PlayStation 4 in 2016
The PS4 is looking at a completely different year than 2015 ahead of them. While they played it relatively safe these past 12 months, mostly relying on the offerings of multiplatform games and some strategic third-party deals to keep the content flowing, it was all to set up the coming year. Releases have been lined up, tech has been advertised, and changes are being made behind the scenes.
2016 will have a lot of major games, some coming from Sony’s most respected studios. Dream from Media Molecule looks to transform creative gaming once again, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End brings one of the platform’s biggest exclusives to a close, and Guerilla Games flexes its creative muscles with Horizon: Zero Dawn. No Man’s Sky and The Witness, two anticipated indies, will finally see release in 2016, as well. One of the biggest draws, of course, will be The Last Guardian, though. This project from Team Ico had been lost to time as development seemed to hit a wall during the PS3’s life cycle. Just when all hope had been lost, Sony took to the stage at E3 2015 to announce that not only is it still in development, but that it would be releasing in 2016 on the PlayStation 4. The studio behind the beautiful game is known for deep stories and meaningful experiences, so having The Last Guardian as a feather in the 2016 cap is a great thing.
While these and many other games will be releasing over the span of the next 12 months, Sony will also be pushing out the PlayStation VR. To most who just like to sit down with a controller in front of their television sets, this won’t seem like a big deal. But VR has been getting a lot of attention, and intrigued gamers and lovers of tech have been chomping at the bit for an affordable consumer model. Up until now, things have been only available for those willing to fork up a sizable amount of cash for a development unit from one of the many manufacturers. Sony leading the charge on a consumer model compatible with the PS4 will be major. It already has a slate of exclusive games ready for it, and it adds another dimension to the ecosystem the company has been pushing.
Unlike Microsoft, Sony didn’t announce too many new features in 2015, but they did confirm that they are working on things. As silly as it may sound, this gives them a little extra something to tout at major events as they drip feed brand new functionality of their hardware and software to the public. With a growing install base that is more than 30 Million strong, and a strong momentum, the PlayStation 4 is set for a seriously solid 2016 thanks to all of the strategy used in 2015.
