Despite saying themselves that PS4 testbed Playroom will be included on every PS4 at launch, Sony have now said they’re only considering it as a built-in game.
Speaking to Polygon, Tsubasa Inaba, senior producer at SCEA said that the company hopes to have “a more definitive answer ” on whether or not it’ll come on the PS4’s hard drive as standard “in the next month or two.”
Playroom, aimed at kids and also to show off the advanced features of the PlayStation 4’s new DualShock 4 controller, it also requires the new Eye camera to get the most out of it, the latter no longer being packaged with the console.
Sony have said that Playroom wasn’t really intended to be released to gamers, but the platform holder re-considered after the positive response at E3. We played the bundle of games again this weekend (more on that soon) and it’s a slick package to say the least.
Sony is relating Playroom to the Vita’s Welcome Park. “Our R&D teams for hardware and our software teams worked to put that application together,” said Inaba.
“It was a very similar situation for this one.”
He also added that Playroom could be expanded with new experiences, but couldn’t confirm whether that’ll be before the PS4 launches, or as DLC.
A slightly confusing, mixed message, then.
3shirts
Surely make the decision before talking about it. Look how that went for Microsoft.
bunimomike
I’d normally agree but at least they’re being transparent about the indecision. It also shows that they’re at the beck and call of their consumers (to a certain degree) and if feedback it strong, react accordingly.
Personally, I’d like to see it included with the camera so if you buy it, you get this. If not, not much point in seeing it on the PS4 vanilla purchase. Saying that, no harm in some HD video/trailers selling it and having those videos on the PS4 waiting for people to see them.
deadwelsh
totally pointless including it on the HDD if you ask me, they should bundle it with the camera since it will need it to play.
Bizarre decision given the backlash against MS for forcing camera use, if you want to use it then you would buy the camera, if not then forcing it onto the HDD is just likely to upset some gamers, much like the Singstar for PS3
blarty
They should add it as a downloadable code in the PSEye package, unless of course they’re already out for manufacturing which is why this could be included, but as long as they allow people to choose not to download it, or allow them to delete it then I see no harm done.
I think the question is more in the delivery – it’s something there’s been interest enough in, yet probably not worth a full game price (or less) – so spruce it up a little and give it as a freebie in some form. Could even be part of a system update to detect if the PS Eye has been plugged in for the first time and give you a box on screen asking if you want to download it.
TSBonyman
I’m thinking that possibly the hdd would need to be formatted out-of-the -box as part of the initial user set-up, so they would have to make it a downloadable app. It would be unlikely to be included in the firmware as i think that would be more concerned with detecting and reading the raw data from the camera. Although, perhaps they are keen enough on this app that they are considering including it in the firmware anyway … or partioning the hdd .. damn i wish i didn’t have to wait a few months to find out if i am right. :)
Alex C
404 – http://uk.playstation.com/home/news/articles/detail/item628645/Introducing-The-PlayRoom%2C-only-for-PS4/?site_locale=en_GB – looks like Sony have retracted the Playroom piece. Google Cache gone too…
Bilbo_bobbins
Stick the Demo on the store, end of. I don’t want a new shiny PS4 with bloatware on it.