Tag: PS4

Sony Will Hold a PS4 Launch Event In San Francisco

Journalists may be in New York this week for the launch of the PS4, but that’s not where Sony is going to hold the launch party for its newest console. Instead, our friends in California will be partying all night with Sony before the PS4 launches on November 15.

Sony announced today that it will be holding a launch event for the PS4 in San Francisco on November 14. Instead of holding it at one of the company’s many Sony Stores, however, it will be holding it at the GameStop on 830 Market St.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a party without activities and food, and Sony has all that and more. For those attending the launch event, Sony will hook you up with PS4 demos & contests, food trucks, plenty of prizes and more.

Here’s everything that you can win at the event:

PS4 Grand Prize Pack, which includes a PS4 signed by Jack Tretton, and a Mark Cerny autographed Knack poster

PS Vita Prize Pack, which includes a system and a wealth of games

The Last Of Us Prize Pack, which includes the Post Pandemic Edition, The Last Of Us polo shirt, and The Last Of Us Infected Bust

Tearaway charms

PS4 t-shirts

If you can’t make it out to the San Francisco event, Sony says that multiple stores will be open at midnight for their own PS4 launch parties. Those retailers include Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Meijer and Sony’s own retail outlets.

For those of us getting their consoles through Amazon, relish the fact that you can actually get some sleep on November 14. Just remember to wake up in time for the UPS/FedEx delivery.

[Image: PlayStation Blog]

Here’s What Diablo III Looks Like On The PS4

Earlier this year, Blizzard Entertainment finally got back into the console business with Diablo III on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Many felt that Diablo III on consoles was the definitive version as far as gameplay was concerned, but those consoles could not properly recreate the visual experience that the PC version offers. With next gen consoles, that’s now entirely possible.

Over the weekend, Blizzard showed off Diablo III running on the PlayStation 4, and it looks just as good as the PC version does. It also shows off some gameplay from the new Diablo III expansion – Reaper of Souls – which will be available on PS4 and PC.

With improved visuals and the gameplay enhancements seen in the earlier console versions, Diablo III on the PS4 may just be the definitive version of Blizzard’s action RPG.

There’s no word yet on whether or not Diablo III will make its way to the Xbox One in the future. At the moment, it appears to be a next-gen exclusive on Sony’s machine, but it’s hard to imagine that it will stay that way for long.

Oh, and while you’re at it, check out Blizzard’s other trailer for Reaper of Souls that details some of the new features found in the expansion:

[Image: Diablo/YouTube]

Sony Creates The Best PS4 Unboxing Video Imaginable

The unboxing video has now become somewhat of a tradition for new consoles. Before the new hardware officially launches, a higher up within the company will unbox the console and let you see what you’ll get day one with the hardware. These are usually pretty banal affairs, but Sony decided to kick it up a notch.

In the official PS4 unboxing video, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida unboxes the PS4 on a set that was ripped straight out of an 80s sci-fi film. Yoshida himself is veiled in darkness until the end as viewers are treated to a mystery man complete with leather gloves handling each PS4 component as if he was handling gold bars from Ft. Knox.

As it is an unboxing video, we’re also treated to all the stuff you’ll get day one with the console. As previously noted, the box comes with a 500GB PS4, DualShock 4, HDMI cable, USB cable, mono headset and a PSN voucher worth $10.

Since it’s so much fun to compare, you can check out the official Xbox One unboxing video here and Wii U unboxing video here. Some may chide Sony for needlessly going all out with its unboxing video, but the Sony faithful are sure to appreciate the extra effort the company is putting into its marketing.

After being unveiled in February, the PS4 finally launches this Friday on November 15.

[Image: PlayStation/YouTube]

This Is What Need For Speed: Rivals Looks Like On The Xbox One

Resolutiongate – that’s the term given to the current controversy regarding Call of Duty: Ghosts being rendered at 720p on the Xbox One and 1080p on the PS4. Despite the fact that both versions look nearly identical, this is apparently a big deal to those who have nothing better to do with their time than just yell at strangers on the Internet all day. Well, you better strap yourselves in because EA may have just started another comparisons race.

