It was a big day for console news, as both Microsoft and Sony held huge press events where the pricing and availability for new consoles were revealed, along with many new games. Microsoft went first, revealing at the end of its press event that the Xbox One will retail for $499, €499, or £429 depending on the region. The console will be available in 21 different markets this November, though Microsoft did not yet specify an exact date.
Microsoft also showed off a number of titles for the Xbox One, claiming that 13 exclusive titles will ship before the end of 2014. Titles shown for the Xbox One included Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Crytek’s Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct, Insomniac’s Sunset Overdrive, Turn 10’s Forza Motorsport 4, Mojang’s Minecraft: Xbox One Edition, Remedy’s Quantum Break, D4, the Kinect and SmartGlass-powered Project Spark, Capcom Vancouver’s Xbox One exclusive Dead Rising 3, CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, EA DICE’s Battlefield 4, Capy’s Below, Black Tusk Studios’ unnamed title, a new Halo, and Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall.
Sony’s press event revealed that the PlayStation 4 would be arriving “this holiday season”for the price of $399, €399 or £349 depending on the region. While Sony was vague about the release date, it’s almost certain the console would be available before the Thanksgiving weekend in November, which is a huge shopping weekend.
Sony showed a huge number of games coming for the PS4, with the company claiming nearly 40 exclusive titles in the works. Sony also led off the event with the PS Vita, noting that the handheld console has more than 175 dedicated games and access to more than 650 other titles thanks to its PSP, PS Mobile, and PS Classics compatibility. The ability of the PS Vita to play PS4 games remotely was also mentioned, as every effort was made to revive interest in the device. “We’re making Vita the ultimate companion device for PS4,” SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton said.
Sony’s Worldwide Studios has more than 30 titles in development for PS4, about 20 of which are expected to launch in the first year, 12 of them brand new IPs. Sony showed a string of impressive games including The Order 1886, Killzone: Shadow Fall, DriveClub, Infamous: Second Son, Knack, Transistor, Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3, along with a string of indie games.
Sony made a show out of stating that there would be no restrictions on used games, and no connectivity requirements for the PS4, in an obvious dig at Microsoft. Sony also revealed that the PlayStation Plus program will extend to the PS4 (as well as the PS Vita), providing free games and other benefits for less than $5 per month (one account works on all the platforms you have).
The crowd responded very positively to Sony’s pricing and policies. It will be interesting to see how the events are reported and spun in the next few days, and the reactions of the larger gaming audience.
