A custom edition of the CryEngine will be made available for external PSP2 developers, Sony has announced. Crytek, the Germany-headquartered games and middleware group, had not personally revealed its support for the PSP2, though its cover has been blown by an SCE Japan website.
The inclusion of both Unreal Engine and CryEngine is another ringing endorsement of the technological prowess of Sony’s upcoming handheld.
Visceral Games has released a new developer diary of Dante's Inferno (PS3, PSP, and Xbox 360). This time, the developers discusses the fifth circle of hell, anger. Dantes Inferno looks very interesting so far. I wonder how will win? Kratos or Dante in the ultimate battle for Hades. Check out the video after the jump.
Epic Games, the champion of Microsoft and the creators of all things Unreal plus Gears of War is officially on board with Microsoft's game changing control scheme "Project Natal." VP Mark Rein calls the company's popular Unreal tech "the unofficial engine of Natal."
In an interview with OXM UK, Rein says he also considers Unreal the "economic engine of Natal," the platform upon which developers should go to if they "want to get a big headstart and use the same tech as Microsoft."
Rein also says that, going forward, don't be surprised if you see Natal's motion and voice detection control schemes in future Epic Games titles.
"I have no idea what we're going to do from a game standpoint, but from an engine standpoint, it's definitely cool stuff, and we will support it," he says. "I think any future Xbox games we make will have some Natal support."
Can we see Sony and Google join forces to produce PS3 Apps.
We already know that Google is committed to taking over the world---old news there, Sony on the other hand wants to take over our living rooms. With Google now a house hold name and Sony finally making head way with the PS3 in terms of sales, Sony wants to amend the playing field.
BusinessWeek reports Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer's recent reshuffle of the company's top brass, and how keen the new blood are on integrating with open source technology.
Kenji Hall gives some examples of the growing relationship Sony are growing with Google; "It's the first PC maker to sell machines pre-loaded with the search giant's Chrome Web browser; the Sony Reader will be able to download e-books in a format backed by Google; and Sony Ericsson cell phones will use Google's Android operating system."
Hall admits that because of the tie-ups Sony are keen to introduce, Google may reciprocate with particular integrations and other offerings, with executives being invited to Sony's Tokyo pad for discussions on a closer relationship. One of the things being talked about is to "let Google and others create applications for its PlayStation 3 game console".
Implementing Google apps into PS3 can help add to the many interesting features the PS3 currently have pending. Currently PS3 needs the ability to search my 3000 songs I have, either by voice or by Google search. Google Earth would be very interesting. So would a PS3 specific Google Map app that would allow you to see where your frineds are and what they are playing?
An interview with Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells conducted by the Examiner has revealed some interesting clues regarding Jak & Daxter franchise, as well as the future of Uncharted franchise. When asked if Naughty Dog’s next project would be Jak & Daxter on Playstation 3, Evan responded, “I think you know I can’t answer that question. But I will say that all of us here love the Jak and Daxter franchise and would love to play in the universe again. Right now most of the studio is on a much deserved vacation and with all of the hard work that went into finishing Uncharted 2, we haven’t even decided what we’ll be working on when they get back.”
As for the future of Nathan Drake, Evan showed interest in the Uncharted franchise taking the jump to PSP, “We’d love to see Uncharted grow beyond the PS3. It would be interesting to see what sort of changes to the design one would make for a portable system. But right now Naughty Dog is purely focused on PS3 development so we can’t promise anything from us in the near future.”
So there you have it, Uncharted will eventually see the light on PSP/PSPGo and Jak & Daxter will be making an appearance on PS3 in the near future. Naughty Dog is a very AAA developer and they know there is a huge market for anything Jax & Dexter, it's a PlayStation mainstay.
One of Sony's most anticipated titles Gran Turismo 5 featuring head tracking, will have a realistic release date of March 2010 in Japan. "I don't think it's going to be that much later in the US and Europe," Yamauchi said. "This is based on our production schedule. The reason why the dates for the US and [European] regions are not decided yet is because their marketing is still discussing their issues. It shouldn't be too far off from [the Japanese] date for the other regions as well."
