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

ocelot
ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited March 2012 in IllGaming
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.
scedevorbisborder.jpg
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?

Comments

  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sketches of ‘PlayStation Orbis Features’ Surface, Then Disappear
    original.png
    The design firm Coque Design may have worked on illustrations for certain features of the next PlayStation, according to pictures a tipster spotted on its website today.

    The pictures, which have since been removed from the site, were labeled "Illustrations & Sketches for new PlayStation Orbis features." Orbis is the codename for Sony's next gaming console, as Kotaku revealed today.

    The photos depict several people moving around in front of some sort of Kinect-like motion-sensing device that rests on top of a television. (As a commenter points out, this device also resembles the PlayStation Eye accessory.) One person is using what appears to be an iPhone or iPod to control music that may be linked to the game system as well.



    Full size
    We've reached out to Coques Design and we will update should we hear any further information.

    Commercial Illustration [Coque Design — thanks, Joe!]
  • earth two superman
    earth two superman Members Posts: 17,149 ✭✭✭✭✭
    no way they get rid of BC compatability for PS3. I can see not bothering with ps2 games, but they are gonna need PS3 software to keep moving for a few more yrs.
  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree... Hope they have a back up plan
  • Dat1Dude7
    Dat1Dude7 Members Posts: 448 ✭✭✭
    damn
    they are really tryna ? on gamestop

    gamestop and other resellers need to jus work out a percentage wit the console owners.
    the future looks too damn tedious
  • vagrant-718
    vagrant-718 Members Posts: 4,569 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I can see them taking out BC to keep the price low
  • themadlionsfan
    themadlionsfan Members Posts: 9,133 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I can see them taking out BC to keep the price low

    yeah keeping PS2 BC it was bumped the price to $600 bucks
  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I still have my 60gb too... BC was never a make or break for me
  • Michael_Malice
    Michael_Malice Members Posts: 17,415 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I hope they put them Gamestop ? out of business. ? Gamestop.
  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    But it also means you can't barrow games
  • stoneface
    stoneface Members Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭✭
    I hope they put them Gamestop ? out of business. ? Gamestop.

    Co sign...if this BC info is true, guess ill be hanging on to my PS3. Doesnt bother me none.

  • VIBE
    VIBE Members Posts: 54,384 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Weird name, sounds like some ? an alien would name it's fat dog. Cool though.

    Looking forward to it. I doubt it will lack anything, it's too early to talk about power. Sony is about to ? on the game industry and take mad awards. What were the sketches though? I wanted to see that...
  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    sionb55 wrote: »
    A step in the right direction, a new name and a new movement. Sony lost $4.4 billion dollars last year. Them ? aint tryna end up Sega 2013 lolol. Not sure I agree w/ no BC tho.... but they prolly doin that so that they can get rid of all the PS3 inventory they built but aint sell.Thats extreme how far they goin to change things. Seems like their tryna go the Nintendo route w/ how they got that shopping channel online. This seems way too interesting bout how we can no longer borrow games and all that......

    Sony lost that much... The Playstation Brand is the only team was making money for them... Even though the PS3 lost them money

  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    VIBE wrote: »
    Weird name, sounds like some ? an alien would name it's fat dog. Cool though.

    Looking forward to it. I doubt it will lack anything, it's too early to talk about power. Sony is about to ? on the game industry and take mad awards. What were the sketches though? I wanted to see that...

    This is what New Gen should look like for the NextBox... PS4 is rumored to have more power tho
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdwHrCT5jr0
  • VIBE
    VIBE Members Posts: 54,384 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    They forgot to mention the touch screen in the middle of the controller, and the camera that tracks full body motion and has speech recognition.



  • VIBE
    VIBE Members Posts: 54,384 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ^ dude, I was reading a magazine today about how they'll be able to project games/tv/movies etc into your eyes.
  • VIBE
    VIBE Members Posts: 54,384 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Called iOptik, they wanna license it's technology to major consumer-electronics brands and game-software by 2014.

    http://innovega-inc.com/how-it-compares.php
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    sionb55 wrote: »
    focus wrote: »
    They forgot to mention the touch screen in the middle of the controller, and the camera that tracks full body motion and has speech recognition.

    Dayum.... yo in 20 years they gonna have full virtual reality gaming and ? .....

    Yea bro, I heard the camera that tracks full body motion and has speech recognition is gonna be just like Kinect...except called something different!! WHOA!
  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Just like the Playstation Eye cam that came out for the PS2!!!???
    Or the Samsung TV that can recognize voice!!!???
  • Bcotton5
    Bcotton5 Members Posts: 51,851 ✭✭✭✭✭
    lol I was gonna post that but I didnt care enough to