It's that time of year again when the big gaming platforms fire off their presentations - and what did we get? Xbox Developer Direct and soon probably one of Sony's State of Playonce again proving that sometimes less really is more. What Microsoft delivered at its Developer Direct show makes Sony look pretty chaotic with its State of Play. At the same time, there were some good approaches in between and not just robots shooting at us with full guns. In any case, the glory of a real PlayStation showcase is now only a blurred shadow in gaming history.
Xbox Developer Direct with substance
First of all: Xbox managed to deliver exactly what gamers want in 50 minutes: solid information, real gameplay impressions and a few real highlights. Xbox showed us four games in this short time, and what games! "Ninja Gaiden 4„, „Doom: The Dark Ages„, „Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" and "South of Midnight". They took the time to give developer insights that were not only informative, but also gave you a feel for how each game works and what makes it special. And yes, surprise surprise: they even have a release date for most of these games! What a concept! You really get the impression that Microsoft knows that we as gamers are not in the mood for guesswork and vague promises.
State of play: mass instead of class?
Sony on the other hand? Well, the last time they did it in just 40 minutes more than 20 games fired - Yes, that's right, that's a maximum of 2 minutes per game. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Unfortunately, only at first glance. Because what did we get? Trailers that seemed to be forgotten just as quickly as they were played. And often at a time when the European player has already mentally switched off after a long day. CGI material that made us believe that Sony loves the kind of marketing that has more to do with "creating a mood" than with "real information". It felt like there was more show than substance, as if the presentation was more of a competition in the "How many games can we show in the shortest possible time?" was.
And the best thing: at the end, after all the snippets, there is usually the big climax, the final argument that the show must somehow be cool. A "big surprise", which then raised more questions than answers in the blog post. When are the games coming? No idea. Will the game even be released? Also unclear. Will it perhaps simply be discontinued? That is now often a variable too. What's the point of an event if everyone is left with question marks in their eyes after the show?
The next State of Play will be probably take place in February. Perhaps Sony has learned something from Microsoft in the meantime and is now thinking: "Hmmm, maybe less is more after all." Microsoft clearly has the better show concept in this comparison. They are closer to the players, provide more content and give us real insights - all without the superfluous show that nobody really needs.
English 
German