Sony at GamesCOM 2011

For PlayStation Vita, GamesCom is going to be all about maintaining enthusiasm. With the device still some months away, Sony will probably use the event to instill another wave of excitement in the fans and media, and it will do that by showing compelling software. It would be ideal if the announced Vita software line-up doubled by the end of the show.

Elsewhere, it's probably going to be a quiet year for PlayStation 3. New media services across Europe are a certainty. It also wouldn’t be much of a surprise if Sony announced and demonstrated Vita’s LiveArea social network features on PS3.

But like 2009, GamesCom seems like the appropriate venue for a fresh PlayStation 3 price-cut. While the platform continues to have worldwide momentum, a $50 price-cut would definitely drive sales going into the holiday season. It’s also likely that SCEE will use GamesCom to debut its new marketing strategy, with the ‘Game Is Just The Start’ campaign looking like it’s run its course. There’s been some speculation of a $100 price-cut, and while that sounds ideal (bringing the PS3 down to the mainstream price-point of $199), it’s probably unnecessary at this point.

Elsewhere on PlayStation 3, expect new footage of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Resistance 3 and Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. New 3D and PlayStation Move content is always possible, but is unlikely to represent a big focus of the presentation. Software announcements from French developers Quantic Dream and DONTNOD are likely to be the most eye-catching PlayStation 3 reveals.

DONTNOD confirmed earlier in the month that it is revealing its sci-fi action title at GamesCom next week, though there is some speculation about whether the product is Sony published or not anymore. It was believed that the studios’ debut project had been signed up by SCEE last year, but there are rumours conflicting that now.