PlayStation at gamescom 2013: The best place to play

Following another successful gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany, we’re really thrilled to have been able to announce lots of big news to the PlayStation community and share with our fans what’s next for PlayStation across all our platforms.

At the top of the list, and I’ve no doubt the most highly anticipated of the day, comes the reveal that PlayStation 4 will be arriving in Europe on 29th November.

Having opened the show with the first ever look at the user experience, we also announced five all-new PS4 titles from SCE World Wide Studios – Rime, Hell Divers, Shadow of the Beast, Resogun and Everybody’s Gone to The Rapture. All fantastic titles from some of the most creative and inspiring independent development studios, it’s a real buzz that teams such as The Chinese Room, Tequilla Works and Arrowhead choose to work with us.

We are of course completely focused on making next generation products for next generation gamers and we were able to showcase our commitment to this promise through updates on some of the PS4 launch titles, from the impressive first ever reveal of Killzone Shadow Fall’s spectacular MP, to the new Infamous Second Son trailer.

As the teams working on all our World Wide Studios AAA launch titles continue to push the gameplay and visual boundaries there is huge satisfaction for us being able to share their development with our fans. Having the developer community on board has meant that every feature of PS4 has been carefully crafted to enhance the user experience. The gamer is at the heart of PlayStation’s DNA.

Gamescom this year has also been an opportunity for us to share news on all our platforms and it gave us great pleasure to announce a host of new PS Vita titles. With an existing library of over 125 dedicated PS Vita games available already, we are now more committed than ever to delivering the content our fans are looking for.

From Borderlands and Football Manager being made available for the first time on PS Vita, to all new titles such as Murasaki Baby and BigFest, there is a wonderfully diverse range of titles that our fans can look forward to playing on the go.

It’s also exciting to see how strong the relationship between PS Vita and PS4 is, particularly through Remote Play. When you combine the strength of PS Vita as the ultimate companion device for PS4, alongside the more accessible price point, you can start to see the true value of the platform.

There was also good news for PS3. Kicking off with a brand new Gran Turismo 6 video was a great opener – Polyphony Digital has always been on the cutting edge of creating awe-inspiring driving simulators and being able to show-off their capabilities is always thrilling. GT6 is a great example of how PS3, now in its seventh year, is still delivering innovative games and we have more to come this year with the imminent release of both Beyond: Two Souls and GTA5.

From today our recommended maximum retail price of PS Vita and PS Vita Memory Card will be reduced to €199.99 and we will be reducing the recommended maximum retail price of PS3 to €199.99.

From a notable drive behind PlayStation Plus, for just over €4 a month, Plus will give gamers access to features including cloud storage, online multiplayer and fantastic games including #DRIVECLUB PS Plus Edition and newly announced Resogun at launch, to various other services available on PS4. We are also introducing VIP broadband with a selection of European partners including the likes of Deutche Telekom (Germany), Orange (France), Virgin Media (UK), and ONO (Spain).

Alongside this you’ll also have noticed that we recognised the expectation that consumers will want to use their consoles to watch movies, catch up on TV and listen to music. With that in mind, we announced through the PlayStation Network that over 15 video services and applications are coming to PS4 including Watchever, Maxdome, Wuaki, TotalChannel, RTBF, Ximon, Pather, Tvigle, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport, BBC News, NowTV, Five, FilmoTV, Jook, GameOne, Vidzone and IGN.