It has been more than three months since the release of the Sony PlayStation 4 and the Microsoft Xbox One, which joined the Nintendo Wii U in the eighth generation of video game consoles. This generation is facing a startling decline in sales compared to previous consoles, but Sony has hope in new technology on the horizon.
As a staunch supporter of the PS4, I grew concerned when PlayStation developer Sony first announced the release of the console more than a year ago. In a Minnesota Daily column at the time, I warned Sony that its new console needs to have flair or else face a similar fate as Sega, a video game company that downgraded to the third-party development of games due to the Sega Saturn’s failure.
Unfortunately, a recent analysis from leading technology website TechCrunch shows that my fears may be coming true. TechCrunch compared the sales statistics of eighth-generation consoles to that of their predecessors after a few months on the market. Video game systems such as the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the Wii were making between double and quadruple the sales of their latest counterparts.
The author of the article, TechCrunch writer Natasha Lomas, considers a few of the causal explanations to this phenomenon.
One hypothesis is that, since 2006 and the approximate start of the seventh-generation console era, a large portion of gamers have either ditched the consoles in place of smartphones (the casual gamers) or customized PCs (the hardcore gamers). Casual gamers are unwilling to justify spending $500 on a new console when they can fulfill their gaming needs with “Flappy Bird,” and hardcore gamers can build PCs at more affordable rates than purchasing a new console. What’s worse, if one invests a little bit more into their home computer than buying a PS4 or Xbox One, they can easily game with much better specs and speeds than eighth-generation consoles.
Lomas also posits that the relatively miniscule number of games in the market is also contributing to the lackluster sales of consoles. Indeed, despite the fact that I would love to purchase the slick PS4, if there are not many games to play for the system, then what is the point? I would much rather spend money on PS3 games that I have yet to play than to drop several hundred dollars on a new console with fewer available games.
Thankfully, there appears to be some hope.
Earlier this month, Sony unveiled “Project Morpheus,” a prototype of a user-friendly, game-enhancing set of virtual reality (VR) goggles.
As I explained in my previous column, Sony’s past three consoles had elements to them that made them stand out, such as the PS2’s ability to play DVDs and PS1 games (backward compatibility). Beforehand, there was not really anything that made the PS4 shine, apart from the general technical and hardware updates. However, if they were to place the VR device in the market, it would give all kinds of gamers a reason to actually purchase the new video game system. Even better, the refreshing gaming experience would likely amaze casual gamers, and hardcore gamers would play the PS4 alongside their PC games due to the unique features of the PS4.
If Sony ever expects to climb out of its rut, it must finish the VR prototype and offer virtual reality gaming on the PS4.