Yeah, I wasn't going to pay almost double price (500$) for the Pro over the regular PS4 (300$ + game) since it was so hard to justify as I wasn't going to see any benefits from it. Almost double price for no benefits to most. What a dumb idea.
And if Sony releases another PS upgrade, then that will reinforce how dumb of an idea the Pro is even further.
Microsoft was quick to judge Sony for "being premature" with the PS4 Pro in, both, announcement (E3 2016) and release date (Fall 2016). But honestly, I don't see Microsoft being too far off either. I'm noticing a real Nintendo-like approach to the Scorpio. It's like they are going headstrong with hyping-up the hardware, which is awesome, yet there is no emphasis whatsoever on software. I was super excited about the PS4 Pro and the Scorpio back in early 2016 (back when they were still rumors and were not yet named thusly). Now, I not only see no reason to get a PS4 Pro; but also a Scorpio. Why? No exclusive games announced for either of them. Meaning, games that can only be run on the more powerful systems by fully taking advantage of each respective hardware.
Companies have tried a ton of things in the past (and presently) to not only stay afloat, but to remain relevant. That's perfectly understandable. The PS4 Pro was not a smart move for one specific reason: It continued to be sold with the old model. Heck, the price wasn't that bad. It was the fact that the old model continued to be sold at Black Friday prices ($300) that made the $400 mark seem too steep. Which is nonsense; but imagine if there was only the PS4 Pro from then on, and if they would've gone just $50 less at $350. That would've been killer! If Sony wanted to do a proper midcycle rendition; then they should've done as it has already been done before in the handheld market: they should've just implemented the new hardware as the one and only standard from then on. The same as has been done before with new console hardware renditions like the 360 or even every slim model of any console ever made. This back and forth on Sony's behalf (and, tbh, on Microsoft's behalf as well if they do the same; but that still remains to be seen) is only attesting to ambiguity and indecision. It's unwisely spreading themselves too thin, imo.
Comparing the 7th gen to the 8th gen in terms lifecycle is not going to yield the same results. Not only because the 9th generation is most-definitely already here (whether we hate to admit the Switch is Next gen or not), but because the 7th gen occurred during a worldwide economic downturn that inevitably caused its respective systems to endure for much longer than was the norm.
Nintendo has already proven they don't care about specs. Pretty much they gave up on specs a long time ago. They want gimmicks, for better worse. Personally, I would rather have "next gen" level hardware specs; but gimmicks is, once again, how they entered the 9th generation of console gaming. It has already occurred. And it occurred in early 2017. From early 2017 to late 2018 is more than a year and a half. That's plenty of time for the other console manufacturers to kick in with their Next Gen systems.
Honestly, if the Scorpio gets released at this point in late 2017, it will fall as flat on its face as the PS4 Pro did; maybe even worse. The only way I see a different turnout for the Scorpio, once again, is if it fully vindicates itself with its own hardware-specs-exclusive games (not necessarily Xbox exclusive, mind you; I mean here games that can only ran on the more powerful hardware). And, tbh, the Scorpio is already touting hardware specs that would rival the difference we have seen even in the past two generational turns (6th to 7th, 7th to 8th; especially the latter). So making the Scorpio itself a full 9th gen console and a proper successor to the Xbox One would not be too far off. I would honestly prefer that they make the Scorpio the next Xbox. Who's to say it can't have backwards compatibility? Just concentrate thenceforth on Xbox Scorpio only games. That's honestly the only way I can see the Scorpio being successful in any way.
And all of this applies just the same to Sony. They are not exempt as a console manufacturer. Relevance is only temporary and they know it as much as the other big two know it. And, as much as we, and even Nintendo themselves, claim that Nintendo is not all about Specs, they are still a powerful force to consider in terms of sales. So, yeah, late 2018 is most definitely not a crazy idea.
And PS5 still won't be 60 fps standard.
Only issue I see here is that MS (and Sony) both want to ensure they don't alienate buyers at the moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by QuickSciFi
The rumored PS 5 (or whatever name) is of course a mystery box in terms of how it is set up... But for the Scorpio backwards compatibility is easy as pie. The way they have designed the XB1 makes it absolutely trivial to move forward with new systems. It just needs to be able to effectively run the VM slices used by the XB1 and 360 "gaming" components.
The biggest issue is forwards compatibility for people who have already bought an XB1, 1S, PS4, and PS4 Slim.
MS has already thrown in their opinion that the XB1 will be the last "console" generation. They are free to contradict themselves and/or change their stance of course. But it's looking like the system itself will simply be carried forwards with more powerful hardware as it makes sense (to them) to release it.
Sony seemed to talk about something similar with the PS4 Pro, but I haven't seen (or missed) a similar statement by them as what MS has come out and said.
They could very well simply release a PS 5 just to differentiate themselves from MS and try and keep (or increase) their sizable lead.
Well all of this before cloud gaming takes over. :0
You could argue that Sony made the same mistake when they kept selling the PS2 alongside the PS3 (for a long time) and the PS1 alongside the PS2. That paid off pretty well for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by QuickSciFi
It's good business to be able to occupy several price points/markets with quality products, particularly when there can be a clear upgrade path among them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blades
I wouldn't compare personally the contrast between the PS2 and PS3 to the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro, though. The latter is being touted as the same product with slight upgrades. I see it closer to the Sega CDX and the regular Genesis.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blades
And actually, come to think of it, it worked worked ok with the PS2 innitially, but not with the PS3... The PS3 struggled greatly during the first 3 years.
