After weeks of anticipation, Sony have finally came out and officially revealed the next step into a new generation of console gaming: Playstation 4. This evening, Sony held their Playstation 2013 event; which spanned out over a 2 hour time period, which was fully dedicated to how the PS4 will change gaming and usher us into a new era.
Spearheaded by lead architect by Mark Cerny, the Playstation 4 will be a platform "Created by gamers, for gamers". The hardware itself boasts an impressive portoflio; where it'll use APU tech and GDDR5 memory - specs usually seen for "High end graphic cards".
As expected, PS4 will have Gaikai fully integrated into the console, which will further enhance our gaming experience. With Gaikai, gamers will be able to instantly experience the classic games they love, along with a new spectrum of games that will only be available on the next-gen console. The Gaikai experience doesn't end there though. Another key aim of theirs is to make the PS4 a social hub for gamers, by allowing us to livestream our content, ask for help and even have friends take the helm and play for us. Presumably, all of these features won't be available from day one, particularly classic gaming - which the CEO mentioned was their "final goal".
With the Playstation world already expecting Sony to integrate the PS Vita with PS4, it'll come to most of us as no shock that the Vita will be used as a secondary screen- similar to Nintendo's Wii U. Remote play will allow gamers to keep the PS4 experience going without the burden of staying put in the living room. Instead, we'll be able to pick up the Vita and take our game elsewhere - changing how we think of Playstation forever.
Despite the PS Vita being a big part of controlling your PS4 experience, it all of-course boils down to the actual controller. Earlier last week, we seen our first glimpse of the PS4 controller through an early prototype - which is very representative of the final product. The focal point of the controller is undeniably the share button. Via the share button, gamers will be able to instantly broadcast their experience to friends through both screenshots, and video content. You'll also notice the touchpad, but unfortunately, Sony shunned actually revealing how this feature will tie in with out gaming adventures.
From the get-go, Sony outlined that the PS4 will be a true gamers console, and boy did they not disappoint - throughout the two hour conference they provided us with an impressive collage of both first, and third party games! Here's a quick run down of some of the new games we heard of...
Knack
Knack is a first party party game from Sony Studio Japan. Developed and directed by none other than Mark Cerny, Knack follows protagonist Knack; a form-changing creature created to win humanities war against goblins. The game will follow a cartoonish style in both visuals and gameplay; making it a very accessible launch title that'll surely sell to the masses.
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Shadow Fall follows the cold-war struggle between the Helghast and their rivals; where they'll literally fight for their right to live in the face of utter extinction. With Gorilla behind Shadow Fall, it'll no doubt be yet another successful hit in the highly coveted Killzone series!
Drive Club
In recent years, many developers have went out with the dream of making the most realistic driving game to date - a feat that Evolution Studios feels that they've achieved through their new game: Drive Club. Originally drawn up ten years ago, Drive Club is the most ambitious driving experience to date; where players will be rewarded for making clubs and competing with others across the globe.
Infamous: Second Son
As expected, Sucker Punch will be releasing a new Infamous game. Rather unexpectedly, the game won't follow anti-hero Cole, instead we'll take the helm as a new, arguably more exciting, character. Second Son will follow a new superhero who fights against the government who're heavily focused on controlling the population via surveillance - an agenda that leaves our new hero unimpressed.Our new character will seemingly be able to teleport and shoot what appears to be balls of fire from his hand, his other superpowers, if any, are unknown at this time.
Playstation 4 comes out in Holiday 2013. Stay tuned to Se7ensins for more PS4 news!
