Spider-Man, Gran Turismo among games for new PS5, Sony says (updated)

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12/06/2020 24:16

(Adds details about pricing, design)
    By Sam Nussey
    TOKYO, June 12 (Reuters) - Sony Corp  6758.T  on Friday
unveiled a host of titles for its upcoming PlayStation 5
console, including a sequel to its hit 'Spider-Man' title and
the latest 'Gran Turismo' racer, as it builds anticipation ahead
of the planned year-end launch.
    As rival Microsoft Corp  MSFT.O  prepares the launch of its
next generation Xbox Series X console for this year's holiday
season, the presentation gave a first glimpse of how games will
look when played on Sony's device.
    The PS5 promises advanced graphics and shorter load times
through the use of its solid-state hard drive. Along with the
games pipeline, those are key selling points as contenders like
Google  GOOGL.O  push into gaming.
    "You've seen games that can only be enjoyed with the full
range of PlayStation 5's features and power," Sony Interactive
Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said during the presentation, which
attracted more than 2 million viewers to its feeds on YouTube
and Twitch. 
    Upcoming titles include 'Spider-Man: Miles Morales' from
in-house studio Insomniac Games, a sequel to the best-selling
title on the aging PlayStation 4, and 'Project Athia' from Final
Fantasy developer Square Enix Holdings  9684.T .
    The online presentation, delayed from last week in deference
to protests on racial inequalities that have roiled the United
States, also showed off the PS5's design, which in a departure
from recent generations has a predominantly white exterior.  
    There was no indication of the hardware's pricing - a
closely guarded secret that can make or break consoles.
    The PS4's lower price when it was launched in 2013 is widely
seen as giving it an early leg-up against the rival Xbox One,
and it has gone on to sell more than 110 million units. 
    Sony's deep gaming experience - the first PlayStation
launched 25 years ago - is proving tricky to replicate even for
well-financed rivals.
    Amazon's  AMZN.O  PC shooter Crucible received a lacklustre
reception on launching last month, with the ecommerce giant last
week saying it would shutter two out of three of the game's
modes. Google's cloud based Stadia service has also had a slow
start.  

 (Reporting by Sam Nussey, Editing by Daniel Wallis and Rosalba
O'Brien)
 ((daniel.wallis@thomsonreuters.com;; (303)-335-5080; Reuters
Messaging: daniel.wallis.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))