[PS4] Official PlayStation 4 Thread

[Swarley]

I figured this would be easier for everyone rather than trying to track down the 36 different threads containing next-gen news and rumors. Here we can just have one thread until we get close to the actual reveal of the consoles.


Analyst Reveals Next-Gen Predictions

Rumors are coming at a faster clip as we approach the inevitable release of next-gen consoles, and an analyst has added his post-CES predictions to the heap. They include potential price points, release windows, and a surprisingly grim outlook for Nintendo.

Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Baird Equity Research, says he's based these predictions on conversations with developers and distributors.

Sebastian says he expects that Sony and Microsoft will unveil their new hardware shortly before E3, which he predicts will be the biggest show since 2000. The next generation of console hardware will be based on high-end off-the-shelf PC components, which could ease the transition, since developers are likely to be familiar with the basic hardware architecture. These consoles could be priced between $350 and $400, which puts them in line with the 360's initial $399 price point, and the PS3, which had launch configurations ranging from $399 to $599. As Sebastian sees it, we'll be seeing both consoles in stores before the end of the year, possibly in October or November.

The sky isn't necessarily falling for brick-and-mortar retailers, though Sebastian says the wider transition to digital is inevitable. He does say that we'll be seeing a similar sales ratio of digital downloads to physical sales for at least the first few years of next-gen.

He doesn't have much in the way of good news on the Nintendo front. Citing what he calls a lackluster launch, Sebastian conjures up a grim future for the Wii U. He predicts that Nintendo could be forced to cut the console's cost before the company had planned, and that we'll need to see major first-party games such as Zelda on the system soon to prevent it from entering a free fall. In the worst-case scenario, he sees Nintendo farming out its first-party franchises to previously competing platforms.

What do you think? Is this guy on to something, or is he just tossing darts around?

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/01/14/analyst-reveals-next-gen-predictions.aspx

[Swarley]

PS4, Xbox 720 announcements in March?
Sony and Microsoft reportedly planning Apple-style press conferences to reveal next-gen consoles around GDC in late March.

Official word on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 may only be months away. A Game Informer report (via Videogamer) states Sony and Microsoft are planning "special Apple-style press conferences" to officially announce their next-generation systems "near the Game Developers Conference," which runs March 25-29 this year in San Francisco.

"E3 in June may be the industry's biggest event, but both companies want to give their systems their own limelight," the report reads. "That doesn't mean E3 won't be without its surprises. Next-gen games will be announced at the convention in preparation for the systems' release at the end of the year."

The magazine also speculates that Sony may be planning to release the PS4 ahead of Microsoft's Xbox 720, or whatever the system may be called. This was also predicted by Robert W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian in a note delivered to investors today.

"We hear that Sony in particular is determined not to come out last this time like the PlayStation 3 did this generation, so we'll have to see how soon it can get the PlayStation 4 out the door, and whether Microsoft is motivated to prevent this from happening," the report goes on.

Sebastian's note today suggested Sony had encountered PS4 production snags that could keep the system from shipping as scheduled, though he admitted these concerns could be overblown. Whatever the case, the previous suggestion is that both the PS4 and Xbox 720 will be on store shelves late this year.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/ps4-xbox-720-announcements-in-march-6402358

[Swarley]

Xbox 720, PS4 could start at $350, says analyst
Robert W. Baird industry watcher predicts next-gen console prices, believes "lackluster" Wii U launch and holiday sales a concern.

According to one analyst, the cost of entry for next-generation consoles will be lower than prior system launches. Robert W. Baird industry watcher Colin Sebastian issued a note to investors today, predicting the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 could debut at $350-$400.

The Xbox 360 launched in 2005 at $400, with the PlayStation 3 debuting in 2006 beginning at $500.

Sebastian's estimations are based on conversations with a range of game developers and distributors held last week during the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show. Sebastian explained that these conversations yielded "interesting takeaways with respect to next-generation game development and more broadly, the intensifying battle for the living room."

Sebastian also predicted that the Xbox 720 and PS4 will be built using existing "off-the-shelf" high-end PC components. Other features may include a hybrid physical-digital distribution model, "enhanced" voice controls and motion sensing, as well as "broad multimedia capabilities."

What's more, Sebastian estimates that the PC-based architecture of the new consoles will carry a range of advantages, the first of which is a shorter learning curve for developers compared to existing technology. In addition, this will allow developers to more easily build online services and capabilities, including free-to-play and subscriptions.

Regarding the PS4 specifically, Baird said some production snags may limit the console's launch quantities or timing. According to field checks, these production issues could negatively affect the console's launch, though Baird said these snags are "not necessarily fatal, or even unusual."

