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The Console Wars are over as Xbox admits defeat to PlayStation

 
 
 

Microsoft has admitted that it lost the Console Wars, with the Xbox coming in a distant third place behind long-time rivals PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch.

That means that the tech giant is finishing last in the three-horse race, and they’ve admitted as much in court documents ahead of a legal battle against the USA’s antitrust agency, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The company behind the Xbox is set to hit the court to defend it's acquisition to buy gaming company Activision Blizzard for around $69 billion.

The FTC wants to block that acquisition through an injunction, however, claiming that Microsoft – through owning the huge games production company – is likely to ‘have the ability, an incentive, to harm competition in various markets related to consoles, subscription services and the cloud (for gaming)'.

 

FTC’s lawyer James Weingarten said that Microsoft can make Activision games, such as Call of Duty, titles exclusive to their platforms.

Weingarten said: “It’s not just about whether a game will be completely yanked from a rival.”

While Microsoft's lawyer, Beth Wilkinson, says that they’re actually planning to send Activision to a wider audience, citing a pending deal with Nintendo, Nvidia, and others.

According to submitted court documents, Microsoft claims that it admits to having ‘lost the console wars’ and is now pivoting to a different strategy involving profiting through game sales rather than console sales.

In their filing, the company wrote: "Xbox's console has consistently ranked third (of three) behind PlayStation in sales.”

They added that it ‘trails’ behind the other two competitors, taking just 16 percent of the total market share, and 21 percent of console revenues and shares of consoles currently being used by gamers.

The filing continues: "Xbox has lost the console wars, and its rivals are positioned to continue to dominate, including by leveraging exclusive content.

“Xbox has consistently ranked third in consoles behind PlayStation and Nintendo.

"In 2001, Microsoft entered the gaming industry with the launch of its first Xbox video game console, in competition with established incumbents Sony and Nintendo.

“In that 'generation,' Sony and Nintendo outsold Xbox by a significant margin.

“With every succeeding generation over the 20 years since, Sony, Nintendo, and Xbox have remained the three major console producers, and have been engaged in what the industry refers to as the 'console wars'.”

  Microsoft is fighting the FTC over the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Credit: Mohsen Vaziri / Alamy Stock Photo Microsoft is fighting the FTC over the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Credit: Mohsen Vaziri / Alamy Stock Photo

The filing also adds that ‘Sony is the dominant player in consoles’, adding that ‘Xbox's console has consistently ranked third (of three) behind PlayStation and Nintendo in sales’.

Whilst actual details on this have always been hard to determine, if Microsoft are putting it into court, they must know enough.

The proposed Activision deal was approved in many countries, but faces stiff challenges in the UK and the USA, with a five-day hearing to determine whether the huge acquisition can proceed.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has also blocked the merger, with Microsoft having appealed that decision.

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Sony has announced plans to raise the price of all its PlayStation Plus 12-month subscriptions globally, across all tiers.

user posted image

From September 6, Sony will increase the price for 12 months of PlayStation Plus Essential (currently, $59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99), PlayStation Plus Extra (currently $99.99 / £83.99 / €99.99), and PlayStation Plus Premium (currently $119.99 / £99.99 / €119.99).

Here are the new prices:

PlayStation Plus Essential 12-Month Subscription: $79.99 / £59.99/ €71.99

PlayStation Plus Extra 12-Month Subscription: $134.99 / £99.99 / €125.99

PlayStation Plus Premium 12-Month Subscription: $159.99 / £119.99 / €151.99

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony issued a brief statement explaining the significant price hike: “This price adjustment will enable us to continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service.”

t’s worth noting the new prices for the 12-month subscription will remain at a discounted rate when compared to buying the one-month or three-month subscriptions over a 12-month period.

Sony said for current 12-month subscribers, this price increase will not take effect until your next renewal date that occurs on or after November 6. However, any membership changes you make on or after September 6, such as upgrades, downgrades or buying additional time, will update your plan reflecting the new prices.

The PS Plus price hike comes not long after Microsoft raised the prices of Xbox Game Pass, and alongside the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for September announcement.

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Valve is begging Steam Deck users to stop huffing exhaust fumes

 

The Steam Deck. An incredibly useful device for the gamer on the go, offering much more power than your average Nintendo Switch and giving you access to all of your Steam library. As well as using it as a gaming device, apparently people have been enjoying huffing the fumes from the exhaust ports on their Steam Decks.

This is something Valve isn't too happy about. In a Reddit post, a Steam Deck user asked Valve support to see if taking in a big breath of exhaust fumes was a good idea. To the shock of absolutely no one, Valve said don't do that.

"As with all electronics, it is generally not recommended you inhale the exhaust fumes on your device. While there are no safety concerns with general usage, directly inhaling the device's vent fumes should be avoided. We understand that it may be a meme, but please refrain from this behaviour for the safety of your health," reads Valve's response.

Users are in no way convinced by this response, and in the comments of the original Reddit post as well as on other social medias, they have claimed they will remain huffing the fumes until their lungs give out. Even Hello Games' Sean Murray got in on the fun.

 

 

Valve is begging Steam Deck users to stop huffing exhaust fumes
 
Valve is begging Steam Deck users to stop huffing exhaust fumes - - Gamereactor
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