E3 2011 is well behind us now, so now it's time to start looking towards the future. E3 2012 is still several months away, but we have to wonder what it has in store for us as far as the Playstation 4 is concerned. A lot of us were hoping for something more from Sony at this year's E3. We got the Playstation Vita and some cool new games and collections revealed to us, but ultimately many of us were let down. Sony was coming off the hacking of the Playstation Network, so rightly a lot of us felt a little deflated after E3 2011. So what will Sony be going this year?

Making an Impact

This year, one has to think that the PS4 will definitely be announced. By all appearances, the other big two hardware developers will be announcing new consoles and accessories next year, so you have to think that Sony will be bringing out the big guns. Heck, I might even say that something could be announced even sooner than then, and then at next year's E3 we could get an even better presentation.

But let's not get our hopes up too much.

I was one of those guys really expecting and wanting a whopper of an announcement from Sony at E3 this year. I didn't get it, so I'm always waiting with bated breath to hear what's new from the developer. I'm sure nothing will happen in the interim, but I can always hope right?

Alright, my desires aside, Sony has to come out with guns blazing next year. We need to see the PS4 and see what it can do. Maybe we could even see a launch title and a little gameplay. As we've talked about before, expect the PS4 to be an all-around entertainment machine. We'll without a doubt see some cool intuitive online activities we can use the PS4, and if we're lucky we'll get some super cool new features that will blow our minds.

It HAS to be the next gen. It HAS to be a revolution. And I'm thinking it will be.

But Can it Live Up to the Hype?

Nowadays, it seems like Sony is kind of flying under the radar. The hardcore gamers now what a great machine the PS3 is, but it keeps getting overshadowed by the other consoles and their innovative accessories. When Sony makes their big announcement, it's going to be a big deal. And there's going to be a lot of hype and a flurry of activity as everyone speculates on this and that.

I have a feeling that Sony is going to hit us with something special once again and yes, it will live up to the hype. The graphics keep getting better using the same old console, so just imagine what something next-gen will look like. When you take that into account alongside the other innovative things that have been rumored, such as synthesized textures and integrated touch screens, you start to get the feeling that something great is right around the corner. There will always be naysayers (this is the Internet, after all), but most sane people are probably going to get exactly what they've been waiting for.

Loyalty Counts for Something

Die-hard Playstation fans are nothing if not loyal. A good chunk of PS loyalists are dyed in the wool hardcore gamers that "get it," for lack of a better term. They understand the mechanics of game design and appreciate everything that's been put into the console, games, and accessories. Even the more layman gamers, such as myself, appreciate what we have in the PS3. So loyalty is not something that Sony lacks. They have a solid fan base.

That being said, if they are going to keep and grow that fan base the PS4 announcement has to come sooner rather than later. E3 2012 is the perfect time and it should happen. Couple this with the whopper of a console that Sony needs to deliver at E3, and I have a feeling the PS loyalist numbers will grow significantly.

This game is Sony's to lose, and they know it. In many ways, they're on the ropes now. So they have to come out swinging.

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