Twisted Metal, the longest running PlayStation franchise, returned to the PlayStation 3 on February 14th (Valentine’s Day) with more destruction, mayhem, and deeper gameplay then ever before. The vehicle shooter game, which can best be described as Street Fighter converted into cars with guns, has been posting some great sales numbers, despite its long absence from the PlayStation. Since the game’s launch, Sony and creator David Jaffe have been doing their best to advertise the game and raise further awareness for the title with events like #ShootMyTruck where users could enter and get a chance to literally shoot Sweet Tooth’s ice cream truck with a machine gun via their computer.
While the game is off to a good start with positive reviews and fun promotions, many owners of the title are beginning to notice errors with the game’s online component and rightfully complain. Promising to pit 16 players against each in different game modes like team death match and nuke, online play was designed to be a core component of Twisted Metal. Two days into the game’s launch, David Jaffe took to his YouTube page to address the game’s online errors and soon-to-be-released Skins feature:
In short, David. like the fans, seems to be frustrated and upset by the game’s online component. However, with nearly 100 Sony engineers working on the problem, he is quite confident that things should be improving soon, if not better for some already. Another error that users seem to encounter is when entering a room which is full. The game, in this instance, gives you a “network error” message when this is actually a script error and should instead be notifying you that the game room is full. Finally, the recent ‘Skins’ feature for Twisted Metal, which allows players to log online and create unique designs for the game’s vehicles, should be launching later today (though that is still subject to change).
In a day and age where games tend to shift with patches in the pipes, while more are released in the future to address the game’s errors and bugs, it’s nice to see David address the fans directly (as opposed to waiting for corporate press releases) and genuinely care about their wants and frustrations.
What do you get when you mix the squad shooting of Gears of War, the creative team behind the Yakuza franchise, the high-octane stylish action of Vanquish, and lots of armored mechs?
A totally original squad-based shooter by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the brainchild of the massively successful Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza) franchise, Binary Domain brings a western style attitude to game design that the Japanese game industry have been struggling with for many years. Not only has the action, the animation, the graphics, and the gameplay matched its western counterparts, in many ways Binary Domain even shines brighter than most western-made third person shooters.
In just a few short months, Sony Santa Monica’s StarHawk will be available to the masses. Those who’ve played the beta have all agreed that the game is a vast improvement over the original multiplayer classic WarHawk on the PSN.
Those who are willing to spend a little bit more cash will be able to get their hands on the StarHawk Limited edition bundle. This bundle has an additional $20 worth of extra content including extra maps, character skins and other such features.
Starhawk Limited Edition Contents
Maw of Despair Outcast Pack: Includes the Maw of Despair Co-op Map and Shade Warrior MP Skin
This challenging co-op mission takes place deep beneath the planet’s surface in a particularly dangerous Rift mine. The Maw of Despair is home to the oldest Outcast tribe, the Shade Warriors. The heart of each Shade Warrior blazes with pure Rift energy, granting them extra toughness and combat ability. The firefights you’ll encounter in the Maw of Despair co-op mission will push your shooting skills to the edge!
Echo Scrapyard Rifter Pack: Includes the Scrapyard Homeworld and Huxley Ardin MP Skin
An exclusive player Homeworld, the Echo Scrapyard features Huxley’s mechanics shop and junkyard — known throughout the Frontier as the best place in the Frontier for Rifters to get spare parts for their Razorbacks and Sidewinders. And in the canyon basin below, Huxley’s shop is a network of roads and trails for players to hone their own Razorback 4×4 and Sidewinder Jetbike driving skills.
Starhawk Concept Art PS3 Theme: Decorate your PS3 with the amazing concept art that help bring the Starhawk Universe to life. Only available through the Starhawk Limited Edition.
Copy of the Original Warhawk (PSone): Download and play the title that started it all!
Official Starhawk Soundtrack: Christopher Lennertz’s sweeping original score available as a PSN download.
StarHawk is coming to the PS3 and PSN on May 8, 2012.
In just a week from today, Sony, along with David Jaffe and the team from Eat Sleep Play, will be bringing Twisted Metal, a long time PlayStation exclusive franchise, back to life and onto retail shelves. The first Twisted Metal launched on the PlayStation in 1995, and, since then, we’ve gone through multiple iterations of the vehicular combat franchise. The beloved franchise has had ups and downs in the past with notable strong titles from David Jaffe like Twisted Metal 1 and 2 while the third and fourth titles were handed over to 989 Studios (now a defunct game studio). While many fans complained about the direction of those titles, David Jaffe, who was not involved with them, would come to their defense (and we do agree) with:
“….[in and of themselves] they’re good games, they’re just not good Twisted Metal games.”
In 2001, fans would once again see David return to the helm of Twisted Metal: Black, which would take the series in a new, darker direction. Unlike the cartoony feel of previous titles, TM: Black would be set in a dark, edgy world, filled with the worst criminals possible which would mark the first M-rated Twisted Metal game. A personal favorite, Twisted Metal: Black also had a cinematic quality to it that delved deeper then previous titles into the characters and the motives behind them. Also as a 15-year-old at the time who was allowed to play any games he pleased, Twisted Metal: Black creeped the frak out of me.