Gran Turismo 5 Feature List
Cars - Over 950 Cars
Courses - Over 20 Locations - Over 70 Variations
Physics - New Physics - Overturning of cars - Damage - Movable objects on the course - The newest Hybrid cars and electric cars Arcade Mode - Single Player - Split Screen 2 Player GT Mode - World Map - My Garage - Car Dealer - Tuning Shop - Championship Race - License Test Online - Open Lobby - Text / Voice Chat - Private Room - Online Photo Album - Online Replay Album - Export of replays to YouTube Photo Mode - Photo Drive - Photo Stage Gran Turismo TV - Improved UI - Export of video to the PSP - Progressive downloading
The demo of Forza Motorsport 3 was released on September 24th for the Xbox Live Marketplace. While having the potential to be a huge hit when released, many are still complaining about the games graphics.
Che Chou, the community manager of Turn 10, was kind enough to address some of the concerns across multiple game forums.
Here is his response to a claim that the in-game graphics of Forza Motorsport 3 are different than the ones found in photomode:
"One clarification about photomode and screenshots we've released so far. Aside from the added effects such as AA, DOF, and motion blur, all assets you see in photomode are the same although I do stand corrected on one factor which is the player car. They do have higher detail in photomode while all other cars, the environments, etc. are exactly what you see in game. And as you know in replays everything is the same. Anyway, did not mean to mislead or 'play dumb' with earlier statements as I misunderstood how LODs were being used in the various modes. That said, many of the screenshots we've released thus far have used the in-game graphics car models since we often shoot a scene including cars that aren't the player car. It all looks good and representative of the game, imo
The demo is visually representative of the full-game so racing in-game won't look much different.
I don't see that many jaggies on my multiple TVs at home and at work, but everyone's setups can be varied.
I guess that's the thing. Overall, when I'm racing around the track, my eyes are not bleeding. I am a fairly big graphics ***. I love taking photos in photomode. Games with bad graphics distract me from my experience. That said, when I play FM3, I do not think about how awful the graphics are or low in-game car models, etc. simply because the overall effect is that the game looks good. Can it look better? Yes, totally and I agree it is not perfect. But does it justify the vitriol of some of the threads I've scanned this morning? I'm not sure that it does. Everyone has their own opinion on the matter and that's fine and there's not much I can say except I hope you'll give the final game a chance and have fun with it."
Sony may be onto something with the recent announcement of God of War collection--a slightly revised version of GOW I & II in 720p,60fps, trophies support all on one blu-ray disc. Besides Sony, Capcom may join the bandwagon with some of their classics when they did a heat check to see if anyone would support such a move if Capcom decided to do it.
When asked if we'd ever see ICO and Shadow of the Colossus bundled together in a combo pack on the PS3, the games' Team ICO's legendary founder Fumito Ueda, told 1UP during an interview at TGS 2009:
"I always thought they were designed for PS2 and should stay there. But lately, I've been thinking it would be nice to provide the games to other platforms to reach more users."
When God of War collection is released in November, it will obvious do very well with a price tag of only $39.99. If this is the case and Sony give's the go a head to Ueda, we can see a very interesting trend beginning. Can we see old Dreamcast games pre-package on Blu-ray or will they just stay on PSN? What about Crash Bandicoot series? Better yet all of the Twisted Metal series all on one Blu-ray in 720p and 60fps?
Today at TGS Developer Capcom, announced two new games, one of which happens to be a PS3 exclusive, and the other a new IP for the Nintendo DS. The games announced were, Ghost Trick a supernatural Puzzle Mystery for the DS, and the second game announced was, Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes, also know as Devil Kings in the US. Devil Kings has always appeared on the Playstation platform, and this new installment would be the third in the franchise, and Capcom has made some much need adjustments to the series.
Capcom have also recruited Hiroyuki Kobayahi as Producer, from the Devil May Cry series. The story mode for both the Wii & PS3 version will remain the same, and for the first time Devil Kings will have online co-op play, which is exclusively on the PS3. Devil Kings 3 is set to release in North America and Europe in 2010.
Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes, Ghost Trick Coming to North America and Europe in 2010 TOKYO, JAPAN — September 24, 2009 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, announced today that two titles on display at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show will be coming to North America and Europe in 2010. New Capcom titles Sengoku BASARA™ Samurai Heroes and Ghost Trick (working title for North America and Europe), displayed to the Japanese gaming public for the first time in Tokyo, will be making the transition to western gamers next year.
Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes, the latest in Capcom’s popular samurai action series, makes it first appearance on both the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™. Set during a tumultuous period of Japanese history, Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes allows players to take up the swords of more than a dozen fierce samurai warriors in huge battles against hundreds of opponents. Players will be able to unlock playable characters, as well as supporting generals who will make it easier to command and lead armies with the ultimate goal of re-writing history to rule all of 16th century Japan. The action is fast-paced and stylish, taking combat cues from producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi’s other big series, Devil May Cry®. The game’s main campaign will be the same on both gaming platforms, with the addition of online co-op for the PlayStation 3.
Ghost Trick combines mystery, logic puzzles and the supernatural into a new experience on Nintendo DS. Part adventure game, part puzzle game, Ghost Trick’s gameplay will challenge player’s brains while its distinctive art style and character designs courtesy of members of Capcom’s Ace Attorney® series, will please the eye. In Ghost Trick, players become Sissel, an amnesiac ghost who must use his ghostly powers to protect the lives of several people while attempting to uncover the secrets behind his own untimely demise. Sissel can “possess” items within the world, such as flicking a switch to shock an unwary assassin or floating a bike through the air to scare mortals and even rewind time by four minutes to prevent further deaths.
It's not a dog, not a cat and it's not a bird so WTF is it? Sony ran a mini-press conference earlier today, just for White Knight Chronicles and Last Guardian. During that event, some new Last Guardian footage was shown.
It's at the end, past the Team Ico retrospective, I guess we will have wait until Last Guardian arrives Fall 2010. Video after the jump:
With the recently leaked Sega PR document by a mysterious stranger that is currently employed by Sega(for the moment) shows that Sega is trying to relive their glory days through the Sony PS3.
This PR nightmare or well timed leaked has shown a bright relationship between Sega and Sony. The leaked documents states that there will be a PS2 emulator for PS3, this could be by firmware update or it could off been sneaked in with firmware 3.0.
With Sega's commitment to raise out the ashes, a FREE digital platform like the PSN may help their agenda. Sega is seriously considering putting Japanese games directly on PSN for download in a "special Japanese Import section (pricing $9.99 to $39.99 for full game).Might need to localize menus at least with subtitles. SCEA interested in helping on MKTG side if they can have period of exclusivity"
Sega and Sony also wants to release their entire PS2 library onto the PSN "as well SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN (GTA Vice City/Sonic/etc)For co Marketing money show PS3 controller on TV ads – similar to EA Madden Spots, NCAA, etc…"
The internet is on fire with the recent leak of a Sega PR document discussing Sega's intent on release previous Sega's Classic Games on the PS3 PSN. If this is in deed true someone somewhere screwed up in a major way.
Here's what the document says:
PS2 emulator for PS3 (confidential)
CEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN (GTA Vice City/Sonic/etc)
For co Marketing money show PS3 controller on TV ads – similar to EA Madden Spots, NCAA, etc…
This isn't all the document reveals, either. It contains a number of Sega inner workings, such as the revelation that the publisher feels that Alpha Protocol is too challenging for the mass public, a Bayonetta action figure is being considered by the marketing arm of Sega, and Aliens vs. Predator could ship on a hybrid Blu-ray that contains the movies. There's also talk of Sony motion controller plans and PSN Dreamcast games! And the the biggest bomb shell--being the addition of a PS2 emulator for PS3 (confidential) if this document is true, those who picked up a PS3 with out B/C will be able to jump for joy.
The supposed leaked document reveals a torrent of information about what Sega and Sony future plans are: Copy of the doc is after the jump please feel free to review and speculate.
SCEA Meeting Aug 5th Notes Aug 6 2009 – DRAFT FOR COMMENTS
Objectives of Meeting Dyer agreed to regular quarterly meetings with SOA
Sony PS3 SCEA reiterated plans to sell 13 million PS3s this year Big announcement back half of year they can’t talk about (potentially price cut of PS3 to reach hardware goals) SCEA commented on indexing between PS3 and 360 SKUs, should be around 2:1 to garner most favorable treatment.
