PlayStation

Evolution Studios Thanks ‘DriveClub’ Fans

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 23, 2014 | 2 comments

Evolution Studios, the developers behind the PS4 exclusive DriveClub, have a message for fans and it’s one of thanks. DriveClub, the highly-anticipated arcade racer launched on PS4 in October after an already long delay due to a broken online system. Harnessing the power of the PS4 and using a more social design philosophy, DriveClub centered around connectivity and being able to quickly jump into different game modes and challenging friends. In order for the game to provide the level of connectivity it promised, the game’s online features needed to be nimble and robust.

On launch date and throughout the month to follow, the online portion of DriveClub was anything but that. Evolution Studios however didn’t give up on the title or fans of the game. Since its October 7th release, the developers have steadily updated the game with server side and game side patches to improve things. As a thanks to fans, they’ve also released a significant amount of free content, which has included new cars and tracks. The team has also brought dynamic weather to the game, a promised feature that is likely the best seen in any racer. With the game finally on stable ground, the developers wanted to once again thank fans.

Their open letter can be found after the jump.

Sony Attempts to Push the PlayStation Camera

by Ari Dean | Dec 22, 2014 | 2 comments

For those who don’t know already, the PlayStation 4 has its own motion tracking, voice recognizing, face scanning device similar to the Xbox One’s Kinect. As holiday celebrations near, Sony is making a final push for its camera to gain popularity amongst users. A trailer showcasing all the things you can do with your PlayStation camera tries to draw in consumers, but falls flat. Now exactly why is this? Quite frankly, there isn’t much content that entices Sony’s hardcore gaming market, which is the lifeblood of the PlayStation brand.

The Kinect flopped to the point that the only way Microsoft could get early adopters for the camera was to forcibly bundled it with the Xbox One. Now we see Microsoft doing a price drop on their consoles in the $350-$400 range while most of these consoles still having Kinect bundled in. Microsoft is losing money off of this, but in return they have an increase the install base for their console and camera. Now if Sony adopted this price cut and pushed their Camera bundles it would’ve not only cut into Microsoft’s sales, but also increased sales of their own products. This is what should have been done but Microsoft ended Sony’s winning streak in November by selling off 1.2 million Xbox consoles in comparison to the PS4’s 800,000.

PlayStation 4 Priced at $329 at Walmart

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 22, 2014 | 0 comments

Just earlier today, we posted about a digital copy of The Last of Us Remastered going for $20 which we thought was a pretty good deal. Now Walmart is looking to up that in a major way. The nation’s largest retailer has marked down the PS4 by $70, making it the largest price cut seen on the leading console. Unlike the Xbox One which has enjoyed a boost in sales due to a $50 price cut for the holidays, the PS4 has maintained its $399 launch price point. It’s unclear how long this deal will last but if you’re in need of a PS4 or were eying one as a gift, $329 is likely the best deal you’re going to find.

Get ‘The Last of Us Remastered’ (PS4) for $18.99

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 22, 2014 | 2 comments

If you’re looking to treat yourself for Christmas or are just in need of a last minute gift, then boy are you in luck. Having arrived on PS4 in June, The Last of Us Remastered gave PS4 owners the chance to either relive or experience for the first time the award-wining game from Naughty Dog. As the title suggests, the remastered version has additional enhancements, including upgraded visuals (1080p), the Abandoned Territories Map Pack, Reclaimed Territories Map Pack, and Left Behind, the single-player prequel chapter. Best of all, it can be yours for just ~~$20~~ $18.99.

Plex Comes to PS3 and PS4, Brings With It Media Streaming

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 17, 2014 | 0 comments

Your Christmas wishes may have just been answered early. Plex, the company behind the streaming server software for Mac and PC is finally bringing their app to PS3 and PS4. For those unfamiliar, Plex allows you to stream movies, TV shows, pictures, and music from your home computer to a number of devices which now include the PlayStation family. Once the free app is downloaded on your computer and PlayStation, little stands in the way of you streaming. Best of all, Plex handles all codecs on the computer, requiring little support from PS3 or PS4, including MKV files.

More after the jump.

Square Enix Wants To Bring Other Past Final Fantasy Titles to PS4

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 16, 2014 | 0 comments

In case you’d missed it, recently Square Enix announced plans to bring Final Fantasy VII to PS4. While you’d been able to play FF7 on PS3 and PS Vita, the digital downloads were exact ports of the classic PlayStation One game. This time around, Square Enix would be bringing a remastered version of the game to PS4 though it’s not what you’d think. Instead, the game is a port of the PC version of Final Fantasy VII which had some slightly improved visuals. Shortly after the announcement of bringing FF7 to PS4, Square Enix announced that the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD would also make its way to PS4. Final Fantasy X/X-2 was released on PS3 with remastered graphics, bringing with it much improved graphics.

If that wasn’t enough, Square wants to bring even more past Final Fantasy entries to the PS4.

Jim Piddock (Major Zero) Joins David Hayter Among Those Not Returning to ‘Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 10, 2014 | 0 comments

The entire Metal Gear fancies was pretty upset when Konami revealed that David Hayter, long time voice actor and proponent of the MGS franchise would not be returning for future entries, including the now released Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. It’s never been clear why Konami replaced Hayter though many had assumed it was due to budgeting concerns. With Hayter having reprised his roll for more than 10 entries, the decision was always baffling and even more jarring when it was revealed that Kiefer Sutherland would replace the fan favorite, considering he himself doesn’t carry a cheap price tag.

