Will they or won’t they? That’s the question on everyone’s mind, though most outlets have more or less predicted that Sony will indeed be announcing the Playstation 4 on February 20th (and if not the device itself, then at least acknowledging its existence).
However, there have been talks of other possibilities – and it is rather conspicuous that Sony would be revealing its next console both before E3 and after stating that they wouldn’t release their console before Microsoft (key emphasis on the word “release”, not “announce” in this case). The jury is still out but here’s our top 10 for announcements that could happen over the Playstation 4.
10. New Franchises
This is pretty much a given. Hopefully, we won’t have any instances of “Giant Enemy Crab” this time around. The question is: Will we see it on February 20th – maybe a few hints and build to the main showing – or not?
9. Returning Sequels for Next Gen
Of the two options, this feels less likely. Sony could showcase tech demos that form the template for games later on. We may see something like, say, Agni’s Philosophy running on the next generation hardware. It’s highly possible we may see the next Gran Turismo and something –cars make for pretty tech demos after all – but a franchise like Killzone?
It’s not a stretch, but again, why not at E3 where more people will be watching? Then again, Sony could give hints about these franchises leading up to the reveals at E3, but it just seems more like something you’d premier at the biggest show in the gaming industry.
8. New Motion Sensing Technology
We know about the motion camera, and how it could be improved to allow for depth and individual finger tracking. The question is will it be a significant enough development to allow for Sony to introduce it as the main attraction on February 20th? Furthermore, the combo of the Playstation Eye and Playstation Move hasn’t exactly moved the needle in favour of Sony like Kinect did for Microsoft or the Wii did for Nintendo. Does it make sense to continue trudging along with it? Nonetheless, Sony has always positioned itself as the solution for the hardcore gamer interested in motion controller games. If this new development provides even a hint of what we’ll see in the coming months – like the discussion behind the technology Sony will be used it – it could be intriguing.
