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PS4 or Xbox One – Whataya Buyin?

whataya-buyin-ps4-xboxone-wiiu
Written by Chris Lock

With the E3 dust settling, people are starting to take their stands on which console to buy, PS4 or Xbox One. Some love Xbox One, others PS4, and both sides have their reasons. Unfortunately most people just can not afford both at launch and so are forced to chose a side, even if they have no horse in this race. So what are we buying? Well I asked the team to tell me which system appealed to them the most and why. And, even though LevelSave is a family, families have disagreements.

 

(Please note that all of these submission were entered before the policy changes of the Xbox One. Nevertheless, these are still the systems we are getting.)

 

James Pope: For me the PS4 is the only way to go. With their stable of established developers and $100 price difference I don’t know what would compel me to decide on an Xbox One. Playstation Plus is giving us huge titles like Drive Club and Don’t Starve right out of the gate and we have been promised 100+ titles in the first year, 40 of which will be exclusive to the PS4. I think the strategy Sony is launching with is absolutely brilliant. They are catering to gamers and giving everything that we could ever ask for in a console. Let us not forget that we have not even seen what Naughty Dog is thinking of when it comes to a next-gen game. For me PS4 is truly the best place to play and the only place for me.

Raven Poplar: Xbox One broke our vows when MS released their sharing policies for the system. I’m not going to put up with that crap on a console. Sure, you could make the argument that Steam (my favorite for a decade or so) has similar DRM, but Steam is an amazing service which has games for literally less than a dollar when the big sales roll around. Valve listens to its customers and doesn’t charge monthly fees for access to basic online functionality. Xbox is fugly. I’ve heard the argument comparing One to Steam and if we’re going to compare them, we’re going to watch Microsoft spin around in a blender of shame.

So, MS has broken the camels’ back. That leaves Nintendo and Sony to vie for my attention. I will probably be picking up both of those at some point, but the tablet for Nintendo’s new system confuses me. Are they still going to marketing to children? I wouldn’t give any child a screen to hold in their hands unless I could afford to replace it. Children test boundaries which means they are inherently destructive. It’s not a problem in my household, since my daughter is ten and can control herself better than someone half her age. I just worry about their franchises maturing and losing some of the innate joy of basic gameplay and presentation which pops with ear- and eye-candy. This won’t be a priority for me at any rate until the price drops, since Nintendo isn’t a sought-after commodity on my couch.

This leaves Sony by default. Playstation 1 and 2 were my systems of choice for their respective generations and I’m glad to see that Sony is still treating the heart of all game systems, the gaming, as the core concept for this new piece of hardware. I won’t have to deal with stupid DRM policies, saying “XBOX” in conversation with someone while gaming, HUDs which aren’t actually on the screen, Twitter popping up by accident in the middle of a boss battle, or spy-camera technology taking up loads of space in front of my TV.

To sum it up:

XBOX = Shame smoothie.

WiiU = What? Why?

PS4 = A gaming console.

Playstation 4 remains the only choice for my family. That is, until Steambox shows its teeth.

Austin Griffith: Even for a fanboy like myself, the answer wasn’t always as clear as you’d think. While Microsoft had the best conference out of the entire E3, Sony really hit me where it hurt – the lower price point. In the end though, re-watching through Microsoft’s press conference reminded me of all the great exclusives coming to the Xbox One, and that’s a system seller for me. In the end, the answer was clear: Xbox One.

Taryn Beach: I’m getting a PS4. As I said on Twitter, I just feel there is more value in the PS4. With Sony’s variety in exclusive titles, PlayStation Plus and the one hundred dollar price difference, the PS4 is the system I am getting first.

Barry Villatoro: As Austin said Xbox One is the one for me.

Ever since the dawn of the console wars I’ve placed my money on the console that gave me the exclusives I was most interested in. Quantity of exclusives never mattered. Because in all honestly, interesting multi-platform games always outnumbered the exclusives, at least for me. So, it always hinged on who had the exclusives that were meant for me. Xbox has had them. I know, “What exclusives?” The Halos ( I love the Halo universe), Halo Wars (see?), and a plethora of XBLA games. The Xbox One had me excited for every exclusive it showed. Killer Instinct? #Enuffsed.

I don’t have to lie to kick it. So I openly admit I love the stupid avatar store. It’s just cute, unique and adds a personal touch to my gaming experience.

“Features? Who cares?” At least that’s what I used to say. What can the combination of Smart Glass, Cloud and Game DVR bring to the gaming scene? No eyes have seen, no ears have heard, no mind has conceived.

Karley Campbell: I plan to get the Xbox One when I can because I am already so invested with the Xbox brand (profile, gamerscore, community ect.) and I am glad to evolve to the new and unique things they offer with the console. The restrictions don’t regard me and when I buy a game I always keep it anyways!

