8 ways developers will use PS4 to change how we play
-
It's what you do with it...
Sony is keen to emphasise that PS4 will be able to do much more than 'better graphics' and 'bigger worlds'. It is connected to almost every other aspect of our digital lives, and it wants us to take our gaming experiences with us wherever we go. But all this tech and potential is nothing without the creative minds to actually use it.
That's why we've pulled together this list of leading current-generation developers and imagined the ways they will use the power of PS4 to change the way we play games. We're not talking about the teams or individuals who will make more realistic hair, or unprecidented boob physics, but the ones who will use the myriad features of this cutting-edge console tech to truly change the way we play our favourite games.
-
Hideo Kojima - Mind games
Despite being an industry veteran at the distinguished age of 49, the Metal Gear Solid creator is still at the cutting edge of game design. What could he bring to PS4? We think he’ll be most interested in the streaming technologies brought to PS4 via the Gaikai deal. So, expect him to build smart little touches into forthcoming Metal Gear outings. Imagine the return of a psychic character like Psycho Mantis. Pads are wireless now, so switching ports to beat him -– like in the classic Metal Gear Solid –- simply wouldn’t work. But what if you could use PS4’s remote play tech to fool him?
You could take control of your character using PlayStation Vita or iPad, or even invite a friend to play your game over PSN so that Psycho Mantis can no longer predict your movements by reading your mind… And what about the Codec? Will the next Metal Gear send Codec messages direct to your mobile phone? It’s another chance for Koj to break the fourth wall and remind us all that even though he’s touching 50, he’s still the master.
-
Media Molecule - DIY gaming 2.0
We’ve already had a taste of what the next-gen might bring to Media Molecule games thanks to LittleBigPlanet Vita and the forthcoming Tearaway. It’s all about the creation tools, and in the case of PS4, the way the will interact with the camera and Vita. Right now you can take photos on your Vita and use them as textures in your LittleBigPlanet creations. It’s a fun feature and, surprisingly, it has spawned very few levels plastered with pictures of the creator’s private parts. However, the PS4’s camera will let you scan in 3D objects, which opens up new possibilities for the inevitable LittleBigPlanet 3.
Imagine being able to scan in any object in your house and use it as an object or texture in the game. No more tinkering for hours trying to build a boat in the creation mode – just get a toy boat, scan it in, and change the textures on it. Viola! You’re ready to make a pirate themed level in a fraction of the time it took in LBP and LBP2. We’re also betting that the ability to link Vita or even iPad’s screen will allow you to use touch controls in creator, making precision work even easier. You’ve already seen the power that PS4 will bring to Media Molecule games thanks to the conference demo, but we’re more excited about the accessibility.
-
Visual Concepts - Non-stop sports
Modern sports games like NBA 2K13 let you get as deep and involved in stats and strategy as you want. Some choose to ignore the depth and just spam the Heat, while others micromanage their players and teams more than real coaches. And it’s these players who will truly win out when Visual Concepts deliver the inevitable NBA 2K14 for PS4’s launch. Why? It’s all down to the next-generation DualShock.
Both the Wii-U pad and Kinect have given us early proof-of-concept for how multiple inputs can be used to manage sports games without spoiling the flow of the action. The PS4 pad offers a built in microphone, allowing players to actually call on-court plays and make substitutions in real time: “Bring on Kevin Martin”, “Double-team LeBron”, “Kobe, stop bickering with Dwight” etc etc. However, the track pad could also be used to draw up custom-plays during a time-out, letting you create player runs with touch-screen precision, as opposed to awkwardly drawing them with the thumb stick. Even better -– use your Vita to draw up plays, then track player stats while you’re playing. In theory, you may never need to access the pause menu again.
-
David Cage – The humanity
Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls creator, David Cage is constantly on the search for emotion and realistic representations of humanity in his games. At the PS4 conference, you probably saw his next-gen pensioner, who we’ll probably see in Quantum Dream’s first PS4 game –- grumbling about weekly bin collections and asking his Grandchildren how he can get some Internets in his house. However, it’s not the visual capabilities of the next-generation that will excite creators like Cage the most. It’s the PlayStation Eye.
