The Console Wars: Why They Have Just Begun

With the release of the Xbox 360 in November of 2005, Microsoft had a full year to gain a majority of the market share, and did so with the release of great game exclusives, and a reasonably affordable next-gen console. A year later, the Wii and the PS3 were released, and while two years later, the PS3 sales have been somewhat sluggish, losing Sony $3 billion dollars. When Metal Gear Solid 4 came out, the PS3 definitely picked itself up by its bootstraps and began to sell competitively…two years too late.

Sony’s library of exclusives is a powerhouse of gaming franchises, including Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and Grand Turismo, but even these are not safe, as Microsoft announced that Final Fantasy XIII will be on their system, as well. I’m willing to bet that the analysts didn’t see this coming when they said the 360 was going to get beat out by the PS3 all year. Many people believe that the PS3 will still show some console dominance with its Blu-ray player and cell processor, but their game line-up for 2008 is lack luster at best, and with the E3 announcements, 2009 isn’t looking much better. I’m convinced that people who own a PS3 are so dedicated to the system that they will play through garbage and call it a ‘marvelous technological achievement’ that can’t be missed. So far, I can only compare the PS3 exclusives to wading through the sewer in hopes of finding treasure.

By the time Blu-ray even starts to matter, digital downloading will become the wave of the future. Why buy when I can rent? Also, it’s better for the environment, eliminating the need for plastics and has a better profit margin for distributors, cutting out the cost of production. Xbox is itching to release its new dashboard system and Netflix integration, vastly expanding their digital movie download service, streaming films to millions of Xboxes, and even allowing friends to share a stream for romantic XBL dates. Though Blu-ray is a more permanent media for movie buffs, the players are still topping the 300-dollar price mark, and the discs themselves are 30 dollars a pop. Not to mention that the DVD is still holding strong with HDMI upcoversion players.

Sony threw money at a hyped concept that doesn’t actually help them in the one place they desperately need an edge… gaming. Many people use MSG:4 as an example of the importance of Blu-ray, and truly flexing the hardware muscle of the PS3. I think this game has the ability to come out as a multi-disc port from another company—in fact, I don’t even think it’s a question at this point because this game isn’t going to bank all the money spent on it… not upon release, at least. Games like Lost Odyssey showed us that a multi-disc current generation game doesn’t have to be a taboo.

You didn’t think the 360 would let go of its lead quietly, did you? The Xbox has several tricks up its sleeves, while the PS3’s promises have been delayed. While the fine folks at Microsoft keep churning out interesting and innovative new things for the 360, the people at Sony seem quite happy to sit on their hands.

I have no doubt the PS3 will reach a peak above the 360, at some point. It’s just that after all this time, shouldn’t it at least be making headway? Worldwide sales of the Xbox are still double what “The Triple” has. PS3 sales are finally knocking out 360 sales in quarterly roundups, but it’s a gentle transition. It’s sad that such a monumental system is going to win the console war simply because the 360 died of old age waiting for it to catch up.