6 ms·
Sony’s PlayStation 4 Will Launch “This Holiday Season” For $399
- The_Cartman 13y agoThey just murdered the xbox one.
- randyrand 13y agoI think that depends on how good the new kinect is which comes bundled. The hardware is near identical. The used games issue and 24-hour checkins probably won't be a deal breaker for level headed people so I'd say this is still up in the air.
- bvc32 13y agoWhy would any "level-headed person" buy the Xbox One when it's: More expensive, less powerful, Comes with anti-consumer restrictions It's a no-brainer.
- zht 13y agothey may feel that they could get a better TV experience that the xbox has been trying to tout.
- jabits 13y agoSo these are you criteria, not the feature set?
- Dylan16807 13y agoThe feature set falls under 'less powerful'. The two machines are basically the same thing. The only notable difference is that the xbox has a forced kinect bundle. Everything else is barely noticeable except for some performance numbers.
- venus 13y ago> Everything else is barely noticeable except for some performance numbers. Did you type that with a straight face?
- randyrand 13y agoI personally really like the multitasking aspect of it. As well as the TV integration with kinect control. That easily justifies a $100 price difference in my opinion.
- Alphasite_ 13y agoSony did a terrible job advertising it, but PlayTV filled exactly the same role that this fills, and had dvr functionality, along with the same eternal hardware required requirements. Im surprised that they haven't done something similar for the ps4 yet.
- jimwalsh 13y agoWe aren't even sure if the TV integration works yet, even in the US. Every other attempt at it has failed (Google TV, etc). Sony's video after their conference showed multitasking while playing a game, on par with what Microsoft has showed us so far. So if those were your only points to pick an XBone over a PS4, you may want to hold on a second.
- meskyanichi 13y agoProblem is that that's all that the Kinect is good for. It does more bad than it does good. Gaming wise it has been a disaster. Also, the specs of the PS4 are FAR superior to the XBOX One's. Definitely worth much more than the $100. I can't believe they priced it at $400, almost everyone was expecting north of $600 due to their specs. Golden move.
- InclinedPlane 13y agoNot to defend the Xbox One's many faults, but the answer is very simple: Because they want to play the games that are only available on it. Or they want to play games with their friends on xbox live. Those can be very powerful motivators, games and friends aren't commodities.
- runevault 13y agoThe trick is a LOT of people on twitter/etc are basically saying screw MS right now, so if that holds than playing online MP with your friends will go Sony's way. That leaves only exclusives, and beyond Halo and Killer Instinct I haven't heard of much that would sell many copies.
- chii 13y agoif the xbox one receives more bad press than it already has, some publishers of games might start to think that an exclusive with xbox one is not going to give them a large enough customer base! I certainly hope this happens. I for one, hate platform exclusive games - it means vendor lock in, and it is anti-consumer.
- georgemcbay 13y agoI'm not so sure about murdered the xbox one, but they certainly injured it greatly. I suspect there are a lot of super casual bro-gamers who will buy the new Xbox out of habit for their COD and FIFA and Madden playing. But then you have people like me. I'm a gamer across both the PC and various consoles. The last two gens, the Xboxes were my primary console and until Sony and Microsoft started talking about their respective next consoles, I had just assumed I would buy the Xbox One and not the PS4, but seeing the two options mostly in the light now, well, I've pre-ordered a PS4 on Amazon and have no intention of buying an Xbox One. This decision is likely to directly spill over to at least half a dozen people I play games with if not more. Microsoft really fucked themselves with the positioning of the Xbox One and at this point I don't see how they'll be able to fix it in time for launch. I'm sure they'll still sell millions of units, but this is still an epic failure that I'm pretty positive will cost them their current leadership role in the space for the next gen.
- jabits 13y agoIs price really how folks decide which to buy? Even if a couple hundred dollars separates them, it does not change my choice.
- socillion 13y ago24 hour checkin (always-online DRM) and restricting game resale/trade is huge. The former has been adequately demonstrated by PR catastrophes like Sim City 2013 and Diablo 3, the latter is also very important to a lot of people who still buy discs. We'll have to wait and see how this translates into sales, but Sony won a lot of points for not caving to publishers on these issues. I suspect a lot of gamers also aren't keen on the Kinect, so the extra $100 for it is another downside.
- Splenivore 13y agoThat must be nice.
- tehwebguy 13y agoThat's not entirely fair, we're talking about premium entertainment devices with a minimum price of $399, the difference is only 20% of that.
- AdrianRossouw 13y agoWell, from a collector's perspective, the xbox one is a dead end. Unless they make a very overt overture towards the end of the life of that console ... In 15-20 years time, when the servers go down and the lights go out. It will be a useless piece of plastic. Hell, in 15-20 years time even the non-collectors who hung onto their consoles will be screwed. Unless the pirates manage to save it from obsolescence.
