Kozminski Techblog

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Introduction

In the world of video games, there has always been a rivalry between console publishers. Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft and Sony, for example, have been in constant rivalry for a long time. These days, the talk is of a huge rivalry between Sony and Microsoft, but where does it come from? That’s what we’re going to find out in this article.

History :

The rivalry between Microsoft and Sony in the field of video game consoles is known as the “console war” between Xbox and PlayStation. This competition dates back to the 2000s and has played an important role in the video games industry. It all began with the release of the first PlayStation in 1994. This brand-new console emerged from nowhere between video game giants such as Nintendo and the NES or Sega’s Mega Drive. It was a runaway success for Sony, prompting new players to enter the market. In 2001, Microsoft launched the Xbox, marking its entry into the console war. Microsoft provided additional competition to Sony and Nintendo with its Xbox series of consoles. It wasn’t long before people started comparing Xbox and PlayStation and pitting them against each other, which led to the release of numerous consoles, including the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

One of the most notable features of this rivalry is the battle for exclusive games. Each manufacturer strives to obtain games that are only available on their platform, with the aim of attracting gamers and building loyalty. It was this feature that really saw the emergence of a conflict between fans praising the games on their favorite consoles. This new war took place on several fronts, including

1. Online services: Both companies have developed online services for their consoles, such as Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network. These services allow gamers to play online, download games and content, and enjoy multimedia features. However, it is only possible to play with players who have the same service and therefore the same console. This has led to a huge divide between groups of gamers.
2. Hardware power: The power and technical characteristics of the consoles have been a major point of comparison. Fans and experts often compare the processing power, graphics and performance of Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
3. The ecosystem: Each manufacturer offers an ecosystem of products and services around its consoles. This includes mobile applications, game streaming services and integration with other devices, such as PCs and smartphones.
4. The gaming community: The gaming community is also an important part of this rivalry. Xbox and PlayStation fans form committed groups, with strong preferences for their favorite brand.

Actually :

Today, the console war is over. The rivalry between the publishers is still there, but a certain hype has descended among the various fans. However, if we absolutely had to pick a winner, it’s the Japanese company Sony that emerges triumphant from this confrontation at the heart of the Golden Age of video games.  This admission was made directly by Microsoft, which even explained the reasons for its defeat: “Xbox has lost the console war and its rivals are well placed to continue dominating, particularly by taking advantage of exclusive content. The Xbox console has consistently ranked third behind PlayStation and Nintendo in terms of sales”.

To be sure, just look at the current rankings. According to data from VGChartz, PS5 sales reached more than 38 million units in 2023, outstripping Xbox Series sales by 15 million. Nintendo Switch, which was released in 2017, surpassed all other sales with over 125 million units sold. The US company recognizes that it has been squeezed out of the console market by its two competitors. To compensate, the major company is concentrating on marketing video games and its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which recently increased its prices.

Microsoft explains in the document that after losing the console war, Xbox has adopted a different strategy to Sony [and Nintendo]. Xbox benefits more from game sales than console sales. In fact, Xbox subsidizes the purchase of hardware by gamers in the hope of making up for the revenue [lost] from the sale of games and accessories by selling its consoles at a loss.

Conclusion :

I personally grew up during this period. I remember the lively discussions I had as a child at school about who had the best console, the best games and the best controllers. Personally, I supported the Xbox team and I remember watching sales fall little by little, wondering if I was going to have to sell my console to continue playing online.

In my opinion, the war isn’t over yet. The fans are still there, the publishers still motivated and Xbox enraged with the purchase of numerous game studios such as the highly publicised Activision Blizzard, Bethesda known for Fallout, Mojang with Minecraft and Playground Games.

These acquisitions will enable Microsoft to create new exclusives and make up for lost time by relaunching this exciting battle !

sources :

• https://www.tomsguide.fr/la-xbox-a-perdu-la-guerre-des-consoles-contre-playstation-et-nintendo-microsoft-savoue-vaincu/#:~:text=Microsoft%20a%20perdu%20contre%20PlayStation,acquisition%20d’Activision%2DBlizzard.

• https://www.numerama.com/pop-culture/825543-un-empire-du-jeu-video-microsoft-detient-desormais-une-trentaine-de-studios.html

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