Even though Microsoft adjusted their strategy and finally dropped some of the bad-perceived aspects of the Xbox One, the rival's console, Sony PlayStation 4, seems to be ahead for the time being, in the race for the best next gen gaming console. Let us take a look on how things worked out so far between the two giants and what factors influenced the public opinion to lean towards Sony's product.
When talking about games, both Sony and Microsoft managed to present balanced products at E3 this year. However, gamers tend to think that Sony will come up with better games and will provide these exclusively for PS4, as they did in the past with PS3, and these will be better than the ones available for Xbox (like on Xbox 360).
According to Forbes, the odds that PlayStation 4 will sell better than Xbox One are rising every day, and Microsoft is the one to blame.
Xbox One presentation at E3 was a great example on how not to announce a new console. While Sony got a round of applause when they confirmed that PS4 will run old and rented games and it doesn't require permanent Internet connection, Microsoft suffered a big hit. Even though they said they won't go further with the restrictions, the general idea most people in the audience got is that, for Xbox One makers it is more important to score sales that satisfy the customers. Microsoft adopted Sony's strategy on games, but it seems it's too late, as PS4 is preferred by games, and this opinion will probably convert into sales.
Another important point was scored by PS4 when they announced the prices for the consoles. Originally valued the same, Sony decided to remove the PS4 Eye from the new PlayStation Standard package, and sell it separately. That reduced the console's costs and it is now cheaper by 100 euros than the Xbox One.
The beating Xbox took socially and the privacy concerns regarding the impossibility to disconnect the Kinect while you are playing will surely cost Microsoft and seriously affect the sales, the first ones at least.
If we are talking priorities, Sony seems to have taken the lead as well, starting from the media presentation. While the PlayStation 4 is presented as the best choice a gamer could make, Xbox One is going on the all-in-one road, saying it's a gaming platform, that could become a box set and home entertainment package, things that don't present much interest to most gamers. We don't know the final result of this war between the two giants, but it's clear the first battle was won by Sony. We'll have to wait to see what happens this autumn with them to make an idea for ourselves about the outcome.
