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Can The Android-Powered Ouya Get In Sony And Microsoft’s Way?

Ben-Dutka 29 Comments

Are you looking at serious competition for The Big 3?

According to new leaks via The Verge , a mystery home console is in development, and it'll boast a "focus on free gaming."

Apparently, "Ouya" will operate on the Android platform and only run you $99. The interesting part is that it's easily "hackable" and in fact, it sounds like fiddling around with the hardware is encouraged. "Even the underlying hardware is 'built to be hacked'—every customer who buys a retail box will get a dev kit in the bargain, the site claims." The design has been put forth by Yves Béhar, who was responsible for the look of the One Laptop Per Child computer, and other industry vets are on board, including ex-IGN executive Julie Uhrman and former Xbox boss Ed Fries.

So what else can we expect from this thing? And will you want it sitting alongside your other game consoles? At only a hundred bucks, it could definitely pose a problem, especially if the new systems hit $500 or more. Then again, if you have little confidence in the technical capability of Ouya, and still believe the new PlayStation and Xbox will offer the pinnacle of interactive entertainment, you may not care.

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PS4 Specs Rumor: Resolution, Memory, And Backwards Compatibility

Ben-Dutka 68 Comments

Rumor, rumor, rumor. Not official, okay?

Just to clarify. Anyway, it seems a European source has laid eyes on a stat sheet for Sony's new PlayStation.

It goes into some detail even if the translation is wonky, but the highlights are obvious, if you choose to believe the information. The last time we received supposedly leaked PS4 specs, many analysts and avid tech followers called the statistics into question and most assumed the "leak" to be fake. Well, try this one on for size:

— An "advanced Cell processor" equipped with "10GB of working memory."

— Max 2D resolution to be 3840 x 2160; max 3D resolution to be 1080p.

— Two custom Nvidia graphics chips provide "video display and plenty of power."

— Backwards compatibility is included: "The aim is older PS discs without problems."

— Release window of Q4 2013.

We'll let you decide what's real and what isn't; for now, we take it all with a grain of salt until we see something with a bit more concrete evidence behind it. Still, these basic stats are enough to make some PlayStation fans smile, right? Kind of encouraging.

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Sony: No PS4 Any Time Soon, It Would Be A “Distraction”

Ben-Dutka 46 Comments

Contrary to any rumors you may have digested over the past few months, Sony remains firm on the subject: they're not planning to release a new console any time soon.

During an IGN interview , SCEA President Jack Tretton said to focus on a new piece of hardware right now would prove "distracting" for the company. For now, they're focus is squarely on the PS3 and the new PlayStation Vita. Said Tretton:

"Right now, we're focused on PlayStation 3, and I've got another platform (PlayStation Vita) to get out the door in seven days, so I don't want to be thinking about trying to launch new technology any time soon. I want to focus all our energy on our console business, which is really just hitting its stride, and Vita, which really deserves a dedicated push from us."

He then went on to say he wouldn't want to talk about any new console hardware this year, so the rumor that said all three next-generation systems would on display at E3 2012 appears to be false. Tretton echoes recently promoted Sony boss Kaz Hirai's statements that the PS3 is really hitting its stride, and it has plenty of life left.

Well, that's all fine by us. The PS3 could go another three or four years as far as we're concerned.

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