PlayStation 3

Gran Turismo Creators Think GT6 Needs to be ‘Sexier’

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 13, 2012 | 0 comments

The mantra, sex sales has long been applied to products, movies, and video games. Get an attractive model to pitch the product or offer a steamy scene to pull in the young viewers. Video games have heavily utilized sex to sell all kinds of genres, from beach volleyball to killing zombies with a chainsaw. Of course, we can expand from the pure definition of sex and instead create sexier products. Sleeker, more refined, and smoother are all words that tend to correlate with the word. According to Gran Turismo creator and car/racing fanatic, Kazunori Yamauchi, its time for Gran Turismo to get sexier when speaking to GTPlanet. After the jump, his statement.

Listening To – Assassin’s Creed III Soundtrack

by A Glitch | Nov 11, 2012 | 3 comments

Music is the unsung hero of the gaming industry today. Without a great soundtrack to a game, said game can be extremely lackluster and silly no matter how good the story line, gameplay, and presentation are. Technology has allowed for the integration of music in video games in such a big way, that we have gone from the monophonic sounds of a game like Space Invaders (with 2 alternating tones going the speed of the alien’s movements, kind of like Jaws) to something like the Assassin’s Creed III soundtrack with a full orchestra and more creating some really amazing music that would be very hard to hear otherwise.

Lorne Balfe, the award-winning composer and mastermind behind the Assassin’s Creed III soundtrack, decided to make some very interesting sounds by integrating what sounds like and may very well be Native American instruments, which really is an incredible choice given the setting in the game. While listening to the soundtrack, you can sometimes hear what sounds like an Anasazi Flute, joining the orchestra in a very organic way, creating some very interesting sound textures and chords that really add so much more to the already amazing sound of a full orchestra. The heavily percussive writing also makes the experience of listening to the soundtrack more interesting and really puts a vision of a Native American tribe in your head with an instrument that sounds like a Charango (which is a native american string instrument that resembles a very small guitar) and even sometimes there are, what I think, hints of the Apache fiddle which add an interesting color to the string section any time they have a pronounced part in the score. Another out-of-the-ordinary instrument that Mr. Balfe has decided to use is the integration of electronic sounds and samples. Unlike the samples we think of today (bits and pieces of other tunes used as a background theme for other tunes).

The electronic samples in the score are just synthesized articulations and timbres that are otherwise impossible to include, since no other real instrument can recreate these sounds. As a musician, as soon as I heard the electronics being used, I , due to preconceived notions, began to dislike the entire soundtrack. “Why not get a real musician to make these sounds instead of using electronics?” I thought. However, I immediately felt ashamed of myself for thinking these negative thoughts, because the electronic sounds are used in such a way that is really organic. The electronic sounds are a part of the ensemble, not just someone hitting a single button to add sounds while editing in post. The addition of electronics in this soundtrack are not only extremely beneficial to the soundtrack in order to portray an image of our new assassin running around in 1776, but it also portrays an image of the other side of the story as well, the story that takes in present time. Symbolically as well, the addition of electronics really shows the integration of Native American instruments and modern instruments, past meets present, just like how the game’s storyline seamlessly delves back and forth from 1776 to the present day.

LightBox Interactive to Downsize, Develop iOS Games

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 18, 2012 | 0 comments

It’s another sad day in the video game industry. LightBox Interactive, the studio behind the PS3 exclusive Starhawk, led by the talented Dylan Jobe (Warhawk) has announced that the studio will be going through a drastic downsizing. 24 team members of the Texas based studio will be losing their job as of this Friday. One silver ling is that,

“all 24 of them are getting a severance package.”

