Microsoft have had a bit of a tough time this generation, all of which can be traced back to their horrific policies for the Xbox One going into the console’s initial reveal and launch. And while they have been in damage control mode ever since, trying to turn the ship back around, they’ve had problems, and the PS4 continues to lead the console cycle.
When GamingBolt had a chance to sit down and talk with Arran Seaton of Monothetic Games, who are currently working on Beacon, we asked him for his opinion on how this console cycle is going, and what he thinks Microsoft are doing right with Xbox, versus what Sony are doing right with PlayStation. His opinion? Both are doing great on their own merits, and the entire ‘console wars’ narrative is rather pointless.
“I’ve never really enjoyed fueling the ‘console wars’ narrative,” Seaton said. “I think they’re both doing a lot of right things in their own different ways. Sony objectively got off to a better start this generation, they had very clear intentions they wanted to achieve after the PS3. Even in regards to support for indie developers, Sony were very welcoming right off the bat. Playstation VR is also currently the best chance VR has to get widely adopted by general consumers.”
That said, he also had good words for Microsoft.
“But Microsoft has come into it’s own over the last year. They taken a little while longer to understand what their identity is this time around, and where they are taking it. They’ve learnt from their past mistakes on Xbox 360, with the fantastic ID@Xbox program. The upcoming support to play Xbox games on PC is great, and the Xbox One S is a sign of them listening to their customers (smaller, no power brick, physical power button, yay).”
I do agree- I think both Sony and Microsoft are trying their best to reach out to gamers and make the best possible product for them in their own way. Competition benefits all of us, and as gamers, we should all appreciate what Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo all bring to the table.