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?

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?

It has been said that the Xbox 720–codenamed “Project Ten”–will release for next years holiday season (one year from now exactly). Yes, we know the Xbox 720 is being worked on, but in order for this to be true, the Xbox 720 must be revealed at CES or E3 next year. So we’ll know by June!

Another rumor about the Xbox 720 is that it will have an integration that matches Apple. It would sync up Windows from PCs and phones, which the Xbox 360 cannot allow at the moment. It’d have more of a “Cloud” capability.

But what does this mean for the PS4?

There’s been hints from Sony PlayStation that the PlayStation 4 will follow Xbox 720. In fact, they actually said they will not let the Xbox 720 release without the PS4 there. They learned their mistakes when they waited too long after the Xbox 360 released before they released the PS3. Sales took a major hit because people had already just purchased a new console. For the PS4 to be a success, it must come out at the same time as the Xbox 720.

So, since we assume that if the Xbox 720 releases next year, they will have an E3 unveiling in June 2012; that means Sony would also unveil the PS4 in E3!

But, it’s another rumor. Don’t get your hopes up. Just keep your ears (well, technically eyes) open for the latest news.

Have some ideas about the PS4? You can write for us, leave comments, or send emails about what you want to hear!

According to Develop-Online.net, a “trusted source” has stated that Sony already has several game projects in the earliest stages for the PS4. While it wasn’t stated which companies were doing so, supposedly the PS4 already has games underway.

Okay, we buy it, especially if the PS4 does release in the next few years (we’re all hoping for 2014 or sooner, after all). It takes at least 18 months for a game to release, about the same amount of time it takes for a new console to be developed. But for games to start being developed for the PS4 today, that means there is a prototype PS4 somewhere out there.

There are release rumors about the PlayStation 4 already, in case you aren’t caught up. While Sony will never respond to “rumors and speculation”, we do know a lot of their time recently has been spent on the PS Vita.

No matter what, though, we do know the PS4 will be coming in the future. Stay tuned for more information!

Moreover, we’ve actually heard a similar rumor to this one already, but this one has a new source: a supposedly reliable anonymous person who heard the words “PlayStation 4 in 18 months” while Sony was in a “high level meeting”.

18 months from now is March 2013. While we’ve already talked about the PS4 2013 rumor back in June, when the Wii U unveiling caused a lot of speculation to circulate.

Of course, Sony responded with the usual: “we don’t comment on rumors on speculation”, but that just makes us more anxious. Could it be true?

Honestly, we believe that it’s possible to have an unveiling in June 2013 during E3, but why would Sony ever launch the new PS4 before the holiday season? Most consoles come out during November, when shopping rates skyrocket for the holidays. Same with major games, like the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which launches November 8, 2011.

Recently, we had a poll up asking you, our readers, when you think the PS4 will release. 4410 of you answered 2012, 3863 said 2013, 3713 answered 2014, 691 said 2015, and 865 of you answered 2016.

While we still think a 2013 or 2014 release date is most likely, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for it to be launched sooner. We want better speed, graphics, and all the quality Sony is known for to be out now in the PlayStation 4.

So what do you think? Does this March 2013 rumor hold any weight? If not, when do you think the PS4 will release?

Gamescom begins on August 17 and ends August 21, 2011 this year, and Sony has already announced something that made more than a few rumors start spreading the internet about the PlayStation 4.

The announcement: the PlayStation 3 is having another price cut. The PS3 was dropped about two years ago to $299 for the 160GB console, costing 75% of the original price. Now, though, the price is being lowered once again, down to $249.

The $249 price is already in effect on Amazon. You can order a $249 160GB PS3 right now, or buy the 320GB PS3 with inFamous 2 for $299.

So what does this mean for PlayStation? Well, usually prices drop when a device is going to be replaced by something else, or if sales are poor. The latter isn’t true, since Sony has been seeing profits on the PS3 for the past year finally.

It is probably Sony’s way of prepping the market for the PlayStation 4. If they want to clear out the consoles already manufactured in their warehouses to make room, then a price cut is necessary to move the PS3 off the shelves.

We’ve already speculated about the PS4 release date. Some rumors say 2012, others say 2014. Either way, that’s not too far in the future.

What do you think this PS3 price drop means?

Ubisoft is the developer of the Assassin’s Creed line of games. They recently have adjusted from total “hardcore” gaming to more casual games, like Just Dance, which makes a perfect balance of cost and profit, appealing to both crowds of gamers.

While it is true there have been more and more rumors about the PS4 lately (like the manufactures saying it will ship in 2012 and then the developer’s 2013 rumor), this only makes the PS4 earlier release date seem more likely. Originally, Sony kept saying the PS4 wouldn’t launch until 2016, and then they didn’t want to release a new console until 2014. Now it seems that with the Wii U around the corner, and XBox 720 supposedly  already in the hands of developers, the next console really is on the horizon.

”I think [the Wii U is] sending the message that the new transition is going to happen – and we’re going to have new machines coming soon,” said the CEO.

When do you think the PS4 will release? Some rumors say 2012, others 2013, while many people still insist on 2016. Answer the poll and let us know!

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But now more information has leaked. While the reliability of the source is questionable, since DigiTimes can’t reveal the source, they say that Sony has ordered 20 million—yes, 20,000,000—PlayStation 4 consoles to be manufactured between this year and next.

The Taiwan-based partners say that the PS4 will begin production in 2011 with a release date of 2012.

Yes: 2012.

No way did we imagine that it’d be that early, especially with all the nay-saying Sony offered. Remember, they are the ones who said the PS3 just only hit its stride.

More speculation has spread about why such an early release date. Despite Sony reinforcing their statement that the Wii U 2012 launch would not affect the PS4, more whispers on the web indicate that the main gaming companies (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony) had a deal not to release a new console until 2013. Since Wii U will release next year and the rumors keep spreading about PS4, maybe this is true (they have often said they are in contact with each other).

But some specs were released about the PS4. It is said to have body-movement control, like the Kinect, which seems likely. I just hope they don’t make it the only way to play (that’d be ridiculous).

But, yes, 2012. That goes beyond our expectations.

How reliable is this?

The rumor came from IndustryGamers, a website, and they even realize that it is probably a rumor. Many of us agree that even though the Wii U will probably help push the next generation of consoles to launch earlier than expected, why would Sony unveil a product before actually seeing the Wii U? Especially since the Wii U isn’t exactly an upgrade for today’s consoles, but just Nintendo catching up to the graphics with a few new additions.

What seems more likely? A PS4 unveiling in 2013 with a release date in 2014.

Sony already stated that they don’t plan to change much of the graphics of the PS4, but to make gaming more accessible to a wider audience. If this is actually true, then there isn’t much development needed for the PS4.

They already have made a PS3 console to release this year for Japan that uses less power, which would be a great addition to the PlayStation 4. Then add in some PS Move technology, maybe a little bit of the PS Vita newest additions, and presto: an awesome next generation console, the PS4.

So what do you think? Will Sony aim for a 2012 unveiling for the PS4? And are they hurting themselves by prolonging the release of the PlayStation 4?