Tag Archives: Sony

You can now watch 3D Blu-ray movies on PS3

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Yesterday PlayStation 3 system software update version 3.50 started to roll out to PS3 users, bringing with it 3D Blu-ray playback support.  Way back in February SCEA’s John Koller announced that the PS3 would receive 3D gaming and movies support.  It took four months to make good on the 3D gaming promise, and a bit longer to unleash 3D Blu-ray support.  Now that it’s here, fire up your PS3 and search for the new firmware update in the settings menu.  Remember, you need a 3D-compatible TV for the full effect (for any effect, for that matter).  In addition to 3D movie playback, version 3.5o also brings better Facebook integration and a new greif reporting function.

[Via PlayStationBlog]

Happy 15th Anniversary, PlayStation (part deux)

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Remember way back on December 4, 2009 when we celebrated the 15th anniversary of PlayStation.  Well apparently that was celebrating the birth of the brand in Japan.  The original PlayStation console wasn’t introduced in North America until September 9, 1994.  So now we must celebrate the birth of PS in the US.  Do it by reading all these PlayStation fun facts (like did you know that seven percent of PS gamers won’t date non-gamers?) and browsing the PlayStation timeline that spans from the original console to the PlayStation Move in the gallery below.

[Via Gizmodo]

The origins of the PlayStation’s controller icons revealed

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In an interview with Famitsu magazine (translated by 1Up), the man behind the external design of every Sony PlayStation console, controller, and other accessories shared the motivation behind many of his design choices.  When referring to the original PlayStation, Teiyu Goto shared that “the console itself was a relatively easy design process, but we went through a great number of stages with the controller.”  During the early stages of design, Sony management insisted that the controller not look and function much differently from the SNES controller (see top right).  “The Super NES was a huge hit at the time, and naturally we wanted SNES gamers to upgrade to our system,” said Goto.  “That’s why the management department didn’t want the controller to be a radical departure — they said it had to be a standard type of design, or gamers wouldn’t accept it.”  Though management was against Goto’s idea of molding a controller with grips at both ends instead of creating a flat, SNES-like design, Goto (with support from then-Sony president Norio Ohga) was given the green light to move forward with his radical new approach.

And here’s the bombshell.  Goto finally made known the meanings behind the four face buttons that continue to live on in the PlayStation brand:

“Other game companies at the time assigned alphabet letters or colors to the buttons. We wanted something simple to remember, which is why we went with icons or symbols, and I came up with the triangle-circle-X-square combination immediately afterward. I gave each symbol a meaning and a color. The triangle refers to viewpoint; I had it represent one’s head or direction and made it green. Square refers to a piece of paper; I had it represent menus or documents and made it pink. The circle and X represent ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision-making and I made them red and blue respectively. People thought those colors were mixed up, and I had to reinforce to management that that’s what I wanted.”

And now you know.

[Via 1Up; Joystiq]

PlayStation pimps its new PS3 models

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On Tuesday Sony revealed two new PlayStation 3 SKUs.  The first is a plain jane PS3 with a 160GB hard drive.  It replaces the older SKU and keeps the same price of $299.99.  Buy it today.  The second model is a PS3 + PlayStation Move bundle.  Price at $399.99, it packs a 320GB hard drive and comes packed with one PS Move controller, one PlayStation Eye camera, a copy of Sports Champions, and a game demo disc.  The bundle will hit store shevles September 19, the same date PS Move launches.

[Via PlayStationBlog]

“Leaked” PS4 viral videos are fake, still fantastic

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In early June two viral advertisements hit the web that claimed to be brand new “leaked” spots for Sony’s next video game console, the PlayStation 4.  The first video dubbed “Leaked Launch Trailer” (see above) features a man inside a lab facility who is wearing what appears to be an advanced pair of 3D glasses that literally brings you into the game.  In the video we watch (along with Japanese testers) the man experience the PS4’s virtual reality capabilities for the first time.  At first the man is spooked by what he sees, but then a glimmer of hope (and success on Sony’s part) is revealed when the man gives a satisfying smirk at the conclusion of the test.  The second video (look after the break for it) is titled “Leaked Viral Video” and plays out like a true viral video, shaky cam and all.  This one follows two frantic Sony employees into a large facility; once there, they find a gamer who is frozen with excitement over the powers of the PS4 system.  The employees remove glasses from his face but cannot pry the game controller out of his hand.  The gamer squeals in joy.

