PS3 Fanboy

PlayStation.Blog is confirming that the Eye of Judgment Set 2 cards will be ready in North America by April 28. This is great news for those of you who were eagerly waiting for a new release date announcement. It's nice to hear that the cards haven't been delayed that long for North America. Set 2 was already released worldwide on March 27.

We've recently had the pleasure of trying out the new Eye of Judgment: Biolith Rebellion 2 expansion -- that very same expansion set to hit the US PSN this Thursday, March 27. Right away, we were excited to test out our new holo-cards and so we immediately began installing the new expansion.

We eagerly waited for the install to go through, though we soon realized it was taking longer than we expected. It was roughly about a fifteen-minute waiting period for a near two gig install. Keep in mind, however, we were told that the final update hitting the PSN should only be one gigabyte, so we assume gamers won't be experiencing the same sort of downtime we went through.

Once the install was finished, we immediately noticed some new changes. For one, the start up screen now displays "Set 2" in the lower right corner. Soon after, we began a battle with the sample cards we were given. Out of the 100 new spells and creatures promised in Set 2, we've tested out about 26 new creature and spell cards. The new character models and their animations look wonderful. We're sure fans of the game will like the new units like the Biolith War Chariot -- a tank-like summoned creature that can attack two adjacent enemy squares simultaneously.

There's a lot more to see in the game, yet we've only scratched the surface. From what we've seen thus far, we can deduce that Set 2 is something fans will be pleased with. We do have one indirect gripe though; to use your new Set 2 cards you'll need to purchase the expansion software on the PSN for $14.99. Now, why still charge gamers for functionality when they'll already be spending a fortune on cards? Oh well, c'est la vie. In any case, have a look at some shots of new cards and in-game battle animations in the gallery, then let your eyes be the judge of things.

Up until recently, details have been sparse in regards to how you'll actually be playing The Eye of Judgment, but just in case you still have some questions, this video should spell everything out for you.

While the game seems to live up to its billing, we could have used some battle music when the game transitions to combat mode. The lovely music is nice for a lonely walk in the woods, but when a flock of dwarves is battling a winged demon astride a three-headed beast, we expect to be blasted with some metal ... or even country music at the very least.

While Sony still has some work to do to explain Afrika, Mark Valledor, SCEA marketing manager, thought it was about time to shed some light on The Eye of Judgment, so he posted a new video and five things you don't know about the game on the official PlayStation blog. For your reading pleasure, I've condensed it all into a few sentences.

The game, which features the word judgment with only one "e" in its title, will be released for $70 on Oct. 23 in North America, followed by a global launch later in the month. Yes, it will be bundled with the PlayStation Eye, and expansion packs will be available to buy further down the line.

Lastly, Sony has implemented a system to disallow online cheating by forcing users to register their decks offline. Their decks will then be available to be chosen when they play against an online opponent and will be randomly shuffled and drawn by the game. Players will then have to play their corresponding physical cards in the "real" world.

For a much more in-depth explanation, keep reading on.

[Thanks, Ruben!]

Our initial title for this post was admittedly more flame-worthy, but we decided "immense potential" sounded better than Sony's off-handed "beyond the Wii" inferences. While the title is different, the underlying message remains the same: the PlayStation Eye is being touted as revolutionary in the realm of 3D tracking. The director of Eye of Judgment, Kazuhito Miyaki, commented thus on the camera: "there is much more potential and ability in our technology." He explains that while the card-game is just that, every new PS Eye game will create a completely different dynamic, so the possibilities are pretty close to endless.

We weren't sure if his quote about the PS Eye not being a key device to the PS3 was a knock at Nintendo or not, so you decide: "All of the different Eye Toy games that we've made so far and the wide range [of gameplay] that we have delivered shows that the camera isn't the key device, it's what we do with it that's important." We like pretending that it isn't, since neither the Wii or PS Eye have matured into products worth passing our judgment on. Either way, whether you own a Sony console or are completely satisfied with your Wii, you'll have a fantastic peripheral and a unique console experience headed your way.

