Sony doesn't want to drop PS4 too long after Wii U and next Xbox

@kvn7918

agreed, i think the "sweet spot" for the next gen machines (ps4/xboxnext) should be in the mid to high $400 range. But it all depends on the price point of the wiiu, which my guess is gonna be around $200-250.
then again sony and MS know that their each other's main competitor, as the wiiu will most certainly be underpowered compared to their next systems.......2012 will be interesting indeed.

@kvn7918
Honestley, I think the PS3 is fine where it is right now. I mean, what exactly is the PS4 going to do differently than the PS3? Graphics? No thanks...

@legacybush

Uhhh more RAM and processor power on top of graphics. Giving the people what they want with chat features is a necessary thing at this point. Tho chances are I won't too much use cross game chat(dont even use it on 360), it still needs to be there...as does a standard invite and party system across all games

@legacybush
i think the next generation will be unique in that the graphics wont be the biggest selling point, bu the features it will give and how accessible and usable the features are, as well as how relevant the features can be.

Lol amazing. Just a few months ago everyone speculated Nintendo was launching Wii U too soon, in some sort of no man's mid lifecycle window of missopportunity. Now the other two manufacturers are both rushing to make sure they aren't late to the party lol.... At least Microsoft and Sony know the deal.

@legacybush

You really think it cant improve?

Graphics on consoles now are dated. Uncharted 3 is the best looking console game by miles, And even that suffers from aliasing and low texture filtering.

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi

More RAM and processor power for what? Uncharted 3 was extremely fun, had unbelievable graphics, and NO loading times. They would have to be offering something significantly better for me to invest in a new console at this point. Even if the PS4 launched at $400, they would have to show me $400 worth of improvements over the PS3. I can't see it happening. Not for all the cross-game chats and party systems in the world.

I think a new console would be an extremely hard sell right now.

@legacybush

I get excited thinking about the more complex programming that developers will be capable of with higher end systems. More memory and CPU speed allow for more objects on the screen at once (enemies, NPCs, interactive objects) and more advanced AI, physics, pathfinding, etc. This is a big reason why the Wii version of Dead Rising has a lot fewer zombies in it than the 360 version. It simply lacks the processing to handle dozens or hundreds of simultaneous enemy AI routines.

@LEONLEONLEON

I think the percentage of the gaming population complaining about "aliasing and low texture filtering" in games like Uncharted 3 is extremely small. If either company launches a console simply to appease those folks, they've got a hard (and expensive) lesson ahead of them. I still say I can't see a console worthy of a $400+ investment launching next year.

@Troy Powers

For what!?!?

Did you SEE the Unreal Engine 4 demo!?!?! and thats just the tip of the iceberg. More processing power means more complicated A.I. They could literally make games that are alive, where you can never hear the same thing twice....

More RAM....uhhhh limitations with the XMB from the get go were because of RAM, part of why we don't have in game music across all games now and party chat is because of RAM too,

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
I understand but think about it this way: If you were going down to Best Buy and all of a sudden decided to buy a gaming console for no particular reason and they only had a PS3 and a PS4, would you choose the $400-600 system with almost no good games that are over-priced or would you choose the $200 ($250 now) console with a huge library of amazing & cheap games?

@legacybush Depends. What will that PS4 do over the PS3? If it plays ALL PS3 games....I might as well get that and be set for the upcoming onslaught of PS4 games later. That is of course if I don't already have a PS3.

@legacybush

You forget, if the system is backwards compatible then the only downside is that you are spending the extra $200. the upside is you are futureproof for another 6-7 years.

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi

"That is of course if I don't already have a PS3."

That's exactly my point. I don't believe the extra RAM and processing power will bring benefits that warrant another $400 investment if you've already got a current gen console. Can the graphics get that much better? Can the AI get that much smarter? Can the UI get that much sleeker?

The PS3 was a significant upgrade (or anything close to it) over the PS2 and Xbox. I don't see them developing a system that offers that much of an upgrade by next year.

@legacybush
If that can give more freedom for the developers to provide games without scaling it down compared to the current PC generation, I'm all for it.

@kvn7918
I cant see the PS4 launching any sooner than mid to late 2013 without damaging the lifecycle of the PS3. You dont automatically jump out of a product cycle just because other people are doing it. Rushing means you leave things out or dont prepare properly and that's half of what hurt the PS3.

If the PS4 launches before that they were rushed by impatient and lazy developers that refused to do the work required to make decent games for the current generation. They're already too lazy to make PC games work to the best of their ability claiming consoles are holding them back. If they wanted to display such obvious superiority they should just go ahead and MAKE the games they claim only possible on high end PCs and show it.

