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Current Gamer View: Microsoft = Bad, Sony = Good?

For me, it's always interesting to see the shifting views gamers have for various companies and manufacturers.

Sometimes, we think a certain company is going to be a permanent whipping boy for the community and then suddenly, they lose the "most hated" crown to another company, be it developer or publisher.

I honestly think that ever since the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were announced, the general, admittedly simplistic evaluation by the gaming community was: Sony = Good, Microsoft = Bad. And that may continue to this day, despite the fact that Xbox One fans are starting to crawl out of the wood-works now that MS closed the gap thanks to a price drop. Then again, sometimes I wonder if Microsoft was always seen as "bad," from the moment the original Xbox came onto the market. I know many gamers who absolutely despise MS and for that reason alone, they won't have anything to do with the Xbox brand.

But Sony doesn't have the rosiest reputation these days, either. The PlayStation Network continues to give consumers cause for concern and we have yet to see those invaluable first-party exclusives for PlayStation 4. And a lot of long-time fans are saying Sony hasn't yet made good on its claims concerning this new generation. As such, is it really still the same pecking order? Is it MS/Bad, Sony/Good or has things changed?

What do you think?

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Ather
Ather
9 years ago

MS was always a hated company. Heck, Bill gates made a magazine's hero/villain list on both sides. Throw in $60 for Gold, keeping basically every app trapped behind Gold, XB1's higher price, always on Kinect, and all the problems of the original design that freaked out fans, and it's no wonder people hate MS. MS always had haters, and they just catered to the hate by giving more reason for it. Sony, is just dropping down with lack of great next gen, and their Vita hate. MS made proper changes to rise up. So, it's not so much good and evil, but meh and meh. Which just leaves open the door for Nintendo to make a quick rise to top of the heap again.

SaiyanSenpai
SaiyanSenpai
9 years ago

Microsoft isn't evil, they are just incompetent. But Phil Spencer seems like a good guy and someone that is not just committed to, but enjoys gaming. He's not so disconnected from the gaming community like the stuffed shirts that came before him. I think he can help repair the idiot decisions of the past but it will be an uphill battle.

Sony on the other hand seems to have learned from their past mistakes and really built a great machine on all fronts. They just need to improve that network infrastructure, which I'm sure will happen.

Regardless, now it's really up to the devs to deliver.


Last edited by SaiyanSenpai on 2/11/2015 10:24:32 PM

TomBradySucks
TomBradySucks
9 years ago

Only fanboys think company's are evil. Real gamers and casual fans do not care to have such childish opinions. A company can be criticized for its decisions, sure. But if you sit around and try to label a company "evil" or "most hated" you are a fanboy losah

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

Dude, there are -LOTS- of companies that could be considered "evil". From Nike's sweatshops to Coka Cola's mistreatment of poorer African countries to Disney's clothing manufacturers… there are many huge corporations that are far from what most would consider morally sound.

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

Speaking of fanboys… your user name is "tombradysucks"

TomBradySucks
TomBradySucks
9 years ago

Rooting for a sports team is entirely different than rooting for a major corporation that happens to make the console you own. There's the whole "athletic competition" and "geographic pride/rivalry" that comes into play.

If the gaming community wants to be taken seriously than we need less fanboy fueled articles like this, not more. We should be past the days of the Sega/Nintendo nerd wars.

Dunno if Ben realizes it, but you can be an avid reader of this site and own more than just Sony products. It seems like these articles cater to rabid fanboys. Go ahead and criticize Microsoft for their early DRM/Kinect policies, or Sony for their over reliance on indies and 3rd parties this far. But why break down the entire conversation to "one company=good, one company=bad"? Garbage articles like that look and sound ridiculous.

"Xbox fans crawling out of the wood-works now that Microsoft narrowed the gap due to a price cut"? What kind of crappy writing is this? Maybe there are more Xbox One fans now because people who haven't gotten a next-gen console yet we're waiting for a price drop or bundle?

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

What about the other paragraph where he's completely critical of Sony?

The real fanboys are ones who see what they want to see.

And there's nothing wrong with liking a team. But your name just says you hate one person on a team of a few dozen. I don't know anything about what team you like or promote. All I know is that you are being a dink.

