Ben-DutkaThe PlayStation 3 didn't launch until over a year after the Xbox 360 released, which generated a sales gap the PS3 has yet to close (but according to recent sales figures, Sony has almost tracked down Microsoft in worldwide numbers).
It just isn't something Sony wants to do twice. In speaking to Eurogamer TV , PlayStation Europe boss Jim Ryan said it would be "undesirable" for the next PlayStation to repeat that cycle. During a press event for the PlayStation Vita in London, Ryan said:
"I think we would consider it undesirable to be significantly later than the competition [with the next PlayStation]."
Well, that begs the question then: if the new Xbox is indeed set to launch at the end of 2012 – as some rumors want us to believe – does that mean Sony is prepared to be in step with the proceedings? I.e., to have the PlayStation 4 ready to release alongside Microsoft's console? The Wii U comes out next year, but Sony has repeatedly said they don't consider Nintendo to be their competition.
Ryan did add that Sony has "a lot of unfinished business on PS3," and part of that "business" will be to lower the price in the future:
"If you look at PlayStation 2, now in excess of 150m units installed globally, a huge majority of that was done at price points of £120 or lower. [With PS3] we've only just hit £199 in the UK, so clearly there's a considerable untapped part of the market there."
With all this talk of the new generation, we have to remember that the PS2 went strong for several years after the PS3 launched. In fact, the PS2 really did have the 10-year lifespan the PS3 has been reported to have…Sony just launched a new system in between.
And they'll probably do that again, too.
The new Xbox will not release in 2012. I can't see them just rushing another console to market; they haven't even announced anything yet. Many dyed-in-the-wool Xbots would say that the 360 still has life in it. I don't see it arriving until 2013 and I agree Sony may need to get the PS4 out at the same time.
Gotta love those NeoGAFers. They gave up having social lives and Clearasil in order to dedicate their lives to being "gamers".
The 360 was rushed and look at the results. Ignoring the fact that they had a year long head start, their units moved are higher than Sony's. Of course another result was, IMO, a sub-par system, but apparently that doesn't matter these days.
@main, All that matters is the proper marketing. Also, LIVE has captured its audience completely.
I agree 100%. I'm just saying with proper marketing you can sell a Xbox 360 like it was a PS3.
wait a sec..
LOL it rushed but it was sucessful. The main problem was the RROD. LOl that heat sink and fan combo on the normal ones are complete crap.
I hope the PS4 if there is going to be one launch the same year as the other consoles.
Not different.
I was only successful on paper. when you factor in the stuff it wouldn't look so successful. Like Someone said in one of these posts, had they launched at the same time the difference would be trivial. I'll take it a step further by saying ha the PS3 launched when the xbox did, it'd prolly be a bigger difference because you can factor in how the economy was at the time of the 360 launch. had the 360 launched when the PS3 did it would prolly look different on both sides.
Now, who would be on top of the sales if the PS3 had just launched at the same time with the Xbox 360?
Even with the staggering price (and knowing that Microsoft is counting all the consoles that lasted a year or less) it would've been the PS3. True, it would've been by trivial numbers, but on top nonetheless…
If the PS3 launched at the same time it would have changed everything. When the XBOX failures hit the masses the buyers remorse would have pushed people in the PS3s direction.
Let's not forget that the PS3 literally *could not* have launched before it did (at least not without being crippled like the pre-elite 360); bits of its tech weren't finalized until summer 2006.
I think Sony's success with the "end" of the PS2 was that they didn't just yank the cord on it but they just let it fade out, not saying that it's gone completely, but with a few more PS3 price drops the accessibility of the PS3 may finally phase the PS2 out.
In turn, MSs pulling the plug on the XBOX left their customers no other option if the wished to maintain their LIVE accounts.
If Playstation 4 is price the same as the next Xbox it will end the consoles war in one year. A year later will be better, 'cause that's when the games we want are release. Sony better focus on releasing AAA games on launch otherwise I'm going to wait. Reason, Playstation 3 is awesome and I need to finsh around 30 games.
I want a backward compatible console, price is no problem. No hard drive so I can buy a bigger one. And they should release a cheaper ps4 for the non hardcore fans. Price the same as the next Xbox to keep everyone happy.
I think.the PS3 has plenty of life still but expect Sony to launch PS4 sometime in 2013… PS3 with price drops and continued support should last I think for 10 yrs easily. I'm wondering if Sony will abandon backward compatibility from jump this time for PS3 to keep cost down, I think they would be smart this time out and not do it for PS3. PS1 – PS2 still as dwnlds from PSN, I for one wish they release more PS2 classics or give me a Legacy of Kain collection! But they really should take Ninty seriously this time since the Wii U won't suffer from no real 3 party support as Wii did. But then again Ninty 1st party games are usually stellar but have had some stinkers lately, excluding Donkey Kong and Skyward sword. ( points at Metroid with evil monkey finger and face)
Ehh. Did the PS3 being B/C have anything to do with the price??
