RipTen Videogame Blog » Sony

LittleBigPlanet Karting Announced, First Promo Image Surfaces

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:30:41 +0000

Yesterday, Sony announced a LittleBigPlanet Racing game at a Destination PlayStation event. Together with this announcement was a mention of a PS Move steering wheel peripheral.

Since then, it has been discovered the official name of the game to be LittleBigPlanet Karting, thanks to a leaked promotional image shown below.

It has been reported that the game will support 3D and a PS Vita version is not in the works.

Check out the full promotional image below.

Source

UMD Passport Will Not Come To America

Chris Gravelle — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:15 +0000

Sony has decided that the UMD Passport will not come to America. Basically the passport allowed PS Vita owners to pay a fee to transfer their PSP games on UMD to their Vita for a fee. The fees ranged from around $7.00 to $13.00. Here is the closest thing to a press release currently available:

“SCEA will not be offering the UMD Passport program. U.S. consumers who already own digital versions of select PSP titles will be able to seamlessly transfer those games to their PS Vita system. What’s great for PS Vita owners is that they can enjoy PSP games with upscaled video quality that’s ideal for the system’s 5-inch OLED screen, along with controls that are optimized for its features such as the dual analog sticks. More than 250 PSP titles (including minis) will be available at the launch of PS Vita, and hundreds of additional titles will be available post-launch.”

See the part at the very start? That’s all you get. While I can understand that this program would only affect a small percentage of the population, it is a bit of a slap in the face to the Sony faithful. The PSP was a great system, but did not see the same success of Nintendo’s handheld systems. This may not be an issue for most Vita owners, but wouldn’t you love to put Tactics Ogre or FFIV: Complete on your new system while you wait for the library to expand? UMDs are very cheap if you find them used these days, unfortunately, unless you keep your original PSP you’ll need to start paying the digital price on them. Basically, not cheap. Still, the Vita is launching with a respectable line up of games, so how many of you are honestly upset about this?

[Source Giant Bomb]

Killzone Re-Release for PS3 Delayed “Indefinitely”

Sam Naylor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:03 +0000

Killzone‘s official Twitter page has said that a re-release of Killzone for PS3 has been delayed until further notice.

It said:

With regards to KZ1 for PS3, not sure what happened but I’ve been informed that it’s been delayed indefinitely.

This news comes despite the fact that Sony has said rumours of a re-release for Killzone 1 were “false“.

It’s a shame, since I think Killzone 1 was actually a rather good game- and I didn’t really like Killzone 2.

Levine: PS Vita Doesn’t Compromise Gaming Experiences

Alex Co — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:00:30 +0000

During last year’s E3, one of the biggest surprises of the show was when Ken Levine appeared on-stage at Sony’s presser and declared that a new BioShock game will be appearing on Sony’s PSP successor.

While no new details on that game has surface yet, that hasn’t stopped Levine from offering his thoughts on the handheld itself. In an interview with gaming mag PSM3, he cites that the Vita is an “interesting platform” and he feels that the PS Vita can offer people portable gaming without any compromises.

It’s a really interesting platform because, as a gamer, it’s the first platform that really sort of gives of everything. It’s the first time I can play things like shooters on an aeroplane; and I don’t like feeling I’m playing something that’s compromised in any way

If there’s one knock against the PSP, it was the fact that the thing lacked a second analog stick that made playing console-like games on the thing an exercise in frustration. The PlayStation Vita looks to remedy that with two analog sticks, a front and rear touch interface and enough buttons to replicate the PS3′s Dualshock controller. Of course, that’s not a guarantee that the Vita will be a success – on the contrary, it seems to be having problems gaining traction in Japan. We’ll know more how the PS Vita will fare when it’s released stateside later this month.

Any of you excited for the PlayStation Vita or will you wait for more games to be announced before you dive in?

Source: PSM3 (via CVG)

Twisted News Out of Eat Sleep Play – David Jaffe Departing, Layoffs

Michael Futter — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:30:32 +0000

With only a week to go before the highly anticipated Twisted Metal reboot, everything was smooth sailing. David Jaffe (@davidscottjaffe on Twitter) is known for engaging his fans and critics alike with brutal honesty and humor. He’s one of those developers that isn’t afraid to speak his mind while, at the same time, seeking guidance from those who are emotionally invested in his games.

Imagine our surprise when we woke up this morning to read in the Salt Lake Tribune that Eat Sleep Play, the studio co-founded by Jaffe, is suffering a one-two punch of bad press. The developer has laid off 26 employees at its Utah headquarters, a horrible situation for those employees eagerly anticipating the return of Sweet Tooth.