TomBradySucks
TomBradySucks
9 years ago

The article is written in a way (headline included) that Microsoft is the "bad guy" but questioning if that is changing. I am asking why either company needs to have the label of "good" or "bad". Is that hard to comprehend?

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

It wouldn't be if that was all you had done. But all your other garbage sort of clutters up the point you now wish you had made a priority.

Temjin001
Temjin001
9 years ago

MS knows their rep is bad with many. Why else would they be trying to pat themselves on the back for their humanitarian style commercials they pay millions for during the Super Bowl?

I don't have love for MS and I know all of their own self-generated hype is a facade. I went to Best Buy the other day and saw their massive Surface Tablet station. I saw their Surface Tablets all over the Super Bowl as well. And how well do those things actually sell? Terrible. They've lost billions on the whole product line. But the cloud they make suggests otherwise, just like their retarded Internet Explorer commercials. And most everyone knows that browser is avoided like the plague. It's MS. It's what they do. They get tons of money from a segment of the industry they got themselves into in the early days of computing, and now they attempt to fool everyday users outside of their primary market into thinking they exist as well as they do because of the products they try to sell us.
Most any company playing it the way MS does goes out of business. That's what makes them scary. They have this seemingly endless backdoor of resources that doesn't come from Xbox or Surface or Zune or whatever.

Anyway. I'm not too pleased with Sony either. I like them by default right now.

But I'm not one to turn down great games. While I doubt I'll ever get an XO it's not out of the question. It has little to do with not liking MS either. I don't place up emotional barriers and brick wall myself within them. At the end of the day it's about games I want to play. I don't care about the label when it comes down to it.


Last edited by Temjin001 on 2/11/2015 10:35:15 PM

Snaaaake
Snaaaake
9 years ago

I don't really hate Microsoft.
But I do hate how they were very arrogant when the PS3 struggled early on.

bigrailer19
bigrailer19
9 years ago

I don't think highly of MS because of what they've done to gaming. Since MS released the Xbox gaming in general has declined as far as progression. Halo was a huge step though buy quickly retracted when they tried to cash in on it. Now that's all they are known for rather than trying to push gaming. They'd rather sit back and let one franchise do the work for them while paying other developers for timed rights.

Sony on the other hand continues to show progression both technically and with their developers and how they support them.

That's how I see it. That's why I don't support MS. Not because I'm a fan boy or one is evil. It's just because I know where I can get the best experience. Fact of the matter is I don't have time to two consoles anyways.

cLoudou
cLoudou
9 years ago

MS = Big White Corporate American Guy = Evil

Sony = Indie games = no games = Sucks

Gamers = complains about everything = never happy


Last edited by cLoudou on 2/11/2015 11:22:26 PM

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

Seems legit

Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
9 years ago

that does have some truth to it

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
9 years ago

I think people are getting impatient with Sony after so many put their faith in it. Yes we get the best version of the multiplats but the newbs need to see the exclusive greatness. You just don't release a PS4 without having God of War, Uncharted, Quantic Dream project and Resistance ready to go.

Jawknee
Jawknee
9 years ago

Sony only irks me when they make promises to bring cool features then don't devliery. Still can't suspend/resume a game by putting the PS4 in rest mode.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
9 years ago

or have your own videos on the thing

Jawknee
Jawknee
9 years ago

Meh. I don't care anymore. I won't buy MS product simply because I dislike their OS on any of their devices. Also they don't have any exclusives that interest me enough to warrant buying a third console and I dislike the Xbox controller.

I will give them credit for getting Live back up so quickly after the DDOS attack. Sony dropped the ball big time.

Ignitus
Ignitus
9 years ago

Childish and fanboism fueling post. Ad revenue must be low as of late.

FAREEZ
FAREEZ
9 years ago

Lol…

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
9 years ago

Didn't even read it, obviously.

Next time, keep your insults to yourself.


Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 2/12/2015 12:48:23 AM

Big_Boss90
Big_Boss90
9 years ago

Yes fanboism at its finest. But then again we should expect this right.

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

Oddly enough, with the influx of troll posts like some of you guys, ad revenue must be at an all-time high!

