There were many PlayStation-exclusive games on display at PAX Prime this year, and none came close to the massive crowds drawn by StarHawk, the exciting new sequel to WarHawk on the PlayStation 3. I had a chance to talk to Jay Van Beveren (HawkStar Jay), the Community Manager for StarHawk at PAX Prime about StarHawk’s storyline, gameplay, features, additions and refinements to the WarHawk formula. Hit the jump to check out the full StarHawk interview.
One of the big surprises during Sony’s E3 2011 press conference was the reveal of a new 24-inch LCD, PlayStation-branded 3D TV. This unique TV would bundle, at the time, Resistance 3, which has since changed to Motorstorm Apocalypse, one pair of 3D glasses and HDMI cable for $499. What sets this TV aside from others, besides the low entry price point, is the TV’s capability of displaying 2 different images at once. This means that, as long as you have another pair of 3D glasses ($69), you and your buddy can play Resistance 3 or Motorstorm Apocalypse multiplayer on the same TV, without actually seeing each other’s screen. This 1080p TV is capable of delivering this via the 3D glasses by pumping a separate 720p 2D image to each pair of glasses.
For those who also want pure 3D, the PlayStation 3D Display is capable of delivering pure 1080p 3D via your cable, PS3, or Blu-ray player as well. It should also be taken into account that this is a fully-fledged 2D HD TV as well, which is capable of taking any normal input like all traditional TVs and should not be treated any differently. Sony has yet to set an official date, though we can confirm that it will be some time in November. Sony has also decided to match similar offers from GameStop and Amazon by also including Resistance 3 in the bundle, though you will need to place your pre-orders by September 30, 2011 for that deal. With R3 slated to come out September 6th, fans who want the game when it comes out will still have to purchase the game on their own as your pre-order is only good for when the product ships and Sony will not be giving you R3 ahead of the TV’s launch.
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The PlayStation 3 has been a unique gaming console from the beginning. A machine with a dedicated hard drive no matter which version you bought, native Blu-ray playback, and an architecture that lends itself to improvement. Over time, PlayStation 3 users have seen vast enhancements and features added to their machine, from a revised PlayStation Store, to XMB access during games, to 3D playback, and a host of video services. Just over a week ago, Sony also added NFL Sunday Ticket to their ever-expanding lineup that now includes:
PlayStation Home was released as a public beta back in 2008. It was/is Sony’s way of integrating a social community around the PS3 and its games. And while a virtual world where players can chat with people, make friends, and customize their avatars sounded like a great idea just two short years ago, social gaming has taken a different turn lately.
So in order to meet the demand, Sony is releasing a new and improved PlayStation Home where players can stills socialize, but also be a place where they play more expansive game experiences inside the PS Home world. More information on the revamped PlayStation Home after the break.
Tecmo Koei recently announced that Ryu Hayabusa’s latest outing, Ninja Gaiden 3, will have PlayStation Move support as one of its key selling features when it releases next year. It’s the first Ninja Gaiden title that won’t be directed by series creator Tomonobu Itagaki and the first one to feature motion control for its deep combat system.
Itagaki’s replacement at Team NINJA, Yosuke Hayashi, had this to say about PS Move support for Ninja Gaiden 3:
“Ninja Gaiden 3 is all about slicing and chopping through flesh and bone, and PlayStation Move bring players even closer to the game’s protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa. The game will be compatible with all Move peripherals and it will feature full compatibility with this exciting new hardware.”
Ninja Gaiden 3 will also feature some new additions to gameplay; sneaking and stealth kills are now available and the heads-up-display (HUD) only shows itself when Ryu is in a fight and hides as he traverses the environments.
The game is set to release some time in 2012.
DISCUSS:
Would you prefer playing Ninja Gaiden with a traditional Dualshock 3 controller, or test your mettle using the new motion control scheme for the PS3 (Controller + PS Move)?
[Via EpicBattleAxe]
It looks like Cole’s second Infamous adventure may not be finished quite yet. Just like Red Dead Redemption, Sucker Punch is hoping to supplement its seminal franchise with a (un)healthy dose of undead DLC. The company announced earlier this week that it will release Infamous 2: Festival of Blood to the PSN later this year. Hit the jump for more information on the Infamous 2: Festival of Blood DLC.
Just shortly after posting our take on the PlayStation 3 price drop, Sony and DirecTV announced a new partnership which will bring the popular NFL Sunday Ticket to the PS3. Those who subscribe to the DirecTV package will be able to add their PS3 for an additional $50 which, in turn, will turn your PS3 into an additional DVR for the house. The $50 charge, which is part of DirecTV’s Ticket To-Go, will also give you access to NFL Sunday Ticket on other mobile devices and is a DirecTV charge, not a Sony charge. This great package offers:
Yesterday, during Sony’s PlayStation press conference at gamecom, Sony pulled the rug from underneath the press in the best way possible and announced a price drop for the PlayStation 3. The PS3, which till now has been selling at $299, can now be purchased for $249, effective immediately. This of course makes the PS3 160GB the most affordable that it has ever been while the bigger brother, 320GB unit which had previously gone for $349 has now dropped to $299. That’s not all though; for a limited time, Sony will also produce a 320GB PlayStation 3 package which will include inFamous 2 and a 30-day PlayStation Plus membership for $299, which should be pretty popular this holiday season. So what does this mean for you, the gamers and media junkies out there? Quite a lot, actually.
