In December, Sony held its first-ever PlayStation Experience in Las Vegas, an event for the community to get their hands on some upcoming games, meet developers, and help the company set the tone for the coming year and beyond. One component that Sony hopes plays a vital part in that future is the announcement that the PlayStation 4 is the console-exclusive home for Capcom’s Street Fighter V, which will also appear on PC. No release date for the game was given, but Sony made it clear that the game is not merely a timed exclusive and will remain on the PS4
As for the title itself, the short debut gameplay trailer features Ryu and Chun-Li facing off with lightning and water-based attacks, mid-air juggling (including the ability to launch a foe into the air when they are on the ground), wall breaks, and guard crushes. These moves and many more can be unleashed upon SF V players of all stripes, as Capcom also announced that the game features cross platform play between the PS4 and PC.
The final part of the partnership touted at the event brings Ultra Street Fighter IV to the PlayStation 4. The game was originally released in Japanese arcades and has since appeared on the last-gen systems. Capcom did not reveal whether it had made any improvements for the PS4 version of the game.
Sony getting the exclusive rights to SFV was significant enough to capture rival Microsoft’s attention. When asked by a fan about what Microsoft and the Xbox One were going to do to counter Sony’s move, Xbox head Phil Spencer tweeted in reply, “Business deals happen. We won’t do all of them. When we have a first party franchise in a genre I’d rather invest in ours.” Later he tweeted, “...I’ll work on making amends for SF.”
At this year’s Gamescom, Microsoft revealed its own exclusive, albeit a timed one. Microsoft is publishing the Crystal Dynamics-developed Rise of the Tomb Raider for the Xbox One and 360 in holiday 2015, but Crystal Dynamics owner Square Enix has recently confirmed that it’s a timed exclusive although neither Square Enix nor Microsoft has revealed for how long.
Street Fighter V wasn’t the only game to grab the spotlight during the PlayStation Experience. The first gameplay footage from our cover story, Uncharted 4 aired, Sony confirmed that a PlayStation 4 GoW is in the works with GoW II director Cory Barlog back at the helm, and former GoW director David Jaffe debuted his new game called Drawn to Death .
Also debuting was Sony San Diego’s MOBA-like team action game Kill Strainfor PS4, Wattam(from the creator of Katamari Damacy), Fat Princess Adventure, and Skytorn an action/platformer for the console. The PS4 is also adding Dungeon Defenders 2, Killing Floor 2, The Forest, Orcs Must Die! Unchained, and Enter the Gungeon, all games that have already come out or been announced for other platforms.
Sony may have neglected the Vita for stretches of its existence, but the handheld’s connection to the PS4 has given it a new lease on life. A slew of games were announced for the handheld including Suikoden I & II, Darkest Dungeon, Bastion, Shovel Knight, Banner Saga, and Super Time Force Ultra. It’s a win-win situation, however, because even if you don’t have the handheld you can still enjoy these games on other Sony systems. Darkest Dungeon, Bastion, and Super Time Force Ultra are also hitting the PS4 via PSN. The Suikodens and Super Time Force Ultra are also available for PS3.
Double Fine’s relationship with Sony first announced at E3 in 2014 is taking shape. PS4 and Vita owners can expect a special edition version of Day of the Tentacle, and the company announced that Grim Fandango (PS4/Vita) comes out January 27, and both acts of the Broken Age title will hit the two Sony systems.
Somewhat similar to some of Sony’s recent E3 presentations in the past, the cavalcade of announcements doesn’t contain any single monumental triumph, but cumulatively tell the story of a company that continues to bolster its systems in an era where true exclusives are rare, and which is making good on its promise to be a destination for indie games.
The Game Awards 2014 (formerly the VGAs) also took place in conjunction with the PlayStation Experience (with Dragon Age: Inquisition winning Game of the Year), and brought in its own raft of news. Tacoma is the newest offering from Gone Home developer The Fullbright Company. This PC/Mac/Linux title coming in 2016 is set in a mysterious transfer station of the same name on the moon. Nintendo showed off footage of The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, Banner Saga 2 was announced for 2015, and Konami showed off Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s online versus mode, complete with remote enemy tagging and customization options.