EDIT: Driving. Sorry about my grammar.
Yeah, but it wasn't because of the PS2. It was because the PS3 was the PS3.Quote:
Originally Posted by QuickSciFi
Also this.
TBH, I'm not trying to view the PS4 Pro like a successor or even semi-successor to the base PS4. I'm observing it like Sony intended for it to be, which was a system catering to a small core crowd. Not necessarily to draw in excess in sales, and certainly not to keep them afloat. The base PS4 remains king without it all the same. Like I mentioned b4, it's closer to how the Sega CDX was bitd.
I think that there won't be a PS5, or an Xbox 2. The current consoles are going to act like a PC, where you'll see minor improvements in hardware, and in X amount of years the low end model will have support phased out. 2018 might be the year when game development starts phasing out support for the original model PS4 and will start supporting the beefier hardware of the PRO.Quote:
Originally Posted by QuickSciFi
Microsoft wants Xbox and Windows to be a service rather than a product. Sony wants to run as quickly as they can away from the actions they committed in their past. Well, actually, Sony would probably rather want to return to being the premier audio/video company they used to be, but the PlayStation brand is all that's holding them together. Nintendo wants to step on everyone who made them a household brand while shooting themselves in both feet.
I used to hate Sony, but I seem to have all four iterations of the PlayStation hooked up within 4 feet of me right now.
That is a big possibility. I actually held that belief for years. I actually thought the 8th gen would be the last. But then Nintendo kicked in with the 9th. And though I don't think sales may even reach PS4 levels, I think the other big two are watching closely. Even Sony and Microsoft were paving way with their midcycle hardware announcements after the NX's at the time. Shuhei Yoshida was saying things at the time (back when the PS4 Pro was a mere rumor) like "If it gets made"; when asked about the possibility of a PS5 in the works. And Phil Spencer on the other side was alluding to the Xbox brand as a "service" in the near future. Those two may still even prove true, but now the market has proven to have remained healthy enough even after the Switch kicked in with the 9th gen.Quote:
Originally Posted by gamevet
I would even retain that same notion you mentioned (which goes hand in hand with what Sony's and Microsoft's execs were saying as recently as early-to-mid 2016; but the fact that the PS4 Pro is but a minute portion of Sony's own commitment to their gaming hardware makes me think otherwise. Going back to what I said b4, if the PS4 Pro was the only system being sold since October 2016 and there was no PS4 Slim or base PS4, then I would also be of that mindset. But everywhere I go and look, the PS4 Pro is but a fart in the wind; still aimed at those very few who really want to make that jump (the majority of which have been base PS4 owners and not newcomers). Right now the price difference remains $100, with the PS4 Slim at $250, and the Pro at $350. Both, in my opinion, are really great prices. But that $250 looks so good, it is the same exact price that finally made me want to get a current gen system back in 2011 when I got a PS3.
Unless they completely opt out of the base PS4 and only concentrate on the Pro, I just can't see them quitting their suport cold turkey in 2018 for the base PS4 for a midcycle Pro with minor hardware improvements when they already have a 60 Million install base for the base PS4.
True statement.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raijin Z
I'm not saying that games for the original PS4 will stop coming out in 2018. I'm saying the games dedicated to the Pro will go into development in 2018 and will see exclusive Pro releases in 2019/2020. I look at it like Nintendo did with the DS. They upgraded the hardware to the DS Light and then the DSi and eventually the DSi XL. They slowly phased out support for BC with the GBA along the way. Then they brought out the 3DS that supported the DSi software and finally the New 3DS that has software that won't run so well on the original 3DS.Quote:
Originally Posted by QuickSciFi
That would make the PS4 Pro worth a purchase in my book. But remember, the DSi had like 3 exclusives in its lifetime. That's not to say that may happen on the PS4 Pro, but as of right now, there's literally zero. It's hard to say at this point. But if indeed there is no PS5 soon after the Scorpio (and by Soon I mean about 1 year after it), then surely I can see Sony doing what you're saying with the PS4 Pro. The main reason I say this is because Phil Spencer has been alluding to how the Scorpio will not have the same limitations as Sony gave on the base PS4 with forward compatibility on the base XBONE. He is basically open to game devs, even as early as now, making Scorpio exclusive titles from day 1. In fact, his comments alluding to that are what made me think that PS5 analyst was coming from in the first place. Heck, even back in October 2016 I was crossing my fingers for a PS4 Pro 2, tbh. Maybe they'll have a Pro Slim by then and that would be not only the standard PS4 from then on, but also priced very nicely (say, $250ish). I wouldn't mind a scenario like that either; and it is very plausible indeed.
Me? I don't mind either scenario either way, TBH. At that point, it's all a matter of semantics and labels. If exclusive titles start popping up on the new hardware, it really doesn't matter if it's called a PS4 Pro Slim with new exclusive titles, or a PS5 with new titles and backwards compatibility ;).