PlayStation

4 Sony Devices Find Their Place on the ’50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time’ List

by Sohrab Osati | May 9, 2016 | 2 comments

From TIME:

Think of the gear you can’t live without: The smartphone you constantly check. The camera that goes with you on every vacation. The TV that serves as a portal to binge-watching and -gaming. Each owes its influence to one model that changed the course of technology for good.

This list couldn’t have come at a better time as Sony celebrated its 70th birthday on Saturday and what a 70 years it’s been. I don’t say this lightly when I say Sony is the closest any company has come to matching and perhaps even exceeding the influence that Apple has had on our lives. While the last two decades might be dominated mostly by Apple, Sony’s influence throughout the years cannot be ignored.

From changing how we watch TV with the Trinitron to how we entertain ourselves with Walkman and PlayStation – Sony has forever altered our lives with their rich products. Even today Sony is challenging the notion of how we view photography by being a champion of E-mount cameras and taking on once dominant competitors Nikon and Canon.

Some of these, like Sony’s Walkman, were the first of their kind. Others, such as the iPod, propelled an existing idea into the mainstream. Some were unsuccessful commercially, but influential nonetheless. And a few represent exciting but unproven new concepts (looking at you, Oculus Rift).

After the jump, the four Sony products that made the 50 most influential gadgets of all time list.

Sony to Launch Optional VR Consultation Service

by Sohrab Osati | May 4, 2016 | 0 comments

Official_PlayStation_VR_10

Just yesterday, I talked about how Sony will be enforcing a minimum 60fps standard for games released on PlayStation VR. According to Sony Computer Entertainment America Senior Dev Support Engineer Chris Norden, any game that dips below that will be rejected. To ensure that developers are able to get everything they want from VR and deliver an overall good experience, Sony will be launching a consultation service. Once again Norden:

We have a team of VR experts that will play the game…and look for technical correctness. We’re not going to beta test your title or anything, but we’re going to provide you kind of a report of ‘oh, this is a possible nausea trigger. Oh, here you’re dropping frame-rate.

Sony has yet to publicly disclose any additional details but I hope this is a service that they push in a very public manner to developers because the process of submitting a game for review can be lengthy and to only have it eventually rejected on technical merits can be devastating to a project’s timeline. With a service like this to rely on, developers can be confident that what they submit to Sony will pass muster.

Games That Dip Below 60fps on PlayStation VR Will Be Rejected

by Sohrab Osati | May 3, 2016 | 1 comment

One of the best things Sony and others like Oculus can do for virtual reality is to ensure that there is a set minimum level of quality that VR games should adhere to. So much of VR depends on the initial wave of consumer sentiment over the next year as varying headsets begin to arrive at retail. One such way that Sony is ensuring there is a minimum level of quality on each game released for PlayStation VR is by enforcing guidelines for frames-per-second. Sony Computer Entertainment America Senior Dev Support Engineer Chris Norden:

Frame-rate is really important; you cannot drop below 60 frames-per-second. Ever. If you submit a game to us and it drops to 55, or 51… we’re probably going to reject it.

And he’s absolutely right. As flashy and fantastical a dev’s game can be, if it dips below 60fps (the threshold where consumers can begin to feel nauseated) then not only are they delivering a subpar experience with their title, but also damaging the reputation of VR as a whole.

I know I’m going to get flak for this, but there’s no excuse for not hitting frame-rate. It’s really hard, and I’m not going to lie to and say it’s extremely easy… it’s really difficult. 60hz is the minimum acceptable frame-rate. Everybody drill that into your heads.

VR will rise and fall together like 3D and a handful of devs could ruin it all for the entire industry. Norden once again:

We’re all friends; the VR industry is really small and really tight. The VR industry needs to succeed, and everybody inside of it needs to succeed.

And one such way is to have certain minimum standards like 60fps. Good move by Sony.

Destiny Update 2.2.0.2 With Melee Changes Now Live

by Sohrab Osati | May 3, 2016 | 0 comments

Just a quick heads up. The Destiny update 2.2.0.2 that I talked about yesterday which would prepare the game for changes to its melee system among other things is now live. The small update which is required before jumping in brings with it:

Character

The following changes to the melee ability will be manually toggled on Tuesday, May 10th at 10AM Pacific. For a review of the changes read the last “This Week at Bungie.”

