Sony highlights mature games, cross-play at Electronic Entertainment Expo
June 5, 2012
LOS ANGELES — With a nod to the future, Sony paid tribute to the gamer and revealed new, power-packed and very bloody titles at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on Monday.
Promising “next generation experiences,” Sony Computer Entertainment of America president Jack Tretton introduced new games aimed at mature audiences: “The Last of Us,” “God of War: Ascension” and “Beyond: Two Souls.” Each featured video and game play that was evocative, brutal and bloody with action that drew gasps and cringes.
“This is the Super Bowl for those of us in the game industry,” Tretton said. “This year, Sony wants to pay tribute to the gamers.”
There were no great reveals or announcements about new hardware, despite persistent rumors that a new PlayStation 4 might be on the horizon. Much of the event focused on integration between the current PlayStation 3 and the handheld PlayStation Vita and the mention of a new service called PlayStation Mobile that will bring the PS experience to mobile phones and tablets.
Tretton said there will be 60 new titles for the Vita next year and PlayStation 1 titles will also be available for play on the handheld console. One new title, “PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale,” can be played on the home console and the Vita at the same time.
“We are investing heavily (in) cross-play (playing on PS3 and Vita simultaneously),” Tretton said. “People can play whenever and wherever they want with cross-play. The Vita also becomes an enhanced controller for the PS3.”
There will also be exclusive titles for the Vita, like “Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified” and “Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation,” featuring a female lead assassin. Jessica Chobot, correspondent for G4TV’s “Attack of the Show” said she was really impressed with the new game play for “Assassin’s Creed III.”
“I’m the kind of gamer that looks for story. I’m a big RPG (role-playing game) fan so things that have a really good story for me carry more weight for me as a gamer,” she said. “The fact they have a sea battle is really cool.”
