With a "private" event in February, Sony was the first to make a move in introducing it's next-gen console — the PlayStation 4. At the time, the PS4 was front and center as Microsoft had not yet revealed its next-gen plans. Fast forward about two months later and there's speculation that some of the hype surrounding the PS4 has begun to fade. There's certainly still buzz surrounding next generation consoles, but now the spotlight is shared by Microsoft who is set to unveil the next Xbox early next week. Did Sony's early reveal hurt its position in the next generation console war?
In discussing Microsoft's decision to wait until March for the next Xbox unveil, video game analyst Michael Pachter suggested that some of the talk surrounding the PS4 has since faded.
"I think Sony was very smart to do it in February." Pachter said. "I think they've kept the buzz up. A lot of people talking about the PS4."
"That talk has faded now that we're in late April," he added. "Now the talk is all about the next Xbox event. There's buzz in front of it. They announced it about a month ahead of time, they are gonna get buzz for the two weeks heading into E3."
Pacther was quick to point out, though, that buzz and purchase intent are two very different things. So all of this talk about who has the upper hand going into E3 is all pretty much a moot point.
"Buzz is one thing, purchase intent is another. I don't think anybody's buying any of these boxes until they see them and they see the price," he explained. "So what really is going to matter is E3. You're gonna see the box; you're gonna see the price; you're gonna hear the launch date and then you have five months to make up your mind. I don't think the timing of these events means much at all."
So now I ask you: with the PS4 already revealed and the next Xbox set for May 21st, is Sony or Microsoft in better position heading into E3?
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