A Man Plays A Video Game on Sony Corp's Play Station 4 Console At Its Showroom In Tokyo
A man plays a video game on Sony Corp's PlayStation 4 console at its showroom in Tokyo July 16, 2014. Japan's Sony Corp is hammering out plans to rise from the ashes of nearly $10 billion lost in six years by building a future around its last consumer electronics blockbuster - the PlayStation. Sony plans to reposition the video console warhorse as a hub for a network of streamed services, according to three senior officials, offering social media, movies and music as well as games. The executives spoke to Reuters on condition they not be named because the matters are still in early stages of discussion. Picture taken July 16, 2014. Reuters/Yuya Shino

With the launch of the PlayStation4 and the Xbox One more emphasis has been given to the social element of the game. Sony has announced its GameCom Share Play.

Now the PlayStation4 has a new way to experience the co-operative multiplayer. It would be launched in autumn as a PS4 system update called the Share Play. It will let the user share their games with their PS4 friends without having to own the game.

Sony is calling this a "virtual couch" experience because it will be creating an experience of co-operation between players or friend in an online platform. Regardless of who buys the game, a player can ask a friend to join the game. It's would be like two players are playing in the same room

Each session of the game played comes with a limit of one hour. However, there would be no limit on the number of Share Play experiences which allows the player to keep inviting his friend back into the game. This would be available for all PS4 games without increasing the burden of the developers.

"How it works is, for example, a friend has a game that I don't. I ask them to let me play it and if they send me an invitation, I can access their PS4 and play while watching the video that is streamed," said Shuhei Yoshida President of Sony Worldwide Studios.

The purpose of Share Play is to give a friend the experience of a new game without them having to purchase it. This has given a new twist to multiplayer gaming.

If a gamer buys a game on PS3 or PS4 he will get 10 keys. These keys allow the player to invite a friend to play the game for two hours without the friend having to buy the game.

Far Cry 4 uses Share Play technology, Ubisoft too is adopting this approach but with a better multiplayer experience.

Xbox One and PS4 have multiplayer games online that give the co-operation experience with other random players without straying from the story.

Destiny is one of the games that allow multiplayers called mingle player. Bungie chose not to allow players to speak to each other unless they belong to the same team. So, a player could complete his mission along with his new friend.

The Community Manager for Bungie said, "the social engagements in Destiny are completely elective. Participation in cooperative missions or public events won't be required for a player to advance through the story. The most important moments of the story are things you can enjoy all by yourself, or with the company of your most trusted friends."

"Destiny is built from the base to social and the co-operative level so that players could surprise each other with their antics and their heroics. Gamer who usually played alone may be surprised that their favorite character in the game is someone on their friends list", he said.