The console

wars

Round 4

All views expressed are authors’ own. All data is included is publicly available.

Background

• Xbox One went on sale Nov 22nd across Europe, with PS4 following one

week later

• In the UK PS4 sold a gigantic 250,000 consoles in just 48 hours, well

ahead of Xbox One’s 150,000 first week sales

• That’s around £100 million in sales in just days for PS4

• Embarrassingly for Nintendo it also means that both new consoles have

already outsold the Wii U’s lifetime total in the UK

0 10 20 30 40

Xbox

PS

Nintendo

25.4

33.1

33.7

2.5

6.5

1.8

European Units Millions

European sales for the previous generation of consoles are still led by the Wii (just)

Sony have already predicted that PS4 sales will outstrip PS3, though they still have a long way to go

Microsoft are looking to dominate living rooms, but sales have been slow to start

PS4 Positioning

• “For the Players”

• Since E3, back in May 2013, PS4 has

been winning the PR war, focusing

almost exclusively on gaming

audiences

• Less restrictive, with DRM restrictions

not enforced,

• No need to play online

• $100 (ish£/€) cheaper

• Graphics upgrade

• Good memory capabilities/usability

• Working with independent games

producers

• Connects with your PS Vita

PS4 for the players

Xbox One Positioning

• “An Invitation”

• Microsoft have struggled to overcome the negative criticism surrounding their product

• The console, at $499, was expensive at launch but is reducing now

• This was meant to be the box to unite your living room

• Kinect has got great reviews..

• ..as has voice command

• It is abundantly clear MS want you to use Xbox Live as a base for your content

• Everything stored digitally, portable and accessed through your account

• This is Microsoft’s play to own the TV..

…because they can’t now dominate your phone

Xbox one an invitation

Launch PR dominated by event-heavy

stunts: Oxo Tower given a Sony makeover

• http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/oxo-tower-given-a-sony-makeover-to-celebrate-ps4-launch-

8940355.html

The Sun's page 3 swapped out for a

sexier image

• http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2013/11/weirdness_the_suns_page_3_swapped_out_for_a_sexier_image

Massive Xbox One reveals regular

sized consoles within

• http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/01/massive-xbox-one-opens-to-reveal-regular-sized-consoles-within/

Obligatory zombies

• http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/01/massive-xbox-one-opens-to-reveal-regular-sized-consoles-within/

Obligatory ads in the bathroom, E3

2013

• http://gamerfitnation.com/2013/06/e3-2013-xbox-one-marketing/

New Zealand Xbox shark tank..

• http://www.thetechgame.com/News/sid=5671/microsoft-puts-xbox-one-in-a-shark-tank-in-new-zealand.html

Microsoft keeps it polite

For gamers, there’s little doubt:

PS4 takes the crown

• “Final Verdict. Drumroll please: and the winner

is... Playstation 4. Taking an early lead with crisp, hi-res

graphics, a stronger, smarter online experience, and full

remote support for the Vita, the PS4 seems to have it all

together right now. The new redesigned Dualshock 4

controller has some smart upgrades. If you're on the

market for a powerful gaming experience the PS4 has

what you're looking for.”

• http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1718442/ps4-versus-xbox-one-which-console-better.jhtml

But, Microsoft and Sony have different

goals in mind…

would like to compete with..

Sony are challenged to think in a joined

up manner across divisions

Microsoft have other companies in

their sights

Microsoft have other companies in

their sights

Social

Video

Social

Payments

Video (calls)

Content hubs

Search

Mobile

Computing

Tablets

Content

Tablets

Payments

Payments

Retail

Microsoft have decided where they

want to win: your living room

Microsoft and Sony both recognise the

power of social & TV

• MS emphasised during watching TV, sports

• Skype in your living room

• Sony keep it within games environment

• Facebook tie-up• Fast video share and upload

Microsoft looking to create your one

content hub

• Universal look and feel across:• Win 8 PCs• Win 8 Tablets, incl. Surface• Nokia Windows phones

• Wide range of apps available at launch, incl. Amazon, Netflix, with more to come

• The main competitor here is probably Apple• However, they are yet to translate their domination of

MP3, tablet and smartphone into a share of the living room

• Apple TV has chugged on steadily to around 20m sales globally in 5 years, but have they something more around the corner?

Implications: has console gaming

peaked?