Jobe went on to say that the studio will not be shutting down like some reports have indicated and that they will instead be focusing on iOS (iPhone, iPad) games. Despite building off of the popular Warhawk, Sony was never able to get much traction with Starhawk, having sold only 170,000 copies to date. Dylan commented,

“Lay-offs always suck but they are an unfortunate reality of business sometimes. The best we can do is try and treat our people with respect during the shocking transition of a lay-off,”

While many readers might point to their likes/dislike of particular games in the comment section, there are the few who take things to the extreme and in fact wish for the studios closing, due to their dismay for that title. While I can sympethise with the passion behind those comments (sorry, you can’t convince me to pick up a CoD game), it needs to be pointed out how short sighted such views are and that there are real ramifications beyond your inner satisfaction that a particular may no longer continue, though one needs to simply just ignore the title as no one is actually forcing you to play them. Instead, we need to remember that those 24 staff members in this case are husband and fathers, mothers and mortgage owners who no longer have a source of income. Its with that view that no matter how much we may dismay a particular product, we must never forget about those who are behind them and the real lifes that are forever altered when a product fails or a studio comes close to shutting their doors.

With that, I wish the surviving team at LightBox Interactive all the luck in the world on their future endeavors and hope that the 24 laid off members are able to find new opportunities in the near future. Friend of the site and creator of God of War and Twisted Metal David Jaffe had this to say to the soon-to-be laid off employees,

Sad to hear about the layoffs as well. On the possible positive side, I’m looking for a CTO & lead network engineer for down here in sunny San Diego! 🙂

He can be contacted via Twitter.

Editorial: Should Sony Cancel the PlayStation Move?

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 17, 2012 | 1 comment

Before we dive deep into the topic of cancelation, which I don’t take lightly due to the fact that many miss the ramifications behind canceled projects like the jobs of the team members, it should be noted that I’ve owned the PlayStation Move from launch. In fact, I have two PS Move controllers, two Navigators, a Shooting Attachment, and the Sharp Shooter. To say that I’m invested into the product as both a journalist and as a PlayStation fan would be putting it mildly as the entire collection has been paid for by yours truly and not provided to us. When the PlayStation Move launched, it promised to give adults a chance to experience what Wii users had been for years and by adults, I mean more adult-oriented games like Resistance 3, Heavy Rain, and Killzone 3. Games that we’d always envisioned in our minds to play with movement while replicating the gun in our hands. To be able to have an accurate arcade style experience in one’s house with the gorgeous Killzone 3 has been at the pinnacle of a gamer’s wet dreams since the original Nintendo gun.

Fast-forward two years and the PlayStation Move is doing nothing other than collecting dust on retail shelves with the occasional developer support like Sorcery, a game that was designed to recapture the audience’s imagination and, once again, push the new tech. While there are plenty of details to dive into, the eventuality of it is that Nintendo was able to sell their take on motion gaming with low prices while Microsoft was able to sell their take with a higher-priced Kinect (though a set of Move equipment will cost more than the Kinect. Also, the price has dropped considerably in the last year) and Sony was not. Readers should also note that I personally have no interest in the Nintendo Wii (though I’m not blind to the demograph that it has served) and believe that the Xbox Kinect is nothing beyond a gimmick. Still, interest or no interest, gimmick or not, both of these companies were able to convey their vision of the product to developers which have support them and more importantly to the public who have bought them in droves, in which turn, developers have decided to further support.

To further complicate things for Sony, the PlayStation 3 has, throughout its life, enjoyed a poor imagination, despite being a superior machine and has always been behind in many key sales charts. This, mixed with Sony Corp.’s troubled financials, would seem like a poor time for Sony to want to expand the PlayStation brand. This is in direct contrast to Microsoft, who ran a $500 million campaign for the Kinect in its first year, more than what Sony has probably spent on the PS3’s lifetime for advertisement. Beyond that, Microsoft has always seen the Kinect as a bridging device which has seen the company bring its compatibility to Windows where many claim the PS Move was more of a reactionary move (no pun intended) by Sony.

Its not hard to see why the PS Move has struggled in sales, with a much lower PS3 installment in 2010, higher prices (both equipment and console), and little developer support. Mix that with Sony’s already notorious little-to-no advertising capabilities (mostly due to Sony’s financial troubles but also, thanks to their horrible advertising agency), and it’s easy to see why it might be better for Sony to cancel the Move and take the money to invest it in the PlayStation 3 or the around-the-corner PlayStation 4. It just seems like common sense to have one strong platform (PS3) and build from there rather than to have a scattered range of products with marginal success. Sadly in the end, one can replace the word PlayStation Move with the PlayStation Vita or WonderBook and most of this article would still hold true, although all in their own rights are great products.

