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[Lunzio]

Batman is also not being released on the PS4 for another 6 months. But it's hanging in there with the 360's Titanfall.

Infamous Second Son comes out almost at the same time as the 360 version of Titanfall -- it's already up there and way, way ahead of it. Ground Zeroes is still 10 days away, and sitting at number 9.

I'm not saying the Amazon numbers will be representative of sales -- but I'm saying that the Amazon numbers absolutely do not paint a respectable picture of how the 360 version will sell. It looks awful.

Batman was just revealed though. It's in an entirely different point in it's pre-order life (currently spiking). Infamous is a widely anticipated PS4 game (with a userbase practically screaming for a new, AAA release). Ground Zeroes is also a next-generation game - once again for a userbase yearning for games. Titanfall 360 has the potential to spike in sales because of the positive reviews the PC/XONE copies will have. Once word gets out, there will probably an interest by those still with a 360. They'll have the option to pay $500 or pay $60. I think the latter will be the more popular choice.

Disputes over Amazon numbers is an entirely pointless argument. It's an argument in a vacuum that doesn't necessarily mean a thing. I still completely disagree with the picture you believe it to paint.

 

[harSon]

The main difference between Xbone and PS4 is the games, not Kinect.

That goes without saying, but a unique peripheral definitely feeds into that. There's a difference between a unique library of games, and a unique experience.

 

[chemicals]

How in the world is it an empty story to have a roundtable discussion regarding sales 4 days before the February numbers come out?

This is central to the industry.

no it is not. Both xb1 and ps4 will be fine. They're both selling quite well for expensive toys.

 

[TheUnsane1]

I still don't see where the ps4 value is. I own both consoles and so far have played the Xbox One 10 to 15 times more easily.

I have owned both systems since launch day and the PS4 exclusive titles just don't have much replay value for me. I want all three platforms to do well because I like good games and the more players in the market place the more chance we get them.

 

[Jetlagger]

They haven't and even if they had, they wouldn't announce it. The only reason they announced numbers previously is because the milestones they announced were within the same vicinity of what Sony was announcing. They're not going to announce exceeding 4 million after Sony has announced worldwide numbers in excess of 6 million.

Well, do we have numbers of our own suggesting or supporting anything close to 4 million? Anything even over 3.4 million? And if so, where have we sourced those numbers from?

My understanding is that UK is already lost and the US is the only remaining stronghold, and January NPD numbers weren't particularly strong.

 

[VanWinkle]

I still don't see where the ps4 value is. I own both consoles and so far have played the Xbox One 10 to 15 times more easily.

I have owned both systems since launch day and the PS4 exclusive titles just don't have much replay value for me. I want all three platforms to do well because I like good games and the more players in the market place the more chance we get them.

Which one do you buy multiplatform titles on?

 

[ElTorro]

That goes without saying, but a unique peripheral definitely feeds into that. There's a difference between a unique library of games, and a unique experience.

There is not a single good game for Kinect on the console. Not a single game.

Only a demo of a game that recycles the same small set of ideas from the last generation. And the game's controls suck balls. I seriously wonder how somebody can look at voice commands, Skype, a ridiculously gimped fitness app and Kinect Sports Rivals and conclude that this all makes up for a "unique experience" well worth $100.

 

[PhantomFear]

I still don't see where the ps4 value is. I own both consoles...

You obviously see some value or you wouldn't have bought it.

 

[TheDarkKnight774]

I still don't see where the ps4 value is. I own both consoles and so far have played the Xbox One 10 to 15 times more easily.

I have owned both systems since launch day and the PS4 exclusive titles just don't have much replay value for me. I want all three platforms to do well because I like good games and the more players in the market place the more chance we get them.

The value is the potential exclusives down the line, the cheaper price and most importantly it's the defecto console for multi platform games. Something MS made very successful last gen. As much as I enjoyed my ps3 Sony exclusives, I bought almost all multi platform games on the 360. It's crazy not to if you own both.

