Launching a console today is different. Compared to last generation, you likely waited in line with limited supply for hours only to be empty handed. This past launch you had ample opportunity to preorder on numerous occasions online to guarantee your console. Today we receive information differently. Before that, you heard from word of mouth through advertising campaigns and marketing whether it was gaming magazines, television commercials like 'Nintendont' or Sony's creative PS2 commercials, or mostly at lunch bantering back and forth. Sure specs were out but only the hardcore truly knew what differences there may be while the general public was generally unaware. Now we consume information instantly. Scholars like Thomas Friedman argue the world is now flat, where information is transmitted instantly across the globe and where economic advantage and the playing field is becoming equal across continents. Some say this instantaneous spread of information was responsible for recent revolutions e.g., the Arab Spring. The question is asked do you think growing use of internet or the spread of information now more accessible has made a difference compared to last console launch?
I personally think it has. Today the average consumer is a lot smarter than before. While the internet certainly was widely used when the 360 and PS3 launched, I think people today are more accustomed to actually using the internet, social media, reading more information than ever before because of smartphones, tablets, etc. Today's generation lives on the internet. More people know the PS4 has better specs than XO than what the specs were with PS3 and 360, the DRM restrictions of XO spread like wildfire, the 1080p scandals, and more. I feel today the average person is more intelligent than previous console launches because of these reasons. They are in general more aware. I am experiencing people that I wouldn't think that are much more knowledgeable about products than before through the quick and ease of information being transmitted.
