PS4 And Next Xbox Could Share Wii U's Teething Troubles, Says Activision's Kotick

Captain Obvious strikes again!

Wow.

PS4 and Xbox are in better position than the Wii U, but its up to then not to screw themselves by overpricing or doing stuff like always online DRM and not allowing used games.

I have no ideas about how well those consoles will sell in the future.

I do wonder tho if they will have trouble getting the average PS360 owner to upgrade anytime soon. We know the dedicated will come out and day/week one the consoles, but beyond that? Could be turbulent sales too like Wii U.

@ferthepoet Everyone knows that Sony will overprice the PS4. The last Sony system that was affordable was the PS2. Everything else by Sony is expensive. The only reason why PS4 is in a better position now is because of Wii U's lack of 1st party games but Nintendo can change that after E3 if they want.

I have a feeling that PS4 will be the next PS Vita, a powerful system that will not sell even after all the hype and high expectations from gamers. Only the most hardcore Sony fan will buy a PS4 at launch.

What an appalling and uninspired control pad.

Sony is STILL sticking to a SNES pad, same as a dual shock pad but with now "more curved edges!!!!!" oooo and a totally useless 2-inch touch pad with no display.

I've played PS3 exclusively for the past 5 years and I'm afraid to say.......... it got boring, very very boring. I will NOT be shelling out hundreds more £'s to play what will be the same console and games just so I can look at more detail on peoples faces and press a 'share' button so I can share all my magical gaming moments with all my ehtusatic and lovely friends!!!! poorest console ISP i've ever heard of in my life. Poorest and most pointless I might add.

Streaming software??? No, I may have 100% chosen the digital path but I would much rather I actually own the digital copy and not streaming it off a server. Connection goes down, or problem with my internet connection? no games?? sounds a very poor idea and poor selling point.

the PS4 is too early if all it is offering is more graphical grunt because if that's what I was wanting from home gaming I would buy a PC that would dump all over a PS4 for the next 7 years.

Goodbye Sony, your console was lovely and it will stay in my front room ony because it plays my bluray filsm and I have over 100 games on it downloaded from the PSN store. But it will no longer be used for gaming as a true gaming console has now found it's rightful home in my household just as the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube and Wii before it.

This home is now a Nintendo home, a place of quality and true gamers games.

P.S. the 3DS is a brand new addition to this house and I must say I am exponetially impressed with this console week in week out. A real surprise. I can't believe it was on its arse not 2 years ago and now it is HUGE. It obviously wasn't taken seriously or marketed very well when it was first launched with 3rd parties not utilising its features properly and just using the second screen to show the level map. But now it looks stunning and offers some truely amazing and original gaming experiences that no other console in the world can offer.

Every word of that is true and yet doesn't it sound quite familiar about another Nintendo console that some of us have played on recently???

I hope the PS4 and 360 does encounter the same teething problem as the Wii U because then they are all at the same starting point from a cosnumebr view and it is up to the consoles to truely show what unique experiences they have to offer and I think the PS4 and new 360 will definitely prove lacking.

I like how Sony said that their console can do everything a wii u can do , all you need is a PlayStation 4 AND a PS Vita hahahahaha.

is that all? all I need is £600-£700 worth of hardware?

hahahahahahahahaha

The PS4 & the next XBOX will most likely perform the same in sales as the Wii U maybe slightly better, since Microsoft & Sony can flood the market with adds.

The Economy is still weak here in the US and Tax's just keep raising as well, both the Wii U and the PS Vita are selling poorly and both systems are fairly new, so that's why I don't think this is just a Wii U problem.

@WiiURockz Maybe in NA the PS 2 launched at an affordable price. Here in Europe it was extremely overpriced at first.

Well, duh...

@KeeperBvK Yeah, wasn't it like £400?

I still don't get why this has become some sort of race between Wii U and Sony PS4. Different consoles and different game-experiences. I think neither console seem bad, but appeal in different ways. In my point of view Nintendo has the right attitude by focusing on how games are played instead of how well games look. I'll say it again, the Wii U needs more games. If after E3 this problem is fixed, so is the bad sales figures. Only time will tell about the PS4 and next-box. Worst case scenario would be home videogame consoles eleminated for good...

Activision business model of late is to only produce large scale big sellers. The 3DS didn't take off quickly, the vita didn't take if quickly, the WiiU didn't take off quickly yes i see a pattern here and if i was activison I'd be changing that model.

