PS4: Sony went for “cheaper hardware” for fear of smaller install base - Cousins

PS4 is made up of cheaper hardware than its predecessor because Sony fears it will see a smaller install base in next-gen, ex-Battlefield producer and EA exec Ben Cousins has suggested.

[lnvisibleMan]

With the ps4, Sony has created a great ecosystem for game developers. But at the end of the day it is up to developers to inovate. Hear me EA.

[MikeMyers]

Sony needs to innovate as well and I believe they will. One of the jobs of anyone who releases a platform is to lead the charge and show what it has to offer. Sony knows the PS3 had a negative image in the beginning due to its high price. I don't think they will make the same mistake. A game console needs to also be affordable, otherwise you might as well build a PC.

Sony also knows they have to attract the mainstream public and that the gaming world around them has changed. The developers so far seem pleased with the hardware which is always a good sign and Sony went knocking on their door to see what it was they wanted.

The thing is we all need to just accept gamers of all stripes. Those who play casual games, those who enjoy motion type games, those who like hardcore games and the indie scene. We often want to label people out of ignorance or because we feel threatened by their existence without realizing gaming can expand. There just has to be a good balance of the software you provide.

[aCasualGamer]

There is no doubt in my mind Sony will come out as the winner of nextgen if they keep up the good work. By good work i mean focus on games ofcourse and not "TV channel services for gaming consoles".

[darthv72]

sony went against the grain of the industry. They didnt build easy systems to program for, they built systems to challenge the creativity within the developers.

so now they take a change of direction and build a system the devs are interested in. Now they could have done that because of developer pressure to have a platform with a quick turnaround on investment OR they could have done it because they know the cost of specialized programming tools adds to the development cost and some companies just dont have that kind of $$ to spend.

For whatever their reason, sony made a change to their strategy. We will know by the quality of the titles released if that change was good or bad.

will developers take the easy route and turn out games that arent up to the quality sony is synonymous for? or will they try and push their creative side to use the more familiar platform design in unique ways nobody thought of?

Proof is in the pudding.

[Denethor_II]

"For whatever their reason, sony made a change to their strategy. We will know by the quality of the titles released if that change was good or bad."

You have absolutely no reason to doubt the quality of games released for the next Sony console. Look at the legacy they have created.

Sony taking this route is the only way forward after last gen. It's a positive thing.

[gaffyh]

They didn't use cheaper hardware because of a fear of a small install base. They went for cheaper hardware because the company as a whole is struggling and needs to be able to make as much money as possible, but at the same time, they wanted to offer gamers a serious upgrade from their current consoles.

[darthv72]

I don't doubt "Sony" or their 1st/2nd party divisions. I know they will deliver above and beyond the rest.

It's "the rest" that i have doubt with. Taking the easy route generally results in quick and dirty cash in type of games that feel unfinished and/or incomplete. thus resulting in the DLC routine and patches up the whazoo.

We really can only expect nothing but the finest work from sony and if Sony has some sort of clause that there be no cheap shovelware released for the PS4 then we will likely see games released for it that have no place.

They may have a higher standard for their own IP's but unless they hold the same standard to all other 3rd parties then a platform that is cheap and easy will result in similar titles from 3rd parties just trying to make a fast buck.

The hardware may exceed the previous generation but if the games do not then what's the use? Sony needs to hold every developer accountable for their software if it is to be released on the PS4. Quality control needs to be enforced. But with costs at an all time high, they probably cant be picky about every detail and we will get unfavorable releases like we have seen in every generation before.

@gaffy...if sony is struggling then i fear we will get quantity over quality this time around. Sony making a system easy to develop for opens the flood gate to any/every kind of game developer that wants to release their game.

I dont have a problem with the ones that show a legitimate passion for creating something fun but at the same time there will be those with the quick and easy way of thinking that will flood the market with crap that buries the good stuff like what we see on ios and droid devices.

yeah, i just compared the PS4 to the mobility market. If there is no quality control....that is where things are headed.

