Tag Archives: PlayStation 4

Train2Game News: PlayStation 4 announcement coming soon?

Posted on by

PS TeaseA post and video on the PlayStation firm’s official blog invites fans to “see the future” at an event set for February 20 at 6pm EST. Sony has also launched a countdown website with the tagline “be the first to know”.

A report suggest that invites have been sent to media and investors for a ‘PlayStation Meeting’ in New York City on the same date.

The Wall Street Journal reports that people “familiar with the matter” have confirmed the event will indeed be an unveiling of the PlayStation 4.

The ‘Orbis’, which is the PlayStation 4 code name, has been the subject of an increasing number of high profile ‘leaks’ in recent weeks, including more than one alleged system specifications dossier. In January senior games studio sources announced the next PlayStation will utilise a brand new controller and that versions featuring a biometric sensor and LCD touch screen have been tested.

Sony has publicly suggested that the next PlayStation will not go on sale before Microsoft’s Xbox 360 successor. Whether this is a good plan is yet to be seen.

There have been rumours that the next Xbox will also be announced in some form before E3, but further leaks of information are not likely.

Train2Game News: PS4 and Xbox720 likely to be announced before E3

Posted on by

PS and XboxTrain2Game has discovered that Microsoft and Sony may reveal their next generation of consoles prior to E3 which takes place in June.

Rumours published in the February edition of Game Informer suggests that both companies are working on a press conference that is to be held near the time of the Game Developers Conference in March.

Sources have confirmed that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 systems will be revealed before E3, though specific dates or events have not been finalised.

“We hear that both Sony and Microsoft are targeting special Apple-style press conferences to unveil their platforms near the Game Developers Conference in late March,” reads the Game Informer report.

“E3 in June may be the industry’s biggest event, but both companies want to give their systems their own limelight,” the piece adds.

Analyst Colin Sebastian of Baird Equity Research also suggested that the PS4 price and Xbox 720 price could be £225 to £275 if the prices are equal to the American predictions.

“Our checks suggest that next-generation console hardware will be largely built from ‘off the shelf’ high-end PC components, along with hybrid physical/digital distribution models, enhanced voice controls and motion sensing (Kinect integration with every Xbox), and broad multi-media capabilities,” Sebastian added.

“The cost of production and retail price points should be lower than prior console launches.”

Sebastian also estimated that the Xbox 720 release date is expected for November, while the PlayStation 4 release date may be later than November due to “early production issues”.

Train2Game News: Games industry speculation about ‘spectacular’ new consoles

Posted on by

GAMESTOP CEO Paul Raines expects a next-gen console next year with another to follow in 2014.

On top of that EA – one of the largest games companies in the World says we should look forward to the gaming future.

Paul Raines speculates that Microsoft’s Xbox 720 and Sony’s Playstation 4 will not both be coming out in 2013 like previously thought. One will be released in 2013 with the other following in 2014.

Which comes first remains to be seen.

Mr Raines said “This week, I’m getting a lot of rumours that are very interesting about 2013 but we have not been expecting two more consoles in 2013.

“We’re expecting Wii U this Christmas, another console next year, and another one in ’14. These rumours change every week, but we’re hearing more about next year.”

EA Labels president Frank Gibeau has said the number of gamers has raised exponentially. 10 years ago there was an estimated 200 million worldwide. Now the number is estimated at almost 2 billion.

He added that EA has several new IPS in the works ready for launch with the next-gen consoles.

Mr Gibeau said “The time to launch an IP is at the front-end of the hardware cycle, and if you look historically the majority of new IPS are introduced within the first 24 months of each cycle of hardware platforms. Right now, we’re working on three to five new IPs for the next gen.

“When you launch a new IP it needs to do something really, really remarkable, and that’s easier to do when you have a new set of technology that gives you novel capabilities.

“I’ve seen the machines that we’re building games for, and they’re spectacular.”

Train2Game News: Sony on PlayStation 4 – “The number one goal is to be the best machine”

Posted on by
Reply

Sony believe that the quality of PlayStation 4 will be more important than rushing their next console out to complete with the Xbox 720. That’s according to Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton.

Of course, neither Microsoft or Sony has confirmed they’re working on a next-gen console, but various signs from both have pointed in that direction.

“The number one goal is to be the best machine”. Tretton told GameTrailers when asked if it was important for PlayStation 4 to launch before Xbox 720.

“We’ve never been first, we’ve never been cheapest, it’s about being best, and I think if you can build a better machine and it’s going to come out a little bit later, that’s better than rushing something to market that’s going to run out of gas for the long-term.” he said.

“I think, ideally, in a perfect world, you want the best machine that ships first, that’s cheapest, but the number one goal is to be the best machine and that’s what we’re always focused on.” The SCEA CEO added.

There’s more about next-gen consoles here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are your thoughts on Jack Tretton’s comments? Do you agree that quality is better to focus on than rushing a new console out?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Next-gen consoles won’t solve ‘creative problems’ of games says Warren Spector

Posted on by
Reply

Train2Game students might be eagerly anticipating news of next-gen consoles, but the arrival of PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720 won’t help solve the most common problems of game design in video games.

