The Console Wars needs to become the IP Wars if the competitors ever want a chance to even come close to matching Sony.
Sony’s Playstation 4 is surviving because of PS3 momentum, great online service, great pricing, and best of all an aggressive strategy to shelling out more dollars to make certain games exclusive—like Street Fighter 5 (Capcom property) and Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix property). The first-party aspect be damned, it’s the suddenly-emerging third-party tidal shift that is helping Sony remain at the top.
The clunky thing is that neither of the competitors are actually financially bleeding, even if they could be doing much better. Microsoft is Microsoft, and will continue to make fantastic money through other means even when and if the XBox One’s American support starts to dwindle. Nintendo’s very deep bank and overwhelming overhaul from the Wii/DS days (255 million between both systems is bound to create some financial ramifications all these years later) allows for them to also find a way to ante up their lineup to compete against Sony.
The eighth generation is pretty much about over, unless the XBox One pulls off a miraculous turnaround and suddenly has Japan’s attention. Sony is going to win, and will probably win with the PS5 as long as they continue their major support for the console industry and continue shaking the right hands and making the right friends. In order for Microsoft and Nintendo to even have a chance, they need to alter their vision:
It is no longer about how the games are played; it’s really about what games they CAN play.
In the 90s, each system had extremely diverse lineups, forcing you to choose sides. The Genesis and Super Nintendo games were so different, even the games they shared (NBA Jam, Aladdin) were very different because of hardware limitations, and different people working on their version of the game. This is why the battles were so vicious, we had two different types of gamers buying games in the same market. This was why Nintendo owned Japan, Sega had Europe, and it was a total showdown in North America.
Nowadays, the games are remarkably similar in every shape or form except for graphics. Even the greatest game in the past few years, Grand Theft Auto V, can be found in the PS4 as well as the XBox One (and if you are a glutton for punishment, PC). Most of the better games have been arriving from third-party companies, they are no longer just knockaround squadrons throwing random games to make a quick buck. Microsoft and Nintendo needs to realize this and stack up its IP lineup and relentlessly build the better resume.
Microsoft has the most money, so they have the highest expectations to bolster the lineup. Rare Replay was amazing evidence as to some of the IPs that the XBox brand has but has hardly used. Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps, Banjo-Kazooie, and Battletoads are all great franchises that have received minimal attention since Rare became Microsoft property. With Konami, Capcom, and Square Enix (among others) needing extra money, this is Microsoft’s chance to continue adding to its mature lineup: Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid (Will admit, that’s a longshot), Adventure Island, Bomberman, Contra, Bloody Roar, Breath of Fire, among other forgotten gems of the past.
The fact that Street Fighter V is not joining XBox One first has to sting, since it’s the biggest non-Smash Bros. fighting franchise on the planet. Final Fantasy VII being Xbox-exclusive could have finally given them an audience in the Far East Coast. Microsoft has to gain some revenge, with special deals with third-parties that aren’t afraid of joining sides.
Then there's the neglected IPs. The XBox One can go after the defunct Burnout and create the prefect partner to the more-realistic Forza. They can also become a sports mecca (I had mentioned this before) and nab Madden, FIFA, Nascar, among others before Sony owners can gain access to them. Unlike Nintendo, Microsoft wouldn’t have to develop these exclusive/earlier-than-thou games, just merely forking the extra money to get them first can be enough to get gamer’s attention.
Nintendo on the other hand needs to go on a massive, massive buying spree. Nintendo is the king in reviving defunct and forgotten franchises, as they have risen Earthbound, Fire Emblem, Metroid (8 year gap is no joke), Advance Wars, Kid Icarus, and others from the dead and from obscurity. If Nintendo were smart, they would go to all the companies with far less money and license or just 100% nab the rights to ideas that haven’t been explored or utilized. Nintendo has excelled in every major category of gaming (Even horror, remember Eternal Darkness?), which is something the competitors cannot claim.
Franchises like Mega Man, Secret of Mana, Bomberman, Earthworm Jim, Plok, Clayfighter, and dozens of others would benefit from a Nintendo facelift, and could potentially give the Big N some more weapons to employ as it can continue bragging its first-party superiority above the others (And even though this has saved Nintendo time and time again, the gap needs to be far bigger to justify the purchase). The gaming industry can take a page from Hollywood and reach into the past and remake/reboot dormant franchises (although Hollywood has been rightfully accused of remaking tons of material that didn't need the facelift, but that's for another article). In the wild and wacky history of gaming, we have seen tons of great ideas trail behind in need of assistance.
Just look back at the 90s and you'll see lots of underutilized ideas in need of expansion: Illusion of Gaia, Chrono Trigger (seriously, where's that sequel?), Maniac Mansion, Castlevania (A little more of a stretch, but this can use some Intelligent Systems love), Golden Axe, Vectorman, Comix Zone, Shining Force, and of course let's not forget Earthbound...it sometimes seems like Nintendo has...
The gaming industry is no longer interested in different ways to play games, we want to play games, and lots of them. There are great games ranging from $5 to $60, and they are flocking to the company that has the most. Sony right now is the leader, but Sony doesn't have to be. Nintendo and Microsoft have been sitting around watching IPs pass them by or float around without an owner; and unless they plan on making a push this scenario will remain the same leading up to the ninth generation.
The PS4 is in the lead, but its no secret why.
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