fee on 2nd hand games...Sony wins the majority of console gamers next gen I think.
I thought my choice of console (I only plan on buying one) for this upcoming gen might not be so straightforward. As it is at the moment, Sony are the last man standing. So they, in Steven Bradbury fashion win the race by virtue of not falling over.
It's just...I mean, if you're a 15-40 year old American male who has a deep love for multimedia apps, Call of Duty, Madden, live 'American' sports, mediocre system specs, consoles that look like VCR's, and always online DRM...and you don't mind being spied on 24/7 with a COMPULSORY kinect, and you don't mind Microsoft controlling EVERY aspect of your home entertainment, then the XBoxOne is the system for you. Personally, it's like Microsoft took a list of everything I DIDN'T want, and put it into their next console. I mean, since 2001, things have changed dramatically in the console gaming sphere, where I don't think it even makes sense to talk about Sony vs Nintendo vs Microsoft anymore, because they are so clearly differentiated in what they do and who they target. Sony seems to be the only one of the three focused on bringing the best possible console GAMING experience to the world at this stage...So again, the choice is straightforward. The PS4 is the only console I have anticipation for, and i'm prepared to spend a bit extra to get a GAMES focused experience.