Gamescom 2014 Sony PlayStation Roundup – All You Need to Know

There’s no two ways about it, the Sony PlayStation 4 is handily winning this generation’s console war, outselling the Xbox almost 2 to 1 in some regions. The lower price, relaxed DRM and focus on games definitely went down well with the gaming community. After Microsoft’s exciting showing at Gamescom 2014 (Read all about it here), it was Sony’s turn to bring in the big guns, and they didn’t disappoint. From brand new IPs, to exclusives and a host of indies, PlayStation 4’s early adopters have definitely made the right decision. Here’s all you need to know about Sony’s press conference in Gamescom 2014!

Must read: Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4

Sony at Gamescom 2014 – The Essentials

The Big Exclusives

The conference started off with a bang, showing off the first ever gameplay trailer for the fantastic looking action RPG Bloodborne. Developed in house at SCE Japan Studios and directed by Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki, Bloodborne looks slick, brutal and will most probably have gamers tearing their hair out in frustration. In short, we’re loving it!

There was also a trailer for the new Infamous: Second Son DLC shown off, along with a look at LittleBigPlanet 3.

10 Million PlayStation 4’s Sold Worldwide

As far as sales are concerned, Sony is well and truly ahead, announcing that a whopping 10 million consoles have been sold worldwide since launch. Microsoft hasn’t officially revealed any numbers yet, but most sources say that it has sold somewhere around 6-7 million units, far behind Sony’s number. But then again, the Xbox One is all set to enter 26 new markets this September, so there could be an improvement there.

Indies!

Sony’s got some pretty great backing from indie developers, and games like Journey have actually defined the last console generation. This time around, there’s a lot more to look forward to, with Rime, The Tomorrow Children, Volume, Hollowpoint, Runemaster and a nifty looking mystery game called the Vanishing of Ethan Carter. If indies are your thing, then the PlayStation 4 seems to be the way to go!

Hellblade

When the Devil May Cry reboot was announced, it was met with a fair share of criticism for reinventing a beloved character and changing the tone of proceedings. Upon release, however, it was met with positive response from both gamers and critics, and praised for its graphics, story and of course, action. Developers Ninja Theory announced their new action game called Hellblade with a brutal looking CGI trailer, and announced that it would be a timed exclusive to the PlayStation 4.

DayZ Coming to the PlayStation 4

It began as a mod for ArmA, and quickly grew into something of a phenomenon on Steam. This cooperative zombir survival shooter is available on PC right now, but will be coming to the PlayStation 4 with improved visuals, which will also benefit PC users.

Destiny

Bungie’s new project may be coming to other platforms as well, but will offer exclusive content to PlayStation owners. GameStop’s most preordered new IP in history has been receiving rave reviews from all corners of the web, and Sony fans will be able to get early access to a map and two expansions. Looks like the creators of the much loved Halo franchise are well on their way to making another iconic series!

Far Cry 4’s Exclusive Content

Apart from Destiny, PlayStation owners will also get exclusive Far Cry 4 content, along with a new feature called ‘Keys to Kyrat’, which will let players send upto 10 friends keys that let them play Far Cry 4 online even if they don’t own the game. The only catch is that they can play only for 2 hours. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting mechanic that might just catch on in the near future. Far Cry 4 is all set to release this November on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Trailers for Metal Gear Solid 5 and Shadows of Mordor

Apart from a new story trailer for the excellent Shadows of Mordor, there was a showing from Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear Solid 5, which involved Snake stealth killing enemies using boxes (with sexy pictures, might we add) and then putting a PlayStation 4 box on his head. We aren’t joking.

The Firmware 2.0 Update

Last year’s promised feature, Share Play will finally be making its way to the PlayStation 4, and will let friends jump in and play games online even if one of them doesn’t own the game. Described as a ‘virtual couch’, it will allow gamers to share games and play multiplayer no matter where they are, and even if one of them hasn’t bought the game. It will also allow friends to take control of another console, say when you need help killing that one difficult boss. An amazing feature, we think!

Until Dawn and Alienation

Until Dawn is a new IP from Supermassive Games that follows a bunch of teenagers stuck in a storm and stalked by a psychotic masked killer. Sound familiar? This Friday the 13th-esque horror game will feature all you’d expect from the genre including tons of gore, decapitations and of course, teens making wrong decisions. It looks fantastic, seems to be non-linear, and will allow players to decide the fate of the gang. Bring it on!

If you were an early adopter of the PlayStation 4, Resogun was probably one of those games that pushed you to go the Sony way. Coming up from the same devs is a suitably brutal and crazy looking shooter called Alienation. This top down action shooter is a PlayStation 4 exclusive as well.

Wild, Revealed

The most interesting reveal of the whole conference for us, however, was Wild. A new indie game from Michel Ancel, director of absolute gems like Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil, Wild is an open world adventure-cooperative game that lets you play as both animals and cavemen in a prehistoric setting. Not much was revealed about the game as such, but the trailer showed off some amazing environments, and had that trademark Ancel touch to it. Considering his past track record, this could be one of the best games of next year.

Thus ended both big press conferences at this year’s Gamescom. We say that both camps had s0lid presentations all around, and there’s no clear winner. Let us know what you think!