PS4 Reveal at E3

[Havok]

Who's got the skinny?

[Flagg]

If you want to get game updates you need to pay for ps plus.

[Havok]

So it's like Xbox Live now.

[TheFeniX]

It's similar, but info is still sparse. You don't need it for Netflix, but you do for updates (I think XBLive Silver does updates). Supposedly, they're also throwing "free" games at you for being subscribed. There's a back-and-forth about used games. Some sources say it will play all used games, some say it will be up to the developer to determine if games can be transferred or resold.

The console is launching for $400US, so $100 cheaper than the Xbone. There's also something about Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts not being elusive to PS4 but I didn't care enough to fact check it. 500GB HDD and no region locking is also on that list.

[Flagg]

So it's like Xbox Live now.

No, you don't need a gold membership to patch games.

[Aaron MkII]

Is there a price on a years subscription?

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

They keep listing it as "less than $5 a month" so I'm guessing that's $59.99 for a year's subscription.

[Havok]

So more than XBox Live.

[Vendetta]

So it's like Xbox Live now.

No, you don't need a gold membership to patch games.

You don't need to be a PS Plus member to patch games, just to have the console automatically scan for any patches to games you own and download them whilst it's on standby.

Otherwise it will do what it does now, patch when you attempt to launch the game.

[Melchior]

So more than XBox Live.

I'm not sure about that - I have psplus (because I have ps vita and the "free" game selection from plus for is mostly stuff that I like) and it is cheaper if bought for a whole year, at least in Europe.
Actually, I have checked, it is 49$ in the USA for a year (and you get "free" games).

[Ford Prefect]

At a basic level, it's a pretty traditional games console. It doesn't bring anything new to the table so to speak. Whether this will be marketable in the long term is unclear but precisely where the market is heading is purely speculative. I don't like the Xbox One as a device but I'll admit that it's conceptually revolutionary. In this way the PS4 is a 'safe' machine. This is probably why it apparently costs less to manufacture than it costs to buy.

The PS4 costs US$399. Controllers cost US$59. The motion detecting camera peripheral (which better be called the 'EyeMove') is US$59.

It's the most powerful of the new consoles and reportedly its architecture isn't inanely obtuse like the PS3. Development and porting should be easier on it compared to the PS3. I mean I'm not expert so I don't know how this will actually translate to things we care about, but there it is. The basic storage is 500 gig with expandable memory. As I recall from the PS3 'expandable memory' was any HD with a USB cable, so it seems likely that that will be the case with the PS4.

PSN has essentially been replaced by PS+. It's known that existing PS+ accounts (with Vita I guess) are being carried over to the PS4. It's a paid service, like Live Gold. You can't play multi without PS+, though it's known that Netflix is available even without a subscription. There's a catalogue of free games associated with PS+: pay your subscription and you can download them freely. The catalogue changes over time, with games leaving the service and new games being added. This isn't just old stuff, either. There have been current gen big name games available. The cost is 'less than $5 a month'.

There is no online DRM associated with physical game discs. The console is region free.

It doesn't have Killer Instinct as a serious offering.

It's a bit smaller than the Xbox One, too.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

At a basic level, it's a pretty traditional games console. It doesn't bring anything new to the table so to speak. Whether this will be marketable in the long term is unclear but precisely where the market is heading is purely speculative. I don't like the Xbox One as a device but I'll admit that it's conceptually revolutionary. In this way the PS4 is a 'safe' machine. This is probably why it apparently costs less to manufacture than it costs to buy.

That's honestly why I really hope the One can turn around from this. The built in Kinect means that devs can count on it being in there, which by itself is a step that I'd like to see what can come of it.

[Ford Prefect]

That's honestly why I really hope the One can turn around from this. The built in Kinect means that devs can count on it being in there, which by itself is a step that I'd like to see what can come of it.

I've never really been sold on the Kinect. Motion control is interesting and sometimes fun and pretending to be in Minority Report has its novelty, but its inclusion doesn't really interest me. On the other hand I think that conceptually the online integration stuff could be really good if it had actually been executed competently, or maybe a little ways down the track, or just wasn't to quote Stark 'made of demons'.

Still, let's keep on track. There's a whole thread for the Xbox One :v

[Jub]

The PS+ thing isn't a big deal, it's a reasonable value on a PS3 and/or Vita and they seem to be increasing the value with the PS4. Plus it should mean more investment into the online aspect of the console and that's pretty nice too.

