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Tag: PS4

  • GDC 2013: See Through The Eyes Of The City In Watch Dogs

    Up until now, trailers for Watch Dogs have focused on Aiden Pearce and his ability to hack into the city of Chicago to control its surveillance, gather intel on its citizens, and more or less become a high-tech anti-hero. What about those who run the city though? What are they doing while Pearce hacks them blind? The latest trailer for Watch Dogs seeks to answer some of those questions.

    It will be interesting to see how the asymmetrical gameplay of Watch Dogs works with the introduction of this new element. The game promises to give control of rival hackers to other players as they try to take down (or perhaps help) Pearce. This latest trailer makes it appear that some players may also be put into the role of those running the city as they try to make sense of those who are hacking into its system. Either way, the game shows a lot of promise for something that we still know next to nothing about.

    Watch Dogs is slated to launch later this year for all current and next-gen consoles, and PC.

  • GDC 2013: Sony Announces Increased Indie Support For PS4, PS3 And Vita

    The annual Game Developers Conference is already underway this week, and Sony came out the first day announcing a number of titles for all of its platforms, including the PS4. Interestingly enough, all the of the titles announced for its platforms are indie titles created by small studios. It speaks volumes to Sony’s renewed commitment to indie titles that it touched upon at its PS4 reveal event in February.

    Indie games may not be what some gamers were expecting from Sony, but the focus on these small titles is a major boost to Sony’s reputation at an increasingly indie-focused event like GDC. It doesn’t hurt that the majority of the titles shown at GDC also show an incredible amount of promise.

    For the PlayStation 4, Sony only announced two indie games for the platform – Blacklight: Retribution and Primal Carnage: Genesis. The former is a free-to-play shooter supported by microtransactions. Sony is already experimenting with free-to-play on the PS3 with games like Dust 514 so it will be interesting to see what the platform holder does with FTP games on the PS4.

    As for Primal Carnage: Genesis, the game is an episodic first-person shooter title that could very well be seen as the spiritual successor to Dino Crisis.

    As for other platforms, a number of games are being developed for both the PS3 and PS Vita.

  • Rain – PS3
  • Divekick – PS3 and PS Vita
  • Spelunky – PS3 and PS Vita
  • Velocity Ultra – PS Vita
  • Limbo – PS Vita
  • Metrico – PS Vita
  • Sportsfriends (including Johann Sebastian Joust, BaraBariBall, Hokra and Super Pole Riders) – PS3
  • Ibb & Obb – PS3
  • Guacamelee! – PS3 and PS Vita
  • Hotline Miami – PS3 and PS Vita
  • Dragon Fantasy Book II – PS3 and PS Vita
  • Thomas Was Alone – PS3 and PS Vita
  • Luftrausers – PS3 and PS Vita
  • Friend Network App – PS Vita

    • Last but not least, Sony announced a number of titles for its fledgling PlayStation Mobile platform. These games are intended for mobile devices, like those from HTC and Sony, but the games can also be played on the Vita as well.

    If you were expecting major announcements out of Sony, you will probably have to wait until E3 when the company is expected to reveal more about the PS4 and the AAA games coming to the platform. For now, start setting aside a bit of money to purchase Thomas Was Alone for when it launches on the Vita.

  • Check Out Some Gameplay From Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

    Earlier this month, Ubisoft revealed that the next Assassin’s Creed game would be titled Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. The announcement came with a CG trailer that didn’t show any gameplay, but it did make PETA look more foolish than usual.

    Now Ubisoft is ready to show some gameplay from the latest Assassin’s Creed title, and I can confirm, based solely on the trailer, that this is indeed an Assassin’s Creed title. It’s a little more bombastic than previous trailers with a focus on all-out fights instead of stealth or assassinations, but it still looks like every other game in the series.

    Assassin’s Creed III was seen as a disappointment to some gamers. The next title will have to win back these gamers if it hopes to remain one of the best selling annual franchises.

    Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will launch later this year across all current and next-gen consoles, including the PS4, Wii U and whatever name Microsoft gives the next Xbox.

  • Here’s What Diablo III Looks Like On The PS3

    During Sony’s big PS4 reveal show, Blizzard popped up on stage to announce that it was returning to console development. The prolific developer announced that it would be porting Diablo III to the PS3 and PS4, thus crushing my hopes of ever seeing a return of The Lost Vikings.

    Casting my own bitterness aside, I recognize that Diablo III coming exclusively to Sony’s platform is a big deal. As such, there will be a lot of scrutiny applied to the project as many PC players didn’t exactly have high praise for the title. The game was already suspected of being built around consoles, however, so console players lacking a PC gamer’s superiority complex may get a kick out of it.

