Playstation 4 Release – The Last Console

Lately the internet has been abuzz with mentions of the Playstation 4, but this last week or so has struck a peculiar note on several sites all over the internet. We too have reported on this rumor, or inevitability… That at some point consoles would no longer be needed… and the Playstation 4 release could very well be the last console that is necessary. The possibility that we would not need gaming consoles to play the highest quality games possible seems a bit strange… but its possible.

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?

Game Streaming on PS4

The former head of Sony Worldwide Studios, Phil Harrison, made some interesting comments about the next generation of consoles. The biggest one: game streaming.

Streaming has become a huge source of video entertainment for everyone. We watch movies from Amazon Netflix on our game consoles, computers, and TV. It’s everywhere.

Harrison believes that next-gen consoles, like PlayStation 4, will steer away from the current generation of consoles in a multitude of ways, one of which is game media. Instead of spending fifty-bucks for a disc, you’ll charge a credit card or use points to purchase rights to stream a game, just like we do for Netflix.

Why? He thinks it will be a more service-based model than a retail one, since companies like Sony learned a lesson when they overspent during the development of the PS3.

He said:

“The new business model is going to become a combination of retail and services, and it’s going to be an interesting decision for the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, is the next console race about chips and CPU, clock speed and graphics, or is it about business models and monetization and discovery, and I think it’s probably going to be about the latter.”

But is that smart? Probably not. What if your router crashes for a day? How are you going to play your favorite game without being connected to the internet? That’s a major flaw, which is why this just seems silly as the only form of game media. It needs to be something on your harddrive or in your room, that you can access even when offline.

I mean, it would be nifty if some games were streamed, if it were cheap. More casual games, not directly geared towards dedicated gamers.

That may make PS more social, as well. Maybe if the PS4 can have a balance, it will be perfect.

Possible PlayStation 4 Release Date

Now that the Sony PS4 development has been confirmed, we can finally start really speculating possible release dates for the next generation console.

We’ve been doing this for years without any confirmation from Sony saying they were actually under development, simply using the history of PlayStation release patterns.

Now that Masaru Kato, Sony’s Executive Vice-President and CFO, finally confirmed that the development of the PS4 is underway, but adding, “When we will introduce the product I cannot discuss,” what actually seems realistic?

As before, we still believe that Sony PS4 will have a 2013-2014 release date. Why? The PlayStation 2 was released 5 years after the original PlayStation, even though it had a 10 year shelf life. Then, another five years later, the PS3 was released, and this console also supposedly has a 10 year shelf life. It has currently been five years since the 2006 release of the PS3.

Many people speculate that 2016 is the furthest date possible for the next generation console, since it would fulfill the 10 year shelf life expectation, but that seems very far away. Gamers won’t mind having a new addiction sooner rather than later.

Other console manufacturers, like Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo Wii 2, are already underway, with the Wii 2 being unveiled at E3 in June 2011.

It is doubtful that PS4 will be far behind the Xbox 720, so a 2013-2014 expected launch sounds entirely reasonable.

When do you think the PS4 will be released?

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