You can read all of our PlayStation 4 coverage here.
It’s real. The PlayStation 4 is no longer a rumor even if we don’t know what it looks like. Sony’s decision to announce a new console four months before the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), a game industry trade show that takes place in Los Angeles every June, means that the PS4 gets the gaming public’s full attention. It’s not competing for the spotlight against rivals Microsoft and Nintendo.
Gamers were watching closely. GamesBeat gathered a handful of reactions from Twitter and popular gaming forum NeoGAF to gauge the Internet response to “Panty Raid” engines and Square Enix’s uneventful announcement, among other points of interest.
NeoGAF didn’t seem impressed with Knack:
Sony didn’t show off the console, and fake Kaz Hirai, a parody Twitter account of the president and CEO of the Sony Corporation, has something to say about that:
I am proud to announce the PS4 is the worlds first invisible game console!
— Ex-CEO Kaz Hirai (@KazHiraiCEO) February 21, 2013
In the minutes leading up to the event, fans were tweeting about their expectations:
https://twitter.com/Doc703/status/304351854228299776
I thought it would be appropriate to watch the PS4 launch on the PS3 but that doesn't seem to be possible. Who's the idiot – me or Sony?
— Tom Parsons (@TomParsons) February 20, 2013
Mark Rein, the vice president and co-founder of Epic Games, which develops Gears of War and the Unreal Engine:
Unreal Engine 4 powers the first-ever real time public demo of PlayStation 4! Very proud! #MadeWithUE4 #PS4 @UnrealEngine
— Mark Rein (@MarkRein) February 20, 2013
Cliff Bleszinski, formerly of Epic Games, wanted to see more new franchises:
https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/304405096052183042
Nick Chester, the publicist at Harmonix:
They're going to show the PS3 Killzone 2 demo, but it'll actually be the game this time!
— Nick Chester (@nickchester) February 20, 2013
The fanboys didn’t waste any time bashing the PlayStation 4:
This is going to be shit #ps4 #playstation #teamxbox http://t.co/W5FsUbndPv
— Kieron Campbell (@asapkieron) February 20, 2013
https://twitter.com/ahmedhanif4/status/304405575268192256
https://twitter.com/SaheelPatel/status/304382207756206081
https://twitter.com/Kunter_Hemp47/status/304380337440583680
https://twitter.com/BenRob7/status/304410867276070912
Publisher and developer Square Enix’s massive non-announcement received some criticism:
Da fuck just happen? #playstation2013 #SquareEnix
— tryfe (@tryfe) February 21, 2013
https://twitter.com/DJ_Link/status/304396797642690560
https://twitter.com/tyronerodriguez/status/304390203521503235
https://twitter.com/bugbucket/status/304390802086440961
Ever have a dream where you were at a final you hadn't studied for? That just happened to Square-Enix in real life. #playstation2013
— Dorkly (@dorkly) February 21, 2013
Street Fighter maker Capcom’s non-announcement and the Panta Rhei (Panty Raid) Engine:
Did capcom just announce the Panty Raid engine? #capcom
— Egg Fou (@eggfou) February 21, 2013
I like the scary music accompanying the Capcom representative. #playstationstream
— LittleKuriboh (@yugiohtas) February 21, 2013
https://twitter.com/Andrew_Reiner/status/304388669308026880
Panta Rhei sounds like cake #ps4 I hope its delicious
— Lola (@chibilola) February 21, 2013
Panty Raid Engine might be the closest this generation gets to "Riiiidge raaacer!". I'm ok with that. #PS4
— Megan Fox (@glassbottommeg) February 21, 2013
Codename Panty Raid
— Jeff Gerstmann (@jeffgerstmann) February 21, 2013