![PS5 PlayStation 5 Xbox Sales Ampere Analysis 1](https://images.pushsquare.com/225aeb4465463/ps5-playstation-5-xbox-sales-ampere-analysis-1.900x.jpg)
In arguably the safest prediction since “the sun will rise tomorrow”, analysts are predicting that the PS5 will increase its lead on Xbox Series X|S in 2023. According to data analysis group Ampere, Sony commanded about 45 per cent of the console market last year, but shortages of its new-gen console caused it to cede some ground to rivals. It expects these marginal losses to be reversed over the coming months.
The company pegs PS5’s install base at 30 million, which we assume is accurate, given the Japanese giant announced it had shipped 32.1 million units at the beginning of this month. Microsoft doesn’t reveal sales numbers, but the research firm reckons Xbox Series X|S has sold around 18.5 million units. Both devices have been supply constrained since launch, although Sony’s console has become more readily available since the start of the year.
Ampere added that global revenue in the console sector was down 7.8 per cent year-over-year in 2022. This, it believes, is due to the delay of some major software and a “post-pandemic shift in consumer attention”. It also cites the cost of living crisis as a reason consumers may be choosing to spend less on expensive luxuries, like games. It’s going to be interesting to see whether the industry rebounds this year, or if it remains in a bit of a slump.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 95
Can't believe Sammy just jinxed the sun rising tomorrow. Always knew he was the harbinger of the apocalypse.
I still believe the only reason Microsoft are going after Activision is because they know Playstation will dominate for years to come on first party titles, so because they can't produce anything remotely close, they do the next best thing.
Pity really, as back in the day they had some solid ips.
Big single player exclusives = success. Phil Spencer can say whatever word poo he wants, they haven't delivered a legit AAA story driven "banger" in a decade and this is the result.
Based on this, I don't blame Microsoft for trying to get Activision. Saying this as PS5 owner.
Even without games like starfield and redfall it's great to see playstation still thriving. Microsoft buying Bethesda literally did nothing to dent playstations dominance and same will happen with Activision especially with games like call of duty, overwatch and diablo remaining on playstation consoles.
The Activision deal looking unlikely it will go though even if go through ps5 will probably still dominate.
@ShogunRok So, you're saying I should not turn my head to the sun?
PlayStation will still dominate x box.playstation is the g.o.a.t. 🐐 👑.word up son
Good. PlayStation's success is well-deserved because it is earned. They are not just buying whatever is popular like Microsoft.
The Activision deal shouldn't concern anyone, Sony will probably still dominating this gen. With that said I truly hope sony to get back on it's feet and show us what the "PS5 second phase" looks like. Things are really quite on Sony' s side.
Nice to see that even after trying to buy half the industry Microsoft still can’t compete with Sony and Nintendo
Yea for PlayStation and the fanboys. I hope it makes you all feel better about yourself. That feeling of owning the #1 console definitely adds to your self worth and feeling of self fulfillment. Congratulations!! Seriously, stop being a bunch of posers. Competition makes all of the games better. Wanting one console to dominate is not a good take. Open up and breathe. I know it is hard. Having a competitor will only make it it better for all gamers.
@KaijuKaiser Yawn.
@cburg Sure, there’s a lot of crowing in this thread, but to be fair, this is a Playstation enthusiast site. After all, it’s Push Square, not Push Square, Press Y, or Tap X.
@Wiggo Think it’s a little bigger than that. A company like ABK don’t come for sale every day and only a few companies in the world can afford them. Plus the deal is more about King, so MS has mobile money coming in. King is stupid amounts of money with candy crush. MS is well aware PS is the biggest name in gaming and will continue to be huge sellers for generations to come. Doesn’t mean they can’t compete and collect some dollars, the industry has so much money in it that even 3rd place is a nice haul of cash.
@Amnesiac understand. But people need to open their eyes and understand that having competition is better for all gamers, whether it is on PS, Xbox, Switch or PC. Or other platforms. They need to understand that one’s self worth is not predicated on owning one platform because they perceive it to be better.
@cburg Microsoft is a competitor though. They have been in the business for years and have tons of money and experience. They actually did start overtaking Sony during the PS3/360 era.
They aren't a startup in need of a leg up for competitions sake.
@Balosi Not sure I understand the point.
lol playstations success today has nothing to show for it . the ps4 generation is still going and carrying the brand & $ony is more anti-consumer than ever . they’re just sitting on their big money chair letting all the fanboys and past merits do the talking , & they’re more comfortable than ever about it 😂
@cburg & what’s sad is these people care more about the business side of things and the welfare of complete strangers making profit rather than being a part of the gamer consumer base . unless fanboys are stockholders with returning investments , i really don’t get the cheerleading and excitement
we get nothing in return but more anti-consumer practices and stale experiences. but that doesn’t matter though - just be happy corporate suits are making money !
@nomither6 ps5 has gotten more aaa exclusives than Xbox this gen so far because of sales. Sales will always matter without money coming in theses gaming companies can’t exist 🤣.
@Wiggo So, you mean they’re acting entirely logically if they want to increase the quality of their output, and thus market share, via acquisitions, then?
@nomither6 50% human psyche. Just like politics for most people it doesn't even matter what policies a party champions, they'll support whatever they are as the best, even if it's opposite what was best last year because it's all about being on the winning team. And 50% economics, knowing there's no viable competitor means there's no need to worry about wanting another product there's only one worth buying so they're investment is sound. Without getting that means that one is exploiting pricing like crazy as a result.
Nintendo Switch and PS5 are all you need! Xbox sales are low because all of their Exclusives are also out for PC, Nintendo Switch (some) and PlayStation (few). What's the point of buying an Xbox, when it doesn't have no Exclusives!
@nomither6 @cburg I also find this cheerleading awful. These fanboys think that PS Plus Collection and PS Plus Extra/Premium would exist in their form and for this price point because SIE is so kind, and not because of real competition by Xbox. While I find PS5 far more attractive, Philly and his strategy are 100% more sympathetic to me than Jimbo (and suddenly all here would agree if Japan would make Philly head of SIE).
