All PS3 Users will be Enraged at this "Patent"

[Daddy Poi's Oily Gorillas]

I know right?  Watch your electric bill very closely! (Though, I doubt that there would be much difference for it to be much noticeable, but I do know that if you have anything plugged in a socket, even when whatever it is is turned off... it is still using up atleast a very tiny amount of electricity...)  So? Is that all for the strange unnecessary XBO limits?

[Rolina]

That I know of.  I may have missed something.  I've been keeping track of the new gen on IGN, and I'm just repeating stuff I read there really.  We'll find out more at E3 in two weeks, but until then first impressions are all we've got...

And I've gotta say, while PS4 impressed me, XBO fell flat.  Right now, I'd get a WiiU over the XBO due to my concerns with the system.

[RagnarokEmissary]

I happen to like gaming in my underwear.

You do, do you~? Hehehe, nice. Very nice, indeed~

Also, did I mention the Kinect is always on, and that the console won't function if you unplug it?

*facepalm* Do they really need to do that kind of crap?

[Kioll]

I don't hate Sony.  If I did, I wouldn't have a Vita.  However, the PS4 doesn't strike me as "new".  Okay, there's a SLIGHTLY new controller.  Big ****ing deal.  It's just another ploy for more money, that's really all.  Higher levels of graphics and processing power.  Great.  It plays bigger games.  They've killed backwards compatibility, meaning none of the PS3 games will work on PS4.  We'll probably be able to download PSOne and PS2 classics, but Sony's been kinda bad at getting @#$% on the market to be downloaded.  Trust me, I've been waiting for 3 months for them to toss something they SAY is playable on the Vita up to be downloaded onto the Vita.

[Aile~♥]

I'll probably get a Wii U once I have money again. Just so I can get SSB4 later. Only thing is, I'm basically out of cash right now because I just pre-ordered Pokemon Y and bought a copy of Kid Icarus: Uprising.

As for the PS4, who knows? If they release a few awesome games for it (Ratchet & Clank, something from the Tales series), I may get one. But so far, I've been mostly forced to stick to one home console per generation due to lack of cash, and up 'til now they've always been Nintendo.

[Kain]

The Playstation 4 places a heavy emphasis on the social aspects of gaming.  The most notable effort in this area is the controller's "Share" button, which allows you to instantly upload screenshots or gameplay footage to Facebook.  Sony has also partnered with third party streaming services like Ustream to integrate spectating.  Even more impressive is the planned ability to allow your friend to take control of your game remotely to get past a particularly difficult sequence.

The video game business has changed a lot, and Sony says the PS4 is much more open to emerging business models.  Sony says free to play games will be a big part of the PS4 lineup.  Sony is also offering independant developers the option to self publish games on the PS4, including Braid creator Jonathan Blow, who's bringing his new game The Witness to PS4 as a self published game.

Sony bought the cloud based streaming gaming service Gaikai for $380 million in 2012, an investment driven by its PS4 plans.  Gaikai founder Dave Perry got a lot of stage time at the PS4 announcement, and said that instant cloud gaming is a major focus for the company.  The new hardware makes the backward compatibility incredibly difficult, so Sony plans to make the extensive Playstation back catalog available via cloud based streaming.  Perry didn't mention whether or not new releases would be available on the cloud as well.

The streaming technology is also used in the PSN store.  Instead of having to download a game demo, you can test a streaming version of the game for a period of time before making your purchasing decision.

Sony is making your PS4 experience centered on your gaming and entertainment interests.  You can quickly browse games and information being played by friends, and prediction technology allows the system to suggest content, both entertainment and games, based on your playing and purchasing habits.  The system can even predict your next purchase and have the game loaded and ready to go before you buy it.  The user interface is customizable and as expected, is open to a large number of outside entertainment services for streaming and on demand media such as Netflix.

[Misery]

Thanks for an informative post Kain, I was wondering what's new with the PS4. But well... you kind of sound like a commercial.

I think the biggest expectations from gamers are on what games will be made possible with this new technology. Which will probably lead to a good deal of disappointment, since not much seems to be happening in that department. It's already possible to make some pretty incredible games on PS3.

