Welcome to the Jungle (again) as Push-Start checks out the Far Cry 3 demo walkthrough

If you missed Ubisoft’s E3 conference and wanted to know how Far Cry 3 was coming along, well now you can check it out thank to the gameplay demo being uploaded on Youtube.

As in the other Far Cry games, Far Cry 3 starts off with bad s*** that has already happened and you just happen to be someone getting caught up in crossfire. You are Jacob Brody, who along with his girlfriend has become trapped on a remote island, due to being shipwrecked. Now she’s disappeared and it’s down to you to find her and get off the island before the crazy inhabitants kill you in one way or another.

The demo sees us with Brody exploring his surroundings and come upon a view of a village. Whipping out his camera, he sees hostiles harassing and executing the inhabitants of the village. Snapping pictures, Brody has his guard down and only notices one of the crazy attackers sneaking up on him when it’s too late. When he comes too he is in the presence of a nutjob called Vass, who we can only assume is the leader of the tropical crazies (my name for them insane soldiers that inhabit the island). He starts giving a speech that revolves around the famous definition of insanity by Albert Einstein (“doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”). After a somewhat long winded speech he kicks a brick down a cliff, which just happens to be connected to you via rope, and you go down with it into some water pit to drown along with the rest of captured villagers.

Before this occurred though there were two prompts to have the ropes loosened. Now in the water you get a final prompt to get free before you drown (seems like Brody has been up to date with his breathing exercise as he is able to hold his breath for quite a while). After managing to get free Brody – who is quite rightly angry – decides to take the fight to the crazies, which sees him taking down a soldier and nabbing a gun and end up in a hectic gunfight before escaping a chopper. Almost. A missile launcher sees to it that you don’t get free and Vass makes an appearance, asking you a familiar question. And the gameplay demo ends.

Gameplay looks familiar to Far Cry 2 but more tightened up. It now seems like you can sneak up on the AI more successfully then in Far Cry 2, where they seemed to be able to spot you even when you was well hidden. It helps that you have a mini-map at the bottom left of the screen as this shows you were enemies (and most likely other people and objects) are and you have a alert reticule, that shows if your hidden or not (white means you are, red means to start firing back). The graphics at this stage look fantastic and the move back to a more tropical setting looks to be for the better as their is more vivid colours compared to Far Cry 2‘s majority of graphics composed of different shades of brown. Also not being infected by malaria is welcome bonus.

Far Cry 3 may not reinvent the FPS genre, but it looks set on track on giving us another fantastic collection to the genre. Expect it for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2012.

Here is the E3 2011 Far Cry 3 demo shown in full

And here is screenshots taken from the trailer

L.A. Noire Screens from the “Nicholson Electroplating” Arson Case.

Rockstar have released today a new batch of L.A noire screens for the upcoming DLC “Nicholson Electroplating” Arson case.

Frostbite 2.0 Engine to be used for Mirrors Edge 2?

One of the most eagerly anticipated games to come out this year is Battlefield 3, and E3 2011 only built on the excitement by demonstrating more of the unbeleivable visuals of the game, courtesy of the Frostbite 2.0 engine.

It’s all pretty damn exciting, but what if I told you that the relentless power of the Frostbite 2.0 engine was to be used on the upcoming sequel to First-Person-Parkour adventure Mirrors Edge? Well, according to Electronic Arts Games President Frank Gibeau, it’s more than likely to happen.

Earlier in the year, Gibeau had insisted that there is still life in Faith and the Mirrors Edge series, which has been previously rumoured to become a trilogy. There are no confirmed details of the sequel, except that it’s currently in development, and that the same engine that is used to create the life-like visuals of Battlefield 3 may also be used.

In a statement to Gamestrailers, Gibeau said;

“We love that franchise. The DICE guys really created something special the first time around. You’ve got to have a big idea to be able to do the next one, and that’s what we’re working on.”

When it was hinted out as to whether Mirrors Edge 2 may use Frostbite 2.0, Gibeau certainly did not deny the possibility:

“You’ll see that combination, I’m sure.”

Mirrors Edge was released back in 2008 for PS3, 360, and PC, and was universally praised for its stylish visuals and gameplay. Mix what we love about Mirrors Edge and mix it with the Frostbite 2.0 engine; we could see a real winner on our hands. Now all we need is for it to be in 3D (wink, wink…).

Just a word of warning; if this all turns out to be true, make sure you get a sick-bag ready for its future release.

Thoughts on the Sony E3 2011 presentation

Note: The following thoughts are of Gabriel May’s and are not the overall opinion of Push-Start.

If you want to read an in-depth recap then I urge you to check out Daniel Williamson’s look at Sony’s E3 2011 presentation right here, as he did an impressive job.

Last year Sony delivered a very good (if not great) presentation in E3 2010. There was energy, excitement, and detailed look at games that weren’t a major IP (Sorcery) and some nice surprises (Twisted Metal). It may have started to run out of steam towards then end (until the aforementioned Twisted Metal was revealed) but overall it was a fun press conference. So is this year’s line-up any good or will it simply be the case of business as usual?

Uncharted was up first and well it looks good. I’ll come clean and say I haven’t played the first two Uncharted games so my excitement for this title is neither high nor low. With that said, it did look as we saw Drake sneak around a boat and seemingly get captured but at the last minute get away with a well placed head butt and grenade throw…Of course this also makes the ship go into Titanic mode and we see Drake trying to escape while getting assaulted by falling ship debris. It was a very exciting set piece and should get fans storming their subway to get a taste of the game. The last sentence not make sense? Well (Americans) will be able to get access to the “complete” multiplayer by going to Subway. Jared will be pleased with the results (look at me with my American cultural knowledge). The 3D trailer also looked nice, even in non 3D; Sony didn’t send Push-Start a 3D TV with 3D glasses so we had to make do.

