Jimquisition: Why The PS4 Is Kicking Xbox One's Arse

[Toadfish1]

To prove you're no fanboy, Jim, how about one on why the Xbox One is absolutely crushing the WiiU?

Because many people are unaware it bloody exists, I talked to my aunt about it and she thinks the Wii-U is an expensive peripheral for the Wii, my mother thought the same, many potential buyers are unaware its a whole new console and its lack of marketing is not helping. If the Wii-U had a different name (a reason why many see it as an add-on) and had more solid marketing, it would likely fare much better.

The 3DS is selling well because I see commercials for it and those commercials show off the 3D technology, something the DS didn't have, it shows the distinction between the systems.

Yes, that is one reason that it is a massive failure, but there are a lot of others. It might help to go through all of them. Pissing off all game devs and focusing on an unimpressive gimmick that raises the price too high are also reasons.

I would struggle to say the Wii-U is a massive failure, hasn't reached expectations sure, but its not a failure, if you want failure, look at the N-Gage...

As a Wii-U owner, I can say that the console itself is fine, I like some of the things you can do with the game-pad, I think there are quite a few games worth owning on it, but unless they show the world it actually exists, it likely won't pick-up anytime soon, the PS4 and Xbone get tons of marketing, hence the strong sales.

I've never seen devs express outrage over the Wii-U's gimmicks, do you have a source?

It is the worst performing console in the last three generations, and is presently performing equally to the Sega Saturn. So yes, it is a massive failure.

And I'm sure Xbox One fans say the its showings justify it. But we're talking about outside perspective here.

The number of devs who flat out said they're not making ports cause they don't want to work with it doesn't tip you off?

 

[doomed89]

I don't think jim is wrong persay but he left out alot of other reasons which could be bigger influences the more powerful hardware maybe not but the cheaper price point and better first party devs/offerings currently should have been mentioned.

 

[aliasCrucial]

I'm going to add this because it seems to be over looked often. Microsoft has always been getting it's @$$ whipped globally because of it's abysmal market share in Japan. You can't just ignore one of the three major market segments for the industry.

 

[RavenTail]

What? Playstation Plus and the PS4's indie library are why Sony is kicking ass? I disagree.

I believe it's the $100 price difference and the "softcore" gamer's conception of the PS4 being more "powerful". Anecdotal evidence; my roommate who plays CoD and only CoD every once in a while plans on buying a PS4. He still thinks PS4's multiplayer is free. I'm not going to correct him because it'll piss him off when he finds out for himself and that'll be funny. It's only funny because we're such good friends and he's poor and going through university. Don't worry, his parents are rich as shit, he just wants to do it on his own.

Anyways, I think Titanfall is THE system seller and THE CoD killer. It's enough of a reason to buy the One over a PS4. Watch One sales increase rapidly over the next couple months.

But see, if your friend is poor then he'd be better off with PS+ since it's only $5 a month vs. XBLG's $15 a month.

I mean if your friend is in such a financial predicament that he can't even afford what amounts to a cup of coffee from Starbucks once every 30 days then perhaps spending hundreds of dollars on a new system isn't the wisest thing to do.

If he's looking for a CoD fix he should buy a PS3 since the price for even a new system would save him hundreds compared to a new PS4. Also he'd still be able to play the PS3 versions of CoD online for free.

As a 'good friend' I'd think you'd want to help him with such suggestions instead of letting him spend so much money only to be upset with what he bought.

Just jumping in to say I have no idea where in the world that you find Xbox Live to be $15 a month. I don't think I've ever paid maybe more than $3.50 a month for the service. Just curious on where it's that crazy expensive.

Sounds like you've been using special 1 month codes for that $3.50 cost. Doing a little research perhaps I was wrong as the recurring price seems to be $10 a month though I could have sworn I was paying $15 just a year ago. Still, PS+ is cheaper and doesn't shove every online service behind that pay wall.

 

[RavenTail]

XBLG's $15 a month.

Holy crap! Did I miss a massive price hike or something? Gold was always 60 euro for a year, when did it hike to 180!?

Anyways, I think Titanfall is THE system seller and THE CoD killer. It's enough of a reason to buy the One over a PS4. Watch One sales increase rapidly over the next couple months.

