A customer watches a monitor of Sony's videogame PlayStation 3 at a Tokyo electric shop in 2011.... [+]
Recent news of the grief being felt by Sony’s gaming division can only be exacerbated by the rumors that its chief competitor, Microsoft, could be
unleashing a new gaming console within the coming year. Now would be a good time for Sony to thinking about releasing the next installment of its popular PlayStation console. But when will that happen? What will it look like? What is it up against?
Sony’s gaming division posted an operating loss of about $45 million recently, disappointing given last year’s successful results. The company also expects to sell fewer PS3 consoles and has lowered its sales forecasts for its hand-held PS Vita. Forbes writer, John Gaudiosi, reports that the global gaming industry is a $67 billion space and will grow to about $82 billion in the next five years. When it comes to non-handheld console play, Sony’s PlayStation is the major player, along with Microsoft’s Xbox 360, with Wii trailing both.
So what would shift gears for Sony’s (Tokyo:SNE) game category? Well, possibly the introduction of a fourth installment of its console—the PS4. Forbes contributor, Erik Kain, questioned whether Sony will opt to tinker with its PS3 by integrating technology from Gaikai, a cloud-gaming firm the company acquired. Of the tidbits offered by the PS4 rumor mill, maybe the most disheartening for PlayStation gamers is the indication that a new console will not be released until 2014.
That shred of info, if true, will give Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) a head start as it’s looking likely that its console, Xbox720, could come out in 2013. That console’s developers’ kit exists, Microsoft employees have mentioned the new Xbox in the media and developers have acknowledged that the next generation consoles will emerge before 2014.
What features will the Xbox720 have under the hood? Forbes contributor, Dave Their, found a few hints that you can check out here.
Will Sony want to release its product at the same time as Microsoft? Not likely, but if the company’s gaming division needs a boost, a PS4 could be it.
Another contribution to the space, Ouya, could be a compelling product, but its virtues, and the impact they will have on the gaming community, remain to be seen.
