Entertainment under One console – Is this what I want?

The race is on. Wii U got an early lead right out of the gate but after a slight stumble, the PlayStation 4 swept in to take the lead. PS4 had a strong gallop through the first turn, but the Xbox One kicked its hind legs into gear and pulled out of the second turn in the lead. All three consoles are entering the back stretch, which is also known as E3 2013. Who will be in the lead once they enter turn three? More importantly, who will be in the lead when they cross the finish line?

The Xbox One was announced today and it is promising. It’s not just a gaming console; it’s an entertainment center that houses various forms of media. Except books, or comics. Microsoft left those out of their new entertainment box. But as the gaming industry moves forward with exhilarating new consoles, should we cling so tightly to other forms of entertainment media?

Gamers have spent years justifying video games as a respectable medium. Some of us have stopped comparing them to other forms of media, and have even declared video games as the best form of digital entertainment around. We scoff at the idea that games should strive to be on the same level as movies. Yet here we are with the Xbox One that identifies itself as a platform for entertainment rather than a gaming console. Why does Microsoft and Sony hold tightly to other forms of media? Should we rest on the shoulders of those that have already proven themselves? Or should we be confident enough with our own achievements to not showcase television during a video game press event?

I have no allegiance to Sony or Microsoft because frankly, on a consumer level, I don’t care about all these features. On a critical level I think all of these things are great, but yet I still wonder, why all the partnerships? Why ESPN, HBO, Hulu, Twitch, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace (oh wait no one uses that anymore)? Is the video game industry reliant on everyone else? I’m convinced an analyst will tell me these partnerships are good while showing me charts and various statistics. Piggybacking on someone else is beneficial for both parties, I’m sure. But I thought Halo, Shadows of Colossus, Super Mario, Bioshock, Journey, The Legend of Zelda, Uncharted, Gears of War, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Super Metroid, Tomb Raider, Castlevenia, Starcraft, Mincecraft, Resident Evil, Psychonauts, Final Fantasy and Dynasty Warriors were some of the reasons why we think video games are number one? By the way, I’m one of the very few people in the world that would include Dynasty Warriors in that list.

I have more questions than answers at this point. Will Sony offer a more reliable online experience? Will Microsoft deliver on its promise of releasing eight new IP’s during the first year of Xbox One? Can Nintendo deliver us something other than Mario and Link?

What I can answer is that the Xbox One announcement shows a bright future. But it also shows an integrated future that I’m not sure about anymore. I love HBO Go, but should that be the reason why I pick up the new Xbox console? It’s always fun to watch my friends play through a tough section in a game, but does the streaming service that comes packaged with the PlayStation 4 a good enough reason to grab the new Sony console?

I don’t really know.