PS3 Fanboy

Chances are you've read rumblings about Fat Princess throughout the web. This surprise PSN game announced at E3 really came out of nowhere. While a title like Fat Princess may sound unappealing, rest assured that this has the potential to become a real multiplayer PSN hit.

How do we describe Fat Princess? We like to think of it as Team Fortress meets Pikmin meets a high-carb diet. Ultimately, Fat Princess is simply a capture the flag game. However, the unique 2D presentation makes it rather surreal. The game supports up to a massive 32 players online, and the smart use of AI ensures that every battle you take online will be fun and exciting. You see, if you can't get all 32 players to play, or if someone drops out in the middle of a match, bots can quickly and transparantly take over. This way, every time you jump online, you'll have someone to play with.

Although there are multiple modes of play, there is usually one ultimate goal in Fat Princess, and that's to capture an enemy's princess and take them back to your own base. Each team will be split to Red and Blue teams, and each side will clash throughout the battlefields. There are a number of hats each player can don, and each hat represents a certain class, which yields certain abilities and powers.

Namco Bandai's upcoming Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is such a surprising treat. The PS3 exclusive has earned a lot of attention due to its fantastic graphics, but Ninja Storm features far more than just a pretty face. We had a chance to play a more expansive build at Namco Bandai's E3 booth, where we took a sneak peak at the game's elusive single player mode and got some hands-on time with the multiplayer.

Naruto's adventure begins just like it does in the manga. A cool treat for fans will be the inclusion of both Japanese and English audio for the story. From the looks of things, all the dialogue in the game may be spoken. While the lip-syncing was very off, we're hoping it can be fixed before Naruto's upcoming holiday release. The adventure will have Naruto exploring the Hidden Leaf village, much like in the Xbox 360 Naruto game. He'll have to talk to various villagers to progress the story, unlock missions and goals. Surprisingly, the first PS3 Naruto game covers a lot of territory: we were told that the game's story will go all the way up to the Sasuke Retrieval arc.

Sega's upcoming Valkyria Chronicles has everything a PS3 fan could want: not only is is pretty, it sports a unique artstyle, innovative gameplay ... and it's exclusive to PS3. We stopped by the Sega booth at E3 and was treated to a fun experience that will attract strategy and shooting fans alike.

The fundamentals of battle have us excited. Players must take out a swarm of enemy soldiers, and to do so they must be incredibly resourceful. Each turn grants players the ability to move characters around a map and attack enemies. Players must use each character's unique abilities wisely, as they only have a limited amount of turns to use before the enemies attack. For example, player may want to use a scout to move ahead forward and scout out enemy positions. Unlike other SRPGs, players have direct control over the characters they select; players will move the characters using the analog stick and must quickly find appropriate cover. Positioning is key: players will want to not only get a vantage over enemies, but they'll want to be in a position where return fire will not affect them.

Usually, a venue like E3 proves to be a bad venue for a game like Silent Hill Homecoming. The usual hustle and bustle of the E3 show floor makes for a game focused squarely on atmosphere to suffer. So, why was our playtest of Silent Hill Homecoming in a closed room with headphones so uninspiring? There are a number of issues that come to the top of our minds: the lackluster graphics stand out, for once. However, the most frustrating aspect of Homecoming is how familiar it all felt. Returning to Silent Hill on consoles after an adventure like Silent Hill IV: The Room is strange. Regardless of the execution found in that last Silent Hill title, one couldn't deny the interesting premise which took the series in a slightly different direction. Homecoming, on the other hand, plays it safe and feels like an HD remake of Silent Hill Origins (PSP).

For those that are hankering for a new Silent Hill game, perhaps this by-the-numbers offering will satiate that itch. However, the setting is much too familiar, and the setup is just not that compelling. Waking up strapped down in a hospital bed, our protagonist Alex Shephard must break free and find clues on his missing brother. Combat works just as it has before: lock on and swing various melee weapons found in the environment.

While single player has always been the focus of Killzone 2 at its various press showings, today was all about one thing: multiplayer. Too bad we have to wait until early 2009 for its release, because what we've seen looks like everything PS3 fans have been waiting for. We don't want to use the phrase "Halo killer," because that's not what it is. It's something entirely different; we can't help but think that Killzone 2 may become the definitive PS3-exclusive shooter. Killzone 2's multiplayer experience is something entirely different ... by combining the best aspects of multiplayer gaming from Call of Duty 4, Battlefield, Team Fortress Online, Metal Gear Online and even the upcoming Resistance 2.

Firstly, we have to note the visuals of Killzone 2's multiplayer mode. Even with support of up to 32 players on the PSN, Killzone 2 looks just as good online as it does in the single player campaign. The character models still look incredible, and the game's stellar use of motion blur and lighting still carries on into the online mode. The experience of Killzone 2's multiplayer offerings is all about leveling up, introducing players to new features. Newbies to the game's online mode will find themselves limited in the options they can access, as they learn the basics of the gameplay. With each kill, headshot, heal, and objective, players inch closer to increasing ranks. Ranks will unlock various things in multiplayer, like the ability to start a clan, or switch to a different, more customizable class. There will be twelve ranks in all, and players will learn new tactics and strategies along the way.

