February 3rd 2024.
As the year begins, the gaming community has already been treated to a showcase from Xbox and PlayStation. While there is speculation about a potential Nintendo Direct in February, it doesn't seem to matter much as they would likely only discuss games that have already been announced. Nintendo's success and failures are not influenced by what their competitors do, but for over two decades, Xbox and PlayStation have been in a constant battle for dominance. And despite Microsoft's financial advantage, Sony has always come out on top, with the exception of the Xbox 360 era.
It's fascinating to see that despite having more resources, Microsoft has consistently been outperformed by Sony. This generation, it seems that Sony's success can be attributed to simply doing a great job with the PlayStation 4, while Xbox has failed to provide a compelling reason for players to switch sides. It's amusing to see business sources and non-gaming outlets proclaiming the success of Game Pass and its potential to revolutionize gaming, when in reality, it has already plateaued. In fact, many of Microsoft's recent moves seem to be a reaction to this realization. It's clear that no matter what games are added to Game Pass, it won't be enough to turn the tide, and even if it did, the financial repercussions would be disastrous.
There has been speculation about whether Microsoft will eventually give up on making consoles, but it's already evident that they are not essential to their future plans. Microsoft is already a larger gaming company than Sony, but they lack control over the gaming medium. Instead, they are focusing on expanding their reach through PC, mobile, and streaming. However, they may struggle in this area, but we will have to wait and see.
On the other hand, Sony's success has been attributed to sticking with what works. However, as soon as the PlayStation 5 was confirmed as a hit, they completely changed their approach to first-party games. The reason for this sudden shift is unknown, and it's likely that even Jim Ryan, the current CEO, may not know why. In fact, there is speculation that he may be on his way out due to this decision.
Despite the lack of clarity, the end result is evident in the recent State of Play showcase. Sony did not showcase any first-party exclusives, including live service games, the rumored Concord, or even single-player games. This alone is enough to deem the showcase a failure. The theory that Sony's exclusive deals with other companies for games like Stellar Blade and Rise Of The Rōnin are attempts to cover for their lack of first-party titles is not far-fetched. The recent deal with Hideo Kojima for Physint and the promotion of Death Stranding 2 as a major release further supports this theory.
Interestingly, Microsoft could have easily followed this strategy, given their vast resources, but it seems that it never occurred to them. As we wait for their first-party studios to ramp up production, Microsoft and Sony come across as incompetent, giant corporations, throwing anything and everything at the wall in hopes that something sticks. It's a disappointing realization, and I can't help but wish that alternatives like Google Stadia had succeeded, forcing Microsoft and Sony to take real action.
In conclusion, the recent State of Play was not a success. It failed to reassure fans that Sony has a plan for this generation and beyond. Instead, it felt like a band-aid to cover up their mistakes in the hopes that the majority of fans wouldn't notice. It may take years for them to regain the same level of competence they had during the PlayStation 4 era. As a reader, I cannot help but be disappointed and hope for a better future for the gaming industry.
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