Sony already impressed the gaming community during their official PS4 reveal back in February, so excitement was high going into the Sony E3 conference. There were still a few unanswered questions about the features of the system, including the PlayStation network, always-online connectivity, and used games, but Sony took the time to hit all of the important notes, beginning with a look at the future of the PlayStation 3.

Sony is certainly not slowing down the incredible momentum they have developed over the past 7 years. The conference opened with some big announcement regarding the company’s current console, including some great new trailers for games we’ve known about for quite some time.

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Gran Turismo 6:

Batman: Arkham Origins:

Beyond: Two Souls:

This trailer was one of the most interesting previews of the show, providing a new look at Quantic Dream’s upcoming titled starring Ellen Page and Willem Defoe. In previous gameplay previews, we’ve seen Ellen Page escape a police station and witnessed destruction on a massive scale, but the latest trailer takes the character to the Middle East on a special mission for a military force.

Though the PlayStation 3 continues to thrive, everyone was anxiously awaiting the news about PlayStation 4. Sony made it clear that they working on creating the best gaming experience possible for the next-generation, and are adding some great new features. Sony has finally shown off the console, which is small, sleek, and definitely a product of PlayStation.

PlayStation Network will retain all of the services that have made the PS3 so popular, with the addition of Flixster, Redbox Instant, and perhaps the best new service, the Live Events Viewer. Users will be able to watch the biggest pay-per-view events live or on demand at any time through the new service. Sony Pictures is also working on bringing exclusive original programming via Sony’s Video Unlimited service, though no specifics were mentioned as to what kind of content we can expect.

The biggest question on everyone’s mind was how the PlayStation 4 will handle online connectivity, and Sony has promised (while taking a well-deserved stab at Microsoft) that gamers will never be required to connect to the internet if they choose not to. That means no game verification, and fully-functional offline gaming. They also promised that the company fully supports the use of used games, and will not restrict used game sales in any way, allowing players to borrow and lend games with friends, rent games online, or sell their old games for new ones. In this regard, Sony has a huge advantage over Microsoft, and the announcement was met with overwhelming cheers from the crowd.

However, a gaming console is nothing without great games to back it up, and Sony showed off several brand-new titles for their console. The first batch that was introduced comes from some of the most respected indie developers in the industry.

PS4 Indie Titles:

After showing the impressive indie gaming line-up, Square Enix had a special message for Sony gamers about Final Fantasy XV.

Just after the Final Fantasy trailer, we were surprised to see a great teaser for the long-awaited and highly-anticipated Kingdom Hearts III, coming exclusively to PS4.

Sony then showed two previews from upcoming Ubisoft titles.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag:

Watch Dogs:

Bethesda’s upcoming MMO The Elder Scrolls Online will be hitting PlayStation 4 upon the game’s release, with Sony fans getting an exclusive beta this fall.

One of the most impressive trailers of the event came in the form of a brand-new exclusive IP from Santa Monica Studio and Readyatdawn. The trailer was created in-engine, and shows off a unique setting and incredible graphics.

The Order – 1886:

Here are the trailers for some of the biggest titles coming to PlayStation 4 that were featured in the live event:

Killzone: Shadow Fall:

Infamous: Second Son:

Knack:

And finally, the event ended with the very first look at Bungie’s open-world multiplayer shooter, Destiny, featuring a live gameplay demo.

Sony managed to exceed expectations at this year’s E3 with a conference that was straight-to-the-point and gave a glimpse into the future of PlayStation. Now comes the hard part: waiting until November to get our hands on the PS4.

The console will be launched in November at a price of only $399.