While this is a positive from the industry’s perspective, the situation does bring the bad and ugly along with the good. Let’s take a look at all things good bad and ugly that the industry endures during these trying times.

The current situation is weird. On one hand we are in the middle of a pandemic that has been disruptive. Equally, much of the world’s population has endured these times from the comfort of their homes, with digital solutions coming to their aid. Despite what can be considered a luxury under such a global event, staying indoors is quite the task as many including myself have come to learn. Enter services like Netflix, and hobbies like video games to save the day.

The videogames industry has seen an unprecedented engagement during these times and the current situation has enabled a great deal of success to many ranging from small indie developers to big studios and publishers. Adding to this success, the early days of lockdown around the globe saw a lot of companies doing their part for the gaming community with big discounts and giveaways. Industry giants such as Unity offered free access to their premium courses which was very encouraging for budding developers.

While these events do not measure up to the hype and anticipation generated by a show like E3 or Gamescom, the truth is that despite these shortcomings they pose a threat to big events in the future. E3, which was struggling to hold its ground and be relevant from the publishers’ perspective even before the COVID outbreak, now stands a chance of being gone for good, or at least not return to its former glory.

This also meant that the console race between Microsoft and Sony for the 9th generation of consoles took an unconventional route, completely forgoing the back and forth between both companies which we have come to enjoy during every new console cycle so far.

The pandemic also resulted in various studios having their games being built while the staff worked on it from home or in an alternative setup. While big companies found a way around it, and we’ll get back to them in a bit, plenty of smaller and mid-tier studios ended up delaying their console games from their originally planned dates. Game delays are not new, but this does add to the stress and not to mention budget inflation in the game production lifecycle. It may even affect the end product significantly.

While one side of the industry struggles with delays, there are some cases where the games in production have been hurried to meet the deadline and to make the most of the current situation. There may not be many reports suggesting this, but the results can be seen in games that are very close to release this year. Assassin’s creed Valhalla which is due to release in a few months, featured plenty of bugs and general lack of polish in many areas in the demo showcased by Ubisoft themselves. The recently unveiled Halo Infinite gameplay did not quite measure up to next gen standards from a visual standpoint. Both are issues that could be fixed with a bit more development time. But chances of both games being delayed for these reasons are little to none.

Even more worrying is the aggressive approach by Sony with the production of PlayStation 5. According to various outlets Sony has doubled up production to meet demands and get their new console in as many hands as possible. While this could be a move Sony has made following them foreseeing a higher demand than initially anticipated, it could also mean that the new consoles may suffer the consequences of a rushed production line. Historically, the first few batches of a new console may have issues in some shape or form. And a fast-tracked production process only poses more problems.

All this said, we are bound to have more of both good and bad to come from the current situation. But there is one eventuality foreseen in the form of an aftermath of sorts. As much as the industry enjoys the increased user base and engagement, it is expected the numbers will plummet as things fall back into place. The scale at which this could happen or whether this would happen at all is yet to be seen.

But it is what would happen after the fact that is worrying considering big studios’ and publishers’ tendency to lean towards layoffs and other distasteful practices at the sight of the slightest adversity. The industry together will be fine, no doubt. The demand for games has never been this high, and so is the level of creativity.

But it’s how we as players, creators and publishers stick the landing that will determine how much we have grown as a community and if we have learnt anything of value as humans in these tough times. Here’s hoping more good comes out of it than anything else.

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The primary reason being the reveal of the PS5. While the show will be remembered for the reveal of the PS5 in the future, it was a lot more than a console reveals event. This was a well thought out and well-produced event, that very carefully avoided certain reveal event tropes such as focusing on games that make use of the console’s newest gimmick.

Although the DualSense’s haptic feedback and the immersion of 3D audio were discussed, the show did not spend too much time leaning on those functionalities. Instead what we got was a great mix of games from all genres and sizes, to the point that it left some viewers puzzled as to why such games need to have been in a next-gen reveal event.

Clearly, Sony’s messaging was that their new console is going to continue supporting big and smaller scale games alike, which is great for everyone. Let’s talk about those games now, shall we? There were well over 20 games showcased in various category.

And category does not mean genre, it is what your gut says about the game when you first see it. So, without further ado, let’s start with……..

The Gorgeous Ones

A console’s reveal event will no doubt have games that showcase their visual fidelity. And Sony’s show was no exception. Games like Gran Turismo 7, and Resident Evil 8 certainly looked their part. However, for this category, we are looking at games that go a step beyond just good graphics.

So, we have Project Athia one of the first games to catch my attention, mainly due to its close to photo realistic visuals. Much of this game is a mystery, including its name so it might be quite a while before we get to see this game in action. Next, we have Kena – Bridge of Spirits.

If Project Athia was gorgeous with its photorealism, Kena feels like a Pixar movie, with beautiful visuals and cutesy characters.

What’s on display in its gameplay trailer is something that has to be seen to be believed. We certainly have come a long way with visuals, and Kena felt like we have finally reached a point where one cannot distinguish between an animated movie and gameplay from a videogame.

The last one that looked distinctly gorgeous was Little Devil Inside. This is a game that, once again, is reminiscent of an animated movie. The visual styles easily stands out and commands your attention. Not much else is known about the game, except that it has been in the works for a very long time and that it will also be available on the PS4.

The Head Turners

From a catchy song with cute looking creatures to a cat navigating through a world populated by robots, this next group of games certainly did turn some heads. These games go on to show what the art of video games can convey and how effortlessly the events on screen can get you intrigued.

Stray, Jett: The far shore, Pragmata, Returnal and Bugsnax are all games that invoke a sense of awe and curiosity in their own quirky ways. Each game is a different flavour and although we know little to nothing about these games and how the end product is going to look or feel, the bits that were shown in the event certainly looked intriguing.