@Max_the_German @cburg let’s have it right.. GP exists out of desperation, Xbox didn’t wake up one day and say “how can we do gamers a favour?”. The whole Xbox brand is now an embarrassment frankly. Phil was right about one thing though, Xbox aren’t PlayStations competitor… Nintendo is
Wow a playstation site and people complain about fanboys in the comments..I'll agree that there are certain types of fanboys that are almost fanatical and refuse to see or acknowledge anything bad sony implement or produce (£70+ price points anybody?) But there are almost as many xbox fanboys (not as many as sony are battering them in sales figures) who are just as vehement in their rantings. I love my ps5 even though i dont like everything about sonys pricing especially the digital pricing but i wont buy an xbox because i can't afford both machines and i just dont have time to play my ps5 let alone another console. The games that i choose to play are all on the ps5 and there are none bar forza that i wish to play on the xbox..we are all gamers but some of us have zero respect for others opinions..
I'm lucky enough to own both but other than Forza Horizon and soon to be Forza Motorsport I pretty much play everything else on my PS5.
I've never actually bought a single game for the Xbox, I just use it for game pass which I get free through my EE mobile phone contract
@Member_the_game I’m on EE and never knew about the gamepass thing. Will look into that today thanks! And completely agree. I picked up a series x in preparation of the Bethesda game windfall but last year I pretty much only played forza horizon and the 30 minutes of Halo it took to realise how crap it is. This year I have gone to the back catalogue a bit more because none of the recent point and click adventure releases interest me but still my time split between PS and Xbox is 90:10.
I think people whinging about Fanboy reactions on here need to spend a few minutes on PureXbox comment sections. Pay particular attention to any of the 50 Phil Spencer puff pieces they put out per day due to lack of actual gaming news. It’s way worse.
Uncle Phil thinks it’s more important to play the nice guy and be seen as a gamer than actually releasing games. I just don’t think he is the right guy for the job
Microsoft aren't really into hardware sales this and more into getting Game Pass Subscriptions.
Sony needs hardware sales as the PlayStation devision is the only real money maker for Sony. Their phones and laptops don't sell well and Sony Pictures is not making the money it used to do recently.
@cburg i think the thing that winds folk up is Microsoft can’t compete. They’re simply not as good as Sony are at making AAA games. If Xbox released 5 exclusive games in the next year that were all incredible, 100% on the same level as games like TLOU, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, etc, everyone would love this. But Microsoft can’t do this so they’re simply trying to buy their way to the top. They’re the Manchester City of video games!!
@GeeEssEff
I think it's called a smart benefit. You can choose between Apple music, BT sport and a few others but obviously Xbox Game Pass Ultimate made the most sense for me.
You can probably add it if necessary but my contact includes 1 x smart benefit.
Yeah my Xbox is basically just an expensive box to play Forza Horizon, but in fairness there's nothing available on PlayStation that compares to it
@Total_Weirdo not really. In 2021 Sony made about $25 billion from the gaming industry. They also made $22 billion from the music an movie industry. Gaming is a large part of their profits but it’s hardly their only source of income.
@Member_the_game exactly the same mate. Got Series X for Game Pass, that’s it. I did buy Elden Ring on it as that was before i got my 2tb extended storage on PS5 an my PS5 was full up. Bought Left 4 Dead too just because i’ve heard it praised an wanted to try it. I own about 35 physical PS5 games an 2 physical Xbox game for Series X. Never paid for a digital game on Xbox either, got a few paid for digital games on PS5.
@Northern_munkey what price do you think a AAA video game should cost in 2023? I remember some 30 or so years ago paying £120 for Star Fox i think on my SNES. Also paid £90 for Street Fighter Champ Edition on my SNES.
@vyseofhr the proper way to do that would be to actually “compete” with Sony, make AAA GOTY quality games for Xbox. Not simply throw their huge wallet about an buy all the top selling devs an add nothing to them. Just continue making the same games as they did before Microsoft came along. How long have MS owned Bethesda now an there’s not been a single new game. I know Starfield is on the way but that game was already in development long before MS came along, MS added nothing to it. Sony acquire devs an along come games like The Last of Us, Uncharted, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, etc.
Good news. And no, I'm not a Sony shill
Much has been said about competition here and it's right, competition is a healthy thing. Hopefully Sony re-establishing its dominance will force MS to face the fact that their approach still isn't working and do something different. Surely that would be good for competition, no?
Oh, and if you don't like the way Sony operates (the same as most successful businesses), maybe don't buy Sony products and spend time moaning about it in forums that Sony don't visit.
Might be news to some but Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo etc. do not exist to make gamers happy. Really! They exist to make their shareholders happy. When the shareholders are happy they re-invest profits into making the things that make the money that make the shareholders happy. It's why we have the PS5, Series X, Switch etc. It's the price of getting hardware with the capability of a mid-range PC for less than half the price.
As for £70 games, WTF do people expect? It's 2023, prices of everything are going up. People demand titles that have 100's hours of gameplay, push the hardware to it's limits, get supported for years and ported for free when new hardware comes out. Then buy the game second-hand. And still moan at the cost. Wow, entitled or what.
Sorry, bad news, like the people who complain, developers don't work for free.
Have a good day.
@sjbsixpack ok i'll bite...snes games etc had pcb's,eproms and god knows how many transistors etc and then the plastic casing for the cartridges and then the boxes to house the cartridges and the manuals...expensive production values one would guess right? Fast forward 30 or so years with the advent of cd,dvd and blu ray roms its obviously so much cheaper to produce games these days so i'd be happy to pay £50-£60 for AAA games and the digital prices should be a lot lower as the only storage space is server space 👍
it's a PS dedicated website and people are complaining that some commenters are too partisan towards Playstation! What next, someone moaning on the Arsenal FC website about folk being excited that Arsenal are top of the league?
@Northern_munkey but games cost far more to develop now, no?
@riceNpea yeah they do granted but using cartridge based games as a price point from 30 years ago is non starter. The question was what did i see as a fair price point as in what would i be willing to pay and i gave the answer..
