On Feb. 20th, gamers were eagerly anticipating what was dubbed “The Future of Playstation” event. They were expecting an announcement that would usher in the next generation of gaming, and Sony didn’t disappoint, in announcing the arrival of the Playstation 4.
After explaining the vastly improved specifications of the system, Sony went on to show true next-gen. demos of new games, such as the impressive “Killzone: Shadow Fall” and the stunning “Watch Dogs.” They also showed off the new DualShock 4 controller, complete with motion capabilities and a dedicated “share” button.
With the addition of a “share” button, social integration is, quite literally, just the push of a button away. “I think it’s good,” said ARC student Andrew Dubil, “if people want to be stuck in their living room all the time, at least they get to interact with somebody.” Facebook and Ustream connectivity have been confirmed thus far for the PS4, but more are sure to follow. The PS4 also has dedicated memory to record a portion of the player’s gameplay, so if one wants to share how to get through a hard level or a funny glitch, recent gameplay is stored in the console.
Sony was mum on the price and exact release date, but gave a release window of “Holiday 2013.” The price will be a huge factor for early adopters, and especially given the Playstation 3’s debut price point of $599. Buyers may be wary to make such a large purchase again.
“I probably won’t buy it at first, because it will probably be really expensive,” said Dubil.
There is also the question if Sony can dethrone the Xbox 360 as the go-to console for gamers of this past generation. “Not if it came out this year…because I just bought an Xbox 360 a couple years ago and it’s going to be good for a few more years,” said ARC student Zach Crooks. “I don’t just want to swap it out.”
Sony has a lot to prove after a slow start this generation. They are certainly on the right track by showing their new console before Microsoft. However, one thing is for sure: the next generation of gaming is coming this year, which means it’s an exciting time to be a gamer.
