Rumor: PlayStation 4 codenamed 'Orbis'

[PK Gaming]

http://kotaku.com/5896996/the-next-playstation-is-called-orbis-sources-say-here-are-the-details

Oh goody ♪

SO LONG, PS3 GAMES

Remember how the PlayStation 3 swiftly dropped the ability to play PS2 games? Well, our main source tell us the Orbis won't even bother, and that Sony has no plans to offer backwards compatibility for its existing catalogue of PS3 games.

Urgh, well thats no good. I guess i'll hang on to my PS3 then. Its not a huge deal, but that still sucks.

SO LONG, USED GAMES

BACK IN DECEMBER... A post left on Pastebin back in December also referred to the PlayStation 4 as Orbis, calling it a codename in the same vein as Microsoft's Durango. The system specs in that post differ significantly from what Kotaku has heard, and the lack of a hard drive by default goes against the idea of downloading full games to the system.

The Pastebin post also mentions that big name developers like EA were disappointed by an Orbis much less powerful than Microsoft's next machine, so there's a chance that it's the story of an earlier prototype that didn't make the grade. We've reached out to EA for comment.

Just like the next Xbox/Durango, we've heard from multiple sources that the Orbis will likewise have some kind of anti-used games measures built into the console. Here's how our main source says it's currently shaping up: new games for the system will be available one of two ways, either on a Blu-Ray disc or as a PSN download (yes, even full retail titles). If you buy the disc, it must be locked to a single PSN account, after which you can play the game, save the whole thing to your HDD, or peg it as "downloaded" in your account history and be free to download it at a later date.

Don't think you can simply buy the disc and stay offline, though; like many PC games these days, you'll need to have a PSN account and be online to even get the thing started.

If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do. While our sources were unclear on how exactly the pre-owned customer side of things would work, it's believed used games will be limited to a trial mode or some other form of content restriction, with consumers having to pay a fee to unlock/register the full game.

This would allow used games to continue to be sold at outlets such as GameStop, while also appeasing major publishers who would no longer have to implement their own haphazard approaches to "online passes".

Deeply, deeply upsetting. There's just so much wrong with that entire quote I don't even know where to start. Say goodbye to buying used games. Say good bye to good old fashion trading games between friends and family(Sony: FUCK nepotism) Goodbye rentals, I'll miss yee. The games you buy are now locked to your PSN account. That's a little extreme don't you think?

My favorite bit is how you can't play PS4 games unless you're hooked up the internet. There are so many problems with that statement alone. My ethernet cable is on the 3rd floor vs my PS3 that's on the bottom floor. The wireless connection is utter ass, so I barely play online PS3 games. Now you're telling me I can't play unless i'm connected period? Hell, there are times where I don't even want to go online because I just want to play a game without getting PMs / requests from friends and the like.

I'm a dedicated gamer, but I might just skip out on the PS4. There's just too much bullshit. Hopefully its just a rumor, but Kotaku and Sony are pretty tight so i'm not sure. These are dark, dark times.

EDIT: Oh and the "one account per game system" is already in place for the Vita. So if you and your brother wants to play a game under seperate accounts than you're fucked. It's like taking 1 step forward and 3 steps back.

 

[DDRMaster]

If this is true, they pretty much fucked every single college student. I have enough trouble connecting my laptop to my college's internet and I have to jump through so many hoops to get my Xbox to connect to it. Then you force people to buy the new games to get anything out of them, while most college students can't shell out $60 for a game.

Screwing over your number one customers is a terrible business plan.

 

[jrrrrrrr]

Remember, none of this information is confirmed,

Yeah that's a pretty important detail but that won't stop a shit site like Kotaku from reporting on it. Kotaku is the kind of site that makes me proud that I use AdBlock.

These details all seem pretty retarded from an objective standpoint. I forget where I read it, but most consoles are still offline. Requiring online-only play would seriously limit their customer base and there's no way that could be real. the Xbox 720 also got stuck with this "no used games" rumor and I'm pretty sure they denied that as well.

