Sony at E3 2013: all the latest news
Sony has made quite the splash at E3 2013. After teasing us in February with a partial reveal of the PS4, the electronics manufacturer completely pulled back the curtain on the new Playstation 4 and introduced features and pricing that was music to many gamers' ears. But that was just the beginning.
We're compiling all of the Sony at E3 2013 news for you to digest, and here's what we've learned so far:
'We will not dictate the online used game strategy'
Jack Dretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, further explained why Sony chose to allow third-party publishers to set their own DRM policies for the PS4.
"As announced last night, PS4 will not have any gating restrictions for used disc-based games. When a gamer buys a PS4 disc they have right to use that copy of the game, so they can trade-in the game at retail, sell it to another person, lend it to a friend, or keep it forever."
Sony undercuts Xbox One price, but how?
Sony's new PS4 has been the talk of E3 since it revealed it's new price of $399 (UK£349 $399, AUD$549) compared to the Xbox's price of $499, £429 (UK£429, AUD$599).
However, Sony is planning on putting less in the box than Microsoft.
Going hands on with the Dualshock 4 controller
Leave it to E3 to give us our first chance to grip the controls for the next-gen console ourselves. After the long wait, which started with the PS4's February reveal, we were very pleased with what we felt.
Advantage, PS4
A collective gripe was heard from the gaming community when Microsoft announced that the Xbox One would not be compatible with used games.
But the competition seized an opportunity and Sony chief executive Jack Tretton revealed that the PS4 has a no used games ban.
The PS4 imposes no new restrictions on used games, news that was music to the PS4 event crowd's ears.
Final Fantasy 15 headed to PS4
The new PS4 has a ton of notable titles heading its way, but the news ofFinal Fantasy 15 and Kindgom Hearts 3 coming to the newly revealed gaming console really got the crowd going.
Sony outs the PS4, and price
We knew it was coming, we just didn't know what it would look like.
Sony finally showed us it's next-gen console during its E3 press conference Monday evening, giving us our first glimpse at a sharp-angled, shiny and matte slab.
What's more, they gave us the full details on the price of the gaming console - ensuring that it was a bit lower than the Xbox one.
New titles headed to PS4
E3 hasn't even officially begun yet but that hasn't slowed down the litany of announcements from game developers and console makers.
In fact, EA stepped up to the plate today and announced a slew of new titles for the PS4 and the XBox One.
Among the titles introduced was Star Wars: Battlefront, the shelved LucasArts game that is now in development at DICE with the same folks who concocted Battlefield 4.
Take a look at our wishlist for Sony at E3.
Sony, a once mighty electronics giant, has been humbled by some lean years. It's PlayStation 3 has become one of its strongest products, but it took awhile to accelerate after a slow launch.
Its PS Vita hasn't fared as well. The powerful but under-loved handheld has had a hard time competing with the iPhones and S4s already in peoples pockets.
With E3 2013 right around the corner, it's make or break time for Sony. It needs to show gamers why they should grab a PlayStation 4 over an Xbox One, and get them to dust off that Vita, if they even own one.
We've racked our brains to make five predictions as to Sony's approach. We'll see what comes true when TechRadar heads to Los Angeles for Sony's presentation on Monday June 10 5:30pm PST.
1. It'll show a strikingly designed PS4
During the initial PlayStation 4 unveiling event, Sony impressed the crowd by trotting out beloved developer, clips of next-gen graphics with games likeKillzone: Shadow Fall, and teasing sweet cloud features like play-as-you-download and easy uploading to YouTube.
But one thing it didn't do was show the actual PS4 console. This was a purposeful choice, obviously, probably meant to leave something behind the curtain that Sony could trot out at E3. It left a lot of people mystified though, some even theorized that Sony hadn't finalized the PS4's design.
We find it difficult to believe that Sony is still sweating over the drawing board. After that blink and you'll miss it, rapid cutting video, we just think its just fallen in love with the tease. We also think it must be in love with its design for the PS4. Expect an overhauled and striking aesthetic from Sony's new system.
