PlayStation 4 planned 10 years ahead of release discusses Sony Computer Entertainment President Kaz Hirai

8 May 2008

Posted by:Ferry

In a recent interview Sony Computer Entertainment President Kaz Hirai was asked about the PlayStation 4 and future Sony hardware always being planned / developed far ahead and how he feels about always thinking for what comes next despite Sony’s planned ten-year life cycle for the PlayStation 3. While it may seem obvious that if the PS3 sells well, there will be a PS4, it’s an interesting behind-the-scenes view.

Mr. Hirai answered: “Well I think in any given moment, you need to think both short-term – so, what are we doing next fiscal year, how do we grow the current business – but at the same time, you also need to look four or five years out as well. To say, OK, what is the consumer wanting to do in interactive entertainment five years from now, what can we as a platform holder propose, if you will, to the consumers, to say maybe we should so this or that, and make sure that we keep the consumers engaged, and really also make sure that we are leading the market as opposed to following it. So discussions are happening all the time, about both our short term plans – what are we doing this fiscal year, next fiscal year – as well as, what is the world going to look like, what is the landscape going to look like five years from now, or ten years from now.”

This last sentence would be referring to the PlayStation 4 planning. So the Kikizo interviewer asked what happens with the PlayStation brand in this rapidly progressing technology landscape.

Mr. Hirai answered: “I think so, I think so. But at the same time, I think we have proven with two consoles already that when you say it’s a ten-year lifecycle, it’s a ten-year lifecycle. And we have the luxury I think of being able to keep that long lifecycle going, which means that we don’t need to be talking about our next-generation platform, because again we have a very stable [current] platform. And we certainly don’t want to confuse the consumers once again, by talking about something that may or may not happen five years from now. And that’s something we’re talking about and discussing up here [taps his head] in the company, but it’s not something we talk about openly, again for fear of confusing the consumers. And quite honestly, I think the PlayStation 3, we’ve repositioned it, and it’s got quite a long way to go. I mean we’re just starting here.”

I’m glad there are professional interviewers out there. I’d be asking questions like whether or not the PS4 will have the Spider-Man font as well. I mean, aren’t you curious?

Update March 27, 2009: Sony Computer Entertainment has filed a “PS Cloud” trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office. This occurred on the same day the OnLive cloud gaming service was announced, which streams videogames to your TV or PC for direct play without the need for high-end PCs or consoles. It’s unclear whether or not Sony have been working on a similar cloud gaming subscription service or if it’s simply to cover their bases in case cloud gaming is the next big thing. Sony describes the PlayStation Cloud as a provider of “entertainment services, namely, providing an online videogame that users may access through the internet”. Anyone care to guess if they are describing future PS3 or PS4 games streaming to your living room; or simply alternate reality (Xi came out on March 23, coincidence?) and arcade games in Home?

Categories: Interviews, News, PS3 News

Yes

The xbox came 1 to 2 years after the ps2 launched. I pick up an xbox about 7 years ago and I think I have only played my xbox 35 times in thoughs 7 years. My ps2 though under powered compared to the xbox was a better machine it was and still is relible had it sence October of 2000 and played it all the time till I bought a ps3 over a year ago. I was going to get a 360 but it has no games and none of them are wearth more then a penny. I still my get one I’m not sure but to keep dissing the ps3 is quite dumb so it’s lagging in sales about 23 million ps3 sold to 31 million xbox360s shiped fact is the race is not over till the next systems arrive in about 5 or 6 years. And another thing gameplay is more important then the number of polygon count what good is graphics if gameplay sucks?
mcjakeqcool

@Yes
It’s all good if it’s got Microsoft’s name on it. mcjakeqcool
Yes

But how I just want to know what makes Microsoft better then Sony? And the PS3 slim was just announced at $299 and the PS3 gets a price tomorrow to $299 so just watch the PS3 catch up the the 360.
mcjakeqcool

