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Apathy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,992
If cloud gaming really takes off the way Google is betting, Sony will be in the most trouble. Microsoft has Windows and a superior IT infrastructure to fall back on, and Nintendo has its loyal fanbase that will always buy their unique hardware. I can foresee a future of Sony going the way of Sega in a worst case scenario for them.
Even in its most dire situation they sold 90+ million. Yeah, Sony has no loyal fanbase right?
 

Sonicfan059

Member
Mar 4, 2018
3,024
Shit is getting lame.

As of today Sony is the only competitor with a working Cloud Service. They are further expending by working with Microsoft and their Azure systems.

So why do people insist on this narrative that Sony is not prepared for Cloud gaming?
Not to mention the own Gaikai and OnLive patents so they will probably be getting royalties from all these companies that are streaming.
 
Oct 25, 2017
1,279
Have they seen the Ps4s numbers? They're very high and will keep trucking and unless sony pulls a PS3 again Im pretty sure they're fine with the ps5
 

metalgear89

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,018
tenor.gif
 

Pyro

God help us the mods are making weekend threads
Member
Jul 30, 2018
14,505
United States
I don't believe it for a second. Video games (at least when it comes to consoles) are still a subculture.
 

Astronut325

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,948
Los Angeles, CA
What the hell is it lately with all those op-eds that are super positive about Microsoft's future and super negative about Sony's future? I swear it's like Microsoft has put forth some sort of major media bribery campaign in place to swerve the public opinion in their favor. It can't just be coincidence.
This same thing happened prior to the release of the PS4 and even the first full year after release. This seems to be a recurring narrative at console gen transitions. From a very cursory glance, the hardcore crowd hasn't really grown the past few generations. So to analysts and tech bloggers, it looks like the growth needs to come from elsewhere. With Cloud and other tech that looks to broaden the horizon, they feel that a major tech company like MS is best positioned to dominate. And to analysts, the resources available to MS are far greater than anything Sony and Nintendo have.

This, however, ignores key drivers of game sales and console sales, especially at the early part of the generation. People are not warming up to more subscriptions, and the casuals want to game on their phone. And the games they want to play don't require any upfront money and likewise for subscriptions.

They're simply looking at it from a financial and technological standpoint, not the business and overall strategy standpoint.
 

Dance Inferno

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,999
I know a lot of people in this thread are all "CCN ololol", but I think it's actually an interesting thought experiment to think about whether Sony can continue its momentum. Just because Sony is in the lead right now, doesn't mean they're going to maintain that lead next gen; the leader has flipped in every gen so far. Sony was the leader in the PS2 era, then it was the Xbox 360, then the PS4, and honestly now the Switch is taking off like a rocket. Most customers don't have huge brand loyalty to one box over another, especially when most of the market is playing multiplatform games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed.

A big reason why the PS4 succeeded at the beginning of the gen was because the alternative (Microsoft) was completely tone deaf and not focused on gamers. Microsoft today is very different from Microsoft 7 years ago, and I'm convinced they're going to bring the heat next gen. They proved they can make a fantastic console with the Xbox One X, they've been ahead of the curve on backwards compatibility and cross-play and subscription gaming, and they're definitely going to be better than Sony at streaming given their cloud infrastructure. I think it would be silly to write off Xbox just because Sony is currently in the lead.

Another thing to mention is that while Sony has a lock on epic, narrative-driven exclusives (God of War, The Last of Us, etc.), Microsoft is much stronger in the multiplayer arena (Halo, Gears of War, Forza). If they can build out their stable with a handful of truly compelling multiplayer offerings (Sea of Thieves, Bleeding Edge, etc.) then the massive chunk of the market that plays multiplayer games could be swayed towards the Xbox.
 

Ogodei

One Winged Slayer
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,256
Coruscant
You'd think it's impossible given Sony's current position, but there are at least superficial resemblances to the PS3 strategy (though with Cerny rather than Kutaragi at the helm you're not going to get the relentlessly bad design decisions that hampered the PS3).
 

N.Domixis

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
9,208
What the hell is it lately with all those op-eds that are super positive about Microsoft's future and super negative about Sony's future? I swear it's like Microsoft has put forth some sort of major media bribery campaign in place to swerve the public opinion in their favor. It can't just be coincidence.
Going to keep my eyes open for any shenanigans as we enter next gen.
 

