Sony Shows Off PlayStation 4 - Wall Street Journal

By IAN SHERR Sony Corp. is expected to announce the successor for its PlayStation 3 videogame console Wednesday as it attempts to beat back the popularity of mobile devices and cheaper games on the Web. The new device, announced at an invitation-only event in New York, is expected to include technology for streaming videogames over the Web, people familiar with the matter have said. The new technology, which is powered by Gaikai Inc., a company Sony acquired last year, allows gamers to play titles on servers and stream over the Internet to their homes. Prototypes shown to partners and employees have also included higher-fidelity cameras for Sony's "Move" motion games products and touch technology for its game controller as well, people familiar with the matter have said. Sony is set to make a splash with a PlayStation event in New York on Wednesday evening. Ian Sherr joins digits with three things to look for in tonight's unveiling. Sony's new device comes as the videogame industry has been grappling with dramatic shifts in consumer behavior. Since the last PlayStation was launched in 2006, mobile devices such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone and Samsung Electronic Co.'s Galaxy Tab have become go-to machines for a new swath of casual games that are either free or cost a few dollars. As a result, sales of new games, consoles and accessories in U.S. retail stores have contracted every month for over a year, according to market researcher NPD Group. Getty Images An attendee wears a head-mounted display as he plays a game on Sony's PlayStation 3 at the Tokyo Game Show in September. Part of Sony's effort to fight those trends will be the inclusion of more advanced Internet technologies, like streaming, as well as closer ties to social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Google Inc.'s YouTube, people familiar with the matter have said. Whether that is enough to stem changes to the market are unclear. Nintendo Co. released its new Wii U videogame console late last year with a revamped touch screen built into its controller, along with long-awaited features such as support for high-definition visuals, a social network and better Internet connectivity features. That wasn't enough to excite customers however. The company slashed its full-year sales estimates by 27% after lower-than-expected sales, saying it now expects to sell 4 million units through March. via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFUv8LVKqzknTmiyfxeuJvGR3gong&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324048904578316574122583926.html

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