Microsoft will releace a slim 360 and cut the 360′s price so just watch the 360 surpass the ps3… AGAIN! What make’s Microsoft better then Sony? Where do I start, they have more money, they use dvds rather then crappy blu ray, the 360 is in my price range, the 360 is a sucsess & the ps3 is a faliure, I perfer Xbox controler, the X logo is soooooo much better then the P logo, the games are cheaper, care to let me carry on… mcjakeqcool
Yes

So your saying that right now ps3 vs. 360 price point as of today ps3 80gb=$299 xbox360 60gb=$299 or ps3 160gb=$399 xbox360 120gb=$399 or 379 is not in your price range? To me looks like you get more with the ps3 then the 360. And with the slim being just around the corner with a 120gb of memory killer exclusives and just as good multiplats what would make you not buy a ps3. As far as exclusives go ps3 owns the 360 exclusives. Also the 360 exclusives are garbge. So just because microsoft has more money doesn’t make them great and use DVDs as a storage medium doesn’t mean anything. Blu-Ray as a storage medium is the future a DVD as a max storage of 8 or 9 gb Blu-Ray max storage is 50 gb as of right now. Granted that this tecnology is new so yeah your going to have some slow load times but there getting faster. You remember the ps1 load times they took what seems forever to load the game but became the standard storage medium and replaced the cartage watch has a better load time but not as much storage and was replaced the next generation of systems. And the fact that the 360 was released a year before the ps3 means it has a lead but the price drop will change that. And what makes the ps3 a failiure? Am no fanboy I like most systems and I was bought up on nintendo but the xbox is just a system I can’t play the controller is just to weird for me. What makes an X logo better the a P logo and I’m wrighting this the way u did. Games are the same price on 360 and ps3, and yes carry on so I can see what you mean.
AK-47 (GØD)

They won ever get it dude rite now there cursin at MS because MS is going to fail thanks to Blu-Ray, PS3 Slim, The ridiculous price drop, and Filmware 3.0. I cant wait to see wut happends by the time christmas comes around. 2010 = PS3 1st Place.
mcjakeqcool

@Yes & AK-47 (GØD)
For a start, even if the ps3 comes close to the surpassing the 360, the Wii is the big daddy, that AINT GONNA CHANGE! But yeah, Sony has lost 99% of it’s exlucives that aint made by Sony, the likes of Killzone and Resistance are made by Sony, Final Fantasy, Tekken, on 360 aswell, same reason why the likes of Halo and Gears aint on the ps3, accuatly, 1st party games on 360 are awsome, 3rd party ones to, infact ALL 360 GAMES ARE AWSOME! Ok admitly the slim ps3 is what will get ps3 out of Jaguar, 3do territory, but it is still the Sega Dreamcast as far as hardware sales are, concerned, ps3 may have some exclusives that sell well, but as far as hardware sales are concerned, it’ll never make it the big time. mcjakeqcool
mick18

mcjakeqcool lol this guys is a loyal fanboy that would say anything to lie,love this kid.first ps3 got no games?lets about 360 halo 3 and gears main exclusives like seriously u smoking weed?ps3-godof war3,killzone2,littlebigplanet,socom,infamous,resistance2,rathet and clanck clank in time, n more!,upcoming mag,GT5,Final fantasy 4 for ps3 only hmm??uncharted 2,resistance 3 n more!..ps3 is the future.360 is now.so go play your halo kid.bluray sucks u said?bbluray is a future technology.360 wont aurvive in the long run with their little gears and halo only.why do u think there making a 720 this early?preety weird.because they know they won compete in the long run.plus it will probaly around 800,900.HEY guys 7 of my 360 broke,i buy new ones!.opps i think i helped sony…
mick18

i got a 36o most broke.i buy new ones!.and i think i helped mcrosoft wich more ppl do…who getting the ps3 slim????looks preety cool
mcjakeqcool

@Yes
Honest truth. I own both 360 & ps3, but I perfer the 360 controler. Seriously, I own both Killzone 2 on the ps3 and Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad on 360 and I would play Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad over K2 anyday. That’s just me, but yeah if there is no 360 alterntive I will buy the ps3 port, but if 360 port avalible, I buy 360 port, I support Microsoft, and yup that’s about it! mcjakeqcool