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Sony throws down new games, new footage, and the gauntlet at E3 2013

Sony throws down new games, new footage, and the gauntlet at E3 2013

Sony finished day 0 of E3 2013 with a bang, following up on its PlayStation 4 console announcement from earlier this year with some more game teases and reveals, and then laying down one of the most memorable E3 moments ever, with Jack Tretton taking full advantage of the public discontent with Microsoft's Xbox One licensing policies.

Here's a post-conference rundown of what exactly took place at the Sony event last night.



Jack Tretton kicked off the show with PS3 and PS Vita announcements, beginning with the fact that the Vita is getting a new bundle to go along with a release of The Walking Dead and the new episode coming this summer. Grand Theft Auto 5 is getting a PS3 bundle with a branded headset, and Batman: Arkham Origins is getting exclusive costumes on the PS3, and Diablo 3 is getting exclusive items on both PlayStation HD consoles. The PS3 and PS4 are also both getting some new video streaming apps, including Redbox Instant, Flixster, and more.

After that, it was finally time to reveal what the PS4 looks like, and we got images of a black box with slanted sides. The Order: 1866 was revealed as a new exclusive title from Ready at Dawn Studios, and then Sony started a parade of indie titles, all shown off as (at least timed exclusives) on the PS4: Super Giant's Transistor, Don't Starve, Secret Ponchos, Red Barrels' Outlast, Mercenary Kings, a new remake of Oddworld, Octodad, and Galak-Z are all coming to the PS4 first on a console. Ragtag's Ray's The Dead will also show up on the PS4 first.

Square Enix appeared next with a trailer for a game that turned out to be none other than Final Fantasy 15, and then a surprise announcement of Kingdom Hearts 3. Final Fantasy 14 will also be "console exclusive" to the PS4, too. Ubisoft then made an appearance, to show off Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, and say that both games will have exclusive content for Sony's platforms.

Bethesda added that Elder Scrolls Online would be on the PS4 (and later told us it would arrive on Xbox One as well). And then Warner Bros. teased a new game based on the Mad Max movie, coming from Avalanche Studios.

Sony throws down new games, new footage, and the gauntlet at E3 2013

Then, Jack Tretton retook the stage, and Sony made what might end up being its master move for this generation, making it clear that the PS4 will have "no restrictions" on used games, game trading, or game lending. He also won some points with the news that the PlayStation Plus program would carry over (though we later learned that it would be required for online multiplayer on the PS4). Details on Sony and Gaikai's partnership for the PS4's cloud service were shared. And then, Sony announced the PlayStation 4's price as $399.

Finally, Sony invited Bungie on stage to show off Destiny, and if you missed it then, you'll be forgiven, as everyone was still talking about Tretton's licensing volley and that price announcement. In case you missed any other media during the show, we also have a good rundown here, with more footage from Drive Club, Knack, and more.