The approach is aimed at making it easier for studios to create new games for the platform, after some developers found it challenging to work on the PS3.
Sony will take over the gaming industry again with the PS4, mark my words.
The success of project Natel could have a massive effect on how the next war of consoles is played out, If Natel is a success and developers really get behind it, It may give MS a big advantage when it comes to releasing the next wave of consoles.
While the official reveal of Sony's next home console could still be months away, if not longer, Kotaku has today learned some important details concerning the PlayStation 3's successor.
For one, the console's name—or at least its codename/working title—is apparently Orbis. And it's being planned for release in time for the 2013 holiday season.
The details in this story come from a reliable source who is not authorized to talk publicly about next-gen hardware but has shared correct information with us before. What they're telling us in specifics matches much of what we've heard and reported in generalities in recent weeks.
A Sony spokesperson declined to comment about these details, citing the company's policy not to comment on "rumors or speculation."
Our main source supplied some basic specs for the console, but as the future is always in motion, bear in mind these could easily change between now and the Orbis' retail release. Still, if you'd like to know what developers are being told to plan for now, here you go.
- AMD x64 CPU
- AMD Southern Islands GPU
The former, that's largely something we've heard before, but the latter is interesting. That's the name given to many of AMD's 2012 roster of high-end PC cards. The PS4's GPU in particular, we're told, will be capable of displaying Orbis games at a resolution of up to 4096x2160, which is far in excess of the needs of most current HDTV sets. It'll also be capable of playing 3D games in 1080p (the PS3 could only safely manage 3D at 720p).
Next Year
Our main source tell us that "select developers" have been receiving dev kits for the new console since the beginning of this year. Revised and improved versions of these kits were sent out around GDC, while more finalised beta units will be shipped to developers towards the end of 2012.
That should hopefully give developers plenty of time to have launch games ready for the Orbis' retail release, which will be in time for the 2013 holiday season. If you can remember the PS3 launch—it's OK if you can't, it was a while ago—that too was in time for the holiday shopping season (November 2006 for Japan and North America).
So Long Used Games
Just like the next Xbox/Durango, we've heard from multiple sources that the Orbis will likewise have some kind of anti-used games measures built into the console. Here's how our main source says it's currently shaping up: new games for the system will be available one of two ways, either on a Blu-Ray disc or as a PSN download (yes, even full retail titles). If you buy the disc, it must be locked to a single PSN account, after which you can play the game, save the whole thing to your HDD, or peg it as "downloaded" in your account history and be free to download it at a later date.
Don't think you can simply buy the disc and stay offline, though; like many PC games these days, you'll need to have a PSN account and be online to even get the thing started.
If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do. While our sources were unclear on how exactly the pre-owned customer side of things would work, it's believed used games will be limited to a trial mode or some other form of content restriction, with consumers having to pay a fee to unlock/register the full game.
This would allow used games to continue to be sold at outlets such as GameStop, while also appeasing major publishers who would no longer have to implement their own haphazard approaches to "online passes".
To sum it up:
Is called, or at least carries the working codename, "Orbis".
Is scheduled for a Holiday 2013 release.
Won't be backwards compatible with PS3 games.
Will lock new games to a PSN account as an anti-used games measure.
New games can be bought either on Blu-Ray or downloaded.
Current specs are an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU
To sum it up:
Is called, or at least carries the working codename, "Orbis".
Is scheduled for a Holiday 2013 release.
Won't be backwards compatible with PS3 games.
Will lock new games to a PSN account as an anti-used games measure.
New games can be bought either on Blu-Ray or downloaded.
Current specs are an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU
The first sin may be forgivable, but the 2nd is a guaranteed downfall of Sony's gaming console future.
Definitely a wasp nest of complex variables & possibilities.
Personally, I'm also taking a 'wait and see' approach for next-gen consoles. If I stopped buying games today, my current stockpile of unplayed games could easly keep me entertained for 2 years. I'm in no hurry to buy a new console. I actually think buying all 3 current-gen consoles was probably one of the dumbest things I've ever done, considering how little time I actually have to play. :-\
I'm pretty sure I'm only going to buy one console next time around. My money is on Microsoft leading the console market next-gen, but Sony still might come back stronger. I'm going to wait until both hit the market and make their impressions before I decide to buy either. One thing is for certain, I'm not buying a Wii-U. :P
So tomorrow is the Playstation event Sony's hosting in New York. Personally, I'm looking forward to the release of the next Playstation, so that Gamestop has incentives for PS3 owners to trade up to it. In other words, I'm hoping to score a cheap PS3 to play the few games that interest me. If the PS4 has great backwards compatibility and interesting features/launch lineup, then I might get that instead.
