Ah, Christmas mornings. I remember the Christmas I got a NES and my brother got a Master System. We had 2 TVs set up in the living room and spent the whole morning playing Alex Kidd and Donkey Kong Classics. No bickering, no fighting, no putting the other console down. Fun times.
This year could be very different for kids and teens though. What console would be on their Christmas list for Santa? Are they going to be looking at the exclusives or have they decided already?
The Xbox One, in my opinion, has the biggest exclusive game (for the holiday season) in the form of Halo : The Master Chief Collection. More than a remaster, the MCC consists of all the classic Halo games to date, and their multiplayer modes, complete with their full sets of add-on content. The screenshots and previews we have witnessed so far have been nothing short of breathtaking. FPS fans should be flocking to the Xbox One during holiday season to snap up the MCC. Like it or not, Halo has one of the largest fanbases in the world.
The Wii-U will be the choice for the younger generation, or those who enjoy some family gaming on Christmas night. I have already bought my daughter the Wii-U and I am seriously looking forward to making her cry into her Christmas pudding after the beating I will bestow on her at Mario Kart 8. Add Super Smash Bros Wii-U and we have a console which could surprise many in December.
The Sony camp seem to have delayed some of their exclusives until early 2015. At present, it appears that Little Big Planet 3 will be the big exclusive for the PS4 this holiday season. Does this match up to Smash Bros and Halo? In terms of popularity, I would say no. However, the PS4 is such a success that many people will want to own the most popular console without considering the exclusives, or lack thereof. Bloodborne and The Order are due for February 2015 releases, which will no doubt be massive successes (especially Bloodborne).
Christmas time exclusives don't necessarily sway the consumer to choose one console over the other. Gamers have probably known which console they want for Christmas many months ago. We like to hope that the quality of games is what makes people purchase the console, but this isn't always the case. It can be argued that the Wii-U has the most innovate and fresh exclusives, using their iconic characters to build some really fun games. Lets not forget Bayonetta 2. If we all chose a system based solely on exclusives, the Wii-U would probably get my vote.
This isn't the case though. All eyes are on the Xbox One, to see if they can recoup some consumers. They are certainly on the right course. No doubt the PS4 will sell a ton based on the previous success of the console, and the Wii-U should do a nice number too. With the Master Chief Collection, it sure will be interesting to see if Microsoft can turn the corner even further and close the gap.