Opinion: The Console Wars Are Over

FinalWeapon:

The year 2019 is coming to a close.  Ending another year, no, another decade of video gaming.  And with a new decade just around the corner, it’s fitting that the industry will celebrate this new decade with new hardware. I probably know what some of you are thinking about.

[OB1Biker]

Its interesting read and I agree the companies have different approach that we saw coming long ago already. However theres a lot of wishful thinking emphasized in the conclusion.

'There aren’t console gamers or PC Gamers. We are all gamers, period.'
Is just denying the facts with virtue signalling magic powder. We are all gamers doesn't contradict the tact that people have preferences and different approaches to playing video games even including on mobile phones. I see the so called 'console war' getting stronger than ever from the companies and even more so from gamers who started on all forum, discussion, youtube and social media, to push their own preferences and propaganda.

[UltraNova]

Spot on. To add to your comment, not only will console wars intensify but it will spread and expand to Service wars as well and both wars will be fueled by exclusives. We will see a resurgence of exclusives being the major force of competition in an effort to differentiate themselves from others. We already see it happening just look at MS, from a company that depended on buying limited exclusivity and depending on 3rd party all while trying to convince us that exclusives no longer matter to a complete 180 in buying studios left and right.

Enter Google, they'll quickly understand that if they wish to lure in gamers to their underperforming service they'll have to offer content unique/only available on their platform.

Console/service wars will be bigger than ever.

[UltraNova]

Oh my...captain planet to MS's rescue I see.

Look i won't go at with you, no offence, however I'll say this - Sony never downplayed the importance of exclusives. This should be enough to get my point across. Now, if reading facts/truth hurts your feelings then you should refrain from visiting these forums.

And who in their right mind wants "console wars" to be over? What, do we really need Ms and Sony stop competing for our money and people stop having discussions over who is "better" and why? What is this Gattaca? Smh.

[UltraNova]

@captain

No response? Did you actually read my... response?

[Nitrowolf2]

@captain

What even are you talking about? Nova never said Sony didnt rely on 3rd party, he was stating the clear and obvious with how MS was more reliant on 3rd party content rather than exclusives, and that backfired on them so much that all this gen they have been making decisions to correct this. That is a fact, and proof shown by their recent remarks and push for inquisitions

Nintendo and Sony both have 3rd party exclusives, but they're not just their sole reliance when they have a number of 1st party games coming out so frequently.

[Obscure_Observer]

@UltraNova

"Console/service wars will be bigger than ever."

Console wars will still be a thing in the future, no doubt. But i don´t think it´s gonna be as fierce and toxic as we had years ago in this generation. As quality improves for all companies, fanboys will have less and less controversial topics to discuss over.

Nintendo is far from the WiiU days and since Kimishima took over after Iwata passed away (R.I.P), Nintendo is a very different company. More open, less restrictive, more global, more gamer AND developer friendly.

Mattrick almost single handed destroyed the Xbox brand after the disastrous launch of the Xbox One and their focus on sports, TV, Kinect and an all entertainment focus fueled by DRM, Always Online, a useless dvd player (for games) and at the top of all that, a less powerfull and yet more expensive Xbox. Those days seems long gone now.

Scarlett will be a powerful machine focused exclusive on games! Phil Spencer acquired/created 9 new studios and Xbox Games Studios has now 15 first party studios and there´s even more new acquisitions to be made.

Sony has the clear advantage for the next gen, and all Ryan needs to do is not screw things over. Hopefully the new executive staff will be able to evolve the brand while continue with the formula that made the PS4 the isolated leader this generation.

With all companies offering great consoles, games and services, I think fanboys will become more critical of the brands they´ll be willing support over the next generation rather than focus on the competition itself.

And who in their right mind wants "console wars" to be over? What, do we really need Ms and Sony stop competing for our money and people stop having discussions over who is "better" and why? What is this Gattaca? Smh.

Spot on! Nobody wants console wars to be over! These companies learn to each other from both good and bad practices. We need competition. Good competition.

[UltraNova]

@obscure

I'll be damned...I mostly agree with you. I guess anything is possible these days.

A couple points:

"Console wars will still be a thing in the future, no doubt. But i don´t think it´s gonna be as fierce and toxic as we had years ago in this generation. As quality improves for all companies, fanboys will have less and less controversial topics to discuss over."

I cant see this. Look at peoples interactions in social media and forums these days. It seems everyone is offended and lashes out on everything small or big. I think it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

"Scarlett will be a powerful machine focused exclusive on games! Phil Spencer acquired/created 9 new studios and Xbox Games Studios has now 15 first party studios and there´s even more new acquisitions to be made."

