2013 Mid-Year Grades for Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo

Can you believe 2013 is already half over? With E3 2013 in the rear view mirror, and the summer months halfway finished, it?s time for us, once again, to hand out the mid-year grades for the big three of the games industry. While the past few years have seen Nintendo as the constant bottom-dweller while Sony and Microsoft duke it out for the top spot, 2013 could see that finally change. Both Sony and Microsoft had their shares of blunders over the past six months, but Nintendo has done nothing but bolster its lineup for the future.

Just to reiterate, the grades found in this article are not based solely on sales, hype, critical or fan praise, or even the way the companies handled themselves in the public eye. Instead, these grades combine those factors and more to answer the simple question of which console maker made the strongest case that their platform was the platform to own and support during the first six months of 2013. Check out what conclusions we came to and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

There?s no denying it: this was a rough six months for Microsoft. After a strong past two years, everything that could go wrong did for the computing giant?s gaming division. The Xbox 360?s biggest exclusive of the year so far, Gears of War: Judgment, has been polarizing at best, but that pales in comparison to the debacle that surrounded the Xbox One announcement and the embarrassment Microsoft suffered at the hands of Sony at this year?s E3.

The announcement that the Xbox One would not only require Kinect, but also a daily internet ?check-in? was enough to make players upset, but it was ultimately the used game policy of the console and the unclear messaging from the executives that made the events surrounding the Xbox One the PR debacle that it was. Add to that the fact that the Xbox One will be priced at $100 more than the PlayStation 4, and that Sony took many a hard-hitting shot at Microsoft on gaming?s biggest stage, and Microsoft was left reeling for over a month.

Microsoft did redeem itself in the eyes of many shortly after E3, however. By announcing that it had scrapped its planned Xbox One used game policy, as well as the planned internet connectivity requirements, Microsoft made many fans happy. The price tag and the Kinect requirements remain, and recently released details of NSA cooperation (which were overblown, but still very well-publicized) still hurt the Xbox One?s chances this holiday season, but Microsoft made great strides to restore the faith of its user base.

Xbox Live has, once again, proven to be the most reliable online gaming service in the console realm, and while its Gold subscription service been put to shame as of late by the free games PlayStation Plus offers, Microsoft has attempted to rectify this through a free game program of its own. Unfortunately, while PlayStation Plus is giving its subscribers XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Saints Row: The Third, and Uncharted 3, Xbox Live Gold is giving its players Fable III and?several-year-old games like Assassin?s Creed II and Halo 3 as flagship entries into the program.

It wasn?t all terrible for Microsoft, however. While the year has proven to be fairly anemic for Xbox 360 in terms of exclusives, Xbox Live Arcade received one of the most charming digital releases of the year, the frenzied 2D platformer?BattleBlock Theater, and the acclaimed zombie survival title State of Decay. Microsoft also indicated that it was more interested in pushing digital sales through its phenomenal Xbox Live Ultimate Game Sales, which would be the next logical step for consoles as they attempt to compete with the extreme value that PC gaming can bring through sales from vendors like GOG.com and Steam.

Going forward, there are things to be excited about for Microsoft, and one of E3?s biggest titles was?Titanfall, an Xbox/PC exclusive. The Xbox One will also exclusively house Killer instinct, Dead Rising 3, Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive, and Ryse: Son of Rome. Also, while Sony will be releasing its new entry in the Gran Turismo series on current-gen hardware, Microsoft has the opportunity to further pull away from the competition with?Forza Motorsport 5?releasing on Xbox One?s next-gen hardware. In addition, Microsoft teased a new Halo title, and the speculation that a Halo 2 Anniversary could be in the works for that game?s 10th anniversary next year only adds to the excitement surrounding Xbox?s flagship franchise.

Sadly, all of these positive notes were not enough to salvage the first half of 2013 for Microsoft. The controversy surrounding Xbox One and the lack of major exclusive releases just proved to be too much to call the first six months of the year a success for the Xbox brand.

2012 Final Grade: C
2013 Mid-Year Grade: C-

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So far, Sony?s 2013 has been a story of one-upping Microsoft. Notably, its PlayStation Plus service continued to provide more value to its user with the paid service bringing more free games and exclusive sales than that of its competitor. With Sony?s recent expansion of the premium service to the Vita, the company has been able to provide top-notch value to both systems, something that looks like it could be industry-leading for a long time to come.