    In other Blizzard news, the developers crushed the dreams of Warcraft fans everywhere by announcing a trading card game instead of a proper installment of the venerated real-time strategy series.

  • Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Gets Debut Trailer

    Despite being one of the best genres in fiction, pirates are woefully underutilized in games. Last year’s Risen 2: Dark Waters was a fantastic, and somewhat broken, stab at pirate fiction, but we haven’t seen anything quite like Sid Meier’s Pirates! in a long time. Ubisoft may be fixing that with its latest Assassin’s Creed title.

    After having announced it last week, and its trailer leaked over the weekend; Ubisoft has now officially released the debut trailer for the latest game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Like all other debut trailers for Assassin’s Creed games, it’s CG without any gameplay footage.

    Despite having one hell of a trailer, Ubisoft has its work cut out for it. Many gamers were displeased with last year’s Assassin’s Creed III, favoring the Ezio trilogy over new protagonist Connor’s exploits during the Revolutionary War. Black Flag stars Connor’s grandfather in an entirely new setting that will hopefully correct the wrongs players found with the third game, and bring back the quality they expect.

    There’s no release date for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag just yet, but the game will be out across every major console and PC, including the PS4 and whatever Microsoft ends up calling the next Xbox.

  • Microsoft To Get Exclusive EA Content On Next Xbox [Rumor]

    EA has been a strong supporter of the PlayStation 3 since the early days. That tight relationship has continued into the present with Battlefield 3 DLC hitting the PS3 first before the other platforms. Now the publisher may be switching sides.

    CVG reports that Microsoft and EA have partnered up for some unnamed exclusive content for the next Xbox. The report states that it’s unlikely EA will make a game exclusively for the next Xbox, but this exclusivity could come in the form of exclusive DLC.

    In the current generation, Microsoft has enjoyed a rather comfortable relationship with Activision and its Call of Duty franchise. The Xbox 360 gets all Call of Duty DLC before it hits the other platforms. The next Xbox could see another deal coming in the form of exclusive DLC for Battlefield 4, or one of the EA Sports titles.

    Even if EA supports the next Xbox with exclusive content, it’s not like the publisher is abandoning the PS4. EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said that the publisher is “very excited about Sony’s platform” and that they “feel there’s a huge opportunity there” while speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference.

    Of course, we can’t forget that Sony will be getting some exclusive content out of Activision and Bungie with its Destiny project. It’s a huge win for Sony, and somewhat of a black eye for Microsoft after supporting Bungie and Halo for so many years. Alas, all is fair in love and war.

    As we move forward, expect to see more exclusive content announcements. It’s suicide for third parties to make platform exclusive titles anymore so we’re going to start seeing more announcements of exclusive DLC and add-on content. Sony obviously won that particular war this generation by securing exclusive content from major titles like Assassin’s Creed III, Far Cry 3 and Battlefield 3. It looks like Microsoft is ready to step up its game in the next generation, however, and sparks may very well fly.

  • Sony Revises European PS4 Developer List, Number Of Studios Halved

    When the PS4 was announced last week, Sony listed a number of developers working on the platform. The list was huge, and it was pretty exciting to see such a large number of developers working on games for the system. Unfortunately, Sony screwed up, and the list is actually much smaller than what was initially presented.

    Joystiq reports that the number of European developers working on PS4 game has been reduced by half. The initial report from Sony showed that 53 developers were working on games, but now the list only features 28 developers. That’s still a large stable of developers, but a number of high profile indie developers originally listed have confirmed that they’re not working on Sony’s hardware.

    Among those big indie names include Mojang and Rovio, the studios responsible for Minecraft and Angry Birds respectively. The console version of Minecraft is exclusive to the Xbox 360, but Mojang is working on a number of other titles that could be made for the PS4. They haven’t decided on anything yet, however, so all hope is not lost.

    Here’s the newly revised list of European developers working on PS4 games:

  • Avalanche Studios
  • Blitz Games Studios
  • Bohemia Interactive
  • CD Projekt RED
  • Climax Studios
  • Hello Games
  • Just Add Water (Developments), Ltd.
  • Deep Silver
  • Lucid Games Ltd
  • MercurySteam
  • Ninja Theory Ltd
  • Nixxes Software BV
  • Paradox Interactive
  • Rebellion
  • Saber Interactive
  • Creative Assembly
  • IO Interactive
  • Starbreeze Studios
  • 2K Games
  • Team 17 Digital LTD
  • Yager
  • Zen Studios
  • keen games
  • Splash Damage
  • Stainless Games Ltd
  • Sumo Digital
  • Codemasters
  • TT Games

    • Despite losing a few heavyweights, the current stable of European developers is still pretty good. There are some talented studios represented here, and it’s exciting to see what they come up with on Sony’s next generation machine.

