Umfundi uphakamisa ukuthi esikhundleni sokuba izimbangi, Xbox futhi i-PlayStation ingaba ozakwethu abaphelele, uma u-Sony ne-Microsoft bengafunda ukwethembana.
Simaviki ambalwa nje ku-2023, kodwa izinto bezijabulisa cishe kusukela osukwini lokuqala. Sesivele sinemidlalo embalwa ekhishiwe ephawulekayo futhi ngenkathi uNintendo engashongo lutho mayelana ne-Switch 2 esibe nayo I-trailer yokubuka kuqala ye-PlayStation 5 ngezambulo ezincane ezimbalwa kanye… nezinto eziningi ezivela ku-Xbox.
Ngabuka Developer_Direct ngoLwesine futhi ngenkathi nginemibuzo mayelana Indiana Jones kanye The Great Circle (Angikakaqiniseki ukuthi umuntu wokuqala ubengumbono omuhle) futhi u-Avowed ubukeke njengojwayelekile njengoba bekulindelekile ukuthi bekuwumbukiso omuhle. Yayishelela futhi ihamba kahle futhi ayizange ichithe isikhathi sakho noma ithuke ubuhlakani bakho, okuyinto eyenzeka ngomcimbi wokubuka kuqala umdlalo wevidiyo oyivelakancane.
Kwakuyisitatimende esiqinisekisayo senhloso esivela ku-Xbox, kodwa-ke sathola Ulwazi lokuthengisa lwase-US futhi oh mfana. I-Xbox Series X/S ibe noDisemba wayo omuhle kunawo wonke futhi isafika endaweni yesithathu? Ngemuva koShintshi oneminyaka eyisikhombisa ubudala futhi naphezu kokuncishiswa kwentengo ka-$150?! Uma bebengazi ngaphambili, lobu ubufakazi obuqand' ikhanda beMicrosoft: abantu abafuni ukuthenga ikhonsoli yabo. Futhi lokho ngaphambi kokuthi uqale ukubheka yokuthengisa eYurophu naseJapane, okuyizinto ezimbi nakakhulu.
Lokhu kudala isimo selukuluku lapho iMicrosoft yenza konke engakwenza ukwenza i-Xbox ibe yimpumelelo futhi ayifiki ndawo kodwa u-Sony akenzi lutho nhlobo futhi uphumelela kakhulu uma enyakazisa izithupha zakhe. Ibhizinisi elifana nelithi, ‘Kungcono ukuthula futhi kuthiwe uyisiwula kunokukhuluma nokususa konke ukungabaza.’
Naphezu kokuchitha amashumi ezigidigidi zamaRandi ekuthengeni izinkampani, i-Xbox ayikakabi sesimweni esingcono manje kunange-Xbox One. Akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi abakwazi ukuthengisa ama-consoles kodwa ngokusho kwabahlaziyi Ukukhula kwe-Game Pass kuyehla hhayi phezulu.
Impela, manje bangabashicileli bemidlalo abakhulu kunabo bonke, futhi ngeke baswele ukheshi, kodwa ngale kwe-Activision Blizzard enamafindo abakayiboni impumelelo yangempela ezizukulwaneni ezimbili.
U-Sony uye kodwa ngenkathi i-PlayStation 4 isebenzela ukuphila kwayo i-PlayStation 5 ayenzanga lutho ukuthethelela ukuthandwa kwayo. Ikakhulukazi kule minyaka emibili edlule, lapho bekungakaze kube khona ukukhishwa okusha kuphela kodwa nezimemezelo ezintsha nezincane.
Lokhu, yiqiniso, konke ukwazi kahle kodwa inkinga abukho uphawu lokuthi iyama. Futhi kungani kungaba khona? Ungakwazi ukubona ngeso lengqondo igumbi lebhodi lakwa-Sony lapho isikhulu esithile esinovalo siphakamisa ukumemezela imidlalo emisha futhi badutshulwe phansi. ‘Cha!’ kusho uJim Ryan (noma ubani odonsa izintambo manje). ‘Uma senza okuncane siba nempumelelo eyengeziwe ngakho-ke uhlelo lwami oluyinhloko wukwenza… Azikho izimemezelo! Ayikho imidlalo emisha! Akukho okungafunwa muntu kithi! Kuyimfihlo efakazelwe yempumelelo yethu.’
Lokho kuzwakala njenge-parody embi kodwa kuyiqiniso. Lokho kuhlola kuqala ababenakho evikini lokuqala lenyanga, okuwukuphela kwegeyimu yephathi yokuqala eyayinawo kwase kumenyezelwe kakade, futhi bekungalindelwe muntu, igeyimu yesevisi ebukhoma ye-Concord. Zonke izambulo zangempela bezimayelana neSilent Hill 2 neMetal Gear Solid Delta, ezingahlangene noSony.
Ngakho-ke esikhundleni sokukweleta impumelelo yabo emidlalweni yeqembu lokuqala u-Sony manje usethembele emidlalweni yabanye abantu. Bayazi ukuthi bathengisa kanjani izinto eziduduzayo sengathi bazophuma emfashinini, okuyinto i-Xbox embi ngayo, kodwa badinga okuqukethwe… okuqukethwe kwabanye abantu.
Angikwazi ukuba ngedwa obona lokhu kodwa okwamanje i-PlayStation ne-Xbox zingabalingani abafanelekile. I-Microsoft isivele ithe ayiboni u-Sony njengomuntu oqhudelana naye, ngakho kungani ungamukeli isimo esiyinqaba abakuso. I-Microsoft yenza imali eningi ngokuthengisa i-Call Of Duty ku-PlayStation 5 kune-Xbox, kungani-ke ungasebenzisi leyo ngqondo kuyo yonke into?
Ukuthi bayaqhubeka nokwenza ama-consoles noma cha akunamsebenzi ngoba akukho muntu owawathengayo, ngakho-ke akukho mqhudelwano lapho. Inkinga ukuthi u-Sony, ngokufanelekile, ngeke athembe iMicrosoft ukuthi ingasebenzisi isimo sayo esisha njengomshicileli wenkampani yangaphandle njengesinyathelo sesikhashana, ngaphambi kokuzama ukubuyela kuma-consoles noma ukuzama ukwenza ukusakaza into ethile (engingayiboni. ukusebenza kuze kube yilapho i-Wi-Fi ibona ukweqa kwe-quantum ekuthembekeni).
Uma iMicrosoft izimisele ukwamukela ukuthi ukuthengiswa kwekhonsoli yabo akusoze kwabahlula u-Sony, futhi uma bencika endimeni yabo njengomshicileli omkhulu weqembu lesithathu eNtshonalanga, kusho ukuthi i-PlayStation inguzakwethu ophelele kubo. Uma zombili izinkampani zingagwema ukugwazana ngemuva, singase sibheke inkathi entsha yegolide yokudlala.
Ibhalwe ngumfundi u-Ashton Marley
