As the world awaits the PlayStation 4 and its hardware push – at the moment we’ve just got a handheld wireless controller – this video spot shows what could be. Excitement and eyeball-burning swooshes of controller symbols light up the faces of several gaming candidates. Thumping dance music bangs through the spot making it seem like the showing of this box is all that matters to a gamer in the near future.

So what’ll be different from this in the final real-deal set of video spots produced by Sony itself? Probably not a whole lot. It’s already clear that the PlayStation 4 – aka the PS4 – will be another box. It’s certainly not going to be an Okama Gamesphere, nor is it going to be coming in the shape of a P for Playstation. What you’re seeing here won’t be far from the truth.

The in-game footage comes from a game that’s been revealed in the past, but will be appearing on the PlayStation 4 in the future. The game is called inFAMOUS: Second Son, and looks a little something like this:

The real-deal Sony PlayStation 4 has had many of its specifications confirmed by Sony earlier this year immediately following the big PS4 press event that took place in February. The controller for the system – the main, basic controller, at least – has been revealed by Sony along with some of its abilities.

Now all that’s left to see is the actual console itself.

As we said in February: the box might not matter.

VIA: Kotaku

The audio and subtitle options can now be accessed from within the video player, meaning that you don’t have to return to the main menu in order to adjust these settings. Plus, accessing these options from within the video player while watching a show will bring up catered settings for that particular show, including available languages and surround sound options.

The video player has also been updated to look more like the web and mobile versions, although it keeps some of the same PS3 aesthetic. The video player will now be much more reminiscent of other platforms with Netflix, and PlayStation 3 users should be able to pick up another device without a huge learning curve getting in the way.

Today’s PS3 update also includes improvements for “trickplay” mode, which is that fancy series of screenshots you get when you want to skip ahead or backward in a show. This time around, the screenshots appear much quicker on the screen, allowing users to fast-forward or rewind a show at a much quicker pace than before, although we would still love the option to automatically skip opening credits for a TV show that happens after the cold open, but it seems we’ll still be dreaming about that.

Netflix streaming first hit the PlayStation 3 back in November 2009, and it recently became the number one streaming device for Netflix, where Sony’s gaming console had more Netflix users than any other platform that Netflix in on, including the Xbox 360, so it’s really no surprise that the streaming company is giving extra attention to the PS3.

SOURCE: Netflix Blog

Speaking with Eurogamer, Kato says that much of the chip development for the PS4 has already been in place, whereas the PS3 required all-new development processes for the console’s chip. The PS4 will still see a new chip (and development is still happening for that), but Kato says that many existing technologies will be implemented in the PS4, cutting down on R&D costs.

Sony turned its first profitable year since 2008, but its PlayStation division was down during the 12-month period. Sales were down 12.2%, with operating income down a staggering 94% to just $18 million for the year. However, Kato says that income is expected to “increase significantly” for the company, with the PS4′s launch coming later this year.

Operating income is another story, though, as Kato expects it to be stagnant year-over-year due to R&D and marketing costs for the new and upcoming console. However, the PS4 is expected to turn a profit in a shorter amount of time than the PS3, which took several years before the console was finally in the black for Sony.

[via Eurogamer]

The event will also celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Gran Turismo series. Sony Europe president Jim Ryan says that “the Gran Turismo franchise continues to be extremely important to PlayStation,” and that the 15 year anniversary was deemed an appropriate time to celebrate the series that’s been exclusive to the PlayStation ever since the game’s conception.

The event looks to be a big one, with multiple auto makers showing up, including Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, KTM, Mercedes, Toyota, and even Tesla. These companies will be showing off their best cars at the event. Furthermore, Nissan PlayStation GT Academy champions will also be there to show off their racing skills on the Silverstone Circuit.

We’ve heard rumors in the past about Gran Turismo 6, and Newegg has a placeholder listing page for the game, although details are scarce at this point, and while box art concepts have popped up, they’ve all turned out to be fakes. However, come next week, we could hear more details, as well as possibly get a look at the official box art.

The PlayStation 2 will be the last previous-generation console that GameStop will support, seeing as how the retail chain ceased Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox games and gear several years ago. Frankly, we’re surprised that the console has lasted this long in the retail market, considering that GameStop likes keeping up with the curve.

Earlier this year, Sony announced that they ended production of the PlayStation 2 after 12 years of being on the market when the console first launched in 2000. Since then, Sony has shipped 150 million PlayStation 2 consoles worldwide, with 50 million of those going to North America.

While we’re sad to see the PlayStation 2 make its way out, it seems that GameStop is looking to make room for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 720 before the holiday season comes around. We haven’t seen new consoles from Sony or Microsoft in a few years, so it’ll be nice seeing the two go at each other again come this fall.

[via Destructoid]

Inafune stated that he and Sony Computer Entertainment, the company that produced the game, are having discussions regarding a Soul Sacrifice sequel. He states,

“Soul Sacrifice is something I specifically designed for the Vita using the hardware’s specific features. To drive Vita sales even more, I have an idea for a Soul Sacrifice sequel. I’m actually approaching [Sony Computer Entertainment] regarding this project.”

Thanks to the game, PlayStation Vita sales have been on the rise. The PS Vita has been struggling with sales, and Sony had to reduce the pricing of its system in order to bring sales up. While that helped, Sony still needs new games that will make consumers want to purchase a PS Vita. Games like Soul Sacrifice, which is a new IP, is what the company is looking for.

