If the PS4 is to be the "nerve centre" of my home entertainment then I shouldn't have to unplug it to play PS3, PS2, and even PSone games (yes I still play some PS2 and PSone games on my backwards compatible PS3).
PS4 selling point new play options, not specs - Report
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Unnamed company official says Sony to push PlayStation 4 as home entertainment "nerve center."
The PlayStation 4's main selling point will not be its rumored beefed-up hardware specifications, but rather how it will introduce new play options.
That's according to an unnamed Sony official, who told Japanese newspaper Nikkei (via Engadget) that Sony will push the platform as a home entertainment "nerve center."
More specifically, the source said Sony will focus on the PS4's ability to connect and share with mobile devices--widely perceived as competition to traditional gaming platforms.
Sony is expected to officially announce the PS4 during a PlayStation Meeting event in New York City on February 20. GameSpot will be in attendance at the event, which will also be live-streamed.
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
710 comments
I just wish the PS4 to be a focused video game machine, so tired of all this social/share stuff. Sounds like Nintendo in a way really and a confession to the PS4 lacking in brute horse power. That i am spewing about.
2 Like This is stupid as fuck. PlayStation already confirmed that PS4 is far superior to PS3 on the specs department. Seriously, 8 GB of ram and A RX1000 series GPU is not enough? 2.2 GB of VRAM? 4 times of 2CORE BULLDOZER? It's already as good as my PC.
Actually you know what...f*** Sony. Im going to open a kick-starter account and get the world to help me build a true games console and not a s**ty half assed updated ps3.
Now let me see,I'm going to need about 16 million quid to start.. Runs off to open a kickstart account.
@bronze_earth 16 Million ???
Lool you have no clue have you? lets say 300 Mil and thats not even what xbox 360 cost to develop!
The only reason I would even want to buy a new generation console would to be smacked in the face with awe inspiring gfx,heck if I wanted gameplay and gadgets I would get a Nintendo nes and a f""""" glove! Sony either make a new gen console with better gfx or just bring us a f**** tennis racket for the plastic ps3 you just dumped onto us this year.
if i cant play second hand games i dont care im not going to start paying full price for a game i might not even finish
They (SONY) wanted a media device for PS3 and it lowered sales. They wanted a split hard drive (destroyed games like Skyrim and certain peoples PS3s when trying to play call of duty, it would shut the system off when trying to play). They wanted to give a good "appearance". We (GAMERS) want a game system not something we have to go and buy a $400 system and a $300 phone just to play something They want us to play. We want a PS2 like PS4 when gaming was gaming. When you promise something you try and keep it ("Remote Play" and "HTML 5" for PS Vita) then They change it to the developer has to update the game. I guess being lazy is addicting.
1 Like trying to gain new fans could easily alienate the 150million people who own the ps3 and could result in them buying the nextbox and the thought of that makes me cry after owning every ps that has come out
1 Like Makes me sick thinking Sony are going down this road of play options rather than better games and better hardware. Who has ever bought the ps move ??????? I don't know anyone lol that's coz it's crap we don't want more of this gimmick stuff
One entertainment system to rule them all has always been a dream of mine. Something that goes on the web, stream movies, plays console games, social networking, AND the ability to carry it with you when you leave the house all under one system. I think if any of the Big Three were to ever do that, it would be something.
2 Like @decoy1978 So Sony is going to create another glorified Netflix and Bluray player and completely ignore gaming specs... This doesn't exactly sound like a very appealing box.
2 Like I swear if it's something stupid like a super version of the xbox smartglass or being able to play playstation Home on the PS vita or smartphones, I'm personally going to send Sony a picture of my middle finger and will not be purchasing a PS4 if they are just going to brag about how we can play Playstation Home or use Playstaion Move with our smart Devices. Even thinking about this disappointing launch is making me upset right now.
1 Like @nocturnalkisses Get used to being disappointed. Sony insiders have been saying for months that graphics won't be a very big leap at all, in fact mostly unnoticeable to the vast majority of the public.
I guess they learned their lessons with the PS3, sure the hardcore fans love a cutting edge machine, but the majority of consumer stayed cleared of the console for the first 3 years of its life because of the astronimical prices compared its competitors.
With all of Sony's money problems coming from all of their divisions, they cannot afford to have another console that is unprofitable for the first 5 years of its life.