[Denethor_II]

@darthv27
tbh It seems to me that you're kind of stating a business practice that Sony have been excising for nearly twenty years, and that's quality control. Sony are for the core gamers, and with their multitude of studios there's no worry there. In regards to multiplats I don't think Sony can direly dictate the standard there anyway.

[AntoineDcoolette]

Kudos to Sony for learning from their PS3 F!@# up fiasco.

1) Working closely with studios to get insight into how to make developer friendly hardware instead of some BS unnecessarily complicated cell processor 2.0

2) 8 gigs of RAM so that developers will once again not get knee capped

3) Less expensive hardware that will hopefully draw in a larger audience; perhaps a lot of the people who were put off by the initial high price point of the PS3

[PopRocks359]

Any company needs to innovate to stay relevant. I think Sony's social network ideas are pretty solid. I honestly don't mind it using lower than expected specs if it 1) helps the system be more affordable and more competitive in the market and 2) helps keep Sony in the black more so than the PS3 did in its initial years.

The graphics for the upcoming exclusives look just under the par of CGI movies, so honestly do not mind what they're doing right now and I'm surprised that it's received as much criticism as it has (no console?! DERPY DOO!).

[Gaming101]

This has confirmed what I've been saying all along. Sony saw the backlash after they charged a measly $100 extra for the PS3's top end model, so now they have to make it cheaper. They can't include a better shader modeler since it would be too costly. I think Sony should have beefed up the PS4 and sold it for a couple extra hundred bucks, or at least have the option to sell it for more, with a cheaper $500 option like last time, at least we would be getting a better console!

[Dee_91]

ugh
flamebait titles

full quote.
"so maybe that’s a kind of defensive move against their expectation that they’re not going to have the same install base, or maybe they just want to hit profitability quicker because of Sony’s less stable financial state at the moment.”

Just saying the 1st part makes no sense and makes it a dumb suggestion without explanation (which cousins did explain but that explanation is still just his assumption)

The latter makes much more sense.So that shouldve been the title instead.

[gaffyh]

@Darth - Quality depends on the developer not the console itself. Sony's first and second party developers will continue to make amazing games that will still be more optimized than the majority of third party titles.

[Hayabusa 117]

@darthv72

So...developer friendly hardware=lazy developers? Give me some examples. As far as I can tell, crap games are crap games. The original Playstation was easy to develop for, yet the original Playstation out performed the N64 and Saturn in terms of quantity...so quality? Well, do you reckon the N64 and saturn had better games then PS1? PS1 certainly had it's fair share of "quality games", and these games didn't seem to have much trouble standing out from crowd of common dross.

Sony do have a set of technical standards that every game must meet before shipping (it's called a TRC) whether or not they reach YOUR pius standards, I don't know. And I don't see the need in filtering out the rubbish games either. You have to take the good with bad, that's life. It's up to you to decide which games you want to play and which ones you want to avoid. Who keeps the quality filter on all the music that gets made these days?

[Sy_Wolf]

As much as I love gaming on a PC, Sony has a fantastic lineup of exclusives which can motivate people to buy a PS4 as well.

[Kevin ButIer]

Fear... come on... It wasn't fear it's part of their objectives, to have a big install base.

[thechosenone]

Sony is the global leader in console sales, so what do they have to be worried about exactly? Also MS went with even cheaper hardware than the PS4 so does that mean that they have twice the level of anxiety and fear of losing out market share?

Fear mongering article is just fear mongering.

[Objective]

Seems like Sony is no longer so arrogant and has come to realize that it has lost a huge chunk of market share and projects itself as losing even more next gen. Sony must start making decisions that make financial sense if it wants to survive next gen.

[N4g_null]

Sony should release a price then if it is cheaper then they can solidify preorder before ms even announces. This could be a good gen for them.

