It's finally starting to feel like the next generation is happening! With Microsoft having announced price and release details for its Series S and Series X consoles, here's hoping Sony follows suit tonight as part of its PlayStation 5 showcase. Join us live from 9pm BST for all the action.
Our live coverage of this event has finished.
Jeez what are you lot doing here already?
– Martin Robinson
Haven't you got anywhere better to be on a Wednesday night? Because I certainly haven't.
– Martin Robinson
Kami: Oh good, I'm awake from my blackout in time for this. Evening all!
Hullo Kami. Grand to see you as always!
– Martin Robinson
And hello all of you. I'm quite excited for this one.
– Martin Robinson
Because we're at the business end of things right now - no more target gameplay nonsense. No more vagueness.
– Martin Robinson
A release date, a price, and some games running on next gen hardware. That's what it should be about tonight.
– Martin Robinson
(cut to me getting increasingly angry in my shed in about an hour's time as we see another pointless CG trailer cut to a forlorn cover of an 80s classic)
– Martin Robinson
Ah well, let's just enjoy each other's company if it ends up going that way. Ill-advisedly I have already cracked open a beer and am getting HYPED.
– Martin Robinson
IanHigton: Oh hello!
don't remember inviting you here
– Martin Robinson
(hello Ian!)
– Martin Robinson
I'm almost embarrassed to say as it exposes me for the hipster that I am.
– Martin Robinson
But it's a Doozy from Villages, my local brewery in Deptford. It's one of those trendy IPAs that all the kids love these days.
– Martin Robinson
(I'll move onto some Gadds porter - something more appropriate to someone my age - soon after)
– Martin Robinson
So, predictions.
– Martin Robinson
Well, in an ideal world it'd kick off with a brand new Ridge Racer that came bundled with a raytracing enhanced, 120fps and 4K remake of the original.
– Martin Robinson
I do like the idea of getting an early glimpse of what Ueda-san's up to - credit to DrDollarPHD for that.
– Martin Robinson
Something that serene would segue nicely into the next section, a playthrough of the first level of Gradius 6 - with Gradius 5 designer Hiroshi Iuchi at the helm alongside his colleagues at M2.
– Martin Robinson
Oh yeah, and then finish on that. Obv.
– Martin Robinson
Rumour round-up, for what it's worth - Final Fantasy 16 will make an appearance with the shocking news that it's a PlayStation exclusive.
– Martin Robinson
A new Silent Hill is about to be unveiled.
– Martin Robinson
And there might be a different colour PS5 other than the white one we've seen already.
– Martin Robinson
I reckon we might just get two of those three, but let's see.
– Martin Robinson
XrodOne: Listening to cricket?? And I thought watching it was bad enough
Oooh I nearly got the banhammer out then. No-one disses Test Match Special in these parts!
– Martin Robinson
peterfll: Martin, do you EVER get a break or do they leave it to you to write EVERYTHING on EG these days? Not that I’m complaining, but I’m concerned about your work/life balance?
THIS IS HOW I RELAX.
– Martin Robinson
Also I'm having a beer and hanging out with some nice people here on the internet while we wait to see some lovely new video games - like I'd want to be doing anything else right now.
– Martin Robinson
Preach!
– Martin Robinson
I'm about to head to the fridge and get another beer. Anyone want anything?
– Martin Robinson
[STARS]TyranT: Hopeful for WipEout anyone?
Just me then :(
Well, Pacer is out tomorrow...
– Martin Robinson
slowdog1976: mini pork pies please martin
I ate them all last night *sadface*
– Martin Robinson
theguy: If they start with GTA again I'm getting an Ouya
I sort of hope they open with GTA6 now, condemning you to a life with an Ouya.
– Martin Robinson
I'm back!
– Martin Robinson
And now I'm curious - do they do bigger bags of Scampi Fries?
– Martin Robinson
I adore them - the only downside is the bags are too small, and I'm too greedy.
– Martin Robinson
Worried I'd just open all 24 packs, pour them into a big bowl and then binge on them one night while watching random YouTube videos in my shed.
– Martin Robinson
Actually that sounds like a banging night. Ordered.
– Martin Robinson
Are they even biscuits though? Clue's in the name (we are all still about Jaffa Cakes here).
– Martin Robinson
Just under five minutes to go.