    It should be noted that the current list of U.S. and Japanese developers have not changed. Even with the reduction in Europe, the PS4 still has plenty of developers making games for it.

  • Jimmy Fallon Plays Killzone: Shadow Fall On The PS4

    Jimmy Fallon is in an enviable position. He’s gamer, and his show is popular among gamers. That means that he gets to play all the latest games and consoles before anybody else.

    In his latest gaming escapade, Fallon got his hands on the PS4 and the console’s most technically impressive title – Killzone: Shadow Fall. The live demo on Fallon’s show should hopefully convince everybody once and for all that Sony is done using fake footage to sell their games.

    The highlight of the video is finding that Fallon is not super great at first-person shooters. He’s also quite possibly the worst backseat gamer ever. Remind never to play games with the man if the chance ever presents itself.

  • PlayStation 4 Unveiled: Watch the Full Presentation Here

    If you couldn’t catch Sony‘s big PlayStation 4 announcement last night (or you fell asleep before it was over), you’re in luck. The full presentation – all two hours and five minutes of it – is now online and can be viewed below.

    Can’t spare two hours to listen to game developers talk about how great things will be in the future? We’ve got you covered with quick run-downs of the PlayStation 4 hardware, the new DualShock 4 controller, and all the next-gen games that were announced for the console during the event.

    If you don’t even have time to read the highlights and watch the trailers, you can check out the satirical 3-minute abridged version of the presentation created by VideoGamerTV. It’s surprisingly accurate for how funny it manages to be.

  • Don’t Have Time For The 2 Hour PS4 Reveal? Watch This 3 Minute Abridged Version Instead

    The PS4 reveal was an exercise in patience. There was far too much talking, and not enough showing. That being said, you still might want to watch it. Before you make that mistake, check out VideoGamer’s excellent three minute abridged version of the conference.

    Check out all of our PlayStation 4 coverage.

    [h/t: Kotaku]

  • PlayStation 4 Unveiling Gets The NMA Treatment

    The unveiling of the PlayStation 4 has the gaming community divided. Some think the presentation was fantastic, and showed just enough to whet the appetites of gamers. Others felt Sony held back too much information, and relied too much on vague spoken promises. Our favorite Taiwanese animators at NMA definitely fall into the latter.

    Check out our coverage of all things PS4 here.

  • These Developers Are Certainly Excited For The PS4

    Sony revealed the PS4 last night at a two hour conference that focused much more on talking than showing. There were plenty of games shown, but the conference really was all about what the console means to developers and gamers. The former actually had quite a bit to say.

    In a tradition dating back to who knows when, Sony had the usual video reel of developers talking up the PS4 hardware. Such luminaries as Tim Schafer from Double Fine and David Cage from Quantic Dream talk about how Sony took feedback from developers in building the PlayStation 4. As expected, there’s quite a bit of hyperbole, but these guys do seem genuinely excited by Sony’s next console.

    Expect more developers to talk about the PS4 in the coming months as more information trickles out. E3 will probably feature the bulk of the commentary as Sony now has free reign to focus on games instead of hardware at the annual trade show.

  • PlayStation 4 Unveiled: The Next Generation of Gaming is Finally Here

    Yesterday, at an incredibly hyped conference, Sony unveiled its next-generation video game console, the PlayStation 4.

    Not all of the details about the system were unveiled, but its announced system specs suggest it will be comparable to a capable gaming PC. The console will have an 8-core X86 AMD processor and an “enhanced” Radeon GPU. In addition, Sony will be packing in 8GB of GDDR5 RAM into the system, which is significantly more (and faster) RAM than was rumored.

    The PlayStation 4 will also, of course, come with a Blu-ray drive. Wi-Fi capabilities will be built-in, as will Bluetooth, USB 3.0 ports, an optical audio port, an HDMI port, and even AV ports for those who haven’t yet made the leap to HDTV. The size of the hard drive was not announced.

    Also not announced was the price or release date for the console. Sony did reveal at the end of the conference that the PlayStation 4 will be coming in “Holiday 2013,” but was not any more specific.

