The Next PlayStation is Called Orbis, Sources Say. Here are the Details.

While the official reveal of Sony's next home console could still be months away, if not longer, Kotaku has today learned some important details concerning the PlayStation 3's successor.

For one, the console's name—or at least its codename/working title—is apparently Orbis. And it's being planned for release in time for the 2013 holiday season.

The details in this story come from a reliable source who is not authorized to talk publicly about next-gen hardware but has shared correct information with us before. What they're telling us in specifics matches much of what we've heard and reported in generalities in recent weeks.

A Sony spokesperson declined to comment about these details, citing the company's policy not to comment on "rumors or speculation."
WHAT'S IN A NAME

Orbis. Say it out loud. Sounds a little like the word "four", doesn't it? Only it doesn't make the next PlayStation sound like a bad horror movie sequel.

It's also a name loaded with meaning. The word "Orbis" itself, from Latin, means circle, or ring, or even orbit. Not terribly helpful. Combine it with the name of Sony's new handheld system, though, and you have the common term Orbis Vita (or, in strict Latin, Orbis Vitae). Which means "The circle of life". Could the Vita be playing a very important role in the development and use of the next PlayStation home console? Maybe!

Such symbolism also suggests that rather than being a codename, like most companies employ when still developing a console (think NGP, or Durango), this might actually be the machine's final name. We don't know that, though, so keep an open mind about things.

CURRENT SPECS

Our main source supplied some basic specs for the console, but as the future is always in motion, bear in mind these could easily change between now and the Orbis' retail release. Still, if you'd like to know what developers are being told to plan for now, here you go.

AMD x64 CPU
AMD Southern Islands GPU

The former, that's largely something we've heard before, but the latter is interesting. That's the name given to many of AMD's 2012 roster of high-end PC cards. The PS4's GPU in particular, we're told, will be capable of displaying Orbis games at a resolution of up to 4096x2160, which is far in excess of the needs of most current HDTV sets. It'll also be capable of playing 3D games in 1080p (the PS3 could only safely manage 3D at 720p).

NEXT YEAR

Our main source tell us that "select developers" have been receiving dev kits for the new console since the beginning of this year. Revised and improved versions of these kits were sent out around GDC, while more finalised beta units will be shipped to developers towards the end of 2012.

That should hopefully give developers plenty of time to have launch games ready for the Orbis' retail release, which will be in time for the 2013 holiday season. If you can remember the PS3 launch—it's OK if you can't, it was a while ago—that too was in time for the holiday shopping season (November 2006 for Japan and North America).
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.

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".

—-

That's all we've got for you at the moment. Remember, none of this information is confirmed, and even the information that is locked down in March 2012 may change before the console's eventual release. This is just what we've been told Sony is working on and planning for as of today. That being the case, how do you think it's shaping up?



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

>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.

Ive got a sneaking suspicion Microsoft is going to do the same. It feels like all the positives we made with the PS2/Xbox1 generation are slowly getting undone.

>SO LONG, USED GAMES
>
>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.

Imho this should be an issue that should be settled by the publishers/developers and retail stores. Yeah, I know that Sony makes a bunch of games for their own system, but to make things like this mandatory...bad idea jeans. Also, PLENTY of people play their games offline...

>>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.

>>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.

I’m honestly not mad at them for the used game issue. Between piracy and not seeing any profit on a used game, they kinda have to do something. Letting developers implement their own strategies has been a clusterfuck thus far, so it makes sense to step in.

The part that grinds my gears is the fact that it may be required to have the console always connected to the internet in order to play games. Isn’t the stat something like only 50-60% of users even bother doing this? Seems like a huge market to cut off, especially in the US where there are tons of rural places with shitty internet. Heck, even my Comcast internet in the city the company is headquartered at can suck sometimes.

I'm not too worried tho since I think this might be the last generation for me buying all the systems. I’d rather spend my money on other hobbies and video games have gotten kinda dull in the last year or so.

If Sony’s solution is stupid, I may turn to MS for the next gen. If they both suck, fuck it, I’ll invest in some more camera gear.

>I'm not too worried tho since I think this might be the last
>generation for me buying all the systems. I’d rather spend my
>money on other hobbies and video games have gotten kinda dull
>in the last year or so.

Dude I'm starting to get that way. I have almost every damn new release game and never play them. Only thing I play is Modern Warfare 3. I'm like what am I doing with all this shit then? It seems like I'm just slowing down and my favorite form of entertainment now is just watching movies and working with my kids and friends on their music.

Still haven't touched Modern Warfare 3...

Didn't play Gears of War 3....

Street Fighter X Tekken hasn't been touch since the first weekend

My interest has been suspect as of late. Play more games on my iPad than my home consoles...