45% but Phil told me that Sony have 80%
Or does the Switch actually exist?
@northofthewall it's a PS site. How is the site stoking 'the war' by reporting on PS news? If the reports have PS bias that's to be expected. The site doesn't dump on MS as part of its editorial policy or when giving opinions. Push Square do clickbait but not at the expense of MS. The site is for PS enthusiats, its ridiculous that commenter get called out for it. If someone wants to be a fanboy on the internet, a site dedicated to the thing they love is the place to do it. Would you rather they went to a multiplatform site, do it there and cause problems?
@northofthewall To be fair nothing in the article was actually stoking a console war, just tongue in cheek reporting on some stats. As soon as anyone made a positive comment about Sony, though, it ended up with the usual 'fanboy' posts.
@Northern_munkey yeah I get it.
I don't see today's prices as overly expensive. I used to pay more for Nintendo games as there were no Internet sites selling them cheaper. £60-£70 cartridge in those days is about £90 today I'd have thought, after inflation.
The RRP may be £70 for some games now but I never pay that because there are always deals. Digital is hard to get cheaper but digital is my last option as I want to support physical gaming.
@cburg
Sony has competition. It's called Capcom, Rockstar and Fromsoftware.
Considering I don't 'need' to buy a Series S/X console to Play ANY Xbox game, yet I 'need' a PS to play Sony's games day and date, then of course the PS should sell 'better'
If you have a 'decent' PC/Laptop and/or decent internet connection, you can play games like Forza, Starfield, Redfall etc on practically ANY platform (except PS/Switch). Even if they don't release on Last Gen Xbox consoles, you can still play via Game Pass Cloud on your XB1S/X - no 'need' to upgrade or 'miss out'.
For Sony, every Console is a new person in their ecosystem, a new person to buy and play software. With Microsoft, their ecosystem is 'not' dependant on Console growth as they have 'Cloud' and 'PC' gamers in their ecosystem too. If I had a decent gaming PC, I certainly wouldn't buy an 'Xbox' as I could play everything anyway - but I'd still have to 'buy' a PS5 to play Sony's Exclusives...
Okay, competition is good for the industry, I agree. But Xbox has been around for over 20 years and has more studios than Sony now. And yet they are losing, releasing fewer games and not delivering the same quality. Okay, let them buy Activision, to stay competitive. What if they keep losing? Let them buy EA. Now Ubisoft. What is the limit for incompetence?
@BAMozzy This argument is becoming more and more prevalent from individuals trying to explain the disparity in hardware sales between the two platforms, and I don't disagree with you on the options consumers have that you've put forward, but If Xbox aren't selling as much because people can play gamepass anywhere and don't need to buy an S or X to access their ecosystem, why are the gamepass subscription numbers lower than the amount of PS5's sold as well? Your argument doesn't carry weight at that point for me, in fact it makes it look a lot worse. As you say, you can play xbox games on Xbox, PC, Mobile, Samsung TV's etc, but with all those options available to them sub numbers still aren't surpassing PS5 hardware sales.
In their own words they've missed subscriber targets repeatedly. The sales for their hardware aren't lower because people are accessing their games elsewhere, it's because not as many people feel incentivised to buy in. I'm one of them, and as always it simply comes down to the games on offer. I hope Starfield changes that because I really want that to be a great game.
You all seem awfully concerned about Xbox when, by the standards you all set by who "wins" a generation (i.e. console sales), Nintendo "won" last generation.
So you all should really be worried if Nintendo sticks with the same hybrid console concept and is able to run the same current/future games simply based on the success of the Switch.
Sony is technically only second best now, right? Heck, the only reason PS5 is dominating is because Nintendo's Switch 2 isn't out yet (if you go by last generation metrics).
Am I doing this right?
@GamingFan4Lyf I don't think anyone's "awfully concerned", most are just replying to Xbox defenders who come to a PlayStation site to be petty in the comments. You're an example of that right now. You often seem far more concerned than the people you're pointing fingers at.
@Intr1n5ic More like pointing at how ridiculous this whole argument is. The "Am I doing this right?" should have been the giveaway there.
Play what you like, and stop being concerned with what plastic boxes other people have under their TVs.
Gaming is the only place where people argue about their boxes. I don't shame people for having LG washing machines or Whirpool refrigerators. I don't mock people for having a Toyota. It's just...stupid.
@GamingFan4Lyf This is called irony, try taking your own advice and not feeling the need to defend Xbox every time you read an article or comment you disagree with. You are one of the more prominent contributers here (on a PlayStation centric site) who is constantly singing the praises of Microsoft or defending them against other people's pov, yet you seemingly don't care about what box people have under their TV.
@BAMozzy except cloud is terrible for 90%+ because poor internet world wide. still has input lag etc. Until infrastructure is in place. Majority of gamers need the box.
oh and when you keep using ' round words that dont need it makes your posts read strange :/
@Intr1n5ic The point is that people have a 'choice' - Game Pass is a 'Choice' too on those platforms. NOT everyone with a Console or a PC will be on Game Pass - choosing to 'buy' their games instead.
Lets say 75% of 'Console' owners Subscribe to Game Pass - and only 50% on PC for example, that means that 25% of Console owners and 50% of the PC market chooses to 'buy' games instead of Sub to Game Pass but they are 'still' part of the Ecosystem.
I other words, the 'total' GP ubs alone are NOT indicative of the 'entire' Ecosystem, just like Consoles alone don't tell the 'whole' story.
With Sony, the 'number' of PS5's on the market is 'indicative' of their user base - although that isn't 'entirely' accurate either - but is more indicative. You want to play Spider-Man 2 when it 'releases', you need to 'own' a PS5, when Starfield releases, you won't 'need' to own a Series S/X.
Can you imagine how many PC gamers that now won't buy an Xbox, but will buy a PS5 to play games they can't day 1. Cloud may not be the 'best' way to play, more 'entry' level options (not the Series S which has 'better' PQ and lower latency) as you can 'play' Premium games (limited to 1080/60) on whatever Hardware you already have for $10 a month - entry level 'Premium' Gaming at LOW cost for those that can't afford or 'justify' spending Premium money on Hardware - especially if they don't have 4k 120hz TV's to take advantage of 'Premium' visuals/frame rates...
