Sony: Raised R&D Costs Related to PS4 Launch

[BluOgre]

Originally Posted by slick1ru2

The biggest news is the interview that the PS3 is only halfway through its cycle and it being way too early to discuss the PS4 per head of Sony UK.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...views-part-two

PS3 has "many years to come." Ray Maguire and Ian Livingstone interview – part two
The second part of our chat with the chair and deputy chair of Bafta's video game committee. Today: is the industry being creative enough? March, 15, 2011


This is the part of the interview that pertains to the PS3/PS4.

And as a console manufacturer, how does the constant evolution of technology affect your business? How will you build PlayStation 4 to allow for the creation of new game types?
RM: It's the same conversation as it was for PlayStation 1, 2 and 3. With the amount of money required nowadays to develop and launch a new platform, you have to have a long lifecycle. With PS1, launched in 1995, we ended up with a seven year active lifecycle and a 10 year overall lifecycle. When we set out to invent a new platform, often it's something we can't actually make yet, because technology hasn't got us into a position where we can make silicon that thin, or where we can manage that amount of heat or power.

PlayStation 3 was the classic example – nobody else could create it for us so we had to build a fabrication plant to make it ourselves. And then there's a learning curve of how to use the technology to get the most out of it – so classically at the launch you'll get one or two brilliant games then a lot that struggle to use the power because it's complicated. Right now, we're seeing a lot of the power of PS3 being used so the games are looking great, and that's good for third-party publishers as they start to make good money on the big winners.

Where we go after this is an interesting one. The online side is very interesting and is a big part of our business going forward. But in terms of what sort of technology we'll be using, it's far too early to say yet because we're only half way through the lifecycle of PS3 – there are many years to come on that machine.

I hope you guys all understand that Sony will deny as long as possible because in their eyes talking about PS4 in any way shape or form takes away potential business from the PS3. You want potential customers thinking of buying the PS3 and not holding off because the PS4 will be released in the next couple of years. Kind of like Nintendo releasing a new gameboy but at the same time announcing the 3DS being released next year.......rookie mistake when you are competing with yourself.