PS4 Will Have 'Unprecedented Rush' of Big Games in 2016
By Cody Gravelle 26 December 2015
Sony’s Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida reveals in a recent interview that 2016 is shaping up to be the most promising one yet for the PlayStation 4.
Yoshida discussed the future of the console and Sony’s plans to further the already dominant sales success of the PS4, a gaming system that is widely considered to be the de facto best choice for console gamers based on its support and exclusive titles. Yoshida believes that it will be the combination of an impressive exclusive games lineup for 2016 paired with the long-awaited release of PlayStation VR that will finally sway those who have remained unconvinced regarding purchasing a Sony system:
“2016 marks an unprecedented rush of big titles for PS4. It’s also the year of the long-awaited launch of PlayStation VR. It’s the year PS4 users, and those who are on the fence on whether to buy it will absolutely think, ‘it’s good to have a PS4’.”
That “unprecedented rush” of big titles might seem like the usual hyperbole that is so inextricable from the gaming industry, but Yoshida’s statement might actually be an understatement. The amount of big-ticket PS4 exclusive titles scheduled to release this year is staggering, with games like Persona 5, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and The Last Guardian, the latter of which has been in development so long many gamers had given up on its release prior to an exciting trailer reveal at E3 2015.
The major innovation in 2016, however, will likely stem from PlayStation VR, formerly known as Project Morpheus. Sony’s reveal of the exciting new technology at GDC 2015 explained how the VR technology functions by connecting into an external processing unit that then connects to the console itself, although it remains unclear to what extent the technology will be compatible with each individual game release in the future. The technology is pretty powerful, though – at least strong enough to warrant an external processing unit as big as a Wii U system.
Of course, these factors are just the ones that have already been confirmed. Games like Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 15 are also on the table for a 2016 release, and while that title has no specific release date as of yet, it will certainly represent a fine addition to the PS4’s already strong 2016 lineup. The fact that Final Fantasy 15 is now playable from start to finish has to be considered a good sign for fans who were concerned the game might not meet its 2016 release target. While Final Fantasy 15 will be available for both PS4 and Xbox One, however, Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be a PS4 timed-exclusive, and that alone might be enough to sway fans of the series to purchase a PS4 in order to have access to both titles upon their respective releases.
While Yoshida’s optimism seems to be warranted, he’s not the only executive looking forward to a stronger showing in 2016. Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently took to Twitter to mention that 2016 will be a “fun year” for Xbox One IPs, and games like Quantum Break and Scalebound look like worthy challengers to the strong PS4 lineup being touted by Sony. Although it’s impossible to tell which console truly has the advantage heading into the new year, it remains abundantly clear that console fans are going to thoroughly enjoy gaming in 2016.
Do you think Yoshida is right to be so confident in the 2016 PS4 games lineup? Can the Xbox One make up some lost ground in sales with a stronger exclusive lineup this year? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: 4Gamer (via Dual Shockers)
