Sony's PS4 Goes All In for Social Gaming

[Greg Tito]

Sony's PS4 Goes All In for Social Gaming

How you and your friends play games together just got a lot easier.

The world of gaming changed about a decade ago when online gaming became possible through high speed internet. At the same time, social networking through Twitter and Facebook has grown exponentially. Sony's betting that we want to be able to share our gaming experiences in a more streamlined manner, and revealed a bevy of features at its press conference this evening for the PlayStation 4 that aim to do just that. You can share what you're playing with the touch of a button! No, really.

The Dual Shock 4 controller unleashed at the presser [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122262-Sony-Unveils-the-DualShock-4-Controller] has a designated "Share" button in shiny blue. Pressing that button will let you broadcast your live game to your friends in "100% real time". Your friends will be able to "look over your shoulder vistually" and interact with you while your playing, putting comments on your screen.

Not only that, but if you get incredibly stuck in a certain section, your friend can even take over control of your game all over the interwebs. He'll need your permission of course, no cheeky jumping into his Uncharted game just to muck him up.

Streaming your play onto the web using services like Ustream will be completely integrated with the PS4 interface as well.

It doesn't just stop with the PS4 either. Sony didn't promise that every game will have Crossplay functionality with the handheld PS Vita, as they demoed at the presser with the new game Knack but it's a "long term goal to make every PS4 title playable on the Vita by using WiFi Remote Play." The catchphrase Sony bandied about for this section of the presentation was "Everything Everywhere."

The promises Sony is laying out tonight are piling up - here's hoping this crazy dream becomes a reality.

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[seditary]

I was watching it all and the only thing going through my mind was

'What perfect world does he think everyone lives in that could support all this outside very limited areas?'

 

[Erttheking]

I think I've said this before but...am I the only loser who thinks that this is an awesome idea?

 

[DugMachine]

I think I've said this before but...am I the only loser who thinks that this is an awesome idea?

No you're not a loser, I too think it's a really awesome idea and while I need some more information on this console it's looking pretty good so far.

I can foresee the endless bitching about this though. "HURR I WANT TO PLAY ALONE!! Why do I need to be constantly connected?! *is on a internet website*" Whatever man, I enjoy multiplayer and this is awesome.

 

[Treblaine]

"Not only that, but if you get incredibly stuck in a certain section, your friend can even take over control of your game all over the interwebs. He'll need your permission of course, no cheeky jumping into his Uncharted game just to muck him up."

That's not exactly what I had in mind by social. Someone else playing my game for me...

In fact of the most annoying thing friends can do, taking the control of the game from you and playing it for you is right up there.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I like the idea of being able to take over a friend's game if he needs help, or if I need help. My friend just got me past the water truck level in Spec Ops: The Line of FUBAR because I could NOT, for the life of me, do it. In return, I got him all the Batman Arkham Asylum and a lot of Arkham City combat medal challenges because he can't do the fighting very well. Problem was, he doesn't have a car at the moment and driving back and forth, or lining up times to do it, was a bit hard.

Not sure I like the idea of friends being able to send messages on my screen while I'm playing me game though. That could get distracting, and I know at least one of my friends would start spamming me the moment he saw I was playing a game he wouldn't like.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I think I've said this before but...am I the only loser who thinks that this is an awesome idea?

No you're not a loser, I too think it's a really awesome idea and while I need some more information on this console it's looking pretty good so far.

I can foresee the endless bitching about this though. "HURR I WANT TO PLAY ALONE!! Why do I need to be constantly connected?! *is on a internet website*" Whatever man, I enjoy multiplayer and this is awesome.

Has it said anywhere that the system is always going to have to be connected to the internet to function? Or your games for that matter? I would think that would be a major turn off for a lot of people, especially after Diablo III, but I haven't read that anywhere yet. Did I miss it?

 

[Balmong7]

The sharing controller thing would work great with lets play groups and such however. You could all play and watch together. There are definitely uses beyond "helping a friend get past a tough level". Sometimes people just like to experience single player games as a group. My friends and I do it all the time. (granted we pass the controller around) Now we still do it while we are away at college with the playstation 4.

 

[Weaver]

I was watching it all and the only thing going through my mind was

'What perfect world does he think everyone lives in that could support all this outside very limited areas?'

I thought the same thing. I can't stream at 1080p, or even 720p and I have literally the fastest internet I can get where I live at the moment.

It's not actually possible for me to get a faster upload speed, unless I want to pay to have a direct fiber line installed which will cost tens of thousands of dollars.

 

[KeyMaster45]

I can foresee the endless bitching about this though. "HURR I WANT TO PLAY ALONE!! Why do I need to be constantly connected?! *is on a internet website*"

Because people who prefer single-player experiences are hopeless shut-ins that never desire to interact with other people, even in an internet setting, amiright?

 

[dalek sec]

I think I've said this before but...am I the only loser who thinks that this is an awesome idea?