EA decided to share gameplay of Need for Speed: Rivals running on both the Xbox One and PS4 today. While we should be excited to see the latest Need for Speed title running on the Xbox One for the first time, it will inevitably turn into a petty argument over which version looks better. So let’s just get it over with, shall we?

Here’s Need for Speed: Rivals looks like on the Xbox One:

Wow, that’s a fine looking racing game. I’m sure those picking up on the game on November 22 for their brand new Xbox One will be very happy with the title.

Now, let’s take a look at some new footage released today of the PS4 version:

Would you look at that – they’re nearly identical.

Now I know that some of you will immediately start to compare the videos side-by-side looking for anything that sets the two apart. Considering that this is compressed flash video of a game normally rendered at 1080p on a large screen, you’re wasting your time. Just wait until Digital Foundry comes out with their head-to-head comparisons before you start covering the Internet with your self-righteous corporate loyalty.

So please, just drop “resolutiongate.” It’s a dumb name anyway.

[Image: GamersPrey/YouTube]

What Is Sony Teasing With This PS4 Ad?

For the past few weeks, Sony has been marketing next week’s PS4 launch with a campaign called #4ThePlayers. The ads so far have been mostly focused on stoking nostalgia for the PlayStation brand, but today’s ad is a little different.

In a new ad that’s obviously meant to go viral, Sony references Street Fighter II in a spot for a service called Hadouken Cab. It’s actually a pretty witty piece of entertainment, but is there a deeper meaning behind it?

Kotaku notes that the ad combined with the Web site tie-in point to something Street Fighter related coming to the PS4. Capcom did just recently announce Ultra Street Fighter IV for PS3 and Xbox 360, but could the publisher have a PS4 version in the works as well? This ad seems to indicate that it could be something like that. It wouldn’t be the first fighting game from the current generation to get a next gen touch up.

As of now, however, the only Capcom game announced for next-gen consoles is the free-to-play Deep Down. That one is exclusive to the PS4, and that exclusivity may carry over to whatever Street Fighter project Capcom has in the works.

[Image: sonyplaystation/YouTube]

Resogun Just Might Be The Geometry Wars Of The Next Generation

When the Xbox 360 first launched, everybody had to get Geometry Wars. The simple twin-stick shooter from Bizarre Creations was addictive, challenging and looked better on an HD screen than pretty much anything else at the time. Sony and Housemarque responded to Geometry Wars with Super Stardust HD on the PS3, but it’s next title for the PS4 may be the title that finally feels like a next-gen Geometry Wars.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog today, Sony and Housemarque shared some of the details behind PS4 launch title Resogun. It’s a twin-stick horizontal shooter in a world composed entirely of voxels, or little geometric squares. The team says building a world out of nothing but squares was quite a challenge, but they’re happy with the end results.

You can check out a behind the scenes video below:

In the same blog post, we’re treated to a second trailer that shows off the worlds that you’ll see in Resogun. The team says that all the worlds are based off of Greek and Roman mythology and take design cues from the stories of which they’re based on.

Resogun will be available on the PS4 on November 15. It will be a free download for PlayStation Plus subscribers.

[Image: PlayStation Blog]

Every PS4 Comes With $10 PSN Credit, Free Month Of PS Plus

We’re only a week away from the launch of the PS4, but Sony still has some surprises in store for those who are buying the console during the launch window.

Sony announced today that every PS4 sold will come with three vouchers that offer gamers a chance to try out some of the services that are integral to the PlayStation 4 experience. Much like its current PS3 bundles, every PS4 will come with a free 30 day trial of PlayStation Plus. On the PS4, this will net you the ability to play online, access to free games and regular discounts on PSN games.

The second voucher is a free 30 day trial to Sony’s Music Unlimited program. Since the PS4 won’t support DLNA or MP3 playback out of the box, this is your only way to listen to music on the console. Just remember to cancel before your free 30 days are up or you’ll end up like me with an unexpected charge of $10 on your account.