From the recent rumors it sounds like Sony is 1 copying Xbox Smartglass, 2 allowing people to view live video of their friends on the couch playing games through their friends PS Eye, 3 adding the ability to have more than one PSN ID signed into a PS4 at once, and 4 getting Destiny well after Microsoft due to the timed exclusiveness in the leaked contracts involving Bungie Activision and Microsoft.
You forgot to mention how painfully boring the show was!
Watch Dogs looked awesome though. :)
Sony tells Eurogamer: PlayStation 4 will not block used games
One thing to note about the used games bit is if Sony offers games digitally to buyers for the same price as retail, and you can play within seconds of choosing to get the game (much faster than driving to a store) then there won't be nearly as many discs being traded in to gamestop. Why spend gas money, take more time to buy a game on a format that can be lost or damaged, when it can be had now and forever by purchasing on the playstation store?
One thing to note about the used games bit is if Sony offers games digitally to buyers for the same price as retail, and you can play within seconds of choosing to get the game (much faster than driving to a store) then there won't be nearly as many discs being traded in to gamestop. Why spend gas money, take more time to buy a game on a format that can be lost or damaged, when it can be had now and forever by purchasing on the playstation store?
If that's the case, there better be multiple tera-bytes worth of space on those "massive" hard drives...
I'm sure more details will unfold in the next months, but I wonder how much bandwidth would be required to have that 'play while downloading' system run without crunching to a halt, or impeding a smooth experience.One thing to note about the used games bit is if Sony offers games digitally to buyers for the same price as retail, and you can play within seconds of choosing to get the game (much faster than driving to a store) then there won't be nearly as many discs being traded in to gamestop. Why spend gas money, take more time to buy a game on a format that can be lost or damaged, when it can be had now and forever by purchasing on the playstation store?
If that's the case, there better be multiple tera-bytes worth of space on those "massive" hard drives...
Honestly, even with the huge size of games, there wouldn't need to be. Just save games is what you really need kept on them for games. If you're done playing a game you can safely delete it, because of the background downloading and play while downloading tech. When you can start playing a game within seconds after months of having it deleted off your hard drive, that's great and really cuts down the need of terabytes :)
In an interview after this week's unveiling, Hiroshi Kawano, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, was asked by 4Gamer about the PS4's design. "If I'm being honest, I also haven't seen its final design. Even the controller we showed today, I saw the final design around yesterday or so."
That doesn't mean Kawano and other Sony brass have no clue what the PS4 will look like. Certainly, they've seen prototypes and mock-ups—just as they have for the hardware they revealed at this week's event.
About the PS4 controller, which was shown at the PS4 announcement, Kawano explains, "I've seen numerous prototypes from when it was still codenamed 'Jedai', and I heard that an onboard touch pad was in the final specs."
Add Kawano's comments to Sony Computer of America boss Jack Tretton's remarks that the "mass-production box" was "still in development in terms of final specs and design", and, yes, you can see why Sony didn't wheel out the PS4.
It wasn't just because, as PlayStation's Shuhei Yoshida told Kotaku, Sony wants there to be something for you to look forward to. It's because Sony still doesn't know what the final machine will look like.
Usually, verdicts of "winners" and "losers" coming out of E3 press conferences are little more than armchair pondering. One person's view of some competing events that don't really matter. But today, boy, it's hard seeing Sony's press conference as anything but a punch in the face to Microsoft's Xbox One ambitions.
The second half of Sony's conference saw them systematically taking apart Microsoft's entire platform policy with the Xbox One, presenting the PlayStation 4 as a console able to undercut almost everything Microsoft was offering. Or, in many cases, forcing consumers to endure.
The Xbox One costs $499? Oh, OK, the PlayStation 4 costs $399. The Xbox One imposes online checks? The PS4 doesn't. The Xbox One has restrictions on the use of your disc-based games? The PS4 does no such thing.
