Jimquisition: PS4 - Doing Nothing, Meaning Everything

[JSW]

"Microsoft has declared war on the consumer."

They've been at war for the last twenty years. It's nice that the general population is finally starting to notice, but this is SOP for Microsoft: Pump money into a new product until they've driven out the competition, then once the consumers have no choice they squeeze them for all they're worth. Only difference is that they got impatient this time and forgot that Sony's not out of the game yet.

 

[Bindal]

what do you think about Nintendo's more snarky remark "if you're worried about used games sales, make better games"?

What's there to say? It is one or the two most effective solutions.
Either give people a reason to keep their games (like when they are good)
Or give people a reason to buy new over used (NOT punishing buying used games)

 

[TheBestPieEver]

I know the tune of that song that Jim was humming but I don't know the name...
On the other hand, the fact that Sony hasn't done anything is the same reason why I don't see the need to upgrade to next gen consoles.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

What else could Sony have added though? The specs look good, they put in game capture, they're ramping up their market place, what else do we need? Microsoft's cloud sharing thing is neat but it's obvious it has too many drawbacks, or should they have gone the Nintendo rout and made the console centered on a weird new controller?

I'd rather them do what they're doing now than add some shitty invasive feature for the sake of "innovation"

 

[Irridium]

Freaky Constantina!

YEAH YEAH!

[sub]yo motherfucka![/sub]

...

Oh, and good video, I guess. Could have used more mesh tank-tops, though.

It's also kind of a shame that gaming has gotten to the point where Sony says it won't completely dick people over, and everyone cheers. That's videogames now.

 

[Norrdicus]

People are way more unjustified in applauding this. A year or two after launch, Sony's pulling a 180. Mark my words.

I love how defense for Microsoft has now devolved from justifying there terrible practices to trying to convince everybody that Sony will be just as bad at some fixed date.

"I'm not going to hell alone, I'M TAKING YOU ALL WITH ME!"

 

[Banzaiman]

This, this is what I've been trying to think of but for some reason couldn't find the words. True, Sony did nothing new or revolutionary yet they were applauded anyway. They did nothing new and shouldn't really be applauded in a normal market. That doesn't make Microsoft good for trotting out their console the way they did, and it doesn't make the Xbone better.

Of course, that's probably been said elsewhere, but Mr Sterling has a way of grabbing my attention...

EDIT: There's also another point in that ruler analogy that Mr Sterling used in the video. If Sony is the king that sits on his throne and does nothing, Microsoft is the tyrant next door who oppresses his own people for the crime of living in his kingdom. Sure it might look pretty and there might be some good things to water it down, but I'd take indifference over oppression any day.

 

[empirialtank]

Congratulations Jim you now understand how conservatives feel about most politics. A lack of progress is preferable to getting screwed up the arse.

OT: I really hope that Sony does stay true to the promises they made at E3, if they do i see this being a rather good console generation for them. But the eternal pessimist in me is saying that all good things will come to an end and eventually Sony is going to turn on us. Probably through some terrible all digital distribution system.

But for now all well and let us enjoy this brief time when it seemed like someone in the game industry was actually listening to the consumers.

 

[Shdwrnr]

Does nobody remember the last time Sony promised a feature that people got really excited about? How are those Linux PS3's doing now anyway?

 

[Jman1236]

I think sony while doing the right thing also knew that they would risk third-party support, what's to say EA or Ubisoft wouldn't make there titles exclusive to the xbox one just to give the middle finger to consumers. However at the end of the day it will be the size of sony's bank account compared to microsoft's that will make third-party decide to release on a restriction based platform that only the super rich own and alienate there fans or do we go multiplatform and make everyone happy?

 

[Gorrath]

I laregely disagree. If a company, despite the pressure of publishes and their competition, keeps things the same and doesn't dick over their customers, they become very worthy of praise. The whole idea that they 'did nothing' isn't actually true anyway. What they did was release an updated product with greater support for things that we like while avioding adding anything (except possible PS + requirement for multiplayer) that we didn't like. Sony 'doing nothing' would be them not releasing a new product at all and simply saying that if you don't like Xbone, buy a PS3 instead. That would have been 'doing nothing' and that would not have been worthy of priase.

And as you said Jim, this had to be a difficult descision. The fact that they made the right descision despite the pressure is absolutely worth the accolades they are getting. A big part of this stems from our relief. Those of us that count gaming as a core hobby likely felt that we would buy one of the new consoles no matter what draconian things it included. We worried that Sony would follow suit to Microsoft and play the same game (as we've seen so many other industries indirectly collude to do). And if they had done that, we'd have been arguing which one was trying to screw us worse and pick the lesser of two evils. Now, we don't have to. The apocalypse has been canceled because we've been given a way out. Thank God for Jim and thank Thor for Sony.

