By Michael Koczwara | Source thinfilm.no
2/16/2021

This Week in Gaming History looks back at the biggest events and releases from throughout the years.

Shortages for the PlayStation 5 continue to keep some players left behind in the previous console generation, so it only seems fitting to jump back eight years to the first reveal presentation for the PlayStation 4. Held on Feb. 20, 2013, Sony officially introduced the PS4 to the world alongside some hardware specs and upcoming games.

While the console itself wouldn't get its design unveiled until E3 in June of that year, Sony shared details on the PS4's insides at the gaming convention, focusing on its custom 8 core x86-64 AMD "Jaguar" CPU and its 1.84 teraflop GPU. Comparatively, the PS5 features a 10.3 teraflop GPU. The first look at the DualShock 4 controller revealed the addition of a share button and the inclusion of the large touch pad in the center.

As for games, Sony announced a handful of first-party titles including Knack, Killzone: Shadow Fall, inFAMOUS: Second Son and DriveClub. Games like The Witness and Destiny received updates and confirmed releases on the new system while offerings like Watch Dogs showcased a live demo demonstration. Capcom's Deep Down was first unveiled at this event and has since become notorious for staying in a constant state of development limbo.

Noteworthy Releases, Anniversaries

Syphon Filter made its debut on Feb. 17, 1999 as a new third-person stealth-focused shooter. Developed by Bend Studio, the game released on the original PlayStation in North America and later Europe. Syphon Filter was successful enough to warrant two more releases on the original PlayStation with Syphon Filter 2 and Syphon Filter 3 releasing in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The series hasn't seen a release since Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow in 2007 on the PlayStation Portable while Studio Bend moved on to projects like Resistance: Retribution and Days Gone.

This week in 2019 was quite eventful as Metro Exodus, Far Cry New Dawn and Crackdown 3 all released on the same day: Feb. 15. The original Crackdown, first launched in 2007, also celebrates a birthday this week with its 14th anniversary this Saturday.

Take a look at some of the biggest releases during the current week from throughout the years below (this list focuses on releases in North America only).

Feb. 15:

2012 | Uncharted: Golden Abyss (9 years)

2019 | Metro Exodus (2 years)

2019 | Far Cry New Dawn (2 years)

2019 | Crackdown 3 (2 years)

Feb. 16:

2009 | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (12 years)

2016 | Street Fighter V (5 years)

Feb. 17:

1999 | Syphon Filter (22 years)

Feb. 19:

2008 | Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (13 years)

2013 | Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (8 years)

2016 | Fire Emblem Fates (5 years)

Feb. 20:

2007 | Crackdown (14 years)

2015 | The Order: 1886 (6 years)

Feb. 21:

2014 | Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (7 years)

2017 | Halo Wars 2 (4 years)

Photo courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment

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