Posted Nov 19th 2008 3:15PM by Andrew Yoon Filed under: News
Remember Afrika? It's a nature-themed PS3-exclusive photography game that met moderate success when it debuted in Japan earlier this year. An English release seemed unlikely due to the niche content of the game, but it appears the game will be making its way to American shores -- and from an unlikely source, as well.
National Geographic has picked up the rights for Afrika, rebranding it as National Geographic: Africa. It's promised to release next month -- but with potentially very little fanfare.
For more on National Geographic: Africa, read our previous stories on Afrika.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is coming to the PlayStation Store next week. And even better -- you won't have to wait until Thursday to get your hands on it! Capcom's fighting game will arrive during the super-special Thanksgiving Store update on Tuesday, November 25th. That means Street Fighter fans will get the game one day earlier on PS3 than on Xbox 360.
In addition to the game, Capcom will also be releasing a direct-to-download music album of hip-hop tracks inspired by the Street Fighter series. "Street Fighter Underground Remix" will feature artists such as DJ Qbert, Hieroglyphics, Redman, Oh No, DJ Toure, Mistah Fab and Zion I. Each artist has produced a Street Fighter tribute track that will be free of charge and exclusive to the PlayStation Network when Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix launches.
But that's not all PlayStation fans have to look forward to. Capcom also teased another bonus for PS3 owners: "Capcom will also have another 'little' surprise coming to the PlayStation Network later in the holiday season." We know we're not supposed to get excited because they used the word "little." But darn you, Capcom! Stop teasing us!
Who knew making things free makes them more attractive? Although the Xbox 360 has a larger install base, it appears Sony has caught up with the number of connected users going online. Sony has announced 14 million users have registered on PlayStation Network -- a number matching Xbox LIVE's headcount (announced at TGS last month).
Because PlayStation Network is free, people may be less hesitant to jump in and dive into online gaming and shopping. It also means that the numbers may be slightly inflated, as people may own more than one account per machine. Regardless, we're glad that Sony has been able to support such a large number of people on their console for free -- an impressive feat.
Are you interested in these games: Resistance 2, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, Grand Theft Auto IV or LittleBigPlanet? The odds are "yes." Well, amazon.com is currently running a deal -- buy two of these games and get $25 back on a future purchase. Or, buy three and get $50 back. It's almost like a buy three-get one free deal, but with games you actually want this holiday season.
They also have games to choose from the Wii and Xbox 360, just in case you need to add an extra game to your shopping cart. But unless you already own all of these games, this selection of PS3 titles is really more than sufficient.
Posted Nov 19th 2008 11:44AM by Andrew Yoon Filed under: News
Gears of War 2 - 2.13 million units
Fallout 3 - 1.23 million units
Guitar Hero: World Tour - 1.19 million units
LittleBigPlanet - 0.75 million units
There have been a lot of heavy hitters this season, and for PS3 owners, LittleBigPlanet was easily the biggest game of the year. Critics have heaped tons of praise for Media Molecule's innovative platformer, but how has it performed at retail?
"This is an incredibly volatile time of year and the chart reflects that," Sony's David Wilson told GI.biz. The charts have been an uphill battle for LBP, which has been struggling against the return of massive franchises. But, in spite of being an original IP on the PS3, the game has done relatively well. "LittleBigPlanet has also sold well given that this is a brand new IP ... Our industry is littered with examples of brand new innovative titles that have been lauded by the critics but have sold dismally," Wilson added. "But Sony is delighted and honored to be working with hugely talented developers who can create brilliantly creative original games."
It's unlikely LBP will be able to beat any of the other games on this list. However, Sony is still optimistic that sales will continue to rise higher due to "word of mouth."
Job advertisements are often a useful source of information and this listing for Cryptic Studios is no exception. It seems the Star Trek Online developer is looking for some PS3 coding talent to get their MMO engine running nicely on the system. if Star Trek Online (or any other Cryptic properties) are coming to the PS3 then they're the latest in a long line of MMOs that we've been promised for the system.
Between NC Soft's announcement of bringing games to the platform in mid-2007 and SOE's numerous offerings, such as DC Universe Online and The Agency, we've yet to see a single one released. Still, variety is the spice of life and we're happy to hear that there's a chance Star Trek Online will be heading PS3wards. Think you can make it happen? Apply at Cryptic Studios' official website.
Want to win a limited edition (virtual) item that almost no one else will be able to get? Well, here's your chance. To celebrate PS3's second birthday, Sony is challenging LBP players to create a level celebrating two years of Sony's black box. The rules are simple, but you must create your level by December 9th. Then, LBP community members will vote on their favorites.
Here are the rules:
1. Create an original LittleBigPlanet level celebrating the PLAYSTATION 3 second anniversary.
2. You must name your Level using this format. "LBC1 -< YourLevelNameHere >".
3. Publish your Level to the LittleBigPlanet online server at any time up until 11:59am PST December 9, 2008 when the contest closes.
4. Send an e-mail submission to community_support@playstation.sony.com and indicate your level name (LBC1 - < YourLevelNameHere >) in the subject line. Include your PlayStation Network ID along with the name of your Level in your e-mail submission.
Expect more LittleBigPlanet DLC to come in every week. Some of it is free, and some of it is not. This week's free LittleBigPlanet DLC is a costume designed by fan "nebu1ou5" for the "LittleBigChallenge 003- Official in-game SackBoy Costume Contest" held on the official LBP website. It's a Sackboy with a very outdated television set over his head and a remote in his hand. See that after the break.
