PS4 games entering early development stage - Report

With Nintendo already having announced its current-generation follow-up in the Wii U, speculation abounds as to when Microsoft and Sony will follow suit. Early last month, rumors surfaced that Sony intends to launch the PlayStation 4 in early 2013. However, a new report from Develop indicates Sony may be just beginning to allocate software development resources to the new platform.

According to Develop, sources within Sony's internal studio structure have confirmed that first-party teams have begun "preliminary work" on PS4 games. The projects are reportedly in an early stage of development, with Develop's sources indicating that several teams could enter full production immediately, pending approval by Sony.

The report did not indicate which of Sony's 16 internal studios have teams working on PS4 game development. The SCE Worldwide Studios label houses such development outfits as Sony Santa Monica, Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch, Zipper Interactive, Guerrilla Games, Evolution Studios, and Polyphony Digital.

Sony had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.

Since the time of its launch, Sony has maintained that its current-generation PS3 will have a 10-year life span. That console launched in late 2006, and Sony refreshed the platform in 2010 with the release of the motion-sensor controller Move.