ps4-share
Latest
Driveclub update adds photo mode, three new tracks
Evolution Studios updated Driveclub yesterday, adding a photo mode option as well as three new tracks. Players can now press the right side of the DualShock 4 controller's touch pad to enable photo mode, then use the system's sharing features to send their pretty car screenshots across the web. Driveclub's three new tracks, which include reversed variants, are located at Yedapalli in India, Los Pelambres in Chile and Wester Ross in Scotland. The developer posted the patch notes to Driveclub's official Facebook page. The update also added support for two upcoming expansions, the Ignition Expansion Pack and Photo-Finish Tour Pack. Both pieces of DLC will launch on November 25 in North America. Driveclub's latest update featured changes to corner and collision penalties as well as corner cutting "for balancing purposes." In addition to new menu and club functionality, the update also introduced "a number of minor bug fixes, performance improvements and usability tweaks." Driveclub has been plagued with server connectivity and performance issues since its October launch. [Image: SCEA]
FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US
Users are reporting a number of issues with using the PS4's Share Play feature, Sony's online pass-the-controller multiplayer service. Namely, it appears FIFA 15 is giving players fits, as visiting players are unable to view the footage shown on the host's console. Rather, one half of the Share Play tandem sees the screen above, which says, "Viewing the game screen that the host is currently playing is not allowed due to content restrictions in your country or region." In our tests between two US-based PS4 players this morning, the Share Play visitor was unable to view game footage on four separate occasions: In FIFA 15, WWE 2K15, Guacamelee and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Share Play for FIFA 15 was functional once we tested the service with our UK-based editor, Sinan Kubba (albeit with some bouts of lowered resolution and frame-dropping). However, it appears the error message being displayed is entirely inaccurate, as PlayStation noted on Twitter, adding that the support team is investigating the issues. Eurogamer's big list of Share Play-functioning games notes that FIFA 15 "works fine," so your mileage (or kilometer-age in this case) may vary at the moment. Share Play arrived in October as part of the PS4's version 2.0 update, which itself caused a number of other issues for players. Sony issued another update just this week, version 2.02, to rectify some of the console's lingering problems. We've reached out to Sony to find out what might be causing the hiccups with Share Play and which games are affected.
Report: PS4 Share Play caps at 720p for guests
The PlayStation 4's latest update, codenamed "Masamune," adds a major feature, Share Play, to the console today. PlayStation Plus members can now share their games over PSN with friends that don't own a copy (and aren't necessarily PS Plus subscribers themselves unless both are playing), hosting one-hour play sessions at a time. As a Sony rep confirmed to Video Gamer, Share Play sessions are capped at 720p and will "have a limited frame rate" for friends partaking in the action, while those hosting the game will still see 1080p games on their screens at the full resolution. SCEE product planning manager Kazuhiro Yanase said that while Share Play "doesn't require any super-fast broadband," the company won't disclose recommended upload and download speeds for those looking to share games sessions with friends over PSN. "The internet environment is really different user by user. For example, some users will be using a LAN cable, some users will be using Wi-Fi, sometimes you use the microwave in your house," Yanase told Video Gamer. "It's very difficult for us to guarantee you can use Share Play if you have [a certain] speed." Today's update also adds the ability to play music from a USB device with support for MP3 and AAC file types. The Masamune update introduces YouTube as an option for gameplay clip uploading as well as home screen themes. We've reached out to Sony to confirm the Share Play restrictions and will update as we learn more. [Image: Sony]
Double fumbles, Kaepernicking and Manningfaces in Madden 15
We're just one day away from the launch of Madden NFL 15. Normally that means you'd have some splashy launch trailer or crazy commercial starring comedians to watch. Not today! Welcome to the modern era of video games, where your "select" buttons now read "share," and your launch trailers are now GIFs of 400-pound running backs leaping over other people. Trust us, it's better this way. Check out the double-fumble-safety that happened to us in the video after the break, as well as our gallery of totally-moving pictures of the game below. Our captions also explain some of the improvements in this year's Madden, including "overhauled" controls on defense and the football strategy drills in the Skills Trainer mode. [Image: EA Sports]
PS4's Share Play limited to one hour increments
When Sony unveiled its upcoming PS4 Share Play feature during its Gamescom 2014 press conference on Tuesday, a few questions remained as to how it would operate. The "virtual couch" feature allows PlayStation Plus members to play any PS4 game of choice with a friend that doesn't own the game over PSN. As Sony explained to GameSpot, Share Play is limited to 60-minute play sessions, though there's no limit on the number of times friends can play the game. Planned to launch this fall as part of system software update 2.0 for the console, Share Play will be an inherent feature for any PS4 game, as "there is no need for developers to do anything for their games to be compatible with Share Play," Sony's Shuhei Yoshida told Famitsu (as translated by Kotaku). However, a Sony representative said that the "visitor" that doesn't own the game technically "takes over the host's account," so a friend that's getting a taste of your gaming library is not able to save their play data to their own account. Rather, save files will stay with the hosting player.
