A point to note: Sony’s stocks increased by 9% in the wake of the Xbox One conference. It’s food for thought, really, and highlights the seemingly widespread belief that the Japanese juggernaut still retains the momentum in the lead-up to E3. Though Microsoft promised that they will provide no less than 15 exclusive titles in the first of launch for the Xbox One – 8 of which are brand new IPs – the company showcased only a few of their studios’ next-gen offerings. Instead, by channelling all their time in advertising the console as a jack-of-all-trades, actual games seem to fall by the wayside.
Other than Quantum Break and Forza 5, all the games that Microsoft teased will be available on the Playstation 4 – though FIFA 14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts will receive exclusive content on the Xbox One. Although it’s in this exact area that Sony hold the most clout. Their unparalleled roster of first-party studios – 12, in total – is the Playstation 4’s ace card and, at this moment in time, 8 of these fully-owned developers are working on as-yet-unknown projects, which is a tantalising prospect ahead of E3 and one that will surely oppose today’s drought of titles.
Granted, E3 is traditionally where the new software is unveiled and Microsoft has still concealed their established franchises – namely Gears of War, Fable and Halo (barring the announcement of the live-action series). However, in building a ubiquitous, all-purpose console, the company have considerably distanced themselves from the core gamer, which has inadvertently carved out a potential opening for Sony to capitalise on. In fostering relationships with independent developers and integrating their own Playstation Vita – itself a dedicated, hardcore handheld – into the Playstation 4, the Japanese giant has garnered considerable momentum going into E3.
Coming onto the stage in New York three months ago with titles such as Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack, DriveClub and Infamous: Second Sons effectively issued a bold mission statement and while these aren’t exactly console-selling games, it’s important to remember that Sony still have the likes of Uncharted, God of War and LittleBigPlanet in their armoury to stoke the excitement for the Playstation 4. Admittedly, while these aforementioned franchises won’t emulate the commercial success of say, Halo, it’s still worth noting the firepower lurking in Sony’s clandestine arsenal.
Ultimately, today’s conference and the Playstation 4 reveal in February were for entirely separate audiences. Not only does it highlight the changing gaming landscape, it conveys just how Microsoft is gravitating towards an entirely new form of revenue. Subscription fees and a partnership with NFL were all caveats that, for me personally, somewhat overshadowed the reveal of the Xbox One itself. The American gaming giant seem to lack focus on the very thing a console is designed for: games. Mind you, this is only the first glimpse of a machine that will surely exist in the gaming sphere for at least six or seven years – and considering that Microsoft will host their annual Build developers conference in late June following E3, you’d have to imagine the heavy-hitting games are just around the corner.
With Nintendo taking a rain check on this year’s E3, the stage is set for Sony and Microsoft to delve into the minutia regarding their respective consoles. One would expect a specific release date to be confirmed alongside potential pricing for both the Xbox One and Playstation 4. We know for sure that the Xbox One will be released later this year, and, perhaps more importantly, after positioning itself as a primary entertainment device, Microsoft has diverged from Sony’s initial core gaming mission statement back in February. It’s a discrepancy that will most likely evolve over the course of E3 and, right now, both are battling fiercely for the next-gen mindshare. The two industry giants will step into the ring on June 10th, the only question is: which corner will you champion? The blue or the green?
Let us know your knee-jerk reaction to today’s reveal of the Xbox One in the comments below and tell us which company you think holds the majority of excitement ahead of E3, too.
