When it comes to Sony’s first-party developers, Naughty Dog is among the the best. While they’ve been known for their work in the past on Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, and Uncharted, The Last of Us holds a special place in gamer hearts everywhere. As a result, we’ve all been eagerly awaiting some kind of release date for The Last of Us: Part II. A newly leaked image points to October of 2019 as a possible answer to this burning question, but what about the rumors that Sony has shifted focus to PS5 games? Let’s unpack this story and see where the bread crumb trail takes us. The Last of Us: Part II May Release in October of 2019 The leaked image comes from a Peruvian retailer called LawGamers. The promotional image shows Ellie’s face, along with cover art, price, and month of release. As promotional art goes, it’s pretty standard. Having worked in the gaming retail industry for almost a decade, though, I picked up a few things when it comes to this type of advertising. Let’s consider a few facts here: The cover art doesn’t look final, it looks like a stock photo Promotional art like this has shown incorrect dates in the past (when games were pushed back prior to launch) Sony has yet to confirm if this is a PS4 or PS5 title (or both) And, of course, release dates can always change While we must take this with a grain of salt, the ultimate question here is how an October release date could play into the PS5’s release date. Could The Last of Us: Part II Be a Launch Title For PS5? With the PS5 on the horizon, it would make sense for Sony to switch their first-party studios over to next generation titles. It would also explain the lackluster E3 2018 showing and the fact that Sony has decided to skip E3 2019. Daniel Ahmad, a Niko Partners analyst who moderates the ResetEra message boards, claims that Sony is looking to make current projects cross-generation compatible or exclusively release them on the PS5. Here’s what he had to say: “Sony also has a couple of unannounced games (already existing IP) with PS4 in mind, but I’m conscious that there have been discussions around making them cross gen/next gen titles.” We’ve predicted in the past that Sony’s lack of commitment on the release date for titles like The Last of Us: Part II, Death Stranding, and Ghosts of Tsushima could point to them being PS5 titles, and this news solidifies that prediction. It makes the most sense for Sony to make the titles available on both the PS4 and the PS5, as gamers kind of expect them to be on the PS4 and pushback would be significant if they moved them all to a new console. The October release date also would make sense for a PS4 version of The Last of Us: Part II, but all evidence points to the PS5 coming out in … 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
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
What PlayStation’s E3 2017 Tells us About The PS5
E3 2017 is here, and now that Sony’s press conference is over, there’s still no word on the PS5. While we already predicted this, analysts such as Damian Thong were convinced that the PS5 would be releasing in 2018, and at this point that seems nearly impossible. Still, E3 2017 gave us a few juicy pieces of information, including a look at Microsoft’s Project Scorpio, which has been revealed as the Xbox One X. Join us as we look at the implications of this year’s announcements and what they mean for the PS5! 5 Things E3 2017 Told Us About The PS5 1. Sony’s Not Ready to Talk Next-Gen The words “PlayStation 5” were not uttered during Sony’s press conference. In fact, nothing about hardware was even discussed. This year, it was all about the games. Sony is happy to continue riding on their wave of success. After all, the PS4 has sold 60 million units and that number continues to grow. Furthermore, the PS4 Pro and PlayStation VR have been selling very well. It’s not time to take that next step, and Sony knows that. While some may have thought the Xbox One X would force their hand, they remained quiet on the next-gen subject and let the games do the talking. 2. The PS5 Won’t be Coming in 2018 Despite predictions from analysts, the PS5 isn’t coming in 2018. Manufacturers tend to announce consoles at least a year in advance. Even if Sony wanted to discuss PS5 at E3 2018, they wouldn’t be releasing until 2019 at the earliest. Why, you ask? Well, for starters the PS4 Pro isn’t very old at all, and there’s no reason to ditch it yet. PS4 gamers are happy for now, because they’ve got the best games on any platform, and the quality just continues to grow as time goes on. The PS4 isn’t ready to sing its swan song, and VR isn’t matured enough to release another headset just yet. This is why we’re still sticking with our 2020 release date. 3. The Xbox One X Isn’t Next Gen (But PS5 Will Be) The Xbox One X is an impressive console from a hardware standpoint, but when compared to the highest levels of PC technology, it’s not truly next generation hardware. Furthermore, it’s so focused on 4K and HDR that it’s not being used to its fullest potential. While it’s more powerful than PS4 Pro, it’s functionally the type of system. It’s meant to do 4K and perhaps some graphical enhancements in specific titles, but it doesn’t have the sheer “wow” factor that a truly next-gen system would offer. This is probably why Sony is letting Microsoft have the win with the power play, because they’re working on PS5 and it’s going to make Xbox One X look like a child’s toy. 4. VR is Still a Safe Bet For The PS5 Sony’s support for PlayStation VR has been strong, and their press conference this year announced some interesting new titles. … Read More
The Gamepocalypse: Are Single-Player Games Dying?