With the WiiU Nintendo is not jumping into the "Next" generation they're jumping into THIS generation 5 years late. MS is only jumping into the next gen out of fear of losing out to Nintendo again so they technically dont even have to rush but they dont have patience and never have. To be fair Sony was late to this gen because of multiple issues but if they prepare a head of time to avoid the most important issues they dont have to rush either and if they make the effort to be as smart as they have been in the PS1 and PS2 eras then they wont rush this time.

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
We are far from that, games already cost more than sixty and they take 2+ years of development, the things you said would take decades...

@LEONLEONLEON
there is a difference between 'no thanks' and 'it is not possible'. in fact they are completely different.

@kvn7918
I hope they fail next gen so they can go extreme and focus on building a virtual reality console.

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
You guys are right, I suppose it's the same situation now as it was with the PS2 and PS3 back in 2006. As long as the PS4 is backwards compatible, offers unique games, and has an affordable price tag then It'll do fine.

@Lucky48 I think your best point is "devs now can only imagine." If devs were able to do the things you mentioned now then I would be 100% gun-ho for a new console, but they can't. Give them another few of years and I'm sure they'll be able to, but if a new console dropped within the next two years nobody in the industry (except maybe the Naughty Dog team) would be able to do anything amazing with it. I think 2014 is a good year for them to think about releasing the next console.

@LEONLEONLEON As a PS3 and 360 owner who's currently playing Uncharted 3 on PS3 and LA Noire on 360, I don't have a problem with their graphics *at all*. Neither console's current graphics "suffer" from anything significant; the issues you describe are minor at best.

It's a given that next gen will feature improved graphics; with hardware 7+ years newer, how could they not? But that alone isn't reason enough to launch a new console generation anymore. Graphics have reached "Good enough" status for 95% of gamers, especially now that developers finally have mature tools to use with the hardware.

In a sense it's almost a shame we'll see the next-gen so soon. On the other hand, it's entertaining to watch Sony and Microsoft scramble to follow Nintendo's lead yet again :p

@legacybush

they could just up the memory to 8 gigs.

would open a whole new world of possible worlds.

@Co

Sony and Microsoft are concerned about the next generation of consoles, not the WiiU

@legacybush updating in the background.

@kvn7918

Fortunately since Blu-Ray has come down substantially in price, and judging by their price point on the Vita, while never outside the realm of possibility I think they'll have a shockingly normal launch price. At least me and my wallet hope so ;)

@BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam
My name is Dick and I enjoy being myself.

@RobertCarr

Seriously. I get the feeling that the next gen's big hook is going to be 3D, and we all see how well that's doing.

@(Unverified)
Agreed. After both my ps3 and my 360 dieing on me this console generation, I think I will always take a side seat until proof of reliability or price drop. Buying a PS3 for $600 and having to fix it twice leaves a very displeased taste. Ended up having to wait till today to buy the holiday bundle cuz its just not worth fixing something that is so incredibly noisy after so many fixes. Besides, the launch games usually plummet in price after a while.

@RobertCarr I agree, I have the feeling I'm going to be one of those people a generation behind, like those who still sport ps2's and regular xbox's now. Ps4 would have to have one killer launch line up, before I'd upgrade.

imo they should hold off until gaming computers get to that really expensive cycle before dropping a new system. Though I guess with Intel Knight's corner around, that's about to happen.

Meh.

@RobertCarr

Its not really rushing at this point.....

6 years between generations has been about what Sony has done before. and since it doesn't look like they will be releasing one next year 2013 will make it 7 years.

@RobertCarr

I'm not happy with the current gen at all. Too many games with framerate issues. The hardware's just way too far behind.

@The Aquacharger

I think console makers actually learned from the 360 launch that it doesn't matter if your product is actually ready for launch, just as long as you're first.

@Troy Powers
While that does give a head start it can still screw you over financially.

@The Aquacharger

I know, poor Microsoft. Whatever happened to those guys...


....oh, wait, they're still around......it's just harder to see them buried under all that money.........

@Troy Powers

Yes absolutely, that's why the Dreamcast absolutely crushed the Playstation 2 in sales!!!!


...right?

@Roxas560 agreed. If it doesn't have PS3 backwards compatibility then a lot of people are going to be pissed

@Troy Powers

The only thing I can see them adding is Tessellation to GFX I can't see anything more.

@vidguy

The ps2 had a 10 year + life cycle, but the ps3 came out after 6 years. Life cycle is simply how long they'll sell it/make games for it. Has nothing to do with when the next console is released.

@Nimer55
Exactly, same thing happened with the PS1. You could buy new consoles and games for a long time after the PS2 was out.