NEWS mistakes LEADER
PLAYSTATION’S CHANCE TO BEAT XBOX IS NOW
On a global scale, Xbox 360 and PS3 are neck-and-neck. 80m consoles sold each – the difference between them is measured in the thousands. But in the UK, the gap between them is 2.9m in Microsoft’s favour. The dominance PlayStation had during its first two consoles was ended by Xbox 360. Microsoft’s machine came out first, was cheaper and featured a true system-seller in Xbox Live.
PS3 stumbled out of the gate 15-months late, was too expensive and never looked like competing. Although the brand remains strong in much of Europe and Japan, in the UK and US it has been truly beaten. Sony believes it has fixed its mistakes with PS4. And it has recruited a new UK management team to take the fight to Xbox. The three men we interview on page 16 were not here when PS3 launched and Sony has heavily backed them with additional stock and resource. Xbox remains the UK’s most popular games brand. But the opportunity for PlayStation to stage a dramatic comeback has never been greater.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT PROFIT, 1 1 . PS4 CONSOLE + KILLZONE SHADOW FALL
Sony
..........................................................................................PS4 2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Nintendo..................................................................................3DS
3. Xbox One Play and Charge Kit, Microsoft.....................................................................Xbox One
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4. Battlefield 4 +China Rising DLC
EA................................................................................................PS4
5. PS4 Console + FIFA 14 + DualShock 4 Controller Sony
...........................................................................................PS4
6. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,
Ubisoft......................................................................................PS4
3
7. Xbox One Console Microsoft.....................................................................Xbox One
8. Dead Rising 3 + Controller Skin Microsoft.....................................................................Xbox One
9. Battlefield 4 + China Rising DLC EA....................................................................................Xbox One
10. Ryse: Son of Rome + Controller Skin Microsoft ................................................................... Xbox One
www.shopto.net
JUST LOOK AFTER YOUR FANS The PS4 tagline ‘For the Players’ is more pertinent and universal than perhaps Sony realises. Making decisions based on what gamers want first, and profitably second, was the main lesson to emerge out of last week’s London Games Conference. Twitch, Eve Onlinedevelopers CCP and GAME talked up the power of gamer-first thinking, while Hit Detection’s N’Gai Croal emphasised the importance of gaining the ‘trust’ of players. In this very issue EA talks about wanting to overturn its poor reputation amongst fans. It even ended its profit-making Online Pass because ‘people didn’t like it.’
In a world of Twitter, Neogaf and bedroom YouTube critics, gamers are the ones in charge. They will reward those they trust and condemn those that seem to be putting money ahead of them. It is this audience that forced Xbox to change its next-gen business model and has made Valve one of the most powerful companies in games. In today’s industry, it is the gamers that
hold all the power. And they’re a difficult boss to please.
Chris.Dring@intentmedia.co.uk
www.mcvuk.com November 22nd 2013
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