You also have to remember that not EVERY country has the same 'disposable' income to drop $500 on Hardware or $70 on a single game. Not everyone has 4k displays or has the 'time' to justify spending a LOT on gaming. Anyone with a 'decent' gaming rig won't feel they 'need' an Xbox and more likely to buy a PS5 because it offers games they can't play on their PC.
All I said is that PS should sell more in the long term because no-one actually 'needs' to upgrade from Last Gen Xbox hardware, buy an Xbox if they have a 'decent' PC or even 'consider' an Xbox 'just' for exclusives they can't get on PS. Even if 'CoD' went exclusive after they close the A/B deal, it won't 'force' PS gamers to buy an 'Xbox' or miss out - yes they may have to 'settle' for 1080/60 streamed to a Mobile or their Student Laptop for example, but its still cheaper than spending another $500 on a Series X and $70 on the game when they 'could' play for just $10 a month..
When you give consumers a Choice,whether its 'buy an Xbox or Play on devices you may already own (PC, Mobile, Samsung TV etc) a choice to 'buy' games or 'rent' them, SALES will be impacted on both Hardware and Software. When you have 25m+ Subs waiting to play Starfield 'free', how many do you think will 'pre-order' or 'Purchase' in the first few months? So I doubt Starfield will be the 'best' selling game of the year - even if it has the 'biggest' player numbers...
Plague Tale could sell 10x more on PS, but still have 10x less players. Thanks to Game Pass, only 100k may have purchased on Xbox, 1m on PS5, but have 10m players on Xbox vs Sony's 1m. Sales don't tell the 'full' story when you offer 'Choice' to the Consumer!!
@BAMozzy This isn't an article about choice, that's an obvious conversation that isn't up for debate. I'm not interested in hypothetical percentages to support your argument either, especially when not supported by facts.
You made a point for why hardware sales are lower, and I'm saying concurrent gamepass subscriber numbers across all platforms don't fully support that perspective. Why did the PS4 massively outsell the Xbox before gamepass was an established thing, what was the excuse then?
I mean, yeah. There's no reason to buy an Xbox anymore. It has a worse library, terrible first-party output, and, quite honestly, for all we hear about Game Pass, PS+ Extra has been just as good.
For the second generation in a row, it has become the inferior offering.
Keep in mind, I'm not even a fan of the PS5 and I'm saying this. Microsoft had a chance to come back swinging and whiffed big time.
@sjbsixpack They just released Hi-Fi rush… But there hasn’t been any new games from Bethesda due to being the middle of already releasing game (DOOM eternal, Death Loop, GhostWire Tokyo)
@Intr1n5ic The thing is, I don't. I am platform agnostic. I give praise where praise is due and criticism where it is due.
And yes, I support the acquisition of ABK, because I don't feel like Sony's argument is genuine. It's all about CoD control, not player choice. I don't blame Sony for trying to keep control since it's a cash cow, but I don't feel like it holds water because Sony isn't a neutral party.
I don't blindly let Sony walk all over me simply because I enjoy Sony's first-party output or it's exclusives.
I think Microsoft has the better services and the better feature set. Their exclusive library leaves much to be desired right now, but I still think it's the better ecosystem to invest my money as a whole. I think Microsoft is making some interesting moves in the gaming landscape and I am curious to see where it goes.
But, on the flip side, Xbox really needs to show people that all these acquisitions are going to mean something. Hi-Fi Rush was an amazing surprise, but there are still only 3 high profile games for 2023 for Xbox out of all the studios Microsoft owns and two of them come from the Bethesda acquisition. The outlook on Microsoft's homefront is in dire need of a jolt when you consider at the amount of studios it has under its belt.
Micrsoft needs more Hi-Fi Rush success stories if it hopes to gain some kind of ground going forward.
I love Nintendo's first-party output, but I also think that it makes really bizarre decisions as well. It's like, for all the steps Nintendo does right, it takes two steps back on other things.
This generation, in particular, I think Microsoft did a lot of right things that Sony didn't - Smart Delivery, Game Pass, better feature set, etc.
I think Sony's transition has been a mess compared to Microsoft's because it never wanted a steady and smooth transition in the first place. I think Sony wanted to cut people off and simply buy either a PS4 or PS5 version of cross-gen games and offered no discount, save transfer, etc. at all.
But, at the end of the day, I can separately enjoy my Series X as much as I can enjoy my PS5 or my Nintendo Switch.
It's totally fine if you choose PS5 as your primary machine - it's a solid console with a solid library of first-party games and console exclusives. Don't poo-poo on Series X|S if you have no intention of ever owning one.
If you don't like Microsoft's output of games, cool. But "Sony does it better" is entirely subjective if you like the type of game Sony offers. Some people may prefer Gears of War to God of War. And, you know what? That's okay. That person isn't wrong by having that preference.
I applaud Sony for basically being synonymous with gaming. People I know who are the annual CoD/Sports title gamer - where platform pretty much doesn't matter at all - usually look to get the "new PlayStation" no matter what. It's just how it is.
But, yes, I would like to see Sony knocked down a peg. Not because I hate PlayStation, but because I fear what will happen if Sony's ego grows too much.
I grew up loving Nintendo (I did have Sega systems too; but I will always have a Nintendo console in my home) and Nintendo took a hard nosedive due to its arrogance that paved the way for Sony. It took until the Nintendo Switch to get back on top.
That could very well happen to Sony.
@GamingFan4Lyf no you're not doing it right. Nintendo isn't competition for Sony and hasn't been for decades.
