PLAYSTATION CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF PLAY IN AUSTRALIA

Two decades, four consoles and a plethora of games since its launch of the original PlayStation One in Australia, PlayStation has taken multiple generations of players on epic gaming adventures. To mark its 20th anniversary, PlayStation is strengthening its offering of complete entertainment experiences with the launch of Presto today, making PlayStation 4 (PS4) the only home entertainment system to offer all streaming video on demand (SVOD) services available in Australia.

The nation's favourite console is not only transitioning into an all-encompassing entertainment device through partnerships with all major streaming video on demand (SVOD) services, but is also launching groundbreaking video games whist looking forward to the 2016 launch of PlayStation VR.

In the lead up to Christmas, PlayStation is living up to the promise of not only being the best place to play, but the best place for all-round family entertainment.

After 20 years of experience perfecting and building four of the most iconic consoles, the latest PS4 is not just the fastest selling console in PlayStation history but is breaking records as the fastest selling console ever in Australia.

The device's ability to continue offering players the best and most innovative entertainment experiences has resulted in unprecedented momentum, with more than 30.2 million consoles sold to date.

Michael Ephraim, Managing Director Sony Computer Entertainment Australia says: "I've had the pleasure of being part of the PlayStation journey here in Australia for the last two decades and I am proud of what we have achieved to date.

I am even more excited about the future. Innovation is in our DNA, and this, combined with a fierce drive to continuously expand the boundaries of play will mean PS4 is the number one console for the entire family."

Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe says: "It is great to have seen the Australian market grow exponentially over the past 20 years. We realise that PlayStation would not be in the position that we are without the support of our loyal fans and community. Celebrating our 20th Anniversary is a significant milestone that we are extremely proud of and we look forward to delivering more great games and innovative products in the next 20 years."

ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT: MORE THAN JUST GAMING

In addition to creating the best place to play, PS4 is also the best place to be entertained, with SVOD service Presto launching on the console today.

Now housing all major streaming services with Presto joining Stan, Netflix, Spotify and Quickflix, as well as Foxtel Play, PS4 is the only home entertainment system that offers all available services in Australia.

To celebrate Presto's launch on PS4, Presto has curated a special collection of its hit programs, created with PlayStation users in mind and available on devices now. Programs include all seven seasons of The Big Bang Theory, Heroes, The Walking Dead, Entourage, Parks and Recreation, Flight of the Conchords, The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All this combined with a Presto exclusive launch of the new Home and Away special event, An Eye for an Eye; entertainment on PS4 now has something for everyone.

Shaun James, Presto TV CEO, said, "We're thrilled to be involved in Sony PlayStation's 20th anniversary and congratulate them on bringing Australia fantastic interactive gaming entertainment for two decades; and today we're equally excited to help them elevate their entertainment offering to new heights with the launch of Presto on PlayStation 3 and 4 consoles offering their community access to Presto's unbelievable premium TV and movies on demand."

VR BECOMES REALITY

PlayStation VR (PSVR) is the latest development in groundbreaking innovation. It opens the door to revolutionary, immersive gameplay transporting players from living rooms to amazing worlds and surprising unknown experiences. With more than 200 developers producing software for PSVR, its launch in 2016 is set to transform the gaming landscape.

Designed for PS4 and driven by the remarkable processing capability of the console, the system is inspiring an entire community of development teams - from indies to AAA studios, encouraging them to reevaluate the wonder and delight of even the most basic gaming experiences.

At PlayStation Experience this week games including a version of classic rhythm game Rez, Eagle Flight, 100 Ft Robot Golf, Ace Combat 7, Zombie Taxi Game, Eclipse, Distance, Classroom Aquatic and Job Simulator were announced to join Tekken 7, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, Battlezone and Robinson: The Journey on PlayStation VR.

Capturing the attention of gamers and entertainment fans alike, PSVR also includes cinema-like experiences. In 2015, the 360-degree VR 'The Walk' experience allowed viewers to literally follow in wire artist Philippe Petit footsteps, traversing the World Trade Center's twin towers.