Here We Go: PSN Hacked Again? (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 15, 2012 | 0 comments

Here we go again folks. A recent tweet (seen below) from super fantastical hacker group Anonymous has the internet and gamers in uproar again, by claiming to have hacked the PlayStation Network (PSN) again. Those who are familiar with the matter will note that the group nearly 16 months ago hacked Sony which resulted in the company shutting down PSN for over a month and killing off the Qriocity brand.

Anonymous claims to have 50 gigabyte database of email accounts and passwords though this time around, all of that data appears to be encrypted. Sony has yet to confirm or deny the attack. Wether the attack is true or not, I highly recommend signing into your PSN account from a computer and changing your password, just to be on the safe side of things. We’ll have more on this as it develops. After the jump, a direct link to change your account.

Update:

Good news as the entire thing appears to be fake (thank god). Seems like the group was trying to get some attention while scaring off gamers. Still, its a good time to look at your account and make sure that your password is solid.

Confirmed: Slant Six Games Not Developing New SOCOM Title

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 14, 2012 | 1 comment

After Sony announced the shut down of Zipper Interactive Studios, the long time developers of the beloved SOCOM franchise which ushered in the PlayStation 2’s multiplayer capabilities, many began to look towards Slant Six Games as the torch carrier of the franchise. The Vancouver based team is no stranger to the franchise themselves, having helmed 3 separate titles; SOCOM: Tactical Strike which was named the best PSP multiplayer experience at E3 2007, and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, and SOCOM: Confrontation for the PS3.

Since Confrontation, Slant Six Games has been busy with Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City which was released back in March 2012 which brought a new take to the long time horror franchise. With no new titles announced from them, many wondered if the team was working with Sony once again to bring SOCOM back to life.

More PlayStation Games Joining the Decommissioned Pile in the UK

by A Glitch | Aug 14, 2012 | 0 comments

Some sad news for a couple of Playstation 3 games in the United Kingdom. Sony has released a statement a short while ago announcing that the online features for four games will be coming to an end in the very near future. After the jump, we have the list of affected games for you.

New Starhawk Update Includes Two Free Maps

by Jan Hutchings | Aug 13, 2012 | 0 comments

Starhawk’s 1.03 update is now up and it includes two free maps located in Cypress. The new 1.03 update also includes patches or fixes that fans have been requesting like increased level caps, new space homeworlds, team balance fixes, an update voice-chat system, interactive music updates and much more.

Find out more about Starhawk’s newest FREE maps and fixes included in version 1.03 after the break.

Sony Introduces God of War And inFamous Game Collections For PS3

by Jan Hutchings | Aug 8, 2012 | 0 comments

To coincide with the much anticipated Ratchet & Clank HD Collection for the PS3, Sony recently introduced that they will be releasing the God of War Saga and inFamous collections later this year. Starting on August 28, 2012, the publisher will begin releasing the brand new (and feature/game-packed) collections with noticeably silver-and-gold colored packaging for an affordable $39.99.

For the amount of games and features that are included in these collections, $39.99 seems like a steal. Why do I say that? Check out the game collection breakdown after the break.

Sony Cuts PSP and PS Vita Forecasts by 4 Million

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 2, 2012 | 5 comments

Today’s Sony Q1 2012 earnings report were the first under new President and CEO, Kaz Hirai who took over the company a little less than 6 months ago. Like the past few years, the earnings report was nothing to write home about though its tough to expect a full turnaround from a company whose been as battered down as Sony. While Sony continued to take big losses in the television division (expected), the company drastically reduced their business ending year forecast for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita by 4 million, with the PS Vita having only been released for 5 months in the US.

Should You Buy ‘Sorcery?’

by Jan Hutchings | Jul 23, 2012 | 0 comments

I’ll be honest; I wasn’t super excited to play Sorcery on the PlayStation Move. I guess the trailers and the demo on PSN didn’t really sell me on the game’s premise and potential compared to other PS Move games. Color me surprised then when I actually sank my teeth into the full game. What I found was a fun action game with a fairly interesting story that was greatly enhanced by its responsive motion controls. What would’ve been just another action game turned into an immersive (yet physically tiring) experience that’s unique to the PlayStation Move.

