Playstation 4

The announcement show just happened, stick your thoughts in here.

Basic breakdown:

- Hardware spec is impressive, most notably the 8GB GDDR5 memory (same memory you get in modern graphics cards, in contrast PS3 had 256MB usable).
- Dualshock 4 leaked photo was accurate, has a Vita-style touchscreen in the centre, and a Share button. New triggers & analog stick forms.
- The console is always recording on a buffer, sort of like an active Theatre mode that Halo 3 introduced to consoles. Press the Share button any time on the controller, it'll bring up a screen in which you can rewind the gameplay you just did, cut a short clip and share it to friends/public.
- The Share button also lets you stream your gameplay live to your friends. Friends watching will also be able to chat with you live, and in certain games devs can allow watching players to influence the game. It can also let a friend play the game for you.
- Downloadable titles won't need to be fully downloaded for you to start playing.
- Streamable demos using Gaikai's software: no need to download to try something out.
- Remote play for PS Vita. Play any PS4 game on your Vita. Giant Bomb put it nicely, "They've taken the whole draw of the Wii U and made it a bullet point".
- Holiday 2013 release

Games shown:

- Knack: Platformer/brawler about a creature who can form himself up of large particles to make himself different sizes/materials to suit the task at hand.
- Killzone: Shadow Fall
- Driveclub, team-based racing sim
- Infamous: Second Son
- The Witness (Luckily not exclusive)
- Deep Down (working title) Capcom's Dark-Soulsy thing
- Square say there's a new FF in development, more to follow at E3
- New Watch Dogs demo
- Diablo 3 coming to PS3 and PS4, PS3 version playable at PAX East
- Destiny

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Personally not going to get one, never was. But all that stuff makes me excited because it means all these devs are revealing their new engines which are finally catching up with current medium to high-end PCs (go watch the Deep Down video for probably the best looking demo).

Very interesting. It looks like they've seen the growing popularity of gameplay streams and Lets Plays if they've incorporated streaming into the console itself.

Looks like they're not skimping on the hardware either, which might be interesting considering the PS3 also did that and... didn't really benefit much from it, what with the price point and all. The Vita being a glorified accessory to it probably isn't much more than a bullet point either compared to the Wii U's total integration with the touchscreen pad.

I wouldn't be crying doom about it yet, looks honestly pretty impressive so far.

I'd maybe have enjoyed this more had they not made several crucial annoyances throughout.

Killzone: Shadow Fall continues the studios tradition of false "gameplay" and smoke and mirrors tricks to fool people into thinking what you are seeing is actually the game when it's clearly not.

Look at it. It's all prerendered cutscene up until the bomb attack. When he wakes up, it's gameplay with a noticable drop in quality. Then onward to a "high flying chase sequence" which was so achingly obvious to only render the spaceship, you and everything else was just a prerendered cut scene projected in the background and not really the game world. Then dropping off, one quick look at a dark metal plate on the floor to let them swap over to prerendered again to make it look impressive for the title shot.

Either this is what they're going to do in game, which is such an awful idea it barely is worth thinking about or it's them up to their usual tricks of "target renders" announced as "real gameplay" to try and fool the idiots out there.

Everything else bar Watchdogs failed to grab me at all. You're demoing a new console Sony, show me some actual damned gameplay, not prerendered cutscenes to go "Wow look how good it is!" when it's just CGI.

Then of course they bring out the Braid guy and cue me almost wanting to punch the screen. What a pretentious tosser. Appears on stage, immediately insults every single gamer who has played anything other than Braid and other "real" games by his definition and continues on to basically rip off Myst. All the while smugly talking about how if you play anything other than an indie, you're basically a corporate sheep. What a wanker.

Diablo 3 on PS3/4. Failing that badly, Blizzard?

Top it all off with Sony's usual smug boasting and spin, something they're known for way more than anyone else other than Reggie himself.

But what's good?

Fairly decent internal graphics should hopefully finally play catch up with the PC market.

The integration of games, speed to play and the communication of in game elements is a very clean step forward. If it works as smoothly as advertised it will basically take what Bungie did and set it up for a full console. That's very nice.

A method to screw over preowned with their back catalogue "quick play" concept. Very good.

It has some interesting qualities, their big shift to social experiences is one I did not expect, nor was their explanation of their new hardware setup to be as legible as it was. Much of the tech demos while not amazing as you'd expect from a generation leap, but then it was always expected that this generation would be a refinement and more subtle.

At the same time though all the new tech makes me concerned at the cost. Touch pad controller, streaming tech, 8GB of DDR5 RAM? And we expect it to launch at like $349-399? Unlike Microsoft, I don't think Sony can continue to take losses in each hardware sale given how poorly the rest of Sony is doing.

As for the games? Well we already know Watch Dogs and Destiny are multiplatform, I have no interest in Killzone and Infamous, Drive Club was interesting only because of the dude talking about it, and everything else was more tech demo than game, as impressive as they were.

I'm treating today as a let's clarify what our vision for PS4 will be rather than what exciting games you're going to play, as it's clearly being saved for E3. But still, I'm intrigued by what they are leaning towards, but I'm also going to eagerly see what Microsoft do in response.

