Activision CEO expects at least 8 years out of the PS3
by Alan Tsang 
{ Sep 15th 2008 at 11:00PM }
During the Activision Blizzard Analyst Day, CEO Robert Kotick expressed his expectations that the PS3 will last at least eight years. Since Activision Blizzard is now "largest payer of royalties to the first-parties of any third-party company," the CEO believes the company is "starting to influence hardware design." When is that going to happen, you ask? "I think there's a long life ahead of us, we're in year eight of PlayStation 2 and when you look at PlayStation 3 technically we're likely to see at least eight years' success."
We've heard enough from Sony executives who chant the PS3's expected 10 year life-cycle like a mantra, so it is refreshing to hear someone from outside the company who has similar confidence in our favorite console.
We've heard enough from Sony executives who chant the PS3's expected 10 year life-cycle like a mantra, so it is refreshing to hear someone from outside the company who has similar confidence in our favorite console.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ownage4dummys @ Sep 15th 2008 11:20PM
and that my fellow PS3 friends is why I traded in my 360 for my PS3 (also mgs4 :), but getting back to the point, wonder how long he thinks the 360 has left lol less than 2 years ??? also the Wii even though sales are still hot will lose steam when people realize what a piece of junk it really is...
Mr. Joe @ Sep 16th 2008 10:12AM
i like what you have to say, but sadly, i don't see the wii ever being seen as "a piece of junk." they own the casual gamer market. my wife, a very casual gamer, swears by the wii because she can actually play a couple games. she hasn't even tried playing my ps3 because she thinks it just looks too complicated. she likes watching me play some of the pixeljunk games, but that's about it. i do believe the wii is a piece of junk. mario kart was maybe the last good game for the wii. i don't think wii owners realize the gimmick of the whole system. maybe after they push out even more accessories the message will get across that they have nothing good to offer, just more junk.
wow, i guess i didn't realize how much the wii frustrates me...
Popfrogs @ Sep 16th 2008 12:09PM
@joe: If you look at Nintendo's history, they've always launched gimmicky peripherals. This time they finally landed a killer.
Remember the NES days? There were 4 controllers Nintendo sold that I remember. NESMax, the giant arcade stick, the dork glove, and the light gun. Don't forget the crappy robot used for Gyromite.
The N64 only had one awful controller, and the Gamecube stuck to the same formula. Strangely, they returned to their roots for the Wii and now you see this http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_Wii_peripherals.
The cool thing is that the Wii is taking on a market of people that just don't buy games. They might get swept up in gaming and buy a PS3 or a PS4 some day.
deaftly @ Sep 16th 2008 12:53PM
Mattel made the Powerglove, not Nintendo. The arcade stick was the NES Advantage. The robot was R.O.B. And you call yourself a gamer, for shame.
Khaled @ Sep 15th 2008 11:20PM
I hope so, but sony would release new console if M$ did
Real Gambler @ Sep 16th 2008 4:32PM
Why would Sony release a new console so soon???
- Can the console make games running in 1920X1080?
Yes (and this standard is good for 10 years, likely a lot more)
- Are they running out of room alreadyfor games on the BluRay?
No
- Do they all have hard drives?
Yes
What do you think will the devs do for the next 10 years: Games running at up to 1920X1080 and they will be happy if there's enough space for them on the disk. If internet bandwith explode, there's an easily ugradable hard drives in every consoles for game download, and actually no limit on file size on PSN.
Microsoft will come out early with a new one because of the DVD. And Nintendo will want to go HD.
- Will current Microsoft and Nintendo owners be happy if a new console comes out in 3 years and they drop support of the old one like they did with the original Xbox and Gamecube?
NO
Currently, Sony is laughing because the manufacturing cost of the PS3 is slowly going down. They will be able to lower the price and still make money years after years for many years to come. But it's a known fact that everytime a new console comes out, the manufacturer loose money. Nobody want to make a new console every 5 years because they always loose money the first few years. That's why only large pockets like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft can afford to make games consoles. But they have to also give results to investors. Trust me, those guys won't be happy if they spend a few billions every 5 years on a console, and don't get their money back during their lifecycle.
DeforMAKulizer @ Sep 15th 2008 11:21PM
PS3 FTW!!!! =D
frankym @ Sep 15th 2008 11:29PM
Next xbox: 2010
Next PS: 2011
kevin @ Sep 16th 2008 3:40PM
agreed on xbox new ps2 around 2014
bambino @ Sep 15th 2008 11:31PM
Xbox 720 : 2011
PS4: 2013
lorddshadow @ Sep 16th 2008 12:03AM
judging by the trend, saying the ps3 will stay for ten years might be true but that doesn't mean the ps4 will be out before the end. same as ps2 probably. ps4 will be introduced a few years in when ps3s spread to many households and the state of the art ps4 will be released to the grins and groans of the masses. just my 2 cents.
ryan @ Sep 15th 2008 11:36PM
Xbox 720: 2011
PS4: 2014
PS2: living dead
Wii too!: just...dead.
LAZoftheTamarinds @ Sep 15th 2008 11:38PM
Is it messed up that when I saw his picture I laughed.
Come on I know I wasn't the only one!
Gambit07 @ Sep 15th 2008 11:43PM
read below
The Dark Trooper @ Sep 15th 2008 11:54PM
No Its not, I mean I'd do the same to you
Gambit07 @ Sep 15th 2008 11:41PM
toupee or just for men?
farfisa @ Sep 15th 2008 11:50PM
"The PS3 will last 8 years, but my hair will last forever!!!"
