Sony Playstation 4 Release Dates Announced

August 22nd, 2013By Category: Uncategorized

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Sony released a plethora of news reports yesterday at 2013’s Gamescom event in Germany, as they gave a presentation that lasted over 90 minutes. Some of the new titles they were sporting were Little Big Planet: Hub, Shadow of the Beast and inFamous: Second Son, all of which seemed to gain the audience’s attention.

Another story that seemed to spark interest was Sony’s digital upgrade program, which allows those consumers who have bought a hardcopy of a PS3 game, to buy a heavily discounted digital version on their PS4. Developers involved include EA, Warner Brothers, Ubisoft and Activision. Through online retailers such as Amazon or Gamestop, the upgrade can cost as little as $10 (USD). So far the promotion is only offered on four games (Watchdogs, Assasin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4), but if the process succeeds, others may be added.

For any gamers who are concerned about aesthetics, it was also announced that the new and improved Dual Shock Controller will be available in (and I quote) “Magma Red” and “Wave Blue.” They may clash with the sober blackness of the actual console, but they still look pretty cool.

But the biggest announcement really put the pressure on Microsoft and their Xbox One, as Sony announced that the Playstation 4 will be available to the US market on November 15th and throughout Europe on November 29th. A date for Japan was not specified, but it will likely be close to, if not before the 15th. So unless Microsoft tighten their game plan, this earlier release could cause them a major headache, especially as the Playstation 4 is a full $100 (USD) cheaper than its competition, with Sony slapping a $399 price tag on their entry, whilst Microsoft have stated the Xbox One will cost upwards of $500.

Although the talk was long and included news to try and boost the popularity and standing of the PS Vita, there were no real surprises, none that would win over any Microsoft fanboys (or girls). But Sony seem extremely confident with their footing and they finished their presentation with a clear jab at the competition, one which, unfortunately for Microsoft, rings true:

“Whilst others have shifted their message and changed their story, we were consistent in maintaining policies and a model that is fair and in tune with consumers’ desires.”

Are you counting down the days until November, or do you think home consoles are dead in the water? Let us know in the comments section below.

Author of this article

Axiom Magazine

Axiom Magazine is Japan’s leading source for newly released and hard to find information focused in the areas of gaming, culture and entertainment. We represent a small part of a bigger idea of bringing Japanese culture and achievements to an international stage.

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Comments

  • axiomjapan says:

    So long as it is the same as the PS3, there shouldn’t be a problem. On the current console you can play internationally and set the language as English on the console as well, which will automatically select the English version of games (if they have one obviously). Also, Sony are currently much better than Microsoft when it comes to region codes of games…but no guarantee that will stay the same.

  • Manuel Pereira says:

    I’m a long way from counting down the days till this comes out since I do most of my gaming on a desktop, but I’m looking forward to it. If I buy one in Japan can I play with my friends and family in the USA? If I buy a couple in Japan for people in the USA will it have a lot of kanji they can’t understand?

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