Ooh, it's getting a bit feisty today! Xbox boss Phil Spencer has hit out at PlayStation's approach to PC gaming, stating that unlike Microsoft, "others bring console games to PC years later," as well as charging players twice.
As transcribed by The Verge, Spencer pointed out during a pre-E3 2021 press briefing that "we’re the only platform shipping games on console, PC, and cloud simultaneously," taking a couple of swipes at Sony in the process:
“So right now we’re the only platform shipping games on console, PC, and cloud simultaneously. Others bring console games to PC years later, not only making people buy their hardware up front, but then charging them a second time to play on PC.”
Spencer, of course, is referring to the likes of Death Stranding, Days Gone and Horizon Zero Dawn, all of which have released on the Steam platform for PC in recent months, although not at the same time as their PlayStation releases.
And, as Spencer states, there's no kind of 'Play Anywhere' service included with them, so while Xbox first-party games typically offer a cross-buy deal when purchasing on console or PC, PlayStation Studios titles don't get that luxury.
Even so, this is quite the statement from Spencer! Let us know what you think about it in the comments below.
[source theverge.com]
Comments 37
Kick his ass Seabass!!!
Good on him
I'm selling 🍿🍿🍿🍿 for what about to happen in this article's comment section....
and in the other site.
“With more than 23 studios worldwide creating games for Xbox, our goal is to release at least one new, first party game into Game Pass every quarter.“
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/06/10/whats-next-for-gaming-highlights/
I honestly think both approaches are valid
I can appreciate that Xbox is bringing their games to more people but also that Sony also clearly cares about prioritizing supplying their consoles with content first and foremost since they clearly care way more about pushing the hardware than Microsoft does. It was honestly really smart of them to launch Horizon on PC ahead of announcing Forbidden West since that obviously would generate interest from the PC crowd for their consoles
Microsoft really showing the consumer the 360 DUNK! Game Pass, Play anywhere and Play how you want.
Naturally, this kind of stuff fuels fanboy reactions from both sides; but it is possible to do this kind of stuff when it comes to competition in a certain space and still maintain civility.
Phil Spencer is simply pointing out the "Microsoft difference" compared to Sony.
Of course Sony fans can simply point out that because Sony puts it's consoles first, it is capable of having the kinds of releases that people look at and say "how is this even possible?".
I love all gaming consoles, but there is definitely a certain something about focusing on single hardware.
Gloves off lol, love it! Good to see these industry leaders show a little personality every now and then.
Fanboyism is toxic and I hate it.
Listen folk's, this will put some heat on Sony which is great for gamers. Competition is key and from the brink of extinction Xbox is now making Sony sweat. I hope Sony gets a competitive reply and they fight for our money vs taking it for granted.
Corpo fight!!!!!
@TheFrenchiestFry Agreed! I really like the fact that Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are each doing something different and have their own space. Plus it encourages HEALTHY competition, each pushing the other forwards. That's ultimately good for us gamers.
Though I do wish there were more initiatives like XBox Cloud Gaming from the other two to allow people who can maybe only afford one, or no, box, to experience the best games from the others.
@The_New_Butler Agreed! you'll be happy to hear Matt Booty's (head of Xbox Game Studios) latest quote then ""In terms of the overall line up, we want to get to a point of releasing a new (first party) game every quarter," Matt Booty.
Hopefully they get to that rate and they are bangers. They've been building to that for a while.
@TheFrenchiestFry
Sony's way is only good for them, but not for the players.
@AgentGuapo 100% agreed. Unfortunately that’s all this article is.
@Murray I mean if you're following Sony and you're dying to play their exclusives odds are you probably bought a PlayStation in the first place anyway for that alone
Sony's approach isn't necessarily hindering, it's just different. They clearly want to make a statement that buying their system will guarantee you access at the earliest possible point for their first party content, and then they branch out once they make all the money they can off of the people who game on their consoles. Enough people are probably buying their consoles right now that they don't feel inclined to expand immediately.
It's not as ambitious as PC-same day releases, but Microsoft clearly don't care anymore about selling the Xbox as just the console in your home if even today's announcement of them making xCloud devices for TVs was any indication. Sony still to an extent does care about marketing PlayStation as a console-first platform, but sees an opportunity in tapping into the PC market regardless when they can.
@FatalBubbles this and the other one on Push. sighs It a comment that didn’t require a news story much less two ._.
I like what xb is doing and where it's headed, but ps is doing great, in first, so they can kind of dictate the market.
As of now, Xbox approach is more consumer-friendly. I remember during PS3/X360 era, PS was more consumer-friendly with their free online gaming and great deals on PS Plus sub. That's why competition is good for the consumer. Provided that consumers cease to be a stupid fanboys, and always ready to jump ship to the more consumer friendly company.
