Remember this banner? The PlayStation 4 would be announced on February 20, 2013. This picture floated around the internet for a few weeks prior. While the actual console would not be shown to the world for a few months, plenty of games and hype were determined at this event last year. As much praise as Sony received for this conference, its competitor Microsoft would go on to blow its meeting in announcing the Xbox One (it all started going downhill with the name). So a year later, how far has Sony come? Has the PlayStation 4 met your expectations along with Sony’s? Let us break down a few things that took place in 2013 leading up to where the consoles are now.
At this conference a year ago, Sony would show off about eight games, only two that have been released (Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack). Other titles such as Watch Dogs, Deep Down, and Infamous: Second Son have yet to see the light of day. Blizzard and Bungie would announce Diablo 3 and Destiny coming to the PS4, as well. There are lots of times where the unveiling of games either comes as non-gameplay, or on a developer’s kit. The result ends up being the final version of the game failing to live up to its hype. While this writer has not played Knack, it is safe to say that Killzone: Shadow Fall is every bit of what they showed at this conference a year ago. Some people will even go on to say that Guerrilla Games’ effort has resulted in a tech demo for the system. The game’s lighting and detail is on point with the initial launch trailer for the game. So it is safe to say that it was gameplay in that trailer.
Killzone: Shadow Fall has lived up to the graphical hype that was shown as the official announcement in 2013.
Sony broadcast this conference as much as they could, rather it be over the internet from its own site, specific gaming sites, or Spike TV. The conference had a focus on socializing, sharing, and creativity. Ironically, there was a PlayStation Move controller in the creativity segment, and as of now, there is no compatibility with the peripheral. There is really nothing in terms of creativity involved on the PS4 at this time in coordination to what was shown at the conference. However, sharing and socializing has grown quite a following on the system. Players are able to stream their gameplay on two different services (Twitch, uStream), and while there is no YouTube support to post videos, players can share videos on Twitter and Facebook. People can watch you play games and interact or leave comments on your session. The video quality that the system records is very high, and players can share these on their PlayStation profile page. So it is safe to say the hype from the socializing and sharing aspect has worked, and it is only the beginning.
The conference also showed off the new controller for the first time. All the sharing in the game is initiated from the ‘Share’ button, at anytime you like. The controller layout was questionable at first, but once people actually started getting their hands on one, it was obvious the DualShock 4 was a huge improvement, enough to sway some Xbox gamers away from its next system. The DualShock 4 featured a touchpad interface and a speaker. While Infamous: Second Son has stated they will integrate the touchpad and speaker more, nothing has really used either yet. Downloadable game Resogun uses the speaker, but that’s it. The touchpad is used as a giant ‘Select” button in most games, since the ‘Share’ has replaced it. The only major complaints for the DualShock 4 this far is the lack of battery life in comparison to the DualShock 3, and recent knowledge of joystick deterioration. However, at this point, the controller has been a giant success.
The DualShock 4 has been an amazing controller. Europe was able to grab variant colors after launch, and he US has yet to get these.
On the way to E3, Sony sat back and let Microsoft dig its own grave. After a very badly received reveal of the Xbox One, PR continued to suffer coming into E3 2013. While Microsoft rebounded by showing some actual games, it was the first to announce its console’s price. It also made it adamant that its camera peripheral, the Kinect 2.0, would be required. Sony was including a camera as well, but to cut cost on Microsoft, eliminated it from the system. The PlayStation 4 launched at $100 less than its competitor, paving the way for pre-orders selling out almost immediately. Amazon was sold out day one, as were a majority of Gamestops. As compared to the PlayStation 3 launch price and what was available at the time, Sony knew it had to change its tactics so it did not start in the hole.
Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One would release in November, about a week apart. Sony decided to include a microphone for chat for the first time, while Microsoft had done this in the past, it chose not to with the Xbox One. Neither systems had major issues at launch, so most everything went smoothly. The PlayStation 4 had a new interface with a very quick response time that was easily navigable. Games like Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Killzone: Shadow Fall, and NBA 2k14 looked astounding. A PlayStation Plus membership was now required to play online, but Sony has forked out some amazing games so far in Resogun, Don’t Starve, and Outlast. Sony also continued to support Netflix, Redbox, and other apps without requiring a PlayStation Plus subscription.
The PlayStation 4 user interface is extremely fast and easy to use. Speech recognition is even included.
After the first month, the sales showed that Sony had a big advantage worldwide, and that what Microsoft had sold worldwide with the Xbox One, Americans alone bought as many PlayStation 4 consoles. Ever since Christmas and until recently, PlayStation 4 consoles were difficult to find in retail stores. However, almost anywhere you went, there were a hefty stock of Xbox One consoles. As of the early February, Sony has sold over $5 million units worldwide. The scary thing is that its largest market, Japan, has yet to buy the system. The sales numbers could surpass $10 million after the Japanese launch.
So has the PlayStation 4 lived up to the hype yet? To a degree, yes. There have been quite a few games pushed back, and has made some people hold off on picking one up. At the announcement event, games like Watch Dogs, Deep Down, and Infamous: Second Son were pushed back before launch. Another launch title, one of the only games playable at E3 2013, Driveclub, was pushed back to perfect 1080p and 60fps in the game. The games this year such as The Evil Within, MLB 14: The Show, and Metal Gear Solid V should remedy why people had held off.