If anything the PS4 should be completely B/C. PS, PS2, and PS3.
The problem with squeezing life out of the PS2/PS3 launch came to light when gamers felt the leap wasn't necessary yet. Launching next gen consoles simultaneously is obviously desirable, but keeping the previous gen in the big picture will deter some buyers.
If anything, this would make me proud to have supported Sony's product. Only when considering immediate sales would this be an issue. Therefore, I would imagine Microsoft's initial sales will definitely one-up Sony's new machine. Once the generation gap begins to clearly become visible, Sony will chalk up more units sold.
The significance of this will be Microsoft's take on the whole deal. Will they once again produce an inferior product? Is their intention to try and beat the PS3 out of the gate capable of pushing Sony to force their unit out before it should be? So intriguing.
That makes sense to me. I saw this interesting article on Forbes. It had some key data points on the consoles leading into E3 of last year. In the first four months of 2011 the Xbox 360 has had a 29 percent year to year sales which is more than triple the growth of the PS3 and the largest growth of any console on the market. Why is this relevant? Becuase some analyst have pointed to that as evidence that MS does not need a new console in 2012.
What's weird about that sales spike is no major 360 exclusives came out during that time span. Another intersting data point was that 60 percent of the 360's sales in that time period have been Kinect bundles. It's probably 360 owners looking to upgrade or replace their 360's that have drove those sales but there is really no way of really knowing. Maybe it's just people who like that dancing game picking up these Kinect bundles. I'm sure some 360 owners had to replace their dead 360s as well. Again, no way of knowing. I'm sure Sony wants their next system lauched within a very close time frame of the MS's next system to make sure MS can't ride out any momentum they may have picked up recently uncontested.
Some analyst like our favorite Mr. Patcher have pointed to the 360's recent sales spike as evidence that MS does not need a new system in 2012. Patcher speculated that we might see a new 360 model in 2012 that is windows 8 compatable instead of a totally new system. Ofcourse this is the same person who said the biggest news coming out E3 was MS's incorporation of Bing into 360. That goes against a lot of the rumours that have pointed to a totally new system in 2012. Ofcourse MS could always use a price cut to attempt to lengthen this gen in a similar way they did with Kinect or even just to boost sales.
I'm sure Sony does not want MS to go unchallenged for any length of time. Especially in NA. I hope Sony has a solid plan for the first 3 years of the PS4. Sony has a lot of great developers lined up now. They can use that to their advantage and release exclusives on regular bases. If they space them out correctly and have some key titles early on they should have some success.
I know many are happy with the current gen of consoles but I am very excited to see what the possibilties are next gen. Very exciting to think about what developers like Guerilla Games or Kojima could pull off on a PS4. Can you imagine what Hideo could pull off on a PS4? I am tingling just thinking about that.
Happy Thanksgiving to everybody at PSXEXTREME. Very thankful for this great site and its great community.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 11/24/2011 12:42:11 PM
I'm dying to hear how they're planning on marketing these new systems. What are they going to tell current 360/PS3 owners in order to make them want the new system? I think current owners are going to be hard pressed to see any reason whatsoever to upgrade. Should be interesting.
I totally agree.
There's no major new hardware like the blu-ray player (who was the main reasons I chose the ps3) this time around? And if so… What could that possibly be? Will be very interesting to hear indeed.
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/24/2011 1:39:20 PM
1080p running at 60fps would be nice. That way we'd get full use of our new TVs. Other than that, what, maybe a new interface? Something that doesn't take forever to load up would be cool.
But will I pay $500 for those slight upgrades? Not likely.
Man, I hoped this wouldn't happen. I'm sure many here would like the PS3 to have been more popular stateside, but I know with certainty that I do enjoy the PS3 more than the 360 largely because of the superior more powerful hardware. Couple that with the aggressive effort by Sony to lead with strong IP's that bring the power of the PS3 to the fore and here's a system where I don't care how many increments of millions more or less it's selling because the experiences are better.
I know launching early may not necessarily mean lesser power but this news leads me to believe Sony is positioning itself with different intentions for the next gen cycle. For the health of the business this move makes sense, but for my values it may not be a harmonious one. Time will tell.
2 to 3 more years before the next gen… Thats all I'm asking.
Next year… It just feels so rushed. This gen took so long to get off the ground, not to mention the upgrades for the next gen probably wont be that mind-blowing. I know I'm not the only one that thinks so.
Last edited by Oyashiro on 11/24/2011 2:10:28 PM
We need specs of the PS4 first. Downloadable content only or games on disc still ?
Backwards Compatability.
HD size
Speed etc
I still feel there is a lot of life left in the PS3 though. Unless MGS5 is rleased on the console on day 1 or GTA5 (as that's next year I can't see it on the PS4) I wont buy it. I am prepared to wait.
I never have bought a console on first day of release. So far been lucky, broken down the line yes but that's after a year or 2 of getting battered.