Motion Controller Spring 2010 launch (March in JP) No bundle/pricing details yet, should come Sept 1 Plan on selling 4-5MM units WW SCEA agreed to provide a list of Sega IP that would work well with the motion controller, Virtua Tennis was an example Motion Controller support allows easy way to differentiate PS3 SKU Other differentiation opportunities include PSP/PS3 interoperability – think of features that would make users want to buy both PS3 and PSP SKUs.
Alpha Protocol Michael Foster, product evaluator, said AP felt barely RPG. Initial level too challenging for players. “Mass Effect felt more RPG.” Review notes sent to John Merlino a few weeks prior. After meeting Gerald mentioned AP is a high priority for his team.
Planet 51 Sell in of PS3 SKU – SCEA noted that other movie titles on PS3 had underperformed as well (inc. Transformers) this cycle. Dyer suggests contacting Susan at Walmart and asking what she wants in the pack to sell this SKU (movie tix etc) Other possibilities are Hybrid movie disc (BD 25 or 50 with Game and Movie on same disc).
Bayonetta Collectors edition with Bayonetta Action Figure Novo recommended launching PSN demo around Xmas based off a Jan 5th Ship date with 2-3 week run out to launch. 3-4 weeks is usually ideal demo timing with fresh content every week leading up to launch (trailers, insider video about PG heritage, video blogs). Vancouver 2010 HOME, Olympic destination would garner a lot of positive attention from SCEA Should be doing same with Bayonetta, Marvel etc. Easy to launch in all territories. HOME merchandizing opportunities (clothes etc). Sonic Racing Open to DLC to differentiate PS3 SKU – not ratchet and clank but other characters maybe characters from Rare or Fable universes
Yakuza Could put Japanese games directly on PSN for download in a special Japanese Import section (pricing $9.99 to $39.99 for full game). Might need to localize menus at least with subtitles. SCEA interested in helping on MKTG side if they can have period of exclusivity.
AVP Another great HOME candidate AVP avatars Hybrid BD disc with movie
Iron Man 2 Great candidate for HOME space – explore Tony Stark’s lab etc. Should have one for Marvel in general.
PSU2 Could do bundle at GameStop with PSP 30-35K units on UMD, Go, or both.
Valkyria 1937 Could bundle with PSP as well. Vanquish and Aliens: CM Opportunity for PS3/PSP interoperability (see Eidos Batman, Army of Two, Assassin’s Creed for good examples). If we offer that SCEA would be really interested in having us at their booth next E3.
Thor SCEA would like a look at the code soon. Sonic Anniversary Could put out collectors edition with all old sonic games on one BD disc. “Best of Sonic” for around $99. SCEA would love PSN exclusive power ups/different game modes (like Castlevania’s flip it over/backwards) PS2 emulator for PS3 (confidential) SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN (GTA Vice City/Sonic/etc) For co Marketing money show PS3 controller on TV ads – similar to EA Madden Spots, NCAA, etc…
London Olympics Perfect opportunity for Motion Controller integration. DC Digital Titles If we provide a list of DC titles SCEA will let us know which ones they’re interested in having exclusively. If we give them a long period of exclusivity they’ll give us more marketing support.
PSP Titles For SKU differentiation it’s best to offer features that are slightly different from PS3 version. Titles that are coming up on PSP are Assassin’s Creed II, GTA China Wars, Resident Evil, Little Big Planet – all massive franchises. SCEA has a specific PSP deck which they can send up with their hardware director for a chat.
Nintendo looks like they will be upgrading the Nintendo Wii match the competition with HD graphics and more horse power. Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada expects Nintendo to release a new console by 2011.
Wada told the Financial times he feels Microsoft's Project Natal is "fantastic and could become standard," the exec feels new motion control devices from Sony and Nintendo are unlikely to have a major impact.
"Present game machines already have a lot of functions: they are a network terminal, a Blu-ray or DVD player, and a gaming machine," said Wada. "Compared to these three pillars, the [new motion] controllers are quite limited, so the impact may be small. They are an extension of the gaming function."