 

[conmag9]

People are way more unjustified in applauding this. A year or two after launch, Sony's pulling a 180. Mark my words.

And the moment they do, they'll get the same enraged response. Worse, perhaps, as it would smell strongly of "betrayal", since Sony will be percieved as the good guys of this generation by virtue of not being evil imbeciles.

Until that hypothetical time arrives...*raises a glass to Sony*

 

[RandV80]

While you can still share disc based games you cannot game share and sony will most definitely move in a more digital centered market in the near future.

You mean like the Microsoft's 10 family member thingy?

I don't know about that, if you interpret their system in the most gamer friendly manner popular then you would have a system that does far more damage to the publishers than used games ever could. Microsoft wouldn't give the publishers such a big bone only to take them behind the shed and shoot em.

Fundamentally though, I would say the system their implementing has everything to do with disc based game sharing. Unlike Steam which is more for personal use, the Xbox One will typically sit in the living room and for larger households be a family device. If little Timmy has an Xbox live account and little brother Jimmy also has his own, it would be suicide for MS to suggest the parents need to buy two 'licenses' of a game so they can both play.

That's what needs to be preserved here. If Sony doesn't have this for their digital purchases and you need that functionality, then you can just buy the retail copy.

 

[kajinking]

I think the truth is far darker....
(snip)

Good God that article makes this E3 look like the climax of a spy movie when the bad guy realizes the good guy swapped out the control pad suitcase for a bomb suitcase. This just gets more and more interesting, and I am perfectly ok with that even as a happy 360 owner.

 

[Falseprophet]

Microsoft set fire to their own house, all Sony has to do is sit back and fan the flames. The Xbone has even pissed off members of the US military! http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130614/OFFDUTY02/306140030/New-Xbox-sin-against-all-service-members-

 

[Don Dorscha]

People are way more unjustified in applauding this. A year or two after launch, Sony's pulling a 180. Mark my words.

Why would they? If they get the install base that it looks like they're going to get, leaving the policies in place, while focusing on ramping up the PSN marketplace would net them a lot more cash than turning around and screwing over the consumer. It would make no sense for them to do that.

Maybe because people have already bought a PS4 by then and are reluctant to change just because policies change. It wouldn't surprise me if they caved to the pressure, no.


Still, this is worthy of celebration. Kudos, Sony.

Sony 'pulling a 180' is incredibly unlikely unless there are some serious market shifts in the next couple of months. This is because, as things stand now, there is a clear winner in the minds of the majority of gamers. Much like the days of the PS2 vs. the Xbox, Sony is in the driver's seat. Very few game studios could afford to release an Xbox exclusive game simply because a far larger chunk of the market owned a PS2 and didn't own an Xbox so releasing a game for the Xbox and not the PS2 meant that you would get significantly less sales, and hence make significantly less money than you would have if you released a PS2 version of your game.

If things continue as they are, and the PS4 remains the clear victor that it is today, the same will be true of the market. Add the shockingly inflated costs of development of AAA titles into the mix and suddenly you find that those titles literally cannot afford to not release a PS4 version because the reduction in sales means that they may actually lose money on the deal. So what 'pressure' are they going to cave to? If EA says "Hey Sony, put in some built-in DRM and restrict used game sales or we won't release games on your system anymore!" Sony can just shrug it off as the empty threat that it is. They won't be able to AFFORD to not release games for the PS4.

 

[Xman490]

what do you think about Nintendo's more snarky remark "if you're worried about used games sales, make better games"?

Besides the Smash Bros Wii U and 3DS newcomers, people haven't talked much about the Nintendo Direct. Even that quote hasn't gotten very much attention.

I guess I share this apathy towards Nintendo, though the games with Mario in them look good, despite being fancy tip-toes instead of leaps of innovation. I'll probably get a Wii U later this generation after getting a PS4 at or near launch.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Yes, how sad it is that Sony just has to say that they'll do things that have been done for years and get lauded for it. Those things should go without saying.

and, at the same time, when the other half of the coin has decided to go balls-out on the restrictions, simply upholding the status quo IS serious business.

Plus, no DRM.

No additional DRM. There's a big difference there.

I'd equate this to a Slave Master promising not to use the whips today. Have we become so used to the abuse that not being abused has become cause for celebration?

 

[Andy Shandy]

YEAH YEAH!

Time to get out the mesh tank-tops.

But yes, I do find it somewhat sad that we celebrate Sony doing nothing, but when it's against Microsoft seemingly doing everything wrong, you bet your ass I'll take it.

 

[Norrdicus]

I'd equate this to a Slave Master promising not to use the whips today. Have we become so used to the abuse that not being abused has become cause for celebration?

No, horrible analogy, try again. Slaves do not get to choose their masters