Kerotan

Banned
Oct 31, 2018
3,951
It could price out a big chunk of gamers? No shit sherlock. Out of 7BN, only 100M people bought a PS4. They're already pricing out a shit ton of people.
 

tutomos

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,612
I know a lot of people in this thread are all "CCN ololol", but I think it's actually an interesting thought experiment to think about whether Sony can continue its momentum. Just because Sony is in the lead right now, doesn't mean they're going to maintain that lead next gen; the leader has flipped in every gen so far. Sony was the leader in the PS2 era, then it was the Xbox 360, then the PS4, and honestly now the Switch is taking off like a rocket. Most customers don't have huge brand loyalty to one box over another, especially when most of the market is playing multiplatform games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed.

A big reason why the PS4 succeeded at the beginning of the gen was because the alternative (Microsoft) was completely tone deaf and not focused on gamers. Microsoft today is very different from Microsoft 7 years ago, and I'm convinced they're going to bring the heat next gen. They proved they can make a fantastic console with the Xbox One X, they've been ahead of the curve on backwards compatibility and cross-play and subscription gaming, and they're definitely going to be better than Sony at streaming given their cloud infrastructure. I think it would be silly to write off Xbox just because Sony is currently in the lead.

Another thing to mention is that while Sony has a lock on epic, narrative-driven exclusives (God of War, The Last of Us, etc.), Microsoft is much stronger in the multiplayer arena (Halo, Gears of War, Forza). If they can build out their stable with a handful of truly compelling multiplayer offerings (Sea of Thieves, Bleeding Edge, etc.) then the massive chunk of the market that plays multiplayer games could be swayed towards the Xbox.

Those are some valid points but MS already bought the heat a year ago, and the result is not too different.
 

DeuceGamer

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,476
Sony will start the generation off in significantly better position than Microsoft. Nintendo is a different story, but I think most view Microsoft as Sony's biggest competitor.

Sony has a much better presence in regions outside of North America. This is important when looking at the how each console will perform worldwide.

Sony is far more popular in Japan, which will make it easier to get Japanese Developers and Publishers on board. The big Publishers will probably continue a multi platform strategy but there will definitely be some Japanese Developers who end up Developing Exclusives, or some combination of Sony, Nintendo, and PC multiplats.

Sony's 1st Party output is miles ahead of Microsoft currently. MS has started to work to close the gap, but Sony has reached a point with their 1st Party where they are consistently putting out top tier releases and MS isn't likely to match that at the start of the generation.

Sony also has the benefit of being the market leader this gen. With Digital Distribution being a big part of this gen, its a benefit for Sony as consumers will be more likely to stick with the ecosystem they have bought into, barring a good reason to leave.

It's not impossible for Microsoft to win the gen as anything can happen, but nothing I see points to the PS5 being "dead on arrival".
 

N.Domixis

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
9,208
its embarrassing how the western gaming press want sony to fail and xbox to win so much. Happened last gen, happened start of this gen and looks like it will happen again.

Is there some nationality bias going on or what?
Those who grew up on 360 are now grown up and decision makers. Trying to push a narrative.
 

BradleyLove

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,455
You'd think it's impossible given Sony's current position, but there are at least superficial resemblances to the PS3 strategy (though with Cerny rather than Kutaragi at the helm you're not going to get the relentlessly bad design decisions that hampered the PS3).
Would you care to elaborate?
 

janusff

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
18,122
Austin, TX
Sony will start the generation off in significantly better position than Microsoft. Nintendo is a different story, but I think most view Microsoft as Sony's biggest competitor.

Sony has a much better presence in regions outside of North America. This is important when looking at the how each console will perform worldwide.

Sony is far more popular in Japan, which will make it easier to get Japanese Developers and Publishers on board. The big Publishers will probably continue a multi platform strategy but there will definitely be some Japanese Developers who end up Developing Exclusives, or some combination of Sony, Nintendo, and PC multiplats.

Sony's 1st Party output is miles ahead of Microsoft currently. MS has started to work to close the gap, but Sony has reached a point with their 1st Party where they are consistently putting out top tier releases and MS isn't likely to match that at the start of the generation.

