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Final Dev Kit Delay Hobbles PS3 Launch?
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, PlayStation 3, Rumors,
Apparently, several game developers are unhappy with the fact that Sony has yet to release final PS3 development kits this late in the launch cycle. The primary complainers appear to be Sega of America, and THQ. THQ indicated that their decision to not release a version of The Sopranos on the PS3 hinged on the fact that they didn’t know what the final specification would be; this rings a bit hollow, since there is going to be an Xbox 360 version, and realistically, the developers should know approximately how powerful the hardware will be. Instead, a version of the game will be released for the much less powerful PS2. Sega of America is complaining, but it doesn’t seem like the American division of Sega does that much original development now, instead working with companies like Monolith and Pseudo Interactive, who are developing Full Auto 2 exclusively for the PS3. Full Auto 2 is scheduled to ship this Fall, close within the launch window of the PS3, so one wonders how much this actually is impacting development.
The top two US game publishing houses, Electronic Arts and Activision both had no issues with the state of the development kits, and Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot indicated that late development kits were basically a fact of the industry.
It should also be noted that Microsoft was also late with the Xbox 360 final development kits; these kits didn’t ship until roughly two months before the launch date, and 18 titles still made the release. Admittedly, some of the titles didn’t particularly take advantage of the strengths of the Xbox 360. Indeed, out of the list of launch games, it would be hard to pick a game outside of the first and second party releases that really showed what the Xbox 360 could do.
Sony is targeting 15 titles for launch, and one would expect that many of these titles would be the same mix of sequels from EA and Activision as seen in the past. One would hope that developers experiences in developing on the Xbox 360 would carry over to the PS3 somewhat, so the game titles should be close to Xbox 360 quality. Sony still hasn’t announced which titles would be available at launch, so it is unclear whether there will be a system selling title that will convince the average gamer that the console is worth picking over the Xbox 360.
Still, given that launch supplies are going to be extremely slim anyway, the concern over the quality of software may not matter. Sony should blow through their first batch of consoles fairly easily, and by the time software comes out to really press the hardware, there may even be consoles available to purchase.
Certainly the state of the development kits is a concern, but Sony still has time before launch to get the kits out. Microsoft cut things really closely last year, but still had a relatively solid launch, and if Sony sticks to roughly the same timeline, gamers should expect the same for the PS3 this year.
Read More 
| Bloomberg.com
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Heavy Rain Casting Demo Online
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: E3, PlayStation 3, Trailers,
Quantic Dream, the French developer’s of last year’s highly acclaimed adventure game, Indigo Prophecy, has placed their rolling audition technical demo online. The video is in HD, and the video capture is based on the real-time demo shown on the Playstation 3 at E3. Quantic Dream boasts the use of Ageia effects and the environment shown is fairly impressive.
The demo purports to show the audition tape of one of the actors for their upcoming game, Heavy Rain and starts in a sparse environment, where one of the casting directors is apparently recording the session. After a while, though, the scene cuts into the same actress, in a kitchen, acting out a scene. The scene is eerie, both in the look of the environment, which is well rendered, and in the emotions portrayed, which can be startlingly realistic. There are times when the rendering strays a little bit too close to the uncanny valley, but there are other times when the viewer almost forgets that this is an animation. For a few moments, everything comes together: the motion capture, facial expressions, and the voice acting all work together towards an emotional impact. At the beginning of the demo, however, things seem a little plastic, and rigid.
Given Quantic Dream’s previous efforts have been heaving on character development and story, the combination of their narratives with the technical achievements seen in the video should make for another strong entry into the adventure game genre.
Read More | Quantic Dream
E3: Reflections & Musings
Posted by Chris Cardinal Categories: E3, Editorial, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Wii,
E3 2006 is now over and I’ve got some sleep and licked my wounds. Without a doubt, the console to love was Wii this year. Stupid name and all, droves of people flocked to play it and thousands of press outlets threw their support behind it, often lambasting the horribly-conceived abomination that is the Playstation 3. Wii will be affordable, fun, innovative, original and simple. It won’t have the flashiest graphics on the block, but it’ll blow you away with how much fun you can have interacting. The Playstation 3 is exactly as it sounds: Playstation 2, with better graphics. Plus slipshod, “innovative”-except-not-at-all tilt sensing. Oh, and minus rumble feedback. They’ve actually proactively downgraded the controller, citing “difficulties” integrating tilt and rumble, nevermind the fact that Nintendo seems to have no troubles whatsoever with the concept. (The real reasoning plays to a dark underbelly of litigation brought on by technology company Immersion. Sony just keeps whiffing here, don’t they?)