Worse, Eat Sleep Play co-founder Scott Campbell confirmed that his partner, Jaffe, is departing the studio. Oh, and the developer is now moving exclusively into the casual games market. I’m just having a nightmare, right? The winner of the Twisted Metal tournament made a wish, horribly perverted by Calypso.

While Campbell claims that Jaffe will be moving to casual games also, the man behind the clown with the flaming head softened that blow on Twitter.

The rumors of me making casual games post TM- as many of you define them- are highly exaggerated.

— davidscottjaffe (@davidscottjaffe) February 7, 2012

We won’t know until next week what this means for the Twisted Metal reboot, though without Sony’s intervention, it could be one-and-done. Best case scenario for a post-Jaffe Twisted Metal? The franchise gets passed on to a studio with the same passion that its creator brought to the table. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.

[Source: Twitter, Salt Lake Tribune]

Take a Nice Relaxing Journey Later This Year

Michael Futter — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:24 +0000

Playstation 3 owners have been anxiously awaiting news of thatgamecompany’s third game, Journey. Following the success of both flOw and Flower, both relaxing games with lilting, lovely music and artistic visuals, much has been made of Journey’s mysterious motif. Jenova Chen, head of the development studio, has confirmed that, after three years, the game is finally complete. Sony has not yet disclosed a release date, though, but it would make sense to see it headline a big summer promotion.

In the game, your character, who is not expressly defined as man or woman, simply walks through a desert toward landmarks. Similar to the style of thatgamecompany’s first two endeavors, the beauty of Journey is in the discovery and exploration. There is a multiplayer component, but with no communication or specific identification, your nomadic character can simply choose to join fellow travelers or go his or her own way.

We’ll have more on Journey when we finally get a release date.

Vita Gets Sony Entertainment Network Update

Michael Futter — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:30:15 +0000

Before the rest of the world even gets its hands on the Playstation Vita, Sony is updating the the handheld’s firmware. Yes, this means that when you get your system next week (you crazy super-early adopters) or the week after (for the rest of us), you’ll immediately be prompted to download an update. It wouldn’t be a Sony system if you didn’t have to bring it up to speed before playing, right?

Thankfully, the software comes with more than just the new Sony Entertainment Network coat of paint.

Mac users will be able to manage their Vita’s memory with new support, video recording is now enabled and you can even use the handheld as a GPS with the new Maps application.

Thanks for beta testing the Vita for us, Japan!

Sony: Re-branding the Way We Talk About the Way We Talk

Michael Futter — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:00:30 +0000

When you wake up on Wednesday, February 8, and stumble to your Playstation 3, you’ll notice something a little different on your XMB.

Sony recently announced a re-branding of the Playstation Network. The online service, which enables gaming over the internet on the PS3, along with music and movie streaming, will be re-branded as the Sony Entertainment Network. This change will impact only the Playstation 3 and the Vita , but not the PSP. It’s a confusing move for those that don’t plan on upgrading to the new handheld right away.

You won’t need to do anything. Your password, games and saves will all be exactly where you left them. The purpose, according to a Sony rep, is to unify the gaming services with other Sony products… except for the PSP.

I was struck, though, by how similar the name sounded to Nintendo’s first home console. Perhaps Sony is planning on dumping the Playstation brand for something else. Could the “Sony Entertainment System” be looming in our future?

Total PS3 Sales Close to Xbox 360 But Gap May Widen

Michael Futter — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:00:04 +0000

While it’s probably unfair to assume that no one wants the next generation of consoles right now, it’s undeniable that the majority of gamers are still quite content with their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Recently, Sony hinted that they would be the last to reveal their plans for the next generation system (presumably named the PlayStation 4), with Microsoft being demure about what they would be bringing to E3 in early June.

The first Thursday of the month is typically “earnings call day,” and Sony revealed that their total PlayStation 3 sales have now reached 47.9 million units, compared to the Xbox 360′s 50 million units (as disclosed during Microsoft’s final CES keynote). While the numbers seem fairly close, it’s important to look at the trends.

In the quarter ending December 31, 2011, Sony moved 6.3 million PlayStation 3 units. This is down .2 million from the same period last year. In contrast, Microsoft is boasting 2.7 million Xbox 360s sold in the same period which is up a monster 70% over last year. The Kinect, which has disappointed core gamers but, clearly, found a place with the younger and casual markets, saw sales of 2.4 million and throttled past the overall 10 million unit mark. Microsoft continues to see growth, where Sony’s sales of gaming hardware has stagnated and shrunk.