The final and arguably best voucher is for $10 to spend on the PSN. Sure, it’s probably not enough to buy a full game, but that’s $10 off any game bought on the PSN. If you happened to pick up a PS3 copy of a game coming to next-gen consoles, you can also use that $10 credit to upgrade to the PS4 version at no extra cost.

Every PS4 Comes With $10 PSN Credit, Free Month Of PS Plus

So, how long is this promotion going to last? Sony only says that it’s available “for a limited time only.” My best guess is that it will be available as a launch window promotion so you can probably expect to see it last for at least the first six months of the console’s lifecycle.

Now we just play the waiting game to see what Microsoft has to offer those who buy an Xbox One at launch. We already know that day one buyers will get special day one branded hardware, but I wouldn’t complain if the company decided to throw in a free month of Xbox Live or a few free movie downloads.

[Image: PlayStation Blog]

Your Xbox One Is Going To Need That Day One Patch

The Xbox One and PS4 may have many differences, but they at least have one thing in common – both consoles will require a day one update. These updates will install the latest OS on each console and enable many of the features that have been touted since E3. With that being said, will these consoles function without the day one update?

We don’t know about the PS4 yet, but Microsoft’s Albert Penello told Engadget that your brand new Xbox One is going to need that day one update. He says that the console “will be able to do very little without taking the day one update.” To further push how mandatory this is, he says “it’s not gonna be really an optional thing.”

So, let’s just say that squirrels chew through the cable that delivers Internet to your house and you’re bound to be without Internet for a week. Where does that leave your Xbox One? Penello didn’t go into specifics, but he did say that it wouldn’t be able to play games. Even if you bought a physical disc at a store, it still wouldn’t be able to play it without that day one update. In short, you better hope that those squirrels hold off on chewing through your cables until you download that update.

So, what about the PS4? Will it at least play games if you can’t download its day one patch? Unfortunately, that was one question not covered by Sony’s exhaustive FAQ from last week. We’ve reached out to Sony for comment and will update if and when we hear back.

Even if the PS4 lets you play games without the update, you’re still going to have an inferior system without it. As much as Sony and Microsoft tout that their systems are offline friendly, we’re now in the age of the connected game console. You’re going to need the Internet in some capacity to fully enjoy these consoles and that’s what these day one updates are for.

[Image: Xbox Wire]

Mad Max Gameplay Footage Leaks Out Of Russian Event

At E3 in June, Sony revealed that the guys at Avalanche Studios – the developers behind Just Cause 2 – were working on a Mad Max game for current and next gen consoles. The very concept of an open-world Mad Max game with the destruction of Just Cause 2 was cause for celebration, but we didn’t actually get to see a lot of gameplay footage. Well, here’s 2 minutes of it.

JohnDio over at the /r/gamernews sub-reddit points us to a video that was uploaded last month featuring some off-screen gameplay from Mad Max. The footage was shot at Igromir Expo, a Russian gaming convention that took place on October 3-6. The footage is not of the highest quality, but it’s all we have until Avalanche or Warner Bros. Games decide to show more official gameplay.

Check it out:

At this point, the game looks a lot like Just Cause 2 just far less colorful. In any other situation, that would be a point of derision, but it’s acceptable in the case of Mad Max. The developers seem to have nailed the post-apocalyptic atmosphere of the universe quite well.

As for the gameplay, it’s probably going to need a bit of work. Granted, the above demo only shows us 2 minutes of footage, but it’s nothing compared to the heavily scripted gameplay trailer we saw a few months ago.

Mad Max is currently scheduled to be released in 2014 for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.

[Image: zoneofgamesru/YouTube]

Sony Details Knack’s Co-Op Mode, Social Features

Mark Cerny played a helping hand in designing some of the most respected and beloved platformers of the mid-90s, like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. Due to the limitations of those consoles, however, they couldn’t provide a co-op experience. That’s all going to change with Cerny’s PS4 launch game – Knack.

Sony announced today that Knack, like so many other character driven platformers today, will have a co-op mode. Just like in those games, Knack will feature drop in and drop out co-op so your friends and family can join in the action without interrupting it. That’s where the similarities end though.