I've been saying this for months. Sony and Microsoft will face the same conditions and problems as Nintendo.

There's no point in getting a PSBox420 because the PS360 will still be supported for another 5 years with the same software anyway

I don't think sales will be amazing but I'd be stunned if they do as badly as Wii U on a month by month basis. Most people will wait for a price drop, but the consoles will tick all the boxes for your typical early adopter. Wii U isn't really targeting those hardcore people that buy at launch, it's targeting the sort of people that buy it a year or two later.

We'll have a better idea after E3. There's so much apathy for Wii U because it has no games, so if Sony and MS fail to get at least a couple of must have titles for launch, nobody is going to want them.

I'd say the sales for the 'next gen console' so they call it, will be better compared to the Wii U. In the end it depends on the starting price of the console. If the price is just right, everyone will probably buy it at launch, if not it's the 3DS, Wii U and Vita all over again. Also the game line-up will also determine the sales, as always.

I like these little talking point posts first Mondays as I religiously refresh leading upto 10:30 waiting for that 'This Thursday on eshop update'' post hahaha

Kotick stating the obvious - now we know why he gets the big bucks!

Anyway, there's is as huge difference between Wii U and PS4/Nextbox though: Wii U is a current gen machine attempted to be sold via a tablet-gimmick which does clearly not work as intended (saleswise). PS4/Nextbox on the other hand, are true next-gen machines and console consumers are hungry for them. Only limitation for the first year are number of devices that Sony/MS are able to produce. Prices are a secondary factor the first year, unless Sony/MS goes crazy, but I doubt it.

If microsoft and sony have any brains what so ever, they will learn from nintendo's mistake and make sure they avoid the same problem.

Also everybody keeps saying the PS4 will be overpriced, but you forget the wii u was £350 and the games are £50 new.

3ds was £230 at launch.

Success seems to bring the worst out in these companies, when they have a taste of failure it seems to make them rethink their actions and work harder to satisfy the consumer in terms of value and quality.

DESS-M-8
I've played PS3 exclusively for the past 5 years and I'm afraid to say.......... it got boring, very very boring.

Why on earth would you own a console you never use or don't want and thats without spending £39.99 per game, in reality people don't buy console's they don't like.

If the PS4 sells at £399.99 which is likely, seeing as Nvidia's Geforce Titan graphics card which only uses 6GB GDDR5 sells at £1000. Your getting a very good deal with the PS4 at £399.99 over £300 for the Wii U which is league's behind the PS4. Actually my self i think a console like the PS4 will sell pretty well, as the whole system save's you money with cross-platform gaming which no other console does.

I will be getting a Wii U probably this summer, because I'm excited for a few games that come out later this year. I may consider getting a PS4, but I will NOT be buying at launch. This generation of consoles overall is kind of ify :/

@Mk_II
Me too, I'm also convinced that Ninty will drop their price when the PS/720s are (finally) priced.

I think that since they want exactly the same people either
A) one will do very well and the other will do terribly being abandoned to it's fate.
B) both will under-perform to publisher expectations and they will question if "next gen" is really worth it.

And lets face it, if there really was a multiplat game that some publishers expected to sell millions on Wii U I wonder how they expect games to perform on systems where third party games are known to sell much better.

In short = I'm convinced (and will remain convinced) that anybody believing BOTH systems are going to trump Wii U are extremely out of touch with reality. All other major system releases have under-performed since 3DS and I can't see this ending differently.

Of course PS4 and Xbox "Next" are going to struggle selling like Wii U. Developers know it too. Look at many of the PS4 launch titles. They aren't PS4 exclusives, most of them are available on a PS3.

Would you, as a gamer with a limited budget, upgrade to PS4 when you can still get the holiday titles on the PS3? Xbox is going to have the same problem, especially when both will be priced $500-$600. Wii U will not need a price drop, it's going to be the best value.

This generation is going to see a lot of flack from people for all three console makers.

@DESS-M-8 Very well spoken! I have all the consoles here, but how great some exclusives are,....nothing beats the creative, rewarding & goodfeel fibe of Nintendo exclusives.

I dont see any console losing to 99¢ games

@Smitherenez This.

Also: the casual market appeals at being pretty visual but poor of content, right?

Now look at this comment after the 21st of May and after Sony's E3 conference.

