Now that the dust has settled and we have all had some time to digest the news that came out of E3, I feel like it’s the right time to reflect about what we saw and what it means. I was able to catch both the Microsoft and Playstation conferences live as they happened, and once it was all over there was a clear winner for me. But I didn’t go into the expo already declaring Sony the winner: I really wanted to see what each had to say about the hardware, sharing, used games and connectivity. And what I ended up getting out of a comparison of the two presentations after the fact was something a little more, and something I think is much more important.

Sony really handed it to Microsoft this year. I watched Microsoft first, and was admittedly impressed. The games looked good, they had Insomniac on their stage, and a partnership with Twitch is nothing to shake a stick at. I expected the DR and used game news, and was interested in learning more about the cloud sharing. The price tag didn’t even surprise me, and I was curious as to what Sony had in store. I had originally predicted that if Microsoft went through with some of these things, then Sony would have to follow suit. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They allow used games, there is the capability to play games offline, and they hit the price tag out of the park, something even I didn’t expect. It was an all round A+ performance.

The biggest thing that Sony did, however, became evident after the conferences, after everyone returned home, and began voting with their wallets. Sony had listened to the consumers and what they wanted, and given it to them. We said we didn’t want DRM; they avoided it. We said we wanted to be able to play and share used games; they allowed it (and even came out with a perfectly timed and amazing YouTube video to reinforce it). They didn’t force the Playstation Eye down our throats either, and include it in the Playstation 4 box, or make it a mandatory feature for it to function. They looked out towards what the industry was asking for and gave it to them. Microsoft, on the other hand, did what they wanted to the entire time, despite the very loud backlash on mere rumors all over the internet. They only reversed their decision after the fact, when preorder numbers clearly showed that people were voting with their wallets as to whose policies they supported more.

To me, it’s too little too late. Microsoft has proven quite clearly that what they value is money, and not their customers. They’ve shown their willing to lie about DRM being engrained in the hardware and unable to be removed at this point, and then take it away with a day one patch. They’ve shown that they hear, but don’t listen what the industry has to say, and only choose to listen when their bottom line is threatened. But most of all, they’ve shown that the other guy does care, and that they really can’t hold a candle to Sony this generation when it comes to listening to the gamers and what they want.

This isn’t about cost, or exclusive titles, or the size of the box. For me, Sony won because they were listening to us and what we wanted all along, and for that they deserve my support. We’ve seen how powerful truly voting with your wallet can be, and I will continue to do so, in hopes that it will encourage Sony to continue to focus on the consumer, and not dollar signs. Because in all reality, by doing the former, you get the latter as well.

Discuss:

What do you think about Sony at E3 and the subsequent reaction from Microsoft? Please share below!

Sarah