We need specs of the PS4 first. Downloadable content only or games on disc still ?
Backwards Compatability.
HD size
Speed etc
I still feel there is a lot of life left in the PS3 though. Unless MGS5 is rleased on the console on day 1 or GTA5 (as that's next year I can't see it on the PS4) I wont buy it. I am prepared to wait.
I never have bought a console on first day of release. So far been lucky, broken down the line yes but that's after a year or 2 of getting battered.
Agreed, I usually wait about 2 years for either hardware revision or a big ol' price drop before I fork out hundreds on a new console.
what ever sony does, i just hope they don't rush the PS4 to meet ot beat MS
to the punch.
Here's an interesting read, according to Digital foundry, their analysis of the upcoming Nexbox, does not foresee it showing up in 2012……
Can Microsoft Launch the Next Xbox in 2012?
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/digitalfoundry-next-gen-xbox-in-2012-analysis
Sony never really rushes on things if M$ does rush then they haven't learned their lesson from the 360 when it launched.
Here's some things Sony can do to make the PS4 better while keeping the price low:
– Keep the 8 core processor, but allow multi-threading so they can emulate 16 cores if the game needs the extra juice.
– 1GB DDR3 RAM, 1GB GPU RAM and 512MB Video RAM to handle a ton of multi-tasking, cross game chat and the games themselves.
– Keep Blu-ray, but allow the PS4 to read quad-layered discs, that's still 100GB of space that I doubt many developers would completely use up.
– An Nvidia 3D graphics card, so hardware instead of software will handle 3D output, perhaps even in 1080p!!
– Keeping the same PS3 structure will allow for full backwards compaitibility with all PS3 discs and PSN software. I don't want my PS3 DLC to be for nothing when I get my PS4!!
– 500GB HDD and 750GB HDD models at launch
– USB 3, blu-tooth and other wireless frequency recognition hardware built in. I'm sick of messing around with USB dongles to play Rock Band 3. Probably the one thing 360 got right.
– Working with both 1st and 3rd party developers to make the PS4 much easier to develop for. I don't wanna see another round of bad ports from the competition again. Switched my original Assassin's Creed from PS3 to 360 cos of all the freezes and lag problems.
In all honesty, I thought the PS3 was a major step up from the last generation, a true radical change that was incredibly risky, but paid off in the end. Fortunately, they've got Kevin Butler to advertise it now, rather than weird or shocking ad campaigns that simply grab your attention but don't advertise what the product does.
As long as they have good games within the first 6 months of launch, I might just be on baord the PS4 love train!!
KB is my Hero. 😀
Annoying since just a short couple of months ago we hear from both Sony and MS that they have no plans for new gen consoles, and are in no hurry. Well folks, 2012 is a damn hurry. I even see 2013 as a hurry when you consider their words of "no new consoles are in the works".
Hearing this is painful. If the could make the dualshock 3 and move controllers compatible, then that will make this sting less, but I'm sure we will have to get all new controllers.
I have 4 ds3's, move controller, nav, sharpshooter, and eye. Not wanting to do that all over again.
Oh, and I would like to get the Vita too!
I was a late PS3 adopter. Probably will be again for the PS4 I suspect, if it does come in 2013. Please wait till 2014. Please!
thanks for stating the obvious!
id rather someone come out later though, it gets kinda expensive having to buy a new system let alone having to buy 2 new systems at the same time!
gives you more time to enjoy it too, kinda ruins the experience of both if your giving both new systems half the attention.
better to get one first and get use to it, then get the other.
Hmm. Would be unique to see them upgrade the PS3 yet again and hang on until the generation afterwards. They'll have alot of preperation by then, more than the PS2 which was 8 years.
…but that's not really possible, and releasing the PS4 so suddenly can only mean Sony will go back to their roots and not release a complete powerhouse like the PS3 was, making it more wallet-friendly, regaining mass appeal of the Playstation logo combined with new objectives in the horizon to concentrate on evaluated from their previous console (heavier advertisements perhaps? Simplified architecture and regaining more third party exclusives? Sony heavily relied on their first party tank *which is pretty awesome as there was much variety* but it was a vast change from their previous tendencies.
Of course back in PS1/PS2 era alot of their exlusives were Japanese. One thing I'd love to see them do is prime up and try and influence more Japanese releases again. This stuff practically defined the Playstation predecessors as well as the industry. And with games such as Xenoblade Chronicles, Skyward Sword and Last Story (I know they're all on the Wii) we know it isn't because J-RPGs can't catch up with the current standard, but rather developers and publishers lack the confidence to do so. They're intimidated, and it sucks.
The Playstation 3 was a big risk and didn't exactly pan out or begin as was expected, yet it paid off. Playstation 1 & 2 however, would be considered by many to be Sony's glory days. Perhaps they wish to go back to their routes. If.you.understand.what.I.am.saying.