XCWarrior
Look at many of the PS4 launch titles. They aren't PS4 exclusives, most of them are available on a PS3.

I think you'll find when it comes to E3 you'll see quite a lot of only next-gen console games, and you'll find Sony's statement "Playstation4 launch will be our biggest launch in the history of Playstation" quite true. I've never known any console to have over 150 developers & publishers supporting any console before release, and that number will have easily gone up by now.

especially when both will be priced $500-$600. Wii U will not need a price drop, it's going to be the best value.

The Wii U will be forced down in price by the likes of the PS4 coming in at around £399.99, even Sony have said there next console will not be priced the same as the PS3. Mass market friendly Sony put it as thay learned from the PS3 launch, also places like Game put out figures in the amount of interest in the PS4 from enquiries & pre-orders unlike other consoles there is very high interest.

@banacheck: And then they will all jump ship after the PS4 flops, just like the Wii U and Vita

Finally someone says this out loud. All of those fans saying the PS4 is going to own only because the Wii U is failing are just being narrow minded. But when 2 years after announcement Nintendo still has to clarify what the Wii U is, you can just wonder how bad could have been the impact of the name.

@banacheck PS4 is not backwards compatible, which means that most gamers with limited budget cannot replace the PS3 with a PS4, so they will choose to keep their PS3 until PS4's price drops. And why wouldn't they make this decision? PS3 will still get a lot of the games PS4 is getting and more. Upgrading to PS4 doesn't make much sense unless you're a die-hard Sony fan.

150 Devs developing for PS4 but how many of those games will be available at launch and 6 months after launch? Not too many since it takes more time to develop for PS4 and the development cost is higher.

PS4's launch price might be cheaper than PS3's launch price but still not affordable for most people I believe. Sony could lose millions and millions if they sell the PS4 at $400. Each console would be sold at a loss and that's not healthy for them.

You also need to remember that the Xbox Infinity aka Xbox 720 will most likely be cheaper than PS4 or have the same price so I could see millions choose the new Xbox over the PS4.

Lower your expectations a little bit or you will be disappointed.

@banacheck
" I've never known any console to have over 150 developers & publishers supporting any console before release"
Except most of those 150 developers are only looking at the hardware, considering releases or just playing around with it. The only ones who have games on the system are those that have announced games.

One major difference between Sony and Nintendo is their current line-up of game software. (I don't think anybody knows much about what Microsoft has in store.)

Assuming a PS4 launch later this year, the PS3 this year still has Watch_Dogs, GTA 5, The Last of US, and Beyond 2 Souls and likely Gran Turismo 6. So sony is still sellin ggames for thier PS3 and people are still talking about Sony consoles and their games leaading up to the PS4 launch.
In the 6 months leading up to the WiiU launch the Wii had ... anything? Nobody was talking about Nintendo adn the Wii. No clamour or excitement.

So, not only is Sony continuing to make money on it's PS3, it also has advertising and mindset of gamers. I think Sony is prepared to have a long slow rise in PS4 sales while they continue to make money and news w/ it's PS3.

Oh, and the PS4 won't do any better than the WiU over the holidays, but the months after that will be noticeably better. Not great, but better than the WiUs very lackluster sales.

wow well at least this is a change in news o.O but eh who knows it might just be that way especially the rumors going on about how the nextbox isnt going to be focusing more on hardcore gamers but more casual and then we have sony with there high $$ console which wasnt even shown yet e.O

anyway we wont know its more up to the software and whats new or how you play seems this new gen is more about social aspects so who will top that this gen is the question

@LzQuacker

I own a Wii U but not a PSVita as i'm not really into handheld games, but if i was i would buy a PSVita over a 3DS any day of the week. Why? i buy my games new but i'm not going to be buying the same game twice, with Sony i don't have to with there cross-platform games buy a game get it free on PSVita which would save me a lot of £££. In fact if i did buy a PSVita now i could download all the games i have on my PSN account which is a lot, as i have Playstation+ saving me more money in the long run. I'm buying the PS4 day one i have no need to jump ship from a console which saves me money, in fact the Wii U has been a complete waste of £400+ with pro pads games etc at the moment. There promise of 3rd party support wasn't quite true, all it's good for is collecting dust at the moment with a lot of other people in the same boat.

