PlayStation 4 reveal tomorrow – What can we expect?

Tomorrow marks a very important day in the world of video games. Sony are hosting a PlayStation meeting, only the third in 10 years. The last two were to announce the PS3 and then in 2011 the NGP (now called the PS Vita). The 20th February 2013 will certainly be the announcement of the next home PlayStation console.

This will almost certainly be called the PlayStation 4, or maybe just PS4. Forget names like Orbis that have been knocking around, Sony aren’t going to drop probably the best known name in games. So what else can we expect?

Controller
There will be a new controller. Prototypes that have been leaked already show a light bar in between the triggers which use PlayStation Move technology, a multi-touch pad (possibly even a screen) in between the PlayStation and direction buttons, a speaker (or microphone) and even a socket at the base most likely for headphones. There also appears to be amended triggers and analogue sticks which should be more comfortable. How much of this actually makes it in to the final version is still a guessing game as Sony did announce the “boomerang” controller for the PS3 which was swiftly dropped after negative feedback. This time Sony themselves may even have aided the leaks in order to get a feel for gamers and press reaction before officially showing it off. What is certain is that the touch pad and Move will feature somewhere.

PlayStation Move
Sony spent a lot of money developing this (and the EyeToy before it) so a evolution of Move will be coming. It’s widely expect that The PlayStation Eye will be upgraded to something closer to Kinects abilities but the Move will still feature as well. This could be in the main controller but I would be surprised if the Move controller was dropped completely, it was probably the most comfortable controller ever made. What I also expect is that you won’t be able to buy a PS4 without some sort of Move accessory being included in the box. Forcing it into the hands of gamers means more games can use it with the vastly bigger pool of potential sales.

Backwards Compatibility
PS1 games and maybe even PS2 games will be backwards compatible. PS3 games are unlikely to be, on disc anyway. I would be keen to see two models released, one with and one without PS3 compatibility. There would be a cost involved in this as essentially the PS3 innards would need to be in the PS4 as well. The most likely outcome is the ability to stream PS3 games straight to the console. This leads us on the what will potentially be ground breaking in the console world

Gaikai
This is the cloud gaming company Sony bought not long ago (the main rival to On Live). This is be included somewhere in the PS4. With PS3 games it is possible that inserting the disc will allow you to play the game through online cloud streaming. The other possibility is that a subscription will allow you access to games streamed to your console. How they manage what games you can play and how much it will cost will be a big question. I can’t see them opening up every PS3 game for a fixed monthly price, but it maybe how you access all your PS3 PlayStation Plus games if they won’t run on the PS4 directly. What would shock everyone if the PS4 was essentially a just streaming box, it would probably back fire. It’s just too soon for that.

PlayStation Plus
This isn’t going anywhere. Gaikai could be a PlayStation Plus Premium service. With the value already offered I can’t see Sony being able to include it for free. Plus really has been a great idea from Sony and something Microsoft and Nintendo haven’t managed to match. This isn’t even something you’re find on Andoird, iOS or Steam. This, with Gaikai, puts a PS4 ahead of the competition early doors.

PS Vita
The Vita has been flagging a little bit, mainly due to third-party support, so any chance to give it a boost should be taken. Firstly this can done by expanding the LBP Vita connectivity into other games and taking a leaf out of the Wii U book. It could also bring Gaikai to the Vita as well. It maybe we see new Vita games and a price cut. I’m hoping there is some truly innovative stuff involving the PS4 and Vita working together. Cross-play could be a big player too.

Games
This is the bit that really matters. You can have the best console ever made but without the games it’s worthless. So these are the games we could see unveiled for the first time, I don’t expect all of them but any game reveal is probably in this list somewhere.

