Launching a new console in the modern economic and cultural climate is a risky move – even for the big boys such as Sony and Microsoft. When Sony first released the PlayStation 3 they were forced to make an initial loss on the console, mainly due to extremely high production costs – it paid off in the end, but only as Sony are a big enough company to be able to handle the loss. The console graveyard is scattered with failed gaming stations and producing a brand new (and potentially expensive) console in the current age of digital piracy and used games/consoles could be seen by some as a major financial risk.

According to the following infographic – put together by games.labrokes.com – this risk is far greater for Sony’s proposed PlayStation 4 than it was for the PS3. The infographic, entitled ‘The Financial Risk To Launching A New Console’ covers exactly why this is the case and what Sony will need to do to make a success of their next-generation console: