How PlayStation Move shaped the PS4
The PlayStation Move has been called a lot of bad names. It’s the PlayStation peripheral that’s least used by game devs, least purchased by console owners, and least spoken of by Sony itself. Some of that sentiment’s been turning lately, ever since Sony showed off Project Morpheus a few weeks ago and demonstrated what an impact something like Move has on virtual reality immersion (the controller works for both PS3 and PS4). And the guy who heads up PlayStation’s worldwide game studios, Shuhei ” Shu” Yoshida, says Move is responsible for far more than it’s given credit.
“This project was one of the very first hardware projects formed with three groups: the software engineering team at SCEA, the hardware engineers at SCEI in Japan, and the Worldwide Studios team making games using the motion controller,” Yoshida told attendees of a presentation tonight at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. He and PlayStation 4 lead architect Mark Cerny explained that this trifecta was the first in a string of major collaborations: PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, and now Project Morpheus.
The Move was originally called the “Y-con” (we’re checking on the spelling). Cerny highlighted the name on purpose: it’s representative of the trio of groups coming together on a single device. Three points in a Y, three groups at Sony — thus, the Y-con. Sony R&D engineer Richard Marks may be the man debuting new PlayStation peripherals (he’s based at SCEA), but his team’s work is the product of a collaboration with the folks actually making the games.
More than just three groups coming together, it was three groups at Sony working as one. It signaled a change from the previous approach to hardware in the gaming world. Yoshida offered an example by contrast: PlayStation 3′s Sixaxis controller.
Yoshida: I was managing the west development group at the time and I get a call from a product manager in Japan, like, three weeks before E3. And she told me that we should know that the new controller we’re developing, it has motion sensors in it. And I’m like, Oh, okay, great! So, look at that!
So she said, “We have a prototype we’ll send you, so can you make something to show at E3.”
Cerny: So they’d managed to develop a new controller without ever involving the person who made games for a consumer.
Yikes, right? Thankfully, the concept of “Y” solidified as time went on, and now we’ve got great devices like the PlayStation 4 and Vita to enjoy as a result. It won’t change our opinion of the Move’s lacking software library, but we can’t say we won’t look a bit more fondly on the poor old Move as the years roll on.
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals, Software, HD, Sony
The PlayStation 4 is getting a game you can play using your voice
Voice-controlled gaming isn’t quite as easy to pull off on the PlayStation 4 as it is on the Xbox One (that Kinect comes in handy), but Iridium Studios is out to prove that it’s no big challenge. The developer has revealed that it’s bringing its crowdfunded squad strategy title, There Came an Echo, to Sony’s console. As on the PC and Xbox, you can order your team around using little more than your voice. While the gamepad is very much usable, it’s not completely essential to finishing your mission.
The game’s voice system isn’t elaborate. Whether you’re on the PS4, PC or Xbox, you’re using canned (though expandable) commands to get people moving. However, that also means a consistent experience across platforms. And no, you won’t need a PlayStation Camera to get the full experience — the earpiece that came with your PS4 will do the job.
As to when you’ll get a copy? That’s the tricky part. While Iridium explains to us that development has been “remarkably easy” on the PS4, including early voice programming, it isn’t certain just when the game will reach the PlayStation Store. The PC version’s planned October release on Steam (with support for Intel’s RealSense voice technology) takes priority. There’s a chance that the PS4 and Xbox One editions will come out at the same time, but the studio says it’s willing to delay their launches if necessary. In the meantime, you can always check out the trailer below.
Source: Kickstarter, PlayStation Blog
EA Sports’ UFC game bends reality by letting you fight as Bruce Lee
If you’re EA, how do you build up hype for EA Sports UFC — a license-based fighting game where players will largely know what to expect? You promise them Bruce Lee, that’s what. Yes, PS4 and Xbox One gamers will get to pit the Game of Death star against the UFC roster despite a 41-year gap separating the two. You’ll have instant access to Lee if you pre-order, and he’s otherwise unlockable. EA justifies this by contending that Lee is the “father of mixed martial arts;” that sort of makes sense given Lee’s style and Judo knowledge, but the inclusion stretches the definition of MMA (and, arguably, taste) to the limit. If you’ve ever wanted to know how Jeet Kune Do fares against Brazilian Jiujitsu, though, you now have a good reason to look forward to EA Sports UFC‘s release on June 17th.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: AllGamesBeta, IGN
Source: EA Press Room
Final Fantasy XIV’s PlayStation 4 beta is now open to everyone
Fans of online role-playing games haven’t had much to do on the PlayStation 4 so far, but that’s all changing today. Square Enix has just opened up Final Fantasy XIV‘s PS4 beta test to everyone; from now until the morning of April 7th, you can battle monsters and ride Chocobos just by grabbing a free download from the PlayStation Store. This new beta phase runs on the same servers that PC and PS3 players use, so you should get a feel for real-world gameplay involving thousands of other adventurers. FFXIV doesn’t officially arrive on the PS4 until the 14th, but don’t fret about having to wait another week to play again — if the game enthralls you so much that you’ve pre-ordered (or already have an account), you can start playing on the 11th.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Square Enix
On Xbox One, game broadcasters are quickly catching up to PlayStation 4
Though Xbox One sales may be slightly behind that of the PlayStation 4, it looks like game broadcasting is taking off at a much quicker pace on Microsoft’s new console. In the first week of availability, 108K Xbox One owners took to Twitch to broadcast games; the same number was reached on the PlayStation 4 after 25 days of availability. This is largely due to Twitch broadcasting launching alongside the PS4, whereas broadcasting didn’t function on the Xbox One until early last month — resultantly, millions of Xbox One consoles were already out in the wild, whereas the PS4 had to be physically purchased and brought home before users discovered the glory of … mostly safe for work broadcasts. It also didn’t hurt that the Xbox One had its first major exclusive game, Titanfall, launching alongside game broadcasting (we even got in on the fun ourselves). Regardless, it looks like game broadcasting is proving more than just a passing fad.