The PlayStation Eye accessory is far more advanced than its last-gen predecessor, the EyeToy. With 120fps support, high-res video recording, advanced speech recognition, and EyeCreate photo editing software, we feared the Eye would cost an arm and a leg. It doesn't appear to be the case. The upcoming Eye of Judgment, which includes the camera peripheral, is listed for the same price as a regular PS3 retail game: only $60. According to amazon.com, the game will arrive in October. At this price, it seems worthwhile to pick up -- even if you're not interested in the game.

[Thanks, Jared!]

It's been kind of hard getting Sony to nail down release dates for their upcoming stable of first-party exclusives, regardless of territory. Europe has really gotten the rawest deal though, with no confirmed release dates for any games period -- until now. Thanks to Gamer's Creed, Europeans finally know when they will be getting the first wave of mega-titles from Sony. Here's the list according to the scanned documents:

• Warhawk with headset: September 19th
• Heavenly Sword: September 19th
• Folklore: October 10th
• Lair: October 24th
• Eye of Judgment: October 24th
• Singstar: October

The release dates are kind of lame in general -- with Europe getting titles between two weeks and a month later than Americans get them. At least PS3s are region free, so impatient Euros can simply just order them from an American store like this one (as used by Jem, our resident foreigner). Still, the release list has got to be frustrating for Europeans wanting for the summer game drought to finally end.

[Via N4G]

Upon seeing this Penny Arcade comic, our own Nick Doerr breathed a sigh of relief saying, "Awesome. I finally feel I'm not the only one strangely interested in the game." You're not alone Nick -- in fact, there's an increasing interest for this unique real and virtual card game. The synergistic qualities of Eye of Judgment give it a strange appeal.

The nerd-king Tycho explains in his blog: "The physicality of card placement and interaction has its own virtues. Cards are recognized in a second or less, so watching them transformed is actually a very interactive, exciting process. You don't actually need the PS3 to play it - the game can be played on a regular table without any electronic accompaniment. But you'll probably find, as we did, that having a perpetually available neutral arbiter who will track all numeric systems is pretty convenient."

We were impressed by our brief time with it at E3 ... and it looks like Penny Arcade is too. Slowly, but surely, it appears that positive word of mouth is spreading for this incredibly innovative and unique card game.

To put it briefly, The Eye of Judgment is Magic: The Gathering meets Tic-Tac-Toe. The upcoming Eye-enabled card game has players using real cards on a real board, trying to gain the most territory on a 3x3 grid. The fusion of real cards and a virtual environment might echo thoughts of Yu-Gi-Oh ... and for fans of card games, that's bound to be a good thing.

There's a surprising amount of depth to the card battles from the demonstration we tried. Ultimately, players will want to have the best monsters, but there are a number of variables that can drastically change a battle. For example, each square on the board is aligned with a different elemental. Aligning one's monster to these elements is crucial. Each monster has specific directions it can attack in, so positioning one's card is also significant, especially in a field as small as this one.

Players will want to purchase real-life expansion packs in order to get further in the game. Sure, it may sound expensive, but any CCG junkie can attest to how pricey of a hobby this can be. The Eye integration certainly is intriguing, and we're sure The Eye of Judgment will secure a dedicated hardcore fan base. For those that are interested, we recommend playing the game offline with a friend. In order to prevent online cheating, gamers will have to scan all their cards before an online match. Afterwards, the computer will deal a hand to each player. It seems like a somewhat cumbersome process, and it downplays the "real world" aspect of the game ... and isn't that what makes this game so unique?

User Shin-Ra at the PS3Forums has stumbled upon the entire package of the upcoming PlayStation Eye game, Eye of Judgment. Now sporting the subtitle Biolith Rebellion, the set comes with the PS-Eye, stand, card mat and starter deck all in addition to the game itself. While you might be thinking "wow, that's a lot of stuff ... it's probably really expensive," you'd be surprised to learn that the cost for all of this is only around 10,000 yen. If you translate that into US dollars, it's around $80. Around there. We think it's a great deal, especially for the innovative technology you'll be investing in!

[via PS3Forums]

The PlayStation.Blog's "Inside the Developer's Studio" feature continues in its run up to E3. On the 27th we got some new info on NBA 08 from Erich Waas. Yesterday was Felice Standifer's turn to tell us a little something about The Eye of Judgment.