Now fans have one less character to look forward to and Jim Piddock, aka Major Zero has revealed that he too will not be coming back when Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is released in 2015. Details after the jump.

PS4 to Launch in China and Cost Considerably Less Than Xbox One

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 9, 2014 | 0 comments

In almost every territory, PlayStation 4 sales have been dominating Xbox One. One reason for this has been price; the Xbox One launched at $100 more, thanks to the included Kinect. Once Microsoft disconnected the mostly unwanted add-on which in turn brought down the price to that of the PS4’s ($399), things began to shift for Microsoft. Since that time, Microsoft has done another price drop, making the Xbox One $349 – though this appears to be for the holiday season only. Now, Sony is looking to take on Microsoft in the one territory they are ahead in, China.

So why is Xbox One ahead in China and how is Sony looking to combat them? All that after the jump.

PlayStation Home “Was a Massive Success”

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 8, 2014 | 2 comments

PlayStation Home has always been an odd feature on PS3. Partially an answer to Second-Life, the virtual world offered gamers a place to hangout, socialize, experience events, and new types of games. From avatars, to custom and decked out homes, PlayStation Home was the party to attend if it was your thing. While not a selling feature of the PS3, many gamers enjoyed the extended worlds from Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, and Resistance which offered new places to explore and mini games to play for free. As the PS3 approaches year nine, the service will also bow out on March 31, 2015 and according to PlayStation’s former Home Architect Oscar Clark, it was a ‘massive success.‘

After the jump, we have his full thoughts.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Gameplay Video (1080p)

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 6, 2014 | 1 comment

All I can say is, experience Uncharted 4 in real-time running at 1080p and a stable 30hz. Shown during the PlayStation Experience in Las Vegas, the gameplay video is directly captured off of PS4 and was played live for the audience as evident half way through (won’t spoil). After the jump, the 15-minute of awe-inspiring Uncharted 4 footage.

PlayStation 4 System Software Update 2.03 Now Out

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 3, 2014 | 0 comments

Have you heard the exciting PlayStation news today? No, not the 20th PlayStation anniversary PS4 edition. There is a new PlayStation 4 System Software Update 2.03 out! That’s right, a brand new firmware update awaits your PS4 and as the numbering suggests, it’s a minor one with little to no obvious changes for most users. After the jump, the details.

‘Destiny: The Dark Below’ Exclusive PS3 & PS4 Content Detailed

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 2, 2014 | 0 comments

PlayStation fans are in for an extra treat when the Destiny: The Dark Below expansion goes live next week. Set to debut on the 9th, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 owners will get exclusive content which will likely last until Fall 2015 before arriving on Xbox 360 and Xbox One. After the jump, we have the details on the exclusive content Playstation owners can expect with Destiny: The Dark Below.

Bungie Brings Major Changes to Destiny’s Exotic Weapons

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 1, 2014 | 0 comments

Listen up you hardcore Destiny players, as this news probably affects you the most. Bungie has announced some major changes to Destiny’s exotic weapons. Specifically, they’re tweaking the power each weapon wields.

Exotic Weapons are designed to look, feel, and sound overpowered. At the same time, they are not supposed to break the balance of the game. We hope these weapons challenge the way players think about their loadouts. Exotics will be a constant work in progress!

Besides changing exotic weapons, there is a whole host of upgrades ranging from server side bug fixes to to ammo inventory, and crafting. After the jump, the full details await.

PlayStation Store Update (11-25-14)

by Trevor Rodenberger | Nov 25, 2014 | 0 comments

Psn-Update

Welcome to the PlayStation Store update for November 25, 2014. We have a great update this week packed full of new content and sales. PlayStation 4 users can now journey back to Prohibition in the unique Speakeasy and finally enjoy the immensely popular Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions (also available for PS3).

PlayStation 3 users now have access to the latest release from TellTales Games Tales from the Borderlands Episode 1- Zero Sum (also available for PS4). PlayStation Vita users get Pocket RPG and everyone on the network can take advantage of a sale on Co-op games.

Finally, as you are probably aware PlayStation Plus users now receive all of their free games at the beginning of the month and then are given discounts on extra content the rest of the month. This week PlayStation Plus users receive an extra discounts on cooperative games.

Read More ›

Sony to Focus More on PlayStation, Less on Televisions and Mobile

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 25, 2014 | 0 comments

It’s no secret that Sony has been struggling for nearly a decade. Thanks to mismanagement and miscalculations, Sony was unable to capitalize on the transition to LCD televisions and was equally late to mobile. In their most recent earnings guidance, Sony predicts that come March, the company’s mobile division will mount a $1.7 billion loss for the year. With television sales having reached a saturation point and 4K television sales though healthy, not enough to make up for an otherwise sluggish division, Sony knows that it can’t rely on mobile which was to be one of the three pillars that would help turn around the company. When even Samsung has seen their mobile division fall apart with sales declining by nearly 60% laster quarter, what can Sony do to compete and even thrive?

One word it seems. PlayStation.