Sony boss Andrew House has admitted that he was surprised Microsoft announced the Xbox Scorpio this week considering that it's almost 18 months away. "The dynamics of the tech industry are such that there's a much heavier emphasis on immediate gratification than there was," he told The Guardian. "A lot of that is to do with how Apple has very cleverly and elegantly managed the 'available now' approach. So yes, that was a slight surprise to me."
House admitted that this is something Sony itself fell foul of when it revealed the PS4 three years ago. "In 2013, very much in line with our previous strategies, we announced a concept and a name for the PS4, and everyone said, 'Where's the box? How dare you?!' That was the point we realised, well, we hadn't changed but the world around us had." This all suggests, of course, that when the company is ready to reveal the PS4K, it'll be available almost instantly.
But some have speculated that the manufacturer may have removed the device from its media briefing because of the Xbox Scorpio. Not so, according to House. "The point of confirming the existence of the Neo and the bare bones of the plan last week was about not disappointing the fan base who would obviously come to E3 2016 with high expectations of all kinds of announcements," he said.
We're not sure we quite buy that comment at all – especially seeing as the clarification came in an interview with the Financial Times rather than on a more fan-focused forum like the PlayStation Blog. It's more likely, then, that the Japanese giant just wants to showcase and release the PS4K in one swift motion, and it's obviously not ready to put it on shelves just yet.
[source theguardian.com, via videogamer.com]
Comments 49
House should apply that lesson to Sony's first-party games, am I right? EH? EH? LADS! LADS! LADS!
#Bantz
@get2sammyb off I wish lol. But yeah seems they're going for a short reveal and release plan like Apple. Ps4 neo likely won't be announce more than 2 months before launch, probably less. I may upgrade myself.
As long as you don't repeat the SEGA Saturn, go for it.
see what i feel is base these suggestions on merit and how sony has behaved this cycle. Yes I agree that last year many games were not released right away. However, keep in mind that the transition to this generation of hardware has been difficult after an 8 year generation previous. However, Sony has been much better to their word this generation overall in business model and what they deliver in quality and experience past when things come out. So I will trust them for now on why they are doing things. They have eared at least that. However, if they change that and start jerking me around, they will lose credibility in my eyes. I am hopeful for sony and what their priorities are right now. I am also hopeful for what the ps4k will be. I feel sony is going to surprise us and microsoft right back. Here is to hopes realized cheers
Ps4k simply has to have a 4k BR drive as standard, they would be foolish otherwise.
I would imagine Sony want to take some of Nintendos thunder when they reveal the NX (I would like to think it will be unveiled at TGS). The ps4k/neo be shown a few days later, be released for the 'holidays' and then the NX will come in March loosing Nintendo a good few sales as people will have already bought their first ps4 with the neo or upgraded to it from the ps4. Makes sense in my head.
Just my opinion.
@Dan_ozzzy189 I'm 99.9% confident it will have a 4K Blu-ray drive.
@get2sammyb I expect it would, but didn't they already foolishly say it wouldn't?
@get2sammyb the $300 Xbox one s plays 4k blu ray. Ps4 neo 100% will.
Xbox One S is more of a slim redesign with a few extra bells and whistles.
PS4K is more of an iterative design, it's obviously a decent jump up in terms of hardware capability over the base PS4, not quite a new console, but not just a slim redesign as well.
Scorpio, I think Microsoft is trying to push it as a massive leap over the current consoles, although in concept and shared ecosystem, it will probably be rather close to the PS4K, at least initially.
I'm calling it now, there's going to be a PS4K vs Scorpio fight in 2018...
@readyletsgo
I think Nintendo has a very tough road ahead.......I'm not saying it's hopeless.....but with PS4K already on the market and Scorpio looming large, the NX will have to work extremely hard at interesting a new consumer base outside of the rather small group of Nintendo hardcover faithful.
@Dan_ozzzy189 nope not that I've seen. I'm 99.99999999% sure it will.
I was surprised about the Scorpio's announcement too and think that a LOT can change in 18months. The specs are 'impressive' today but looking at the GPU's launching (AMD's RX480 8GB for $230 RRP with upto 5.5tflops and nVidias 1080 with 7tflops - knowing that AMD's high end Vega and no doubt nVidias 1080 Titan will launch in the next 6-12months), its not overly impressive - for consoles yes but not overall. The talk of it being more 'iterative' and delivering the same games to XB1 is a joke too - initially yes but 2yrs after launch... 3? the XB1 already has increasing number of 720p games! How developers take this new technology and develop for it specifically will affect how capable it can tun on much more inferior hardware. Does this mean that we will see sub 720/30 games on XB1 just to fulfil that promise?? I can honestly see games really struggling on XB1 in the next year let alone 18months from now. SW:BF runs at 720/60 but can see 2 dropping down to 30fps. I can see BF1 struggling to hit 60fps with Fog, Gas, 64 players and all that destruction...
