When Microsoft first introduced Xbox Live, it was the pinnacle of online gaming with a console. During the PS3/XB360 era, it was no contest. Yes, the PSN was free, but Xbox Live had more players, a better user experience, and strong servers. Sony stepped up their game with PlayStation Plus and a new requirement to pay for your online gaming. Could we see another evolution for the PS5? It’s looking pretty likely. Let’s explore the evidence and a few predictions while we’re at it. The Future of PSN is Cloudy Indeed In this generation, the PSN and Xbox Live are both stellar ways to play online (but PS+ offers better free games each month, hands down). Some new rumors have suggested that Sony may be considering another major change in their infrastructure for the PS5. Check out this tweet from Windows Central editor Jez Corden: “Heard a few rumors Sony might be working on a big infrastructure/platform update for PSN in time for PS5. They’re not resting on their laurels when it comes to cloud it seems.” What could this mean? Well, it could be a few things: Sony is strengthening their servers/security The PS5 is going to offer cloud computing We may be streaming our games on PS5 PlayStation Plus is getting new features Those are some of the implications that come to mind first, but if they are indeed making major changes, the results could be far more substantial. That being said, we also have to consider another major policy change that happened recently when it comes to cross-play. Yes, that’s right, Sony announced via the PlayStation Blog that they’ve finally decided to allow cross-play between Xbox, Windows, Mac, Switch, PS4, Android, and iOS players in the wildly popular battle royale game, Fortnite. This has been a long time coming, but Sony was very steadfast in saying that they believe Fortnite is best played on PS4, so they will not support cross-play. Despite this, the company eventually caved, most likely due to pressure from the community. The blog post offers some additional hints that could point towards these rumored changes to the PSN. In the post from John Kodera, President and Global CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, it reads: “We have completed a thorough analysis of the business mechanics required to ensure that the PlayStation experience for our users remains intact today, and in the future, as we look to open up the platform” That last part is important. “Open up the platform.” It’s clear that Fortnite has paved the way for more games to work across platforms, which would result in a lot more people playing together. A change like that would warrant an update in the PSN infrastructure. Could this be the beginning of a future where you play with your friends regardless of the console you’re on? Name Changes on The Horizon? Playing with your friends is a step in the right direction, but what about changing your PSN ID? Mine isn’t so bad, but … Read More
Opinion: Did Sony Show us PS5 Games at E3 2018?
Is it just me, or did Microsoft actually beat Sony at E3 2018? While Microsoft was keen to announce a bunch of titles, Sony’s press conference was messy and ill-paced. Not only that, but they didn’t really announce anything exciting or reveal any major release dates. It all felt odd at best and concerning at worst. What could have caused Sony to mess up their game? I have a sinking suspicion that they were looking for a way to skate by for another year so they could focus on the future: PlayStation 5. Let’s discuss some of the facts and a few opinions on why I believe we secretly saw PS5 games at E3 2018. 3 Arguments For Why We Saw PS5 Games at E3 2018 I had a lot of mixed feelings about Sony’s E3 2018 press conference. They tried something different with multiple settings, and a focus on specific titles, but the whole thing fell kind of flat. This was due, in part, to a lack of interesting announcements. We saw gameplay from games like Spider-man (which did release already), Ghosts of Tsushima, Last of Us 2, and Death Stranding, but we learned very little about when we’ll get to play them. Sony didn’t even give us a release window. It was very uncharacteristic of them, especially after the knockout presentations from prior press conferences. Here are three pieces of evidence that support our theory that Sony was showing PS5 games at E3 2018: 1. PS5 Rumors are at a Fever-Pitch One possible explanation is that Sony found themselves in an awkward position. The PS5 is coming sooner than later, and it’s more likely that most of the main studios are working on their debut titles. Of course, they didn’t want to announce the PS5 this year, why would they? The PS4 and the Pro are selling like hotcakes, so any kind of announcement surrounding new hardware could threaten their sales and cheapen the remaining titles coming out this fall. So, they chose to remain silent. Despite this, the PS5 rumor mill has been working overtime. From job postings surrounding a possible next-gen Call of Duty to claims that PS5 Dev kits are already out in the wild for developers to work on PS5 games, we’ve been seeing a lot more talk about the PlayStation 5 in 2018 than any year prior. Even Sony executives are talking about the future openly, all of which adds fuel to the flames. Things were so hot leading up to E3 that Sony even had to come out and say they’re not announcing any hardware this year at the annual conference. After the misfire that was this year’s conference, Sony can’t afford to not blow everyone away next year, which is why it feels like we’ll see our first PS5 announcements next E3 or perhaps even before then at a pre-E3 showcase. 2. Those Graphics Though… The second piece of evidence is one that could go either way. The PS4 and the … Read More
PS5 Could be Codenamed ‘Erebus’ According to Unreal Engine 4