Fast forward to today when, although there have been smaller iterations of Twisted Metal, most notably on the PSP with Twisted Metal: Head-On, we’ve yet to have a big-screen return of the franchise with an original take. Come February 14th, all of that will change with the reveal of Twisted Metal on the PlayStation 3. Like previous titles, the game will once again be a PlayStation exclusive and sees the return of David Jaffe and his team at Eat Sleep Play, like Scott Campbell and relative newcomer, Justin Treaste, to name a few, who’ve set out to revitalize the game’s fans and creating a new Twisted Metal world, while remaining true to the themes and characters of the past.
So what is Twisted Metal? On the surface, Twisted Metal is a game about cars, guns, and explosions. As David would put it, the shallow end of the game is:
the explosions, destructions and interactivity with car combat fantasy
Where the best metaphor would be a visual effects-driven title with lots of things happening on-screen to keep even the most A.D.D centric person entertained. After all, not too many games out there allow you into a 16-player online multiplayer with cars chasing and shooting each other, helicopters planning your demise, and buildings crumbling around you. In fact, if that’s your kind of game, Jaffe and the team are happy to deliver and we are happy to say the game is every bit of that and more. However, the important part is more and that’s the reason David decided to return to the franchise.
It really is about weapons with pros and cons. If I want to use the weapon this way, if I want to use the ricocheted bomb as a charge up weapon and it has a great area affect and I can do that, but the time it takes to charge it up and the damage it does is far less then if I were to use it as a straight up projectile that has no charge and is a lot harder to hit, but does a lot more damage.
Another example lies in the New York City map where, at first glance, there appears to be a giant arena for you to shoot and blow up everything in sight, which — it is. However, as you play more and more, you might soon begin to realize that
as you start to master, you go “oh my god,” all this circuitry that I can connect. The museum, to the bookstore, to the stock exchange, to the subway track and you actually start to learn the shortcuts and circuits and how those feed into the pickups and how those feed into a mode like ‘Nuke’ where if you want to get the missile launcher faster, do you know what kind of car you’re driving?
Much like Battlefield 3, for instance, where you can pick up the controller, go online, and starting shooting away, Twisted Metal is designed to give you the same ease where newcomers and old-time fans can jump in (with dual PSN account login on the same PS3!) and begin shooting and blowing things up. However, as many BF3 fans will tell you, there is a whole other world that exists within the game, where the weapons you choose, the knowledge of the maps, and enemy weapons will introduce you to another game. It’s one that is more exciting, rewarding, and long-lasting — and that’s exactly the depth Twisted Metal offers. Of course, single player fans will have plenty to chew through as well, seeing how the game will have a full story mode which will shed light on old favorite characters while taking them in a new direction. Twisted Metal is set to launch on February 14th in the United States with March 7th as the date for EU fans.
One of Sony’s biggest releases for 2012, Twisted Metal, is set to arrive next week. In preparation for it, Eat Sleep Play Studios and Sony released one of it’s biggest and most featured packed demos on the PlayStation Network. Twisted Metal finally returns to grand form almost a decade from it’s last major console release, Twisted Metal: Black on the PS2.
For a behind-the-scenes look into Twisted Metal, check out our developer interview with Eat Sleep Play Studios Co-Founder and Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe.
We are hosting a live chat with Twisted Metal co-creator, David Jaffe, who will be answering all of your questions about the upcoming PlayStation exclusive, Twisted Metal. With the game set to launch on February 14th, PS3 owners can now download a demo of the long-time PlayStation franchise and dive into the game’s multiplayer. We invite you to join us as we sit down and chat with David about Twisted Metal and highly recommend that you have a list of questions ready for our chat today.
For those who want to join the live chat, please click on the link bellow. The chat room itself will be open prior to David joining us which will happen at 3:30 PST. No accounts are required for this.
Earlier today, news broke out that Insomniac Games would be ending development of any further Resistance games. Resistance originally launched with the PlayStation 3 and quickly became a big hit for Sony. Resistance 2 and 3 were both met with great reviews but failed to hit the sales number that a developer would surely like, especially Resistance 3, which had the lowest selling numbers of the series. Between the declining sales numbers and Insomniac Games moving away from being a PlayStation exclusive studio to being a 3rd party position with EA as their publisher, it’s easy to see why they won’t be producing any future titles within the franchise. Especially with their upcoming game, Overstrike, being multi-platform (i.e. PS3 and 360) and Sony owning the rights to Resistance, not Insomniac Games, the conclusion makes even more sense.
This, of course, didn’t stop the internet and Resistance/PlayStation fans from exploding and expressing their outrage (though I wished they had shown the same passion for the games when they launched and purchased them which might have us talking about a Resistance 4 leak instead). In order to address the matter, Insomniac Games CEO, Ted Price, took took it upon himself to address fans.
While it’s always sad to see a beloved franchise and an era of fantastic exclusives for the PlayStation come to an end, I wish the talented developers and creators at Insomniac Games the best on their upcoming game, OverStrike. Remember folks, they are not ending development for the PS3, just no more exclusives (or at least none that we currently know of).
