It is easy to see how much technology has developed over the years, especially when it comes to gaming technology. So what is next in the world of gaming?

On Feb. 20, Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., announced, during a worldwide press conference in New York City, that they will release the PlayStation 4 this winter.

At the conference, Andrew House, the current president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, and Mark Cerny, lead system architect, presented the new console together.

The announcement focused on the new features of the system. Specifically, the system uses cloud technology, which allows you to play your game files from other systems.

This is a highly anticipated feature for many gamers, including CLU sophomore Nathan Ortega.

“I’m pretty excited to see what the new system has in store,” said Ortega. “I think it will be a different experience with the new features, especially the use of the cloud.”

The announcement was thorough in its description of the features, but it left gamers asking questions, mostly about what the console looks like. Images of the system were not shown, which makes me think that the announcement was rushed.

Rumors have been widely spreading concerning the release of a XBox 720.

I believe that Sony wanted to beat them in announcing their new system first.

XBox has been a favorite amongst users, including Ortega.

“I don’t think that the new PlayStation will be able to compete with XBox,” said Ortega. “They have a very loyal following, and I don’t see them changing many people’s minds.”

In their original press release, Sony stressed how the system will make a gamer’s experience more fun and expansive.

“It’s the next generation computer entertainment system that redefines rich and immersive gameplay,” said Sony in their press release in February.

The new system is expected to take gaming to the next level, with features like split-screen gaming, that allows the player to view maps or other menus on a laptop or the PlayStation Vita while playing the game simultaneously on the TV.

Other features include social networking sharing, a new controller and decreasing lag time of loading games.

Senior Hunter Hamaker, a computer science major at California Lutheran University, is anxious to see how the new system will play out.

“I’m looking forward to the release and I’m curious to what it will be capable of,” said Hamaker. “I like what I have seen so far, but I am disappointed that the system is not backwards compatible with PS3 games.”

Ultimately, Sony really needs to step up with this new console if they want to beat XBox.

The PS3 has been a great system and doesn’t need to be replaced quite yet, according to sophomore Myles Moore, a multimedia major at CLU.

“They made the mistake by not making it backwards compatible with older games,” said Moore. “XBox hasn’t made that mistake yet. Making the system backwards compatible makes buying a new system more worth it.”

Sony is going up against a huge competitor.

The new features will really need to make a bang if they want to upstage whatever the next generation XBox will have in store.

Graham Jameson
Staff Writer
Published March 6, 2013