People greatly over value exclusives in what drives the market on which console sells more.

 

[harSon]

There is not a single good game for Kinect on the console. Not a single game.

Only a demo of a game that recycles the same small set of ideas from the last generation. And the game's controls suck balls. I seriously wonder how somebody can look at voice commands, Skype and Kinect Sports Rivals and conclude that this all makes up for a "unique experience" well worth $100.

What in the fuck does that have to do with anything? I was arguing that Microsoft needs to validate the value of Kinect. I said that they needed to open the peripheral to Indie developers, and take an elevated role in supporting it. I'm saying they need to create those unique experiences, not that they already exist.

 

[Mandoric]

Not beneficial for who? The market? The business? The consumers? Monopoly is a slippery slope. Got a shit ton of companies in Norway with monopoly. It "works" when it's controlled within a region, not when it's globally.

The consumers - it can be great for the duopoly or oligarchy involved, as everyone stays employed doing makework and replicating the same physical plant or other up-front investments.

I don't think there's any rational capitalist reading of MS and Sony now as a competitive field of two, rather than a non-competitive and harmful duopoly (in the context of console gaming) or two small and easily-restrained fish (in the context of interactive entertainment.)
You could argue "sure, one needs to go, but why not Sony instead?", but I think it's very hard to construct an argument that the excesses of PS3 (being a $1000 box for $600 rather than a $500 box for $400, being the more complex system to program) are worse than the excesses of Xbone (DRM, focusing on features that will never work properly outside the US, reliance on exclusivity deals for titles already in development as multiplat, being the more complex system to program), and also very hard to construct an argument that the "resting on laurels" phase of X360 (spending most of the system's profit to date on TV ads for a me-too peripheral, giving up on Europe and Asia, price drops stopped at $199) is better than the "resting on laurels" phase of the PS2 (price drops stopped at $129 rather than $99).

You're assuming that the exclusive games you played on the 360 would have been available on the PS3. I don't think that's a reasonable assumption to make. In your scenario, you could have ended up with the same PS3 experience for $200 more.

In my case, I'm working off a strange combination of Halo (slated for PS2 before MS gobbled it up, and Bungie went straight to multiplat after buying their way out, so not many questions here), Gears (Epic treated their lead franchises as multiplat before Gears took off, so a definite possibility), and shmups (most companies shifted from PS2 to X360 simply because MS's dev relations were easy to deal with, so eventual PS3 versions would have been likely otherwise.)

 

[Slashlen]

I think it's interesting that we are having a more interesting, grounded, and fact based conversation here than Pachter and Lee did. And I like both of those guys and thought it was a good episode. I just like us more


I want Titanfall to do well. I don't care what system/pc. I like the game. I thought the beta was fun as hell. I do think it, mixed with PvZ/Ryse/DR3/Forza(kinda)/Max/Peggle2/etc, make the xbox one worth owning. But the thing is that I made that decision in early december. Not in March. I think a lot of people are like me. March will definitely be a substantial uptick over Jan/feb, but that's not saying much considering how awful those numbers are. inFamous is also tracking really fucking high in social metrics (youtube views, twitter mentions, preorders, etc). Sony is going to have an uptick in March as well.


April is where it will really get interesting, to me.

How can Sony have an uptick when supply doesn't meet the current demand, unless you're suggesting that they're going to ship more?

 

[Dragon]

That goes without saying, but a unique peripheral definitely feeds into that. There's a difference between a unique library of games, and a unique experience.

Kinect is simply not offering that at all.

 

[krypt0nian]

By far the largest problem that Microsoft is facing right now is the perception that they are failing -- regardless of the actual numbers.

If March doesn't bring a HUGE win, this narrative will not change, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

That plus the performance issues start to make it damaged goods to some extent over time. There's a timer set before it really becomes a failed console in the minds of the public.

Titanfall in my opinion isnt going to be enough by any means.

