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Sony's PlayStation E3 2015 Press Conference

Sony will update the gaming world on what's coming next for the PlayStation platform at its E3 2015 media event.

  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:38:42 AM
    Hi everyone, welcome to the E3 2015 liveblog of Sony's press conference! We're live in Los Angeles covering the event. I've got Nick Statt, Scott Stein, Dan Ackerman, Jeff Bakalar and Claudia Cruz here with me, as well as Josh Miller taking photos. The Wi-Fi/Cell reception is really spotty so we have a crew in San Francisco helping out as well if we lose signal.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:39:25 AM
    So, what's happening here? There are a few key things we're looking for from Sony tonight. First, we're hoping to hear about Project Morpheus, its virtual reality headset that was announced last year.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:40:21 AM
    Sony entering the VR game was a watershed moment for the industry. A week after Sony announced its Project Morpheus device, Facebook bought VR pioneer Oculus, effectively firing the starting gun on the industry's buildup.
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 12:40:55 AM
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:41:53 AM
    VR has since become this unusual industry--a whole ecosystem of devices, developers and even game reviewers, all without having actually sold products on store shelves.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:42:14 AM
    That's going to change this fall when Oculus begins selling the Gear VR, a device for smartphones developed with smartphone giant Samsung. In addition, Valve, who's working with smartphone maker HTC, will be launching its own VR device called the Vive.
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 12:42:16 AM
    Hello everyone! Following longstanding E3 tradition, the Wi-Fi here is insanely spotty,
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 12:42:30 AM
    and we're basically just sitting around asking each other, "Are you on?"
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 12:43:05 AM
    After 15 E3s, I really should expect this by now. But to be fair, the first handful were literally in pre-WiFi era.
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 12:43:14 AM
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:43:16 AM
    We're hoping Sony will show some of the games it's designed for its Morpheus today, especially since its device will be launching next year -- well after the Oculus/Samsung Gear VR and HTC/Valve Vive
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:44:43 AM
    You'll have to excuse @dan.ackerman--he's decided to be the curmudgeon of our group today. Actually, I lie, Nick is being the truly curmudgeonly one of the group tonight
    .
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 12:45:25 AM
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 12:45:50 AM
    Ian, there's definitely a big Morpheus push this week, from what I've heard. It may end up being the most practical/consumer friendly of the current crop of VR options, as it would presumably work with a stock off-the-shelf PS4.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:46:12 AM
    So, what else might we be hearing about? Well, there's Uncharted 4, the latest in Sony's Indiana Jones-esque game series. The group that makes that game, Naughty Dog, is one of Sony's most popular development houses. It also made a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller called The Last of Us that won several game of the year awards.
  • BobbyByTheBay 6/16/2015 12:47:16 AM
    Do you think we'll see new games or just sequels tonight?
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 12:48:06 AM
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:48:46 AM
    There are other franchises Sony's known for too, like Little Big Planet and Rachet and Clank, both popular adventure games. There's also God of War, arguably the other key game in Sony's portfolio. There hasn't been an update for that game in a while.
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 12:49:18 AM
    Security here at the event is fairly tight, you need to check in with a photo ID and there's a TSA-style line of people checking bags, etc.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:49:45 AM
    @BobbyByTheBay: I imagine we'll see a little bit of both. Sequels have definitely become a trend within the industry. There's good reason for why...
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 12:49:46 AM
    That reminds me that 10-plus years ago, the PlayStation press conference was actually one of the easier ones to talk your way into if you weren't on the RSVP list.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:49:49 AM
    Gamers love the titles. So that's 1) you have a franchise that's got a built in audience. That's hard to pull off, and when you have it, it's almost stupid to ignore them. 2) Franchises help to bring stability to game development costs.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:50:27 AM
    You may not know this, but many big budget games cost tens of millions of dollars to produce. And when they're sold for $60 apiece, a lot of that money doesn't come back to the studio--it's wrapped up in marketing, distribution, printing discs, etc.
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:51:58 AM
    So, it's definitely popular to bash companies for sequel-mania. But I'd encourage you to look at it from their point of view. Now, does that mean they shouldn't have new franchises and take risks? Absolutely they should. But a mix of both is what helps a large studio stay successful.
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 12:52:46 AM
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:53:32 AM
    We're seven minutes from the press conference beginning and CNET will be bringing the event to you live, with video and our live blog.
  • BobbyByTheBay 6/16/2015 12:54:55 AM
    I know House of Wolves just came out, but will Destiny make a showing tonight?
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 12:55:46 AM
    @BobbyByTheBay: That's a great question. Would I bet on it? Probably not. But you'll probably see release dates for No Man's Sky, The Witness and Rime.
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 12:57:01 AM
  • John Falcone 6/16/2015 12:57:01 AM
    Hey guys -- on the official Sony stream (I'm home watching on my PS4), Sony rep John Koller just announced that they are adding a DLNA photo/video/music player to the PS4. So that's a nice addition that restores functionality that existed on the PS3.
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 1:00:54 AM
  • Jeff Bakalar 6/16/2015 1:01:28 AM
    OK so the moneyline for The Last Guardian appearing has been set at -600
  • Jeff Bakalar 6/16/2015 1:01:33 AM
    Get your bets in now
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 1:01:42 AM
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 1:01:44 AM
    The usual suspects here. Uncharted, etc.
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 1:02:30 AM
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 1:03:26 AM
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 1:04:30 AM
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 1:04:35 AM
    "What continues to excite me every day is the advances in game development," he adds.
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 1:04:38 AM
    Compared to Microsoft's highly choreographed presentation every year, one that leans on hits and the most commercial approach, Sony has always mixed more art with its commerce at its E3 event.
  • Josh Miller 6/16/2015 1:04:40 AM
  • Jeff Bakalar 6/16/2015 1:04:53 AM
    OK, the moneyline hit!!!
  • Ian Sherr 6/16/2015 1:05:06 AM
    First game tonight has long been anticipated by the gaming community.
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 1:05:10 AM
    Oh my. The fans are going to flip if this is what I think it is.
  • dan.ackerman 6/16/2015 1:05:19 AM
    Yup.
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