Microsoft, Sony Reportedly Looking at the Future of Gaming

We constantly report on how the current batch of systems is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Just recently, Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox 360 was about halfway through its lifespan, with roughly five more years on the market left to go. While this is certainly great news for the current generation and recent adopters of modern consoles, sources indicate that both Microsoft and Sony are looking into the futures of their respective brands.

According to Christopher Hartmann of 2K Games, the Kinect and Move weren’t created to follow suit with the Wii but to “test the waters” for future console design. “Rather than saying, ‘This is our console now,’ I think they are playing around and seeing what they can do,” the 2K boss told MCV. “These guys know how to manufacture the chips or push the memory, the kind of thing you usually get with each new console generation. But now everyone is looking for innovation and at online components, so they are experimenting.”

It’s interesting to think that Microsoft and Sony could be using Kinect and Move to see how they can evolve their brands with future consoles. Hartmann’s statements could be more than just predictions and speculation, though, because it was recently revealed via Digitimes that Sony will begin production of the PlayStation 4 by the end of the year. According to the site, the Taiwan-manufactured machine will feature Kinect-like camera-based motion controls, suggesting that Hartmann may be right with his comments.

Of course, the site also states that the console will be prepped for a 2012 launch, going against Sony’s confirmed 10-year plan for the PlayStation 3. If anything, they may just be developing a new motion peripheral for their current home console. We’ll have to wait to hear more straight from Sony regarding this report.