If there’s one thing Sony does really well, it’s codenames. Whether it was the epic “Morpheus” used for PlayStation VR or “Neo” used prior to the announcement of the PS4 Pro, they’re undeniably cool names to mask the true nature of the project. In some cases, they also have a deeper meaning that helps us understand the nature of the beast as it were. Thanks to a user by the name of Gemüsepizza on resetera, we may now have the codename for the PS5: “Erebus.” Join us as we look at the meaning behind this name, and how one clever gamer uncovered the truth inside of Unreal Engine 4. The Truth, Hidden Deep in Code Gemüsepizza, a user on the website resetera, posted some interesting screenshots of code from within Epic’s Unreal Engine 4 that showcased what could be the first sign of PS5’s official codename. This would be the codenamed used internally at Sony and with game developers prior to the console’s official announcement. Take a look! So, here we see the current devices supported by this prevalent game engine listed out. Everything from Windows, to Switch, and of course PS4 and Xbox. The one we’re really interested in is the last entry. It’s simply named “Erebus.” In a subsequent screenshot, we see the name used alongside other code referring to the PS4: Of course, this could be the codename for something else, but the discussion in the forum surrounding the meaning of the name “Erebus” got me thinking. As mentioned by the users, Erebus is the Greek god of darkness, but if we look at a poem by Hesiod known as Theogony, things get more interesting. This poem details the genealogy or birth of the gods in Greek mythology. Now, Erebus was indeed one of the first primordial gods to exist before everything. In fact, according to Greek myth, first came Chaos; then came Gaia, Tartarus, Eros, and then Erebus. Notice something there? Erebus was the FIFTH god to be born in Greek mythology Now, that’s either a massive coincidence or Sony is once again trying to be sneaky with their codenames. Given the number association, I’m also willing to bet this isn’t referring to Project Scarlett, which is Microsoft’s next-generation console. A developer on Epic’s own Fortnite game, took to Twitter to try and deflect these rumors with an explanation: FYI references to 'Erebus' in UE4 code only refer to the codename for the Switch version of @FortniteGame before we announced it. — ᗩᖇᒍᗩᑎ (@arjanbrussee) August 30, 2018 While this could be the end of the whole rumor, people are still pointing out that the use of the name refers to a console, not a game. Also, we can see the Nintendo Switch referenced already in the code, so why the duplicate? It doesn’t quite add up. If Unreal Engine 4 already has code to prepare for the PS5, it would also support earlier rumors that developers have PS5 dev kits, and have had them for some … Read More
Call of Duty 2019 Could be a PS5 Launch Title
To facilitate a yearly release for the Call of Duty franchise, Activision constantly has three studios working on their own entries in the series. You have Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward, and Treyarch all working on COD, while other studios owned by Activision also pitch in where needed. Since we know there will most likely be a Call of Duty release in 2019, new rumors are pointing to it being a next-generation title, namely a PS5 game. Beyond some speculation, we also have a job posting that points to this being a distinct possibility. It’s not airtight, but we’ll get to that shortly. New Job Posting Suggests Call of Duty 2019 Could be a PS5 Title The 2018 Call of Duty release is Black Ops 4, or as they write it “IIII.” No, I don’t like it either, although I’m told it’s supposed to be tally marks. The most controversial aspect of this release is the sudden lack of a single player campaign. Now, Activision will tell you this was purposeful, to make room for more zombies, more multiplayer, and of course, battle royale. While that excuse has made more than a few gamers angry (myself included as I think Black Ops has one of the strongest COD narratives), it could also be a result of extra team members being dedicated to the franchise’s PS5 debut. Think about it, they suddenly cut out a mainstay feature and blame it on a fad like battle royale? It’s a little flimsy, but a greater focus on the next-gen COD title would make a lot more sense. Now, this is just speculation on my part, but we also have some hard evidence to take a look at: What we have here is a screenshot of a job posting with Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward. This is a post looking for a Narrative Scripter, but things get really interesting when we read the job description: ”Come work with the game industry’s brightest on a new, exciting, unannounced title for multiple next-gen platforms.” It may be unannounced, but pigs will fly with jetpacks powered by sentient toasters before Infinity Ward makes anything but a Call of Duty title. Diving deeper into the job posting, there are a few more clues that point to this rumor being a possibility. Specifically, the job asks for someone who has a broad understanding of both single and multiplayer design, along with a passion for First Person Shooter (FPS) games. It also asks for someone who can handle dialogue pacing, and cinematic implementations of vocal performances, something you wouldn’t need for multiplayer. That tells us that this is indeed a shooter and that it has a single/multiplayer mode. At the very least, this means that Black Ops 4 lacking a single player is probably a fluke, but if this rumor is true, it would lend credence to my theory that the campaign was cut to make room for people to work on this next-gen title. Now, I know what you’re … Read More
Bethesda Announces Not One, but Two PS5 Games at E3 2018!
