There's an old saying that goes, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
While we gamers don't typically deal with geese (goats are another story), the saying has weight because it ultimately means that the success of one individual entity typically ends up benefiting the entire company/organization/business. To think of it another way, what's good for one gamer is good for all gamers.
So while we may cover the ongoing console war(s) between Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, the fact of the matter is if any of these companies find success that's good for the games industry as a whole. It boosts the profile of the industry among non-gamers or casual gamers, and it pushes their competitors to innovate.
Further echoing that point is Microsoft's Phil Spencer who, rather than talk smack with regards to Sony's presence at E3 2014, decided to wish the company well. Moreover, the newly minted Head of Xbox thinks Sony will have a "good E3."
Obviously, Spencer would hope that Microsoft has a better E3, but wishing any ill will on Sony ultimately doesn't help anybody. It hurts the gamers and it hurts the industry.
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Some will remember that Sony and Microsoft were also quite cordial heading into their respective console launches, with each company wishing the other well. Sure, if one or the other had done poorly that would have opened the door for stronger sales, but, again, it might have had a negative impact on the industry as a whole.
When publishers and developers push each other, much like in any artistic industry, the consumers end up reaping the benefits. For example, we wouldn't be surprised if the leaked specs for one next-gen console didn't influence the plans of the other. To put it another way, if Microsoft saw that Sony was putting 8GB of RAM in the PS4, they would all but feel obligated to, at least, match that number with the Xbox One, and vice versa.
This year's E3 promises to be yet another stellar event, as Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and a number of third party developers/publishers show off their next wave of next-gen titles. So, while Microsoft thinks Sony will have a good E3, we hope that everyone has a good E3.
Do you prefer civility between Microsoft and Sony? Or would you like to see more trash talking?
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Source: Phil Spencer - Twitter