Sony had a lot to prove coming into this event, and kicked off on a high note. The PlayStation 2 is still selling units, and the PSP's numbers are apparently up as well. They followed that with the news of
a new version of the PlayStation Portable. It's slimmer, lighter, has a longer battery life, and the ability to connect directly to your television to display video and games. There was a good deal of discussion about upcoming PSP titles, some of which are connected to a PSP bundle. Pushing out the PS3, they show several PlayStation Store titles, included the fascinating-looking
Echochrome . Moving onto the Home service they discussed cellphone and website tie-ins to the Home service, as well as the ability to
launch games from directly within the Home environment. Referencing the price cut, they reveal sales have already gone up. NCSoft, Epic, and Ubisoft are all referenced as heavy backers of the PlayStation, with a tantalizing statement suggesting that user-created mods for
Unreal Tournament will be coming to the console via the Playstation Network. A lengthy
Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer and
a statement that the game is only for the PS3 (still to be determined),
due early in 2008, cap off the third-party section. First-party titles show all of the highlights of Sony's portfolio with the
LittleBigPlanet trailer emphasizing creation rather than play, and their
Heavenly Sword highlight showcasing the game's story for the first time. A new sandbox title with a morality component was announced,
InFamous, as was a new chapter in the
Gran Turismo series.
The press conference wrapped with a gripping trailer for
Killzone 2, completely running in real-time.