For many gamers, the first year of the PlayStation 4’s life wasn’t filled with experiences truly indicative of the next generation of gaming. With titles like Uncharted 4 and No Man’s Sky (also shown at the PlayStation Experience event) currently scheduled to appear on the PS4 in 2015, however, that will hopefully change this year. If some of the titles on this page (many of which do not have release dates just yet) also release in 2015, the system should begin to hit its stride.
As for the title itself, the short debut gameplay trailer features Ryu and Chun-Li facing off with lightning and water-based attacks, mid-air juggling (including the ability to launch a foe into the air when they are on the ground), wall breaks, and guard crushes. These moves and many more can be unleashed upon SF V players of all stripes, as Capcom also announced that the game features cross platform play between the PS4 and PC.
The final part of the partnership touted at the event brings Ultra Street Fighter IV to the PlayStation 4. The game was originally released in Japanese arcades and has since appeared on the last-gen systems. Capcom did not reveal whether it had made any improvements for the PS4 version of the game.
Sony getting the exclusive rights to SFV was significant enough to capture rival Microsoft’s attention. When asked by a fan about what Microsoft and the Xbox One were going to do to counter Sony’s move, Xbox head Phil Spencer tweeted in reply, “Business deals happen. We won’t do all of them. When we have a first party franchise in a genre I’d rather invest in ours.” Later he tweeted, “...I’ll work on making amends for SF.”
At this year’s Gamescom, Microsoft revealed its own exclusive, albeit a timed one. Microsoft is publishing the Crystal Dynamics-developed Rise of the Tomb Raider for the Xbox One and 360 in holiday 2015, but Crystal Dynamics owner Square Enix has recently confirmed that it’s a timed exclusive although neither Square Enix nor Microsoft has revealed for how long.
Street Fighter V wasn’t the only game to grab the spotlight during the PlayStation Experience. The first gameplay footage from our cover story, Uncharted 4 aired, Sony confirmed that a PlayStation 4 GoW is in the works with GoW II director Cory Barlog back at the helm, and former GoW director David Jaffe debuted his new game called Drawn to Death .
Also debuting was Sony San Diego’s MOBA-like team action game Kill Strainfor PS4, Wattam(from the creator of Katamari Damacy), Fat Princess Adventure, and Skytorn an action/platformer for the console. The PS4 is also adding Dungeon Defenders 2, Killing Floor 2, The Forest, Orcs Must Die! Unchained, and Enter the Gungeon, all games that have already come out or been announced for other platforms.
Sony may have neglected the Vita for stretches of its existence, but the handheld’s connection to the PS4 has given it a new lease on life. A slew of games were announced for the handheld including Suikoden I & II, Darkest Dungeon, Bastion, Shovel Knight, Banner Saga, and Super Time Force Ultra. It’s a win-win situation, however, because even if you don’t have the handheld you can still enjoy these games on other Sony systems. Darkest Dungeon, Bastion, and Super Time Force Ultra are also hitting the PS4 via PSN. The Suikodens and Super Time Force Ultra are also available for PS3.
Double Fine’s relationship with Sony first announced at E3 in 2014 is taking shape. PS4 and Vita owners can expect a special edition version of Day of the Tentacle, and the company announced that Grim Fandango (PS4/Vita) comes out January 27, and both acts of the Broken Age title will hit the two Sony systems.
Somewhat similar to some of Sony’s recent E3 presentations in the past, the cavalcade of announcements doesn’t contain any single monumental triumph, but cumulatively tell the story of a company that continues to bolster its systems in an era where true exclusives are rare, and which is making good on its promise to be a destination for indie games.
The Game Awards 2014 (formerly the VGAs) also took place in conjunction with the PlayStation Experience (with Dragon Age: Inquisition winning Game of the Year), and brought in its own raft of news. Tacoma is the newest offering from Gone Home developer The Fullbright Company. This PC/Mac/Linux title coming in 2016 is set in a mysterious transfer station of the same name on the moon. Nintendo showed off footage of The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, Banner Saga 2 was announced for 2015, and Konami showed off Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s online versus mode, complete with remote enemy tagging and customization options.
For many gamers, the first year of the PlayStation 4’s life wasn’t filled with experiences truly indicative of the next generation of gaming. With titles like Uncharted 4 and No Man’s Sky (also shown at the PlayStation Experience event) currently scheduled to appear on the PS4 in 2015, however, that will hopefully change this year. If some of the titles on this page (many of which do not have release dates just yet) also release in 2015, the system should begin to hit its stride.