Sony's PS3 was a console built on ego that had harsh executive level repercussions following it's launch. For the recently revealed PlayStation 4, which Sony has been developing for several years, they took a more democratic approach, talking to developers and publishers on what it should do.

"We've been very closely involved in the development of the machine," said Hermen Hulst, co founder of Killzone developer Guerrilla Games, to sources. "It is no longer designed in an ivory tower somewhere in Tokyo, it's shared with us, with Naughty Dog, with Sony San Diego – and together we've built the machine."

The source assumes developer consultation and discussions with publishers like Ubisoft led to the PS4 being designed in line with modern PCs, so devs could easily learn and work with the hardware. Other design elements noted were greater social integration and controller elements, like concave triggers and the headphone jack.