What do Sony’s first-party developers have in store for PS4?

At E3 2013, Sony announced that their first party studios are collectively working on 20 Playstation 4 titles for release across the initial year of its cycle; 12 of which will be brand new IP’s. On top of this, Sony Worldwide Studio’s President Shuhei Yoshida announced that every single first-party Sony studio is working on PS4 titles. This is ambiguous. It could mean: parties are working collaboratively, working on PS3 ports, or helping out other developers release their games. Below is a list of what has been confirmed from each of these 12 studios and what else is likely. Please note the speculations in brackets are purely my opinion; however, I believe them to be solid predictions.

1. Guerrilla Games – Killzone: Shadowfall
2. Evolution Studios – Driveclub
3. Sucker Punch – Infamous: Second Son
4. SCE Santa Monica Studios – The Order: 1886, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture,Hohokum, Unannounced Title
5. SCE Japan Studio – Knack, Unannounced Title, Unannounced Title
6. SCE Bend Studio – Unannounced
7. SCE San Diego Studio – Unannounced (Probably MLB 14: The Show)
8. SCE London Studio – Unannounced (Probably Singstar or Playroom)
9. Guerrilla Cambridge – Unannounced
10. Naughty Dog – Unannounced (Probably Uncharted 4)
11. Polyphony Digital – Unannounced (Probably Gran Turismo)
12. Media Molecule – Unannounced

As for the 20 first-year, Sony internal games, this list is incomplete and we are still waiting on more information from Sony. Also there are “games” that are open to interpretation as games and exclusives. More explained below:

1. Killzone: Shadowfall
2. Driveclub
3. Infamous: Second Son
4. The Order: 1886
5. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
6. Hohokum
7. Knack
8. Playroom
9. Singstar
10. Planetside 2
11. DC Universe Online. From here on out these are predictive speculations:
12. MLB 14: The Show from Sony San Diego
13. God Of War title from Sony Santa Monica
14. Uncharted title from Naughty Dog
15. Gran Turismo from Polyphony Digital
16. The Last Guardian from Team Ico which is a sub-team from Studio Japan
17. A new IP or title from Project Siren which is a sub-team from Studio Japan
18. A new IP from Guerrilla Games
19. The Dark Sorcerer from Quantic Dreams
20. Lily Bergamo from Grasshopper Manufacture, uncertain whether or not this will come to the west.

So there’s your 20. A lot of these are cheats or technicalities, i.e: DC Universe Online, Planetside 2, Playroom and Singstar. However, Sony will certainly use these technicalities to boost the appearance that they are supporting their new platform by personally releasing numerous titles. Some of these are not even first party but will probably be published or supported by Sony Worldwide Studios. Across E3, Gamescom, Pax Prime, and now Tokyo Game Show ,Sony has been and will continue to steadily stream out their PS4 game announcements. We still have at least 5 more first party announcements to be made, especially that of Naughty Dog and Quantic Dream. However, what must be stressed is that these should be big spotlight announcements and will be overshadowed by the release of the console itself. More likely is that these will be revealed at an event post console-release such as at the Video Game Awards or the next E3.

Needless to say this is an exciting time. With a bunch of third-party AAA games coming out as launch day titles such as Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag and Watchdogs, First party games releasing across the next year and still more games to be announced, the next console cycle looks like it will get off to a good start.

Let the future hold more parallels to the wonders of the past.

Mert Hussein.