Fixed a bug that would start a melee target search from an incorrect position, frequently coming up short and causing the melee attack to whiff
Adjust melee strike validation logic and player position networking during melee attacks to improve reliability across the network

Activities

Fixed an issue in which chests in the original Prison of Elders challenge modes (Level 32, 34, 35) did not properly give loot
Fixed an issue in which the Weekly Nightfall did not drop Ghosts above the player’s Light correctly

More details like changes to quests and items after the jump.

Destiny Update 2.2.0.2 Releases on May 3rd, Will Usher in Melee Changes

by Sohrab Osati | May 2, 2016 | 0 comments

Destiny_Melee_Attack

Come May 3rd, Bungie will be releasing Destiny update 2.2.0.2 which will eventually change how the melee system works. While the update will go live tomorrow, the actual changes won’t go into effect until May 10th. Bungie hopes that in the week that the code is introduced, they can monitor how it affects things before fully implementing changes to the melee system. According to the team at Bungie:

Changing the Sandbox always runs the risk of wreaking havoc on the fabric of virtual reality. We’re going to roll this out nice and slow.

The full timeline of the new update is as follows:

Update 2.2.0.2 deploys Tuesday, May 3rd starting at about 10AM Pacific
We’ll monitor the base update for stability over the weekend
New Melee code will be manually activated Tuesday, May 10th at 10AM Pacific
We’ll monitor performance and gather feedback on the Sandbox

I have to say, despite being ‘minor’ compared to DLC like The Taken King, the April update has done wonders to making Destiny even more fun to play. As a whole, the game feels much more balanced out with less of a grind. If you’ve put the game aside lately, right now is a pretty good time to jump back in. After the jump, Bungie Sandbox Engineer Jon Cable talks specifics about the new update.

Sony Q1 2016 Earnings – Gaming & Media Up, Electronics Flat, and Components Down

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 29, 2016 | 4 comments

Sony Q1 2016 - Q4 FY2015 Sales in Yen (Billions)

(As always, keep in mind that these charts are fairly wide and created in very high resolution so simply click on them to enlarge)

The more I look at Sony’s Q4 FY15 earnings report which comprises of how they did in Q1 2016, the more hopeful and cautious I am of the company. In short, I find the direction Kaz Hirai is pursuing to be the correct one for Sony at the time. The question which remains is if Sony can execute his vision at a quick enough pace and transition to the next phase which is being a more lean and robust company with hopefully better selling devices on the market. That is outside of PlayStation which continues to do gangbuster numbers. Otherwise for Sony, it’s a tale of lower sales but higher profits, thanks to their more premium lineup which offers better margins.

If you look at the above chart, you’ll notice that excluding entertainment endeavors which in my mind comprises of PlayStation, Sony Pictures, and Sony Music, most of Sony’s electronic businesses were down compared to a year ago’s quarter. I’ve already discussed in length what’s been happening at Sony Mobile which you can read about here. However as the chart below shows, despite a drop in sales, Sony’s prospects on each division is improving, including their troubled mobile division. In fact Sony has posted a 666.5% rise in pretax profit for its full fiscal year.

Sony_Q4_FY15_Operating_Income_in_Yen_Billions

Across nearly all core electronics business, Sony has seen a rise in operating income, even if they’re still posting negative numbers. The reason Financial Services dipped is mostly due to stock market volatility which has been in full affect the entire year. As Sony put it:

Increases in the amortization of deferred insurance acquisition costs and the provision of policy reserves, primarily driven by a significant decrease in interest rates and the deterioration in the stock market

For comparison, Apple each quarter has ‘lost’ more money due to currency volatility than companies like Facebook actually make. Context is king, right? Otherwise, as I said earlier, it seems like most of Sony’s businesses are humming right along the path set out by Kaz. However, let’s not forget about the elephant in the room – that division right in the middle – Devices. As you can see, compared to a year ago’s quarter, Devices is down ¥75.3 billion. It’s as if that division fell off of a cliff. For those unaware, Devices comprises mostly of Sony’s semiconductor business which supplies companies like Apple and Samsung things like batteries and camera sensors. According to Sony, the large negative number is in part due to:

Deterioration in the operating results of the camera module business

Deterioration in the operating results of the battery business

Increases in depreciation and amortization expenses as well as in research and development expenses

I’ve heard from a little birdie that Sony may have lost a major customer which could lend credence to the dramatic drop. Otherwise it’s hard to equate their reasonings and that number but for now, all we have is Sony’s vague statement on the matter. For those wondering what percentage of the company each division of Sony comprises, wonder no more with the chart below.