The Eyebrow Raisers

Well, not all games are going to catch your curiosity. Goodbye Volcano High, Oddworld Soulstorm and Sackboy: A Big Adventure are games that in no means look like they are lacking in creativity or quality. But the issue is that these games come with a sense of Déjà vu, as they do remind us something that we have seen before.

Goodbye Volcano High reminds us of a story-driven Telltale game, while Sackboy was just impersonating the 3D version of Mario. And Oddworld, well this was a game which was revealed just over a year back, with a somewhat similar-looking trailer.

All of these games look good. It’s just that they did make me ask if they really have to be in an event like this. From a creator’s perspective, the worst thing that could happen to a game is if it is labelled as “padding” in a major event and these games felt just like that.

The Usual Suspects

Every console reveal comes accompanied with a set of games that you were prepared for right from when the concept of the console was discussed. Astro’s Playroom, Gran Turismo 7 and NBA 2K21 are the ones that take this coveted mantle. Astro bot was a great PSVR game.

One of the first VR titles to incorporate third-person perspective in a meaningful way, thus showcasing the quirks of the VR platform in ways other games couldn’t. So, it is only logical that Astro made a comeback on Sony’s new console, this time serving as a showcase that highlights the DualSense’s capabilities and the 3D audio for the PS5, alongside being a fun game. Astro’s playroom will be a free game and will come pre-installed on all PS5s at launch.

Then we have Gran Turismo, a franchise that has been a PlayStation staple since its inception. It has been 3 years since the release of Gran Turismo sport, so what better time for the next instalment than a console reveal event. A console-specific racing game can now be checked off the list.

Then, the event needs to have a sports game. Since EA has its own event, it will be up to one of the 2K games to appear on the show. So, bring the best selling 2K Sports franchise on, in the form of NBA 2K21.

Having these games in the show isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and each of these could very well turn out to be great experiences. I do still scratch my head over the absence of this years Call of Duty though. Where did that go, I wonder.

The Meh

Solar Ash, Destruction All-stars and Godfall are not your run of the mill games by any measure. But they found themselves in the unfortunate place of being in an event that was crowded by games that tried to one-up each other (in a good way).

Solar Ash is a game from the makers of Hyperlight Drifter. Its gameplay trailer was very minimal and did not have much to warrant players’ attention. The same can be said about Destruction All-Stars. A game that looks like the offspring of Twisted Metal and Fortnite.

Yes, the trailer looked cool and all, but Destruction All-Stars and Solar Ash, unfortunately, are games that I instantly forgot after the show.

Then we have Godfall. The first-ever PS5 game revealed during a major gaming event, Godfall had everyone’s attention by default, thanks to the sheer scarcity of “anything” related to the PS5 at the time. But in a pool of great games, Godfall failed to impress. And that “Make way for the King” soundtrack in the gameplay trailer did not help one bit.

Third-Party Muscle

Alongside Pragmata, Capcom also chose the PS5 event to reveal Resident Evil 8: Village. Resident Evil 7 was one of the best games in the franchise and was a key player in Capcom’s resurgence to success. The first-person aspect of RE7, which was initially questioned by many, only added to the strength of the game. Resident Evil 8 stays with the first-person perspective and this time looks even more gorgeous and haunting.

Bethesda showcased their already revealed Ghostwire Tokyo and Deathloop, but this time with a good chunk of gameplay in both games. Deathloop looks like tongue in cheek fun in all the right ways and Ghostwire Tokyo looks very slick, to say the least.

What is worrying though is the visible shift in tone and aesthetics between the gameplay trailers shown in this event and the original cinematic trailers during E3 last year. That said, both games do look like a lot of fun.

Not to be outdone, Square Enix gave us a look at the next chapter of Agent 47’s story in Hitman 3. The minuscule gameplay footage featuring Dubai and the Burj Khalifa was enough to reassure that the next game will be just as, if not more, expansive than the rebooted Hitman 1 and 2. Personally, for me, that is more than enough.

Sony’s Babies

What is a Sony event without its first-party exclusives? (Well, the answer is its GDC talk, but that’s not the point here) Sony delivered just the right amount of goods to show that their in-house studios and their close partners are committed to making great single-player games for the PS5.

Bluepoint games which is not owned by Sony (Yet), finally had their moment to unveil “Their biggest project yet” and as many speculated it was the remaster of Demon’s Souls, the OG souls game that seemingly popularised a whole new genre. It looked rather impressive and based on Bluepoint’s track record, it should play just as good.

As good as all the games in today’s list looked, none showcased the capabilities of the PS5 as Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart did. The next game in the beloved franchise from Insomniac features multiple gameworlds within the same scene as the titular characters jump through rifts from different dimensions.

This was an excellent display of raw power as gameworlds that typically take one whole sit through of a typical loading screen to render, were made available within a matter of seconds. What impressed me most though was how the developers executed this feature, so it makes sense contextually and not just shoehorned to highlight the console’s power. Kudos to Insomniac on that.

But Ratchet and Clank wasn’t the only game Insomniac showcased. Spiderman: Miles Morales was revealed as an expansion, and later clarified as a stand-alone game that is made for the PS5. This is a big deal, as Spiderman is one of the biggest games of PS4 era, and to have a new Spidey game supposedly release alongside the PS5 will be a PlayStation fan’s dream come true.

The game is reported to be smaller in scope, something in the lines of Uncharted: Lost legacy, which is fine for a stand-alone game. What isn’t smaller in scope though is Horizon: Forbidden West. Sony capped off the show with the trailer of Horizon: Forbidden West.

The game is set to continue Aloy’s story and feature a denser, more immersive world, complete with new types of robot animals to kill. The game will likely take a good year and half or two to hit shelves, but what was shown looked very promising.

