Sony’s PS4: Slated to Win the Race with Hardware, Exclusive & Used Games & Price, All Revealed
Coming in live from Sony's E3 2013 Conference panel, it seems that the PS4 may just be the console to beat, as the hardware has finally been revealed.
As expected, it was an angular black box, as was first showcased in the brief teaser that Sony revealed last May. Eurogamer reports that angularity was pretty much the theme of the PS4, allowing for a more modern design to the box with a slanted edge, but still sleek enough to be placed atop your TV sets.
But what literally made the crowd go wild is the official announcement: Sony's PS4 will, in fact, support used games.
And it won't be with fees or other policies that have been seen with the Xbox One. According to Forbes, PS4 disc has the similar function as a PS3 disc, with no restrictions on online connectivity, trading with friends, or any other constraints.
For those who want to continue the way they are playing their games now--only with better graphics and added features--will most definitely fall in love with PS4. This feature alone may push the PS4 for the win.
And for those who don't want to shell too much for the next generation console, there's no reason to fear with Sony's PS4, as the conference revealed that the price for the device is just $399--a far cry from Microsoft's starting price of $499.
PS4 and PS Vita: A match made in heaven?
For a while now, it's been known that the PS Vita was going to be a close companion of the PS4, mostly for Remote Play when it comes to some of the games.
Indeed, this has been one of the hyped topics with Jack Tretton, president of SCEA, has pointed out. Aside from the expected Remote Play function, there are already a lot of games lined up for Vita, starting with God of War HD 1 and 2, Flower, and the much-awaited The Walking Dead season 2 from Telltale Games.
"It's clear that people love Vita once they get their hands on it," Tretton said in the conference, as quoted by Forbes.
Battling Microsoft in entertainment?
Microsoft has been very vocal about including TV, Skype, and other connectivity features that go beyond gaming, and somehow, it got a harsher reception for deviating from the games, which most people believe the gaming console should be all about.
Now it seems that Sony may also be planning on pursuing a similar path, though not as hyped, considering its continuing barrage of indie gaming and AAA exclusive content for the PS4.
Joystiq reports that the PlayStation platforms--mind you, not just the next-generation PS4--will be expecting Redbox Instant and Flixster to arrive. This integration is also said to be available also for the PS3 and the PS Vita, with an additional note that its arrival on the PS3 may be very soon.
Does this mean that Sony is still banking for the PS3 to deliver more content to existing gamers? What will this mean in terms of support for current-gen consoles?
What differentiates the current-gen consoles from the PS4 in this aspect would bet eh arrival of Sony Music Unlimited and Movies Unlimited to the PS4, which, according to VG 24/7, will be available on day one of the PS4's launch.
Exclusive games: What to expect
So far, there have been a number of titles revealed for the PS4, which are either exclusive releases or timed exclusives.
Among these are The Order: 1886, Killzone, Drive Club, infamous, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Kingdom Hearts, and Knack. Elder Scrolls Online, on the other hand, will be a timed exclusive.
IGN adds that Assassin's Creed 4 and Watch Dogs will each have an hour of gameplay content that will be exclusive to the PS3 and PS4.
The report adds that female assassin Aveline will have three exclusive missions on Sony's consoles, while Watch Dogs will have four extra missions and reward of a new outfit for Aiden Pearce once the missions are completed.