At least that’s according to Deus Ex creator Warren Spector, who is currently working on the recently announced Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two for Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

“If it comes, it comes; when it comes, it comes,” he told Edge on the on subject of next-gen consoles.

“I’m not a tech guy, particularly. I’m a design, story, character guy. I think most of the problems we have to solve are creative ones, not technical ones.” said Spector, not revealing what he believes the creative problems of game design are.

“Obviously we make software, so there’s always a technical element to what we do, but I will make games that do whatever I want them to do at the end of the day, and I will use whatever technology available.” the Deus Ex creator added.

Other developers, such as Epic Game’s Cliff Bleszinski, have previously stated they’d like next-gen consoles to come with extremely high-end technology.

For the latest news and reports about next-gen consoles, keep reading The Train2Game Blog.

So, what are your thoughts on Spector’s comments? Should developers be focusing on creative problems rather than technical ones?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: PlayStation 4 not coming “anytime soon” say Sony

Posted on by
Reply

Train2Game students waiting for next-gen consoles might be disappointed by this, as Sony say they won’t be launching a PlayStation 4 “anytime soon.”

“In terms of when you talk about [the next generation] and when you announce it, it really depends on the health of the existing platform and the other things you have going on,” Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO Jack Tretton told IGN

“And right now, we’re focused on PlayStation 3, and I’ve got another platform (PlayStation Vita) to get out the door in seven days, so I don’t want to be thinking about trying to launch new technology anytime soon. I want to focus all our energy on our console business, which is really just hitting its stride, and Vita, which really deserves a dedicated push from us.” he said.

And Tretton added that talking about a PlayStation 4 this year would be distracting.

“I, quite frankly, would be very distracted if I had to be talking about next generation hardware this year.” he concluded.

The Train2Game Blog has previously reported that rumours suggest a next-generation Xbox console will be released in 2013.

Keep reading The Train2Game Blog for the latest reports on next-gen consoles.

What do you make of Tretton’s comments? Do you believe the PlayStation 3 still has many years of life left in it?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Uncharted needs PS4 for next big improvements

Posted on by
Reply

Train2Game students are living in time when video games look better than ever, with the Uncharted series being some of the best looking titles of the lot.

And while the upcoming Uncharted 3 is graphically improved over its predecessor, developers Naughty Dog say the jump isn’t as big as it was between Uncharted 2 and the original. They believe a next generation console is needed in order to recreate this level of improvement.

Speaking to Spong, Game Director Justin Richmond revealed that changes to the Uncharted’s engine have been tweaks rather than massive upgrades.

“Uncharted 3 isn’t just an incremental update – we did change lots and lots of things – but graphically speaking, it’s not going to have the same gap, it was never going to happen.” he said.

And the Uncharted 3 Game Director believes we won’t see another huge jump on the PlayStation 3, hinting that we’ll only see a similar boost when Sony release a next-generation console.

“The way we made it, how much of the PS3’s power we were using… that huge gap that you saw between Uncharted 1 and 2 is the kind of thing that really only happens once per generation. We pushed it really hard.” said Richmond.

Train2Game students may be interested to find out that Naughty Dog only managed to make improvements to Uncharted 3 by re-writing the engine, and it’s something they’d prefer to do only once per console cycle.

“Uncharted 2 to 3 is still a jump, but it’s a narrower jump. And going forward, it depends on what we do. There are always ways to improve stuff, always ways we can pull out more stops… like changing optimisations, changing streaming animations, getting more polygons on screen, progressive mesh,” Richmond said.

“But I don’t think you’ll ever see that same jump again, at least on a PlayStation 3. There was just so much power left over in the PS3 when we made Uncharted 1, that we figured out how to use and really took it to town when developing Uncharted 2.” the Uncharted 3 Game Director concluded.

As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, the Uncharted 3 have a something of a “make it up as we go along” thing when it comes to game design.

Meanwhile, Train2Game students interested in how Uncharted 3’s script is written and performed should check out this behind the scenes look on the Train2Game blog.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Richmond’s comments? Do you believe a new console is needed in order to make another leap forward? Does that leap need to be made?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Spong]

Ubisoft want next-gen consoles, Sony see no need…yet. Where do you stand Train2Game?

Posted on by
Reply

As Train2Game blog readers will be aware, at E3 Nintendo revealed the Wii U, making them the first of the three major game industry manufacturers to produce new hardware.

Some believe that this should persuade Sony to produce a new console, but Sony boss Jack Tretton says there isn’t any rush to make a PlayStation 4.

“I didn’t see anything about Nintendo’s announcement that said ‘Oh, we’d better get working on rolling out a new PlayStation here pretty soon.’ Tretton told Forbes.

“What we’ve seen from the competition is trying to add features that already exist in PlayStation 3,” he said. “We invested heavily in that, we rolled a very heavy rock up a steep hill, through the launch period. But now I think that all pays off, and we’ve got a long runway behind it.”

