Xbox Ace in the Hole for the 2020 Console Wars

I feel like I’m back in 2013 when all the consoles were going head to head.  The console wars are heating up, and I forgot to mention the one advantage Xbox might have over playstation. 

The biggest card up Microsoft’s sleeve is Xbox Game Pass. There is simply no other service like it in the video game industry right now, or at least none that offer the same level of value and functionality. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, gamers get access to tons of games each month on both Xbox One and PC, and access to Xbox Live With Gold. 

This service will continue with Xbox Series X and it gives Xbox gamers something truly unique and valuable that Sony simply can’t match. What’s more, the “Series” part in the Xbox Series X moniker means that we should expect more than just one Xbox sku this coming generation. We can almost guarantee there will be a more expensive, more powerful Xbox Series X as well as a cheaper, less powerful Xbox Series S. 

But there could also be an even cheaper unit that foregoes a physical disc drive and comes as part of a Game Pass contract deal.

If Microsoft is willing to essentially give these cheaper units away as part of a two-year Game Pass Ultimate subscription, that would be yet another huge advantage over Sony, bring tons of budget-conscious gamers into the Xbox fold.

So that’s clearly a point in Microsoft’s court, though I still maintain that Sony has an edge with generation-specific exclusives. Sony also has a better track record with exclusive content than Microsoft, and that’s only more true with Microsoft’s generous Play Anywhere policy.

Even better than that, we’re entering a new era of cross-play for many of the most popular games, so even if you go with an Xbox Series X and your buddy buys a PS5, in Fortnite and Call of Duty and hopefully many, many other games you’ll still be able to play together.

Microsoft Sales are Down: Profit Losses in Double Digits

Microsoft:

Xbox Content & Services revenue declined 11% in the 2nd quarter of 2020.

Gaming revenue dipped 21% this quarter.

This implies overall gaming sales hit just over $3.34 billion in the holiday Q2.

(As with last quarter, it doesn't report Xbox Live figures anymore.)

2020 Console Wars Xbox Series X Vs PlayStation 5: Why the PS5 Will Win

I have been an exclusive Xbox gamer for 6 years, but I’m starting to see PlayStation in a new light. Here is a breakdown of the advantages of buying a PS5:

Sales Numbers Don’t Lie

The PS4 has outsold the Xbox One globally, and that higher install base gives Sony an advantage with the PS5 as well. The PlayStation platform has historically had better exclusives. Games like Bloodborne, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Uncharted 4, God Of War and The Last Of Us are all terrific, and Microsoft hasn’t been able to keep up.

Xbox Righting Past Wrongs

The real reason why the PlayStation 5 has such an advantage over the Xbox Series X has to do with the two companies’ different strategies with first-party exclusives. Microsoft has announced that its first-party games will be available across Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC.

Sure, it will almost certainly earn Microsoft good will from gamers, but why bother buying an Xbox Series X system when you can just keep playing everything on your Xbox One or PC? At the very least, consumers will have no reason to upgrade in a hurry.

Backwards Compatible

PS5 will be backwards compatible with PS4 they’ll be able to take their PS4 catalogue along with them. Backwards compatibility used to be an Xbox advantage, but that will no longer be the case when it comes to PS5 vs Xbox Series X.

This will give Sony a huge edge over Microsoft, not just at launch but in the first couple years of sales. And those are crucial years in which player bases are formed. 

Both Sony and Nintendo give consumers a solid reason to buy their video game systems—you can’t play PlayStation or Nintendo exclusives anywhere else. Microsoft is more generous when it comes to choices, but that generosity may come back to bite the Xbox Series X in the long run.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Release Date Pushed Back

Press statement from square Enix:

“We know that so many of you are looking forward to the release of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE and have been waiting patiently to experience what we have been working on. In order to ensure we deliver a game that is in-line with our vision, and the quality that our fans who have been waiting for deserve, we have decided to move the release date to April 10, 2020.

We are making this tough decision in order to give ourselves a few extra weeks to apply final polish to the game and to deliver you with the best possible experience. I, on behalf of the whole team, want to apologize to everyone, as I know this means waiting for the game just a little bit longer.

Thank you for your patience and continued support” 

Yoshinori Kitase, Producer of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. 

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE will be available for the PS4 on April 10, 2020.