PS4 In 2010 Claims Sony. Major PS3 Upgrades In Between

[Vasu]

A PS4 will be launched by Sony but not until at least 2010 claims the Vice President of Technology for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Paul Holman.

What will happen between then and now is that Sony will introduce a series of firmware upgrades that will give the PS3 more media centre capability while allowing for the introduction of third party applications and hardware "Such as interactive controllers" similar to the Nintendo Wii he said.

"To say that there will be no PS4 because of a management change is a bit far fetched: he said.

Speaking to SmartHouse in Sydney, Holman said that right now Sony game developers are realizing that the PS3 with the Cell processor has "A heap more processing headroom than they initially anticipated and that this was resulting in the development of new gaming capabilities".

He also said that by March when the PAL version of the Sony PS3 will be launched in Europe and Australia that the PS3 will undergo an additional firmware upgrade and that he anticipates that at least 20 new games will be available to coincide with the launch.

"The PS3 has an awful lot of processing power and we will harness this power with firmware upgrades and new features. He also admitted that the PS3 will become as much a media centre for the home as it is a gaming machine and the introduction of new capabilities such as the ability to download third party operating systems to the PS3 will see several new capabilities added to the system. We have already seen one European Linux application running on the PS3 and over the next few months we know of several others that plan to launch a product for the PS3"

He also said that in the future the PS3 could come with a keyboard and mouse that will allow for easier access to the internet as well as the use of new media centre and third party applications.

Today I played with the new PS3 and while the graphics are significantly inproved the big advantage is it's ability to plau Blu Ray movies. Despite the delays, the shortages and the unprecedented high price of US$599 for the premium 60-gigabyte model, assuming you can find one - and the small number of available high-definition games that take advantage of its powerful new Cell processor, the PS3 sets new standards not just for video game play but also for multimedia entertainment in the digital era.

It also reaffirms that Sony is still at the top of its game when it comes to designing advanced technology in stylish packages. Sleek and gleaming black, it blends in with the most sophisticated of living-room home-theater systems, which sets it apart from the alien designs of its two main competitors, the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the new Nintendo Wii.

In the ongoing DVD format war, it also gives a huge boost to Sony's push to make the Blu-ray Disc the dominant standard for high-definition DVD players and movie titles (over rival HD-DVD), since the PS3 becomes, for now, the least expensive Blu-ray player on the market. At todays briefing I was shown the difference between Blu Ray on the PS3 and the traditinal DVD playback. The difference was dramatic with clearer and sharper images.

The Xbox 360 has a full year's headstart on the PS3 and Wii, which means it has more third-generation games available for it, and Microsoft has recently added new bells and whistles like an optional HD-DVD player and full-length movie and TV downloads in high-definition. However indications are that it is not hitting its sales targets in the USA and this could be a problem as both Sony and Nintendo roll out competitive products.

The Wii can't match the PS3 or the Xbox 360 in terms of realistic graphics or movie playback, but it is significantly cheaper $395 in Australia. It also has its own set of innovative technologies and will appeal to families whose idea of fun does not necessarily entail eviscerating alien monsters.

In terms of technical firepower, the PS3 and the Xbox 360 appear to be in a dead heat. The Xbox 360 excels at online game play and has millions of Xbox Live customers already. Sony's PS3 online game network had not yet been switched on at the time of this writing. Hoever we were shown an online shop that will see Sony Entertainment competing directly with mass retailers for software sales.

Technical propellerheads argue over which system, Sony's or Microsoft's, is the most advanced. In my view, Sony's Cell processor and its integrated Blu-ray DVD drive are superior to the Xbox 360's PowerPC chip and optional HD-DVD drive.

It will take software developers a long time to harness the full power of the Cell chip and the greater capacity of the Blu-ray Disc, so Sony's technical advantage over the Xbox 360 won't be apparent immediately.

Sony had claimed that the PS3 was backward-compatible with all games - some 16,000 in total - written for the previous PlayStation and PS2 game consoles. It turns out that not all older games will play properly on the new system, but most will.

Sony has endured what Elizabeth II once called an annus horribilis, a year of misery, what with exploding batteries, imploding profits and all the PS3-related delays, supply problems and griping over high prices. But Sony's engineers and designers have reason to be proud: The PS3 is well worth the money and well worth waiting for.

Source: David Richards at Smarthouse

So the software rumor was a hoax (duh)
I remember reading some where that sony said that this console could last for 6-8 gues it's gonna be 3 years for europe and at the same time as the Xbox XNA will come out or will Micro$oft just wait and see if they will have the dominance in the console world for this generation like the PS2 had in the previous one.

[Sir SpankalotUK]

sony would be very silly to make this annoucement

[Vasu]

Originally Posted by Sir SpankalotUK

sony would be very silly to make this annoucement

Aren't they always

[Nekro Neko]

Originally Posted by Sir SpankalotUK

sony would be very silly to make this annoucement

Why? Didn't MS announce a following console practically straight after the Xbox's launch? Aren't MS working on a new console for around the same year?

