Five upcoming PS4 games to keep your eye on

While infamousthe initial slate of games for the PlayStation 4 is commanding the spotlight right now, things really start to get interesting next year.

Launch titles are often underwhelming. Developers haven’t had a chance to get to know the hardware’s capabilities, and often don’t receive final specs on the system until just a few months before their games release. But things start to shine with that second round of games.

Sony and its publishing partners are taking pains to ensure there’s a steady flow of titles for the PS4 in the months to come. They’ve all got a ways to go before they’re fully baked, but here are a few you might want to keep in mind for next spring and early summer.

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7 facts you might have missed about the PS4

With playstation4the exhaustive online (and offline) coverage of the PlayStation 4 for the past few weeks, consumers have a pretty good idea of what to expect. But for all the focus on the system’s pluses and minuses and which games are worth your time, there are a few details that may have slipped past you.

While it may not change your mind about wanting – or not wanting – a PS4, it’s information that could still come in handy, or at the very least give you a deeper knowledge of the new console’s nuances.

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Six essential PlayStation 4 launch games

If killzone_650you’re grabbing a PlayStation 4 this Friday, it’s not going to do you a lot of good without games. All totaled, there will be 23 titles to choose from – some exclusive to the platform and some next generation versions of existing franchises.

Here’s the thing to know about launch lineups. They’re usually so-so at best. If you’re looking for a truly great game, you’re more likely to find it on a current gen system. Fortunately, some of the year’s biggest franchises have PS4 versions – and there are a few PS4 exclusives that may still be worth a look.

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Sony exec explains PS4’s small hard drive, limited launch lineup

The ps4_650PlayStation 4 has a space problem – one that could get more significant in the near future.

The console ships with a 500 gigabyte hard drive – of which 409GB are useable – and requires all games to be installed to that drive. If you pick up Killzone, Battlefield 4 and Assassin’s Creed 4 at launch, that will devour nearly 95 GB more. At that rate, it won’t be long before core gamers have to do some significant housekeeping – deleting games to make room for new ones. It’s not exactly an optimal situation.

Adam Boyes, vice president of publisher relations at Sony Computer Entertainment America, says he isn’t worried, though – and says players shouldn’t be either.

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Review: Sony hits reset with PlayStation 4

The playstation4_6502006 launch of the PlayStation 3 didn’t exactly go smoothly. The launch games were tepid. The controller sacrificed beloved features for new ones no one wanted. And system setup was overly complicated.

This Friday, Sony hits the reset button with the launch of the PlayStation 4. It’s a notable improvement over the early days of its predecessor – one that’s likely to satisfy most players. But for nearly every step the PS4 takes forward, it takes a half step back. It’s a healthy start to the next generation, but it’s not the decisive victory some fans were hoping to see.

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PS4 may monitor your communications

You sony_ps4_largemight want to watch what you say when you’re playing on your PlayStation 4. You never know who could be listening.

The latest update to the next-gen console’s software usage terms includes the disclosure that the company may monitor and record the content of voice and text communication over the PlayStation Network.

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Whoops! Xbox One hits the street early

Technically, xbox-one-launch-datethe Xbox One isn’t supposed to go on sale for a week and a half, but a small handful of consumers managed to get their hands on one early.

Microsoft confirmed the online reports over this weekend, saying a shipping error by “a retail partner” resulted in a pleasant surprise for some fans who had pre-ordered the console. Most likely that partner was Target.

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Disney finds theme park inspiration in video games

The sorcerors-magic-kingdomHappiest Place on Earth doesn’t seem like the sort of location that would require extra distractions, but Disney Imagineers say they’re leaning more heavily on the gaming world to boost the fun factor at Disney World and some of the company’s other properties.

Disney officials recently detailed the games they’ve installed at the parks since 2009 and discussed some of the surprising things they’ve learned in the process.

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EA CEO talks Tiger Woods, NCAA football and Nintendo

When andrew-wilson-ea-qaAndrew Wilson was named CEO of Electronic Arts in September, there were a lot of double takes.

He hasn’t been as prominent as other EA executives in his 13-year history with the company, but as analysts and gamers took a closer look at his resume, those double takes turned into knowing nods.

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