NDA Keeping Devs from admitting that PS4 is stronger than Xbox One

[jstep7262]

Of course you probably already know, even before launch, that the PS4 is pretty much the clear winner when it comes to the next gen console wars, right? I mean, there has been a lot of press covering both consoles and I think it's fair to say that as of this point, the PS4 is winning the majority vote for most powerful console. Proof, you say? You want proof? Okay, okay. I can give you proof. A few days ago, Mark Rubin,of Call of Duty awesomeness, came out and admitted that he couldn't talk about things because of an NDA but basically admitted that the PS4 is the more powerful system. Here's a small excerpt of the interview, but seriously, you really should read the article/interview. It's pretty telling.

Does the fact that the PS4 seems to be the more powerful system matter to you? Why do you prefer it over the Xbox One - Because you're loyal to Sony or because Xbox controllers feel weird (hey, I've head that on many occasions)...

GC: So the obvious assumption from all this is that the PlayStation 4 is definitely more powerful than the Xbox One, is that true?MR: [acting very embarrassed] I can’t answer that.
GC: You can’t answer it on a technical level or because you’re being diplomatic?
MR: Can’t answer that.
GC: You can’t say whether you’re avoiding the question for diplomatic reasons?
MR: [embarrassed] I just can’t say anything…
[Even the attending PR guy is looking embarrassed by this point]
PR guy: It’s very hard for us to be…
GC: Are the console manufacturers leaning on you to avoid these sort of questions?
MR: [unsure - speaking to PR guy] I don’t know if that…
MR: [even more embarrassed to us] Yeah, there’s things that we… We sign NDAs with the first parties [i.e. Microsoft and Sony - GC] and there are things that we’re not allowed to talk about.

Source: Metro

 

[The Unlosing Ranger]

This is why we need more bold jerks like Phil Fish in the industry.

 

[mareebaybay]

I agree, he should just say it if he feels it. I too, think that Playstation is the stronger brand, between the two. We will soon see, which brand is better though.

 

[DrRipley]

He should have just said he couldn't answer it for legal reasons, at least, if it were the case, in my opinion. I think it wasn't just for legal reasons, but more for diplomatic ones, so I agree that it is kind of telling. I can't wait for the proof to surface.

 

[jbepp]

The PS4 has better specs, but it's also a much more gaming focused system. Microsoft wants to sell the X1 not only as a console but also as a multimedia center, and if they decided that they didn't need strong specs, then they should be ok saying that.
That's why I really don't get the way Microsoft acts when it comes to their new console.

 

[Dame6089]

It really doesn't matter at this point. They both look great. They both can run the same games. And Skyrim for PS3 proves that being a slightly more powerful consoles doesn't mean much. Skyrim actually ran better on the 360.

 

[RedWen14]

let's wait till the release date for both consoles and give our judgment by then, but in my own opinion Sony done a good job this time by listing to it's PlayStation consumers and Microsoft well ... you know what they did hehehe big fail big time but they didn't change their statement when they saw their consumer response!

 

[jardantuan]

Regardless of whether it's more powerful or not, and regardless of whether developers are restricting by NDAs or not, they're hardly going to come out and say that one console is definitively better than another. They want to sell their games, and to make as much money from doing that, they need both consoles to do so. You don't want to alienate half of your fanbase.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Here's the thing, it doesn't matter a lot if the PS4 is more powerful than the X1 at this point of time but this approach of not saying thing is definitely sending the wrong impression. This makes it seem like Microsoft is ashamed of their console's power.

 

[Shamarv8]

First just to get this out of the way, yes, in terms of the console war, the PS4 is clearly the more powerful system. I think Sony winning this generations console war will come down to three things: 1. Microsoft really, for a lack of better words, screwed themselves with the whole DRM fiasco. That is honestly the first time I've seen that many games outraged and it really killed any momentum that Xbox One had going into the console wars. 2. The PS4, being the more power console is clearly the better value is made a smart business decision in choosing to undercut Xbox One pricing by $100. May not seem like much but to the average consumer, that extra $100 will make a major difference, especially around the holiday season. 3. My final point is Legacy. People seem to forget that until the release of the 360, Sony had a death grip the video game industry for over a decade. Now that they have had time to gather their bearing I wouldn't be surprised to see them reapply it.

 

[baracksyndel]

Well even before this interview there were already signs that the PS4 was the stronger of the two. And plenty of developers had come out to say (anonymously anyway) that the PS4 was the better console. Right now is effecting rehashes but we'll really know more when the new ips come out.