E3 2019: on the edge of huge change
If E3 2019 had a theme, it was that 2019 is a year at the threshold of seismic change for the games industry. The convention, which took place in Los Angeles in early June, risked feeling underwhelming due to the unusual absence of Sony (not to mention showroom floor activities from the likes of EA and Activision). But as we approach the release of next-generation consoles in late 2020, it feels like everyone’s bracing for what comes next. E3 2019 felt like the coy beginnings of the next-gen sales pitch.
CONSOLE WARS: 2020
Streaming and services after the conference that the focus of Xbox isn’t on console sales but “selling software and services”. The company did offer a few details about its 2020 console: it’ll support 8K resolution and 120 frames per second performance, and like Sony’s next console, will boast an SSD. But Microsoft is more concerned with welcoming people into its services ecosystem: it doesn’t really care what hardware you’re using to access its software platforms. So far, Sony hasn’t revealed any details about bolstering its PlayStation Now subscription service in order to catch up – if it intends to do so at all. The service isn’t even available in Australia yet. Sony rose to the top of the PS4/Xbox One generation by changing up as little as possible, but it’s yet to be seen whether a) that’s their strategy for 2020 or b) if it is, whether it’ll work again for them.