And if backwards compatability and used games are gone next gen...I will just keep what I have and use my money elsewhere...

>I’m honestly not mad at them for the used game issue. Between
>piracy and not seeing any profit on a used game,

BMW didn't get a penny when I sold my 540.
Honda didn't get a penny when I sold my Civic.
Geo/(chevy suzkui) didn't see a farthing when I sold the Metro.

They got all their money when I paid them the 1st time.

one
k. orr

You're paying for the right to use their software on whatever terms they want you it.

All that stuff is in those EULAs nobody bothers to read (written, no doubt, by ballin ass lawyers like yourself.)

Still, I imagine this is more about piracy than just used software sales. They're looking to avoid another PSP situation at any cost.

>All that stuff is in those EULAs nobody bothers to read
>(written, no doubt, by ballin ass lawyers like yourself.)
>
>Still, I imagine this is more about piracy than just used
>software sales. They're looking to avoid another PSP situation
>at any cost.

They already avoided it by making the vita download only; ps3's piracy never picked up and xbox eventually locks your console out of online gaming valhalla. Piracy will ALWAYS exist, but they did a good job this gen with the consoles keeping it to a minimum.

Used games have always been around, its just a way to make the consumer suffer because they are cowards. As opposed to going after the real person they have beef with, Gamestop, they would rather use US as pawns and keep rewarding them with exclusive sale incentives, lol. Those Eula were added after the fact, same with the class lawsuit one sony added.

>>All that stuff is in those EULAs nobody bothers to read
>>(written, no doubt, by ballin ass lawyers like yourself.)
>>
>>Still, I imagine this is more about piracy than just used
>>software sales. They're looking to avoid another PSP
>situation
>>at any cost.
>
>They already avoided it by making the vita download only;

Vita isn't download only. Just this week they already had to pull games from PSN for piracy concerns.

>ps3's piracy never picked up and xbox eventually locks your

Piracy thankfully didn't pick up on PS3, but the most pirated game on 360 last year was GoW3 with 890,000 illegal downloads last year. That's $53 million dollars that went missing. The Wii was even worse with 1.2 million Mario Galaxy downloads. You can argue that some of the people that pirated wouldn't have purchased the game if they couldn't get it for free, but at least some of them would.

>console out of online gaming valhalla. Piracy will ALWAYS
>exist, but they did a good job this gen with the consoles
>keeping it to a minimum.
>
>Used games have always been around, its just a way to make the
>consumer suffer because they are cowards. As opposed to going
>after the real person they have beef with, Gamestop, they
>would rather use US as pawns and keep rewarding them with
>exclusive sale incentives, lol. Those Eula were added after
>the fact, same with the class lawsuit one sony added.

After the fact or not if you agree to em, you agree to em (and we all do in order to play the game or use online features).

If you don't like the way they do business, don't give em your money. Really as simple as that.

I totally forgot it uses cartridges also.

>Piracy thankfully didn't pick up on PS3, but the most pirated
>game on 360 last year was GoW3 with 890,000 illegal downloads
>last year. That's $53 million dollars that went missing. The
>Wii was even worse with 1.2 million Mario Galaxy downloads.
>You can argue that some of the people that pirated wouldn't
>have purchased the game if they couldn't get it for free, but
>at least some of them would.

But piracy and gaming has ALWAYS existed; why is it suddenly a huge issue now? Something else has changed and it's not more sophisticated pirates since they have been a constant for decades; it's a pure ploy to get more money out of the consumer in nickle & dime fashion because they are afraid to up the MSRP for a new release.


>>console out of online gaming valhalla. Piracy will ALWAYS
>>exist, but they did a good job this gen with the consoles
>>keeping it to a minimum.
>>
>>Used games have always been around, its just a way to make
>the
>>consumer suffer because they are cowards. As opposed to
>going
>>after the real person they have beef with, Gamestop, they
>>would rather use US as pawns and keep rewarding them with
>>exclusive sale incentives, lol. Those Eula were added after
>>the fact, same with the class lawsuit one sony added.
>
>After the fact or not if you agree to em, you agree to em (and
>we all do in order to play the game or use online features).
>
>If you don't like the way they do business, don't give em your
>money. Really as simple as that.

It's problematic because they are on the only game in town. (pun intended). No one knows how the future Xbox is doing it, but rumors are they are also going to implement some kind of anti-used game tech. The whole 'Well then don't give em your money' doesn't work considering there's plenty of idiots willing to pony up and keep the sham going like the recent DLC fiascos in Mass Effect 3 and SFxTek.

