Is Sony Releasing the PlayStation 4 in 2012? [RUMOR]

It looks like the next-generation console wars are heating up. Sony is now rumored to be preparing the PlayStation 4 for a 2012 launch, according to a new report.

Perhaps more interesting, though, is that the PlayStation 4 may boast body movement controls as one of its core features, something that Microsoft pioneered with the Kinect.

Production for the device is rumored begin at the end of 2011, according to Digitimes. The device is being manufactured by Foxconn and Pegatron Technology. Sony intends to ship at least 20 million units, according to the report.

Sony used to be the king of gaming consoles with the PS1 and the PS2. However, Nintendo took the crown from Sony with the Wii and its innovative motion controls. Microsoft struck back with the Kinect last year, one of the fastest-selling devices in history. At the same time, Sony latched onto the motion control craze with the PlayStation Move, a system that combines motion capture with a wand-like controller. More than 8 million Move controllers have been sold since its launch, but it still trails the Kinect by a large margin.