Sony Won't Invest As Heavily In PlayStation 4 [Slashdot]

[Baloo]

Fixed. Who just recently announced Project Cafe? Sony hasn't even announced a successor. We're all going by rumors and speculation. Do you think Microsoft at this very moment isn't in development of the XBOX 3? I'm sure that both Sony and Microsoft are in development stages for new consoles. Doesn't mean they're going to be released any time soon.

Also. An HDTV isn't needed to enjoy the PS3 or 360, but once you go HD, you never go back, baby. Well. On an HD console atleast. SD consoles look better on an SDTV.

Come on now, you have to have seen that the Wii has been losing steam as far as new releases on the console goes. I mean really, there hasn't been a whole lot of really great titles within the past year on the Wii, and the VC releases have been slim to none. I think Nintendo's ready to move onto the next console.

If anything has more time on the market, it's the PS3 and 360. PS3 really took a hit with the whole online fiasco, and a new console too soon afterwards might cause a dip in sales due to people who got turned off by the way Sony handled that new situation. Plus PSN and XBLA have only been getting better and better compared to Wii VC.

[calgon]

Call it a hunch, but the most logical thing Sony can do by the time of the next console juncture is to make something completely different than a "playstation." I can picture a sleeker console with graphics just slightly above that of a PS3, but with a massive hard-drive no less than 800gb or a terrabyte and feature streaming/downloadable content only. This would open the floodgates of smaller publishers able to distribute through a big name for little money and little space. AAA titles would obviously take a long time to download, and would likely be broken up into "chapters" or smaller parts of a whole.

Throw in a unique (but not weird or alienating) controller and easy i-tunes-like interface and Sony could be back in the mix. If they release PS4 as a beefed-up PS3 with another proprietary format for <$400 it will fail.

[eskobar]

Great decision !!!!

The investment on the CELL processor benefited Microsoft in the end because the R&D paid by SONY was used in the design of the XENON processor ....

This time SONY and MICROSOFT should focus on developing a more energy-efficient console and a more robust hardware; with current technology the can deliver a very capable machine that runs at lower temperature and need less energy.

There are too many hardware issues to think about before getting more power

[Leo_A]

I can picture a sleeker console with graphics just slightly above that of a PS3, but with a massive hard-drive no less than 800gb or a terrabyte and feature streaming/downloadable content only.

Isn't going to happen anytime soon. Too many consumers would be against it and the retailers would be up in arms.

And the biggest reason is broadband is far from reaching every consumer and many a Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii has never even been taken online. Until broadband reaches the vast majority of homes in a country like the United States (We're many years away from such a thing in rural areas across the country), it isn't even a option.

They're taking baby steps to slowly ween us off physical media. Downloadable gaming became a popular secondary mode of distributing content this generation. The logical next step is for it to become about even in importance with retail games, with games always getting a same day release as a download.

They aren't going to suddenly jump head first into it where retail is your primary distribution method one generation and nonexistent the next.

[heybtbm]

Why isn't this post appearing?

[Cornelius]

They're taking baby steps to slowly ween us off physical media. Downloadable gaming became a popular secondary mode of distributing content this generation. The logical next step is for it to become about even in importance with retail games, with games always getting a same day release as a download.

Then they'll come out a few days/weeks earlier w/ digital distribution. How long after that before they simple eliminate quality/bug testing and just release it anyway? We already see plenty of broken games being released. Seems like that is one thing that is going to get a lot worse with digital distribution.

[heybtbm]

I won't be investing as heavily in the PS4 either. Never paying $599.99 again.

[j_factor]

Then they'll come out a few days/weeks earlier w/ digital distribution. How long after that before they simple eliminate quality/bug testing and just release it anyway? We already see plenty of broken games being released. Seems like that is one thing that is going to get a lot worse with digital distribution.

Eventually there's a point when people will simply not buy games right when they come out, instead waiting for them to get patched.

[Baloo]

Eventually there's a point when people will simply not buy games right when they come out, instead waiting for them to get patched.

Still cuts out a LOT of time for programmers and testers though. Have gamers find the bugs, you fix them. Beats playing a game for hours in every which way possible, much less of a cost to developers.

[Swamperon]

Still cuts out a LOT of time for programmers and testers though. Have gamers find the bugs, you fix them. Beats playing a game for hours in every which way possible, much less of a cost to developers.

I think that would be a terrible way to release games. It'd be like releasing a book only half edited and the having buyers contact the publisher to point out the mistakes. (In theory anyway, would actually be feasible with ebooks)

I think it's fairly obvious that Sony wouldn't pump as much money into the PS4. After the beating and loss they took with the PS3, I imagine they'll go down a much different route.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Won't or can't? 10 year lifecycle, herp derp. That's why they talked about the decade of PS3 so much, they needed to differ the cost over that much time... That plan isn't going to work, and they know it.

I don't care about PS1/2 support that much anymore. But if the PS4 is not PS3 BC, then I'll be ignoring them, yet again.

[kedawa]

If you ignored the PS3, then why do you care about PS3 compatibility?

[Edmond Dantes]

Probably because he ignored it, he's seeing the PS4 as a chance to get into the next generation as well as play catch-up.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Pretty much. I have a small collection of PS3/360 games I've bought and I'd like to see BC on the successor systems. I'd honestly rather buy hardware from the last cycle at a steep discount after the next systems launch than not have BC and go current. I'd just continue the same mode without BC support. So either way, I know what my plan is.

[CelticJobber]

I hope we're atleast 3 or 4 years away from the "next gen".

IMO, the PS3 is just fine as it is, and even it wasn't that huge of a leap in quality from PS2 (atleast when compared to the jump from PS1 to PS2). And I really don't need graphics that are any better.

[duffmanth]

Fixed

Nice touch lol!

[duffmanth]

I wonder if they will drop the Playstation line, and give the next console a new name. It seems like this is a good time to hit the reset switch.

I don't think need to drop the Playstation name, they just need to be smarter about launching their next console. That means not charging $599 for it, market it as a game console instead of a computer, and don't be cocky and arrogant assholes.

[otaku]

I recently sold my ps3 over a lack of content and the whole security debacle they've really been dropping the ball with this system wonder how much longer they will even stay in the game? Will we end up with just nintendo and ms? I could see that and even be fine with it.