So, those were all the games from the Sony event. It was quite the mix, one that the company had been carefully picking and curating in light of the event. And it paid off well. Sony has promised more news will be revealed before launch, and it will be interesting to see how they approach it. Right now though, we just need to sit back and watch what Microsoft has in store in reply to Sony’s event. This is going to be very interesting indeed.

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A Technical Marvel

In many ways, the 90s can be considered the golden age of fighting games. So, in 1997 there was no shortage of options in the genre. While the bulk of it was 2D games, which saw some great innovations in its own space, there were a good number of 3D fighting games that tried to mix things up. Games like Soul Calibur, Bloody Roar and Dead or Alive (which was arguably the best looking at the time) had already made their mark on the industry with their take on the genre. But it was Tekken 3 that made the best of the then available technology. Focusing squarely on fluid movement and making effective use of 3D space, the revamped fighting system was a complete overhaul of the one in Tekken 2. With the return of fan favourite characters and some truly compelling new ones, Tekken 3 was leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor.

The different move sets for each character felt tailor-made for a specific type of player. Whether you took an aggressive, thoughtful or mash-all-buttons-and-hope-for-the-best approach, there was a character for everyone. The moment to moment fighting itself was complemented by cleverly implemented camera angles whenever a move that took more than a second of animation on screen was executed. And all of this was presented in gorgeous graphics, which was second only to dead or alive (which wasn’t as good a fighting game like Tekken 3). It was probably this aspect, the fact that Tekken 3 was not just a by the numbers sequel but so much more, that instantly gratified players upon its release. And boy oh boy was it Good

A Gift That Kept Giving

Going above and beyond the call of duty for the newest instalment may have had players gravitate towards Tekken 3 at launch. But it was the sheer wealth of content buried within the game that kept players coming back to it. The deep character-specific move sets meant mastering each character needed commitment, and it was one that was a pleasure to oblige to. Each character had a specific storyline, which was abstractly hinted at in the opening cinematic and then expanded upon when the Arcade mode was beat with that character. Back in its time watching these 30 seconds long 3D rendered movies was a reward on its own.

Then came in the additional characters that were unlocked by beating the Arcade mode each time with a new character. And before you knew it, what started as a 10-player roster was now 20, with the 20th character (a turtle-dinosaur cross named Gon) strangely appearing off-screen leaving room for one more character on the board (We’ll get back to that shortly). And then they were the various other modes like Time Attack, Survival, Team Battle and Vs which were expected out of a fighting game. But Tekken 3 also had other quirky modes like a Ball Mode, one where you play beach volleyball with the same move sets. And Tekken Force Mode which served as a beat ‘em up within the same universe.

And then a Theatre Mode which was a gallery of all unlocked story clips and musical scores from the game. All of these modes meshed well with the tone of the game and played just as fine. In today’s day and age all of the above would have been paid DLCs. But Tekken 3, like many other games in its time, offered all of this as rewards for just playing the game.

Doctor B, The School, Tiger, Anna and Bruce Lee

Just when you thought that you had seen it all, in comes another character to fill in the aforementioned 20th spot. And this character was unlike any other. Breaking all fighting genre conventions Dr Bosconovitch (Doctor B. on screen) was a character who could not stand on his feet. His move sets were completely unique from the rest of the cast. He was hard to pick and even harder to master. However, if anyone, like me, had mastered Doctor B, they were pretty much invincible.

The game took a completely different form once this old scientist was unlocked and in the best way possible. The developers were clearly having fun in creating this character. As if they had a hall pass on creating whatever they want for this one special unlockable. Tekken 3 also did alternate costumes differently. While Forest Law’s alternate costume which served as a homage to Bruce Lee from Game of Death was available from the get-go, the same cannot be said for Anna Williams’ White Tiger costume. And unlocking Eddie Gordo’s alternative costume gave us a whole new and better version of him in the form of an afro sporting, disco dancing Tiger Chan. Unlocking Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu’s school uniform costumes also unlocked their schools ground as a bonus map to fight on.

All of the above may seem overwhelming, but that was just the surface. A whole other world of discovery was waiting to be found in the form of secret move sets which were only available on the then elusive and hardly accessible ‘Internet’. There was just so much content in this gem of a game that players were constantly finding new things and that sense of being rewarded never got old. Games like Tekken 3 are rare, if not non-existent, today. Namco has since had some missteps with the franchise, but delivered again with Tekken 5, and then several years later with the best version yet in Tekken 7. But in my books, Tekken 3 was the one that started it all. It was way ahead of its time and stood the test of time gracefully, considering it was an early 3D game. It may not have had the legs of Street Fighter 2, but it is without a doubt one of the best fighting games ever.

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Super Mario Odyssey – Nintendo

Decades-old and spanning multiple genres, the Mario franchise is not only one of the most recognised brands in the industry, but also the most consistent. The franchise evolves with each new iteration of the Nintendo hardware while also remaining super fun and addictive to play. Super Mario Odyssey is no different. It is one of, if not, the best game in the series, which is not an easy feat to achieve.

With colourful worlds that are packed to the brim with quirky and minute details, silky smooth animation and perhaps the best spin on New York City EVER, Super Mario Odyssey builds upon the 3D platforming that franchise has excelled at since Mario 64, and adds new and fun mechanics that enhance the gameplay in so many ways, making it a must buy if you own a Switch.

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the wild – Nintendo

Acting as Nintendo’s ace up its sleeve for the release of the Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild absolutely served its purpose. With one of the highest Metacritic score in all of the videogames, standing alongside Super Mario Odyssey, BOTW not only lived up to The Legend of Zelda legacy but also gave us one of the best games in the franchise.

