Our worries about the console can subside now that Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed that an always-on internet connection isn’t required for the Playstation 4 to function.
Though he adds that this new machine adds an increased incentive to be more engaged with other players than the previous, that’s not something they’ll force you to do in order to use the platform. In an interview with Eurogamer he states:
"Oh yes, yes, you can go offline totally. Social is big for us, but we understand there are some people who are anti-social! So if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that."
This is in stark contrast with our expectations of the competitor Microsoft’s console, from which rumours have emerged that it will require an internet connection to do anything, along with blocking used sales (something Sony has already denied will be in place for the PS4).
Sharing play and involving your friends direct was something that Sony were big on pushing during their announcement yesterday. Though the PS4 might not force players to be constantly connected, they sure are accommodating of the possibility that you will and have attempted to offer incentives to do so.
Players can as their friends for help and have their game jumped into remotely and with the controller’s new “share” button gameplay can be streamed through your Ustream channel without the need for any capturing equipment.
Rather than lock us into playing online through force, they’ve made the idea seem far more palatable through choice and options.