What a joke casual gamers have there mobiles to play on and tabs the 150mil people who bought your ps3 want no new toys just better hardware and lots of games that people actually want to play and some mmos like the PC have
@Marshydude1 Well then, the hardcore fans need to pony of up the sales, because those hardcore fans were largely absent when Sony went all out to bring bleeding edge graphics to their console back in 2006.
The PS3 was a massive bomb its first 3 years, while watching the weakest system of the 3 drag in the most sales... It wasn't until the prices came down inline with its competitor, Microsoft did the sales start taking off.
And what's the lesson Sony learned from the PS3??? Being the fastest is rewarded with crappy sales, concentrating on gameplay seems to win the console sales race. So expect the PS4 while being faster, just not some massive giant leap.
Microsoft on the other hand can afford to take a huge hit on each console sold, so look for them to do cutting edge hardware, and sell it for the same price of the PS4, and they will walk away with the most sales.
at the end of the day its about $$$$ not stroking hardcore gamers ego, because like we saw with the PS3, stroking the ego of hardcore gamers is a guarantee trip to being last in sales.
1 Like I hope the next-gen consoles are a massive upgrade so then we can get some PC games that use their available GPU power properly.
@willzihang Problem is you are still stuck with a regular game controller, which makes playing any kind of RTS or MMO RPG's complete crap.
As long as they can keep the gaming as important as that to say the least. Let it be bluetooth enabled please...no big deal. Stick to the gaming strengthening..
@J-007 They already said they won't being doing a major leap in performance.
Sony already did cutting edge graphics in 2006, and these hardcore gamers that want graphcis didn't buy the system, so it tanked its first 3 years of life.... Meanwhile the slowest console of the 3 companies raked in money hand over fist.
If hardcore gamers want cutting edge graphics, they need to respond with massive sales, which didn't happen last gen.... There is no incentive for Sony to go all out again this time.
I think the 'mobile device connectivity' will be mainly to do with the Playstation Mobile platform.
1 Like @marius068 Depends on which platform your trying to be backwards compatible with. I can see it running PS2 games but not PS3. Some games like the Uncharted series were specifically designed to take full advantage of the cell processor. Without it I don't see them easily being played on another console, even a more powerful next gen one.
1 Like @marius068 that makes no sense. On the PS3, you could play PS2 or PS1 games. I have a PS3 slim and i played FF7 on it. FF7 is not available in the PSN market btw. Obviously FF7 wasn't developed for the PS3, but yet i still played it on it. So why couldn't they make Uncharted playable for the PS4 just because it was developed for the PS3?
@nocturnalkisses @marius068 Any of the new consoles unable to play last generations game is a JOKE. At the heart of each console is a CPU and GFX card and as long as the games meet the minimum requirement, they should be able to run said games no matter how old they are.
1 Like oh goody gumdrops!! how about do what gamers want, seeing as its a GAMES machine, if i wanted a entertainment center id buy an ipad.
3 Like Im forking down my money for a gaming system, not features that are basically on every smartTV sold today. Microsoft and Sony are going to need to focus much more on their exclusives, cause it seems more and more that thats what will separate each from eachother
Hopefully it will have beefed up specs AND new play options, that way when the new play options fall flat Sony will still have something to fall back on.
@hadlee73 Well the new play options cost money to implement, so the price of the console will be astronomical, unless they reduce their ambitions else where in the console.
Since the PS3 was cutting edge graphics/performance, and the sales were abysmal its first 3 to 4 years of life, I would guess they would use more budget friendly components this time around, that way they can deliver you a console that can mirror your iPad in real time on the console, that way you can enjoy Angry Birds @ 1080p 60fps, instead of Uncharted 4 at 1080p and 60fps
That was obvious and even players know that...
The question is : Are they good at it ? I guess that we'll see it soon enough.
Good for them. There get's to be a point when the graphics can't go anywhere, and do little/nothing to improve the gaming experience. I think very few people would be willing to fork over another $400-$500 in order to "Improve their gaming experience" A.K.A see the little strands of hair on the characters. Please tell me you wouldn't do that.
@digi-demon Why not? They went down the bleeding edge graphics track last time and were rewarded with the worst sales of the 3 systems.
Sure, it stroked the hardcore gamers ego, but those hardcore gamers are just not a big enough number to turn a profit. So if the slowest system of the last gen won the sales race because of a gimmick, then don't be surprised if Sony tries to mimic that success.
So we will get a PS4 that instead of playing Uncharted 1080p and 60fps, it will play angry birds/plants and zombies at 1080p 60fps instead.