This is what Fanboyism does to people, it clouds their views.

[Sir SpankalotUK]

why is my comment fanboyish? 3 year shelf life for a console? Given the loses sony are making on the console, it will be several years before they can say they are turning a profit.

I have tried googling to find any mention of a date for the next microsoft console but havent found one, beside having owned my console for a year already and it being cheaper, I wouldnt feel as ripped off if MS did bring out the next console in 2010. I think this is just to combat the rumour that ms is starting the fore work on the next incarnation of the xbox.

[Nino]

Well if Sony's going to launch in 2010 then I wouldnt be too surprised if MS launched in 2009, they're way too happy with their head start and I really could see them doing anything to have it again, sadly

[slyydrr]

I'm not sure I'm too thrilled with that article. Not only is it full of typos, but there's a few misleading comments as well. The CPU power will help manage things relating to things like AI, Game control, collisions, water effects, etc. While that's dandy and all, you still need to worry about how the result of that processed information is handled. It still has to be output through the GPU, where it seems possible that Sony's PS3 might have a bottleneck in comparison to the 360's GPU. (http://dpad.gotfrag.com/portal/story/35372/?spage=4). Also, the supposed 16,000 titles include titles that were released solely for Asia and Europe, and might not be region free.

I also find it strange that this article seems to disagree w/ most of the critics out there. He without a doubt claims that the PS3 is worth both the wait and the extra money. Most other people disagree. While it might be worth it eventually, with their current game lineup, and the disappointing hype letdown, at the point it doesn't seem that many people think so.

It seems that this guy has eaten up a lot of the Sony hype. The article is filled w/ more opinion than truth. Time will be the main factor in determining whether the PS3 truly was worth the wait.

[Nekro Neko]

Spankalot, how long was the xbox shelf-life again, please, remind me.

[Chris]

4½years..ish.

But then again, Microsoft isn't claiming a 10 year shelf life.

[Sir SpankalotUK]

my (second hand) xbox cost me £40, so having it for about 1.5ish years before the 360 was out wasnt an issue. Got my gamecube about a year ago (£34 new) and not sure when I bought my ps2, but I do remember paying £200 for it and the original GTA3 +mem card (autumn 2001?). Before that it was the megadrive and gamegear, prior to that was the master system. Never really bothered with nintendo until now, my ds lite it an awesome bit of kit and probably not even two months old yet.

It'll be 2007 here before the ps3 is released, saying they are replacing it in 2010, well, I wasnt planning on buying a ps3 at launch anyway, I dont see the point, especially now if theres only going to be 1-2 years life left in the console after I buy it. My 360 was bought in nov 2005, so if ms release the next one in 2010 or 2009 that 4-5 years of use, Nerko now do you see where I am coming from and hence why I said it was silly of sony to say anything of the sort.

And thats before you even start talking about development cycles for some of the more complex games.

[slyydrr]

Exactly Spankalot... I purchased my 360 knowing that it was something that I was going to be using for a good 4 to 5 years. The only gaming platform on which I spend money upgrading hardware on a more regular basis is obviously the PC, but that's solely because you can upgrade individual components.

For console owners, the typical mindset seems to be "I want to get 4-5 years of gaming out of this machine."

[TwoXist]

Im gonna launch my own console in 2010 i call it DreamBoxStation 1

[Hoffer]

Why does everyone turn what he said into meaning it will come out in 2010? The guy said it would not come out until at least 2010. All that means is it won't be out before 2010. The PS4 might not come out until 2015.

[Chris]

What if Microsoft said the Xbox 3 won't come out until at least 2007?

Then what would you say?

[Sir SpankalotUK]

dont know but it would be strapped to a brick (which would obviously make me a sony fanboy ).

[acromyth]

I've read an article (sorry I can't find it, but it was either here or Ign most likely) that someone asked Microsoft if they were working on the next console and they said something to the matter of," As soon as our engineers finish a project they imediately look to the future and go back to the drawing board." I'm sure Microsoft are in some degree already are working on the Xbox 3. Probably just brainstorming at this stage, but who knows. A company should do that. Still, I doubt they will release until the 360 has seen a good 5 years or so (Microsoft doesn't screw over their customers like some other console companys). About Sony's PS3 lasting 10 years or more (like they said)- impossible. If Microsoft anounces Xbox 3, Sony has to counter with thier next-next-gen console as well. So, in conclusion, both companies, maybe even Nintendo (Or Apple and Sega even!) are already preparing for the next system race already, whether we like it or not (I happen to be in favor).

[Vasu]

Yes I remember readin this, it was when it first launched some report followed after that they alread started on the next one.