    What Sony did announce was online and connection features. Also, games – lots of games. Our PlayStation 4 game round-up contains the run-down of the next-gen titles shown off at the conference.

    Many of the online features relate to Gaikai, the streaming video game company Sony purchased last year. Using the technology, the PlayStation 4 will be able to broadcast gameplay in real-time, and a dedicated “share” button on the PS4 controller (the DualShock 4) will allow players to share a buffered stream of gameplay on-the-fly. Other players can also take remote control of a player’s game session and Facebook accounts can be linked with PlayStation Network accounts. The console will also be capable of streaming gameplay to the PlayStation Vita, turning Sony’s portable console into a portable PS4.

    Many other minute details were released during the presentation, as well as tons of new game footage. Sony has been playing its conference on repeat on its Ustream channel, which can be viewed below:



    Streaming Live by Ustream

  • Here’s All The Games Coming To PS4 So Far

    Last night, Sony unveiled the PS4 to the masses. Well, the company revealed the controller and the hardware specs, but not the actual machine itself. That wasn’t super important, however, as we got a good look at a number of games running on prototype PS4 hardware.

    We already knew that Evolution Studios, team behind the Motorstorm franchise, and Guerilla Games, team behind the Killzone franchise, would be at the show with their new games. Both studios did not disappoint with Evolution showing off DriveClub and Guerilla showing off Killzone Shadow Fall. Both games do an excellent job of showing off the raw power of the PS4.

    Other first-party Sony studios were there as well including Sucker Punch and Mark Cerny from Sony Japan studios. Sucker Punch is making a spin-off of its inFamous franchise called Second Son that seems to be a multiplayer version of the super hero open world game set in a futuristic London. The other is Knack, a new IP from Mark Cerny that looks absolutely adorable.

    Finally, Sony showed off some quality third-party content in the form of new IP and an highly anticipated indie title. The new IP from Capcom, codenamed Deep Down, looks a lot like Dragon’s Dogma and Dark Souls had a disturbingly evil child that wants to consume players’ souls. The other is Jonathan Blow’s The Witness, the highly anticipated indie title from the creator of Braid.

    There were a number of other game prototypes and vague announcements at the show. Media Molecule is working on some kind of sculpting concert simulator thing. Square Enix promised a new Final Fantasy to be shown at E3. Finally, David Cage of Quantic Dream showed off a creepy floating head.

    Here's All The Games Coming To the PS4 So Far

  • PlayStation 4 Announcement Streaming Live Online; Here’s Where You Can Watch it

    [UPDATE] Sony’s announcement can also be seen via the PlayStation channel on TwitchTV, or live on this very page:



    Live video from your iPhone using Ustream

    Mere hours remain until Sony is expected to unveil its next-generation video game console at a major event in New York. The excitement is building while the rumors and leaks surrounding the console have filled gamers’ imaginations this past week. Sony itself has even added to the hype with a series of retrospective videos on past consoles and games that have been posted to the event’s web page.

    This evening the speculation will end and Sony will either usher in a new era of video games or disappoint millions of gamers across the world. The company is obviously confident, as the presentation will be streaming live online. Sony clearly wants the entire world to be watching.

    The presentation will be streaming in several different locations. The event website will, of course, host the stream, as will the latest PlayStation Blog post about the event. The PlayStation Facebook page will also have a stream available, and PlayStation 3 owners can watch the presentation live on their consoles through the PlayStation Home app or through the “What’s New” section of the PS3 Media Bar.

    The presentation begins at 6 pm EST / 3 pm PST / 11 pm GMT, which is also 10 am in Sydney and 8 am in Tokyo on February 21, for those gamers on the other side of the world.

    Don’t be late. Console announcements don’t come often.

  • Sony Gives Us A Crash Course In PlayStation History

    Sony is planning to reveal the PlayStation 4, or whatever it’s called, this Wednesday. Before that happens, however, Sony has created a little history tour through PlayStation’s past. If you need to catch up on your gaming history, this is a good place to start.

    First up, of course, is the original PlayStation. The result of a ruined relationship between Nintendo and Sony to build a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo turned into one of the most successful gaming consoles of all time. Sony was the first company to market video games to adults and it worked out super well for the company. It even beat out long time incumbents Nintendo and Sega.

    Following up the original PlayStation with something even better seemed almost impossible, but Sony did that and more with the PlayStation 2. The PS2 has the distinct honor of being the best selling home video game console of all time with over 150 million units sold around the world. It helped that the console was the exclusive home to many of the generation’s best titles including Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Final Fantasy X and Shadow of the Colossus.