I'm not gonna be hard on them for the showoff lineup, since very few consoles launch with anything resembling an impressive games lineup. (except the Dreamcast, and uh...) Sony has plenty of room to cock this up but it's best not to start piling on the hate/mockery til we have a good reason for it.

So far the controller seems a bit of a grab bag but all controllers seem to be these days. Hopefully they've realised that all those different doodads and control schemes should be considered options for devs, not mandatory to work in with some gimmick.

Streaming being integrated so centrally into the console seems to be a fairly logical extension of the PS2's DVD player and the PS3's Blu-Ray, and more actually innovative and interesting than the latter. (if you live somewhere with decent internet anyway) Though if you can only stream and share to other PS4s it might be a bit... yeah.

The streaming bit is what I am most interested in actually. Also could this be the answer to one major issue effecting console games. Reporting the person swearing and racial slurring over the mic. No logs it is a case of you vs him. Now... it is a case of *click upload to psn to report*

I did love that guy who talked about Drive Club. It's great when they're so passionate about what they want to work on and more genuinelly show it. I couldn't help but adore him.

As Jeff said to me though, he likely needed a few minutes alone with the car afterwards.

It actually made me just a little interested in it, and I usually hate racing games bar the really off the wall stuff like Burnout or Split Second.

Yeh, but what about the guy talking about Infamous. The time's his eyes glazed as if remembering when he was in Nam or something.

(Posted Image)

If we're talking crazy dudes, Sony nailed it so far. XD

This post has been edited by Jeffk38uk on Feb 21 2013, 04:22 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rJDn0jRnUQ All you need really.

HEh, I just watched that actually. Pretty funny.

"We already know what games you are going to buy because you're all a bunch of predictable bastards!"

Nailed it.

Kinda funny-Everyone says Sony are copying Nintendo, and hey they are. Just like Nintendo, they showed off the controller and forgot the bloody machine!

So far, so meh-E3 might have some more solid on cost and specs, but so far so what?

Diablo on a console? Well bugger me! I wonder if that will also have money gouging auction houses and Error 37.

Cage and Blow-normally sounds like a ripping night at Lemmy's house. Unfortunately, two of the most pretentious twats in gaming. Take your Myst wannabe and shove it up your arse.
Someone might also want to tell the Daily Mail Jimmy Saville has escaped the clutches of the grave and infiltrated games consoles to further nonce your kids.

Destiny on PS4? Huh. Didn't see that coming.

Car Club-guy sounded more like a dogging enthusiast, wanking himself silly.

Oh shit someone switched this to a Wikileaks press conference-Jesus Assange has been hitting the Botifara. Oh wait, it's about InFamous 3: The Revenge.

Square Enix, you get back on stage and confirm or deny a new Legacy of Kain game or you'll get no dinner!

Share button. Fucking Share button.

Look, look guys. i understand. Humans have a social instinct. We want to herd together for safety from predators and , as we do so, we build a culture and common set of norms and ethics, coming together as a society. But here's the thing

1 We don't NEED to band together to ward off predators anymore. We have Arnie.

2 Other people are shitheels.

Leave me alone in my nice cosy Neckbeard cave, safe to play video games, watch a Blu-Ray or download unspeakable Japanese porn, without having to worry about people looking over my shoulder and telling me to go this way, no hit him when he stops spinning, You should use counters more, Oh this is the bit where you finds out*SPOILER*, what's she doing with that eel OHMYGOD!!!

Still, at least no RRRRIIIIIDDDGGGEEE RAAAAAACCEEEERRRRR!

Destiny on PS4 isn't really that much of a shock given the previous week they already revealed it's coming to next gen platforms and they are being published by Activision.

Really? Fair enough, haven't really been following it.

Oh and I forgot to say-Killzone. You will only ever grace my console again if you tell me Rico died screaming and shitting himself in a gutter fighting imaginary Helghast before choking on his own hobo vomit.

Full PS4 spec released.

(Posted Image)

Link very related.

I'll be honest was looking at the games and apart from Watch Dogs, which is coming out on other stuff, nothing really grabbed me. I mean it's not like I don't like Killzone, but it isn't like I NEED it like when they announce the next Halo game.

*shrug*

Huh. So it's a PC.

Wake me up when the homebrew scene allows me to dual boot it to an OS with Steam running. Cheers.

One wonders if The Creepy Old Man With Lovely Eyes will ever have his own game.

As what? The Jimmy Saville stealth game?

As what? The Jimmy Saville stealth game?

Maybe they're making a Phantasm game?

Which would be pretty ballin', if you ask me (HARF HARF HARF)

Jerry makes a nice, if not a little bit of a sad point that the Wii U might be the last traditional console we see, with Durango looking more like another PC with a bespoke OS.

I think it says something about how much consoles are changing if the Wii U of all things is the last 'traditional' one.

As what? The Jimmy Saville stealth game?

Oh, Jeff. It had to be you who said that.

Jon Blow writes a little about clarifying the PS4 exclusivity stuff. Basically, it's just console delayed exclusivity: it'll launch on PS4, PC and iOS at the same time, then come to Wii U/360 later.