 

[TheUnsane1]

Which one do you buy multiplatform titles on?

So far mostly ps4, but only because I wanted to justify having the system. My next gen library so far is:
Xbone: Cod:G, Dead Rising 3, Forza, Killer Instinct, Ryse, (Titanfall paid off)
Ps4: Assassin's Creed 4, Killzone, Knack, Lego Marvel Super heroes, Nba2k14 (Infamous paid off)

I will buy games for the platform my friends get them typically. Also of note those numbers are both higher than my WiiU attach number and I have had WiiU since launch day too.

My value comment is to more of a right now point of view if i had to get rid of one of my consoles tomorrow it would be ps4 in a rather easy choice.

 

[Jetlagger]

I know it was hyperbole. It is BAD hyperbole and it fails to make any point when it's clear the game is selling even at the end of the generation and with the known limitations of the X360 version. We can argue back and forth about the fact that older, established, games are beating it, but the fact that it and DS2 are the only two pre-order games in their list means it's still got momentum.

Why do people keep banging on this "exclusive" drum. Exclusivity implies that there's only one place to get it. But that's not the case at all and that's why it's not going to give Microsoft the bump they desperately need. If it was truly exclusive to Xbox One, there wouldn't even be a 360 version on Amazon to point and laugh at and I certainly wouldn't have been able to preloaded it via Origin on Friday.

I don't need to go drop $500 on an Xbox One to play their supposed Killer App. At all. Neither do X360 owners. That's antithetical to being an "exclusive" in the commonly used gaming parlance.

No, it wasn't "bad" hyperbole. Now you're hyperbolizing.

When people refer to it being exclusive, they refer to it not being available on PS4 where it would arguably sell way more than on the Xbox One. It would have been able to make up those lost sales on X360 if they hadn't effectively killed hype for that version by delaying it into self-imposed oblivion in video game years.

It being on PC and you downloading it on Origin also doesn't change the fact that it's still console exclusive to Microsoft's "ecosystem", if that wording is more precise for you and makes you feel better and helps to put things in perspective for you.

 

[famousmortimer]

How can Sony have an uptick when supply doesn't meet the current demand, unless you're suggesting that they're going to ship more?

That is what i'm suggesting.


Sony knows that March is the biggest month until fall and is preparing for it as such.

 

[captainraincoat]

Ermm id be more worried about sony as a business surviving than if MS will continue to throw money at the xbox division....they can actually afford it.

shutting down game studios..cancelling games and selling off another one of your HQs are not good signs and while the ps brand is pretty strong it will get dragged under with the rest of the business if it goes down

on a whole there are some very worrying signs in the videogame market and with apple sitting on a massive amount of cash and having nothing innovative in the past 4 years makes me think that they are gonna pull the trigger on console gaming.........then its all over

 

[NHale]

There is not a single good game for Kinect on the console. Not a single game.

Only a demo of a game that recycles the same small set of ideas from the last generation. And the game's controls suck balls. I seriously wonder how somebody can look at voice commands, Skype, a ridiculously gimped fitness app and Kinect Sports Rivals and conclude that this all makes up for a "unique experience" well worth $100.

That's the problem. Xbox One included Kinect on every console but forgot about the software to prove that the device is worth it. Motion gaming started because Nintendo included Wii Sports with the Wiimote.

I still believe that if MS puts significant development resources into software development for Kinect they will come out with products that can sell the device. And then they would have a truly advantage for those that seek a different experience while playing games.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Flashing back to Feb 2007 and the PS3. It's a tiiiiiiiiiiiime waaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp!!!!

 

[ElTorro]

What in the fuck does that have to do with anything? I was arguing that Microsoft needs to validate the value of Kinect. I said that they needed to open the peripheral to Indie developers, and take an elevated role in supporting it. I'm saying they need to create those unique experiences, not that they already exist.

I missed your original post, my bad, but it was more of a general statement anyway.

