PS3 Fanboy

We haven't heard much from WipEout HD since PlayStation Day more than two months ago. Unfortunately, SCEE president David Reeves just spoke out about it, and informed us that "there is a specific technical problem with WipEout that we have to solve. I can't go into details but it is a really, really tricky technical problem that no region has been able to solve at the moment." Wipeout is an updated version of earlier PSP titles WipEout Pulse and Pure that aims to run at 1080p and 60 fps. Could the technical problem have something to do with getting the game to run at that resolution? Speculation aside, Reeves believes the game will "come out before the end of the year" but cautions that "it is something that was just very difficult to get to grips with." We think it is safe to say we are all looking forward to this title when it is complete.

[Thanks, Freker!]

Even though it's incredibly compressed, this new gameplay footage of WipEout HD looks incredible. As fans of Pure and Pulse on PSP, it's incredible to see how much of a visual revamp this PS3 remake has. It's expected, of course -- but that doesn't negate how impressive this game looks.

Check out all the videos at videogamer.com.

[Via Three Speech]

The official WipEout HD website is ready to visit and includes a huge amount of information on the game. For those of you who are fed up reading, there are plenty of pretty pictures of all of the tracks and vehicles. Not only that but you can preview the soundtrack of the game and even watch fly-throughs of some of the levels. Phew. Just about the only thing you can't do is play the damn thing. Not until it's released in "late May or early June," anyway.

If you're not already psyched up for this game and the last trailer didn't do it for you, be sure to check out the website. It's certainly got us excited for the title all over again.

MTV's Stephen Totilo has recently had his hands on with all the big first-party PSN games that will be hitting within the next few months. His thoughts on each title are generally very positive, which is great now that we know that they're all coming out between now and June. Totilo lists each of the games (Echochome, Elefunk, PixelJunk Monsters: Encore and WipEout HD) along with a vague release date.

While May will be the busiest month of the quarter, April will kick things off with (as well as a Store redesign) PixelJunk Monsters: Encore, an expansion pack for the well received tower defense game, which is pegged for the latter part of the month. Echochrome and Elefunk will keep May interesting until WipEout HD finally gets a release in "late May, or early June".

Interestingly, it seems that Echochrome will receive two releases - one for PS3 and one for PSP. Each will be entirely different to the other in terms of level layout, but both will be available for download from the PSN Store. True Echochrome fans will no doubt want to grab both versions for the full experience. Needless to say, these dates are all US based. There's no telling when Europe will be seeing any of these games ...

Normally we'd have the videos for you to watch right here, but the website hosting them seems to be having some bandwidth issues when it comes to embedded streaming. As such, we're just going to link you to the videos and assure you that they're pretty awesome. We've got not one, not two, but three videos for you to watch and while it's not quite the same as playing the game, WipEout HD looks like one heck of a fun ride. F-Zero, eat your heart out.

The WipEout series has always had excellent soundtracks and WipEout HD promises to be no exception. Sony has today revealed the full music list for the game, along with a plethora of other details, most of which we've seen before. The full soundtrack for the game is as follows:

• MoveYa! & Steve Lavers: Chemical
• Stanton Warriors: Tokyo
• DJ Fresh: X-Project (100% Pure mix)
• Ed Rush, Optical & Matrix: Frontline
• Noisia: Seven Stitches
• MIST: Smart Systems
• Mason: Exceeder - Special mix
• Booka Shade: Steady Rush
• Kraftwerk: Aero Dynamik

Nothing on that list take your fancy? That's okay, WipEout HD will feature full custom soundtrack support, just like its PSP cousin, Wipeout Pulse. That means you can speed along at 600kph whilst listening to something wholly inappropriate, if you so wish.

Okay, so we knew Wipeout HD looked good. But we didn't know it looked this good. Our jaws dropped faster than a ship in Phantom mode. According to the press release, the game will release "soon" on the PLAYSTATION Store. Featuring a variety of the "best tracks" from the series' long history, this retrospective journey will be the definitive Wipeout experience. Players will also be able to control their craft with SIXAXIS tilt controls, if they so wish.

