Xbox One vs PS4:

The Battle for Share of Voice

Research Note #1 - 6.12.13

In November, Microsoft and Sony went head-to-head in a battle to win over consumers with the launch of their next-gen games consoles - the Xbox One and the PS4.

These devices weren’t just for gamers though. Both companies were pushing out the message that they were releasing entertainment systems - complete with TV, movie and social functionality - making a play to win hearts and minds in family living rooms worldwide.

But was the message getting across? And who would win the battle for share of voice?

We analyzed online conversation across social media sources including Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube comments, and gaming forums, for the six months leading up to the launch of both consoles.

Here’s what we discovered...

@yahl_bergWhose idea was it to market the next Xbox as a tv/sports water cooler? #xboxone #derp

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In the run-up to the launch of the Xbox One and the PS4, Sony narrowly owned the conversation. Out of a total of 21,750,898 conversations monitored, 11,429,990 were about the PS4. This could be attributed to Sony’s slightly larger fanbase and brand recognition, with 80 million PS3 owners, compared to 77 million Xbox 360 owners.

Microsoft pushed the heavier entertainment messaging, describing the Xbox One as being an ‘all-in-one’ system. That said, only 14% of the Xbox One conversations were about entertainment. While the Xbox One’s entertainment conversation was driven by consumers’ excitement around the console’s application lineup, including its exclusive deal with NFL, it faced criticism from gaming ‘purists’ who claimed Microsoft’s emphasis on entertainment features was an attempt to hide the console’s inferior gaming capability.

As such, 38% of the conversations around the Xbox One were negative. Conversely, there was a veritable social love-in for the PS4, with 56% of the conversations being positive. PS4 fans positively referenced console specs and the availability of console-exclusive games. PS4 fans also lauded Sony for its unrestrictive used-game policy and easy offline-play capabilities.

Y

AX B

47% 53%

XBbox One vs. Playstation 4: Who owns the conversation?

38% of the conversations around the Xbox One were negative...

for the PS4, 56% of the conversations were positive.

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Xbox One vs. PS4: Share of Gaming vs. Entertainment Conversation(Share of conversation related to gaming and entertainment)

Entertainment14%

Other86%

Gaming26%

Other74%

Entertainment13%

Other87%

Gaming25%

Other75%

What's Driving the Entertainment Conversation?

300k

250k

200k

150k

100k

50k

0

25k

20k

15k

10k

5k

0Media TV All-In-One Blu-Ray Netfix Hulu ESPN Fantasy

FootballAmazonInstantVideo

NBA GameTime

Entertainment Topics: Entertainment Applications:

Xbox One Playstation 4

4

What's Driving the Entertainment Conversation?

200k

150k

100k

50k

0

500k

400k

300k

200k

100k

0Graphics Fees Remote

playSecondscreen

Call ofDuty

FIFA14

BattlefieldEarth 4

Grand Theft

Auto V

Halo Watchdog

Gaming topics: Top game mentions:

Xbox One Playstation 4

NBA2K14

Diablo3

Xbox One vs. PS4: Overall Sentiment

Y

AX B

38%

Negative

Y

AX B

37%

Positive

Y

AX B

14%

Neutral

Y

AX B

11%

Balanced

12%

Negative

56%Positive

21%

Neutral

11%

Balanced

5

“The PS4 has the edge when it comes to committed gamers, but the gamble Xbox appears to be making is that there will be a larger market for an entertainment machine that will draw new users into the Xbox franchise. This could change the whole dynamic of the traditional console wars.”Nils Mork-Ulnes, Head of Insights and Analytics, EMEA, Beyond

Much of the messaging coming out of the suits at both Sony and Microsoft revolves around how the console race is a marathon, not a sprint. As new games launch, bugs get ironed out, and updates get released, the sentiment towards both the Xbox One and the PS4 will no doubt change.

But pre-launch, Sony seemed to win the conversation battle. Microsoft’s ‘all-in-one’ messaging didn’t quite stick and many of the gaming fans poured vitriol on the company’s strict DRM and always-online playing policies. Perhaps Sony had the answer: win over the gamers first, then work the entertainment angle. Only time will tell.

Sentiment of Entertainment and Gaming Conversations

100

80

60

40

20

0

Positive Balanced Neutral Negative

Xbox One Gaming PS4 Gaming Xbox One Entertainment PS4 Entertainment

23

107

30

10

151050

16

13

5

10

6

The Research Note is a regular analytic look at the trends that run through the digital world.

It’s produced by digital experience agency Beyond.

www.bynd.com

Key Takeaways:

The PS4 got the most buzz and was widely praised for its gaming features

The Xbox One had more conversations associated with entertainment

But many of the negative Xbox One conversations were driven by criticism of its entertainment positioning

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