Nevertheless, I have a deep skepticism towards hypothetical "unique experiences" with Kinect. The tech has been around for years and was indeed already accessible to everyone via the Windows SDK. I have yet to see a convincing, diverse, sufficiently large set of ideas for Kinect games that resulted from that open access. Neither big developers, nor others came up with it yet, and that's why I don't believe that Indies will turn that thing into a core system asset. If Kinect is capable of those "unique experiences", we would have already seen them, at least as concepts. There will be the occasional wonky game, but nothing that validates the tight integration of Kinect with the system.

 

[VanWinkle]

So far mostly ps4, but only because I wanted to justify having the system. My next gen library so far is:
Xbone: Cod:G, Dead Rising 3, Forza, Killer Instinct, Ryse, (Titanfall paid off)
Ps4: Assassin's Creed 4, Killzone, Knack, Lego Marvel Super heroes, Nba2k14 (Infamous paid off)

I will buy games for the platform my friends get them typically. Also of note those numbers are both higher than my WiiU attach number and I have had WiiU since launch day too.

My value comment is to more of a right now point of view if i had to get rid of one of my consoles tomorrow it would be ps4 in a rather easy choice.

Well, yeah, but you can't base it on the "now". Consoles are long-term investments, and Sony has proven they make many, quality varied first party games. I would say the current value lies in having better multiplatform titles at $100 cheaper and getting a free game every month with PS+. As we move forward, we should see the wide breadth of quality first party titles.

 

[styl3s]

And the ps3.. cell

Are you saying the PS3 wasn't great? Because it had hands down the best exclusives of last gen and as far as i am concerned that is all that matters. I can play third party stuff on PC.

 

[bigboss370]

First, let me say that I'm sure Titanfall is great fun and will be a good game. But this insane hype around it ever since last E3 is the most bizarre thing ever. Its clearly a game worthy of getting excited about, but there's been such a massive amount of hype from the press and has been since the beginning. Seemingly bigger than any game I can remember. Its not that crazy or revolutionary or innovative of a game. I'm not putting forth any conspiracy theories or anything, but the hype has just felt so... manufactured, like, "this is the game we need to hype."

To me, it just seems like a good, fun game. That's it.

alot of people have voiced similar sentiments.

What in the fuck does that have to do with anything? I was arguing that Microsoft needs to validate the value of Kinect. I said that they needed to open the peripheral to Indie developers, and take an elevated role in supporting it. I'm saying they need to create those unique experiences, not that they already exist.

exclusive indie kinect games are not enough imo, they need big games made for kinect.

 

[bigboss370]

edit: dp

 

[mrklaw]

Ermm id be more worried about sony as a business surviving than if MS will continue to throw money at the xbox division....they can actually afford it.

shutting down game studios..cancelling games and selling off another one of your HQs are not good signs and while the ps brand is pretty strong it will get dragged under with the rest of the business if it goes down

on a whole there are some very worrying signs in the videogame market and with apple sitting on a massive amount of cash and having nothing innovative in the past 4 years makes me think that they are gonna pull the trigger on console gaming.........then its all over

sigh.

Playstation is a core part of the Sony business. XBox is not anywhere near that for MS. Although Sony as a whole are not in great shape, I'd wager they'd put more money behind PS4 if needed than MS would for Xbox one.

Just because you have money, doesn't mean you'll spend it.

and could you be any more hyperbolic about shutting down studios? they had a couple of changes in a short space of time - the SSM one is part of an overall expansion.

 

[Truespeed]

I still don't see where the ps4 value is. I own both consoles and so far have played the Xbox One 10 to 15 times more easily.

I have owned both systems since launch day and the PS4 exclusive titles just don't have much replay value for me. I want all three platforms to do well because I like good games and the more players in the market place the more chance we get them.

The primary value are the Sony exclusives. The secondary value is that nearly every multiplatform title will be superior on the PS4.