As for when the Xbox 720 and PS4 may be announced, Sebastian believes Sony and Microsoft will hold dedicated events prior to the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo (June 11-13, 2013) to finally unveil these machines. If all goes to Sebastian's prediction, Sony and Microsoft will hype the consoles during E3 2013 itself before shipping the systems to retail during October and November, respectively. This timetable is in line with previous predictions.

Also in Sebastian's note to investors today, the analyst said Nintendo may be facing an uphill battle with its recently launched Wii U. He predicted that Nintendo will shift to a "niche category," and is concerned that the console will lack broad appeal beyond the dedicated fans.

He said following the Wii U's "lackluster" launch and holiday sales (the Wii U did not outsell the 2006 original Wii during the period), Nintendo must release major first-party games, including the rumored Wii U Zelda title. This would be the only way to "retain the support of key third-party developers and reduce marketshare loss."

In the bleakest of scenarios, Sebastian said Nintendo would be forced to lower the Wii U price point earlier than it would like and even give consideration to releasing first-party titles--like Mario and Donkey Kong--on other platforms.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-720-ps4-could-start-at-350-says-analyst-6402356

[jms493]

Will they be fully backwards compatible? If yes then I will jump at launch. I have so many games to play from this gen to play. If BC then i will sell my old systems and jump right in not caring so much about launch titles.

[1ke]

That seems like a decent enough price range.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[Twigg4075]

Will they be fully backwards compatible? If yes then I will jump at launch. I have so many games to play from this gen to play. If BC then i will sell my old systems and jump right in not caring so much about launch titles.

One of the biggest rumors has been that neither of the new consoles will have it. MS felt it wasn't worth the cost or trouble and Sony eventually took it out of the later iterations of the PS3. I don't see it happening, which is a shame. It's also one of the biggest reasons I'm going to try and hold off getting the new consoles until I finish at least most of my games.

[Guest]

Why not make separate threads for Sony and Microsoft

[Swarley]

Why not make separate threads for Sony and Microsoft

What's the point with only rumors coming out and analysts talking about both consoles at the same time? Like I hinted at in the OP, once we get closer to the reveal, we'll split it off.

[Guest]

What's the point with only rumors coming out and analysts talking about both consoles at the same time? Like I hinted at in the OP, once we get closer to the reveal, we'll split it off.

Just in case newer people are looking for a thread to talk about a specific console. I would say if we made new threads to sticky them, but we have too many stickies for this forum as it is.

[Swarley]

Just in case newer people are looking for a thread to talk about a specific console. I would say if we made new threads to sticky them, but we have too many stickies for this forum as it is.

I see your point, and yes we do. I'll clean up the sticky threads and get two separate ones stickied later tonight.

[Twigg4075]

I unstickied two.

[Handleit_44]

Showtime: PS4 rumoured at 1.84TF, Xbox 720 at 1.23TF

If latest rumours regarding next generation hardware are to be believed, the next PlayStation is to be significantly more powerful that the next Xbox.

Developer sources, speaking after meetings at CES, have told VG247 that the next PlayStation, codenamed Orbis, will have a run-capability of 1.84 teraflops. Conversely, the next Xbox, codenamed Durango, will be able to achieve 1.23 teraflops.

If true, these numbers mean PlayStation 4 will have a 50% raw, computational power advantage over Xbox 720.

While PS4 will have greater grunt that 720, however, the Microsoft machine has significantly more RAM at 8Gb, we’ve been told. Our source said that 3Gb is reserved for the OS, apps and security, leaving 4-5Gb for games.

Orbis will have 4Gb of RAM, said our source, of which 1Gb will be reserved for for OS, security and apps, leaving some 3Gb for games.

Both machines will supposedly have have the ability to read 100Gb Blu-ray discs.

Durango is apparently based on the Radeon HD 8770 GPU.

PlayStation 4 has been previously rumoured to be built on AMD’s A10 APU.

It was recently claimed that the two machines are to be announced in late March. It’s widely assumed that both consoles will launch in November this year.

VG247 is under the impression that several media outlets are in possession of documents related to Durango from CES and are currently working on major leak stories.

[TeflonDonny]

The RAM thing worries me. Wasn't that an issue with the PS3?

[padman59]

The RAM thing worries me. Wasn't that an issue with the PS3?

The PS3 has the same amount of total ram as the 360, but the issue is that the PS3's RAM is divided. Half is dedicated to the GPU, and the other half is for the OS/game operations.

[Price]

Hopefully the PS4 will have cross game chat.