PS4 / Xbox One console war

[Ganelon]

Trying to tap into the casual market with casually-oriented games is a step away from realistic FPSs but it's hardly a step up. If Sony wants to build an image of not being reliant on AAA games, then the least it could do is to have SCEA QA reexamine its anti-niche, anti-2D practices that have been in place since the PS1. Otherwise, this quote seems to be either rhetorical or highly limited in scope.

As for Pachter, he's a guy who combines business sense and "rumors." Yeah, he's wrong a lot because he likely only has a little more info than we do and is just piecing together the specifics through some financial analysis. The technological trend in the past 20 years has been increased networking so it makes sense from a high level view why folks like him see Ustream for PS4 and potentially Skype on the next Xbox as major additions. I'm actually inclined to agree with him on that point.

[Friendly]

SCEA QA reexamine its anti-niche, anti-2D practices that have been in place since the PS1.

Are you willfully ignorant? It has been shown multiple times to you that those practices don't exist anymore. A flood indie games has started to appear on PS3 and PSV, and only recently Sony scrapped its rigorous content approval process precisely in order to make it easier for niche titles.

[Friendly]

@Ed Oscuro
Pachter is a total idiot. Most of the time when he predicts something, the exact opposite happens.

"Pachter also thinks Skype and a TV tuner are "killer apps" for Microsoft."
Wait a minute, PS Vita has Skype (for free, not behind a paywall). Go Killer app! Hope y'all enjoy your new PS Vitas.

(Please don't quote Pachter)

[Skykid]

Good to see Sony have actually pulled their heads out of their asses recently.

Did they have any choice? All that shooting in the foot over the last seven years has left them walking on crutches. I'm glad, but not surprised, that they've had a strategic rethink about where to go with PS4. I do hope it turns out to be the region free better of its predecessor and that they get the online stuff sorted out properly. Although really, I just want it to have the shmups - current gen gaming doesn't really inspire me much these days, so that's the clincher.

Thankfully I expect it will take a while before either console turns out to be the 'shmup' surrogate, which means I don't have to buy anything for a good few years.

[Friendly]

@Ed

Here's another funny recent quote (from 5 months ago):

No one has a PC as powerful as a PS3

(source)

His Wii U predictions are entertaining, too:
http://wiiudaily.com/2013/01/michael-pa ... ing-wii-u/

It's awesome to be completely clueless and to get paid for equally clueless predictions.

[Ruldra]

Adam Orth resigned (read: was fired) from his job and no longer works with Microsoft.

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/arc ... signs.aspx

Dealwithit.jpg

[Ji-L87]

Adam Orth resigned (read: was fired) from his job and no longer works with Microsoft.

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/arc ... signs.aspx

Dealwithit.jpg

[O. Van Bruce]

Adam Orth resigned (read: was fired) from his job and no longer works with Microsoft.

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/arc ... signs.aspx

Dealwithit.jpg

It's like they are chickens whose heads have been cut off. PANIC!

[Super Laydock]

Adam Orth resigned (read: was fired) from his job and no longer works with Microsoft.

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/arc ... signs.aspx

I always wondered how people like this actually even got the job in the first place.
But for some reason I think Microsoft attracts these kinda people on management/decisions level.

[BIL]

[trap15]

^ my feeling precisely

[Jeneki]

But doesn't that guy get all the chicks in his commercials?

[CloudyMusic]

And nothing of value was lost.

[BIL]

But doesn't that guy get all the chicks in his commercials?

He does, that's why he's laughing his ass off at the hapless Sweet Billy (who'll now have a lot more time to sit around jacking his little willy, presumably).

[Ganelon]

Are you willfully ignorant? It has been shown multiple times to you that those practices don't exist anymore. A flood indie games has started to appear on PS3 and PSV, and only recently Sony scrapped its rigorous content approval process precisely in order to make it easier for niche titles.

I should ask you the same question. Since when did those practices disappear? Last I heard a few years back, SCEA rejected Sakura Wars 1+2 on the PSP of all systems for being not enough of a "game" (I recall that being said in an actual interview with a localizer; feel free to look it up). Even now, SCEA has a well-documented near-requirement for US PS3 games that all cutscenes must have English dubs. As of Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires last month, this protective mentality still existed. Sony easing up on indie content approval is on the right track but the new process is still stricter than XBLA's community-based QA (maybe for the better though).

As for Michael Pachter, I'm pretty sure he's paid for his financial analysis like a typical investment analyst is and not for mere predictions on company strategy. The predictions are just for publicity and to indicate that Pachter seems to have some sources wihin the industry (e.g. he knows that a price drop will take place but not the amount). Just like sports experts, you can spend your whole career in the industry but not do any better predicting than the average joe (as the NCAA tournament always shows). Now, does a sports expert making a load of incorrect predictions make him less knowledgeable about sports? I would say no to that just as I would on Pachter being clueless.

