Is Sony Afraid of Microsoft? Or Vice Versa?

We are getting to the point in this console generation in which both companies seem to be going in the wrong direction. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is $200 cheaper than Sony’s PlayStation 3 and it still manages to come within 100k in hardware sales in Microsoft’s homeland; America. Even though Sony seems to be holding its ground even at a higher price point, their software sales for their exclusive games are nowhere near what they should be. Looking at Killzone 2, its marketing, attention, and a plethora of good reviews, its sales were still somewhat disappointing.

Why Sony Should Be “Scared” of Microsoft

Microsoft still has a lot of gas left in their tank with recent rumors of a new Halo game in the works. Not only that, they also have yet to drop the prices of their other SKU’s such as the pro model and the elite model. Microsoft is also one of the wealthiest companies in the world, so they do have a lot of money to buy DLC and market their games and hardware like crazy. What this means is that they could potentially just buy a multiplatform game and make it exclusive to their console if they wanted to. Microsoft has significant control over the media because they have a lot of advertisement deals with websites and news channels. Due to this advantage, if Microsoft were to become desperate, they could do some serious damage to Sony quite easily.

Why Microsoft Should Be “Scared” of Sony

Sony is widely known for winning two consecutive generations in a row. They are also known for their popular franchises such as Gran Turismo (which is in the top 10 best selling franchises). Titles such as this could generate a lot of software sales for them. Although Sony is still holding up against Microsoft’s $200 arcade model, a lot of people feel that when they drop the price, Sony will blow the competition away in hardware sales. Sony is not as rich as Microsoft so they could not just throw their money around in buying DLC. They have to play it smart and market at the right times, as well as put most of the money in their first party games. Sony has a lot of exclusive games in the works and once people see that, it could be the deciding factor on which console they buy. Knowing that the PlayStation 3 comes equip with a Blu-ray player and the possibility of Sony dropping the price soon, it will put it above the Xbox 360 in many people’s minds in terms of quality, reliability, and price.