When is the PlayStation 4 being released? How much will the PS4 cost? What new games are going to be available on release date? What are the specs of the new PlayStation 4 from Sony? The E3 2013 PlayStation LiveCast is going on now, and I’ll update you live with all the news as it drops. Get the answers to these questions and more after the jump.
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You can watch the event live, or just keep refreshing the page to see my reaction to it. http://www.ustream.tv/ps4
Broadcasting live with Ustream
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9:00PM: Nothing yet, just a little chatter by the Sony PS4 UStream hosts and a commercial about making video games.
9:06PM: Now there isn’t even any live action on the screen. Just a “Next: SCEA E3 2013 Press Conference LIVE!” graphic. I guess it’s encouraging that they’re about to get down to business.
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9:15PM: Still nothing going on. This is kind of a bummer. Reminds me of the PS3 when you haven’t played a game in a while and it asks you to download updates for a half hour before you can start gaming. Yes, Sony, that’s a burn.
And just as I say that, they announce that they will begin in 1 minute. Nice.
9:16PM: A packed crowd of nerds with smartphones, computers, recording devices etc. is treated to a huge widescreen display of graphics, presumably showing off the new PS4′s power. Oh now a techno song with people playing games inside of PlayStation’s trademark triangles, circles, squares, and X’s. Cool.
9:20PM: Jack Tretton, the President and CEO of Sony takes the stage.
He’s talking about PSVita, which I’ve heard has pretty much performed miserably as people opt for cell-phone games rather than hand-held consoles. Tretton is namedropping titles for PSVita like God of War, Final Fantasy, Dead Nation etc that are coming soon. Great. No one cares. Talk about the PS4.
9:25PM: Finally, some PS4 talk. The PSVita is supposed to be “the ultimate companion device” for PS4.
They’re showing video clips of new games coming for PS3, like Rain, Beyond Two Souls, and more
One of the clips included an F-Bomb. Nice. Way to go hard in the paint at E3, Sony.
9:33PM: “Not too shabby for a platform in it’s 7th year.” I agree, Mr. Tretton, but a lot of PS3 games never utilized the full capabilities of the console. Will we see much more impressive graphics on the new console?
9:36PM: They just showed the promo for the new Batman: Arkham Origins game, which will definitely be a front-runner for game of the year.
GTA5 is set to come out in an exclusive bundle for $280 bucks. I don’t see any point in buying a PS3 though with the PS4 coming out.
300 PS3 games are set to be released this year. Wow. Sounds like a lot for a console soon to be extinct.
9:38PM: Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment takes the stage.
Right away Andrew House talks up the Cloud technology. And now the unveiling of the PS4!
9:41PM: Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment takes the stage. He starts to talk about how the PS4 is going to interact with TV. There will be an exclusive PlayStation Network Programming plan “tailored and selected specifically for the type of entertainment gamers want and love.”
9:45PM: Andrew House is back to talk about streaming services like NetFlix, RedBox Instant etc that will be available on PSVita, PS3, and PS4. PayPerView and Flixter will also be available.
9:48 PM: Shu Yoshida, President of Worldwide Studios Sony Computer Entertainment takes the stage.
This dude can barely speak English, but he’s talking about the design of the PS4 and how consumers play games. Right away he jumps into social media and how people discuss what they like and dislike about games.
Worldwide Studios is working on 30 PS4 titles, 20 of which are set to release in the first year of the PS4. They jump right into promos for some of these games, and the graphics look sick:
Those screen shots are from “The Order”, an exclusive title for PS4.
Those screenshots are from the new KillZone: Shadow Falls game. I wasn’t too impressed, but the screenshots from Second Son looked legit:
They also showed video promos for Knack, a little too cartoonish for me. Sorry, wasn’t able to grab a pic of that game.
Even better than Second Son are the graphics for Dark Sorcerer for PS4. Wow:
And Sony drops an S-Bomb. Nice. I like that they keep it real.
10:02PM: If you’re lucky enough to be at E3 in LA, you can see the full demo at 1:00PM at the PS4 booth.
10:04PM: Adam Boyes, VP of Third Party Relations at Sony takes the stage. He announces the two dudes from SuperGiantGames.
10:05PM: Amir Rao and Greg Kasavin from SuperGiant Games take the stage. Their game, Transistor, seems to have really nice art but pretty lame RPG style gameplay:
I bet this game takes like 6 months to beat. Not my thing. I’ll pass on Transistor (set to release in 2014).
10:08PM: Adam Boyes is back talking up different game developers, each playing their own titles on big screens. Basically PS4 is proving to be an open source for game developers everywhere.
Each developer he mentioned are making their console debuts on the PS4. Not sure how I feel about that. I’m all for indy developers, but I’d like to see some gameplay from established game producing outfits.
10:15PM: They just showed a promo for Final Fantasy XV. I’ve never played those games. The graphics look really cool but I’m more of a Fifa and Madden than Final Fantasy type guy.
Now they’re showing a promo for what appears to be a Disney game for kids, Kingdom Hearts III. No thanks. Wait a minute- Assassin’s Creed 4 Demo? Nice.
Some of the gameplay images look very clean and crisp, others look a little pixelated. I wish I was actually at E3 so I’d know if this is a result of the UStream or the game itself. (If I had to guess, I’d assume it’s the UStream)
10:25PM: Jonathan Morin, the Creative Director of Watch Dogs takes the stage. They are showing a demo for their game. This guy is probably the most smug person to take the stage yet. The demo immediately reminds me of Grand Theft Auto, and I like it. Ubisoft does not disappoint.
This is by far the best demo I’ve seen yet. Watch Dogs seems like a must-own title for the PS4.
They just showed a promo for the new NBA 2k14 for PS4 with LeBron talking to a video game version of himself. The graphics were sick, but I blew it trying to get a screen shot. Just take my word for it, the game will probably be solid like all other NBA 2k games. I did manage to capture a screenshot from Mad Max, the realism is crazy:
10:41PM: Tretton re-takes the stage to announce PS4 will not impose any restrictions on used games.
You can trade in PS4 games at Retail.
You can sell used PS4 games to a friend, lend them to a friend, or keep them forever.
PS4 disc based games don’t need to be connected online to play.
PS4 won’t require you to check in on-line periodically.
PS4 games won’t stop working if you haven’t authenticated within 24 hours.
You can play PS4 games while the updates are being downloaded in the background.
PS+ memberships from PS3 will carry over to PS4.
PS4 Plus will cost less than $5 per month.
You get a new title every month for free.
Now they’re showing a promo for a multiplayer game, Warlock. Graphics are off the chain:
The Destiny demo was also legit. It’s clear that the graphics on the PS4 are on a ridiculous level.
Cloud gaming service is available starting in 2014. They claim that it will be a fast gameplay service with access to console quality content that is seamlessly available.
PS4 will be available for $399, and available this holiday season.
11:04PM: After announcing the price point of $399 for the PS4, the presentation concluded with a mashup of the promos we saw during the event.
The PS4 is sleek, the graphics look great, and the gameplay experience seems to be something we haven’t experienced before. At a full $100 cheaper than the X Box One, you can expect sales of this new console to be favorable for Sony.
What are your thoughts?
Will you buy a PS4, and X Box One, or Neither?
- PS4 $399
- X Box One $499
- Neither