There are some factors that might help explain away a portion of the sales figures, but nothing terribly significant. Microsoft is likely seeing a portion of sales from users replacing out-of-warranty, red ringed 360 consoles. On the flip side, Sony is experiencing very weak PSP sales as the Vita launched, though too softly, in Asia and will be in other major territories in a matter of weeks. Sony can turn the ship around with some clever marketing and bundles that tie a complete Vita experience to owning a PS3 (and vice versa).

Put up alongside Microsoft likely showing something about the next Xbox at E3 and Sony vehemently denying that they will match, one has to wonder if the positions should be reversed. Clearly, Microsoft knows that there is a lot of life left in the 360 whereas Sony might have too much faith in the PS3. With E3 quickly coming upon us, we’ll have all the news you can handle soon.

Naughty Dog Says “The Last of Us” is More Than Just Another Zombie Game

Rick Givens — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:00:22 +0000

A couple of days ago, Game Informer revealed the cover for their March issue featuring The Last of Us.

The Uncharted series, first teased us with The Last of Us at the November 2011 Spike Video Game Awards. The game will be a single player, third person, horror survival game. The title is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth across several U.S. cities. Survivors Joel and 14-year-old Ellie must kill and scavenge in order to survive in a world that has been decimated by a killer strain of fungus. Standing in their way are the other survivors and monsters that were once human, but have sense succumbed to the infection, now transformed into horrific zombie-like creatures.

More zombies? Yeap. Some (I) would say the zombie genre is overdone and needs to finally die. We’ve been up to our asses in the undead for the past several years in everything from video games, to TV and even Christmas gifts. Naughty Dog is promising something different, though, and the survival aspect of the game might make an interesting departure from wasting wave after wave of undead. The graphics, so far, look top notch; time will tell, but the hype is already building.

There is a little bit of science behind the game, inspired in part by the BBC documentary Planet Earth, which talked about the Cordyceps fungus. A particularly nasty strain infects insects, notably ants, and replaces the host tissue with its own. End result: the host ends up growing something that looks like a baseball bat out of its head, goes crazy, climbs up to a high spot, and explodes, spreading spores all over the place. Nasty as hell, but don’t worry, the fungus is not harmful to humans.

While that is pretty much all of the background we know for now, it’s possible the game will tie in with the Uncharted series somehow. An Easter Egg (the game kind, not the big ass rabbit kind) was spotted in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception in the form of a newspaper with a headline related to The Last of Us story. Of course, actual tie-ins are not confirmed at this point, and it will likely have little bearing on the gameplay experience in either game, but it is neat, nonetheless.

Updated information will be available on Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us page. In the meantime, we’ve all of the available videos and compiled them for you here. I also dug up the BBC clip showing the fungus in action. Enjoy your lunch.

Via [Game Informer]

Sony Appoints Kaz Hirai as President and CEO

Sam Naylor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:30:18 +0000

More CEO news, this time being Kazuo Hirai- who has been moved up the chain to President and CEO of Sony.

Filling the boots of Sir Howard Stringer, Hirai will move up from being head of Sony’s Computer Entertainment division to the position of President and CEO. Stringer will move to a new position as Chairman of the board.

Kazuo Hirai did a bit of brown-nosing on his way up, of course:

Challenging as times are for Sony now, were it not for the strong leadership of Sir Howard Stringer these past seven years, we would have been in a much more difficult position.

Hirai will officially start his new job on the 1st of April. Commence fool’s day jokes now.

New The Last of Us Video is Full of Behind the Scenes Action

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:30:11 +0000

Sony today released a video which shows some of the behind the scenes work that went into creating the trailer for Naughty-Dog’s The Last of Us

In the video you get to see actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson in motion capture outfits play the roles of the two survivors and main characters of The Last of Us. Check it out below.

PS Vita Bundles Announced for February 22nd Launch

Jacob Saylor — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:30:31 +0000

With a mere twenty-seven days until PS Vita’s release, things are starting to kick into high-gear – the hype train had reached terminal velocity! There are two bundles now hitting the shelves upon release, and the first is as follows:

If you pre-ordered the PS Vita First Edition Bundle, you will now not only be receiving the 3G/Wi-Fi hardware, limited edition case, memory card, and Little Deviants, but you will also be the proud owner of an AT&T DataConnect Pass –which is good for one free 250MB session – and a Playstation Network game; all of the extra provided upon 3G activation. You’ll also receive this a week before launch, which only sweetens the deal for you Playstation die-hards.

The second bundle is supposedly going to come in the form of “an extremely limited” supply. This bundle offers (obviously) the PS Vita hardware, an 8GB memory card, an AT&T DataConnect Pass and a Playstation Network game – all priced for the MSRP of $299.00.