Im just waiting for when you spend 80 bucks on a game, you gotta pay ten dollars a month to use the online, then they close the server down a year later cause a 'new' version is out so you can spend another 80 bucks, lol. And you can only play your videogame at home since the game is going to be locked to that IP address (can't have you taking your console out and playing with your friends cause he doesn't have a copy..PIRACY!)

Almost any other product can be re-sold and the original sellers make nothing from that transaction.

This is just greed.

>Our main source supplied some basic specs for the console, but
>as the future is always in motion, bear in mind these could
>easily change between now and the Orbis' retail release.
>Still, if you'd like to know what developers are being told to
>plan for now, here you go.
>
> AMD x64 CPU
> AMD Southern Islands GPU
>
> The former, that's largely something we've heard before,
>but the latter is interesting. That's the name given to many
>of AMD's 2012 roster of high-end PC cards. The PS4's GPU in
>particular, we're told, will be capable of displaying Orbis
>games at a resolution of up to 4096x2160, which is far in
>excess of the needs of most current HDTV sets. It'll also be
>capable of playing 3D games in 1080p (the PS3 could only
>safely manage 3D at 720p).
>
>NEXT YEAR
>
>Our main source tell us that "select developers" have been
>receiving dev kits for the new console since the beginning of
>this year. Revised and improved versions of these kits were
>sent out around GDC, while more finalised beta units will be
>shipped to developers towards the end of 2012.
>
>That should hopefully give developers plenty of time to have
>launch games ready for the Orbis' retail release, which will
>be in time for the 2013 holiday season. If you can remember
>the PS3 launch—it's OK if you can't, it was a while ago—that
>too was in time for the holiday shopping season (November 2006
>for Japan and North America).
>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.



>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.

I guess I'll be done with video games after this generation. I'm already struggling to pay my current internet bills and now console-makers wanna make consoles that'll drive up my bills even further? SMH.


>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".

Whatever. I don't do used games anyways.

when said tech is available you can use it.

especially if in the future being connected to the internet will be a requirement for gaming........

There's still a shit load of people who don't have access to internet like that, and they're just SOL, I guess.

:(

I only bought my PS3 in mid 09, and now they're gonna release another one this soon? Whatever happened to that 10 year plan for the PS3?

Speaking of next gen, how innovative can games get? We already know that motion control (as it is at the moment) doesn't appeal to the majority of gamers, so besides improved graphics, where else can developers take it? Please don't say 3D.

Like in an open world game, you can go into any building and explore, everything can be destroyed, etc etc.

....maybe in the next gen console we will be able to step over that tall patch of grass that usually stops you?

>....maybe in the next gen console we will be able to step
>over that tall patch of grass that usually stops you?

>Like in an open world game, you can go into any building and
>explore, everything can be destroyed, etc etc.

If the size of the world is small (I'm thinking Arkham City), it'll be doable. But something of GTA4's scope, and you want to enter every single building?? My brain hurts just thinking about it lol

Minecraft seems to be kind of what you're looking for though, you just have to build everything yourself.

...take a walk down the street ..most doors you come across are locked ..you cant just run up into any apartment building either ...i do think they can make things even more real than GTA4 though, lets see what GTA5 brings

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The PS3 itself is powerful enough to hold me down for
anotha 4/5 bullets.

Hell, even at this stage in its life, developers STILL ain't tapped into the full potential of the hardware, let-alone the tragic fact that, in the current-gen milieu of lofty over-the-top cinematics, dev's are losing focus of the most important element/aspect of gaming:......GAMEPLAY!

I'd rather have Sony and current-gen dev's focus on
honing top-notch gameplay first. They gotta *master the essence of the wheel *first... before they embark upon trying to *re-invent it.

In gameplay we trust....
On some Nuevos Gameos Seclorum type shit,...
We need a New Game Order out dis bitch!

These shaders can't get no realer. Let's do the math and say it comes out Holiday 2013/spring 2014. It takes a console two to three years to build enough momentum for the average consumer to feel the value proposition justifies a purchase. That's 2015/2016 at the latest.

They made PS2 games up to three years after the PS2 launch.

I'm not copping until at least 2015 at the earliest. I better see an entirely new PSN and backwards compatability.

just keep pushing the boundaries of the current machine
looks like they are just reaching the potential of the PS3 .....NOW

is that they still feel the repercussions on releasing the PS3 a year after the 360 released.

The whole "10 year life cycle" tagline is both a blessing and a curse.

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

... but the effect was tangible. If they stick too hard to the "10 year lifespan" though, then it'll just compound the issue.

