Greetings, NTF readers and colleagues! E3 is here once again, and we have a lot of video games and exciting digital media to talk about, so let’s get it started, shall we?
Sony started things off with a bang with Bungie’s new killer app Destiny. Attendees were able to get a closer look into the mythology of the new franchise and the immense scope of the game’s universe. Andrew House, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) was on hand to present the PlayStation lineup of new games and IPs, headlined by Activision’s Destiny.
“Destiny will help define this next generation of games,” said House, as the impressive panorama screen displayed thrilling new gameplay and intricate concept art pieces from the upcoming shooter.
Sony’s new mantra for the PlayStation is “Play It First, Play It Better,” a phrase that’s meant to call focus upon the several exclusives that PS4 owners can look forward to on multi-platform titles, and just good old fashioned trash talk (reminds me of the Nintendo-Sega days; ah, good times).
The Destiny beta will drop July 17th for PS4 owners. However, this Thursday, June 12th, PS4 players can try the Destiny First Look Alpha. You can find out more on GreatnessAwaits.com/Destiny. There is also a White PS4 Destiny Bundle with a 500 GB hard drive available September 9th. The hits keep on comin’, and Sony does not pull punches. Yours truly is definitely anticipating Bungie’s next.
Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica’s The Order: 1886 was up next with an atmospheric and spooky gameplay trailer, followed by a great art game Entwined, about two souls longing for each other and forming a bioluminescent dragon. You kinda have to see it for yourself, but it looked amazing. Entwined was developed by Pixel Opus and Carnegie Mellon grads, and must be played in tandem with two people. It’s available today for $9.99.
Scott Rohde, Head of PlayStation Software Product Development, was next on deck to present Infamous: First Light from Sucker Punch. What really got big applause from the audience was Little Big Planet 3, which featured new characters with new abilities. The game still retains the handmade charm that won over so many PS3 owners, and looks to broaden its palette with more user-created realms and more charm than ever before. It’s coming this November, and all community games from LBP 1 & 2 are available.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, director of Dark Souls, has a new game coming out by developer From Software called Bloodborne. Truth in advertising, folks. Afterwards, an extended gameplay trailer of FarCry 4 was shown off. The CryEngine is back and better than ever, with protagonist Ajay Ghale laying waste to a convoy with help from a weaponized pachyderm. And that sentence is why I love video games.
Adam Boyes, VP of Publisher/Developer Relations came onstage to further embellish FarCry 4‘s attributes. PS4 owners can join in FarCry 4 even if they don’t own the game. Whoa.
Deep Silver’s Dead Island 2 had a great comedic trailer, and more zombie carnage was displayed in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition. Paradox Interactive’s Magicka 2 trailer was worth a chuckle as well.
In a nice letter gag, a 10-year old girl asking for more Tim Schafer games (Double Fine, LucasArts) turned out to be Tim Schafer himself. Regardless, Sony is granting his and gamers’ wishes with re-releasing the classic Grim Fandango. The crowd ate this up.
Devolver Digital got a big showcase highlighting the indie games PS4 players can choose from: Broforce, Titan Souls, Not a Hero, Hotline Miami: Wrong Number, and The Talos Principle. GungHo’s Let It Die seems to be in good company with The Order 1886 and Bloodborne.
On a lighter note, Giant Squid partnered with 505 Games to make ABZÛ, continuing the artistic streak began in Journey. Also of note is Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky, an indie game inspired by classic science fiction novels, seemingly the world’s first anthropologist-space-shooter. Every player is on a different planet, and it looks as ambitious as it sounds.
Sony’s lineup is exceedingly diverse, with a lot to choose from. They did a good job of letting the games speak for themselves. Well, that is until it was time to present “PlayStation 4: The Everything Machine.” This part of the conference lagged a little bit, though it was high-octane for a sustained measure of time. The info-dump had to come sooner or later.
That being said, there were still some very exciting developments, including a look at Sony’s Project Morpheus, a VR device not unlike the Oculus Rift (ahem). Shawn Layden, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) stepped to the stage to talk about, and in depth, the PlayStation Network, PlayStation Now, PlayStation 4 Free-to-Play, and PlayStation TV.
YouTube will finally be coming to PSN, with easy uploading of favorite game clips and recordings. The PlayStation Now Open Beta starts July 31st, coming also to PS3’s, PS Vita and Sony TVs. Now, that’s synergy.
PlayStation TV pairs with the PS4 for instantaneous video and music streaming and will cost $99. It also will host PlayStation Now’s game streaming services, and will come in a $139 bundle with a controller, and 8 GB card and a copy of The Lego Movie Videogame.
Mortal Kombat X debuted a gameplay trailer even more brutal than the last. It was a much-needed blast of energy, though there was more energy to come as Sony brought Brian Michael Bendis himself to talk about their new digital series Powers, based on his own comic book. PlayStation Plus will receive free access to Sony’s upcoming digital programming.
Ratchet & Clank: The Movie will also be coming to PS4 consoles in 2015, along with a remaster of the original R&C game. Also getting some remaster love is The Last of Us Remastered, headed to PS4 consoles.
After an intense trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, edited by Hideo Kojima himself, Grand Theft Auto V was announced for PS4 along with the ability for gamers to transfer their data cross-platform, from PS3s and even Xbox 360s.
The evening closed with a one-two punch of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Knight, showcasing the Batmobile in glorious action, and the long-awaited announcement of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, with an ominous trailer to go along with an ominous name.
Sony opened and closed strong, and even with a saggy middle, it showed itself to be in fighting form with an array of strong, innovative games. You can find all the E3 trailers on Nuke The Fridge here and over here, and on PlayStation’s YouTube channel right over… here. Stick with us on NTF as we bring you more E3 awesomeness.
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