Generation Rising
Stephen M Buchanan - 8/25/2014
Summer is almost over, meaning that the holiday deluge of games is fast approaching. This year will bring the first defining wave of content built for this generation of consoles. Gamescom has concluded with promises of inspired and intriguing games, big and small, for both Microsoft and Sony’s consoles. PAX is just round the corner, which will give fans hands on experience with upcoming titles.
Early adopters of the newest console offerings from Sony and Microsoft are finally being shown the merit of their investments. Unlike previous generations, I did not pick up either of the new machines inside their launch windows. The decision to go without was a simple one — there was very little compelling me to do so.
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While the newest consoles have broken sales records the world over, the software available for both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 has been uninspired. The price of admission to play similar games with marginal visual improvements is far too steep when the same experience is essentially already available on consoles that myself and many other gamers already own.
That is not to say that the burgeoning boxes have been without exclusive content. Xbox One can claim Dead Rising 3 and Titanfall for it’s portfolio and the PlayStation 4 can point to inFAMOUS: Second Son and Killzone Shadowfall. Yet most of these titles are familiar, being sequels for existing franchises. While the specific content is different from predecessor’s, none of the games distinguish themselves beyond being another good entry in a good series.
While ‘more of the same’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing with these examples, there is little incentive to spend $400 or more on a machine that does not enrich the gameplay experience.
In spite of these issues, the industry continues to shift older content to the new consoles bundled with DLC and the promise of better graphics and that ever important label of 60 FPS. Sleeping Dogs, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider, Grand Theft Auto V, Diablo III, and Injustice: Gods Among Us are all either out or have plans for a ‘definitive edition’ on the new consoles.
With so much recycled content, it becomes difficult to find justify the cost of entry into this generation.
But the zeitgeist of this current generation of consoles is just beginning to take shape, and the gaming public has every reason to be excited. Robust titles from AAA dev teams and a new wave of increasingly sophisticated indie content are paving the way for this generation to define itself.
Sony and Microsoft played their respective hands at Gamescom 2014, showing gamers what they can look forward to if they already own a console and giving those who have abstained from the current generation reason to reconsider.
Microsoft has done a fair amount of legwork since E3 2014. Their initial announcement of the Xbox One was met with criticism due to it’s restrictive DRM policies, always-on Kinect and Internet requirements, and an overzealous focus on the television integration aspects of the console. Compounding the issue was the flippantly dismissive attitude of Microsoft when it came to addressing the concerns of fans. Upon the release of the console, the Xbox One performed better than it’s predecessor, the Xbox 360, but was largely outpaced by the PlayStation 4.
Unable to upset PlayStation’s early dominance, Microsoft has altered their strategy. The company focused on their game content almost exclusively at their E3 and Gamescom conferences. The console giant showed a variety of content, ranging from indies like the hilariously absurd Screamride and the ominously beautiful Ori and the Blind Forest to the time-bending, AAA gunplay of Quantum Break. Established franchises were also on display, with betas for Halo 5: Guardians and Fable Legends promised for the end of the year.
Sony has answered Microsoft’s challenge with gusto. During their Gamescom press conference, Sony revealed that they had sold over 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles since its release, making it the fastest selling console of all time.
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But Sony talked about far more than their sales figures. There were a half-dozen entirely new projects were announced for PlayStation consoles ranging a wide variety of genres and styles. Sony continued its commitment to indie developers, showcasing the ever excellent Housemarque’s new twin-stick shooter project called Alienation alongside Q-Games bizarrely artistic project The Tomorrow Children. We also got to see more of Bloodborne, a dark and atmospheric action RPG made exclusively for PlayStation 4 by Dark Souls developer, From Software. And this is only a portion of what Sony had to offer.
The take away from Gamescom is clear — Microsoft and Sony are in heated competition for hearts and minds in the gaming community. The PlayStation 4 has developed an early lead over the Xbox One, but the console race has only just begun. The One’s sales have picked up since Microsoft stopped requiring gamers to purchase the machine with the Kinect. Microsoft is not at a pace to overtake the PlayStation currently, but Sony themselves proved that sales gaps can be closed in the last generation.
While many portions of the industry are dividing up content and holding it hostage with preorder ‘bonuses’ and DLC the contest for console superiority is being fought with games.Even though some controversy has emerged over dubious exclusivity deals, the competition between Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is producing the perfect climate for consumers. These two giants are putting their considerable weight behind the production of compelling original content to make their new ecosystems the best places to play. That means more games for us.
If the climate of the industry continues to push for quality content in this manner, we could be in for one of the most exciting generation yet.
