PS4 pricing to appeal to gamers "in the broadest sense"

Sony Worldwide Studios’ vice president Michael Denny has made a cryptic comment about the PlayStation 4's likely pricing which suggests you won't need a second job to pick up the newest big black box when it launches during the 2013 holiday season.

Speaking with Edge, Denny said Sony has learned from its mistakes with the PlayStation 3, which launched at $599, an astounding figure.

"I guess the first thing to say is that we listen and learn and take the judgement from every console launch we ever have and we have to be informed by what the strengths of our PlayStation 3 system have been, but also the challenges of that," the executive said.

"We want a system that can reach as broad a gaming audience as possible but whilst being a system that’s deep, connected, rich and immersive and is going to give a very focused and differentiated experience than anything else that’s out there."

When pressed, Denny wouldn't go into specifics, saying there's plenty of time to reveal pricing further down the track.

"The initial announcement phase that we’re in now is just to explain the vision to everybody. Part of that vision is we have created a console absolutely focused on gamers – and we want that to be gamers in the broadest sense as well," he added.

"I think to some extent I can ask you to draw your own conclusions."

Well, the more people can afford the damn thing, the broader the install base will be. The PlayStation 4 uses a PC-like architecture which ought to be cheaper to manufacture than the bespoke components of the PlayStation 3. It's said to be much easier to develop for, too, so we ought to see more launch titles to give it a boost.