Soul Sacrifice is a 3rd person game that resembles that of the Monster Hunter franchise. Your character is a sorcerer that you can customize in many ways. The character can be a tank, a melee DPSer, or a ranged caster. The game features 4-player co-op, where you can team up with strangers or friends to battle dangerous bosses. You are rewarded experience points and bonus points after successfully winning a fight. The game is strange as it allows you to sacrifice your allies or your limbs in order to cast powerful spells.

Soul Sacrifice is one of those games that Quantic Dream COO Guillaume de Fondaumiere believes will revive the gaming industry. In a recent interview, Fondaumiere stated that game developers needed to be more creative and experimental with their game releases. He told developers that experimental games didn’t have to be “unprofitable” and that sales could reach figures that were once perceived only achievable by well-known IPs. He says that game developers need to develop new IPs, like Soul Sacrifice, in order to get gamers, both old and new, interested in the industry again.

[via IGN]

Like its PlayStation 3 counterpart, the PS Vita trilogy is remastered in 720p anti-aliased graphics and will run at 60 frames per second. The PlayStation Network Trophy system will also be implemented into the game. Alongside the classic aspects of the games, the Jak and Daxter trilogy will also feature new touch-based controls that can be used throughout various mini-games in the story.

The Jak and Daxter Trilogy isn’t the only remastered games coming to the PlayStation Vita. Sony also plans on remastering the popular Final Fantasy X and X-2 duo as well. The games will be remastered with richer colors and smoother graphics. Unfortunately for PS Vita users, they will have to buy the Final Fantasy games separately, while those of you who have a PlayStation 3 will be able to purchase the remakes in a bundled package.

Sony has remastered a bunch of games for the PlayStation 3, including the Devil May Cry series, God of War series, and more. While it may seem like the company is milking out every penny from these franchises, its beneficial to gamers who haven’t tried these games out yet, as well as gamers who want to take a trip down memory lane. The Jak and Daxter trilogy is set to launch sometime in June for the price of $29.99.

[via PlayStation Blog]

Before, your PlayStation Vita was limited to displaying only 100 apps, no matter how much storage space you have on the device. The new folders option should help resolve that issue. To create a folder, all you need to do is tap and hold your screen to enter “editing mode”. Then you can “create folder” and drag 10 games/apps into that folder. Group messaging has also been modified, allowing you to message as many of your contacts as you want. Video playback has also been implemented into the PS Vita’s web browser. You can now stream videos from YouTube or other media sites, however, some videos may not be supported by the Vita.

Notifications has also been improved. You can now check which game you have loaded into your PlayStation Vita by checking your information bar. Email has also been improved, now allowing you to view HTML messages. There is also a new search function that allows you to search for your emails. There should also be some behind-the-scene improvements with this update that should improve the performance of your device.

While Vita owners in the United States will be receiving their update today, those of you in Europe will have to wait until tomorrow to get it. If you haven’t purchased a PlayStation Vita yet, and have been considering buying one, check out your local retailer to see if they are one of the ones that offer it for the discounted $199 price-tag. Also be sure to check out our PlayStation Vita review to see all that it has to offer.

The United States and Europe version of the game will be released by NIS America. In the game, you play as the Black Rock Shooter, a battle android awakened in the year 2051 AD to end the 19-year battle between the alien race that invaded Earth and the 12 surviving human beings left on Earth. She, and her lack of clothing and armor, is the only hope in saving the planet.

This is an action-RPG, so the game focuses on character development. As you advance more into the story, you will be able to unlock more skills and more enhancements for your character. You will have access to a variety of weapons and vehicles to take out the alien race. In the game, you don’t just hack and slash. You have to evade enemy attacks, keep track of your heat gauge, and accurately fire you weapon.

You will have to complete missions in order to learn new skills and abilities, and unlock extra features in the game. You are able to use 4 unique skills at a time in battle. In order to survive certain types of enemies, you have to modify your skill bars accordingly. Don’t let the petite, anime characters fool you, this game is jam-packed with action. In similar news, Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories should be heading to the PlayStation Network right about now.

GTA: LCS takes place 3 years before Grand Theft Auto III. Players will notice a nostalgic feel to the game, as it essentially has many similarities. However, there will be some significant changes in the scenery to the game. For example, the construction site located in Fort Staunton in GTA III will be a little “Italy District” in LCS instead. Also similar to GTA III, you will be unable to swim in LCS. Jumping into the water will kill you.

GTA: VCS features some major changes, as well as several, similar aspects from its counterpart. The hand-to-hand combat system has received a major upgrade, where players are now able to grapple/throw enemies. There is a new “empire-building” feature in the game that allows players to operate businesses on property obtained from enemy gang members. One of the classic elements included in the game is the option to take on side missions.

While both games did have an online multiplayer feature on the PlayStation Portable, it’s still up in the air whether or not those features will be available on the PlayStation 3. These games should serve as a great distraction until Grand Theft Auto V comes out. GTA V is expected to come out on September 17th of this year. Fans have been waiting anxiously to get their hands on the game, and Rockstar attempts to curb their cravings by releasing a plethora of screenshots.

[via Rockstar]

If you have a travel down our Diablo III tag portal, you find a series of stories that are just as often negative and full of disappointment as they are exciting and action-packed. This release was one of the most long-awaited in the history of gaming, with 8 years separating the second installment of the series (Diablo II in 2000) and the announcement of this title.

Though Diablo III was first announced in 2008, it was only actually released to the public on May 15th, 2012. That’s one massive amount of time for a game to be in development, especially with the 5-minutes-of-fame atmosphere we’re in now. Then there’s the bits and pieces that Blizzard has had to change right from the outset. Today’s big kicker is the announcement from former Diablo 3 Game Director Jay Wilson.