@Intr1n5ic During the PS4 era, it was the 'games' and the 'message' that Xbox launched their XB1 with. That's why about 2-3years later, Xbox changed their Business Model to give Consumers 'choice' - first by Launching ALL their games day and date on PC too and then launched Game Pass - then built up their 'Studios' to 'compete' with other Publishers - from the 'handful' they had (Mojang (Multi-platform games), 343i, the Coalition, Turn 10 and Rare) - all of which didn't start until 2018, five years into the XB1 generation. Those PC gamers from 2016 onwards would NOT need an XB1 to play the 'few' games Xbox had.
Choice still affects 'sales' and during the 'Last' generation, you had a 'weak' console focussed on 'TV' vs a better Console with award winning games - like Uncharted, Last of Us etc so Consumers would be more 'inclined' to buy a PS4. As the generation went on, there was 'less' reason to buy an XB1 as they had 'fewer' games and the ones they had would be on PC too where as if you wanted to play Horizon, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima etc - ONLY on Playstation as well as Sony 'paying' to keep content from Xbox/PC gamers...
You have to ask yourself is Returnal 'better' for only selling 560k in the first 3months or is it better to have 20m playing in the first week like Halo Infinite did? GT7 probably won't 'reach' as many players as Forza Horizon or Motorsport probably will in their first week - much bigger launches, played by MANY more gamers - even if 'SALES' of Hardware/Software are 'lower' because 'Purchasing' is optional where it isn't with Sony/Nintendo - not play Day 1 or within the first few months at least...
Sales are 'impacted' by Choice and even if MS were to 'catch-up' on Award Winning Studios making Award Winning games to really 'challenge' Sonys 'SALES' domination, the fact that you don't 'need' to buy a Microsoft built plastic box or the 'Software' before you play is going to impact those sales.
No PC gamer would 'need' to buy an Xbox now, but they still need a Playstation to play 'some' games. Therefore, that's a 'sale' lost by MS and/or a sale gained by Sony. In the 360/PS3 era, a PC gamer may well of bought a 360 because of certain games only available on Console...
@DestructionAllstars But Nintendo Switch has sold more than PlayStation 4. According to people here, that means "winning".
So. Nintendo won. 🤷♂️
@GamingFan4Lyf Again, you're on a PlayStation centric site routinely telling people why you prefer the Xbox, and why you want to see them "knock Sony down a peg". I don't care about your preferences, I'm just bemused as to why you choose to bring them here of all places, and why you regularly get defensive about comments and articles that don't align with them.
You're not concerned about what will happen if Microsofts ego goes unchecked? Have you forgotten what they tried to do after the success of the 360, are you aware of their history beyond gaming at all? You feel like Microsofts arguments are genuine in comparison to Sony's regarding ABK? The trillion dollar company with more anti consumer litigations filed against them than most in the last 30 years, whose actions led to the collapse of rivals in PC operating systems before establishing a complete monopoly over them and making it the predominant viable choice in the market. They're who you trust?
There are far too many shortsighted individuals ignoring where their actions will inevitably lead in the longterm, and that's not hyperbole, they have precedent.
@BAMozzy You're deluded if you think they changed the focus of their model because they care about giving consumers choice. They care about money above all else and creating avenues to make more of it. They changed their model because the previous one got trounced, not because they care about gamers. They release everything day one on PC because they have complete control over operating systems in that market, not because they care about PC gamers.
You are being sold the illusion of choice by a company that is trying to aquire as much as it can to lock in to a subscription model. While you idlely sit by and celebrate currently paying $10 a month to play games wherever you like, they are attempting to swallow up huge chunks of the industry with publisher and ip acquisitions that will eventually only be available to play on one service for whatever price they choose. The worst part is certain people think this is good for competition, even though they can't be financially matched competitively.
@Intr1n5ic I am a fan of PlayStation as well - contrary to what you think. I want Sony to succeed - I don't want it to absolutely dominate. That doesn't make sense and it hurts everyone.
I don't think ABK acquisition hurts the ability for anyone to compete now or in the future. It hurts Sony because it loses the feature exclusivity control it had. In fact, even if the acquisition doesn't go through, I think that exclusivity with Sony is over after contracts expire. Either way, this acquisition will change things for Sony going forward approved or not.
Yes, I would be concerned about Microsoft dominating as well. But it's not, so if Microsoft wants to do what it can to shake things up, then by all means. I don't think buying ABK will suddenly cause Microsoft to dominate. I think it will narrow the gap a little.
Maybe it will have major negative repercussions in the future, or maybe it won't.
Microsoft has said it will treat this acquisition like it treated Mojang: everyone is still getting Minecraft including spin-offs.
It's fine if you want to say "I don't trust Microsoft." Microsoft does have precedent to support the argument.
But it's just as it's fine to trust in what has been said.
Microsoft has shown both sides of business strategies, so there is precedent on either side of the fence. It's all about what will get Microsoft the most cash in the coffers.
Microsoft wants that money from PlayStation, Nintendo, mobile, PC, and Series X|S sales. It would be stupid to gate that to Xbox consoles knowing full well which maker(s) dominates the console space.
Xbox is morphing into a gaming division, not a console. The console is just a guaranteed means of playing games at a specific level of quality: like how Microsoft sells Surface products as a guarantee to run Microsoft products - but it's not the dominant product.
The real question you have to ask yourself, would you still argue player choice and long-term effects if Sony was the one acquiring ABK or would you be pumping your fist? Bear in mind that, other than the recent acquisition of Bungie, Sony has been happy making every developer it ever acquired only making PlayStation games - so one could argue that Sony has more of a precedent to gating games.
@GamingFan4Lyf My whole perspective on acquisitions changed when Microsoft bought a studio that was 5 years in to development on a game that had already been announced as multi platform, and then immediately scrapped its release on a system with an install base of over 100 million. That was very pro consumer of them. If Sony had ever done the same I would be just as vocal about it.
@Intr1n5ic It was discovered that up until Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda, there were talks with Sony making Starfield a PS4/PS5 exclusive - despite the fact that I am sure an Xbox version was also in development.
Glad to know you would have been vocal about it.
That was a pretty petty thing for Microsoft to do. I don't disagree with you there.
@GamingFan4Lyf I don't for one second doubt that rumor. Sony certainly has a history of trying to secure exclusivity for the initial short-term, evidenced most recently by Ghostwire and Deathloop, but it would have eventually come to the systems it was already announced for.
