Ben-DutkaWith the new report that internal Sony developers are already working on titles for the new PlayStation, this begs the obvious question: when will the PS4 arrive?
The answer is important because it tends to have a big impact on a generation. Sony hit first with the PS2 in 2000; the Xbox and GameCube launched over a year later and never had a chance to catch up. Of course, there were other factors involved; i.e., it was Microsoft's debut game console, but we're focusing on the launch dates. Come this generation, it was Microsoft that got the jump on Sony, releasing the Xbox 360 in 2005. The PS3 didn't drop until over a year later and it has been behind ever since, despite the closing worldwide gap.
It's true that the PS3 was far too expensive at $600, the launch lineup wasn't overly impressive, Blu-Ray hadn't yet won the high-definition format war, and the PlayStation Network was in its infancy. However, it really seems as if the head-start is a huge deal for any manufacturer over the past few generations, so does Sony need to beat Microsoft to the finish…er…start line? Could the PS4 launch before the next Xbox? And what if, for the first time, both systems came out at about the same time? That might generate some discussion.
At any rate, with details for new consoles seemingly right around the corner, those discussions are gonna erupt, anyway.