[Havok]

I've never been sold more one one console over the other EXCEPT for the fucking controllers. I hate the size of the Playstation controllers. Always have. Also the games don't interest me nearly as much as the Xbox games do (what are the mainstays on PS anyway?)

As I have had an Xbox and 360 and haven't even cared about the PS2 or 3 why should I, or what would make me switch my very lackluster allegiance from MS to Sony (who's products I generally love, like my new Xperia) and the PS4?

[Jub]

I don't know what the new console will have in terms of exclusives, but the past line-up has included a fairly strong offering; the Ratchet and Clank series, Uncharted, Final Fantasy, and Gran Turismo to name a few.

Honestly, if you hate the controller, are meh on the games, and can afford the price gap I don't see why you would switch. Especially as I would expect bonus Madden content on the XBone and I'm pretty sure you like that franchise.

[bilateralrope]

As I have had an Xbox and 360 and haven't even cared about the PS2 or 3 why should I, or what would make me switch my very lackluster allegiance from MS to Sony (who's products I generally love, like my new Xperia) and the PS4?

How long are you likely to wait after both consoles have launched before you pick up one of them ?

[Ford Prefect]

I've never been sold more one one console over the other EXCEPT for the fucking controllers. I hate the size of the Playstation controllers. Always have. Also the games don't interest me nearly as much as the Xbox games do (what are the mainstays on PS anyway?)

As I have had an Xbox and 360 and haven't even cared about the PS2 or 3 why should I, or what would make me switch my very lackluster allegiance from MS to Sony (who's products I generally love, like my new Xperia) and the PS4?

It kind of depends on the games you actually play. If the majority of them are Microsoft exclusives then that's your impetus to stick with the Xbox. But if the majority of the games you play are multiplatform then the platform itself becomes more important. Like I dunno, I can't ever remember you playing Halo much, so what big exclusives does that leave you? Gears? Gears 3 sucked and I honestly don't remember hearing anything about Judgment.

The controller might be a deal breaker, so obviously you're going to need to physically hold one to decide. That said, some images from the floor of E3 suggest it's closer in size to a 360 controller.

[Havok]

Never picked up Judgement. Only played Halo on the original Xbox. I like Saints Row, Ass Creed, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Lego games. Some cross over stuff like Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma, but that's about it. Probably going to get it when it comes out. Price isn't that big of a hassle for me.

(I honestly can't believe people bitch about the prices. You are gonna use the system every fucking day.)

[Jub]

Some people can't afford a lump sum drop on a new anything, let alone an entertainment system. Still, the prices are pretty reasonable for something that you can expect 8+ years of use out of.

[Melchior]

Never picked up Judgement. Only played Halo on the original Xbox. I like Saints Row, Ass Creed, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Lego games. Some cross over stuff like Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma, but that's about it. Probably going to get it when it comes out. Price isn't that big of a hassle for me.

(I honestly can't believe people bitch about the prices. You are gonna use the system every fucking day.)

Those are third party multiplatform titles which should be somewhat better on PS4 due to the more powerful hardware.
Price does drive adoption, so the more expensive console could have a limited installed base, which can cause publisher neglect, which is not optimal even if you find the higher expense personally irrelevant.

[Ford Prefect]

Giant Bomb posted up an audio interview asking some questions regarding the PS4. I haven't listened to it yet, but it apparently covers external HDs and, a big one, Sony disallowing online passes from publishers.

http://www.giantbomb.com/podcasts/sony- ... /1600-504/

[Ritterin Sophia]

According to this, unlike Xbox One, the PS4's F2P games will actually be F2P and won't require PS+.
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/PS4-Fr ... 56677.html

[CaptHawkeye]

I'm starting to see a picture of a reformed Sony here. They say one learns more in defeat than in victory and Sony appears to have learned a lot from the last generation. The console they're making isn't particularly original but I suspect they believe the core gamer market is still their primary customer. It seems like Sony is doing a better job this time around on the software and programming side, which may allow them to break out of the "gaming console" shtick down the road anyway.

[DaveJB]

That's probably in part because Sony had the most to lose out of this generation. Microsoft, even if the various issues with the XBone cause it to flop, have a fuckton of money coming in from other resources. Nintendo have a load of money in the bank from the Wii and DS, and the 3DS is doing very well, so even if the Wii U turns out to be a truly epic flop it won't be the end of the world for them by any means. Sony on the other hand haven't been doing so hot in all their departments since about 2007, and another PS3-like performance for them could have had very bad consequences in the long run.