Everything I hear about the PS4k lease no illusion. It is an enhanced PS4 - nothing more - nothing less. Its not that much more powerful in terms of console jumps and therefore 2-3yrs on, Sony can realistically offer its 5th generation console.
I really think if the Scorpio was an iterative device, it would be releasing a lot sooner. I can see MS changing tact on it - just like DVR - but want to keep the XB1 sales ticking over. MS had to announce Scorpio. Every XB1 owner knows it can't compete visually and is struggling compared to the competition. Its MS's way of announcing its plans to address this in the future, to give hope to Xbox owners so that they can buy the console/games now but in the long term those games will still play and should look a lot better - better than what Sony will deliver in the interim so if they do or don't announce Neo, come to Xbox because long term we will be the best - that's what I got from it! Its either going to be a year too late or will change to be the next step. A year or so after Scorpio, Sony can and probably will just release PS5 and be the 'most powerful console' and MS will be stuck with the Scorpio that is limited to games that run on XB1...
@ToddlerNaruto Neo vs Scorpio UFC 300!
On a more serious note, I'm sure Sony is handling the situation correctly. However I think they'll be releasing PS4 Neo closer to 2018 than we think, maybe Summer or Fall 2017?
No offense to those that want it later this year or sometime in Early 2017.
@itshoggie I will of course be betting all of my money on Neo, loved him in the Matrix Trilogy .
Scorpio makes me think of Mortal Kombat for some reason.
@sub12
I usually get the launch Sony and then the "S" version of the xbox a couple of years later, however, they've pretty much told me "there's no point now, stick it out 3 years and wait till Scorpio vs Neo"
Natural or an unnatural source is fine in regards to Sony admitting the existence of a PS4K/Neo. I did however find Microsoft's revealing of the Xbox S and then the Xbox Scorpio to be a scrambled eggs announcement. Because I'm thinking like, "alright if I'm a potential Xbox One customer why would I purchase the Xbox One Slim if I might as well wait for this Scorpio Xbox??"
Anyways.. Good organization on Sony's part. And i agree with House, the consumer has changed. It's better not to announce something so far in advance anymore. But as you said @get2sammyb Sony needs to apply that practice in their games division also.
@ToddlerNaruto sony wants to sell 20 million PlayStation consoles this fiscal year. I think it will be out by March.
@get2sammyb I'm ok with announcing games in advance, even years in advance, but just gt the freakin date right the first time and stop w/ the delays. First announce a year, then a season, then a date. And guess long, not short, under promise, over deliver.
Guess this woudl be a better place for my previous questions:
Wil there be a PS4 slim if PS4k Neo is a higher end model?
When can we realistically expect Neo?
I still think a Neo FFXV bundle would be a perfect starting point, Kingsglaive on 4k blu ray, but it is a Squenix game not Sony's so maybe not the perfect fit I'd like. But I'd have Sept 30th circled on my calendar for awhile now, just in case.
@WebHead I suppose a Spring 2017 date is still possible, I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that.
@rjejr I second the PS4 Slim question. If Microsoft is releasing a XB1 Slim, then surely Sony will release a PS4 Slim to compete with it?
Mostly I just want a cheaper and slimmer model...even at $350 New the PS4 is still too expensive for me.
@sub12 yeah, agreed! They have an uphill battle with the NX.
When you think about it, the WiiU has sold 12million (give it take) or so, I would think 10million of those sales are super fans like myself, the other 2 or 3 million are kids or family's or people who like to have all systems each generation. So, 10million (pulling numbers out if the air here) hard core sales, hmm, that's a very low mega fan Base to me.
They better have the ultimate system at launch and continue with amazing games from there on out or Sony will keep killing them, even Microsoft will over take them again with the Scorpio. It's kinda worrying/sad days for Nintendo at the moment. Hope they can turn it looks around.
@Neolit I never saw the PS4 on sale for $300 New during Black Friday or Christmas 2015, source links please?
What they'll probably do this year is just add a standalone $300 console only sale, instead of you needing a bundle for it to be $300.
Basically Scorpio is the Xbox two or four or whatever number system they make up, there's much too big of a gap in power. Where as Neo feels like a half step to see the PS4 through a few more years to the PS5. Having said that with Microsoft releasing all of its games on windows 10 anyway with cross buy, won't many gamers simply drift towards pc?