I’d like to start this article by being honest with you readers. The truth, is that I don’t like multiplayer. I started playing games when I was a kid and I continue to play games to this day for one simple reason: to immerse myself in a story and a world that isn’t my own. For me, the only way to do that is in a game with an amazing story and a well-crafted world. I know I’m not the only one either, but my friends, our beloved single-player is in danger. Which brings me to the question of the day: are single-player games dying?. It’s a scary thought, but one that has been brought up more times than I’d care to count. Today we face the beast head on and find out once and for all if our beloved way of gaming is dying. Echoes in Time: Industry Expert Predictions From Recent Years Industry experts have already tackled this subject in the past, and the trend wasn’t good. Back in 2011 during the Game Developer’s Conference, Mark Cerny Gave journalists a heart attack when he said “the traditional single-player experience will be gone in three years. Right now you sit in your living room and you’re playing a game by yourself. We call it the sp mission, or the single-player campaign. In a world with Facebook, I just don’t think that’s going to last.” This comment came during a time where games that had no business having multiplayer (Bioshock, God of War, etc) were receiving shoehorned multiplayer modes that ultimately detracted from the single-player experience. Meanwhile, the opposite seemed to be true of games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. These games were 90% multiplayer and 10% single-player in the form of a blockbuster campaign that lasted an average of 4 hours. Not even a day after Mark Cerny’s comment, a contractor for Activision by the name of Keith Fuller said in an interview with CNN that “90 percent of players who start your game will never see the end of it unless they watch a clip on YouTube.” Now that opens an entirely different discussion on Let’s plays, but we’ll cover that another time. Also I would like to point out that Activision would blame the gamers for a problem they helped create. As more and more developers felt the pressure to put multiplayer in their games, that responsibility fell to the single-player team. Instead of devoting 100% effort into the story of the game, now teams were split and the overall quality suffered as a result. To try and combat that, sometimes the multiplayer was developed by an entirely different team which caused even worse differences between the single-player and multiplayer quality. Speaking of corporate giants who like to make sweeping decisions, if you look at EA, they have the same mindset, albeit a little less “multiplayer only.” They, like Ubisoft are more interested in “connected experiences” where you’re always online in some way, shape or form. … Read More
PlayStation 5 or PortMachine 5? How Many Game Ports Can We Expect at Launch?
One of the biggest current complaints with the PlayStation 4 is that it has a lack of games. While this may not necessarily be true, it’s easy to see why PS4 gamers are upset: Most of the released games are ports of either recently released PC or PS3 games. In many cases, it’s the same exact game you might have played two years ago but with a new coat of paint, i.e better graphics. It’s a new phenomena, something we didn’t see a lot of when the PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 first launched. It makes sense in a sense to bring some of these titles forward. Classics like The Last of Us and God of War III should be experienced by any and all PS4 gamers, especially if sequels are going to come out on the new console. Without backwards compatibility, the only option is to remake them for the new console. While some of these ports are graphical upgrades and little more, we’re seeing ports including new features, all of the original DLC, and other incentives. Take for example the DMC: Devil May Cry remaster on PS4. This game was brought forward in terms of graphics, but the developers also tweaked and changed numerous complaints that people had with the original release of the game. There’s a good and bad side to these remasters, and while people may complain that they are buying the same game twice, they aren’t forced to do so, and people who have never played these titles are offered a better experience from the get-go. Why Is This Happening? Depending on who you ask, the overwhelming answer is likely to be “greed.” Gamers think that backwards compatibility is stripped out of systems on purpose, so developers and publishers can sell you the same game twice, effectively doubling their profits. In reality, backwards compatibility is stripped out so the cost of the system can remain low, and the feature isn’t one the majority of users will likely use, according to research. There are two main reasons why this trend is occurring on the PS4 and why it will repeat itself on the PS5. Easy Profits It takes time to make games, especially for a new system; it’s not uncommon for companies to take two or three years to create a killer app on brand new hardware. In the meantime though, companies need money, and what better way than to re-release a previous game, especially one where most of the work is done? On the PC, games look better than their counterparts just because of newer hardware, so when consoles finally catch up, it’s easy for publishers to port said PC game to the consoles – especially when they share the same architecture. Companies will feed you lines about how this is “the definitive version” and its “remastered” for the new system, but in reality you’re getting the same game that has been on the PC for years and all the DLC. It’s easy profit. It’s … Read More
What PS5 Launch Titles Will You Be Playing?