Speaking with Joystiq this week about Diablo III’s real money action house, he suggested that the feature has “really hurt the game.” According to Wilson, over 50 percent of the players that play regularly use the auction house, while most of the auction house’s use is with in-game virtual gold rather than with real cash.

Because of this gold use, not necessarily the real money, motivation to collect gold and broken items (otherwise useless, able to be sold in the game to virtual vendors for gold), have become far more popular goals for users. There’s simply not as much junk everywhere anymore – Diablo II continues to be a massive mess of item drops and coins.

“I think we would turn it off if we could, [but it's] not as easy as that.” – Wilson

Citing the near-impossible task of figuring out how much of the Diablo III user population wants the auction house to stick around or be kicked to the curb, Wilson was clear on one point: they are looking for a “solution.” A solution to what, exactly, we might never know.

Jak and Daxter was first released on the PlayStation 2 way back on December 3rd, 2001. The game received positive reviews from a variety of critics and became an instant success. Following the launch of the first game, 5 additional games were produced for the franchise, as well as the Jak and Daxter Collection (the remastered version of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3, for the PlayStation 3).

As we know, Sony loves to remaster old games in order to grant gamers a trip down memory lane (as well as make quick and easy money). They’ve remastered a bunch of games so far, including the first two God of Wars, ICO, Shadow of Colossus, the Devil May Cry series, and a whole bunch more. These games were remastered in 720p anti-aliased graphics and play at 60 frames per seconds. They are all also compatible with PlayStation’s trophy system.

The Jak and Daxter Collection for the PS Vita should be very similar to its PlayStation 3 counterpart. It will keep the main storylines and core aspects in Jak I, Jak II, and Jak 3, but will feature smoother and higher quality graphics, as well as much smoother gameplay. The games will also include support for the PlayStation Network Trophy system. Considering that the game has already been rated, it shouldn’t be too long now before the game hits the stores.

[via IGN]

Don Mesa, Director of Product Planning for Sony, says that the company is very excited that Telltale is working together with Sony. He said, “Having (a studio) like Telltale, a very successful indie developer, coming into to support us send a strong message.” Telltale hasn’t said, however, whether the game will be released as an entire season, or if it’ll be released episode by episode.

Having developers still create/port their popular titles to the PS Vita is a sign of reassurance for the game console, and it should help boost sales of the system. The PlayStation Vita had a hard time nabbing sales after launching. Eventually, Sony decided to reduce the price of its PS Vita gaming system in Japan, and saw the sales for the system quadruple. Because the Japanese version of the PS Vita did so well after being discounted, Sony decided to extend the same discount to the United States. To ensure the stability of sales for the PS Vita, Sony will need more and more developers to bring games over to the device.

Many gamers are excited to see this game available for their PS Vitas. They will soon be able to play through the horrifying, gory storyline in this game anywhere they want. Another game PS Vita gamers can look forward to is the remake of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. The games are currently in development, but have made good progress so far. On March 25th, Square Enix is set to release an announcement trailer for both games. While the games will be sold under one title for the PlayStation 3, PS Vita owners will unfortunately have to pay separately for each game.

[via IGN]

The partnership will see Sony offer Unity for PlayStation to provide an optimized development environment that works for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Mobile. Sony says that PlayStation platform development tools will be ruled out starting this fall. Developers with a license agreement from Sony for the PlayStation SDK will be able to build and deploy what Sony calls entertainment experiences for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita without spending as much resources on complicated programming processes.

The Unity for PlayStation system will allow developers to port games to each of the Sony gaming offerings without having to rewrite code from scratch. Using Unity developers will also be able to bring IP to dedicated console systems like the PlayStation Vita and still allow gamers to take advantage of the unique features of each platform such as root touchpads, dual analog sticks, front and rear cameras, and motion sensors.

The system will also allow developers to create games for PlayStation Mobile without having to use an additional PlayStation Mobile SDK. Sony says it will also enable developers using Unity to create games for future cloud services that will be delivered by Sony Computer Entertainment by utilizing Unity for PlayStation. Games developed using the new platform will be available via the PlayStation Store and developers will be able to integrate PlayStation Network features into their games using the platform such as trophy functionality.

[via Unity]

Over the last year or so, we’ve been hearing rumors that Microsoft’s next console, currently codenamed Durango, could ban used games. Microsoft, of course, hasn’t said anything on the matter, deciding instead to keep its plans close to the vest until it finally has the chance to unveil the device to the world. But the steady drumbeat of claims that the console won’t support used games is concerning.

The video game industry can’t stand used games. Gamers run out to buy a new title and before long, turn around and sell it back to their local game retailer, like Gamestop, to get back some of their cash. In many cases, those gamers then put the credit towards another game.

For gamers and Gamestop, it’s a great model that works exceedingly well. But the game developers have a real issue with used titles.

See, after a game is sold back to a company like Gamestop, there’s no way for the developers to generate cash off the secondary sale. That means that all of their hard work can’t be profited on, and retailers can double-dip on the games they’re investing in.

I’ll be the first to admit that I think the system is flawed. I know of several developers that can’t stand the thought of used-game sales and I totally understand why they have those feelings. Revenue sharing on used-game sales really is unfair. And it’s something that the industry should not – and perhaps, cannot – overlook; it needs to be fixed.

That said, used games have a place in today’s console space. Used games are cheaper, which makes it easier for gamers to enjoy the entertainment they so desire. For many people around the world, spending $60 on a video game is impossible when bills need to be paid and kids need to be fed. But buying a title for, say, half the price, isn’t such a bad deal.

