PS4 in January 2017
2017 gaming has been kicked off with an impressive January that brought some strong exclusives and third-party blockbusters. I’m not sure anyone expected to see the Resident Evil franchise so reinvigorated after Capcom decided to finally go back to the series’ roots. All in all, it was an impressive start. But it was also a time where we got to see a glimpse of what Sony and Microsoft are bringing to the table for the year.
It’s no secret that Sony closed off 2016 strong. After months of Xbox One leading in monthly sales, the PS4 finally found its footing again thanks to the release of some big games (Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian) and new hardware in the form of PSVR and the PS4 Pro, so all the attention was on Sony to carry that momentum into 2017. So far, they seem to be accomplishing just that.
While not much is ever expected from January – you have to give these companies some time to really pick up the pace – it was all about the games. There wasn’t much in the way of offerings for the month, yet the PS4 never seemed short of solid experiences. Kingdom Hearts 2.8, Gravity Rush 2, and Tales of Berseria had exclusives sitting high. Then there were third-party experiences to keep things interesting in the form of Hitman: The Complete First Season and Resident Evil 7 which had exclusive VR compatibility on the PS4.
The PS4 really kept the rate of games up, receiving hit after hit throughout the weeks, keeping owners entrenched in one experience or another. Seeing as how the first months are normally on the slow side as the industry tends to wait for around Spring for big games, this was a pleasant surprise.
Outside of games, there wasn’t much else going on, but that’s perfectly fine. We got an experience that takes advantage of the PS4 Pro and something that showed off the immersive capabilities of the PSVR – while also scaring the crap out of everyone brave enough to try it. It was good to see Sony keep it simple while also showing off that its all about the games. Not a bad way to set the tone for an entire year.
