The defining moment of current generation gaming consoles
By Chris Lacey
The current console generation is about to wind down with successors to both the PS3 and Xbox 360 coming out just in time for the holiday season. The new console for Sony will be the PS4 and for Microsoft their console is called the Xbox One.
This had me thinking of what would be the defining moment of the current generation gaming consoles. For Microsoft this could be the latest iteration in the Halo series, with Halo 4. The one thing that comes to mind when thinking about Microsoft is Master Chief.
Another thing that defined their console generation is the Marketplace that they have set up for gamers. What Microsoft has created for people that have on-line access is a thing of beauty, granted you do have to pay a monthly or yearly fee.
The 360 has been transformed from just a gaming console when it first came out, to a media hub device that allows users to have access to plenty of content.
The big achievement in the life cycle of the console has to be the Kinect sensor that Microsoft added in 2010. This allows users to control their console using gestures and spoken commands without the need of a game controller.
The device even claimed a Guinness World Record by being the fastest selling consumer electronics device after selling eight million units in its first 60 days.
For Sony their defining moment has to do with their on-line store as well. It’s not as robust as Microsoft, but its still provides plenty of value to people that own a PS3. The main difference for Sony is that users don’t have to pay a fee to use their on-line services.
One interesting feature they added was Playstation Plus. This is a premium version of the Playstation store in which users pay a fee and every month there are discounts on games in the store. Also by being a member, there is also access to multi-player beta of new games.
Another big moment for Sony during their console generation came with the release of an exclusive game. The Last Of Us has been critically acclaimed for its wrting, voice acting sound design level design and art-direction. The game received plenty of perfect scores from different publications.
It is also the fastest-selling PS3 game after three weeks with 3.4 million units being sold. This is the defining game in console’s history.
Now we are about to enter a new gaming generation, and it won’t be long before a defining moment takes place.