@banacheck Then you are one of the few, the main problem the Vita has it that it does not have any exclusive games, most of its games are also available for PS3. Even handhelds depend on exclusive games to sale, offering portable ports is not enough..

ferthepoet

I know a poop load of people that are not going to be buying a PSVita until it gets a price drop, the PSVita has a fair few exclusives but all in all no it doesn't have many games. But i don't know alot of people that will buy the same game twice for a console + handheld, you buy it once with cross-buy so you can play it both systems. You can f off if you think i buy the same game for the 3DS and console not going to happen, the PSVita is attractive because of this. Not to mention i can stream some of my games on holiday, i won't carry a 3DS + a load of games on holiday to much room.

Sentinator

What is fact some of them 150 developers have already been working on next-gen games for a few years now, but if you look at the newer developers starting development on the PS4 no they won't be launch games. I also think at lot of people are underestimating Sony because of the PS3 launch, which works in Sony's favour.And this is what Nintendo should have also done, got games into development a few years before the Wii U released.

@banacheck: What is also fact is that most of these developers wanted to support the Wii U and Vita and STILL haven't released or announced anything. I am "underestimating" Sony because they screwed up the PS3 launch and the Vita launch with the same strategy that they are using with the PS4 launch. What makes you think the results will be different?

@schizor Home gaming console wont be eliminated, they will just take on another form.

Take a look at Oculus Rift.... Soon as one of the console makers brings it to the home market, console gaming will take off again (its true depth perception instead of the crappy depth perception we get from 3d glasses/3ds.... real virtual reality is the next step in gaming.... but the 8th generation of consoles will probably all fail.

LzQuacker

Sony's strategy between the PS3 & PS4 are very very very different for one, Games report is also another clue. It's only months away we all going to see how things play out.

@snax007 What you call "nextgen" is what PC gamers have been experiencing these last 3 or 4 years. No, PS4/Nextbox aren't "nextgen" ... Just upgrading graphics fidelity doesn't make something "nextgen"... The Wii was Nextgen last go around because of adding motion controls, graphic fidelity is such a low priority. Gaming is about true interactive entertainment. The more immersive gaming gets, the more its evolving. IF you think gaming is all about sitting on couch with the same control scheme we had for the last 30 years, it means you lack vision of what the industry is moving to....

see my post above for the oculus rift. This is the real "nextgen". It will start out nich for PC gamers next year, but the first console maker to use this technology will usher in "nextgen" for the masses. My guess is that will be Nintendo as its just an extension of what they have done in the past.... Who are you going to count on to innovate in this industry? Microsoft? Sony? Please, they only know how to immitate.

(Virtual Boy was a flop, but they did in fact do the first head mounted display. Motion controls are going to be huge in virtual reality, Nintendo did that first. OR will provide real 3D, Nintendo did 3d first with 3DS.... Nintendo's natural evolution will be their own Oculus Rift type of device)

I will own a PS4 by the time the next Red Dead Redemption comes out. That is non negotiable. I will also hold off on some games, such as Watch Dogs as well until then.

Honestly, I always expected the other two consoles to experience growing pains upon release. It's just how things are in the world today. That's also why I'm not too worried about Wii U right now. Sure, it's not a perfect console, but I believe some of its selling issues stem from the market as a whole. I'm sure all the consoles this gen will experience some difficulties in the beginning, but given time, will all rise to varying levels of success.

element187

Just upgrading graphics fidelity doesn't make something "nextgen"...

Powerful hardware doesn't just bring better graphics it improves everything, from AI to playing games instantly.

The more immersive gaming gets, the more its evolving.

So yours answering your question, hardware has to get more powerful from gen to gen, for games to evolve. else your AI, physic's etc will always be the same in what it can do, until you upgrade the hardware. If there was no gain to powerful hardware the Wii would never of got an upgrade to Wii U, which improved everything from graphics to hardware performance.

@ajcismo Exactly! Probably not an outright price drop but lots of pack-in bundle offers, like a 32 Mb console, Nintendo Land and Mario Kart for the regular price (so basically a 60$ discount). I'm betting that will be the top seller in the 2013 holiday season. The Wii U will have a well-established software line-up by that time and PS4 and Xbox720 won't and they'll also be considerably more expensive.

I've thought a lot about how well the PS4 and next Xbox will do compared to WiiU. I expect it to be quite similar if, for no other reason, the lack of backwards compatibility. The graphics bump is minimal as all of the new systems are in the 1080p realm and the new systems will be competing against the older, cheaper consoles with stronger and less expensive libraries.