Sony_Q4_FY15_Sales_by_Segments

Way more details on each division from the Sony Q1 2016 earnings report after the jump.

Poll: Are you going to see the Ratchet and Clank movie this weekend?

by Allegra Osati | Apr 29, 2016 | 0 comments

It’s finally here! Ratchet and Clank is out in theaters today, and we’ve already got our tickets. Based on the wildly popular Insomniac Games franchise, this movie makes the Ratchet and Clank universe just a little bit bigger. So, will you be kicking some asteroid with two of our favorite galactic heroes? Let us know in our poll after the jump!

Sony Profits Up 666% While Revenue Slightly Dips by 1.2%

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 28, 2016 | 0 comments

It’s earnings time again and as a whole, things are going well for Sony as evident by the:

666.5% rise in pretax profit for its full fiscal year

This can be mainly attributed to the strong performance of PS4 and Sony’s ability to cut costs within its mobile division. All of this has led to:

income before taxes for the year ending March 31 came in at 304.5 billion yen ($2.81 billion), a big rise from the 39.7 billion yen recorded during the same period last year. Operating profit rose 329.2% to 294.2 billion yen, its largest figure since fiscal 2007

Looking at things more closely, mobile is still a business that’s struggling for Sony but losses did narrow to:

61.4 billion yen from 217.6 billion in fiscal 2015

Ultimately that operating loss of ¥61.4 billion ($544 million) was 57.4% bigger than the company predicted a year ago but that’s mainly due to Sony choosing profits over scale which has also led to a revenue dip of 20% compared to the year prior. Kazuo Hirai:

If it means that we’re selling less number of phones going out the door. We’re fine with that so long as we have a profitable business, and we’re really on our way to being profitable in that regard

Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight is more optimistic about Sony Mobile’s future. While what he has to say isn’t wrong; it’s up to Sony to be able to capitalize on future opportunities, especially now that they’re more lean than years past and the division hasn’t shown the same foresight as PlayStation to garner the benefit of the doubt. Ben Wood:

Sony Mobile has embarked on some aggressive cost reduction over the last 12 months. This has seen it exit markets such as China, India and the U.S. as well as reducing its headcount. Now the business unit has more stable financial position to build on as it looks to driving a return to growth

It’s no secret that gaming continues to become a more critical division of Sony and PlayStation did little to disappoint. Operating income for the Games division rose 84.3% to to ¥88.7 billion ($785 million) and an 11.8% improvement in sales. Both software and hardware sales for PS4 were up year-over-year which is helping offset the predictable decline of PS3 sales. PlayStation VR will also go on sale later this year but I’m doubtful first year sales will have a large impact on the bottom line as larger consumer interest in VR has yet to be determined and it’s unclear how profitable each VR headset is for Sony. However, if VR does take off, Sony is well positioned.

More after the jump.

‘Horizon: Zero Dawn’ Could See a Delay

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 25, 2016 | 0 comments

Horizen_Event_Zero_07

This generation has seen no shortage of delays and the PS4 exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn by Guerrilla Games could be joining that list. Guerrilla Games Co-Founder and former Production Director Arjan Brussee (who left the company in 2012) chiming in on initial reports about the game’s delay:

count me not surprised… just make it awesome @Guerrilla guys! https://t.co/vPE9dyxldV

— arjan @ BOSS KEY (@arjanbrussee) April 21, 2016

With E3 right around the bend, we likely won’t have to wait long to hear about the game’s fate. The game was originally set to appear some time in late 2016 but reports are now pegging an early 2017 release date. If true, I’d wager late February or early March. Again it’s worth pointing out that nothing is official at this point but, if true, I’m glad.

Sony has given Naughty Dog plenty of time to refine Uncharted 4 which has seen a few delays of its own and the final product, which is arriving in two weeks’ time, looks nothing short of spectacular. If developers need more time to iron out bugs and enhance the game, I’m all for it. Others have gone as far as to claim the game’s delay has something to do with the rumored PS4K but I don’t think that’s true.

Raychul’s Review of ‘Ratchet and Clank’ Makes Us Want to Save the Universe Again

by Allegra Osati | Apr 22, 2016 | 0 comments

In 2002, Insomniac Games released a little game for PlayStation 2 to great critical acclaim and raving reviews called Ratchet and Clank. Now, two console generations and several successful games later, the duo have made their PS4 debut in a remake that is sure to please fans of the original game. Just ask our good friend Raychul Moore:

I think it’s one of the best re-releases of a classic game that I originally loved that I’ve ever played.

