Sony must release PS4 before Xbox 720, advises analyst
PS4 was revealed for a 'holiday' 2013 release last night, and it has got the analysts talking. EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich has stated that Sony's reveal was effective, and that the company is taking its next-gen console in the "proper" direction. Releasing first will be the key to its success, he said.
In a statement sent to VG247, Divnich said of last night's reveal, "In our current climate, console sales have stagnated. We've squeezed nearly every bit of innovation out of the current platforms and consumer interest in high-definition gaming is waning. Sony's timing was perfect."
"Sony's best chance at changing momentum is being first to market."
On the nature of PS4 itself, Divnich believes that the rig's connectivity, multimedia capability and potential for high-spec titles are all wise moves. "Sony is taking their next generation platform in the proper direction," he said.
"Judging by today's presentation, Sony is putting a strong focus on game content and connectivity, which is the lifeblood of any platform, and we are ecstatic that an entirely new generation of content is right around the corner. Today's announcement is a silver lining in what has been a somber year in the news for console gaming."
Divnich also said it was wise of Sony to announce its new platform ahead of Microsoft, allowing Sony to capture 100% of gamer's attention.
"Sony's announcement now gives publishers plenty of time to prepare for E3 and it shifts the focus of the show to the software, which ultimately is what gamers look forward to the most.
"There are pros and cons to both announcing early and potentially being the first market, but what it comes down to is the current sentiment in the market. If the market is vibrant, thriving, and innovation is still occurring, you generally want to abstain from being first to market with a new technology.
On Sony's huge list of confirmed third-party developers and publishers - see the entire list here - Divnich said that while names were announced, he expects some of them to hold off from releasing games on the format immediately at launch, but cautioned that being aggressive, and being quick to market is the key to capturing the imagination of gamers.
"Publishers have been burned lately on launching software early in a technology cycle, and we understand that with the multitude of other more established and emerging technology it may be safer to take a "wait-and-see" approach.
"We disagree, and while many publishers will be cautious, the few that are aggressive are likely to see huge returns, in addition to building new intellectual properties. EEDAR research indicates the most optimal time to launch new properties are during the early period of a console cycle.
"We can't stress enough to our third-party publishers. If you take a wait-and-see approach to the next-generation of HD platforms you will be left behind and likely put yourself in a critical catch-up strategy that could lead to rushed decisions and development schedules that ultimately hinder product quality."
Finally, on the matter of pricing, Divnich isn't surprised that Sony didn't unveil any numbers last night, "For competitive reasons, I am not surprised that pricing was not discussed. I think Sony learned a valuable lesson with the launch of the PlayStation 3 and I wouldn't expect the same mistakes to be made next generation. We wouldn't expect pricing announcements until closer to launch."
What do you make of the above? Meanwhile check out our run-down of PS4 reveal coverage here:
PS4 reveal trailers: all in one place.
PS4 has 8GB of RAM, almost 2 teraflops of computational performance.