Microsoft and Sony have both made some significant announcements at the E3 conference in Los Angeles this week. The biggest is probably Sony unveiling the new PlayStation 4 along with pricing. In case you missed it, the PS4 will be priced at $399 while the XBox One is priced at $499. Microsoft also announced their policy about having to keep their console connected to the internet so it can check back in with the home office every 24 hours. If it doesn't, then the unit shuts down and won't play games.
At first glance it looks like the PS4 is the console to buy while you would have to be an idiot to buy an XBox One. Some gamers have even started calling Microsoft's offering "the XBox Done". I have to admit that I am a fan of the PlayStation and am happy to see that Sony did a few things right. However someone should point out that it is not all roses for the PS4. The obvious thing to ask is why the $100 price difference between the two hardware platforms. Well that is easy, the XBox comes with the Kinect while the equivalent PlayStation Eye is extra. I have not seen a price on the Eye and so I don't know if it will cost more or less than $100, but it is something to consider when arguing which platform will be better.
When it comes to being able to play used games, I have to say that Sony is taking the better path. I have started hating Apple because they feel it necessary to interfere with my MacBook Pro without my permission. Therefore I find it annoying that Microsoft feels they have the right to control whether or not you can share games with your friends. I have always believed that the best software licenses are ones that treat software like a book. You are free to loan your book to a friend, you just can't read it at the same time as your friend. There is still time before consumers can purchase either console and so I hope that Microsoft listens to their customers and figures out that we don't really want Big Brother watching everything we do.
One thing I have not seen is a comparison between the looks of the two devices. When the XBox One was announced, I found it to be a boring box. My opinion was that Sony didn't even have to try very hard to beat the ugly XBox One. When I saw the PS4 for the first time this week, I wished Sony had tried harder. Sony's looks like a box with slanted sides. I still think it looks better than Microsoft's console, but not by much. I do have to say that a closer look at the PS4 pictures shows a really sleek-looking color scheme and the design is starting to grow on me, but I'm not sure if that is my PS4 prejudice coming out or not.
Ultimately the success of either platform will be found in the services and games available. Microsoft is trying to appeal to the gamer as well as other consumers looking for an entertainment device. Sony seems to be appealing to the hard-core gamers. This is a role reversal from the last consoles provided by these two companies. While it is difficult to say the PS3 was a success for Sony, that fact that it was the cheapest Blu Ray player on the market kept it from being a dismal failure. A relatively high percentage of the original PS3 consoles were purchased simply as movie players and were never used for playing games. Perhaps the public is looking for an entertainment device and not just a video game one. If so, Microsoft is in a good position to take advantage of the trend.
I wish I could be more objective and say that I think both devices are good and there is room in every house for both. Unfortunately money doesn't grow on trees and I still have to work hard for every dollar before I spend it. So when both consoles are released later this year, I will be standing in the Sony line, not the Microsoft one. And it will be my Christmas present I am buying, not the kids. If they want one, they can get their own PS4.
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