Three years after the console generation launched at the height of a serious pandemic, many shocking and unprecedented things are happening. First, Sony, the platform holder with the most supply problems during COVID-19 and related chip shortages, wins. This is not a bone of contention. It sold more machines, and by the best metrics we had, it released better games. It certainly has the biggest exclusive offerings.
Xbox – despite making some really good decisions at the start of this generation, spending tens of billions of dollars acquiring studios and talent to leverage its IP, and having a machine that’s readily available in stores earlier than any of the PS5 models — it looks like it’s struggling. It pains me to say this, because I really think it kicks off the ninth generation with a very solid product, and it seems promising for the next few years.
But PlayStation seems to be the more respected brand, seemingly insurmountable. From a neutral position, it’s a hard kraken to kill, but given all the damage to Xbox’s reputation – from RROD to the litany of stupid decisions made by Don Mattrick, I won’t bother to rehash it – —USS Redmond has circled the harbor for twenty years. Sony’s greatest sin during this same period can be summed up as arrogance, not incompetence. Phil Spencer, super cool head of games and jackets at Microsoft, made a valiant effort to stabilize the ship (which he found unseaworthy because it was a smoldering pile of ash halfway up the volcano), But a string of setbacks has seen the Xbox (which until recently was thought to be poised for a comeback) return to its sailing metaphors on rough seas.
Some flagship games have launched, but there have been technical issues. Key 360-era franchises either limped off into the 7/10s (Halo, Gears) or basically went AWOL (Fable). Bethesda’s acquisition has yet to produce a killer app: Arkane games are still niche titles that tend to do better critically than commercially, and their latest effort, Redfall, excels at both. Deathloop came out first on PS5 thanks to a pre-signed deal, as did Tango Gameworks’ paranormal digital tour Ghostwire Tokyo, which failed to set the world ablaze and ended up arriving on Xbox in such poor quality that PS5 is still the best place to play it .
Bethesda Game Studios, after embarrassing delays, itself found itself in a dilemma of getting Starfield into a good place before launch. It’s clear that a key milestone has been missed: you can now buy Starfield’s sidekick, Lucozade, but you won’t be able to buy Starfield itself for the next four months. There are soft drinks advertising a game that never ends in Marketing Time. Don’t get me wrong, this is a huge mistake. And it’s expensive.
There’s no such thing as the last roll of the dice for trillion-dollar megacorporations, but Starfield sure feels like one. And, the perception that all of Xbox’s hopes are now pinning on one game, no matter how well it does or what state it reaches, is a disservice. In fact, it’s the title of a notoriously hot studio when it comes to quality control? Insightful tweets write their own. Again, this pains me. I love Bethesda, and on paper, Starfield looks like the game I dreamed about growing up. I’m just not sure it can carry the fate of an entire industry in its cargo hold.
Xbox’s troubled attempt to merge with Activision has been dominating headlines in the specialist press, so it’s easy to assume that Spencer & Co. has been spending all their time trying to get Call of Duty for Game Pass, and that their first-party product is left stumbling out. the door. Perhaps, while the deal appears to have been killed by the UK government, they can now get back to the long-term project of restoring the Xbox brand to the cachet it enjoyed during the 360 glory days. But this time without spending billions to replace products that melt themselves.
I still believe, as I do in 2020, that Xbox offers a very solid product. Game Pass remains an incredible proposition, especially for those who like to discover new games they wouldn’t necessarily spend money on otherwise. Despite the negative press that the machine has gotten lately, I think their low barrier to entry for the Series S is still a very good deal for the casual consumer. Both things have been mixed for PlayStation: PS Plus’ extra tier gives players access to a vast back catalog, but it’s rarely released on day one, and Sony hasn’t complied with Microsoft’s policy of launching every first-party on the service. games, so loyal subscribers will still have to pay £70 for God of War, while the equivalent Xbox subscribers will get Starfield as part of the service.
A digital-only version of the PS5 is a great idea: much cheaper than the disc version, and has the exact same chip. But they’re like gold dust for a long time, and since the Series S is cheaper and often sells for Sod It prices, why not? money. Digital PS5s still hover around £400, and while cheaper than their slotted brethren, it might be a bit pricey for buyers who find the PS4 is still pretty adequate and now also have to budget for their daily electricity usage as the world slides. into the toilet.
In addition, the Sony Building has not been all smooth sailing. PSVR2 failed to bring the format mainstream, so VR remains a rich man’s plaything, with a library of curios and tech demos, contrary to expectations. PlayStation’s foray into PC distribution has not been smooth. Jim Ryan, Phil Spencer’s rival at Sony, came under fire last year for being weird on abortion rights, and Phil Spencer’s most recent Controversial is his insistence on wearing pop culture T-shirts with blazers.
That’s not to say Sony’s lead isn’t something that’s been earned for nothing, or that it’s unclear why the Xbox is lagging behind. PlayStation is undoubtedly the more prestigious brand, has more and better exclusives, and is generally a better place to go for multi-platform games. Meanwhile, while Xbox has two great machines to choose from, its game factory seems to have been sitting idle. Almost three years into the generation, it’s a devastating position. In three more years, we’ll start to wonder when the PS6 and Nextbox will launch, and there’s a very non-zero chance we’ll be wondering where the hell Fable is.
It’s not all doom and gloom. PC Game Pass made a massive expansion into 40 new countries a few weeks ago, potentially reaching millions of Xbox users through a subscription service that’s perfectly positioned to attract players outside the traditional Big Three markets. consumer. On the gaming front, Beyonce’s Hi-Fi Rush proved that Microsoft is still capable of shocking and surprising us with delightful displays that recall the legendary conference flex of the E3 era. Starfield will be an incredible game, and no matter how it falls on its ass at launch, the tail is long. Obsidian still has Avowed and Outer Worlds 2 left in the halls, and those are just two projects we know it’s working on.
While it’s now more or less over, the backwards compatibility program has been a huge boon for the Series X/S, with performance and fidelity gains for 360-era games allowing aging millennials to play in the original version. Often cry during the game. The Fable Trilogy, Oblivion, the original Assassin’s Creed, Red Dead Redemption, and more. Xbox has an incredible old catalog and enough talent in the roster to win again: we’re getting glimpses of it all the time. Maybe we just need to give them another year.
I hope Xbox does us a lot of good on June 11, and that Xbox can shake off this year’s string of disappointments and head toward a brighter future. PlayStation fans should hope for the best, too, because frankly, we all benefit when there is a powerful Microsoft that keeps Sony on its toes. There is plenty of room in this industry for more than one ecosystem to thrive, and there is plenty of money flowing through the system to support multiple business models. Microsoft has laid the foundations well for a low-barrier, flat-priced platform where innovative projects and artistic curiosities can find audiences alongside the pillars that keep them viable.
But while all the pillars are lost in this post, time is running out to make the new Xbox ecosystem a viable one in the long run. So let’s hope more Starfield gameplay isn’t the biggest news on June 11.