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[CJY]

PS4 Introduction
PS4 was first introduced on Feb 20, 2013 at an event called PlayStation Meeting 2013. Here is the full livestream featuring Andrew House , Mark Cerny, Dave Perry, Michael Denny, Hermen Hulst, plus more devs:


Games debuted at this event include: Knack , Killzone: Shadow Fall, DriveClub, Infamous: Second Son, The Witness, Quantic Dreams Demo, Dreams (!), Deep Down (lol), SqEnix Luminous Studio Demo, plus more 3rd Party pubs/devs, Ubi, Acti, Blizzard, Bungie...

Needless to say, this event was hype AF... the end of the PS3's life-cycle and Sony's strong 1st-party support meant fans were already very much locked in for next generation. The new philosophy was exciting and fresh and very "current" for the time.


E3 2013
The E3 press conference was absolutely off the hook that year, presented by Jack Tretton , Andrew House makes another appearance, followed by Shuhei Yoshida, plus a ton of game demos. The full press conference:


...this is where the launch price of $399/€399/£349 was revealed too: (timestamped)


...and we also got this little gem:


It's quite upsetting to think we may never get this level of hype again. There is simply nothing quite like an E3 presser at the beginning of a new generation.


The Road to PS4 talk by Mark Cerny
If you just watch one video I've linked, it's this one from late-June 2013, where Mark Cerny gave a talk at Gamelab in Barcelona called The Road to PS4:


Cerny talks about the history of PlayStation going all the way back to the development of PS1, right through to how he came to be the lead system architect of PS4 and his philosophy on it's development. He also gives a concise rundown of his own history within the gaming industry. It's all very interesting and this talk is a great companion to his recent The Road to PS5 talk. It's an understatement to say that it's is far less technical than his more recent talk, but essential watching for anybody interested in the enigma that is Mark Cerny.


Launch Day
PS4 finally launched in Western territories in November 2013 to rip-roaring sales of over 1 million on day one. Never forget and craziness that ensued on launch day in Germany:



To-date, PS4 has sold over 110 million units and this makes PS4 it the second best selling console ever, behind PS2 at #1, but the generation is not quite over over yet...


Conclusion
PS5's success doesn't feel as assured this time around as it faces far stiffer competition than what was experienced back in 2013. Mark Cerny is doing what Mark Cerny does, and is creating an amazing system for sure, but I would equate his situation to that of a band that's experienced incredible success on their debut album, but now faces the potential hurdles of a follow-up album. Can his second console - the PS5 - reach the lofty heights of what was achieved on his debut as PlayStation's lead system architect? Or will the PS5 falter against the competition, only for Mark Cerny to return once again with PS6, as a redemption story and conclusion to an epic trilogy of consoles? That all remains to be seen, but no matter what happens, this oncoming generation is sure to be fascinating, and great for gamers of all stripes and colours.

 

[EverydayBeast]

PS4's launch inherited a lot of PS3 players, way better system, overcame the YLOD, came in with a great lineup

 

[Hawking Radiation]

I don't know man.

I love how Sony handled the PS4 announcement and leading up to launch.

With PS5 its all so radically different. Hardly any enthusiasm from Sony execs. Maybe its the way Andrew House spoke or came across but it just gave me this sense of excitement.

What we have so far with PS5 is a tech talk to devs....and that's it. No hype trailers or teasers or anything. Its dead quiet on Sony's front. Yes we have Covid19 going on but before this lockdown there could have been something like a hint or something regarding systems features or plans.

Its all so weird and opposite to how they handled PS4.

I want the same enthusiasm and excitement back but i know Andrew House left and a whole bunch of other execs.

 

[Silentbomber]

What's a PS5 ?

 

[Zekra Dezivad]

I think that perspective is a lot important.
Right now if Sony would give you an "E3" conference with first party like Knack, infamous, the order, killzone and the dark sorcerer tech demo we would have to shut down internet to prevent the complaints and the tons of sheet that would be raining all over their heads.
That price announcement really was a nuke, my god.
Back then they got an easy pass like on everything thanks to what microsoft did with Xbox One.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

You buy a game, you own it. You can sell it, give it to a friend, or throw it out the window

 

[CJY]

I don't know man.

I love how Sony handled the PS4 announcement and leading up to launch.

With PS5 its all so radically different. Hardly any enthusiasm from Sony execs. Maybe its the way Andrew House spoke or came across but it just gave me this sense of excitement.

What we have so far with PS5 is a tech talk to devs....and that's it. No hype trailers or teasers or anything. Its dead quiet on Sony's front. Yes we have Covid19 going on but before this lockdown there could have been something like a hint or something regarding systems features or plans.

Its all so weird and opposite to how they handled PS4.

I want the same enthusiasm and excitement back but i know Andrew House left and a whole bunch of other execs.

I totally agree with you. PS4 introduction was brilliant. I don't know what is up this time. They moved their HQ to the US and it really feels like the wheels have fallen off in terms of marketing.

