Sony’s E3 2014 press conference: greater daring and diversity seal another confident

http://media.edge-online.com/wp-cont...layStation.jpgPlayStation continues to outstrip Xbox at every turn this generation. Sony’s showcase had more surprises, more impressive game demos and far greater diversity than Microsoft’s briefing. Sony also had a wider range of things to talk about: there was PlayStation TV, Vita, PS Plus, Project Morpheus and the same kind of services Microsoft once focused on too much, but above all, the games therein simply looked better and more daring. This was a high pressure, high stakes showcase, and yet Sony’s executives were clearly brimming with the kind of easy confidence and good humour that comes with a significant lead in the console race, a superior games line-up and a richer ecosystem.Bungie’s Destiny led the way. A new hardware bundle complete with a white PS4 plus alpha and beta access for existing PS4 owners show the strength and extent of its partnership with Activision’s expensively-constructed next big thing. It’s an important deal for Sony, and not just because it feels like Xbox mainstay and Halo creator Bungie has somehow ‘switched sides’. It felt as if Sony was parking its tanks on Xbox’s lawn and declaring itself the ‘shooter box’ of choice this generation, countering Microsoft’s well-established Call Of Duty partnership with a wider variety of its own ‘better on PS4’ shooters. Later, a spectacular Far Cry 4 demo was backed up with the news that even PS4 owners who hadn’t bought the game could jump into the game’s co-op; Sony also had Battlefield Hardline in its armoury, with PS4 players able to sign up for its beta now.It all fed into what Andrew House talked about at the show’s outset, that his goal was to ensure that the biggest multiplatform games would look better and have exclusive content on PS4. Often, they’ll come to PlayStation first; there was a surprise remastering of Grim Fandango, for example, and all of Devolver Digital’s mouthwatering indie offerings – including Hotline Miami 2, Broforce and The Talos Principle – will debut on Sony consoles. Batman: Arkham Knight will have exclusive scarecrow missions on PS4, and those intending to pick up the newly ’next-gen’ GTAV will be able to transfer their online profile and progress to PS4 from PS3 and even Xbox 360. And let’s not forget No Man’s Sky, a game of stunning ambition which continues to dazzle with every new sighting. It was difficult to tell whether Hello Games’ Sean Murray wanted to cry or vomit (maybe both?) as he took the stage to confirm that it’ll arrive first on PlayStation.

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