According to Raychul, Ratchet and Clank does not fall victim to the curse many other remakes do – it actually has that “special something” that makes the game feel new and modern.

Ratchet and Clank is one of the first games I would definitely say you can tell they rebuilt this game from the ground up.

So, whether you’re new to the franchise or are excited to dive back in to the world with an out-of-this-world arsenal, get ready to play the game, based on the movie, based on the game (and go see the movie, out in theaters April 29th)! Ultimately, Raychul concludes with:

One of the genres I miss the most in today’s gaming is a really well done fun platformer. I’m so glad that Insomniac brought back Ratchet and Clank … It fulfilled all of my needs and wants for a platformer and gave me big crazy fun guns to do it with.

Check out her full video review of Ratchet and Clank after the jump!

Twitch Comes to PS3

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 21, 2016 | 2 comments

PS3_Twitch_App

Despite nearing its 10th anniversary, Sony is still bringing new functionality to PS3. Specifically, a Twitch app has just been launched on the console.

Twitch lets you instantly watch and follow broadcasts of any game you love. Features include:

+ Live and recorded video of top games, players & esports events
+ Ability to follow channels and games you want to keep tabs on
+ Special section to highlight PlayStation broadcasters

Unlike on PS4, the Twitch app on PS3 is only for viewing content and doesn’t allow you to live stream from the console. Still, for those who enjoy watching live streams, this is a great addition to PS3. After the jump, a few more pictures for you.

PlayStation Network (is Finally) Getting Two-Step Authentication

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 20, 2016 | 0 comments

It’s been five years since a major hack took down PlayStation Network for over a month and two years since the massive Sony Pictures hack and Sony is now finally getting ready for two-step authentication.

In order to further safeguard our users and their accounts, we are preparing to offer a 2-step verification feature

Samit Sarkar writing for Polygon:

The spokesperson did not offer a time frame at this point, saying only that “more details will be shared at a later date.” Sony updated the PS3’s firmware to version 4.80 yesterday, and users noticed that if they entered incorrect login information, the system mentioned two-step verification — which isn’t currently available on PlayStation Network accounts. Those accounts are used on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, the web, the PlayStation mobile app and the PlayStation Portable.

It’s crazy that after having gone through so much, Sony is now just getting around to this. I’m not going to pretend that this form of authentication system is easy to enable but there is also no excuse for it to have taken so long. There isn’t a single account that I have which offers two-factor authentication that I don’t take advantage of. For comparison, Microsoft has had this for Xbox since 2013. For those unaware of how such a system works:

Once you sign in with your correct username and password, you must also type in the second code in order to complete the login process. Two-step verification is much more secure than a password alone, since it means that a hacker would also need your phone — a device that is in your possession — in order to access your account.

I hope this is something that Sony plans to incorporate company-wide, including new services like Ultra. As PlayStation moves more and more to the cloud with services like PS Vue and PlayStation Now, consumers needs to feel confident that their data is secure with Sony. With their checkered past, I hope Sony starts to take a more forward thinking and bold approach like Apple has for its customers.

Enter the Matrix – PlayStation 4 Neo Edition (aka PS4k?)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 19, 2016 | 3 comments

It seems like every two weeks, there is some new and big speculation on what the rumored PS4 upgrade will be called and what it will deliver. First dubbed PS4.5, then PS4K, and now PlayStation 4 Neo (internal codename), the new PlayStation is expected to have some modest gains over its predecessor of three years ago. According to Richard Leadbetter:

CPU: The good news is that there will be a CPU upgrade over the lacklustre x86 cores found in PlayStation 4. The bad news is that the cores themselves have not been changed at all – they have simply been overclocked from 1.6GHz to 2.1GHz – a 31 per cent improvement. As with the current PlayStation 4, one core and a time-slice from another is reserved for the operating system.

Memory: We’re still at 8GB of GDDR5, with a 24 per cent boost to bandwidth compared to the original PS4. The current machine uses 5.5gbps memory modules. Basic maths suggests that Sony has pushed this to the same 7.0gbps modules we see on high-end graphics cards like the GTX 980 and GTX 980 Ti. There are some concerns here. The boost to bandwidth isn’t exactly huge, it will still be in contention with CPU utilisation (they both share the same interface), and the bandwidth doesn’t scale particularly well with the mooted GPU boost, which – to be frank – is massive.