• Lots of hype, but the golden era of video gaming is probably over

• PS2 sold 150m+ units, PS3, 80m, PS4 projected 49m in next 5 years

• Now too many alternatives:

• Handheld consoles, mobile and tablet, PC gaming

• One clue: Nintendo, king of video games has just invested in Dwango

• Whilst publicly saying Wii U will still be supported, even Nintendo are

looking to make the move to mobile gaming

The move to PC

• Clearly console gaming isn’t going to perish overnight, but it may have

peaked

• Sony are selling each PS4 for a loss. Given their finances, if the console

isn’t a hit soon, with users buying several games, they may not give it long

• Increased 4K TVs and high end PCs running UHD games may spur this

decline faster, depending on take up

The battle for the living room will spur

digital video downloads• The largest issue holding back digital

video downloads was the ease of playing them back on a TV, and storage

• Xbox One may change all of this

1. Storage and access of digital content becomes simpler

2. The promotion of easily searchable streaming apps could create a wave of additional subscribers

• Digital revenues for video across EMEA will grow by 23% YoY in 2014

– Physical sales will drop by 4%, according to PwC

Which horse to back?

Sony have financial headachesNo clear united strategy across devices, unlike MS

Likely winners Problems ahead?

Danger Wii is falling out of favourBut huge cache in characters and mobile not tapped at all yet

Strong revenues, available everywhere.Staying relevant is a challenge

Huge cash pile. Strong interest in mobile gaming. Looking at TV but why no announcement?

Android pre-eminent.Large cash pileGoogle wallet could be key

Fantastic product, but is it good enough to change our living room habits?

Best placed to work with anyone. Likely to be #1 content distributor in a few years. New TV product cheap and convenient

Thanks!

Dan.Matthews1234@Gmail.com

Appendix

• Notes and Reviews

Ps4 overview – 8/10

• Best bit The PlayStation 4 demonstrates a refreshing self-awareness from Sony. Gone is the advanced Cell processor that put developers off getting properly acquainted with the PS3, so while the PS4 is powerful, it's simpler to develop for. It's less bulky than the PS3, too, and old hands will be relieved to know that the controller is significantly improved.

• Biggest letdown Unfortunately, early purchasers will likely struggle to justify buying their console at launch. Promising games such as DriveClub and Watch Dogshave been delayed, and the exclusives Killzone and Knack are only mediocre. However, plenty of great multi-platform games – such asAssassin's Creed and Lego Marvel Superheroes – look even better on PS4, with some in higher definition than on the Xbox One.

• Unique feature One feature to make Xbox One owners jealous is "Remote Play", through which you can play PS4 games on your handheld PlayStation Vita. Lag makes the streaming experience less than perfect, especially if you connect from afar, but being able to use the Vita as a second controller in games such as Knack and Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a blessing.

• Controller The DualShock 4 strikes a balance: is similar enough to the previous DualShock controller to maintain the brand but without its significant flaws. Both the touchpad and speaker are interesting additions – inKillzone the former is used for menu selections and the latter to play audio logs – but most welcome are the concave triggers and a shape clearly designed for comfort.

• Connectivity Aside from the DualShock 4 and Vita, you can also have some control over your PS4 with the PlayStation Camera, an optional accessory left out of the basic console bundle to keep costs down. However, its response to voice commands is inconsistent, and its facial recognition feature, while impressive, is no quicker than using a controller to log in.

• Social With long-awaited group chat and the ability to log up to 2,000 friends, it's clear the interactive aspect is a key component to the PS4. While the record of everything your friends have done is excessive, the ability to capture segments of in-game footage and to stream as you play shows a real understanding of the modern gaming landscape.

• Room for improvement As the PS3 and all it has to offer have evolved over the years, so too will the PS4. Let's hope it won't be too long before Sony releases an update with options to customise the home menu, which is currently no more than a horizontal line of every game and app installed on the device.

• Overall Sony's goal for the PS4 was simplicity, and that's reflected in both the physical design and internal architecture, which paves the way for a console that is focused on gaming. While only a few of the exclusive launch titles are worthwhile, those delayed big-budget titles and a promising roster of independent developers should fill the gap before long. Score: 8/10

• http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/01/xbox-one-versus-playstation-4-review

PlayStation 4 ad brings video games

into the real world

• The minute long clip licenses the classic Lou

Reed song 'Perfect Day' and features two

PlayStation owners happily destroying each

other in a sword-fighting game, car race, and

a war and sci-fi shooter - each element with a

hat tip to popular PlayStation titles The Elder

Scrolls Online, DriveClub, and Killzone

Shadow Fall respectively.

• http://www.creativebloq.com/3d/playstation-4-spot-brings-video-games-real-world-10134892

Ps4 future

• If put to the test, I’d wager that the system’s social aspects will be a quiet revelation in how we play over the next decade.