I have no doubt that sales of the Xbone will increase as Titanfall for Xbone has been hyped up like balls (walked into Gamestop the day of release to see a long line of Titanfall Xbone bundles) but interestingly, it isn't an exclusive, I'm grabbing my copy for PC and I know a few friends who are waiting for the 360 release.

I was wrong. Only $10 a month for 1 month of XBLG.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Regarding ps+, as soon as it was announced that ps4 was gonna need PS+ to play games online, I instantly bought a yearly subscription. This was back last September. I did so to build my ps+ library of free games as I decided I would need the PS+ membership to play competitive 2D fighters online.


In the elapsed time, for my 50 bucks I obtained:

Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen
Bioshock Infinite
Boarderlands 2
DMC:devil may cry
Tomb Raider
Xcom
Uncharted 3
Hotline Miami
Brothers Tale of two sons
Remember Me
Payday 2
Metro Last Light
Deus Ex Human Revolution
Darstalkers 3, Metal Slug XX for psp


I'm sure I'm forgetting some too. All of these games just for 50 bucks and who knows what will come until it's September again.

Sure, I'd need to renew it if I were to want to play these games after next September. Thing is, most of those games are the kinda games you play once and are done with. Maybe a couple like DMC you replay but other than Boarderlands 2 none of them do you really keep playing endlessly.



I don't even have a ps4 yet, I plan on getting one eventually when stuff like FFXV and Guilty Gear Xrd are out, still, ps+ has been amazing for my ps3 experience.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I still dont understand why indi games cant be system sellers...

Well they can be, but would you buy a PS4 for an indie game? Any available now?

(also, Jim perhaps that lighting's a bit too luminuous)

 

[Xyebane]

Why do you say Scientific fact? What is scientific about it? Did you perturb the system to test a hypothesis? Did you use proper controls? Did you do any statistical analysis regarding the significance of your observation?

Is calling things a scientific fact the new 'literally'? Where people use the expression to try to add emphasis while completely devoid of its actual meaning? Just say it's a fact if you want to add emphasis! You're not being scientific Jim!

 

[Tono Makt]

Amusingly, I'm more likely to buy the PS4 than the XBone even though I'm currently an XBox 360 gamer exclusively for the exact same reason I decided to buy the XBox 360 over the PS3, even though I was a PS2 gamer waaaaay back: I'm buying a GAME system, not an ENTERTAINMENT system. I don't care about Netflix, or browsing the internet on my TV, or watching cable TV through my game system. I want to play a game; ironically all those commercials and ads touting the non-gaming stuff is actively turning me off of the XBone every time I see them. With the PS3 I didn't care about having a BluRay player so that selling point worked against the PS3 to the point that I never purchased one.

With the current generation of games I'm more likely to go out and spend $1000 or so on a nice gaming rig that will connect directly to my TV and simply play games from Steam or from disc, rather than buy either of the systems. Most of the games I'm interested in will be available on the PC anyway, eventually, and I don't need to buy them on Day 1. (After Mass Effect 3 I'm not likely to buy ANY games on Day 1 or maybe even Month 1)

Which brings up a bit of an interesting question - related to previous console launches, how well are the new ones doing? I could probably google it and find out the answer for myself, and I probably will. Just brainstorming out loud here as it were.

 

[FFMaster]

I think its been pointed out already that Nintendo are actually on the indie bandwagon as well, they are pushing indies in there own advertising dumps (which is great i guess for a lot of indies, more advertising than they would normally be able to get) and there's some rumors about unity licenses being paid for (and easier access for most to Dev kits, as long as you have an office)

MS are dropping the ball with indies, mostly over there launch parity clauses.

However i do think the PS4 has some of the same problems that the XBox One has, it has a lack of games, even with the indies. The 2 indies mentioned are games that were already out on PC, and this months one is a HD remake of a game they gave out for free already, and with the rumors that Driveclub is being held back further (possible bait and switch there if true, as they did kinda promise they would give it out with PS plus at launch so some people might be annoyed if they don't get it).

There hasn't been a lot since Christmas out for the PS4 and after second son, not a lot to look forward to either, they are both (Sony and MS) heading towards a bit of dry spell, the sort of dry spell that everyone declared was damming and reason to not buy the WiiU.

