Sony ending production of most PS4’s in Japan and Microsoft based the Xbox on PS2?

Hi everyone, thanks for dropping by to catch up on some of the latest news in the world of gaming. In light of everything that has been going on in the United States, I’m a few days late on my regular report and I apologize for that, but we’re not here to discuss that. We’re here to discuss video games! 

 

So, Nintendo is expected to outsell the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S in 2021, according to several industry analysts. It won’t just outsell the latest generation of consoles, but it is expected to be the top console all year. Word is, there will be a new “pro” version of the Nintendo Switch and if that is the case, it would only help bolster Nintendo’s sales even further. Let’s be honest here, none of these companies are hurting for money right now and it’s nice to see someone else outselling the PS console at the moment because it will only pressure companies to up the ante and compete for top spot! 

 

There is no doubt that Nintendo has created a great little console and in some ways it is in a market of its own, but with the pandemic world wide, Sony and Microsoft alike are having trouble producing enough consoles to meet the demand. 2021 is surely going to be an interesting year for consoles and games. 

 

Speaking of producing consoles, Sony has announced the company will stop production of all PS4 models in Japan, except for one slim model. The PS4 has been outselling the PS5 in Japan and some of the reasoning sighted is the issue with low production, so cutting back on the PS4 should increase the number of PS5’s available, right? Of course, there seems to be a decline for Playstation products in Japan, so that could also play a part. If analysts’ predictions are correct, there will be enough consoles for everyone that really wants one by April, so if you have been waiting, it shouldn’t be too much longer. 

 

In other console tidbits, here are a bit of some interesting facts about what was going on pre-original Xbox development. Before Microsoft came up with the Xbox console, they shopped around for a few companies that had already been in the industry. MS looked into purchasing companies like Electronic Arts, but EA kindly declined as they the company wasn’t up for sale, even more interesting, Microsoft went onto to ask Nintendo if they would consider being bought out. Ahh, to be a fly on that wall, huh? As it turns out, the execs at Nintendo busted out in laughter and seemingly laughed throughout the meeting. The idea really makes you wonder what things would be like if that transaction actually happened. I think if either Microsoft or Sony did manage to buy Nintendo, that would forever end the console wars and would ultimately create the most powerful game company in history and likely the future. The possibilities for Mario and Link (Zelda series) seem endless!

 

Another thing Microsoft did that I found rather interesting, was tear down a PS2. I never really thought about how a company like Microsoft got into video games. I guess I just assumed they hired people that already knew how to build a console, but it’s obviously not that easy. Former Microsoft execs that were involved in the Xbox’s early development spent some time with the tear down and analyzed everything down to the last part. Taking note of what each component does for the unit and calculating a build cost. It’s really interesting to hear that is how they modeled the Xbox. it’s literally based on the PS2… I guess you can thank Sony for that. 

 

There isn’t a whole lot else going right now, but if you’re up for it, keep an eye on our media pages for my upcoming livestream of Godfall on PS5. I will be streaming directly to Facebook at PS4Experts this coming Tuesday @3:30 pm eastern time. Come check out Godfall we can discuss the game and everything else gaming that comes to mind! Thank you for reading and as always, we will see you online!

 

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