PS4, how certain is its release? 2013? 2014? Ever?

[SEGA Heritage]

Sony just reported a $300 million Q1 loss following a $5.8 billion loss for the last business year. TV business a permanent money loser and has been blown away by Samsung which is now a global tech giant dwarfing its former Japanese lcd rival. Blu-ray was a dud format and irrelevant now. Apple has trounced Sony in audio with ipod and Sony has little to even throw a pebble against Apple in the smartphone and tablet space. Lastly, MS has managed to topple Playstation in the west delivering a superior network service and far out profiting Sony's game business.

Needless to say, Sony is in dire shape. Vita has been a total dud so far with little on the radar in terms of a quick turn around and the overall gaming handheld market being relegated to a niche. The Gaikai acquisition is somewhat puzzling for the fact of it being unclear how it fits in the overall strategic picture and what part it plays in an next gen strategy.

At this point, is it that far of a stretch to begin to have doubts that there will even be a next-gen offering from Sony? If so, will it be able to come out of the gate with MS or will it be late to the party?

Is there even a point in a successor to PS3? Japanese console business is pretty irrelevant and non-existent these days. MS is the undisputed lead core gaming console in the west. Sony's first party software has been very soft this generation now with recent studio closures and very few of these franchises look like they are going to hang onto any appeal for the next-gen leaving Sony counting largely on hitting it out of the park with new i.p.'s, an unlikely possibility.

Has Playstation home console hardware hit the end of the road and can Sony even afford it at this point? A successful next-gen Playstation console will cost a lot of money for a company bleeding red financials, while a high profile failure will probably be all she wrote for Sony.

[ARingcade]

There will be a PS4 most likely, it just won't be one we're accustomed to seeing. If Sony wants a chance at even making money, they aren't going to invest in custom designed parts. They are probably going to swipe at X86 parts and maybe tweak them a bit(small investment, big return). 2014 imo is a deadline. Anytime after that and any market you had for the most part is gone.

[Freddo]

They make money out of Playstation so that's something they will continue with for sure, so we will see a PS4. While the PS3 is nowhere near the success of the PS2 and the worst selling console out of the 3 current-gen consoles, they still sold 60+ million which is quite a lot and a financial success.

Although considering their huge losses in the TV market for several years, I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to stop with TVs or at least dramatically change their TV business. But that said, it's not like Sony is in that poor shape at the moment, out of their ~70 years in the business they only had a handful of years with losses.

[TheCheeze09]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBcG8...&feature=g-u-u

Awesome vid on this issue. Sony is hurting bad.

[Elsa_La_Conti]

Seeing how Sony has much more than their Playstation brand and TV's I think it's safe to say that they're gonna release a PS4.

I wonder why people keep forgetting we're in a global recession.

[Majarra]

I wonder why people keep forgetting we're in a global recession.

That doesn't mean Sony gets a break though for failing. They've spread their resources to thin and have no streamlined focus. The presidents and CEOs are killing Sony. I personally think they should cut their losses with their current failing products. Start axing support for hardware that's getting no sales. Like Germany with their Western and Eastern fronts. They're spreading supplies and support in multiple(not just two) directions and that's what will lead to their end.

Either they shrink and restructure and prepare for a more digital future, or they continue to push out a bunch of products with no focus that drains their money. As far as gaming goes, Sony has the right idea with their systems. A broad variety of genres, multiple exclusives, and powerful hardware. They just need to fix their online service to match Xbox Live or Steam and they'd be better. I still don't understand why the PS3 is in third place for sales.

[Bolt The Cat]

As far as gaming goes, Sony has the right idea with their systems. A broad variety of genres, multiple exclusives, and powerful hardware. They just need to fix their online service to match Xbox Live or Steam and they'd be better. I still don't understand why the PS3 is in third place for sales.

This. I don't understand why they're not in first place, 360 has a terrible lineup of games, and Wii isn't powerful enough to play every 3rd party game 360 and PS3 gets.

[Clesarie]

This. I don't understand why they're not in first place, 360 has a terrible lineup of games, and Wii isn't powerful enough to play every 3rd party game 360 and PS3 gets.

You dont get why they're in 3rd? A few big reasons.

Microsoft was willing to pay for exclusives for the earlier years.
Microsoft funded and supports Japanese devolopers and make made publishing cost way cheaper or totally covered by microsoft. (Mistwalker exclusives, Bandai Namco rpgs being 1 year or longer exclusives, the handful of squareenix exclusives and timed exclusives)
360 came out first
360 was cheaper
360 had a better online setup
ps3s first 2 years where awful. The ports of 360 games where worse and the exclusives where meh.

Nothings wrong with the ps3 per say its all just over pricing and bad timing.

[Lumines]

360 has a terrible lineup of games

What did BCVM22 teach you over at that other forum?

[Bolt The Cat]

What did BCVM22 teach you over at that other forum?

You're on Serebii?