Gaming and The Console Wars – Part 1

Video Games and The Console Wars – What are they, and why should gamers care?

Gamers never hear the end of it, “The Console Wars”. It seems like a miniscule argument, one that people argue about for the sake of arguing. The truth is, though, that companies or platforms have huge, dedicated fanbases that will defend their choice vigorously. And it’s been going on longer than you may think.

The “Console Wars” is a hard topic to grasp, so let’s go through WHO it is that is fighting these wars in the first place.

Sony and Microsoft may seem like the big boys here, however, the term “Console Wars” is a bit deceiving. Generally, there are four “sides” of this digital war.

  1. Sony’s PS4
  2. Microsoft’s Xbox One
  3. Nintendo’s Wii U
  4. The PC

A brief platform summary:

  1. Sony’s PS4 has some innovative features in the console realm, such as video streaming by the push of a button. The PS2 is the bestselling console of all time and this is likely where the majority of the fanbase comes from.
  2. The Xbox One has great voice control features that allow you to take control of the console without touching a controller. The original Xbox competed with the PS2.
  3. The Wii U is admitted out of the console wars because we as gamers ignore them. However, it is important to note that Nintendo did help the gaming industry a lot back in the early days. If you want nostalgia and games that bring people together in one room, Nintendo is where you’ll get that.
  4. The PC (we might as well get this out of the way now, The PC is my platform of choice), the PC is a mixture of everything. Games are made, played, tested and broken on the PC and many games originated on it.

Great, now we know who our fighters are, lets get onto the question burning in the back of your minds “Why should I care?” Answer: The Industry

Companies like it when we fight for dominance. Developers turn to the noise. The more games developed on a certain platform – the more people will flock to that platform to get the latest games. It’s a circle. Grow a fanbase, get them debating, grow the fanbase, attract developer attention. Rinse and repeat.

But what attracts gamers to a specific platform? Why does it matter what we choose? Aren’t they all the same? What’s the difference between the Wii U and a PS4? Isn’t the PC more expensive than the others? Next week these questions will be answered in the second part of

The Console Wars!

 

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