All signs show this is indeed true. Like I said in many occasions, xbox will once again focus on exclusives in order to differentiate and make the brand more appealing. That's super exciting afaic since it will put pressure in Sony and other competitors as well.

"With all companies offering great consoles, games and services, I think fanboys will become more critical of the brands they´ll be willing support over the next generation rather than focus on the competition itself."

I'm not sure about this, maybe you are way more hopefull about people's ability to focus on criticizing their favorite brand on its own merits and shortcomings rather than focusing on the competition than I am. Like I said above, things will get worse before they hopefully get better.

Last but not least, when I refer to console wars I do not in any way shape or form condone in toxic exchanges. I'm all about objectivity and fair criticism with one clear goal - doing my part in getting necessary messages across to Publishers. We did it many times before, why stop now?

Anyway that my two cents, see ya in the trenches.

[Godmars290]

@CaptainTravel:
You do realize that you're talking about past issues and effort during the console wars, right? Not current times.

[OB1Biker]

I mostly agree with you, console wars is a good thing from the companies. However I dont see it to be a good thing when it's from gamers and also gaming sites pushing it for traffic.
When someone enjoys sharing their passion (as long as it's not the idiotic promoting and advertising length some fanatics go into) these a no reason why people cant tolerate some one enjoying whatever game or platform they wish and call them names (like fanboy etc)

Also it entails a lot of misinformation and lies that unfortunately people easily get caught into. Its not helpful at all albeit entertaining (I'm having a good laugh reading some Twitter or youtube trying to hype a next gen console in a partizan way sometimes)

[UltraNova]

OB1,

"I mostly agree with you, console wars is a good thing from the companies. However I dont see it to be a good thing when it's from gamers and also gaming sites pushing it for traffic."

You cant have one without the other unfortunately. Gamer "wars" can become feedback for publishers one way or another. A recent powerfull example was back in 2013 when MS came out with their anti-consumer plan for this gen. One side saw their intentions and called them out and the other side (a few blind fanboys, not all xbox fans) defended them. A classic console war setting. That dispute was so vocal that it made it into media sites l, news everywhere and finally where it matters most in a MS high level conference room with suits running around trying to find ways to go back on their plans and save what's left to save.

This is exactly why "console wars" at its purest form is beneficial for us.

[solideagle]

@Captain
"There is no defence to how Microsoft started this gen. It was the underdog from the start"

did you just call Microsoft an underdog? :O
Microsoft with US$102.33 billion total equity vs Sony $34 billion dollar company
Coming from gen where Sony sold 150 millions to respected 85+ million only vs Microsoft practically putting Sony on back foot and selling more than PS3 for first 3-4 years

I am not expert but Microsoft was never underdog and Sony was not juggernaut at the beginning of this gen in my humble opinion

[rainslacker]

We're already seeing service wars. It's off the back of the console war, but I don't see why it would be any different when you have competing gaming services. Even if the community wanted to end the console war on their own....which would be a slow mingling end really....the gaming media would collapse under the weight of it's own incompetence, and inability to know how to report actual news or editorial, so they will make sure that the community is always at each others throats.

[darthv72]

When I was younger, I picked sides. Now that I'm older, I choose to support gaming as a whole and it has turned out pretty dang good for me in the process. 1977 was a turning point in my young life and I am thankful to have been in this hobby for 42 years now. I've seen the highs and lows. Played the good and the bad. Experienced the thrill and agony. Just like in sports.

No matter who you root for, we really are all in the same hobby for the same reason and that reason is we love to play video games. We may not agree on things but that is human nature.

[rainslacker]

You two constantly come in and poke the console war bear. Neither of you have risen up above the fray. Hell, even I probably perpetuate the console war rhetoric, and I'm sure some on here believe that I'm a fan boy for Sony.

I won't call either of you as bad some of the rampant fan boys, but both of you have indeed gone to lengths to do what you say you are now above. Maybe you don't see it, but that's how others are going to see it. Maybe, like me, others may not see that I'm not necessarily doing it because I want to promote the console war, but that's the way it comes across a lot of the time, and it's one reason why the console war won't end. People want to be part of it, and they will get defensive, or offensive, because even though they may not be able to recognize it, they need to have pride in their console preference.

There are only a few things that make people contentious.

-Pride: Console preference taken to the extreme, or at times people just annoyed at seeing something they like constantly attacked.
-Insecurity: Trolls who just love to antagonize people because it makes them feel better.
-People genuinely disappointed.

The last ones are the ones who never get taken seriously, because more often than not, they're put into the first two groups.

