All things must pass…
Just as the sun rises and sets, and the tide comes in and out, eventually one generation of games console is inevitably replaced by the next. The Super Nintendo and Mega Drive were replaced by the Playstation and N64, then the Playstation 2 and Xbox, then the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
And now we are in the era of the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. The PS4 has given us many, many classics since its debut in 2013 – Metal Gear Solid 5, Uncharted 4, Bloodbourne, The Witcher, Dark Souls III, God of War… And there are plenty of games on the horizon we are still excited about, including Spider-Man, The Last of Us 2, and Death Stranding.
But all consoles must eventually be replaced with something better, and after five long years we are getting hints that Sony could be calling time on the Playstation 4.
During Sony’s Corporate Strategy Meeting this week, Playstation boss John Kodera was reported as saying that the console was entering the “final phase of its life cycle”.
Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki reported it on Twitter, mentioning that membership services like Playstation Plus will continue to provide revenue.
PS chief Kodera: PS4 is entering final phase of its life cycle, which would have negative impact to the unit, but recurring revenue via membership services etc should cushion some of that.
— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) May 22, 2018
Following these comments, Kodera gave another interview, where spoke about Sony “preparing for the future”.
Games industry consultant Serkan Toto translated the key points on Twitter.
2) He says that while PS4 and Vita are separate machines (home vs portable), Sony is continuously looking for ways to offer unique game experiences.
— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) May 23, 2018
3) While he doesn't use the word "PS5", Kodera says (again) the PS4 entered the final stage of its lifecycle and that Sony will spend the next three years "preparing for the future". //end
— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) May 23, 2018
That three year time span had been previously quoted by Kodera, implying that we could see the Playstation 5 in 2021.
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