The game was universally praised for its huge scope, great story and gorgeous world. Although the multiple delays during its development raised a few concerns and eyebrows, all doubts were thwarted once the game was released. Consequently, the game played a huge role in the Switch’s immensely successful launch. The sequel couldn’t come soon enough.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate – Nintendo

There’s no doubting the quality of Nintendo’s first-party franchises. And if they are good at one thing, it is iterating on legacy franchises while finding ways to keeps it fresh and fun. With Super Smash Bros Ultimate though, Nintendo took a different route. SSBU took a step back and created something incredible out of it.

Justifying the “Ultimate” in the title, SSBU featured every character that has ever graced the franchise. Throw in a few tweaks to the already stellar gameplay and you have an incredible game in your hands. It is no surprise that the game sold over 3 million copies in the US alone in under two weeks. Developer Masahiro Sakurai’s painful hours spent while being injected with an IV, during the game’s development sure seemed to have paid off.

God of War – PlayStation

Sony is no stranger to creating new and exciting IPs. Like Nintendo, they have a first-party line up that has immense fan bases. But, arguably, their best game this generation comes from a franchise that almost died a few years ago. With the release of God of War: Ascension for the PS3, the franchise had hit a wall. The series had already seen several releases across three different Sony hardware and the ever-angry macho persona of protagonist Kratos started to feel stale. It was imminent that the writing on the wall was already there for the franchise and another game would mean the end of it. Then came God of War 2018 on the PS4.

Taking a whole new spin with an ageing Kratos, who now contemplates the repercussion of his past actions, and venturing the series in a whole new direction, God of War subverted expectations in the best way possible. The game not only breathed new life into the franchise but also gave us one of the most cinematic and story-driven third-person action games yet for the PS4.

Uncharted: A Thief’s End – PlayStation

The God of War franchise may have taken over a decade to get the franchise to the cinematic masterpiece that it is today. But if there is one franchise that set new standards for story-driven action-adventure games back in the PS3 era, it is Uncharted. Uncharted: A Thief’s End not only serves as a swan song to Nathan Drake’s story but is also the best game in the franchise. While it lacked the number of epic moments when compared to, let’s say, Uncharted 2, A Thief’s End, it made up for it with strong story moments.

The addition of Nate’s never-before-mentioned brother Sam was expertly handled. With a quasi-open world approach and a grappling hook throw into the mix, A Thief’s End delivered in spades in the gameplay department too. Few cold-hearted individuals haven’t teared up at the end of the game, which as considered by many was, simply put, perfect.

Spiderman – PlayStation

Superhero games are a tricky business. They have the curse of the being based on a licensed product, something that the industry still struggles with. And they often have the obligatory movie tie-in timeline to adhere to. All of this usually results in a hot mess and rarely does something as amazing as the Arkham franchise come out of it. But Sony pulled a golden rabbit out of its hat with Spiderman. Yet another superhero who has had a hit or miss relationship with videogames. Handing the reigns over to Insomniac, who were a relatively smaller studio to handle a brand like Spiderman, Sony played the game of faith-based on Insomniac’s track record. Needless to say, it was a gamble that paid off handsomely.

Imsomniac’s Spiderman for the PS4 was not only the best Spiderman game made yet but was also widely considered as one of the best stories of Peter Parker and his friends, taking into account all the movies, comics and shows. Featuring a robust skill tree with deep customization, and a swinging mechanic that makes you feel like the hero himself, Spiderman was every fan’s dream game made just right. It’s no wonder that it went on to be one of the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusives yet giving the game a well-earned spot on this list.

Until Dawn – PlayStation

Until Dawn is one of that rare mix of things that come together beautifully and turn into something more than the sum of its parts. The game represents a brand of cheesy horror, complete with a tragic backstory, a bunch of sex-craved adolescent stereotypes, and a secluded cabin, that seems to have been lost in 80s slasher flicks. Wrapping all of the above with gorgeous visuals, and (for its time) great acting, Until Dawn turned out to be a gem of a game.

There were a handful of truly tense moments that kept the players on the edge of their seats. Heck, this game even made QTEs and jump scares fun, which is a feat no one would have thought was achievable. Originally planned for the PS3, Until Dawn finally released on the PS4 to critical acclaim largely due to the game’s self-awareness and its ability to make the most out of it. Still, one of my personal favourite party time games with friends, Until Dawn is a PlayStation exclusive which would be a sin not to have.

Horizon – Zero Dawn – PlayStation

Guerrilla games served up one of PS4’s earliest titles with Killzone: Shadowfall. Little did we know at the time that the studio known almost exclusively for the Killzone franchise was secretly cooking up one of the best new IPs to launch this generation. With Horizon: Zero Dawn, developer Guerrilla games made a game in a genre they had never ventured before and delivered it with finesse and confidence. The game featured an intriguing setting with a rather interesting post-apocalyptic world where fauna is in robot form and exists seamlessly with the flora that overruns the decaying world.

The games robotic wildlife, which comprises of its own versions of animals, ranging from bulls to crocodiles to dinosaurs are a joy to tackle and the game’s main story and side quests have been handled with the utmost care so that the player stays invested throughout its 30 or so hours of run time. Aloy’s adventure has been one worth remembering throughout the PS4’s lifecycle and the fact that this game still holds strong alongside the likes of God of War and Spiderman is a testament to itself. Cannot wait for more Horizon.

Forza Horizon 4 – Microsoft

Let’s be honest. Microsoft has not had the best exclusives with the Xbox One. Although an imminent change is on the horizon, it is safe to say that the company has not been the poster child for stand out games. But the one series that has been consistently delivering stellar iterations is the Forza franchise. Forza Horizon 4, which is available on Xbox One and PC, is arguably one of the best racing games ever.

In a market that has big name studios like Code Masters and Polyphony Digital, who specialise in racing games, Forza Horizon 4 seems to have trumped all its competition with ease. With a plethora of vehicle types to choose from, an ever-changing weather system that alters your track accordingly and a gorgeously rendered English countryside, FH4 is just the tentpole racing game that Microsoft wants to bank on. And it has not disappointed us yet.