Used games, let’s not forget, have also done wonders for the online services Sony and Microsoft offer. The more used games that customers buy, the more people playing titles online. And thus, revenue across the industry goes up. It’s a win-win.

And yet, the steady drumbeat of claims that Microsoft might do away with used-game playing in the next Xbox grows louder by the day. If it’s true – and let’s be clear, we’re not sure if it is – that would mean Microsoft’s console would be the only next-generation hardware to not allow for used titles. What’s worse, it would be the first console in history to not support such a key part of the game-buying experience.

I can say unequivocally that if Microsoft does not support used games in its next console, I will not buy the hardware. And I have a feeling there are thousands, if not millions, of gamers who will stand alongside me.

Look, I’m all for giving developers the proper compensation for what they’ve created. And I, too, think the used-game market is hurting developers. But not allowing used games isn’t the answer; stopping retailers from taking advantage of gamers and developers is.

Hardware suffered the worst blow, decreasing 36-percent over last year, with a total of $244.2 million in sales. Software was next in line, falling 27-percent over last year to $369.9 million in sales; that represents sales for both gaming consoles and portable units. All in all, consumers are making about 50-percent of their overall game purchases via retail.

Overall, NPD Group says February video game sales came in at approximately $1.2 billion. While Sony and Nintendo tend to be tight-lipped over their console sales, Microsoft is more than happy to reveal its numbers. According to the company, it sold 302,000 Xbox 360 units, which represents a fairly significant drop over last year’s sales of 426,000.

Microsoft is responsible for a significant amount of gaming console sales, according to a statement from the company earlier today, representing about 41-percent of all latest-generation consoles being purchased. Meanwhile, Sony’s PlayStation 4 is slated for release this upcoming holiday season.

[via Bloomberg]

Senior Vice President of Content and Technology at NVIDIA Tony Tamasi told GameSpot that the company “came to the conclusion” that they “didn’t want to do the business at the price those guys were willing to pay,” referring to Sony and the amount of money they were willing to dish out to NVIDIA to allow the console maker to use their chips.

AMD ended up getting a deal with Sony to use its chips in the PlayStation 4, and it’s rumored that the next-generation Xbox will also be running AMD components, but it seems NVIDIA isn’t phased by all that. Tamasi says that the company is “building a whole bunch of stuff,” including Project SHIELD that we took a look at during CES back in January.

Overall, NVIDIA looks at the console business as an “opportunity cost.” Essentially, NVIDIA had to weigh the pros and cons of developing their own products versus implementing their technology into other products. In the end, the company decided not to pursue the PS4 and instead focus on their own products.

[via GameSpot]

The rear-touch controls will allow users to navigate through various content. They will be able to flip through pages in a magazine or an e-book, navigate through their music selection by skipping or replaying their songs, scroll around through web pages, and more. There are a ton of possibilities that can come with rear-touch controls, and most will be utilized in order to create a much more pleasant one-handed user experience.

While Google has just received its patent, and Apple had the patent since 2006, they’re still way behind Sony. Sony was the first to implement rear-touch controls in its PlayStation Vita device. The device utilizes the rear-touch feature in many games. The touch-pad is used in many games to perform tasks like lobbing grenades, performing silent kills, controlling the camera, selecting multiple targets, navigating through maps, and more.

Google will not be limiting rear-touch controls on just Android smartphones however. It says that it may bring it to its Android tablets and Chromebook as well. Hopefully Google follows through with implementing its rear-touch controls, unlike Apple. We could see the use of rear-touch controls be used in so many ways other than just flipping a page. Developers would probably have a field day with the feature, integrating it within their apps and their games for a much better user experience.

[via Patent Bolt]

This is the second DLC pack for Angry Birds Trilogy, the first of which was the “Anger Management” DLC pack, which added 130 levels to the console game back in December. It also added new cutscenes and new orange bird that inflates. Angry Birds Trilogy was released in September for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo 3DS, with versions for the Wii and Wii U coming later this year.

The new DLC pack is available now for the Xbox 360 and PS3 at a price of 400 Microsoft Points or $4.99 on the PlayStation Network. No word on whether or not the DLC will come to the 3DS, but seeing as how Activsion only released “Anger Management” for PS3 when it initially launched, we doubt that 3DS users will get this second pack.

While the console version of the game is still a paid game, Rovio recently made the iOS version of Angry Birds free. You can download the game now on iOS and save yourself a dollar (or a few dollars if you’re getting the iPad version). Rovio also launched Angry Birds Space on Steam today for $3.99.

[via One of Swords]

NVIDIA’s product manager for PhysX, Mike Skolones, says that “great physics technology is essential for delivering a better gaming experience and multiplatform support is critical for developers,” and “with PhysX and APEX support for PlayStation 4, customers can look forward to better games.” Indeed, both PhysX and APEX should make games more realistic with life-like movements and scenery.

PhysX is designed specifically to be used with hardware acceleration in processors and graphics cards, and the technology allows for more complex and detailed worlds in video games, including more-realistic explosions, clothes that react more naturally to the wind and body movements, and of course, better life-like motions of characters.

Both PhysX and APEX are already integrated into a handful of games. NVIDIA boasts that PhysX alone is featured in more than 150 games, and is used by over 10,000 developers. Some games that are taking advantage of NVIDIA’s technologies include Borderlands 2, the Batman Arkham series, Mirror’s Edge, and Metro 2033.

