Sony have managed to throw themselves into the gaming press rather abruptly with their quick announcement of the PS4 on the 20th this month. The Wii U now seems like a thing of the past, and the Xbox 720/Durango feels like little more than a pipe dream as a result.
Sony certainly have the press momentum behind them now, so Microsoft will need to get in there quickly for some PR damage control. If they’re able to make an even better announcement soon, they may even totally bring the pendulum back their way. Here are ten tricks MS will need to pull out of their hat in order to steal Sony’s thunder.
Announce the Xbox 720 Soon
“Strike while the iron is hot,” or so the saying goes. Sony took things into their own hands with the PS4 announcement, and Microsoft are going to have to do the same if they want to bring things back their way. They need to take the initiative soon and, if rumours are to be believed, they may be preparing for just that. April is the supposed month, so we hope for Microsoft’s sake that these rumours come true.
Declare a Price
Sony left a lot of things out of their presentation last week, and price points were one of the biggest absences to note. So much speculation has surrounded the recommended retail price of next gen hardware, so Microsoft would be able to get a leg up on Sony in this regard if they jump in with a confirmed price early enough.
Avoid Neglecting Europe
I live in England, and my history of gaming has been accordingly cynical due to this. Certainly, things are getting better. It seems like only a few years ago games came out in Europe months after their North American release, if at all. Even though there’s a better parity now between the US and EU, console releases still get a bit ropey; a point perfectly illustrated by Sony’s inability to define a European launch window. We might not be the biggest or most important of markets, but we’ll be on Microsoft’s side if they treat us well enough.