The Electronics Entertainment Expo, otherwise known as E3, is my favorite time of year as a gamer. In true fashion, it’s also the time when companies unveil their biggest announcements for this year, and the years to come. At the E3 2018 Bethesda showcase, we saw teasers for not one, but two next generation titles from Bethesda Game Studios! I know, I can hardly believe it myself. Let’s take at what Todd Howard unveiled, shall we? Bethesda Announces Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI For Next Generation Consoles Towards the end of their E3 2018 press conference, the head of Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard, unveiled the studio’s first original franchise in over 25 years of business. Starfield is a single player RPG that is intended to stand tall with both Fallout and Elder Scrolls as the main pillars of Bethesda Game Studios. This is huge news on its own, but what really made my jaw drop, was the moment when Todd Howard said that this title is being developed for the next-gen. There’s only one way to interpret this: Starfield is going to be a PS5 title. Now, they could have easily stopped there, but check out what Todd said next: “Starfield is a game that we have spent years thinking about and working on. Something we feel uniquely positioned to pull off and that we’re incredibly excited about. But, we’re also building toward the game after that. And it’s the one you keep asking about. The Elder Scrolls VI is in Development While it’s a very short teaser, Bethesda did confirm that they are working on The Elder Scrolls VI. Where it’s located in the world of Tamriel remains to be seen, but Todd Howard did mention that this game would be happening after Starfield, so it’s most likely several years away. Since this game is coming after Starfield, it’s safe to assume this will also be a next-gen title. Now that the dust has settled, we’ve heard about not one, but two PS5 games! This is on top of the news that Microsoft is officially working on the next Xbox console. Will we hear something from Sony at their press conference? Stay tuned to find out! In the meantime, let us know what you think of these new announcements in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date: 6/11/18
The PS5 Could be a Cloud-Based Console
We’ve become comfortable with our discs, with our controllers and gaming consoles. We’ve allowed our imaginations to fall asleep. Sure we’re seeing virtual reality making a comeback, but that’s not enough. That’s just refining a technology that was far too ahead of its time when it was first introduced (anyone remember the headache inducing Virtual Boy?) What I want to know is where’s the innovation? Going from cartridges to discs: that’s a leap. Moving from 2D to 3D graphics: that’s a leap! Really, really pretty graphics: that’s nice, but we’re overdue for another leap in gaming innovation, and my money’s on the PS5. There’s growing evidence that the PS5 could be a streaming console powered by the cloud. Join us as we look at the evidence, and how a console like this could function. Major Players in The Game Industry Believe Streaming is The Next Big Thing Ubisoft is one of the largest publishers in gaming, responsible for hit titles like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and The Division. While they don’t have specific control over how Sony will structure the PS5, their CEO, Yves Guillemot, has offered some insight into a potential future for game consoles. On IGN’s Daily Fix, a new quote from the CEO was revealed: “I think we will see another generation, but there is a good chance that step-by-step we will see less and less hardware. With time, I think streaming will become more accessible to many players and make it not necessary to have big hardware at home.” So, while Ubisoft’s CEO doesn’t think the PS5 may necessarily ditch hardware entirely, he does believe that this will be the transition gaming takes into the future. Yves was also one of several major players in the industry who contributed to a recent Kotaku article on streaming high-end games Todd Howard also spoke with the Kotaku author over at The Guardian. Gamers will know Todd as the head of Bethesda’s game studio and the father of titles like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. As it turns out, Todd is indeed a fan of streaming as a potential next step for gaming: “I think streaming technology is definitely coming, and it’s gonna make people’s access to games infinitely easier. You’ve seen it happen to music and movies, and it’s definitely gonna be happening to gaming, and I think it’s a great thing.” While Sony has been offering cloud streaming with PlayStation Now, the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has been talking about the technology a lot since E3 2018. From his perspective, streaming allows them to reach gamers on any device, not just a console. He predicts a future where game creators can reach billions of people. He makes a good point in the aforementioned Kotaku article when he says that some studios resort to simple match-3 games instead of immersive story-driven experiences because they need to develop for mobile platforms and the hardware limitations within. Phil Spencer’s second quote in the article is also very interesting: “That … Read More
Sony CEO: PS4 Is in the Final Stage of Its Lifecycle