I'm not saying I support that practice either btw, third party exclusivity deals are one of my biggest bugbears, but the complete scrapping of its release after that purchase certainly left a sour taste in the mouth of a lot of people. A decision I believe was made a lot worse by the fact it was delivered by someone who is constantly telling the industry he wants more people to play games, not less.
@KaijuKaiser i never said anything about Xbox 😂 but i’ll bite , and say this - this is why competition is healthy and needs to exists , if the deal goes through sony would have to produce more variety IPs and revive their dormant ones instead of leaning so heavily on narrative driven open world all the time . If Playstation is the Go-To console then it needs to provide
on the flip side if it wasn’t for sonys success i wouldn’t have ever been able to access xbox’s library through my PC , which on the flip side again put sonys games on PC too & it’s a godsend being able to play console games on PC . it’s all so convenient and benefits me in the end which is all i care about as a consumer
and to address the knee-jerkers who get so triggered over sony criticism , it’s because we care and aren’t doormats . we complain because we want better because we HAD better , if you think the ps5 holds a candle to ANY playstation to date you’re a fool . it’s still the weakest playstation so far
and if the rumors of buying rockstar up are true , then good for $ony . first-party produced AAA games are usually of the highest quality than AAA games from third party . like i said , no harm done for me as a consumer , if you got a playstation/PC/switch you’re immune to any negatives ( though i hate the switch because of how overrated it is ) .
@Intr1n5ic I'm deluded?? Somehow I think you are the one that is 'deluded'. If MS were to make CoD 'exclusive' to their ecosystem, have the 'ONLY' service to offer CoD via streaming/sub services, that still gives Consumers a LOT more choice on Platform, on 'costs' etc. NO-ONE will need to buy a Specific piece of Hardware - especially NOT one made by Microsoft to Play - it will be on PC's as well as ANY platform with Game Pass.
Netflix, Disney+ etc are available 'everywhere' yet they also offer their OWN exclusive Content and Sony still has its own Award Winning Exclusives that 'People' will want to play. Yes MS may well have CoD, Doom, Wolfenstein, Halo etc - but Sony has Killzone, Destiny, Resistance etc EA has Battlefield, MoH, Battlefront etc and you'll still have Ubisoft, TenCent, Embracer etc etc etc making games.
The '30 or so' Studio's and IP's MS would own wouldn't 'kill' the rest - Nintendo has Zelda, Mario etc and outsold PS without CoD so why would Sony 'die' when they have Spider-Man, Wolverine, Destiny, God of War, Last of Us, Uncharted, Gran Turismo etc - massive IP's that transcend gaming....
Then you also have yet another 'Unique Selling Point' with Sony - VR and VR experiences - the ONLY console to offer these so Consumers will buy Playstation like they bought Switch for its 'Portability' - able to play Witcher 3, Doom etc 'on the go' - Premium 'games' albeit not as 'good' as better Hardware offers - but still 'good enough' to play a Premium game on the Go - something Cloud offers too btw - not a 'Premium' gaming experience offered by 'Premium' Hardware running Locally, but still better than 'nothing' and 1080/60 isn't terrible...
Starfield was NEVER revealed as a 'Multi-platform' game - it was 'announced' to be in development with no mention of hardware releases - it was 'assumed' to be a multi-plat game because Bethesda had made multi-platform games in the Past - well PC games that ended up ported to Xbox and sometimes/eventually PS too. Originally Elder Scrolls was a PC only game (like Doom, Wolfenstein etc) then started porting to Xbox, before eventually bringing Elder Scrolls to Playstation. CoD too only became the 'juggernaut' it did thanks to MS and the Xbox 360...
I have been gaming for over 40years long before Sony or MS decided to jump in to the market. I have owned every generation of PS and Xbox, numerous Nintendo, Sega and Atari platforms as well as various Home Computers and PC's so I have a very good understanding of the History and the Gaming market. Even if ALL A/B, Bethesda and Xbox Studio games are 'exclusive' Sony has their own 'big' IPs to compete, there are plenty of other Publishers, Studio's etc making 'great' games, new Studio's being opened all the time etc etc so I really don't see how this is 'bad' for consumers.
You can access 'Marvel' TV shows/Films on Disney+ on ANY platform but you 'need' Disney+ and if you also want to watch 'Stranger Things' then you need Netflix. HBO or Amazon Prime or whatever other 'streaming' services there are all have their own 'exclusives' but as a Consumer, you have the freedom to 'choose' how you want to 'watch' - whether that's on a Phone, through your Playstation or TV apps, on PC etc etc.
There is a LOT of other Publishers and Studio's so I do think this deal 'benefits' consumers who right now are 'screwed' playing CoD on anything other than PS and the 'majority' of gamers can't play at all due to 'hardware'. Therefore, the fact that CoD will be available everywhere, with complete parity on content and a range of options so that it is accessible to far more people than just those who can afford a 'Premium' console and/or buy the game. For $10 a month you can play on a Student Laptop with your DS5 if you want - cheaper than buying a Series X or spending $70 on PS5 - although you won't get the 'Premium' features (4k and/or 120fps modes) but 'good enough to enjoy - like playing Fortnite on your mobile/Switch is 'good enough' when you are out...
@Max_the_German yeah this site is the only one of the three that does it. Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox don’t fanboy, but lately Push Square has really gone in. I own them all so I don’t have to miss anything, but it’s weird to feed the toxicity. Corporate slavism has always baffled me. Sony isn’t paying the average fanboy’s bills, but you’d think they have personal stakes in PS5 success.
@BAMozzy I made no mention of Sony dying because of this acquisition. I said, and I maintain, that I have a major issue with a trillion dollar company being allowed to swallow up huge chunks of the industry for obscene amounts of money, figures that can't be competitively challenged by its closet rivals. A company with a history of establishing monopolies and aggressively forcing competition out of business is now trying to buy up as much as it legally can for its subscription model. I will never wrap my head around anyone thinking that's good for the longterm health of the industry, no matter what way you try and spin it.
