thewhitehawk
Member
I agree with you that both companies, at launch, have very similar game lineups, but when you look at the PS3's entire lineup of exclusives and compare it to Microsoft's you will find that there is a distinct difference in tonality overall in the lineup. The biggest titles where Microsoft puts more of its support behind are the sports games and first and third person shooters. This is what they start or end with at nearly all of their game presentations. To deny this is honestly to lie.
Some of the most creative and innovative games on Microsoft's platform came from small or independent developers. Games like Shadow Complex, Braid and Fez among many others. But during the course of the 360's lifecycle most of the developers behind those titles expressed public disappointment with the terms Microsoft had presented to them and made it publicly aware that there were unreasonable publishing platforms.
Now, with the Xbox One's launch most of those policies have been altered and improved significantly, but it's clear by looking at all three presentations that both companies have had that one of them clearly has more independent developers on its side, even on a platform that has a mediocre install base like the Vita.
From where I'm standing, and I admit that my perspective is biased towards Sony right now, it seems to be that one company is focusing on the great AAA titles that helped make it successful, while the other company is focusing both on the AAA franchises that are successful in its platform and also providing good support and promoting games developer by smaller or independent studios.
Just like me, so far, it seems that the smaller or independent developers that aren't either owned or fully funded by Microsoft seem to be more reticent to support the platform right now, but at this point this may be speculation because they may be working on software but just haven't announced anything. But so far the message that Sony has been broadcasting loud and clear to the gaming market is that they have the best platform for independent developers. Given how many of them have been released in the past months and how many they announced recently, it's hard to argue against that.
In a week we have TGS which will showcase what the eastern developers have in store for next generation of consoles. Given how Microsoft has shown very little interest in that market so far (with the Xbox One), it wouldn't be surprising to a stronger showing of software for the Playstation 4 platform.
I don't think you should generalise people who appreciate Sony's products as mindless fanboys, specially so soon after some of Microsoft's own fans loudly defended some of the very bad anti-consumer measures and restrictions at the unveiling, and weeks following, of the Xbox One.
A lot of consumers simply prefer Sony's lineup, just like you prefer the Xbox One's, and there is also a pronounced number of people who are distrustful of Microsoft right now because of what they attempted to do and the way they communicated with consumers.
As another example, I like Windows Phone 7 but after Microsoft failed to provide support or an upgrade plan for early adopters to get Windows Phone 8 I don't trust that they'll be able to provide me as long-lasting support for any of their smartphone products as some Android phone manufacturers or Apple.
Being distrustful of a company because of their past actions is a perfectly legitimate reason for choosing a product over another. You shouldn't put all of the people who appreciate Sony in the same basket. Most of us have coherent and legitimate reasons for our choice, just like you surely have yours.