Not to say that Sony aren't doing well, the PS4 is a good bit of kit, OS is nice and the updates work well, it all just works and works nicely. Even if the touch pad is the most pointless thing since the one legged arse kicking competition. But i think they are getting a bit of deserved flak towards them (wheres the promised firmware upgrades, wheres the next games, why is twitched locked to Sony games only, whens HDCP being removed) directed away just because of how badly MS screwed up the launch, this gen won't be won by Sony, it will be lost by MS but when we look back we will see that Sony should have been called to question on a few things.

[EDIT] With regards to the Xboox One UK sales, notice they are using percentages not actual numbers, we don't know how well its selling since we don't know how well it sold last month. Using percentages tends to mean it sold less than they hoped but still did well (they clam up if it was abysmal), but it might just be that hey ain't put the numbers out yet (as many people pointed out frequently during the WiiU threads)

 

[Ham Blitz]

While I am satisfied with my purchase of the xbox one (more of the exclusives appealed to me), after getting it and playing through the games I got around release/the holidays (3 in total) I had nothing really to do for about 2 to 3 months except occasionally go back to DR3 on it (since BF4 didn't seem to stick much with my group [I prefer to play it with some friends on my team]) and even then most of the time I just played either computer games or went back to some 360 games until Titanfall came out. While I enjoy Titanfall a lot, I can't think of any game I am really excited for coming out on the One until the fall now (though I am curious about Watch_Dogs, though recent news has kind of curbed my enthusiasm a bit, so it has become more of a "wait and see" rather than an "I'm anxious for its release").
Funny thing right now is the next game I am extremely hyped for has already come out (and thanks to a gift card I remembered I had it is coming in 2 days) which is Dark Souls 2 (for the 360 because my computer is a laptop... and crap).

 

[Kameburger]

I'm currently living in Japan and literally were it not for the fact that I work in the Gaming industry, I probably wouldn't know the Xbox one was even out. Aside from the occasional article in Famitsu (the more popular Japanese gaming magazine), there are no advertisements, no signs in stores, no signs for pre-orders, no upcoming titles. Sony even released PS4 late here despite Japan being its "domestic" market. I live in a country where games are literally everywhere, and yet the Xbox one doesn't exist. I've had the occasional conversation about Titan Fall at work, but everyone agrees that they really want to play it but not enough to find an Xbox.

 

[Shayman]

I liked the comparison of indie games on the PC to the PS4. PC gets most, if not all indie games, including the bad ones. Sony presents the "best of" to it's consumers.

 

[Nimzabaat]

EDIT: Okay ninja'd. But that's piss poor garm-jurnalizm if you ask me. Sony is beating MS because they're available in 40 more markets. So even if MS just doubles the amount of markets they sell to, they win, hands down. Now that's something to think about.

Not necessarily. Not all markets are the same size, or have the same amount of enthusiasm for the Microsoft product. The Xbone is already available in the key Xbox-friendly markets, so other territories are likely to result in diminishing returns.

True enough. Mind you MS would have to move a ludicrously low amount of units in those other 40 markets.

All i'm saying is that if i'm running for office and my people tell me; "sir we've counted 100% of your votes and 25% of your opponents and you have a slight lead." I,for one, would not be celebrating just yet.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I'm currently living in Japan and literally were it not for the fact that I work in the Gaming industry, I probably wouldn't know the Xbox one was even out. Aside from the occasional article in Famitsu (the more popular Japanese gaming magazine), there are no advertisements, no signs in stores, no signs for pre-orders, no upcoming titles. Sony even released PS4 late here despite Japan being its "domestic" market. I live in a country where games are literally everywhere, and yet the Xbox one doesn't exist. I've had the occasional conversation about Titan Fall at work, but everyone agrees that they really want to play it but not enough to find an Xbox.

That's cause MS hasn't actually released the system in Japan yet nor does it have a release date for it set.


In Japan Xbox 360 was marketed towards the heavy-otaku people with games like Dream Host Club and Idolmaster so outside of those people nobody else ever got into it. It had no hopes anyways in that country due to the red ring problems early on building an incredibly bad rep for it so that's the path it took and eventually Sony came along using Vita's superior ability to touch the characters in the games and a host of Idol/hostess games to go with it as well as many anime-based games so all the pervy otaku went Sony's way never looking back and they're still there, leaving xbox as a brand out in the cold. It was a short-term moneygrab which backfired hilariously.