It's a series of calculated business decisions - and they are calculated, right down to the fact Microsoft's policies were directly referenced by Sony on-stage - that have resulted in one of the most lop-sided public reactions to an E3 press conference in recent memory. No wonder Jack Tretton spent the last 20 minutes giggling like a schoolgirl.
Seriously, people are going crazy. Twitter and forums are overflowing with people declaring everything from "BEST E3 EVER" to "RIP XBOX ONE". I've been doing this job for a long time now, and I've never seen a reaction like it.
By listening to how upset people had become over Microsoft's restrictions and demands, and catering their console to appeal to them, Sony has instantly won itself legions of Xbox converts and new fans.
Is it enough to matter? Who knows. The next 5-10 years will see many ups and downs for both Microsoft and Sony in this latest round of the console race. Sony's exclusives might under-perform. Microsoft's new Kinect could be seen as a wonder-device, much like Nintendo's Wii Remote, unlocking mass market sales. To determine a "winner" in this contest before a console has even been sold would be crazy.
But what's important today is that, unlike the last time they unveiled a new console's price at E3, Sony are off to a very strong start.
Playing games on a PlayStation 4 will cost a lot of money in Brazil — the PS4 will sell for 3,999 Brazilian reais (approximately $1,852), Sony announced today on the Brazilian PlayStation Blog.
The console will be available in Brazil on Nov. 29, the same day as in Europe. Sony's suggested retail price for PS4 games is 179 reais ($83). For comparison, the console will go for $399 in North America, £349 in the U.K. and €399 in Europe.
That cost appears to be a significant outlay even for professionals in Brazil. According to data from 2007, the median annual salary for jobs such as dentist, chemical engineer, lawyer and architect was at or below 40,000 reais, which means the PS4 would cost 10 percent of their yearly income.
Sony Playstation 4 To Cost $1,800+(USD) In Brazil
(http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/playstation-4-nov-15-release.jpg)QuotePlaying games on a PlayStation 4 will cost a lot of money in Brazil — the PS4 will sell for 3,999 Brazilian reais (approximately $1,852), Sony announced today on the Brazilian PlayStation Blog.
The console will be available in Brazil on Nov. 29, the same day as in Europe. Sony's suggested retail price for PS4 games is 179 reais ($83). For comparison, the console will go for $399 in North America, £349 in the U.K. and €399 in Europe.
That cost appears to be a significant outlay even for professionals in Brazil. According to data from 2007, the median annual salary for jobs such as dentist, chemical engineer, lawyer and architect was at or below 40,000 reais, which means the PS4 would cost 10 percent of their yearly income.
Via [Polygon (http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/17/4848222/ps4-price-brazil)]
Sony Playstation 4 To Cost $1,800+(USD) In Brazil
(http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/playstation-4-nov-15-release.jpg)QuotePlaying games on a PlayStation 4 will cost a lot of money in Brazil — the PS4 will sell for 3,999 Brazilian reais (approximately $1,852), Sony announced today on the Brazilian PlayStation Blog.
The console will be available in Brazil on Nov. 29, the same day as in Europe. Sony's suggested retail price for PS4 games is 179 reais ($83). For comparison, the console will go for $399 in North America, £349 in the U.K. and €399 in Europe.
That cost appears to be a significant outlay even for professionals in Brazil. According to data from 2007, the median annual salary for jobs such as dentist, chemical engineer, lawyer and architect was at or below 40,000 reais, which means the PS4 would cost 10 percent of their yearly income.
Via [Polygon (http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/17/4848222/ps4-price-brazil)]
Blimey and we think we've got it bad in the UK!
Sony is selling the console for $6500 (that's Pesos). Which translates, roughly, to around USD$1100.
We have read thousands of your comments and heard your frustration loud and clear about the PlayStation 4 retail price of R$3,999 in Brazil. We want to emphasize that it isn’t in the interest of Sony Computer Entertainment America to sell PS4 units at this high retail price, as it’s not good for our gamers and it’s not good for the PlayStation brand. We have always maintained an open and honest dialogue with PlayStation Nation in Brazil, we want to be fully transparent as to what makes up this price, so gamers can be fully informed and make their own conclusion.
