Can you feel it? There’s electricity in the atmosphere. Something stirs on the horizon and the air grows thick with anticipation as sparks of excitement crackle here and there. A dull rumble echoes across the hills in the distance. It’s a sound some gamers haven’t heard in over seven years but it still manages to elicit the same passion, the same sense of expectation and the same sliver of anxiety that many have felt in times past. Every so often we can see the distant suggestive flashes that illuminate the coming clouds, which seem to whisper things like ‘redesigned controller’, ‘cloud gaming’ and then there’s that particularly dark and threatening one that seems to mumble ‘used game block’.
I am of course using a clichéd metaphor to describe the coming console generation and in particular Sony’s big Playstation event, which takes place just over 24 hours from now (at time of writing). If you’re a gamer, and you haven’t had your head buried in the sand for the past week, you will already know all there is to know about the New York extravaganza as it’s all that anyone is talking about. When I say “talking” I obviously mean wildly speculating, rumour mongering, fanboy baiting and just plain making crap up. Nonsense aside, this is a very big deal for the gaming industry and its fans as it signals (what some would consider) the first announcement of an 8th generation console (poor WiiU always overlooked).
Although there has been quite a lot of talk surrounding next generation recently it’s nothing compared to what is to come, if my experience is anything to go on that is. Very soon we could have some rock solid information on what we can actually expect to be entertaining us for the next 5+ years. The gaming press are going to go mad and, in all likelihood, it will also spill over into mainstream media. There’ll be analyses, comparisons, even more speculation and some things will end up being taken out of context, you know, the usual, just on a grander scale. We could be looking at the perfect storm and, in my opinion, it's just what this industry needs.
There are some who would give you the sagely advise to not get too excited and they’re right in a way but, personally, I enjoy giddy anticipation and I can manage very realistic expectations while I’m at it. It only happens once every 5-7ish years and I’m not ashamed to say I’m as twitchy as a Kinect avatars shoe doing massive damage to a giant enemy crab. Let’s hope hyper-negativity and fanboys don’t rain on the parade and Sony at least give us a good show.
Are you excited for the next generation? What do you think Sony will announce? Come on, we have so little time left to speculate might as well get some guess-work in now before facts get in the way. Give us some crazily optimistic predictions in the comments section, they will be appreciated, thanks.
Update: Looks like I was right about the next generation spilling over into the mainstream. Almost immediately after/during submitting this blog I notice this...
http://n4g.com/news/1177097...
Sony are going all out with this and it won't be long until everyone is clued up on their next-gen plans.
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I enjoyed the demo so I'll be picking this up. The gameplay made me think of Metal Max Xeno so it sold me on it.
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Shift Up has released Stellar Blade day one update 1.002 on PS5, and those who preloaded the game should be notified of this update.
Do you really not know this is about the n-word or are you saying that black people can't get offended because it upsets you?
I can't believe they're censoring this game on day 1. Games just aren't the same.
/s in case it's needed. I'm fine with them making these changes that they might not have known is culturally insensitive to some people in the big ole world. But that's just me.
They are censoring something that is deemed offensive by Journalists quoting the offensive term verbatim. They are typing it intentionally in articles while in the game it's a wall texture saying Hard next to a unrelated 3d model sign that says R store. Is it offensive or not? Crazy town.
At least IGN just shows the term with a screenshot of the game. Because it's their "discovery" and to not show hypocrisy in their HUGE vitue signal.
Hard R is the not offensive way to describe an offensive term. Are they going to type "Ha$$ R" or not use the term now?
Oh, hey, I agree with you that IGN and other journalists are dumb. Not disagreement there. But, I think for a game going out to millions of people across the world? It's not something they want associated with them. It's just horrific PR.
Add to the horrific PR nightmare that this is the first major Korean-developed Sony-published title, if I'm not mistaken.
There aren't that many Korean developed titles in general. And the allowance of this only would drive a bigger fissure in east vs west especially after Final Fantasy XVI released featuring no black characters at all...
Not a good look for Sony regardless of how you personally feel about it or the people that talk about it.
I'm not saying it shouldn't have been changed. It's an easy fix and looks like it was an easy fix.
But the word HARD being too close to the letter R being a horrific PR nightmare and a indication of a racist developer is beyond crazy.
I only think they would be seen as an insensitive developer if they were informed of its implications and didn't remove it. I don't think it's a bad thing to not want to have an unintentional message in your game.
If you can't enjoy the game without knowing there are racial slurs plastered on the walls, you might actually be the snowflake.
"Hey why didn't you get that game? I heard it's got that hot Korean chick?"
"I was gonna, but then they removed a reference to the N word!"
So this could be misconstrued as a offensive slur to a group of people they patched it out no harm no foul and now your not buying the game because this effected YOU in a negative way?
I'm confused.your offended because they didn't want to offend anyone says a lot about you more then the studio.
I'm offended by the sight of blood a d violence and find violence to be very insensitive...
We can all play stupid and pretend to be offended by graphics and fake worlds.
I really enjoyed the demo.
I'm going to play through and max out on story mode then go to the challenge mode afterwards.
This game is very challenging but fun.
Especially for timing on the parrying and blocking.
Got the Deluxe Digital Edition (PS5) pre ordered.
:)
The anticipation is definitely killing me. And I like that Sony is doing this. It's certainly a much better way to prep and hype up announcement this way. I will say this though, that whatever they have to show tomorrow better impress. Because it certainly has people talking. Disappointing us is the last thing they would want to do.
Wow this article is so cool man such original thoughts and ideas damn you're a genius shit so good can't take it.
Based on the 1001 articles and front page stories anyone would think that the news being talked about has never happened before in the entire history of mankind. A new console, oooooooooooooo.
I'll be glad when they finally announce it and confrim the specs, we can then move on from all these sh*tty assed articles to the extent of:
-Rumoured specs for PS4
-New joypad design for PS4?
-Rumoured price for PS4
-Rumoured release date for ps4
Yeah, i remember this being announced, when we got that teaser 3 weeks ago and it was like "3 weeks? Damn thats going to go slow" and wala, now we are here. But now the day itself stops to a grind.
Im the same as yourself and most gamers, giddy with excitement and anticipation, i love these things. The worse thing though is when its over, you know most things about it and then its waiting until the damn thing comes out. Sometimes the mystery is better. Anyway, cant wait, almost there.