When Worlds Collide: Just What Is Sony Teasing?

Yesterday, Sony had gamers across the world speculating yet again, this time over a cryptic image tagged with the words, “When Worlds Collide.” Posted on a social network, Facebook, the teaser doesn’t immediately relate to anything in Sony’s pipeline with an announcement due in the coming days.

So, what could this latest reveal from Sony be? Is it an all-new IP? A re-launch for an existing game? DLC, maybe? Or perhaps an obscure teaser for one of the firm’s upcoming services?

PlanetSide 2

A good guess, though a reactionary one at that. The font, phrase, and imagery reflect the design and focus of SOE’s colossal online shooter, yet PlanetSide 2 seems an unlikely choice.

The MMOFPS is structured similarly to other online shooters such as the old Battlefield games with player classes and huge environments. The main difference here is that bases and outposts are continually contested in a procedural open world. PlanetSide’s three player-run factions are constantly at war for new territory and resources. Battles can range from squad vs. squad skirmishes up to epic 1000-player campaigns.

“When Worlds Collide” doesn’t exactly relate to PlanetSide’s core ethos. In fact, the game is largely set on one, heavily-contested world. Also, Sony Online Entertainment have near-enough stated that PC and PS4 versions of the game won’t be inter-connected.

Services

A bit tenuous, this one. When the PlayStation 4 launches this November it will firmly establish Sony’s gaming ecosystem. All three consoles under the Sony banner will feature some form of connectivity and, with cloud gaming and other services on the rise, “When Worlds Collide” could be Sony’s advert for a three-pronged attack on the gaming market.

DUST 514

A more apt contender yet still shrouded in uncertainty. DUST 514 launched back in May to a lukewarm reception, our own review reflected the thoughts of many. However, developer CCP -the Icelandic firm behind EVE Online- isn’t about to just walk away from its debut console title. The studio/publisher already has a string of updates in mind that will, over time, refine just about every gameplay element.

The tagline “When Worlds Collide” is certainly appropriate for DUST 514. Though mainly focused on interstellar turf wars, the game does offer a few interesting features that feed directly into EVE Online. One such quirk is the inclusion of “Orbital Strikes”, instances in which EVE and DUST can connect to unleash a coordinated, real-time attack.

With that said, 514 seems like an odd choice for this latest teaser. The game has only just come out of beta and has already been heavily publicised. Re-marketing the game before its “Uprising” updates are even in place seems an unlikely notion.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 2

Despite the hype, Sony’s crack at a crossover fighter did little to ignite the hearts of critics and consumers. The lack of expansive singleplayer content and a few glaring omissions from its playable roster left All-Stars in the gutter despite adopting a fresh approach to the genre.

Original developer, SuperBot Entertainment, has since cut its ties with Sony, the IP having been passed on to Santa Monica Studios. Just because the core team has departed doesn’t mean that Sony is giving up on the fighter, however. It’s rumoured that Santa Monica has DLC plans for the game, but it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if a sequel were also in the pipeline.

At its core, it was a good game and, if handled properly, a sequel could be phenomenal and an ideal platform for Sony to advertise its numerous gaming franchises. Not only that, with EVO 2013 -the world’s biggest fighting game tourney- hitting Vegas this weekend, there couldn’t be a better time for an All-Stars announcement.

New IP

Gamescom is just around the corner, where we’re bound to see a lot more from Sony’s PlayStation 4 line-up. Though most of it will be old-hat and new demos for existing games, we can surely expect at least one new title to be announced, right?

Well, amid all the speculation IGN already seem to have the scoop as indicated by Senior Editor, Colin Moriarty, who recently tweeted:

That PlayStation image you’re all Tweeting about? I know what it is. And you’ll find out in the coming days on @IGN. http://t.co/TUuvrWegF1

— Colin Moriarty (@notaxation) July 9, 2013

So, that clears up one question, but many still remain. “When Worlds Collide” definitely suggests some sort of crossover, whether it be between two IPs or overlapping stories within a game. Also, there’s the question of which studio the game is coming from. Is this a first party job or have Sony sealed the deal with one of its partners?

Whatever’s in the pipeline, we’re sure to have the answers, hopefully by the end of the week.

Update: it’s possibly a new Ratchet and Clank game. Insomniac tweeted a video of R&C just after PlayStation pushed out the image, and then there’s this post, from an Insomniac studio member…