I thought it would be a good idea to answer some of the hot topic questions people have been raising after the PlayStation 4 reveal. Many of these questions aren’t new and I’ve shared my opinions on some of them already but it would be a good idea to consolidate it all in one post.
1. How much would you pay for a PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox?
$499.99 CAD. I’ve paid over $599.99 CAD for a PlayStation 3 because I saw value with the backward compatibility but that was then. I don’t regret it per se but I don’t want to pay that much for a console again.
2. What is your stance on backwards compatibility?
Nice to have but not essential. I wouldn’t mind having the a premium version of a console with the old hardware chips included but if it means we can have more complex next generation systems at a lower cost, I am willing to give it up.
3. Would you pay $69.99 for next generation games?
No I wouldn’t but I also wouldn’t switch platforms or stop gaming because of that price point. All it means is that I will be further behind the curve while I wait for the price to drop to a number I’m willing to pay.Canadians already paid that price early in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 days so that price point isn’t completely foreign to us.
4. Would you purchase an always online console?
I would if it had games were worth playing. It would be inconvenient if my internet connection is disrupted but that’s a rare occurrence. I would be fussing over the lack of internet in general before fussing over the inability to play my console games.I would be very annoyed if a connection hiccup caused me to lose progress in a single player game though.
5. Would you purchase a console that blocked used games?
Yes but I wouldn’t buy a second one. My brother and I currently have our own PlayStation 3 consoles and we often share games with each other. If a console were to block the used games, it would most likely prevent us from sharing games.I don’t usually buy used games because they often aren’t cheap enough. I can find brand new games for cheaper than used ones if I wait long enough.
6. Would I pay for the ability to play online on the PlayStation 4?
I don’t pay for Xbox Live! Gold because I can play online for free on the PlayStation 3. The surrounding communication and social features may be inferior but the core multiplayer experience works and that’s all I need.
If Sony has feature parity with Microsoft and begins charging for online access, I will have to evaluate their entire offering. If they’re just nudging me towards paying for PlayStation Plus, I will pay. PlayStation Plus is worth the price of admission right now with its access to free games and discounts. If they’re just charging for the privilege to play online (like current Xbox Live! Gold)? It would take a lot of arm twisting for me to cough up money for peer-to-peer multiplayer.
7. What are your thoughts on microtransactions and games?
I will let Cliff Bleszinski handle this one.