Standifer reveals that the development team is "focused on a global launch of this title, so you can challenge players from all over the world" from its release in the autumn. Sounds great to us, we're looking forward to getting our hands on it as soon as possible. He goes on to say that "there will be over 100 different cards available with the booster packs, so you never know what creature is going to be coming at you." Sony seems to be really persuing a large amount of variety when it comes to their games. From the 350 songs available at the launch of Singstar to Eye of Judgment's plentiful collectible cards. No doubt, as Wizards of the Coast have a hand in publishing the cards, we'll be seeing even more after the first "set" is released.

Be sure to read the full Q&A over at the PlayStation.Blog.

If the whole PlayStation Eye thing didn't get your blood pumping, check your pulse! Not only is it one of the most advanced peripherals ever for a console, it may be one of the most advanced peripherals ever. Packaged with the camera will be the game Eye of Judgment, a card-battle game that plays out with the assistance of the camera. It's hard to explain, but it's amazing. These screenshots aren't the most impressive graphically, but they definitely show how fascinating the gameplay will be. In one shot, it seems the way you angle your card will alter the direction of an attack or spell. Pretty detailed! Expect this game to hit shelves in October. Check out a video, after the break.

The elusive Eye of Judgment hasn't had any new videos for a long while, especially one that really shows us how the game will work. Well, we've got two videos for you here. For the heck of it, we're putting the one that shows you how the PlayStation Eye works in regards to the cards behind the "continued" link -- we don't want to clog up our main page with a list of videos. Enjoy them, tell us what you think. All we know is that there's definitely a heavy metal soundtrack to come with this game and it deserves it.

Along with the announcement of the PlayStation Eye Camera, there came mention of a few more games that we haven't really heard all that much about. We'll get to that. The anticipated card game, Eye of Judgment, has been slated for a worldwide release this autumn, bundled with the new PS Eye Camera, a stand, and a stack o' cards. For some reason, people don't know when the European release is, but when we hear "worldwide", we include Europe.

These other titles we don't know a lot about include: Ember, Sky Blue, and Aqua Vita. These are three titles that are slated to utilize the PlayStation Eye Camera. We don't know if they'll come out this year or next year, but they'll have some crazy applications with the camera, we'd bet. Good stuff! We'll gladly take you on with our awesome cards come autumn.

Now, say that subject line to yourself in the voice of Dr. Byron Orpheous (of Venture Brothers fame). If that makes no sense to you, disregard that suggestion. IGN provides a summary of an interview with Mr. Watanabe, one of the brains behind the Eye of Judgment, an interesting twist on the card game genre. We'll do our usual and summarize the summary.

• "We use technology that can read 2D bar codes called cyber codes. The cards carry codes in this fashion. If the user lays it out in front so that it's picked up by the camera, it recognizes the code and can call out the character that's associated with the card's ID," says Watanabe.
• The game reflected Watanabe's movement in real time and even allowed him to "pet" the creatures on each card.
• Versus mode? There's a 3x3 grid where each player tries to take control of five spaces. There's also rumors of online services where you can battle people overseas. This will increase interest, so hopes Watanabe. Expanding the community, forming new interests... you know. Becoming more worldly, or something.
  
• "For people who've not played card games until now, we believe there are many who will take an interest from the visual impact and will want to try out the game. Also, we're making a real card game, so it will be something that core gamers can get a lot out of." Sounds interesting enough. Better than Uno? We'll see...
• The battle scenes use techniques like jet brushes and normal maps... not to mention a ton of particle effects.
• "The player selects the card, and puts it in a place where it can be placed. That's it. The controller is not used at all. Only cards. The cards are what you'd call the input interface." See, that's pretty cool.
• Watanabe's feelings about the PS3 are also conveyed: "The PlayStation 3 can be a new segment of digital entertainment that goes beyond the framework of previous consoles. We're at the point where designers, myself included, can realize ideas that we joked about before."

So there you have it. A little bit of info and Watanabe's thoughts. Not much info about the actual game, regrettably, but it gives a little insight into the true power of the new Eye Toy. You can check out IGN's summary and a few cool screens, but we've got a feeling more new info will surface after the Tokyo Game Show.