SonyRumors

Gaming With Heather: Cloudberry Kingdom and Raging

by Heather Atkinson | Aug 3, 2013 | 12 comments

It isn’t uncommon among friends and fellow gamers to discuss what games you’re playing. Personally, I love to hear what everyone is playing so I have a better lead on what I may enjoy! With that being said, I would like to make this my little place to share all my PlayStation gaming endeavors of the week.

Recently, I have accumulated quite the backlog of PlayStation Network games due to their fabulous sales. So for the last couple of weeks I’ve been playing and streaming some of the coolest and most rage inducing indie games in my library. My most recent purchase and what has really stood out this week is Cloudberry Kingdom.

Editorial: Next Gen Preparation

by Sarah Ingram | Jul 21, 2013 | 4 comments

This time of year is usually pretty quiet when it comes to new releases. The summer is dedicated more so to less than stellar titles, indie games, and … not much else. there is narn a AAA title in sight. This summer is shaping up to be particularly dry, as not only is it summer but it’s the summer before a new console release. Between now and September, there is only one title that I am really excited for, and even as a JRPG (Tales of Xillia), it won’t keep me all that occupied. Which is fine, because it gives me the perfect opportunity to get prepared for the new next generation releases in the fall.

And there a a couple things I can recommend doing in order to prepare for the Playstation 4.

Meet Our Newest Team Members, Heather Atkinson and Sam Castanon

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 20, 2013 | 0 comments

At SRN, we’re up to no good in the best possible way. We’ve always strived to give you the best Sony and PlayStation news and with every edition to our team, we get closer to that realization. With Brien Bell as our newest Associate PlayStation Editor, our coverage of your favorite gaming platform has been more thorough than ever. Of course, SRN also offers you some of the most unique film reviews from the movies you want to see, thanks to Joel Dale. With SRN on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and YouTube to name a few and a great core team already, what’s our next move you say? Bring on more talented members of our community of course. To that end, I’m happy to announce that Heather Atkinson (@gogoroflcopter) and Sam Castanon (@Doc_Gamer) are joining our ranks. While I won’t get into details about what the two will bring to the team, I can tell you a little about each and their talents.

Editorial: For the Love of JRPG’s

by Sarah Ingram | Jul 7, 2013 | 16 comments

I have a video game weakness, and that is role playing games – specifically, Japanese role playing games. Something about their involved story-lines, side quests, endless equipment combinations and specializations, and music and artwork hooks me no matter what world or crisis it surrounds. My initial love for the Playstation system specifically comes from these types of experiences. Nothing hooked me more into a video game than the beautiful, intricate details in the art style of Dark Cloud, as primitive as it was, and I’m sure we’ve all experienced that moment of excitement when a cut scene would begin: I remember yelling for my brother when one would pop up in Final Fantasy IX. They’ve made me smile, cry, and occasionally throw my controller down in anger (FFVII. end of disc 1. you know.).

When I first started gaming on my own, and buying games outside of the influence of my brother, I gravitated towards games like Tales of Symphonia and Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX. As I grew up this love for what they offered grew, and I not only indulged in new titles like Star Ocean and Resonance of Fate, but also went back and experienced games I had previously missed, like Kingdom Hearts and Phantom Brave. Now, as an adult with my own money, I have started the slow (and expensive) process of picking up those titles that I may have missed before. Collecting them adds to my enjoyment: having them on display seems fitting for the role they’ve played in my life, and collecting the ones I’ve missed as a kid gives me the opportunity to more completely immerse myself in the genre.

We Say Goodbye to Our Long Time Writer, Jan Hutchings

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 28, 2013 | 3 comments

Goodbyes are always hard when the person leaving has had an impact on your life, no matter if you’ve actually met them or not. In my case, I’ve never actually had the pleasure of meeting our long time PlayStation Head Writer in person, which is the nature of the business. While I’ve been in Los Angeles, he, like many of our staff, works remotely and British Columbia has just been too far for a casual visit. In the nearly two years that Jan’s been with us, he’s offered nothing but his best when it came to coverage of PlayStation. Unbiased with no cynicism, Jan covered the PlayStation brand with passion from the community’s perspective.