 

[Jetlagger]

What in the fuck does that have to do with anything?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy. You're getting a bit chippy now. The better question would be why would Microsoft finally be getting around to "elevating" Kinect now, when they've blown all their launch hype and marketing on a game that doesn't even use Kinect, practically outright shunning it? Shouldn't they have been "elevating" Kinect games from the get go? Wasn't Ryse supposed to do that for them? When that fell through, why didn't they already have a plan B? Why does Titanfall feel like their plan C, D, and E?

 

[FutureZombie]

Is it possible that Xbox 1 will have the better game lineup than PS4 and still have less sales?

Let's take the top 3 exclusives of the two consoles as they will be next week.

Xbox: Titanfall, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct

Playstation: Infamous, Killzone, Warframe

I like the Xbox exclusives a lot more, and I think that the majority of gamers would, too. Yet PS4 is outselling Xbox by a lot. That's the worst possible news for Xbox. I think a lot of people would argue the same thing is going on with Vita. I know a ton of people think Vita has a better library than the 3DS, yet it is getting pummeled in sales. As a console, all you can really do is deliver games. If your sales suck despite great games, you are screwed.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Are you saying the PS3 wasn't great? Because it had hands down the best exclusives of last gen and as far as i am concerned that is all that matters. I can play third party stuff on PC.

He said cell.

 

[Prototype Viktor]

good olde Doritos King towing the MS line of TF being only on Xbone, good on Pachter to correct him

 

[twobear]

Is it possible that Xbox 1 will have the better game lineup than PS4 and still have less sales?

Let's take the top 3 exclusives of the two consoles as they will be next week.

Xbox: Titanfall, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct

Playstation: Infamous, Killzone, Warframe

I like the Xbox exclusives a lot more, and I think that the majority of gamers would, too. Yet PS4 is outselling Xbox by a lot. That's the worst possible news for Xbox. I think a lot of people would argue the same thing is going on with Vita. I know a ton of people think Vita has a better library than the 3DS, yet it is getting pummeled in sales. As a console, all you can really do is deliver games. If your sales suck despite great games, you are screwed.

It's virtually guaranteed that, assuming MS don't wise up to the fact that they need to make more first party games, over the life of the console, PS4 is going to have by far the stronger lineup of exclusives, and much better versions of multiplatforms too.

Anybody buying the console now based only on the strength of the currently available exclusives is mad.

 

[BinaryPork2737]

Am I the only one who thought of Muse when reading the thread title?

Came in to thread looking for this reference. Glad I did not leave disappointed.

I wouldn't say time is running out yet. It's too soon to even say that because it hasn't been out for over a year.

 

[VanWinkle]

Is it possible that Xbox 1 will have the better game lineup than PS4 and still have less sales?

Let's take the top 3 exclusives of the two consoles as they will be next week.

Xbox: Titanfall, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct

Playstation: Infamous, Killzone, Warframe

I like the Xbox exclusives a lot more, and I think that the majority of gamers would, too. Yet PS4 is outselling Xbox by a lot. That's the worst possible news for Xbox. I think a lot of people would argue the same thing is going on with Vita. I know a ton of people think Vita has a better library than the 3DS, yet it is getting pummeled in sales. As a console, all you can really do is deliver games. If your sales suck despite great games, you are screwed.

What makes you think the vast majority of gamers would prefer those XB1 games to those PS4 games?

 

[Biker19]

Ermm id be more worried about sony as a business surviving than if MS will continue to throw money at the xbox division....they can actually afford it.

shutting down game studios..cancelling games and selling off another one of your HQs are not good signs and while the ps brand is pretty strong it will get dragged under with the rest of the business if it goes down

LOL, Xbox fanboys kills me always using that argument just because PS4 is doing better in sales.

News flash: The Xbox division isn't exactly safe just because Microsoft has a ton of money. Their investors are wanting to get rid of it altogether even before Xbox One has been officially released because it's not making them a lot of profit.

 

[N.Domixis]

That is what i'm suggesting.


Sony knows that March is the biggest month until fall and is preparing for it as such.

