470°

PS4 interface, user account features and social functionality detailed at GDC

Sony went into a deep dive on the PlayStation 4 during a session at the 2013 Game Developers Conference today, giving attendees details on the console's user interface, account features and social functionality.

Chris Norton, senior staff engineer from the strategy team for developer services and support at Sony Computer Entertainment America, showed off the console's interface and pointed out that it will show information about a game — including comments from other players and downloadable content — before you boot up a game.

iGAM3R-VIII4037d ago

"you'll be able to browse the PlayStation Store and buy games through the app; they'll start downloading immediately, and once you get home, you'll have the ability to play the part that's already downloaded." SMARTEST IDEA EVER.

Conzul4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

Yup. This really was the only thing that tablet/phone games had over consoles anyway.(you could say portability but Vita will remote play all PS4 titles)

Cutting down waiting time and loading screens is a biggie.

DOMination-4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

Its great but you can do this already on the 360 via xbox.com or smartglass...

Edit: obviously if its not fully downloaded you can't play it on 360. That of course is a great feature of ps4

Freeball4037d ago

Neither of which turn on your console to commence downloading immediately. Not the same thing. With a PS3 you can turn it on remotely with a PSP or Vita, but there isn't a low power state for downloads which sucks. It's a nice evolution of what is around right now and will make things easier when I'm away from home.

KwietStorm_BLM4037d ago

Now if only they go full Steam ahead and allow early downloads for new games, as part of their Day 1 Digital program.

princeofthabay4037d ago

Well, if you think about it, you wont really need early download if you can play the game within seconds of starting the download.

iGAM3R-VIII4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

These ideas seem good, can't wait till E3 to test them

GribbleGrunger4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

I'm really surprised at all the new information. I expected 'some' new info to come out of GDC but what we've actually got is another good months worth of news to speculate over. Sony are just getting it right. I particularly like the idea of the controller holding your PSN ID as well as the console ... in fact I predicted it! http://sony-gamer.com/?p=15...

The potential is HUGE with this new feature.

FullMetalTech4037d ago

I agree. Id though they would leave some info for E3 but they seem to be on a roll. Im guessing they will just load E3 with gameplay, pricing, launch dates and lineup.

iGAM3R-VIII4037d ago

They will probably also go with a more in-depth talk about the hardware and showing an actual demo of the PS Eye and the controller. And they will also probably will let us gamers get our hands on the system and what it will look like.

Conzul4037d ago

E3: Actual console shown
Gameplay from launch lineup.

OT: I'll never use my real name. I like that you have the option, but I'm a little scared that opting out will cut you out of some features. (i.e. must I tie my PSN and FB in order for the Share functionality to work? Hope not, otherwise I'll have to set up a dummy FB)

iGAM3R-VIII4037d ago

I think Sony are not playing around this time and the thing about a company is that a good company learns from their mistakes. MS have been focusing on Kinect and sadly they haven't learnt yet but I am sure it's going to hit them later rather than sooner. Most of the new news we have got from GDC were smart features. I just have to wait until E3 when I can finally get my hands on the controller and system!

GribbleGrunger4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

This is what I mean by HUGE though. From my article:

Your ID is no longer associated with the console, but rather, it is associated with your controller. In other words, your controller becomes the key to access all of your content anywhere, any time, through any Gaikai enabled device. There would be no problem playing your own PSN collection at a friend house because all you would have to do is take your controller with you. This empowers you, the gamer, and protects Sony because, without your controller, your friend would not be able to access your content afterwards. But this solution offers even further benefits. Because the controller is paired to your account, even if your friend doesn’t have a PS4, you would still be able to show him your latest PSN collection, providing he had a Gaikai enabled TV, a laptop, a pad or even a decent phone.

In effect, your controller becomes a portable PS4

KwietStorm_BLM4037d ago

lol or even a decent phone. They basically said every Joe Schmo in the world has the door open to them. People can say whatever they want about PS3, I know I enjoy mine, but it feels like they've taken every single shortcoming, and even all the good things about it, and flipped the switch. There is not one thing I'm not excited about so far.

JAMurida4037d ago

So basically your controller is everything to you? I'm guessing that if you switch controllers that your account will roll over onto the new controller, since I'm sure people will go through controllers more often than the console itself. I also wonder why they didn't do this with the Vita as well, as it would of probably been better off with this kind of feature or maybe I missed something... I'm still going through all the news coming from GDC.

DA_SHREDDER4037d ago

"The DualShock 4's touchpad features a 1920x900 resolution, and it will click when you push it down."

Wha?!!!

JAMurida4037d ago

Yeah, I'm not understanding that... So is it an actual screen or something else?

Simon_Brezhnev4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

from what i saw on gaf its the actual space where you touch. So i'm guessing the touch pad is pretty detailed like the vita screen when you touch something.

I could had interpreted wrong though.

RevXM4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

It means that the pad is very precise. Thats a decent resolution on such a small surface. Resolution isnt only a term used for screens and photos etc but for other things as well.
A pc mouse have a sensor resolution, touch surfaces have a resolution and cameras too. Think of resolution as a thing that goes both ways.
In form of an image that we can see or in form of an image that a computer would see.

