290°

What a potential post-Xbox future could mean for Sony and Nintendo

"All signs point to the hardware becoming less and less important to Microsoft."

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arstechnica.com
Neonridr88d ago

Less innovation and competition. People act like if MS went away life would be better but it would just mean you have one less choice as to where to spend your money. If Sony became the defacto home console provider and Nintendo the handheld, then these companies could limit what you get and you would ultimately have very little choice but to support them if you want to play games.

Outside_ofthe_Box88d ago (Edited 88d ago )

Can make the same argument for buying up publishers which many supported ironically, but wouldn't support this.

Neonridr88d ago

moot point if MS keeps releasing games on other platforms though. There's a difference between Sony or MS buying a studio and a company not releasing hardware period.

Outside_ofthe_Box87d ago (Edited 87d ago )

***"moot point if MS keeps releasing games on other platforms though."***

Consolidation is never good. The first words of your post "less innovation and competition" applies regardless of whether the games release on other platforms.

***"There's a difference between Sony or MS buying a studio and a company not releasing hardware period."***

I'm not going to pretend that removing a publisher off the market is the same as removing a hardware manufacturer like people do with studios and publishers. My only point is the same argument applies and people were rooting for it, but are using the same arguments for against hardware. Difference is one is buying it out while the other is the result of competition.

S2Killinit86d ago

@Neonridr
Not a moot point, MS’s exit is actually very related to their merger/consolidations. It is what is paving their path out of the console space. How can it be moot?

Cacabunga86d ago

Xbox has been irrelevant and unable to compete since Xbox one released.. Sony and Nintendo, especially Sony will have to prove they still are on top of the game by releasing some home made games

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 86d ago
MrDead88d ago

Microsoft game studios, Activision Blizzard and Bethesda have merged and are no longer competing thanks to MS what do you think that does to innovation in the industry? MS going would be a good very good thing as the risk of more competing publishers being merged will be less likely.

crazyCoconuts86d ago

This is the textbook business answer and almost certainly the right one.
I do think Sony will look to woo more PC and portable gamers over after Xbox is gone, because they have to get growth from somewhere and that's all that's left

-Foxtrot86d ago

Not defending this as the situation could go either way but before Microsoft during the 5th Generation Sony was pretty much head to head with Nintendo. The PS1 vs the N64 because the Sega Saturn wasn't even a thought in most peoples minds.

With the games each system had and the audiences they were going for, they did alright before Microsoft.

Like I said this could go either way so you can't 100% say what will happen but hypothetically what if Sony becomes the market leader if Xbox went away, couldn't you say in this scenario that Sony would feel like they were in a position to take more risks because they don't have to worry about someone high tailing them waiting for them to slip up.

All we could do is monitor Sony / Nintendo and call them out if things start to slip.

Rude-ro86d ago

Your point has validity in life…
But in this case, Microsoft brought more marketing, good and viral attack marketing, than anything else related to gaming.
They went over a decade not making a single new AAA ip.
What “competition” are they bringing to push competitors?
I mean, you say “less innovation” yet Sony had to dumb down their console engineering to play ball with Microsoft and their strangle hold on computing,
Sony, for worse, had to compete against the perception of Microsoft through their marketing dominance.
They forced Sony into third party deals because Microsoft was monopolizing the market through third party games.

What, exactly, is Microsoft bringing to the table?
Basic x86 architecture?
Catch phrases?
Generic games?
Subscriptions?
False marketing?
Corrupt marketing tactics?
Faulty hardware?

I can see Sony not having to spend millions to combat Microsoft’s false image of being a gaming company and put more money into developing games.

Barlos86d ago (Edited 86d ago )

Tbh Xbox has never really been a choice for me. In its 20+ years of being a thing, I've never once seen the appeal in the Xbox brand, and therefore have never owned a single Xbox console.

In any event, Xbox as a brand isn't really going anywhere. They may stop making hardware but the games will be available on more formats than ever.

Profchaos86d ago

I think most people have liked the three console model honestly it was Microsoft's more recent actions on raining to improve their game output and instead buy the industry that has caused many people to dislike them

Cockney86d ago (Edited 86d ago )

@neonrider Your whole take relies on the fact that you think the space left by Microsoft when they pull xbox out won't be filled by a new company? There's a lot of money to be made in videogames, its never been a one horse race ( yes I realise I'm ignoring Nintendo but its not out of spite, I think they have their handheld/less powerful market to contend with and thats heating up nicely with the introduction of these premium pc handhelds ) I know valve have semi-tried before with the steamdeck but I'm not sure how much weight they put behind that, with a hole the size xbox will be leaving i don't think there's ever been a better time to try again

Crows9086d ago

No. PC exists.

