Kazuo Hirai has confirmed that the next generation Playstation console will not utilize downloadable content such as OnLive. It appears to be the belief of Sony Corp that many of the game titles could end up requiring hours of download time for customers… an inconvenience they have no intention of creating. Personally, I think it is only a matter of time before console games are downloadable, but I do agree with Sony Corp on this one we are not yet ready… a popular title being released and downloaded by millions all in the same day is sure to create havoc, lag, and disgruntled customers.

Playstation 4 Winning Design

Sony Entertainment Corp president Andrew House stated that Blu-ray is and will continue to be the best way to deliver full games, and other physical media. Taking both of these comments into consideration it seems it is more than a safe bet that the next generation Playstation console will feature a disk reader of some kind.

Howard Stringer, Sony Corp president, stated that the difference between 3D gaming and how we game now, will be as drastic as going from black and white to color television. Another great quote from CES regarding 3D gaming “We are definitely, from a Sony perspective, very committed to 3-D,” from Kazuo Hirai. Taking both of these statements into consideration, amongst many things that have been hinted at, we think it is safe to assume that they are developing 3D capabilities for the Playstation 4 … or if it is possible maybe a way to bring 3D gaming to the Playstation 3.

There is a lot of expectation for the next Playstation console, and as we get closer we will keep you updated on any information that makes it our way.

With the introduction of cloud computing, online access (often high speed access) digital methods and open platforms… it is not only possible it is certainly the future. Console-less gaming.

Fredrik Wester, CEO of Swedish developer Paradox Interactive, goes one step further stating that he does not believe there will ever be a Playstation 5.  “The next generation of console hardware will probably be the last,” he said during the company’s annual showcase. “I’d be surprised if we see another generation after that”.

Chief product officer, Nanea Reeves, for Gaikai a cloud gaming service has predicted that the biggest surprise for this year’s E3 would be a current platform holder (Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo) completely pulling out of the console battle all together, and to no longer be creating any hardware.

This may seem a bit alarming, but we don’t think it it. The idea of bringing gamers high quality games through online access would/could be amazing. The idea of being able to access Playstation 5 games without ever purchasing the console would save consumes hundreds of dollars that can be spent on more games.

The predictions may be a bit early, calling an end to the console world… but they are also inevitable. At some point we will be able to access the majority of our gaming needs through our TV, using resources that are housed in some warehouse… cloud computing and all access online.

With this change in the gaming industry my prediction is that the following change will include many more pay as you go, or “freemium” types of game monetizing. Imagine the android market, but for “Playstation 5″ games… with a much higher caliber of quality control.

Let us know what you think, will consoles ever go away?

Speaking to reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday, Sony Computer Entertainment chairman Kazuo Hirai said his company won’t be unveiling a new console at the E3 Gaming Expo this summer. From the Wallstreet journal

Sony Corp. said it doesn’t plan to introduce a new home console at this year’s E3 videogame trade show, deflating expectations that a successor to the company’s PlayStation 3 would be on its way soon.

Although Hirai’s statement seems to belittle the hopes that Sony would be unveiling the next PlayStation at E3, it does not however mean that Sony will not unveil the next generation console at some point during 2012… Just not likely at E3.

Sony Computer Entertainment President Andrew House stated this week that the company wasn’t “contemplating talking about anything to do with future console iterations at this point,” adding that Sony was “just entering into this great period for PS3.”

This past holiday season the Playstation 3 sold more than 3.9 million units… for many at Sony this is a sign that a new console is not yet needed, and puts more weight on the “10 year console lifespan” that so many at Sony have been striving for. The longer Sony can hold out on the next generation console, presumably the more advanced it will be… consider for a moment the competition that exists between console developers, if Sony’s next generation console is released too soon it will not be able to take advantage of many of the online and web development changes taking place right now and if it is released too late then the console will suffer sales figures against other competitive consoles (the next generation Xbox).

Many of the E3 2012 release rumors seem to stem from the fact that Nintendo is launching the WiiU in 2012, and while the Wii is certainly a gaming console it is not one that Playstation is really in direct competition with… something gamers the world over know, and Sony them selves have stated. So the launch of a new Wii does little to push the Playstation 4 announcement any closer, however an announcement regarding the next generation Xbox would be much different.

With all of this information available, and the statements made by various Sony staffers, it can be determined that an E3 announcement, for the Playstation 4  is not coming in 2012… and to be honest it seems there is little evidence that there will be any announcement from Sony regarding a new console during 2012. Leaving us waiting, anxious, and enjoying our Playstation 3.

Whats the rush anyways?

Uncharted 3 also earned a few awards at Spike’s Video Game Awards, including Best Graphics and best PS3 game. So, with all these achievements under its belt, what else can we expect from the Uncharted game series?

First off, we know the biggest question every one wants to know: will Uncharted 4 be on the PlayStation 4? Odds are, yes. If all those PS4 rumors spreading around the web are to be believed, then the PlayStation 4 is under development. That means by the time Uncharted 4 releases (probably two years from now), the PS4 should be releasing about the same time.