– Martin Robinson
WHY AM I SO EXCITED.
– Martin Robinson
I should probably load up the stream somewhere.
– Martin Robinson
Ah here we go.
– Martin Robinson
Where do they find this music.
– Martin Robinson
Indeed. It's becoming increasingly strange to see games being sold on their high fidelity visuals making their very public debuts at such low quality.
– Martin Robinson
Thank you for clearing that up.
– Martin Robinson
Sorry, got sidetracked there. Did it start?
– Martin Robinson
(Yes it bloody well did, with a quick montage of everything we saw last time out at the PS5 reveal).
– Martin Robinson
And straight away it's a PC build rather than a look at next gen hardware in action.
– Martin Robinson
Still, here we go.
– Martin Robinson
And they're opening with the biggie -Final Fantasy 16.
– Martin Robinson
It looks a lot like classic Final Fantasy/FF14.
– Martin Robinson
And I for one could not be any happier.
– Martin Robinson
And it's from Creative Business Unit 3 - so it's Naoki Yoshida's team, even if he's not helming it himself.
– Martin Robinson
What more could you want?
– Martin Robinson
Oh, that Amano artwork.
– Martin Robinson
And there it is - it's a console exclusive on PlayStation (that's also coming to PC).
– Martin Robinson
Well, what an opener.
– Martin Robinson
And everything we see from here on out will be captured from a PS5.
– Martin Robinson
Starting with Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
– Martin Robinson
I think after the slightly confusing debut of this Sony's going to be keen to show the PS5 difference with this demo.
– Martin Robinson
(Though again watching at 1080p in a window on my PC, it's not particularly easy to see that difference).
– Martin Robinson
I GOT THAT REFERENCE!
– Martin Robinson
INSOMANiAC: Tell us the price for gawds sake.
That'll be the closer, surely.
– Martin Robinson
Nemesis: FIRST NIPPLES
Good spot! Great nipples, too.
– Martin Robinson
I don't know much about Spider-Man so don't really know what I'm watching. It's nice and shiny though.
– Martin Robinson
It still looks like Spider-Man to me, but I gave up on the first game after *that* thing happened in the story and it all got quite hard.
– Martin Robinson
Indeed - on a proper screen I'm sure it's quite the next gen showcase.
– Martin Robinson
Don't do this to me.
– Martin Robinson
MrSomeone: Do you think this is the gen where we'll finally see completely destructible scenery?*
*We're not, are we?
It might be more the design challenge than the technical one that's holding that back.
– Martin Robinson
There we go - Holiday 2020 is all it says, but of course the PS5 launch date is coming later.
– Martin Robinson
I hope.
– Martin Robinson
Next! It's Warner Bros./Avalanche with...
– Martin Robinson
That little wizard boy I guess?
– Martin Robinson
Tiel: So--which launch titles of the past have blown you away.
I start with Mario 64
This and always this.
– Martin Robinson
This one has been awaiting reveal for quite some time, for reasons which are probably obvious.
– Martin Robinson
And while it's hard to see how the game will shake out, the bits that look like gameplay sure do look nice.
– Martin Robinson
Nemesis: Good luck on the character creation screen !
...
– Martin Robinson
It's coming in 2021, and I do think that's the most next-gen thing I've seen to date.
– Martin Robinson
Raven Software next - so it's Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.
– Martin Robinson
And we'll get a playthrough of a single player level. I *might* turn my speakers down for this, because it's probably going to get loud.
– Martin Robinson
Also this.
– Martin Robinson
Yup, it's a Call of Duty campaign - though this one does offer more open-ended levels that seem almost Metal Gear Solid 5-esque in nature in this.
– Martin Robinson
Maybe that's just because it's raining, he's got a gravelly voice and there are binoculars tho.
– Martin Robinson
This looks like what the Fast & Furious game should have been.
– Martin Robinson
But obviously with real cars and not a remote control one.
– Martin Robinson
Actually would be well up for Fast 9 being all about them using nothing but tiny Tamiya remote control cars though.
– Martin Robinson
Anyway, that was CoD.
– Martin Robinson
There'll be a multiplayer alpha coming this weekend on PS4.
– Martin Robinson
Next!
– Martin Robinson
It's Resident Evil 8.
– Martin Robinson
Which I *don't* think we've got a really good look at yet, beyond its reveal trailer.
