With Sony’s TGS show only hours away, Daily Reaction breaks down what our expectations are for the last big game show this year. We talk about what surprises the PlayStation platform holder will have up its sleeve, as well as what new titles we hope to hear about. As this is the last major show of the year, it could be a defining moment in how this generation comes to a close.
Dan: As per usual, Sony has a number of announcements that are heavily rumored, and set to be announced at this year’s TGS. One of the biggest things Sony has to announce, if they ever are going to release it in the near future, would be their ultra slim PS3. With rumors of the PS4 releasing or being announced next year, Sony would be foolish to wait any longer to release a cheaper slimmed down version of their current console near it’s next system release. As the media hype would just become split between a cheaper, more competitive system, and the hype surrounding a future console – Sony would only shoot itself in the foot. This is also not to mention that Sony really could put Nintendo in a corner, simply by releasing a cheaper ultra slim PS3 (maybe with a Vita bundle), that could compete with the upcoming Wii U, as well as have an established library of titles.
The other big thing Sony really needs to put out there this TGS, is all of the titles that have gone dark since their announcement. Especially the now infamous, The Last Guardian, which simply has to make an appearance or become a bigger running gag than it has already become. Sony this generation has really lost a great deal of faith from its hardcore audience, as major announcements seem to just turn into vapor (i.e. Agent), so by finally ending these rumors, they could regain some faith in time for the PS4.
Seb: This TGS is quite an interesting one, when you consider that Sony announced SCEJ titles Rain and The Puppeteer only last month at gamescom. Hopefully that means Sony were clearing some space for more TGS announcements, although they showed at E3 that they were happy to reveal everything before the show and then get confused why people expected more.
The super-slim dieting PS3 has to happen, despite a slew of awesome games, the console is still lagging behind the 360 in sales (especially in the US) and could do with a boost in sales from the increase in publicity, buzz and, of course, a price cut. Additionally, the budget 12-16GB version will be perfect for the Wonderbook crowd, who won’t be power users, but still are very valuable. Sony needs to make the PS3 sexy.
As to The Last Guardian… yeah, I wouldn’t hold my breath. Agent is fully dead and TLG is stuck in limbo, until one Sony exec makes the tough decision to kill it. Let’s not kid ourselves, they are a business and this wasn’t going to be a massive chart topper anyway – it was commissioned way back when Sony owned the console market with the PS2 and thought they would again with the PS3. Times have changed, Sony is tightening their purse strings, shutting down valuable developers like Zipper and Sony Liverpool – who created far more commercially successful titles than Team ICO. I want to be wrong, I want to be able to write on tomorrow’s DR “They finally did it, TLG is coming out soon”, but it doesn’t seem likely.
That leaves the Vita, which should have a huge presence at TGS, considering Japan has a strong affinity for portables, including the PSP, but has yet to be convinced by the PSV. With a new Monster Hunter announced for the Wii U and 3DS, it seems like the franchise has left the PS family, so we can’t hope for that massive boon to sales to be announced. But we could still see smaller games like Patapon and Locoroco, or if we’re lucky Gran Turismo Vita or even something Final Fantasy or Metal Gear. Don’t get your hopes too high, though – as great as their gamescom was, they only actually revealed one new Vita game. One.
Dan: I agree, TLG is most likely going to be a symbol of what exactly went wrong with Sony during this generation. As it’s become a PR nightmare, as well as seemingly falling apart from the inside out with no one reigning the team in. With key members leaving during production, and all of this on a game that Sony banked millions on. So, will TLG come out? I hope so, as they need to release it- not just for a monetary gain, but to end the cycle of ridicule Sony keeps bringing on themselves.
Past the announcements for new PS3 titles, Sony really does need to push the Vita like never before. Simply making announcements of upcoming titles like they did during the Vita’s launch will simply not cut it this time around, as the Vita has been barren since launch. While it did launch with a good amount of titles, any momentum built up has since dissipated, as they haven’t been able to keep a constant flow of reputable releases. Having announced titles like Final Fantasy X, yet showing little to nothing of it since then, Sony really must show titles with hard release dates to really push any future Vita titles. As much as I would love to see a new Monster Hunter title on PlayStation, I won’t care unless it has a date attached. Although, while it may not mean much to myself without a release date, Sony really could use TGS to announce a wide breadth of titles to display the Vita’s future.
Seb: Yeah, I’m fed up with DelayStation and vaporware, I agree, Sony needs to be able to give potential Vita buyers a strong lineup that they can actually look forward to and know is coming out.
As well as the Vita, there are still a few other surprises. At the very least, there’s Kat and Cloud for PS All-Stars, and maybe a few other characters. Plus, we should definitely get a good look at PS Mobile, Sony’s cross-platform games service for Vita, mobiles and tablets. With the iPhone 5 already having outsold the Vita in preorders despite not having released, it’s clear that mobile is where the money is. And, even if PS Mobile isn’t a massive success on mobiles, it’ll make the Vita a hell of a lot more interesting. Check out this developer list. From Software? They said in the past that they wanted to continue the Souls series on mobiles, so this looks like where it’ll go. The successor to the 250,000 selling Eufloria is also coming exclusively to PS Mobile. This is the platform to watch at TGS.
Outside of that, there’s also Sony’s new VR headset, dubbed by them as “the future of entertainment” (and VR could be big in the future). Of course, it’ll probably cost far too much and be under supported, but I still can’t wait to see it. Hell, it might even have Vita connectivity…
What are your expectations for Sony’s TGS 2012 show? What titles do you think will actually make the show? And which titles do you think will sadly have to wait till after the world ends this December? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and also learn Japanese by following Seb and Dan.