I mean with PS2 you had Snake Eater and shit truthfully tapping all of that system's potential

but I could play games like Red Dead Redemption or Mass Effect for a long while, I really don't need or want an upgrade. Like I'm not even excited about these rumors coming out, it doesn't feel right.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

to this current horseshit?

<------ Boho Model Madness Presents: Andy Allo

http://www.gifsoup.com/view3/2298233/andyallo2-o.gif

http://www.rareformnyc.com
http://djshinobishaw.tumblr.com/
http://twitter.com/DJShinobiShaw
PSN: ShinobiShaw

"Arm Leg Leg Arm How you doin?" (c) T510

*smh*

in the old days the shit that stood out was the shit that had a personality
motherfuckers trying to be too complex

Mofoz on that Jerry Bruckheimer shit when
all we want is a goddamn video game.

I knew shit was hittin' the fan when
dev's started gettin' invited to late nite TV shows
just to preview cinematic trailers that didn't even show any
actual gameplay. Fail.

Final Fantasy VII. certainly Metal Gear Solid. I suppose Half-Life inspired a generation of bad copycats.

There's a ton of great games being made. I don't get this post.

I'm not sure what people are looking for when they ask "what happened to just videogames?". They evolved! Gameplay is more important than ever now. You can't get by on just graphics anymore. Games are more enveloping and detailed than ever before. Games my friends used to dream about in 7th grade are here now. Plus there are so many options from games that play like movies (Metal Gear, Mass Effect, LA Noir) to joints you just pick up and play (Angry Birds).

What exactly are people looking for?

I thought that's what Shinobi meant, eg the used game/content locking controversy, or online being a necessity. Prior to this gen all you needed to do was put in the cartridge/disc and off you go.

o all the scratched discs

or flipping the playstation over


or buying an expensive ass memory cartridge for your saturn or n64

or expensive ass peripherals that only worked for one game like the powerpad


oh, and did I mention how fucking expensive games were?


foh with the good old days.

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

on SNES

and since I was on my parents' budget at the time there was no way I was selling an $80 game on them

~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/rjcc.png

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

When Street Fighter 2 Turbo came out on SNES I was bagging groceries and had to fork over damn near my whole paycheck for that game.

....Shit colecovision games for $50 way back in 82

>....Shit colecovision games for $50 way back in 82

the cabbage patch kids game

took me many a month to save and beg for my $80 RPGs. I think Phantasy Star IV was $100.

the only thing it was missing was the plastic wrap. unopen i think it was going for close to a G.

I remember when my Super Nintendo got RROD. and when my PlayStation drive scratched all my games because Sony was too cheap to manufacture it right. and that external hard drive I had to buy just to install games on my Saturn. and when all my personal data was released when SegaNet got hacked.

games were stupidly expensive though, I'll give you that. and loading times were a bitch.

I have to save up like 5 months worth of allowance money.

It was me and my brother's present...

________________________________________________________________________
© ZooTown74 All Rights Reserved

I buy, sell, and trade my games on craigslist.

>I buy, sell, and trade my games on craigslist.

you make a good point.

then they need to lower their prices to market value as the games age. Go on xbox marketplace right now and you'll see 3-4 year old games going for $40-$50 to download, when buying the game used or even new may run you anywhere from $20-$5

As I said before I only buy used games at this point because I honestly don't have enough time to game like I used to. I cop a used joint and let it sit, I don't feel so bad. The days of keeping up with the joneses as far as gaming goes are behind me. I can wait a year after a system drops or 2 even before I jump in. Who cares honestly? If the game is good the game will always be good. So if I get it at launch or when nobody else cares I'm fine with that. If these cats make it so I gotta be online in order to play their shit I think I'm done. Bad enough PSN got a damn update every other week.

so has PSN. I generally don't see any games that are 3-4 years old going for $40-$50 unless it's one of those games that still pull that kind of value in a physical store like say Call of Duty Black Ops. But I do agree in general that the price floor for games that are old should be less than 19.99 for real. We shouldn't be seeing games like Perfect Dark Zero or Crackdown 1 sitting at 19.99. I'm like I can go pick both of those games up used at gamestop and spend less than 10 bucks total.

>so has PSN. I generally don't see any games that are 3-4
>years old going for $40-$50 unless it's one of those games
>that still pull that kind of value in a physical store like
>say Call of Duty Black Ops. But I do agree in general that the
>price floor for games that are old should be less than 19.99
>for real. We shouldn't be seeing games like Perfect Dark Zero
>or Crackdown 1 sitting at 19.99. I'm like I can go pick both
>of those games up used at gamestop and spend less than 10
>bucks total.

as a game I buy from the store. I'm buying directly from the provider, yet I pay the same price I would for something that was manufactured, packaged, shipped and stocked? Fuck all that.