Geekisms!

So, early this morning, Sony held its PlayStation conference and announced the successor to its 6 year old console, the PlayStation 4. Powered by an x86 processor and 8 Gigs of RAM, the PS4 is a more than capable replacement for the PS3 but Sony was sure to emphasize that the focus of the console was not on the raw computing power but rather on the experience that comes with the new console. One of the key parts of this all new experience is the integrated sharing features. The PS4 allows you to share you games with your friends as you play and even allows them to take over gameplay from you. Add to this the ability to play new games you've purchased while they're still downloading and event test run games you haven't bought yet and it's clear that Sony are concerned about delivering a top notch gaming experience to its customers.

Also, there is the brand new Dual Shock 4 controller which features an evolved design with the same button configuration of past iterations but includes a touchpad, a headphone jack and a light bar for player identification. The lightbar also help with 3D position/motion tracking via the PlayStation 4 Eye, a device that looks a lot like the Xbox 360's Kinect. Players will also be able to use their PlaStation Vitas to play games on the PS4.

Hardware wasn't the only star of the show, Lots of big name developers and publishing houses such as Square Enix and Capcom showcased demo videos of their upcoming releases for the new platform. Most shocking of all was the news from Blizzard, a staunch PC game developer, that they will be releasing Diablo 3 for the PS4 (and PS3 too). Sony confirmed that the PS4 will be able to play used games, something that many people were worried will become a hassle with the next gen systems.

Sony announced partnership with various content providers such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon and Crunchy Roll to provide other forms of entertainment apart from gaming. They also demoed a 3D sculpting and animation feature which will allow people to use the Move controllers to create their own sculptures and even animate them. It wasn't clear how exactly this would work but with time we will find out.

But with all the news and features that were showcased, there were a few things that were glaringly missing, key among them was the fact that the actual console was nowhere to be found. That's right! Sony demoed the PS4 without actually showing us the hardware responsible for all the wonders on display. Pretty weird behavior. Methinks they haven't come up with a suitable design for it yet. Also, there was no word on pricing and availability was set as 'In time for the holidays'. Some more sad news is that the PS4 will not be backwards compatible with the PS3 because of the change in processor architecture but Sony claimed that they are currently searching for ways to overcome this obstacle. Lets hope their search is fruitful.

Personally, I'm not all that wowed by the PS4. It'll probably be too expensive when it comes out and most of the features announced are already available on my platform of choice (PC). I won't lie though, I like the new DualShock controller.

So, Nintendo has the Wii U, Sony, the PS4. Microsoft, the world awaits your choice of next-gen gaming marvel. Will you demolish the competition or fall our hand?