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Question: Considering the lack of backwards compatibility and compelling software, especially when compared to what is on offer for the Playstation 3, why should one jump at the promise of the Playstation 4 when it launches?
Console launches are an exciting time for gamers. A new console enters the household, ushering in a wave of next-gen experiences. These days, it goes a step further to encompass gaming and other areas of entertainment (movies, socializing, music, etc.) as well. The Xbox One has it’s share of neat and nifty little things that can potentially make consuming entertainment easier, as does the Playstation 4.
The biggest selling point as far as games go, though, is how Sony embraces the indie developers. Even with the Playstation 3, Sony made things easier for developers to get their games on the system. And this was with the difficult architecture of the Cell processor. So imagine a system broken free of those development constraints and one that still has the easy-to-work-with Sony corporation. Getting those small games like Don’t Starve (coming to PS4) and Rogue Legacy (a game I’d love to see make its move to the Sony brand) is a very real possibility for people who love indie games.
Another promise that has a respectable backing is Playstation Plus. I’ve been a Playstation Plus member now for most of the duration of the program. With my $50 a year, I have gotten to sample a ton of games that I normally would not go out of my way to buy. Sometimes, the weekly update is a small let down, but most of the time it guarantees something new to play. Better yet, sometimes a game I’ve been waiting for gets announced as “free for Playstation Plus” members at the last minute.
Playstation Plus is making its way over to the PS4. If you own multiple Sony systems (the PS3 and/or Vita), you get a variety of benefits. The Playstation 4, of course, will need it to play games online and do a few other optional tasks, but games and discounts will continue. The evolution of that service is one of the things Sony has done very well this generation, and I really look forward to seeing it continue to grow in the next generation.
Those are two really big deals, and almost guaranteed to deliver results that should please future Playstation 4 owners.
That said, unless you simply have the cash to blow, it’s hard to recommend saving all of your nickles and dimes (or pennies in my case) to throw down on a system that will have a new, better iteration and a much larger library of games in a year or two. Most of the games launching with the Playstation 4 can be bought on the Playstation 3. Games like Battlefield 4 can be bought on PS3 AND played with a larger audience than the new and fresh system.
Instead of dropping $400 on a Playstation 4, spend that hard earned money on the dozen or so games coming out this fall. Games like Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts, or Battlefield 4 (just to name a few) will play on your Playstation 3. Wait for a price drop or a remodel. That is, unless you just have pockets full of cash to spend.
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