After some investigation, the web realized they were douped when 24-year-old filmaker Han West spilled the beans.  West created these fake viral videos for a school project that required him to produce “one viral ad and one more ‘polished’ commercial.”   “Leaked Launch Trailer”, the polished spot above, took 12 hours to shoot and cost $500.  “Leaked Viral Video” took four hours to capture and cost a mere $20.  In the end, his timing was impeccible; these video “leaked” onto the web just days before E3, leading many to suspect Sony would announce the vision with the PS4 during their press conference.  Job well done, Mr. West.

[Via Kotaku, here & here] Continue reading “Leaked” PS4 viral videos are fake, still fantastic →

PlayStation Plus gets detailed, available today with PS3 firmware update 3.40

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PlayStation Plus, Sony’s online premium offering for the PlayStation 3, was announced at the Sony press conference a couple weeks ago.  Since then more details have spilled concerning what exactly it offers for paying subscribers.  First, it’s important to remember that PlayStation Plus does not replace PS3’s current offering of free online gameplay and PlayStation Network usage.  PS Plus is an additional, optional service that provides subscribers with discounts on games purchased in the PS Store, early access to betas, exclusive offers on select demos and early purchases, free monthly episodes of Qore, and automatic downloads.  Let’s dive a bit deeper.

Subscribers have access to free monthly PSN games, minis, and PS One Classics from the PSN Store.  You keep these games for as long as you’re a subscriber; if you decide to opt out of the service, the free games disappear from your library.  Exclusive themes, avatars, and premium game elements/add-ons are also available to purchase; these are yours to keep “forever.”  Exclusive PS Store discounts are also offered, ranging from from 20% to 50% off (that’s on top of the any current discounts currently available to non-members).  Again, these are yours to keep “forever.”  Early access to beta trials and game demos pop up as well.  Members can download a full game trial for an alloted amount of time (typically one hour) to decide if they want to purchase the game.  Unlike a standard game demo, full game trials do not restrict you to certain levels/game modes.  You get the full game.  And get this–if you decide to purchase the game after testing it out, all awarded trophies and saved data carry over from the trial.  Lastly there’s automatic downloads.  Subscribers can set their PS3 to wake up from standby at a determined time to automatically download PS3 firmware updates, game patches, and “select demos and videos.”  PlayStation Plus is available to sign up for today over PSN.  A one year subscription goes for $49.99 (this comes bundled with three free months at the end) and a three-month packaged is priced at $17.99.

PlayStation Plus came to the PS3 as part of firmware update version 3.40.  Here’s what the update brings: Photo Gallery enhancements (allows you to upload, browse and comment on photos on Facebook and Picasa Web Album & share your photos between your PSN friends and print photos from Photo Gallery); Video Editor and Uploader (new XMB function enables you to edit, save and upload video files stored on the PS3 system to sites such as Facebook or YouTube); Five Star Rating Support (you can rate PS Store content on a five-star scale); and additional power save options.  There’s also been a few upgrades to PSN-Facebook integration.  A new PSN Facebook application allows you to display your PlayStation Network profile on Facebook, send friend requests, and view your PSN friends’ online status.  Check out a few snapshots of the new features in the gallery below.

[Via PlayStationBlog, here & here]

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Booth tours: Microsoft & Sony

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And that marks the end of the interview + hands-on content.  Now it’s time for the booth tours!  On the last day of E3 2010 I decided to hit record on my camcorder and capture the highlights of almost every booth on the show floor.  I did it so you can get a real sense of how each booth was set up and what it all looked like from the perspective of an attendee.  Sure E3 is all about the games, but game studios put a ton of effort into making extravagant booths to attract those in attendance; the booths (and requisite booth babes) play a big part in making E3, well, what it has come to be.  No, there’s nothing like actually being there and speaking with all the developers and playing all the games.  But the following videos and pictures will bring you pretty darn close to the action.

Here’s how the booth tour posts are set up.  You’ll find an embedded YouTube video at the top; this video will contain 2-3 booth tours.  Below you will see various picture galleries separated by company.  Next to each company’s name I hand-picked the most popular games featured at that booth.  And that’s it, really.  So go ahead and dive into this first one here–it’s Microsoft and Sony, two of the biggest booths on campus.