Another day, another hint about the PS5. As we creep closer to the inevitable announcement, the subject is coming up again and again. This time, we have news straight from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s CEO: John Kodera. According to him, the PS4 has entered the final stage of its lifecycle. He also offered some insight into Sony’s plan for the next several years. All of this results in some juicy new details! Read on to find out everything we’ve learned. Analyzing John Kodera’s Comments on The PS5 Thanks to a piece done by Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki, we have insight into the Sony Investor Relations Day 2018 presentation from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s CEO John Kodera. During this presentation, he talked about the future of Sony and the PlayStation brand. The WSJ writer was in attendance, and offered some details for the all of us to digest. On his twitter, we first saw the news about the state of the PS4: PS chief Kodera: PS4 is entering final phase of its life cycle, which would have negative impact to the unit, but recurring revenue via membership services etc should cushion some of that. — Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) May 22, 2018 So, what does he mean by this final stage? In the WSJ article, it looks like we can expect to see the PS5 in the next three years. This would be a longer lifecycle than we’re used to, given the fact that the PS4 came out in 2013. This is likely due to the fact that the PS4 Pro also came out to extend the cycle a bit further. I personally believe the longer lifecycle is also attributed to the architecture of the hardware. As Mark Cerny said during the initial PS4 announcement, the system was designed to be more like a PC, therefore making it easier to program for. I think this, along with the growing talent of today’s developers and the indie market, has given the PS4 flexiblity to continue growing and showcasing new experiences. If you think about something that came out a few years ago, versus a game like God of War 2018, you can see how this one system has continued to deliver outstanding experiences. Circling back to our time table, the WSJ article quotes John Kodera, saying: ”We will use the next three years to prepare the next step, to crouch down so that we can jump higher in the future.” To us, this means that our PS5 release date prediction still rings true. While three years from now is 2021, it’s very possible that Sony will want to enter 2021 with something new on the table. A holiday 2020 release date seems like a good fit for their vision. So, while we’re waiting, what does the PS4 have to offer us? What Does The PS4 Have Left to Offer? The PS4 isn’t out of the running yet. Many critics have been heralding the newest God of War as the best game the console has … Read More
Helping Shape The PS5: The Voice of Gamers
In the last generation, we have seen a massive surge of change as result of gamers speaking out. Whether it’s the loot box scandals, features disappearing, or issues with the state of a game, we have seen countless times that the voice of gamers is a powerful one. It’s also been refreshing to see how much communication has improved between customers and developers/publishers. While it’s far from perfect, they’re willing to listen more than ever. Now is the time to speak out about what you want from the PS5. Our Top 5 Polls of All Time Gamers have spoken out in the past via our polls, so join us as we look at what you have said about the PS5 in our past polls. We’ll also glimpse into how we can continue to shape the PS5 together. 1. Would You Pay $2000 US Dollar For a PS5? The price of the PS5 is something we’ve discussed at length, and our most popular poll reflects how passionate gamers feel about the cost of their consoles. In this poll, we asked if you would pay $2,000 for the system. The majority of you said no, of course, but there were a large number of votes that said yes or maybe, which is interesting. This poll essentially shows us that price is very important, and that there is most certainly a limit to what people will pay. It also shows that there are a dedicated few who would pay just about anything, but these people would be a small percentage of consumers. 2. If the PS5 Releases in 30 Days, Would You Buy It? Our next poll asked gamers if they would rush out and buy the PS5. What if Sony just dropped a bomb that the system would be available in the next 30 days? This is nigh impossible, but assuming it did happen, how would gamers react? Over 50% of the responses said yes, while many others said maybe, and a small percentage said no. This shows us that the release date of the PS5 could come sooner than later, and many people wouldn’t mind. It also shows that just under half of gamers would still wait, as they are probably happy with their PS4s. It’s true that the system still has some life left in it, as the latest exclusives have been nothing short of incredible. Ultimately, the release date of the PS5 is going to be a balancing act on Sony’s part. Too soon, and you risk alienating your user base, too late, and the hardware of the PS4 won’t be able to keep up with new ideas. The good news here is that gamers are already excited about the next system. Over time, more will join this school of thought, and that will be the prime time to release the PS5. 3. Do You Want The PS4 to be 4K Resolution Compatible? The PS4 Pro introduced 4K resolution into gaming for the first time on a console, but … Read More
Will Sony Announce The PS5 at E3 2018? Nope
