Sony Can Celebrate A Successful Year Thanks To The PS4 And The PSVR

The console wars have intensified this year with both the Xbox One and PS4 going back and forth exchanging positions at the top of the summit

[PhoenixUp]

At what point did Xbox One ever "take the position at the top of the summit?" Make no mistake, a few NPD doesn't render total worldwide sales nonexistent.

Also, Sony Interactive Entertainment is a subsidiary not a division like Microsoft Studios.

[OB1Biker]

'both the Xbox One and PS4 going back and forth exchanging positions at the top of the summit'
Yea that made me laugh too. How disinformation works is fascinating.

[Babadook7]

Was looking to respond to the flawed title, but apparently people are on the same page. Xbox has yet to win a single month worldwide. And that isn't trading blows at all.

But more to the point - Sony should be mighty proud of the PS4 'family'. An amazing string of innovations for the gen. Is psvr selling gangbusters like it deserves? Don't know yet. But it kicks ass. That I do know.

[kenwonobi]

It's always funny to hear. Yet here we stand with the gap between the two as crushing a defeat as ever. It's all whitenoise now. I tune it out because of media bias. It's clear they want the Xbox to not die it's obvious slow death yet. Any kind of positive news is OK for them nowadays. No matter how vague. I understand 4 months is significant if it's not ever happened before in North America. It's still pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things though.

[VforVideogames]

Just look at this sony army up in arms and sh!t !!! the title clearly says "A Successful Year Thanks To The PS4 And The PSVR" it doesn't say or even talk about the ps4 since it was launch so calm down soldiers.

[Errorist76]

Doesn't change the fact even so called journalists seem to fall for misleading marketing.

[kenwonobi]

Lmao. I struck a nerve.

[rainslacker]

People are like big goldfish. They can only remember the past few months.

[Dragonscale]

Like its neck and neck lol.

[DigitalRaptor]

I know, right? There's a 25+ MILLION and rising difference in sales.

We always see the desperate ones look at a couple months NPD wins, or a couple good games in the last 3 months of the year as a "comeback" for Xbox One. It's far from the truth. It always is, and it's always the same people. It's really not an "exchange" either, when XB1 gamers had to wait 10 months for a quality AAA exclusive retail game, as seems to happen most years. It all comes down to Xbox fans glorifying the holiday season "wins", to distract from an overall anaemic 12-months.

This year's 5-month NPD streak for XB1 is the closest it's ever going to get to a "comeback", and even then..... the PS4 sales in Japan completely neutralise any of what the 30k difference means to them. Scorpio is sure as heck gonna give these same desperate folks a reason to think the same next year if it's priced right and gets a lot of games during the holiday, but it will be short-lived, as PS4 continues to dominate its way towards 100 million sold, and continues to get the games that the mass market desires more.

[BecauseImBatman]

Seeing as Xbox doesn't have the same brand recognition as Playstation worldwide. Why do people constantly compare sales anyway ?

I don't think Xbox's success is dependent on them selling more than Sony, especially worldwide seeing as that's impossible at this point. As long as Xbox One is selling well in the markets Microsoft is pushing them in (like Uk, US, Australia etc.), that's all they'll care about.

I don't see why everyone can't just be happy that both consoles are doing well, one significantly better than the other.

[DigitalRaptor]

@ BecauseImBatman

It's because of the aforementioned people who - all generation long - have insisted that XB1 has a chance of catching up with PS4 sales, and often claim that during the holiday season, they are having a "comeback". I guess we just need to keep rubbing it in, for it to actually sink in.

Xbox 360 sold just over 80 million units last gen and XB1 will be extremely lucky to sell 50 million units this gen when all is said and done. This is significant because Microsoft built the XB1 as a "broad entertainment" multimedia box that also plays games, with the hope to sell over 400 million and up to 1 BILLION consoles.

They sacrificed so much, and basically sold out, just to go casual first and foremost and try and attempt a billion unit sales, which is the most laughable thing I've ever, EVER read in the history of gaming. Here's the quote and link:

"We think you can go broader than a game console, that’s our aim, and you can go from 400 million to potentially upwards of a billion units. That’s how we’re thinking of the Xbox opportunity as we go forward."
https://www.vg247.com/2013/...

To the people who planned for years and years, and wasted all those resources trying to make the XB1 into something it currently isn't, it's a colossal failure. In terms of games, it's way better than it could have been, but their lineup seems to be receding, more so obvious with them closing 8 first-party studios/projects back in March of this year. I really think that you saying "that's all they care about" is not the reality of the situation, because the XB1 has been a salvage operation this generation, and the revenue is absolutely light years away from what they were expecting, going in.