You are right that Bethesda never "publicly" announced the platforms Starfield was being developed on, but it was a lot more concrete than an assumption. Do you think Sony were in negotiation with them in 2020 regarding timed exclusivity for something that hadn't spent the last 5 years being developed for its platform?
I normally refuse to look at these sort of articles because I know what the comments are full of, but I thought I would do for a change lol. I would argue now it's not really a great comparison given they are both going in different directions. Sony still want to sell consoles, and they will continue to do that, Xbox want to sell subscription, and that will be their push. Nintendo will carry on doing what they do.
I want all three brands to be at the best and push each other because that's what's good for us as gamers. Or how I feel anyway.
We know Sony will continue to dominate the console market, and I don't think they will ever relinquish that now. But, when MS do not release their console sales, but push GP, GP, GP, you know where the priorities lie.
@TheGrizMan PureXbox don’t fanboy? Are we looking at the same site? I’d argue PushSquare has got more fanboyish recently as a direct response to near daily anti Sony rhetoric PureXbox have been pushing since they first opposed the ABK acquisition. And the comments.…..Wow is there some toxic stuff to be found there
@Intr1n5ic A/B is a 'small' Publisher now having fallen far from its lofty perch - taking Devs away from making their 'own' games to pump out CoD every year without 'fail' regardless of quality and fill it full of MTX because that makes Kotick 'richer' than making other games that don't sell as well.
They aren't the 'juggernaut' they once were with all those studio's bringing out new games - Spider-Man, James Bond for example. So its literally just 'CoD' now and Diablo/WoW from Blizzard.
Sony may well of been trying to ensure Starfield releases on their Platform - maybe even 'exclusively' (like Deathloop and Ghostwire) but they'll never be able to do that again. Keeping 'content' they have not developed themselves with their 'own' studio's could be part of the Problem - not the Solution. Also that doesn't 'mean' it was definitely coming to Playstation at all and maybe were trying to get them to port it from PC to PS too - until MS bought Bethesda anyway and are now 'funding' the development of Starfield and its 'porting' to Series S/X hardware and Cloud to bring it to 'more' gamers than originally planned. When they started, it may of developed beyond the Hardware of that time (PS4/XB1) and so was more likely to be a PC only game - until the 'next' gen machines came out and MS owned Bethesda...
MS don't own or have access to as many 'IP's' as Sony although would own more Studios. However, compared to EA, TenCent, Embracer, Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, and all the other Publishers and their Studios, as well as the thousands of 'independent' studios making games, MS would still not be the 'biggest' Publisher or have the most Studios so how they can 'monopolise' gaming, I'll never know. To have a 'Monopoly' MS would need to own at least more than half of the Studio's, Publishers etc to have any chance of 'monopolising' the market - but you have plenty of others in play...
Premium Consoles account for a 'tiny' percent of the Gaming Market and the 'biggest' market is on Mobiles - totally eclipses the Gamers on Playstation, Nintendo and Xbox combined so making 'Premium' games available on ANY hardware, not just 'Premium' consoles is 'beneficial' to the majority.
If CoD went 'Exclusive' to MS, 10-15m PS gamers would 'miss' out, but could still play on their Mobile, Laptop, TV, PC or any other device they have that Game Pass is on. It opens it up for FAR more people to Play than would 'miss out' on devices they already have - Don't need to rush out and buy a MICROSOFT XBOX console...
Also, if the deal goes through, not only will EVERY gamer be able to access on devices they have, they also won't 'miss out' on Content - unlike today where PC/Xbox gamers miss out on Content in a 'multi-platform' game - so how is that 'beneficial' to gamers- forced to buy a PS or miss out, either on some content or not be able to play it all on their platform of choice!!
I don't care how 'butthurt' you are that MS is investing their money in their Ecosystem to 'compete' with Sony, Nintendo, EA, TenCent, Embracer, Ubisoft etc. There are still 'thousands' of other Studio's with lots of Publishers and many other platforms (Steam for example) so I can't see losing 'A/B' who has basically killed themselves by putting all their eggs in a CoD basket and nobody cared about A/B before MS stepped in...
@GeeEssEff They both have their "hardcore loyalists" who neither company will do no wrong in their eyes, although I must admit I see a lot more of it here than I do on there.
Mind you neither are as bad as Twitter, that is truly something else.
If Sony had 150m users on their Platform, that is a 'tiny' percentage of the total gamers who play on PS, Xbox, Switch, PC, Steam Deck, Mobiles/tablets etc. With an estimated 3bn gamers in the world 150m is 'tiny', Xbox even less of course - so there is Strong Competition and a LOT of other players in the Gaming market.
Its not like you have just Sony or Xbox and now Xbox will have 75% of ALL Studio's/Publishers and therefore 'monopolise' gaming - you'll still get 'hundreds' of games on Playstation too.
@BAMozzy "A/B is a 'small' Publisher now having fallen far from its lofty perch"
I stopped reading here. It's clear you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.
Please read this - https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-blizzard-announces-fourth-quarter-and-2022-financial
They ended 2022 with a net cash position of almost half Sony's entire acquisitions and strategic investments budget for the year.
@Intr1n5ic Most of that was from GAMES not on Premium Consoles - things like Candy Crush and other MOBILE games. But as the Company has been run into the ground now, its basically 'dead' on Consoles and until MS announced they were buying them, no-one really cared.
Even now, all the Conversation about this is all about CoD and Playstation users - not all their other IP's or were the 'majority' of money comes from - King and the Mobile sector - not CoD, not the 'Premium' games that you think you'll 'miss-out' on. CoD was 'dead' to many a few years ago too, nothing but a MTX cash grab full of loot boxes and cosmetics, the 'same game' every year - just a different Skin - but now MS is buying A/B, its the most important Game in History and essential that EVERYONE retains access...
Hypocrites and cry baby fanboys whining about CoD despite HUNDREDS of other games to play, MANY competitors in the FPS genre, Thousands of Studio's who could make a Competitor for 'Playstation' exclusively and many more 'Publishers' to compete with Microsoft.