I'd prefer a beefy gaming monster over something that does EVERYTHING, and probably does them fairly mediocre. I went for the PS3 in last Gen's console war because I wanted the sheer power and to be able to take comfort in the fact that my fps wouldn't randomly drop during most games, and when I heard originally they were taking that path again; I was very excited.
Upon hearing it will be a "nerve center" I'm slightly disappointed. I want a console that can rival the gaming power of my PC or I will simply continue to game on that almost exclusively. I will definitely buy the PS4 regardless, as I'm fond of most PS exclusives and the perspective of new RPGS; which we all know have an overwhelming possibility of being on PS4 instead of the 720.
I mainly hope this new wave of console does away with EVERY game being an RPGFPS. I'm so tired of every game playing like Skyrim and Borderlands. Just shoot me now if there's more of that to come.
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2 Like I want dem specs.
Only because that'll push the requirements for those lazy PC ports a bit further and upgrading my PC may finally be worth it.
4 Like So the one thing that made PS3 enticing, is now gone for this gen? The PS3 had the dominant specs of the consoles (though it didn't put it to use, is another thing), so if they are on par with Xbox, what does Sony have? A free internet play option? Paying Ł40 is enticing when you're paying for extras (quite massive extras) with a fairly lower performance online (to the Xbox).
I can't really see a reason to continue with consoles, if you aren't into the battle of the gimmicks. It's all about "the next big thing", which evidently has no value to the gamer or anyone with any sense. Gimmicks like 3D, Kinect, Move, Wii Controllers, Nunchucks, Touch Screens, Cloud Gaming, Streaming, and Tablets do absolutely nothing.
If 3D is not possible without glasses, then it's ruining any enjoyment when you have to wear stupid ass Green Lantern glasses with the dull red and blue lenses. And why would anyone want to play a game on a small screen, in 3D whilst on the move?
Kinect is nice, but's it's BROKEN. It does NOT work for games, so stop wasting time. It's better, WITHOUT Kinect. It's a waste of resources and time. And Kinect is not the future. No one wants to act out the character's movement, because the point of video games is to escape the realism.
Move, aka Wii motes, are just as bad. No one wants to swing their arms around in the comfort of their own home, just to play a game. Are kids these days so "hip" that they wouldn't be able to enjoy the classic games on the PS1/Dreamcast so they need gimmicks to motivate them?
Nunckucks...
Touch Screens. Meh. Now considering I'm talking consoles, so this only applies to the Wii U Pad. They are more or less useless to a gamer that is watching that 32" screen, as opposed to that mounted waste of space. The Touch Screen, outside of Nintendo's own games, is just a storage space for your virtual gear. Because pressing start is so demanding these days?
Cloud Gaming is NOT the future. Straight off the bat, it's slower. No one wants to play a lesser version. Second, so not only do we have to download the game, but we're downloading the data online? For example; downloading assets for BF3, then downloading the data processed in the matches. So unless everywhere in the world becomes a hot spot, this is not the future. And never will be.
Did I forget to mention, people like collecting psychical items. Believe it or not, but people do realise that when you can't get internet access or a server has shut down (so common these days), that the option of Cloud Gaming is not viable.
Again, streaming. No one wants to see that buffer symbol during a video/game. We're annoyed enough by long loading screens as it is.
Tablets are not the future of gaming. Unless that tablet can unfold into a 32" TV, with 4 controllers and can run off the mains, it's just another portable device that is of convience. Not a gaming platform. Tablets do not offer the luxury that gaming in your household does, and the price tag for such a thing is beyond a joke.
I wish more developers would work with the PC platform, so that we may see some progress in the gaming market. Instead of catering to the swarm of half wits of the world.
@JustArtificial Alot of what you said makes a valid point many or us here feel the same as does the gaming community as a whole, but I do think you need to take gaming into the context of not only time and each generation of platforms but also what games is - a entertainment media.
I have seen consoles generations 3 through 7 and with each new change it really is just more of the same. PC innovations go hand and hand with consoles, so to does consoles games influence pc. Developers fold or get bought out just before each new generation, so does hype and calls of the sky is crashing. I have read and heard the words - the pc is dead and the console is dead enough to make me think humans have the memory of goldfish. And yet those guys that stated the super NES would kill pc gaming and Apple IIe would dominate all games still get on the forums to preach the doom of each other. And yes I am calling out all those that stated the discrete video card and internet would kill off consoles now decades in, well .... console world hasn't ended yet, nor did ps1, xbox, kill off pc.