The best part about buying a shiny new video game console isn’t the new hardware, the social networking features, or its online capabilities. No, it’s the games: The heart of the console, the reason why we stand in line at midnight and fight our fellow gaming brethren at a chance to be a part of the future. Systems can live or die based on the strength of its launch line-up; too few games, and your audience quickly runs out of things to play, too many bad games, and your audience realizes they wasted their money and word of mouth quickly turns negative. While we can’t name any specifics about what you’ll be playing when the PS5 launches outside of a few examples, we can use history to see just what will be available when the system launches. PS5 Sports Titles A mainstay of the gaming scene, sports games have been available since the first video game console was launched. These days, sports games are so popular that they are featured upfront and center in every video game console launch. Expect to see the likes of Madden, the NBA2K series, and FIFA front and center for yet another video game launch. These games will likely follow the time honored tradition of having better graphics but cutting features to make it in time for launch. Like always, we can expect a version of MLB: The Show on PS5 a few months after the launch. PS5 First Person Shooters The FPS genre is one of the strongest in gaming today, consistently hitting the types of sales numbers that make other publishers green with jealousy. Expect to see the yearly titans, Call of Duty and Battlefield, available at launch, along with any other big name franchises that may rise to power during the lifespan of the PS4. If we’re being optimistic, maybe we’ll see Titanfall appear at the PS5’s launch? PS5 Action / Adventure If the Assassin’s Creed series keeps trucking along at a yearly basis, it’s a given we’ll see one of those at the PS5’s launch. Outside of that? Well, that will depend on what big names emerge in the current generation. This is the space to watch, as anything could fill this genre as we get closer and closer to the PS5’s launch. PS5 First-Party Titles Expect to see three or four first-party games from Sony that really show off the power of the console. Sony is going to be looking for games that demonstrate what the system is capable of, games that get jaws dropping much like Killzone: Shadow Fall did on the PS4. We won’t likely see mistakes like Knack take the stage, instead seeing time-honored classics such as Gran Turismo, Uncharted or possibly God of War lead the PS5’s lineup. Sony will want to put their best foot forward when it comes to the PS5 and they have the portfolio of games to do just that. PS5 Indie Games Expect to see a ton of indie games at … Read More
PS5 Games – Top Games To Expect on PS5
PS5 Game Categories Action and Adventure Horror Games Board Games Puzzle Games Casual and Party Driving and Racing Fighting Games First-Person Shooter Pinball Games Role-Playing Games Shooter Games Sports Games VR Games Recent PS5 Reviews You’ll find links to our reviews and previews across our genre pages (linked above), but in case you’re curious about the latest titles we’ve covered, look no further! Maneater PS5 Haven Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition Observer: System Redux Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition Immortals: Fenyx Rising PS5 Launch Titles The PS5 is coming November 12th, 2020 in North America and other major regions! We know it’s $499 for the main system or $399 for the all-digital version. What about the games? Spider-Man: Miles Morales is confirmed to be a launch title for PS5! Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Watch Dogs: Legion Astro’s Playroom will come pre-loaded on every console to show off the DualSense. Sackboy: A Big Adventure will be available at launch. Fortnite, of course Destruction All Stars (Delayed to February 2021, but will be on PS+) Bugsnax Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition The Demon’s Souls Remake Godfall Don’t forget the newly announced PS Plus Collection of on-demand PS4 titles, available to download at launch as well PS5 Games – The kinds of Games we will see “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” ― Albert Einstein While we’re all excited about the PS5, it’s not the console that makes a generation. No, as we all know, it’s the games that define a console’s success. Sony has been killing it with their exclusive titles on PS4 and PlayStation VR, but how will this translate to the PS5? That’s what we’re here to find out! It’s time to look at the coming PS5 games that will hit the next generation console. I know you have a lot of questions, such as how much will games cost on the PS5? It’s looking like we could see a price increase to $70 per game, but it’s possible that all publishers won’t adopt this idea. We’ve seen a mixture of price points thus far, but some are not afraid to bump up the price an extra $10 USD. What Kinds of Games and Game Franchises will we see on the PS5? Action and Adventure Horror Games Board Games Casual and Party Driving and Racing Fighting Games First-Person Shooter Pinball Games Role-Playing Games Shooter Games Sports Games VR Games Sony has officially announced some awesome games for the PS5! We’ve constructed pages for each genre and category in gaming for your reading pleasure. Each of these pages contains our picks for games we expect to see on the PS5. The Latest PS5 Game Rumors and Announcements Grand Theft Auto VI How will games play on the PS5? I’m pretty convinced that the dualshock 4 is the best controller ever made. With the release of the PS4, we have another console that relies on two things above all: a television and a controller. We have seen … Read More