PlayStation 4 - Possessing the Power to Perform...

Triangle, Circle, X and Square may be four functions most synonymous with the PlayStation brand.

Yet during such a huge year for gaming, Sony has taken it up a notch, introducing five new kids on the gaming block.

The gaming giant calls them Simple (to use and develop for), Social (share, watch communicate), Immediate (no waiting times and the power), Integrated (with Vita and other phones/tablets) and Personal (interface) - the five pillars of difference in the upcoming PlayStation 4.

Briefly hitting pause during the company's pre-launch preparations, PlayStation New Zealand's Director of Sales and Marketing David Hine was at a loss to explain the unique selling point of the console.

"Where do you start" he told TechDay. "The PS4 incorporates so many new capabilities it's hard to pinpoint a standout feature."

Such is the PS4's breadth of new improvements, that Hine was quick to work through what gamers can expect from the new release, set for November 29.

Designed from the ground up, the console strips away the layers of complexity previously associated with PlayStation products, instead creating a blank canvas from which developers can unleash their imaginations in the name of gaming.

Housing some of the most creative minds in the industry, Hine believes the PlayStation's simplicity from a developers standpoint, is one of the biggest strengths of the console.

"In creating the PS4, we have placed the developer at the heart of everything we do," says Hine, who was recruited to PlayStation to launch the PS3.

"Our console is gamer inspired and developer led.

"While we speak to our gamers through a variety of outlets, we bring in our developers and say, 'guys, what's holding you back?

"And that's when we act.

"As a result, the end product is a console that is very easy to develop for, which ensures a wide variety of high-quality games for gamers to enjoy."

While acknowledging that gamers love great games, Hine understands consumers are different.

"Not only do gamers love great games, they love a variety of games," Hine says.

Whether they be exclusive or cross-platform, Sony has a total of 33 launch titles which will be available by the year's end.

Assasin's Creed IV Black Flag, Killzone: Shadow Fall or The Evil Within?

Knack, #DriveClub or Watch Dogs?

Take your pick says Hine, that's what the PS4 is there for.

"We're all different and we all enjoy different games," admits Hine. "Yet despite the variety, all titles share one common ground - they are top quality releases."

Power to Perform

Billed as the "most powerful console ever made to date", the PS4 possesses 50% more raw horsepower than the Xbox One - as confirmed by developers last month.

With ultra-fast customised processors and 8GB of high-performance unified system memory, Hine says the PS4 is the home to games with rich, high-fidelity graphics and deeply immersive experiences - all designed to help shatter gaming expectations.

"It's the most powerful console available and that opens up many avenues for gamers," Hine says.

"Combine the power of the console with the simplicity to develop on and the results are amazing."

Remote Play

Revealed during the official PS4 launch in February that the new console will support direct Remote Play integration with the PlayStation Vita.

Essentially, it's PS4 on the go.

Enabling players to pause or quit a game on their TV, and resume the action on their Vita without losing any data, is a breakthrough Hine believes helps make the console stand tall among its competitors.

Hine says Remote Play on the PS4 system fully unlocks the PS Vita system's potential, making it the ultimate companion device.

"Gamers shouldn't be worried," reminds Hine. "As the graphics on the Vita are sensational."

Social

With an ability to become more than just a console, the PS4 aims to tear down what's left of the social barrier in gaming.

Players can now look over game-related information shared by friends, view friends' gameplay with ease, or obtain information about recommended content, including games, TV shows and movies.

Hell, gamers can even take over friends' gameplay - with permission of course.

"At the click of a button, gamers can become more social," says Hine, echoing the PlayStation mantra of creating the first social gaming network with meaning.

"As soon as gamers begin getting their hands on the console in New Zealand they will realise this isn't the future, it's actually coming and it's coming soon."

Showcasing the console at the recent Digital Nationz event in Auckland, Hine believes it is testament to the ever-growing gaming industry in New Zealand that Kiwis will be one of the first group of countries in line for the release.

"We are in an incredibly competitive marketplace place and we can't afford to stand still as the rest of the world carries on," he says.

Hine is also reassuring in his confidence that the PS3, soon to be replaced as Sony's lead console, will continue to live a strong healthy existence among gamers.

"Absolutely, the PS3 will keep going," Hine says.

"At the time we launched the PS3, it was groundbreaking and unique.

"Yet the PS2 still had a lot of legs left in the tank and that's the same this time around.

"There's certainly life in the PS3 yet as the commercial realities of making blockbuster games means developers simply can't afford to produce titles specifically for new platforms."

One of the world leaders of innovation and established champions of creativity, the PlayStation brand is blossoming into full life.

A life which will begin on 12.01am November 29...