Oh, and a very special thanks to the Electronic Software Association for putting on the E3 Expo, and also managing to completely botch up this giant banner hanging over the Expo’s West Hall exit. Bravo, guys. You could at least get the year right, hm?
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Gamestop: No PS3 Pre-Orders Until October
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: PlayStation 3, Rumors,
Evil Avatar received official word from Gamestop/EBGames that PS3 pre-orders would not start until early October, most likely to sort out the logistics of the launch, and try to avoid the issues they had with the Xbox 360 launch. While it is true that Gamestop and EBGames were put in a bad position when Microsoft did not deliver the expected amount of units for pre-orders, the companies were complicit in their bad handling of the launch; Gamestop specifically when they were selling their hugely overpriced mega-bundles while there were still people with pre-orders waiting for their Xboxes. On top of that, giving preference to people who pre-ordered more games and accessories was possibly the best way to generate ill-will other than physically abusing pre-order customers. Here are some hints to Gamestop and EB Games when they are planning the pre-order campaign: don’t sell units online while there are still people waiting for pre-paid pre-orders. Don’t change the rules for honoring the pre-order list mid-stream. If you are going to make the list where the man who drops the most coin gets the preferred spot, let people know up front. Try not to screw over your paying customers too badly this time.
Read More | Evil Avatar
PS3: Expensive, But Not 3DO Expensive
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, E3, PlayStation 3,
Time for a little perspective on the price of the PS3; yes, $500 - $600 is somewhat shockingly high given the pricing of the Xbox 360, and historical console launches. But gamers should remember that the 3DO launched at a wallet-busting $700, so the PS3 isn’t the highest priced console ever. Of course, the 3DO burned up in a fiery crash, and the resulting corpse died a slow, lingering death when the Playstation came around. But Curmudgeon Gamer also lists console pricing adjusted for inflation. Both the Atari 2600 and the Intellivision both cost more in inflation-adjusted dollars than the Playstation 3, which gives Sony some hope that their price point isn’t going to be a killer. Still, it will be the highest priced console in this and the previous generation in adjusted dollars. Since 1995, the only console to launch with a higher adjusted price was the lamented Sega Saturn. Sega lost that battle to the Playstation, and it should also be noted that when the Playstation launched, the Saturn’s price was brought down to $299. So historically, looking at the successes and failures at particular price points, Sony is definitely on the high end. It’s not the highest priced console around, and price is only one of many factors used when consumers make purchase decisions. It’s doubtful the high price will have that much of an effect on early adopters, considering the high prices many were willing to pay for the Xbox 360 on the secondary market, but past that first wave of purchasers, Sony may have a problem.
Read More | Curmudegeongamer.com
Heavenly Sword, Genji 2, Resistance Sites Launched
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, E3, PlayStation 3, Screenshots, Trailers,
The official game sites for Heavenly Sword, Genji 2, and Resistance: The Fall of Man have been launched on Playstation.com, in conjunction with their related announcements at E3. The sites feature screenshots and wallpapers, and in the case of Resistance, a preview trailer.
Heavenly Sword will feature motion capture from Andy Serkis, of Lord of the Rings fame, and the screenshots certainly capture a very lush environment. The character models, and storyline recall a certain similarity to the recent Prince of Persia games.
Genji 2 appears to offer more detail, in both surroundings and character models, and seems to bring more enemies onscreen than its Playstation 2 parent.
The best of the three, perhaps, is the site for Resistance: The Fall of Man. Insomniac, probably best known for both the Spyro and Ratchet and Clank games, returns to its roots, somewhat, with the development of a first-person shooter. The last game seen from Insomniac in this vein would have been Disruptor on the Playstation. The official site offers a trailer in both 720P and 480P formats; the trailer shows action that appears to be similar to Half Life, with alien weirdness mixed with military style action.