Sony also has the benefit of being the market leader this gen. With Digital Distribution being a big part of this gen, its a benefit for Sony as consumers will be more likely to stick with the ecosystem they have bought into, barring a good reason to leave.

It's not impossible for Microsoft to win the gen as anything can happen, but nothing I see points to the PS5 being "dead on arrival".
Yep. Good post.
 

Dance Inferno

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,999
Well they won gen 5 with PS1 and gen 6 with PS2, so a winning streak can be continued.

Sure, I'm not saying it's impossible. Just that it shouldn't be the default expectation.

Those are some valid points but MS already bought the heat a year ago, and the result is not too different.

Yeah but that new console was a continuation of the Xbox One, which was already losing the market share war. The X was never going to turn the ship around this gen. However, it does show that MS can still make a damn good console, which will help it as we wipe the slate clean and move on to next gen.
 

Deleted member 1722

User requested account closure
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,058
Pretty insane headline.
Sony is in a position to miss out on a potential "blue ocean" of gamers that would never buy a console in the first place.. but all of that seems extremely up in the air still. This seems like a headline from the end of the next gen, not this one.

There's a small breeze blowing in the direction of cloud gaming, I'm not certain the storm will really hit and cause damage to the status quo. With the timeframe I'm imagining it will take, I could easily see Sony being in a position to compete.

It's interesting to think about.
I'll certainly never buy another Xbox but that's because I'm PC gamer.. but that I means I already have an Xbox? I'm using gamepass on PC and it's super chill. That's a win for Microsoft but it means I'll be buying Sony hardware as the generation turns over.
 

xxracerxx

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
31,222
You'd think it's impossible given Sony's current position, but there are at least superficial resemblances to the PS3 strategy (though with Cerny rather than Kutaragi at the helm you're not going to get the relentlessly bad design decisions that hampered the PS3).
Is the superficial resemblance that the PS5 is an odd number like the PS3?
 

Paragraf

Member
May 31, 2019
532
Russia
I could've somehow understand his point, but this "harcore" games for "niche" audiences are outselling big multiplatform games.
 
Feb 8, 2018
2,570
The writer thinks that someone who doesn't play daily,weekly, even monthly can't be viewed as a Hardcore gamer. In certain periods I only use my PS4 rarely and I consider myself HC. I want to get to the end of stories, I don't like A.I that is too easy and I want to win in competitive MP games even if the frequency of my play time can be different depending on my life situation.

Dead on arrival? There would be 100 other reasons they'd have a bad launch lol
 
Oct 25, 2017
17,897
I know a lot of people in this thread are all "CCN ololol", but I think it's actually an interesting thought experiment to think about whether Sony can continue its momentum. Just because Sony is in the lead right now, doesn't mean they're going to maintain that lead next gen; the leader has flipped in every gen so far. Sony was the leader in the PS2 era, then it was the Xbox 360, then the PS4, and honestly now the Switch is taking off like a rocket. Most customers don't have huge brand loyalty to one box over another, especially when most of the market is playing multiplatform games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed.

A big reason why the PS4 succeeded at the beginning of the gen was because the alternative (Microsoft) was completely tone deaf and not focused on gamers. Microsoft today is very different from Microsoft 7 years ago, and I'm convinced they're going to bring the heat next gen. They proved they can make a fantastic console with the Xbox One X, they've been ahead of the curve on backwards compatibility and cross-play and subscription gaming, and they're definitely going to be better than Sony at streaming given their cloud infrastructure. I think it would be silly to write off Xbox just because Sony is currently in the lead.

Another thing to mention is that while Sony has a lock on epic, narrative-driven exclusives (God of War, The Last of Us, etc.), Microsoft is much stronger in the multiplayer arena (Halo, Gears of War, Forza). If they can build out their stable with a handful of truly compelling multiplayer offerings (Sea of Thieves, Bleeding Edge, etc.) then the massive chunk of the market that plays multiplayer games could be swayed towards the Xbox.
MS can certainly improve their position in the market and I think they will. I just think the idea that MS will take from Sony isn't well thought out. If Sony launches without any problems (or at least mostly minor issues), it is almost guaranteed for Sony to do very well. They are the only one that covers the high power (not Nintendo) worldwide (not MS) console market.
 