[Kioll]

Thank you, Misery, you summed up my feelings on the PS4 succinctly.  As for what Kain mentioned...  I'd like to point out that I am not really a very social person.  The most social I get is roleplaying and MMO's.  So social gaming isn't really a draw for me.  I'd rather see hardcore upgrades to gameplay and bring out new ways to game than see yet another otherwise excellent form of entertainment fall before the dark shadow of Facebook...

[Daddy Poi's Oily Gorillas]

Hmm.... I read somewhere that developers can disable the Share button at anytime in their games... as to help with not spoiling it for everyone else who might play. (Ofcourse, this doesn't actually keep people from sharing something they really want to share... since you could simply take a digital camera and take a picture of the screen almost just as easily... maybe taking another half a minute.)

Speaking of Share buttons, I think we'd be better off having a few User-Defined buttons.... Basically allowing you to make them be anything you want. From sharing on the internet, to checking the date/time/etc. ... Setting display and sound settings...  Fast-forward/Turbo button... Or maybe even use them as a way to Save and Load savestates...

Ex:
User-Defined 1 + A button could be Savestate
User-Defined 1 + B button could be Loadstate...

And whatever else you'd want...

[Kain]

Misery:  Info ripped from a magazine so yeah, it should sound like that.

Kioll:  I only really care for the streaming aspect.  Indie developers is just icing really and I downright hate anything involving Facebook by default so I won't be using that feature ever.  As for social stuff...in MMO's I'm mainly solo so not like it makes too much difference there.  Unless I absolutely need the help, I avoid people since in most cases of MMO's, the people playing are jerks who think they're the best thing ever or idiots who often die or get you killed.

[Kioll]

and I downright hate anything involving Facebook by default

Music to my ears...

[Daddy Poi's Oily Gorillas]

@Kain and Kioll: Is that just for Facebook alone? Or for the Social concept alone? (Which is more likely.) Otherwise, you could be using Bebo, Myspace, Nextdoor, Meetme, and other networks.

since in most cases of MMO's, the people playing are jerks who think they're the best thing ever or idiots who often die or get you killed.

I can understand that. By the way, when I read that... I was thinking about Alex in Golden Sun. Not that that's why Alex works alone...?

It's kind of hard to know just where you should draw the line... because what about those one or two that don't fall in that category, and yet... you can't really tell in the beginning? ; Or how about in real life? ; What if you just stayed away from absolutely everyone? Soon enough, you'll probably find yourself accidentally breaking your own rules. (If you saw the stuff you did 10 years ago, would you be "embarrassed" about it today? ; Or maybe... 10 years down the road, do you think you'd be "embarrassed" about what you're doing today? Or it could probably work the other way around too. Does our level of wisdom ever stay the same? Etc!) Basically, if you could clone yourself, chances are, you might not spend much time with your clone, but this is only in theory. For example, imagine knowing yourself as having Alzheimer, a mental disorder, or something else... Hmm.. ; So given all the strange factors (Including what you can make a habit of doing, and moments of realization, etc.), I can conclude that it's probably best to learn to not judge people (which can be difficult), and learn to help even those who seem too foolish enough to deserve it... Basically, anything that will be a set-up for getting them to apologize instead of yourself in the event where the unknown happens. Almost wanting to make time to study a bit of psychology when I feel like it... but anyway.  All and all, it's a lot better that they be acting like dumb "noobs" like that than to have them go out, literally threaten people, and do things that might land them in jail, don't you agree?

Anyway, long trivial paragraph above... so... sorry... if anyone thinks I'm lecturing. :O If only I had the patience to rewrite it in a commercial-like tone.

PS = And speaking of apologies... I could go on a whole 'nother topic on that... about assuming whenever there's a problem with something. (EX: an app for example) to assume it was your fault even if it wasn't... Etc. Because then the programmer would be the one apologizing that a feature doesn't work or something... instead of yourself had it been your fault and you were accusing the programmer of something...


And... I feel like I'm going waayyy off-topic. So it looks like Playstation 1 was around 1994-ish? 20 years, and 4 consoles? (Not including the other stuff that is PSP and the like.)

PS1 = 1995 (1994 in Japan)
PS2 = 2000
PS3 = 2006
PS4 = 2013

Seeing this pattern, I expect PS5 will be around 2018-2021? Unless other systems are worked on in its place.

And how much will the PS4 affect PS3's price? If at all? Hmm.... (Think about supply and demand... however, since the PS4 isn't backwards compatible to PS3, probably not by much, but it is also my guess that this will cause fewer new games to be made on the PS3, so...)