[BecauseImBatman]

"I guess we just need to keep rubbing it in, for it to actually sink in."
Well the continued rivalry between Xbox fans and PS fans arguing over sales, games, exclusives are only fueled by each other. And futile at the end of the day, wasted energy. They should really all stop and just enjoy games I mean it's a passion we all share. I don't see any need to tout about console sales, if you like your console and the games on it, shouldn't that be enough ?

I'm sorry but whoever they hired to come up with those estimates certainly had delusions of grandeur cause anybody with a brain could see that was never going to happen even if they were successful. Especially at a console price point.

I mean even if you take a popular Media player device like Apple TV which has sold roughly 20m + (more by now).
https://www.cnet.com/uk/new...

And that was at 150 dollars.

So the notion that MS ever expected to sell 400m devices, never mind 1 billion devices, was ludicrous. Wanting to and expecting to are two very different things. The Xbox One would have had to top the phenomenon that was the smart phone to get those sorts of sales.

I mean I don't disagree that the XB1 has been a salvage operation since launch but one that has gone the best it possibly (probably) could have it seems, I'm not insinuating any sort of comeback but now that MS know what Xbox needs to be hopefully they can get it right going forward.

I think their lineup of games next year looks pretty good, so I disagree about it receding (provided no games get delayed into 2018). I thought this year was a bit meh. And them closing studios down sucks and all but unfortunately it's the result of some bad mistakes on MS part and that's just the nature of the games industry. I also think that's part of why MS are now trying to get their games on PC, less risk.

But yeah I think going forward that is all MS will care about in regards to Xbox, selling console well it certain territories and selling games on Xbox and PC.

[corroios]

This news is just for clicks. This gen there wasnt never a fight between consoles. The difference is always huge. Selling 25 or 30k more in one market couple of months after 3 years doesnt do anything worldwide. It is just a drop of water.

[Gaming_Cousin]

Someone has short term memory issues

[SaveFerris]

I think the author meant to say 'Xbox at the top of the MAU summit'.

[ApocalypseShadow]

**So who do you think did the year 2016 belong to Sony or Microsoft?**

That's the only question worth answering from the article. And it's obvious of what the answer is. Sony dominated the year with console sales, dominated the year with software sales and dominated the year with hardware released. There's no other conclusion that can be made.

No amount of software updates or backwards compatibility can come close to what Sony has done to Microsoft this year as well as all generation so far. They're making Microsoft look like amateurs. No amount of money will cover the fact that Microsoft's lack of investment in the game industry with studios and games made by them, is hurting them. Sony has a strong brand but that could be overcome. Microsoft have had 15 or so years to see Sony's strategy and counter it.

Best bet for Microsoft is to start the new year at CES with a strong showing of visual demonstrations of Scorpio power. Doesn't have to be long. Just short clips of what Forza would look like and maybe a Halo 6 without actually announcing them. Announce again the power of the system, then tell every one that more details will be at GDC with technical conferences showing what can be done visually and VR capability. Then announce there that E3 will be big. With support like Star Citizen being on Scorpio.

Won't stop Sony. But it will make gamers stand up and take notice.

[joab777]

I'll admit I thought that they had too many irons in the fire. But now they have a head start in 4k gaming, a VR device that will grow in software etc., and a streaming app that I still believe is the future of mobile gaming. Which is why I believe that they could still dominate the mobile market, with some help from Android or Apple.

MS will get the Scorpio next yr, but then the future is in Sony's hands. They will get a head start of about a yr in whatever they decide to do next, whether it be the beginning of incremental upgrades, or the PS5. And they continue to create the best 1st party exclusives.

[StormLegend]

lol it's no competition and i'm not being a fanboy but MS has no chance of winning and definitely not in 2017 when you got games out at the beginning of the year Gravity Rush 2, Horizon Zero dawn, Neir and Persona 5

[slappy508]

And Xbox can earn yet another certificate of participation

[kenwonobi]

The lead is growing and never had it ever stopped growing at any point this generation. However yes Sony had a great year again.

[kenwonobi]

Make no mistake. Microsoft's mini bump had all to do with waiting for PS4 Pro. In between time Microsoft released the slim and Gears of War. That was a very understandable and expected sales period. As was the meteoric rise in sales of PS4 after the Pro release and virtual reality. Pushing all sales back to normal. While it's a neat parlor trick by Microsoft to barely win North America during that time. It's most likely the last great push. Scorpio will offer another but not as great. PlayStation will not have such a period of time waiting to release another console for Microsoft to take a minor advantage of. Worldwide sales its status quo. The needle did not move. It only increased.