We bet the French auteur is salivating at the prospect of using the Eye to track player emotion, and maybe even recreate it in game. At a basic level he could use it for simple gestures like waving at the screen. Imagine ‘being’ Ethan Mars and waving at Jason to say hello. Now imagine the Eye being used in conjunction with the microphone to record player voice so you can wave and shout ‘Jason’ at the screen and have the game react to that. Thanks to both the power of the console and the proprietary tech attached to it, David Cage will come one step closer to real human interactions in his games.
-
Ubisoft Montreal - All connected
The Animus is the greatest feature of the Assassin's Creed series. Not only is it a great way to justify a franchise that hops around the most interesting places and periods in history, it also neatly explains away traditionally ‘gamey’ elements like the HUD, map-markers, health bars etc etc. The Animus is essentially simulating a game, within a game. Expect it to truly evolve in the next-generation by busting out of your console entirely…
Given the ‘always on’ technology of PS4 (also rumoured to be in the next Xbox) what would stop The Animus messing with your mind while you’re not even playing? It could randomly switch TV channels to grab your attention, or load up web-pages in your browser to point you towards secrets hidden deep inside Assassin’s Creed V. It could message your mobile phone, or even send you emails telling you not to trust certain characters. Thanks to the broad connectivity of PS4 and all your other personal devices, Ubisoft could use The Animus to create the ultimate ARG. Sadly, it won’t be able to erase personality-vacuum, Connor, from Assassin’s Creed history.
-
Infinity Ward - Stats entertainment
Three things in life are certain: birth, death, and a yearly Call of Duty game. However, the last few COD outings have felt a little stale, even though they continue to outsell every other game out there. We hope Activision are looking to Infinity Ward and Treyarch to rejuvenate the series in the next generation, and –- aside from the obvious boost in visuals and processing power for particle effects -– here’s how we think they’ll do it.
First off, there are some easy ways to make the game feel more connected. Expect Call of Duty Elite to sit on your phone or tablet feeding you real-time stat information during multiplayer games. Who is killing you, with what, and how often have you been tea-bagged etc. However, we think they’ll push beyond stats to keep players immersed in games minute-to-minute. Expect to be able to call in drone strikes using your tablet, or keep track of enemies by placing cameras and having the feed come directly to your phone. And, finally, there’s no excuse for a lack of communication in team-based games because everyone will have a mic built into the controller. Everyone – even that whiny 12 year old who likes to sing Jay-Z songs while repeatedly headshotting you from the corner of the room. Aaaand, mute.
-
Ubisoft Annecy - Spy games
Here’s a strong, cold fact for you: Splinter Cell’s Spy vs Merc multiplayer is one of the best online concepts you’ll ever play. We’re super-excited about its return in Blacklist. However, we’re more excited about how future Splinter Cells will use next-gen tech to make it even sneakier. PS4 is all about integration of media and gadgets –- and that’s where Spy vs Merc shines too.
On a basic level, expect to be able to tag Mercs with spy bullets and track them using a second screen (like your phone). Sure, you’ll be able to taunt them via the PS4’s in-built mic too. However, where it might be super-clever is in the Gaikai screen-sharing department. Imagine being able to use a gadget that forces your opponent to share their screen with you, effectively letting you see what they see. Spies would be able to eavesdrop on their Merc enemies without them knowing, and plan strategy more effectively. If you’re one of the few who experienced the tense multiplayer of Spy vs Merc in Pandora Tomorrow or Chaos Theory, you’re already composing an email with the subject header ‘Dear Ubisoft Annecy…’
-
Telltale and BioWare - Decisions, decisions
Terrifyingly, Sony has said that the PS4 will start to predict the type of games that you like and actually download new content pre-emptively. While that seems like a potentially infuriating marketing tool (“You played… Red Dead Redemption 2, so we downloaded… Barbie Horse Adventures 3: Ponygeddon for you”) it does offer the makers of episodic games, like Telltale, new ways to get their excellent stuff onto your machine.