@BLPs Ah yes. Sega Saturnday, what an event 😋
If Sony did pull Neo because of Xbox then it fly's in the face of everything Sony has been doing this gen. Sammy said best recently "Sony has been anything but reactionary".
They announced PS4 first which I think caught MS off guard but where smart to not announce release dates and price to just the right moment. And they recently repeated it with PSVR where they waited till HTC and Occulus set out there price and business strategy so that when Sony reveal their much cheaper price point it gains a massive amount of positive PR.
My gut instinct tells me Sony will show PS4K at Gamescom with a release within the month. At the moment Sony have no incentive to bring a much more powerful system out so soon because they have an install that might well be 60m by the time Scorpio comes out and already trying push VR which is a unique gaming experience that neither MS or Nintendo can so far offer. Get PS4K out which offers minor improvements, let MS do it's thing, then within the next year or two after Scorpio, announce PlayStation 5.
@adf86
I'm pretty sure that 75% of the motivation behind Neo was PSVR......and the fact that the baseline PS4 will probably struggle with anything thats more advanced graphically than the equivalent of a SEGA Model 2 arcade game from 1993/1994.
Xbox division sneakily trying to end this generation soon because they are so far behind they really can't catch up...SCORPIO is more like a new console even if they say upgrade. And whit their brilliant cross buy idea for Windows 10 and xbox nome with a decent pc has a valid reason to buy a xbox now. Not that they had many interesting exclusives to begin with... Not being a fangirl but seriously I can't understand their marketing
'Instant gratification' is a great marketing concept, and I am all for it, difficult to keep under wraps, though, for projects (hardware, software), which take years to initiate, develop and complete, with a massive branching chains of companies=people involved. Sony tried with PS4K but was ultimately forced to address (tactfully, might I add).
Speaking of projects, @rjejr, I work in a project environment and there is a running joke in the project manager community that whatever timescales you arrive at and resources you plan for, add another flat 50% on top and you have a 'realistic' idea of what is going to happen. We are talking about multi-million cash projects here. Combine with 1st point and I am surprised the reality isn't actually worse than it is. It p****s me off, too, but it is true nobody quite cracked it yet for the highly desired/anticipated software and hardware.
@Feena
The original Xbox also lasted 4 years on the market, so it isn't exactly unprecedented. I would argue that 4 years in the minimum amount of time you can support a midly successful console. Nintendo was trying to do the same thing with the NX.
@sub12 That remains to be seen because every VR game has ran on PS4, I'd be very surprised if Sony had games that didn't at least run at 60fps on PS4.
Microsoft wish to get back on top, the only way to do that is to bring out the Scorpio before Sony can bring out the PS5. The Neo can't compete with the Scorpio with its current specs. It's going to be interesting in the next couple of years. But one good thing will be backwards compatibility on the new platforms....they are all x86 Linux or Windows (virtual machine) boxes, so playing old games at 700p or 1080p should be fine, besides the TV will upscale to 4k on the fly....
@Neolit @ToddlerNaruto "a cheaper and slimmer model"
And don't forget the bigger HDD. Can't keep it at 500GB forever, not when MS is offering 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. I agree the PS4 is already small, so a "Slim" might not be in store, but I've read numerous accounts of the HDMI port/chip not working w/ 2.0, it's only 1.4 or something, so a new "4k" port may be in order. I thikn Sony likes decorating that faceplate, so maybe the outside stays the same but the inside changes?
Depends I suppose on PS4k Neo timing and price, but I think 1TB at $349 is due. And $299 at Christmas is probable.
@adf86
I'm sure they will run, how well, that remains to be seen.....but let's be realistic here, there is a reason why Sony thought it was within their interest to create a more powerful console, and that's VR.
A PC with the equivalent specs of the base PS4 would not be considered an optimal platform for VR.
@finalstan "the reality isn't actually worse than it is."
I'd say Zelda being due out in 2015 - the very director of the game said it would be out in 2015 in December 2014, that was only days away - is worse enough for me. 2 years is kinda late. I can deal w/ a month or 2 or 3 like Uncharted 4 and No Man's Sky, but when any project is 2 years late, somebody needs to be fired.
Guys saying that PS5 is coming in 2 or 3 years are delusional! Last gen lasted for 8 years.
@Frank90
The last generation lasted as long as it did due to the worldwide economic crisis that started in mid 2008 and affected most nations for a good four or five years afterwards. Had it not happened, and consumer spending was high, we probably would have seen new consoles in the late 2010-2012 timeframe.
