Sony Announces the Next PlayStation This week at Sony’s PlayStation Meeting 2013 in New York, the company announced their latest video game system, the PlayStation 4. Although the hardware was not shown, several games were demoed for the audience. Further details about the system are being kept under wraps for now, including the price and release date. However, more information is sure to come at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3. To announce the new system, lead architect and long-time game developer Mark Cerny took the stage. After reviewing the history of the PlayStation brand, Cerny announced the much-speculated-upon existence of the PlayStation 4. While Cerny gave a few technical details regarding the hardware specifications of the device, the focus was clearly on games. The first title that was demoed, called Knack, was created by Cerny himself. Cerny designed the game to be a familiar, easily accessible family game that anyone can pick up and play. For gamers looking for a more hardcore experience, there were several other titles shown, including another entry in the first-person shooter franchise, Killzone. In addition to games, Sony previewed a few of the most important features of the PlayStation 4. Through a partnership with the streaming service Gaikai, Sony plans to eventually allow gamers to play titles from the original PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation 3 on their latest system. While backwards compatibility with PS3 game discs is not an option, Sony hopes that Gaikai will make it possible to create a digital library of past titles. Taking a page from the rise of social networking that has occurred since the development of the PS3, the PS4 is equipped with several sharing features. In fact, a “share” button has been placed directly on the controller that allows gamers to share the last 15 minutes of their game with Youtube and Facebook friends. Sony is also changing the way their PlayStation Network displays user information, emphasizing real names and profile pictures in order to give their console the feel of a legitimate social network. While the PS3 is popular, it has not seen the same success as Sony’s two previous consoles. It seems Sony has learned from some of their past mistakes and is attempting a comeback with the PS4. Look forward to learning more about this console, as well as Microsoft’s next Xbox at this year’s E3. Downloaded from http://www.wikihow.com