I think a lot of folks get the misconception that Pachter's job is making predictions and others have narrow views of the industry based on niche community sentiments (e.g. that nobody wants DLC). I would easily agree with him that most PCs aren't PS3-level. If more than 10% of in-use personal PCs in the US are, I would be very surprised. I bought a top-of-the-middle-end laptop just 2 years ago and it certainly doesn't run modern games as well as my PS3. However, it still beats out the computers of over 100 people I know in terms of performance. I do agree that flip-flopping isn't ideal but you have to recognize that Pachter gets new info everyday, and some of that can certainly shift predictions.

[Friendly]

The difference between a sports expert and Pachter being that Pachter is not an expert of the video game industry in general and video games in specific. He is also clueless about technology.

[Ganelon]

It's not a perfect 1:1 analogy, just a reminder that folks shouldn't hold a double standard by equating predictive accuracy with knowledge. Pachter likely has a much stronger understanding of the finances involved in the core video game industry than any of us here. Sure, many of us could likely school him on historical facts, details about the games themselves, and even niche game company concerns but I'm not sure that matters to most investors interested in gaming (i.e. his clients). I don't normally read much of Pachter's predictions so I can't comment on any obvious naivete there.

[dave4shmups]

Adam Orth resigned (read: was fired) from his job and no longer works with Microsoft.

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/arc ... signs.aspx

I always wondered how people like this actually even got the job in the first place.
But for some reason I think Microsoft attracts these kinda people on management/decisions level.

Interesting. I just read that he resigned: http://www.gamespot.com/news/adam-orth- ... ts-6406798

Whether or not he was forced to leave, good riddance! Well maybe this means that Microsoft will change course, and not require the XBOX 720 to be online all the time. One can always hope!

[Jeneki]

He does, that's why he's laughing his ass off at the hapless Sweet Billy (who'll now have a lot more time to sit around jacking his little willy, presumably).

Oh yea *head-desk*. For some reason I thought we were comparing the two.

[Friendly]

Pachter very likely has a better understanding of the finances involved in the core video game industry than any of us here.

You know, there may be one or two people in this forum who have analyzed the intricate workings of the video game industry and even hold degrees in economics.

Fact is, Pachter is a clueless moron who somehow managed to draw lots of attention to himself despite totally lacking any insight. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Friendly]

I doubt this little episode will have much (if any) bearing on Microsoft's agenda.

XBOX 720

Why do you keep calling it that? Xbox 3 will definitely not be called 720 (which sounds like 720p = not fully HD).

[system11]

Yeah but you're a Sony cheerleader, so really is it fair to judge?

I'm leaning towards Sony so far, for the next generation. I still want to hear what Microsoft have to say, and Sony need to talk about region control and the regional differences in PSN content which made the EU all but worthless as usual.

[Cuilan]

Surprised no one has posted this yet, or are we only allowed to focus on negative rumors?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=537816

[Friendly]

Putting in an Xbox 360 disc into Durango will prompt the user to attach the supporting device that is sold separately.

That sounds dumb. What would be the advantage over simply keeping your 360? Like someone posted in that thread:


Maybe PS4 will have BC too: If you insert a PS3 disc, it could prompt the user to insert it into their PS3 instead.

[Jeneki]

Needs more expansions

[Friendly]

Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty fair. At least I try to be.

[Drachenherz]

And probably a few years later, we'll get an equivalent of this...

[TLB]

I'm posting in this thread to voice my support for Sony, the PS4, and user Friendly. I find it unbelievable that fanboys of every kind post on this forum, yet the only one who seems to get any shit is Friendly.

Friendly is FAIR and almost always polite; more importantly, he supplies our humble Off Topic section with UNREAL levels of pertinent, useful, and timely information about his areas of interest, and not just Sony. What about all you guys? I, for one, greatly appreciate his gifts of knowledge and humor to shmupsforum.

Frankly, I agree with lots of his Sony fanboying. In my humble opinion, he's usually right, and Fuck Microsoft.

Sony tries to make a lot of money by doing a pretty good job. They're no Valve/Steam (yet), but they're doing a much better job than Microsoft.

[KBZ]

With all this pc architecture, I'm hoping to see more pc versions of games that we aren't used to getting on PC (ie. anything japanese), or haven't seen in a long time (ie. EA's NHL games).

I don't see myself giving any money to MS if I can help it, and I'm still not over Sony crushing Lik-Sang even if it was ages ago. That said, sony have really impressed me so far with what little they've had to say about this new console. I will still probably own a steambox, but sony just might win over some old holdouts like myself if they keep with the good vibes.

[Specineff]

They can have as nice and easy-to-develop-for console as they want, but that's not going to be much help if the arrogant tactics of yore aren't abandoned. I'd like to see them go back to the hip company they were on the days of the original Playstation, and give a chance to games they wouldn't allow to be released on the PS2, for example. (Like the Raiden Project, which they themselves published back then)