We are just one month away from E3 2018, and gamers (myself included) are hungry for new announcements and developments. After the huge success that God of War gave Sony, it will be interesting to see how other exclusives stack up. One thing we’re all wondering is whether Sony will tease the PS5 at this year’s Electronics Entertainment Expo. Thanks to the PlayStation Blogcast, we have an answer from the Chairman of Worldwide Studios, Shawn Layden: Sony does not plan to announce any hardware this year. Despite this, there’s still plenty to talk about. Sony Has No Hardware Announcements Planned There was certainly some speculation about a potential PS5 announcement at E3 2018, especially when news broke earlier this year about third-party companies receiving dev kits for the PlayStation 5. On the PlayStation Blogcast, Sony’s chairman of worldwide studios, Shawn Layden, was asked about potential hardware announcements during Sony’s showcase. His response was the following: ”We’re going to be focusing on all the new content that are coming out…There will be no new hardware announcements at E3 this year.” For some people, this may come as a disappointment, but there’s a silver lining here. Let’s all remember how Sony officially unveiled the PS4. It wasn’t during an E3 event, it was actually showcased for the first time at a completely separate event dedicated wholly to the announcement. In February of 2013, Sony held the “See the Future” event in New York, where they invited members of the press to see the future of PlayStation. It was a big event with a lot of hype and speculation behind it. At the event, they announced the PS4, talked about its specs, and set a release date for holiday 2013. With the success of this event and the PS4 as a whole, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to expect them to do something similar, possibly in early 2019 or 2020. You could speculate that Sony is doing this as a red herring, but they’ve done this in the past, specifically with PS4 Pro. They tempered expectations around that before it was released, so people wouldn’t expect a hardware announcement at a major event. While it would be shocking them to say this, and then announce the PS5, it doesn’t seem very likely. We’re still confident that the PS5 won’t be released until 2020. What Will Sony Show at E3 2018? During the same podcast, Shawn Layden outlined Sony’s plans for their showcase this year. This was met with some surprise, as Sony typically keeps everything a secret. In an effort to try something new and set expectations, he outlined the four titles that will be focusing on in this year’s conference: The Last of Us: Part II Death Stranding Marvel’s Spider-Man Ghosts of Tsushima He did say they will have some surprises from third-party publishers and indie developers, so everything isn’t spoiled just yet. Along with Days Gone, I believe these titles will be the swan song for the PS4, so … Read More
The DualShock 5 Wishlist: Features and Changes Gamers Want
Controllers are the tools by which we interact with our games. Their design and function is just as important as the console itself. A great console with a bad controller will always be remembered as a bad console. Thankfully, Sony has never had too much trouble with their controller design. The original DualShock began life as a secondary controller for the PS1, and until the PS4, it remained largely the same. The DualShock 4 mixed things up, so will the PS5’s controller continue this trend? Let’s talk about what we, as gamers, want from the next PlayStation controller. The PS4 has been absolutely killing it this generation. It came out of the gate with plenty of features Sony knew gamers and developers wanted. Was it perfect? No, but it certainly started on a better foot than the Xbox One did. Sony has always had their finger on the pulse of the gaming industry. It was a bold move to change the controller design for the DualShock 4, and it mostly paid off. I personally like the PS4 controller better than past iterations, but it’s not perfect. So, how can Sony improve with the Dualshock 5? Here are 7 things gamers will be happy to see as part of the PS5’s controller setup: 7 Things Gamers Want to See From The DualShock 5 1. Touchscreen Instead of a Touchpad The addition of a touchpad on the DualShock 4 was an interesting change that makes it stand out from the DualShock 3 in a big way. While this touchpad works well, it hasn’t received a lot of use on the console since launch. Underutilized space? It acts as a separate button you can press (often to open maps in games), but the actual touch tracking has only been used sparingly. It feels like it should have been something more useful, like a touchscreen. The Wii U had a touchscreen on its controller, and so did the Sega Dreamcast. Both of these consoles didn’t realize their full potential, but they did have interesting mechanics with the touchscreen. Information like health, inventory, and even maps could be displayed here and prove far more useful than a touchpad that rarely sees any use. 2. A Design Lab Option For Custom Controllers One thing that Microsoft has done very well this generation, is offer a custom design option for people who want a unique controller. Microsoft’s Xbox Design Lab is an intuitive online platform that lets you create a custom controller with a huge variety of options. You can change the color of the front and back faceplates, along with the color of the buttons, the triggers, the bumpers, and even the analog sticks. If you want an engraving, you can have that too. Sony has released a good amount of color options for the DualShock 4, but I would love to see a platform like Design Lab for the DualShock 5. Sony could even take it one step further and allow gamers to place emblems … Read More