It will also be interesting to see how much Nintendo's summer and fall line up impacts the newer consoles.

Well I knew that the 720 and PS4 will have the same issue the Wii U has. Sure Sony may decide and release alot of first party games out the door when the PS4 is release so it doesn't fall into the same situation as the Wii U but they may suffer because of the games being rushed.

If that happens that is worse then not having any first party games from the door. Sure the system will have games but a massive amount will just end up being poor quality because off being rushed and will only hurt the system more.

Huh. I never thought it was possible, but one of these guys actually considered the possibility of the competition suffering as well. Good on him for finally seeing the light, so to speak.

@banacheck Well you show you are aware of this yourself. Games can be in development today and cancelled tomorrow if PS4 fails to meet their expectations.

Also for Sony being prepared, I doubt they are prepared as you think. This is why. Many employees at SCE over the years have confirmed they would like to drag PS3 on longer. They spent $5 billion on it when they originally planned to spend $1 billion. This is problem. Microsoft has long been known to have the Xbox planned for 2013. Maybe Sony have been planning PS4 for quite sometime and are more ready for launch as a system but Kaz himself said on many occasions last year they don't want to release PS4 yet. Many in Sony said that. But people won't wait for them and they know it.

PS4 is one of the most crucial launches Sony face in the history of Playstation. In essence that will make them all the more determined because now they acknowledge Microsoft as a serious competitor. PS4 is known to have been planned at the same time as Vita but lets be realistic, after all the money they lost with PS3, they don't want PS4 out yet. They just have to get it out because it will be a lot harder coming when they want it to.

Sentinator

This is problem. Microsoft has long been known to have the Xbox planned for 2013. Maybe Sony have been planning PS4 for quite sometime.

The PS4 went into development in 2008, Sony even said they saw where they went wrong with the PS3. The PS3 will be going for sometime yet, even Sony knew a 10year life cycle was not reality for consoles as there hardware is frozen in time patches can only do so much. Sony has been making money off the PS3 for a few years now, and the PS4 is very different from the PS3 as possible. development, hardware and this will reflect in there games too.

The PSVita went into development while the PS4 was already in development, PSVita was never designed to go with the PS3 but the PS4. So you'll see the PSVita getting more of a push once the PS4 is out.

This is what I've been saying from the start! Nobody's listening, though.

And it's true, this isn't even about being a Nintendo zealot, console gaming is just going to struggle these next few years. Trust me, what's happening to the Wii U is damn well going to happen to the others. The people that are saying "PS4 is going to kick Wii U's ass in sales hahaha it's the new Dreamcast!!!" is smaller in numbers than they make themselves seem, they're probably the only ones that are going to rush out to buy the console day one, and that's saying something. I can only wonder how much these consoles are going to cost, too; from what I've seen from the PS4, I can't see it being any cheaper than 450, and even then that's being hopeful! And with the Nextbox coming with an improved Kinect already embedded to the system... well... what else is there to say?

We'll just have to wait and see, I guess! But, how much you wanna bet these two others are going to sell worse than the Wii U at launch?

Nintendo's problem is the wii u is way too expensive. sure sony charged a lot but PS3 had the power to back it up, and also very user friendly with the ability to copy videos to the PS3 HDD. wii u is almost a PS3 in terms of power, so all games have no choice but to look dated and rockstar just announced GTA5 will NOT be on the wii u. what is Nintendo thinking? they probably say "no one want's GTA5, they really want more miis and Nintendo music!

@banacheck If it really went as far back as 2008 that is when Sony were still making losses on the system, but my point isn't really about rushing it to market. Its more they dived into PS4 before they wanted to. Truthfully Sony are in the worst position of the three because (as you say) Vita failed to find a healthy market at Christmas. Its going to very hard to continue pushing Vita while also releasing PS4.

I do think you are right about the overall reaction to PS4 though, by claiming people are underestimating them. But perhaps there is a good reason for that. Go back before PS3 came out and before Vita came out and you'll see pretty much every website, forum and blog out there were clapping, cheering and bellowing how these two were going to destroy their competitors. I have not seen one single site which claimed PS4 was going to do that.

IMO its not people underestimating PS4. Its that on both those occasions people overestimated Sony. So they are being more realistic and waiting to see this time.

"still many unknown factors"?

