1) Make a prototype game that is cool and stands out.

2) Contact Sony. The best way is http://www.scedev.net/

Pricing for devkits is typically subject to NDA, though it's fallen quite a bit over the years and generations, as have the requirements for it. In the past, it was necessary to have multiple published games, an established company, legal representation, etc. You know, the usual stuff anybody trying to set up a business will do. Also some more onerous requirements at times, like having a formal office space, website, well defined IP ranges, etc that is a bit trickier for indies. Those requirements may have been relaxed since the last generation.

That said, I would be surprised if they bothered talking to anyone who didn't have at least a handful of game releases out there already. I do feel there's a difference between "indie" and "hobbyist".

There is no such thing as a Dev Kit for one user afaik. The PS3 Kits I'm sure are getting much easier to get but I would bet that the brand new PS4 Dev kits will be harder to obtain than refined uranium. Ok, maybe not that drastic but I'm sure they will be back to the strict requirements. Simply put if they give you a dev kit they are giving you access to reverse engineer the entire system and exploit their networks (which Sony has had problems with in the past) Being that their dev kit will contain source code and documentation on everything that makes the console what it is they are not willing to hand that over to just anyone.

More so your best bet is to build the game in it's entirety using technologies and engines that can support the main target console system. Once your game is released and well protected legally you might be able to get somewhere contacting development studios that already have a dev kit and license. Through an extremely hefty contract (meaning you won't see very much of the money earned) you can come to a deal where they will release your game and cut you back a small portion of the profits. Beyond this as a first timer or someone with less than say 5 completed titles on the market I doubt you'll have a snowballs chance in hell (Sorry, but it's the truth). I would recommend keeping an eye out for the new XBox and see if they continue to offer the Indie market place as the requirements are such that a basement indie can actually obtain a license and submit a game. Also this counts for console game release experience that can later be used when trying to get arcade and full dev kit licenses for various consoles. If this still isn't an option perhaps look into Ouya which from my understanding will have the lowest and most obtainable of the requirements as far as us indies are concerned.

Now, I have literally not the slightest idea about how these things work, so maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about but... With their PS4 announcements and in various interviews about it, Sony has been paying a whole lot of lip service to allowing small indie teams to put out games on PSN once PS4 is out. They seemed to want to make a point about making the PS4 an easier platform to get in on than the 360 has been.

Is it all just lip service and nothing more? Or have they just not released any details about how it might work as yet?

I'm just curious... lol.

Sony is currently the odd-man-out, requiring a studio to have a track history of large titles before entering their console space.
This is what they hope to change. They want to re-enter the competition for the smaller studio.

Based on what they and some of their developers said at IndieCade 2012, they've already started reducing the experience requirement. They welcome young upstarts who have a great concept and a great team who can prove that they have potential, and a business plan (a schedule and a budget and a monetization plan). Experienced personnel are still a huge plus, and there are still plenty of hoops to jump through.