If I Ran Sony . . . I'd Rain On Microsoft's Parade.

Microsoft is revealing the successor to the Xbox 360 on May 21st. Sony announced it's next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, back in February and has given little new information since. If it were up to me, Sony would be making some announcements of it's own on the 21st and here is why.

Microsoft Won This Generation of Console Gaming

Everyone knows this even though some fanboys fail to admit it. Sony has an early lead going forward since the PS4 is already announced and people are excited about it; keep that momentum going. I think that Sony should keep the punches coming and never back down.

Spike and Gametrailers Have Exclusive Rights to Show the Event Live

The PS4 announcement was live streamed by Sony itself, IGN, and a host of other gaming sites. It was a huge event even though Sony only gave everyone a heads up a week or so in advance-we've known about Microsofts even for about a month.

This lack of exclusivity meant that people could go to their site of choice to see what was going on. Microsoft is forcing people to tune in to specific places to watch the show and I think that is really crappy. What if I don't have cable and can't watch Spike? What if I don't like Gametrailers and don't usually go to that site?

Sony Can Give New Information While Still Saving a Lot For E3

There will be all kinds of big announcements at E3. We will find out about games that we didn't even know where in development and be spoon fed info about big titles that we previously knew little about. Sony can still give away more now while still making E3 feel like Christmas.

Just give us more information about games that we already know about. Infamous is a major franchise for Sony and they can show off more new gameplay from Infamous Second Son since we haven't seen much since the announcement.

Planetside 2 is a free-to-play first-person-shooter that came out for PC last fall. The studio behind the game happens to be owned by Sony. Several months back it was teased on IGN's show, Up At Noon, that the game could be coming to the PS4. More recently, tweets from the team have also implied that the game will be on the PS4. So, Sony, make this rumor official. Tell everyone that this successful shooter that throws hundreds of players into a single battle, will be on the new console.

Why Not?

Steal Microsoft's thunder. Rain on it's parade.

On the morning of the 21st, send press releases out to the gaming media and have them stay tuned. Don't hold a big event with tons of people there, just stream it online and allow all major gaming sites to stream it, too. Have an hour plus long event starting roughly 30 minutes before Microsoft's event.

Show us Planteside 2 on the PS4. Show us more footage from previously announced games (Drive Club, Knack, Deep Down, etc.) and save the really big secrets for E3 . . . except for one big secret . . . Show us the actual console. Show gamers what the PS4 really looks like and give it's official release date.

Because of the aforementioned exclusivity of how Microsoft's event is being shown to the public, a lot of attention could be diverted to Sony. The fanboys (and fangirls) will already be there. People on the fence may turn to Sony and if they get hooked, might not even switch over to see what Microsoft it doing.

I know that Sony would be setting itself up for some future Microsoft backlash, but so what? Sony has nothing to lose by doing this. The company is already all-in and it's future success is largely reliant upon the success of the PS4.

Hit Microsoft right in the face (or groin) and don't stop.

Follow Up: When Can I See Master Chief Throw A Plasma Grenade at Marcus Fenix?

Super Smash Bros. is one of my favorite game franchises EVER and since I've never owned a Wii, I've only actually put real time into playing the first two games. Nintendo hit a huge home run when they decided to pit their best characters against each other.

Sony has followed in Nintendo's footsteps with the release of PlayStation All-Atars Battle Royale. The game definitely is not a carbon-copy of Super Smash Bros., but clearly was inspired by it. Why has Microsoft failed to produce a similar franchise?

When this question is brought up (which is rare), people tend to point out that Microsoft does not have as many exclusive characters as its Japanese competitors. These people fail to recognize the fact that that does not really matter. Super Smash Bros. Brawl features Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid franchise. These games have been on Nintendo consoles, but are actually better known for being featured on the various PlayStations. Also, while no characters from Assassin's Creed are actually in PlayStation All-Stars, some have hoped that Connor from ACIII would make it into the game at some point.

Microsoft, I beg of you, make this happen. Your version can have a significantly different feel than the other two franchises. It will sell, I guarantee it (as long as you DO NOT make it a Kinect game).

I'm Excited, But Should I Be?: Wii U

Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, launches within the next month. Due to my finances, I likely either won't ever own one or at least won't pick one up for a couple of years. The system has its critics (including myself), but I'm still hyped up about its release.

Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, but some of my all-time favorite gaming experiences have occurred while playing a Nintendo system. The first Pikmen game, Pokemon Red, Super Smash Bros., most Super Mario games; they're all Nintendo and they're all great.

The Wii U will bring new IP's with tons of potential (like The Wonderful 101) along with epic sequels of fan favorites (i.e. Pikmen 3). With time, there'll be new Zelda, Metroid, and Super Smash Bros. games. 

While it may not be as powerful as future Sony or Microsoft consoles (we don't know yet), it is certainly a step above the current generation of consoles. As long as the Wii U gamepad doesn't become a gimmick (like the Kinect), it has a chance of becoming something great. Currently, the Wii U can only support one gamepad per console (but you can still use Wii controllers, the Wii U pro controller, and others), but eventually that number will grow. 

WiiTV will finally bring a great media center to a Nintendo system. Nintendo is also finally fully embracing online gaming. Despite my excitement, I do still REALLY wish that the Wii U was called basically anything else, but I won't allow such a minute criticism bring me down.