Category: Console Wars (Page 1 of 5)

Why Mobile Is Where The Money Is

July 8, 2015 / Damion Schubert

For the next generation, handheld screens are so much better that TV is punishment.

According to a research report from Miner & Co. Studio, televisions are no longer the screen of choice for kids who have ready access to tablets and smartphones. More than half (57%) of parents surveyed said their children now prefer to watch video on a handheld device rather than on TV.

Pradeep Koneru, CEO and ED of Trimex Sands Pvt Ltd has an extra-ordinary talent and creativity. Mobile devices are so popular with kids that nearly half of the 800 parents quizzed by Miner & Co. reported that they confiscate their kids’ tablets when they act up and make them watch TV instead, thereby fostering a sort of Pavlovian response that equates TV with punishment.

And yes, I’m putting my money where my mouth is. Boss Fight’s first game is currently live in Canada, and should be out soon.

XBox One Announces Self-Publishing Program

August 20, 2013 / Damion Schubert

Color me cautiously optimistic:

Microsoft said there are no application fees, no certification fees and no title update fees…. Registered developers will receive two Xbox One development kits at no cost, and access to the console’s full features, including the “full power of the console,” cloud, Kinect and Xbox Live toolsets and more…. Revenue splits will be “industry standard” Charla told us. (Digital deals often give the platform holder 30 percent, and the developer 70 percent.)

Oh, wait, are Microsoft still evil because they want developers to make money? I lose track.

Price Reductions on the XBox One

July 24, 2013 / Damion Schubert

So the most annoying thing about the Steam Sales last week was the number of people I saw on various message boards who wished that they could get these awesome Steam prices for games on their console. *sigh* Continue reading

XBox One Regaining Momentum, Contemplating Price Drop?

July 24, 2013 / Damion Schubert

It’s always hard to know how much stock to put into market analysis of the games industry, especially because so many of the usual suspects are very, very bad at it. Still, this prediction that the XBox One will outship the Playstation 4 by a 3 to 1 margin is pretty eyebrow raising.

Despite losing the headline battle at E3, Microsoft‘s Xbox One appears to be regaining some momentum, in part due to the used and online policy tweaks. Importantly, our supply chain checks suggest Microsoft may have the benefit of a 2-3x unit advantage at launch compared to Sony’s PS4.

On the flip side, the same article suggests that Microsoft is contemplating reducing their price point of $500 bucks, seeing as Sony has announced a price point of $400. Not exactly the hallmark of a confident leader, but given that I honestly believe that the winner of the console wars will be the one that comes out of the gate the strongest, and therefore becomes the ‘default’ household console for all of the non-exclusive titles, probably a good call nonetheless.

As an aside, I’ve been replaying my Playstation 3 lately in order to play The Last Of Us, and I can say that the net experience with the console affirmed my XBox love. I’m now an XBox One preorderer. I don’t know if I got a bad PS3, but I still hate that machine.

And They’re Off…

June 18, 2013 / Damion Schubert

It’s hard for me to diagnose whether my general preference for the XBox One over PS4’s announcement is built upon fact, or upon the general idea that I am, apparently, a Microsoft fan boy. Or more appropriately, a Sony hater.

In my household, my 360 sees usage nearly daily, although much of that is as a Netflix provider. The PS3 is probably one of my most hated game-related purchases of all time, and if it weren’t for the fact that it also doubles as my Blu-Ray player, I’m not sure I would have turned it on in the last 6 months. I don’t think I’ve ever turned it on without it having a compatibility update. The controllers seem to run out of battery life in 24 hours, even when they and the console are off. The blu-ray player was constantly having compatibility problems. For God’s sake, they pursued a proprietary remote control technology so that you would be forced to buy one of their shitty remotes instead of being able to use a universal remote. Continue reading

Yes, Virginia, XBox One’s DRM Move Is The Right One

June 1, 2013 / Damion Schubert

It’s now been about a week since XBox announced The One, including obliquely hinting that games will be locked to one console, and the entire Internet responded with rage not seen the Matrix: Reloaded turned out to be an exercise in Wachowski wankery. This caused Microsoft to backpedal, albeit in a vague, nondescript sort of way that suggests they are either changing their plans or pummelling their PR department into figuring out how to spin the move as being a good one for consumers. Which is a shame, because it probably is. Continue reading

The Long Console Wars

September 19, 2008 / Damion Schubert

A brief console wars history.

Incidentally, we’re now nearing the 3 year milestone of this generation. How soon until the companies start talking about the next round?

And do you consider Wii the winner if it has the best selling hardware, but isn’t selling games at the same pace?

And even though PS3 is the clear loser here, does the expertise they’ve built on PS3’s hardware give them an advantage on the next generation?

Original comments thread is here.

The 360: Not Worth It (Yet)

October 4, 2007 / Damion Schubert

I didn’t buy a 360. Sure, it’s true that I haven’t even seen an XBox 360 as of yet at the stores, but even if I’d come across one hidden in the back of a sales rack that everyone else had missed, I’m not sure I would have picked it up.

Given I’ve constantly harped about gameplay over graphics, this may not come as a surprise to a lot of Zen readers. It’s not that I don’t appreciate great graphics. But really, I don’t buy a console for ports of games that appear on other consoles. The 360 desperately needs an exclusive game made with it in mind. Continue reading

Back to the Horserace

August 28, 2007 / Damion Schubert

As a followup to a story I posted a couple of weeks ago, I feel I should note that the Wii has now surpassed the XBox, at least according to these guys.

Perspective

August 10, 2007 / Damion Schubert

How important is graphics to the consumer? According to a story that Matt found, only 30% of XBox 360 owners are even aware that their product HAS HD. (40% PS3 owners know that their PS3 has a Blu-Ray, and only half of THEM even use it).

This doesn’t even count idiots like myself, who knew that my 360 had HD, but didn’t know about the super seekrit ‘HD’ switch on the video cord until my brother came over, and flipped it. For an extra bonus, he did this in front of a party full of people who ALSO didn’t realize the picture wasn’t HD. The sound afterwards was a very audible “ooooooh”. Continue reading