Erm... If Sony wanted a console with similar power to the Wii U, they would just keep the PS3 and bundle it with a Vita permanently O.o

A PS3 to Wii-U power boost for a new console would be so incredibly miniscule, it would be utterly useless!

I agree with kain_kusanagi that Msoft will go the extra mile with the nextbox. If only because they have the money for it and because that's what they did with the xbox360 and worked wonders for them. They have gone from selling 22 millions to sell 70, earning a lot of money and being the "hardcore" console of choice in the US. Why do they have to change?

Sony will also try to make a big jump, but in their case they will try to lose as little money as possible. Yes, the currency of the Yen is hurting them, but don't forget that people bought PS3s at $499 and that thought they have always had the most expensive console this gen, they have sold almost as machines as Microsoft. They could launch it at $399 or $449 for a profit or very small loss and still be successful.

That's why we heard rumors of 8-core CPUs for the nextbox with an HD7xxx series GPU for the nextbox while we hear about APUs with an aditional GPU in Xfire.

After todays news about Sony I have doubts that there will be a PS4 ever. Sonys history will come to an end soon.

this is what i've been thinking from the beginning...

why the hell should ms and sony release new consoles when they don't improve much upon what is already out?

makes absolutely no sense...

tbh i really wasn't that excited for next gen anyway but if that does happen i may not be a part of it for a long while if at all

I see MS getting a 2013 release, effectively getting another head start on Sony.

The casual box will be a great way to sell to the masses out of the gate. Hopefull it can be upgraded to the core Xbox if consumers so choosed. Even if the next Xbox will be more powerful and therefore higher in cost, its year head start will enable them to get more install base and more opportunity to lower manufacturing costs.

It will be ironic for all the graphics crazy PS3 fans to therefore have to chose between PS4 and the more powerful Xbox.

Their gaming division is one of the few divisions that makes them money.

They only have to release the console without a loss or at a very small one (see Nintendo launching WiiU at a loss but making money when sold with a game).

@o_O.Q : BenVTrigger could explain it better, but just by launching new consoles, the whole market would benefit from it. It's stupid, but people want new things even if they aren't much better than the ones they already have. Case in point: Apple devices. They aren't groundbreaking, usually being just minor improvements, yet people buy them.

I'm expecting PS4 to be more powerful than Wii U for sure, but it won't be such a leap that Wii U won't be getting good ports. We won't be having a second PS630>>>>>>>>>>>>Wii situation.

I also belive MS will go the extra mile; if only because sony WON'T be able to. I'm just not sure that's the right way to proceed. That would mean that Wii U and PS4 would be similar in power and would be able to run the same game with only minor differences in graphics. Now, imagine if the WiiStation install base is 100 million while the x3ox install base is 50 million (we split the market evenly between the consoles). Which install base do you think 3rd party developers will choose to make games for? The similarly Wii U and PS4 with 100 million sold units, or the much more powerful x3ox with 50 million consoles sold? Hint: it's not the x3ox. For games to run properly on WiiStation 3rd parties will not use the raw power of the x3ox, because that would mean risking to NOT sell enough games on Wii U and PS4.

We'll have a reversed Wii situation

I completely agree. I have been saying that for a while but everyone just laughs at me cause they didnt have the foresight.

That is why i always said the Wii U has a real chance of winning next gen.

Sony cant play microsoft's game this gen, their only chance is to glue to Nintendo making their combined sales the large majority of the market and leaving microsoft to be the outsider. Imagine rougly Wii sales + PS3 sales vs 360 sales. With similar specs, developers will bring their games to the first two as the main market and then might port it to the more powerful Xbox.

But, Microsoft arent dumb like Sony execs. They want to launch with kinect and that costs money. The difference is, they can take the losses. For Microsoft the scenarios are: Similar in power to the others with kinect at a competitive price, resulting in all going fair game. But, Microsoft is more devious than that. They will make a more powerful machine and they will see it at a lower price than the PS4. That is their trump card and strength. They can take losses. If Microsoft goes for a price war, they will push Sony out of the market, BUT if the PS4 glues to the Wii U, they would always have the majority of the market together unless indeed Microsoft manages to make a very enticing offer.

With all this, the Wii U at a competitive price, with the other consoles gluing to it roughly in terms of power and having released one year earlier and having powerful nintendo franchises has a really good chance of taking the prize home.

I am very curious to see how things pan out. I was planning to get a Playstation 4 next gen because i want to play online (and im not paying microsoft to do it). Given the PS4 is starting to sound like a risky purchase, the Wii U appears in good position to me. I would still rather go back to Sony for PSN+ and free online gaming.

I forgot to mention: If Sony keeps showing their tactless aproach and indeed launch a powerful system at a high price, they will most probably be ratted out of the market by microsoft most effectively, with their much cheaper but just as powerful system. Without money, theres nothing Sony can do about it. Lets hope they have learned.

It's not as simple as userbase = support. If it was, Wii would have a much. much bigger library. It's also about the audience, which is the reason Nintendo has stated several times that they want to regain the harcores with WiiU.

And don't forget that if the nextbox is much more powerful, devs will be able to port their PS4/WiiU games to it easily as the hardware will compensate the lack of optimization. No, if the nextbox (or the PS4 although it is less likely) are much more powerful, they will also get the games, but they won't take advantage of that power.

But that's what 1st party games/studios are for.

Oh, and I'm afraid that PS4 will be too powerful to put it in the same ballpark as WiiU. They won't include a Gamepad like controller.

I think it will be something like  nextbox > PS4 >> WiiU, or WiiU = 1, PS4 = 2xWiiU, Nextbox = 1.5xPS4.