It’s good to know that pricing seemed to be the only barrier stopping gamers from buying the device rather than the PS Vita software itself. It would be terrible to see the PS Vita suffer the same horrible sales as its predecessor, the PSP Go. The sales for the PS Vita should equal around 44,000 this week, considering two weeks ago the PS Vita sold somewhere around 11,000 copies. The official sales number won’t be released until tomorrow.

Sony stated that the United States won’t be receiving the same sales cut treatment for its PS Vita systems. Maybe after seeing the success rate that the PS Vita can achieve with a price cut, Sony will change its mind. However, it did state that one of the major reasons for reducing the price of its Japanese PS Vitas was due to Japan’s “current exchange rate”.

Now more Japanese gamers can enjoy the wonders of PlayStation 4 cloud-gaming with their new PS Vita devices. The PlayStation 4 will allow gamers to access all of their games remotely through the PS Vita. So if you’re in a situation where you can’t play your PlayStation 4 in peace, you can just enable remote play for your PS Vita and run off to a different room. Sony is redefining the way games are meant to be played.

[via Gematsu]

First thing to note is that Uncharted’s online multiplayer is free only for the first 15 levels. You’re welcome to keep playing the game for free, but you’ll never advance farther than level 15. The other levels can be unlocked through micro-transaction purchases. If you want to increase the level cap to 25, you’ll have to pay $4.99, and if you want to remove the level restrictions altogether, you can pay $19.99. In the online multiplayer portion, you are able to play multiplayer matches against other players, as in Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and more, but if you want to unlock Co-op arena, you have to pay $9.99. If you want to unlock the Co-op adventure mode, you’ll have to play $11.99

If you want all of those features, it would be better to purchase the entire game digitally from the PlayStation Network. For $39.99, you’ll get all of the multiplayer features, 12 DLC maps, and over 40 character skins. The developers for Uncharted 3, Naughty Dog, has stated that for gamers who have already purchased Uncharted 3, there will be special gifts available for you, one being a special shirt that you can equip on your characters.

This free-to-play deal for Uncharted 3 is more like a demo to lure players in. It’s great for players who want to test the waters before actually committing to buying the game. Naughty Dog has stated that Uncharted 3′s multiplayer is a very successful aspect to the game, and that over 500,000 players log in each month to digitally kill each other. Over 3.5 million players have played over 37 million matches in the game. You can head over to the PlayStation Network right now to download the game and join in on the fun.

[via Naughty Dog]

In the United States, GameStop is encouraging PowerUp Rewards members to sign up for their “PlayStation 4 First to Know List”, which updates its members on anything PlayStation 4 related. GameStop wants to confirm with those who sign up that there is still no official release date for the PlayStation 4, and those on the list will not have first dibs once the console is released.

KontrolFreek, who operates through Microsoft’s retail stores in the U.S., is holding a sweepstakes that will allow 4 lucky winners to receive a PlayStation 4 for absolutely free. The rules are simple. All you have to do is like their Facebook page, and you’re in. You can get more entries in the contest by getting your friends to sign-up as well. It’s pretty similar to many Facebook sweepstakes. It’s a win-win for KontrolFreek and gamers, because while 4 lucky gamers will receive the PS4 for absolutely free, KontrolFreek gets more exposure for its wide variety of gaming accessories.

Sony says that their PlayStation 4 will be a game-changer in terms of gaming consoles. It hopes to turn its PlayStation Network into the ultimate Social Gaming Network. The games previewed at Sony’s press event show that the games on the PS4 will blur the lines between cinema graphics and actual gameplay. The PlayStation 4 is well-hyped, and we’re excited to see what new innovations it brings to cloud-gaming. The system will be available in time for the holidays. Will you be picking one up?

[via Forbes]

However, nothing new was unveiled during the show, and Fallon only had a look at the new DualShock 4 controller under what seemed like the tight supervision from the managing director of Guerrilla Games, Hermen Hulst, and a demo man who only let Fallon play the game for about a minute. Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson was also on scene to try out the game as well.

Chaos soon erupted, however, when both Fallon and Anderson didn’t quite have the chops necessary to blaze through all the bad guys, and the hands-on session quickly grew into a fun screaming match between the two comedians. It wasn’t quite as entertaining as, say, Conan O’Brien’s “Clueless Gamer” reviews, but it was still fun watching Fallon trying to make his way through the game.

Jimmy Fallon’s hands-on of the PlayStation 4 marks the first hands-on session of the new console. It doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but Sony says the console will be available for purchase just in time for the holiday season this year. Sony’s CEO even said that the console is still technically under development, which is why they haven’t shown the public the actual console just yet.

It’s ben confirmed several times over that games will be able to be purchased in physical form as well as digitally – both for some titles, in some cases. This means that there will, indeed, be opportunities for people to have a disk (Blu-Ray, as it were), play it, then pass it on to someone else with their own PlayStation 4 console. But a question remains surrounding licensing. While every major game console today (pre-PS4 and Xbox 720) is able to swap games and consoles without trouble, rumors and tips leading up to this generation’s inability to play games that weren’t licensed specifically to them continues to linger.

On the other hand, it would appear that each instance of an answer from Sony thus far has been traced back to Shuhei Yoshida, Sony’s head of Worldwide Studios. Saying in one instance that “[used] PS4 games will work on [the] hardware” (via Engadget) and in another that “used games work on PS4″ (via Eurogamer), in both cases Yoshida was unable to clarify further.

What may be happening is that Sony is still in negotiations with game companies to decide whether they’re going to implement disk/console tying or not. Another possibility is that none of this used game selling/buying and using business is complicated at all, but simply that at this stage in the development of the PlayStation 4, Sony’s representation simply can’t legally comment on it.

Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on the PlayStation 4 – and peek at our ever-growing PlayStation 4 tag portal as well!

In an interview with AllThingsD, Tretton explained that there were a couple of reasons why Sony didn’t show off the new console at yesterday’s event. First, Tretton explains that the console box itself really isn’t all that important anyway, since “it’s behind a cabinet or on a shelf somewhere and you spend all your time looking at the screen.” Tretton has a point, though. After all, the box itself doesn’t really matter all that much.

He also noted that the console is still under development “in terms of final specs and design,” so while they may have a PS4 console built and able to play games (as we saw yesterday during the event), it seems that Sony is still working on adding final touches to the console, and from the looks of it, the PS4 isn’t quite ready for mass production just yet.

Tretton’s answer differentiates just slightly to the answer that Sony’s Worldwide Studio president Shuhei Yoshida gave, in which he says that Sony simply didn’t want to unveil everything during that one event, and instead want to spread out announcements, which means we could hear more about the PlayStation 4 come E3 in June.

[via AllThingsD]

Yoshida says that it’s all just a matter of economics, and the current exchange rate is the reason why Sony cut the price in Japan, exclusively. The exchange rate has been an issue for Sony, and it has also plagued Nintendo financially in the past. However, it’s still possible (and extremely likely) that Sony will eventually drop the price after the Vita has been on the market for a while.

This news comes after Sony officially announced the PlayStation 4 yesterday during a two-hour-long event in New York City, where the company unveiled the new DualShock 4 controller and showed off some new games from partner developers. However, Sony failed to show us the actual console, which Yoshida defends by saying that the company is leaving more unveilings for later on in the year.

Sony is focusing on many new key elements in the PlayStation 4 user interface, and integration is a big one. Sony will be pairing up the Vita and the PlayStation 4 in a big way, and gamers will be able to use the Vita to control some of the features on the PlayStation 4 console, which is great news for gamers who plan to own both devices.

[via Joystiq]

There are two rather polarized angles being tossed about this week as the Sony show (or no-show) of the PlayStation 4 was let loose. One side says it’s terrible that Sony made a 2+ hour presentation for the PlayStation 4 without actually showing the hardware, relying instead on the controller and a variety of promises from software developers to do all the talking. The other side says awesome! We know the PlayStation 4 is coming now, and we’ve got confirmation from some of the biggest-name developers that they’re on board, so we’re happy!

Here’s what we’ve actually got: a few details about the hardware, info about the PlayStation 4 Eye camera system and the Dualshock 4 controller included. We’ve got a collection of software titles and a few very brief demonstrations of what will be possible on the system. We’ve got Sony’s promise that Everything Everywhere will be their aim with the PlayStation 4 universe – cloud gaming and access for all devices included.

So what else do we need? We’ve got the hype – when your favorite hardware manufacturer creates a new version of the device you love and use every day, you’ll want that new system. We’ve got developer support – just as vital here as it is with a new operating system – perhaps even more so here since this isn’t a smartphone: the PlayStation 4 is made to play games first and foremost. We’ve got a Sony promise that this system will be their next hero system.

Do we really need to see the actual console? The piece of hardware that you’ll end up putting under your television, away from your eye and hidden anyway? This isn’t a smartphone, it’s not a tablet. It’s not a fashion accessory like those mobile devices end up quite often being. This is a video game console – and we don’t need to see it to want it!

Simply put, Yoshida says that they didn’t reveal everything because the company wanted “to keep something new for later. Otherwise you’d get bored.” Maybe that’s true, maybe it isn’t, but Yoshida has a point. E3 is coming up later in a few months, and that could be the time when Sony will unveil everything at that point.

As for the reasoning behind unveiling the new DualShock 4 controller, Yoshida says that the controller is “a very key idea behind the design of the PS4,” and since Sony took quite a bit of time showing off the new user interface of the PS4, it only made sense that they would show off the controller as well, especially considering it has a dedicated “Share” button on it, meant to instantly share content with friends and other gamers.

As for Sony’s plans at E3 2013 coming up in June, Yoshida told Eurogamer that announcing more PS4 details at the yearly gaming expo is “possible,” and Sony hopes to have most things “in final form” by the time E3 rolls around. However, he ultimately says that the company has “no plan or no date set for announcing these things.”

[via Kotaku]

The PlayStation 4 is said to “center around” a custom GPU and (8) x86-64 cores on a custom chip. The GPU contains 18 compute units for a total generation of 1.84 Teraflops of power for simulation and graphics. There’s 8GB of GDDR5 memory offering 176 GB/second of bandwidth. Video compression and decompression is described as “always on” for seamless gaming.

The rundown of the specs looks as follows: x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU with 8 cores, as well as an AMD Radeon GPU. There’s a 6xCAV BD and an 8xCAV DVD drive, as well as one USB 3.0 port. There’s Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 2.1. Audio/video connectivity includes HDMI, analog A/V out, and optical digital output.

This is accompanied by the Dualshock 4 controller, which is an updated version of the Dualshock 3 that gamers have enjoyed for years. The Dualshock 4 features a new, sensitive six-axis sensor, plus the obvious and alluring touchpad on the front of the device. There’s a distinct tri-color LED bar on the top of the controller that illuminates with the gamer’s color, making it easier for players to locate and track their own controllers. 

Finally, there’s the PlayStation 4 Eye camera system, which contains two wide-angle cameras capable of depth perception and 85-degree views. With these features, the Eye can perceive a gamer from both sides, and when combined with its four microphones, can detect the player’s voice. Even better, however, is its ability to identify the Dualshock’s LED light to identify each player and his or her position. The PS4 Eye is compatible with the Move motion controller.