All of these announcements about new consoles are basically pushing me towards PC games and back towards Nintendo (I already own a Wii). You don't see Nintendo pulling this kind of crap. In fact, their consoles are some of the easiest to pirate software for, yet they still sell as much as Xbox and PS3 combined. And you don't see the "buy the game for $60 then pay us an extra $20 to download the rest of it!" stuff on their consoles. Xbox and PS3 charge more and provide less, I feel like an idiot for buying my 360 but I didn't own a PC at the time...

 

[Steamroll]

Looks like Sony wants to cut out as much of the middle man as possible, preventing people to share games with one another and even renting them from stores. This will really cut down on the resale value of games, OH WAIT... there will be no resale value!

Online connection to play - What the fuck!?

 

[iDunno]

So uh that 60 dollars i'm spending to buy ps4 games is gone forever I guess. Oh and I guess you can't return games back to the retailer anymore if you don't like them so that is pretty much infringing on all my consumer rights so yeah :)

 

[Xaqwais]

Even if this is true, I'm not sure why this bugs me so much when Steam already does it and I am more or less fine with it. (Probably because huge sales but who knows)

I am concerned with no playing unless online from like organizing events type of standpoint cause not all venues have internet to use and that could be horrible to organize in some situations.

Also yeah, Kotaku sucks and post anything for the sake of views and such.

 

[Shiny Mew2]

Anyword on if the new Wii and Xbox are doing the locked game thing? If not, then Sony will change this, but still fucked up. Bad.

 

[Dozz]

Wow. I really hope some of this is mis information. I mean, some of these decisions seem tight as anything. I was sort of expecting the "No backwards compatability" thing, after they did it to PS2 (but I still have one for retro value, at least until new timesplitters).

No used games though? That's a bit much for me. Used games are one of the ways I can afford to keep gaming really. They really have you by the dangly bits if you can't get rid of a game when you're done with it as no-one will want to buy a "trial version" That said, it might encourage developers to put more in, to make give their games a lot more longevity, and maybe end up being for the best in a way.

Will be keeping an eye out on more news for this for sure though, glad someone posted it.

 

[Nietzsche]

Take all rumors about online-only consoles with a grain of salt until they've been confirmed. Here's a handy saltshaker full of reasons why it's unlikely to happen soon:

http://penny-arcade.com/report/edit...yth-despite-steam-box-and-discless-xbox-rumor

 

[Stratos]

Even if this is true, I'm not sure why this bugs me so much when Steam already does it and I am more or less fine with it. (Probably because huge sales but who knows)

steam doesn't really do that though - i mean, the no sharing of games over multiple accounts thing yes, but that just sort of makes logical sense when you consider that games are inextricably tied to the accounts. Anyone who says steam makes you buy the game twice is doing it wrong - the point is that you don't buy the game in a non-steam version.

but i don't believe any of these rumors for now, too early and far too poor of a source

 

[Forte.EXE]

SO LONG, PS3 GAMES

It didn't ever have any.

But seriously, if the whole "must be online" rumor is true, expect sales for this "PS4" to be as bad as the Vita in Japan. Forcing your customer to connect online has never been a good strategy. Ubisoft learned that when their DRM did that and their PC sales went in the toilet.

 

[vonFiedler]

But seriously, if the whole "must be online" rumor is true, expect sales for this "PS4" to be as bad as the Vita in Japan.

If Sony does it Microsoft is gonna do it. Even if Nintendo doesn't few enough thirdy party devs care about Nintendo already, and being PS4 exclusive would mean their games wouldn't be sold used a day later for $58.

What worries me the most is just the fact that we are even talking about a PS4, there is absolutely no reason to be moving to another generation unless they have some way of lowering the cost to make new games.