[Freedomland]

@Invisibleman

This is not suggested by EA but by some ex-employees. These websites always twist and tell, just to get more hits. Look at the title, writer has created a sensational title by mixing to statements in a different contexts. Shallow journalism, something is under the rug.

[adorie]

I find it appalling how so many articles leeching off the same interview by the EA exec, twisting headlines to get the hits and kickstart the fanboy wars even more, make it past failed status.

If these mods and community on N4G were serious about cleaning this crap up, this place could begin to find a balance.

It's almost as annoying as the fanboys who derail threads to talk about fanboys. SMFH

[Gamer1982]

cheaper hardware does not always equal inferior hardware. Look at the 360 it always had the cheapest of hardware to stay cheaper than the ps3 and still make profit..

[TheLyonKing]

Cheaper doesn't always mean worse, Sony quality is good quality.

Once the install base is established i wouldn't be surprised if they realesed a better spec one.

*by better spec I don't mean ram etc*

What mean is a bigger hard drive or built in functionality for something's or even just am extra USB slot. If they went for the cheap option then it's highly likely they would release a more expensive one. Seems business models are lost on some people

[M-M]

Doesn't work that way.

[Utalkin2me]

So they don't release ones with bigger HDD or in the 360 case add wifi and hdmi? They do this all the time.

[Omar91]

@Utalkin2me: yes they do do this all the time, however if you noticed for example the ps3 had hardware removed such as usb slots BC before they added the extra hard drives.

[PS4isKing_82]

@Thelyonking Since when has that ever happened? No console maker ever released a system and updated its specs midway thru its life cycle. That's not how the console business works.

The specs of the ps4 are amazing as they are already. If a person wants any better, that's what pcs are for.

[KrystofKage]

In terms of quality, sure they have.

Pretty sure the xbox 360s was a pretty big upgrade in regards to hardware. Infact, comparing the original 360 to the current one and you'll see a world of difference(most people don't even remember there was no HDMI port in the first release).

[Baylex]

Did you read what he written? he talked about HDD, usb slots! And yes that happened before.. the first ps3 had 4 usb slots and the next ones had only 2. There are a lot of ps3 versions with differents hdd. You should read before writting...

[Utalkin2me]

This is embarrassing...lol. Learn to read people.

[DOMination-]

To all guys above and below telling people that they should learn how to read: The original poster CLEARLY edited the post after the confusion over the point. The point about HDD and USB was clarified AFTER all the other posts were made.

[insomnium2]

Yeah I think MS is the only one to ever release a better version afterwards. I mean ofc better by HDMI (something fundamental). MS is also the only one to ever make the games require a HDD even when they sold a HDD-less version of their console and publicly said that HDD is not a mandatory purchase.

But hey I've come to learn that it's forbidden to talk about these things on this site. You get called a Sony nuthugger the minute you speak of these things. That's why I lost my bubbles. Broken system is broken. I can hear the angry typing right now so I'll make my escape before it happens.

[WeAreLegion]

What about Sega 32X?

[DS36]

@insomnium2 dont forget
XBOX 360 core package released in 2005
No HDD
No HDMI
No Built-in Wifi
HD-DVD (failed)
No HD-DVD player
No wireless controller
All this was added later.
And the joke about it is that, if you added these missing features to the core or the arcade, at that time, it would have costed more than a high end PS3 at launch ($599).

PS3 in still pretty much the same minus 2 usb ports, dual shock and BC. People don't realize how much M$ nickled and dimed the xbox faithful at launch with their console.

That's why I'm going to wait and see to evaluate both consoles before making my final decision. But as of right now its leaning towards sony again.

[cayleee]

"Once the install base is established i wouldn't be surprised if they realesed a better spec one."

Depends on what you mean by "Better Spec", if a slimmer version is what you are thinking, then thats not a better Spec. Its just shrunk down.

The Spec will remain constant for the life of the console. Dont get your hopes up for a upgrade.