While coverage on any given news piece can be found on numerous websites, Jan’s work still managed to shine yet I still knew his passion was elsewhere. For those who don’t know, Jan was also the Editor-in-Chief of JTMGames, a website dedicated more to Indie games with a Canadian perspective. Over time, Jans articles began to really take shape, especially those with a focus on Indie games and in those, you could truly see his passion.

He’s someone who not only appreciates and enjoys Indie games, be it on the PS3 or Ps Vita, but one who understands that community. His game previews, reviews, and interviews are where Jan is at his best. Take for example his interview with Choplifter HD developers, his editorial on The Horror Of Corpse Party, and previews of Retro City Rampage and Hotline Miami before either game was on the radar of mainstream gamers and sites. While Indie games seem all the rage these days, Jan truly had his pulse on the scene long before many of us, including myself paid much attention to them.

I know that Jan is moving on to the next phase of his career and jumping on the other side of the gaming world. Due to that, Jan will be leaving his duties at SonyRumors and JTMGames to pursue his career and work as PR in the industry. Are goodbyes hard? Sure they are, but it definitely helps to know that the person in question is moving towards their vision and goals. I couldn’t be prouder of having Jan as part of our team and I look forward to his work in the future.

Editorial: Why I Think Sony Won E3

by Sarah Ingram | Jun 23, 2013 | 13 comments

Now that the dust has settled and we have all had some time to digest the news that came out of E3, I feel like it’s the right time to reflect about what we saw and what it means. I was able to catch both the Microsoft and Playstation conferences live as they happened, and once it was all over there was a clear winner for me. But I didn’t go into the expo already declaring Sony the winner: I really wanted to see what each had to say about the hardware, sharing, used games and connectivity. And what I ended up getting out of a comparison of the two presentations after the fact was something a little more, and something I think is much more important.

Sony really handed it to Microsoft this year. I watched Microsoft first, and was admittedly impressed. The games looked good, they had Insomniac on their stage, and a partnership with Twitch is nothing to shake a stick at. I expected the DR and used game news, and was interested in learning more about the cloud sharing. The price tag didn’t even surprise me, and I was curious as to what Sony had in store. I had originally predicted that if Microsoft went through with some of these things, then Sony would have to follow suit. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They allow used games, there is the capability to play games offline, and they hit the price tag out of the park, something even I didn’t expect. It was an all round A+ performance.

Editorial: Is Cliff Bleszinski’s Used Game Views the Problem or the Fix the Industry Needs?

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 18, 2013 | 1 comment

Gears of War developer Cliff Bleszinski has never been shy about his thought process. Be it his thoughts on what journalists have to say or his views on the used game market, Cliff tends to talk without the usual PR filter. On its own, this is a refreshing and welcomed trait and I hope we see more of from those who are in position of knowledge and can help bring change to our industry. But unfiltered words should also not be taken for the gospel. Taking to his Twitter account, Cliff has been weighing in on the used game discussion which has only escalated in the past week with the PS4 being far more liberal towards selling and lending games while Microsoft has created their next gen system with a lot of restrictions.

In a nutshell, Cliff believes that the used game market is killing off AAA titles. He argues that with production costs rising with each generation and fans demanding more and more, there is little room for loss of profit which he believes used games cause. Instead, gamers need to pay full retail price in order to help support the AAA games that they want.

After the jump, Cliffs actual words and an interesting rebuttal from Jim Sterling of Destructoid.

Editorial: What I Want to See From Sony at E3

by Sarah Ingram | Jun 8, 2013 | 3 comments

With E3 right around the corner, speculations and expectations are high. Information regarding what is being announced and what will be available to preview is slowly trickling into social media, and everyone is generally excited about what the next generation consoles will have to offer. I’ve been thinking a bit lately on what I expect to see, want to see, and would lose my mind in excitement to see, and how that would affect my personal opinion on the effectiveness and success of the Sony press conference. Some things are must-haves, while some things are really reaching into the depths of hopefulness and fangirling.

