I had planned on writing an article just like this one when Anderson suggested this for me to read. This covers all of the bases I could have thought of. While innocent console war banter is fun and enjoyable, it's the vile and offensive nature that the discussions can turn into detract from the experience of the launching of two next gen consoles. To read the full story click here. It's a good read and I suggest it to all. Can't we all just get along?
PS4 vs. Xbox One: Avoiding Another Decade Of Brand Loyalty Madness
This article, like many, many others written this year, has “versus” in title when talking about the upcoming contest between Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4. Both are indeed in competition for the hearts, minds and most importantly, dollars of the average consumer, and it’s going to be an intense sales battle this holiday season and well into the future.
But there’s another implication to “versus.” It’s the idea that the PS4 and Xbox One are two rival camps that need die hard gaming fans to sign up as footsoldiers in a war raged on internet forums and comment threads.
This has happened for years already between the last two systems, the Xbox 360 and PS3, and it’s an exhausting thought to imagine it starting all over again, which has already happened well ahead of release. Perhaps it’s far too much to hope for to believe that this sort of meaningless conflict is preventable, but I at least want to try and lay out a road map to understanding why these two sides don’t need to fight.
Competition is Good
Alright, Sony/Microsoft devotees. Let’s start with a simple premise. What if you won? What if you got your wish and say, the Xbox One was killed by Microsoft and Sony’s PS4 reigned supreme as the only formidable console in town (discussion on the Wii U later).
What would that do?
Sony, having no real competition in the space, would get complacent. With no viable alternative for gamers to turn to, they wouldn’t feel the pressure to innovate with future hardware and software upgrades, nor to ever lower the price significantly. Since its “exclusive” games aren’t competing against much of anything at all, there would be no real need to push the envelope as literally the only game in town. The same would be true if Microsoft had come out on top instead.
I’m not sure how much deeper I have to dive into one of the fundamental tenets of capitalism to get this point across. Competition is generally great for the consumer, forcing companies to continually improve their offerings and cut their prices. The PS4 needs the Xbox One and vice versa, or else innovation in the industry could stagnate. For whatever reason, you may think you want everyone to convert to your console of choice and bankrupt the other side, but trust me, you really don’t.
You Are Fighting for a Corporation
I’m also not sure how these two camps formed, or why. What exactly are you getting for being Microsoft or Sony’s eternally loyal advocate? You’ve given them money for their hardware and software, you do whatever you can to promote their brand and tarnish the reputation of their competition, but for what?
It’s important to remember that both Microsoft and Sony are mammoth, multi-billion dollar corporations who are delighted to have you fighting valiantly on their behalf while they’re not required to do a thing for you in return. In this console war, neither side is “the little guy.” Even other 3rd party combatants like Nintendo and Valve are still giant companies.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with brand loyalty. Explaining to others why you think a product is worthwhile because of the good experience you’ve had with it is normal human behavior. So is attempting to relay why another might not be a good buy because of a negative experience you’ve had with it. But the vitriol, idiocy and the combination of the two is where the Sony vs. Microsoft console wars (and many other matchups like COD vs. BF, hardcore vs. casual and so on) start to look incredibly silly to both insiders and outsiders.
This is not a real war. No console is worth being so violently for or against that it causes you to spew hatred to anyone that can read your text on the internet, or so that it allows you to completely lose your grasp on the English language as you attempt to make arguments. It’s a little bit scary to witness how massive corporations have managed to turn average consumers into unaware conscripts, promoting their brand blindly while slinging mud at their competition for nothing in return. This isn’t to say any of these companies are evil, nor that it’s wrong to like them, but they are corporations, not nations who need proud patriots, sports teams that need raucous cheering, or friends who need you to have their backs. If you see them that way it’s…confusing, to say the least.
This article, like many, many others written this year, has “versus” in title when talking about the upcoming contest between Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4. Both are indeed in competition for the hearts, minds and most importantly, dollars of the average consumer, and it’s going to be an intense sales battle this holiday season and well into the future.
But there’s another implication to “versus.” It’s the idea that the PS4 and Xbox One are two rival camps that need die hard gaming fans to sign up as footsoldiers in a war raged on internet forums and comment threads.
This has happened for years already between the last two systems, the Xbox 360 and PS3, and it’s an exhausting thought to imagine it starting all over again, which has already happened well ahead of release. Perhaps it’s far too much to hope for to believe that this sort of meaningless conflict is preventable, but I at least want to try and lay out a road map to understanding why these two sides don’t need to fight.
Competition is Good
Alright, Sony/Microsoft devotees. Let’s start with a simple premise. What if you won? What if you got your wish and say, the Xbox One was killed by Microsoft and Sony’s PS4 reigned supreme as the only formidable console in town (discussion on the Wii U later).
What would that do?
Sony, having no real competition in the space, would get complacent. With no viable alternative for gamers to turn to, they wouldn’t feel the pressure to innovate with future hardware and software upgrades, nor to ever lower the price significantly. Since its “exclusive” games aren’t competing against much of anything at all, there would be no real need to push the envelope as literally the only game in town. The same would be true if Microsoft had come out on top instead.
I’m not sure how much deeper I have to dive into one of the fundamental tenets of capitalism to get this point across. Competition is generally great for the consumer, forcing companies to continually improve their offerings and cut their prices. The PS4 needs the Xbox One and vice versa, or else innovation in the industry could stagnate. For whatever reason, you may think you want everyone to convert to your console of choice and bankrupt the other side, but trust me, you really don’t.
You Are Fighting for a Corporation
I’m also not sure how these two camps formed, or why. What exactly are you getting for being Microsoft or Sony’s eternally loyal advocate? You’ve given them money for their hardware and software, you do whatever you can to promote their brand and tarnish the reputation of their competition, but for what?
It’s important to remember that both Microsoft and Sony are mammoth, multi-billion dollar corporations who are delighted to have you fighting valiantly on their behalf while they’re not required to do a thing for you in return. In this console war, neither side is “the little guy.” Even other 3rd party combatants like Nintendo and Valve are still giant companies.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with brand loyalty. Explaining to others why you think a product is worthwhile because of the good experience you’ve had with it is normal human behavior. So is attempting to relay why another might not be a good buy because of a negative experience you’ve had with it. But the vitriol, idiocy and the combination of the two is where the Sony vs. Microsoft console wars (and many other matchups like COD vs. BF, hardcore vs. casual and so on) start to look incredibly silly to both insiders and outsiders.
This is not a real war. No console is worth being so violently for or against that it causes you to spew hatred to anyone that can read your text on the internet, or so that it allows you to completely lose your grasp on the English language as you attempt to make arguments. It’s a little bit scary to witness how massive corporations have managed to turn average consumers into unaware conscripts, promoting their brand blindly while slinging mud at their competition for nothing in return. This isn’t to say any of these companies are evil, nor that it’s wrong to like them, but they are corporations, not nations who need proud patriots, sports teams that need raucous cheering, or friends who need you to have their backs. If you see them that way it’s…confusing, to say the least.