With Microsoft’s announcement of the Xbox One this week, the slate of consoles for the next generation has become a known quantity. Each major game console maker has revealed its strategy, and game industry veterans can now weigh i...
With Microsoft’s announcement of the Xbox One this week, the slate of consoles for the next generation has become a known quantity. Each major game console maker has revealed its strategy, and game industry veterans can now weigh in on who has the best plan. But the competition in games isn’t limited to just the consoles anymore. Mobile devices, the PC, and a host of Android-based devices are hitting the market at the same time. We asked what some smart folks in the game industry thought about who was going to win the game platform war, now that the chips are on the table. The question was simple: who will win? Among the choices we gave them were: Nintendo Wii U, Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, Ouya, Android, iOS, the PC, and Other. Here’s some of our responses. Please comment on your own favorite and explain why. And please take the poll at the end. The real answer, of course, is that consumers are going to win. But first, they’ll have to sort out a variety of factors that include price, launch timing, game costs, other services, backward compatibility, cross-platform play, used game rights, always-connected to the Internet, and the best games. Chris Petrovic, former head of GameStop Digital Ventures Of course, the right answer should be that the consumer looks best in that there have never been more compelling platforms on which to game then what we now have – just look at the list! I really don’t see this as a binary answer. Each of these platforms can and will capture a meaningful share of consumers share of time and wallet. There seems to be general consensus in the game industry that it will continue to follow the ebbs and flows of its media brethren — movies, TV, etc. — in that the incumbent platforms will still provide the richest, most immersive premium experiences for the enthusiast while the newer platforms will appeal to the masses because they win on price and convenience. As it relates to the competitors within each sector, Nintendo has lost the living room and should focus on opening up its IP to third party platforms. As between Microsoft and Sony, the one that has the best exclusive content will win. Free-to-play models will not work because the platforms are not conducive to indie developers and also because discovery will be a problem along the lines of what we see in mobile. And as between Apple and Google, Google will win because of its market share and also because it has a better chance of solving content discovery. Dennis Fong, chief executive of video game social network Raptr The days of a gaming-only device are numbered, given the rise of smartphones and tablets as viable gaming platforms. So with that in mind, i think Microsoft is better positioned than Sony for the future. Microsoft has added some really cool features to make it a lot more useful and interesting in the living room. That said, content is king. Since both MS and Sony have great exclusive games, neither will be going away any time soon. Microsoft did lock up some strong exclusives on the nongaming side though, such as the NFL, which should pay dividends in the future. Ubisoft It’s impossible to say whether Sony or Microsoft has the “edge,” as both consoles boast their own distinguishing features and will appeal to consumers for different reasons – for example, Microsoft has integrated the next Kinect technology into the console, which provides players a new interactive experience. Meanwhile, Sony proposes a seamless experience for all PS4 games in the Vita. These two different approaches will appeal to different types of gamers. And as developers, we’re excited about the potential both machines hold. Tim Chang, managing director at Mayfield Fund and investor in game companies such as Ouya On the record: I’m super-bullish on the new Xbox – they have so much buzz, momentum, and cool new features going for them that I think they’ll continue to pull ahead of Sony PS4. [There will b
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