7 Big Announcements We Want To See At PlayStation Experience 2016

PlayStation fans, rejoice! It’s that time of year again, and for this outing, PlayStation Experience is off to Anaheim for what promises to be the biggest PlayStation bonanza yet; a celebration of all things we love about the world’s most popular console brand. PSX really is a feel good show that always has a more intimate feel to it than events such as E3 and Gamescom. It’s a chance for Sony to talk about the little things that matter to its biggest fans, as well as generate a bit of hype for the most notable events on the future calendar. If you’re lucky enough to be going, expect plenty of activities on the show floor, including hands-on PSVR opportunities, panels hosted by industry personalities, Capcom’s Street Fighter Cup, and some of the most impressive interactive PlayStation shrines you’ve ever seen. But for most of us, it's PlayStation’s keynote that's of most interest, and this year we’re expecting big things. Between the recent release of PlayStation VR and PS4 Pro, and a host of hugely anticipated first party content scheduled to launch over the next 12 months, there's plenty to talk about. So, on that note, here are 7 big announcements we'd absolutely love to see next month at PlayStation Experience. Naughty Dog To Steal The Show Not that Naughty Dog’s reputation was ever in doubt, but Uncharted 4’s release to unanimous critical acclaim has further sealed its status among Sony’s first party studios as top… well, dog. But we’re greedy for more, and we can’t think of a more fitting stage for the developer to wow us with information about its upcoming plans than amid its most loyal fanbase at PSX. Ok, so we already know that Naughty Dog is busy continuing its support of Uncharted 4 multiplayer after the recent announcement of its horde-like mode, Survive. And don’t get us wrong, that’s swell, but we’d love to hear about plans for single player DLC. After all, we’re all in it for the story, right? So, how about a Sam and Sully adventure thrown into the mix? Or a mini-story to tee up a future Uncharted game based around Nathan Drake’s daughter, Cassie? Yes, please! If we’re honest, though, there’s even bigger news that we’re all dying to hear, and that’s confirmation of a sequel to The Last Of Us. No doubt, that would blow the roof off the Anaheim Convention Centre. If all of this is sounding too outlandish though, I guess we’d just about settle for developer Vicarious Visions showing off some Crash Bandicoot Remastered. If ever there was a group of people that appreciate the OG Dog, they’re at PSX. Sony’s First Party Studios To Impress Us From a pure gaming perspective, Sony’s conference at E3 was among the best ever. After Microsoft dropped Scorpio, Sony needed something huge, but nothing could have prepared us for a sizzle reel of outstanding software that completely knocked them out of the park. So, now it’s time to for Sony to back that up with some more concrete information, footage and release dates for titles such as Days Gone, Detroit Become Human and God of War. The future of PS4 looks firmly built around quality content, so we’re hoping that Sony’s first party studios turn up and treat us all to a further glimpse of the system's most promising exclusives. Certainly, God of War would be right up at the top of most PlayStation fans' wish list of games to see at PSX, and we can’t wait to learn what direction Sony Santa Monica have taken with regards to gameplay. From what we’ve seen so far, God of War looks as though it’s toning down the series' trademark linear hack and slash and modernizing to a more measured open world adventure game. At this point, though, it’s all conjecture. Please Sony, put us out of our misery! Paint PSVR’s Future Bright PlayStation VR has been a big boon for Sony thanks to a handy price point and an already massive install base of over 40 million consoles. Of all the VR units, PSVR is the most accessible and best supported, which has meant that its appeal extends beyond just the hardcore gamer. Yet, PSVR still isn’t mainstream by any stretch of the imagination, and that’s largely because it has no true killer apps, no concrete reason to suggest that VR is the future of video games. And for that reason, it’s absolutely vital that Sony comes out at PSX and make a big deal of the peripheral’s future. We want to see a host of upcoming software that's more than just VR tech demos. We want proper games that confirm Sony is committed to supporting PSVR. More Farpoint footage would be a good start, the PSVR shooter set on an alien planet that looks as though it’s the closest to nailing FPS gameplay in VR. Resident