Me, I write about games. That alone, arguably, is a good reason to buy a next gen console. But you, dear reader — are there enough reasons for you to buy in?
In an interview with Eurogamer today, Yusuf Mehdi, the Xbox chief of marketing and strategy told Eurogamer that Microsoft plans to support the Xbox 360 after the release of the Xbox One — for a few years, at least.
“If you look at 360 that platform lasted for seven to eight years and it’s going to go for another three years. It’s incredibly profitable now in the tail. We’re going to continue to invest in Xbox 360, and the two devices can work in concert. So it’s not like the day we ship Xbox One your 360 won’t work. We’ll continue to support it,” Mehdi said, before stating that the 360 still had at least 100 games coming in its future.
Now, supporting a console even after the new one ships is not new or novel: the PS2, for example, saw support after the launch of the PS3. Heck, one of the best games in the PS2’s library, Persona 4, released two years after the launch of the PS3. In this regard, Microsoft’s situation is not unique; I’m sure we can expect some PS3 support following the launch of the PS4 too. Still, it’s one of many reasons that can make it easy for the average person to hesitate on dropping a few hundred dollars on new hardware this fall when the PS4 and Xbox One launch, especially when they could just as easily stick with current hardware and not miss out on much. Heck, who doesn’t have a backlog to take care of?
A lot of the big launch games for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, like Watch Dogs, and Assassin’s Creed IV? They’ll be on the 360 and PS3, too. There are exclusives, like Killzone: Shadow Fall and Driveclub for the PS4, and Dead Rising 3 and Forza 5 for the Xbox One, but there’s nothing anyone can concretely say is a system seller. Not yet, anyway. And the next-gen exclusive games that do look promising, like The Division, The Witcher 3, The Order: 1886? We don’t quite know when they’re landing. Not for a while, not until next year, at the earliest. Ultimately, the list of “exciting next-gen exclusive games” isn’t quite as large as the more general “exciting upcoming games.” A more general list can include awesome cross-gen games like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Titanfall.
Plus, it’s no secret that most early adopters get the short end of the stick: they pay the most to have access to the least refined hardware (just look at all the spiffy redesigned consoles we’re getting toward the end of the PS3 and Xbox 360’s lifespan) — hardware that often doesn’t have immediate access to such a great library of refined, worthwhile games. Waiting — be it for better games, better-designed hardware, or cheaper price-points — is never a bad idea. The Wii U, which is arguably a next-gen console, is a great case-in-point here. Sometimes, a console can take a while before it picks up.
It’s not like next-gen consoles don’t have their merits, of course. In particular, I’m fond of the PS4’s “share” button, the Xbox One has improved controllers and a new Kinect which look great, and the specs on both consoles will be better than current offerings. And how rad does remote play look on the Vita and PS4? Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve had new hardware; many people are itching for new consoles. I get it, I do.
But if amidst all the hype for next-gen you’ve found yourself doubting whether or not it’s a good idea to be an early adopter with the Xbox One and the PS4? I don’t blame you.
Comments
46 responses to “There May Not Be Enough Reasons To Get A PS4 Or Xbox One Right Away”
I’ve never bought a console at launch and I’m not about to start now. Will be taking the plunge on a PS4 earlier than I have with past consoles, though. Partly because this current generation has dragged on so long (so under the “traditional” cycle I probably would have upgraded by now anyway) and because the launch price is very reasonable compared to previous generations.
Says the guy with the PS4 already preordered.
Eh? You seem to have mistaken me for somebody else…
I will probably be getting one inside a few weeks, my 1st gen 360 is threatening red ring
PS3 will have a lifespan of 10 years, it has been said by Sony chief (or someone).
Which means they’ll support it until the start of 2016 (at least), which is more or less on par with how long after the PS3 launch Sony supported the PS2.
Assuming Microsoft support the 360 for 2 more years (which I wouldn’t count on, honestly), they’ll also have given the 360 console a 10 year “lifespan”.
A ten year lifespan doesn’t seem that impressive when we’re already 8 years into it. These consoles are oooooold. Back when Sony were discussing a 10 year lifespans back in 2007, some crazy people thought we literally wouldn’t see new consoles until 2016, which is crazy.
Crazy.
But based on what Microsoft said before they did the 180 change of the online requirement was that “If you can’t get online, we have xbox 360”
I think they will keep 360 for awhile longer since some people do use it just to watch show and some casual gaming at home
I’d say that statement was made to temporarily deflect the backlash. Microsoft knew they’d encounter resistance and were planning on just weathering the storm until everyone got sick of complaining (a pretty standard tactic when it comes to unpopular decisions like no backwards compatibility). When he made that statement he was probably assuming that by 2015 the people who were still complaining would be such a small group that it wouldn’t matter, so they could can the XBOX 360 without losing anything of value.