Andrew House was just electric. So much charisma and passion. Jim Ryan always seemed like a damp squib, and his last two appearances, first at CES and then at the GDC talk didn't project any excitement whatsoever. The system itself is going to be great, but I'm going to take a wait and see approach, at the moment I'm fearing the worst though.

 

[CJY]

What's a PS5 ?

It's the PS following PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4. You might have heard of them.

 

[CJY]

I think that perspective is a lot important.
Right now if Sony would give you an "E3" conference with first party like Knack, infamous, the order, killzone and the dark sorcerer tech demo we would have to shut down internet to prevent the complaints and the tons of sheet that would be raining all over their heads.
That price announcement really was a nuke, my god.
Back then they got an easy pass like on everything thanks to what microsoft did with Xbox One.

Why do you think it was OK back then to introduce the PS4 with such games but not now? Is it that you think standards have gone up or tastes have changed?

I thought it was a strong showing at PS Meeting. I don't remember whether Xbox One had been announced yet at that point.

 

[DeadOblivion78]

Well I imagine that Sony was not expecting a pandemic to screw up their first "reveal", if a press conference from GDC could be called that.

 

[CJY]

Well I imagine that Sony was not expecting a pandemic to screw up their first "reveal", if a press conference from GDC could be called that.

It's hard to imagine how it affected a talk like that too much. I mean, I don't think it would have been that different for observers at home if GDC wasn't actually cancelled.

I wonder who it affects more that E3 is cancelled though. I'd have to say Xbox because Sony had already pulled out of it, but based on their current marketing efforts, it feels more like PlayStation just aren't ready.

 

[Gamerguy84]

I think MS gains some sales back this time. I also think they are gonna surprise people with price, they made it clear they wouldnt be beat on price and theyve been giving everything away for a while now.

PS will do its thing though. Sony WWS will make the games people want. Their is already a ton of people wanting to play the next HZD, GoW, SM2, etc..

On topic that was a great reveal. I remember watching it and getting pumped.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Absolutely legendary moment.

Not only was this a kind of a last gasp of 90s style marketing, and probably the funniest, most brutal example of it ever, you can also argue this 22-second clip single-handedly decided an entire console generation before it even began.

 

[longdi]

PS4 was greatness, almost the same levels as PS1. The $399 and no DRM mike drop was legendary. I became a renewed Sony fan at that moment. Jesus Christ rebirth.

PS5, totally lacking. Something felt amiss inside SCE. The specs reveal basically cemented my beliefs, SCE is fucked somewhere from 2018. Rotting from within.

 

[CJY]

PS4 was greatness, almost the same levels as PS1. The $399 and no DRM mike drop was legendary. I became a renewed Sony fan at that moment. Jesus Christ rebirth.

PS5, totally lacking. Something felt amiss inside SCE. The specs reveal basically cemented my beliefs, SCE is fucked somewhere from 2018. Rotting from within.

Yeah, that's why I made this thread, so it could be acknowledged more clearly and be compared to today. Something is definitely not right at SIE. They've lost House, Tretton, Kaz, Boyes at least and all those guys had great personalities. I guess they're going through a transition but they better hurry TF up.

 

[Zekra Dezivad]

Why do you think it was OK back then to introduce the PS4 with such games but not now? Is it that you think standards have gone up or tastes have changed?

I thought it was a strong showing at PS Meeting. I don't remember whether Xbox One had been announced yet at that point.

I like most of these games, I even "defended" the order when it came out since I really enjoyed it.
However sony first party output in the early years of ps4 was considered underwhelming by a big part of the community, the "ps4 has no game" meme is still remembered.
I think that back then sony had power, price and a lot of goodwill as advantages.
Now I believe that a first party proposition like that would be overcriticized.

 

[BattleScar]

It's hard to imagine how it affected a talk like that too much. I mean, I don't think it would have been that different for observers at home if GDC wasn't actually cancelled.

I wonder who it affects more that E3 is cancelled though. I'd have to say Xbox because Sony had already pulled out of it, but based on their current marketing efforts, it feels more like PlayStation just aren't ready.

How would we know how much the pandemic has affect their plans? If they had a bunch of small unannounced events planned throughout 2020, which got cancelled due to the virus, they're not going to tell everyone about them. Why would they tell us about stillborn events?

 

[makaveli60]

Playstation dream team. Seeing Sony's incompetence lately with the new leaders this seems like happened in a parallel universe.

 

[Poordevil]

Did Cerny deliver that entire bio/ Playstation history speech with no teleprompter or notes? It seemed he was up there telling a long chronological story, packed with information, with no gafs, no slip ups, as if he were adlibbing the whole time. I was impressed. I mean, I had to keep my brain in gear just to keep up, haha.

 

[waltyftmus Prime]

Legendary.

 

[CJY]

Michael Denny gone now too

Michael Denny Leaves for TT Games After 25 Years at PlayStation

Another of Sony Interactive Entertainment's top executives is leaving the company. Michael Denny, senior vice president of Worldwide Studios Europe, has announced he will soon depart for pastures new. Which pastures, exactly? Denny is moving to TT Games, where he'll take on the role of vice...

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