Big_Boss90
Big_Boss90
9 years ago

Look this was a fanboy post, it has nothing to do with trolls. The truth is the truth don't like it then skip my Comment.

Just because Ben put that last sentence there saying (is it MS/bad sony/good or has things changed) just so he didn't sound like a fanboy Lol.

I play video games I don't care what platform its on that's what I do, I don't waste my time trying to figure out what company is evil or which system is better.

Work hard, play harder.

Let's focus on the games.

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

Would you have been more open to what he wrote if he had said something like this?

"But Sony doesn't have the rosiest reputation these days, either. The PlayStation Network continues to give consumers cause for concern and we have yet to see those invaluable first-party exclusives for PlayStation 4. And a lot of long-time fans are saying Sony hasn't yet made good on its claims concerning this new generation."

Would that have been better?


Last edited by Underdog15 on 2/12/2015 10:23:59 AM

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

P.s. where were you guys in the "demise of the vita" article?

Yeah… that's what I thought.

Big_Boss90
Big_Boss90
9 years ago

ah underdog looks like you have come out to protect you fanboy owner hahaha. And to answer your question I do have a life,kids to spend time with. I can't be on here all the time.

Any who facts are facts Ben is a fanboy and I have proof of that maybe I will post my proof on here. Oh that's right I did only he denied it. He didn't want his puppets to know what everyone in the gaming community thinks of him, pathetic…

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

I never said anything about kids/job/etc… Not sure where the hell that came from.

I asked for your opinion. Why are you defensive?

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

Anyways, BigBoss, I guess I find it hard to take you seriously because you don't engage in topics across the board. You only come out to criticize anything that is pro-sony.

If you came out anytime this site was critical, then you'd have more clout. But you don't. You simply pretend they don't exist. That is why, since you're starting the name calling, I think you're an idiot. You so clearly base your opinions and "fact finding" on handpicked evidence that ignores a majority of what is out there.

For example, this past week alone, you called the author a fanboy because he criticized Microsoft while ignoring the entire paragraph in that article that was completely critical of Sony which I subsequently shared, and you subsequently ignored.

In addition to that, you were completely absent in conversations in the articles this week entitled, "When will Sony announce the demise of the Vita?" and "If the Order: 1886 Flops, PS4 will suffer". Both articles with a heavy undertone of gloom surrounding Sony, neither comparing to the competition.

So why in the world would any of the people who actually LIKE this site take you seriously when you are so selective? I mean, even when I asked for a more fleshed out opinion from you, you negelected to do so (or are completely unable to, I'm unsure which). You have offered nothing of substance and hurl no substantiated opinions… just insults.

Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
9 years ago

its a perspection thing thats what ben was talking about

FAREEZ
FAREEZ
9 years ago

They both evil as a company anyway, but I don't care I just use the products and enjoy the game their make…

Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
9 years ago

can't argue with that logic

Danny007
Danny007
9 years ago

Microsoft ain't evil. They gave me Sunset Overdrive and Forza Horizon 2 last year. And now I got Quantum Break coming up and Ori next month. They're giving gamers great content. Phil Spencer's the man and he's making Xbox great again.

Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
9 years ago

he certainly has made alot good calls on what to do as head of xbox it agree with that and hes seems like a really genuie guy which is great for gaming hes the best thing that happened to xbox as of late

Deathb4Dishonor
Deathb4Dishonor
9 years ago

I don't hate any companies… I have all 3 consoles… At the end of the day, they all have the same agenda… Which is to make money… I can say a company disappointed me bc they did this or didn't do that but I wouldn't go as far as saying they are bad or evil lol… They've all made their fair share of mistakes, all we can do is hope they learn from those mistakes

tes37
tes37
9 years ago

I don't like Bill Gates, MS or Xbox. They're like a huge zit on the face of gaming. I don't feel like the xbox contributes anything positive to this hobby. A need for competition isn't a good enough reason for xbox to be around in my opinion.

Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
9 years ago

yeah not much their fan base is not something that is all that great it needs improving alot but that can be said about alot of things

Beamboom
Beamboom
9 years ago

Sony doesn't really have that good a reputation either, outside the Sony sphere. They've been a tad too eager on the DRM side of things over the years, as well as a bit too eager on making proprietary stuff to control customer behaviour. That's made quite the dent on their reputation.


