Posted Mon Nov 11, 2013 at 08:30 AM PST by Brian Hoss
Kick-off the launch week with one reviewer's take.
The Announcement
I'm a bit of a techy nerd. The new and shiny is always catching my eye. As I get older, the ability to restrain myself from trying out the latest and greatest gadgets becomes more and more difficult. Add to this the fact that I am a life-long gamer and things get even more interesting when Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo start hinting at a new console generation.
While I generally follow all the hype leading up to each year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), this past year's exhibition was especially exciting. Nintendo had already launched their newest gaming console, and both Sony and Microsoft were expected to provide additional details around when the gaming masses would be able to get their hands on the next generation of consoles and have a better idea as to how much it would cost them.
I recall streaming the Sony presentation, eagerly anticipating a date and a price. I had my own ideas for both categories but nearly jumped from my chair after – finally – getting confirmation on both. A $399 price point with a release date before Thanksgiving could not have been any more exciting to me. Within hours of these announcements I had already scheduled a day off of work for November 15, 2013 and had pre-ordered my copy of the PlayStation 4. All that was left was to wait.
The Anticipation – What I'm Most Excited About
Waiting can be a difficult. Waiting for the birth of my three children was especially hard. I could not wait to hold them for the first time. As odd as it may seem, I've experienced a similar feeling while waiting for the release of the PlayStation 4. I cannot wait to add them to the collection of gaming consoles that have already found a home within my entertainment center. A spot has already been picked out, an available HDMI connection has already been reserved, and a mental image of the final set-up has already been embedded into my brain.
Sony hasn't been making the wait any easier. With each passing week they seem to continually release more and more information about what the future holds. And for gamers, the future is incredibly bright. The following is a list of what I am most excited about when November 15th finally arrives:
DualShock4 – the improvements made to the PS4 controller continue to impress me. The overall larger size and additional tweaks are sure to satisfy even the most finicky of gamers
Remote Play via the PlayStation Vita – Being an early adopter of both the PlayStation Vita and the Nintendo Wii U, I can appreciate the option to play remotely through a handheld device. With Sony announcing that the majority of their newly developed games for the PlayStation 4 will allow for remote play, I could not have been any more excited
PlayStation Plus – Anyone who has invested in this service knows its benefits. It was great to hear that Sony intended to continue this service into the next generation, as well as its continued availability across their three platforms: PS3, PS4, and PS Vita
Gaikai integration – While I realize this function of the PlayStation 4 will not be available until sometime in 2014 at the earliest, the promised capabilities of the feature may end up being game changing (pun intended). I've gotten a taste of cloud gaming when I jumped on board the OnLive train. While the idea behind the service remains ambitions, Cloud gaming, with the backing of Sony, is one promising possibility for the future of gaming
While November 15th is just under one week away (as of the writing of this article) I am mentally preparing myself for an event that I have, in all my years as a gamer, never participated with . . . a midnight launch. While numerous pre-order options were available to me, I selected my local Best Buy as the store to fulfill my order. The image below, while perhaps not the most up-to-date, seems like an adequate representation of what to expect. Although bowler hats will be replaced with knit coverings, the snow-covered sidewalk and frigid-looking temperatures may be an accurate depiction of my Midwest experience, a climate notorious for drastic swings in temperature and weather.
A Checklist of Games
Of course the launch of a new console wouldn't be complete without the games, and the line-up for the PlayStation 4 - both retail and digital download - is looking exceptionally promising. As excited as I am for the release of the PlayStation 4 console, I am still undecided about the titles that I will be picking up on day one. As of right now, the frontrunners continue to be 'Killzone: Shadow Fall,' 'Knack, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, and perhaps Lego: Marvel Super Heroes. Of course, PlayStation Plus will have a few offerings that I simply will not be able to resist with the likes of Resogun and Contrast.
And these are just the games that are expected to release on the day the PlayStation 4 launches. There are more than enough titles to keep me occupied for weeks, and just long enough for the release of those titles that were either pushed or previously planned for the PlayStation 4 launch window: 'Watch Dogs', 'Drive Club,' 'Wolfenstein: The New Order,' 'Planetside 2,' 'The Division,' 'Thief,' 'The Order: 1886,' 'Infamous: Second Son,' 'Dying Light,' and 'Destiny.'
This is an incredible time to be a gamer, and I am excited to be a part of it. The technology, the titles, and the features are enough to keep things interesting for a very long time. I say bring it on. I am ready!
Author: Bill Braun
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.