Topic: Is Sony losing favor with gamers?

@Mega-Gazz: Doesn't affect XB1. The External is formatted to XB1 only and works no different from an internal. I can however unplug my drive and play on ANY XB1 assuming I am logged into my profile. It doesn't mean my console has a security issue - its not like PC's for example!
External HDD support offers much more storage than an internal can ever offer. Its virtually limitless as you can always buy another and just switch them over depending on the games you want to play. It therefore offers a lot more spontaneity and freedom to play ANY game I own, when I want (or at least within a minute). Most of my games are now deleted because of 'space' issues and to play would take hours, deleting games, reinstalling the old game and updates etc. If that game happens to be a large digital game. that can take a LONG time - I would hate to have to reinstall Destiny with its DLC and patches - even the recent patch took an hour before I could play - Not an issue if I had 5+TB storage like I do on my XB1. I have more than 2TB of games on PS4 and with 3-4 games coming in he next few months, the 'few' games I have on my HDD will need to be deleted to play the new games. With PS4 Pro bringing updates and reason to replay old games, I will need to constantly be juggling my library as I want to play. On XB1, regardless of game, age etc, I can be playing in seconds as they are ALL on external drive.

I really don't see Sony doing this at the moment at least. PS4 Pro isn't exactly a new console to replace the existing PS4. It doesn't make the original PS4 obsolete and its not stopping you from playing all the new games they showcased at E3 either. Its not forcing you to replace your TV if you don't want to.

I see it as a half way step - designed to work on the next generation of TV's. I feel Sony are looking to the future whilst keeping a foot in the past.

Gaming though is a technology that is always advancing, always looking to the future. If not we would be playing Asteroids 237 or Space invaders 256 by now. We wouldn't see innovations, not just in hardware but software and game structure too - story, music, voice acting etc - all of this adds more depth to an experience than just repeating the same thing over and over again with a slight increase in difficulty with each new wave.

Whether you personally have interest in VR or not, its still a 'new' technology and offers a new type of gaming experience that no other console can provide. What gamers want is games but they also want variety and a selection of new/different experiences.

I feel Sony, at least publicly, have focused purely on gamers. Their E3 was just about games. They didn't have to bring out VR at all and could have just spent the time, money etc on remastering every PS3 game for PS4 for a quick buck. The didn't need to bring out a PS4 Pro that enhances the gaming experience, they could have just kept the original PS4 or given it a different colour at most and saved money on doing that. Its already the most powerful console available. They could of course just stuck in a 4k HDR drive and just offered HD gaming (like MS) but that doesn't add 'anything' for gamers. They could also have just given us PS5 and replaced the PS4 altogether - offered us a more expensive, more powerful option but like a new gen, leaves the old gen behind, announced that 'some/all' exclusives would be PS5 only as that has the 'power' to do them justice where the PS4 can't. Didn't have to play existing PS4 games etc,

Yes they may have had a bit of negative press with NMS (not a 'Sony ' developed game), another delay to Last Guardian (how many games are delayed this gen), MS having the most sales (new console out first and people knowing 'Neo' as it was expected soon) and a 'better' online experience (nothing unexpected or new there) as well as a rise in PS+ costs (still no more expensive than the alternative) and finally a 'mixed' reception to PS4 Pro - unsurprisingly as those not in attendance cannot appreciate the visuals on a 1080p SDR stream! Those in attendance though were impressed. Maybe Sony shouldnt have streamed it and kept it behind closed doors for the press but no they opened it up to the world knowing that the gamers were interested...

Virtually every decision has been aimed at gamers first and foremost and every 'device' is designed to give gamers a choice. Want VR, buy the headset but its not compulsory. Want better visuals etc, buy the Pro but again not compulsory or necessary to play any game. Want a range of exclusives covering a variety of genres, well they are in development too...

Its a bunch of small but annoying issues from Sonys point of view, the whole console space has exploded boom with only Sony stuff actually being shown. I'm loving the PS4 right now as there are literally ten games released every week. Yes PSN going down, the mixed pro messages and price increases are all annoying - but it will all come out in the wash. But who cares when hot shots golf, ff15, persona 5 and sonic mania are on the doorstep? It will all be forgotten about.

Next year will be interesting but 2016 is the year of PS4.

@BAMozzy: As I say, my circumstances effect me and a few others I know, I'm not saying they are true for everyone. If you choose to not want to use a PC in the living room, that is ok, I don't mind. If you think PS+ represents good value then that is fine too, I personally find I rarely play any of the games on offer since they declined in quality and things I may have been interested in, like Lords of the Fallen, I picked up on PC for £3 or less a year before their plus debut. As for indies, well places like Humble Bundle, Bundle Stars and Indie Gala allow me to pick up about 15 of them for less than £2.50 if I want them. This of course is specific to me, but I don't see all that many positive comments over PS+ these days.

