Why Sony cancelled PSX 2018, and what it could mean

PlayStation Experience, an E3-like gaming convention dedicated to all things PlayStation, will be skipping 2018. Sony chairman Shawn Layden confirmed the news on the PSBlogcast, saying there simply wasn't enough on the docket to justify putting the event together this year.

"Now that we have Spider-Man out the door, we're looking down in 2019 to games like Dreams and Days Gone, but we wouldn't have enough to bring people all together in some location in North America to have that event. We don't want to set expectations really high and then not deliver on it. It was a hard decision, but we have determined that this year we will not hold PlayStation Experience."

There is, of course, another reason Sony could be choosing to forego the festivities this year: it could be focusing its efforts on the PlayStation 5. Now, keep in mind the system has not been confirmed, no prototype dev kits with fancy codenames have been leaked, and Sony has been tight-lipped on its plans for the future. However, looking at a few trends and some insider knowledge, it's not so wild an idea.

For starters, we have industry analysts like Michael Pachter speculating that we'll see the PS5 in 2019 or 2020 - that would mean a total lifespan of six or seven years for the PS4, which arrived on store shelves in 2013. That's right in line with previous generations, with the PS3 having gone seven years before being replaced, the PS2 surviving for six years, and the PS1 chugging along for six.

There's also the fact we're starting to see games which are definitely coming to PS5 pop up. Games like Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, and Cyberpunk 2077 are all years away at this point, but people are clearly hungry for them. Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red even hinted that its futuristic dystopia RPG will be coming to next-gen consoles.

For now, it's just speculation to be taken with a good pinch of salt, but it does seem Sony is winding down on this generation and gearing up for the next. And hey, if PSX 2018's cancellation has got you down, just think: by this time next year you may have a whole new generation of games to be excited for.

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