Hell Yeah!!!! Get em Phil..
Keep it up, Phil! Thanks to this incentive, as a PC owner there'll never be a reason for me to buy an Xbox 😎
Does he not know who he works for lol Microsoft are the biggest pc software makers and biggest pc store and own xbox so of course their games are going to pc day one and cross buy and infact Microsoft prioritize pc over xbox with games such as flight simulator.
PlayStation are basically putting their games on another platform that isn't owned by them and don't have a store on, so they have all rights to charge again.
He's lacking common sense here and just stirring the pot
@CrazyJF that's a solid point tbf, also funny how Nintendo gets left out of these conversations as they don't put any of their games on any other platforms or offer a streaming service
Finally good to hear him talk like this
He is right and let's not forget Nintendo who sells ports in the same generation (Wii U and Switch) without digital cross-buy! As a Wii U and Switch owner, that hurts.
I think this is the press fanning flames than Phil "throwing shade." It comes across as just stating a product differentiator rather than an attack. And that's fair. Currently Xbox doesn't differentiate itself with exclusives etc as much as others at least for now. It's the platform itself and it's connectedness that differentiates it. Just like Switch offers portable and console play from one purchas, Xbox offers PC, console and streaming from one purchase. Sony offers their popular exclusives, but doesn't really differentiate the platform itself the way MS and Nintendo are doing. It's a fair comparison without it being seen as "shade".
@GamingFan4Lyf
"Sony fans can simply point out that because Sony puts it's consoles first..."
They ought to put gamers first, don't you think?
@AgentGuapo How on Earth did you survive on that other site all this time? 😒
@gingataisen I mean, sure; but if you are heavily invested in the Sony platform, then it's nothing but good news that the company puts it's console before anything else.
Phil praises Sony > yeah great one Phil, no console wars bs on our side!
Phil throws shade at Sony > yeah great one Phil, **** Sony!
@WCB
Insomniac deserves praise for the game they made and Sony (the self-titled, "For the Players" company) deserves shame for making people buy their games twice. Phil was right on both instances, so I don't know what you're trying to pull here.
@gingataisen how is Sony forcing you to buy their games twice? Did CDPR force you to buy The Witcher 3 4 times for PC, PS4, Xbox, and Switch? No. Do companies who release remakes force you to buy the same game twice? No. So how is Sony doing it?
What I was getting at is that whatever Phil says seems to be mindlessly praised, but maybe it didn't come across that way. Forgive me, I didn't get much sleep last night. 🙂
Phil speaks the truth
@WCB Xbox has Play Anywhere; you buy once, you play that game on console and PC. That's the standard that should be followed going forward. Sony doesn't believe in that.
I've been to enough forums and comments sections elsewhere to know that whatever Phil says is not only not praised, but twisted and taken out of context by all manner of console warriors and trolls.
@gingataisen Sony doesn't own Windows. Nor is Sony worth $1 trillion with almost unlimited resources to sink into a toy. Xbox is insignificant to Microsoft moneywise, Playstation is Sony's breadwinner. Imagine Nintendo with access to Amazon's money and infrastructure. That's the kind of backing Xbox has.
As for Play Anywhere, that is a nice marketing term, but can I really?
It's not like I can download the games I bought off the GoG store to my Xbox and play them, right? I mean they are still PC games, right? No, you have to be locked into their ecosystem. And that is the big battle taking place right now, which ecosystem can dominate everywhere, on everything. Full Spectrum Dominance. Google tried, and failed. They had access to every android device, TV, pc, Google cloud, chrome browser in the world that could have potentially run Stadia. But they dropped the ball.
That's what Xbox wants. That's what Amazon wants. That's where the battle is. And Sony and Nintendo cannot really compete unless they piggyback off of another companies infrastructure. Hell, Amazon and Microsoft are competing with one anther to supply the US Military its warfighting cloud capabilities.
Yet the exclusives on both PlayStation and Nintendo, will make buy those systems.
Sure MS going in different direction and someone wants to play Halo Infinite can use the Cloud Stick instead of getting a console and still a MS service being used.
Got Series X and a PS5. One has some awesome (albeit early) next-gen titles. The other has Game Pass and (currently) no killer next gen titles. Know this will change but throwing shade at a competitor that clearly has a different business model seems a bit weird.
@WCB Everything (well, almost) you said sounds about right, but that's Sony's problem, not mine. Xbox is much more considerate and open with their customers than PlayStation, and I for one appreciate that.
Doesn't Sony make money from games published for PlayStation?
Why is Sony increasingly supporting pc in the first place?
As a consumer I am happy but I don't quite understand why they are doing that.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...