‘PlayStation 4’ Release Date May Be Far Off: Sony Plans To Focus On PS3 Until At Least 2015

Nintendo and Microsoft may be readying their next-generation video game consoles, but Sony will reportedly stick with the PlayStation 3 until at least 2015. Sony’s Vice President of Hardware Marketing John Koller revealed that the company plans to continue to focus on content for its third generation PlayStation on Monday.

“A lot of great content is coming,” Koller said in an interview with Gamespot. “And over the next 2-3 years, the PS3 has got an incredible lineup.”

The long-time electronics manufacturer recently unveiled its slimmer and lighter PlayStation 3 at the Tokyo Game Show last week, revealing the price, bundle packages and design of the remodeled PS3. The sleeker iteration of Sony’s game console comes in two different variations: a $269 model equipped with 250GB hard drive, and a $299 edition featuring 500GB of hard disk storage.

Players can choose to purchase a bundle package including the 250-gig model with “Uncharted 3: Game of the Year,” free-to-play shooter “Dust 514,” and $30 worth of DLC. This bundle will be available for purchase next week. The other option includes the 500-gig edition and a copy of “Assassin’s Creed 3” which launches on Oct. 30 in North America.

Koller continued to say that packages such as these and forthcoming titles are enough to keep gamers interested in the PS3.

“When you look at what’s coming to the PS3, not only this holiday, but what’s coming next year…[there are] games like [‘Beyond: Two Souls], games like ‘The Last of Us’… a lot of third-party content coming, and a lot of first-party content that hasn’t come out publicly.”

Sony appears to be taking a different approach than competitors Microsoft and Nintendo: rather than developing next-gen hardware to outpace the console arms race, Sony will be putting more emphasis on content. Koller’s statements reflect the idea that creating a console which stands the test of time is a priority for Sony.

“We’re going to continue supporting the PS3 for the next few years,” Koller said. “Absolutely. And we’re going to continue supporting it not only that long, but as long as there is a development spigot that’s running hot. And I can tell you right now, the development spigot for PS3 is very hot. A lot of great games coming. Same thing with PS2…it’s kind of stuck around as that old warrior, many years after its launch. But there’s games still launching for it.”

If Sony decides to hold off on releasing the PlayStation 4 until after 2015, this means that the PlayStation 3 could have a lifespan of 10 years or more. The successor to Microsoft’s current-generation console, believed to be called the Xbox 720, is rumored to launch within 18 months. This means it could be released in 2014, approximately nine years from the Xbox 360’s unveiling in 2005. As for Nintendo, its first-generation Wii debuted in Nov. 2006, and its follow up Wii U console will be hitting shelves this November, six years later.

This gives the PlayStation 3 a longer lifecycle than its current generation competitors, but it will be interesting to see how the recently announced bundles compare to Wii U sales this holiday season. However, it is important to keep in mind that this is not a complete indicator of the PlayStation 4 release date. As Koller said above, the PS2 has “stuck around” after the PS3’s release, so perhaps the PS3 will follow in its predecessor’s footsteps.