While it has been the long held belief that, in order to compete with the launch of Nintendo’s Wii U, Sony and Microsoft would be announcing their forthcoming next generation consoles at this year’s E3, it appears that one of those two powerhouse companies isn’t interested in a E3 2012 reveal at all. Despite numerous claims that it would behoove Sony to showcase what is commonly known as the PS4 at E3, the publisher’s president put the proverbial nail in the coffin at this week’s CES.

Speaking at CES, Kaz Hirai repeated fellow Sony member Andrew House when he said that there will be no PS4 announcement at E3. Further hammering home his point, Hirai explained that he has always believed and stated that the PS3 is on a ten-year life cycle, and there is no need to change that.

So, regardless of what Microsoft or Nintendo might be planning for their console futures, it appears that Sony’s is quite clear: they are not interested in even showing off a PS4 until, at the very earliest, some time in 2014 or 2015. It’s a bold move on Sony’s part, sticking to their 10-year proclamation, and we hope it pays off.

At the same time it seems strange that Sony wouldn’t be interested in showcasing a new console since many of its platform-exclusive developers have claimed they are maxing out the PS3’s current potential with their most recent games. Some, like Naughty Dog, are even transitioning into new projects in order to keep things fresh, since better graphics and stronger AI just isn’t a possibility at this point.

And then there’s the issue of what Sony will do if Microsoft comes out with an impressive next gen console during E3, one that makes the PS3 and Xbox 360 look vastly inferior. Part of the reason that Sony fell so far behind in the console war stemmed back to the fact that they launched second. They have gained ground since then, but one would think they have learned from their mistakes (and the Xbox 360 is still far outselling the PS3 in the States).

Granted, Sony is currently focusing on getting their new handheld, the PS Vita, all the publicity it deserves, but these are large companies, ones that should be able to manage multiple product launches, Nintendo is going to be doing it with Wii U and 3DS.

Perhaps this is just an elaborate smoke and mirrors trick that will leave us later this year looking back at Sony’s misdirection and laughing, but we just can’t tell at this point. Whatever they plan to do, whether it's mention a console or simply show off great 2012 and 2013 content, our only hope is that PlayStation isn't left in a tough spot.

Do you think that Sony will stand behind their claim of a 10-year console cycle and not show off the PS4 this year? Will that end up ultimately hurting the PlayStation brand and Sony?

Source: Wall Street Journal