Last edited:

Ogodei

One Winged Slayer
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,256
Coruscant
Would you care to elaborate?

The deliberate emphasis on power and targeting of the hardcore gamer. While Sony always touted the features of their consoles the core of their winning three consoles was universality and consumer-friendliness rather than power and prestige, which was only really emphasized in the runup to PS3, and somewhat PS Vita.
 
Oct 27, 2017
14,997

plow

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,631
I know a lot of people in this thread are all "CCN ololol", but I think it's actually an interesting thought experiment to think about whether Sony can continue its momentum. Just because Sony is in the lead right now, doesn't mean they're going to maintain that lead next gen; the leader has flipped in every gen so far. Sony was the leader in the PS2 era, then it was the Xbox 360, then the PS4, and honestly now the Switch is taking off like a rocket. Most customers don't have huge brand loyalty to one box over another, especially when most of the market is playing multiplatform games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed.

A big reason why the PS4 succeeded at the beginning of the gen was because the alternative (Microsoft) was completely tone deaf and not focused on gamers. Microsoft today is very different from Microsoft 7 years ago, and I'm convinced they're going to bring the heat next gen. They proved they can make a fantastic console with the Xbox One X, they've been ahead of the curve on backwards compatibility and cross-play and subscription gaming, and they're definitely going to be better than Sony at streaming given their cloud infrastructure. I think it would be silly to write off Xbox just because Sony is currently in the lead.

Another thing to mention is that while Sony has a lock on epic, narrative-driven exclusives (God of War, The Last of Us, etc.), Microsoft is much stronger in the multiplayer arena (Halo, Gears of War, Forza). If they can build out their stable with a handful of truly compelling multiplayer offerings (Sea of Thieves, Bleeding Edge, etc.) then the massive chunk of the market that plays multiplayer games could be swayed towards the Xbox.

All your points in the First make sense....if the whole World was the USA.
 
Oct 27, 2017
2,469
I can't wait to see these threads bumped in a few years like we do with the threads on gaf about how playstation is a dead brand before the PS4 was announced
 
Dec 4, 2017
11,481
Brazil
It is always the same talk smh
"Company that is in the last place will take over because reasons since the strategy taken by the number one will for some reason not work anymore"
 

Mass Effect

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 31, 2017
16,718
Going back through the thread, I am completely unsurprised that there are a few drive-by troll posts by from some usual suspects.
 
Dec 4, 2017
11,481
Brazil
Sony was the leader in the PS2 era, then it was the Xbox 360, then the PS4, and honestly now the Switch is taking off like a rocket. Most customers don't have huge brand loyalty to one box over another, especially when most of the market is playing multiplatform games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed.
Sony won with Ps1, Ps2
Nintendo won with Wii
Microsoft never took the lead, ever
 

fossi8

One Winged Slayer
Member
Apr 22, 2018
1,006
Not even at $500 introduction price will stop Sony selling the PS5 like hotcakes.

I see at its only threat MS Gamepass and the development of streaming services in the next 2-3 years.
 

yxba

Member
Oct 29, 2017
183
Steinbach, Manitoba
The gaming hardcore is niche compared with the several billion people on earth who play video games. But what the writer of this article aptly named "Harsh" fails to realize is that the small number of hardcore gamers spend a lot of money on games and they encourage their friends to buy the system that they have deemed to be most acceptable. It starts at the hardcore and then spreads out from there.
 

mr teaspoon

Banned
Feb 22, 2018
178
Fine if you think Sony will maintain the lead, but so tired of all these 'They do it on purpose for the clicks!' takes.

There are intelligent, reasonable arguments that can be made for why Microsoft's focus and infrastructure could more line up with where gaming is going than the PlayStation.
 

dom

▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,427
Sure, I'm not saying it's impossible. Just that it shouldn't be the default expectation.



Yeah but that new console was a continuation of the Xbox One, which was already losing the market share war. The X was never going to turn the ship around this gen. However, it does show that MS can still make a damn good console, which will help it as we wipe the slate clean and move on to next gen.
It absolutely should be the default expectation though. They've been dominate in 3/4 gens while even at their worst, still sold a bunch with PS3.
 

Euler.L.

