Sony’s teasing us about its new PlayStation console. On its “Meeting 2013” site — unveiled not too long ago — there’s a date, a hashtag, and little else. Clearly, on Feb. 20 something big that involves the PlayStation brand is going to happen, and a lot of people are expecting that a replacement for the aging PlayStation 3 is going to be unveiled then.
The question is, what are they going to call it?
“PlayStation 4” may be out of the question
It seems obvious, right? There was the original PlayStation, then the PS2, then the PS3, and now the PS4. (The original PlayStation actually saw a re-release as the PSone, and was frequently called the PSX by insiders, but let’s just ignore that for now since that complicates things.)
The thing is, the number four is extremely bad luck in Japan. It’s a pretty big thing, even more so than how 13 is considered unlucky in the States. The Japanese word for four, “shi,” is the same as the word for “death,” and death is a huge cultural taboo — everything related to it, even attending a funeral, is considered unclean.
Sources say “Orbis” …
Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett was the first to break the story, last year, based on “a reliable source who … has shared correct information with us before.” Apparently, the working code name for the next PlayStation console is Orbis, a Latin word which means circle or orbit. Orbis Vitae is Latin for “the circle of life,” so its name kinda goes with the PS Vita’s.
… but they could be wrong
Just because the name Orbis is used internally doesn’t mean that’s what the actual console is going to be called. Tech companies use internal code names all the time, for products they’re still working on; the Nintendo Gamecube was called the Dolphin before it was released, while many who were following the development of the “Revolution” console were surprised when it was announced as the Wii.
#PlayStation2013?
That’s the hashtag Sony’s promoting, for discussion of the new PlayStation console. It seems unlikely that it’d turn out to be the final name; for one thing, the number 13 is (again) unlucky in the States, and for another it’d make it seem dated really fast given how long the console lifecycle is. Imagine if you were still playing games on your “PlayStation 2006!
How about the PS3D?
From what we know of the new PlayStation console so far, its big visual draw (besides more powerful processors) will be that it will support 3D games and 4k resolution, although not at the same time. Sony already tried to push 3D support for a limited number of PS3 games, and with Nintendo’s 3DS outselling the Vita it just might redouble its efforts in the 3D arena.
Orbis is still the name that’s reportedly being used for developer kits, and perhaps the most likely given the PS Vita’s Latin name. But a “PS3D” may not be too far-fetched.