No you're not a loser, I too think it's a really awesome idea and while I need some more information on this console it's looking pretty good so far.

I can foresee the endless bitching about this though. "HURR I WANT TO PLAY ALONE!! Why do I need to be constantly connected?! *is on a internet website*" Whatever man, I enjoy multiplayer and this is awesome.

Maybe because I want to play alone and that my connection might be crappy? I can only picture this being a utter mess for me with my connection right now.

I prefer to play just the single player game and that's it.

 

[Weaver]

I just really hope the share button is easy to hit by accident so I get a bunch of videos recorded and screenshots taken, then automatically uploaded, that I never wanted in the first place.

 

[Mr. Omega]

My first thought: "Oh god... I can already see the CoD montages... I can hear the dubstep... MAKE IT STOP!"

My second thought: "Well, there's a lot of ways this could end up sucking, but as a concept it's not that bad. Nintendo surprised me with MiiVerse, maybe Sony can do the same."

My third thought:

'What perfect world does he think everyone lives in that could support all this outside very limited areas?'

Pretty much this

 

[VanQ]

I was watching it all and the only thing going through my mind was

'What perfect world does he think everyone lives in that could support all this outside very limited areas?'

The console was developed in Japan by Japanese people and fiber-optic internet is as normal as it comes over there. Just because someone in Uruguay doesn't have high speed internet it doesn't mean they should hold back the console's potential for it.

I'll be honest, I don't care for these features whatsoever and have no intention to use them if they're optional but holding oneself back because the bottom 10% can't or won't catch up causes stagnation similar to the current console generation.

I just really hope the share button is easy to hit by accident so I get a bunch of videos recorded and screenshots taken, then automatically uploaded, that I never wanted in the first place.

If I heard correctly, the button is nestled slightly to the top left of the right button pad. Enjoy hitting it regularly during tense moments in game and having it either lock up to ask permission to upload or having to delete the image of you getting your ass handed to you that it automatically uploads if it doesn't ask permission.

 

[DugMachine]

I can foresee the endless bitching about this though. "HURR I WANT TO PLAY ALONE!! Why do I need to be constantly connected?! *is on a internet website*"

Because people who prefer single-player experiences are hopeless shut-ins that never desire to interact with other people, even in an internet setting, amiright?

No, but the fact of the matter is single player fans are the minority and Sony definitely isn't going to cater to them. I don't know, i'm jumping the gun here thinking the console will require internet connection, and I hope it doesn't for other people's sake but i'm tired of hearing the same old tired arguments against any sort of multiplayer because a few people can't stand playing with others.

 

[DugMachine]

I think I've said this before but...am I the only loser who thinks that this is an awesome idea?

No you're not a loser, I too think it's a really awesome idea and while I need some more information on this console it's looking pretty good so far.

I can foresee the endless bitching about this though. "HURR I WANT TO PLAY ALONE!! Why do I need to be constantly connected?! *is on a internet website*" Whatever man, I enjoy multiplayer and this is awesome.

Maybe because I want to play alone and that my connection might be crappy? I can only picture this being a utter mess for me with my connection right now.

I prefer to play just the single player game and that's it.

I understand, and I hope it doesn't require a internet connection for your sake but you have to understand that people with bad connections are pretty much the minority.

 

[KeyMaster45]

I can foresee the endless bitching about this though. "HURR I WANT TO PLAY ALONE!! Why do I need to be constantly connected?! *is on a internet website*"

Because people who prefer single-player experiences are hopeless shut-ins that never desire to interact with other people, even in an internet setting, amiright?

No, but the fact of the matter is single player fans are the minority and Sony definitely isn't going to cater to them. I don't know, i'm jumping the gun here thinking the console will require internet connection, and I hope it doesn't for other people's sake but i'm tired of hearing the same old tired arguments against any sort of multiplayer because a few people can't stand playing with others.

I don't think anybody is going to complain if the social aspects are optional, and more than likely they are.

Saying that people who prefer single player games shouldn't voice their opinions at all is very ignorant and closed minded. They're part of the gaming community as well; minority or not. Giving them the option to play their games without a connection or dealing with the integrated social media is hardly catering to them.

 

[Strazdas]

I was watching it all and the only thing going through my mind was

'What perfect world does he think everyone lives in that could support all this outside very limited areas?'

the perfect world that we call "everyone has decent internet but america".


i for one would love to have an efficient streamign service, and current services i sue just doesnt cut it. Also ability to see the comments in game while sometime may be annoying, it can also be helpful and curretnly that is onyly possible via designated programs for that.
the remote control also seems rather sweet. i mean the "let me show you this cool thing" just got much more easy to use.

 

[Mister K]

I like multiplayer, but giving my controller to someone unknown to play for me and posting about how "hardcore" I am? Nah.

If I'll get it, I'll disable those functions.