Every year, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, delivers the latest and greatest products from video game developers and publishers all over the world.
With the upcoming releases of Sony’s Playstation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One, fans of both consoles are preparing for a console war.
As it stands, though, there is no competition between the PS4 and Xbox One.
Sony, with the PS4, will beat Microsoft in the console war if what it has promised fans holds up.
Sony has priced the PS4 at $399, though its release date has not yet been announced. Microsoft, on the other hand, has priced the Xbox One at $499 for its November release.
Adding to the differences between the consoles, Microsoft said that the Xbox One’s games will be licensed and downloaded directly to its hard drive.
Sony, on the other hand, said that its games will continue to be disc-based, allowing users to freely trade, borrow or sell used games.
This sizable difference between the two consoles sounds the death knell of the used gaming industry. Stores like Gamestop that depend on the resale of used games will be affected tremendously by Microsoft’s decision.
Sony, rather intelligently, is banking on a video game industry that has grown used to having a large resale market.
Another caveat with Microsoft’s Xbox One is that it must connect to the Internet at least once every 24 hours.
While this may not be a problem for consumers who play online multiplayer games, players who have limited or spotty Internet access may lose accessibility.
If the Xbox One does not check in online at least once each day, the console will be able to play only DVDs and Blu-Ray discs.
In the event of an Internet outage, will the Xbox One be able to play games? Since Xbox One games will be online-based, it hasn’t been revealed if the Xbox One will be susceptible to Internet blackouts.
While it is still too early to predict a winner in the console wars, Sony has positioned itself ahead of Microsoft.
It also remains to be seen if Microsoft will compete well in the online streaming market.
With the demand for gaming on smartphones and tablets on the rise, the video game industry is poised to make a paradigm shift as developers continue to experiment and develop games from a touchscreen platform.
Even if Sony wins the battle against Microsoft in the next generation of consoles, the landscape of gaming is still bound to change in the future.
Nicolas Rodriguez is a senior political science major and an assistant opinions editor for the Daily 49er.