The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Chooses Between PS4 vs. Xbox One

[Lightknight]

I found the episode to be more of a XBO commercial. Most of the talk was making the XBO hardware equivalent to the PS4 hardware without any reference to a significant power disparity (50% power disparity). They also indicated that GDDR5 was fancy "new" RAM and the XBO DDR3 was old and that something the XBO did to the DDR3 made them exactly equal when none of the statements are true. GDDR5 and DDR3 are generally used to serve different purposes and Sony just figured out how to make the GDDR5 do both by the proximity to the chip alleviating the latency issue that usually prohibits GDDR5 from functioning like DDR3. So I have no idea what Sheldon was trying to say when mentioning XBO's tech. No reference of games whatsoever. Some talk of voice commands.

Frankly, the whole thing felt forced and out of place in the show's typical setting. Felt like blatant product placement that took up a significant amount of the show. And yet, if it were merely advertising, why didn't he pick one or give one a clear advantage? Did both companies approach them and this was the solution? If so, I think Sony got the short end of the stick.

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

Pennys reaction in the picture: someone has brainwashed Sheldon and turned him into a peasant. now its even worse than before.

That's impossible! He doesn't look like a peasant, he doesn't smell like a peasant, and he is certainly not on fire like a peasant! (Bonus points if you know what I'm referencing.)

I'm curious to know as well: Which one DID he pick, if either? Oh, and use one of these...

Spoiler

You have lost the game. (Sorry...had to do it.)

...just in case no one else wants to know.

CAPTCHA: think green

*gives the Captcha a sideways glance* Great...the Captcha is a XBO fanboy.

 

[BarkBarker]

I hope he makes his own console that can play both systems games and laughs at them all.

 

[Jadak]

BBT is painfully unfunny. You can find episodes with the canned laughter removed on Youtube, which showcase just how horrible the characters are.

As a self-professed geek working in IT and all, I have yet to see any humour in the series. The IT crowd, now /that/ show is (was?) funny.

I agree. This makes me wonder why is this show so popular, who watches it?

I do, because I do find it funny and the fact that you do not actually has very little influence on my level of my enjoyment.

Yes, people like things you don't, it happens. Welcome to reality.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I would think he would go for xbox as its anal with the tv thing etc With PS4 sold as gaming only, i doubt he would want that. Though maybe they are fishing for funding and if Sony pays more then the PS4 will win. Its mostly dumb. A gamers knows what they want, i dont think any gamers has difficulty when choosing a console. Was difficult with the Xbox/PS1 and whatever Nintendo released (dont care about ninty) due to the amount of exclusives. With the PS4/XB1 the exclusive game thing is a non issue - now its about the consoles.

 

[Olas]

Sidebar here, aimed at this community.

Why is it on one hand its common to bag on the WiiU for not advertising enough, not marketing, not putting itself in the public eye. And then on the other hand, anytime Sony or MS does, they're cheap sellouts buying themselves public recognition?

Im honestly curious.

Nobody I know in this community is complaining about Sony or Microsoft buying product placement, the criticism is being
leveled at the show. This would be no different if it were the WiiU being advertised or anyone else.

With that being said, advertising isn't all good or all bad, there is in fact a golden mean for that kinda thing, at least from a business angle.

 

[Lightknight]

BBT is painfully unfunny. You can find episodes with the canned laughter removed on Youtube, which showcase just how horrible the characters are.

As a self-professed geek working in IT and all, I have yet to see any humour in the series. The IT crowd, now /that/ show is (was?) funny.

I agree. This makes me wonder why is this show so popular, who watches it?

I do, because I do find it funny and the fact that you do not actually has very little influence on my level of my enjoyment.

Yes, people like things you don't, it happens. Welcome to reality.

*gasp* but that would mean that people also dislike things that I like too...

I would think he would go for xbox as its anal with the tv thing etc With PS4 sold as gaming only, i doubt he would want that. Though maybe they are fishing for funding and if Sony pays more then the PS4 will win. Its mostly dumb. A gamers knows what they want, i dont think any gamers has difficulty when choosing a console. Was difficult with the Xbox/PS1 and whatever Nintendo released (dont care about ninty) due to the amount of exclusives. With the PS4/XB1 the exclusive game thing is a non issue - now its about the consoles.

Considering that they owned a PS3, 360, and Wii in the previous generation I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't get both. They should hypothetically already have a WiiU since they are supposed to everything geek.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

BBT is painfully unfunny. You can find episodes with the canned laughter removed on Youtube, which showcase just how horrible the characters are.

As a self-professed geek working in IT and all, I have yet to see any humour in the series. The IT crowd, now /that/ show is (was?) funny.

I agree. This makes me wonder why is this show so popular, who watches it?

I do, because I do find it funny and the fact that you do not actually has very little influence on my level of my enjoyment.

Yes, people like things you don't, it happens. Welcome to reality.