Alt account
Banned
Mar 29, 2019
906
Congratulations Microsoft, you are market leader without selling a meaningful amount of consoles or subscriptions right now.
 

Euler.L.

Alt account
Banned
Mar 29, 2019
906
Fine if you think Sony will maintain the lead, but so tired of all these 'They do it on purpose for the clicks!' takes.

There are intelligent, reasonable arguments that can be made for why Microsoft's focus and infrastructure could more line up with where gaming is going than the PlayStation.

Microsoft is badly outsold by two companies which don't get it "right". If that isn't telling.
 

Sol Mori

Member
Jun 10, 2018
221
I know a lot of people in this thread are all "CCN ololol", but I think it's actually an interesting thought experiment to think about whether Sony can continue its momentum. Just because Sony is in the lead right now, doesn't mean they're going to maintain that lead next gen; the leader has flipped in every gen so far. Sony was the leader in the PS2 era, then it was the Xbox 360, then the PS4, and honestly now the Switch is taking off like a rocket. Most customers don't have huge brand loyalty to one box over another, especially when most of the market is playing multiplatform games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed.

A big reason why the PS4 succeeded at the beginning of the gen was because the alternative (Microsoft) was completely tone deaf and not focused on gamers. Microsoft today is very different from Microsoft 7 years ago, and I'm convinced they're going to bring the heat next gen. They proved they can make a fantastic console with the Xbox One X, they've been ahead of the curve on backwards compatibility and cross-play and subscription gaming, and they're definitely going to be better than Sony at streaming given their cloud infrastructure. I think it would be silly to write off Xbox just because Sony is currently in the lead.

Another thing to mention is that while Sony has a lock on epic, narrative-driven exclusives (God of War, The Last of Us, etc.), Microsoft is much stronger in the multiplayer arena (Halo, Gears of War, Forza). If they can build out their stable with a handful of truly compelling multiplayer offerings (Sea of Thieves, Bleeding Edge, etc.) then the massive chunk of the market that plays multiplayer games could be swayed towards the Xbox.

Are we just going to ignore the Wii? The 360 was not the leader of its generation and English speaking games media is entirely too full of people that don't understand that the world contains more than the US and the UK.

No, the next Xbox isn't going to do better than the PS5. If Microsoft wants to sell more systems they're still not choosing a strategy to do so. Game pass and xcloud aren't going to do shit if Microsoft still refuses to put any effort whatsoever in more than just the English speaking markets.

Too many people love to go on about market resets with each generation and completely undersell what Sony has actually accomplished with the PlayStation brand. Yet once again clearly the company that was the market leader in 3 out of 4 of its home consoles and virtually tying for 2nd the one time it wasn't is somehow doomed to irrelevance.

Also, I still firmly believe that the Xbox one release was not a disaster for Microsoft like everyone makes it out to be. Did they repeat the success of the 360? No, but Sony also didn't release the PS4 a year later and for hundreds of dollars more. The XB1 isn't the anomaly in the Xbox brand, the 360 was. What we saw with the XB1 vs the PS4 is what happens when Sony doesn't allow hubris to take full control.
 

Dance Inferno

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,999
It absolutely should be the default expectation though. They've been dominate in 3/4 gens while even at their worst, still sold a bunch with PS3.

They were the leader in 2/3 gens with MS, and arguably the reason they won this gen was because MS was cocky and tone deaf. I think next gen is going to be a different story.

Listen, if I had to put money on it I would bet on PS5. What I'm saying though is that Sony will really have to bring its A game to win. All this talk about "look at all the current PS4" users doesn't mean much when you have to get everyone to buy a new box. MS could very realistically release an amazing system, build up word of mouth, and eventually emerge as the dominant platform.
 
Dec 4, 2017
11,481
Brazil
It absolutely should be the default expectation though. They've been dominate in 3/4 gens while even at their worst, still sold a bunch with PS3.
yeah

I don't get how people always say this
Sony's lowest is Microsoft highest regarding console sales. This isn't about the quality or services, it's just numbers. There is a strong market for Sony's consoles and we have no sign of change.
I do believe MS has potential but we have 0 evidence that they will take the lead, going above Nintendo and Sony.
Which doesn't mean they won't have a successful generation, there is money from different sources nowadays. They have my gamepass sub o/