Playstation 4 - Out November 29th in Australia & New Zealand

Sony have confirmed that the PS4 will launch this November in multiple countries during their press event at GamesCom. Check out the full press release below for those details and even more goodness.

 SYDNEY, 21 August 2013 - At the gamescom trade fair in Cologne, Germany, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. (SCEE) today revealed that the highly anticipated PlayStation®4 (PS4™) computer entertainment system will be arriving in SCEE regions, including Australia and New Zealand, from 29th November 2013. A huge range of software and entertainment services were also unveiled, including five all-new PS4 titles from SCE Worldwide Studios – Rime, Hell Divers, Shadow of the Beast, Resogun™ and Everybody’s Gone to The Rapture.

Showing a clear commitment to delivering gamers fresh new experiences, the conference featured a non-stop series of announcements for new games across PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), PlayStation®3 (PS3™) and the upcoming PS4. As promised by Jim Ryan, President and CEO of SCEE, at the opening of the presentation: “We have always been committed to making next generation products but now we’re increasingly focused on making those products for next-generation gamers.”

In addition to the PS4 excitement, fans were also delighted to learn of a price drop on PS Vita, Memory Card for PS Vita and PS3 12GB model for the European region. As of 2nd September 2013, in Australia, the recommended retail price for PS Vita Wifi and 3G models will be reduced to AUD$269.95 and the PS3 12GB model will also retail with a recommended retail price of AUD$269.95.

Along with the price drop, new titles for PS Vita were showcased, including Murasaki Baby and BigFest™.

Away from software and hardware there was a notable drive behind PlayStation®Plus (PS Plus), and the services that will be available on PS4 such as the instant game collection, cloud storage and immersive online multiplayer play along with the exciting new titles Resogun™ and #DRIVECLUB PS Plus Edition for PS4 and Assassin’s Creed® III for PS3 instant game collection.

It was also announced that Twitch, the world’s leading video platform and community for gamers, will come to PS4 globally. This will enable gamers to live stream their gameplay as well as view the live broadcasts of others as part of the “spectate” feature on PS4, enhancing the overall user experience.

Additionally, there was an emphasis on the wider services that will be available on the new PS4 via the PSNSM. SCEE has increased the roster of video services and apps to include the likes of Tunein, IGN and VidZone (Pan-European), Watchever, Maxdome and LoveFilm (Germany), Wuaki and TotalChannel (Spain), BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport, BBC News, Demand5 and LoveFilm (UK), Tvigle (Russia), RTBF and DVDPost (Belgium), Ximon (Netherlands / Belgium), Pathe (Netherlands), Viaplay (Nordics), and FilmoTV, Jook and GameOne (France). VIP broadband will also be introduced with a selection of partners including Deutsche Telekom, Orange (France), Virgin Media (UK), and ONO (Spain).

PlayStation®’s enthusiasm was matched by that of major third party publishers. Ubisoft gave the world its first look at Assassin’s Creed®IV: Black Flag™ remote play on PS Vita and gave updates on Watch_Dogs. Gaijin Entertainment, MoJang and EA were also on-hand to give a glimpse into what gamers can expect from them for PS4.

PlayStation gamescom Conference 2013 – In Summary:

PLAYSTATION®4

The much anticipated release date for PS4 was confirmed as 29th November 2013 in the following regions

·         Australia

·         Austria

·         Belgium

·         Denmark

·         Finland

·         France

·         Germany

·         Ireland

·         Italy

·         Luxemburg

·         Netherlands

·         New Zealand

·         Norway

·         Poland

·         Portugal

·         Russia

·         Spain

·         Sweden

·         Switzerland

·         United Kingdom

An exciting lineup of upcoming software was presented from:

SCE Worldwide Studios

·         A new video was showcased for THE PLAYROOM the exciting camera-based experience which will come pre-loaded onto every PS4

·         Hell Divers – a new cross-play title exclusive to PlayStation platforms for 2014

·         Shadow of the Beast – a first look at this new vision of an iconic Amiga game

·         Resogun™– a pure arcade shooter boasting addictive and challenging gameplay

·         Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture from indie developers The Chinese Room, award-winning makers of acclaimed title Dear Esther – only available on PS4

·         Rime – An open world adventure / puzzle game from Tequila Works

·         New video of inFAMOUS™: Second Son, the hugely anticipated title from Sucker Punch Studios

·         Brand new footage of Killzone™: Shadow Fall multiplayer component

Third Party Partners

·         Yves Guillemot showcased great upcoming titles from Ubisoft including a live demo of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

·         The audience was also shown exclusive video content for Watch_Dogs before the upcoming Watch_Dogs movie in partnership with Sony Pictures was announced

·         Jim Ryan also re-emphasized the importance of 3rd party partners and their key role in maintaining trust amongst fans, with reference to titles such as Destiny™, LEGO® Marvel™ Super Heroes, EA Sports™ FIFA 14, Call of Duty®: Ghosts, Skylanders Swap Force™, War Thunder by Gaijin Entertainment, and Minecraft by MoJang.

