Which of the Big Three Has the Most to Prove in 2019?

Sony

Most to Prove in 2019

If you were to simplify the modern console market, you could effectively declare that it is a matter of Sony vs. Microsoft, with Nintendo catering to its own niche. Should this be true, you’ll scarcely find a more lopsided year than 2018.

The PlayStation 4 had one of the strongest singular seasons in its storied history, beginning the year head and shoulders above its competitors, and ending it just that much further ahead — perhaps elbows and forearms above, if you want to stick with the analogy.

Between God of War and Spider-Man alone, Sony has nothing left to prove moving forward, and potentially nothing left to prove with the PS4 as a whole.

It failed to reach the meteoric rise of the PS2 (still the best-selling console of all time), but it righted the ship after losing ground with the PS3, a serviceable machine that was undone by the company’s own arrogance.

2019 could serve as little more than a transitional year for Sony as they move closer towards the inevitable successor. They don’t need hits. They don’t need GOTY candidates.

Such is the luxury of being the premium option on the console market, they will most assuredly have these things, but not need to rely on them.

In actuality, this is the perfect opportunity for them to refocus on their flagging auxiliary markets. The PlayStation VR is a fantastic piece of hardware lacking great and lengthy experiences, and with more developers throwing their hat into the ring, Sony will hopefully have the winner the technology truly deserves.

Meanwhile, their handheld market is worth retooling entirely, with the Vita being left out in the cold to be devoured by the wolves of Nintendo.

It’s because of the dominance of the PS4 that these concerns are only minor. It’s up to everyone else to show that they can withstand the torrential downpour of hits, and Omar Little said it best: you come at the king, you best not miss.

Nintendo

Most to Prove in 2019

Despite being the heritage brand on the market, the one that many of us grew up with, and the one that has seen its rivals come and go over the years, Nintendo remains in a position where they must constantly reassure us that they’re really back this time.

Many of us love Nintendo, sometimes blindly, but we often fail to see just how much of a pounding they’ve taken in the last couple of decades.

The Nintendo 64 saw the the company’s seemingly impenetrable market share chomped into by the revolution that was the PlayStation, while the GameCube, for all of its merits, fell flat on its face.

The Wii U, tragically, remains the Wii U, leaving the all-accessible Wii as the one true success since the turn of the millennium (excluding the handheld market, wherein they remain undefeated, and it’s not even close).

As such, the Switch still has to fend off its naysayers, warranted or not. To its credit, it has done so with aplomb, becoming this generation’s hot new fad and following up its white hot 2017 with an admirable sophomore season.

Nintendo went out with a bang in 2018, channeling its inner Vanessa Williams and saving their best for last. Pokemon Let’s Go was a bonafide seller, and Smash Bros Ultimate delivered on practically every front it promised, as if we would ever expect anything less from Sakurai and his team.

The company finds itself in an enviable position at the moment, having so many beloved IPs in its holster that it can pull out seemingly at will, and rake in the cash.

After going to its heavy hitters of Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and Smash, there’s still plenty left to go; highlighted by Animal Crossing, Bayonetta and Fire Emblem, with another Pokemon entry also likely to drop by the end of 2019.

For Nintendo, their challenge remains the same as ever, as they try to entice third parties to bring their titles to the portable wunderkind. Though many of the triple A offerings continue to elude them, the vaunted Nindies are just as sweet as ever, with the Switch proving to be a hit with rising developers.

As mentioned in the open, Nintendo have rekindled their cushy relationship with the casual and family markets, and though they may never again compete for market supremacy, it’s clear that they really don’t have to. Mom and dad’s money is just as green as the millennials’, and it doesn’t reek of chai latte, to boot.

Microsoft

Most to Prove in 2019

Moving onto the other end of the spectrum, we arrive at Microsoft.

Though it was never as close as 1A and 1B, there was a time when the Xbox One could be viewed as a suitable alternative to the PlayStation 4, with its own strengths and shortcomings, as well as a healthy dose of exclusives to convince longtime consumers to stick with the green brand.

In 2018, they were anything but an alternative. They were a fallback. A step down. A Diet Coke. Pardon the brutality of the message — and no, it’s never as dire as it appears in the dramatic medium of the worded form — but this was a mulligan-type year for Microsoft.

The victories began and ended with Forza Horizon 4, the clear option for the console’s best exclusive, but it was too little, too late, as each attempted grab at glory was smacked away by the meaty mitts of Sony, with pesky pokes at the ribs from Nintendo, for good measure. Isn’t alliteration fun?

It’s no coincidence that Microsoft’s E3 efforts revolved largely around their biggest IPs, because they’re on an apology tour moving forward. The industry has seemingly taken notice, as more and more indie developers target a release on Steam, PS4 and Switch, omitting the Xbox One entirely.

No, it’s not quite a direct correlation — alas, things are never that deliciously linear — but it’s a definite trend that needs to be rectified.

In much the same way that the PSVR is a great concept hampered by a lackluster library, the One X is a powerhouse with nothing to do.

You can cite high fidelity graphics until the cows come home, but until the gameplay matches those visuals and offers you an unmissable experience that cannot be found elsewhere, people will opt for the alternatives.

The only silver lining to this is that they can almost certainly improve moving forward. Microsoft isn’t quite in the same position Nintendo found itself in pre-Switch, but they have an opportunity to make similar strides towards relevance.

Their victories will be amplified, their setbacks muted among a tapestry of recent disappointments. Not so hot take: Ori and the Will of the Wisps will make GOTY waves. Count on it.

Conclusion

Most to Prove in 2019

You can spin whatever narrative you want, but it would be arbitrary and disingenuous to suggest that the final answer could be anything but Microsoft.

Sure, Nintendo need to show sustainable growth in their continued ascent, and yes, Sony could feasibly combine money with money to make more money, but they don’t have to prove themselves, per se. They are already doing so, in their own unique ways.

Put it this way: if this article was titled ‘______________ has the most to prove in 2019’, you would probably scoff at either Sony or Nintendo filling that blank. Microsoft’s slogan for the next year may as well be ‘time to prove them wrong’; so redemptive is their struggle.

The failings of the Xbox in 2018 came at a particularly unfortunate time for the company. Most other years, they wouldn’t have so many other mega hits from their competitors to amplify the divide, and indeed, 2017 wasn’t exactly a banner year, either.

Propped up by solid entries in Forza Motorsport 7 and Halo Wars 2 while being headlined by the surprising dynamo that was Cuphead, Microsoft got to lurk in the shadows, to a degree.

That time for lurking has long since come to an end, and they will have to come out in a ballistic manner from here on.

Can they do it? Most assuredly, yes. The upcoming lineup promises to be a tour de force offering of everything that has made the Xbox what it is, or to be more exact, what it is supposed to be.

If Microsoft can lean into this ideal, play up on their fortes while continuing to bolster their third-party support (which was strong in 2018, but matched step for step by Sony), they can come out of this generation trending upwards.

We certainly hope so. No matter which side of the console wars you stand on, a high tide raises all boats, and the industry is at its best when its biggest stars shine brightest. Games are games, after all. No need for hate.