A carefully typed PowerPoint presentation had Jenova Chen's next PSN game's title as Flower. No, not flOwer, because that would suggest it was flOw+er, which would do an incredible disservice to this surprisingly ambitious title. Sure, there are a number of similarities between flOw and Flower: both use SIXAXIS tilt-controls, both are technically "single button games," and both fuse music and intuitive gameplay to evoke emotions rarely found in any other game. But, Flower does much more than we could have expected.

Jenova Chen described flOw as a gaming "haiku" -- but Flower is a "poem." It comes as an incredible surprise that Flower tells a story, told through the dreams of various flowers. When a player begins a new game, they aren't treated to lush green fields of grass. No, we see a colorless dying cityscape, one with a lone flower sitting in a cracked, dirty pot. Trigger a flower's dream, and we're treated to abstract watercolor paintings of a city that hint at a much bigger story.

So what's the gameplay like? You control a flower pedal, and you must tilt the PS3 controller to guide it to other flowers. It's a simple premise that's instantly accessible, but figuring out what must be done in each level requires exploration and experimentation. Each playthrough is meant to be a "performance," and players will want to tilt their controllers and create music through the various flowers in these fields. Each flower creates its own unique sound, depending on the background music, the speed of the wind and the player's timing. The mix of lush visuals and synesthetic gameplay is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Announced yesterday at E3, the PS Store video service was ready for us the same night. We tried it out, and chronicled our experiences with it. Will you be using this instead of buying/renting a DVD, or even a Blu-ray?

We tried a both a SD and HD download, as well as watched a video on the PSP. We also played with different options, and even took a note of download and transfer speeds. Hopefully this will help out you guys who are on the fence about all of this.

So what cha' waiting for? Took a look here.

We're here. Hope you join us. The entire E3 press conference will be liveblogged, after the break. Stay tuned!

Important Updates:

• Greatest Hits titles will be available at $29.99 retail later this year. Games include Resistance, Motorstorm, Warhawk, Call of Duty 3, Fight Night and Need for Speed Carbon, Rainbow Six Vegas, Assassins Creed, Oblivion, Ninja Gaiden.
• Universal access to PSN, via PC later this fall. Access Friends lists and more on your computer, even when you're not on the PS3.
• Ratchet & Clank Quest For Booty coming to PSN this Summer. A new concept: shorter game at a lower price. A big summer blockbuster film: it's everything you expect from a Ratchet game, and it's a continuation of the franchise. It leaves off where Tools of Destruction leaves off.
• New PSN games includes Rag Doll Kung Fu sequel.
• Movie and TV downloads. Major studio supports from Sony, Fox, MGM, Lions Gate, Warner, Disney, Paramount, Turner, Funimation will offer support for PlayStation video. Will offer SD and HD content. TV shows start at $1.99 per episode, movie rentals start at $5.99 per rental. Not only can you play the content on the PS3, you can play it on PSP. It can be placed on multiple devices at the same time.
• Ratchet & Clank Size Matters Entertainment Pack includes Size Matters, Nation Treasure 2, 1GB Memory Stick, echochrome for $199 later this year.
• PSP Resistance Retribution announced. Third person action game. The Resistance is now in your hands. Uses over-the-should view. From Sony Bend, developers of the Syphon Filter PSP games.
• PSP Software highlight reel includes Loco Roco 2, Super Stardust Portable. Valkyria Chronicles on PSP!
• Life with PlayStation also on display. Will be available at the end of the month.
• First look at DC Universe Online for PS3. Experience the DC Universe as never before. Fight against or alongside favorite DC heroes and villians, like Batman, Superman, The Joker. Build your legacy against superpowered enemies.
• 80GB Core Pack at $399.99. Twice the storage capacity at the same price. New SKU, most likely will not feature PS2 backwards compatibility.
• God of War III coming to PS3! Trailer showcased.
• inFamous coming Spring 2008.
• Andy Beaudoin from Zipper's new game. (Zipper worked on SOCOM on PS2.) MAG will support up to 256 players.

This may not sound like a paradigm shattering piece of news, but I'm excited about Soulcalibur IV. Virtua Fighter may hold my heart for technical fighting games, but that tale of souls and swords, eternally retold still manages to bring out the button-mashing kid in me. You remember transcending history and the world, don't you? You don't?

I remember that tale. I remember long nights debating the merits and flaws of the Soul Edge and Soul Blade and trying to understand the metaphysics behind good and evil swords transforming to fit their wielder. It was a mighty fine fighting game too, but it was the story that kept me coming back to complete the game with each and every character. Back then I could tell you the motivations of just about every character in every fighting game I played. Nowadays you're lucky if you even get endings.