[Kioll]

Social Networking as a whole.

[Daddy Poi's Oily Gorillas]

Figured so. (I guess there are only a few exceptions you people take? And they probably all involve gaming...)

-I could say that this forum is partly a social network... but the Editor wouldn't have much use without an audience... just like millions of other things.
-I could say that email is like a private networking atmosphere in some ways.
-Same with Instant Messenging...
-Blogging (sort of)
-Chat rooms.

So with that list... my general opinion says that social networking is sort of good for grabbing the opinions of a wide audience. (Good marketing technique if you know what you're doing...), but for those that are trying to hide their identity... I could first recommend never uploading a single picture of yourself... (Might be even more identical than if you had used your real name.) That is all the police would need to track you down, anyway. (Assuming people would call in saying who you are if you appeared on the news.)

[Rolina]

I don't hate Sony.  If I did, I wouldn't have a Vita.  However, the PS4 doesn't strike me as "new".  Okay, there's a SLIGHTLY new controller.  Big ****ing deal.  It's just another ploy for more money, that's really all.  Higher levels of graphics and processing power.  Great.  It plays bigger games.  They've killed backwards compatibility, meaning none of the PS3 games will work on PS4.  We'll probably be able to download PSOne and PS2 classics, but Sony's been kinda bad at getting @#$% on the market to be downloaded.  Trust me, I've been waiting for 3 months for them to toss something they SAY is playable on the Vita up to be downloaded onto the Vita.

...I don't even know how to begin on this one.  I guess I'll start with the backwards campatability statement... PS1 → PS2 and GBC → GBA is the only system transition in the history of gaming to have full backwards compatability.  Why doesn't others?  Because the hardware simply uses a different architecture.  Sony said that's not good enough.  They WANT people to play older games.  So they bought GaiKai so that you could play older games on the PS4 by literally getting around the hardware limitations in a cheap and affordable way for everyone involved.  I fail to see what your problem is there.  As for the classics being released, you do know all the legal bullshit they have to jump through in order to do that, right?  That's the reason we won't be getting Megaman Legends as a classic here in the states - bad contracts were made and now it's legally impossible to get this to work as a PS1 Classic (they'd have to completely remake it with different voice actors, since the VA's are the problem in this particular case).  Something similar happened with Suikoden 2, iirc, so the only legal way to play it in the US is still to pay ~250 bucks for a used copy.

And as for your first statement... I don't think you really understand the hardware issues going on.  PS3 used a proprietary archetecture that made it difficult to develop on.  This lowered the quality of PS3 games as a result.  However, they've gone out of their way to not only make it Dev Friendly, but to have some pretty nice specs - better than the XBO's.  This means that not only is the PS4 going to be much more powerful than any other console save custom built PCs, it's going to be super easy to develop for in comparison to the PS3.  We're talking a substantial increase in quality for games.  Remember all the bugs and stuff in Fallout and Skyrim?  Won't be nearly as big of an issue now that it's easier for developers to make games on it.  Games will run smoother, with fewer bugs, and here's the best part:  It's very likely that the current trend of multiplat games being developed for 360 and ported to PS3 is going to be reversed for the PS4 and XBO.

You want a reason to be excited for the PS4?  Overall increase in quality games, full hardware bypass to allow playing old games on the new machine (Indirect Backwards Compatibility!), and at a much more affordable price point compared to last gen.  Will there be the HUGE increase in graphics that previous gens had?  No.  Not even close.  That's how much we've improved on games.  But will the games be able to do more, have more content in them, and all and all be able to be presented far better than in current gen?  Yes.  Even XBO can claim that.

I think you're looking for that huge WOW we got in PS1 → PS2 and PS2 → PS3.  It's not gonna be that huge this transition - it'll be much more subtle.  Less exterior sexy and more under-the-hood sexy.