I've noticed you mentioned hacking on the PC a few time, but it isn't all that widespread with most games running some form of anti-cheating software. While it is rarer on consoles (but not unheard of), I accept it will happen on occasion on PC (but really not as often as some might have you believe and it is not that hard to get into a community that run their own servers). I can't actually recall a time it has been as bad as when I used to play SFIV on my PS3 though, I must have gone about 30 games in a row which I either lost (fair enough) or my opponent disconnected (what's the point?). On the plus side of the open format I get the best mod support on any system with PC.

I have no problems with running a moderate spec PC either, most of the time there is not too much point for most people to get more since the games are just scaleable versions of console ones. The one I built 4 years ago still runs games better than the PS4 and a graphics card upgrade for about £200 would make it better than the Pro with no other changes. If you think you would have to get the most powerful components every year, then it would be an expensive choice, but most PC users seem happy enough if they can run games in a decent state. I think a minority, like you get in any community, have propagated the power hungry PC gamer myth (just look at the stats on Steam to see what the average level of hardware is for gaming).

I feel this has somewhat gone off on a tangent and I could list a load of things I like(d) about consoles (my answers are beginning to sound like I'm trying to convince people why playing on PC is better which was not my intention), but my original post was just saying, in answer to the ops question, I don't think it is specifically Sony who are hurt by recent developments, but the console industry in general. The reason for that is because people like me will leave it and even if that is a small percentage it is still a loss. In no way do I expect people who are happy with recent developments or more accepting of them to be swayed into leaving. It will be interesting to see what predictions I've got right over the next few years though and I'm certain I can do no worse that Patcher

Anyway, I should get my 4 hours sleep in now, it's way too late to be discussing these things...

Personally, for Sony right now none of these PR ups and downs are going to massively hurt the brand. The install base is huge, growing and they are nurturing that install base. Heck, I jumped from Xbox 360 to PS4 because I liked what they were putting out and the experience they were giving.

The thing that Sony has to be concerned about is the next generation race and when that starts. This line is starting to blur massively. Iterative upgrades, Nintendo now being out of sync with the generation releases and the blurriness of the scorpio is making the generation cycle a murky propsition and this has a risk of putting off the more casual gamers. @BAMozzy is 100% right that consoles sell because they are simple out of the box gaming machines. People buy them for simplicity and the majority of the PS4 install base are gamers that want that simplicity.

So Sony's challenge is not this year or maybe even next but navigating the choppy waters of the future gaming market and none of us can predict that.

My biggest reason for choosing console gaming is with a PC I sit in an office chair 6"-1' away from a monitor (*cough pixels per degree *cough), sound coming from two speakers with the edge of the desk pushing on my wrist. The PC is also much higher maintenance and I've had multiple graphics cards melt in the past if you aren't aware of ventilation and heat.

By contrast I plug in the ps4 and forget it's there, sitting on my couch, listening to my very nice home theatre with a 12" sub, 9' away from a 60" screen, with a comfy controller.

The difference in comfort and admin is quite stark. Neither tablets nor PCs will win that battle any time soon.

_{Language -Tasuki-}

@Mega-Gazz: With PCS, you can hook them up to your tV and sound system nowadays. Heck you can even use controllers now on most games.

Don't make me laugh.

Well the new boss has turned the company around from decades of yearly losses, but yeah, I've heard he has done a fine job damaging the Japanese sector of the industry. Hopefully it hangs in there because I don't like hyper-violent western games which are far too common imo. Japanese games are more quirky and lighthearted and usually don't try to take themselves too seriously. Violent games are only good if you want to release pent up rage and for someone who is more of a pacifist it really isn't my cup of tea, however I do think there's a place for such games so I have nothing against them.

Acknowledged, and if I were a bachelor living on my own it may be a solution (or if I had a private man-cave). But living with other people I'm not going to (a) dominate the living room in order to surf the web or pay my bills or otherwise use the computer or (b) put yet another (ugly) box in the living room with mouse and keyboard sprawling around the common living space (probably used as toys by the kids). And I obviously won't drag it back and forth every time I want to use it.

If anything I'd love to get rid of the PC because it forces us to dedicate a room in our house and a desk just for this device. I think honestly for that reason, tablets and consoles will ultimately win because they are devices you use on your terms instead of devices who dictate the terms to you.

For that reason, the long term question may be if tablets and consoles evolve together into a single device that you can use anywhere instead of being tied to a single room in your house, allowing for the reality of smaller homes/condos. And perhaps for the big screen experience they'll wirelessly stream/project onto a larger tv or just the wall....