Everything is unknown. People are haling the 720 and PS4 as some kind of incredible powerhouse when neither of them have released specs.

Not to mention, if Microsoft and Sony pass on the cost of "power" to the consumer and the systems are $600 it won't work out for them either. A high end, not even top of the line PC graphics card is already $500.

I'm very interested in seeing how well Sony and Microsoft's next consoles sell this holiday season. This is going to be a very interesting year for gaming.

More than ever, I think, it's about what games are available at launch. Nintendo is feeling the pain by taking a calculated risk with Nintendo Land and NSMBU. The new consoles need the known sellers ASAP just like Nintendo.

So far, there is no killer feature on the two new systems that will sway the mass market without the must-have game to go with it, IMO.

Visuals were impressive on PS4, but once fast action gameplay begins your brain starts to abstract the visuals necessarily and all that detail sort of just washes away until the next cutscene. We are hitting a critical point in visuals where the diminishing returns are really being felt. Throw in a weak economy and you have recipe for sales turmoil.

Why get a PS4 when it can't play my PS3 games nor will they allow all my PSN purchases to be transferred to it? That's crazy...I can't bring over my PSN stuff over to PS4?? "That's a deal-breaker."

Nevertheless, I'm excited to see how these new systems [Wii U, PS4, Next Box] will do by the end of 2013. "It should prove to be most 'entertaining!' "

{I'm not counting the 3DS because it will kick major butt this year! It's doing EXTREMELY well and will continue to do so.}

I feel that Nextbox/PS4 will have weak to moderate sales from launch. Overall gamers don't really seem to be that interested.

YEah! I want the other companies to at least feel some of the negativity that Nintendo gets every day about their system.

Finally, someone whose realistic.

The PS4 controllers if they have a touchpad on them and you need 4 of them, they will get really expensive. On the other hand you can get controllers for the Wii U for 30. I have a feeling once people see what the other system are like and how much of a good deal the Wii U is at 300 dollars, people will start crawling to the Wii U.

PS4 is doomed(probably).

Is it me or is Japanese devopers and publishers throwing in the towel on AAA console titles? It appears they are scaling waaaay back and for good reason. . Just look at the 3DS.. why is it getting major supportort.. time, budget, risk, profit.. even down to the price of the game.. The $60 gaming market is erroding so fast it's making publishers heads spin. The market is now economy titles $5-$20.. It's the number one reason why Nintendo has become more open than either MS or Sony.. for every one mimecraft hit that is not on your platform is becoming a glaring issue... I'm not talking about AAA $60 titles here.. Nintendo not only wants but needs this market.. As the market continies to contract this is where indies could flourish and give Nintendo a new area to foster some potential exclusives that could become smash hits.. It's already looking really good for Nintendo is this area..

Everything and everyone is doomed so let's all find a new hobby!!!!

I think you really hit the nail on its head when you were talking about casual gamers replacing consoles with smartphones and tablets.

The only thing that I would add is that most casual gamers will not see the need to upgrade from their previous consoles, this creates an issue for Nintendo that primarily create casual games.

Even more of an issue is created for Sony and Microsoft who aim at the more advanced gamer, with Microsoft going App Crazy.

I do not think that will be constant sales PS4/XBOX, moreover, many will remain in play with their PS3 will be supported even with good titles, so I do not think that will sell the new consoles ...

@SCAR392 If you say so.......

There articles about the Wii U get worse and worse. Seriously, this isn't the "Life" of Nintendo at all. All I hear is negativity about someone not wanting to work with Nintendo's Wii U or something along those lines. This site spends too much time on the negative and pitting the rivals (Sony & Microsoft) against Ninty. Where's all the positive articles at?! Sheesh! I thought by joining NintendoLife to get away from the fanboys of both Sony and Microsoft that I can finally congregate on the longest running console in history and share that love with its fans. It seems that seeing articles like this one has also produced Nintendo fanboys/girls. I guess there's no escaping it. Where ever I go, there will be conflict. Ahh...oh well! I'll just try and focus more on the positive here!

No, because they will have massive power and "proper" third-party support (And by that I mean: RETAIL TITLES)!!

The only problem could be it's price, especially in Europe!