• Besides the sidling of consoles onto our Facebook pages (not to mention clever implementation that sees our friends ‘appearing’ in multiplayer suites like The Last of Us), the feature which allows others to take control of your game in a tight spot is telling.

• With the modest brilliance of digitally ‘passing the handset’ to someone else, I’m convinced this demonstrates a future of increased connectivity and interaction even in solo games. I wouldn’t be surprised if the likes of Destiny or Titanfall became the norm.

• http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/04/what-does-the-future-hold-for-the-playstation-4-4213181/

Xbox one overview – 7/10

• http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/01/xbox-one-versus-playstation-4-review

Best bit After viewing the original Kinect with disdain, it is a hugely pleasant surprise to find how impressive the new model is included with Xbox One. Voice commands actually work and the camera sensor is far more accurate. Dead Rising 3 offers the best in-game implementation so far, in calling out support commands to allies while slaughtering zombies.

Biggest letdown Many of the launch titles – conspicuously, largely first-party titles published by Microsoft – are filled with micro-transactions (ie charging you, albeit small amounts, for extras). Forza Motorsport 5, although a great racer mechanically, offers constant nagging to buy better cars with real money, while Crimson Dragon and Ryse both lure you into the Xbox Marketplace for upgrades. Digital consumables in full-price games is disheartening, to say the least.

Unique feature More a suite than a single feature, Xbox One's dedication to all-encompassing media consumption is very well implemented. Alongside Blu-ray playback and the usual array of on-demand services (Netflix, LoveFilm, iPlayer et al), an HDMI input allows you to control and record TV. The 'Snap' function is also useful, running a second app, such as Skype alongside game sessions.

Controller Improvements to the Xbox One controller over the 360's are largely "under the hood", with dedicated rumble motors on each trigger. On the surface, the A, B, X, Y buttons are a whole millimetre closer together, start and back are replaced with menu and view –largely retaining the same functions – and the battery compartment is less intrusive. Comfortable, but unremarkable.

Connectivity Microsoft's SmartGlass, a companion app for tablets and smartphones, is coming into its own on Xbox One. While the strength of each title's integration lies with developers, functions such as being able to control your apps remotely, pre-load movie purchases, participate in multiplayer games and reply to messages using your device's touch keyboard are fantastic.

Social The maximum number of Xbox Live friends now clocks in at a monstrous 1,000, a vast and welcome increase. Players can also form parties, groups they play with regularly or only on specific games, and communicate through Kinect or a headset. Once you've downloaded the free Upload Studio app, sharing clips of your gaming prowess is quick and easy too.

Room for improvement Beyond fewer microtransactions, home screen navigation is the area most in need of an overhaul. In trying to simplify the user experience, the minimalist approach is instead confusing and oddly cluttered. Favourite apps can be pinned butotherwise get clumped together in a sub-menu, making it trickier to organise. Hopefully, better categorisation is only a software update away.

Overall Despite its relatively strong launch line-up and promising upcoming titles such as Titanfall, the Xbox One is very deliberately positioned as a multimedia server, rather than a dedicated games console for the hardcore. TV integration may be irrelevant for the young and tech-savvy, eschewing broadcast in favour of streaming or downloading, but for families wanting gaming, video, music and more, Xbox is the One. Score: 7/10

Xbox One Vs. PS4: How Microsoft

And Sony Altered Marketing

Campaigns In Response To Xbox

One And PlayStation 4 Social Media

Reaction• But the coincident release of the newest

versions of these platforms -- the PlayStation 4 last Friday and the Xbox One this Friday --provides an unusually stark opportunity to compare how the consumer strategies of the two companies have suddenly and markedly diverged: Microsoft is trying to drive gaming equipment into the entertainment mainstream; Sony, in part as a response to Micro

• Xbox -- the 360 -- if they wanted a machine without these new features. For many, Xbox One wasn’t living up to its tagline --“Jump Ahead.” Sony took note.

• http://www.ibtimes.com/xbox-one-vs-ps4-how-microsoft-sony-altered-marketing-campaigns-response-xbox-one-playstation-4

Xbox one future

• Something we’ll definitely see more of is that

multimedia functionality. Despite playing up to

the gaming crowd prior to release, the system

has always been positioned as a box which

does everything.

• Most of all, this is an Xbox meant for everybody.

Boasting what Microsoft hopes to be a broad

appeal across many demographics, it’s a system

which strives to cross boundaries by not just

being a console. It’s evolved far beyond that.

Will it succeed? Considering how well the 360

managed with much the same attitude, I’d plump

• http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/26/what-does-the-future-of-the-xbox-one-look-like-4202323/