So, it looks like Sony is pulling out all the stops for their PS Vita release. Look for it on February 22^nd at video game retailers across the nation!

Gears 4? Epic Hiring Technical Artist to Prototype for Next-Gen Hardware

Catherine Cai — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:00:33 +0000

According to an Epic Games job posting on LinkedIn, the studio best known for their Unreal Engine and a little thing called Gears of War you may or may not have heard of is prepping, as expected, for the next generation of consoles. The job listing, calling for a technical artist, states:

“Your goal will be to attack the more complex issues that arise when we push the technology envelope, both in production on current hardware, and prototyping for next-generation hardware.”

The Wii U (or whatever it ends up being called) is due to launch sometime between E3 and the end of this year, and new hardware announcements will probably come pouring in come end of 2012, so it’s not a surprise that Epic’s already prepping for its move onto new consoles. After all, fans will be expecting Gears of War 4 to look as lifelike as possible.

Trine 2 PS3 European Release Delayed Yet Again

Catherine Cai — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:28 +0000

European players looking forward to getting Trine 2 via PSN, ATLUS and Frozenbyte sends their apologies. Trine 2 for the PS3 will be delayed, again.

In their announcement, ATLUS and Frozenbyte didn’t give a reason for the delay nor an expected date for release. I can only assume that they’re continuing to have problems with Sony’s Quality Assurance process.

We regret to announce that the European release of Trine 2 for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system will be delayed a short while longer.

We sincerely apologize for the frustration this ongoing delay has caused our European fans, as it is a frustration we (ATLUS and Frozenbyte) also share. We assure the community that everything within our influence is being done to release Trine 2 for PAL PS3 system users as soon as possible, and we humbly ask for our fans’ continued patience and understanding.

StarHawk Beta Begins Today for PS Plus Members – Checkout New Gameplay Trailer

Garrett Hartman — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:31:59 +0000

The Starhawk Beta begins today for PS Plus members and Sony has sent out a Welcome trailer that shows gameplay and explains what you can expect from the public beta.

Some of the features mentioned in the trailer include: Classic Arcade Flight-Mode, Host Migration, Language Support, Skills, PSN Friend Integration. As the video makes clear this is a true Beta and Lightbox will take all feedback into account in making the best game they can. The beta will also include continued updates and bug fixes.

For the full beta schedule check here. Check out the trailer below.

StarHawk is scheduled to hit retailers on May 8th.

RipTen Review: Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD (PSN)

Catherine Cai — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:12:59 +0000

I’ve never had any experience with the Oddworld series before Stranger’s Wrath except for a scant few minutes with Abe’s Oddysee, so hardcore Oddworld fans, bear with me. I’m not privy to all of the names of the different species in Oddworld and why they’re unique, nor do I know the relation of Stranger’s Wrath to the other games in the series except that it seems that the developers didn’t attempt to force an “odd” wordplay out of the title, although from what I can tell, it’s only related to the other titles simply because it’s set in the Oddworld universe.

Since Stranger’s Wrath is an HD port, I thought it was probably a good idea to take a look at the source material. No, I didn’t go on an adventure scouring retailers and the Internet looking for the original Stranger’s Wrath for Xbox.

Yeah, I cheated.

I bought Stranger’s Wrath as a part of the Oddbox off of Steam, which packages Abe’s Oddysee, Munch’s Oddysee, Abe’s Exoddus, and Stranger’s Wrath into a ridiculously cheap bundle.

Comparing the PC version of Stranger’s Wrath, which has yet to get the HD treatment (although it’s in the works), to the PSN version, the changes are obvious. Just Add Water has gone above and beyond the call for this HD release, although to be fair, when I hear HD remaster I usually expect little more than the game to be blown up to HD resolution and have its shaders updated. Just Add Water really put in the work to do Stranger’s Wrath justice. The game’s graphics have been touched up by sharpened textures and more saturated, vibrant colors, enough to make me croon that the game looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous. That’s quite an impressive feat, considering that Stranger’s Wrath is done in the style of a spaghetti western and most of the environment you trek across is desert. And since the game’s graphics are stylized, it’s hard to believe that the game was released in 2005.

Stranger’s Wrath is about Stranger, a gruff, bad-ass Clint Eastwood-esque bounty hunter who tracks down Oddworld criminals in order to fund an expensive and frequently referred to but mysterious surgery he urgently needs to have. The plot doesn’t get more complicated than this, except a few hitches and a bit of a twist towards the end that makes the purpose of the surgery clear.

