After the mixed reviews Microsoft conference got, everyone naturally turned their eye to the next big conference; Sony. Speculations were running rampant, even more so than it was before the platform was first introduced back in late February and expectations were going higher and higher every passing minute, leaving everyone asking the same question at the end; will Sony be able to deliver? The short answer to that question is; yes. And it ended up getting delivered with perfect finesse.
After being treated to a slew of awesome footage for upcoming PS3 games and learning new information about the PS Vita's future in the first 20 minutes (which was followed by a slightly more boring 5 minutes about the future of Sony Entertainment and their plans for PS4 and PSN), we've reached to the part everyone was waiting; the reveal of the console itself and everything else related to it.
One of the very first things revealed was the look of the new platform. It's sleek yet simple. More importantly, it doesn't look like a VHS player from the early 90s. It has its own character that mixes industrial with futuristic design elements.
The thing that followed was amazing new footages of games that were revealed back in February, all of which are still looking phenomenal, and the launch title confirmation of some first party games like Knack, Killzone: Shadow Fall and Drive Club... And then new announcements started dropping;
-Final Fantasy Versus XIII which got rebranded as Final Fantasy XV
-Kingdom Hearts 3
-Sony Santa Monica and ReadyAtDawn's new game; Order 1886
-The Dark Sorcerer tech demo from Quantic Dream
-Reveals of tons of upcoming (some never before seen) indie titles; including surprise ones like Don't Starve and Oddworld Inhabitants
-A Mad Max game developed by Avalanche studios
-Elder Scrolls: Online and Destiny's first gameplay reveal
After all of the great reveals, we were treated to how Gaikai will be used to stream PS3 games to PS4 and PS Vita, thus bringing the possibility of backwards compatibility back to the PS4 without the need of raised cost. And even better news regarding Sony's stance towards used games market and DRM followed it.
As someone who's been watching these conferences regularly for the past 7 years, I can tell that I have never witnessed such a joyous and satisfied crowd after Jack Tretton revealed that there will be no restrictions for used games and the console will not require regular online check ups to determine if you still retain the rights to play the game you've paid full price for. You will buy your games and you will own them and you will be able to trade them or lend them to your friends. It's as simple as that, just like the way it is today and the way it was 10 years ago.
And just as I thought the conference was ended, the final bomb was dropped; the 399 dollar price point. The crowd was just as cheerful as when they first heard about the console's approach to used games, DRM and online checks, if not more with some of them even chanting the word; "Sony" repeatedly (at least from what I could make out). And it was glaringly obvious that this wasn't a fake crowd, hired to suck off the negativity and "lameness" of the reveals by screaming at every single reveal, big or small. Everything felt absolutely genuine.
All in all, this was one of the best next-gen console reveals I have ever witnessed in my life. It was definitely leaps and bounds ahead of PlayStation 3 reveal, that's for sure. Sony did nearly everything perfectly and used every single opening Microsoft gave them, from used games, excessive DRM usage and utilization of cloud features, graciously to deliver devastating blows to their direct competitor one after another. And although few people have seem to be focusing on small and negligible "negatives" of the console, like the newly introduced need to have PS Plus to be able to play games online, Sony still managed to come at the top with the PS4 reveal just by giving us what we've wanted from the get go and skipping the sweet talk.
Only thing left to say at this point is; "Greatness Awaits". Not just the consumers who are waiting the PS4, but every single person that's involved in this struggling industry thanks to terrible practices that's adopted by big corporations for the last 7-8 years.
And here's the "instructional" video that shows how you'll be able to trade your PlayStation 4 games with others;
https://www.youtube.com/wat...
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Yeah, the games were great, but unfortunately - because of Microsoft's behavior - everyone was worried about restrictions first, games second. Every single gamer in the audience was thinking in the back of their head "okay, yeah, Knack looks cool, but will PS4 have always-online?" Although I don't know how I feel about Killzone: Shadows Fall adopting the color scheme from Halo :P
Sony came out swinging for the consumer & the rights of the consumer. They deserve the praise they got for standing up to big money hatting companies like Microsoft & EA.
Sure Sony is a big money hatting company as well but even with their financial problems they are still willing to take chances that are beneficial to the consumer. Microsoft one of the wealthiest companies on the planet are doing the exact opposite....how is that not disturbing!?
I really hope that Sony becomes the industry leader once again next gen & that it can thrive like it did without the BS. The one thing that does scare me is that Microsoft has practically brainwashed a lot of people in supporting what they do & all the 'uninformed' like the casuals will flock to the XBone like it did with the Wii. There are more of those people than the ones that truly understand.
Sony has done there part...now it is time for the gamer to do theirs. Gamers have the choice & hopefully they will choose the right choice.
If you are a gamer there is only one logical choice.
Sony did not win in 120 mins...They won it in 20 mins when they announced no DRM and $399...That was the bullet to the XboxOne's head
I really want to know what classifies as a "WIN" from both the Sony and Microsoft camp.
We can all agree that the ps2 won last gen as it wiped the floor with the xbox and gamecube. This gen.......... Sony and Microsoft are equal, in the big scheme of things, but the wii destroyed them. but people say, "but no one plays their wii" so they dont count. So do sales matter or not? Is it a bigger picture that we have to look at?
Both companies will survive next gen, and I doubt we will see a PS2 vs everything else type of generation again. But the 399 price point is good.
Yikes. The list of games in this blog is pitiful. You listed what, 4 exclusives?
I go where the games are and if E3 2013 tells us anything, that place in not the PS4.