For part 2 of my article I will explain from the Sony side, why they will win 2016 over in the gaming industry. In part 1 I went over how the console wars have a renewed fervor now with next gen, and that I’m partial to Microsoft. Now I will tell the other side of the story, from Playstation’s perspective. Coming off a strong 2015 do they have what it takes to win over 2016?
As I explained in my previous commentary, Microsoft has a slow start to the year. So what does Sony have? A blitz attack of releases! If it’s one thing that Sony is doing at the start of 2016, its being on the offensive with titles. First off in January is The Witness, a wonderfully looking puzzle game. In February we have the release of the next Street Fighter game, an exclusive to PS. Following up on that in March is the next release in the Uncharted saga – one of the most beloved PlayStation game series. Ratchet and Clank will be out in April, one of the longest running PlayStation platformers.
Already in the first quarter of the year, Sony has laid out a game plan of solid titles for their fans. Sony ended 2015 with high fiscal earnings and record number of subscribers to PS+ as well as record console sales. Sony still out ranks their subscription service as far as number of subscribers to Xbox Live. And of course they reward their loyal subjects with a wonderful library of games as well as free games on both AAA titles and indie games. Sony had a good end to 2015 with their holiday sales as well with console bundles and deals on existing games.
So what about the remainder of 2016? Sony has one of the most exclusive lineups. No Man Sky promises to be a game changer in the realm of open space exploration and Virtual Reality. We finally have the release of The Last Guardian, a game first announced in 2009. Guerrilla Games will be giving us Horizon Zero Dawn. We can always expect numerous RPG releases from Sony; Persona 5 will be coming as well as the next Star Ocean game. Indie games are always a staple for Sony and there are too many to list coming in 2016. And of course we have all the multiplatform releases slated for 2016, The Division, Dark Souls III, HomeFront and Doom to name a few.
So what should we expect from E3 this year? Hopefully Sony will release lots of information and new games. We can expect, or at least hope, gameplay or trailers for the next God of War. The Last of Us 2 could also make an appearance. We hope to have more details on the FFVII remake. Sony could also release more information on Virtual Reality. They could also release a decrease in the console price, or more bundles. If one thing is clear, Sony has the upper hand on a solid start to 2016, coupled with fantastic announcements at E3.
Sony has a wonderful 2016 in store for gamers. Coming off a record year and starting out the first months with strong and wanted releases, they will be giving Microsoft a run for their money. We can only expect bigger and better announcements E3 from Microsoft, if they hope to stop the oncoming tide that is PlayStation. Sony can certainly strengthen their position with improvements to PS+ and its offerings, as well as delivering on solid releases of games (Looking at you Last Guardian). Go back and read my first article from Microsoft’s perspective, and comment below on which side you think will win and why.