They could. It probably wouldn't be profitable but it would make early Wii U adopters think twice. So why isn't Sony releasing a PS4 this holiday? THE 10-YEAR PLAN. Delaying the PS4 release until late 2013/early 2014 is the smartest move. It means a more powerful console that is future-proof.(Yes, power does matter as it opens up a lot of gameplay possibilites)

Anyway there is no need for a PS4 right now. PS3 is still selling well(especially in Europe) and there are lots of great 1st party games to look forward to. I also think that the Super Slim PS3 release means the PS4 is nowhere near release. Sony could very well wait until holiday 2014 at the latest. What it all comes down to is how the market reacts to the Wii U, and also Microsofts plans for the next Xbox.

Agree with me? Disagree? 

Agree... there are no need for PS4 now... PS3 still is the future.

How many unprofitable systems can Sony handle? Theres no such 10 year plan delusion. Sony simply can not afford another bleeding console. They need to make money.

I rather they charge $399 for something that would be worth upgrading to. PS3/360 are holding quite well graphically for now. They would be competing with themselves if they don't have some sort of jump in the next gen systems.

This has nothing to do at all with a "ten year plan" or a (minor) PS3 redesign. The next Playstation will be manufactured with 28nm parts (apparently AMD/ATI stuff if we are to believe the rumours). Go check the technical details about GF/Taiwan Inc and where they stand with their 28nm technology lines. There is a reason why these new PC graphic cards are still expensive, it is called yields and the yields are still way too low for low budget stuff.  The only way Sony could have started now woud have been going with Intel chips. The WiiU is tried and true 45nm stuff, probably with yields 90%. Don't expect the PS4 to be "four or five times as powerful as the WiiU" though. These are just pipe dreams.

I think you're looking the situation by a wrong pont of view. MS hasn't made a sucessor for his console, only Ninty made it. And MS has a lot more money than Nintendo.

We only have a new console now because Wii is not selling well anymore and Nintendo had to anticipate next gen. Sony and MS will just enjoy another year of good sales for their cheaper consoles, made money with it and, when their sales fall, launch a new console (2013/2014).

The 10 year plan is not delusional, it's just a distortion of truth. PS3 will be supported by 10 years, just like PS2 or PS1. They still have a lot of new market in Latin America, Asia and Africa to sell it. Is just doesn't means that they won't release another console during that period.

There is no need for PS4 currently. PS3 still has at least 2 more years in front of it, especially with the The Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls, God of War, Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns and so forth coming in 2013. Sony should concentrate and focus on expanding the Vita library first before adventuring into the PS4 territory.

You are ignoring history to prove your point.

- 10 Year plan means nothing. It just means SONY plans to support the console along side any other ones currently on the market. It will NOT cockblock a PS4. Sony has 6 year plan for actual successors.
- Super Slim means nothing - Sony released the PSone remodel right as the PS2 came out. Showing remodels wont cockblock a successor.

The reasons you have listed for a delayed PS4 have never stopped SONY in the past.

Since you are throwing the restriction of profitability out of the window, sure, they could do it easily. But I don't think it would make a lot of potential Wii U customers rethink their purchase. You should know this, but the first 5 million buy the console regardless of price, games or competition.



Kinda OT, but I believe that the "razor & blades" model will be Sony's demise. They are sitting on an audience that doesn't think it's a cool move from Sony to release a powerful console at an affordable price (read: heavy loss), they demand it. It's not a bullet point anymore, it's the bottom line. The r&b model barely works out for Sony now, but they recently have closed down some first party blades and next generation the third party blades could very well spread themselves thin on three consoles instead of only two.
Sony will need another revenue stream to keep this model going and I think they are already transitioning into a "pay for online" model. Right now Sony is throwing a lot of games at people to buy into PS+ and ideally when they announce that online play will be incorporated into PS+ the outcry will be pretty small because most people already have subscribed. So from their perspective the status quo wouldn't change at all with this move. But in 3 years people will be paying for online play on PS4 and the amount of free games will be drastically reduced.

From a customers perspective it's better to stay with one console (in this case the PS3) because it's still have great games, and will probably be supported for a long time.

But from a business perspective, Sony HAVE to release a new console not too long after the new xbox, if they don't people will go for the new systems, the normal consumer (not counting the casuals here) will buy the "better" option which is the new consoles. And like it or not the Wii U and the next xbox will overshadowed the PS3 (if both consoles are successful). 

Sony will at least hint the PS4 at next year E3 (if they planned to release one) and will launch a couple of months after the next xbox (or at the same time).