The PlayStation UK Twitter took a jab from Xbox UK Twitter after the former tried to highlight a Yakuza sale. PlayStation is offering a few games in the Yakuza series for a reduced price, but anyone with Xbox knows the entire Yakuza series is free with Game Pass. It only took Xbox a few hours to get PlayStation back.
PlayStation UK announced a limited-time sale offering discounts on individual Yakuza titles, bringing the total cost for Yakuza 0 through 6 to under £25. However, the offer requires purchasing each game separately, even within the remastered collection. Soon after, Xbox UK entered the fray with a tweet showcasing the availability of all seven Yakuza games, including Like a Dragon Gaiden and The Man Who Erased His Name, on Game Pass.
This subtle dig emphasizes the convenience of a single subscription service compared to buying individual games. The value is also better because most people get Game Pass on Xbox and PC with an online subscription for Xbox for only $5 more monthly than just PSN.
It evokes memories of when the console wars were a true rivalry between companies. Today, this kind of stuff is tongue in cheek, but the console wars used to have marketing that actively attacked the other side. Many gamers today are too young to remember when things were actually pretty standoff-ish between rival console makers.
Like the “price heard around the world” when PlayStation outdid its competitors by forgoing a speech just to say their price, which was $100 less than the competition. Another great example was when Xbox disappointed players by saying they would have to pay Microsoft to let friends borrow their games (A lot happened at E3 2013, and PlayStation capitalized on these awful decisions during theirs). So PlayStation made an ad to remind players that they own games outright with Sony.
Now, it feels like there isn’t really a console war since the companies are kind to each other. However, these little jabs are fun pokes because the two companies aren’t at odds publicly anymore. If anything, there’s a good reason to own vs rent, as Game Pass games are only temporarily on the service.