[Hydrolex]

a better spec one ?

your source is legit, good stuff, don't smoke too much tho

[Utalkin2me]

I like how most people just skimmed read your "better spec one" then just commented on that. But didn't finish to read you saying "bigger HDD" or "Extra USB slots", you said nothing of the sort of better GPU or CPU.

Classic selective reading, my wife has something similar, which is called selective hearing.

[GiggMan]

His original post was edited. The *asterisks* and below was added after everyone assumed he was talking about RAM, GPU, or CPU.

There was no distinction between hardware and system specs.

[wishingW3L]

people, you need to learn to read more than just the first sentence. lol

[jcnba28]

Sony products were brought from a 3 star down to a 2 star and labelled "junk status" in 2012.

[MasterCornholio]

Cheaper isn't equal to inferior in this case because Sony has decided to outsource all their parts so they can reduce the fixed costs for their console which include research and development for example. In my opinion some of the technology in the PS3 WAS great but the cell processor and the split ram configuration made game development difficult for developers. I'm not lying here because even Sony admitted their mistakes with the PS3.

Motorola RAZR i

[ProjectVulcan]

The world economy is a very different place now, and Sony have a less than brilliant current financial situation.

These consoles are sons of austerity. Cost is now incredibly important and hugely critical, much more so then when PS3 launched.

Really an average consumer doesn't want to buy a console for $600/£400+ pounds in these times and nor do Sony want to lose hundreds of dollars on each machine they build and sell for years to come like they did on PS3.

It is unsustainable.

It is understandable and only sense that these consoles have reigned in their hardware ambitions and looked for the best bang for their buck shrewdly, instead of throwing too much at the development of them.

Sony's attitude with PS3 was quite clear, they expected people to go and spend all that money on launch even going so far as saying they should get another job to pay for it!

Obviously they have learnt from this mistake and come to the reality of most people's economical situation.

Until we know the exact cost of the machine at retail we can't say for certain how well they have managed it, but I believe they have been much more clever with where they spent their money this time out.

[M-M]

Sony is playing it very smart this time around.

[4lc4pon3]

EA sucks. Who cares about what they have to say in any situation. I poo on your company

[CommonSenseGamer]

So tell me, how is EA different to any large company that's in the business to make money?

Is Sony so giving that they always put people before profits or do they just better hide it through better PR?

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

EA are the parasites of the industry.
How can you even compare the two companys?
Sony has made plenty of mistakes but they've done a lot more for the gaming industry than EA, tell me what EA has done apart from close studios,dumb down franchises, rip off consumers and stagnate the market for the past 3 years?

[CommonSenseGamer]

So, tell me what Sony has done other than to use slave labourers to build its hardware, reduce the number of activated systems from 5 to 2, provide lackluster support for several developers that lead to their ultimate demise, introduce game passes, release inferior slim models with lesser build quality and features, block the use of some 3rd party controllers.

Just because what they do sits better with you does not make them a better company. I'm not anti-Sony but I don't think they are an better or worse than anyone else. They're in it to make money.

[fermcr]

Bubble up for CommonSenseGamer.

I agree, every company is in the business to make money, it's just that some company's have better PR departments then others.

"So, tell me what Sony has done other than to use slave labourers to build its hardware"

I agree with this too, and unfortunate there are many other companies that do the same thing beside Sony... Nike, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Nestlé (even them are accused of using child labour on their cocoa farms), etc...

[R_aVe_N]

"So, tell me what Sony has done other than to use slave labourers to build its hardware, reduce the number of activated systems from 5 to 2, provide lackluster support for several developers that lead to their ultimate demise, introduce game passes, release inferior slim models with lesser build quality and features, block the use of some 3rd party controllers"

What the hell are you smoking? Slave labor? If you are referring to pretty much everything being made in China well 80% of all products move through China at some point. I am not saying I agree with it, but if it was not done you would be paying twice as much for the same product. Still sucks either way. Your going to be pretty hard pressed to find any electronic product that doesnt have something made in China. Sony does not block 3rd party controllers never has. As far as slim models if you want cheaper systems you have to cut stuff out its that simple. The slim model not only is more stable that the launch consoles, but heck of a lot cheaper as well.

