“Report” is a lovely word for journalists – it’s basically used the same way as “rumor”, but it sounds more credible, leading to more ever-important clicks due to the power of a misleading title. Today, games journalists have decided to use it again to speculate that the PS4 will be announced in February. While there’s always the possibility that it may be announced next month (a very slim one, as we explain below), the reasoning behind the claim is utterly, horrifically and embarrassingly flawed. Unfortunately, the rumor is starting to spread, infecting unfortunate readers who are being lied to. So it’s time to squash it.
Develop-Online, usually a reputable games news site that’s more focused on members of the trade than consumers, recently ran the article “Report: PS4 announcement coming in February”. Sister-site MCV (yeah, those guys) also ran the exact same article, except with the title “Sony to announce PS4 in February – rumour”. Awesome! We can’t wait to see it already, where’s this incredible evidence?
Expert Reviews claims to have word that Sony will use the Destination PlayStation event “to formally unveil its next-generation PlayStation 4 console for the first time, showing off pre-release hardware ahead of an expected 2014 launch”.
Ah, so Expert Reviews are the source then, let’s go over there and see what they have to say.
Sony has announced a press event in February at which it is expected to formally unveil its next-generation PlayStation 4 console for the first time, showing off pre-release hardware ahead of an expected 2014 launch.
…That secrecy may soon be over: inviting press to an event dubbed Destination PlayStation on the 25th of February, Sony has confirmed that it plans to show off its upcoming release for the year
Ok, first off – Expert Reviews aren’t claiming “to have word”, they’re just spreading general hype-y rumors, so saying that they do is downright false. Secondly, here’s something even more crucial: Destination PlayStation is not a “press event”. It’s not a press event, the press are not invited, the press are not allowed to attend, the press will not be there, the press are actively banned from coming, the press have no idea what’s being shown, unless it leaks. Destination PlayStation is an event for retailers to show them why they should commit to buying lots of PS products and games over the course of the year.
So, even though Develop misquoted Expert Reviews, and Expert Reviews have no idea what they’re talking about and think this is E3, there’s still a chance that Sony could announce the PlayStation 4 in February anyway, right? Well, yeah, sure, anything is possible… but do you really think that they’re going to announce it at an event that has absolutely no press? No coverage, no ‘free advertising’, no hype, no audience.
Sony have done a lot of stupid things in the past, but they’re not that idiotic. The PS4 will most likely be announced at E3 – which has thousands upon thousands of press attending and millions of online viewers – or at a special press focused event where they spend a ton of money on silly gimmicks and musicians to try to make us write nicer things.
There’s a possibility that certain details about the PS4 (such as price, date and production numbers) will be told to key retailers like GameStop and Amazon who are less likely not to leak it, but it will almost certainly not be shown on their show floor because the last thing Sony wants is the PS4 to be announced over Twitter by Future Shop, like they did last year with LittleBigPlanet Karting and God of War Ascension.
For more on PS4 news that isn’t true, be sure to go here, or go here for more on general terrible games journalism and how it affects you.
