PS4 announced. Your move, Microsoft

GameZone's Matt Liebl writes: "Sony has finally announced the PlayStation 4, officially kicking off the next-gen console war (sorry Nintendo, you're not invited). With Sony confirming a holiday 2013 release for the PS4, it's assumed Microsoft's next-gen console will launch somewhere around the same time. Sony was the first to show their cards (even though they didn't reveal what the actual console looks like). It's now up to Microsoft to respond. But how can Microsoft effectively launch a counter-attack with the next Xbox?"

[StrongMan]

Here are the author's points:

1. GIVE US EXCLUSIVES THAT CAN ACTUALLY COMPETE WITH THE PLAYSTATION

2. DITCH THE KINECT...OR AT LEAST SUPPORT IT WITH QUALITY TITLES

3. KEEP THE CONTROLLER

4. WOMEN?

5.E3, BABY

Definitely agree with the first two. 4 is a bit of a stretch, though.

[cherry_olsen]

> GIVE US EXCLUSIVES THAT CAN ACTUALLY COMPETE WITH THE PLAYSTATION

It is too late for that to happen now. Nintendo and Sony spent years building up their first party studios. Microsoft has done the exact opposite and shut down or let go almost all of their first party studios.

Other than handing off the Halo stuff to a new company everything else Microsoft has done has been completely focused on the Kinect junk.

It really is bizarre to see people keep wondering why Microsoft doesn't come out with anything other than the same tired old Halo, Forza, Gears stuff over and over again. You have to have first party studios to make games - they don't just magically appear because a company wants them.

Microsoft should have spent the last decade building up their first party studios.

[soxfan2005]

"Microsoft has done the exact opposite and shut down almost all of their first party studios."

Really? Please post a link to where you got your information. Please tell us exactly how many studios MS & Sony each have. Otherwise, your comment has absolutely no basis in fact. It's just wishful thinking.

EDIT - joined 10 minutes ago just to bash MS. Why am I not surprised?

"Other than handing off the Halo stuff to a new company everything else Microsoft has done has been completely focused on the Kinect junk."

Everything else?? Completely?? So, I guess those FOUR 85+ rated core games that came out in 2012 for 360 but not for PS3 were just a figment of my imagination. Meanwhile, there were just TWO 85+ games on PS3 that weren't on 360 in 2012.

Like I said - wishful thinking.

[DonFreezer]

It really is bizarre to see people keep wondering why Sony doesn't come out with anything other than the same tired old Killzone, Gran Turismo, Infamous stuff over and over again.

[JoGam]

Sony: Check, ur move.

[Blackdeath_663]

i think sony will finish with a "check mate" (following your analogy) at E3. sony have been clever to be first to make an announcement but i feel it could possibly be a decoy just to get people interested and focus on the ps4 also to gauge the reaction from everyone and give them selves time to react to it before hand hence the reveal of the redesigned controller which thankfully people generally like. this leaves them with the reveal of the actual console,release date and pricing to E3 and games which many people were expecting but didn't hear about at the press conference for example last guardian and MGS add to that any vita or move related stuff which weren't talked about at the meeting. sony will need a strong launch title and many early adopters to compensate for the lack of backward compatibility. as a gamer i really really HATE the focus on kinect and the always online/paying to just play online or to use features i already pay for but it is increasingly looking like that is the direction microsoft is heading they haven't really provided much for the core gamer (i do realise these are just rumours regarding the next xbox but i can't help but think they true knowing microsoft)

[Blackdeath_663]

also about the women bit and to all the people who are claiming sony are sexist because no woman was on stage i find that absurd. if anything having a woman there just because she is a female and you don't want females to be left out is in itself both patronising,sexist and deeply disrespectful. the people who gave the presentations were out there for the sake of representing their company as representatives if there was a woman who was lead designer or ceo of a games developer company then of course she would be on stage introducing the latest game that her studio has been working on its not like anyone told them not to or there was an anti-females rule or anything. complete and utter nonsense.

[ShaunCameron]

Indeed. The comments from male feminists just reek of the very same sexism they were Sony of by suggesting women are too weak and incompetent to earn the spotlight on their own merits needing men to help them out via more affirmative action. Even they think women are inferior.

[Canary]

I think the bar is set fairly low. Sony has, up until now, produced hardware good enough to make me adopt year one, from the PS2 all the way to the PSV.

But I don't see myself buying a PS4 any time soon. Or ever.

All Microsoft needs to do is release a machine of comparable power with full backwards compatibility. That'll do me just fine.

[Dragos75]

I agree. I liked what sony showed but I was expecting something much better. No BC, no console showed, limited Gaikai info, no last guardian, and the games didn't seem to be a big jump as expected. The no BC thing really is a downer though. I guess this will be handled by gaikai but they gave no info on how and when. If MS does deliver BC with the same or near the same specs then I think they will take some hype away from the PS4.

[Godmars290]

If those leaked documents are anything to go by MS is only doubling down on Kinect. Making it a required element of their next system which will only be an issue if, even with better hardware, the ting doesn't work.

Likewise since BC is only something they tried to rub into Sony's face after it was dropped from the PS3, something MS later tried to add piecemeal to the 360 only to abandon it, don't expect them to even try this time out. If anything they'll likely try what Sony is with Gaikai.

[BitbyDeath]

MS could beat Sony but I doubt they could match or beat them spec wise so it's probably easier if they went in a different direction and marketed the hell out of Illumiroom and Kinect.

Also they need to get rid of the rumours about not playing used games, forced installs, always online, and always Kinect-ed.

[dubt72]

Hopefully Microsoft learns that you can always veer off to grab the attention of the casual gamer, but ultimately you have to return to center to appease the hardcore crowd. This move back to the hardcore could merge perfectly with a new console launch, so here's to hoping this happens! Killer Instinct Infinity! New Alan Wake! Condemned 3! Perfect Dark Forever! Conker Reborn! Crimson Skies 2! Kameo 2!