There is a lot of confusion and inaccurate information spreading online about Brazil’s import tax policies online and the PlayStation 4 retail price, so we’d like to set the record straight: of the R$3,999 gamers pay, 63% of the retail price goes to offset the various taxes that are applied in the process of importation. Some do not consider the IPI on the distributor price and PIS/COFINS on retailers price and much less, include the ICMS and ICMS-ST taxes. You can see a true breakdown of the price model at Valor Economico http://www.valor.com.br/empresas/33111 (http://www.valor.com.br/empresas/3311186/sony-vai-acelerar-producao-local-do-playstation-4-para-reduzir-preco).... The other 15.5% goes to retailer margin and 21.5% to PS4 Transfer Price (equivalent to USD$390).
We will continue to talk with the relevant government agencies to help us reduce the heavy tax burden that gamers, retailers and Sony Computer Entertainment America are paying. Our primary focus right now is to ensure we are in full compliance with Brazilian import tax laws and look ahead the opportunity to locally manufacturing the PS4, which will significantly reduce the retail price. Sony Computer Entertainment began locally manufacturing PlayStation 3 in Manaus this past May and it immediately made PS3 more affordable to gamers in Brazil. PlayStation is fully committed to Brazilian gamers and we are proud of the strong relationship we’ve been able to build over the years. We are doing everything possible at this moment to reduce the PS4 price for you. Thank you for your thousands of passionate comments...we are in this together!
The best way to think about Share Play is like a "virtual couch". PlayStation 4 will create an online local co-op experience by allowing you to invite a friend to join your game—even when they don't own a copy of it. With this first-of-its-kind feature, you'll be able to play games with a friend just as if you were together in the same room. Let's say that with games… you'll be able to invite your friend online to play against the Miami Heat for the championship as the San Antonio Spurs in NBA2K, tackle the challenging Towerfall Ascension Quest Mode together, or aide, heal, and protect you as Igniculus in Child of Light's local co-op mode.
With Share Play, you can even jump into a game to assist a friend. For example, if there is part of a game that you can't quite finish, you can invite a friend to take over your controls. Like handing over the controller to a friend on your couch, your screen will be shared as your friend gets through the part of the game that has been giving you trouble—can't get past that part in The Last of Us: Remastered when you're hanging upside down? Get a little help.
Share Play will be coming to PS4 as part of the upcoming system software update v2.00, scheduled for release this fall. The update will also add highly requested broadcast and video share features, including both uploading you game play footage and dedicated app support for YouTube, which we mentioned on stage at E3. Finally, What's New will get enhanced real-time activity through friend-of-friend suggestions, allowing instant access to friends' and recently played games' broadcasts, and a real name search function will also be added. More features to come when v2.00 is made available this fall, and we will have more to announce in the coming months.
Since the launch of PS4, we have been thrilled with the amount of gamers jumping into the world of PlayStation for the first time. If you haven’t made the jump yet, and you’re starting early on your holiday wish list, I have good news – we’re dropping the price of the PlayStation 4 system in the U.S. and Canada. Starting tomorrow, October 9, you’ll be able to pick up PS4 starting at the new price of $349.99 USD / $429.99 CAD (MSRP). Our goal at PlayStation has always been to provide the best gameplay experiences at the best value, and we feel this new compelling price will open the doors to even more gamers that have yet to purchase a system.
Over the past few months, we’ve introduced a number of bundles that feature some of the biggest games coming to PS4 this holiday season. Here’s a snapshot of the new prices for the current PS4 hardware lineup:
Bundle (Release Date) Current Price (MSRP) New Price (MSRP - Effective 10.9.15) UNCHARTED: The Nathan Drake Collection PS4 Bundle (10/9) $399.99 USD / $449.99 CAD $349.99 USD / $429.99 CAD Limited Edition Call of Duty: Black Ops III 1TB PS4 Bundle (11/6) $449.99 USD / $549.99 CAD $429.99 USD / $499.99 CAD Limited Edition Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars PS4 Bundle (11/13) $449.99 USD / $549.99 CAD $399.99 USD / $469.99 CAD Limited Edition Star Wars Battlefront PS4 Bundle (11/17) $449.99 USD / $549.99 CAD $399.99 USD / $469.99 CAD Star Wars Battlefront PS4 Bundle (11/17) $399.99 USD / $449.99 CAD $349.99 USD / $429.99 CAD NHL 16 PS4 Bundle (Available now, Canada only) $449.99 CAD $429.99 CAD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILNC1woL844
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILNC1woL844
They just need to reduce the price now.