PlayStation

Playstation Store Update (03-20-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Mar 20, 2012 | 14 comments

Besides sunshine, blooming flowers, and allergies, spring also brings Playstation’s annual Spring Fever sale and Final Fantasy fans are in for a huge treat this week. This week’s sales include all PSone era Final Fantasy and PSP Final Fantasy iterations, including Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, Final Fantasy Origins, and Final Fantasy V and VI, and Dissidia: Final Fantasy, all of which are 30 percent off (50 percent for Playstation Plus members) for a limited time. Also on sale this week is Rayman 3 HD, which is discounted to $10, with an extra 20% off for Playstation Plus members.

Big news games on PSN this week include massive action shooter Warhammer 40K: Space Marine and feudal hack-and-slash title Warriors Orochi 3, both available for full download. On the PS Vita front, Sumioni: Demon Arts makes its way on to the Playstation Store, an action/platformer from Acquire and XSEED Games that utilizes both touch interfaces to attack enemies and summon thunderclouds and other spiritual powers.

Hit the jump to see the full rundown of this week’s huge Playstation Store update.

‘I AM Alive’ Heads to the PS3 in April

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 20, 2012 | 8 comments

Well that didn’t last too long but the long delayed game, I Am Alive which began its life as an Xbox 360 title is now headed to the PlayStation 3 after a short one month exclusive stay on Xbox Live Arcade. Shown off nearly 6 years ago, I Am Alive is an survival horror game which follows an unnamed hero and his pursuit to find his wife and daughter, 12 months after “The Event” which is believed to have caused the catastrophes that you now deal with. The multiple times delayed game which was originally announced in 2006 and now finished and released by Ubisoft Shanghai has met with mixed reviews since its March 7th release on Xbox 360. Scores for the game have averaged around 7.0 from the press while the fans have placed the game at a higher 7.7 average.

Editorial: Why Sony Needs To Make SOCOM: Tactical Strike 2 For the PS Vita (poll)

by Jan Hutchings | Mar 16, 2012 | 3 comments

Slant Six Games has created some of the best tactical shooters on the PSP with the SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo series. The developer not only got around the “one thumbstick” control limitation of the system, but they have even built a large and dedicated online following throughout their games. SOCOM: Tactical Strike was a departure for the series and one that Slant Six and Sony took big a gamble on; the end result was a successful blend of Full Spectrum Warrior tactical gameplay with the mission and action-focused SOCOM style.

It gave players a slower-paced campaign that allowed for in-depth planning and strategy, perfect for all armchair strategists. However strategic and fun it was, because of its niche gameplay, Tactical Strike was quickly forgotten by the gaming media, and gamers by extension.

Given the processing power and control possibilities offered by the PlayStation Vita as well as Slant Six Games’ experience with creating AAA-quality portable games, SOCOM: Tactical Strike 2 could perhaps bring a more streamlined and accessible tactical action game that brings could potentially revive the action-strategy genre on handhelds.

After the jump, we show you how SOCOM: Tactical Strike could benefit from the PS Vita. While there, don’t forget to share with us your thoughts.

PlayStation Vita Memory Card Overview (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 15, 2012 | 24 comments

While you will ultimately be the judge on whether you wish to download a game like Uncharted: Golden Abyss digitally or physically, Sony has done their best to make both methods as seamless as possible. Those who opt for the digital version simply need to visit PSN and search for the game where two clicks later will have Sony beaming down Nathan Drake to your portable console from the cloud. Others like me who may have opted for the physical version will surely want to know where they can insert their small flash card.

Our video after the jump goes over the PS Vita’s three different input areas which includes a sim card slot for PS Vita 3G owners, a place for your memory card, and finally, the game card.

Playstation Store Update (03-13-12)

by Chris Quibol | Mar 14, 2012 | 19 comments

This week’s Playstation Store update has something for everybody. While Playstation Plus members have been able to experience the wonder that is Journey for the past week, now everyone can experience the critically acclaimed indie game from developer thatgamecompany. Playstation also kicked off their annual “Spring Fever” sales event, with 30-50 percent off full downloads of games from the Call of Duty series, available for a limited time. On the PS Vita front, augmented reality game Reality Fighters and popular racing franchise Ridge Racer are now available for full download. If you’re lacking on money this week, check out the PS3 demo for Shoot Many Robots, a four-player run-n-gun shooter from Ubisoft.