Now, do we want it on the PS4? Heck yes! We already know the graphics in Uncharted are phenomenal, off the charts, top of the league. We want it to be better, though (maybe we’re just spoiled). The only way to do that, however, is to upgrade the hardware in the PS3, which would mean the release of the PS4.

What other games should we expect on the PlayStation 4? Resistance 4, Modern Warfare 4 (next COD will be PS3 most likely)… What else?

First off, we’re talking about a 2012 release date. Many rumors have indicated it is possible, while others think 2013 is more likely. Both dates are just conjecture and have not been confirmed by any authoritative figure.

Hardware

The people who are in favor of pushing back the PS4 another couple of years have a few points. They say that the PS3 games are “life-like” enough, so we don’t need a hardware upgrade to fulfill the better graphics desire (but hardware upgrades do more than just graphics, so maybe this argument is faulty). Games like Battlefield 3 show the improvements we’ve seen just within the PS3 lifetime graphics-wise, but…are we at the end?

People who want the console sooner seem to realize it takes at least 16 months of development and testing before a game releases. So Battlefield 3 began development at least 1.5 years ago. If they went to work on Battlefield 4 right now for the same console, what difference would we see? Not much!

And what about Modern Warfare 3? I wasn’t the only one who was disappointed in the changes from MW2 to the newest game. Seriously, a few new maps, and they say I have to shell out $60 for it? No, thank you. There needs to be more improvement, which will only come in the way of hardware (faster FPS, RAM, etc just for starters).

If we keep releasing the same games over and over on the same console, we won’t remain entertained.

Price

Yes, when the PS3 came out, it was pretty pricey. Now, though, Sony has learned their mistakes and won’t likely make the same one again. They’ll keep the overall price at an affordable level, but yes, it will most likely cost about $500 at release, maybe $600.

Many gamers don’t want to shell out that much for a console, especially since it will be replaced in another 5-10 years after the release. But, really, who are they kidding? How many people by a new Apple product every year? When phones and tablets are upgraded every year for about the price of a console, then how can we snub our noses at a stronger, faster, overall better machine that costs the same, but only replaced every 5-10 years? That’s just silly.

Controller

Between the PS2 and PS3, the controller really didn’t change much, unless we count the Dual Shock upgrade—which many opinions around the internet say wasn’t enough of a change. But, really, technology gets better every day. Motion gaming with just cameras is a small piece of evidence for that. So if we could get a controller that combined that motion-element, I’d say that’s worth an upgrade.

Plus, with the Wii U tablet-style controller coming out in 2012, I can’t imagine PlayStation ignoring the trend. Yes, they’ll probably keep a normal controller that we’re used to available, but upgrades like touch and motion gaming make the PS4 worthwhile.

Motion Gaming

We saw that PlayStation and Xbox didn’t need to upgrade the console to integrate motion gaming with the PS Move and Kinect. Many gamers think that’s enough. Yet I, for one, think it could be a heck of a lot better. PlayStation needs controller-less gaming as an option, which would mean a new PS Eye, and I don’t want to shell out $150 just for that. But if it was in a PS4 package, with all the other upgrades we want to badly, yes, I’d save up $600 or more to get it. I like my gaming, and I like to keep it new and exciting.

Conclusion

Maybe it’s just our opinion, but the PS3 could use some improvement. It’s been a long time since it released, and the digital revolution is far surpassed the capabilities of the 2006 device (heck, it was old news by the time it came out!). We want the PS4 sooner rather than later, whether that be 2012 or 2013. Oh, and we haven’t even talked about the upgrades the PS Vita showed compared to the PSP, which definitely made that upgrade viable.

What’s your opinion?

These SmartGoggles brings gaming to a whole new 3D, 360-degree component to the gaming we already know and love. It will be ran by Android, able to access a wide range of applications to play with, but it should also integrate with gaming consoles—we have to assume this will include the PlayStation 4.

The CEO of Sensics says that “SmartGoggles revolutionize 3D goggles in the same way that Smart Phones revolutionized mobile phones.” We know that Sony has the Personal 3D Viewer, which is on sale for a whopping $799 and releasing 1/17/12, so we’re hoping that the SmartGoggles will be compatible to PlayStation devices with a chunk off the price tag.

Where SmartGoggles is different, though, are the motion-based aspects that come with it. Use your hands to manipulate weapons in game, to browse the internet, and control applications. It will immerse you in a brand new level of 3D.

We’ll see the SmartGoggles in action at CES 2012 this January. Hopefully, they’ll let us know if it will be compatible with the PlayStation 3 or PS4!

SmartGoggles Video:

While we do love the idea–it uses the PlayStation Eye and PS Move wand-controller to sense the players movement–we’ve seen other technology that does not use controllers: the Xbox Kinect. Which one is better? It’s probably all subjective, depending on the player, but why can’t the PS Move have controller-less play?

Well, we have heard several times that the next generation PlayStation, the PlayStation 4, will house motion-sensor gaming more like the Kinect. No more wand-controller necessary; that’d be awesome.

