And on the opposite side of the price debate today, we’ve got the Xbox One! It’s bigger, has more of a Kinect-ing punch and my grandma thinks it’s a betamax tape player! And for that extra thousand bucks that it’s going to cost, will it convince fans that there happens to be value behind the tech?
Activision Publishing boss Eric Hirshberg reckons that the console is worth the extra cash, but he also said that it will have to prove why gamers should throw some extra cash at it, in order to emerge as a contender. Speaking to GI International via VG247, Hirshberg felt that while Microsoft will need to focus on that point, Sony has won the first round of the console wars with a devastating left price drop hook to the gut.
“If you do a focus group of a gazillion people and you show them two prices for two competitive products, 100% always prefer the lower price,” Hirshberg said.
I think from a first impression standpoint the win goes to Sony, at least as it relates to pricing. Microsoft is going to have to win the hearts and minds and convince people that the higher price point is worth it, and that it provides really meaningful capabilities that will be meaningful to consumers. And it’s a long game, so I am sure that’s what they intend on trying to do.
I feel they have to show why that’s a good thing and why it’s worth the premium and deserves inclusion and why it’s something that gamers are going to come to really value and appreciate.
It’s going to be a fun battle to watch, but I think they definitely have to win hearts and minds in terms of the value of it.
I’m a firm believer in that you get what you pay for. And after having my buns blasted for defending the Xbox One before it did a 180 on its policies, I’m still keen for that console. Will be it more expensive? Without a doubt, yes. But after having experienced the new Kinect at E3, it’s an expense in which I feel that I’m not being short-changed at the end of the day.
After all, what’s an extra R1000? A collector’s edition for a game that will soon gather dust?
Last Updated: June 27, 2013
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
June 27, 2013 at 13:42
MS suffered from Nintendo syndrome …. Failed to convince us why we need this console
Trevor Davies
June 27, 2013 at 13:43
MS really should explain why is costs more & what the benefits are. But given their latest track record you should probably expect, “Haha cos we said so, suck it poors!”
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 27, 2013 at 13:50
Exactly, they haven’t really made a case for why they consider it to be more valuable. Merely saying something carries value doesn’t necessarily mean that it has value. For instance, I could tell people an empty coke can is “valuable”, but that either means I’m a sneaky business type or clinically insane.
RinceWind
June 27, 2013 at 13:51
I’d go for the latter 0-O
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 27, 2013 at 13:52
That’s still unproven!!!
RinceWind
June 27, 2013 at 13:54
That’s not what the gibbering wreck of your last psychiatrist said, and his name is Hannibal!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 27, 2013 at 13:55
Now it all makes sense. I was wondering why he wanted to know if “my liver was pristine” or if I’ve had my “shots”.
Trevor Davies
June 27, 2013 at 13:54
…but…but.. Dot Matrix said we’re getting thousands of dollars of value.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 27, 2013 at 13:54
His jacket compels him…
Ultimo_Cleric N7
June 27, 2013 at 13:46
If they can convince me that the “cloud” is worth it, I would pay the extra 1K…….all the things that I disliked about the console have been retracted.
Tbone187
June 27, 2013 at 14:30
Wow!! That must’ve been tough for you to type…You’ve been proper anti Xbox…. hehe…
Ultimo_Cleric N7
June 27, 2013 at 14:41
Yip, but they HAVE listened to the horde. DRM – Gone, Used games – now a option again, Kinect – Can be switched off after turning the console on.
I am a reasonable troll. And if the cloud is as good as the hype, I go for the Xbox. Hell, I might even become….gasp….an Xbox fanboy……
Tbone187
June 27, 2013 at 14:58
Okay,, baby steps first…lets not jump to fanboy status… 🙂
The console certainly does look better with drm dropped… Although I am never a fan of anything that needs cloud communication…
RinceWind
June 27, 2013 at 13:53
I think we are in a rather different situation. I am sure it will be worth it to the American consumer, they will get all the cool extras that we may have to wait for for years, and indeed, may never actually get. If they turned around and said ‘We offer this to SA consumers’ I may listen. But until then it’s all guess work. They’ll probably release the thing in SA and the only ‘new feature will be an app that lets you buy pizze with a wave of your hand… Oh, wait…
Rince&Repeat
June 27, 2013 at 14:06
Why does LG worry about these debates? It’s always the same trolls posting the same opinion with the same meme’s everyday.
It’s clear your fanbase is biased towards the PS4.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
June 27, 2013 at 14:08
Because even though the fanbase may be biased Lazygamer actually need to maintain an industry standard by not being biased?
Argentil
June 27, 2013 at 14:09
Hah! No offense LG staff.
Slade Boender
June 27, 2013 at 14:35
The whole turnaround on the DRM situation still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I dont think after a while they’ll just switch it back on but I do believe theres a possibility of them doing it incrementally. Either way, MS have a good standing in apealing to the masses and in all honesty the xbox is still a more capable all rounder.
I dont agree with the inclusion of interactive tv and all that but the market seems to want that kind of stuff. The games look damn good, and (to me at least) their support teams do a decent job if you need a hand with something. I think the value is there Im just not sure whether they marketing it in the right way.
Jason Renfro
June 28, 2013 at 17:04
As a game store owner and player of everything I don’t think Microsoft has to convince gamers the machine is superior. Anyone who has played on dedicated servers like WoW or Eve no immediately that it is simply a better way to game. Azure for MS has a chance to bring something special to all of the FPS fans out there and it will be apparent during the launch week which system plays games like CoD Ghosts better and that will be the Xbox One hands down. Games like Titanfall and Destiny will also benefit greatly from the Xbox One infrastructure. Sony has been impressive as of late with all of the games that have been coming out so it is fair to say they are both worth purchasing if you have the means but I can tell you that any PvP games I will be playing will be done solely on the Xbox One because it will be a far better experience.
OVG
June 28, 2013 at 17:13
Thank goodness they dropped the DRM as I imagine you are South African and we including Project RED could not play the machine as we were not part of the 21 countries that had its support.
It is still going to be a cluster fuck as the machines 1 day internet update will still require a minimum 1.5 line.