Hit the jump for this week’s full update.

Editorial: Why the PS Vita Benefits from Having Both Physical and Digital Downloads

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 14, 2012 | 5 comments

The PlayStation Vita is a hybrid console, one that marries the best of the old portables like Sony’s own PSP and takes cue from the likes of Apple and the AppStore juggernaut. While some may have criticized Sony for not going all digital with the PlayStation Vita, I retort that and say why? Unlike the PSP which for the most part was purely based on physical media, seeing how Sony could never properly ensure the digital availability of UMD games on PSN, the PlayStation Vita has had no problem offering all physical games on PSN on the same day. In fact, PS Vita owners can also download PSP and soon, PSone games on their Vita as well, giving them a vast library to choose from. Furthermore, Sony has also discounted priced of games on PSN, versus their physical counterpart. These steps have aligned the PS Vita much more with Apple and their take on content delivery which has the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad download new content, only in a digital form.

Still, Sony realizes that for various reasons like slower network connections and the lack of ability for those around you to easily gift you, there is still a need for physical media as well. Chances are that for your grandma and aunt, it will be much easier to stroll to Target or Best Buy and grab you a PS Vita game then to have a PSN account and gift you (much like you would in iTunes) which currently doesn’t even give such an option. In fact, unlike digital distribution which exists only in the cloud, Sony and developers can ensure market awareness of their games by having their titles available in retail locations. Those with vast libraries will also attest to the the benefit of being able to lend and borrow games from friends, something that isn’t available with games bought on PSN.

So while the idea of physical media might be dead to some and the likely hood that the PS Vita being the last portable console with physical media as an option very high, it’s still a winning strategy for Sony to support both avenues and let the consumer decide what they favor best. If you prefer to download Uncharted: Golden Abyss digitally and have it get magically pushed to your PS Vita, then Sony is able to deliver while those who wish to wakeup to their Christmas or birthday gift wrapped with such a title will not be disappointed.

Let’s talk, after the jump.

Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection Preview

by Jan Hutchings | Mar 14, 2012 | 7 comments

Earlier today Capcom announced that Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection is coming to the PlayStation 3. The HD Collection will be available as a digital download from the PlayStation Store and will include both Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles.

Both games will be remastered in HD and will feature PlayStation Move control compatibility. Both chronicles games originally started out as Wii-exclusive titles and re-tell the Resident Evil saga in first-person light gun play modes. Players will have to survive non-stop zombie and B.O.W assaults from all sides as they manage their ammo, health, and inventory items while keeping eyes out for hidden information that shed more light on the secrets of the Umbrella conspiracy.

Learn more about about the Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection after the break.

‘Metal Gear Solid HD Collection’ Coming To PlayStation Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Mar 12, 2012 | 0 comments

The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is finally coming to PlayStation Vita this summer, Konami announced earlier this week. However, don’t get your hopes up too much as the Vita collection is a bit slimmer than its PS3 counterpart; as it has been confirmed that Peace Walker will not be part of the bundle.

What the collection does have are two of the best games of the last console generation: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Those familiar with the games will be happy to know that both MGS 2 and MGS 3 will be coming in their Substance/Subsistence forms meaning extra content, extra videos, and the often-requested free-camera mode for Snake Eater.

In addition, the MGS HD Collection will also feature the return of the original MSX versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, Hideo Kojima’s 8-bit stealth classic creations. Finally, Konami also said that the Vita version will feature optimized controls that take advantage of the console’s touchscreen capabilities, as well as the ability to “transfar” save data between the PS3 version and the Vita version.

Those disappointed by Peace Walker’s disappearance from the collection will be happy to know that MGS: Peace Walker (PSP Version) does indeed work with the PlayStation Vita. Though it’s not on the Vita PSN Store, players can purchase it from the PS3 Store and install it into their Vita.

