With E3 coming up only a few weeks later, I highly doubt they would see any need to do that.

nope, all eyes will be on microsoft (and daft punk :P) that day,

the reveal of the system is more a thing to save for E3

I wouldn't say underhanded but it's probably not worth it.

I don't think revealing the look would take much press away from Microsoft's announcement.

no way, do it on the 20th.

No, but if Sony leaked everything about the next Xbox, that would fuck them up ^^

It would be petty, but further damaging their reputation? what are you talking about?

Revealing a look of a console would get buried in a crap load of information that Microsoft would release. wait for E3, all eyes are on you anyway and you have something extra to give writers instead just a bunch of trailers for games.

I think Sony would do much better by letting Microsoft step-in-it. Because that is what MS seems ready & willing to do. I think most of the reaction to XB-Next's reveal will be extremely mixed with opinions differing widely. Sony is much better hanging back because Sony has very little to lose since they are already seen as ahead. Microsoft has almost zero chance of coming out ahead in term of PR unless they TOTALLY remove "Always On" from the table and deny it was ever really being considered. ...Since that is so unlikely to happen, at this point Sony is easily ahead in the PR/Perception race.

I just spent the last 2 minutes typing posts and deleting them before posting on this thread, I don't know how to express myself without sounding rude. Really? Asking whether revealing the shape of the console is a smart move? Is it a move to begin with? If you're talking games or functionality or specs, those things matter, but the shape of the thing is also that big of a deal?

No, that day will be all eyes on Xbox. They might steal some eyes from MS but not for long, they'd be doing themselves a disservice more than anything.

I really don't see what that would accomplish. It naturally depends on what the Xbox announcement is, but it's pretty likely that MS has spent the time since the Sony conference planning things to attempt to go one step beyond what Sony announced. So Microsoft will be saying "Look at all this cool shit that Sony doesn't have" and then Sony will be like "Yeah, but look at this cool looking box!!!". It looks desperate, and it misses the point.

I think Sony were very clever in not revealing the design of the console at their announcement event. I'm sure they could have done. They could have had a final design by the time of that event. The console has been in development for long enough, and designers have been working on the stylistic choices of the box for long enough. But they chose not to. They chose to focus on the games. It lead to the impression that the PS4 is about the games, not about a shiny looking box. And whilst they have to reveal it sooner or later (E3, probably), doing so in an attempt to draw the limelight away from Microsoft just comes across as childish and desperate.

Why do people always think it's a good idea for "the other" company to show off stuff on the same day one of the big three reveals their new device?

That's incredibly dumb. Nobody will care. May 21 is Xbox day and if you want your own news to be talked about in detail, put them out on a different day.

No. They should somehow start a rumor that the next Call of Duty and Fallout 4 will be PS4 and PC exclusive, then leak pictures of the system early in the morning on the 21st or on the evening of the 20th, and then deny the above rumors as false after the Xbox has been revealed.

Will it divert a ton of attention away from the Xbox? Nah, but it could potentially keep Sony in the back of the minds of whoever's watching. Really, that's all they need to do - remind everyone of the PS4 in some subtle way just before the next Xbox is announced so that people won't be going "OMG XBOX" but instead they'll be thinking "Wait, did the PS4 do that? How do the two compare"?

'Course, it might also be a good business decision to not do anything until you know what the competition is going to offer. The above could be a risk.

Nope, but for neither of the poll's reasons. If I was Sony, I'd want to kill a competitor's momentum before or after their event. Doing it at the same time just risks getting lost in the noise.

No.

I doubt it would ruin their reputation but I still say no and besides it would be a great way to start the E3 press conference by having the console on a pedestal covered up and then removing the veil.

@bigjeffrey said:

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Ruin? No, but no one would give a fuck about the look of a box vs the reveals of a new piece of hardware with new games also being revealed, and it would certainly have a negative impact on what people think of their marketing. It'd be super douchey and super pointless. Ruin is definitely not the right word though, you're right.

If they want to derail momentum they have to unveil the look and a few features at least a week before May 21st. Then unveil the bombshell features/ games at E3.

No, because whatever they would release would get swept under the rug as attention will be almost completely on the next Xbox.

What do you mean "further damaging their reputation"? Are you implying something or was that just weird phrasing?

If there's a next-generation console that has preemptive bad reputation, it would probably be the next Xbox - what with it's "always online" thing.