[darthv72]

Rain, yeah I stand up to others bad mouthing the hobby I enjoy. It looks like I do it more for xbox because that platform gets so much unwarranted hate (especially this gen) that I have to try and be the voice of reason. Ive stood up for nintendo, sega, sony... hell even atari. Point is I always come back to center unless another ass hat troll wants to talk shit about something they dont even play.

You play xbox, you are critical but also reasonable, just like me. And like me you hate to see people hating for no other reason than its the thing to do. We agree at times, others not so much but unlike the one sided gamers we at least can say we have been on both sides of the track.

If anyone is paying attention then they know that is real, not an act for the sake of argument. There are lots of fakes with their concern trolling that need to be shored up.

Wouldnt you agree?

And if proclaiming I play the field is seen as a negative then so be it. I'll still be the guy who chooses to do that.

[PhoenixUp]

Console wars will never end

[darthv72]

When you get older, they arent as relevant as they were when you were younger. People tend to grow out of that schoolyard mentality of this vs that. Not all people, of course... but people do get older and more appreciative of things as a whole.

[Lennoxb63]

If you have a mind of your own there was never any console wars. No amount of trolling is going to move me from what I prefer. If my preference changes, the change was motivated by me and me alone. Not anyone talking negatively on my preferences.

[Zodiac]

"Console wars" ended a while ago. Once the "craze" element in gaming ended, the "wars" ended. Even in the 360 generation, gaming could still be seen in what i like to call, "the exciting" period where getting your ps2,GC,xbox,360,ps3 and wii was "exciting" and it just felt different.

However, you could even argue that it ended with Nintendo vs Sega. Can we really say there is a "war" between Sony and Microsoft when 3rd party games have been more or less the best selling, most popular and most memorable games on their platforms? Mario vs Sonic is the only real company battle there has really been.

[CorndogBurglar]

Do you not understand what Console Wars are? It's a war between consoles and the winner is determined by CONSOLE SALES. Not whether or not 3rd party or 1st party games sell more copies.

3rd party games don't help push consoles because you can buy them on multiple platforms. Exclusives sell consoles. Nintendo has survived for almost 40 years on that understanding.

Saying there are no console wars because 3rd party games sell better on consoles is missing the point because people don't choose consoles based on 3rd party games. People choose consoles based on the CONSOLE itself and the EXCLUSIVES they bring to the table.

What you are describing is something else. Developer Wars? Publisher Wars? I don't know. But saying console Wars don't exist because of game sales is silly. For one, people don't buy games without a console. So the very first step is choosing a console. And as long as there is more than one company selling game consoles there will ALWAYS be console Wars. Because no company wants to be 2nd best and sell fewer units than their competition. And there will always be those fans that bad mouth other consoles and refuse to enjoy them all, for whatever their reasoning may be.

[Imortus_san]

The Console Wars are a relly fun way to troll many.

[cyber_daemonx]

Wishful thinking.

[DaveZero]

They were over when sega and Nintendo stopped. Only the fanboys ever noticed it as a console war between Sony, microsoft nintendo, the rest just enjoyed gaming.

[cochise313]

Doesn't matter, Sony will still dominate and MS will continue to finish in 3rd.

[Stanjara]

It's like saying we all love football, so there is no reason to make teams go against each other.

The best match is when two teams have different straights and weaknesses but are equally strong and they do their best to win. That's the best for the consumer.

[SolidGamerX]

*takes quick look through comment sections*, nope they are far from over.

[Father__Merrin]

Console wars will continue. Next gen consoles specifically the ps5 will be the driving factor for accelerating gaming forward the ps5 will be special

[Petebloodyonion]

As much as I would love to see a true end for a console war (as Smartphone war, car brand, etc) it will never be truly over simply because it brings many benefits to any industry and their consumers.

1) it brings a feeling of competition to the key players (Nintendo, Sony, MS, etc).
Yes, the true benchmark for company success is not beating the #1 but beating the yearly previsions and objectives thus pleasing shareholders. but like everybody, when there's a #1 it brings the desire to beat that number #1 and the prestige that goes with it.

2) It generates hype, media space, interests, etc.
It's no secret that flaming articles against MS, Sony, Nintendo, etc sparks interest amongst fans (just look at the average articles post here).

3) PPL will always have the need to identify themselves to something they can relate to.
Pick a sports team as an example and see how the fans are relating to it. " We played well last night against this team!"
Truth is the fan didn't play, he had no direct input in the victory or defeat of the team but the fan identify to the team because they represent the city the lives in (and hoping to show that his city is better than your city).
The same applies to consoles owners (cars, phone, tv, etc) who need to reassure themselves that they made the best purchase.

[TheColbertinator]

Nintendo won. Now we all go home.

[Cmoney007]

I look at it this way:

Sony - B

Nintendo - B-

MS - C-