If I buy a “next gen” system, and developer see there is the market for it, then they will make the games I (and many others) want to play and they will come out sooner rather than later
I dont want the next killer RPG or Adventure game coming out only on PS3 and X360 because the install base of the PS4 and Xbone are too low to justify, and to be honest I dont want to play shoddy ports anymore (Skyrim… so much awesome, but that frame rate…)
Having said that… GTAV…
On the flip side, how much better off will you be if you wait for 6-12 months? Assuming the Day One hardware has a 5+ year lifespan (at least), will the minor refinements over the first 6-12 months really be worth the wait? I am just too eager to wait tbh. I want now.
Agreed. The only improvements in waiting 6-12 months will probably be retailer offers. JB, EB etc will probably offer more interesting bundles to keep sales rolling through 2014.
Hardware-wise, you’re right, but price-wise…
The PS3 got released in November 2006, and got a USD100 price cut in July 2007 (which represented an even bigger discount if you factor in the 33% increase in disk space when the 60GB model was discontinued in favour of the new 80GB model the same announcement). In November, they released the 40GB version, which was USD100 cheaper than that, I think.
The PS3 was performing way under expectations and was being heavily criticised for it’s high price tag. The PS4 and the XBOX One don’t seem to be under that sort of pressure. If the XBOX One dramatically under performs there may be a price drop, but it’ll also mean the system isn’t wroth owning.
That’s true, but have a look at:
http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Price_cuts
You can see that the longest delay between release and a price cut for a PS system was the PS2 at 17 months (Oct 2000 – May 2002). On average, there’s a 9 month gap between a PS system launch and a drop in price. The average for Nintendo is about 11 months, though that figure is blown out by the incredibly long time the Wii held its price: 34 months, or nearly 3 years. Every other Nintendo console except the Wii U has been discounted within 5-6 months of launch. An average for Microsoft probably isn’t all that useful with only the two launches, but the original Xbox got its first price drop in 5 months, and the 360 took 16 months – probably not coincidentally, that price drop occurred in the same month the PS3 got its first cut – April 2007.
If you take every major console from the N64 and the Saturn, the average time between launch and the first price cut is just under 11 months.
Interesting read! But sersiously, almost a years wait just to save $100?
Don’t forget the launch 360 didn’t have a hdmi port, I know, I had one. It took until 2007/2008 for hdmi to be introduced and meant that no one was willing to take a trade in on my launch console which ended up being fine as it red ringed in the last couple of years.
My plan is to have an Xbone from launch so I don’t miss any particularly good games that aren’t be released cross-gen, and don’t have to contend with potentially inferior past-gen versions.
I plan to run it side-by-side with my 360 for at least a year because even if I never buy a new game for my 360 after 22 November, I have pleeeenty of games to keep me going.
So just how long must we wait to enjoy the new consoles then? Sure the iPhone 3, 3GS, 4 and even 4S are arguably less refined than the 5. But why wait all that time for a smartphone?
I for one had no issues with my original 360 until it eventually broke down on me. But by that stage I had countless hours of enjoyment from the games I got to play on it.
Fork out the cash if you have it and want to enjoy the new games. The consoles are only $600 which when you think about it is damn cheap for what you’re getting. There’s people paying double that just for a graphics card on a PC.
You have some serious misconceptions about how much your average gaming graphics card costs….
Do I now?
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=193_1465&zenid=878747473090d2afa5dd103646cd2861
I’m unsure where I said everyone was buying those cards but last I checked $1,200 is about twice of $600.
Not everyone buys a Titan! You just picked the most expensive graphics card you could find. A GTX 770 costs around $480 and still can outperform the new gen consoles.
I’m not convinced a GTX 770 will outperform the next gen consoles. The consoles are much easier to squeeze performance out of with a tighter OS, Faster memory in the case of the PS4 and no compatibility issues to have to code for. The 360 and PS3 way outperform PCs that had graphics cards that are say 30% better on paper. Hell, look at Doom3 on the original XBOX, that was on a Celeron 700 with 64MB of RAM and a 233MHz graphics card. A PC with double the specs at the time looks worse on Doom3. On HW specs the new consoles graphics might look slower, but they will likely outperform similar and resonably higher specced PCs in practice.
This reminds me of the new Samsung watch.
I had a mobile phone watch 5 odd years ago. Should I have wasted my money on what was a pretty unrefined device? Maybe. But I had a blast using it.
If you enjoy technology and gaming, just get the damn consoles and have fun.
I was a poor uni student when the PS3 and Xbox 360 came out. They were also a lot more expensive than this generation, hitting a cool $1k. These days I’m in a financial position to put aside a bit of dosh and allow myself to splurge on my hobby. Yeah, I may have to replace my day one console after a few years (possibly consoles if I can’t decide which to buy) but I’m excited to be able to indulge in the early days of a new console generation. Even if the day one features are rolled back, and the games would be perfectly playable on my 360, I’m just looking forward to it all and actually being able to participate instead of looking on with envy.
That’s part of it too for me – the only launch console I’ve had was the Wii and… I was underwhelmed.
I want to be in on the ground floor for a console I won’t be sick of after 6 months! HYPE.
