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.