Clint Eastwood as seen in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The plot moves on between sections of the game that are broken up by missions. Every few missions or so, there’d be a cutscene that would move the action of the game forward, which causes the game to feel monotonous at points where the action lulls. The game also tends to have difficulty spikes and combined with the lulls, I almost put the games down at some points since there’s little motivation to move on without any of the plot driving the game forward and boss fights that are window-punchingly frustrating.

Besides a few plot hiccups, Stranger’s Wrath is solid. It’s gameplay mechanics feature a seamless blend between first person and third person, which is so well done that it makes Stranger’s Wrath shine. The game is primarily played in third person for the platforming and melee elements, although after the first half an hour, melee combat becomes less effective since all of your enemies wise up and start carrying guns. Then, the first person shooter elements start becoming more useful. Stranger uses a collection of small cute animals and bugs as ammo for his crossbow, each with different status effects ranging from electrocution to blunt force trauma, to bring down his enemies.

The reticule in first person is sluggish and reloading often takes four or five seconds longer than it should. Since Stranger’s Wrath isn’t a twitch shooter, this doesn’t pose much of a problem, except when you’re embroiled in boss fights involving multiple enemies. The game usually encounters the aforementioned difficulty spikes here, as Stranger doesn’t really have an effective way of dealing with multiple enemies at once except to uselessly flail at them in melee combat.

Just Add Water’s remaster of Stranger’s Wrath is probably one of the best on the PSN, and probably should stand as some sort of model for other companies who look to re-release their games. The game’s been given a nice fresh coat of paint that makes it look new and worth every penny.

Here’s the Rundown:

+ Stranger is Clint Eastwood in animated form

+ Switching between first and third person is almost seamless

+ The game’s atmosphere brings me back to my days when I was but a wee lass

- Fighting multiple enemies sucks

- Difficulty spikes makes me want to stick my tongue in a hot oven

- This isn’t on Xbox Live yet (stupid Microsoft size restrictions)

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath was originally developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and Just Add Water, and published by Just Add Water. Its HD remaster was released on PSN on December 27, 2011. A copy of the game was graciously provided by the publisher. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath was played lovingly to completion in about 12 hours.

Sony is Porting Killzone to the PSN. Sorry, No HD

Catherine Cai — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:00:34 +0000

For those of you who have never experienced the original Killzone, Guerilla Games and Sony games is giving you another chance by porting it to the PSN. Do note that this isn’t a HD remaster or a remake, just a straight port, so you’ll be stuck with the same old standard-def PS2 graphics.

The port is slated for a January 24th release, to be priced at $9.99 for US players. Sorry, European gamers. You’re going to have to wait until Guerilla or Sony confirms that it’ll also be available in Europe.

[Via Eurogamer]

Sony Has No Plans for Unveiling New Console at E3

Catherine Cai — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:12 +0000

Lately, rumors have been abound that Sony and Microsoft are going to make announcements for their new consoles at E3 2012. However, when posed this question at CES, Sony’s Kaz Hirai gave a negative response,

“Andy [House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment] is absolutely right in that we are not making any announcements at E3. I’ve always said a 10-year life cycle for PS3, and there is no reason to go away from that.”

It definitely seems a little early for Sony to announce anything new at this year’s E3. I expected that even if Sony was able to, it’d show nothing more than a few pictures of their new box and some gameplay footage. Even if Nintendo’s leapfrogged both Sony and Microsoft with their Wii U announcement at last year’s E3, there’s no reason for Sony and Microsoft to rush their own consoles in order to compete. The 360 and PS3 still have some life in their cycle yet.

[Via Destructoid]

Will The PS4 and Next Xbox be Announced at E3 2012?

Catherine Cai — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:54:35 +0000

Nintendo’s response to slowing Wii sales was to announce the Wii U at E3 last year, hoping to leapfrog both Microsoft and Sony with the next generation of consoles. When they announced that their intentions of having the Wii U out by 2012, everyone shook their head amusedly and with a sarcastic smile said, “Oh Nintendo.” Sure enough, the Wii U’s release has been delayed.

MCV reported today that Microsoft and Sony will both announce their next iteration of consoles at E3 this year. The new reveals would the outshine Nintendo’s announcement of the Wii U’s final specifications and price point, effectively nullifying Nintendo’s plans to leapfrog its competitors.

Since both Microsoft and Sony are announcing their new consoles so soon, assuming that this rumor is true, I don’t expect to see much beyond some pretty pictures of the PS4 and Xbox 720 boxes and maybe some “gameplay footage” that they’d dig up. Still, if this rumor does prove true, E3 2012 will be an exciting time, indeed.

[Via MCV]