Playstation at GDC: Digitally Publishing to PSN an ‘Easy’ Process

by Chris Quibol | Mar 12, 2012 | 1 comment

Have you ever played a downloadable game on PSN and thought you could make something better? If you answered yes, now is your chance to prove it. According to a talk given at last week’s Game Developers Conference, SCEA’s Ted Regulski claimed that digitally self-publishing on PSN is an easy process.

Markets like the Apple App Store, Android Market, and PC have long been popular with amateur game developers; however, there is a perceived barrier of entry into publishing onto the Playstation Store. Regulski says that barrier doesn’t actually exist. The process is as easy as contacting your area’s developer relations office, signing agreements, submitting your game’s code, and getting final approval. Once the game goes live, you’ll start receiving monthly payments. Regulski also stated that getting promoted on the Playstation is also fairly easy after a game gets approval.

In the United States, amateur developers can also get Sony backed support through PubFund, which gives developers money before a games release to help with the creation process and the money eventually gets paid back in future royalties. While getting PubFund loans is somewhat competitive, Regulski said that with the recent release of the PS Vita, Sony is definitely in need of content.

Hit the jump for a step-by-step process of PSN publishing.

PS Vita Gets ‘Phantasy Star Online 2’ in 2013, PC Cross-play Compatible

by Chris Quibol | Mar 10, 2012 | 0 comments

Last year, Sega announced that Phantasy Star Online 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the extremely popular MMO dungeon crawler, would be coming only for Windows PCs, much to the dismay of the series’ longtime console fans. However, last week Sega producer Satoshi Sakai announced that PSO 2 would also be coming to the PS Vita sometime next year.

The Vita version of the game will be hosted on the same servers as the PC version and will run using the same data so that players can use one persistent character on the Vita and the PC, as well as play with people from both versions of the game.

Besides obvious new additions like jumping and third-person targeting, not much else is known about PSO 2, but from the looks of the most recent trailer, the game looks to recapture the same addictive qualities of the original released on the Sega Dreamcast back in 2000.

Hit the jump to check out the full Vita reveal trailer.

The PlayStation Archives – “Way of the Samurai”

by Jan Hutchings | Mar 9, 2012 | 8 comments

Way of the Samurai

Playstation 2 Exclusive

Price: $29.99 to $39.99

1 Player

Imagine yourself in Feudal Japan, a land where the traditions of the east and technologies/ideologies of the west are meeting for the first time. Imagine yourself a ronin (masterless) samurai searching for a path in life. Will you be honorable or will you use your deadly skills to strike fear into the hearts of everyone who hears of your name?

Imagine all that and put it into a game. That’s what Way of the Samurai offers its players: an open sandbox world that allows players to carve (pun intended) their name into Japanese history. More on Way of the Samurai after the break.

Meet KARA, the Latest Tech Demo From Quantic Dream, Creators of Heavy Rain

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 7, 2012 | 0 comments

Seemingly out of nowhere, Quantic Dream, the creators behind the award-winning and PlayStation 3-exclusive Heavy Rain, have just released a new tech demo. Up until now, Heavy Rain was held up as of the darling of PlayStation 3, blending in a new way of story telling with near photorealistic graphics with lifelike emotions expressed on each characters face in real time. Now, the famous developers have a new tech demo for you to feast your eyes upon.

Their latest footage “is a prototype running in real-time on PlayStation 3” which features a lifelike android, called KARA, akin to the Borg Queen or KOS-MOS from Xenosaga. In the video, we see the final stages of KARA being built while her final programming is being completed. Much like Heavy Rain, though the visuals are dazzling and indeed surpass the previous title, the real focus is once again the emotions of the character, their expressions, and lifelike movements. The visuals are truly meant to drive the narrative and actually take away from the technology which too often is the focus of the game and instead, make you care about the characters.