Kyur4ThePain4037d ago

Disappointed at no pressure sensitive face buttons. I always use the X button for the accelerator in GT. I just can't use the trigger buttons. Not being pressure sensitive means I lose the throttle finesse.

KwietStorm_BLM4037d ago

The triggers always worked better. There's much more degrees of pressure. If it's a comfort thing for you, I can't argue that. But the buttons going back to digital only makes sense to me. You should try out the PS3 Real Triggers if you just don't like the feel.

a_bro4037d ago (Edited 4037d ago )

yea, i dont like that either. games like GT took advantage of it. welp, theres always the right analog stick.. edit: forgot that you can use the L2/R2 triggers for it now.

FrightfulActions4037d ago

Thanks for clearing that up, I was wondering what they were talking about.

uuaschbaer4037d ago

They should at least have X and O be pressure sensitive; when Motorstorm came out people hated the trigger accelerator.

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280°

Sony Taps Bungie's Head of Revenue to Lead Live-Service Games

Sony has recruited Bungie's head of revenue Jaremy Rich to head up its live-service gaming division, Rich has announced on social media.

Read Full Story >>
techraptor.net
ChasterMies11d ago

Please do not put Destiny’s monetization into Sony’s first party games. The monetization is what’s driving players away from Destiny.

just_looken11d ago

The new temp boss is the sony cfo bean counter so i can see this being a thing get every penny.

Cacabunga11d ago

PlayStation officially losing it.. fans will never support gaas games

just_looken11d ago

@car

The new boss did a interview in japan he wants to tap into the mobile market like nintendio so he give 0 fucks about gamers/fans

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Redemption-6411d ago

@Cacabunga
You only speak for you and those who think like you, but most fans will support what they want. Playstation and PC fans are literally supporting Helldivers 2 and that is a gaas. Maybe you wouldn't, but many more would if they like it.

Huey_My_D_Long11d ago

@Redemption-64
Look, Im not making any judgement calls about this guy, but I will say that Helldivers 2 GaaS model is unique to Helldivers, and legit the only other game I can think of thats similiar was the Avengers game except HD2 pass is still better.
The fact that you can earn in game currency in a way that doesnt make you feel like you have to grind forever, as well you being able work on that pass that you bought...on your own time without a time limit...that right there is fucking huge to me, and I can't name any game other than avengers that avoided trapping players with FOMO logic...I think GaaS on HD2 shouldn't be compared to the rest of the industry...it should be copied.

Einhander197211d ago

Cacabunga

Helldivers 2...

Redemption-64

In Europe it's a 60 40 split favoring PC.
In the US its a 60 40 split favoring PS5.

So PlayStation owners supported the game just fine, it's not getting carried by PC or anything like that.

FinalFantasyFanatic11d ago

@just_looken,
I'm perfectly fine with the way Nintendo entered the mobile market, I never touched their mobile games, meanwhile, the console/handheld stayed the way it is. As for being a bean counter, he's probably going to reel in these massive budgets that Sony's studios have had lately, I haven't played Spiderman 2, but I cannot see how they almost tripled the budget for that game.

@Redemption-64,
That's an exception to the rule, I'm expecting a lot of these GAAS games from Sony to fail, to be fair, they only need a few to succeed, but I would have preferred that they put more of their resources into other types of games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 11d ago
DivineHand12511d ago

True their monetization is driving players away and at the same time, their decision to chop out content and convoluted systems is keeping new players away from the game.

Joe91311d ago

I don't think that will happen based on how things worked out at Naughty Dog now that we know what we do, seems they had the option to fully commit to live service games or stay making single player experences so they gave up on their live service game. We are not sure how things came about with Bend making a live service game but I hope that was not a forced situation. Sony doesnt seem like they are forcing studios to switch up but we will see, Sony's bread and butter is single player games it is how they dominated the console market.

Obscure_Observer11d ago

Yeah, I though Sony learned something from all their failures in the LS segment under Bungie´s disastrous leadership and supervision which led to games been cancelled, studios closed and all the people laid off.

Looks like Bungie still plays a major role in Sony´s LS initiative and Sony is not backtracking on their GaaS plans.

S2Killinit11d ago (Edited 11d ago )

Are we forgetting that Destiny is also a highly successful franchise? I feel like that definitely deserves mention here.

Besides, there is no reason why a person cant learn from past experiences.

Joe91310d ago

I agree, people act as if Destiny flopped when it came out lol it took 9 to 10 years for the numbers to fall yet people are still playing it add the success of Helldivers 2 no wonder Sony is going forward down this path.

S2Killinit10d ago

Personally, I see no problem with Sony also having service games as long as they make good ones, and more importantly they deliver the AAA story driven games that they are known for. So yeah, I agree 100% with you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 10d ago
Christopher11d ago

I mean, this person made some pretty bad decisions at Bungie. I hope they've learned from them because I definitely don't see those type of ideas as good for PlaySation in general.