2. The Vita will actually get some airtime
Another E3 is rolling in and again we're singing songs of lamentation for the poor PS Vita. The mighty handheld garnered a four-star review from our own James Rivington, but it still seems like there are more sitting on store shelves than in gamer's bags.
Why? Probably because there aren't a whole lot of games for it, and Sony seems to forget about it everytime it gives a presantation. At last year's E3 it hardly even got the "and one more thing treatment."
Now Sony has hedged its bets by making it into a second screen experience for the PS4. Gamers will be able to control their PS4 with the Vita as well as stream games right to the handheld.
That'll certainly please anyone who already owns a Vita, but will it actually move units? Probably not, since most gamers are saving cash to take the plunge on a next-gen system. We wouldn't be surprised to see either a Vita price drop like the Japanese market got, or a new bundle to kindle some interest.
3. Sony will trot out a surprise guest
During Sony's 2010 E3 presentation, jaws hit the auditorium floor when none other than Gabe Newell walked onto the stage. People were gobsmacked not only because Newell is the head honcho of the beloved Valve Corporation, home of Half-Life and Portal, but the man had talked some serious smack on the PlayStation 3, calling it "a disaster on many levels."
The PS3 was known for being notoriously hard to program for, a criticism that Sony seems to have taken to heart. During its initial announcement, it carted out developer after developer to state that its new system was breeze to work with.
Sony's focus on developers at the PS4 unveiling made us happy, but now who does it have left to take the stage and praise its system at E3? Perhaps someone from Naughty Dog, home of the Uncharted series and the upcoming The Last of Us? Maybe someone from Blizzard, the company that's porting its PC dungeon crawler Diablo III to consoles? Or maybe a developer with some indie cred, like Kim Swift of Portal and Quantum Conundrum fame, or somebody from thatgamecompany, the home ofJourney? The possibilities are endless, but we guarantee Sony will continue to hammer home its focus on developers, developers, developers. Yes!
4. It'll do its best to capitalize on Microsoft's mixed messages
After Sony caught some flack over choosing to not actually unveil the PS4 at its PS4 unveiling event, Microsoft probably thought it had things sewn up. It could just waltz out there, introduce the Xbox One name, put the console in everyone's face and bask in the praise, right?
Well, maybe if it had spent a little more time focusing on games for the new system, not just DVR features and an always-on Kinect. Now, don't get us wrong, we think a lot of the criticism over of the Xbox One presentation is overblown, but we were shocked at how Microsoft fumbled its answers to some gamer's most burning questions: the status of used games on the system and how much internet connectivity the system will require.
Microsoft's failure to present a consistent message could mean much love for Sony. If it can step out onto the stage and provide definitive, upfront answers to those questions, hardcore gamers will turn their heads. Of course, Microsoft has an equal opportunity there, and could steal Sony's potential thunder, since it's presenting first.
5. Last minute PS3 game plugs
The next generation of consoles is just around the corner, but the PS3 and Xbox 360 still have life left in them. In fact The Last of Us, a game that's currently being praised as one of the best of this generation, is coming out the week of E3 on Friday, June 14.
In his Last of Us review, GamesRadar's David Houghton called the post-apocalyptic title, "the swansong that a whole generation of gaming deserves." That's high praise, and the fact that the game is exclusive to the PlayStation 3 is certainly something Sony would love to remind everyone of.
Then there's Grand Theft Auto V, the next installment of Rockstar's veritable crime saga. Even though that multiplatform title is a guaranteed megahit, some plugs wouldn't hurt to ensure that consumers keep consuming current gen titles. After all, neither the PS4 or the Xbox One will be backwards compatible, so it's not as though people will tossing their systems in the trash as soon as Christmas morning rolls around.
What are your predictions?
Alright, so what did we miss? What are you predictions for Sony's E3 2013 presentation? How can they win? And where might they fail? Tell us in the comments below. Who knows, you might even be closer to the truth than we end up being.
And if your personal crystal ball has more to say about Microsoft at E3 2013, head over to that prediction page and weigh in.
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