Third Party Partners - Independent Studios

·         Re-cap on the simplified approach to self-publishing on PS4 due to the supercharged PC architecture of the platform

·         Upcoming independent titles showcased included: N++ (Metanet), Volume (Mike Bithell), Wasteland Kings (Vlambeer), The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Nicalis), Guns of Icarus Online (Muse Games), Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (Dennaton Games and Devolver Digital), Assault Android Cactus (Witch Beam), FEZ (Polytron Corporation), Final Horizon (Eiconic Games), Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games), Samurai Gunn (Teknopants), Starbound (Chucklefish), Switch Galaxy Ultra (Atomicom) and Velocity 2X (FuturLab)

·         Many of these independent titles available for PS4 will also be available on PS Vita, including: FEZ (Polytron Corporation), Velocity 2X (FuturLab), Volume (Mike Bithell), Wasteland Kings (Vlambeer), The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Nicalis), Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (Dennaton Games and Devolver Digital) and Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games),

PLAYSTATION®3

·         Innovative new partnership between Gran Turismo®6 (GT6) and leading auto manufacturers to bring exclusive concept vehicles to life in the ultimate racing simulator

·         Sony Pictures are developing a full length feature film inspired by the GT franchise. Produced by Michael Deluca and Dana Brunetti the film will capture the adrenalin of the racing world and a human dimension will be inspired by GT Academy

·         LittleBigPlanet HUB, a new free-to-play service heading to PS3 later in the year was unveiled, offering gamers from novices to hard-core enthusiasts ease of access to the extensive library of games and expansive array of entertainment services

·         Upcoming independent titles showcased including FEZ (Polytron Corporation), Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games) and Supermagical (Tama Games)

·         The RRP of the PS3 12GB model will be reduced to AUD$269.95 as of 2nd September 2013 in Australia

PLAYSTATION®VITA

·         Library of almost 150 dedicated games and access to over 900 titles including PSP® (PlayStation Portable), Minis, PS One and PlayStation®Mobile

·         PS Vita is offering all types of gamers fun, interesting, and compelling experiences legitimizing PS Vita as the gamer’s mobile platform

·         As of 2nd September 2013 in Australia, the RRP of PS Vita will be AUD$269.95 alongside a reduction in the RRP of the Memory Card for PS Vita

o 4GB – AUS$19.95, 8GB – AUD$26.95, 16GB – AUD$46.95, 32GB – AUD$84.95

·         Over 25 new titles coming to PS Vita over the next 12 months including:

o    Top selling Borderlands 2 from 2k Games

o Also coming to PS Vita is LEGO® Marvel™ Super Heroes from Warner Bros and Football Manager  Classic 2014 from SEGA, offering the full PC game available for portable gaming for the very first time including continuous play between the PC and PS Vita versions

o Killzone: Mercenary, launching on 4th September 2013 - demonstrated PS Vita’s potential to deliver home console quality FPS with graphics and gameplay to match

o Tearaway™, launching in Australia on 20th November 2013 – won the E3 Critics choice award for best handheld game, showcased PS Vita’s ability to deliver truly innovative gameplay, with that distinctive Media Molecule charm

o Murasaki Baby, which has been designed specifically around PS Vita touch controls by start-up Italian developer Ovosonico, led by acclaimed industry veterans Massimo Guarini and Gianni Ricciardi

o BigFest™, a free-to- play game where music fans are invited to create, build and manage their ultimate music festival working with real unsigned bands in a unique collaboration with online music portal Jamendo

o The highly anticipated Starbound from Chucklefish, the smash hit FEZ from Phil Fish and the sequel to one of the highest rated shooters of all time, Velocity 2X from FuturLab, as well as Age of Zombies (BlitWorks), A-Men 2 (Bloober Team), Assault Android Cactus (Witch Beam), Avoid Droid (Infinite State Games), Broken Sword: the Serpent’s Curse (Revolution Software), Eufloria HD (Omni Systems), Final Horizon (Eiconic Games), Flame Over (Laughing Jackal), Gravity Crash Ultra (Just Add Water), Gunslugs (Abstraction Games), Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (Dennaton Games and Devolver Digital), Joe Danger 1 (Hello Games), Joe Danger 2 (Hello Games), Kick & Fennick (Green Hill Studios), Muramasa Rebirth (Aksys Games), Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games), Samurai Gunn (Teknopants), Supermagical (Tama Games), Switch Galaxy Ultra (Atomicom), Table Top Racing (Ripstone), Volume (Mike Bithell) and Wasteland Kings (Vlambeer)

PSNSM

·         Popular entertainment service VidZone, currently available for PS3, was announced for PS4, and TuneIn and IGN were confirmed for PS3, PS Vita and PS4 across multiple SCEE regions

·         Enhanced Music Unlimited specifically for PS4 through a new user interface that is faster, simpler and better enables gamers to discover new artists and songs within the global catalog of 22 million tracks. Furthermore, “Play as you listen to music in the background” feature will be ready for PS4 launch

·         Over 20 video services and applications coming to PS4 across Europe: Watchever, Maxdome and LoveFilm (Germany), Wuaki and TotalChannel (Spain), BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport, BBC News, Demand5 and LoveFilm (UK), Tvigle (Russia), RTBF and DVDPost (Belgium), Ximon (Netherlands / Belgium), Pathe (Netherlands), Viaplay (Nordics), and FilmoTV, Jook and GameOne (France)

·         Twitch, the world’s leading video platform and community for gamers, will come to PS4 globally. This will enable gamers to live stream their gameplay as well as view the live broadcasts of others as part of the “spectate” feature on PS4, enhancing the overall user experience

·         Broadband partnerships with: Deutsche Telekom , Orange (France), Virgin Media (UK), and ONO (Spain)

·         When it launches on PS4, PS Plus will give members access to features such as the instant game collection, cloud storage and immersive online multiplayer play along with the exciting new titles Resogun™ and #DRIVECLUB PS Plus Edition for PS4 and Assassin’s Creed® III for PS3 instant game collection

·         Great perks announced for the service including a 14-day free trial with every PS4 purchased and 90 days free upon signing up for a year’s membership