[WeAreLegion]

Sony's PR department is terrible. They are a business, but they're a business run by people who actually like their customers. Have you guys never seen Kaz talk? The man loves gaming! He loves technology! Look at Mark Cerny. That's not good PR. He creeps everyone out! He's passionate about gaming and creating something that we'll enjoy. That's the difference. Sony isn't just in this for the money.

[kenshiro100]

The fact that you received agrees for that is embarrassing. Almost every product made in China is based on child labor. Its sad that you chose to single out Sony of all companies.

[adorie]

How are EA different from other companies?

Sim City
Dead Space Franchise
Lying and pulling the rug from under their customers
Spinning controversy on NEOGAF
Microtransactions

Sounds like they are doing everything every other company with bad business practices in this industry is doing, all by themselves.

[daclynk]

All its need it good looking games. Thats all it matters and knowing Sony with their exclusive i will have my full. If you care about power buy a gaming PC.

[byeGollum]

Power isn't everything. Look how Nintendo is doing/did with the least powerful hardware. Creativity is what matters the most. We've had some good games than didn't require NASA computers to build/run.

[FantasyStar]

I disagree. Cheap hardware and their focus on local-play is what made the Wii popular/successful. $250 consoles with $50 games. When you get games like Brawl and other 4p friendly games. It's hard to argue against a good deal cause face it: Console gamers are the bargain hunters of our culture. When you ignore the principle that gamers buy consoles to game on the cheap; you've lost touch with your customers.

[M-M]

I agree, but it's always good to have powerful hardware behind that creativity to take it even further =).

[wishingW3L]

there is a difference between having a balanced console to having a weak overpriced rip-off like the Wii and Wii U! Not to mention the 3DS that is hardly as powerful as a PsP but when it came out out Nintendo was selling it at $250....

[jcnba28]

"Weak overpriced rip-off like the Wii and Wii U!"

Rip-off of what? Sony were the ones who copied Nintendo with their illuminating dildo.

"Not to mention the 3DS that is hardly as powerful as a PsP"

You seem to think power is what makes a console or handheld successful. News flash buddy it's not. Look at history NES, SNES,PS1 ,PS2, Wii, DS all of these consoles won and they were also the least powerful.

Also the 3DS is not $250 they're $200.

[G20WLY]

^ Hey, jcnba28, what is your malfunction?! You might wanna slow down and read wishingW3L's post properly before spitting one of your rage-filled replies.

1) He says "rip-off" in relation to price, not innovation.

2) He refers to the 3DS power compared to PSP to highlight the difference in tech, not "success".

3) He says 3DS "WAS" $250 not "is" $250!

So relax, breathe deep and READ CAREFULLY if you wish to play talky with the big boys and girls:P

[ziggurcat]

cleverly disguised doom article by suggesting that the hardware's cheap...

[vega275]

Sony went with cheaper parts because they cant afford to keep taking big loses on the console over time as they have with the ps3. In a few years Sony want to be able to see a profit on the console. It has nothing to do with install base

[sherimae2413]

shouldnt be other "one" who goes for a cheaper hardware...

well what can i say.. EA is... EA -_-

[Hicken]

It's cheaper in reference to the PS3, anyway. Doesn't mean it's cheaply made. Of course, that's what they WANT people to think.

Dunno what the install base has to do with anything, though. EA's gotta be reaching there. Like you, I don't put much stock in what their executives say.

[clintos59]

Sony has learned from mistakes they made with the ps3 which lead them to think of the devs 1st in mind since they create the games which leads to devs having a much friendlier to create gaming system which leads to taking advantage of the system to create better games at a faster rate which will lead to the number one priority, "Gamers".