To start with, expect your PS4 to know when you’ll want the next episode of The Walking Dead. It’ll predict how far you are through a certain episode, and make sure that the next one is already on your machine, should you want to buy it and continue the story. As the tech gets more sophisticated, though, what’s to stop it downloading small patches or pieces of content that dynamically alter the game you’re playing? Ok, this maybe applies to developers like BioWare more than Telltale, but what if your next-gen console could download DLC that reflects the choices you make in Mass Effect 4 or Dragon Age 3? "Your Commander Shepard slept with the six-armed purple gas alien… would you like to download the Party in the Purple Alien Sex Nebula DLC?". This predicative download system could revolutionise the consequence of choices in games.
-
Creative block?
Ok, those are our thoughts -- now it's time for you to consider the true power of next-gen. What will your favourite teams be cooking up for PS4 -- or, if you prefer -- Xbox 720? More Halos from 343? Game-changing Horse Armour DLC from Bethesda? Even more men-on-screen in Dynasty Warriors? Let us know below.
Want to dig deeper into the next-generation? We've got you covered. Here's Everything We Know About PS4, to get you started, plus a list of Every Xbox 720 Game we expect to see in the next 18 months.
Topics
We Recommend
View as:
Newest first
-
Oldest first
-
fulton-caie - November 8, 2013 1:45 p.m.
I think the best thing for the gaming industry is to take away certain games such as Call of Duty and others which I cannot think of currently. Ubisoft should link games, such as the Far Cry series with the Assassin's Creed series, that would honestly make it incredibly interesting and would keep fans guessing what would come next from that universe. -
Dasoulink - March 23, 2013 11:34 a.m.
SPORTS...I will use football as a example but it applies to others as well. There are some things that suffer greatly in sports games that next gen can clean up. FIRST...PHYSICS we need to move on with physics in game that can be genuine...next GAMEPLAY next gen needs to address and improve gameplay greatly. and lastly the EXPERIENCE the game in next gen needs to be compelling so that you want to continue to play especially in a league...SO a group of friends get together and want to form a league..Once the league name is picked and the number of owners are established a cap is established for each team, the system establishes a schedule and a draft day is scheduled...AH first issue...10 guys sitting in front of a console for hours picking players? No but this is next gen, you can be notified on phone or tablet that you pick next you can have the AI pick for you based on your earlier settings or you can be notified while your playing another game its your turn..problem solved. Now the scheduling...ah next problem. so.. week one jets at vikings one guy is on ready the other is not ok so the system sends the absent guy a message either via cellphone or on the console. it asks do you want the AI to play for you? How do you want to play it? conservative, all out? or do you want to schedule a time to play? either way games advance every three days or whatever league decides...problem solved. So your team is in the cellar and not playing well, fans are not coming to the games, the AI sends you a message via cellphone time to fire coach? your decision. Your team is playing well and making a playoff push but your star RB just went down, no need to panic enact a trade or free agent pick up via message on cell phone tablet email or console. weather reports for upcoming games come in via cell phone or console message so does injury reports or free agent add or drops and you can even watch highlights of games played so you can prepare your team for next weeks game. If your team makes the playoffs you level up, if you win it all you level up...with things like home field advantage, better field goal percentages, better prepared after practices and easier to add free agents. if you lose you can hire a new coach or gm or just try again. the stats are compiled by SAP and you have access to everything. you can add seats to your stadium, use different equipment such as cleats by under armour or jerseys by nike if you wish with money you earn by ads placed in your stadium or more fans coming to the game cause your team is good consistently. If the physics are life like and the gameplay is good...you have a reason to be always connected and a cause to pay more. -
Dasoulink - March 23, 2013 10:50 a.m.
