PS3
Price Cut: The PS3 gen is coming to a close, does that mean that the system will get a price cut?
Seb: No, I don’t think so, sadly. With the 12GB PS3 coming out in the US on Sunday for $199, it’d be weird if they then cut the price on all the consoles worldwide two days later.
Dan: I think it would be a smart decision for Sony to drop the price, but much like Seb said, the 12GB PS3 was their way of cutting down the price in the US and that just got announced. As for Europe, it’s rare that the region gets its own price cuts.
What about the games?
Dan: With the king of Rockstars about to make a rare appearance this year, I think it would be odd for GTA V to not show up on some level. Sony has also been pushing the highly anticipated title with their exclusive advertising, a PS3 bundle and trailers that are currently running on the PS3. It doesn’t take a genius to know that Sony is putting a lot behind the series, and it would be a mistake for them to not use gamescom to internationally attach the PlayStation brand to it.
Seb: I think it’s unlikely we’ll see any major PS3 announcements at the show, for obvious reasons, but some indie titles coming to PS3/4/Vita aren’t beyond the realms of imagination. Then there’s the known exclusives, such as rain, Puppeteer, Ratchet & Clank and Beyond that’ll be part of a sizzle trailer. As Europe is the GT heartland, Gran Turismo 6 will probably get its own trailer and some announcements, too. If we’re lucky, we’ll hear about Until Dawn, but I worry about that game. There is also the chance at some Sanzura, Tarsier and BluePoint titles but as they’re also Vita games, we’ll save it for that section.
As for The Last Guardian… give up.
PS Vita
Price Cut: Having had a rough start since it first launched, fans have been waiting for Sony to finally show the attention starved handheld some love. Much like we just did on yesterday’s Daily Reaction, the way that Sony focuses their attention could play a big role on how the system will be perceived for the coming months. But first, will it get a price cut?
Seb: It better. But Sony seems to be painfully stupid when it comes to the Vita. This thing needs a price cut on the hardware, and a significant price cut on the memory cards, if it has any hopes of shifting stock, but I sometimes wonder if Sony has given up on the little platform that couldn’t.
Dan: Yeah, I think a price cut needs to happen both for the console and the memory cards, but who knows if they will actually do that. Rumors have circulated saying that Sony will start bundling the PS4 with the Vita for $500, which means that would be trying to move the handheld for a fraction of the retail cost. This would be a smart move, but given that they would have to be taking a cut on an already endangered console with a relatively small library, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Games – We know there will be some reveals, but what?
Dan: As I said earlier, there is a chance that we will probably be seeing an Uncharted PS4 announcement at the VGAs, but what about the much-hoped return of Drake on the Vita? Well, SCE Bend has said that they are looking to push the platform further after developing Golden Abyss, so there is a good chance we will be seeing another half-tuck on the PlayStation handheld.
Based off of a job listing at SCE Bend, their upcoming Vita title will have multiplayer components, and, with the growing popularity of Uncharted 3’s online component, it would only make sense for Golden Abyss 2 to see one as well.
Seb: Yeah, after the terrible E3 showing for the Vita, I hope that there are at least some AAA Vita games. On top of SCE Bend’s Vita titles, there’s the AAA Vita game that SCEE’s Shahid Ahmad so infamously teased ahead of E3 – it’s an “AMAZING big title”, “not developed by an indie”, “not a port”, where “you are gonna be hooked for hours”. Shahid later said the reveal wasn’t ready for E3, but intonated that he thought it would, so a gamescom reveal isn’t too out of the question.
What we don’t know, however, is what the game actually is. There are numerous possibilities, but with Rockstar previously revealed as a Vita developer, we can’t help but dream of a GTA Stories game on the twin-stick handheld.
Dan: Following what Seb already said about Shahid, he has been trying to bring over a JRPG for the Vita, but given that a reveal at TGS would make more sense, it does seem unlikely we will be seeing anything on that at gamescom. However, given that he has been grabbing up a bunch of indies to start working on portable versions of some games, there is always a chance that we will see plenty of indies at the show.
Seb: Tarsier Studios co-developed the LBP Vita version, and the developer has signed an exclusive contract with SCEE, so they’re cooking up something exclusive. We don’t know which PS platform, but considering their Vita experience, hopefully it’s coming to that.
Dan: Sony’s Studio Japan has been developing a title called Freedom Wars for Vita. While little is known about the game other than it will have ‘multiplayer aspects’ and was was once known as Panopticon and is slated for a 2014 release in Japan on the Vita, there are hopes for a EU date at gamescom. Other Sony Japan announcements will probably be saved for TGS.
Seb: While they may not be the same size or have the same impact as a new AAA title, ports are guaranteed. Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton is probably coming to PS Vita, as is a BluePoint Games HD remaster of a classic Sony franchise.
Dan: Sanzaru Games, the developers behind Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, was spotted having a listing for a PS3/Vita title, and haven’t been heard from for a little while, so it will only be a matter of time until we see something from them pop up – but, there is no way to tell if gamecom will be the unveiling.
Seb: Sadly, that’s all we know about the Vita, except for the fact that there won’t be an Assassin’s Creed Vita title this year. We will, however, likely hear more about the Vita’s confirmed titles, such as Tearaway, Killzone: Mercenary, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, Invizimals: The Alliance and, best of all, PlayStation Vita Pets.
As for The Last Guardian… give up.
Are you excited for gamescom 2013? Which announcement are you hoping for the most? Did you actually read all of this? Let us know in the comments below, email us at [email protected] or tweet us your 4000 word articles at Seb and Dan.
