Console Wars

I'm finally starting to consider where I stand in the current generation of console wars.

Console Wars

My buddy just texted me last week indicating he was interested in the PlayStation 4. This is a big departure for him since he and I were both pretty strongly on the Xbox 360 bandwagon last generation. We pretty much had 360's from the day they came out and really enjoyed their online system. While he did not get a PS3, I was able to find one when Circuit City went out of business for 50 bucks. So I ended up with both major consoles of the last generation and I still play them on and off today.

This latest generation of consoles has been less than inspiring for me. Sure they've got better graphics and blah blah blah but that's never been the driving force behind me purchasing anything video game wise. I've never been solely for the graphics of a game. More often I go for story. One thing that made me lean towards the PS4 was the fact that I could get Bloodborne for the Playstation while they were not selling that even for the PC. But other than that, there really was no driving impetus to grab a next gen console until my friends started getting them and so far they are primarily Playstation fans.

For me though, my disdain for Sony goes back to PDAs. I used to consider anything Sony put out as the best in it's class. Their Vaio computers and Clié PDAs were some of the best electronics of their time. Sony made the best TVs, the best stereos, and hell, they created the portable music market with the Walkman. And I used to buy their stuff when I could afford it – I always wanted the best. Their NZ90 Clié was a beautiful thing to behold. Before phones had cameras, this PDA had a 2 megapixel camera, it had a keyboard that would put a blackberry to shame, it had a high-def rotating screen that let you use it in keyboard or touchscreen mode, it had expandable storage, Bluetooth, and you could plug in a wifi antenna kit – it was great! I loved it! It did everything I could want before the iPhone came out, and the only thing the iPhone did better was marketing to the masses (oh and it was a phone).

If Sony had kept working on their Clié line, they would be the dominant player in the cell phone market rather than Samsung. But they didn't. They cancelled their best product and shut down their entire PDA line due to competition from…Microsoft – gee they seem to be doing real well in the handheld market now too. Actually, none of the main players from back then are still making a dent in the market – Sony, Microsoft, Nokia, Palm are all minor players now. I still hear about HTC every once in a while, but they are all pretty much surpassed by the Googles, Apples, and Samsungs.

To get back to MY story, Sony cancelled the NZ90 and broke my heart. Since then, I have watched the once mighty Sony start making crappy mass market items that never seemed to live up to the venerable Sony name. They were made with lesser parts and didn't have the features to make them top of the line. So I stopped buying there products. This extended to the PS3. Particularly when the Xbox had such a better online system than Sony. It also helped that all my friends bought the Xbox.

I expected to eventually get onboard with the new generation of consoles, but I thought like last time I'd be getting an Xbox, but all my friends are buying the PS4 this time around.

I haven't made any commitment at this point, but all indications are I'll be joining the Sony crew soon. If anyone has a reason I should stay away from the PS4, speak up or forever hold your peace.

Morning Ramble #24

#Playstation4 #Xbox #PS4