Gears 5 – Microsoft

The most recent game in our list also happens to be the big M’s best this generation. Gears 5 takes the Gears of War franchise in new directions and builds on the events and characters set in Gears of War 4 in some very interesting ways. Granted, like Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5 was also released on the PC, but the sheer amount of goodness that cannot be experienced on any other console is too hard to ignore. The butter-smooth cover shooting is the best it has ever been alongside some subtle but very useful gameplay tweaks.

The emphasis on building its characters and some strong story moments make Gears 5, the absolute best in the series. Looking back, it is hard to fathom that this was a series that began its journey being known only for its big hulking characters, and (rightfully so) the lancer chainsaw gun. And I would have never thought that I would have a special place in my heart for Jack the robot. Here’s hoping the franchise continues to grow and keeps its upward trajectory in quality that it so well maintains since the first game.

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Lessons from The PS3’s Rocky Start

Way back in 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3 following the massive success of the PlayStation 2. But, in pursuit of making the PS3 a competent powerful machine, Sony made a few questionable choices to make their new system stand out from the crowd. Case in point the overly complicated system architecture and the infamous ‘Cell processor’. This made the PS3 a nightmare of a platform to develop for and the resulting inferior looking multiplatform games did not help the PS3 in its initial days. The PS3 was off to a rocky start and it seemed like Sony was losing the ‘Console wars’ and another console from Sony seemed out of the question. It was about at this point that Sony began work on the PS4.

In an interview with Digital Trends, Mark Cerny, the chief architect of the PS4 said that it was a six-year process to build the PS4. The first two of which were pretty much figuring out what the next console needs to be. And given the PS3’s tumultuous start, Cerny had a good idea of what he wanted from the PS4. He said that in 2008 and 2009 the team had visited around 30 development studios to know what they wanted from the console and how things can be made easy. It was this developer-focused approach that would pay great dividends later on in the PS4’s life cycle.

The Paradigm Shift

They say “Luck” is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. While Sony had been preparing for 6 years, the opportunity was handed to Sony, on a silver platter no less, by none other than their rival Microsoft. Sony unveiled the PS4 back in February 2013, showing off its x86 system architecture, and giving loads of other information. But not a lot in terms of the smaller but important stuff like used game policies and price were discussed. This was reserved for E3 that year. Microsoft took its turn to unveil the Xbox One in May that year. The event focused more on Xbox One’s every other capability and very less on games. This combined with questionable DRM policies meant that the event was a disaster.

But Microsoft had a shot at fixing the damage at E3 which was just a few weeks away. Then at E3, Xbox went first and to be fair, had a good showing of games. But, failure to address any of the concerns and uproar that stemmed from the reveal, combined with a mandatory Kinect attachment and a price of $499 left a sour taste in people’s mouth. Some of the top executives’ comments on this matter, later that day, did not help them either.

Needless to say, Sony had a field day in E3 2013. Much of the show comprised of Sony showing off upcoming console games and showing the console itself. Then came the Xbox bashing, highlighting that Sony’s new console does not have any of the DRM policies that Xbox One has, complete with a quirky on-the-nose tutorial on how to share used games. This was it. The PS4 was going to be more powerful than the Xbox One (at least at the time), It was cheaper, made life easy, and promised a lot of support for indie games. Anyone ready to invest in a next-gen console was more inclined towards the PS4. It was safe to say that Jack Tretton’s mic drop in the Game Trailers interview following the show was totally earned.

Games, More Games and Exclusive Games

To this day, Sony enjoys a 2:1 sales ratio over Xbox One with the PS4. While much can be attributed to the boost they got initially, it was the way Sony capitalized on the momentum that kept them going. While Sony learnt from the mistakes made with the PS3, they also knew what redeemed the older console as well. Their first- and second-party exclusive games.

This was a strategy that did not need changing. And in catering to that strategy Sony’s Worldwide studios delivered a glorious generation of games that upped the ante for console gaming (And one of the best E3 shows in the history of the event with their 2016 E3 presentation). And this was delivered with great consistency year on year. While Microsoft managed to contain most of the damage and the Xbox brand caught its stride thanks to fantastic services like the Xbox Game Pass, Sony’s line up of exclusive games helped the PS4 best it’s rival constantly. And in doing so became one of the best-selling consoles ever.

The Future

The PS4 may have been a dream run for Sony, but the future poses new and interesting challenges. Microsoft has pretty much embraced Sony’s strategy for exclusive games and has been feverishly expanding its suite of studios. Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, seems to be going all-in with the brands next console, doubling down on its Game Pass service by unifying it with PC and Xbox Live. This could be a problem for Sony if they do not counter them with something similar or something different that offers this sort of value to the consumer. Then there is the cloud gaming platform. Google seems to be diving headfirst with Stadia and rumours of Amazon joining the fray has been boiling up for some time now. What would all of this mean to Sony and how would they tackle these challenges to stay on top. It would be very interesting to see.

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First, let’s just get the elephant out of the room. This is a patent. And patents are made all the time by companies whenever they see an opportunity in a concept in order to protect the said concept. And the patented concept may or may not see the day of light. More often than not they don’t. So the whole thing needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But, be an optimist for a while and try to piece the events of the past few years together and it all makes sense.

Microsoft

To begin with, we have Sony’s rival Microsoft holding the torch for backcompat (yes, that’s a term). And it keeps stressing on the value-add it brings to its current line-up of consoles. In fact, backward compatibility was one of the features that Phil Spencer pushed to help Xbox One gain some momentum against the PS4 after its tumultuous launch. This did help turn some heads and managed to gain interest on the Xbox One in the PS4 dominated first couple of years. In a recent event at CES 2019, Phil Spencer explained that they went to great lengths to achieve this and that it “required work at the silicon level” to get it working. So yes, Microsoft does see value in backward compatibility and it has factored in on their rather successful run in 2018.