Killzone 4 – this is coming and we made see it for the first time tomorrow. Some sort of link the Mercenaries for the Vita (out in September is also possible)
A new racing game – from the creators of Motorstorm a new racer is in the works. Motorstorm will be given a rest and the the WipEout team now gone Sony need a new racer for launch. Gran Turismo will probably have some small tech demo to download but a full release is unlikely to be in the launch window.
LittleBigPlanet – It’s well-known another game is in the works but not at its original developer Media Molecule. Where do they go from LBP 2? Who knows but the suggestion I read about a LittleBigUniverse game sounds promising and in Sackboy Sony finally have a mascot that can survive a generation change.
Agent – there will be a surprise or two tomorrow. This would be right up there. The GTA creators PlayStation exclusive hasn’t been heard of for years. Tomorrow would really be a good time to show something
The Last Guardian – a game in danger of becoming the vapor ware has been tipped for a while to have been moved to the PS4. Development issues have prevented its PS3 completion. The improved PS4 hardware could help see this game finally finished.
Ratchet & Clank – Insomniac delivered Resistance at launch and Ratchet a few months later on the PS3. As they’ve move on from Resistance a Ratchet game looks likely. Q-Force was surely just a stop-gap so the engine could be upgraded for the PS4
Resistance – it’s not with Insomniac any more but surely Sony has someone at work on it
Destiny – wouldn’t Sony love to show something exclusive for the PS4 from Halo developers Bungie. We know it’s coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 but with code on their website pointing to next-gen and Vita releases something Vita/PS4 specific could be a focal point for an announcement
David Cage game – the man behind Heavy Rain apparently already knows his next few games and with Beyond expected to be released this year on the PS3 Quantic Dream could well be at work on a PS4 game. As they have registered the website for Singularity it maybe in preparation for a reveal
Suckerpunch new IP – the makers of Infamous and Sly Cooper are working on something new and new exciting IP are needed for a new console so they may have something to show
Infamous 3 – did Cole die at the end or is there a new story to tell? Someone somewhere must be working on a follow-up to the popular IP.
Sports Champions 3 – if Move is still important then there must be some Move games. The Sport Champions series has been the best for Move so expect a third installment
Wonderbook – more from wonderbook, probably from Disney. We know they’ve signed up and it looks like Toy Story and the Muppets are on their way
EyePet on the Move – EyePet isn’t on the Vita yet so a Move/Vita PS4 combination would be a family focused opportunity
Ready at Dawn new IP – the team behind the PSP God of War games have something of their own up their sleeves
Uncharted 4 – a Vita launch title and much-loved by everyone. Naughty Dog have two teams now so what is the one not making The Last of Us doing? Uncharted 4 surely.

There are still more I could list; the resurrection of old IP like Syphon Filter, new exclusives like Kingdom Hearts 3, changes of platform from PS3 like FFXIII Verses or even taking exclusives from others like an Alan Wake sequel and more new IP. Don’t forget the usual crowd as well; Call of Duty, Fifa, Assassin’s Creed and already announced new IP in Star Wars 1313 and Watch Dogs. I’m also hoping for those games Sony put on hold a while back, like The Getaway and 8 Days, come back. I may be asking a lot there. What is certain is that Sony have a lot of developers, established IP and new IP that if the PS4 is done right they will be hard to stop no mater how many tablets and phones people buy. Let’s not forget the PS3 isn’t dead yet and God of War Ascension, Beyond, Last of Us, Sly Cooper 4, Diggs Nightcrawler, Rain, puppeteer and Unitl Dawn are all due on out exclusively this year.

2013 Games – What to look out for

Getting hyped up for some games for me is like getting hyped up about a new McDonald’s opening. The building might look slightly different and it might be in a different location but nothing has really changed. You like the odd dip in but really if anything better was on offer you’d go for that. That’s why certain games don’t appear in this list. I’m sure they’ll sell loads but these are also the games killing the industry as more clever and inventive games suffer. Rant over. In no particular order here are my top games expected in 2013.

1. The last of us (PS3)

It’s Naughty Dog, famed for the PS1 Crash Bandicoot games, PS2 Jak and Daxter games and the Uncharted games on the PS3. They don’t really do bad games and this is their first stab at a fully adult title. They do good story telling, voice acting and motion capture and are the reason why Nolan North (Drake) is now a household name to those with any real focus on gaming. The last of us is set in a world torn apart by a deadly outbreak. Visually it looks like the recent TV series Revolution. The action is gritty. You use what you can to survive. This maybe the last swan song for the PS3 and there’s no one better to leave it to.

2. Beyond: Two souls (PS3)

…apart from maybe Quantic Dream. They don’t make games like anyone else; they’ve almost carved out a genre for themselves. The interactive movie. They love emotion and, like Naught Dog, storytelling. Their last game, Heavy Rain, was almost an experiment and though it wasn’t perfect it engaged with people because it was different. This time they’ve got some heavy weight actors involved, in the lead role is Ellen Page (Juno, Inception). The game looks like a supernatural thriller, much of which is a closely guarded secret but if their recent tech demo (Kara) is anything to go by they could be about to pull off something special. At the very least you’ll need to give this a go.

3. Tomb Raider (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

The queen, or now former queen of games is back. Reboots don’t always go well but since Uncharted enter the scene Lara has seen very outdated and the flaws in the games have been drastically exposed. This is Lara before she became the Lara we’ve known for so long. Yes, this has been tried before with Tomb Raider but Crystal Dynamics have gone down a different rough. What appears to be a late teens/early 20’s Lara becomes ship wrecked and survival is very much a key aspect. This really is a new Lara and a new Tomb Raider. The original trailer blew everyone away, partly due to low expectations but even over a year on this looks like a possible game of the year though I’ve already mentioned two strong contenders.

4. Rain (PSN/PS3)

The PlayStation Network has been home to some real gems in recent years. Games that most developers and platforms wouldn’t risk. 2012’s Journey and Unfinished Swan being two perfect examples. This year a trailer was shown for a new game, Rain. An invisible boy who can only be seen through the footprints, splashes and rain. Visually the game will have a look and feel like very few before it. Where this all leads to in the game is unknown at present as little information is about but the general concept makes this look like a game well worth keeping an eye on.