Its your 'blinkered' view that Playstation is not capable of competing without CoD despite Award winning Studio's, Award winning IP's and a 'loyal' fanbase who will still buy a Playstation to play Sony's games as well as 'multi-platform' games Sony have paid to keep off Xbox/Game Pass. At least MS buy the Studio, the IP etc.
You are the one talking 'monopolies' and this being 'detrimental' to consumers when no-one is losing 'access' to CoD on the Platform they 'prefer' and in future, it will have content parity for ALL, not screw over PC/Xbox because 'Sony'!! It opens it up for a LOT more gamers on a LOT more platforms. Its currently only on PS/Xbox/PC but will be on Mobiles, Tablets, TV apps, Nintendo etc - anywhere and everywhere, all with equal 'content' so how is that 'bad' for consumers? How is making it available to 'MORE' people on more platforms and parity of content - anti-consumer or worse for Gamers - many of whom miss out because of their hardware - either on content or the entire game - only a 'small' fraction get the full package today!
Anyway, don't bother replying, I don't want to hear yet another pathetic response from another crybaby fanboy who really doesn't understand the gaming landscape or where A/B get most of their income from and its not 'consoles' or Playstation... IGNORED!
@Northern_munkey i agree bout digital. If i can get it cheaper digital i go digital, otherwise physical. Always physical for PS5 exclusives. Yes the cartridges probably cost more to produce than Blu Ray discs that a computer copies onto in seconds. But games cost far more to create today. TLOU 2 for example cost over $100 million dollars to make. Games back in cartridge days cost a few grand.
Unless you have no PC at all in your home, there is little reason to get an Xbox. A PS5 has all the multi-platformers. The handful of decent Xbox games in existence now can be played on PC Cloud Game Pass if your Graphics Card is weak... but even a 1660 or 1080 can run the newer MS games on medium 1080p.
@sjbsixpack yeah games cost more to produce these days agreed but there are literally millions more gamers these days. You have the atari 2600,spectrum,c64,atari st and amiga generation who also jumped into the consoles. This generation has spawned another generation of gamers and so on thus generating a very,very lucrative user base for software companys. Now i dont know how much it costs to produce a game from start to finish and i wont pretend to either (there are at least 2 people who post here that were software developers) who can provide that statistic but i'm pretty certain that even by todays cost of producing games that setting the rrp to £50 -£60 considering how many copies the average AAA game sells over its life time including premium dlc content and the inevitable loot boxes and micro transactions i think its fair to assume they do pretty well out of it otherwise they just wouldnt bother...
@BAMozzy Oh I see, you meant they're a small publisher going by your very specific criteria that ignores everything that makes them a huge publisher. 🤡
Why are you talking to me about what "I'll" miss out on, or more specifically, repeatedly talking about COD, have I mentioned COD once? I haven't played a COD game since modern warfare, almost 16 years ago now. It might be important to Sony but it's the most irrelevant point of the entire acquisition for me.
"Its your 'blinkered' view that Playstation is not capable of competing without CoD"
Point me to where I said this please.
"You are the one talking 'monopolies' and this being 'detrimental' to consumers when no-one is losing 'access' to CoD on the Platform they 'prefer' and in future"
Again, point me to where I said any of this nonsense, particularly the part where I infer people will lose access to COD.
I specifically spoke about MS having a history of creating a monopoly that put all of their competitors out of business. That if allowed to continue buying up the biggest publishers in the gaming industry with their unrivalled wealth, will eventually lead to them trying to do the same thing in the gaming sector as well.
"Blinkered" is individuals like you who completely ignore everything that got them to where they are today, believing they're all about pro consumer and what's best for gamers.
Is this what you do when you can't get someone to agree with you, put words in their mouth, tell them what their argument is, start name-calling, and then say I'm ignoring you now 🤣
Microsoft needs to stop whining and Phill needs to stop posting nonsensical messages on Twitter and stop playing games and start running a business. The reason Sony remains dominant? Games games and more games. For example, looking at myself, I can enjoy PS exclusives much more than Xbox exclusives. It's about time Microsoft starts investing in the 23 studios they own and making decent games. Yes Sony games are also regularly the same franchises. But those are 10 different ones. At Xbox the last 2 years I only get Halo and AGAIN a new Forza. And wow HiFI Rush. funny game but not a mind blower. And you see how much praise that game already gets. you can check if they decide to really release games like Sony and Nintendo.
@BAMozzy You sure did a lot of typing yesterday. A lot of typing.
I came here for the comments and was not disappointed.
I'm not a fan of the AB acquistion because I believe it will restrict consumer choice. I'm also not a fan of Sony buying Bungie, timed exclusivity on games or the $70 price rise. None of these companies are your friend nor are we privy to their strategies until way after they happen. Just my two cents
@AverageGamer all games that were in development before Microsoft came along. You’d think there’d at least be an “Xbox” game in the pipeline, yet nothing.
@Northern_munkey i read Playstation cut of each digital game hovers around 30%. So 30% of £70 is £21 i think. X that by 20 mill for a AAA exclusive that’s £420 million!!
Honestly this is a little surprising. Yes, PS has amazing exclusives…and that’s why I got a PS5. But the gaming experience on my XSX is so much better. It’s can’t be overstated, quick resume is game changer (literally). The PS5 really needs something like that and maybe I’ll start playing third party games on it again. Once the new Spider-Man game comes out and I play it, I can see someone selling the PS5.
@JSnow2 100% agreed. Last xbox game I enjoyed even a little of, I suspect will eventually get an PlayStation port due to Alan Wake getting one.
I refer to Quantum Break btw, the only Remedy Entertainment game still stuck on Xbox/PC/Windows.
@sjbsixpack It takes year before a new game gets into the pipe.
What you’re basically asking is for them drop support for the games they had just released, and to start rushing a new game. That would have went against any major contracts Bethesda made prior to the purchase.
@AverageGamer no, i’m saying MS should do wat Sony do. Hire an invest, expand the business, at least start a new ip.
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