Also, no they shouldn't reveal the design on that day. Since Microsoft will most likely be revealing a whole lot about its console, a PS4 design reveal would probably be swept under the radar by the undertow of news coverage about the next Xbox. You'd probably see sites putting out a ton of editorial coverage on the next Xbox, but only one article regarding a design reveal. It doesn't seem smart.

On top of that it also would come off as a cheap call for attention. Sony has its own schedule for this console, and I trust it's more independent from its competition than that.

No, but not for the reason you say. It's just not necessary for them.

I don't think Sony will have to do anything on May 21st to make themselves look good. Microsoft will do a fine job of that on their own if basically any of the rumors are true. Either way I don't think that this event is going to involve that much information. I think the reason this event is so close to e3 is so they can get everyone nice and curious about their system without telling anybody too much, then that puts them in a better position for their press conference in June.

Nah, they should wait until delicious, delicious E3.

Microsoft: We're here today to tell you about the next X..
Sony: Shhh!
Microsoft: Now wait a...
Sony: Shhh!
Microsoft: But...
Sony: Shhh!
Microsoft: We're...
Sony: Shhh!
Microsoft: All we're say...
Sony: Shhh!
Microsoft: Would...
Sony: Sh!... Knock-knock/
Microsoft: Who's there?
Sony: Shhh!
Microsoft: But...
Sony: Let me tell you a little story about a man named Shhh!Shhh!even before you start. That was a pre-emptive "shh!" Now, I have a whole bag of "shh!" with your name on it.
Microsoft: GET OFF OUR STAGE!!!
Sony: (while doing the Macarena)"duca duca duca duca duca duca duca duca..."

No, they would just get lost in the shuffle. They need to save the rest of their ammo for E3.

Íf the xbox is always on, I expect a full "the PS4 is for everyone" campaign. So no, they should counter after.

they have no need to really if they did they would seem petty. however microsoft blows its load before e3 they wont have as much to show there so sony comes out with "and here are more awsome games heres what the console looks like" they make a vow that they dont do always on and boom attention is on them again. to me it just seems more strategic to wait till e3

Where's the "Nope, the way the PS4 looks doesn't matter" option?

This. They would be better off announcing a game.

Yes, but only because it would be funny to see people's reactions.

Spoilers: It's a black box that sits on a shelf.

Not on the 21st. But on the 20th would be a good idea. Plus some more confirmed games too.

I think the options to answer this poll are a bit extreme. How about something closer to just yes or no?

Terrible poll choices. I say no. Let them have their limelight and go balls out at E3 to counter all the shit people are hating about the thing once they announce it.

no, a revealing would be overshadowed by whatever MS is doing. You want to do that during E3.

No, definitely not on the same day. They would just get drowned out by Microsoft's announcement. The look of the ps4 isn't important enough to overshadow the first reveal of the next xbox unless Microsoft royally screws up somehow. Sometime close before or after maybe along with some more game footage might be a good idea, but they might as well just pile it all onto e3 and try to take the show there. I also didn't vote on the poll because my reason for saying no has nothing to do with reputations being damaged.

I'm more wondering what they're going to do with the Champions league final, since they announced a month ago that they're going to have the first TV ad for the PS4 occur there (an incredibly smart idea, since it's one of the most watched events in the world). Do they figure having well north of a hundred million+ people watching the match is as good a time to unveil the look of hardware? The match is on the 25th, it's as good a time as any to throw a punch back at what I'm sure's going to be a flat out saturation of media by Microsoft that will surely include the look of their box.

That's the date to be looking at. I mean, they know they're gonna have to show something big and different, given the amount of people watching.

Nope, they should do it May 22

This.

Also it is dumb to show how the console looks and not provide any more information. They are better offer hearing what microsoft has, and then reacting accordingly. If Microsoft really is always online, then expect sony to show off their console at E3 and say how nonrestrictive they are.

Sony should do a live stream of Jack Tretton working out with a green punching bag at the same time as the Microsoft conference. That would totally derail attention for Microsoft's conference.

What if it's transparent, like the old gameboys. That would be pretty cool.

Well, Sony has released a teaser trailer showing parts of the console. Possibly not good for epilepsy.

Do it at E3.

I'm seeing "#PS4" as a Promoted Trend on Twitter (appearing at the top of the trends list as paid advertising), paid by PlayStation Europe. At the time of the Xbox reveal event.

The blurred teaser really seemed petty.

Am I the only one that thought the PS4 blurry console video and the video MS showed to reveal the XBone were very similar?

Nope, waiting for E3 and then having the reveal images of your box plastered all over the news sites is a much better idea to help raise the overall appearance of PS4 vs Xbone during E3.