5. Killzone Mercenary (Vita)

Hopefully this will be third time lucky with first person shooters on the Vita. With the control layout the Vita should be the portable console of choice but you hear people talk about a 5 month development period for something like COD: Declassified you can see why the games aren’t up to scratch. This is different though, the developer (one of the best in the business) behind the main trilogy is working on this. The focus seems to be on being pick up and play, you’ll get to play on both sides as well. Imagine Unit 13 in first person mode with Helghast and you’ll have a good idea. The PSP game wasn’t bad so hopefully the Vita one will be as good as the move from the PSP to Vita versions of Assassins Creed. Unfortunately it work so well for Resistance with the PSP game probably the best in the series.

6. Tearaway (Vita)

This isn’t just the only big new IP we know about for the Vita next year but it’s also the new IP from Media Molecule. Their first non-Sackboy game. There are lots of reasons to be hopefully, it appears to have the charm of LBP (though not of Sackboy but how can you match that). LBP focused on fabric and an array of materials, tearaway is all about paper. We still don’t know too much but there are three easy reasons to be interested and excited. New IP, Vita exclusive, Media Molecule.

7. Star Wars 1313 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Star Wars without the force and possible without Jedi. When you say it like that it sounds awful but then there aren’t a great deal of good Star Wars games. In 1313 you play a bounty hunter and play in the dark world in between the Jedi and the Sith. This game won’t be so held back by Star Wars continuity issues and can forge its own saga which can only be a good thing. This game won’t stop us wanting Battlefront 3 to be finished and released though.

8. Remember Me (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Remember Me is a new IP, which seems to a rarity for anyone outside of a Sony exclusive this late in the console cycle. Capcom are behind the action adventure where you play an elite memory hunter who can break into people’s minds and steal or alter memories. You character has her memory wiped and you must rediscover her identity. Sounds good to me.

9. Until Dawn (PS3)

It seems like every year we say that could be the game for Move. We’ll this is one of two in my list. This is basically a teen horror film turned into a game, but a game that very much knows what it is and isn’t taking itself too seriously. This could be your Final Destination sort of horror, jumps and laughs. This game is genuinely intriguing and it’s with a developer that knows their way around a move controller. I would expect this to be a 15+ so this certainly won’t be a kids game, but I doubt it’ll be Dead Space either. The game follows a group of teenagers who plan to stay in a cabin in the woods and then things start to go bump in the night and people end up dead. Simples.

10. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PS3, Vita)

This really should have been out in 2012. I don’t know if the release window was too packed or there was some last-minute tweaking to be done as they could have (like Ratchet & Clank) released one version pre-Christmas and one post. This is the first new Sly since the PS2 and comes with the Vita version bundled with it. You can even use the Vita as a tool for investigating in the PS3 version. It’s a classic Sly Cooper platform game and a nice break from only having Ratchet & Clank every year (even though they are decent games). The game in games is probably what makes this most interesting, the developer has changed since Suckerpunch have moved onto Infamous but by all accounts the new guys in charge have done a good job.

11. Diggs Nightcrawler (PS3/Wonderbook)

Wonderbook isn’t just a kids toy for Harry Potter fans, there is lots of content around the corner including Disney and Walking with dinosaurs but this is the one that stands out at the moment. It’s a comic noir detective game using Move and Wonderbook. It’s written by Oscar winners Moonbot and is potential the perfect game to play with kids. There seems to be a point click adventure element to the game, in my head I’m picturing Lucas Arts doing Wonderbook Monkey Island (that would be great), it’s not quite that but this could be something quite unique and fun in 2013.

12. Mirrors Edge 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)

We’ve been waiting for the return of Faith for some time. This year there seemed to be some signs of Mirrors Edge 2 actually being in development. With several years passing since the last (back when Dead Space 1 released) hopefully a few lessons have been learned. The first was fresh and the gap may have preserved some of that but we’re hoping for it to reach the next level and develop the story arc. A first person game where you’re encouraged not to use guns is completely against the industry standard and much like the rest of the games in the list manages to stand out from the crowd.

13. Thief 4 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

I’m really hoping this is out in 2013. I loved the thief games, a great balance of stealth and attack through different ages where you could take out lights with a water arrow and the need to hide dead bodies so not to be detected. I’m don’t think Metal Gear Solid even got close to this level of stealth and with such a long gap since 3 I’m eager to get my hands on a new game.

14. Watch Dogs (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Watch Dogs was the talk of E3 in 2012. It’s a third person open world game where cities are controlled by computers. Think iRobot crossed with GTA and Assassins Creed and you’ve probably got a good idea. There is still a feeling that this is a next gen game and could launch with new consoles in 2013. Of course this may not even make 2013.

15. Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey New N’ Tasty (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

It’s new Oddworld, or possible a reimagined Abe’s Odyssey. Either way it’ll be great to see Abe strutting his stuff again. Oddworld fell away from much of the public by going exclusive to the original Xbox which struggled to capture a big audience compared to the 150 million selling PS2. Abe made his name on the PS1 and by the look of the recent HD upgrades we could be looking at another classic Abe adventure.