E3: Sony Conference Recap
Ashley Crocker ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Writer
First things First: PS3 and Vita
Sony launched their conference similar to Microsoft by looking to the past. With the next generation of gaming consoles coming out, Sony made sure to push their other models, Playstation Vita and Playstation 3. Vita will release more than 85 new titles in 2013 including Batman: Arkham Origins, Counterspy, Destiny of Spirits, Doki Doki Universe, Killzone Mercenary, and Tearaway. Vita will also welcome remade games such as God of War HD I and II, Final Fantasy X and X2, Flower, and Dead Nation. Vita will also welcome The Walking Dead during the summer of 2013.
Playstation 3 led off by showcasing a handful of games coming to the PS3 this year. Games showcased include The Last of Us, Puppeteer, Rain, Beyond Two Souls, and Gran Turismo 6. Batman: Arkham Origins also arrives on PS3 this year offering PS3 players special bonuses and skins. Grand Theft Auto 5 will offer an exclusive bundle as well as a pulse elite headset in a Playstation 3 bundle.
What we’re here for: Playstation 4
Let’s get to the star of the show, the PS4. Sony dropped a lot during their PS4 conference. To sum it up, here are the more important topics presented during the conference:
1. Playstation 4 will allow used games!
The PS4 games will be disc based and “players can trade in games at retailers, sell it to another person, lend it to a friend, or keep it forever,” said Jack Tretton President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America. This by far was their most impressive announcement of the evening resulting in a loud applause.
2. Playstation 4 Does NOT have to be online.
“PlayStation 4 disc based games don’t have to be connected online to play” and it “won’t require you to check online periodically, and it won’t stop working if you haven’t authenticated within 24 hours,” also stated by Tretton.
3. Seeing the Playstation 4 and Looking at Numbers.
Slim and sleek, the PS4 will not include a camera. Sony announced that the Playstation 4 will be released during the holiday season of 2013 at 399$ USD. Also, PS3 Memberships will carry over and online players will have to buy a PlayStation plus account, which goes for 50$ USD. Sony also announced that they are pushing to make the PlayStation Plus network bigger and offer more features and non-game entertainment. All-in-all, a nice looking system at an affordable price.
4. The Games
Sony lined up a number of games at the Conference including: The Order: 1886, Killzone Shadowfall, Driveclub, Infamous: Second Son, Knack, Transistor, Diablo III, Final Fantasy XV (originally Final Fantasy Versus XIII), Kingdom Hearts III, and Mad Max. An exclusive Elder Scrolls Online Beta will come to Playstation 4. Destiny was also previewed at the conference, giving less-hardcore gamers something to be excited about. Their strong mix of AAA games and indie games promises hours of fun for any type of gamer.
5. The return of Square Enix
Okay, so Square Enix didn’t really go anywhere but it arrived in a big way on stage at the Playstation E3 conference. Enix announced two games it has lined up for the PS4: Final Fantasy XV and, wait for it, Kingdom Hearts III. For those who don’t know, the last Kingdom Hearts came out in 2006 and the original in 2002. Though a total of 9 games have been released in the series, this is the one fans have been waiting for. Final Fantasy XV also got its fair share of attention, having been originally announced back in 2006. Both games have been engineered for the next generation systems.
In the battle of the consoles, Sony has come out on top (for now). Its conference answered our questions and gave us reasons to look forward to the Playstation 4. The console promises to be a great gaming system, and Sony is stronger than ever. The PS4 hits stores during 2013 holiday season.