Last edited by Beamboom on 2/12/2015 5:35:37 AM

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

True, although no one could ever defeat the DRM giants that are Apple. Except they've managed to be lauded for their intense DRM….

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
9 years ago

not nearly as bad on DRM as that first Xbox One was going to be. That was what killed em.

Beamboom
Beamboom
9 years ago

Apple-heads are a breed of their own.

Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
9 years ago

they shore are in a whole other planet they are

MRSUCCESS
MRSUCCESS
9 years ago

Bad is in the eye of the beholder.

These are corporations with their first priority being making PROFIT. Microsoft and Sony just tends do business differently and with that difference comes CONSUMERS that at times choose sides based on those business practices.

I'm just looking at this from a business standpoint.

Underdog15
Underdog15
9 years ago

That's true, but profit building is a game that relies on being able to build marketshare on brand loyalty, customer service, and engaging your consumers. Part of engaging consumers means giving them opportunities to identify with your brand as well as interact with it.

So at a very monetary level, providing an exceptional service that is transparent, reliable, affordable, and of high quality, is exactly what the "business standpoint" is all about. These two companies might not do all that with the level of integrity our moral selves prefer, but they still need to exhibit consistency in that regard. It's why both of them, at times, have come under scrutiny leading to lost market share.

It's why many companies adopt a mission and vision that prioritize values that appeal to most people with the philosophy that good values will lead to greater income.

So I agree with you. Just expanding it further. Good companies operate with "profit" being a secondary or tertiary focus because they "trust" that stronger core values produce the side-effect of profit anyway. Both MS and Sony have done this successfully in the past. But when they exceed those limitations, they get flak… Microsoft's last year being a great example.

MRSUCCESS
MRSUCCESS
9 years ago

@Underdog,

Thank you for expanding on it. I didn't want to bore other users with "Business" lingo. Hope you didn't think that I didn't know all of that especially since that's what I'm majoring in lol.

Sometimes business are faced with moral issues where the consumer and/or the environment may suffer just because they want to make the profit. That being said they (corporations) don't always make the "right" choice.


Last edited by MRSUCCESS on 2/12/2015 11:04:58 AM

AcHiLLiA
AcHiLLiA
9 years ago

In the eye of the beholder my wallet finds whatever she finds her interest in.

Shauneepeak
Shauneepeak
9 years ago

I thought of Microsoft as "bad" long before the X1?

Also Sony isn't great either but for a major international tech corporation with their hands in many different things they have stayed fairly decent, at least in regards to their customers.

Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
9 years ago

well yes i guess you could say that but things to sway a little bit either way depending on what sony of M$ do day on day and week on week each year

but like saiyan said they both need to improve that network infrastructure alot more cos these network issues shouldn't be happening thats gotta stop thats the whole point of xblive and ps plus isn't it

happy gaming

ProfPlayStation
ProfPlayStation
9 years ago

Microsoft's problem was Sony's problem at the dawn of the last generation: Arrogance.

They felt that there was nothing they could do wrong, and that their consumers would blindly follow their brand because they always do. So the Microsoft management disconnected from their fanbase and had a bunch of separate divisions working in separate closets, then mashed the separate results together into something that they thought was super awesome.

Yet they completely ignored the growing concern and irritation in the gaming community with "connected" services requiring sign-ins and accounts for absolutely everything (uPlay, Origin, accounts for individual games[!!!]), concern about government/corporate monitoring (camera in every living room; hello Orwell!), and unhappiness with the shifting tone of the industry to super-casual sports/shooter fare.

So Microsoft debuts their console by talking about sports/shooter games, TV viewing[?!], required camera peripherals that were hated in the previous gen, and always-connected requirements that shut your console down if you're not constantly signed in. It's like they ran down a checklist of every item which was guaranteed to make gamers angry.

Then when people got angry, the people in charge thought it was about the electricity being "always on." You can't get more out of touch than that!

However, like Sony and their "$599 US Dollars" console, it taught them a valuable lesson: that consumers will not endure any abuse, and you have to actually listen to them from time to time. Where Sony is now, I expect Microsoft will have recovered to in a few years.

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