June: The Month That Might Belong to Microsoft

Summer 2014: The Leveling of the Eighth Generation. The true arms race begins.

Microsoft became the last company to separate itself from the motion-control gaming that had taken the world by storm, but then became an afterthought as soon as the seventh generation ended. Now there are XBox One systems that are about to be sold without the Kinect connection. Now the price of the XBox One will match that of the PS4. This is now a direct competition; this is now an arms race to see who can muscle out more copies when the price is streamlined to the $400 price tag (Which I had predicted from the start would be the perfect price for a next-gen system).

Not only will June be the first month of XBox One’s new sexy price, but we also have E3 literally lingering in the distance. Nintendo dropped the ball and missed out on their entire year of opportunity to separate itself from the pack. Now, Microsoft has a great opportunity to make waves, make some noise. They are now playing Sony’s game, and it is now entirely up to them to improve upon the rules.

The XBox One is in the ultimate desirable price. All connections to the Wii Era are pretty much gone. Halo 5 will happen next year for sure. The Halo Series is also within this distance to give the third Green Machine some value. And lastly, we have E3 to give the XBox a chance to prove as to why it should be the system to purchase over the equally-priced PS4. Microsoft needs to improve its software lineup, and absolutely overhaul its online store system and somehow attempt to even come close to Sony’s amazingly cheap, valuable, and awesome Playstation Store.

Japan should not even be in the equation. Microsoft needs to focus mainly on Europe and maintain its American appeal. Although it is neck to neck against Sony in the States, the XBox is far behind in the European region. Unlike Nintendo, Microsoft now knows who the leader is, and must follow the right path before attempting to dethrone the leader. Improve the game lineup, improve the online section, and stop trying to bill yourself as an “entertainment” system. This no longer works, we want games, and the first of the three major systems to actually unveil a healthy amount of software will win this war.

Let’s be honest, the PS4 is getting by on a weaker software lineup simply because the competition up to this point have made tons of critical mistakes. Not anymore. Although Nintendo’s Mario Kart/Smash Brothers combination may not be enough, XBox One’s price cut and promising E3 just might provide the fuel to start a close race that we’ve currently been lacking.

This summer, the competition might actually begin, because so far it’s been all Sony leading the way with record sales. Gamers are just as hungry as ever for fresh games and fresh ideas, and the quick-selling rates of the PS4, 3DS, and even XBox One are proving this. Microsoft, this is your chance. Summer must be yours to own, or it might be a PS2-like dominance occurring within the coming years.



Microsoft you may not be catching up, but you are at least going down the right road.