Most Recent: PS4

The rumors heating up for the Wii 2 aren’t necessarily shocking, as Nintendo remains the only console manufacturer without a High Definition presence. The onset of the next, true console generation? Now, that would really shake things up.

Kotaku claims to have talked to various insiders on the whisperings around Sony and Microsoft board rooms about when they’ll launch new consoles. Many sources are pointing towards 2014, claiming neither company wants to undermine profits by releasing a system that’s too expensive to make. Others hint at greedier reasons, claiming “both MS and Sony are telegraphing to each other that they’re delaying, to milk the current [generation].”

It’s been a while since I took Microeconomics, but I’m pretty sure that would be illegal.

The site also spoke to analysts Billy Pigeon, who believes Microsoft and Sony will probably wait to see how successful Nintendo’s incoming HD system does, and the infamous Michael Pachter, who attests that neither is ready for a new console cycle. Stephen Totilo of Kotaku attempted to agree with them, writing the sentence “it would also make likely that expected but unannounced games from other publishers, the next Grand Theft Auto, for example,” in an apparent lack of cohesion. Personally, I think this generation is just hitting its stride, and I’d at least like to see another Metal Gear Solid before the circle begins anew.

We’ll let you know if Kotaku hurls anymore accusations of criminal collusion at our favorite game companies.

Square Enix plans to open a new studio in Montreal, Vancouver or Toronto next year and hire 100 new developers to work at it. So what, you say, new studios open all the time. Especially in Canada, which is quickly turning into the leading location for video game development.

Well, what if I told you that this studio would be responsible for creating games for the (currently unannounced) PlayStation 4, Wii 2 and Xbox 720. I’ll wait while your brain processes the change from “So what?” to “Whoa!”

The news comes from a report on GamesIndustry.biz, which cites an article in the Canadian newspaper La Presse. Stephane D’Astous, the director of Eidos Montreal, will make the final decision on where the studio will be located. But he’s not shying away from the fact that this studio is being built from the ground up to create next generation games.

“The new consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will require more attention and more staff,” D’Astous said. “We want to prepare ourselves.”

Maybe the next generation of consoles is closer than we think.