PS4 sharing expands with YouTube uploads this year
Sony will add YouTube to its list of broadcast options via the DualShock 4's Share button on PS4, SCEA President Shawn Layden announced during the company's E3 2014 press conference today. Not only will players be able to upload clips directly to YouTube, but they will have the option to both live-stream gameplay and chat to the platform. Additionally, Sony will update the PS4's broadcasting options to allow spectators to further interact with streamers to a fairly strong extent: "You can help them, you can hurt them," Layden said of future griefing PS4 audiences.
Japan gets Niconico PS4 streaming on April 30
PlayStation 4 owners in Japan will have the option to stream gameplay to Niconico, a site that lets users upload, view and share video clips, starting April 30, Sony announced (as translated by Gematsu). Those visiting the Nico Nico Super Conference 3 on April 26 and April 27 will be able to test the streaming functionality in person before it arrives via firmware update. While the two updates may not be related, the upcoming 1.70 firmware for the console brings the ability to save videos and screenshots to a USB drive. The PS4 launched in Japan in February, selling 322,083 units in its opening weekend. According to a translation of the Niconico's website, it will begin offering free one-month trials for PS4 users shortly. The streaming service carries a monthly fee of about $5; it is unclear if the service will require a PlayStation Plus subscription as well. [Image: Sony]
Best of the Rest: Mike's picks of 2013
Team Joystiq is barging into 2014 with a celebration of last year's best games. Keep reading throughout the week to see our assembly of ingenious indies and triple-A triumphs. FIFA 14 Regardless of any indicator that 2013 was a "tune-up" year for EA Canada's ongoing soccer sim series, FIFA 14 arguably remains the best sports gaming has to offer for another year. Retaining the elements of unpredictability with the game's ball physic, introduced in FIFA 13, the developer improved teammate AI and slowed the game's pace to force more deliberate, tactical on-field play. The result couldn't be any clearer in the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game, which saw significant improvements graphically, particularly in the crowd's character models. While it may not be a top-ten game of the year, FIFA 14 was easily one of the most enjoyable.
PS4's share button clicked 10.9 million times [Update]
The Cher share button on players' DualShock 4 controllers has been pressed 10.9 million times according to Sony, which revealed some impressive numbers behind its PS4 livestreaming services today. For starters, Twitch and Ustream have hosted nearly 800,000 gameplay streams and over 7.1 million spectator sessions on the home console since its launch. Sony says that ten percent of all Twitch-broadcasted content has come from PS4 systems since its US launch on November 15, based on the average number of minutes broadcast. That adds up to 20 million minutes of live broadcasting from the console, the length of 21,808.66 consecutive spins of Cher's entire discography. Additionally, PS4 Ustream broadcasts average 31 minutes in length, enough time to listen to "Heart of Stone" 7.35 times. Though let's be honest, we could croon "wish your heart was a heart of stone" much longer than that, but we really don't think we're strong enough. The livestreaming figures follow last week's announcement that over 2.1 million PS4 systems have been sold globally. Once new PS4 owners start to unwrap their new consoles over the holidays, this gameplay broadcasting beat will only go on. Update: Additionally, Twitch told Joystiq that the number of broadcasters using its services increased over 100,000 in the month of November since the launch of the PS4, up from around 600,000 in October.
Yoshida: PS4 share function can be disabled by developers
Sony worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida recently elaborated on the use and origin of the Dual Shock 4 controller's share button, one of the noteworthy features coming to the PlayStation 4. Namely, Yoshida noted in an interview with Japanese site 4Gamer (translated by Edge) that the share button will be limited to whatever use developers will allow. "There will be parts of a game that the maker does not want people to be able to see," Yoshida said. "For example, on Vita, developers can in certain scenes disable the feature that lets users take a screenshot, and [the Share function] will have a similar mechanism. The creator may not want to make video of the final boss sharable, for instance." Yoshida said his desire to see an accessible video sharing function come to life on the PS4 stemmed from his desire to play Dark Souls "all day long," which resulted in him watching videos of others playing the game since he was too busy.
