Clearly Sony’s PlayStation 4 has emerged from the nether to become perhaps the hottest and most sought-after next / current gen console. You could say that this happened because they are simply great at marketing or know how to manipulate the industry better than their competitors, but the truth is that they deserve their “win” more than most. For starters, of all the 8th gen machines it was the PS4 which offered the best overall value as well as the cheapest cost. The controversy leading up to the E3 event where Sony essentially opened the floodgates, won new fans and trounced Microsoft, seemed to have seriously damaged the Xbox One’s reputation even before it got out of the proverbial “gate”. At the same time, the PS4 came to be seen as a bastion for freedom with the DRM (digital rights management) policies of MS being cast aside like garbage in favor of those which actually allow gamers to have fun and explore what their console has to offer. Moving forward, here are some of the best things we’ve discovered about the PS4 (so far)…
The community
Say what you will about them, but Sony’s PlayStation community has always been an intelligent group that’s entirely devoted to gaming in all its different types. Considering that the emergent consoles are now moving toward integrating more obvious social features it only makes sense to try and make friends on the most “hip” and accommodating platform out there. Moreover, you’ll always find someone to play with as well, especially considering the PS community’s immense (and continually growing) size.
The Games
Looking back at the PlayStation 3 it becomes obvious that many of the top titles were essentially found on the 360 or PC as well. While this certainly isn’t a problem for fans or gamers (after all, who doesn’t like to get access to something?), it also means that there’s very little to increase sales to any one machine. In short, the PS4 is belting out all sorts of great exclusives which not only seek to further bolster their library of PS4 games, but also to help win additional sales.
This is important because modern console makers often depend on subsequent sales (not initial console sales which really only help to cover the costs of manufacture and so forth) to gain additional profits. Moreover, as Sony and their partners rake in new capital we see them becoming more apt to invest in ambitious new IP’s or other projects (i.e. – Project Morpheus / Sony VR goggles). In other words, when they win, we (as gamers) also win, and this principle is also in full effect in the indie market(s) as well. Furthermore, some of the best, most interesting games released (and headed our way) have in fact been created by independent game development studios.
The Controller
Equal parts historically true to form as well as forward-thinking in its design and features, Sony’s DualShock 4 controller is yet another great offering in a continuing line of designs put out by the company. The inclusion of a touchpad was pure genius of course, and it’s extremely likely that legions of developers will find intriguing new ways to utilize this new tool too, perhaps greatly expanding basic gameplay potential and so forth.
