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Analysts might not have made up their minds about Microsoft’s Xbox One X reveal at this year’s E3, but most seem to be in agreement that Sony showed a much stronger hand of exclusives and upcoming releases.
Yesterday, IHS Markit’s Piers Harding-Rolls predicted that, given the current momentum of Sony’s PS4, the console’s install base could potentially reach as high as 69m by the end of the year, putting it at almost double the firm’s prediction for the Xbox One at 36m.
SuperData’s Joost van Dreunen is equally confident about Sony’s future, telling MCV that it "steered the conversation straight to the evocative power of games and unleashed a torrent of new titles" this week, and with 17 games, six of which have been designed specifically for PS VR, "the emphasis for Sony is clearly on triple-A content."
Indeed, one of Sony’s first announcements was new expansion for Horizon Zero Dawn. According to van Dreunen, this title "is now well within reach of our initial estimates of selling 8m units (lifetime). This puts it in Uncharted territory, one of Sony’s top-selling exclusive franchises."
Van Dreunen was also confident about the PS4’s other big exclusive, Days Gone, saying it’s "come a long way since its initial announcement last year." He adds: "Where previously the emphasis around the title was on the PlayStation’s graphics capacity and, to be honest, looked like your average zombie game, it is now clear thatDays Goneoffers more, including zombie bears."
The platform holder’s VR offering was also strong: "Sony has made a clear and continued push behind VR content with Skyrim VR, Star Child, and Bravo Team, Moss, and Inpatient offering a blend of different game types for the platform," said van Dreunen.
The only thing van Dreunen criticises is Sony’s "lengthy time table for most of the games" announced, and the lack of news around Last of Us II and Death Stranding, although the latter was revealed to be an E3 no-show before the conference began.
"Sony showed much to love but in return asked its audience to be patient," van Dreunen concludes.