What I Expect:

1. the box, a price and a release date

This is pretty much a given, and honestly if they DON’T reveal what it looks like, what it costs and when you can give Sony your money, they will get a lot of slack. I expect to see what it looks like because we’ve already seen the new XBox, and I expect a price and a release date because we’re less than six months out, and people need time to budget for spending hundreds of dollars.

If Sony doesn’t provide this information to their fans at E3, they will be behind XBox, and you know that Microsoft will be providing more finite details on the cost and release date. And I think we have all waited long enough.

How Is Your Mobile Experience on SRN?

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 7, 2013 | 0 comments

When Steve Jobs stepped on stage three years ago to announce the iPad, the arrival of the first widely consumed tablet, he did so with an eye towards the future. As he famously said then, we’ve now entered the “post-PC world.” While many from the PC industry like HP, Dell, and even Microsoft wrote him off, not only has his vision turned out to be true, but it also might be happening at a much faster rate than Steve might have even anticipated. In fact, as the chart after the jump shows, tablets are here to stay while PC sales continue their nosedive. That’s not to say a tablet is right for everyone and for every scenario, but they are here to stay.

At SRN, we’ve noticed the same trend. During the past year, as our site continues to grow, thanks to you, our wonderful readers, so has the way you access our content. That is to say, if you’ve been visiting our site on a mobile device. Compared to exactly one year ago, the number of our readers who access our website on a mobile device, be it an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, has doubled. So, while previously only 1/10 of our readers consumed our media via a mobile device, that number is now up to 1/5. With the trend not showing any signs of slowing down, we want to know what your mobile experience has been with SRN.

Meet Brien Bell, Our Associate PlayStation Editor

by Sohrab Osati | May 30, 2013 | 1 comment

With E3 around the corner, we know that you want PlayStation news more than ever. With the PlayStation 3 going strong and having surpassed the Xbox 360 sales, new indie efforts on the PlayStation Vita, and strong buzz around the PlayStation 4, this may be the most important E3 for Sony and PlayStation. To ensure more of the coverage you’ve come to expect from us and for us to push further with our ambitions, I’m happy to announce that Brien Bell is joining the SRN team as the new Associate PlayStation Editor.

Editorial: Multiplayer Trophy Hell

by Sarah Ingram | May 18, 2013 | 7 comments

I have an affinity for trophy hunting. I will spend countless hours with a game trying to collect all the secrets, kill certain bad guys a certain way, and do a something while doing another something so that I can get all the trophies, and maybe get that oh so shiny Platinum. I’ll also be the first one to admit that I sometimes suck at video games. Don’t get me wrong, I love them, but my controller-hand-eye coordination is not always the best. You certainly won’t catch me playing Call of Duty online with a remotely acceptable K/D ratio.

Editorial: A Budding Love For PSN

by Sarah Ingram | May 4, 2013 | 1 comment

For those of you who read my last editorial, this next one might seem a bit confusing. And while yes, I certainly do think the Playstation Store loading time is WAAAAAYYYYYYYY TOOOOOOO LLOONNNGGGGGGGG, what lies behind the spinning circle of loading time agony is a poorly-organized gold mine. The Playstation Store has a plethora of various exclusive titles that are available to download, and as I have very recently begun to get over my aversion to digital games, I have found some amazing ones that I’ve loved playing.

I am a gamer and also a collector, so purchasing a game digitally is not my first choice. I also don’t particularly like the idea of spending 60.00 on downloading a newly-released game when for the exact same price I can get a disc, and the case for my display wall, and probably a steelbook or DLC or pre-order bonus. However, the budding love I have for PSN comes from the strictly digital PSN games, and there are a couple reasons why my love is growing.

1. They are unique

Games like Journey or The Unfinished Swan are not just games; they’re experiences. There’s something special about them that wouldn’t quite work the same if it needed to be “worth” what a full-priced title is. The shorter play time, or lack of multiplayer, or simplicity of design in these is something only successful through a platform like PSN. Something like The Walking Dead game came out episodically – again, something that only could succeed through the digital world, and an approach that drew you in and left you wanting more. And while games like Rainbow Moon or Dragon Fantasy Book 1 are not necessarily unique in a historical sense, they are unique in today’s market. Old school RPG style games are not common anymore, and still having a source to play new iterations of this theme is refreshing.