Its a pretty easy choice because sony has not changed one bit at all since the original playstation. To this day they have been the most consistent bringing in new exclusives & the most diverse library of games. This is why most game sites are filled with playstation gamers is because sony has never left its fan base out to dry even late in it's life cycle.

The ps4 launches this year and the ps3 still has new ip's being made for it. U cant say the same about the competition. That to me shows me as a gamer which system im going with next gen & that's the ps4.

[Silly gameAr]

Well this is just a silly article.

[mrmancs]

another akin to digital foundry article. Don't you hate so called journalist or in this case a reject who is guessing that Sony used cheaper parts who has nothing to do with Sony or there tech design, who write about conclusions they made up in there dumb arsed brains?

[die_fiend]

Lol true, not making any games, unlikely he's even seen a dev kit. We have nvidia and this random guy who both have an interest in trying to convince people PS4 is weak. Funny how both of them will benefit from people not getting one.

Meanwhile loads of developers who are using it are saying how much more powerful it is. Everyone knows that people weren't expecting 8gb ddr5 ram and you'll probably see stuff at e3 that will be making fools of these people

[pete007]

What i have been saying since its announcement. But nobody believes.
I Will comment later my theories. Stay tunned

[LightningMokey]

Nobody cares about your theories.

[jay2]

Sony couldn't face the loss, but it's going to be good to see what can be done with that hardware.

[JAM_brz]

I hope cheaper doesn't mean bad quality...

But in these terms, I trust Sony...

[sengoku]

There right on the money.
raw processing power is one thing.
game-play is a totally different thing.
it's about getting the right mixture raw power vs price, eventual means bigger install base means more developer create great contend!

[Tundra]

I'll put it in a better perspective.

AMD is pretty much only vendor who produces both CPU and GPU. This lets Sony make an easy deal instead of going through two contracts/companies with Intel and Nvidia. Manufacturing costs, R&D, Shipping, Materials, lisensing/legal fees, etc. would be higher with split vendors making your main components.

It's only cheaper because it's like a bundle instead of dipping for individual parts so it's not necessarily worse. It was a good move in my opinion.

[dcbronco]

It cheaper because Nvidia doesn't have a product like an APU. They have SoCs, but that is just two parts on the same die. APU are more like two parts that make one. APUs are like Resse's cups. Nvidia will be doing something more similar with Tegra 5.

[Niv]

There's no such thing as a 10 year console lifespan and Sony realizes it now.
They make quick profits with ps4 and in 5yrs time announce the next gen PS5, which will ne perfect timing for 4K being more relevant.
Atleast 4x the power will needed, 8Teraflops+

[roshi1987]

Remove head from bottom.

[WeAreLegion]

The PS1 and PS2 had over 10 years on the market. In fact, the PS1 was still being produced after Microsoft stopped making the Xbox.

[inFAMOUS_KRATOS]

sony doesnt want to be the 2nd guess for developers know n days. they learned alot from xbox, i think ps4 is what ps3 should have been, the cell was great tech for the great minds, this industry is more traditional then your average tv makers etc etc.

[TheKayle1]

i just fint this article and post it....what i think is that everyone in the console market ALWAYS point at cheaper hw..with great perfomance....so...isnt this the point

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Since vg247 is pretty much a corporate mouth piece for Sony PR you can bet this information is true.

It's a wise move. Expensive hardware isn't the way to go.

[valormeer]

Pretty Much anything that comes from EA Is moronic these days.

[N311V]

I think he might be right about smaller install bases next gen. However I don't think this will have a large effect on game sales. Casuals and mid-core may well buy tablets instead of consoles but this segment of the market wouldn't have bought many games anyway.

[Shnooze]

I kind of like what they're doing with the PS4, but IMO some of the games they used as a showcase during their presentation seemed a bit.. Weird. For one, the next Killzone. The story seems interesting, but the Ai was kind of funny to watch blunder about mindlessly during the whole disaster thing.