Microsoft: Kinect games, Fable III, Crackdown 2, Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3

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Sony: PlayStation Move games, SOCOM 4, LittleBigPlanet 2, Twisted Metal, Killzone 3

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Interview + hands-on: The Fight: Lights Out (w/ PlayStation Move)

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Game: The Fight: Lights Out

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Release date: November 2010

Another PlayStation Move launch title is The Fight: Lights Out, or Wii Sports Boxing on steroids.  Using two Move controllers you are in control of a street fighter.  Though motions are not 1:1 (your on-screen character does not imitate every action you make), the game does a good job at picking up specific boxing moves like punches, uppercuts, and body and elbow shots.  The more fluid and deliberate you make your punches the better PS Eye transfers your motions on-screen.  By holding down the main Move button on the controller you can control the direction in which your character moves.  Predefined “dirty moves” can be called up by pressing the trigger button.  Check out that double-hammer fist special move!  The game is also physics-based; in the demo this means that you can use one Move controller to push your opponents arm out of the way to make room for a clean punch with the other controller.  If you defeat your opponent you get the opportunity to “finish him” with a special move.  In the demo I played this involved my character lightly tapping the opponent to make him fall over and pass out on the floor.  I’ve also heard that another finishing move will involve blowing your opponent over by physically blowing into the PS Eye’s built-in mic.  After the fight is over a results page lets you know how many calories you burned during the length of the fight.

Overall I really enjoyed playing The Fight.  When I first picked up the controllers I wanted to beat up my opponent to a bloody pulp with frantic punch gestures and flicks of the wrist.  Quickly I learned that fast movements resulted in poor feedback on the PS Eye’s end.  Once I settled in and started to strategically produce counter-punches the experience became a whole lot more realistic and fun.  I also like the black-and-white style with splashes of red when blood is drawn.  With the promise of a character customization studio, a single player campaign, an online multiplayer mode, and the ability to bet on games and use your winnings to purchase in-game items, The Fight is panning out to be a solid launch title for the Move.

Interview + hands-on: TV Superstars (w/ PlayStation Move)

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Game: TV Superstars

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Release date: November 2010

TV Superstars is a party game that places a customized avatar into a number of mini-games based on reality shows.  Before you jump into a game show, you are required to customize an avatar using the PS Eye.  You step up to the camera and take three pictures of yourself with neutral, smile, and angry faces.  After your face is placed on the head of the virtual avatar, you can play around with the size/shape of the head, hair color/style, and skin tone.  Then you are asked to record a personal message to go along with your avatar by speaking into the mic (which is built into the PS Eye).  Once your character is complete you can jump into one of three game shows, Let’s Get Physical, Frokstar, and Big Beat.  Due to time constraints I only played the first game.

Let’s Get Physical resembles a Japanese physical challenge show and places your avatar into the challenges.  In the “Wheel of Heroes” mini-game you hold the PS Move controller in one hand a shake it back and forth in a running motion to make the avatar run and jump over obstacles.  In “Airheads” you pull back the Move controller to spring yourself out of a slingshot and you have to position the controller to match the silhouette figure on screen.  If you match it up correctly your avatar will fly through the window and you’ll move on to more challenging orientations.

Though the customization aspect of this game is intriguing and quite comedic, the controls were a bit irritating.  In “Airheads” I had trouble matching the controller position to the silhouette figures.  I had to keep reminding myself that PS Move (in combination with the PS Eye) does not track your entire body like Microsoft’s Kinect.  The PS Eye camera only detects the glowing orb atop the Move controller.  So as hard as you try to position your body to match the silhouette configurations on screen you won’t get anywhere unless the Move controller is maneuvered the right way.  Simply put, this game would be a lot more fun if it was made for Kinect, not for PS3.

Interview + hands-on: SOCOM 4 (w/ PlayStation Move)

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Game: SOCOM 4

Publisher: Zipper Interactive

Release date: November 2010

The SOCOM franchise is one I hold very close to my heart.  After going through an obsessive phase with SOCOM II on PS2, I have been looking for that same fantastic experience to make its way to the PS3.  After getting some hands-on time with SOCOM 4 (which is developed by SOCOM II publisher Zipper Interactive), I am excited to share with you that this next iteration in the SOCOM franchise is going to be a winner.