Excellent.

 

[TheUnsane1]

Well, yeah, but you can't base it on the "now". Consoles are long-term investments, and Sony has proven they make many, quality varied first party games. I would say the current value lies in having better multiplatform titles at $100 cheaper and getting a free game every month with PS+. As we move forward, we should see the wide breadth of quality first party titles.

This is all accurate. I have bought every system to come out on launch day since Gamecube(including Nintendo handheld refreshes) so I am not really the best example. I love this hobby and support all 3 major players.

It just feels like people are way more negative this gen than previous gens even with stuff like PS2 and PS3 both launching with basically no games for over a year in the past. I guess the Vita and Wii U have set a bad example for more recent console launches but lets hope that things go more the 3ds path where it was super rough to start and ends up where we are now.

 

[EventHorizon]

So far mostly ps4, but only because I wanted to justify having the system. My next gen library so far is:
Xbone: Cod:G, Dead Rising 3, Forza, Killer Instinct, Ryse, (Titanfall paid off)
Ps4: Assassin's Creed 4, Killzone, Knack, Lego Marvel Super heroes, Nba2k14 (Infamous paid off)

I will buy games for the platform my friends get them typically. Also of note those numbers are both higher than my WiiU attach number and I have had WiiU since launch day too.

My value comment is to more of a right now point of view if i had to get rid of one of my consoles tomorrow it would be ps4 in a rather easy choice.

I'm not sure of the point you are trying to make. No one can argue against the fact that you individually find more value in the XB1. The real question is if your experience a good indicator for the feelings of the larger gaming audience. Judging by the number of games that you own I'd say that you are far from a typical gamer. For the typical gamer I think the far more relevant console value argument is that the PS4 is $100 cheaper and gets the best version of most third party games.

In addition, while I agree that owning games on the same console that your friends own is an important deciding factor, I disagree that this is somehow an advantage for the XB1 since more people are buying a PS4 than an XB1.

 

[Truespeed]

good olde Doritos King towing the MS line of TF being only on Xbone, good on Pachter to correct him

Pachter missed it's on Windows too (and available for only $34 if your Russian

 

[VanWinkle]

This is all accurate. I have bought every system to come out on launch day since Gamecube(including Nintendo handheld refreshes) so I am not really the best example. I love this hobby and support all 3 major players.

It just feels like people are way more negative this gen than previous gens even with stuff like PS2 and PS3 both launching with basically no games for over a year in the past. I guess the Vita and Wii U have set a bad example for more recent console launches but lets hope that things go more the 3ds path where it was super rough to start and ends up where we are now.

Yeah, PS4 didn't have a great launch lineup by any stretch of the imagination, but that didn't bother me TOO much, since, like I said, its a long-term investment. Infamous is then first game I've been really excited about since launch, and I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully from then on out there won't be such ling drought periods (and I don't expect there to be).

 

[hawk2025]

Ermm id be more worried about sony as a business surviving than if MS will continue to throw money at the xbox division....they can actually afford it.

shutting down game studios..cancelling games and selling off another one of your HQs are not good signs and while the ps brand is pretty strong it will get dragged under with the rest of the business if it goes down

on a whole there are some very worrying signs in the videogame market and with apple sitting on a massive amount of cash and having nothing innovative in the past 4 years makes me think that they are gonna pull the trigger on console gaming.........then its all over

Which game studio was shut down?

Perhaps you are confusing it with MS Victoria?

 

[mrklaw]

Yeah, PS4 didn't have a great launch lineup by any stretch of the imagination, but that didn't bother me TOO much, since, like I said, its a long-term investment. Infamous is then first game I've been really excited about since launch, and I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully from then on out there won't be such ling drought periods (and I don't expect there to be).

this. Sony have proven to me over the years that they deserve my optimism that they will deliver the goods with first party games on PS4. So even though there aren't that many so far, I can still buy in and enjoy multiplatform games with confidence.

