Amazon reviews from the PS4 and Xbox One next-gen console wars

http://blog.roguecode.co.za/Amazon-review-from-PS4-Xbox-One-next-gen-console-wars

by mbennett • 13 years ago

22 28 13 years ago

blog.roguecode.co.za

mda• 13 years ago

Why do people spend time on useless graphs for something that could be explained clearly in 3-4 sentences?

skc• 13 years ago

Because it's blog. He's not writing for the Times.

steveklabnik• 13 years ago

Sometimes, pictures show information better than words.

Also, infographics get embedded, which still sends traffic your way...

hdevalence• 13 years ago

Yeah, but these pictures don't show the information that well. You can't see the numbers side by side -- you have to click between and have an animation run. In addition, they use a two-dimensional representation for one-dimensional data, which is bad because people are bad at judging the sizes of areas.

It's not about making charts, it's about making bad charts.

csmuk• 13 years ago

And perhaps bigger news in the UK (not sure about other countries): amazon console sales are xbox 360's in the top few slots. No sign of the "one" or PS4.

dandellion• 13 years ago

The PS4 will be released the 29th in Europe.

estel• 13 years ago

Not what this indicates? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/videogames/

rtpg• 13 years ago

This highlights one of the more disappointing aspects of the internet, where group-think leads to essentially mobs of people creating fake reviews on amazon.

I wonder what goes through the minds of people when they do that. I mean they're probably aware of the fact that they don't have the console. More than that, what do they have to gain from doing this?

incision• 13 years ago

"More than that, what do they have to gain from doing this?"

Gaming console wars are a great example of people who have confused their self-worth with their preferences/possessions. Combine that with viewing the world and this contest in particular as a zero-sum game and there you have it.

People creating fake reviews to feel better about "themselves".

smtddr• 13 years ago

It's the same mentality that leads to fans of opposing sports teams to get into fights with each other. They've attached their own self-worth to the thing they like. This happens in the tech world too ...don't ever make the mistake of telling a 10yr+ Java developer that Java sucks. ;)

>>Abandon Thread >>> http://i.imgur.com/oWVPPXF.gif

antiterra• 13 years ago

It's tribalism, and it's been around since long before the Internet.

Nekorosu• 13 years ago

Seems legit.

happywolf• 13 years ago

Definitely there could be some "die-hard fanboys from both sides of the fence are attempting to create bad rep for the other", but there are other possibilities as well: 1) Some people bought from other channels are upset enough to want to vent their disappointment on Amazon (quite likely, as I did that to a book that I bought elsewhere to warn off others on its issues) 2) People with vested interests (paid or otherwise)

vezzy-fnord• 13 years ago

The console wars are quite pointless, I think.

Maybe it's just regression and nostalgic delusion, but I find that the consoles of old (up to the sixth generation) had novelty in their designs and ability to mod them.

But now I find them to be dull. Unless one really wants to play exclusive titles, I find no reason to own a console.

deelowe• 13 years ago

Agreed. I've been trying to put my finger on why this console launch feels lackluster to me, and this is it. There's simply nothing novel here with either device (wii-u doesn't count does it). I'm bearish on consoles at this point. While the launch numbers look good, I'm wondering if these units really have legs. It's clear gaming isn't the top focus with either of the parent companies, so this will be interesting to watch.

Valve/Steam/Steambox OTOH, is a fresh and exciting prospect(to me).

foobarian• 13 years ago

The sad thing, from a technical perspective, about most of the recent consoles, is they are basically PCs. There is no more crazy ASIC design leading to graphics performance light years ahead of non-console computers, or the last console generation. For a while there we got used to the new gen consoles being leaps ahead of the current state of the art anywhere (including PCs). However, once GPUs got commoditized and mass produced, continuing that trend became impractical. The good news is that while next gen consoles won't be leaps ahead of state of the art, this is not necessary to have good games, and an extremely fun gaming experience not possible on any other platform.

The sad thing I mentioned above is at the same time very exciting to me--once there is no crazy custom ASIC design, developers won't have as much trouble writing games. You basically get a PC with a blessed system configuration and a well known API that will lead to more and better performing games than during the last generation.

As far as console vs. phone or PC, I don't see them going away any time soon. They have many advantages over both.

sanskritabelt• 13 years ago

It's called "growing up."

walru• 13 years ago

The console wars are pointless when you make enough money to buy any and all the consoles you wish.

kayoone2• 13 years ago

thats why i think the Xbox Ones direction with voice controls and extended media capabilities is more future proof than the PS4s which is more or less just a gaming box. I guess the console market is ready for a new competitor in the coming years though, Valve or Apple is my bet.

Narishma• 13 years ago

Well, the PS4 also has some kind of voice controls and media capabilities, with more to come in the future. Just because they don't make a big deal about it doesn't mean the console only does games.

InclinedPlane• 13 years ago

The capabilities of new consoles are pretty exciting, more so the xbox one (but that's just my opinion), but things are a bit different today as consoles are only a part of the gaming landscape rather than the majority of it. PC gaming isn't going to go away. The oculus rift and other VR/AR systems may become another strong pillar of video gaming. And mobile gaming has begun to come of age over the last few years. Not to mention non-computerized games like RPGs and other table top games, which have seen a lot of growth outside of the European market where they were traditionally confined.

Ultimately a console is like any other gaming platform, you buy one because you want to play the games on it. If you never find a game compelling enough to make that jump then you're not going to buy the console. Now that so many games are cross platform, to the PC as well, there's not as much need to buy any particular console unless you find yourself with a strong desire to play certain specific games.

Someone• 13 years ago

Many of those charts would do well in a "Most confusing graph" competition, especially as a series.

For example, the "HOW HAPPY VERIFIED REVIEWERS ARE WITH THEIR CONSOLE" pie chart at first glance makes PS4 look a bit better than the Xbox, because the graph above it uses black for PS4.

You have to click he radio button to see that that is correct, by a tiny (I expect not statistically significant) margin. Whether that holds for 4-star reviews, too is kept hidden from the readers.

One could just as easily show the distribution over all star rating for both devices in one graph. More information, easier to grasp.

Amazon reviews from the PS4 and Xbox One next-gen console wars

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