Daily Roundup: Facebook’s visual history, Office for iPad and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Facebook: A visual history
Mark Zuckerberg’s social network turned 10 this year, so we took a look back at its design changes over the course of the decade. From profile redesigns to quarterly News Feed tweaks and open betas, constantly adapting aesthetics to catering to user habits has been a driving force for Facebook for quite some time.
Companies would be in charge of phone records under Obama’s new data collection proposal
Earlier today, the White House delimited its new proposal that places control of bulk phone call data with the telecom companies, not the government. If approved, each carrier will continue holding on to records for 18 months, but could be “compelled” under court order to cough them up.
Turkish government bans YouTube following attempt to remove corruption videos
The Turkish government has struck again, this time banning YouTube in what appears to be an attempt to remove videos that contain evidence of political corruption. At this point, the restriction is active on several ISPs and continues to roll out.
Office for iPad review: three beautiful apps, each with strong competition
After quite a few leaks, Microsoft officially outed its Office for iPad offering. Those curious to try it out will need an Office 365 subscription in order to opt in and OneDrive for cloud accessibility, making it an optimal choice for those already invested in Redmond’s wares. Click through for all of the details in our full review.
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Filed under: Announcements
The Last of Us coming to PS4 this summer with improved graphics
A PlayStation 4 port of highly acclaimed title The Last of Us will launch sometime this summer, a Sony spokesperson has let slip. Talking on CNN Turk’s Multiplayer gaming show, a PlayStation exec claimed the port will have better graphics than the PS3 version, and will be available both digitally and physically. PS4 copies will apparently include the Left Behind single-player DLC, so newcomers get the whole story upfront, and diehards get to replay a prettier rendition. Additional single and multiplayer content is in the works, too, but even a straight port should keep most superfans happy while they wait for the movie.
Source: CNN Turk (Multiplayer)
Watch Sony explain Project Morpheus and its VR plans for PlayStation
Virtual reality is (quite suddenly) a big deal. Sony introduced its Project Morpheus prototype headset for the PS4 at GDC, just days ago, and now the company has uploaded the hour-long presentation, including its development, awkward prototypes, the criteria it’s eventually aiming for and some early demos. It’s almost like you were there — which is entirely the point of VR.
Update: As a bonus, there’s even a special PlayStation-sanctioned hands-on.
Assassin’s Creed: Unity brings a French flair to stealth action on PC, PS4 and Xbox One
We hope you’re making good progress on Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, because there’s already a sequel on the way. Ubisoft has unveiled Assassin’s Creed: Unity, a follow-up that takes the stealthy game series to Paris during the French Revolution. Clearly, you can expect guillotines to play an important role. You’ll get a tiny hint of the experience in the teaser video below. However, it’s worth noting that the trailer only shows Unity coming to PCs, the PS4 and the Xbox One — there’s no mention of the Wii U or previous-generation systems. We’ve reached out to Ubisoft to check on platform support, but there’s a good chance that the developer is focusing all its attention on higher-end hardware this time around.
Via: Joystiq
Source: Ubisoft (YouTube)
Daily Roundup: Turkey bans Twitter, Peter Molyneux talks VR and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Leaked documents detail how and why NSA targets network admins
Thanks to several screengrabs uncovered by Edward Snowden, The Intercept derived new details regarding the NSA’s ability to monitor calls and emails. Once the agency gains access to a telco’s system admin PC, a user’s Facebook or web-mail account is susceptible to its surveillance malware.
Peter Molyneux wants more from VR than what’s available
Without failing to realize how far VR has come, Peter Molyneux told us at GDC that the tech still leaves him wanting. According to the famed game designer, it’s all about innovation, and the latest next-gen tech, like Sony’s Project Morpheus, doesn’t push the limits.
Sony shows (and tells) us why 4K on a phone isn’t crazy
Ultra HD is on the rise, but with the lack of 4K displays in the wild, are smartphones with such technology really that useful? We asked Sony’s Kichiro Kurozumi, and his answer, not surprisingly, was yes. According to the VP, “There’s no dependency on 4K TVs.” “[Video] will look best on those, but even when downscaled to 1080p, the higher-resolution video looks good.”
Turkey bans Twitter but users can still tweet via SMS
If you glanced at your Twitter feed this morning, you probably already noticed that Turkey joined ranks with Iran and Egypt by restricting access to the social network. Apparently, some users from the country posted voice recordings and documents regarding the Turkish prime minister’s political corruption.
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Filed under: Misc
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