Xbox 360 made waves with the announcement of Twitter and Facebook integration with Xbox LIVE gold members. With the PS3 already sporting a browser in every PS3 in the wild--developers are beginning to come up with unique ways to integrate PS3 internet capabilities into upcoming games.
Developers Naughty Dog will give player the ability to tweet about their playing experience in 160 characters or less. This will be the first game this generation that will be taking advantage of one of the biggest names in social networking. Will we be seeing more Game Developers follow suite? Would people really care to want to tweet about what can probably be one of the greatest games this generation? Well we will see come October 13th 2009.
Sony has released a series of videos on their blog pertaining to the development of the new PS3 Motion Control wands coming this spring. With the Nintendo Wii sales coming back to reality and Microsoft sitting in the shadows with a dirty secret--Microsoft has yet to share anymore information on (Natal?). This video replicates everything from E3 with a few additions due to time and a real camera crew. The demo, including spray paint, pencils, FPS mode, RTS gameplay and the manipulation of several different objects is all there plus--a few things Sony never had the time to share. The video after the jump shows some great potential for the upcoming PS3 wands.
There is one thing we know for sure ever since the Nintendo Wii debut it brought with it an avalanche of shovelware-- games made on the cheap and released half ass to make a quick buck.
With Sony's new Motion Control(MoCo) arriving this coming Spring 2010 and Natal in the Fall 2010, Capcom has chimed in on the potential of seeing some Wii games ported to the PS3.
"Speaking to other developers in Japan," Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi tells game site 1UP, "I've heard a few of them say they were delighted by the Sony motion controller because they can just port over their Wii titles to the PS3."
Multiplatform ports for the PS3 has been a hit or miss affair. But we can all assure that you cannot fuck up a Nintendo Wii port? Or can you?
PlatinumGames company's CEO Tatsuya Minam has spoke out about the recently weak showing of Bayonetta.
When Sega showed off the PS3 version of Bayonetta at an event in Tokyo late last month, many who attended were disappointed by the blurry graphics and surprisingly erratic frame rate when compared to the Xbox 360 version. Tatsuya Minami discusses the issue in a blog post today on the PlatinumGames blog, explaining that Sega is the company handling the PS3 port.
"With Bayonetta, we created the Xbox 360 version of the game first, and then handed off all the data and other assets to SEGA so they could begin the process of porting Bayonetta to the PS3, giving them advice regarding the porting process along the way and overseeing the progress to ensure that the PS3 version would be the best it could be."
PlatinumGames seems to be distancing themselves from the sub-par experience that too many PS3 owners has come to experience when it comes to multiplatform games this generation.
"As the developers of Bayonetta, we have overseen both versions, and I would like to make one thing clear. The Xbox 360 and PS3, as hardware platforms, both have their own distinct differences and peculiarities, and these characteristics will naturally give birth to differences in the final product. However, all involved endeavored to exploit the specific traits of each console to create an enjoyable experience. We feel the best way to evaluate this is by actually playing the game for yourself and coming to your own conclusions."
Both version will be shown at Toyko game show in the coming weeks and we will have a chance to see if PS3 owners again will be getting yet another mediocre port courtesy of Sega.
Microsoft exec Shane Kim, the former VP of Microsoft Game Studios and current corporate VP of Strategy and Business Development for Interactive Entertainment Business, will be leaving Microsoft by the end of this year, he will be retiring.
Shane Kim over saw some of Microsoft biggest exclusives such as; Halo, Age of Empires, Fable, Gears of War and Forza Motorsport franchise for the Xbox 360 and Windows PC platforms. His career at the company spanned some 19 years, with 14 of those working in Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division.
A presumptuous comment on Rockstar North’s forums seems to be hinting towards a 2010 release for upcoming Playstation 3 exclusive Agent. When asked about Rockstar’s commitment to the PS3, a response from a Rockstar staffer claimed the team are “working hard on a lineup of PlayStation 3 releases for 2010 … including Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3, and the PlayStation 3 exclusive AGENT”.
Monday, February 21, 2011
K. Joseph
