Sony and I don’t have a great relationship. If you read my review on Ratchet & Clank, you will know that I didn’t get into the Playstation brand until the Playstation 3, and even then, I didn’t play the console too much. It was nothing on Sony’s end, I just grew up with other consoles such as the Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube and then the Xbox 360. However, there are a ton of games that I’ve played on their platforms and thoroughly loves such as Heavy Rain, Bloodborne, Ratchet & Clank and God of War. So, given that I consider myself relatively new to Sony’s brands, what do I, and the rest of the writing team want to see from Sony this year?
Let’s talk about Playstation VR first. This will definitely play a key part in Sony’s plan for gaming domination this Fall, and we would love to see a lot of talk, including a huge software library planned for the Playstation VR when it launches this October. Sony should definitely be focusing on as many genres as they can, to show that VR is really for anyone, because as it stands right now, VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are overly expensive and require an overpowered machine to run, something which totals about $3000 Canadian after all is said and done. Sony’s price point of $599.99 definitely makes the Playstation VR a very intriguing device, even with a reduced field of view and image quality. If we are going to see Playstation VR be successful in the gaming marketplace though, we definitely need a wide-assortment of games and applications, to fit all gaming audiences.
Let’s shift direction now to the meat of this article – the Playstation 4K or the Playstation 4.5. This console will either be extremely successful or fall flat on it’s face. The issue with a new Playstation console is that there are already so many Playstation 4 users out in the world that releasing a new console would alienate their consumer base. While lot’s of people I’m sure would still invest into a premium console such as the Playstation 4K to take advantage of the latest and greatest (Myself included), there is another side of the industry would be getting the theoretical middle finger. I assume that users would be forced into spending their hard-earned cash to continue enjoying Playstation’s exclusives, some which I believe would be Playstation 4K exclusive, especially when some of these titles might revolve around VR technology. Now, I don’t think people are arguing that they don’t want better hardware, however, I don’t think people want to go out and spend full price on a console for which they already partially own. Sony would be smart to capitalize on some sort of upgrade system in order to keep current Playstation 4 owners involved with the upgrade process. This could mean a $150-$200 add on in where gamers purchase an accessory which would compliment the Playstation 4’s CPU or GPU. I really don’t know what it looks like, but if Sony wants to maintain the relationship they have with their consumers, they will need to have an option in place for users to upgrade. If not, I feel Sony would lose a lot of traction in the console race.
In terms of software, we would love to see a sequel of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us make an appearance on the Playstation 4. Ever since it’s reveal during the Spike Video Game Awards in 2011, I have been in constant awe by the amount of detail and quality that the team at Naughty Dog has plunged into the development of this game. A sequel, would be another big selling feature of the Playstation 4 should it make it’s return. From here, I would like to see something regarding Destiny’s sequel going into 2016; preferably even at E3. Sony and Activision have a great relationship now, by offering exclusive content for those enjoying on Playstation platforms, even with Activision’s Call of Duty series.
This opens the door for another discussion though, first-party titles. While I would love to see a series like Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, Gran Turismo and Twisted Metal return for the next generation platforms, they need to be done in a way which isn’t… awkward. Twisted Metal was a great game on the Playstation 1 era, however it doesn’t necessarily make for a great title in today’s modern age of gaming. Sony would need to work with first-party developers to not only deliver a fresh take on an old franchise, but to make it enjoyable for today’s modern age of gaming. Imagine taking Gran Turismo and putting in everything you got with the processing power of the Playstation 4 [Edit: We wrote this before the talk of a new Gran Turismo Announcement], matched with an open-world racer and with deep customization. On top of that, throw in all-types of racing types such as F1 racing, NASCAR, Street racing and more. Now, you have a game, and a good one to boot. The issue Gran Turismo failed on the Playstation 3 is because they teased everyone with the release of Gran Turismo Prologue, and in turn, heavily delayed the game out of interest of it’s fan base. In the end, they delivered a very unsatisfying mess, and it didn’t provide the same quality or enjoyment than a game like Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport 4 did.
I don’t want that to dilute the most important part of what I want from Sony. I desperately want to see some new IP’s come to Sony’s platform. I really have no description for what I want, but I want to see something we haven’t yet. Perhaps a brand new open-world RPG or a whole new action-adventure title where your decisions decide the game’s outcome. While No Man’s Sky is scheduled to launch next month, I feel like Sony needs some new IPs and some new exclusives to take control of the software field. Of course, the same can be said about Microsoft but I feel like this pertains to Sony more.
Whatever you do here Sony, make your presence known at this year’s E3. Deliver some surprises to your consumers with the Playstation 4K but keep your current consumers involved throughout the process. Get some great new IP’s brewing and deliver on a solid game lineup going into 2017. Right now, it’s all about combining the best software with some great hardware, and Sony, if anyone can do it – its you.
If you have anything you would like to add or just want to have a discussion about what you just read, feel free to let us know in the comments below. As for other game companies, you can read about what we want from Nintendo and Microsoft here.
