Now, tell me if this feels fair to you.
When the PlayStation Network was taken down over the holidays, Sony ended up giving out a free five day PS Plus extension to everyone affected, as well as a 10% off discount for any PS Store purchase made between January 23rd, and January 26th. That’s a three day window to take advantage of this one time discount.
On the other side of the gaming fence, we have the Xbox One. If you’re like me, you probably ended up buying the Halo Master Chief Collection. This is Orange Box level value for Halo fans, so you’d be absolutely silly to not want to pick this game up.
However, this game had similar problems to Driveclub at launch, with the online component virtually inaccessible by the majority of gamers. I myself never ran into any matchmaking problems, though clearly thousands of other gamers did.
So, what does Microsoft do to apologize for the week or so of broken multiplayer? Well, they basically gave every single gamer affected a free month of Xbox Live.
Now, tell me; does the Sony offer still seem fair? I mean, Microsoft gave away a full month of service, all because a single game had some launch issues. Did Sony do the same thing when Driveclub had issues?
No, they didn’t. And that’s the problem.
Sony is currently in the position where they don’t have to have an overwhelmingly positive public image, and can get away with offering lacklustre services, given their current lead over the competition. Quite simply Sony is getting lazy. They have no reason to spend unnecessary resources on fantastic services, as people continue to purchase and use their platform. All they need to do is ensure that their service remains mediocre; good enough, but not great.
Microsoft, on the other hand, started off this generation in a negative light, and therefore needed to work extra hard to ensure that their customers are happy. So far, they’re doing a fantastic job at this. Microsoft currently has a ‘for the people’ vibe, while Sony no longer feels like a warm and welcoming company. They actually feel quite distant, robotic, and cold.
Because of all this, the PlayStation 4 is losing this generation war, at least in my mind. I have every expectation that the Xbox One will catch up and surpass the PlayStation 4 within the next two years, both in sales and public opinion. Microsoft is doing everything right, while Sony is riding their early momentum.
Now, where does that leave Nintendo? Honestly, I have no fucking idea. They’re doing their own little thing in the corner. But there’s nothing wrong with that. I actually love my Wii U more so than the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Yet, I have trouble envisioning a future where Nintendo is on top.
This actually irritates me a bit. The PlayStation 4 is a massive step back when it comes to evolving the game industry, and yet it sits at the number one spot. The Wii U has the most potential as a video game device, with the Xbox One falling somewhere between the Wii U and the PlayStation 4. Yet, it’s the console that changes nothing which is on top.
Anyway, that’s all for now. I wrote this whole article on my phone, and now my hand is cramping up. Seriously, how I managed to write a full article with 611 words is beyond me, and I did it all on a tiny Nexus 5. That’s a five inch screen with a virtual keyboard with keys roughly the size of a grain of rice. Well, okay; they’re slightly larger than that, but only slightly.
Anyway, peace out!