Sony Computer Entertainment is set to announce details on PlayStation Vita, previously codenamed the Sony NGP. The company also has some hot games in the works for its PlayStation 3 console. How much time do you think Sony will spend addressing the recent PlayStation Network hack? Any predictions on the Vita’s price? Join me for his Sony press live blog and learn all sorts of exciting details!
Tag: PS3
This Week’s Videogame Releases
There are a pair of interesting games coming out this week. First up is Hunted: The Demon’s Forge. I’m looking forward to this action-RPG. It’s made by the peeps at inXile (The Bard’s Tale), a company founded by Interplay OG Brian Fargo. It looks like an evolved version of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (one of my favorite games last generation). Fighting fans looking for action on the go will want to check out BlazBlue Continuum Shift II. Hardcore fighters raved about the first game and the second looks like it will deliver complexity that most portable fighters lack.
Any of you picking up new games this week?
Call of Duty Elite: To Pay or Not to Pay?
Activision has officially announced details on its Call of Duty Elite online service. Offering advanced stat tracking and social features, Call of Duty Elite will have a free version and a premium version with a monthly fee. The primary goal of the service (in my opinion, anyway) is to keep Call of Duty gamers away from other shooters by offering “sticky” features. Here are some bullet points from the press release:
- Connect: Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social network. Players can compete against friends, players of similar skill levels and players with similar interests, join groups, join clans, and play in organized tournaments. They can also track the performance, progress and activity of their entire network, both in the game itself, as well as through mobile and web interfaces. Elite will be an “always on” way for players to connect with the Call of Duty community.
- Compete: Call of Duty Elite establishes the most exciting, competitive environment in a multiplayer game. Players will have available a constant stream of events and competitions, tiered to group them with those with similar abilities. Both in-game and real-world prizes will be rewarded to all skill levels.
- Improve: Call of Duty Elite is like having a personal online coach. It provides players with a dynamic strategy guide that tracks their statistics and performances down to the most minute details. It can show gamers how they stack up against their friends or others in the community. Tools and information are provided so players can learn and up their game.
This is a brilliant move from Activision and a glimpse at the future of game publishing. The $60 buy-and-bye model is dying. DLC updates — both free and paid — help extend the lifespan of some games, but not others. Selling the socialization of gaming was the obvious next step, but it’s mostly uncharted territory for console game publishers. A unified system that allows you to stay in the game whether you’re on your console, work PC, mobile phone, tablet, etc. is genius for large, established franchises.
What do you think of Call of Duty Elite? Are you interested in the service? Would you be willing to pay for the premium service?
Read My L.A. Noire Review (Please)!
My review of L.A. Noire for Machinima went up last week. Kindly check it out if you have a moment. If you have two moments, please leave a comment over there. Here’s a clip from the review:
Team Bondi did a wonderful job of creating an enjoyable game that takes interactive storytelling to a new level. The production values and graphics are up there with Heavy Rain, but the gameplay is more appealing to longtime gamers. Rockstar fans that were expecting another Grand Theft Auto need to understand that L.A. Noire is a very different type of game. It’s subtle, deliberate, and atmospheric. It’s also just a well-crafted game that offers an atypical type of fun.
L.A. Noire was a big surprise for me. I haven’t enjoyed a Rockstar game this much in a long, long time. The company releases great stuff, but most of it doesn’t click with my personal preferences. I understand that its previous games are great and certainly understand why they’re great, but they’re usually not my kind of thing. L.A. Noire was totally my thing…and I wasn’t expecting it to be. Very cool.
Sony Unveils Official PS3 Wireless Headset for $99
Sony Computer Entertainment America has unveiled the official wireless headset for PlayStation 3. It comes with an MSRP of $99 and connects to the PS3 through a USB transmitter. The headset appears to be stylish, but it’s interesting that it uses a USB transmitter instead of Bluetooth technology. Although Bluetooth would have allowed for more versatility, I’m guessing that Sony achieved better quality through a standalone transmitter…that or the company loves proprietary devices.