- batiudrami 13y agoWell it certainly seems like they learned from the PS3 launch. They also appear to have found a fairly snarky marketing team too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSIFh8ICaA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSIFh8ICaA
- aspensmonster 13y ago* The foregoing instructional video applies only to disc based games * PS4 multi-player online access requires PSN account & PS Plus subscription. Kind of a buzz kill.
- jlgreco 13y agoEh, not everybody likes to play online, and at least you don't need the paid online account shit to use other internet requiring services like netflix. I think I might make this the first console I've owned in a decade... Just about everything about it makes a lot of sense to me.
- Narishma 13y agoIndeed, and you also get a bunch of neat stuff when you subscribe to PS+ like free games and discounts. You also don't need it for all games, F2P games for example are exempted from it at the discretion of the publisher.
- oms1005 13y agoI was very surprised at the price, but with the ability to play online multiplayer now being a part of Playstation Plus, they can afford this. I was impressed by both conferences, but assuming Holiday season is November, I think the PS4 is looking really good. Also, Kingdom Hearts 3. That alone kind of made my day.
- Narishma 13y agoKH3 will be available on both consoles.
- raphaelcaixeta 13y agoI wonder what Microsoft's thought process is behind the "no used games" policy. Anything I'm missing?
- batiudrami 13y agoI'm guessing they expected a similar policy from Sony. Whether or not they had one and killed it after seeing the reaction to the XBox One is impossible to know, but we do know that publishers absolutely hate the used games industry, plus Microsoft (and Sony) take a cut of every new game sold so it's in their interest to move more new copies too. I personally am not a fan of used games (I don't see it as being much better ideologically than piracy, since the people who made the game are not getting compensated on resales which provide an identical experience to one that you get brand new), but publicity-wise it's a very smart move on Sony's part.
- daeken 13y agoI personally am not a fan of used cars (I don't see it as being much better ideologically than theft, since the people who made the car are not getting compensated on resales which provide an identical experience to one that you get brand new), but publicity-wise it's a very smart move on Honda's part.
- batiudrami 13y agoYou don't get an identical experience with a used car. The car has wear on parts, a shorter warranty, uncertainty regarding previous treatment and servicing, and no 'new car smell'. With a used game, assuming the disc itself hasn't been damaged (and if it has, you are entitled to a refund as per any retailer's used games policy), you get an identical experience to a person who purchased the game new.
- jordan0day 13y agoBut the price of that used car is also adjusted to reflect the wear/warranty/uncertainty. In an efficient market, the price of a car, used or new, reflects the actual value of that car. Why should games be considered any different? You also don't get an "identical experience" to a person who purchased the game new. The bits on the disc may be identical, but the experience isn't. For example, a game bought new in 2009 might look great in 2009, but by 2013 you've come to expect more. Likewise, there may be fewer players online for multiplayer experiences. There's also all sort of additional intangibles -- you probably won't be the first person in your peer group to play the game, so you can't brag how you beat it faster than someone else, or have the same feeling of shared experience when you ask "did you get past level X? How did you beat the lava golem?", and their response is "I don't know, I did that like two years ago." The analogy isn't perfect, but hopefully it's illustrative enough. At the end of the day, both cars are video games have a certain value when new, and a certain, probably lessened, value when "used". The characteristics by which the value has decreased from new to used are different, but they're extant in both cases.
- jordan0day 13y agoSony clearly lost the last battle in the console war, so it makes sense for them to try to undercut Microsoft in the next round. Microsoft seems to be making a bet that people want their consoles to do more. Sony seems to be focusing just on delivering a better pure gaming experience. I get the sneaking suspicion that "gamers" are going to like Sony's approach more. Edit: Sony apparently didn't "clearly lose" the current-gen battle.
- bvc32 13y agoYou must be an American with such sheltered views - with the exception of the UK, Playstation 3 is dominant in Europe and Asia.
- jordan0day 13y agoYou're right, I am an American, and my perception has been skewed by that.
- latch 13y agoThere's very little loyalty in the console business. Nintendo's the only exception, largely because their target audience is different, and even that brand is starting to suffer. You're only as good as your current console.
- magoghm 13y agoThe PS3 installed based is larger than the XBox 360 installed base: http://www.vgchartz.com/ http://www.vgchartz.com/ And the PS3 was released a year later than the XBox 360.
- mehrzad 13y agoWith Xbox Live Gold, Microsoft probably made more money, I'd say.
- KingLot 13y agoThat only means they lost more money that Microsoft did. Consoles are to games what shaving razors are to blades or printers are to cartridges. They sell them hardware for a loss and try to make it back on the games. The 360's attach rate is higher with people buying a lot of games and coupled with XBox Live Gold, made much more money than Sony did. Small wonder you have to pay Sony for PS+ for multiplayer now.
- almontas33 13y agoI am certain that the PS4 will do better than Microsoft simply cause of the privacy situation. I really can't stand the idea that XBOX one has to have the camera on at all times!