With TV Superstars and The Fight: Lights Out Sony is branching out to the casual set of gamers who just want to grab their Move controllers and jump into a quick and easy to maneuver game.  SOCOM 4 exists to prove that even hardcore gamers can get in on the Move action without sacrificing traditional strategic gameplay that SOCOM is known for.  With the Move controller in one hand and the Navigation (sub) controller in the other, you control a character called Ops Com who leads a squad into a war-torn Southeast Asian environment.  Wait, this doesn’t sound like SOCOM, you’re thinking.  Well, it is!  In addition to a robust online multiplayer mode that supports up to 32 players, SOCOM 4 packs a true single player story-driven campaign that places you in command of a squad.  The demo dropped me into a battle with lots of gunfire.  With a tap on the D-pad I can rally the squad around me and direct them where to go.  Overall the Move controls add a level of precision that goes way beyond what the DualShock 2 controller allowed for in SOCOM II.  The subcontroller’s analog stick moves your character around, and the Move controller is used to line up the reticle, set up a shot, and take it.  Although SOCOM 4 will be playable with a standard DualShock 3 controller you’d be crazy not to want to at least try the Move controls.  It’s really not a gimmick in this game; after sitting down with it for a nice chunk of time I’m confident in saying that Move support is going to help SOCOM develop into a better and truly immersive game.  Calling in an airstrike has never been this much fun.

I’ve been talking so much about the single player and motion control goodness that I haven’t even touched upon the stunning graphics yet!  SOCOM 4 looks amazing.  The environments are highly detailed and quite destructible.  If you shoot at a car window glass will shatter into tiny pieces and the shards will gracefully fall to the ground.  All new intense single player; 32-player online gameplay we know and love; precise Move support; and gorgeous graphics–SOCOM 4 will become my next gaming obsession.

Note: Sorry about the degraded sound quality in the video above.  Our mic was having some trouble during this interview.

Interview + hands-on: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

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Game: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Publisher: Kojima Productions

Release date: Available today (PSP)

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker takes place after the events in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.  The game controls are different from Portable Ops, the last MGS title made for PSP.  Thanks to ad-hoc and WiFi support, Peace Walker allows for co-op experiences within the campaign mode.  Check out the brief demo above to see how the analog nub and D-pad control Snake in this game.  Since the demonstration only featured the tutorial level found at the start of the game, I was unable to go through all the motions of the game.  However, from what I saw and was told, Peace Walker is not only a great PSP title, it is being considered one of the best MGS games in the franchise.  As a big fan of creator Hideo Kojima and all the work he’s put into the MGS games over the years, I am very much looking forward to picking up a copy of Peace Walker and advancing the back story of Solid Snake.

Sony press conference highlights: Move, 3D gaming, PS Plus, Portal 2

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The Sony press conference took place at the Shrine Auditorium.  And I was there!  So please continue on, will you?

3D gaming is all the rage in Sony’s world, and so all distinguished guests of their press conference received 3D glasses.  After humorously jabbing Microsoft and their poncho-required Cirque event from the other day, President & CEO of PlayStation Jack Tretton invited Kazuo Hirai to start things off with a gorgeous demo of Killzone 3 in 3D.  Though 3D gaming might sound like a gimmick to many of you, listen here: 3D adds a great sense of depth to the game and likely become an integral part of video games.  Parts of the gameplay featured the use of jetpacks; during these scenes I felt like I was at a Universal Studios theme park ride, fully immersed in an exciting, different world.  In another scene we were taken to the skies via a helicopter and watched a gunman fire at enemies down below.  At one point I asked myself if I was witnessing a video game demo or a scene from Avatar.  Yeah, it was that good.  The 2-part demonstration elicited many oos and ahhs from the crowd.  I might have been the loudest.  In short, 3D added a tremendous amount of excitement to Killzone; after a few seconds of adjusting to the depth perception any distractions that might have existed disappeared.  Killzone 3 from Guerrilla Games drops February 2011 and will be compatible with Sony’s motion controller called Move.  20 games will be made available in 3D for the PS3 by the end of this year.  Sony promises 20 additional titles will be created natively in 3D by March 2011, some of which include Crysis 2, Mortal Kombat, Shaun White Skatebording, Ghost Recon Future Soldier, EyePet, Tron: Evolution, MLB 2K11, NBA 2K11, Motorstorm Apocalypse, Gran Turismo 5, and a Sly Cooper collection.  A short montage of 3D video and gameplay rounded out the first section of the conference; let’s just say fatalities look fantastic and baseball players throwing balls at you is a bit scary in three dimensions.

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