Well, with February 20th, 2013 less than 2 weeks away and every major gaming site confident that it’ll be the reveal of Playstation 4, I thought it would be fun to have a debate on the topic and discuss the worry and excitement that I have for the next generation of Playstation.
It has been heavily rumored that both Microsoft and Sony would be unveiling their next-generation consoles at E3 this year, with Microsoft appearing to really be gearing towards that. But it seems that Sony might be unveiling their new system, rumored to officially be called “Orbis”, sooner then expected. That has lead me to wonder why exactly Sony would choose to reveal such a blockbuster announcement now instead of waiting until E3 and potentially stealing the show. Not to mention they could forget about getting a model ready for show in a few days and smooth out the console more so that when they do release (rumored for Holiday 2013), it’s beautiful and gives no reason for disappointment. As we know, first batch consoles always have problems. I know my first Playstation 3 backfired—I now have a really big and bulky paperweight (let’s see the wind blow my papers away now!).
I’ve thought long and hard about why Sony would be announcing news this huge in 2 weeks, and this is what I have come up with. See if you agree:
There have been developers that say they are working on next-generation titles. Ubisoft is rumored to be taking the newly acquired South Park RPG and delaying it to produce PS4 and Xbox 720 versions. It could be very possible that Sony may be trying to open up space in their 60-minute E3 press conference (average time) for a slew of shiny new trailers in order to build hype. Nintendo’s Wii U had a less-then-stellar launch and is only now picking up interest (Including from me) after announcing a new Zelda entry, an HD Wind Waker release, new Super Smash Brothers, and many other blockbuster franchises coming. I believe this was because a lot of the games announced were either ports, sequels, or party games like Nintendoland. Several of these new Sony titles are said to be new IPs, something that Nintendo’s Wii U line-up lacked. So in my opinion, Sony might be clearing up some room for E3 so they have enough time then to show gameplay of these new IPs. That’s what will build enough hype to make people say “Wow, that looks frigging amazing! Mom, I want a Playstation 4!”.
Personally, I’m excited for a new Sony console, as I love their systems with a passion and have many great memories particularly with Playstation 2. But there is something that worries me a great deal. There have been rumors running wild about both Sony and Microsoft getting rid of used gaming, with IGN reporting a patent put in by Sony for the technology. I can understand why they are doing this; afterall, neither the developer nor Sony get any kickbacks from the purchase of a used game. But at the same time, so many stores such as EB Games and GameStop that rely on used game sales would be losing a lot of business. Sony is said to be putting forth a condition that will have users register game purchases to your PSN account. If you end up selling it to a store like EB Games, it can be resold, but the content will be watered down, matching that of a demo. However, you can shell out money to re-register the game to your account to unlock the full content.
As far as naming goes, I do believe that there is a very good chance that Sony is looking to stray away from naming their system Playstation 4. The only reason I say this is because of the existence of the Vita, which when paired with Orbis (Orbis Vitae) translates to “Circle of Life”. Think about it: Playstation 3 and PSP have connectivity, and with Cross-Play on the Vita, this rumor has a lot of fuel to be the truth. Also, it would be excellent marketing by Sony; hell, they could play the “Circle of Life” from the Lion King in their commercials. Wouldn’t that be just awesome!? Marketing +100.
I also like to think that Sony aren’t greedy bloody blokes and won’t eliminate used gaming. It’s a big industry all in itself, and for me, getting rid of such a thing would just tarnish their name. Not to mention, Wii U is fully backwards-compatible, and their used gaming market is intact. Wouldn’t getting rid of such a thing and slapping an additional price-tag just influence buyers to divert to another console, like say, the Wii U?
But what of the controller? Well, it has been rumored that Sony is traveling away from the loyal DualShock concept, but I highly doubt that their new controller will be a far departure. There have been many rumors and, luckily for us, NEOGAF has collected all of them and have mock ups of what the controllers might look like. Take a look here; some of the concepts are really interesting.
One thing is for sure. I myself believe that February 20th, 2013 could very well be the reveal of the next generation. So I’m predicting right now that we will see the console, and we might get a run-down on who is working on launch titles, just to sort of wet our appetite and get us excited for E3 when I’m sure they will show these titles in all their glory. I’m also sure that if indeed this is the Playstation 4, we will see what it is capable of. I don’t know if this means they will show a game that is in development, or if it’ll be a tech demo, but whatever it is, February 20th cannot come fast enough for this Sony fanboy.
BagoGames readers, I ask you, what are your opinions about the Playstation 4 or “Orbis”? What do you think this announcement is? Tell us in the comments or on our Facebook page!
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