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Sony and Microsoft: This is the year of our console

Both Microsoft and Sony used this week to talk themselves up, offering different takes on the same general theme: man, we’re amazing.

At the IFA consumer electronics pre-show, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai asserted that the PlayStation brand is the most innovative around.

“You’ve heard me saying this many times, but our constant theme at Sony is of course innovation. And we’re continuing to show innovation in TV, audio, digital imaging, and mobile, but it doesn’t stop there,” Hirai said. “Innovation has been fundamental to our success in our PlayStation business, and continues to inspire us to create new technologies and new consumer experiences. And PlayStation is committed to be the best place to play, whether it’d be for gaming, video, music, or even television.

“We’re constantly evolving the PlayStation ecosystem through hardware, software, and network capabilities, that create truly inspiring experiences. PlayStation Innovation is simply unparalleled, and it provides a meaningful and powerful mean to connect gamers in ways never before thought possible.”

Hirai drew specific attention to the Project Morpheus VR headset.

“Now, of course, one fantastic example of this is Project Morpheus, our virtual reality system designed for the PlayStation 4. Morpheus, simply put, is a remarkable innovation that showcases the future of gaming and pushes the boundaries of play,” he continued. “Project Morpheus achieves a sense of presence that takes you beyond conventional gameplay and to worlds of unprecedented depth and perception. So we’re talking about powerful 360 degree experiences unlike anything that you’ve ever experienced.

“And not only does Project Morpheus deliver unique, next-level VR experiences, it also provides a social dimension, that allows players to connect and share their experience with others, whether that’d be playing alongside each other, or even via online multiplayer.

:So once again, please take the time and really enjoy the many immersive and innovative experiences in the PlayStation area, right here at this booth this week. And hang on to your hats. It’s unlike anything, anything that you’ve experienced before.”

At the same time, Xbox Console and Platform Senior Product Manager, Patrick Perkins, used the GameStop Expo to talk up the Xbox One, likening it to the Xbox 360’s golden year of 2007.

“You actually see that lining up years ahead of time. Before we even launched the Xbox One, we knew that this was ‘the year’. You just look at the dev cycles and when everything is gonna come together,” Perkins began. “You know what’s funny is that 2007 was the third holiday of Xbox 360, in a one year time span you saw the first BioShock come out, you saw Halo 3 come out, you saw the first Assassin’s Creed, that’s when the first Rock Band came out, Guitar Hero was huge then… On the other side of the holidays you had the first Mass Effect, you had GTA 4 come out, in a one-year period.

“To me that was the golden era of games. I think this year actually surpasses that. If you think about the exclusives with Halo, Tomb Raider, Forza, and then add great games like Battlefront, Black Ops III, Fallout, all in a year time span, it’s a lot.

“And that third year, we found out with 360, that’s when developers are really starting to understand what the new technology can do, the new things it can do, because whenever there’s a launch there’s always that kind of time that… and it’s a slow ramp up, but we’re firmly there right now. So that’s super-exciting.”

What do you think of both companies’ statements?


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Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.