It’s unclear if this footage will actually be part of any future game design, or if it’s purely meant to show off the latest engine and game creation techniques from Quantic Dream while they work on a new game, which is surely in the works. If it turns out to be anything like the footage we had seen prior to Heavy Rain’s release, you can bet that you will see KARA appear in some shape or form in next PlayStation 3 exclusive title from Quantic Dream.

Video awaits you, after the jump.

PlayStation Vita Supports A Lot More PSP Games Than Originally Announced

by Jan Hutchings | Mar 7, 2012 | 1 comment

(Originally published on JTMGames)

Many of you PSP-Go owners will love this one. It seems that the PlayStation Vita is capable of playing a LOT more than the 275 PSP games that were said to be compatible with the system at launch. Even though there’s a limited amount of purchasable PSP games from the PSN Store, users have been able to play many of the games they’ve purchased in the past and that aren’t listed on the Vita PSN store at all.

Many PSP owners like myself who’ve purchased and downloaded games from the PlayStation Network in the past have been able to install games using the Content Manager app found on the Vita. So far I’ve been able to install Guilty Gear Judgement, LittleBigPlanet PSP, Flow, and Echochrome. Unfortunately Killzone: Liberation is not supported at this time.

To install these games, players will have to:

On their PS3, go to their downloaded items list. From there, re-download the PSP Games they’ve purchased before onto their PS3 system.
Once download is complete, connect the PS Vita to the PS3 using the Vita’s USB charging cable (which came with the product).
Using the Vita, access the Content Manager App, click on start. Choose – Copy Content – PS3 System to PS Vita System.
Choose Applications (PSP/Other) – Click on “Applications Downloaded on the PS3 System”
Once there, a list of PSP Games should be listed for copying. Players can choose which ones they want copied or choose select all to copy all games to their PS Vita system.
Once games are chosen, click on the “Copy” button found on the lower right of the screen.
(Supported PSP Games will be copied to the Vita)

Stay tuned to this article in the next few days as I will update it with PSP games that are found to be compatible with the PlayStation Vita system, other than the 275 games that have been announced by Sony.

Supported PSP Games (That Aren’t On the Vita PS Store)

Guilty Gear Judgement
Echochrome
Echoshift
Everyday Shooter
Flow
GTA Chinatown Wars
Gran Turismo PSP
LittleBigPlanet
LocoRoco
LocoRoco 2
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
ModNation Racers
Valkyria Chronicles II

Playstation Store Update (03-06-12)

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 6, 2012 | 16 comments

With the PlayStation Vita’s launch now behind us, Sony is looking to step up support for the new and powerful handheld by feeding the demand for new games in a big way. This weeks new release games for the Vita include the 3rd person shooter, Unit 13, MLB 12: The Show, and Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7. PlayStation Plus members are also in for a treat as they are able to download Journey, from the makers of Flower, a week early while fans of the PlayStation exclusive show, the Tester will also be happy to know that they can now download episode 5.

Still, the big news from this weeks PlayStation Store update comes in a small size and is fitted for your PlayStation Vita. Developed from the ground-up for the PlayStation Vita, MotorStorm: RC is the latest in the fast paced series and Sony will be offering the game for free for a limited time to PlayStation Vita owners, thanks to a promotion with Scion, the car makers. PS3 users need not fret as Evolution Studios also built a PS3 version of the game, priced at an affordable $9.99.

After the jump, the full PlayStation Store update awaits you.

Deals: PlayStation 3D Display Bundle, MLB 12: The Show and 3D Glasses $299.99

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 6, 2012 | 11 comments

After wanting to desperately dive into 3D games and movies, I was able to nab a PlayStation 3D Display for $299, thanks to a promotion at Amazon which had the recently price dropped display marked down by an additional $100 for a limited time. The promotion since then has come and gone but it looks like Best Buy is now ready to carry the torch with even a better deal. This time around, for $299.99, would be owners will get:

PlayStation 3D Display
PlayStation 3D Glasses (2x)
MotorStorm: Apocalypse
MLB 12: The Show

Those who are curious about the 3D TV can view our PlayStation 3D Display and PlayStation 3D Glasses unboxing videos. Have any questions? Let us know in the comments section, after the jump.