 

[Xaqwais]

steam doesn't really do that though - i mean, the no sharing of games over multiple accounts thing yes, but that just sort of makes logical sense when you consider that games are inextricably tied to the accounts. Anyone who says steam makes you buy the game twice is doing it wrong - the point is that you don't buy the game in a non-steam version.

but i don't believe any of these rumors for now, too early and far too poor of a source

I was meaning the fact that I can't sell used games nor being able to borrow games. I know it makes sense with Steam, which is why I'm wondering why I get uppity with the fact that maybe consoles are heading that direction.

 

[mattj]

What worries me the most is just the fact that we are even talking about a PS4, there is absolutely no reason to be moving to another generation unless they have some way of lowering the cost to make new games.

Yeah, I've been reading in the video game news for months and months now that Sony has no plans whatsoever to release a new console. They've said several times they want the PS3 to be a "10 year console". Plus, they seem very focused on getting people to buy the Vita.

 

[Philip7086]

/me whistles

 

[Steamroll]

Phil you work for Sony, do have anything on this? :O

 

[Bad Ass]

this is kotaku. i'd bet a thousand dollars that this is all utter bullshit.

 

[Every1XplodeNOW]

Yeah, I've been reading in the video game news for months and months now that Sony has no plans whatsoever to release a new console. They've said several times they want the PS3 to be a "10 year console". Plus, they seem very focused on getting people to buy the Vita.

True, but I have a bad feeling that Sony is going to rush their next console because Nintendo's is due out this year and Mircosoft's is suppose to come out next year I guess. They might be getting the feeling of being left behind since the PS3 was ahead of it's time.(At least I thought it was)

 

[vonFiedler]

Everything was ahead of its time, the last generation jump was a terrible idea but the next one may cause the inevitable video game crash. I can understand Nintendo doing it, they are losing and unlike Sony/MS they can't afford to lose, but more expensive consoles coupled with 70 dollar games that aren't even good until developers get used to new systems will kill the industry that is currently in a bubble.

 

[TEA_DEMON]

my ps2 is looking better and better as time passes. <3

i'm no dedicated gamer but i can't tolerate steam and all of its bullshit with games locked to accounts and whatever, so if this is true then afaic the ps4 does not exist.

 

[Every1XplodeNOW]

Everything was ahead of its time, the last generation jump was a terrible idea but the next one may cause the inevitable video game crash. I can understand Nintendo doing it, they are losing and unlike Sony/MS they can't afford to lose, but more expensive consoles coupled with 70 dollar games that aren't even good until developers get used to new systems will kill the industry that is currently in a bubble.

How you figured out what I was saying in that last sentence is commendable since it made absolutely no sense. :p
Yeah the motion controls were revolutionary at the time, but I didn't really think the Wii as a whole was ahead of it's time.(Tbh, Nintendo is looking prettiest right now) But the inevitable price is making buy a good computer to play games since I'll most likely skip the PS4 and 720.


If these rumors are true(I highly doubt it though) we might actually see Nintendo return to dominance since the Wii U looks to be very promising.

 

[SgtWoodsy]

I can understand Nintendo doing it, they are losing

Wait, what? They sure look like they're doing fine.

EDIT: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36448208&postcount=1023
This post makes a pretty good point.

 

[mattj]

Yeah, um 5 million handhelds in the US alone in the first year is doing preeeeeetty good.

I think they're doing okay:

 

[Vein]

Sony is f**king hard on this one.

 

[VKCA]

So uh that 60 dollars i'm spending to buy ps4 games is gone forever I guess. Oh and I guess you can't return games back to the retailer anymore if you don't like them so that is pretty much infringing on all my consumer rights so yeah :)

welcome to computer gaming

my ps2 is looking better and better as time passes. <3

word to the biggest dog

i'm no dedicated gamer but i can't tolerate steam and all of its bullshit with games locked to accounts and whatever

Why is this an issue? You sign into your account on whatever computer your on. I find it convenient.

but yeah i'm really worried about this