www.bahrainthismonth.com November 2013 95 Elma Bartholomew The rumours have kept gamers on their toes for months. Now that the release dates of their latest consoles have neared, Xbox and Playstation fans can wait no longer. Now that the highly anticipated releases of Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PS4 are here, the hype has kicked into overdrive. A lot of people freaked out when respected members of the gaming world hinted at potential spilled beans that would change the industry forever. However, it would be silly to assume that Sony would shoot themselves in the foot like Microsoft did. They have been playing their marketing tricks smoothly — so far at least. The same can’t be said for the team behind Xbox’s new release. Not many of us can forget the nest of rage and mockery that built up when they first disclosed the Xbox One. Although a quick retreat and eventual rectification should have solved the problem, starting on the wrong foot could have cost them an irrevocable loss. The other side of the coin We could say that PS4 has already won the battle, but experts have claimed that Xbox is set to win the war. Many expect the Xbox One to outsell the PS4 within the launch window. The gaming community chants the fact that Sony is riding on a wave of goodwill. The fact that the PS4 is USD100 cheaper should work in its favour. Nevertheless, forecasts have been disregarded by experts who have all their money placed on Xbox One. This faith is perhaps based on analysts’ findings on Ebay sales. While both are seeing healthy responses, Xbox One’s price margin averages a 60 percent increase as compared to 50 percent for PS4. It’s surprising, isn’t it, considering the former is more expensive? What really matters The demand for both products has already outgrown supply by a good margin. So by the time holiday shopping hits its peak, the consoles that have been made will have been bought. So the real success belongs to those who can make more consoles in time for Christmas, because the price difference does not effect the decision of a buyer who can’t distinguish between the two. This is why the launch window prediction can’t be relied upon. All pre-orders and initial sales depend on hardcore gamers, who have already made their choice. Since there is nothing truly exclusive to wait for, the popularity test begins when the unacquainted buyer picks a console. It is difficult to quantify success or failure in this industry, with competitors having been around for over a decade. It suffices to say that the benchmark they’ve created for themselves is ambitious — 100 million units is no joke, especially when 300 million machines is what was sold in 10 years of existence. It looks like a tall order. downtimeintro Let the Battle Begin 96 Gadgets x 102 Music x 104 Computer games x 105 Websites x 106 Apps x 107 Movies Also this month Right away The Evernote Jot Script stylus is equipped with Bluetooth technology, providing users with a pressure-sensitive tablet stylus with a fantastically small 1.9mm tip. Read all about it The new Kindle Fire is a fullfeatured HD tablet. There’s more to enjoy than ever before with a stunning display, faster performance, longer battery life and lighter design. PS4 versus X-BOX Vs
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