As members of the media, is it our job to give both Sony and Microsoft’s consoles an equal amount of praise? If we happen to think one piece of hardware is much more user friendly and appealing to our specific needs, would it be in our best interest to make that known? It’s a strange balancing act, but a recent Edge Online cover analyzing the most recent E3 seems to show a staff that’s ready to crown the victor of the new console race before either platform has even launched.
The August issue of Edge magazine has a bold cover, to say the least. As you can see from the image below, the outlet has branded the PlayStation 4 “your next console,” as after hearing about the lower price point and less-stringent policies, Edge believes, “the only option right now is the PS4.” A bubble can also be seen that advertizes a section on “the titanic errors on Xbox One’s road to ruin.”
It’s likely that the errors Edge is referring to include a $499 price tag, a confusing choice of messaging, and the initial inclusion of DRM and online check-ins. Since E3, Microsoft has pulled back on many of its preliminary policies, but will that be enough to convince the community to buy the thing? As of right now, I don’t feel comfortable making bold statements about the future of this industry without seeing the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in the wild. Don Mattrick leaving Microsoft was just another telling piece in this strange puzzle, but if the last few months are some sort of indication, anything can happen in this industry.
