With some really interesting ideas, Sony looks to be an even bigger player in the next generation.
But the biggest, and boldest, idea that Sony hopes to realize is making gaming a more connected experience. There are a few ways in which they hope to accomplish this. The first spoke on the wheel involves viewing other people play in a variety of methods. With the PS4, you'll be able to watch your friends play through the system's interface and can jump in at any time to view them. And if they are having a particularly diffuclt time in a certain section of a game, they can call on you to jump into their game from your console and take over. The PS4 has server architecture bult into the system, allowing others to act as clients, making it possible for someone to come in and play a game they don't even own. It is here where we can see the partnership with Gaikai to come to fruition with the PS4.
For anyone not on your friend list, the new controllers come equipped with a Share button. As you are playing, the PS4 will be archiving up to 15 minutes of gameplay, and with the press of the Share button, you'll be able to upload screenshots or video to various social networks like Facebook and Ustream. Now gamers will have a much easier time showing off an impressive feat in a game to the public without the need for capture cards and editing software.
Another big tennet in the connected experience is with the changes to the Playstation Store. Rather than scrolling through lots of menus to find games you may or may not like, the Store will keep track of all of the games that you buy and rate highly, and based on that, will load up recommendations for games that you will probably like if the system gets it correctly. It'll even go through the trouble of downloading games for you while in a standby mode, so that all you have to do is purchase the game and you can play it immediately. Sony also stated that all games will allow you to demo the full product, which would likely be a timed trial, a feature that was exclusive for Playstation Plus members on the PS3.
With all of this, I think it's clear what Sony is really trying to accomplish with the PS4. They want to expose you to as much content as possible in the simplest of ways, all without the need to search outside of the console. From the recommendations in the Store to you being able to watch friends and strangers play games in real time, you'll get a much more in-depth look at games than ever before. I think this is quite a brilliant idea, especially since the industry is really pushing towards an all-digital future. I think this is also key because it points to another trend within the industry, that being the quality of downloadable games has improved exponentially to the point where they can really compete with the "AAA titles" as many have called them. And with last year, I'd say I had more memorable experiences with downloadable games, so Sony is really looking to get those kinds of games the exposure they need and deserve.
It'll make just turning on the console more fun, and you won't even have to play any games at all in order to get some entertainment out of the experience. Seeing what games have been recommended every time you go to the Playstation Store could be exciting just to take a look at all of the new games. Maybe you get lost in watching friends play and checking the latest uploads that you run out of time to play a game, but in the end you discover games you'd like to try yourself and possibly buy. Or you just found some footage that would help you get through a part in a game you were having difficulty with. There are lots of experiences to be had on the PS4 that weren't easily available before.
