Everybody knows the Xbox One and Playstation 4 are getting ready for their big launch. Hell, even non-gamers are at least aware it’s happening sometime soon. It’s odd how video games have seamlessly integrated themselves into the entertainment world and are no longer considered only a “fad” or considered to be only of the interest of children. Video games today are as much a part of the media as ET’s Entertainment News, Rolling Stones Magazine, and Football (and Futbol). More people today are playing video games than ever before. So, for Microsoft and Sony, selling your brand new hardware won’t be the difficult part… The true challenge lies in the long run of it all and who can earn the most respect in the gaming and entertainment industry.

Here at The Bacon we’ve seen other reports on Xbox One vs. PS4, and we’ve seen some great results and heard great comments regarding your opinions out there in the consumer world. It appears that the trending system is the PS4. This is all speculative of course and based on small sample numbers, but generally most gamers are leaning towards the PS4. Go ask a handful of people and see what they say.

Microsoft has made a number of mistakes in their marketing campaigns, including the ill-advised comments from former Microsoft head Don Mattrick (now with Zynga) who basically told concerned consumers “If you don’t want online connectivity all of the time, then there’s always the Xbox 360.” That one comment alone sealed Mattrick’s fate as Microsoft fired him at an attempt to make an example, but the damage had already been done. The Xbox One suffered IMMEDIATE negative criticism based solely on their persistence on having it always be online in order to work and their refusal to allow gamers to buy/sell used games (I mean, technically you can buy and sell them but they won’t work on other systems), forcing gamers to have to buy new games every time. This outraged the gaming community and we demanded changes. Microsoft immediately took a step back from that approach and changed both of those options. Then Don Mattrick came out and said what he said and boom… shit rolls downhill.

It’s too soon to say who will truly win this console war, but it most certainly IS a console war. Nintendo will assuredly win over their demographic as it is unique and different. The likenesses of Mario, Donkey Kong, and Link (to name a few) are still going strong are helping keep Nintendo afloat through some minor lackluster sales. Microsoft however, is going head-to-head against Sony in this war and it will take a few years to really grasp the full extent of who is “winning” and who is “losing” although it is my belief that both companies will succeed financially regardless of who is the most popular in the market.

Has Microsoft Sealed its Fate? Possibly. But probably not. It will definitely take some time for the Xbox One to climb out of this deep hole it has dug. Mattrick did a poor job of representing the Xbox One and he has paid for it dearly. Playstation 4 on the other hand is at the top of their game (they deserve it) and has been promising some straightforward, no-nonsense video gaming to the masses that has been well received. As the day draws near, we will soon know who has hit the ground running and who is off to a slow start. Either way, somebody is bound to break some video game records. Who could it be?

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PS: Don’t forget about the Steam guys… they could be making life a lot harder for the Big 3. Read here to see how Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo could all be in danger.

– Yours truly, NerdBerry