GPU: This is the most exciting aspect of the spec. Compute unit count doubles from 18 to 36, and clock-speed increases from 800MHz to 911MHz – a 14 per cent increase. That’s an overall increase of 2.3x in FLOPs. The question is, what technology is being used here? AMD has created both of its current-gen console processors so far by taking older, off-the-shelf components and disabling a couple of compute units. In effect, Xbox One got the Radeon HD 7790, while PlayStation 4 got a more capable, semi-custom Radeon HD 7870. Here’s where things get interesting – the 36 compute unit count cannot comfortably fit any of AMD’s existing GPUs. It suggests that Sony and AMD have pushed the boat out, that they are using the upcoming Polaris technology.

Curiously, all current reports lack any mention of upgraded hard drives or 4K Blu-ray player which would be a shame if lacking though it likely comes down to a cost. If such a model is released, don’t think that Sony and developers will leave you in the dust.

Sony seemingly acknowledges the need to integrate the two models of PlayStation 4 available simultaneously on the market – internally dubbed as ‘Base’ and ‘Neo’. There will be no games exclusive to the Neo model, every title will be available on both, and there’s no suggestion of VR-exclusive Neo modes at this point. Developers are prohibited from creating Neo-exclusive gameplay features, and enhancements are expected to be graphical and performance-based in nature. Gamers on both systems will be tied into the same ecosystem, meaning that users of both models will be competing against one another in online games. The user interface and PSN systems will also be identical.

It’s worth noting that I’m a huge fan of a mid-upgrade PS4 being released but I’ll share my own thoughts and some more info on the PlayStation 4 Neo in another piece.

PlayStation VR Demo Units Will Be in Stores by June

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 19, 2016 | 0 comments

When Sony comes to mind, for many of us, unfortunately we tend to think of a very reactionary company. From strategic moves to products, they’re typically chasing the industry or in pursuit of an ill-fated endeavor. Fortunately for them and us, the PlayStation division, especially with PS4, has been on the pulse of the industry and consumers. PlayStation VR is such a product that when it launches in October will not only come at a far more affordable price range than its competitors, but one that will have a variety of games as well. How often have we had hardware launches in the industry with few games to consume?

One of the biggest obstacles VR faces is a lack of prior experience. To truly ‘get it’ and form an opinion, you simply have to put on a headset and see what all the fuss is about. To that end, Sony thinks they can showcase PlayStation VR to at least 500,000 consumers by year’s end. PlayStation VP of Marketing John Koller:

We have to do this prior to launch, that’s critical. We need to be in stores.

Just yesterday, it was revealed that GameStop will be a big partner for Sony and will favor PS VR over the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive due to its simplicity. Now we know that, in addition to being a launch partner, PlayStation VR will arrive in June at GameStop stores to help gear up consumer awareness and enthusiasm. While potentially a no brainer, this is actually a big milestone for PS VR as it points to fully-completed hardware by summer (otherwise, Sony wouldn’t want it used in such a public way). In turn, Sony can spend the majority of summer ramping up production, something that currently plagues Oculus, and fine-tuning the software as there will be the inevitable day one patch.

Having PS VR in many stores is also a big strategic win for Sony. Currently Oculus Rift has no big retail partners that house demo units and the HTC Vive is available in 10 scattered locations throughout the US. Koller, like myself, believes that VR must truly be experienced and that a demo unit:

really sells you on the experience, you’re transported to places physically, actually emotionally feel like you’re in another world

More after the jump.

PSA: Parts of PSN Will Be Down for 2 Hours Tonight, Gaming Still a Go

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 18, 2016 | 0 comments

Just a quick heads up for those looking to play some Crucible in Destiny or patrol the city in The Division. PSN will be partially going down tonight for 2 hours, starting at 9:30 PM PST. During the maintenance time, Sony will deploy some “improvements” to PSN. The good news is that:

Anyone who already has an account can still sign in to their PlayStation Network profile, play games, and use most applications while this maintenance is carried out

Services that will be down include account management, PlayStation Video, and the PlayStation Store.

From Sony:

We apologize for any inconvenience. We strive to ensure that PlayStation Network services are available at all times, but occasionally we must take PlayStation Network offline to perform essential maintenance and implement feature enhancements.

So if you’re already logged into PSN, you shouldn’t be affected by this maintenance and if you’re not logged in, it’s time to fire up your PS4 a bit early if you want to game tonight.