    All good things must come to an end though. The PS3 didn’t have the best launch, and the $600 launch price was too much for many to swallow. Sony’s console also lost out on many of its exclusive franchises from the last generation as the Xbox 360 was also home to popular titles like Final Fantasy XIII. Regardless, the PS3 hit its stride a few years after launch, and now offers many of this generation’s best games, including Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and LittleBigPlanet.

    Unfortunately, these videos don’t offer any hints to what we can expect on Wednesday. The hype is at an all time high though as the PlayStation faithful are figuratively frothing at the mouth for any and all information about the next generation of gaming from Sony.

    All we can say is that it’s going to be big. This is the first true next-generation console debut, and people are already expecting a lot from Sony and Microsoft. Sony can’t really afford to mess this up like they did the original unveiling of the PlayStation 3, and Microsoft will be watching very closely to take advantage of any missteps. The worlds’ eyes are on you, Sony. No pressure.

  • CD Projekt RED Talks Up The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

    RPG fans everywhere thanked their respective deities when CD Projekt RED announced last week that it would be finishing up Geralt of Rivia’s story in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Now the developers are beginning to divulge details on what next game will bring to the table, and the lessons learned from The Witcher 2.

    As part of being Game Informer’s cover story for this month, the game’s director and lead quest designer sat down with the magazine to talk about The Witcher 3. The seven minute interview comes at you fast with a lot of information that makes The Witcher 3 sound like it’s going to be one hell of a game when it releases on PC and next-gen consoles next year.

  • Next Xbox To Have Always Online DRM [Rumor]

    Next Xbox To Have Always Online DRM [Rumor]

    One of the very first rumors concerning the next Xbox was that the console would block used games. After the rumor hit the streets, many disregarded as it as just that – a rumor. It’s hard to believe Microsoft would cut off the used game market and risk angering pretty much every games retailer – including GameStop. Since then, the rumor has silently crept away into our subconscious to only be brought to the surface again over a year later.

    Speaking to sources who have had direct contact with the next Xbox, Edge reports that Microsoft’s next game console will feature an always-online DRM solution that will prevent used games from playing on the machine. Every game’s physical copy will include an activation code, much like physical PC games, that must be entered to activate the game on the console. From there, it will use a Steam-like online verification system that will check your game against its database every time you launch it.

    I don’t think anybody needs to be told how incredibly asinine this is. Despite GameStop’s dominance waning in the face of digital distribution, the used game market is something that thousands, if not millions, of gamers rely on. Removing the ability to play once, trade it in and get another will likely only anger gamers and cause them to move to a competitor.

    Not to mention, such a move would surely anger the likes of GameStop and other retailers that make much of their profit from used game sales. These retail outlets may even refuse to carry Microsoft’s latest machine if a used game block is put into place.

    Edge’s sources revealed other details regarding Microsoft’s next console that aren’t as controversial or incendiary. Keeping in line with previous rumors regarding the next Xbox’ hardware, these latest sources say that Microsoft’s new machine will indeed feature an eight-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz, a D3D11.x 800MHz GPU, and 8GB of RAM. As for the size of the hard drive, that’s unknown at this point, but it’s expected to be rather large as Microsoft will pushing digital content delivery with its newest console.

    On a final note, the sources spoke on the differences between Microsoft’s and Sony’s next console. It would appear that developers prefer Sony’s machine over Microsoft’s due to its flexibility as Microsoft is only letting developers use “approved development libraries.” Sony is letting developers go nuts and experiment as much as they want. The OS in Microsoft’s next machine, which some rumors suggest may be Windows 8, is also reportedly “more oppressive” than Sony’s.

    We’ll find out more about Sony’s next generation console later this month as the company is expected to reveal the first details at a February 20 press conference. It’s unknown when Microsoft will reveal more information on its newest console, but a countdown timer on Major Nelson’s Web site leads us to believe that the next Xbox will be revealed at E3 in June.

  • Sony To Reveal The PlayStation 4 On February 20

    Well, this was unexpected.

    After numerous leaks and a suggestion that the reveal would happen in May, Sony is now teasing that the official unveiling of the next PlayStation will happen sooner than anybody thought.

    In a blog post simply titled “See the Future,” Sony posted the following video teasing an announcement for February 20:

    Of course, we could all be looking far too much into this. Maybe this is the future of the PlayStation 3, or Sony will announce some kind of reboot for the Vita to make up for struggling sales. That doesn’t appear to be the case, however, as the Wall Street Journal reports that Sony will indeed be unveiling the successor to the PlayStation 3 at the conference.