Ubisoft on the other hand believe that the time is right for a new console generation, and that new consoles will inspire game developers, game designers  and game artists to be more creative.

“I always like a new generation of consoles because it’s really the best way for us to be more creative. It gives you lots of new ways to create.” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told GamesIndustry.biz.

“And also the gamers are more open to innovation when a new console is coming, they don’t consider all the brands the same way, so they go after something completely new and they try it.”

“When the machines have been there for a long time you can always improve and increase the quality, but you don’t make revolutions in the way things are done.”

“I think it is time, it is time [to move on]. And that’s why I’m very happy when Nintendo comes with a new console.” He added.

It’s not the first time Ubisoft has mentioned their keen for a new console generation. As reported by the Train2Game blog last month, the publisher said they want next-gen consoles ‘sooner rather than later’

Meanwhile, as reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this year, job adverts from Microsoft suggested that their already looking into their next console.

So Train2Game, where do you stand? Do current consoles still have some way to go? Or do you agree with Ubisoft in that the game industry needs new ones to push forward creativity?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Game Informer & GamesIndustry.biz]

Ubisoft want next-gen consoles ‘sooner rather than later’

Posted on by
1

Earlier this year, the Train2Game blog reported that job listings suggested that Microsoft was looking to start work on their next console.

Now, while there’s still no information at all about anything called an Xbox 720 – as much as those on Train2Game courses want news! – Ubisoft want the next generation of games consoles to come ‘sooner rather than later’

“I’ll leave that up to Microsoft and Sony to say for certain.” Said Ubisoft UK boss Rob Cooper when asked by MCV when Sony and Microsoft may reveal the PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720.

“But I’d echo something Yves said earlier this year: there have been tons of technological advances since the last round of consoles was released, and we’d love to see those advances included in new consoles sooner rather than later.” He said

“That’s because the sooner we have the next generation of consoles to build on, the sooner we can leverage those advances to create the next generation of video games.

“The peripherals and the updates to the existing generation have been great, but it’s typically new consoles that really spark innovation from publishers and the demand from customers.” The Ubisoft publishing boss added.

In March, the Train2Game blog gave you a taste of what the next-gen might look like thanks to the Unreal Engine ‘Samaritain’ demo. Any Train2Game student interested in the future of gaming (That’s all of you) should have a look.

So Train2Game, do you think we’ll see the next generation of consoles in the next few years? Are they needed to spark innovation? Or is there enough excitement in the games industry right now?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: MCV)

A useful insight for Train2Game students into game development from Killzone 3 dev Guerilla Games

Posted on by
Reply

Killzone 3 Train2Game blog image

There are no doubt some Train2Game students are looking forward to the release Killzone 3 this week, with reports suggesting that it’s the best ever looking game on the PlayStation 3.

You can see how the game looks for yourself on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

It’s led to some speculation as to whether the PlayStation 3 is capable of much more, but Killzone 3 Game Developers, Guerrilla Games, think there is a lot more to come from the Sony console.

“At the end of every project, we say, ‘we’ve maxed it out.’ I made that mistake at the end of Killzone 2,” Guerrilla Games Co-Founder Hermen Hulst told IndustryGamers. “We felt that we’d pushed it absolutely to the max. We now know from experience there’s always more mileage in the tech. You can always find new techniques.”

Hulst also mentioned that Guerrilla Games work with other Sony in-house developers – including LittleBigPlanet 2 Game Developers Media Molecule – to help push each other along, while each studio also produces their own tech.

“The guys that created LittleBigPlanet, I don’t think they would have been able to create a game that looks as great on someone else’s tech and that’s the same with us” said Hulst

“For example, in Killzone 2, we introduced anti-aliasing to get rid of the jagged edges. We’re using that, but an improved version that is much more efficient, so we actually leave space for more detail, bigger environments and more polygons. Compared to Killzone 2, Killzone 3’s polygon count is three times as high, so we’ve been able to find new space, probably averaging out to 40 percent.”

The Guerrilla Game Co-Founder also discussed how Game Designers and Game Developers work together in the studio.

“We’ve had one dedicated programmer on it and a number of designers that attend play test sessions and process the feedback. 3-D is here to stay. It’s like going from mono to stereo sound. You don’t necessarily change the tune or the lyrics, but still the effect can have a profound impact, and from a tech perspective, it’s not that expensive to put into a TV.”

So, along with some information about how a large Game Development studio works, what can Train2Game students take away from Hulst’s comments? Well, it’s that being creative is very important in the games industry and this creativity can help the PlayStation 3 – and other games consoles – stay current for a few years yet!

Hulst has recently been speaking about which games influenced the making of Killzone 3, you can find out which ones they are here on the Train2Game blog.

Killzone 3 is released this week; will it knock Call of Duty: Black Ops from the top of the UK Charts?

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Hulst’s comments about Game Development? Do you believe being creative with technology is the future of making video games look even better? Or are you now already waiting for the PlayStation 4?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. You can also Tweet us on the Train2Game Twitter account.

[Source: Industry Gamers]

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see the official Train2Game Game Jam website or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.