No limitations if Xbox left. Since Xbox came on we've got a lot of crappy things and they haven't innovated anywhere that matters much.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 86d ago
Lightning7787d ago

Would be a very boring and even more expensive hobby.

No thanks.

S2Killinit86d ago (Edited 86d ago )

Diehard to the end I see.

I would argue that hopefully someone better would enter the market in their place. Someone with roots in entertainment. Not Amazon, Apple, or another company similar to Microsoft.

darthv7286d ago

...and yet MS has roots that go pretty deep when it comes to gaming. Ever hear of the MSX line of computers?

S2Killinit86d ago

Is it really that deep if you have to ask me if I heard about it?

Lightning7786d ago

Diehard what till the end? Die hard pro gamer then yes.

I see you still have your fanboy goggles on. Lay offs have been rampant and none stop and it's early in the year. Who can step in? Nobody can step in.

As far as I'm concerned MS actually let Toys For Bob go and be independent. Something I never saw comin for any company. Letting a company be independent is a pro industry move in my book.

Barlos86d ago

@Darth tentacles, not roots.

Crows9086d ago

Steam could probably do that as long as MS keeps games off competitors.

porkChop86d ago

"Someone with roots in entertainment. Not Amazon, Apple, or another company similar to Microsoft."

LOL. Such as? Do you understand how expensive it is to R&D and actually produce consoles? The profit margins are razor thin. You need to make money by publishing software. None of the 3rd party publishers can afford to become a console manufacturer.

And before you say Valve you need to realize that the Steam Deck has only sold 3 or 4 million units over the last 2 years. The market for a PC-like console is far smaller than people think. So if Valve, with all of Steam behind it, can't fill that space then who will? Who is this mythical company you're talking about?

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 86d ago
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rlow186d ago ShowReplies(2)
Abnor_Mal86d ago

I was a video that suggested that Steam could potentially get into the console market if Xbox ceases to exist. They already had the Steam Machine(?), and they have the Steam Deck for the portable market. I’m not in the pc space at all so I wouldn’t know if that would be a realistic statement.

NotoriousWhiz86d ago

Honestly, an affordable powerhouse steam machine with SteamOS could be the perfect replacement for Xbox.

porkChop86d ago

It's not realistic. The Steam Deck has been on sale for 2 years and has only pushed an estimated 3 or 4 million units. The number is so low that Valve only says they've sold "multiple millions". A console would likely do worse because it doesn't have the freedom and customizability that people love about PC gaming rigs. Whereas a handheld offers freedom and playability that PC gamers wouldn't have otherwise, a console offers a worse version of the experience they already have. It's not feasible. This is why the Steam Machines failed.

Knightofelemia86d ago (Edited 86d ago )

No Xbox future I am going to guess Microsoft will go down the path Sega choose and be a publisher/game developer with their in house studios. Or sell off their in house studios and just go back to making os for PC's. I highly doubt the second part. Microsoft like any company wants to make money. So if Microsoft did say pull the plug on Xbox I see them going down the path Sega went. And utilize Xbox as a brand and not just as a console. I can see the name of XBox being mainly a brand after that. And maybe with the game you see published by or developed by Xbox studios.

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40°

HexGaming Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Hex Phantom

Custom Controller Company HexGaming launched a Kickstarter campaign for their latest pro controller, Hex Phantom. - IS

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infinitestart.com
430°

Days Gone Director Says Bend's Project Costs Over $250M; Says PS Co-CEO Doesn't Want 2 Zombies Games

Days Gone director claims Sony has already poured in at least a $250M in Bend's project; says Days Gone sold more than Death Stranding.

shinoff21831d 3h ago

Well that sucks. Seems they want more online trash. I'd rather of had the sequel if it was single player

MrNinosan13h ago

What online trash games did PS Studios release last 10 years?

Notellin11h ago

The past has nothing to do with the future. This is such a terrible argument. Everyone knows about their current live service push.

_SilverHawk_10h ago

It's so tragic what happened to days gone. It is such an amazing game but bandwagoners trashed it and it underperformed in it's launch year. Days gone is the best open world zombie game released in the past five years. I was recently playing it on pc and I'm still amazed by it.

Games are very expensive to make and it seems like it's normal for a AAA game to cost over a quarter billion to make so if a quality game like days gone greatly underperforms then people shouldn't be upset when they see a lot of GAAS. I still remember a lot of bandwagoners calling days gone trash but years later it's now amazing when it's considered a failure by sony.

