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.
