Earlier in the year, we heard rumours that Sony had revealed during a meeting of investors that they were at least in the preliminary stages of beginning development on the ‘successor’ to the current Playstation, which is the the PS3. Sony had allegedly only revealed this information becuase investors in the company noticed that money was starting to flow towards R&D (Research and Development), and they wanted to know where their money was going.
However, skip forward to the E3 season, and Sony ‘confirms’ what they always do, that they are fully invested in the current system, as it’s only just hitting it’s stride and still has potential, blah blah blah, etc. Well, whether they like it or not, they can’t keep hanging on the Ps3. Infact, if they want to keep a foot in this industry at all in the next generation of systems, then they need to start weaning themselves off the Ps3 by winter, otherwise they will fall too far behind.
Let me back up a bit an clarify my position here.
The usual cycle of console generations is 5 years, a point which we are now hitting. Nintendo has already started off the chain reaction that leads us forward with the Wii U, and while before everyone was waiting for someone else to make the first move, the race is on now. The 360 at the time of it’s launch was already built on slightly out-of-date tech, and Microsoft isn’t going to play ignorant on this. They know the Xbox needs an upgrade, and if buzz around the net is to be believed, then they are already gearing up for the next system. A company like Microsoft isn’t going to take Nintendo’s move lying down.
As well as this, the tech in consoles is constantly being determined by the newest and greatest tech in the major league computer industry, and now, consoles are so far behind that EA has recently come out in saying that the console versions of Battlefield 3 will only be half as good as the PC version. This technology gap is incredibly crucial, as it plots the path for future systems.
Sony is hell-bent on keeping the PS3 on for a 10 year cycle, twice as long as the norm. But, Sony doesn’t own the industry, and the industry is a moving, thriving force. They need to catch up, even though they may not want to. But it’s not about want, it’s about need. No-one is going to stop for Sony just because they ask nicely. Even the PS3 in all it’s glory is out-of-date compared to current computer kit that is widely available on the market.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of time for the PS3 to ‘hit it’s true potential’. From start to finish, a console can very easily take up to 2 or 3 years to develop and finally go to market. That’s still a lot of time, but after the PS3’s more than shaky launch, Sony can’t risk leaving it to the last minute and falling behind it’s competitors again, a mistake which the current system hasn’t ever really recovered from. If they are to continue to be a big player in the gaming industry, they need to begin work…well……NOW.