Evil 7, too, which, despite its many supporters, still hasn’t actually given us much to work with beyond the demo. Just like a console, it's software that will make or break PSVR’s success, and Sony has a prime opportunity here to forecast a compelling schedule of proper VR games for 2017. More Final Fantasy VII Remake, Please Yep, we were as stunned as you were when even more Final Fantasy VII Remake footage was shown off at PSX last year. Who could have predicted that only 6 months after the initial teaser reveal, we’d actually have a pretty solid glance at the game? It just didn’t really make sense, both with regards to timing and how far along in development the game suddenly appeared to be. But was that actual gameplay, or just a render? There’s no denying Sony’s keynote last year wasn’t the best, and we wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that the footage we saw was a re-skinned FFXV, footage designed specifically to deflect the absence of Sony’s first party games. Don’t get us wrong, we haven’t heard anything to suggest that might be the case, but what we do know is that we want more now. So little has been said of the remake since it exploded onto the scene 18 months ago, and if Sony can do it once, they can hopefully get it back again for PSX 2016. Gran Turismo To Come Back With A Bang There was a time when Polyphony ruled the world of racing simulation. A time when the name Gran Turismo was the pinnacle of the genre, a game of unrivalled detail and beauty. Somehow, somewhere along the line that reputation has slowly crumbled, and while the franchise is still held in high regard, it's arguably since been bettered by rivals such as Forza Motorsport. Gran Turismo always felt as if it were a racing game made by car enthusiasts, even more so than talented coders. The developer knew the sort of things that appealed to car nerds just as equally as they understood how to make a terrific playing and astoundingly beautiful video game. But GT6 missed the mark, and after the frustrating delay of Gran Turismo Sport, fans want reassurance that the series is going to get back on track in 2017. You can be your bottom dollar that Sony is going to show off Gran Turismo Sport on the PS4 Pro in full 4K glory, but we want a solid release date more than anything. It’s time for Gran Turismo to reign supreme once again. Spidey Sense It’s the game that you didn’t know you wanted, but you’re getting it anyway. Initial rumours of Spider-Man caused a mixed reception when they surfaced earlier this year, but even the smallest snippets of footage from this year’s E3 has turned that sentiment on its head. Suddenly, a AAA Spider-Man game, in the same vein as Rocksteady’s awesome Batman series, sounds like a damn good idea. B-grade superhero movies are a thing of the past, and it seems as though licensed games are soon to also get the AAA treatment, such is the popularity of the genre. We’re cool with that, especially based on what we saw at E3 - Spidey swinging gloriously from building to building through a gorgeous New York open world setting, with rendered gameplay shots that showcased an emphasis on agility and speed of gameplay. It seems logical that Insomniac has taken a leaf from Sucker Punch’s Infamous development team, using their experience and know-how as a blueprint for traversal for the upcoming Spider-Man game. And given that Infamous Second Son was easily the best of the series from a gameplay perspective, we’ve got no doubt this new Spider-Man game is going to play fantastically. Still, we'd love an extended gameplay trailer at PSX, just to make sure. Make A Song And Dance About Vita We get it, the dream is over, the Vita is on its last legs. But even still, our beloved little handheld isn’t going down without a fight; there’s still life in the old girl yet, and the console’s most loyal fanbase will be out in force at PSX. Maybe Sony can be forgiven for giving zero stage time to Vita at E3, but we’re not going to let the same thing slide over at Anaheim next month. We want Gio Corsi to roll out on stage armed with a colored PS Vita and give us the good news that there’s at least some sort of plans to continue support for the console. Whether that be introducing the sexy white/yellow Japanese console in the west, a dramatic price drop, or a solid forecast of third party/indie content on the horizon, we don’t mind. Whatever the deal, don’t ignore what's certainly still part of the PlayStation family as far as PSX’s attendees will be concerned. We mentioned earlier that PlayStation Experience is good for talking about the little things - this is one of those small tokens that's a big deal to PlayStation junkies.