February 20th
2013, in NYC, Sony began to peel back the layers of their much anticipated PS4.
There was much fanfare going into this event. The last time Sony unveiled a
home console, there was just as much to admire about the event as there was to
mock. I mean, we were told to work extra hard to save money so we can buy the
Playstation 3. There was arrogance on Sony’s part, so there was some
trepidation going into this event. How was Sony going to perform?
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| Allow me to quote Vader... Nooooooooo! |
Pretty Good. Pretty, pretty good. Sony was focused. They showed some of the important
architecture comprising the PS4. They showed games, developer conceptions, product
support such as Netflix, and their plans for online streaming via Gaikai to
PSVita and possibly tablets. The new Dualshock 4 controller looks really
interesting, with some Move and touch pad integration, and a brand new share
button. The share functionality seems intriguing, with the ability to upload
videos and pictures online instantly to social media sites such as Facebook and
Twitter.
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| Looking good |
Sony did a good job
wetting the appetite. They revealed enough, getting us hooked to come back for
more. Their messaging was on point. The Dualshock 4 was different but not
alienating. Even the PS4 logo harkened back to the PS2 (& PS3 slim), Sony’s and the industry’s
most successful console. The next day they were on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
showcasing Killzone Shadow Fall, even letting Jimmy Fallon and guest Anthony
Anderson have a go (live demo people). They did a good job, and come E3, we
should get our look at the box itself. So I left feeling pretty good from a
consumer standpoint.
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| Emulating the best |
My feelings though were
a little soured, with no fault from Sony. After 24hrs had passed, the dust
settled, and still feeling good about the event, I ventured to ign to see what
my favorite Playstation crew (Greg Miller, Colin Moriarty, Ryan Clements,
Andrew Goldfarb) were revealing about the PS4. I was met with the sad news that
after 6 fun years, ign had let go of Ryan Clements to cut costs. Unexpected as
this was, for me the reveal of the PS4 will now be paired with the end of Clements
time at ign. I will miss his honesty and upbeat attitude. So play me out
Clements, and here’s hoping you land back on your feet quickly. Beyond!
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| Fear the Powerhouse |