With the PS3 being at its most affordable price point ever, this means that consumers can once again get the best Blu-ray player out in the market for a low price. Even though the PS3 is now 5 years old, it’s still the unit to beat as Sony continues to pump new features and updates via their free system updates. Some highlights of the PS3’s Blu-ray capabilities include:
This alone puts the PS3 at the center stage of a home theater but there is a ton more for the media junkie in you. Sony knows that DVDs and Blu-ray films can bring only so muchto your home theater experience and that streaming is a big part of everybody’s lives today. Because of this, the PS3 also features an array of streaming services from all the popular providers with unique apps, designed to give you the best experience possible. Which apps can be had for your streaming pleasure?
Update:
As soon as this article went out, Sony just announced a new partnership with DirecTV which will bring their NFL Sunday Ticket to the PS3.
The critically-acclaimed Child of Eden is finally coming to the PlayStation 3 next month and will feature PlayStation Move motion control as well as 3D functionality.
Child of Eden is a unique multisensory shooter that engages the player with trippy visuals and audio. Child of Eden was released on the Xbox 360 in June but only sold a meager amount. It seems players were confused by the game’s advertising and believed that the game was only for Kinect, when really they could also play the game with a standard Xbox 360 controller.
It looks like Q Entertainment has learned from that marketing gaffe and is now advertising the PS3 version as “Move-compatible” which most PlayStation owners understand to mean “can be played with or without PlayStation Move.”
Child of Eden comes to the PlayStation 3 on September 27, 2011.
The newly re-designed BBC iPlayer will be available for PlayStation 3’s soon.
The new design looks to be more TV and large monitor-friendly similar to that of Youtube XL’s PS3 functionality. That means it will be easier to see and access content as compared to older designs which were geared more towards a PC, Mouse, and keyboard setup.
Some additional features include:
On-demand television and movies have been on the rise with big media and television conglomerates rushing their own products in order to compete with companies like Netflix (who has a set, cheap monthly price for unlimited viewing), and BBC (whose iPlayer can be watched for free since its not allowed to charge for shows), VUDU, and HULU.
DISCUSS:
Will you use the new BBC iPlayer when it launches on the PlayStation 3? Which of the streaming services available do you use the most?
Or, do you download movies and shows from the PlayStation Network Video Store?
[Via BBC]
Just a little over a day ago, Sony released the PlayStation 3 System Update 3.7, adding user requested features such as auto trophy sync and auto game saves to the cloud. In addition, 3D Blu-ray playback got a bump while recommendations to friends has made its way to the PlayStation Store. Below is our video walk through which will take you over the installation, as well as where and how to activate some of the features mentioned.
Ubisoft announced today that the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations multiplayer beta is coming exclusively to PS3. Of course, only PSN Plus subscribers get to play the beta when it hits the service on September 3rd. Hit the jump to learn more about the characters, maps, and modes made available for the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Beta.
Sony has finally released details on the upcoming system update 3.7 for the PS3. The update brings a number of new interesting features to the system; automatic trophy sync to player’s online profile as well as the enabling of automatic cloud game saves.
One thing of note is that the features discussed above are exclusive to PlayStation Plus subscribers.
To regular, non-PS Plus users, a new feature allows everyone to share their recommended videos, DLC’s, games, demos, and more to people on their friends list. In addition, players can now send a message with a link to the recommended item for download.
Other additional functions to be added through system update 3.7:
There has been no firm release date announced. Sony has only said that the system update will be coming “soon.”
Stay tuned to SonyRumors for more information on additional features and applications once the firmware goes live.
Update:
View our video walkthrough of the PlayStation 3 System Update 3.7.
DISCUSS:
What features and/or applications would you want to see added to the PS3 on the next firmware update?
[Via PlayStation Blog]
In the middle of my mindless Twitter scrolling last night, I came across a late night tweet from the folks at Insomniac Games where they announced that Resistance 3 would no longer be bundled with Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 3D Display.
For those asking about the 3D TV bundle: amazon.com/gp/product/B00… — Motorstorm: Apocolypse replaced Resistance 3. Sorry for any inconvenience.
During Sony’s E3 2011 press conference where Sony announced the PlayStation 3D Display for $499, Sony also confirmed that the TV bundle would include:
With the rise of digital camcorders, affordable computing power, and powerful consumer friendly editing software, the holy grail of filmmaking has been taken out of the hands of the elite with a lot of financial power and given into the hands of those who are creative or passionate about a particular subject matter. Year after year, we continue to see a small group of passionate filmmakers and fans get together to produce great mini content. Only a few years back, Microsoft gained a lot of attention with their professionally-created shorts based in the Halo universe to help promote their then-current Halo game. Now a few years later, a group of filmmakers who happen to be PlayStation fans, not backed by Sony or any form of financial channel, have put together a short film based in the Killzone universe.
Killzone Extraction is a prime example of what filmmaking can be when there is real passion behind it. With a fantastic production level that will wow your eyes with ISA and Helghan uniforms, as well as weapons, sound effects and music. Sure, it might not be to the same quality as the Halo shorts, but when you consider the circumstances between the two, you will walk away more impressed with the recreated Killzone universe then the Halo counterpart. Directed by Clinton Jones, Killzone: Extraction tells the story of a team of ISA soldiers trying to escape while the Helghast close in on them.
Hit the jump for a behind the scenes look at Killzone: Extraction.
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