Why the PS4 may still Win the Holidays

Microsoft is showing they are going all in this holiday season when they announced a $50 discount on all Xbox bundles.  Many people have now gone on to say that this move will finally get the Xbox One to the number one selling console for the month of November.  However, I believe that this move will not bring Xbox to the front based on a few facts and the recent results in sales that both consoles have had.

This isn't the first deal on the Xbox

MS has done many different promotions since launch and have yet to overtake the PS4 in sales.  The first major promotion was when Titanfall was to be released.  Many claimed the game alone would sell the console, but then MS went all in and decided to discount the Kinect bundle with Titanfall to $450.  Getting the Kinect console for $50 less and a free copy of Titanfall?  No brainer right?  Well PS still outsold Xbox that month with only Infamous Second Son being released.

Next, MS announced, after stating that the Xbox required kinect and would never be unbundled, that a Kinectless Xbox would be coming and would match the PS4's $300 price tag.  Game, set, match right?  PS again out sold Xbox and has continued to since.  In fact Sony has had the number one selling console since launch each and every month and just recently hit the 13.3 million mark worldwide.  

Black Friday Deals have yet to be Released

Many are shocked that Sony has yet to announce any sort of price cut or deal to combat MS's price cut.  However, I believe Sony knows that even with this price cut they will still sell a ton of consoles making the profit that much greater.  But if Sony decides to pull out some sort of deal, it could be lights out for MS's chances to overtake PS during a months sales competition.  This month not only marks the price cut but also the release of MS's biggest release of the year in The Master Chief Collection.  If MS can't beat Sony during a month when the only Sony exclusive is Little Big Planet, they may be in trouble and lose some momentum.  So far the very few black Friday leaks have shown an additional savings on Xbox to a price of $329.99, but a leak has also shown a PS bundle of GTA V and The Last of Us for the regular $400 price tag.  Both decent deals, but it begs the question of whether or not there might be something better.  

Since the announcement of the $50 break, MS has sold out of their Sunset Overdrive bundle at the $350 price tag.  The sad news is people are still demanding this bundle, but MS may have made the mistake to make it a limited run, Losing out on a large number of sales for people wanting this bundle.  usually bundles like this continue for a long time, but many MS reps and reps at other retailers are saying the bundle will not be restocked, another missed opportunity.

So if Sony does any sort of deal they should stay neck and neck with MS, but if Sony matches Xbox's $350 bundle price, look out as we may see a record month for PlayStation during the same time a huge exclusive like The Master Chief Bundle is released.

What Does all of this Really Mean?

Fan boyism aside, and I know this is a PS blog, however all of this is actually a good thing.  No matter what console you back or love, these types of competition only benefits the consumers.  In less than a year Xbox has dropped from a $500 only option, to options ranging from $350 to $450.  With Black Friday around the corner we as gamers will benefit from bigger sales and easier ways to get new consoles and games.  Gaming will become more affordable and everyone will win.