[Kioll]

First off, the original DS had full backwards compatibility with the GBA, so you've missed something there.  Also, there was a version of the PS3 with backwards compatibility, as well as the 360 having backwards compatibility as long as you have the hard drive for it (I don't).  As for the things I've been waiting to be made available...  The PSN website SAYS they're available for Vita.  Legend of Dragoon being available on PSP and PS3, but not able to be downloaded to PS Vita directly (you can get around this with a PS3.  Sounds gre- Oh, right, I DON'T HAVE ONE!  -.-)  And DBZ Shin Budokai 2 is supposed to be Vita compatible.  But unavailable for download.  So yeah.
Okay, so it's easier to develop for.  Wonderful.  More money.  I'm sorry, Role, nothing you've said has impressed me.  I'm not looking for "sexy" in a console.  (Mmm, baby, you soooo fiiiiiiiine.)  Also, didn't play Skyrim.  Not a huge fan of Bethesda games.  They don't really fit my playstyle.  I'm much more into puzzles and things which guide you forward (too much guiding is bad, though), because frankly, I'm a bit of a completionist.  I prefer to have a concrete "next place to go" than "go where ever you wish, sir".
Great.  Better quality games.  Whoopdeedoo.  That's every new console ever made.  This one just doesn't impress me.  And I'm definitely not getting the new Xbox.  And quite frankly, even the Wii U fails to impress.  The new console generation just doesn't impress me as a whole.  I think I'll wait for Microsoft to give up and Nintendo and Sony to combine forces before I step into a new console.

[Randel Peltier]

Microsoft isn't going down. An if it is, then sony an Nintendo will follow suit. An on that day people will realize that if you want the greatest experience in gaming you need but go outside an start on the game called life. An I still don't see the problem with needing backwards compatibility. I never needed it, sure it was nice. But why even make a new console? Why ever make anything new ever? Making stuff an buying stuff drive the economy. An just because they can doesn't mean they should. Imagine making things backwards compatible, decrease on sales because "hey you already got games that work for it." Doesn't mean you have to throw away your old console. But certainly you all can understand people need to make money, money to pay employees, money for advertising, money for rights to exclusive in game contents an a whole lot of others things I cant even fathom. I don't want a perfect gaming system. I just want a slightly better one with one or two more features, to brag to my friends an co-workers. If its perfect.....then theres no reason to go up anymore. No reason to buy anything from anyone. You already have the perfect machine....so then want happens people loose jobs because they already created the perfect machine. For me...perfection is death....because if you cant improve then why keep on living. I for one think the gaming industry has a handle on the whole situation. An people that nit pick an the smallest detail are the people who are never happing with anything. Well I for one am just happy to be part of the experience. An you will see me buying any one of the next consoles. Cash in hand an happy as a clown. Good day.

[Rolina]

First off, the original DS had full backwards compatibility with the GBA, so you've missed something there.  Also, there was a version of the PS3 with backwards compatibility, as well as the 360 having backwards compatibility as long as you have the hard drive for it (I don't).  As for the things I've been waiting to be made available...  The PSN website SAYS they're available for Vita.  Legend of Dragoon being available on PSP and PS3, but not able to be downloaded to PS Vita directly (you can get around this with a PS3.  Sounds gre- Oh, right, I DON'T HAVE ONE!  -.-)  And DBZ Shin Budokai 2 is supposed to be Vita compatible.  But unavailable for download.  So yeah.

PS3's backwards compatibility is exactly why it cost 600 bucks at launch.  It's why it was dropped very quickly - to allow the cost to come down.  Also, I specifically stated FULL backwards compatibility - the examples you gave were wrong in that regard: as the Gameboy's architecture has evolved, it's stopped being backwards compatible to an extent.  Where's the GB playability on the DS?  The GBA on DSi?  Come the next hardware, don't be surprised if DS is out too.  This is why Virtual Console is becoming so popular - the new stuff can't play the old stuff without emulation, and these things have to literally be translated.  And this is hardly new - if that's your biggest complaint, you're not only being spoiled, you're blatantly ignoring how I mentioned that the GaiKai service is specifically being used to get around that.

Okay, so it's easier to develop for.  Wonderful.  More money.  I'm sorry, Role, nothing you've said has impressed me.  I'm not looking for "sexy" in a console.  (Mmm, baby, you soooo fiiiiiiiine.)  Also, didn't play Skyrim.  Not a huge fan of Bethesda games.  They don't really fit my playstyle.  I'm much more into puzzles and things which guide you forward (too much guiding is bad, though), because frankly, I'm a bit of a completionist.  I prefer to have a concrete "next place to go" than "go where ever you wish, sir".
Great.  Better quality games.  Whoopdeedoo.  That's every new console ever made.  This one just doesn't impress me.  And I'm definitely not getting the new Xbox.  And quite frankly, even the Wii U fails to impress.  The new console generation just doesn't impress me as a whole.  I think I'll wait for Microsoft to give up and Nintendo and Sony to combine forces before I step into a new console.