    Sony is also sending out invites for the event with many industry figures placing their bets on a console reveal:

    The event will reportedly be live streamed as well so Sony fans will be able to see the future of the PlayStation brand first hand. Expect new hardware and a few new games to go along with it. Don’t hold your breath for a price or launch date. Those will come closer to or at E3 in June.

  • Sony Exec Teases PS4 Reveal In May

    We all know that the next Xbox and PlayStation will be revealed this year. The most obvious place for a reveal would be at the annual E3 show in June, but a Sony exec recently teased that we may see the PS4 even sooner than that.

    Speaking to Chilean tech Web site, Emol, Sony’s VP of Home Entertainment, Hiroshi Sakamoto, might have said more than he should have in regards to the PS4 reveal. When asked if Sony would have anything to show this year, he said that the company will have a major announcement ready for either E3 in June or even earlier in May.

    Now, it makes sense for the reveal to happen in June at E3. It’s the biggest gaming show on the planet, and there will be plenty of press present to spread the word that new consoles are on the horizon. The only thing that makes me think a May reveal is more likely is that game publishers are increasingly turning to private events for major announcement. Why? It’s easier to control the message and they get exclusive press coverage. At E3, Sony would be competing with Microsoft for press coverage and might even be labeled as the loser if the unveiling fails to impress.

    That all being said, E3 is still going to be huge this year. Most likely, both Sony and Microsoft will announce their next consoles before the show and then focus solely on games at E3. This is the best possible scenario for both as software sells hardware. Sony and Microsoft have been pretty bad about exclusive software as of late with only hits from each company’s major franchises doing the heavy lifting. Expect plenty of new IP as well as both companies can’t rely on the likes of Uncharted and Halo to sell new consoles to everybody.

    We’re still half a year away from E3 so all of this is still speculation. More information about the PS4 and next Xbox will surely be leaked between now and then as the hype machine for the next generation of consoles gets underway. 2013 is going to be a huge year for games, and not just for the big guys. Sony and Microsoft will have to floor the general public with something they’ve never seen before to distract them from the allure of cheaper consoles with a variety of cheap and free-to-play games.

    [h/t: Trusted Reviews]

  • Can Google Predict The Winner Of The Console War Before It Even Happens?

    At some point next year, Microsoft is going to release its new game console. Soon after, Sony will release the next PlayStation. These two systems will be competing once again to control your living room. Who’s going to win? A simple Google search may tell you.

    Ludos Mundi recently looked into Google Trends for both PS4 and Xbox 720. According to their numbers, the Xbox 720 is far more popular in Google search. That means more people are actively looking for information on the next Xbox which could imply the machine has a popularity advantage before it even launches.

    Xbox 720 PS4 Google Search

    Looking at the numbers on Google Trends, the difference is not as drastic. In November, there were 75 searches for PS4 for every 100 searches of Xbox 720. PS4 had higher search traffic in 2011, but Xbox 720 came back with a vengeance in 2012.

    Changing “PS4” to “PlayStation 4” yields a higher average to Sony since people were already searching for “PlayStation 4” as far back as 2004. Much like the previous search, Sony’s machine did better in 2011 than in 2012.

    Now, what happens when you search for the new console’s codenames – Orbis and Durango? It appears that many consumers either don’t know about the names or they prefer to use more familiar terms like Xbox 720 and PS4. Either way, the searches for Orbis have far outpaced that of Durango. The most popular term that garnered the most amount of search traffic was PlayStation 4 Orbis while Xbox Durango only garnered five searches for every 100 searches for PlayStation 4 Orbis.

    So what does this all mean? It means that people are excited about the next generation of gaming consoles. The increased amount of search traffic for Xbox 720 this year can be attributed to more stories coming out about Microsoft’s new game console. Sony’s Orbis is still relatively veiled in secrecy comparably and therefore doesn’t get as much search traffic. You can expect searches for PS4 and PlayStation 4 to skyrocket again once more leaks and rumors start to disseminate across the Web next year.

    Just for fun, here’s the comparison between the PS4, Xbox 720 and Wii U. Note that the Wii U saw a massive surge in search when it was unveiled in mid-2011 and then it dropped back down to comparable levels with the competing next-gen consoles for most of 2012. Search didn’t jump again until it neared the launch of the console. It’s expected that both the PS4 and Xbox 720 will see similar spikes in search when it nears each console’s respective launch.

    [h/t: Venture Beat]