*gasp* but that would mean that people also dislike

I would think he would go for xbox as its anal with the tv thing etc With PS4 sold as gaming only, i doubt he would want that. Though maybe they are fishing for funding and if Sony pays more then the PS4 will win. Its mostly dumb. A gamers knows what they want, i dont think any gamers has difficulty when choosing a console. Was difficult with the Xbox/PS1 and whatever Nintendo released (dont care about ninty) due to the amount of exclusives. With the PS4/XB1 the exclusive game thing is a non issue - now its about the consoles.

Considering that they owned a PS3, 360, and Wii in the previous generation I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't get both. They should hypothetically already have a WiiU since they are supposed to everything geek.

I agree. I remember them playing wii boxing one time. They would buy all three but i wonder if they will make it an issue. As in have only enough money for one console only?

 

[james.sponge]

BBT is painfully unfunny. You can find episodes with the canned laughter removed on Youtube, which showcase just how horrible the characters are.

As a self-professed geek working in IT and all, I have yet to see any humour in the series. The IT crowd, now /that/ show is (was?) funny.

I agree. This makes me wonder why is this show so popular, who watches it?

I do, because I do find it funny and the fact that you do not actually has very little influence on my level of my enjoyment.

Yes, people like things you don't, it happens. Welcome to reality.

Well, good for you???? ... I guess?

 

[Elijin]

Sidebar here, aimed at this community.

Why is it on one hand its common to bag on the WiiU for not advertising enough, not marketing, not putting itself in the public eye. And then on the other hand, anytime Sony or MS does, they're cheap sellouts buying themselves public recognition?

Im honestly curious.

Nobody I know in this community is complaining about Sony or Microsoft buying product placement, the criticism is being
leveled at the show. This would be no different if it were the WiiU being advertised or anyone else.

With that being said, advertising isn't all good or all bad, there is in fact a golden mean for that kinda thing, at least from a business angle.

Uh, yes they do. Anytime there is mention of paid advertising by the companies, whether it be a tv show placement, a sponsored article or just regular ads, they cop flack for trying to 'shill their wares' etc etc. While the other hand credits WiiU's lagging sales to be due to their lack of advertising. Its staggering to watch the flip flopping towards advertising material. Though if Im being 100% honest, its not really. As most of the critical comments come about when Microsoft pays for advertising. So its okay to put yourself in the public eye, unless you're microsoft, in which case you can do no right, currently.

 

[Schadrach]

Kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel for news stories, aren't we?

Anyway, i saw the episode. Never has the complaint that The Big Bang Theory is all about mocking nerds been so true. I usually brush it off as the usual sitcom stuff just with a different cast, but this time it was a bit much.

...when has a sitcom not been about mocking the people they are portraying? I always figured that was the point. To laugh at yourself.

It is. But in BBT case the jokes are more stereotypical and mean spirited. From what I've seen from passing glances the good jokes are actually the non nerd ones. Not the ones where the punchline is "hurr durr nerds getting laid, that never happens in real life" or "women in comic book stores? that's never happened in real life".

The one that pushed me too far was the episode "The Extract Obliteration", the next to last scene.

Amy: How'd it go with Leonard?

Penny: I don't think he'll be making that mistake again.

Bernadette: Good.

Penny: So, I know this goes without saying, but if either of you tell Leonard you helped me rewrite this paper, I will beat you both with a bag of oranges.

Amy: Understood.

Bernadette: Got it.

Penny: Now, ladies, we got a B-minus on this paper. I think if we put our heads together, on the next one we could get an A.

Bernadette: Uh, but we got you a B-minus on purpose to make it believable.

Penny: Believable? You saying I'm not smart?

Bernadette: No, no!

Amy: You're smart.

Penny: That's better.

Amy: I feel like I'm in high school again.

Bernadette: Yeah, doing the prom queen's homework so she'll like us.

Amy: I know. It's finally working.

 

[Lightknight]

BBT is painfully unfunny. You can find episodes with the canned laughter removed on Youtube, which showcase just how horrible the characters are.

As a self-professed geek working in IT and all, I have yet to see any humour in the series. The IT crowd, now /that/ show is (was?) funny.

I agree. This makes me wonder why is this show so popular, who watches it?

I do, because I do find it funny and the fact that you do not actually has very little influence on my level of my enjoyment.

Yes, people like things you don't, it happens. Welcome to reality.

*gasp* but that would mean that people also dislike

I would think he would go for xbox as its anal with the tv thing etc With PS4 sold as gaming only, i doubt he would want that. Though maybe they are fishing for funding and if Sony pays more then the PS4 will win. Its mostly dumb. A gamers knows what they want, i dont think any gamers has difficulty when choosing a console. Was difficult with the Xbox/PS1 and whatever Nintendo released (dont care about ninty) due to the amount of exclusives. With the PS4/XB1 the exclusive game thing is a non issue - now its about the consoles.