Sony has been listening….kinda

Companies seem to throw in the term “We are listening” a lot towards their customers. And the amount of truth that lies in that statement largely depends on where these companies see themselves commercially and what financial prospects they’re looking at. But, in the past 5 years, Sony has time and again proved that they have made improvements for the better. While the pursued goal may still be market dominance and, as a result, a lucrative business model as with any corporation, Sony has created a much more satisfied customer base and development community in the process. The changes from the PS3 to PS4 have primarily been based on what the customer and the developers want. That said, Sony has been noticeably avoiding backward compatibility and cross play on the PS4. From what I can gather these may not have been the priority for Sony when they were making the move towards the then next-gen PS4. But 2 years later in the PS4 cycle backcompat seemed to have hit its stride once again and Sony has been interested in it since. The recently revealed patent actually dates back to two years which indicates that this may have been originally planned for the PS4 in some way or form. But given the PS4s success, it seems that Sony has gone with the “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” approach. So the backcompat feature could be carried over and applied to their next console.

Sony has learnt

Naturally, Sony would not want to miss on any feature that would give them an upper hand. In the case of the patent in question, it aims much higher than Xbox by leaping back four generations. All of this may seem too ambitious but it makes sense when we look at it from Sony’s perspective. In last week’s DICE keynote Sony executive Shawn Layden reflected back on the PS3’s rough launch. “The PS3 was our Icarus Moment” he said, “We didn’t listen to our customers. We created a devilish development environment. We reacted too slowly and our network was underdeveloped. And worst of all was the price point”. He later explained about their decision “to transform the company into what they are today” and highlighted their efforts towards making good games and maintaining healthy relationships with developers to help the next generation. To me, this felt sincere and all of what he said makes sense given what the PlayStation brands means today compared to 2008. So it makes a whole lot of sense that they apply whatever features or improvements were missed in the PS4 over to the PS5.
 

It is tough competition ahead

Sony may have hit a home run with the PS4, but in the ever-evolving gaming industry they need to keep up with, if not telegraph what lies ahead. With subscription services like Xbox game pass and PS now gaining traction, the future leaning more towards streaming, more than one console expected from a company in the same generation, emphasis on crossplay, and prospects of hybrid consoles, there are so many things happening in the industry right now. And amidst all of this Microsoft seems poised to go all guns blazing next generation with multiple studio acquisitions and a renewed focus on exclusive titles. While Sony has this covered with its own studios and exclusive IPs, it is what else Microsoft brings to the table that they need to focus on. Backcompat is a viable and strong value-add that will instantly gratify a large user base. Personally, I would pre-order a PS5 in a heartbeat if they just bring the whole PS4 library to the PS5. And if it can play PS3, PS2 and PS1 games as the patent suggests, then that is a bonus. Given what the company has learnt over the years, the prospect of this happening seems more real. Although I do hope that they don’t restrict it behind a paywall or a mandatory PS plus subscription. I guess we would have to wait until PSX this year to find it out. Here’s hoping that Sony gives us what we want, yet again.

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Beastly Nature

This one is the most obvious and needs to be addressed off the gate. The next wave of consoles will no doubt be a significant improvement in specs over their current-gen counterparts. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us 2 have shown where the industry is heading in terms of cutting-edge graphics and these machines will be equipped with the power to run such graphics heavy games all the way into the next 6 -7 years. Of course, these boxes aren’t going to rival an RTX 2080 but we can expect to get the best bang for our buck in potential $400 we spend on them.

Physical Discs still a thing?

The death of physical game discs has been discussed since the PS3/X360 era. And the technology and internet services of today may finally make that happen. There are already rumours cooking up about a disc-less Xbox One, let alone a next-gen console. And the removal of a disc drive could potentially make the console cheaper, assuming the bigger hard disk requirement does not increase the cost. And if this model succeeds, chances are that this approach will seep into the next-gen consoles from both parties. Whether this will succeed, or the degree of success will also determine the availability of disc-based consoles. Personally, I love my game discs. I like my games to a have physical tangible form. It adds to the emotional attachment one may to a title like say God of War.

Streaming is the Future Present

Further, in the lines of disc-less consoles, subscription services like PS Now and Xbox game pass will be more prominent next generation. With both companies butting heads on offering the best value proposition things may come down to streaming services playing a major role in the success of either console. Sony may not tout the PS Now this generation due to its strong library of exclusive games driving their sales of the PS4. But Microsoft seems to have fixed the issue of exclusive games for next gen. So heading into a potentially even playfield in the next generation, Microsoft’s card of “Better value with subscription services” may be a make or break factor for both companies in the next round. Sony has already evolved its PS Now service mimicking Microsoft by adding the option to download games directly to the console. Chances are both will go the distance to check the depths of streaming services.

Cross Play Galore

With Microsoft, Nintendo, and Gamers being so vocal about crossplay, Sony will be following suit by offering crossplay for third-party multiplayer games on the next PlayStation. I mean they have to, right? This is another point that may seem super obvious but we have seen corporations make a bad decision based on statistics. However cross play seems like a no-brainer and it is something that I fully expect to see it in PS5, but then again, Sony!.

NextGen is All Gen

Backward Compatibility has been another weapon in Microsoft’s arsenal to make up for the lack of games this gen. Backward compatibility is one of the popular practices in the industry. The amount of success it brought to the Xbox one is a different topic altogether, but the appeal of Backward Compatibility is no doubt a force to be reckoned with. With the complicated architecture of the PS3 and therefore the way PS3s games were made, Sony had struggled in this department with the PS4. But recent rumours strongly hint at backward compatibility on the PS5. There was the one suggesting that the PS5 is very similar to the PS4 on how it works, and then another focusing on a patent Sony had made towards backward compatibility. These indicate that the PS5 could potentially play all of the PS4s libraries. As pointed out in my last article about 5 Reason Why Microsoft May Win Next Gen, if this happens Sony would have already won next gen. I hope this happens and, more importantly, not locked behind a paywall as PS4 games are too good to be ignored.