Sorcery casts players as Finn (voiced by Uncharted’s Nolan North), a young magician’s apprentice that gets embroiled in a one-man fight to protect not only his world, but the world of his friend Erline as well. The Nightmare Queen has sent her massive armies to take over the land, destroying everyingthing and everyone in their path. Finn and his feline companion Erline must travel through the different locations to discover new and more powerful magics to defeat the Nightmare Queen in one final battle.

After the jump, our full Sorcery review.

Due to Quality Control, Sony Delays Nasne NAS

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 20, 2012 | 0 comments

Remember that cool 500GB Nasne NAS Sony announced in late April which was capable of streaming TV and other media to the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, VAIO, tablets, and Xperia phones? Well just days before its Japanese release, Sony has delayed the product’s shipment due to quality control issues. Luckily, it seems that the biggest problem was from the shipment process which saw the devices get damaged in transit rather than any issues with the product themselves. This should result in a short relaunch time of the product as more come from Sony factories, preferably undamaged.

Also, no we won’t ever get this in the US.

Will the Super Slim PS3 Use Flash Memory?

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 17, 2012 | 2 comments

Mock Super Slim PS3 design

It’s expected that, at Gamescon, Sony will announce a new Super Slim PS3 which will come in a 16GB, 250GB, and 500GB model with the 16GB surely being priced at $199. Thanks to Anatel, the Brazilian FCC, we even have some pictures of the new console though until Sony announces it, we should take such things with a grain of salt. With so many of the pieces falling into place, it does seem like a safe bet that such a console will happen and a lower hard drive size like a 16GB will allow Sony to drop the console price further and help it compete against the entry-level Xbox 360, which only offers 4GB.

Up ’til now, all PlayStation 3 models have used a 2.5-inch drive to fulfill the console’s hard drive needs while the community at large has been able to swap the default drive for any size drive they wish, thanks to a easy panel design from Sony. The question that needs to be asked then is, if Sony offers a 16GB model, which surely is not available in a 2.5-inch hard drive, does this mean that the new Super Slim PS3 will use flash memory?

Pick Up Ratchet & Clank Collection, Get Sly Cooper 4 Demo

by Jan Hutchings | Jul 17, 2012 | 0 comments

Insomniac Games announced recently that players who pick up Ratchet & Clank Collection will get the Sly Cooper 4 demo as part of the package. Ratchet & Clank Collection includes three classics that defined action-platformers on the PlayStation 2. Included in the Collection are:

Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
10th Anniversary Ratchet & Clank Avatar

Of course, like other PlayStation game collections, all of the games in the package are remastered in High-Definition 1080p and will have support for Trophies and Stereoscopic 720p 3D (on select TV’s). In addition, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal will feature online multiplayer for up to eight players on nine diverse maps. And finally, as an added bonus, Insomniac Games is including a playable demo for the highly anticipated Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time that’s set to come out later this year.

Ratchet & Clank Collection arrives in stores just in time to celebrate the duo’s 10th Anniversary; the with the original trilogy earning critical and financial success for its innovative gameplay, imaginative weapons, and superb art/graphics. Hell, Insomniac themselves have said that an overwhelming amount of fans sent messages anxiously awaiting the collection’s release.

Ratchet & Clank Collection is set to release on August 28, 2012 with an MSRP of $29.99.

Super Slim PlayStation 3 Revealed?

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 14, 2012 | 2 comments

Just under a week ago, the friendly folks at the FCC let a new PS3 model (PS3 4000 Series) slip despite any official word from Sony. Till now, the PlayStation 3 models have shipped under the 3000 series line, indicating a big refresh coming to the console. Many, including us have speculated that Sony plans to launch a new, super slim PS3 at Gamescon with an introductory price of $199. With the PlayStation 3 well into its 6th year and Microsoft offering a severely stripped down Xbox 360 at $199, it makes sense for Sony to want to fend off its competitor while bringing new people into the PlayStation family. Now, thanks to Anatel, Brazils version of the FCC, we might have even a better look at the new super slim PS3. More details and pictures, after the jump.