Whereas MS have basically done the opposite. They have shown with 360 that they'll just just enough initially to get the ball rolling, then as little as possible while the third parties do most of the legwork. They will have to turn that around if Xbox one stays behind, but their past history doesn't give me enough confidence to buy in - I want them to prove it first.

 

[razgriz417]

Pachter missed it's on Windows too (and available for only $34 if your Russian

na the pope said "windowed" not Windows

 

[Tagg9]

Sony knows that March is the biggest month until fall and is preparing for it as such.

Meh, I'm not sure that's true. May and June have been better months historically, unless you're specifically talking about Titanfall.

 

[jiggle]

good olde Doritos King towing the MS line of TF being only on Xbone, good on Pachter to correct him

how'd he make a simple mistake like that lol

 

[Toki767]

For me it sounds like even if Titanfall sells 500K Xbox Ones that is going to be a worldwide number and not just in the US. And even if the Xbox One sells more than the PS4 in March in the US, the big picture for that month is probably going to be 500K Xbox Ones sold in March worldwide vs possibly another million PS4s sold in March worldwide.

 

[Prototype Viktor]

Pachter missed it's on Windows too (and available for only $34 if your Russian

he didn't want people thinking he was correct all the time so he got 2 out of 3 which is how he stays employed

how'd he make a simple mistake like that lol

one hint: pocket

 

[mrklaw]

Meh, I'm not sure that's true. May and June have been better months historically, unless you're specifically talking about Titanfall.

For this post-launch period, March is critical. Sony will want to provide additional stock to support Infamous, and also to counter any uptick from Titanfall with MS. Sony will definitely want to win March NPD if it can. That may mean a low figure for February (along with the Japan launch) and they might then be low in April too.

 

[PhantomFear]

For me it sounds like even if Titanfall sells 500K Xbox Ones that is going to be a worldwide number and not just in the US. And even if the Xbox One sells more than the PS4 in March in the US, the big picture for that month is probably going to be 500K Xbox Ones sold in March worldwide vs possibly another million PS4s sold in March worldwide.

Ummm...maybe it's just me, but those seem like huge sales numbers for just one month. I mean, xbox sold approximately 140K in Jan in the US. One has to assume that those make up the majority of their worldwide sales, as well. 500K just seems way too high. If they pulle that off, it would be an enormous success.

And there is no way Sony is going to sell close to 1 million units in March alone.

 

[Syphon Filter]

I disagree completely about removing Kinect. Even if they cut the Kinect completely and achieve price parity with the Playstation 4, they'll simply be a less powerful console at the same price point with nothing of note to differentiate itself from the competition. They've put considerable money into the Kinect, and for better or worse, the Xbox One's identity is intertwined with Kinect.

What they need to do is cut the price, add value to the SKU and validate the worth of the Kinect. I would personally cut the price, include a first party pack in game (Kinect Sports Rivals would be perfect), include a subscription to Xbox Live (it doesn't have to be a year, 3-6 months would be suffice) and maybe include a $10-15 point card. The latter two suggestions are short term benefits to the consumer, but more importantly for Microsoft, they have the potential to lock them into the Xbox Live ecosystem and be a catalyst for them to buy into it long term.

And as I said, they need to validate the worth of the Kinect. I like Garnett's idea. Opening up each Xbox One as a potential developer's kit, and allowing Kinect integration, would be a brilliant idea. As he said, Indies have a much faster turnaround rate and are definitely more innovative/willing to experiment than more established development circles. And if they do take advantage of Kinect, it's basically a guaranteed exclusive since competing platforms lack a standardized equivalent. Having said that, Microsoft themselves needs to take the baton and prove the devices worth. I have a feeling they're doing just that, but if this e3 comes and goes without much effort put alongside that front, then they're basically shooting themselves in the foot.

They will be better off with no kinect.How does it distinguish it when PS4 also has a camera? What will distinguish xbox one is their own exclusive titles.