Read More | Heavenly Sword @ Playstation.com
Read More | Genji 2 @ Playstation.com
Read More | Resistance: Fall of Man @ Playstation.com
PS3 Controller Gains Sensors, Loses Rumble
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, E3, Hardware, PlayStation 3,
Since the last time gamers saw the PS3 controller, there have been some changes. First, of course, is the return of the familiar Dualshock form-factor. The triggers have been tweaked to give them more play, and the sensitivity of the analog pads and buttons has been increased to 10-bit from its original 8-bit resolution. Bluetooth wireless is now standard, and the controller offers a USB port for a wired connection and battery charging. Gone is the rumble feature, and the reason this has been removed is due to a new feature for the controller, a feature that seems awfully similar to one we’ve already seen: the new controller offers on board gyroscopic sensors to direct 3D directional movement. Apparently the rumble feature interferes with the directional sensors, so gamers lose vibrational feedback. While the directional sensors seem a lot like Nintendo’s offering, it isn’t quite the same. Sony’s version of the tilt sensor might seem a bit familiar to gamers that played Motocross Madness on the PC with Microsoft’s Sidewinder Freestyle Pro.
Read More | Playstation.com
PS3: $499 Version Lacks HDMI, Memory Stick
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, E3, Hardware, PlayStation 3,
According to a press release hosted by Sony, the differences between the two price points extends beyond the size of the hard disk drive. In addition to losing that 40 GB of disk space, the base console loses the HDMI port, support for Memory Stick, CompactFlash, SD media, and loses the built in wireless networking. The loss of memory stick and wireless networking support is kind of a bummer, but the big loss for people looking for an inexpensive Blu-Ray player has got to be the HDMI port. At this time, it is unknown whether there will be expansion options for those who choose to purchase the less expensive version, like the optional hard drive for Xbox 360 Core and Premium packs, so it looks like potential PS3 owners will have to make some choices when the system ships on November 17. Of course, if system availability is anything like what faced holiday Xbox 360 purchasers, people may have to take what they can get.
Read More | Playstation Press Center
E3 2006: Sony Media Briefing Live Coverage
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, E3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3,
4:53 PM: We finally get started with a heart-warming speech from Kaz Hirai. We are told that PS3 will launch in November. PS2 became a global format, and the install base continues to grow, recently hitting 100 million units sold.
4:57 PM: More than 3 million registered users on PS2 network. PS2 will continue to make contributions to the gaming world, and Sony will continue to support PS2 on hardware and software for years to come. There will be 216 new PS2 titles in 2006.
4:58 PM: Moving on to PSP. PSP is the culmination of the best that Sony has to offer, including UMD (huh?!). PSP is the fastest-selling platform in Sony history. Sold over 17 million units. There are 545 PSP games on the market to date (not sure where they are…). Showing a mix of upcoming PSP games.
5:03 PM: Greatest Hits program starting for PSP, including ATV Off Road, Ape Escape, Hot Shots Golf, Wipeout Pure, and one other game we missed. A game must sell 250,000 or more units to become a Greatest Hit. RSS Video will be in a future firmware upgrade for PSP. There will be an RSS feed of the press conference made available for PSPs for conference attendees.
Click to continue reading E3 2006: Sony Media Briefing Live Coverage
Full Auto 2: Battlelines PS3 Exclusive
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Corporate News, Driving, PlayStation 3,
Sega has announced that the sequel to Full Auto on the Xbox 360 will be released exclusively for the Playstation 3. The new game, Full Auto: Battlelines has been “combat-enhanced and fully re-designed with an extensive list of features entirely new to the franchise.” The original game received strong, but not great reviews, and of course, it will be interesting to compare the two games when more details are released at E3. Exclusivity doesn’t necessarily mean a lot; while the specific Battlelines game may be restricted to the PS3, a parallel game developed with a different title and slightly different content could still potentially see a release on the Xbox 360.
Full Press Release follows.
Click to continue reading Full Auto 2: Battlelines PS3 Exclusive
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