Blu-Deals: Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV – VI) on Blu-ray $39 (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 29, 2013 | 0 comments

If you’ve been anything like us, then you’ve had Star Wars fever as of late, thanks to the big news that J.J. Abrams (LOST, Star Trek, Mission Impossible) will be directing Episode 7. To help curb your appetite till the film’s likely 2015 or 2016 release, Amazon is having a sale on the entire Star Wars trilogy on Blu-ray, including the prequels. If you’ve yet to experience Star Wars in HD, now might be the time. The deals are as follows:

Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV – VI) [Blu-ray] – ~~$65~~ ~~$33~~ $39

Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy (Episodes I – III) [Blu-ray] – ~~$65~~ ~~$33~~ $39

Editorial: Things You Can Do While The PlayStation Store is Loading

by Sarah Ingram | Apr 20, 2013 | 5 comments

Ever since the PlayStation Store got its “overhaul” of a makeover last October, I have had PlayStation Store trouble. Browsing the games, movies or music is a nightmare, the layout doesn’t show you everything half the time, and worst of all it takes FOREVER to load. This past week the PSN update took a full 24 hours longer than usual, and the the negative attention now surrounding how PlayStation handled the long delay (by not really dealing with it at all) has reminded me how much time I actually waste waiting around for the store to load, especially every Tuesday.

Today I timed how long it actually took for the store to load, from hitting “X” on the store button to when images appeared on the screen. It was a pretty long time.

Well, I don’t want to waste my time, and I know you don’t want to waste yours, so I’ve complied a helpful list of things you can do while waiting 1:04 for the store to let you look at it. You might even be able to get a couple of these done if you’re swift/ have crappy internet.

1. Make a cup of coffee.

2. Plug your controllers in to charge.

3. Fiddle with your headset and TV settings.

4. Go to the bathroom.

5. Call a friend and invite him over to play a game you will eventually purchase from the Playstation Store.

6. Check Twitter/ Facebook/ Tumblr/ Reddit.

Meet Our New Community Manager, Mana Drake!

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 18, 2013 | 9 comments

SRN_3_Staff_Profile_Mana

2013 has been an exciting year for us at SonyRumors. After laying low for the first half of 2012, we began to get our compass bearing right again and worked tirelessly to make sure that the year to come would be our best one yet. Part of that is building an extensive outreach so that you can enjoy our content at your discretion and on a service that you consume. Thanks to those efforts, besides our site, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, and Raptr to name a few (so if you’re on one of those services and are not following us, make sure you do and stop by to say hi!).

With the platform in place, our team efforts turned towards revamping our website from the ground up. Not a single line of code was left unturned as we built this new and much more robust web experience. Part of our design philosophy was keeping mobile in mind, be it for an iPhone, iPad, Xperia Z, or PlayStation Vita. Unlike before, where we had a ‘mobile’ version and the full version, our new theme transforms itself natively to fit any web browser, no matter the OS that powers it or the screen resolution that it’s viewed with. This also makes sure that our content is unified and that you simply don’t lose out on important information, based on your device.

Of course, the above statements are meaningless without great content. Many of us visit websites with less technical oomph because they have great content. To tackle this, over the last month, I’ve had the great pleasure of bringing Sarah Ingram and Joel Dale on board who’ve brought us some of recent and much talked about editorials and movie reviews. Now, I have the great pleasure of introducing you to our latest team member, Mana Drake.

You might know Mana from her fun Twitch game streams or her fantastic art skills. If you don’t, I promise that you’ll be seeing a lot more of her as she will be our new Community Manager. With this position, you expect a lot more Mana on our Facebook and Twitter feed in addition to other exciting initiatives that we’ve yet to announce. But enough of me telling you about Mana. After the jump, you can learn more about Mana in her own words.