I stayed up and watched Sony's E3 press conference tonight, as it's usually a good show. This year it perhaps wasn't their strongest performance compared to some of their other recent efforts — last year in particular being a very memorable highlight — but it was still an enjoyable presentation.
The thing I like about Sony's presentations in particular is that they never forget why they're there: for the games, for the players. Sony's presentation this year was almost minimalist in the amount of explanation and talking there was: rather than hours of Andrew House extolling the virtues of the PlayStation's OS and additional services, the team instead elected largely to let the game footage and trailers do the talking.
And for sure, Sony certainly seems to have a solid lineup in the coming year. Of particular note were the PlayStation VR titles, which included a surprisingly good-looking Resident Evil VII (which, in the absence of a new Silent Hill game, very much appeared to be going down the "psychological horror" route, a decision that I absolutely endorse) and, of all things, an absolutely gobsmacking-looking new Call of Duty that appeared to feature seamless transitions between wandering around a capital ship, flying a small fighter craft, hopping out in zero gravity to cause mischief, then jumping back in when the mission was complete.
PlayStation VR is probably the most exciting thing Sony has lined up in the near future, and it's coming relatively soon: it's set for an October release. At the moment I'm having some difficulty picturing how it will work, particularly after having had a go with the room-scale gameplay of the HTC Vive at my friend Tim's house (an experience which I will write about at some point soon, since I haven't already) but I have faith Sony will do something cool with it.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about PlayStation VR, though, is the fact that, as a console VR platform, it's likely to give VR as a whole a kick up the backside into starting to produce full-scale games rather than the more experimental fare that make up the majority of the Vive and Oculus Rift libraries at present. Its (relatively) affordable price point also puts it within reach of consumer electronics enthusiasts, too, so it's going to be one of the main ways everyone starts getting VR headsets in their houses, I think. And I'm really excited to have a go on some of the games Sony was showing off.
So while there weren't any huge bombshells in Sony's presentation — apart from a release date for The Last Guardian, finally, along with confirmation that Hideo Kojima is indeed working on something that looks both baffling and awesome — it was a solid showing. Not their best, but nothing to be ashamed of either. And once again, while Microsoft, Ubisoft and EA all pander to their investors, Sony proves that they know that without the people who play the games, there wouldn't be an E3 at all.
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I'm gonna have to be realistic here. Sony's conference was mostly showmanship. That stuff looks good and we'll probably enjoy playing it, but I'm willing to guess much of it won't even be out before next E3. Sony won in terms of spectacle, but I think much of what was at its 2015 conference isn't even out yet. But you're right that Sony is playing directly to the hearts and minds of its customers. I'm convinced it's a good idea to get a PS4 this year even if I also plan to upgrade my PC.
On the flipside, it absolutely makes economic since for everybody else to be playing to the investors. That's what E3 was made for. The original audience was always retailers, investors, and the mainstream press that usually doesn't turn its attention toward video games.
Actually let me also say for a bit that the PC Gaming Show might have actually been just as much "for the gamers." A lot of it was updates for games that are already out, and a ton of it was basically a talk show with the developers.
But anyway, a more important thing to note is that Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA, and Bethesda at least showed off more stuff that we'll actually be able to play within the next nine months.
Doesn't seem like you can edit comments so I'll add: Sony's focusing on the games with Microsoft focusing a bit more on the OS and such because those are the advantages each one has. Sony leaned heavily on first party in that conference. Technically Microsoft did too I guess, but attached it to this ecosystem it's trying to build. The Xbox Live ecosystem is how Microsoft beat Sony last gen, and with fewer exclusives it's what Microsoft is trying to leverage now. Lastly, that's just what Microsoft is — an OS company. Windows is still a way bigger part of Microsoft's business than Xbox. Sony probably can't survive without PlayStation at this point.
I came away excited as an owner of a Sony console. Big studios came out of the woodwork with great looking stuff. VR seems serious about courting actual gamers. Content is enviable. Though the indie presence was surprisingly not present at all, and Xbox seems to be into building that multiplayer community with cross play and community features. That is actually really nice. I think for me multiplayer will mostly be done with Microsoft consequently. Windows 10 apps could be a valid steam alternative for some barring jankiness.