– Martin Robinson
It's a very gothic take on the series, complete with a beautiful animated fairytale.
– Martin Robinson
Yes!
– Martin Robinson
Sadly no real gameplay - at least not yet.
– Martin Robinson
Nor a release date beyond a vague 2021.
– Martin Robinson
Ah well, here's Arkane's Deathloop.
– Martin Robinson
And yes, this looks like a very, very good time - I'm much more convinced by this than I was the last showing.
– Martin Robinson
In fact, I'm positively pumped.
– Martin Robinson
Exactly!
– Martin Robinson
Oh man, The Club.
– Martin Robinson
I'm seeing so much more Arkane now in the ingenuity of the systems.
– Martin Robinson
I will play this game. A lot.
– Martin Robinson
Q2 2021 - it's a PlayStation console exclusive. And it honestly looks like it could be game of the year material.
– Martin Robinson
Yes please, basically.
– Martin Robinson
Now, what's this?
– Martin Robinson
Ah, it's Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition - a next gen glow up I'd imagine with some extra content.
– Martin Robinson
Nemesis: Nope
Yup.
– Martin Robinson
(I loved Devil May Cry 5 - it felt like a classic PS2 game, which meant it was a bit hoary in places but also played like a dream).
– Martin Robinson
And it's going to be there at launch on PS5.
– Martin Robinson
NEXT!
– Martin Robinson
Oddworld!
– Martin Robinson
(as you might be able to tell from my silence, I've never played an Oddworld game before).
– Martin Robinson
Looks fun though!
– Martin Robinson
Right, next - I think it's going to be GhostWire: Tokyo.
– Martin Robinson
No I'm an idiot, it's Five Nights at Freddys.
– Martin Robinson
Your kids will love it.
– Martin Robinson
Now then...
– Martin Robinson
Demon's Souls.
– Martin Robinson
This looks like the Demon's Souls I love.
– Martin Robinson
Oh yes it really does, but in the most beautiful way.
– Martin Robinson
I thought it all looked a bit too colourful last time around, but I'm more than reassured by this look of it in action.
– Martin Robinson
Don't it just.
– Martin Robinson
It looks great and it plays... Well, we know how it plays, and it's sodding excellent.
– Martin Robinson
Miyamotosan: Two minutes to give us a price and a release date...
It'll be the boss we encounter at the end of this demo.
– Martin Robinson
Hahaha *cries*
– Martin Robinson
Did they screw up the font of the 'You Died' screen though? LIVID!
– Martin Robinson
(I'm buying a PS5 to play that).
– Martin Robinson
Right then, one minute to go.
– Martin Robinson
And we're getting a sodding Fortnite trailer.
– Martin Robinson
And this - the PlayStation Plus Collection, perhaps Sony's answer to Game Pass.
– Martin Robinson
It looks that way.
– Martin Robinson
Indeed it is.
– Martin Robinson
Come on then.
– Martin Robinson
Release date.
– Martin Robinson
Price.
– Martin Robinson
Let's do it.
– Martin Robinson
It looks like someone's artexed the inside of that PS5.
– Martin Robinson
Nasty.
– Martin Robinson
Anyway, November 12th release date - or the 19th here in the UK (how could you betray us like that Jim).
– Martin Robinson
And a £449 price point.
– Martin Robinson
For the primo edition that is - £360 for the digital edition.
– Martin Robinson
And here's a God of War tease to see us out.
– Martin Robinson
God of War Ragnarok - a 2021 release, but we're not yet treated to gameplay.
– Martin Robinson
And that is a wrap.
– Martin Robinson
A good show, no?
– Martin Robinson
And that price point for the digital edition will have Microsoft worried.
– Martin Robinson
Well I'm getting them all because I bloody love video games, me.
– Martin Robinson
But there's enough in that to make the PS5 a tasty proposition for those on the fence.
– Martin Robinson
Also I really, really want to play Deathloop.
– Martin Robinson
That was the Silent Hill reboot. Sorry.
– Martin Robinson
Now that all that is out the way, we can get to the fun stuff in the next few weeks (oh my god it is just weeks) until launch. I can't wait.
– Martin Robinson
Thanks as ever for joining me. I'm now going to sit by the front door and wait for that delivery of Scampi Fries to arrive.