Considering that they owned a PS3, 360, and Wii in the previous generation I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't get both. They should hypothetically already have a WiiU since they are supposed to everything geek.

I agree. I remember them playing wii boxing one time. They would buy all three but i wonder if they will make it an issue. As in have only enough money for one console only?

Sheldon has been established to have so much money that he rarely cashes the checks from his job.

A far more likely scenario would have been them playing the ps4 through the XBO.

Anyways, this entire segment was almost nothing but a XBO plug. Shame on them for basically making the show a commercial. The more I think about what they said the more I think it was specifically an XBO commercial at that.

 

[Olas]

Sidebar here, aimed at this community.

Why is it on one hand its common to bag on the WiiU for not advertising enough, not marketing, not putting itself in the public eye. And then on the other hand, anytime Sony or MS does, they're cheap sellouts buying themselves public recognition?

Im honestly curious.

Nobody I know in this community is complaining about Sony or Microsoft buying product placement, the criticism is being
leveled at the show. This would be no different if it were the WiiU being advertised or anyone else.

With that being said, advertising isn't all good or all bad, there is in fact a golden mean for that kinda thing, at least from a business angle.

Uh, yes they do. Anytime there is mention of paid advertising by the companies, whether it be a tv show placement, a sponsored article or just regular ads, they cop flack for trying to 'shill their wares' etc etc. While the other hand credits WiiU's lagging sales to be due to their lack of advertising. Its staggering to watch the flip flopping towards advertising material. Though if Im being 100% honest, its not really. As most of the critical comments come about when Microsoft pays for advertising. So its okay to put yourself in the public eye, unless you're microsoft, in which case you can do no right, currently.

If that's true I haven't been aware of it. Anyway, like I already said there can be such a thing as 'too much' or 'too little' of something, not to mention some forms of advertising may appear more respectable than others. Just because you don't feel that one company advertised enough doesn't mean you have to approve of all advertising ever.

As far as people having a specific bias against Microsoft? I'll agree that Microsoft gets a lot of undeserved hatred as of late. Internet Explorer 10 is actually a good browser, Windows 8's only real crime is being too different for some people, and really even the much joked about Bing is probably no worse than Google. The problem is Microsoft's done a lot of things to garner criticism over the years, not the least of which has come from early policies of the Xbox One, so it's easy to sympathize with some people having a bias against Microsoft. That doesn't mean it's right, but I understand it.

 

[Lightknight]

Sidebar here, aimed at this community.

Why is it on one hand its common to bag on the WiiU for not advertising enough, not marketing, not putting itself in the public eye. And then on the other hand, anytime Sony or MS does, they're cheap sellouts buying themselves public recognition?

Im honestly curious.

Nobody I know in this community is complaining about Sony or Microsoft buying product placement, the criticism is being
leveled at the show. This would be no different if it were the WiiU being advertised or anyone else.

With that being said, advertising isn't all good or all bad, there is in fact a golden mean for that kinda thing, at least from a business angle.

Uh, yes they do. Anytime there is mention of paid advertising by the companies, whether it be a tv show placement, a sponsored article or just regular ads, they cop flack for trying to 'shill their wares' etc etc. While the other hand credits WiiU's lagging sales to be due to their lack of advertising. Its staggering to watch the flip flopping towards advertising material. Though if Im being 100% honest, its not really. As most of the critical comments come about when Microsoft pays for advertising. So its okay to put yourself in the public eye, unless you're microsoft, in which case you can do no right, currently.

If that's true I haven't been aware of it. Anyway, like I already said there can be such a thing as 'too much' or 'too little' of something, not to mention some forms of advertising may appear more respectable than others. Just because you don't feel that one company advertised enough doesn't mean you have to approve of all advertising ever.

As far as people having a specific bias against Microsoft? I'll agree that Microsoft gets a lot of undeserved hatred as of late. Internet Explorer 10 is actually a good browser, Windows 8's only real crime is being too different for some people, and really even the much joked about Bing is probably no worse than Google. The problem is Microsoft's done a lot of things to garner criticism over the years, not the least of which has come from early policies of the Xbox One, so it's easy to sympathize with some people having a bias against Microsoft. That doesn't mean it's right, but I understand it.

Olas (quoting you but responding to Elijin) is quite right. The complaint here is that a show got hijacked by a commercial because the show's writers/producers saw green. The problem isn't that companies tried to pay for advertising. The problem is that the show's creators traded their artistic integrity for green. It's something I understand but still disappointing.

Then take the WiiU. Their marketing sucked so badly that a year after launch people still didn't know that it was the Wii 2. They thought it was a $300-$350 gamepad. Not advertising at all is far worse than making commercials. Especially if you own a WiiU. I'm really into gaming and wasn't even aware that it launched when it did.

Taking over a show is also different from general advertising. For example, I like most of Sony's commercials but screw anyone who takes over a significant portion of a show to make people watch a blatant commercial between commercials.