@BestBuck123 Don't forget to wait until they iron out the yellow hexagon of demise and purple circle of doom or whatever the new hardware failure is going to be .
I believe that saleswise all of these consoles will perform comparably . They are all trying to compete for customers .Many of which are on very tight budgets. Release on holiday time is fine if it was ten years ago . What working class Parent is going to buy a 600 dollar console when there are bills to pay ? Not to mention the stress of buying gifts for other people.
Parent: oh dear jimmy wants the new ps4 but I only have a gift budget of 500 dollars/euros .My card is already maxed out and rent is due . Oh well I'll buy it anyway! "
Does that scenario sound reasonable to anyone?

@BestBuck123 - Maybe you can help me then: what is the touch pad on the PS4 controller for? I've been puzzling over that for a while now and I'm pretty lost as to what practical applications that might have in a game. I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely puzzled. You seem to be pretty excited about it, so I thought you might have some good ideas of what it's for.

Oh rily?

I think the age of technology combined with a poor economy is slowly taking its toll. People no longer need to rely on consoles to get good games and a blockbuster budget is no longer an indication of quality. Why "upgrade" to another $400+ console when budget (off the shelf) PCs, mobile devices, and handhelds can also offer comparable experiences at a fraction of the cost?

I'm really interested to see how things go but as of now I'm not very excited for next gen barring Nintendo. I'm not looking forward to more of the same bull and I'm definitely not looking forward to paying upwards of $400 for more of the same but prettier. There are plenty of games I've been wanting to play still anyway.

I have to laugh when Sony fans and PS Vita owners bash the Wii U for its sucky sales when the Vita isn't doing too hot either. In it's first 6 months, it only managed to sell 2.2 million units, while the Wii U was able to push 3.06 million units in a month and a half, which is respectable for a console launch. Yes, both consoles are in a crappy situation, but the Wii U has a promising second half of 2013 while what's the Vita's promise? Ripoff the GamePad by making it the PS4's second screen? Please. I just find it funny that the Vita owners constantly bash the Wii U when they have no right to be talking, their console isn't performing well at all either.

@ferthepoet Why are the PS4 and XBOX better positioned?

@rilely Because they already have the hardcore audience, Nintendo has not retained its casual audience and its fighting and uphill battle to regain the hardcore audience it has been progressively losing starting from the N64

What it is Nintendo could of easily released there console a few months later with games, no but they chose to take developers off games in development to finish off Nintendo Land & New Super Mario Bros U. Hence having to delay other games just to rush the Wii U onto the market, they also said they would have 3rd party support which is complete BS and Nintendo knew it. They also said we are going to appeal more to hardcore gamers, what? one game Bayonetta 2, the fact is they where never in discussions with developers before the Wii U released, to little to late.

The PS3 is the same old same old, i didn't realise Sony put there same games out year after year after year, in case's decades with no original IP's. Came Sony you have the money to do it, or is that Nintendo?

if there exist people who thought the WiiU is too expensive, they'll think the PS4 and 720 are even worse. not to mention, PS4 is not backwards compatible, so you cant sell your (expensive) PS3 in favor of a PS4 and still play your games.

The only unique ISP the PS4 offers (which it completely poopiedoodledingdongs) is the 'share' function.
Isn't that basically its own version of Twitch??? Which will run on any console? As seen by it just being released on 360????

@ferthepoet Im a hardcore gamer and will never own an Xbox ever again, neither am I interested in the PS4 yet I own a Wii U. I hate the umbrella term of hardcore gamer means you MUST play 360 which is total bollocks.
I've played since games since the 80's and have owned an played everything at one point or another, the Wii U is THE best console on offer at this moment and is my main format for future games. Nintendo had some of the hardcore market.
Nintendo = baby games and zero hardcore gamers?
That's like saying all queers look like Justin beiber and it's impossible for them to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Utter idiocy.

I'm not saying Nintendo = baby games I'm saying Nintendo = Nintendo First Party Games and a Question Mark regarding what else you may get..... You may say Nintendo first party games are enough for you there's undoubtedly a number of hardcore gamers for whom Nintendo Games are enough but that's only a fraction of the overall hardcore gamer market.... A console that offers nintendo first party games and not much more sells like the game cube but to draw sells beyond that number from the hardcore crowd you need real third party support. I'm pretty sure Nintendo was hoping the Wii U will sell at least three times as much.

The clearest evidence on what difference third party support makes is Nintendo handhelds vs. their home consoles, their handhelds have third party support and always outsell their home counterparts that don't many times over.