Chris Lock: Initially this was not a tough decision for me as, when I told my wife about the Kinect, she promptly told me I was “Not bringing that thing in the house.” After I pardoned that I would unplug the system when not in use and that “I write about video games, I kinda have to have it.” She relinquished.

I am about to contradict myself a lot here, so brace for that. I am not a huge fan of the multiplayer shooter genre, but Titanfall looks phenomenal. I do not care for motion controls, but navigating with the Kinect looks neat. I do not have cable, but the Xbox integration of your cable is great for those that do. Basically, contrary to my current preferences, I think the Xbox is a pretty neat device.

However, I can not support their business practices. Assisting in the destruction of the used market is an extremely anti-consumer tactic and not one I can get behind. I have boycotted games and publishers before, despite my overwhelming desire to play them. It is more important to me that the industry move forward, not just on a technological level, but on a maturity level as well. You will not get far by treating your consumers like criminals. That is the sole reason that Steam gets away with having their DRM, because they treat the customer with some damn respect. Any company who thinks that they ‘don’t need some customers’ is fooling themselves into believing they are bigger than they really are.

So that is why I will be getting a PS4 at launch. Not because of fanboyism, not only because of the exclusives, not because of the price, but because they are treating me like a human being. Microsoft will eventually get my cash, but only after a significant price drop or some serious policy changes.

But being able to stream every single game to my Vita is a huge plus. I am sick and tired of being tethered to my TV, which means I feel myself gravitating towards getting a Wii U more each day.

 

So what are you buying? Does the recent change in DRM policies for the Xbox One have you questioning your day one purchase? Or does the extra 100$ and slight difference in RAM make PS4 your choice? Let us know in the comments!

About the author

Chris Lock

Just a guy that loves games and wants so badly to tell you about them. I have a habit of being a terrible person. Prone to talk about the worst games imaginable. Poke-fan. LBP admirer. RPG lover. Writer. Podcaster. Father. Husband. Student. Tired. @Snickelsox on twitter.

10 Comments

  • Ps4 duh. Not even sure how anyone could consider Xbox.
    Ps4 is:
    -100$ less.
    -more powerful
    -Has better and higher qty of exclusives for nearly all genres.
    -Honestly Sony has a better vision on gaming.
    -Sony has better policies for gamers and developers (more freedom = better games).

    • $100 more is a bit misleading.. For the Xbox 360, the Kinect would run you and extra $100 – so you’re really getting a bundle of Xbox One & Kinect for that price – there is no camera included in the PS4 bundle.

      • Don’t care about Kinect nor any video capture device. Hence it’s a 100$ tax for me, since MS is forcing it. So no, it’s completely fair.

  • I am a huge Xbox fan, but I do occasionally play the PS3. I have enjoyed many games on it most notably the Last of Us and Journey. So as to not be biased both consoles look great, Xbox’s DRM reversal is a plus. PS4 looks like a wicked good game console, but it boils down to games. So far the PS4 is lacking, I’m not a huge Killzone fan and Infamous while good, is not a game I’d run out to buy. While Xbox has Ryse, Forza, Dead Rising 3, Titanfall in the spring and a new Halo. If God of War 4 gets announced, I will buy a PS4 solely for that game, but right now I’ll stick w/ Xbox One. It’s games I love and know will be good and good stuff right off the bat, the PS4 will still probably dominate in the exclusive market though down the line, and I will keep my eyes out on The Order.

  • The PS4 is the only real gaming console for the next generation. The Wii U is last generation and who knows what the Xbone is. Besides a spy box.

  • getting both ps4 and x1. also getting a wii u when the price comes way down its just not worth the money forthe same old mario games. but for bayonetta 2 ya id pay $75 for a system.off of craigslist or something like that of course.

  • I wouldn’t give you a Wooden Nickel for a Wii U. Xbone, i am a little Intrigued, time will tell the Story. PS4 is good system with an awsome price, but there are a few things i need to find out after launch before i make my decision. I will not make a decision before next fall, i need a year to watch the game unfold. If Xbone comes down $ 50.00, i am pretty much all in. A lot can happen in 18 months, i have a 360 to get me by till then. Till then, Cheers!

  • I’m buying a Wii U.

    No annual subscription to play online, more exclusives, bigger technological leap, comes with a game, and backward compatibility.

    PS4 maybe in a couple years, but the PS3 has lots of life, there isn’t that big a leap in technology from PS3 and a good library of games.

    Xbox one … What?! Why?? (to quote you)

    • Both of those systems seem a little confusing to me, but I will definitely be getting the WiiU after a little while. I really enjoy most Mario games, and the new Kart looks amazing.

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