Microsoft and Sony are two of the biggest names generating news lately, with new features and details related to their upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4 coming out almost daily. With a number of gaming events happening all over the planet this year, the pedestal is set for both the companies to reveal their official new next generation consoles.
The last biggest offering from the industry was the recently held Gamescom 2013 in Cologne, Germany, where both Sony and Microsoft were present to shed some more light on the upcoming consoles, and then some.
Back in E3, Microsoft’s taking center-stage didn’t materialize into anything that we were expecting at the start of the event. By the end, it was Sony alone that best expressed its plans for the future.
However, it seems like that potential failure at the E3 paved a path for Microsoft to come out with all-guns-blazing to reveal more about the Xbox One at Gamescom, and at least sound like a company that had a set of pre-defined goals with its console.
While Microsoft had made a number of changes to the console in the space between the E3 and Gamescom, one of the most important things was the support for small indie developers who now have the option to self-publish.
While this may not seem that big a deal to most of the fans, the move to support indie devs by Microsoft was indeed a cleverly thought out plan. This is more prominent when comparing with Sony’s policies towards developing houses, which took similar steps to support small developers who want their titles on PSN.
While at Gamescom, Sony made sure it would take its impressive conference at E3 further to Gamescom by showcasing the new dashboard for the PS4, as well as announce a release date for the console, Nov. 15.
At the same time, Sony also put a lid on all the rumors related to an upcoming Gran Turismo film by stating that the rumors are actually true. This was followed by the promise of at least 33 new PlayStation 4 titles due out by the end of the current year.
Microsoft on the other hand, on-stage for nearly 35 minutes, was determined not to make the same mistakes it committed at the previously concluded E3, and kicked of Gamescom with a teaser for the operating environment for the Xbox One, although it wasn't quite ready to be made public so soon. The company went on to offer a preview to the console behind closed doors.
Nonetheless, top announcements from Microsoft at the Gamescom included a free copy of the upcoming FIFA 14 title that would be available with every single European pre-order of the Xbox One, aimed at selling the console in Europe, and what better incentive than the next FIFA?
We are not sure if Microsoft was unwilling at that time, or just wasn’t ready, but the company strangely bypassed a probable release date for its new console. Maybe Microsoft was looking ahead to press event of its own to reveal the date.
Both Microsoft and Sony are heavyweights in the industry, and there's always an added attraction as to what both of them are planning for the future. With the revelations at this year's Gamescom, it seems like both the companies have big plans, which is good news for us fans.