Here’s a clip from PlayStation Blog:
Featuring 7.1 virtual surround sound, the Wireless Stereo Headset lets you hear all the minor in-game audio clues clearly, whether you are in a firefight in a first-person shooter game or racing for the checkered flag.
Designed with comfort in mind for hours of gameplay, it’s the perfect addition to your PlayStation experience. Connecting the Wireless Stereo Headset with PS3 is made easy with the included USB Wireless Adapter. Precise volume controls and accessible microphone mute make it so you never have to interrupt gameplay to fumble for buttons. You can easily stay informed about battery status, sound controls, etc. with on-screen headset status updates. On top of that, the Wireless Stereo Headset also offers the highest quality voice chat for crystal clear online conversations. The mic is retractable so you can put it away if you just want to listen to music or play a single player game.
Hopefully Sony will be showing these off at E3 2011. I’m curious to see (hear) what the sound quality is like.
What do you think of Sony’s PS3 wireless headset? Are you interested in picking up a set? Or are you going to stick with a standard Bluetooth or wired USB connection?
Did You Sign Up for Sony’s Free Identity-Theft Protection?
Sony has rolled out its free year of identity-theft protection through AllClear ID Plus as part of its compensation for the recent PlayStation Network hack job. The sign-up process is simple and the protection seems comprehensive. If you’re a PSN customer then please let me know if you’ve signed up or if you plan to. How has your experience been so far?
Scared of Gotham City Impostors
When I first heard about Gotham City Impostors, I was psyched. In my head it combined the multiplayer gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood with the awesome characters of the Batman universe. I had visions of diving through the Gotham skyline as Nightwing, hot on the trail of Killer Croc.
Then a few of my journalists friends told me more details about the game and I read the press release. On paper, the game sounds like a standard shooter featuring characters “inspired by” Batman and The Joker. Here’s a clip from the press release:
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Gotham City Impostors, an original download-only first-person shooter where players battle for control of an unhinged Gotham City overrun by impostors inspired by the DC Comics characters Batman and The Joker.
Yeah, that sounds pretty lame. It could very well turn out to be a nice little downloadable game, but a shooter is not what Batman fans want. The “glorified tag” gameplay of ACB sounds perfect for a multiplayer Batman game. The Bat Family’s no-gun policy fits in with that style. Instead it sounds like Gotham City Impostors will be a fairly generic shooter.
What do you think of this game? Will it be a vanilla shooter with the Batman license slapped on? Or will the talented people at Monolith be able to make something cool?
PlayStation Network Breach Will Cost Sony $171.2-Million
According to a recent financial statement, the PlayStation Network security breach will cost Sony a little more than $170-million. While that’s certainly a large sum of money, I’m actually surprised it isn’t higher. Increasing security, investigating the cause of the “external intrusion”, compensating customers, and hiring new staff adds up. I would have guessed more. Hell, some analysts predicted that this whole affair would cost Sony more than $1-billion.
What do you think of the figure? Is it inline with what you were expecting? Or is it significantly higher or lower than your guess?
This Week’s Videogame Releases
After a huge release last week, there are a handful of interesting games coming out this week. The Nintendo 3DS gets a big franchise and big-boob jiggling in Dead or Alive Dimensions. Dirt 3 should keep racing-game fans happy, though fans of actual dirt might be disappointed. Last, but not least, is a move tie-in — Kung-Fu Panda 2 brings the adorable martial artisan back to consoles, but with some motion-control goodness this time around.
Any of you picking up new games this week?
Today’s Poll: Are You Pleased with Sony’s PSN Compensation?
Sony Computer Entertainment America has outlined its “Welcome Back” offering for the North American market. It’s full of free games and services. Here are the details posted by SCEA’s Patrick Seybold:
All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.
- Dead Nation
- inFAMOUS
- LittleBigPlanet
- Super Stardust HD
- Wipeout HD + Fury
For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.
- LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
- ModNation Racers
- Pursuit Force
- Killzone Liberation
- A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
- 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
- Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
- Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
- Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
- To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.
Today’s poll is simple: are you satisfied with this compensation? Kindly vote and discuss!
[poll id=”116″]