Sony Considered Online-Only Console After PS3

Sony has decided against making the successor to the PlayStation 3 a download-only console, The Wall Street Journal reports.

There was a proposal on the table to completely eliminate an optical drive from the hardware, but Sony decided this was too risky, apparently due to bandwidth concerns.

You know that Giant Bomb doesn’t traditionally run rumors, especially ones related to the next-generation, but a report coming from The Wall Street Journal is, well, a tad different.

The publication said Sony is aiming for a 2013 release, which lines up with what I’ve heard, too.

Say whatttt?

Down with retail

How funny would it have been if the Xbox was the only console with a Blu Ray player in the next cycle?

Not surprising.

I think the gaming industry is overestimating the number of people with great internet connections.

Sony has to come out a few months before Microsoft if they want to have a chance of regaining what they lost this generation. Hopefully the technology inside is much easier to use than the overcomplicated mess that was the cell processor.

It sure sounds too risky to me. How many countries are truly ready for a download-only console? I know I am, but there are a lot of people out there who either doesn't have the bandwidth to support it or still enjoys purchasing physical software.

Well I'm glad they decided against it. The idea of having one company control all prices for every game is pretty terrible in my opinion. It works on PC because there are multiple distributors competing against each other.

I wish they would put our taxes to good use and get Fiber Optic internet connections out across the nation.

@Excast said:

I think the gaming industry is overestimating the number of people with great internet connections.

Yeahhh..... you underestimate how many people have crappy connections. Have you ever played a matchmaking game before?

While I want more than anything for the next consoles to focus things like SSDs and very robust and centric online systems for games... there's no way anyone can really pull it off the the extent that would satisfy me cause not enough people give a shit about either right now, it would be a massive waste and loss of costumers if either of them truly did this. The best I can hope for is 'some' form of SSD or hybrid and some form of better online services, with the possibility for faster releases on the digital stores for games, closer to their retail releases etc.

My PS3's wireless stopped working.....

why would I want it online only?

Very risky but i would personally love it! I think if one of the big three (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft) can begin to mimic what Valve has done with Steam it would be great. One day!

PS3 Go?

If PSN download speeds weren't complete shit, I'd probably think this was plausible.

Australia's Internet is bad enough as it is, if Sony actually releases an online-only console I don't think I'll be able to support it. Also, I just watched an Extra Credits episode, something about we're reaching our global bandwidth limit by 2014?

I bet they all consider going download only, they would be idiots not to at least explore all the options. Too soon though, maybe next-next-gen. Sony already having a stake in bluray - I bet it was an easier decision than MS will have to make.

Nope. Bullshit. If it was 2013 release it would be ALL OVER E3. But they confirmed there won't be a PS4 announced. Secondly, a huge number are offline still. Most in fact across the world are NOT online, ever. If they did this it would be suicide.

Thinking forward is good but we are not there yet for the mainstream to go all download only.

Wow, download-only consoles? I smell a backlash....

@Excast: But, a lot of people isn't all the people. Sony and Microsoft won't want to lose potential customers, even if it isn't a huge number.

@Grimmrobe said:

Wow, download-only consoles? I smell a backlash....

why? they're NOT doing it. why would there backlash?

I'm not saying they should make consoles without optical drives, but it would cool if you could buy and download any game you want. THE FUTURE. I want new console announcements this E3!! I'm a PC gamer but console announcements make me hype.

@DJJoeJoe said:

While I want more than anything for the next consoles to focus things like SSDs

That'd be the nail in the coffin for my PC-centric home theater setup. Eg. the 3 seconds it takes my PC to start playing a video via Netflix, vs. the 90 seconds it takes my 360 to even get to where I can select something. My day is too short to use either a 360 or a PS3 for anything other than exclusive game titles.

Consoles need WAY WAY WAY more horsepower (ie. memory, CPU, and storage speed) before they'll ever replace my PC in the living room.

@fusrodah said:

How funny would it have been if the Xbox was the only console with a Blu Ray player in the next cycle?

I'm not too sure Sony would license the "Blu-ray player" to Microsoft. Doesn't Sony hold patent on that device?

@Grimmrobe said:

Wow, download-only consoles? I smell a backlash....

It was only considered, not implimented.

Rumors you guys... in the news section... oh the wall street journal said it , sure.

@umdesch4: Agreed. It takes FOREVER to boot up any game or app on the 360 and PS3...shorten that shit!

Fuck Video Games i'm going back to my genesis

Really? i know very few people who even have the consoles connected to the internet where i live. Am i crazy or is this thing only possible in the US and UK? I feel like Jeff talks very confidently about this matter happening soon and i find the whole matter insane. Would like to see more answers about this.

Nah it's still one or two generations too early for that.

@Shookems: yes!

This doesn't even really make sense. Everyone wants their consoles to be home entertainment units, which means sony is putting a blu-ray player in it anyway. Even if games where ready to go to digital only, which they're not, movies are even further off.

Ok, guys! We all know the Next-Gen consoles are going to be direct feed to the brain, and all game play will be done in our heads. NO MORE GAMEPADS, GUYS!

@BoFooQ said:

This doesn't even really make sense. Everyone wants their consoles to be home entertainment units, which means sony is putting a blu-ray player in it anyway. Even if games where ready to go to digital only, which they're not, movies are even further off.

Why aren't games ready to go digital only?

cOnsole Orbit Omg

They can always put out a SKU without a blu-ray drive at a lower cost.

Now this is some long and detailed piece of news.

@probablytuna:

Seriously. Maybe most of Asia is ready for a download-only console -- what with some metropolitan Asian areas clocking-in at an average of 2-3 times faster than the average US connection speed -- but most of the world (including where I live, in an American metropolitan area) is just not ready for download-only. If I have to download "full-size" releases overnight, then "download-only" is just going to keep me from playing games, just like it keeps me from downloading movies currently. I also like having physical media, because I have more control over my own access to it; my PS3 enables me to do so many things -- providing access to my movie, game, and music collections on disc -- so a console which specifically denies me access to those things is certainly a lot less appealing. A download-only console would only hurt console sales in the US, if not in other countries as well. I'm glad (if this is true) that Sony has realized the significance of the market share which does not live and die by online connectivity.

Many parts of the world have garbage Internet.  Not everybody lives in a major city or in Eastern Asia.  The video game industry would be smart to remember this or they risk a serious backlash.

@Crono said:

@BoFooQ said:

This doesn't even really make sense. Everyone wants their consoles to be home entertainment units, which means sony is putting a blu-ray player in it anyway. Even if games where ready to go to digital only, which they're not, movies are even further off.

Why aren't games ready to go digital only?

Until the fucking prices start dropping will I even consider going download-only with gaming.

I'm gonna quote Alan Grant from Jurassic Park 3 and say "It's a very, very bad idea!"

I'd love to see all of these, stuffed-suit, corporate shit heads booed off the stage at E3.

Good news. Make the games available for digital download for those that want it, keep the disc drive for those that want to get their games that way. Internet connections aren't that great in many parts of the world, including the U.S. Disc drives aren't that expensive, and it makes the console twice as useful.

So STEAM console will be the next sony thing?

Glad to see someone took away their stupid juice eventually, still really don't see a 2013 release happening though.

Because they had such GREAT success with the PSP Go.

Because they had such GREAT success with the PSP Go.

Due to bandwidth concerns? THAT'S their reason?

I'm surprised bandwidth is such a big issue.