PlayStation Vita Archives - Page 3 of 4

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s not a whole lot happening on the retail front. Persona 4 Arena hits this week…and that’s about it. The downloadable space is way more interesting. Sound Shapes will be released this week for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 through PSN. I’ve been high on this game since E3 2011 and I can’t wait to play it. I’m a big fan of 5th Cell’s games (Scribblenauts, Run Roo Run) and the company has the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade game this week with Hybrid. August is traditionally dry month for retail videogame release. Thankfully there are two sweet downloadable games coming out this week to keep you and your consoles happy.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Crossing the Streams: Sony Buys Gaikai For $380-Million

Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that it has entered into a “definitive agreement” to purchase videogame-streaming service Gaikai for approximately $380-million. This acquisition should erase any doubts that streaming will be a big part of the future of gaming. The deal gives Sony all sorts of flexibility and potential to change the way it delivers games to customers. Mobile devices like the Apple iPhone and iPad have changed gaming forever; streaming technology like Gaikai gives Sony the potential to compete with devices like the iPad and future home consoles from its current competitors.

In today’s press release, SCE president and group CEO Andrew House said, “SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices.” The last bit is the most fascinating detail. When I wrote about Gaikai in April, I mentioned that the service was running on Facebook. At last week’s Google I/O 2012 conference, the company showed the service running on Google Chrome. Imagine being able to play “PlayStation” games through a Sony phone, tablet, or television? In theory, the flexibility of streaming gives Sony some crazy reach. Its customers would no longer be limited to people that buy a box that goes under the television. That’s a tremendous game-changer.

Naturally, there’s some debate on how quickly SCE will implement Gaikai. Large companies generally implement new tech at a glacial pace. A respected colleague of mine believes that Gaikai will be used for nothing more than demos over the next few years. He could be right, but it’s not just due to utilizing new tech. The broadband market in many countries (hello America!) is too restrictive for enthusiast gamers to rely on streaming for the majority of their gaming. Broadband services will hopefully evolve to make streaming (and digital downloads) more feasible. Personally, I view this acquisition as prep for the next generation of PlayStation software and beyond.

Then there’s competitor OnLive. The company has been getting attention longer than Gaikai, but it lacked a dynamic and popular leader like Gaikai CEO David Perry. The obvious speculation is that a competitor (i.e. Microsoft) will buy OnLive in order to compete with Sony’s acquisition and/or engage in a patent war. It will be interesting to see how quickly the Gaikai acquisition changes OnLive’s fortunes. Obviously OnLive can’t compete with a consumer electronics giant like Sony, but the move could also cause a big fish to overpay for the company.

For the last year and a half, a good friend of mine at Sony has been screaming and shouting about how the days of standalone boxes for gaming are coming to a close. While I’m positive Sony’s acquisition of Gaikai had nothing to do with his rantings, it reflects his opinion. Now I’d like to hear yours! What do you think of Sony’s acquisition of Gaikai? How do you think it will change gaming as we know it today?

Today’s Poll: Who Had the Best E3 2012 Press Conference?

You guys and dolls have discussed the Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony E3 2012 press conference. Now it’s time to pick which console company had the best presser! Please vote in today’s poll and explain your pick in the comments section…

As for me, the choice was clear. Nintendo had a great start with Pikmin and Super Mario Bros., then crashed hard. The presentation for SiNG halted momentum and that 3DS vice president dude sucked the oxygen out of the Nokia Theater. I thought Sony Kaz Hirai was the master of that trick. The Nintendo guy’s air-sucking ability raised the bar. He must have worked with the Kirby games.

Microsoft had a good show, but I wasn’t overly impressed with its first-party lineup. Halo 4 is going to dazzle — no doubt about that. I was never big on the Forza series, buy I get why people love it. The new Gears game??? With all due respect to the awesomely talented people at People Can Fly, my initial reaction was, “Look, it’s Gears of War: The Money Grab!”

Sony did the best job emphasizing games and had the best first-party lineup. I’m so psyched for Beyond and The Last of Us. Lots of people loved the God of War III demo…which I called Kratos vs. Goat Boy and Elephant Man. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was more fun than I thought it would be. Although it only got a brief mention at the presser, The Unfinished Swan is my favorite game of the show so far. For me, this was easily the best presser among the three.

Now it’s your turn! Pick the best E3 2012 presser and explain your pick in the comments section (please)!

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Sony E3 2012 Press Conference Open Discussion

Sony’s E3 2012 presser is just hours away. You can watch the event live right here. As the announcements are made, I’d love to hear what you think of them. Please leave your excellent thoughts in the comments section and I’ll do the same from the event (if my wireless connection permits).