I think I agree with some of the earlier posts,the things described are not really next level. But more reincarnations of existing themes and ideas. It is time to move on. More power better graphics should be a given but it is the experience that needs to be upgraded and freshed out. let us say there is a action adventure rpg. you have your typical choices when you first boot the game such as skin, abilities, gender, race. as you play through the game and you complete tasks you level up BUT...your leveling up and HOW you completed your tasks are being tracked and compiled in a database. SO for the multiplayer aspect of the game which is not mindless old tired deathmatch or CTF but story driven task completion..you can be recruited to form teams...so if you CHOOSE to add your information you can be sent video or text messages in game or via cell phone that a player is putting a team together and needs a sniper or a driver or a warlock etc. so that the multiplayer is online persistent and the completion of THOSE tasks level you up as a team and as a single player. So one multiplayer episodic content consist of three teams searching the ruins of africa for a relic which can change the fate of the world. the first team to complete the tasks gets new abilities, money(in game currency) and level up. so as a single player you get a video message of recruit pause your single player game, and join a team as a sniper and help complete the mission so now as a single player your a better sniper... you earned money and are eligible for next level episodic missions. your ps4 tag shows your level in game and you can be contacted for other missions via cell phone if you so choose. If these consoles are going to be connect to everything and games will cost more money give a REASON why a gamer will CHOOSE to buy in. -
-
LordZarlon - March 21, 2013 5:58 p.m.
I find it interesting that when Nintendo comes out with a new controller the tech media thinks it's the worst idea ever but when Sony comes up with a new controller we are educated on how they are going to "change how we play". -
-
jedisamurai - March 19, 2013 12:09 p.m.
I find every single one of these suggestions to be terrible. As a whole, I hate social networking, smart devices, and multi-player. The slide to FPS gray-scale universe is bad enough without making everything "smart" and "networked" and "social". I'm going back to playing some real games. I got no time for that kind of garbage. -
-
-
Rub3z - March 19, 2013 2:32 p.m.
Yes, many times yes, because as we all know, breasts are the only part of a woman that really matters. So we might as well just do away with all the extraneous parts, and subject the breasts to the vacuum of space, the better to see the effects of forces acting on them. Genius! :P -
coyoteDUSTER - March 18, 2013 10:17 p.m.
I'll be honest, I hope none of those ideas get implemented. Just make good games without all this networking crap. -
WINNER: Dark Souls - March 18, 2013 11:28 p.m.
Just because you don't have friends doesn't mean everyone else doesn't. The majority of gamers want to play games with their friends. It's fact. Why do you think COD sells so much every year. There will be good single player games, too, calm down. -
CUFCfan616 - March 18, 2013 3:54 p.m.
As Australia still has no decent unlimited broadband plans, automatically downloading games for you seems to be a great way to quickly exceed your monthly data quota before you know what's happened. I'm also waiting to see what limitations Hideo will find with the next gen. Each Metal Gear he makes he seems to be frustrated with limitations in the tech. I'm thinking though that the major change will be that now everyone has a mic and so multiplayer will be changed slightly. Maybe if in Watchdogs you can use an app on your phone to hack into things instead of using it on screen then that would be cool. The Kinect has already shown the limitations of a camera that scans you so that won't change much in the next gen. But yeah, my bet is that things will die down and the biggest sellers each year will be the annual CoD which will have barely changed other than bigger, shinier maps. And Square Enix will blow their budget on the next gen FF's cgi, forget to put a game in there and go out of business. -
Cyberninja - March 18, 2013 2:51 p.m.
I don't like the idea of it auto downloading content because that could make things expensive real fast if you had a credit card attached to the account. -
-
-
Grivien - March 18, 2013 1:47 p.m.
Every one of those ideas is totally and utterly moronic. And not one involves actual gaming. NONE OF IT! They don' even mention just playing a fucking game! Some are fucking intrusive and nasty. Pushing games on, is beyond wrong. And I want no one involved in my games. I play solo, unless it's a multiplayer. I don't want to talk to anyone. And I most definately DON'T EVER WANT ANYONE SEEING MY GAMING! You know what gamesmakers should do? Make fucking games! WITH EVERYTHING IN ALREADY, TO PLAY! Make proper games, that are finished, polished, and have the focus on the right things! Gameplay, story, fun, entertianment, solo play. And a game engine that is'nt fucking broken and pushed so far it's breaking! Not graphics, dlc, preorder bonus shit, or fucking overblown graphics! Graphics don't make a game. All you need from graphics. Stuff looks like it's meant to. Don't fail to do things the previous generation could. That's it. If you can spare time to make them better, fine. But if it's a choice between graphics and gameplay, etc,. Gameplay, story, etc is ALWAYS FAR MORE IMPORTANT! -