As we raise a glass to 2018, we look ahead to the future and reflect on the year that passed. 2018 was a stellar year for the gaming industry. Microsoft loosened its purse strings and made headline-grabbing acquisitions. Nintendo released one of the best-selling titles of the year with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and shifted scores of Switch consoles. And Sony continued its dominance of the market with quality, AAA 1st-Party exclusive titles in God of War, Detroit: Become Human, and Spider-man. It bears repeating: 2018 was a stellar year for the gaming industry. But now it’s time to look ahead and see what lies ahead in the new year. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony are setting the stage for a promising 2019, but there is one aspect – one resolution, as it were – that each should really be focusing on.
Xbox’s New Year’s Resolution: Release Exclusive Hits
As its competitors continue to capitalize on high-quality 1st-Party exclusives, Microsoft devoted a great deal of 2018 to the ‘world’s most powerful console’, its killer Games Pass service, and upgrading its generations-old catalog. All noble efforts, of course, but neither of those talking points address the Xbox One’s most glaring flaw: it’s lack of notable 1st-Party exclusive titles. Sony’s PS4 Pro may be the weaker mid-gen upgrade, but it does not change the fact that consumers prefer the PlayStation brand over Microsoft. Current estimations have PlayStation 4 having sold 90+ million consoles to Xbox One’s 40 million. Better hardware alone is not enough to help to reverse the ever-widening gap in Sony’s favor. When Sony releases the likes of God of War, Detroit: Become Human, and Spider-man in the same year, Forza Horizon 4 alone does not make a compelling enough argument to purchase an Xbox One X, over a PlayStation console. Thankfully, Microsoft is making moves to address this issue.
As of 2019, Microsoft owns 13 game studios, seven of which have been acquired or founded last year. So while the Xbox’s lack of exclusive titles won’t be an issue, the fruits of these acquisitions may not been seen for another year or so. While we are confident that the Xbox will continue to sell in 2019, Microsoft needs to sneak in a few significant exclusives to really justify the purchase of its $500 console.
Nintendo’s New Year’s Resolution: Start Iterative Switch Tablet Hardware
It might be a hard pill to swallow for even the staunchest of Nintendo fans, but the Switch is going to need a semi-serious upgrade if it wants to stay relevant. Sony and Microsoft already have Nintendo edged out in hardware department, and both have all but confirmed new consoles in the works with rumors pointing to a release as early as 2020. As it stands now, Nintendo has been reaping benefits of its 1st-Party exclusives, deluge of indie titles, and the occasional Wii/Wii U port. If Nintendo doesn’t want to get lost in the buzz of brand new shiny next-gen consoles, it really needs to consider updating the Switch tablet every two years or so.
As technology get smaller and more powerful as time goes on, Nintendo needs to follow suit and upgrade its hardware accordingly. While current generation titles like like Wolfenstein and Doom have been scaled down to so that they are playable on the Switch, I cannot see this trend continuing for much longer as newer 3rd-Party titles become more demanding on the hardware. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Switch 2.0 has to be a 4K machine, but a 1080p baseline is a proper start. How about a larger screen (damn you, bezel!!), that would allow for 1080p in Handheld Mode, and just a soupçon of graphical processing power. It would be enticing enough to many developers, if the processing power is there, to fully realize many of these massive open world titles…like the rumored The Witcher 3 for example.
Sony PlayStation’s New Year’s Resolution: Go All-in on PSVR
PSVR had some kick-ass titles come out in 2018. Not that I actually played any of them because – full disclosure – I suffer from extreme vertigo. That being said, the PSVR has been welcomed into gamers arms with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
2018 saw the impressive likes of Moss, Firewall: Zero Hour, Beat Saber ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission, and Tetris Effect (which happened to snatch up an impressive Game of the Year Award). These titles proved that with the proper amount of care and dedication, VR can be a truly powerful medium for gaming. With PS4 sales already surpassing the previous generation and plenty of exclusive software in the pipeline, PlayStation should focus on getting PSVR in as many homes as possible in 2019. It can do so by first lowering the barrier of entry with a permanent price drop of $199.99 (with the Move controllers and camera included), and then by bringing on as much talent to develop exclusive PSVR titles. Going all -in on PSVR will also help set the stage for Sony’s true hardware successor, the PS5. If Sony is truly out of the handheld gaming market for good, then PSVR would be a valuable companion to the PlayStation for generations to come.
What do you think Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony should focus on in 2019? Did we get it wrong? Should we really ask for a Kinect 2.0? The next Virtual boy, maybe? Or dare we say it – more 3D televisions from Sony? Let us know in the comment section below!
I think Sony’s game plan is to buckle down in 2019, rely on their existing titles they have announced and put a bunch of coin/man power into their PS5 and its opening line up.
I think Nintendo will need to continue its first party display, but need to push their second and third party partners for high quality games. While indies are great, a continous influx of indies will begin to dilute the draw of their digital store, just look at the deluge of junk on the PS4 store.
Microsoft already has their 2019 plans laid on set. Buying those studios covers them for the next couple of years for content, so they have to just not rush bad games.
Great article.
Thanks Andrew! Do you think those studios will bear fruit in 2019 for MS?