 

[Olas]

Wind the clocks back 6 months and everyone was calling the Xbone (remember when we called it that?) a disaster in the making. It was being pummeled right and left over it's used games policy and Kinect requirements until Microsoft was forced to make (some) major concessions. Then you had resolutiongate and framerategate(or whatever you want to call it) Flash to today and the Xbox One is still more expensive, nowhere near as available overseas, clearly less powerful, and even Titanfall, it's guaranteed grand slam exclusive(not counting PC) is receiving some ire for being over-hyped. I really don't think anyone is surprised or confused about the PS4's lead. PS+, PS4's indie scene, and it's Twitch compatibility seem more like icing on the cake really.

Why do you say Scientific fact? What is scientific about it? Did you perturb the system to test a hypothesis? Did you use proper controls? Did you do any statistical analysis regarding the significance of your observation?

You're joking right? Jim is the lord of all things true and righteous, his word is objective scientific truth by the very nature of it coming from Jim Sterling. Perhaps in the future you could be more respectful and appreciative of what Jim does for us.

 

[Vigormortis]

Gotta side with Jim on this one.

I mean, think of it this way:
I'm a PC gamer. Through and through, heart and soul, balls to bones.

However, because of Sony's change of business model, their much improved behavior towards the gaming community, their admirable (yet sadly still limited) support of the indie scene, and their lineup of exclusives, even I have started giving some serious thought into buying a PS4.

And this after I'd sworn off console gaming entirely a little over four years ago...

 

[Toadfish1]

I still dont understand why indi games cant be system sellers...

Well they can be, but would you buy a PS4 for an indie game? Any available now?

(also, Jim perhaps that lighting's a bit too luminuous)

Well evidently people are, considering its the fastest selling console of all time.

 

[Kameburger]

I'm currently living in Japan and literally were it not for the fact that I work in the Gaming industry, I probably wouldn't know the Xbox one was even out. Aside from the occasional article in Famitsu (the more popular Japanese gaming magazine), there are no advertisements, no signs in stores, no signs for pre-orders, no upcoming titles. Sony even released PS4 late here despite Japan being its "domestic" market. I live in a country where games are literally everywhere, and yet the Xbox one doesn't exist. I've had the occasional conversation about Titan Fall at work, but everyone agrees that they really want to play it but not enough to find an Xbox.

That's cause MS hasn't actually released the system in Japan yet nor does it have a release date for it set.


In Japan Xbox 360 was marketed towards the heavy-otaku people with games like Dream Host Club and Idolmaster so outside of those people nobody else ever got into it. It had no hopes anyways in that country due to the red ring problems early on building an incredibly bad rep for it so that's the path it took and eventually Sony came along using Vita's superior ability to touch the characters in the games and a host of Idol/hostess games to go with it as well as many anime-based games so all the pervy otaku went Sony's way never looking back and they're still there, leaving xbox as a brand out in the cold. It was a short-term moneygrab which backfired hilariously.

Oh believe me, I know. It wasn't until they released Blue-Dragon as an Xbox exclusive that they were even able to move console's there. As for the Vita, a lot of the credit goes to the release of Hatsune-Miku, but also a lot of the failure of the Vita is attributed to Capcom bringing Monster Hunter to the 3DS as an exclusive instead of to Sony. Considering how many PSP's Monster hunter helped sell in Japan, Sony was probably banking on having some support there. I kind of disagree (emphasis on the kind of) with the assertion that just pervy games secured the win for Sony although there are quite a few. But there are a lot of series in Japan that get to be exclusive Sony titles simply because Xbox was never able to secure the partnerships it needed. So many popular games in Japan (not even just the pervy ones) move consoles in Japan but barely get sold in the US, and all of these titles go to Sony and I don't think Microsoft even bothers anymore. The Yakuza series (Ryu ga gotoku) is one such example.

 

[loa]

Fun fact: I only bought a 360 to get castle crashers, sotn and ikaruga while all it had in the "AAA" field was call of bioshock: the haloing.
Indie games and ports can totally sell systems and microsoft absolutely shot themselves in the foot by being complete douches to indie devs.