March 31st 2024.
It's hard to believe what I came across this week. The news from the Game Developers Conference (GDC) had me questioning whether the top players in the video game industry truly understand what's happening. The hot topics at GDC were centered around concerns about the Xbox and PlayStation, with gamers wondering "What's going on with Xbox?" and "What's the point of the PS5 Pro?"
As a reader, I couldn't help but feel frustrated with Sony and Microsoft's approach to the current video game crisis. It's almost as if they're headed for an early grave. It's clear that the heads of these companies are out of touch with the gamers and the industry as a whole. It's no surprise that they've made some questionable decisions, considering their track record.
From what I know, there isn't even a head of PlayStation at the moment. And the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has been talking about and promising things for the past 10 years that have yet to materialize. It's almost comical, if it weren't for the fact that these companies have laid off thousands of actual game developers who are responsible for creating the games we love. Yet, they continue to collect their hefty paychecks and bonuses.
But enough about the people behind the scenes. The situation we're facing now is much bigger than that. It's a new reality where Xbox believes exclusives are evil, and PlayStation is convinced that live service games are the future. Both of these conclusions are baffling and have no evidence to support them. But unfortunately, they are the driving forces behind the future of gaming and, in my opinion, will lead to the early death of console gaming.
I won't spend too much time on how ridiculous these ideas are, as I think it's evident to anyone with common sense. But let's just say that Xbox's stance on exclusives is likely a ploy to make all their games available on multiple platforms. And Sony's decision to focus on live service games instead of lowering the budgets on their games is just plain madness. The success rate of live service games is low, and I fear for the future of game studios that don't have a hit on their hands.
It's clear that both companies are panicking, and their response to the situation is only making things worse. Xbox consoles aren't selling well in Europe? Let's make all our games multi-platform, thereby giving even less reason for anyone to buy an Xbox. And for Sony, instead of making single-player games more cost-effective, they've decided to stop making them altogether. And now that their growth is slowing down, their solution is to double-down and make the exact opposite of what people want. And to top it off, they're taking so long to do it that it looks like they've given up on gaming entirely.
If I sound overly sarcastic, it's because I'm angry. These companies are laying off thousands of people without a second thought, and they're abandoning the very things that have made gaming enjoyable for decades. Instead, they're more interested in appeasing investors and finding a quick fix.
I have serious doubts about the survival of console gaming after this. It's clear that Xbox will soon go multi-platform, and nobody will be interested in a portable Xbox or their next-gen console. For years, there hasn't been a compelling reason for anyone outside of the Xbox ecosystem to join in. And now, they'll have to deal with the failure stigma that will surround the brand.
As for Sony, they'll continue to pump out live service games until they can just sit back and make money from microtransactions and battle passes. At that point, they won't even need their own hardware and can release their games on PC and mobile.
But there's still hope for console gaming, and that's Nintendo. I've never been a big fan of Nintendo, but in the last few years, I've gained more respect for the company. They've done the one thing that Xbox and PlayStation should have done: they've stayed quiet and focused on making games that people want. These may not be the games I personally prefer, but at least they have a plan for the future and aren't making rash decisions.
I wish the upcoming Switch 2 all the best, because without it, I fear the next few years will be rough for console gamers.
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