Rumour Mill: Sony Planning On Unveiling Playstation 4 Next Year

Rumours, Rumours Rumours. I suppose every console starts with a rumour so sometime we have to take them serious. IndustryGamers is speculating that Sony will unveil the Playstation 4 next year. The Website cites from an anonymous source from a top developer, although obviously no names were spoken of. This is what Michel Patcher had to say about it.


“I think it’s unlikely [that PS4 will be announced in 2012]. Wii U isn’t going to pressure anyone, it’s Nintendo’s catch up to this cycle, and the other guys are going to see if the tablet integration is worth copying first. That means nobody is going to finalize specs till they see if Wii U succeeds. I am sticking to 2014, so an ‘unveil’ in 2013,”

EEDAR’s Jesse Divinch added: “The interactive entertainment industry is rapidly evolving and broadening. No longer is the idea of ‘video games’ limited to a traditional console and a PlayStation-style controller and the inability to play these touch and social games on traditional consoles are hindering factors for all three major players.

“Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo all have a similar goal; they want their consoles to be constantly powered on in the household – from watching movies, television, and of course playing games. But as the mobile, tablet, and social sector grow, it is forcing gamers to go outside of the traditional console experience to interact with these emerging style of games. Of course, I do admit that Microsoft is certainly the forerunner and their recent E3 2011 presentation certainly paints a clear picture that the future of consoles are not ‘video game consoles,’ but a complete entertainment medium.

“I don’t feel the Wii U is a threat to either Microsoft or Sony’s current platforms. I believe the biggest threat remain themselves and their attempt to elongate this current cycle. The data is pretty clear; it is incredibly tough to launch successful new IPs late in a cycle, as there is simply too much consumer muscle memory that hinders our desire to play new IPs. Consumers are more open to trying new IPs and new style of games when the technology itself is relatively new. It is very tough for consumers to break habit.

“Just ask yourself, would Avatar have been as successful if it wasn’t in 3D (which at the time was a new way of experiencing movies)? Would Avatar have been successful if it launched 2 years from now? Probably not, on both counts.”