Usually, verdicts of âwinnersâ and âlosersâ coming out of E3 press conferences are little more than armchair pondering. One personâs view of some competing events that donât really matter. But today, boy, itâs hard seeing Sonyâs press conference as anything but a punch in the face to Microsoftâs Xbox One ambitions.
The second half of Sonyâs conference saw them systematically taking apart Microsoftâs entire platform policy with the Xbox One, presenting the PlayStation 4 as a console able to undercut almost everything Microsoft was offering. Or, in many cases, forcing consumers to endure.
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The Xbox One costs $499? Oh, OK, the PlayStation 4 costs $399 The Xbox One imposes online checks? The PS4 doesnât. The Xbox One has restrictions on the use of your disc-based games? The PS4 does no such thing.
Seriously, people are going crazy. Twitter and forums are overflowing with people declaring everything from âBEST E3 EVERâ to âRIP XBOX ONEâ. Iâve been doing this job for a long time now, and Iâve never seen a reaction like it.
By listening to how upset people had become over Microsoftâs restrictions and demands, and catering their console to appeal to them, Sony has instantly won itself legions of Xbox converts and new fans.
Is it enough to matter? Who knows. The next 5-10 years will see many ups and downs for both Microsoft and Sony in this latest round of the console race. Sonyâs exclusives might under-perform. Microsoftâs new Kinect could be seen as a wonder-device, much like Nintendoâs Wii Remote, unlocking massmarket sales. To determine a âwinnerâ in this contest before a console has even been sold would be crazy.
But whatâs important today is that, unlike the last time they unveiled a new consoleâs price at E3, Sony are off to a very strong start.