Michael Ephraim says: "PlayStation VR is the single biggest step in innovation I have seen in my career of over 20 years at PlayStation. It's a game changer for the industry and is a clear sign of what's in the store for both the gaming and the wider home-entertainment offering. The one thing I can tell you is, you have to try it to believe it. Everyone I've seen use PlayStation VR has been blown away and the experience exceeded their expectations."

GAMING RE-IMAGINED: DREAMS

Dreams, a unique experience where players can go to create, play and experience the dreams of an entire community was also debuted in Sydney today.

The ambitious PS4 masterpiece is a place to create anything imaginable, whether it's games, films, music, or something in-between.

In the Australian-first showcase, BAFTA award winning studio, Media Molecule, who brought us LittleBigPlanet, and Tearaway and Tearaway: Unfolded, revealed a taste of the potential of this cutting-edge game. The showcase explained how players can go on unique journeys to travel between Dreams as well as construct and use their own custom-made assets along with pre-existing ones. Experiences are limited only by players' imaginations.

Media Molecule, Studio Director, Siobhan Reddy is considered Australia's most successful woman in gaming, with accomplishments including Qantas Australian Woman of the Year, being listed as one of Britain's 100 most powerful women by BBC's Woman's Hour and named in Fortune's 10 most powerful women in gaming.

Siobhan said: "I always love coming home to Australia and what better way this December than to celebrate 20 years of PlayStation and reveal Dreams. We are really looking forward to people experiencing Dreams and immersing themselves in its the ever-evolving worlds. We hope both gamers and non-gamers will fall in love with it."

PS4 IS THE HOME OF FOOTBALL

PlayStation continues to be the home of football domestically and abroad, by inviting Australians to join the world's biggest club, via the official PlayStation F.C. UEFA Champions League app available exclusively on PS4.

As part of its sponsorship of the PS4 National Premier Leagues, PlayStation is hoping to help hero grassroots football by uniting the passion of 14,000 players across 135 clubs and powering their love of the game through PS4.

Michael Ephraim said: "PlayStation's support for the National Premier Leagues means we are helping champion grassroots football to establish the NPL as the pathway to the A-League. 2016 will see us take our partnerships even further, from providing football fans entertainment in their lounge room to supporting the players on the pitch through our sponsorship."

Other PlayStation football initiatives from 2015 include:

• FOX FANS LEAGUE - Australia's very first virtual A-League tournament kicked off this year broadcast live on TV through PS4. Players also had the chance to win $5,000 cash for their club by sharing what they love about the sport.
• #PS4TRICKSHOT - the national #PS4TRICKSHOT competition encouraged players to showcase their skills to support their club. Challenged to complete a series of tricks, and share via social media, fans were put in the running to win an array of PS4 prizes from a $25,000 prize pool.
• AWARDS AND FINALS - PlayStation made sure the Grand Final was a showstopper at the end of the 2015 National Premier League season, with a $1,000 cheque for the winning club, and a PS4 awarded to the Man of the Match.

UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF'S END

The highly anticipated Uncharted 4: A Thief's End will see the return of gaming hero Nathan Drake in March 2016. Naughty Dog has released a new trailer introducing Nathan Drake's long-lost brother Sam and the availability of dialogue options, demonstrating a grittier and more mature experience for players.

UNCHARTED 4: A Thief's End harnesses the power of PS4, allowing more than double the number of polygons per character than in the previous console generation, and its visual fidelity sets the gold standard for game development globally.

In October of this year, PlayStation Australia also announced its intention to auction a very rare 20th anniversary console signed by the top 'dogs' of critically acclaimed software developer, Naughty Dog in aid of You Can, Sony Foundation's youth cancer project. With only 12,300 Anniversary consoles in existence, this very special edition grey 20th anniversary PS4 is one of only 150 in Australia. The console auction will open in February 2016 in the lead up to the launch of UNCHARTED 4: A Thief's End - the next installment of Nathan Drake's epic adventures.

Last updated: Sep 3, 2020 at 03:12 pm CDT