Um, I think you missed my point.  I gave examples of buggy games, not games you'll love.  Also, how the hell does "easier to develop for" mean more money?  It's higher quality, not more money.  And again, less bugs.  What, might I ask, are you looking for in a new console?  Specifically, that is?

[Misery]

You want a reason to be excited for the PS4?  Overall increase in quality games, full hardware bypass to allow playing old games on the new machine (Indirect Backwards Compatibility!), and at a much more affordable price point compared to last gen.  Will there be the HUGE increase in graphics that previous gens had?  No.  Not even close.  That's how much we've improved on games.  But will the games be able to do more, have more content in them, and all and all be able to be presented far better than in current gen?  Yes.  Even XBO can claim that.

If this is true, then it definitely sounds like a step in the right direction. You might even make me a little excited for the PS4, and I can't get it regardless. I still have my doubts though.

[Kioll]

PS3's backwards compatibility is exactly why it cost 600 bucks at launch.  It's why it was dropped very quickly - to allow the cost to come down.  Also, I specifically stated FULL backwards compatibility - the examples you gave were wrong in that regard: as the Gameboy's architecture has evolved, it's stopped being backwards compatible to an extent.  Where's the GB playability on the DS?  The GBA on DSi?  Come the next hardware, don't be surprised if DS is out too.  This is why Virtual Console is becoming so popular - the new stuff can't play the old stuff without emulation, and these things have to literally be translated.  And this is hardly new - if that's your biggest complaint, you're not only being spoiled, you're blatantly ignoring how I mentioned that the GaiKai service is specifically being used to get around that.

My response in that regard was simply that: a response.  The backwards compatibility isn't my biggest complaint, or even my complaint at all.  My complaint is solely the lack of "wow, I'd really like to own that console."  The lack of backwards compatibility is just a point in the con column, that's all.

Um, I think you missed my point.  I gave examples of buggy games, not games you'll love.  Also, how the hell does "easier to develop for" mean more money?  It's higher quality, not more money.  And again, less bugs.  What, might I ask, are you looking for in a new console?  Specifically, that is?

Yes, I missed your point, because I didn't play any of those games.  That was the point of stating I don't like Bethesda games (because both of the examples were from that studio).  And "easier to develop for" means more money for the developers, mostly indirectly via better quality games meaning more sales.  As for what I'm looking for in a new console?  Already said that:

I'd rather see hardcore upgrades to gameplay and bring out new ways to game than see yet another otherwise excellent form of entertainment fall before the dark shadow of Facebook...

In other words, when looking for a new console, I'd like it to be... I don't know... new?  Hence "new console"?  Come on, people. You're getting overexcited about having a bunch of gold and copper in a plastic box that's mostly the same as the one you have now, with the 0's and 1's running through it being different.  Seriously.  As I said in one of my earliest posts, the only really "new" thing about it is the touchpad on the controller.  And the new's worn off on that, thanks to Nintendo beating Sony to the punch with the Wii U.  Although I'll admit, the PS4 controller is less clunky, the touch screen on it seems like it would be harder to use effectively thanks to size and location.  The PS4 is tons more powerful, I GET THAT!  It's going to be a better overall system.  I UNDERSTAND!  I never said it wouldn't.  I just said it wasn't interesting.  It's that simple.  Hardware upgrades aren't enough.  It's lacking features.  It's lacking new ways to play and interact.  Do you think I went out and spent $300 on a PS Vita thinking "Oh, hey, it's the new version of the PSP.  It has a better CPU, better GPU, and is going to have overall better games on it!"???  No.  I was thinking, "F*** yes, it's the new version of the PSP!  It's got a cool new feature!  Touch screens on the front and back???  THAT'S inventive!  It's got dual analog sticks and a gyroscope, six axis sensor, meaning it can tell how it's moved!  That means games that have interesting new ways to play!!!  I WANT!"  Looking at the PS4, all I see is "Oh, hey, it's got a new controller...  That's kinda neat.  What else does it have?  Faceboo-?  God...d***** Sony..."