As for innovation, during the time of new consoles or new gaming generations as pc have to be included with consoles, new devices and new gimmicks always surface. Virtual boy, sega add ons, ps2 printer function, on and on - well you will see alot of turkeys for sure but alot of stuff stick- Controllers, cd-rom, force feedback, 3d gaming, internet games, and on and on. All of the gaming community should be glad the developers and console makers are innovating and competing for our gaming dollars. A standard console and standard console maker would be as boring as the Madden series has since it bought the NFL licensing rights.
I think you really need to look up cloud gaming, cloud computing on wiki or pc world- I do not think you have a full understanding of what it is. I for one do not see cloud gaming or computing with a near future only because of internet infrastructure- not things you mentioned above, most of which have nothing to do with cloud gaming. And I also do not look forward to gaming dominated by games hosted on cloud services.
One last thing - our games industry is still pretty young, but it seems to be following the same path as movies and tv according to most journalist and historians. We will see high quality blockbusters and low quality 'saw movies' type games for years to comes. Gimmicks like 3d with comes and go and come again. Some things will stick like color, sound, high definition, internet and tv remotes. Many others will die off - like tv antennas, musicals, drive ins, black and white. We will be screwed over by high priced popcorn and drinks, 3d films for no reason, pay per view tv, longer commercials and infomercials meant to screw us and take a few more dollars out of wallets each time we enjoy that media.
So I do not think the half wits of the world is something new nor does new consoles spell the end of pc gaming or even that big of a change in what our favorite form of entertainment will be. Those halfwits are the same you see time and again, but a few of them might just be those that invent stuff like internet gaming. Hiccups in the road like motion controls, 'casual' gaming, and aggressive DLC content will not change much if anything as the stuff I mentioned above has not changed movies and tv.
I'd love it so much if Sony made alot more cross platform games with PC(or even the next xbox if that'll ever happen =P) like Portal 2 and that Dust game, it's such a nice option to be able to do that in my opinion.
1 Like Ive always been a fan of how straightforward Sony consoles are, or were. Sony wants that mainstream or casual audience the wii captured. They have been trying to make their hardware more appealing by giving their consoles extra features that make the hardware its self more appealing. Rather than making a more straight forward console that would rely on good games as a selling point. This tactic is losing them sales. I have a Vita and love it, but its eye catching features like the back touch pad i have not seen put to any good use yet. Worse i have a feeling that Sony might require the developer to use a certain amount of these extra controls in games, which results in some half ass touch screen stuff usually. I Feel that the ps3 appealed to a more "hardcore" or possibly just "gamer" audience. More serious gamers generally less interested on new control options or having a home media hub than they are on good games. Sony is loosing their audience with this one.
@67dick It was the exact opposite with me on the PS3. I own everything, so I really don't have a biased outlook here: I always had my PC because its top end graphics and my 'console' of choice as I always have it very high end. I bought an Xbox 360 for most everything on console that wasn't out on PC, and for the bigger gamer community on XBL (Not that they are better, I just know more people on XBL). The Wii was for party games....I didn't get the PS3 until I was like..."You now, this would make a good blu-ray player and media server to stream from my PC". The PS3 had the smallest online community, the least amount of games that made me want it. I only got it for home media reasons. Not gaming reasons. If anything, I don't think Sony is switching strategies, I think they are embracing what kept the PS3 in it last gen.
@colt_aI see the ps3 as a failure in a way, because of the momentum that Sony lost from the ps2 days. The ps2 was the most popular of it generation i would expect the ps3 to have more to rely on than just being a media center. Sony retained allot of their fan base in a market where online was so valued and PSN was regarded as somewhat of a joke because of their abundance huge single player centered games, like the uncharted series or Demon Souls. The " PS4's ability to connect and share with mobile devices" the article mentioned I don't think would be a huge addition to these giant single player games.I doubt consumers that value these kind of games would buy the ps4. Does the current information about the ps4 make you want to buy it?
There's a reason for that. Experts are saying that hardware will not evolve much the next 20 years or so. We will not see huge leaps in future generations, unless someone comes up with a breakthrough, like quantic processors. What is growing exponentially is miniaturization. Handhelds will be closer and closer to consoles. In a way, Playstation 5 and PS Vita 2 could be the very same machine.
8 Like Who Knows? Maybe Developers Stop with those stupid interactive films and begin to make Games..........
2 Like i was playing rayman on wiiu today its a fun game but the touch screen control is stupid it gets in the way
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