Popfrogs @ Sep 16th 2008 12:09PM
"Hamster hat".
jarhead906 @ Sep 15th 2008 11:43PM
Im in agreement. The Playstation 3 could easily progress to the eight year mark, considering that the PS2 is around its ninth and still going strong.
The only thing that would change this is M$ releasing a new console due to the fact that the hardware will eventually show signs of inferiority to what the PS3 will showcase (Heavy Rain anyone?). HD hype will steadily increase over the coming years. Sony can't afford to let M$ go unopposed with (more than likely) a more advanced, if not on par with the 'Station, console.
pliny5678 @ Sep 16th 2008 12:41AM
Thanks PS3Fanboy, I'll take that ugly mug with me to sleep tonight.
Me55 @ Sep 16th 2008 3:26AM
Some of the M$ fans would like to think that Sony won't last another 8 years but when you break out the technical spec's the 360 is closer to a Mac G5 PPC quadcore with one core missing, and most of the gaming excitement really comes from the GPU anyway. Well except for the PS3 it uses the Cell Processor like a highspeed graphics processor along with its central processing duties. And the same Cell Processor just helped to set a Super Computer speed record for IBM. So the 360's PPC is not able to be used as high speed Super Computer and it fails at HD also since it can only upscale to 1080i not p, because progressive scan takes more power and if you try to get more power out from the current hardware the RRoD will be there to stop you.
And this is why the Cell Broadband Processor inside the PS3 will last another 8 years...
superklye @ Sep 16th 2008 8:32AM
You understand that 1080i60 and 1080p30 are the same thing, right?
If you have a 1080p HDTV, all you see is 1080p because that's all your TV displays. Whether your video source is outputting p or not, it'll still be 1080p.
The only difference is if your TV has a shitty deinterlacer and if it does, well, it sucks to be you. But most TVs have excellent deinterlacers these days and the difference between a 1080i and 1080p source are indistinguishable BECAUSE IT ENDS UP AS 1080p ANYWAY.
Marketing bullet points ftw!
deaftly @ Sep 16th 2008 11:01AM
Don't you dare use facts over fanboy tripe around these parts!
Copland @ Sep 16th 2008 10:34PM
Yeah, the Cell Processor is hard to use, but once developers get use to optimizing games for it, it'll be a very powerful CPU.
But the problem with PS3 is with NVIDIA's RSX GPU.
It's not powerful as XBox360's GPU, so the Cell Processor needs to help the GPU with graphics. So the GPU is dragging down the Cell Processor.
But it isn't NVIDIA's fault because Sony planned on putting, two Cell Processors, one for CPU usage, one more for GPU,
but at the final stage, they came to a conclusion that it would be impossible for them to do that, so they ask NVIDIA to make on for them. And the time frame was really short for them(NVIDIA).
InfamousShadow @ Sep 16th 2008 7:11AM
HOLY CRAP! lol He reminds me of Alf lol.
Miles @ Sep 16th 2008 4:55AM
The fact is that most PS3 games run with a 720p resolution, not 1080p, and most of the time with some choppy framerate. Good thing is that it's starting to evolve a bit.
The PS3 could last 8 or 10 years without any difficulty, if only it was given a decent video card. The Cell is truly impressive but does not make any difference in gaming so far.
Popfrogs @ Sep 16th 2008 12:10PM
720p beats the hell out of the upscaled 360 games. Sure, it takes time to learn, dev tools evolve over time and middleware gets better. Once people realize what a turd the UE3 engine is and quit using it, we'll see even higher resolutions and framerates.
BTW Wipeout HD is 1080p/60fps.
j.howlett @ Sep 16th 2008 7:03AM
i think it's entirely possible to reach their 10 year plan or more with the ps3. it's just as likely they will have the ps4 out before the ps3 lifespan is up.
Skunk Ape @ Sep 16th 2008 8:00AM
I'd like to think it will last that long, but considering Bobby Kotick is the Karl Rove of video games, I'm less likely to believe this now that he's said it.
Metal_Gear @ Sep 16th 2008 9:24AM
This is why the PS3 is full of win, Blu-Ray and Cell.
Blu-Ray is safe for a good few generations and its limit will never be reached. M$ will have to pay to use it.
Cell is a powerhouse and will be safe for another generation at least. For Sony, the jump to the next generation isn't too large and they have gotten past 'that difficult 3rd album'.
Sony have the advantage going into the next console I'd say regardless of how many 360s they sell. The PS3 will be comparable in power with their next console if it is released in the next 2 years and M$ couldn't release their current console without it bricking 33% of the time and they still havent sold all the consoles they claim they have.
deaftly @ Sep 16th 2008 12:49PM
Can I borrow your fortune telling hat?
Metal_Gear @ Sep 16th 2008 1:33PM
No, but you can borrow my opinion hat.
mrwhitethc @ Sep 17th 2008 8:50AM
After the $ I dropped we better get 8 years
NeCrom-X @ Sep 22nd 2008 1:04PM
No the CELL is not hard to program for that was a bad excuse by game developers for not being up to par.
Your right superklye except that if your TV maxes out at 1080i and doesn't do 1080p at all then you can see the difference but even still barely.