So this thought just popped in my head tonight and I had to get your take on it.

Do you think Sony has screwed it up for themselves in reguards to the next gaming system? I mean think about it, they released this ultra powerful system with capabilities far  exceeding any other console on the market. I don't know that next gen will see MS or Nintendo making a console that matches the raw power of the PS3. If that is the case, then what does Sony do? I think everybody has learned that making a console that vastly outweighes the competition is good for nobody...with the exception of fanboys and their mindless chanting and dick measuring.

It drove away many devs because it was too hard and costly to develope games for.

It drove away consumers because the only way Sony could afford to launch the console was at a muc h higher price point than the competition.

It drove away gamers because multiplats looked the same (or even worse in some cases) as the Xbox 360's games, this was due to the fact that it just wasn't worth the time or money to make multiplat games utilize the PS3 better.

It cost Sony millions which they are still trying to recoup.

There is no doubt that the PS3 is a technical powerhouse, and I suspect it may be way ahead of it's time. But now Sony has raised the bar, people will expect a n even better console next gen, and if Sony provides it, we will see a recap of this gen. Sony has put themselves in between a rock and a hard place, on one hand, they cannot afford to build a console that is vastly superior to the competition, on the otherhand, they cannot produce a console that is inferior to the one that they currently have on the market.

Your thoughts please???

releasing the ps3 with minor tweaking next gen and calling it the ps4 will be enough. considering cell isnt yet used to 100% they dont need a major improvement. 

Lets start with the "Its:"

1. "It drove away many devs because it was too hard and costly to develope games for."

Who did it drive away? As a 360 and PC gamer, the PS3 has more and better exclusives than the 360. Can you provide examples of game developers they drove away or lead to Microsoft?

2. "It drove away consumers because the only way Sony could afford to launch the console was at a muc h higher price point than the competition."

Yes, the price from 2006-2009 was drastically higher than the competition. This has been discussed to death. I don't see this happening with the PS4. I will be surprised if the PS4 is above $300 for the entry model.

3. "It drove away gamers because multiplats looked the same (or even worse in some cases) as the Xbox 360's games, this was due to the fact that it just wasn't worth the time or money to make multiplat games utilize the PS3 better."

I could also argue that the $50/year Xbox Live Gold subscription has drove players from the 360 to the PS3's PlayStation Network. If we are debating who has the larger online community, then yes the PS3 is less attractive because less people means less noobs to compete with and get better with.

4. "It cost Sony millions which they are still trying to recoup."

There have been posts about Sony losing $4-5 billion on the PS3 from 2006 until the price drops. This is a much, much heated topic of debate. Hot like the core of the sun.

I disagree no further.

As for Sony, the best they can do is hope that Nintendo does not end this generation before 2014. Once Nintendo starts the next generation all talk of 360 sales vs. PS3 sales vs. Wii sales becomes completely irrelevant as the expectation is now on who has the newest, shiniest console and who will sell the most.

Talking about the PS3 sales once the Wii 2 is out is equivalent to someone crowing about the PS2's sales in 2008. Most will think this branded loser had been hiding under a rock with his PS2 the whole time.

Looking at 2011, I would call it the "year of the PS3." Excellent game lineup.

Then again, it may be the "year that Nintendo 3DS revolutionized the way we look at 3D entertainment and disrupted Sony's 3D television ambitions in the process." Like how Elvis popularized Rock N' Roll but did not create it (Chuck Berry did), it does not matter who created the 3DS technology, but Nintendo will popularize it and forever be associated with it. Same goes for Apple, the iPod and mp3. Apple did not create the mp3, some German techies did, but Apple took it and popularized it with the iPod.

Time will tell. but Sony for the short-term year or so will be just fine and will make more than enough profits to successfully launch the PS4.

I find this view suprising:

I think the N6 will probably be about 2 - 2.5x as the PS3 and the 720 will be about 3.5 - 4x as much.

There will be no doubt that next gen will see significant leaps in power, just look at the DS - 3DS jump.  The emphasis will be on keeping costs down, and that can still be done with a console which is a graphical powerhouse, Nintendo made a profit (albeit a small one) with every Gamecube sold at launch at £149, and that was amazingly powerful for it's time.

Right now the PS3 is stealing exclusives left and right and you think their future is compromised? Get on with the times please.

If Nintendo can go from third to first, then I can't see how that would be impossible for Sony. That is all.

No, do not worry about Sony.

Make it easier to program for. That is all,sir. lol

no it hasn't

and the only reason devs don't choose it as the main platform is that they have other platforms to make a game for,if PS3 had high sales from the start up then devs will just fouc on PS3 alone like PS2.

if PS4 launches at $399 then it will have good sales from start up and will sell great.

My thoughts on PS4...

It wont be a drastic change in "graphics" as we saw from PS2 to PS3. They wont NEED to improve that much. Games like Killzone 2 and Uncharted 2 are graphically stunning. We don't really need games to look much better... And yet we have Killzone 3 and Gran Turismo 5 looking to push that boundary even further. The games look so good now that... They don't need to be looking all that much better.

Blu-ray, I think... Will be used again. There will be a better Blu-ray drive. Bigger Blu-ray discs... And we are yet to see a Blu-ray disc maxed out for a single game. Blu-ray itself is now becoming much more mainstream, but a lot less quicker than DVD did. It would be stupid of Sony IMO to try bring out another new expensive disc tech when Blu-ray is still growing, and can easily be used in the future.

Next gen, Microsoft wont be using DVD's. 360 games are already pushing DVD's. Look no further than the 360's own Forza 3 for one recent example. Forza 4, 5 and maybe even 6 will have much more content and will look much better. Microsoft wont want to use 3 discs for a single game everytime they release a big game. Same for devs. They will need to upgrade... And Blu-ray seems the best bet as of right now IMO.

The Cell. It's fantastic... And now a LOT cheaper than it was before. Again, they don't need to drastically upgrade next time around. A small upgrade on the tech inside the PS3 will keep it looking state of the art and will keep it cheap. Something Sony REALLY need next gen. They don't want to launch another console at $600, losing $200 on each. They don't have to have the best looking games. The PS2 didn't, and it sold 140 Million. The Wii hasn't, and it's breaking more records than I can count.

Games - Speaking of games. Sony have created a LOT of new franchises this generation. The 1st party is bigger than ever before, and they are experiencing GREAT sales from these new franchises. EA have a great partnership with Sony. They have multiple different control options going into the next generation. DualShock, Move, PS Eye. The PlayStation name is still a huge name in gaming. We can see this from continued PS2 sales and even PSP sales that go hand in hand with great PS3 sales.

Speaking of PS2 sales, these will also help. Sony are releasing the PS2 in new markets. These markets will expand and become future strongholds for PS3/PS4 or whatever.

Remember. The sales don't come from the graphics. They come from the games that USE those graphics. If Sony can get out the major titles quickly next gen... Killzone. Resistance. Uncharted. Ratchet. Gran Turismo... They have a great chance of encouraging 3rd parties to work on the console due to the fanbases of said games well... Being there, due to Sony.

If PS4 can release for less than $400, and can get on the market 1st or 2nd... I think it has a great chance of winning the generation.