Anyways, it's becoming obvious that due to the greater push by Microsoft and Sony to build hardware designs that directly support a common ecosystem with older machines,......the old ways of thinking about console generations may not be so cut and dry anymore.
@sub12 Yes, nintendo is also cutting the WiiU life cycle short (and their post SNES consoles tend to have a 5 years life cycle to begin with) but it's a much more clear cut. Microsoft's approach, while interesting, is baffling. Why buy an Xbox now if I can play all the already scarce first party exclusives on Windows 10 and a new console will be here in 18 months?
It's nice that they could support the first years of the console with software that runs on the Xbone as well but with those impressive specs, it's fair to think that they are planning to have Scorpio-only titles down the line.
@Neolit Thanks for proving me wrong, how did I forget that lol?
Why are you so sure the PS4 will drop down to $249 though?
@rjejr Oh duh, yeah bigger HDD size, fixed ports etc.
I could see a 1TB (or 2TB) $350 PS4 Slim, with $300 during Christmas.
i think neo is due to the vr.However,i really want 60fps now so i guess hopefully the ps4n will provide that more than the original.Psvr,well..Vr on the scorpio is almost def to be better.Except people having been reporting some gnarly issues with the occuls rift compared to psvr.The thing about scorpio is it runs on the win 10,system hog thats needs better hardware components to run at an equivilent standard of a dedicated console o.s for games.okay closed arctictechture but is it though? I think Sony should of put off vr till next generation,curent gen console are underpowerd so thats really the issue i guess..thats the root of the whole fiasco.Personally i don't find psvr very appealing,haven't tried one though and immersive survival horror vr ip's seem kind of exciting.
@Neolit But is that firmware ugradeable, a new chip, or a new port? If it needs new hardware it's still something they could put in a new PS4 Slim, no? Netflix is waiting for 4k streaming.
@ToddlerNaruto "I could see a 1TB (or 2TB) $350 PS4 Slim, with $300 during Christmas."
I'd prefer a Sept 30th bundled w/ FFXV.
@rjejr Sadly I don't see such a hypothetical slim model releasing that soon.
I'm thinking more Fall 2016, maybe bundled with Rise of the Tomb Raider, or even Watch_Dogs 2?
@Frank90 Thats because the PS3 was a power house especially compared to these console of day, if you think this generation will last 8years your the one being delusional.
Scorpio is definitely only an upgrade seeing as its only designed for 4K gaming, otherwise if you don't own a 4K TV Scorpio will be useless for you.
@Feena
For the Windows 10 argument, a lot of people do not have gaming PC's, or just prefer consoles in general.
Why buy the XB1 S?, a couple of reasons come to mind, (A), it's an upgrade to your launch XB1 and you have the money to spend, (B), you want a 4K media player and your also interested in Microsoft franchises, (C), since everything will be backwards compatabile, you can get an XB1 S now with the future promise that in late 2017 you'll be able to buy the most powerful console on the market while also being able to do a quick transfer of your games library from the XB1 to the Scorpio.
@sub12 Yes, of course, I said "if you have a decent pc" for the Windows 10 deal - and in the end they did lose all the first party exclusive that are now "console exclusives". For the second part of your reply, it makes sense if you wanted an Xbone in the first place and not many people did according to sales. Not trying to be salty, just trying to see their angle. I can't see their situation improving, unless until Scorpio, if that really manages to hit the market. Of course I am not an analyst so I'll probably be totally wrong but I was as surprised as Sony to see the "announcement" - of what really? A name?
This isn't meant to sound tribal but the lack of details on the Scorpio had me shrugging my shoulders, especially when they built it up so much. They basically said: "We're doing another console and it's going to be great." Which is what everyone would've assumed anyway.
Also, with Xbox One no longer having any exclusives (it shares everything with Windows 10), it just made me think that this might happen with Scorpio too. If so, I might as well buy a PC as it would seem pointless to own one.
@Churchy Thank you, I started to think I was going crazy. Basically Sony already "announced" Neo as well, then. We now the codename and that it is coming out...
@Feena
I agree that the situation probably won't improve for MS at all until Scorpio, but I think they have already conceited defeat as far as being the market leader.......however, the One S is still a good option for those who want to jump into the Xbox brand or improve on their current launch unit.
@sub12 I think you mean conceded not conceited. I don't think Microsoft is proud about being defeated by Sony. And I think the xbox one s is only worthwhile if you have the money to burn. But if you don't, rather save up for the upcoming Scorpio, or just buy a pc since xbox games are going there too.
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