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Sony: Users Fully Embracing PS4’s Streaming Capabilities

Ben-Dutka 17 Comments

If you've live-streamed content from your new PlayStation 4, you're not alone.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) have announced that a huge number of PS4 owners have embraced the console's streaming capabilities:

There have been nearly 800,000 gameplay broadcasts and more than 7.1 million spectate sessions via video streaming platforms, Twitch and Ustream. All told, over 20 million minutes of live gameplay has been streamed from the PS4 already, and it has only been out since November 15 in the US and November 29 in Europe. Ten percent of all content on Twitch has come from PS4 systems, and Ustream has reported an average of 31 minutes of streaming per caster. Top streamed games include Killzone: Shadow Fall , Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts .

Said Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida in an official statement:

"PlayStation 4 is specifically designed so people can share their gaming experiences and interest in streaming live gameplay has surpassed our wildest expectations. We're very excited to see gamers embrace live streaming from their PS4 system and we look forward to seeing how PlayStation gamers advance social gaming in the coming years."

The PS4 was the most successful console launch in PlayStation history. Sony tallied over 2.1 million PS4 units globally, and many users continue to explore the new social-oriented features. The revolutionary Share button on the Dual Shock 4 controller is definitely getting pressed quite a bit.

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Yoshida: Plus Isn’t Required To “Share”

Ben-Dutka 24 Comments

The scales continue to tip ever so slightly in favor of Sony.

Okay, so there's this nifty new Share feature that will debut with the PlayStation 4. Simply by pressing the Share button on the new Dual Shock 4 controller, players will be able to take in-game screenshots and record video of their gameplay. They will then be able to share it with friends through various social media means.

Microsoft's Xbox One will have a similar function; it's entitled Game DVR. However, we've just learned that in order to access this feature, you'll have to be an Xbox Live Gold member. That's their premium service that costs $60/year. Sony's premium service is PlayStation Plus, which actually costs a little less ($50/year) and offers much more in the way of perks and bonuses, in my opinion. But what if Share needed Plus, too?

Well, it doesn't. Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida confirmed on Twitter that Share will be available to all PS4 players. However, Yoshida has previously mentioned that there may be restrictions placed on the footage that gamers can upload. This will depend on the developers; there may be portions of a game the designers don't want everyone to see. As for the cost of Plus, Yoshida is also on the record saying the cost is necessary to defray the additional investment Sony has made in the PSN in the new generation.

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Sony: New Share Feature Can Be Limited By Developers

Ben-Dutka 14 Comments

The Share button on Sony's new Dual Shock 4 controller is a slick new feature that lets players upload videos and screenshots to social networking sites.

However, as you might've expected, there will be some limitations to this feature. In speaking to 4Gamer (as cited by Edge ), Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that developers will have the option to restrict the footage they want the player to "Share."

"There will be parts of a game that the maker does not want people to be able to see. 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."

Therefore, if the developer doesn't want someone spoiling the hell out of a game, they may not allow you to capture the ending scene, or something like that. There may be other reasons for a designer not to allow the gamer to share a certain part of the game, which makes sense. Personally, I have never felt the compulsion to "share" any scene with anyone but that's probably only because I really despise social media. I bet other people like this feature, though. 🙂

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