Rumors have been swirling around Sony lately. There have been rumors that Sony might actually be considering leaving the console business all together in light of a management shift amongst SCEI executives. But, VP of Technology for Sony Entertainment Europe says that Sony is indeed planning on launching a Playstation 4 console. Some reports even indicate that Playstation fans can expect to see the new PS4 console as early as 2011.
It has indeed been confirmed that Sony is working on a new console, but no other information has been released other then that it is in the “development stages.” If this is true, the PS4 console may be just a few years away.
Some insiders indicate that fans of Playstation can expect to see that Playstation 4 sometime in 2011, others are not too sure. For one thing, the technology surrounding the Playstation 3 is still too new. There is more headroom than game developers initially thought and that means that there is still room for new gaming technology to be developed and released for the PS3. Because the concept of the PS3 is still new, many gamers are still getting used to the PS3 console and there is concern that the gaming public is not ready to see another Sony console released so soon…
Others say that we can expect to start seeing the PlayStation 4 console sometime in 2013. Why 2013? Well, it has been confirmed that in addition to Sony developing a new console, both Microsoft and Nintendo are working on developing the successors to the Xbox 360 and the Wii. So it certainly seems likely that Sony will release the PS4 at the same time the other consoles hit the market. As was the case when the Wii was released, alongside the PS3 and 360.
Sony will continue to watch market trends and determine when the Playstation 4 console is market ready. The best tactic for Sony would be to remain focused on a single console, giving them a better chance to gain more experience in the field and a better ability for developing PS4 games. The more time developers spend on the PS3, the more time they will have to launch games for it, and more time for Sony to gain market share. However, Sony cannot afford to launch after Xbox again. They both know they need to launch early to stand out. So look for one of them to jump the gun.
A benefit of the Playstation 4 console launching early, is that Sony could release the PS4 with and without Blu-Ray Technology. This would give consumers the chance to purchase a new console for a lot less and also give developers a chance to develop on a less expensive platform. By developing on a less expensive platform, it will allow many gamers a chance to own a Playstation 4 console. It is rumored that a majority of the technology for Playstation 4 will be modeled after the later version of Playstation 3, with some added features to make the Playstation 4 better then the Playstation 3. Another big factor is that Sony will need to consider market viability. When Playstation 3 was initially released, it had a retail price of $499.99 for the smaller version and $599.99 for the one with more memory. Even after a few years, the prices for the PS3 are still sitting between $300 and $400. Considering the current climate, Sony will need to closely consider economic viability when it comes to pricing and releasing a new console, when so many are still trying to afford the PS3.
It remains to be seen whether Playstation 4 will indeed be the first, next generation console and right now everything is rumor and speculation. However, many insiders say that Playstation 4 will indeed lead the way.
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