- jccalhoun 13y agoThe question is then why would anyone buy their just announced PS3 bundled with GTA5 for $299? Do they figure that since GTA5 comes out in September that they can get a couple months worth of sales in before the PS4 launch?
- AdrianRossouw 13y agoThis is the best time to buy consoles. The prices are rock bottom, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of great and really inexpensive games that are pretty widely available.
- Narishma 13y agoIt doesn't matter that the PS4 will come out soon, there's still plenty of demand for the PS3, and Sony will continue to sell and support it with games for years.
- randomfool 13y agoSo now MS is competing against PS4 & Apple TV with a product that costs as much as the two combined. Microsoft can't subsidize the HW if they are aiming for the TV audience. I think their strategy is flawed.
- jjsz 13y agoIt's $399 because it doesn't include the camera [0]. You can also use other apps without paying it's $50/year to play multiplayer games / PS+. We'll have to wait a year or so though for it's exclusive to catch up with Microsoft's. In two years when tablets get more RAM and cores, and if tablet games get serious the death of consoles AND handhelds will be increased. After all, unless you have people over, personally I would rather play outside, PS Vita style remotely connected to my PC. So. There. Instant startup opportunity. The closest I've found, is what I use with my PS3 controller [1]. I'm looking for something like the Vita, but for the PC because I'm done with consoles. Unless it gets 10+ games that I'm interested in, there's no point. Who wants to be forced to buy the camera, and be monitored like that. IMO, Japan's morals and culture continues to be the best choice when it comes to gaming. [0] http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-4-Camera/dp/B00BGAA3S2 http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-4-Camera/dp/B00BGAA3S2 [1] http://buy.thegameklip.com/ http://buy.thegameklip.com/
- runevault 13y agoActually it looks like PS+ is required for online MP now. http://kotaku.com/ps4-video-says-playstation-plus-is-mandatory-for-online-512482325 http://kotaku.com/ps4-video-says-playstation-plus-is-mandato...
- jjsz 13y agoYeah, I said that you can use all the apps without paying $50 / year for MP games / PS+. :-)
- meskyanichi 13y agoDoes no one consider comparing the consoles by their hardware specs? Or is a console just a console and do specs not exist? It's seriously amazing that they priced it at $399 with what they are shipping. Could've easily been at $599+. PS4's spec are far superior.
- KingLot 13y agoFar superior? Reference? http://www.nowgamer.com/news/1942974/ps4_xbox_one_hardware_very_closely_aligned.html http://www.nowgamer.com/news/1942974/ps4_xbox_one_hardware_v... Also, PS4's missing the Kinect entirely, so I don't think the price point is amazing.
- ChrisNorstrom 13y agoThis is VERY interesting. The console business is living proof for all entrepreneurs that past success DOES NOT dictate FUTURE success. And consumers are NOT as loyal to your brand as you think they are. It's anyone's game and you have to win over your customers each and every decade. === SONY === [Gen1] Playstation (1st place) 102 million units [Gen2] Playstation 2 (1st place) 154 million units [Gen3] Playstation S3 (Last place) 70 million units Sony slipped from being 1st to nearly last. The original lack of online support & multi-media online content of the X360, The "Cell Processor" mistake, high $600 price really hit the PS3 hard, it made up for it by including a blu-ray player though and later free online multiplayer. === Nintendo === [Gen1] N64 (2nd Place) 33 million units [Gen2] GameCube (3rd Place) 22 million units [Gen3] Wii (1st Place) 100 million units Things were getting bad for Nintendo until they tapped into an unknown market known to us now as "Casual Gamers". Before 2004 (much before FarmVille and other casual games) I had honestly never even heard the term at all throughout my life. Well done at discovering a new market. === Microsoft === [Gen1] n/a [Gen2] Xbox (2nd Place) 24 million units [Gen3] Xbox 360 (2nd Place) 77 million units Out of no-where Microsoft (one of the most hated companies in America at the time which inspired Google's original "Don't be evil" moto ) got itself up to 2nd place consistently by catering to "Gun-Bros" and hard core gamers (the type that go to a lan party to play Halo Matches) and delivering online content near perfectly (except for the price tag of Xbox Live). It revived an old idea (playing online with strangers, something that Sega tried and failed at twice) and made it work. It also helps that internet penetration rates were much higher than the days of Sega. It also introduced the standard "achievements" and "gamertag" that we now see all over the place. And it was the 1st to launch during the Gen3 console wars. === Moral of the Story === Last year's winners are this year's losers and last year's losers are now at the top. How differently will things change in the Gen4 console wars? So far the "Wii U" is doing terribly. PS4 looks the most innovative, and Xbone looks like Microsoft's attempt of control and conquering everything in the living room without asking the consumer for input (M$ as usual).
- Narishma 13y agoYour current gen numbers are a bit old. PS3 is now in second place (barely, 77.6 million units vs 77.5M for Xbox 360).