“$399.”

And just like that, the PlayStation 4 made the first official move to combat Microsoft’s once-feared domination in the video game industry. Whereas the Xbox One E3 conference was full of generic FPS and sports games, not to mention the ridiculous $499 price tag, Sony’s keynote featured a variety of games. Eschewing this current generation’s abundance of shooting games, the PS4 keynote put the spotlight on games that were not only brighter and more vibrant in an aesthetic way, but also from a variety of genres from action/adventure to platformers to, yes, FPS and shooters.

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While the PlayStation 4 was officially announced a few months ago, the system itself was still under wraps for whatever reason; Sony must have wanted to build up as much hype as they could possible, as they unveiled the console’s new look to moderate fanfare. Honestly, it looks like a mix between an Xbox One and a black Wii or two PS2s glued together, but hey, gaming consoles are meant for playing games, not winning design awards, right? Oh, the games…

Sony highlighted a few exclusive games, such as inFamous: Second Son and Killzone: Shadowfall. However, the biggest reveal for Sony’s conference was the announcement that the long-awaited game, Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been re-buffed and re-titled to the more appropriate Final Fantasy XV. As if the surprise wasn’t enough, a proper sequel to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Kingdom Hearts III, was announced, ending Square-Enix’s absurd practice of blasphemous title practices for the Disney-partnered franchise.

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However, one of the biggest questions Sony faced going into their E3 keynote was how they would handle the uproar Microsoft caused with their DRM-friendly, anti-consumer used games policy. (For those that are in the dark, the upcoming Xbox One registers discs to individual profiles, meaning users can’t simply share games with their friends; instead, they must wipe the game from their profile to allow their friends to play, who themselves must pay a fee just to access the game. Furthermore, the Xbox One mandates owners to connect online at least once a day to update and authenticate their games. While this might not mean much to most, it’s a terrible move for gamers in rural areas or military bases who don’t have easy access to internet.) Sony easily brushed aside any concerns that the PlayStation 4 would follow suit with four simple words: “PS4 supports used games.” They then took targeted swipes at Microsoft, also confirming that the PS4 won’t have to connect online every day (or at all, if they choose not to), and gamers can choose to do whatever they want with their games, whether it’s selling them, trading them, or simply lending them.

As if that wasn’t clear enough, Sony released a tongue-in-cheek jab at Microsoft by releasing an Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video. Take a look:

[youtube id=”kWSIFh8ICaA”]

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However, there was one big misstep that went temporarily unnoticed: When announcing that pre-existing PlayStation Plus memberships would carry over for the PS4, as well as news that only one subscription would suffice for full PS3, PS4, and PS Vita support, it was also slipped that online multiplayer for the PS4 would come at a price. PS+ members won’t have to worry about this price, but considering the PlayStation Network was free, some gamers might feel a bit slighted at Sony’s acceptance of a pay model for online play. Still, if at roughly $5 a month, the PS+ membership is worth it, especially with the amount of free games and discounts Sony offers on a monthly basis. It essentially pays itself within the first month of enrollment.

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With the PlayStation 4 officially coming out this Holiday 2013, the next generation of console gaming is set to begin. Sony did everything Microsoft didn’t do; Sony also didn’t do everything Microsoft did. That, in and of itself, was enough for Sony to demand a huge first step in the so-called “console war.” If you’re ready to officially take sides, the PlayStation 4 is already on pre-order on Amazon, while in-store pre-orders at Best Buy, GameStop, and other similar stores will begin filling their lists tomorrow.