PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation VR Take Center Stage
Sony has hyped up their appearance at next week’s Paris Games Week for some time now. Having teased “big game announcements” to come and with some high profile individuals at the company like social media manager Sid Shuman stating “You don’t want to miss this!”, fans are definitely relied up to see what the house of PlayStation has to offer for the rest of 2017 and beyond.
Given the recent announcement of a new PlayStation VR model and the upcoming release of 4K competitor Xbox One X, it’s very likely that Sony will dedicate some of its presence at the event to showcase the benefits of its hardware offerings. Though it’s admittedly hard to exhibit the novelty of virtual reality on a stage, it’s possible that Sony will announce support in the way of new software additions to the headset’s already expansive catalog. Sony Interactive Entertainment America President Shawn Layden did say that the “best is yet to come” for the device, after all. Fans may finally see major first-party studios like Guerrilla Games or Sucker Punch come on board, even.
A push of PlayStation 4 Pro is very likely too, seeing as a more powerful competitor will be entering the market only days after Paris Games Week is over. More titles that utilize 4K will be showcased, sure, but its quite possible that Sony may seek to undermine Microsoft further by announcing a price drop for the Pro – making the $100 disparity that exists between the two already even more pronounced. Though it seems far-fetched given the fact that the mid-generation console has only one year on the market, it may prove to be a sound business move should executives agree upon it.
More News on Detroit: Become Human, Dreams, and/or WiLD
David Cage’s next work titled Detroit: Become Human will certainly make an appearance in some form at this year’s Paris Games Week. First announced at the event two years ago, now will be the time to start marketing the game in full force in time for its release in 2018. We’ve only had a handful of glimpses at the mechanics surrounding Detroit so far, so showing fans a larger inside look isn’t too out of the question.
Paris Games Week will be the perfect occasion to reintroduce to gamers Media Molecule’s long-in-development title Dreams as well. Originally showcased during the PlayStation 4’s reveal conference, Dreams quickly went under the radar for many. Next week could see the official debut of the game’s campaign mode plus support for PlayStation VR. A beta announcement could finally be made after last year’s delay too, for release sometime later in 2017.
PlayStation 4 exclusive WiLD might make its return too, as Michel Ancel did go on the record earlier this year to confirm that the game was still in development despite the announcement of Beyond Good and Evil 2 and that fans can “expect strong updates during the coming year.” Seeing as how the title was first revealed at Paris Games Week two years ago, more news on it at 2017’s event isn’t too hard to imagine.
Third-Party Publishers Will Make an Appearance
As it usually does every year, November will see the release of several major third-party titles on PlayStation 4. Publishers like Activision and EA will undoubtedly showcase trailers for Call of Duty: World War II and Star Wars Battlefront II respectively, perhaps highlighting what the major benefits of owning a PlayStation 4 copy of each title nets for players. There may be more Destiny 2 announcements in store for the event, seeing as how player numbers are dwindling now post-launch.
As far as first-party content is concerned, Sony may be willing to withhold anything until the company hosts its annual PlayStation Experience in December. Still, its likely that a trailer or some gameplay footage of Horizon: Zero Dawn’s DLC expansion, The Frozen Wilds, will be showcased in time for its November 7 release. Exclusives not made by Sony-owned entities like .hack//G.U. Last Recode, Demon Gaze II, and Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV may be highlighted in a sizzle real or two.
After an E3 presentation that was received with lukewarm acclaim and a subdued presence at Tokyo Game Show, Paris Games Week provides the perfect opportunity for Sony to regain its momentum just in time for what looks like a stellar lineup of releases like God of War, Detroit: Become Human, and Spider-Man in 2018. Fans will have to keep their fingers crossed for now in hopes that the company will stay true to its word and deliver on all the hype.
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