I'm not quite interested with the upcoming titles among the batch due to the fact that most of them just don't catch my eye. With each PS released, it always seems to be the same games and playstyles.

[cleverusername]

'Writer' went for 'cheap headline' for fear of not getting 'hits'!!

[schlanz]

Cheaper? Probably the wrong word to use.

And I doubt its because they are worried about a small install base; if anything Sony has made great strides with gamers in the last couple years compared to the first couple after the launch of the PS3. They probably have the biggest install base as far as early adopters of new systems.

The main reason they are probably focusing on less expensive tech is because they don't want to make the same mistake as last time, assuming everyone will rush out and buy a $600 console while still taking a huge loss on the system. That was a recipe for failure and there is no way in hell they will put themselves in that position again.

My guess is the PS3 will be $399, maybe even just $349 for a lower GB model.

[DivineAssault]

Cheaper hardware was the best route to take.. Why make a complex system again? I know it makes BC impossible to do now (physically) but i think PS4 will be a much greater system now..

[hadouken007]

I think they went that route because of all the B S they had to deal with.

[landog]

they are making a cheap console because they don't want to lose their asses, hardware sales for consoles and down and will continue to go down, software sales are down and will continue to go down, like it or not(hate it personally) the mobile/tablet section of the market is huge and has taken a giant chunk of the market from consoles, there are 200 million gamers playing games on their smartphones.....uhhhhhh

free to play, much better than mobile, but still annoying to me imo, is huge and makes up a larger player base than ps3/360/wii combined....heck 10 million gamers playing league of legends alone and it is also sucking up marketshare

there are literally well over 100 million gamers playing free to play mmo's, rts's, rpg's, moba's etc and many are NOT buying console games or hardware

[GraveLord]

"Former EA exec Cousins is now heading up development of The Drowning at Scattered Entertainment, a game that promises to push boundaries in the tablet space."

THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.

"“It was interesting to see PS4 clearly go for what looks like cheaper hardware than last time around,” he continued, “so maybe that’s a kind of defensive move against their expectation that they’re not going to have the same install base, or maybe they just want to hit profitability quicker because of Sony’s less stable financial state at the moment.”"

Seriously? This is like the only guy that I see complaining about the PS4. The PS4 is a huge leap over the PS3 and if rumors are to be believed, its even more powerful than the next Xbox. It is far from a cheap console. If you call the PS4 cheap, then what do we call the Wii U?

The PS4 will be $400+. I assure you of that. Does that sound like a cheap console to you? Certainly not for me.

The reason PS4 is what it is, is because of developers. Sony consulted developers and asked them what they did and didn't want. THAT is the reason The Cell was ditched. THAT is the reason we're not getting another $599 console.

[annus]

I'm no mathematician, but I'm pretty sure 400 is less than 600, which would mean that sony went with cheaper hardware...

Just by looking at the specs you can see they have gone that route. You forgot that sony put an 8 core cpu into the PS3, as well as took a leap of faith with blu-ray, that was a HUGE step forward and was something that was a big risk, which sony lost huge amounts of money doing. While the PS4 is putting up some pretty graphics and I'm sure it will be fantastic for years to come, it's tech is a lot more 'meh' than what PS3 came out with.

[Evil_Ryu]

sony is in big trouble... i hope Microsoft goes easy on them

[pete007]

i said sony goes the cheap way, to avoid repeating the same mistakes as ps3, they did realize that a very long lifespam due to crazy investment is not the way to go if you want to appeal the core gamer, sony has allways been known since the days of ps1 as the hardcore choice for games, and now for the first time in history, a console is released already outdated, some of you dont care, but its enormously outrageous, the conséquences are going to be drastic to the actual business model, imagine in 3-4 years, steam will multiply its revenues, pc market will explode and we will sure see others entering the console market once the development gets standard x86, in 3-4 years, even LG can come out with a pc based console 3/4 times more powerfull than ps4/720 and 15 times wiiU, and we all fall for them, do you get my point fellows? you guys think of me as an ennemi, but i do concern about the way things go, i just wished more power from the only ones who can deliver at this moment sony/microsoft

[Incipio]

Um...from what bag of magic and fortune telling and fairytales did you pull all that?

