Sony creates ‘the best place to play’ at E3

MANILA, Philippines – Sony’s press briefing at the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) on June 15 (June 16, Manila time) provided fans with surprises that brought out genuine excitement from many gamers attending and watching online.

Shawn Layden, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, recapped the Playstation 4’s journey since it’s launch.

“From our Playstation community of engineers, creators and developers PS4 became a start of a new reality in entertainment. A reality where games and gamers come first. A reality where games and developers matter. A reality where games drive innovation, where games are filled with intelligence, insight and emotional narrative. A reality where games are hubs of global connection and collaboration. Indeed, A reality where games are the cultural zeitgeist. This new reality of gaming is expansive, inclusive and boundless and we can’t wait to show you what we mean,” Layden said.

Grand game reveals

One big surprise that astonished the audience was the announcement of a game rumored to have been cancelled or long thought dead,:The Last Guardian.

The game is said to have been in development since 2007 and was warmly welcomed during its reveal back in 2009’s E3 for the PS3.

The game went dark and no clear news of its development except rumors that it was cancelled. To further ensure fans that the game was indeed alive and well, Sony Entertainment Studios included a release date of 2016 at the end of the trailer.

Sony Worldwide Studios’ President, Shuhei Yoshida, even said “I couldn’t be happier standing here today. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment to introduce The Last Guardian.”

Yoshida even recognized and thanked The Last Guardian’s creative director Fumito Ueda for his dedication, leadership and hardwork.

Another big reveal that night and probably the most requested by fans of the Final Fantasy franchise was the announcement of a Final Fantasy VII remake.

Final Fantasy VII was released for the original Playstation back in 1997.

Anticipation for a remake grew as Square Enix announced the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII: a series of additional games (Before Crisis, Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core) and a movie (Advent Children) that revolved around the same narrative.

Another surprising reveal that night and not just for the fans’ anticipation but also for Sony’s decision to support the game was the announcement of the Shenmue 3 kickstarter.

Shenmue was originally made for the Sega Dreamcast and its sequel Shenmue 2 was released for both the Dreamcast and the Microsoft Xbox.

Spotlighting other titles

Sony also placed the spotlight on some of its most promising titles during the event.

Winning E3 2014’s Best of Show was a game that took everyone by surprise last year. Sean Murray of Hello Games showed off how vast the universe of No Man’s Sky was in his first ever gameplay play trailer.

Announced as a brand new franchise and a PS4 exclusive, Horizon: Zero Dawn which seems to have a post-apocalyptic theme to it plays in an environment where civilization has long been forgotten and humans have now returned to their hunter-gatherer state. The game also features robot dinosaurs and a huge open environment to explore.

Familiar titles making a comeback where also announced such as the new Hitman game from IO Interactive, a Street Fighter V gameplay trailer, a new expansion for Destiny called The Taken King and the new addition to Batman Arkham series, Batman: Arkham Knight.

Nathan Drake of the Uncharted series is also making a comeback on Uncharted 4. The game showcases once again the power of PS4 with destructible environments and crisp 1080p visuals in this gameplay demo.

Sony and VR

The Sony PS4 would not be recognized as the highest selling console to date if it wasn’t revolutionary in its technology and innovation.

Sony has also entered the virtual reality scene with Project Morpheus. According to Andrew House, President and Global CEO at Sony Entertainment, “Even the simplest of game concepts are taking on a new sense of depth and acceleration within the VR landscape. Encouraging developers to examine with fresh eyes the wonder and delight of even the most basic gaming experiences.”

Project Morpheus encouraged both a single player experience of the VR world and multiplayer capability. Sony will be introducing this experience at E3 with new games like RIGS – an arena based shooter set to test the power of Project Morpheus devices.

With this vision in mind and new horizons opening up in technology like VR with Project Morpheus, Sony and the Playstation 4 is still according to Shawn Layden, “The best place to play.” – Rappler.com