I’d like to give you a tour of DUALSHOCK 4 and the features that will provide game developers the freedom to create brand new experiences that previously were limited to their imaginations.

Design

DUALSHOCK 4 adopts the familiar form factor of the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller with some key enhancements:

• Motion control is enabled by a new highly sensitive six-axis sensor
• Dual analog sticks fine-tuned for better precision plus improved surface materials and shape for more delicate manipulation
• L2/R2 buttons on the top of the controller employ a curved design for easier, smoother interaction
• A new “Options” button combines the functions of the DUALSHOCK 3’s “Select” and “Start” buttons for operating in-game menus

New Ways to Play, Share and Connect

In addition to these features that build on the controls that you already know, DUALSHOCK 4 offers new features that enable new ways to play, a key part of the PS4 experience. One of the biggest innovations we’ve designed centers on the deep social interactions that will surround all games on PS4.

The “Share” button allows you to easily broadcast your gameplay in real-time through streaming sites such as Ustream, where fellow gamers can comment and even join your game in new ways. For example, if you’re stuck in a difficult level, your friends can offer health potions or special weapons that you can use during gameplay. You can also instantly upload images or video to Facebook by pressing the “Share” button. As both a developer and a gamer, I’m personally excited about the opportunity to get help from friends when facing a challenge, and I can’t wait to see what my friends are playing in real time along with videos of their favorite in-game moments.

On the front side of DUALSHOCK 4 is a light bar with LED that illuminate in various colors to match the color of the character in a game as a simple way to identify players. The colors can also provide useful information to players, such as when their character has taken damage during a game. DUALSHOCK 4 was developed alongside a second peripheral, a dual camera which can sense the depth of the environment in front of it and also track the 3D location of the controller via its light bar. The new camera incorporates four microphones capable of accurate sound detection and source origination, and it will support the PlayStation Move motion controller with more precision than ever before.

DUALSHOCK 4 also has a touchpad at the front of the controller as a new input method, offering more ways to interact with games. Additionally there’s a built-in speaker and headset jack to deliver high-fidelity sound effects from the games. A headset will be bundled with PS4, enabling gamers to chat with friends during online gaming and to hear sound effects from the controller.

There’s a lot built into DUALSHOCK 4, and the features were all thoughtfully designed with input from the development community (both our internal studios and third parties) and PlayStation gamers. Our goal was to give game creators an open canvas to express their ideas, and DUALSHOCK 4 combined with DUALSHOCK 4 will help us achieve the future of gaming that we at PlayStation see ahead of us.

What do you think? What’s your favorite new feature for DUALSHOCK 4?

PlayStation 4 will be incredibly powerful but elegant and easy to use, empowering game developers to create innovative gaming experiences we can only begin to imagine. As we prepared for today’s PlayStation Meeting, we asked some of the top game designers in the world to share their inspirations and ambitions for PlayStation 4. Please watch the video below to see the shape of things to come.

Hi everyone! I’ll let you into a secret. When I’m not busy in my role as President of Worldwide Studios I live a secret double life! I’m a pro treasure hunter and was even at one point ranked number one in the world. My specialist field is an app only available on PS Vita called Treasure Park (although I can also be found searching for Drake’s Fortune in the Golden Abyss).

I’m always on the lookout for new challengers, so today I’d like to share some of my experience with fledgling treasure hunters around the globe so that one day, you too might become a world-class pro.

Step 1:

When hunting for treasure, it’s very important to bear in mind the concept of pieces. There are four different pieces hidden on a sheet; at the start, you’re told the colors of where some parts of these pieces lie. This information is very important!

Let’s focus on the bombs. In this example shown above, blue and yellow are risky colors.

Step 2:

There are two bombs lurking somewhere among the blue squares and one bomb somewhere in the yellow squares. Let’s plot these out – a true pro never rushes in blindly.

Okay, now let’s try tapping on a square we’re sure won’t contain a bomb.

Step 3:

Here I’ve tapped on a red square and revealed some medals. I’m also given some information about the surrounding squares – if something is hidden there, a treasure chest icon appears. We know what’s on the right won’t be a bomb, but as the square on the left is yellow there’s a chance a bomb could be hiding there…

I need some more clues, so I’m going to tap another color I know is safe.

Step 4:
This time, there’s nothing to be found in the orange square I’ve tapped but I can see there’s something hidden in the square directly to the right. Taking note of squares where nothing is hidden is just as crucial to unravelling the puzzle.

From the clues I have now, I’ve deduced the whereabouts of the L-shaped piece. Can you work it out too?

But let’s get back to tracking down the all-important treasure…

Step 5:

I know that the treasure is diagonally opposite an orange square, so let’s work out the potential candidates.

Step 6:

Now to narrow it down further…

The square I’ve just tapped on has revealed more medals. There are also three medal squares contained within the treasure piece. So my next tip is to remember that where there are lots of medals there’s bound to be treasure!

Step 7:

Okay, so now I’ve worked out the location of the 2×2 piece. However, you only get five guesses on each sheet and it’s my last chance. In this case, I need to go with my gut instinct.

Step 8:

Great – I got the treasure! Once you’ve run out of turns you’re able to see where all the pieces were hidden. Looks like my analysis was spot on!

If you’ve been able to keep up with me so far, you’ll have the tools you need to graduate from treasure hunter beginner’s school. But don’t stop there! There are hundreds of skilled treasure hunters around the globe, and you can use group messaging or “near” to swap sheets with other hunters around you and hone your skills.

If you need any further sheet-building tips to help you progress to the next rank just let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do!

I should also mention that since system software version 1.80, Wi-Fi PS Vita systems can determine your location by scanning nearby Wi-Fi access points – so whether you’ve got the 3G or Wi-Fi flavor of PS Vita you can embark on a truly global treasure hunt!

I am fortunate to be part of the great creativity and innovation coming out of our first party studios time and time again. The accolades are so well deserved. Congratulations Evan, Christophe, Amy, Bruce, Richard and all the talented members of Naughty Dog!

Last week’s ceremony was also very special to me as Mark Cerny, my long term friend and business partner, was handed the prestigious Hall of Fame award. The list of past recipients included Shigeru Miyamoto, Will Wright, and John Carmack — legendary game creators that have shaped the game industry today. I have had the great honor and joy to work with Mark since I started in game development in PS one days, across Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Resistance, UNCHARTED, and tech projects on PlayStation 2 and PS3. Mark has helped realize the creative visions of teams behind these great franchises, including producing, designing and programming many of them himself. I would not be doing what I do today if it were not for the great fortune (again) to be able to work with Mark for so many years. Congratulations Mark!

2009 was really a great year for us, not only did we have UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, we also released Killzone 2, inFAMOUS, flOwer (which also received Casual Game of the Year last week!), Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, PixelJunk Shooter, LittleBigPlanet PSP, Gran Turismo PSP, Patapon 2 and so on. 2010 is already shaping up to be an exciting year as we just released MAG and with Heavy Rain, MLB 10: The Show and God of War III around the corner. We’ve also got ModNation Racers, Gran Turismo 5, and motion controller games that include many unannounced titles, as well as many new PSP and PSN titles hitting throughout this fiscal year.

We certainly have not been immune to the impacts of the economy, but I believe the gaming industry will continue to offer strong growth in the long term. And as far as PlayStation is concerned, I believe we have a truly strong line up in the pipeline, combined with a hardware installed base that is continuing to grow, and an evolving offering of new online features and services. 2010 is looking to be a great year for fans of PlayStation. We’re working hard to keep you entertained and excited with new games and services for many years to come.

And yes, The Last Guardian team is also working hard, too.