However, we do worry about accuracy in this case. While we know Sony is the best at technological gadgets, there will always be room for error. Perhaps if they can make a device that utilizes both controller and controller-less, depending on the game; or maybe a little sensor you clip onto your body, rather than hold in your hand. Perhaps a glove? Several ideas, but we have no idea which direction PlayStation will take.

Another thing we don’t like: Sony treated the PS Move as if it were it’s own platform. While we see how it added new features to the already awesome PS3, we still want a new platform. Incorporate the PS Eye camera into the PS4; tweak up the performance on the Move sensor, tweak the innards of the device to suit the 2012 devices we’ve already seen, and maybe we’ll be happy.

What do you think? What kind of motion-sensor technology should be used for the PS4? Should the PS4 even have motion-based gaming?

This Playstation 4 Update is going to look further and see not only what is being said, but possibly why and what if anything can be proven.

As early as May of 2011 news of the Playstation 4 being under development has been spread throughout the internet… and not just some of the silly rumors that come from random bloggers, but actual game companies stepping up, and while be unconfirmed, admitting that they were already working on the Playstation 4 games. More often than not, it is the game developers that usually leak this type of information, and that has been the case with the Playstation 4. This is a pretty big deal and with so many separate game developers having said something along the lines that they were “working on next generation software” there should be little doubt that the Playstation 4 is being developed NOW.

Some interesting articles regarding the Playstation 4 games:

• PlayStation 4 Games Under Development
• PlayStation Expanding Target Audience with PS4
• Ubisoft Says PS4 is Coming Soon
• Playstation 4 Games will be easier to Develop
• Playstation 4 Games Update
• PlayStation 4 2012 Release Date?
• PlayStation 4 Games List

There has even been talk from a top label manufacturer that the Playstation 4 consoles themselves are being developed… and not just developed but actually manufactured and being prepared to ship. A Taiwan based company has claimed that they are currently assembling 20 million consoles for release during 2012. If this is true, then not only is the console under development, it is nearly ready for distribution. Read more regarding the 2011 Playstation 4 production. It is impossible to know if this is true or not, but it is likely that the Playstation 4 is at least in some form of production.

The most important information regarding the launch of the next generation Playstation console, the Playstation 4, may have come from Ubisoft, a company who has leaked some information regarding the next generation of the Xbox, letting on that the next generation of consoles was not far off… that paired with the comment from Sony’s Computer Entertainment Europe CEO, Jim Ryan stating that it would be undesirable for the company to launch the Playstation 4 console “significantly later than the competition”. is likely to mean that the Playstation 4 is even closer than some of us would believe.

Just last year there was very little mention of a next generation console, and when ever it was mentioned to the big guys at Sony the response was the same… That we have yet to reach the limits of the Playstation 3 and that a new console was not necessary. But as time goes on this is proving to not necessarily be true. While the Playstation 3 still offers amazing gaming capabilities, the games them selves are not as amazing as they could be, and the online network is really bad when compared to that of Xbox live. That is why the first big change we would like to see in the next Playstation console is not necessarily better hardware but an easier to use SDK, which would make game development easier and certainly lead to better games. Pairing an easier to develop for console, and an improved online network would certainly make the Playstation 4 the next great console… and it would likely have an entire line up of games worthy of the hardware you play them on.

Let us know what you would like to see out of the Playstation 4 console… what games you are looking forward to, and when you think the console will be released. Follow the Playstation 4 release date information at Playstation 4 Release Date

But the most sought after award is the Video Game of the Year. This year, the lucky winner was Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. If you haven’t gotten it, you need to pick it up.

 Here are the rest of the Spike VGA Winners:

Game of the Year: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Studio of the Year: Bethesda Game Studios

Character of the Year: The Joker – Batman: Arkham City

Video Game Hall of Fame Award: The Legend of Zelda

Gamer God Award: Blizzard Entertainment

Best Xbox 360 Game: Batman: Arkham City

Best PS3 Game: Uncharted: Drake’s Deception

Best Wii Game: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Best PC Game: Portal 2

Best Handheld/Mobile Game: Super Mario 3D Land

Best Shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Best Action Adventure Game: Batman: Arkham City

Best RPG: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Best Multiplayer: Portal 2

Best Individual Sports Game: Fight Night Champion

Best Team Sports Game: NBA 2K12

Best Driving Game: Forza Motorsport 4

Best Fighting Game: Mortal Kombat

Best Motion Game: The Legend of Zelda: Skyword Sword

Best Independent Game: Minecraft

Best Adapted Video Game: Batman: Arkham City

Best Song in a Game: “Build that Wall (Zia’s Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bation

Best Original Score: Bastion

Best Graphics: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Performance by a Human Male: Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2

Best Performance by a Human Female: Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2

Best Downloadable Game: Bastion

Best DLC: Portal 2 Peer Review

Most Anticipated Game: Mass Effect 3

Gametrailers.com Trailer of the Year: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – E3 2011 Trailer

EA Sports Blitz Digital Cover Athlete: Ray Rice

It was the Ninth Annual VGA, and was quite enjoyable, hosted by Zachary Levi, the star of NBC’s “Chuck”.