Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2014/07/08/sony_playstation_2014_showcase/
Prepare yourself for PlayStation pr0n: Sony shows off PS 4 beta-fest
PlayStation TV, Destiny, The Order and more
Posted in Personal Tech, 8th July 2014 12:58 GMT
Pics It has been out in Japan since November, but Sony’s PlayStation TV is due in the UK this autumn and Sony was waving around a few of its game streaming boxes in London last week. The Japanese firm also presented a range of forthcoming games – most still in beta – along with that unicorn of gaming, a white PS4.
Sony's white PS4 will be released in September to coincide with the launch of Destiny
Sony didn’t go so far as to make the event Christmas themed, as many do at this time of year, but its PlayStation event is among a series of product showcases of goodies waiting in the wings for seasonal buying sprees.
Extend your gaming exploits with the PlayStation TV
The PlayStation TV comes across much like a compact portable hard drive, and although Sony refers to it as a micro-console, as it can play saved PSVita games, it’s mainly touted as the “ideal companion to PS4”. In short, it simply networks with your PS4 console using either Wi-Fi or Ethernet and enables a second TV to perform gaming duties.
A PS Vita card slot at the back allows saved games to be played
All in all, it saves PS 4 owners from lugging the box of delights from under the main telly to another screen when the rest of the household would prefer want to watch telly. The experience is intended to be as if you were playing on the actual PS 4 console and assuming a decent network connection, you shouldn't suffer any noticeable lag.
Getting connected to the main console
Not all games are supported though, those requiring a camera are out and likewise PS Vita games using the rear touchpad. To set it up, all you need is a Dualshock wireless controller and to be on the same network as the PS4. On release this autumn, the PlayStation TV will cost £85.
Watch Dogs plays from the console screen (left ) and streams to PlayStation TV screen (right)
Out on 9 September, Destiny is an FPS that’s set to be one of the biggest hits of 2014 – considering an estimated $500m has been spent on it, you’d expect it to be.
Developer Bungie’s mythic sci-fi romp has you battling with hostile aliens as a Guardian of Earth. There’s more to it than that and El Reg picked up its beta code at the event, so there will plenty to say on this title in just two months’ time.
It's Destiny: Activision's Keith Cox gives El Reg's Lucy Orr a rundown of the gameplay
Nothing says Victorian London like a shoot-'em-up...
You’ll have to wait until 2015 to become enmeshed in the The Order. Rather than Destiny’s world of 700 years into the future, developer Ready At Dawn’s third-person combat shooter is set in 1886. The scene is Victorian London and an order of knights is battling against an inhuman enemy that has it in for the lot of us. It’s “history’s darkest secret” apparently, and as you fight this war that has "gone on for centuries", you can change the course of history – but first you'll have to wait until its release on 20 February 2015.
Ready At Dawn's The Order isn't due out until next year
In the Dev area, the were opportunities aplenty to check out new titles, with a sneak peek of the the new Incredibles game that will accompany the film release that was made official in March this year.
Other titles on show didn’t have Destiny’s blockbuster budget behind them nor its character rendering detail – Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, which was also up and running, was a case in point.
Pull up a chair and try out the latest betas
Away from the caped crusader and other flappy costume figures, tucked away in a trailer outside, there was plenty of fun to be had playing Little Big Planet 3. It’s a game that just makes you want to join in, no matter your level of skill. So you correspondent did just that, with Sarah Wellock from XDev guiding us through the moves to get Sackboy and friends safely through the Imagisphere on Planet Bunkum.
Drop your weapons and have fun with Little Big Planet 3
The game introduces a new bird character, Swoop, and additional gaming mechanics – such as power-ups – that bestow additional talents to the characters to assist with various tasks. Graphically appealing and with catchy music too, Little Big Planet 3 is due for release in November 2014.
A new character and new moves too
Talking of music, lest we forget, SingStar. Karaoke anyone? No, we didn’t fancy it either, although the stage of old tellies was a nice touch. As for SingStar, what can you do to make singalong “social gaming” title better? How about dispensing with microphones. Yay! So the participants mime? That could be less painful.
The SingStar stage was blissfully quiet but eyecatching nonetheless
Alas no, Sony isn’t that charitable, but it will save you a few quid on microphones as the new release due later this year features an app that will allow you to sing into your phone and use that as the mic instead. Still, if the karaoke does extend to a boozy bawl in the wee small hours, the chances are the smartphone battery will eventually give up the ghost – let’s hear it for Silent Night. ®