Sony has made it pretty clear: The PlayStation 4 will not be a topic of discussion at this year’s E3.
That’s taken the wind out of the sails of the rumor mill, but just because the system won’t be introduced at this point doesn’t mean work isn’t already underway. Whether it bows in 2013, 2014 or even later, Sony’s going to have to work hard to top the features of the PS3. As we did last month with the next generation Xbox, we’ve got a few humble suggestions about what Sony should – and shouldn’t – do with its next console.
Sony should:
Learn from its mistakes – While the PS3 was crammed with bleeding edge technology, the company overestimated the amount gamers (and the mass market) were willing to spend. $599 as a launch price for a console was – and remains – shocking. It also opened the door for Microsoft and Nintendo to steal Sony’s console king crown.
The video game industry works on a razor and razor blade model – losing money on the hardware and making it up on software sales. But when you price hardware out of the range of most people, you shoot yourself in the foot. While there’s no need to shoot for the low end of the pricing scale (like Nintendo did), debuting any new console above $399 is going to once again cause a stumble out of the gate.
Ease up on the updates – The frequency of system updates for the PS3 has become something of a running joke. Unfortunately, that joke’s not very funny.
When you turn on your game system, you don’t want to sit there for five minutes watching it download and install a mandatory update. Constant downloads like that ruin the spontaneity and fun of gaming. Microsoft’s less frequent updates are annoying, but on a less consistent basis. A better solution would allow updates to download and install in background with the PS4 – perhaps utilizing a low-power always on mode, so there’s no drudge work required before people get their game on.
Look beyond games – Nintendo has been pretty adamant that it has little interest in content beyond games. Microsoft seems to be rushing to embrace the set top box world. Sony, though, seems a bit confused about what it wants the PS3 to be.
In the evolving world of consumer technology, Microsoft’s choice to make a machine that’s useful for the whole family – even those who don’t care about gaming – is the smarter bet. And no company is better positioned to do that than Sony.
“The Tester” might not be riveting viewing, but it’s a good first step toward original programming geared to the PlayStation audience. Also, while Microsoft might have Felicia Day’s “The Guild” locked up, there are plenty of other quality Web-based series that players haven’t discovered. And since the PS3 is the biggest base for Sony’s Music Unlimited service, throw those users a bone – with free concerts from big artists or other bonus content.
Embrace cross platform – PC gaming is Rasputin-like. No matter how many times people declare it “dead,” it always revives. And that’s not likely to change soon.
While Microsoft’s Games for Windows efforts haven’t gone over so well with PC gamers, Sony’s PC gaming arm, Sony Online Entertainment, could be a real asset if leveraged appropriately. Cross-platform play in particular is intriguing. However, it has been largely limited to DC Universe – a game that lost momentum after being stuck in development hell for a longer period than anyone expected. By utilizing SOE, Sony could create a new type of gameplay – and one that could be quite profitable. Consider: There has yet to be a viable MMO on any console, since the games take so long to create and console lifespans are largely fixed. But “EverQuest 3” as a launch title for the PS4 (as well as PC) sure has an intriguing ring to it, doesn’t it?
Improve multiplayer – It’s staggering that even with its $60 per year annual fee, Microsoft is still considered the online leader this generation. The company’s sleek interface and well-organized multiplayer matching system have become a model for what the online elements of console gaming should be.
By offering multiplayer gaming for free, Sony has an advantage – but it needs to make dramatic improvements to its communication and matching services. Jumping into those elements (and knowing what your friends are doing) should be effortless, instead of the chore it currently is.
Sony shouldn’t:
Move too fast – While gamers are always interested in the bright new shiny thing on shelves, the rollout of the PS4 would almost certainly mean the company would have to put a bullet into the PS2. Having three different products carrying the same brand name gets to be pretty confusing to the consumer, after all.
Problem is: The PS2 is still selling at a pretty rapid clip – and it’s basically a pure profit machine at this point. Half a million PS2s were sold over the holiday period worldwide, in fact.
The potential workaround for this is discontinuing the PS2 in the U.S. market, however, since the bulk of today’s sales of the hardware are in regions such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America.
Stray too far from its roots – PlayStation Move is a nice add-on for the PS3, but it hasn’t revolutionized the system like Kinect did for the Xbox. PlayStation gamers like the DualShock – they love it, in fact. And this might be an instance of giving into their demands, even when R&D would love to try something different with the controller. (And, if you’ll recall the “boomerang” prototype controller for the PS3, there’s obviously some interest in doing so.)
Adding motion control into the system is fine, but if it’s going to be a big part of the PS4, integrate the camera into the system and make it easier to set up.
Bear hug the cloud – The PSPgo flopped for a number of reasons, but one of them was the system’s insistence on only delivering content via the cloud. Make no mistake, cloud services will play a big factor in gaming in the years to come, but it’s not going to be as soon as many proponents think. The mass market – a critical audience for Sony – is simply not ready for full digital distribution.
Profiles and game saves? Absolutely. Select content available via the cloud once you buy the physical disc? Sure. But people still want to get their hands on things.
[Via IndustryGamers]
