Talking Point: What Are Your Hopes and Fears for PS4 and Vita at Gamescom 2014?

Every convention comes with a combination of excitement and trepidation. Sony’s always had a decent presence at Gamescom, so we’re expecting nothing less this year – but with the event being livestreamed all around the world, there’s always the worry that it could drop a Powers-esque press conference clanger and let everyone down. We’ve already made some extensive predictions for the presentation, but as is an annual tradition now, we’ve pulled together the team in order to discuss our personal hopes and fears for next week’s big event. Don’t forget to share yours in the comments section below.

Sammy Barker, Editor

Sony’s not stupid, and it will be aware that there have been a few complaints levelled at the PlayStation 4 of late. Some of these are justified, and some of them aren’t – but I’d like to see it come out in Cologne and quell many of the concern’s that are cycling the console of late. That means that I’m hoping for a firmer firmware roadmap, a little more information about what its first-party teams are up to, and a lot more of the fire that made last year’s next-gen launch such a success. I think it’s done a decent job with the device’s first year or so on the market, but there’s room for improvement in all areas, and I’d like to see it really reveal how it intends to further the format over the coming six months.

My biggest fear is that it ignores all of the above and continues to play its cards too close to its chest. I appreciate that it has marketing plans for all of its products, and that’s fine – but there comes a point where it needs to be a little more open with consumers in order to give them a picture of what’s next for its expensive home appliance. My other concern is that it squanders the PlayStation Vita’s last real chance at commercial success. I appreciate that Minecraft is ubiquitous these days, but the platform holder’s trying to capture a younger demographic with its flagship portable of late, and a reasonably priced bundle with Mojang’s indie smash included in the box could – and probably should – be absolutely huge for the system this holiday.

Ben Potter, Video Editor

With the hustle and bustle of big boy expo E3 2014 now fading into the distance, it’s the turn of Gamescom. I always enjoy Sony's showing at the German show, because it's European focused – from price announcements to the appearance of local studios – and because it frequently takes the time to explore the industry's slightly less mainstream output. I'm expecting Everybody's Gone to the Rapture to turn heads, we might even get a little more No Man's Sky, but most of all, I really want to see some Bloodborne footage. The spiritual successor to Demon's Souls made me come over all funny when it was officially unveiled a couple of months ago, and while it was true that we saw some blurry, low-res video prior to its announcement, I'd be more than satisfied to see it again in a little more focus.

As for things I'm afraid of, apparently Mark Cerny wants to make another Knack, so that. In fact, definitely that!

Kell Andersen, News Reporter

Another major industry event looms large on the horizon, and that means that it's time to trot out all of the familiar hopes and wishes: The Last Guardian, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, interesting indies, and some new franchises – the usual suspects. But perhaps my biggest hope this year comes in the form of a feline follow-up. Indeed, what I really want is some information regarding Gravity Rush 2. I don't care if it's been turned into a PS4 game, I don't care if it's not releasing for another four years, I just need to see those Ghibli-esque visuals paired with a Ghibli-esque soundtrack and then I'll know for sure that everything is right with the world.

As for what I’m not hoping to see at Gamescom? Well, I can answer that in one word: Powers.

Nicola Hayden, News Reporter

I want Gamescom to spill the beans on some AAA titles. As a loyal lap dog of the series, I am dying to know more about this year's best [Worst? - Ed] kept secret, Assassin’s Creed Rogue. With it releasing in just three months, I expect more news and gameplay at the show. Also, after being lucky enough to play Evolve, I really hope to see another boss in action to help tide me over following its delay. I hope new titles will be on display as well – especially exclusives. Sony needs to take full advantage of either the PS4's hardware or the Vita's portability, rather than making every title cross-buy.

Meanwhile, as recent Vita bundles have been so understocked that they’ve spontaneously sold out, I’m hoping that a new bundle of joy is on the way. If a Minecraft package isn't announced, I will eat my hat – although, I would like to see other options, too. Last but not least, I continue to feebly wish for cheaper handheld memory cards, even if it is getting a bit repetitive. We can't give in, can we?

Alex Stinton, Reviewer

In my pre-E3 thoughts, I talked about my hope that there'd be some huge surprises during the Sony press conference, but I was worried that we'd already seen most of what was in store from the slew of announcements and leaks in the run up to the show. While my fears were disappointingly proved true, I'm holding out hope that Gamescom is now going to be the place for some bombshells, as we get to see what some of the best European developers have been working on. Whether it's a new intellectual property from Guerrilla Games, or the next titles from Ninja Theory and Quantic Dream, we could be in for some interesting announcements.

On the other hand, my biggest fear is that when the announcements do come, it'll be double dip city, as we get more remasters from the last generation rather than anything new. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple of titles big enough to deserve this treatment, and it's great to give gamers who missed them the first time around the chance to play them, but I just won't be able to muster up any excitement should Sony announce a PS4 version of Beyond: Two Souls at its conference.

Graham Banas, Reviewer

When I think about Gamescom, there’s one thought that jumps out at me right away: RIME. The game was first shown off at last year’s show, and we haven’t heard a whole lot about it since then. I also hope that the leaked list of playable games is in fact true because, even though I've already played Journey and The Unfinished Swan, I will absolutely play them again on the PS4. In fact, The Unfinished Swan was my favourite game of the previous generation, so even if it isn't cross-buy, I would still happily buy it. Lastly, I’d like to think that we'll see more of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, as well as maybe even some of the non-exclusive titles like Destiny and Alien: Isolation.

I am, however, a bit concerned about a couple of things. The first is the pacing of the conference. E3 was, shall we say, inconsistent, so hopefully Sony paces the show a bit better this time. The company’s acknowledged many of the problems with its previous show, so maybe there isn't any real cause for alarm, but you never know. My other concern is that the platform holder will continue to not address the PS4's sparse updates. Sure, there have been a bunch of stability tweaks, but nothing especially meaningful yet. Compared to Microsoft, who has been doing a quite impressive job of updating and bringing new features to its console, the Japanese giant really needs to step up its game here, and Gamescom would be a great opportunity to make that intention known.

Joey Thurmond, Reviewer

I can't say that I know what to expect at this year's Gamescom from Sony, but when it comes to hints like the cryptic, disturbing videos of a mysterious game involving axes, blood, and snow, I'm optimistic that we'll be seeing a few surprising game announcements. Could there be a couple of PS4 exclusives on the way, our first look at Project Morpheus titles, or – if the stars and planets align – a few first-party games for the Vita? Either way, it'd be exciting to see Sony focus on any of these things during next week’s show.

My fears may be a rehash of what I said before E3 2014, but I truly hope Sony gives some love to the Vita at Gamescom. The handheld hardly received any attention during the most important games convention in the world, so the least that Sony could do is announce one or two first-party titles. Alas, after the manufacturer's comments confirming that it wants to focus on Remote Play and indie games, it just seems like we're moving more towards the situation that the PlayStation Portable was in all over again.

What are your hopes and fears for this year’s Gamescom press conference? Is there anything that you think Sony simply has to do? What are you worried that it might overlook? As always, smile and shudder in the comments section below.