PS4 vs. Xbox One

[Tamas]

Oh, on related notes, Princesca and I went shopping for TVs and entertainment centers yesterday and while we made no decisions re: the latter, I think we've narrowed the TV search down to a 60" LED TV of some sort or another.

Consider plasma, less expensive and probably a better picture quality.

Cal if you buy a plasma I am not going to talk to you. They are seriously, seriously outdated technology, even the uber plasma TV producer Panasonic has abandoned them. DO NOT BUY A PLASMA TV.

The 75 inch 9000 Samsung TV is simply awesome. If you are not as money-laden as I imagined, then something of this year's 7000 series will do. They even have voice and motion control so you don't need an Xbox for that

Also I am not familiar with these mediacenter features, but these TVs now are pretty good with pictures, films (and I imagine, music) plugged onto them via USB, plus they have lots of apps, IIRC you can share stuff between your tablet and Samsung telly as well.
So any TV over the lower medium tier (at least Samsung ones) seem to be quite a media center on it's own.

[Jacob]

Sony's present attitude towards the PS4 is indicative of their new corporate philosophy after the restructuring:  getting back to basics, doing what they're good at, and take it from there.

That's my read too.

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah.  From what I can tell Sony really, really needs the PS4 to not fail.  Microsoft probably stands to lose less with the Xbox One.

I don't think Sony has to worry about that anymore.

Sony Beats Its PS4 Sales Target, With 5.3M Consoles Sold In 3-Months
Posted yesterday by Natasha Lomas

Sony's PlayStation 4 went on sale in North America in time for the holiday season three months ago, and in Western Europe on November 29 last year — and has yet to hit shelves in the company's home market of Japan — but sales of the gaming console are still going strong.

Sony has surpassed it own full-year target of five million units by the end of March, reporting today (via Reuters) that it had sold 5.3 million units as of February 8.

This comes days after Sony tweeted that the PS4 had been the best selling console in the U.S. in January — beating out Microsoft's Xbox One, which launched on November 22, although Redmond claimed the top spot for number of games sold.

Microsoft also claimed the top console sales position for December, based on NPD numbers. And said a total of three million of its XbOnes (as the device is colloquially know to tech hacks) were sold in 2013 (vs 4.2 million PS4s — 2.1 million of which were sold in the first two weeks).

Judging by today's data, Sony's PS4 is maintaining that early lead, with one core console country left to come in its current rollout schedule.

The PlayStation 4 is due to go on sale in Japan on February 22, kicking off with a live-streamed launch event at the Sony building in Tokyo. Microsoft has yet to nail down a firm launch date for the Xbox One in Japan, beyond saying it will land there sometime in 2014.

Last month, rival Japanese gaming giant Nintendo reported a sales target miss for its controller/console combo, the Wii U – and slashed sales expectations by almost 70% — as it struggles to compete with, on the one hand, home console heavyweights like the PS4 and, at the other end of the market, smartphones being used for casual gaming.

[Caliga]

Not surprising.  This weekend I went to a couple of places to look at TVs, soundbars, etc.  At Target, I noticed the PS4 display case was empty and an employee came over while I was looking at it and said "Yeah, we're sold out of those and every time we get more, we sell out pretty much immediately.  If you want an Xbox One, we have plenty in stock but just so you know nobody is buying those."

[Neil]

I think Microsoft's aware the XBO is more of an experiment than a bona fide replacement- despite the age of the XB360, they're still not retiring it, hinting that they're aware the XBO could fail spectacularly.

I doubt that is why.
My guess is that they are keeping XB360 for the time being because they can still make money off it and segment the market.
If XBO fails they aren't going to bring back or upgrade 360, they are going to spin off the entire division.

This.  You don't just ignore the enormous 360 install base.  But there's no going back in the console industry.  Sony supported the PS2 for years and years after the PS3 came out, but even in the darkest days when it looked like the PS3 was doomed, there was never any doubt that they were going to soldier on with it.  Next gen is the way to go if you're in consoles.  Now that the Wii fad has run it's course, I think everyone recognizes that.  Of course, there's more money in making casual games for cell phones, and then trademarking random English words and going after anyone who uses them.

[CountDeMoney]

and then trademarking random English words and going after anyone who uses them.

  What if I just use "Frappy" instead?

[Jacob]

Of course, there's more money in making casual games for cell phones, and then trademarking random English words and going after anyone who uses them.

I'm thinking of trademarking "game". And maybe "car".

[Caliga]

Ha, I just checked online with both Target and Walmart, and the PS4 is sold out at every single store within a 50 mile radius... but all of those same stores have Xbox One in stock. 

[lustindarkness]

Ha, I just checked online with both Target and Walmart, and the PS4 is sold out at every single store within a 50 mile radius... but all of those same stores have Xbox One in stock. 

I understand that is the case all over. And not just in the States. I'm glad I can't aford one right now, I'd be real pissed if I was looking for one right now.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Ha, I just checked online with both Target and Walmart, and the PS4 is sold out at every single store within a 50 mile radius... but all of those same stores have Xbox One in stock. 

Best Buy is actually the best option. It's kind of hidden on their page but you need to find their listing for the base $399.99 PS4, and then mouseover "Check Shipping and Availability" and then the popup will have a button for "Check Stores." Then you will go through a prompt to put in your zip code and it'll pull up all the stores nearby. Most/all of them will say "Unavailable" but my understanding is the people who really want PS4s and don't want to pay >MSRP just go to that page every morning and usually new PS4s become available  irregularly. The nice thing is once a store has it, you can actually purchase it online and the it's yours, and you have like a week to show up and pick it up.

[Caliga]

I refuse to go to Best Buy.  I don't need nonstop sales pitches for orichalcum-plated HDMI cables.

[Ed Anger]

I refuse to go to Best Buy.  I don't need nonstop sales pitches for orichalcum-plated HDMI cables.

You need the extended warranty.

[katmai]

I refuse to go to Best Buy.  I don't need nonstop sales pitches for orichalcum-plated HDMI cables.

okay dummy

[garbon]

I never had anyone at Best Buy try to sell me anything.

[CountDeMoney]

I cut coke with my Rewards Zone Premier Silver Best Buy™ card.