Xbox One opens app development, but some analysts bet on PS4 as the console winner
Microsoft Corp is expected to open up app development for the Xbox One later this year, but some analysts are betting on the PlayStation 4 as this winner of this generation’s console war.
According to a report by The Verge, Microsoft will be significantly opening up development for the Xbox One app platform this summer as part of its new cross-platform, universal app strategy planned for the upcoming release of Windows 10. The video game console maker is expected to allow developers to turn retail copies of the Xbox One into a dev kit, making app creation easy and accessible for anyone with the skills and knowledge.
Xbox One app development is currently restricted to a relatively small number of approved developers, but the coming changes will bring in more app creators and – hopefully – a better selection of apps for the console.
“The game console market is not dead”
While the race for the spot of top-selling console has been a close one with each taking the lead at some point, one industry research firm, Strategy Analytics, predicts that the PlayStation 4 will ultimately win out.
“Despite reports to the contrary, the game console market is not dead,” said Eric Smith, a Strategy Analytics researcher. “Core gamers have moved faster to this current generation than in any previous generation. The main difference in this generation is that casual gamers who bought a Wii are remaining largely on the side lines as free-to-play casual games and mid-core games on tablets and smartphones have captured this segment of consumers.”
Smith and his colleagues believe that Sony is “on a path to reproduce the success of the PlayStation 2,” which became the top-selling video game console of all time after selling over 155 million units in its lifetime. The firm expects that by 2019, the PlayStation 4 will have sold over 80 million units, tens of millions of units higher than the 57 million it expects from the Xbox One.
But while Strategy Analytics is betting on the PlayStation 4, many gamers are still circling the current consoles, waiting for a clear winner. The new Xbox One apps might not be enough to break away from the pack, but every advantage matters when the race is this close.
photo credit: insidethemagic via photopin cc
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