I guess I’m going against the general consensus by saying that I’m not planning to buy a next gen console any time soon. They don’t seem to be offering enough to part me with my money now or in the future. Sure, eventually ill pick one up for kh3 and ff15. But that might be an iteration worth of time away anyway. Screw you squeenix, in a nice way.
Dunno that there’s not enough reasons for as much as based on history, there are some seriously compelling reasons to wait. Hardware availability, games line-up, bugs fixed, cheaper prices, improved hardware/game bundles, revised editions with improved specs/prettier cases, greater market uptake meaning more friends to play with, the post-review knowledge to avoid the greatest letdowns…
Waiting has some serious upsides.
Might sound weird to say this, but I really enjoyed the evolution of the 360. I still remember the old blade dashboard when it first came out and how that evolved over time to the ‘Metro’ style they now use.
The evolution was actually part of the fun for me. It became more than just a box that sat on the TV cabinet and instead an almost (without sounding dramatic/wanky) organic, living thing.
Me, I play games. That alone, arguably, is a good reason to buy a next gen console.
A game might not be a system seller for you, but is for others. I can’t wait to play Dead Rising 3, therefore, system sold.
Early adopters are also getting free games, so there’s that.
Yeah must admit DR3 looks great, but then I notice DR2 OTR under my TV, barely touched, I know from the PS2 – if I upgrade without finishing these games, they’ll never get finished!
I think quite a few people like me will have a current gen console (which will be supported for a while) plus a good gaming PC. And if so why should I spend $600?
Nearly any new game will work on my PC. Its only the exclusives I guess but are they worth $600?
Eg. Im totally excited for Titanfall but that’ll be on PC too 😀
I think it would be best for MS to keep up support for 360 as long as possible, if they shut it down they will lose a lot of people to the ps4 rather than the One.
Personally, I can see a bunch of upsides to getting in early. The only thing I can’t see is a reason to choose one over the other. Both sides are getting amazing cross-platform games over the next 6 months or so, but the only exclusive that is close to being a system seller to me is Infamous, and that’s not going to be until Q1-2 next year.
It could be argued that buying a console while there are no games for it on the shelves is the smart thing to do. For a lot of people it breaks what is ultimately a $800 purchase (console, accessories, games) into more manageable chunks. If you know a PS4 exclusive is coming that yo absolutely must play day one, why not buy a PS4 today?
No good reason to get it in day 1. Also feels like ever since the reveal that things have been rushed for both consoles.
Yeah I’ll be happy to hang back and enjoy the majority of exciting upcoming titles on PC. Due to having a decent Gaming Rig, I have no real temptation towards “Improved Visuals”. I am looking forward to picking up an XBONE, but not for at least 6-12 months, as there’s really no point this year.
I get a LE controller, free FIFA and an achievement that can’t be received any other way.
Good enough.
Sounds good to me 😀
Consoles on release day are a rich mans game. And before anyone starts going on about how it isn’t THAT much money, try to remember that millions of people who love gaming happen to live at or below the poverty line. People like us don’t wait because of a lack of games, we wait because we just can’t afford it.
Personally I don’t want to play gimped versions of Next Gen games on my 360 or PS3. General rule so far seems to be the previous gen versions are being heavily gimped to run on that hardware compared to next gen.
Sure, there’s probably no real reason to get a PS4 or Xbox One on launch, seeing as the 360 and PS3 will be around for a little while still, but I’ll be getting a PS4 on launch simply because I want to and I can afford it. That’s more than enough reason for me. Besides, I’ve never bought a console on launch day. It’s always been after the first or second, etc price drops. This time I want to be with one console from launch day, and I’m in a position where I can do just that, so why not? Of course, I’ll probably just end up playing my PS3 or 360 anyway, but still… >_>
I’ll buy one of the new consoles when/if Fallout 4 is announced.
Even if there’s not many games you want straight away what exactly do you have to gain by waiting? At the price they’re released at its unlikely there’ll be a price drop in the foreseeable future and most good games on the current gen systems will have better versions released on the next gen systems for the same price alongside the exclusive next gen games. So if you wait, you pay the same for the console, have to buy the inferior version of cross gen titles like BF4 or AC4 and have no access to any next gen titles. Not seeing the advantage…
should i get a ps3 or ps4 please explain why 🙂
I’m gonna get an X1 on launch and plug my 360 into its HDMI In. That way i can go back and play my 360 whenever i want.
i will get a ps4 on launch.
it will be the first sony product i got on launch.
due to a whole variety off reasons not the least of which being that there is nothing i want to play on it thats not on PS4 i wont be getting an xbone at launch.
i did get both the xbox and 360 at launch but its looking too much like the wii u in the sense that there are lots of features that just wont be ready for launch.
i will wait until a game i really want to play comes out (halo 5 maybe), maybe in a bundle with a fancy looking console
i used to get everything at launch then i got the ps3 vita and 3ds later when good games and bundles were available. i then caved and got a wii u at launch and that was a big mistake.
i barely touched it for a year.
im getting a ps4 simply as a birthday /Christmas present but i dont actually know what games i want yet