VR still a thing?

The last batch of rumours suggested better integration of PSVR on Sony’s next system. Whether we like it or not VR has been a novelty that has done better than the novelties of the past like Motion Control and 3D. And, if these rumours are true, Sony seems to be embracing VR more strongly next generation. Whether VR will become stronger or will next gen be the end of the VR run will be an interesting thing to see and experience through the life cycle of next-gen consoles.

Super Awesome Games. Or are they?

With every generation, the games we play get more and more advanced with more systems and gameplay nuances integrated within. Games have come from humble beginnings in the PS1 era like Crash Bandicoot, to awesome experiences like God of War 2 on the PS2, to complex story experiences like Mass Effect and Skyrim on the X360, to magnum opuses like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Red Dead Redemption 2 on the PS4. And this upward trajectory is only going to soar towards the sky next generation. If games like Ghost of Tsushima are any indication on where we are headed, then we gamers are in for a treat with our new machines. That said, questionable business practices like loot boxes and unfair implementation of microtransactions will still be an issue from big third party developers. New gaming trends may topple today’s trends like battle royale prompting these companies to apply new ways to make money. But, with every good comes the bad and it is up to us to choose what we want and what we encourage. So let’s be excited for the good and wonderful that is sure to come our way.

And there you have it. My trip to 2021 showed me these visions. How many of these will stand truly is something that time will answer. One thing is for sure though. There has never been a better time to be a Gamer. And you know it is true.

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This is a no-brainer. As the catalogue of games grows by the thousands every year, the games themselves become redundant after a few years. However, unlike other entertainment medium, games are more emotionally connected to people and these redundant games start feeling relevant again. Hence the demand for these old games is higher than ever. Thanks to the misstep that was the architecture of the PS3, Sony was not able to implement Backward Compatibility in the PS4. But with the next iteration of the PlayStation hinted to be very similar to the PS4, architecture-wise, and hints at backward compatibility being thrown in by Sony executives, this may well be a possibility on the PS5.

Having the entire catalogue of PS4 games playable on the PS5 on day one will be one hell of a feature to overlook. And this may be the make or break feature for many (me included) on deciding whether to stick with Sony or move to Xbox. And the best part, in my opinion, is that it all looks possible and could very well happen. Unless Sony decides to put this behind a paywall and start charging money. Chances for which are equally as good, given the popularity and demand for Backward Compatibility. Let’s just hope for now that this would not happen.

“So the Xbox has a game pass. The PlayStation has PS Now”. This would not be a winning argument as of now. PS now is service that launched much before the Xbox game pass and has not been a resounding success that Sony probably hoped for. Microsoft, on the other hand, took the same idea and made a better, more appealing product with the Xbox game pass. With the option to download the games to the Xbox One, the user did not have to rely on streaming the games real time, unlike with PS Now. Sony has since added this option but limited to PS2 classics and PS4 games, and not PS3 titles, possibly due to the aforementioned architecture of the PS3. That said even with the option to download whatever is available, the value proposition does not match to that of the robust service offered by Microsoft.

The solution to this…… Merge PS Now with PS Plus and have the library of games as part of the PS plus subscription, along with the 2 monthly permanent additions as offered now. To be fair this does seem a bit farfetched as executives may see this as potential money down the drain. But keeping in mind that this was not that much money, to begin with (considering the lacklustre success of PS Now), plus the incredible value this will bring to PS Plus in direct comparison to the Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, this options makes a whole lot of sense.

Watching Sony stick to the PSVR is both delightful and disturbing at the same time. Considering its track record Sony does not seem to support a device unless it is a big success (Remember PSP Go?). But things have been different with the PSVR. Two years into its release, Sony has been supporting VR, and the strongest line-up of VR games have only emerged in the last few months making a stronger case for VR as a whole in the future. Rumours have hinted that the PS5 will have better PSVR integration and will be made with PSVR in mind. While this is encouraging and all, Sony still needs to consider the people who haven’t bought into VR Yet. The non VR crowd (me included) who prefer traditional games playable with their DualShock controllers.

Sony’s stance on VR is worrying not because there is a small risk of them abandoning VR, but because they may get carried away and shoehorn PSVR to every PS5 console. Much like what Microsoft did with the Xbox and Kinect. This is a big NO. Also with the Nintendo’s Switch being the success that it is, and Sony’s recent announcement that the PS Vita has stopped production, there is also a worry among fans that Sony may attempt (and fail) to recreate the Switch. While chances of this are far less than the shoehorning of the PSVR, it is still a big NO. Sony’s strength has always been in making great home consoles and making great games for those consoles. That’s what makes them money. I’d say Sony needs to stick with it and do it better than anyone. Invest in the research of your consoles. Invest on your Console Game Testing and Game Functionality Testing, and keep churning out excellent quality, bug-free and micro-transaction free first party games throughout the console’s lifecycle. That will give you the Win.

Like point No.1, this too is a no-brainer. The gaming community is the most vibrant and outspoken ever. We gamers are spoilt for choice when it comes to games to play or opinions to share. So Sony needs to listen to the community rather than the boardroom executives and start to adopt customer favouring policies like crossplay. The fortnite debacle gave Microsoft a launch pad to troll Sony and the public perception that Sony managed to maintain for years sure took a dent. So Sony needs to understand the importance of this and be more flexible towards the community. This may sound cliché but it is more vital than one could imagine.

