(February 28, 2013) — On Feb. 20, thousands of entertainment reporters gathered at an exclusive Sony event. After weeks of anticipation and advertisements, people were pleased to see the announcement that everyone had been waiting for. The Playstation 4, Sony’s newest and greatest console, was finally officially announced. For many, one feature in particular was a relief for console owners. In the weeks leading up to the Playstation 4 announcement, many had anticipated Sony implementing a method for blocking used games from working on the console. This would cause a dramatic impact, not only on companies such as Gamestop which rely on used game sales, but also on console owners who would be forced to pay much higher retail prices. Senior Roman Barsegian said, “I think it will just hurt Sony by steering people away from the console and affect the game retail market.” Though the issue was not fully settled at the Sony event, studio head Shuhei Yoshida said he anticipated used PS4 games working on the hardware. This provided a huge relief for interested buyers, but still left questions about possible caveats for reselling games. However, despite all the new features available, many were disappointed with what the Playstation 4 announcement didn’t provide. Features missing from the new console included backwards compatibility with games from the PS3 as well as no announced release date or price. For many, this was a huge negative as it would mean they would not be able to sell their Playstation 3 if they still want to play their favorite games. “It is extremely short sighted and close-minded of Sony to disappoint its consumers in such an ignorant fashion,” said senior Hasnain Shamim. The console was the second announced in what is being called the eighth-generation of video consoles. Preceded by the WiiU, the console is promising not only increased graphics and better gameplay, but also a much larger reliance on interconnectivity and social networking. Despite these trends matching the trend in mobile-gaming for a social experience, many feel that the increasing reliance on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter is actually detracting from the overall gaming experience. “I think it’s going to be nice with respect to hardware and games,” said Barsegian, “but I doubt many people will use the social networking features on it.”