The PlayStation 4 has been confirmed. It will have 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, an x86 CPU, an enhanced PC GPU, a local storage hard drive, a feature a supercharged PC architecture. Sony says the new PS4 will represent a “significant shift from thinking of PlayStation as merely a box or a console.” The PS4 will be a “gamer-centric” system, made by game developers for game developers. The gamer is in charge.

The new Dual Shock 4 controller revealed at the event gives players more in-depth control when they’re playing their games. It features a touchpad on the front that allows players to do many things, like control the player’s camera during cinegraphic events. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack for connection to products that will improve social gameplay, and a “share” button that lets you live-broadcast your gameplay to your friends on the PSN network.

The “share” button also lets you share games with your friends, meaning if you’re having a tough time in your game, you can invite a friend to help you out. Along with the “share” button feature, there is also a feature called “Remote Play” that lets you share games with others, or lets you play games from your PlayStation Vita device. If there are distractions in your general area, you can pause your game and switch on over to your PS Vita. You’ll start right where you left off.

The sharing feature is all part of Sony’s 5 key principles for the PlayStation 4′s UI. The principles are: Simple, Immediate, Social, Integrated, and Personalized. Sony’s new user interface emphasizes simplicity and speed, with everything you need to do only being a “button click away”. The user interface also emphasizes social gameplay, with Sony’s goal for the PlayStation Network to be one of the most powerful social gaming networks around.

While the PlayStation 4 won’t natively have backwards compatibility with PlayStation 3 games, it will definitely have it through the Gaikai cloud-gaming service. Sony and Gaikai are working together to bring a revolution to cloud gaming. Sony says that Gaikai is an investment in its players, and that millions of players would love to have all of their PlayStation games, from the past, present, and future, be available to them at any time. All of the old PlayStation games, from PlayStation 1 to PlayStation 3, and even the PlayStation Portable games, will be available in Gaikai’s cloud storage in the future. Not only will you be able to play these games on the PS4, but you will also be able to play it on your PS Vita, smartphone, tablet, and even PC.

Besides all of the new features and hardware shown off at the event, Sony also invited a lot of its partners on stage to show some of the new games you can expect on the PlayStation 4. There was Killzone Shadowfall, which looks absolutely beautiful in terms of graphics, and is complimented with intense gameplay, both of which will fully utilize the PlayStation 4′s hardware. Knack, which is a graphic’s intense game, blurs the line between story-line and gameplay. DRIVE CLUB, a team-based racing game, is filled with extremely detailed sports cars and challenged-filled tracks for all of you car-fanatics. InFamous: Second Son, an action-packed game filled with lots of killing and special abilities, is sure to bring back fans of the franchise as well as bring in a whole new audience.

Capcom showed off its new Panta Rhei game engine, which includes very detailed faces and realistic scenery, all of which will be utilized in its upcoming game, Deep Down. Square Enix showed off its next-gen technology that blurs the line between cinematics and gameplay. Blizzard announced its partnership with Sony, and that it will be bringing Diablo 3 and more games to the PS4. Last, but not least, Activision and Bungie show off Destiny, it’s new multiplayer, shared-shooter that will be available for the PS4 in the future.

While the PlayStation 4 event was jam-packed with new and exciting information, it was still disappointing that we didn’t actually get a look at what the PlayStation 4 will look like. However, from all of the features that we learned about, and all of the games we previewed, the PS4 looks to be an amazing and promising console.

We only saw a tiny bit of gameplay here at the event, but the developers say that Destiny will be fully compatible with the PS4, meaning that Destiny will let you enjoy the game and its content from multiple devices. Destiny will not only be coming to the PS4, but also the PS3, and there’ll be “exclusive, playable” content for just the PlayStation versions.

Bungie is calling the new game the world’s first shared-world shooter because gamers will be able to access the game and the content through the cloud via the PS4, something that will be both intriguing, as well as interesting to see in action. Overall, though, the developers didn’t reveal much about the new game, but we’ve already heard plenty within the past couple of weeks anyway.

It’s said that Destiny will arrive on the PS4 and the next-generation Xbox sometime in 2014, and since it will also be arriving on the PS3, it may also show up for the Xbox 360 as well, but that has yet to be confirmed. Since Bungie’s Halo series was so successful, Destiny may certainly have the same fate.

It looks like Blizzard is going back to their roots, yes consoles were originally their roots. Blizzard has entered into a partnership with Sony and will be bringing many games to the PlayStation 4. One of the most popular games that I’m sure many of you are excited about is Diablo III. It will be available on both the PS3 which we already knew, and now the new PS4.

Using the PlayStation cloud service you’ll be able to enjoy classic games like Diablo III right on your PS4. Alternatively it will probably also support Remote Play for streaming to your PS Vita and more. The biggest news here isn’t Diablo III though, the big news is Blizzard has entered into a partnership with Sony.

While we don’t know exactly what this all entails at this point, you can expect to see and hear plenty in the upcoming weeks and months from Blizzard. The massive PC developers behind World of Warcraft and tons of other popular titles will now be developing games for the PlayStation 4. Hopefully at E3 and PAX East 2013 we’ll learn all the details. Who’s excited?

This announcement comes on the same day as Square Enix released info pertaining to their new title Murdered: Soul Suspect. That game will be released for the PlayStation 3 while the PlayStation 4 releases from the development company remain under wraps – for the most part.