[delboy]

Sony just can't risk it, if ps4 fails...

[chrisarsenalsavart]

the fact is this time around blue ray is low cost compared to when it first came out.
secondly hardrives cost nothing compares to what they used to 6 years ago.
thirdly they didn,t have to spend billions in processor RND.
So yeah of course this time around it will be cheaper.
it doesn,t mean it won,t be as great as any other playstation platforms that came before it.

but remember when you had your first ps3 and you played your first blue ray movie, that you didn,t have to buy a stupid antenna for wifi or buy a special charger for your controller or a hard drive for your games or bringing your console back to your local store every two months because it rroded on you or just scratch your disk or the power brick overheated....
yeah good times...
i am so glad i have spent the extra money, i still have my original ps3 60gig and still functioning to this day, how many people in the world can say that about their first x360?

[oof46]

Uh...Sony decides to ditch a proprietary, difficult to develop for architecture and use off the shelf, PC parts for the benefit of developers...and it's called cheaper?

EDIT: Also, rumors point to the 720 and ps4 being very similar in specs and performance, so how is that making a cheaper system that's weaker?

[smashcrashbash]

Can I ask a question? Is this what Sony actually said or is this EA guessing why they did what they did? Because if it is the latter then I am not sure why people are taking this to heart at all. So if Sony hasn't told EA that is why they did what they did then EA is just full of it.Sony used different parts and made an architecture that is easier to work with so they can compete with the other consoles.No one would accept the PS4 if it was $550 and $600.Simple as that. Not sure why EA is putting words not said in Sony's mouth.

[BIGBOSS08]

the media is full of shit and have their heads right up microsofts ass. anything sony does is bad, anyting microsoft does is brilliant. the media tried to kill playstation last gen but the consumers who still have brains had other ideas. the consumers will once again do the talking next gen and right now ALL HYPE is with the PS4.

[chrisarsenalsavart]

AMEN TO THAT MY BROTHER

[BrianC6234]

Is this Microsoft paying people to attack the PS4? It sure seems like it. They're known for doing things like that.

[BrianC6234]

This is stupid. I don't see anything cheap about the PS4. Just because Sony went with parts that are from the PC world doesn't mean they're going cheap. What about that 8GB GDDR5 RAM? That isn't cheap. They went with a system that will make development easier. It doesn't make the hardware cheap.

[isyourhouseonfire]

The PS4 continues to struggle in the media. I don't think the actual console can fare much better.

[smashcrashbash]

The PS4 continues to struggle in the media? I am sorry what dimension did you come from again? Where is the PS4 struggling in the media?

[CaulkSlap]

Cheaper is the wrong term. They've hit the absolute sweet spot for price/performance with the PS4 imo. Any more powerful and we'd see marginal improvements for significant cost increases. Any weaker and it would cost almost the same to build yet be a much lesser a jump from last gen (like the Wii U).

[Incipio]

Absolutely ridiculous, pish posh, hogwash, bollocks and all that.

This is pure conjecture and couldn't be further from the truth.

This gen, Sony is working smarter, not harder. That =/= cheap(er).

[Truth]

I miss my 60gb fat PS3, that thing was packed with everything you could possibly want in a console. Now its sitting in my closet with YLOD disease... :(

[Cuders]

How do these blogs know that sony hardware is cheap? to my knowledge the console hasn't released yet.

[EffectO]

Sony made a wise decision.It's reasonable to expect that PS4 will sell less than PS3.

[FightFans]

I don't think it's more about being cheap. I think it's more about developer friendly, efficiency and affordability to gamers.