Coffee Talk #485: Whataya Want From Sony at E3 2012?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, why Dwyane Wade is allowed to kung-fu kick defenders, Keira Knightley getting engaged (*sniff*), or Chris Jericho’s recent WWE suspension, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Continuing yesterday’s chat about Microsoft at E3 2012, let’s spend today talking about your wants, expectations, and dreams for Sony at this year’s show. The company is in an interesting position after leading the console wars for two generations. It arguably has the best hardware, but has lost out to Xbox 360. The PlayStation Vita is a wonderful bit of kit, but standalone portable gaming devices seem to be giving way to highly capable smartphones and tablets. PlayStation Move has some impressive tech, but it doesn’t seem to be getting the same kind of support Microsoft is throwing behind Kinect. PlayStation Home…is still there.

What are you hoping Sony will do at E3 2012? Are you most interested in PlayStation 3 exclusives? Are you psyched for the next salvo of PlayStation Vita titles? Maybe you want a wider variety of t-shirts for your PlayStation Home avatar? Please leave your wants, predictions, and expectations for Sony’s E3 2012 in the comments section (as you listen to Adam Lambert).

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s a trio of interesting games coming out this week. First up is Resistance: Burning Skies, which brings one of Sony’s most popular PS3 franchises to the PlayStation Vita. One of the best games of 2011 gets repackaged with loads of great DLC in Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition. Lastly, a long-running and unusual JRPG franchise gets another release in Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland.

Any of you picking up new games this week? Also, be sure to check out Amazon’s all-day Gold Box videogame deals (please)!

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Renders

Here’s a trio of high-res parody renders Warner Bros. Interactive sent out to promote the upcoming LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. The LEGO versions of Catwoman, Joker, and Robin are obviously a nod to the outstanding Batman Arkham City. With more than 50 characters rumored to be playable, LEGO Batman 2 is a comic-book nerds dream! The rumored roster includes Batman, Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Green Lantern, Superman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Hawkgirl, Cyborg, Katana, Shazam, Zatanna, and Wonder Woman.

As a Nightwing mark, I get goofy every time he’s featured in a game. How about you? Now’s the time to out yourself as a closet Black Lightning fan! Which DC superhero would you like to play as in LEGO Batman 2?

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Coffee Talk #478: The Sony PlayStation Mascot Is…

On Friday, my industry pal Michael and I were talking about PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Obviously the game it’s most compared to is Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. The characters in Sony’s upcoming game simply don’t have the history of the characters in Nintendo’s games. That isn’t to say that the Sony characters…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Intelligentsia’s Panama El Machete, Jim Lampley’s The Fight Game on HBO, or Charlize Theron as Snow White, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

On Friday, my industry pal Michael and I were talking about PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Obviously the game it’s most compared to is Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. The characters in Sony’s upcoming game simply don’t have the history of the characters in Nintendo’s games. That isn’t to say that the Sony characters are bad or inferior; they just haven’t been around long enough to invoke the feelings of nostalgia that the Super Smash Bros. games conjure.

The conversation moved onto discussing Sony’s mascots. Nintendo has a host to choose from, like Mario, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Samus, etc. Millions of people automatically think of the Microsoft Xbox when Master Chief is mentioned. As for Sony…there are several candidates, but which ones stand out to you? Some great characters have been revealed for PlayStation All-Stars, but most of them are relatively new. Even the game’s oldest ones — Parappa the Rapper and Sweet Tooth — aren’t exactly mascot material.

In the original PlayStation days, there was an effort to make Crash Bandicoot the Sony PlayStation mascot. That was dropped when the character went to Unviersal Interactive. A generation of mascot making was lost as Crash and Spyro made way for Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank. They were joined by great characters like Sly Cooper, Cole MacGrath, Kratos, etc.

Sony Defense Force members will say that the company simply has a lot of great games to choose from and that Microsoft put too many eggs in its Halo basket. Microsoft fanboys will argue that Sony has done a poor job at establishing its mascots. What say you? Are you a Kratos worshipper? Is Sackboy your man? In your mind, who are the best Sony PlayStation mascots?

Latest Sound Shapes Video is Deadmau5-tastic

Here’s a slick clip of the upcoming Sound Shapes for PlayStation Vita. I’ve been curious about the game since early last year and I was enamored with it at E3 2011. It’s unique, creative, and fun. Helping the game get some mainstream attention is renowned producer and DJ deadmau5. Sound Shapes will feature levels with deadmau5’s sounds, loops, and beats. No word on if players will be required to wear a giant mouse head while playing.

Anyway, check out the video and let me know what you think (please!).

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s another light week for solid game releases. Thankfully, meaty games like The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings for Xbox 360 should keep gamers occupied for weeks to come. I’m curious to hear what you guys and dolls think of this one. As many of you know, the PC version was one of RPadholic smartguy’s favorite games of 2011. While there will obviously be a hit in the graphics department, the other elements of this stellar game should remain intact. The PlayStation Vita gets a great tactical RPG in Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention. Like the other games in the series, it features ridiculous depth, addictive gameplay, and a unique sense of humor.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

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