CrimsonWing6910d ago (Edited 10d ago )

Honestly, what’s to learn from? How to make people happily continuously dump money into a single game over its life-time? Buy season passes continuously for several years with a smile on our faces?

GaaS is a design decision that is everything wrong with this industry. The fact that Helldivers 2 did so well and people defend the monetization because it was $40 and is a fun game, scares the sh*t out of me to see that the door is open and all shift will probably be to replicate that in future games. We already know the ROI for traditional game dev cost isn’t doing it for them.

I thought with Jimbo leaving we’d see a change for the better… I’m not so sure now.

S2Killinit10d ago

Service games are being offered by everyone. Sony cannot afford to only create single player AAA games. No one can. They already said they will be doing both.

Abnor_Mal11d ago (Edited 11d ago )

Ps5 gamers in 2023 seemed to play more live service types of games, so regardless to how people feel about them, numbers don’t lie and Sony is going where the money is. I mean look at the excitement around Helldivers2, people are showing that they want live service games.

Christopher11d ago

They play long-time existing live service games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and the like. Mass majority of new live service games are considered failures and aren't moving gamers away from older games.

just_looken11d ago

Yep the huge issue with live service is they need paid players along with a reason to play them.

You forgot mobile market that also taps into that player base as well as the eve online style games there is only a certain amount of krakens/whales blind supporters compared to the amount of live service games we have its not sustainable math wise.

700 restaurants making food for every seat for 1000-3000 eaters just does not work out

Einhander197211d ago (Edited 11d ago )

Christopher

I am not a big live service fan and literally own zero of the games you listed, but that is not true, unless you call games that aren't the top games to be failures.

There are tons of live service games that are profitable.

Games don't have to be the biggest game ever they just need to make more than they cost.

I challenge you to show professionally prepared data that shows that more live service games fail than make enough to keep going.

Because all the data that I have seen shows that live service is less of a gamble than making a big AAA budget game which needs to survive off retail sales.

FinalFantasyFanatic11d ago

I sometimes wonder if we're at saturation point, where it's hard for a new game to join those ranks unless it's particularly exceptional, people only have so much time and money to devote to these types of games.

romulus2311d ago

Correction, they have no issue playing good live service games

shinoff218311d ago

Lol it's not even a quarter of the ps5s sold. Helldivers may have been a hit but let's not say most are enjoying it because truth is most(the real most ) don't care about it.

S2Killinit10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

I play what is fun. If a live service game is good I’ll play it as long as its not a money scheme which Helldivers is not.

And Im a single player gamer.

mastershredder11d ago

How do you kill a franchise that already been killed?
Destiny’s grind, cash-in-on-playbass-cha-Ching, and pop-culture-insertion mainstream-me-too bs totally killed any rep Bungie had. Sony/Bungie, if you are doing this to ward-off players, it’s already working.

crazyCoconuts11d ago

Headline truncated:
"... off a cliff"

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80°

Sony May Soon Let You Decide How Much NPCs Talk In Games

Sony has patented to add multiple dialogue modes to let players switch between how many conversations with NPCs they want in the game.

blackblades17d ago

Sony is like the only ones outta the 3 that has atuff like like this pop up changing thing in ways.

just_looken17d ago

Sony in the past has always been first at bat with new ideas/tech but in the end never fully use it or just toss it away.

blackblades17d ago

I think they did use some but yeah most usually never happened but at least they thought about it. Sony seeks things like this and other, Nintendo seek different ways of playing going by there different controler designs and console designs.

just_looken17d ago (Edited 17d ago )

some of the other stuff sony want's/owns never used
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://www.eurogamer.net/s...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03...
https://decrypt.co/114754/s...

monitor/adjust game difficultly as you play
https://www.techradar.com/g...

Sony nfts
https://www.theblock.co/pos...

Pay ai to play the game for you
https://thebusinessofesport...

Oh all the above last 12 months

I just imagine a evil scientist with test subjects when it comes down to sony recent patent reports.

Kaii17d ago

Will we get dialogue options that won't spoil puzzles in a matter of seconds? :p

280°

Judge rules in PlayStation's favour in $500m patent infringement lawsuit

Genuine Enabling Technology was seeking damages, claiming the tech allowing PlayStation consoles and controllers to communicate infringes its rights.

Read Full Story >>
gamesindustry.biz
S2Killinit19d ago

Big victory for Sony. And a long time coming.

DarXyde19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Crazy to think the savings from this lawsuit allows them to develop one AAA game.

Make it Bloodborne 2, please and thank you.

19d ago
Profchaos19d ago

Sounds like patent trolling they tried the same thing against Nintendo with the same pattern.

Motion and control input traversing over higher and lower frequencies seperate from each other allowing the controller to do both

Pyrofire9519d ago

Patents suck. Most of them are complete garbage.

Knightofelemia19d ago

So to recoup the money Genuine is going to take on Nintendo or Microsoft next. I hate patent lawyers they are some of the worst bottom feeders out there.

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