Will Microsoft run away with the next generation of home gaming, or do Sony (and even Nintendo) have a fighting chance?
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Microsoft's Xbox One is out of the bag, and the next-gen console war's in full swing. So what happens next? Truthfully, the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Wii U are still big boxes of mystery--even though one already's been out in stores for months.
So, how will this new gaming landscape shake out? Sony and Nintendo, the also-rans to the current success story of Microsoft and the Xbox 360, have options. But they're not always pretty.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
[h=2]Sony[/h] Differentiate or die
Under the hood, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are more similar than any two gaming consoles have ever been: both have AMD-based processors, Blu-ray, camera bar sensors and motion controls. And both promise cloud service improvements. Microsoft may have the edge on TV-input promise, but that's not an ace in the hole. Sony needs to explain why people would choose a PS4. That "share" button isn't enough. Microsoft's clearly going after Sony's media-hub consumer electronics strategy and design aesthetic, so PlayStation needs another angle.
Cloud streaming: find the killer app
Sony's Gaikai acquisition and PS4 integration has potential, but what's the amazing feature that people can understand? Sony has already muddied the waters with its current PlayStation certified program, which delivered only old original PlayStation games on a handful of tablets and phones (like Sony's own Xperia line). Sony needs to reboot this concept and make it real: play any PS4 game on any Android or iOS device so long as you have good bandwidth and a PlayStation controller at hand. It's a tall order, to be sure. But that would be a game-changer (pun intended).
Turn PlayStation Plus into Netflix-meets-Amazon Prime
Sony's done a nice job offering a lot of freebies with the PlayStation Plus. It could go further: what if Sony actively curated a catalog of older games by every platform and gave many of them away for free to subscribers? Think the Amazon Prime approach: lots of great content, and the rest you pay for individually. (And, combined with the streaming approach listed above, the ability to play them anywhere.)
Triple down on original and curated content
Sony as a game studio has a big edge on Microsoft: their first-party efforts have often better. Plus, Sony's little-discussed
Microsoft's Xbox One is out of the bag, and the next-gen console war's in full swing. So what happens next? Truthfully, the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Wii U are still big boxes of mystery--even though one already's been out in stores for months.
So, how will this new gaming landscape shake out? Sony and Nintendo, the also-rans to the current success story of Microsoft and the Xbox 360, have options. But they're not always pretty.
[h=2]Sony[/h] Differentiate or die
Under the hood, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are more similar than any two gaming consoles have ever been: both have AMD-based processors, Blu-ray, camera bar sensors and motion controls. And both promise cloud service improvements. Microsoft may have the edge on TV-input promise, but that's not an ace in the hole. Sony needs to explain why people would choose a PS4. That "share" button isn't enough. Microsoft's clearly going after Sony's media-hub consumer electronics strategy and design aesthetic, so PlayStation needs another angle.
Cloud streaming: find the killer app
Sony's Gaikai acquisition and PS4 integration has potential, but what's the amazing feature that people can understand? Sony has already muddied the waters with its current PlayStation certified program, which delivered only old original PlayStation games on a handful of tablets and phones (like Sony's own Xperia line). Sony needs to reboot this concept and make it real: play any PS4 game on any Android or iOS device so long as you have good bandwidth and a PlayStation controller at hand. It's a tall order, to be sure. But that would be a game-changer (pun intended).
Turn PlayStation Plus into Netflix-meets-Amazon Prime
Sony's done a nice job offering a lot of freebies with the PlayStation Plus. It could go further: what if Sony actively curated a catalog of older games by every platform and gave many of them away for free to subscribers? Think the Amazon Prime approach: lots of great content, and the rest you pay for individually. (And, combined with the streaming approach listed above, the ability to play them anywhere.)
Triple down on original and curated content
Sony as a game studio has a big edge on Microsoft: their first-party efforts have often better. Plus, Sony's little-discussed