Sony announced its PlayStation 4 well ahead of Microsoft?s Xbox One, but it was its E3 presentation that really drove home its early victory. By not only hitting Microsoft where it hurt, but also by making the PlayStation 4 appear to be the console that was designed with the consumer in mind, Sony was able to deliver such a decisively powerful blow to Microsoft?s policies that Microsoft was forced to backpedal on many unpopular Xbox One policies.

The Vita, however, has primarily been playing catch-up by bringing past favorites from other platforms to the handheld. So far, the heavy hitters have been Jak & Daxter HD, Limbo, and Hotline Miami, but the list of newer games hasn?t been quite so robust. The punishing Soul Sacrifice is the headliner here, but players also had the chance to take the best baseball experience on the road through the very functional MLB 13: The Show.

As far as its PlayStation 3 is concerned, Sony had a strong first six months of 2013, as players were treated to Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, God of War: Ascension, MLB 13: The Show, and current ?Game of the Year? front-runner, The Last of Us. The sheer number of exclusives has made the PlayStation 3 tough to beat in 2013, but it?s the future hype that will help Sony stay on top this year.

On the PlayStation 3 side of things, players have Beyond: Two Souls, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, Until Dawn, Gran Turismo 6, and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD to look forward to, while Vita owners will have the chance to play Killzone: Mercenary and a portable version of Final Fantasy X and X-2 HD. Obviously, the real excitement for the Sony faithful will come from the launch of the PlayStation 4, which will see Killzone: Shadows Fall, Knack, The Order: 1866, Driveclub (which will have a version of the game free for PlayStation Plus subscribers at launch), and Infamous: Second Son all hitting during the early months of the system.

The year is Sony?s to lose at this point, but so much will be riding on how the PlayStation 4 performs post-launch. If the pre-release hype is any indication, however, it seems as though Sony will be just fine approaching this holiday season. Combined with PlayStation Plus? benefits, as well as the strong exclusive lineup found on PlayStation 3, and it would seem as though the only missing link in Sony?s suite of success is the Vita, which just needs one or two more big releases each year. Hopefully, for both Sony and its fans, that will happen in 2014.

2012 Final Grade: C+
2013 Mid-Year Grade: A-

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Ever since the middle of the Wii lifecycle, Nintendo has been on the outside looking in as Sony and Microsoft battled for the top spot in the industry. 2013, however, could potentially be the year that the legendary company sees a slight comeback.

While the Wii U struggled sales-wise, Nintendo showed fans that it is actively trying to provide players with new titles to play. So far this year, Nintendo has released?Lego City Undercover, Game & Wario, and New Super Luigi U for Wii U, but the real excitement for the platform is in the future, as, over the course of the next year or so, the Wii U will see the releases of Pikmin 3,?Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, Sonic Lost World, The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, and the new Super Smash Bros. title.

While the future finally seems bright for the Wii U, the present belongs to Nintendo?s 3DS handheld. This year has seen the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Luigi?s Mansion: Dark Moon, Pok?mon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, and, of course, the highly addictive Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The future seems bright for the 3DS as well, with the latest entries in two of Nintendo?s most beloved franchises,?Pok?mon X/Y and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds,?both hitting in the next few months.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, despite all of these new titles, Nintendo is still be running this race using outdated technology. The Wii U may be on par with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in terms of graphical prowess, but once the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 hit, it could be the Wii all over again, where any multiplatform games that appear on the the Nintendo system are gimped ports of the versions appearing on Sony and Microsoft?s more powerful consoles. Sadly for Nintendo, this may not even be the case, as many third-party publishers have already abandoned the Wii U ship. Of course, as many people point out in defense of Nintendo, not many bought the Wii U to play third-party games. It just would be nice for Nintendo if gamers could pick up the Wii U as an all-in-one gaming console.

Nintendo would also greatly benefit from bolstering its Virtual Console lineup a bit more, as the offerings, particularly on Wii U, are quite lackluster. The company has been steadily adding titles to the service since its underwhelming launch earlier this year (some even at the low temporary price of $0.30 to celebrate the Famicom?s 30th anniversary), but for fans to truly take note and start building that ultimate digital nostalgia library, more games need to be available on the service.

It?s also upsetting that Nintendo seems so stuck in the past with its policies, as it refuses to acknowledge the value that can come from allowing its IPs to be used in internet videos, as evident by its new YouTube and streaming policies. It even recently attempted to stop Evo from streaming?Super Smash Bros. in its tournament before quickly backpeddling on their statement. If Nintendo continues down this path, it could prove to be even more of an uphill battle than it already is for the company, as the alienation of its biggest supporters could eventually come back to bite.

2012 Final Grade: C
2013 Mid-Year Grade: B

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A Look at the Grades Received by Each Company Over Time

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