The most important of the lot, and one that I honestly believe Sony will get right. The Price. $399 has been the sweet spot and Sony is more or less sure to stay on that price (The absurdly overpriced Indian SKUs are a topic for another day). That said, the cost of R&D and the unpredictability of the events to transpire from now until the release of the PS5 (Predicting Holiday of 2020) are factors to consider. Sony will have to overcome all of this and execute a competitive price at launch. What Sony also needs to do is avoid having a mid-cycle refresh like the PS4 pro. I intend to purchase any one of the consoles that win me over in the next gen, whether it’s the PS5 or the Xbox Scarlet.

What I do not intend to do is invest a similar amount two years down the line. The PS4 Pro was a tough proposition and pretty much a grudge purchase for anyone wanting the “best experience”. This was thanks to Microsoft’s move out of desperation to gain footing in the form of the launch of the Xbox One X. With Microsoft looking confident than ever before, I feel that a mid-cycle refresh is unnecessary. Yes, Microsoft hinted at next generation of Consoles, and not a Console. And if Sony was to mimic Microsoft, I’d rather prefer both options (base and pro models) at launch and decide for myself on which variant to invest on for the next 5-7 years and not have these variant pop up 2-3 years down the line. But whether that will happen is something that we will have to wait and see.

Ah, the DualShock controller. Every PlayStation gamer, fan or not, will have a love-hate relationship with his/her console, thanks to the DualShock controller. While the DualShock 4 is much better than the DualShock 3 for the PS3, in terms of build quality and the overall feel, it is still nowhere close to the ruggedness and reliability of an Xbox One controller. I own and use both controllers and prefer the Xbox One controller when I play on a PC, while my preferred console as of now is no doubt the PS4. Sony needs to put some thought and make the DualShock 5 more convenient, reliable and appealing.

It needs to avoid redundant features like the touchpad and motion control and focus on what makes sense. Hell, throw in an OLED screen on it, if it can contribute to the gameplay experience in a way that it feels cohesive and part of the experience. I don’t mind. But do not do so just for some gimmicky features to push the consoles early. As a brand, PlayStation does not need it at this point. Just focus on making DualShock better.

So there you have it. Some words of wisdom from a consumer standpoint to his beloved brand. Only time will tell if these will ever be considered or implemented. One thing’s for certain though, next gen is coming and it is more intriguing than ever before. If you have been playing games since the age of 8 bit Mario as a little kid, you know you are living in the best of times. And the most exciting is yet to come.

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To understand the importance of Hellblade we need to look at the developer whose roots go way back to the OG Xbox. Ninja theory was originally known as Just Add Monsters. A small but ambitious studio that made their first game named Kung Fu Chaos for the original Xbox. However, despite critical acclaim, the game failed to gain any traction commercially. This nearly resulted in the studio’s demise before it was renamed and gained a new publisher in the form of Sony for their new project. They released Heavenly Sword, which was once again a critical hit and an important game for its time. This game incorporated advanced motion capture techniques which has now become an industry staple, much before the likes of Uncharted did.

Including talents like Andy Serkis, the game certainly was ambitious. But the limited install base of the then-struggling PS3 meant that this game too was a commercial failure. This lead to the end of their partnership with Sony. The struggling studio then utilized all the resources they had and went multiplatform with their next game, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. This was once again a critically acclaimed, but the generally crowded October release date meant that the game was going against the likes of Call of Duty which was in its prime back then. Ultimately the game failed to gain traction sales-wise, despite the high praise it received among critics. Regardless of this, the studio was approached for the reboot of Devil May Cry. And although it was a great game on its own, it was panned down for the radical change in design especially with the protagonist. DMC was criticized right from the release of the first trailer and was doomed to fail. And the reception to the game was not so good as expected. At this point, Ninja Theory had given its all and had produced a slew of high-quality titles and had still failed financially. This lead to the cancellation of their next project, a sci-fi shooter which never saw the light of day.

If you are even vaguely familiar with how video game development and video game testing work you know where this is heading. Heck, for a studio to even survive after their very first commercial failure is rare, let alone four titles and a cancelled project. Their publisher would do the obvious and dissolve the studio. But Ninja Theory would not give up. In a move of desperation, the studio went independent. They divided their workforce into smaller groups and sourced them to help bigger companies on their own projects. Through this, the studio accumulated the necessary resources to start their next project. They did not want to lean towards crowdfunding as it has its own set of issues. Ninja Theory finally began work on Hellblade with a team of less than 25 working on the project. Most of the members of the team assumed multiple roles to make this happen. And this was no doubt a huge risk for them. A definite make or break project.

Ninja Theory knew what they wanted to do, and that required an art style that with high graphics fidelity in the lines of AAA games. They knew that quality is key and would not settle for shortcuts. Believing in their ability to deliver quality games the team set out to make a tight narrative focused game with AAA graphics but with half the runtime, which in turn would cost half the money for the player. This helped them avoid unnecessary padding to the game and to focus on the story alone. Being a great storyteller themselves, Ninja Theory, now without a mainstream actor like Serkis, focused on making a game with a grounded and more realistic take on its underlying subject matter. Psychosis. They did justice to this by involving real doctors and professionals in the development of the game.

During the development process, the studio created various developer diaries to get the community involved. This was the way to go as they did not have a huge budget to market the game. They had to completely rely on word of mouth. And the game spoke for itself upon release. Media outlets praised the game in their reviews and positive word of mouth helped the game sell a lot more than the studio’s modest expectations. This passion project was done with so much of love and care and the community gave the studio the love it deserved.

This success has now resulted in Ninja Theory being acquired by Microsoft with “all the resources and tools needed for their next game, without hindering their creative freedom”. For a studio that was in the brink of non-existence more than a couple of times, this is as good as a result as one can expect.

This goes to show that in a day and age of copycats and cheap cash grabs in the name of games, true dedication towards the art and the quality of it really does pay off. And it can do magical things. This has been one the most inspiring stories in the gaming world and I for one cannot wait for Ninja Theory’s next project.

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