One thing has been made abundantly clear in all the media we've seen of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm -- it is insanely pretty. Playing the recent demo (available now in Qore, public release in a few weeks) only reaffirmed this point. Ultimate Ninja Storm, more than any anime game before it, looks just as good, if not better, than its source material. Not only is the level of detail stunning, the fluidity of the animations and the strong use of motion blur give it a truly cinematic look.

The Ultimate Ninja games on PS2 and PSP were all rather solid, but fans will be shocked to see the series make the transition into full 3D battles. Expanding the battlefield adds a great deal of depth to the aging series, and makes fighting even more enjoyable.

We finally unlocked all the Trophies for Super Stardust HD. As the first game available with Trophy support, many are jumping online to boost their PlayStation level. With 9 Bronze, 6 Silver and 2 Gold Trophies, we're sure this is going to keep many occupied for quite some time. Here's our guide to unlock all the Trophies. Good luck!

Hero of Lave - Complete planet Lave
Bronze | Difficulty: Very Easy
All Arcade mode Trophies can be earned in Easy mode. We recommend that you play on that difficulty to make it easier to get the Trophies you want. For this Trophy, simply beat the first level. Having trouble with the boss? Make sure you focus on only one weak point at a time. You should be able to destroy one weak point before he does his spin attack. His spin will vacuum space debris, so you may want to keep your distance in the early parts of this battle. The Trophy will unlock once you start the next level.

So, we're finally able to talk officially about PS3 firmware 2.40. Available July 2nd, this hotly anticipated firmware update has been the topic of discussion throughout various internet forums and our own site. Many rumors stemmed from supposed leaks, and we can now say that many of these reveals were right on the money. The features to be added in firmware 2.40 represent the biggest jump for PS3 owners, more so than 2.00 released a few months earlier. The key features of the update include the most-wanted things voiced by a majority of PS3 fans. In-game XMB and achievement-like trophies are the two biggest additions to this update.

In-Game XMB
Finally, in-game XMB will be implemented for the very first time. When one presses the PS button, it will bring up with entire XMB. No features are hidden in this menu; you will be able to see all of your Photos, Music and Video. While everything can be seen, not everything can be accessed from the menu. For example, if you want to click on a video, a message will tell you that the game will end if you proceed any further. This will allow players to jump from one activity to another quickly on the PS3. For example, you can jump from a game of PixelJunk Monsters, directly into Resistance 2. Then, you can quick to a video on the hard drive, and then listen to some music. It makes the entire system much easier to use.

Kylie Prymus is the first columnist for PS Fanboy. A Ph.D candidate in philosophy, Kylie specializes in the sociology of technology. Through this new weekly column, Kylie will explore the impact of PlayStation on thought and culture.

Any gamer who has spent a significant amount of uninterrupted time staring through a 2D screen into a 3D game world understands the strange perceptual shift that takes place when returning to the truly 3-dimensional space of the real world. There is a disorienting effect, a sense of unreality, in coming back to a place where perspective changes are achieved not by the subtle movements of an analog stick, but by actually shifting the head which houses your ocular apparatus. I first experienced this 10 years ago after a marathon session of The Ocarina of Time, giving my not-yet-21 self a taste of the post-college-party vertigo to come. A similar effect can be achieved by long stretches of reading, focusing on a purely 2D plane for hours and then trying to adjust to the vividness of reality.

Games also have a deeper effect on our perception of the world, one which far too much press has declared detrimental to gamers and society at large. Our actions in the game world can and do affect our real-world thoughts. Who can claim not to have had at least a small desire to put the pedal to the floor after playing Gran Turismo, especially when one of the licensed songs comes on the radio? How often do you think about the alternate routes through the grocery store a Portal gun would make possible? Beyond being whimsical fantasies divulged only in conversation with individuals at or above yourself on the gamer-nerd scale, some games can actually change the way you think in a positive direction. The intellect enhancing possibility of games has been exploited most successfully by Nintendo with their DS selling Brain Age series (despite a recent Wired article claiming it has no such benefit). Echochrome may well be Sony's answer to the Dendrite Stimulation genre. There's just one problem: what exactly does it make you smarter at?

This is SOCOM. On the PS3. That's SOCOM Confrontation, put simply. It's somewhat strange to think that the team that brought us the incredibly innovative SOCOM Tactical Strike (PSP) is bringing us a game that feels so by-the-numbers. But for the hardcore SOCOM community, this is the game they've been waiting for. It's been years since the last major console SOCOM game, and Slant Six must offer a product that delivers all the thrills that fans of the franchise have come to expect. Rest assured, Confrontation delivers everything SOCOM fans have come to expect from the series, and expands upon the formula by adding massive 32-player matches and a fully-fleshed online community component.

Many criticized the game when it made its public debut last year for having dated graphics. But, Slant Six had only worked on the game for 5 months when the initial screens were shown to the public. Since then, the game has made remarkable progress, and looks rather stunning. The lighting, heat blur, and smoke effects are all beautifully rendered -- and the scope of each of the game's seven levels is massive.