It was a whirlwind of good and bad in the video game realm this year. There were epic titles, disastrous releases, and striking controversies that made up all 12 months for gamers. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo battled it all out to capture the gaming universe and not one escaped praises and blunders, big and small. As the year winds into a close, gamers now determine which console offered unsurpassed gaming experience in 2014.
The PlayStation 4 bested its rival consoles in terms of sales as it relentlessly owned the apex in the NPD sales charts. Value Walk believes that the trick was to heed gamers' desires and fulfill them. The site compared it to Microsoft, which seems to have fallen short with this. And that is why the PS4 came out strong and formidable in the market. In addition, "Destiny" was a big sales magnet that helped the console score legions of buyers. PS4 also had an install base bigger than that of the Xbox One, which easily snagged the win. Sony has sold 5 million units more than the Xbox One, Value Walk reports.
Microsoft, on the other hand, did not start the year quite right. With a launch event memorable for how terrible it was, users did not see a gaming future with the Xbox One. By the end of the year though, the console bounced back. Microsoft concocted irresistible Black Friday promotions, awesome bargain game bundles, and generous rollbacks. This all paid off when November NPD numbers showed that Sony finished the race in second place.
On the whole, Nintendo's hottest game console trails behind. If it weren't for "Mario Kart 8" and "Super Smash Bros.," the sales would not significantly boost. Most gamers were enamored with the console bundle offers that included the games. Even so, Crave Online doubts that the Wii U will catch up with its competitors in terms of sales. However, sweeping the world by storm with insanely remarkable titles is another story.
"Mario Kart 8" is the best possible racing game to ever grace the gaming world and "Super Smash Bros." did not disappoint and, in fact, it blows everyone away. The console, which exclusively brings "Bayonetta 2" to gamers, along with good old "Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker," is undoubtedly second to none in the game exclusives category.
Meanwhile, the Xbox One launched some pretty exciting titles as well. "Titanfall" set the console off the ground this year and it certainly was a fitting way to launch the year. Then there was the chart-topper racing game "Forza Horizon 2" and the uniquely crafted "Sunset Overdrive." Sony, on the other hand, released exclusives that were not at all up to snuff. "Driveclub" for one, was a grand racer dream that turned into embarrassing shambles. Also, "Assassin's Creed Unity" seemed to have forgotten to integrate most of its promised storyline into the actual game, Value Walk added.
Something noteworthy is that each console inevitably ran into a hullabaloo this year. Wii U's lack of third-party support continues to do damage. Xbox One and its "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" fiasco plagued online players. Its Kinect-free Xbox One promotion raised eyebrows. Then there's PS4's "Driveclub," which became synonymous to the word debacle. Sony, however, regained itself in a way as it introduced the possibility of playing co-op with friends who do not have the game.
As 2015 reels in, Nintendo has everyone hoping that it does something with its persistent multiplatform issue. Microsoft should do something about fans losing trust to "Halo" developer 343 Industries or this will hurt the performance of its largest, most hyped up game next year, "Halo 5: Guardians." Sony should focus on putting forward more high-caliber games for it to become unstoppable.