Check out the screens in our updated gallery, and check out the track list after the cut.

Wow, we've been waiting ever so patiently for any word on WipEout HD. With Pulse (PSP) finally completed, Studio Liverpool is undoubtedly hard at work at this gorgeous HD remix of the PSP WipEout games. Check out Eurogamer for their exclusive, stunning trailer. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we find out more about this upcoming PSN downloadable.

[Thanks, Kyril!]

Did you hear that thud? That's the sound of our jaws accelerating to the floor, smashing into a million tiny pieces. New images of Wipeout HD have surfaced at PlayFrance, and they look absolutely stunning.

What makes this more impressive is that all of these images will be running in full 1080p HD resolution, and at a silky smooth 60fps. That's almost unheard of in this generation of games. Imagine how exhilarating it will be to race these stunning tracks with Wipeout's trademark sense of speed.

The French interview also reveals a few other interesting tidbits. Development of the game started less than a year ago, with a team of only six people. The team has grown to about 30 people now, with 3 of them having worked on the original PS1 Wipeout so many years ago. Although the game is just an HD version of the PSP games, the reworked textures and graphics will make it feel like a completely different experience. Also, expect licensed music from Kraftwerk, Mason, DJ Fresh and Stanton Warriors to return -- this time in glorious 5.1 surround sound. We can't wait for more.

[Via PSPGadgetZ]

Back at TGS, we gave you all the details on all the features the upcoming downloadable Wipeout HD would have. However, a new fact sheet reveals that a few of the game's features are being axed, quite possibly to make its "coming soon" release date. Some of the features missing include a community website, which would've allowed players to create profiles and see stats of other players. Various online and offline racing modes have been eliminated. The previously announced seven race modes have been whittled down to five -- Elimination and Head to Head modes are now gone.

In addition, Photo Mode, which will allow players to take in-game pictures, is also missing. Customizable race rules are also missing from this newly-shrunken release.

So what happened? It looks like this game is simply being pushed up, hopefully to release before the year ends. It seems that many of the community features promised in the game simply aren't possible using the current PS3 firmware. Certainly, "Game 3.0" features have played a vital role in the slowing down the release of Home, LittleBigPlanet and SingStar.

[Via NeoGAF]

Wipeout HD is hitting the PLAYSTATION Store later this year, and although it's just a remix of tracks from previous games, there's a lot to look forward to. In addition to the obviously improved graphics, the game takes a few key features from previous Wipeout titles, and adds a few of its own:

• SIXAXIS support - "Wipeout HD provides full support of the SIXAXIS wireless controller." Tilt-ready racing, perhaps?
• Mag-Strips - From the upcoming Wipeout Pulse game on PSP, this feature allows players to defy gravity through tracks that feature loops, vertical drops, and 90 degree sections.
• Teams - Like any Wipeout game, this iteration features eight teams from Wipeout Pulse.
• Seven Race Modes, including Zone - Single Race, Tournament, Time Trial, Speed Lap, Zone Mode, Elimination and Head-2-Head. Zone Mode, from Wipeout Pure, will make your craft go progressively faster throughout a race until your ship explodes. It's one of the best additions to the franchise in recent memory.
• Three New Weapons - The Repulser, Shuriken and Leach Beam.
• Photo Mode - Like Wipeout Pulse, players will be able to take screenshots from within the game.
• 8 Eight Player Online Multiplayer - With "Team vs Team" mode, which allows teams of two to compete in larger races.
• Community Website - Lets players create their own profiles and see stats and data for other players.
• Downloadable Content - The game will continue to expand through more downloadable packs.
• Music - Nine fully-licensed music tracks, remixed in 5.1.

Expect Wipeout HD to hit the Store later this year. Until then, check out our new screenshots.