Earlier today, Capcom announced Resident Evil 6; the newest title in their venerable survival-horror franchise.
Set 10 years after the events that destroyed Raccoon City, Resident Evil 6 will star a number of protagonists led by series stalwarts Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield. Leon’s story is set in the fictional city of Tall Oaks. It’s been overrun by zombies (that’s right, zombies are back!) and the president of the United States has become one of the undead. It’s up to Leon and his partner to survive and learn the secrets of the new infection.
The Mortal Kombat franchise has been a fighting juggernaut since its inception back in 1992. Innovating with the use of digitized actors and brutal, unapologetic violence, the game went on to become a household name. Fast forward eight sequels later (and the action-brawler sidestories), the Mortal Kombat brand was starting to fatigue, having to attach itself to DC Universe to attract a new audience. With the crossover came muted fatalities, heavily censored violence, and “Heroic Brutalities.” It was starting to look bleak for MK fans all over the world.
But just when everyone thought the franchise was running out of steam, out came MORTAL KOMBAT, a series reboot that brings the gameplay back to basics, with a focus on catering to the hardcore and tournament gamers. This is the Mortal Kombat game that everyone wanted since MK2.
Sony announced today that they will be releasing a two more Gran Turismo 5 DLC packs on January 17th.
The first DLC pack will cost $5.99 and comes with six additional cars including:
Lamborghini Aventador
Jaguar XJR-9 LM
Aston Martin V12 Vantage
66′ Volkswagen 1200
Mini Cooper S Countryman
Nissan Leaf
The second DLC pack, called the Speed Test Course Pack, will cost $3.99 and comes with the Route X race course that can be played in online, Arcade, and Practice modes.
And finally, If you haven’t taken the plunge and bough GT5 yet, Sony’s got you covered. Gran Turismo 5: XL Edition is set to come out next week. The game has the MSRP of $39.99 and will feature the following:
Original Gran Turismo 5 game
Improved features and functionality through game updates and the Spec 2.0 upgrade.
Voucher for over $20 worth of DLC content available on the PlayStation Network.
According to Twisted Metal Co-director David Jaffe, the first prints of the highly anticipated Twisted Metal will come with voucher for a downloadable copy of 2001’s Twisted Metal: Black.
Having packed-in games with big-name releases aren’t anything new these days. EA did it with Dead Space 2 which came with Dead Space: Extraction and Ubisoft included the original Assassin’s Creed with copies of the recently released Assassin’s Creed Revelations.
According to Jaffe, the voucher is for the original, unedited, version from 2001. That means Twisted Metal: Black will not come with any online modes featured in the online-only Twisted Metal: Black Online released at the same time as the PS2’s network adapter.
Twisted Metal is set to be released on February 14, 2012.
Just in case holiday shopping sprees haven’t bled everyone’s wallets dry yet, Sony announced that they will be having their “Play Days” PS3 accessory discount promotion that will run until January 21, 2011.
With “Play Days,” select PS3 accessories will recieve massive discounts ranging from 20 to 50 percent! And best of all, a great number of retailers are going to be participating in the promotion. So far, we know that Best Buy, Amazon, Sears, Toys R Us, KMart, GameStop, and more will be having the sales immediately.
Check out the full list of discounted PS3 accessories after the break.
Fans have been clamoring for any additional Uncharted 3 content they can get. Whether this comes in the form of bug fixes or new Uncharted DLC content, fans just want to hear and see more in the world of Nathan Drake. On the PlayStation Store, Uncharted fans can also purchase the Treasure Hunter’s Club for just $24.99 which gives them access to every single Uncharted 3 DLC that is bound for the PS3. So when exactly will future bug fixes and DLC content come from Naughty Dog? The answer is soon, but not too soon as Naughty Dog took to their Facebook page to answer and address some questions.
“Holy Sh**!! It’s like Call of Duty in the skies!”
That’s what I first thought as I played the first level of Assault Horizon. This air combat arcade/simulation hybrid from Namco re-invigorates the tired franchise and throttles up the intensity tenfold.
While older Ace Combat games were more futuristic and had some pretty “out there” plotlines, Assault Horizon features a modern military story full of intrigue, patriotism, and a hell of a lot of politics.
Despite the weak world wide economy, Sony’s Andrew House, head of Sony Computer Entertainment which oversees the PlayStation brand told reporters that they expect the PlayStation 3 to keep its sales forecast target. In order to meet their goals, Sony has to sell 15 million PS3 units by end of March 2012.
Though Andrew didn’t go as far as to reveal any statistics, he did let it be known that the company is actually ahead in their sales forecast. With a story holiday lineup which included Skyrim, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield: 3 and the PlayStation exclusive, Uncharted 3, it’s hard to see Sony fall short of their expected goals.
This week, Sony is also launching the highly anticipated PlayStation Vita which will follow suit in February in the United States. No sales were revealed for the PS Vita but several major Japanese outlets have reported a sold out Vita inventory, ahead of the devices launch.
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