The co-op characters in Knack – known as Robo Knack – plays a lot like the regular Knack. He is a little different though in that he can donate parts to and heal Knack with a press of the triangle button. In a sense, Robo Knack will be the character that the more experienced gamer will play as to help the less experienced player.

Here’s a trailer showing the co-op mode in action:

Aside from the co-op mode, Sony also revealed a social element to Knack’s collect-a-thon gameplay. At certain points in the game, the players will find secret chests containing items which can be combined to create gadgets. Upon finding one of these chests, the player can either take the item that was found in the chest, or the item that a friend found in the same chest. Here’s the full explanation:

Finding these secret rooms and collecting gadget parts and Relics is fun, but it’s even more fun when you have friends playing the game as well. Whenever you find a secret chest, you’ll be able to either take the item you found in the chest, or choose any item a friend found in that same room the last time they played. This can really come in handy when you’re trying to complete those gadgets or unlock that last Knack variant. Your gadget collection even carries over to new playthroughs, so you can work on getting all eight handy gadgets.

Finally, Sony shared more details regarding that Knack mobile game that we reported on yesterday. In short, it’s a simple match-three puzzle game for iOS that allows players to win items that can be transferred over to the console game. While the game is currently only available for iOS, Sony confirmed in the blog post that an Android version is coming soon.

[Image: PlayStation Blog]

Sony Unboxes PlayStation 4, Provides An Internal Look

As PlayStation 4s start showing up in store warehouses, it helps bring the idea the next generation consoles are upon into a tangible reality. In about about a week, the world as we know it will change forever when the PS4 becomes available for consumption; at least, that’s the crux of the pitches we’ve been getting. As Sony and Microsoft fight for control of the living room, we, the consumers, are perceived as winners, as long as we don’t mind going through an expensive upgrade/changeover.

Because anticipation of these new gadgets reaches a fever pitch, unboxing videos have become a thing. So much so, in fact, they are used as marketing pitches. Judging by the numbers, it’s pretty clear people enjoy watching videos of other people opening their new stuff. Which leads us to Wired.com’s exclusive PS4 unboxing video. If people really want to watch these things, taking the next step and offering an exclusive video, complete with Wired’s logo and watermark, is a shrewd way to grab a few more pageviews.

It also helps when the unboxing video goes above and beyond the norm by having a Sony engineer crack the PlayStation 4 case open, giving us a look at the console’s internal workings. Check out Wired’s video and see what you think:

Incredibly exciting, no? Sarcasm aside, if nothing else, it is impressive seeing just how much tech Sony can cram into a plastic case; and hey, there’s no Spider-Man font distracting us from the clinical autopsy. That has to be a plus, right? In case you’ve been living under a rock and missed the news, the PS4 will be available on November 15.

[Lead image courtesy of Sony]

PlayStation 4 Video Streaming Apps Officially Announced

Throughout the past eight years, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii consoles have slowly become more than video game machines. Each console now has access to a number of streaming video and other apps that expand their functionality beyond household gamers. The PlayStation 3 even managed to become the most-used Netflix streaming device last year.

With the next console generation only weeks away, consumers are now expecting the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to have streaming video apps from day one. Though Microsoft has certainly let it be known that TV is a focus for the Xbox One, Sony has been focusing on gamer nostalgia for its PlayStation 4 marketing campaign.

Today, with the launch of the PlayStation 4 only eight days away, Sony has finally revealed what streaming video apps its new console will have available at launch.

Unsurprisingly, the most popular streaming video apps will all be on the PS4 day-one. Netflix and Hulu Plus will be available, as will Amazon Instant Video and even Redbox Instant. Streaming sports will also make an appearance with the NBA Game Time and NHL GameCenter Live apps, which also require subscriptions to use. Those with access to the EPIX channel can also enjoy that channel’s programming on a PS4 and the VUDU streaming video store will also be available.

Beyond the obvious apps, the PS4 will also have several niche video streaming apps. Sony’s Crackle is a given, but the Crunchyroll app will come as a nice surprise for fans of Anime programming. Also, the YuppTV app will be available, providing access to over 150 Indian TV channels and hundreds of Indian movies.