Regardless of sales numbers, the Xbox One and its exclusive brands have had a major effect on Sony PlayStation.
Not only do both companies react to what the other is doing but they also seem to have a higher impact.
And news of something like this happening was shared this week, including the Xbox One and PS4 brands.
A former employee of Naughty Dog has shone new light on just how important both companies are to each other.
In a new interview with Ars Technica, indie developer Lucas Pope revealed how Gears of War helped shape the Uncharted series.
Speaking about the impact Gears had on the Uncharted control system and overall mechanics, Pope told Ars Technica:
“One of the cool things about Uncharted 1 is, we had no f***ing idea what we were doing,” Pope explains.
“Uncharted 1 was announced, and then Gears [of War] came out… “And Gears invented the modern third-person shooter.”
According to Pope, Uncharted started out with a Tomb Raider feel, “Suddenly, Gears came out and showed them how to do it,” he adds.
“So we changed everything, six months before release.”
Uncharted 4 is one of the best-selling first-party titles for the PS4, and it appears it wouldn’t have been possible if not for these vital first steps.
It’s clear that different projects from rival companies can affect how things are done, and more news on that subject was recently shared by Microsoft.
Mike Ybarra, Vice President of Xbox recently shared his thoughts on VR, a tech that has been linked to the next Xbox.
Nothing has been announced for the Xbox Two, although, it’s expected that something VR-like will be made available for it.
IDC Analyst Lewis Ward has backed Microsoft to start support for Mixed Reality with their next-gen device, even if they have pulled back on Xbox One X support.
Ward told Gamingbolt: “Microsoft wants to be more of enabler for other Win10-based hardware and software providers.
“There’s no reason Xbox One X can’t play Windows Mixed Reality games right now. I’m not sure why Microsoft hasn’t pulled that trigger on that, but they’ll very likely be in this space with their next-gen console.
“The bottom line is that while a lot of people are still down on VR, I expect 2018 global spending on off-the-shelf software, which is primarily games, on all platforms (consoles, PCs and mobile devices), to roughly double up 2017’s spending total, and wind up in the $1 billion range this year.”
But just this week, Mike Ybarra, Vice President of Xbox, revealed in a Twitter conversation that VR still lacked a killer app.
“No. Google Earth is cool but not even close to what is needed to make the tech worthwhile. Sigh,” he tweeted.
New tech that has impressed Ybarra is an upcoming HDMI upgrade, with Yabarra telling his followers: “HDMI 2.1 is going to be a great thing for gaming displays.
“Brings some real benefits (others too): 1) Dynamic HDR 2) Variable Refresh Rate 3) Auto low latency modes 4) enhanced audio return channel 5) quick media switching. All things we as gamers need!”
It’s unclear if this VR comment is something that reflects how things will move forward at Microsoft, or is simply an observation on what is available right now.
The next Xbox console isn’t expected to launch until 2020 at the earliest, meaning there is plenty of time for improvements. The PlayStation VR has proven very popular on the PS4 and is something that helps separate the two consoles.
When it comes to Xbox in 2019, analysts believe that the Nintendo Switch and PS4 console will outsell the Xbox One again. The Nintendo Switch has been pegged to be the best-selling console this year, with over 17 million units sold.
In comparison, the report by market research firm Strategy Analytics pegs Xbox One sales at 10 million in 2019.
Chirag Upadhyay, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, “Console upgrade cycles continue, and the three-way battle between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, which has been raging now for the best part of two decades, shows no sign of abating as each platform owner discusses its plans for updates and new generations.
“In partnership with developers and driven by the ever-rising expectations of consumers we fully expect these platform owners to continue to push the boundaries of the large screen gaming experience for many more years to come.”
More news on Microsoft’s Xbox plans could be shared later this year and would be expected if a new console is to be released in 2020.