If a game isn't the best thing seen since hats with pockets then a lot of gamers who haven't played it automatically calls it rubbish and whoever made it should be incarcerated

Cacabunga8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

Co CEO prefers gamers to boycott.. so be it. I’ll never buy a gaas.
Just imagine buying a game you cannot replay in some years.. this shit must stop.

Days Gone did zombies in a very original way. The story was also so engaging. You actually only meet Zombie hordes later in the game. There are many more enemy groups to deal with.

MrNinosan7h ago

@Notelin
I am one of the few who bought Days Gone on release day and loved it completely.
However, "more online trash" is phrased like Sony has put out alot of trash online games.
We got what, 2 games? Helldivers 2 and GT7, 2 of the most sold Playstation games where both is loved by millions.

You, me and especially shinoff has no idea if Fairgames, Marathon and Concord will be trash.

Just because we (as in you and me) don't love or support online games, doesn't mean millions of other do.

And we don't know what Bend Studio is working with? We don't know if they're forced to make a online game or another amazing single player experience.

The only thing we do know is that it's not Days Gone, sadly due to poor sales the first 6 months.

shinoff21835h ago(Edited 5h ago)

More online trash wasmt meant how insee it comes across. I should've worded it different I was meaning the focus they currently have on it.

Anything online is online trash to me. How long did naughty dog spend on that dumba last of us multiplayer, how about Concord, or even the other couple we hear about. I fk with Sony because rpgs and their 1st party single player games. Been like that for years. I hate seeing them waste time, money, and talent on trash. I understand bot every game is gonna be for me but this focus they've seem to had on multiplayer is extremely disheartening. Even at the state of play the only things I was really feeling were Astrobot and silent hill 2 and I'm content with that, not everything is for me. It's just the online focus I hate. Ms bought up 3 to 4 wrpgs developers, Sony just ignores rpgs 1st party wise.

And a days gone 2 would've been much better then whatever online sht bend is working on. I do know sometimes I get very idk emotional. I do need to work on toning that down a bit lol

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5h ago
-Foxtrot1d 3h ago

It would be a shame if it was true that Hermen never gave the franchise a chance simply because he didn't like it and they already had a "Zombie" game with TLOU.

NaughtyDog are most likely moving onto a new IP next so it would have been the perfect time to do it.

ThinkThink19h ago

Here's where xbox steps in and releases state of decay 3 day and date on ps5.

shinoff21835h ago

I mean it's not out of the realm of possibility at this point.

Grilla12h ago

Days gone 2 was canceled before Herman was in charge. That happened like 4 years ago.

vfl52312h ago

4 years ago he was head of Playstation Studios. He would've probably had a hand in the cancelation.

Notellin11h ago

Man two seconds of research could have saved you from this comment. Amazing work Grilla you fit in with the uniformed N4G community who speaks before verifying anything that they say.

Redemption-6410h ago

Maybe encourage people to buy the game at full price and not when it's heavily discounted or go on plus. If this game had sold well when it was full priced a sequel would have been in the works. They made a single-player game that most people didn't support until they dropped the price.

Cacabunga8h ago

The guy’s just a moron.. he should have stayed within game development. His choices will have a terrible impact on the brand in the long run.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5h ago
excaliburps13h ago

Yep. Kind of weird since it wasn't a sales flop, no?

I know we have to take what Ross says with a grain of salt since we're hearing just one side of the story, but even so, the game wasn't bad at all. Heck, it's my brother's favorite last-gen game from what I recall.

The amount of zombies on screen, imagine that with the PS5 and SSD? That would be insanely fun!

Grilla12h ago

Most copies were sold on sale. Not enough ppl bought it at full price. I paid 20$ for it 6 -7 months after release.

Notellin11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

Yeah we should never believe the creators side until we hear the corporate/big business side as history has shown we should always believe billion dollar corporations.

What a bootlicker statement.

derek6h ago

@Notellin, of course you'll believe an embittered ex-employee with an axe to grind because it's evil Sony he's complaining about. You guys act like days gone was this huge success and somehow Sony hates easy money a sequel would have generated. The game was mid and so was the response to it. They're still supporting the developer who is making a new ip that could be great.

shinoff21835h ago

Days gone was fantastic. I bought day one but didn't get around to it for months. When I finally did I was pissed at myself for waiting so long lol

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5h ago
P_Bomb13h ago

Well I don’t want 10 live service games, but they have no problem doing that lol. Ugh.