As for the content which you'll have to shell out some dough for, there are some weird looking LocoRoco costumes to grab. You can see all five LocoRoco-themed costumes posted above. All five come bundled together for $2.99. For us, these costumes are slightly disappointing seeing as there's only a mild resemblance to the lovable LocoRoco blobs, but we suppose those hand accessories (or LocoRoco bracelets?) make up for it.
Posted Nov 18th 2008 4:20PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Here's a curious incident in Willich, Germany that sounds suspiciously like something out of Metal Gear Solid: a 42-year old Turkish man that was serving a seven-year sentence climbed into a 150cm x 120cm (about 59" x 47") cardboard box and was successful in getting himself delivered out of jail. When an express courier came to the prison to pick up some inmate-produced merchandise, the box containing the prisoner was also loaded onto the truck. As soon as the truck passed through the prison gates, the prisoner made a run for it -- he is currently still at large.
According Capcom's vice president of strategic planning and business development Christian Svensson, Sony's data indicates that approximately 50% of PS3 owners are also PSP owners. Svensson made the comment on the official Capcom forums in a thread that was discussing the possibility of the newly launched adhocParty making it stateside. "An interesting note from Sony's data that they've been sharing with us ... about 50% of PS3 owners, also own a PSP." We are unsure of whether the data was collected from around the world or just in the US.
Does this statistic sound right to you? Do most of you who have a PS3 also own Sony's handheld?
SCEE has confirmed to Eurogamer that the PS3 controller chatpad add-on will be making its way to European stores before its American release in "early December." Specificially, Europeans will be able to get their hands on the full qwerty keyboard controller expansion on November 28th for the price of £24.99. No price in Euros has been revealed yet.
A touch pricey, but the chatpad will be very handy for those who prefer to text chat rather than using a headset. Games like LittleBigPlanet can only benefit from it, not to mention the imminent Homeopen beta. Might be worth grabbing just for that.
Posted Nov 18th 2008 10:45AM by Andrew Yoon Filed under: News
SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVAL On November 18th, PS3 Fanboy HQ received a tip that the PS3/PC online spy game, The Agency, had been reportedly canceled. GameFly listed the project as dead, but we doubted such an ambitious game would be killed by SOE. We did some further investigating.
According to SOE's Katie Hanson, there's no reason to believe that The Agency is canceled. Why GameFly would list the project as canceled is beyond. Perhaps ... there's foul play involved?! (cue dramatic music)
Evidence is presented, after the break.
Update: Yet another official statement: "Sony Online Entertainment's game, The Agency™, is still in development for release on both the PLAYSTATION®3 and PC platforms. The game sku has been reinstated to GameFly's website. Feel free to add The Agency to your GameQ!"
What happens when people are reluctant to spend money? Well, they're reluctant to buy a $400 games machine, that's what. As reported yesterday, Blu-ray predictions are down due to the struggling economy. PS3 sales should also be affected, an obvious conclusion made by analyst Piers Harding-Rolls. "At the top end, the PS3 with its high price is arguably more likely to be impacted by a recession than the other platforms. This may prompt consumers to consider other consoles or wait for the PS3 price to drop."
But, sluggish sales of the PS3 won't be the only outcome of a recession economy. Credit has dried up in many areas, meaning developers of games may be forced to cancel or stall projects, before funds become more readily available. "Where I do see an impact is with regards to access to credit for publishers that look to borrow to invest in content production. Obviously credit is less available generally so this may result in cost cutting and some projects being canceled and put on hold."
Of course, when developers and publishers can't try something new, you know what they turn to: less original IPs as investors become increasingly wary of games with ambiguous potential.
Posted Nov 17th 2008 11:25PM by Andrew Yoon Filed under: News
If for some reason you're waiting for the PS3 version of Sonic Unleashed, be prepared to wait a bit longer. The PS2 and Wii versions of the game will be available tomorrow as planned. However, the Xbox 360 and PS3 version have been delayed. The 360 version of Unleashed will be available next week -- but the PS3 version is inexplicably delayed to December. We're not sure for the reasons behind the delay, but we doubt anyone is truly crushed by a few weeks of wait for the hedgehog's upcoming game.
Amid a sea of Resistance 2s, LittleBigPlanets, Dead Spaces and Mirror's Edges it's easy to miss out on some real gaming gems. Titles that don't immediately spring to mind when you think of 2008's must-have games, but which are nonetheless worthy of your attention. Valkyria Chronicles is one of those games and I'm putting my cards on the table in this, the review's intro paragraph, so that there's no ambiguity; Valkyria Chronicles is an amazing game. Here's why.
Valkyria Chronicles is a Japanese Strategy RPG set in a fictional Second World War. You take control of Squad 7 of the Gallian Militia in order to prevent the evil Empire from invading your home country. The game places a lot of stock in its story, with many cutscenes throughout.
The first thing you'll notice about the game is how beautiful it is. The overall anime style may be familiar to you, but you've never seen it done like this before. A textured overlay makes the game look like a watercolor painting on stretched canvas. An effect heightened by the very edges of the screen, which have been left blank and uneven. As if the artist has not painted all the way to the edge.
What happens when people are reluctant to spend money? Well, they're reluctant to buy a $400 games machine, that's what. As reported yesterday, Blu-ray predictions are down due to the struggling economy. PS3 sales should also be affected, an obvious conclusion made by analyst Piers Harding-Rolls. "At the top end, the PS3 with its high price is arguably more likely to be impacted by a recession than the other platforms. This may prompt consumers to consider other consoles or wait for the PS3 price to drop."