Square Enix’ own Sinji Hashimoto, brand director for Final Fantasy, stood on stage speaking about – you guessed it – a new Final Fantasy title. While he didn’t give specifics on the title’s name nor its content, he did suggest that more information would be released at E3 2013. Tune in then!

Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on the PlayStation 4 and everything included in its release. This event has covered a collection of new games as well as some rather interesting information about the cloud gaming capabilities of the system – and showed of the controller, too!

We’re only seeing snippets from the engine, including very detailed faces, realistic fire, and good-looking environments with great lighting. Capcom then showed off some gameplay from a new game they’re working on. The working title for the game is “Deep Down” and it looks to be a fantasy/adventure game of sorts.

The game includes dragons, and of course fire for the full effect. The dragon we’re seeing is extremely detailed and the lighting coming from above also looks really impressive. Of course, details at this point are scarce, but the company says that “Deep Down is being developed in parallel with the Panta Rhei engine.”

Since the game seems to still be in development, we’re not quite sure when Capcom will launch the game. However, we probably won’t see until 2014 at least, so if you were looking forward to grabbing it off the store shelf any time this year, you’ll most likely be disappointed.

In the two-minute video that they’re showing off, there’s apparently a person who can disappear attacking people with a chain, and then shows up somewhere else killing more people. It’s very dark-magic-esque, and if you’re familiar with the InFamous series, we’re sure that you’ll be inclined to check it out when it eventually releases.

However, just as with all the other games unveiled today, Seconds Sons doesn’t yet have a release date, but hopefully we should see it before the holiday season arrives sometime in the fall. Sony hasn’t said when they’ll be releasing the PS4 console itself, but rumors are pointing to a release sometime later this year.

Sony announced the PlayStation 4 earlier during the event, and while they have yet to bring the console itself on stage, they did show off the new DualShock 4 controller, which integrates a touchpad, headphone jack, and a share button, while still keeping most of the same shape as past DualShock controllers.

For those unaware, Dave Perry from Gaikai is all about cloud gaming. From Remote Play, to Playstation Cloud and more we can expect tons of good things since Sony acquired them last year. While he was on stage detailing Remote Play, he quickly mentioned the backwards compatibility issue. Don’t worry though folks because you’ll still be able to enjoy those old classics, just through the cloud.

Sony’s next-generation PlayStation 4 cloud-gaming console will stream original PS1, PS2 and PS3 games all from the cloud. Using their upcoming and next-gen cloud gaming system you’ll be able to enjoy all those classic titles right from Sony. We don’t know all the details yet but the PlayStation Cloud Service will be the center of it all.

Interestingly enough we didn’t get any further details regarding compatibility and how this will all work. Will gamers automatically be able to stream games they own from the cloud? Or will we have to buy them again digitally from the cloud service and PlayStation Network. We’ll be looking for more details as they become available to stay tuned to our PlayStation 4 Portal.

Surprisingly, they’re showing off quite a bit of gameplay — well over a few minutes — and we’re getting a good look at what to expect from the next Killzone. If you thought Killzone on the PS3 looked pretty good, then you’ll be blown away by Shadowfall, which has amazing lighting and 3D effects.

From the footage we’re seeing, the game takes place in the future, so there’s no shortage of futuristic looking buildings and guys wearing cyborg suits. And of course, you have your explosions and blazing guns, a.k.a. you’re typical first-person shooter that we’ve seen before, but with more shiny things and better graphics, of course.

Sadly, no release date was announced, but we could expect it to release before the holiday season, maybe sometime in Q3 2013 or early Q4. If you’re getting a PlayStation 4, we’d recommend getting Killzone Shadowfall if you want to play a shoot-em-up of some kind — this looks to be doozy.

First off, Sony wanted their user interface to be simple. For instance, they want powerful functionality to be just a button press away. On the PlayStation 4, Sony has said they decreased the lag time needed between the content wanted and the gamers themselves. Sleeping and powering up the console is also another thing they wanted to be simple. You can easily sleep the console with the controller, and wake it up with the controller as well, from where you can continue where you left off in a game right away. This also fits in with their “Immediate” key principle.

The social aspect of the PlayStation 4 UI involves a lot more sharing features. Users will be able to quickly and easily share 10 seconds of video, as well as trim it and upload it for sharing to friends. Gamers can also live-stream their gameplay, and friends can take over for you if you need help with a certain level in a game. The social aspect will also be “highly integrated,” and users will be able to use mobile apps to stay connected.

Finally, personalization is the last key principle that Sony is focusing on in their user interface. the PS4 will get to know you in a way, and will keep track of your likes and dislikes and will learn your habits to personalize the console. The PS4 will automatically download content that it knows you’ll like. Essentially, the PS4 wants to decrease the amount of time needed to download a game, meaning that PS4 will download games for you before you even think about it.

This game is just one of many we’re seeing today, with the PlayStation 4 showing off that the system is able to take games and push them into the future with next-level finesse. Shown in the user interface demonstration of the PlayStation 4, Knack has been shown as a fully interactive game that can be seen by users across the web. You’ll be able to stream your game for your friends to see at any time over the web, they being able to take control of your character from their own PS4 if you get in a tough spot.

With connectivity over the next-generation PlayStation Network you’ll be able to work with your friends on your Knack game with great ease. This game appears at first to be a one-player game, but opens a window into the future where even one character can become the avatar of multiple users.

All of this is made possible through Sony’s connection with Gaikai – more on that soon! Stay tuned to SlashGear to see more PlayStation 4 throughout the day and the week as this big, giant, massive release allows Sony to bust forth into the future – it’s finally here!