CrimsonWing6912h ago(Edited 12h ago)

Oh great so we only get what the big wigs want… y’know, the people that really have their fingers on the pulse of what their consumers want. Faaaaantastic!

rippermcrip10h ago

Well consider they know the sales... they do know what the consumer wants.

It sold shit.

-Foxtrot5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

But if it’s true what this guy says it sold better than Death Stranding

Yet that got a sequel and Kojima aside out of them both DS didn’t really NEED a sequel compared to Days Gone which ended on such a cliff hanger twist.

Show all comments (58)
200°

Sony shares big new PS Plus stat, but not the one we want to see

PlayStation Plus has improved the split of PS4 and PS5 players on its priciest tiers, but Sony continues to hide total subscriber numbers.

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theloadout.com
mandf1d 5h ago

lol acting like it’s equivalent to ms numbers

Mr Logic1d 5h ago

Uh...They're definitely not equivalent.

"Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service now has 34 million subscribers."

"the total number of PS Plus subscribers across all tiers was 47.4 million"

darthv721d 4h ago (Edited 1d 4h ago )

That PSN number seems like it should be much higher... especially when you consider that PS4 alone has a sell through of over 117m. To not even be at least half that is rather interesting.

To the XB side, having 34m to an install base of roughly 50m (XBO sell through) or even 85m (360 sell through) is a greater percentage of unit to member ratio than PSN.

bloop1d 1h ago

That's not the "gotcha" you think it is Darth.

darthv721d ago

^^it's not supposed to be bloop.... it's just an interesting observation.

Einhander197222h ago

darthv72

"That PSN number seems like it should be much higher... especially when you consider that PS4 alone has a sell through of over 117m. To not even be at least half that is rather interesting.

To the XB side, having 34m to an install base of roughly 50m (XBO sell through) or even 85m (360 sell through) is a greater percentage of unit to member ratio than PSN."

Have you ever heard of a PC before? I hear they are pretty popular.

fr0sty16h ago

MS started lumping gold subscribers in with those GP numbers... keep in mind.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 16h ago
shinoff21831d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

What. Definitely more os plus subscribers but that makes sense due to actual console sales

Darth the difference between the bases are huge your right but you gotta think. Ps players buy more games, where as the Xbox base relies on gamepass for their gaming. So it makes perfect sense

darthv721d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

What makes perfect sense though? You say PS players buy more games... so then logically there should be more PS+ subscribers given the increased number of online multiplayer games in the PS4 generation alone. The PS4 was the first time that + was required for online play much like Gold was for 360 users.

Keep in mind we are talking subscribers, not simply XB/PS users. I assume you meant to say offline single player games, which is most likely true as well. That gen also saw a significant increase in games with an online component comparted to the previous gen.

victorMaje1d 3h ago

I for one will be going back to essential at the next renewal. When I feel a game is good & right up my alley, I’ll check trusted reviews & just buy it.

jznrpg1d 1h ago (Edited 1d 1h ago )

I have the top tier until 2028 as they gave me a massive discount for all the years I had left but I’ll most likely go to essential as well. I buy my games but my kids do use the service occasionally. They do prefer to own their games as well since any game can leave the rental service at some point and they don’t like that idea. They mostly use it to demo games then ask me to buy games if they really like it.

RedDevils21h ago

For me, I will cancel it all together but unfortunately I still have it till 2030 lol

meganick1d 1h ago

I would like to see Sony add a fourth tier of PS Plus for people who just want to be able to play games online without any of the perks like monthly games, store discounts, or anything like that, and it should cost $20 annually, $30 maximum. There’s no way I’m paying $80 just to play games online. Even the original $60 fee was too much, and I would often wait for sales to re-up my subscription.

P_Bomb21h ago(Edited 21h ago)

Essential is too expensive, I agree. We’ve got one Essential and one Premium sub. Dropping the Premium when it expires.

gamerz18h ago

Just let my subscription lapse for the first time since 2010. Will sub again every now and then for a month or so to access my old ps+ games but for me it's the end of an era.

DivineHand12517h ago

Let those numbers continue to drop because it is now too expensive. $80 per year just to play online. I noticed they didn't offer any discounts on the subscription or controllers during this year's days of play for the first time in many years and they will feel it when people choose not to renew.

My subscription will lapse next month and it will stay that way until further notice.

KevtheDuff14h ago

There were savings on subs and controllers here in the UK? I bought a controller yesterday in the sale..
It would be weird if those deals were not in other territories too?