Last year Killzone 3 got the spotlight and now this time Resistance 3 get it’s chance to shine. We didn’t see much (three minutes of ambushing aliens and then trying to get away with a “power core”) so those not convinced with Resistance 3 won’t be swayed here. Around five-eight more minutes of gameplay over different environments would have made Resistance 3 a lot more impressive looking.

There was a brief mention of the God of War PSP games (Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta) as well as ICO & Shadow of the Colossus being remade in HD and 3D for the PlayStation 3. While I can see ICO & Shadow of the Colossus only being given the slightest of mention, I did think Sony dropped the ball on only giving  the God of War 3D+HD remake a passing mention, which is amazing considering that God of War has really helped Sony’s consoles over the many years. A trailer showing Kratos kicking ass and then saying “Now in 3D and HD” would have gone down really well.

If $499 is a price that you would pay for a 24 inch 3D monitor (that comes with 3D glasses, Resistance 3 game and cable) then Sony has you covered. You only need the glasses because optical surgery to see 3D without glasses hasn’t been invented yet? That will cost you a naughty $69.

Anyone can play NBA 2K12, even a basketball player such as Kobe Bryant, who was brought on to demonstrate how using the PlayStation Move for NBA 2K12 – a feature called “NBA on the move” which must have had the staff laughing at their own wittiness – is easy. It looked kinda awkward but I guess with practice your reflexes would improve to quickly be able to select who to pass or have to defend. There’s really no need to talk about the game itself because fans of the series will have pre-ordered it and selected their dream team, while those who aren’t (like me) are wondering how Kobe Bryant demonstrating a Final Fantasy game would go.

Medieval Moves: Deadman’s Quest is up next and it’s from the creators of Sports Champions, which is “the best selling Move game”…Because I remember there was a lot of choice when the PlayStation Move was released. Ahem, anyway Medieval Moves viewpoint reminds me of the Neo Geo game Crossed Swords. As you wield a “bow and throwing-star wielding character who moves through levels (on rails) and must solve light puzzles to progress.” You have no inventory, instead picking up weapons on the go. The levels will have branching paths and secret room where you can stockpile on items. It looks decent but I could only see young children getting a lot of enjoyment out of it while older gamers may get bored of it. That is unless there is a lot of charm in the characters and story to keep the player hooked.

inFAMOUS 2 still looks badass and since I’ve seen so many gameplay videos and demonstrations (including at Eurogamer 2010), I’m willing to let it slide that all we were shown was a kickass trailer. Also since the game is out today (in North America) there was no need for any detailed talk about it, though there was mention that you can also use the PlayStation Move to create missions on inFAMOUS 2, just in case that was what kept you from buying the game.

Oh and you can now do the same for and LittleBigPlanet2, in case that was what…You get the idea.

CG trailer of Starhawk looked interesting but I guess we’ll have to wait till next major video game convention to get a better idea of the game.

How weird is it that I’ve never played ANY of the games, and yet within a few seconds of seeing the trailer, I guess it was to do with Sly Racoon. I just guessed the art style was something Sly Racoon would be associated with.

Dust 514 is from the creators of Eve Online (The MMO choice for scheming champions). What I got from the presentation is that it is a FPS that will be connected to a Eve Online. In other words events that happen in Dust will affect what happens in Eve. It sounds really ambitious and if it works, it will be a huge step forward in the world of MMO (which has gotten pretty stagnant). Judging from the trailer, Dust 514 looks to be a very good FPS itself, as the graphics looked really sharp. This maybe a title to keep an eye on.

Quick look at Bioshock Infinite. Elizabeth still looks hot in a Bioshock way, the game looks to be awesome and it will now support PlayStation Move. Yes that’s right, the main talking point of Bioshock Infinite was not about the game itself but how Irrational Games went from cynic to believers about how the PlayStation Move can enhance the gameplay. I know Irrational games couldn’t really talk about the game itself (multiplatform games don’t get that pleasure on platform specific press conferences) but it was till kind of annoying to see a trailer of the game and then having to hear about why the PlayStation Move is so great. At least say why the Move will make using plasmid powers so awesome dammit. The exclusive bonus of the original game being included is a nice bonus but I do find it funny that BioShock 2 wasn’t included.

Saints Row 3 gets a very small mention. Boo.

Sony got to reveal a new Star Trek film that will tie in with the coming film next year. By the looks of things, it is third person. The footage was pre-alpha so I’ll overlook the rough shape of the graphics displayed in the trailer.

PlayStation 3 next revealed it’s exclusive deals it’s reached with EA, with SSX having an exclusive track down Mt Fuji, Need for Speed: The Run’s exclusive bonus being seven super cars and Battlefield 3 will include a free copy of Battlefield 1947. Will be interesting to see what the Xbox 360 versions offer as an exclusive bonus.

Kazou “Ridge Racer” Harai came on to talk about the NGP…Well he would eventually after the obligatory hardware talk of Sony’s recent consoles. Finally though he unveiled the NGP and straight away Sony make their first mistake for the new portable device by having it renamed to the PS Vita. Yes the NGP is a bit generic and also stands for Neo Geo Pocket, but it also rolled off the tongue and just sounded right. Besides I don’t think many remember the Neo Geo Pocket. Well I’ll get over the name so I’ll stop ranting about it.

Not a surprise to see the portable version of Uncharted being used to show off the PS Vita. But it’s not surprising as it really does look smooth and the option of using touch screen controls combined with traditional controls is a pleasant feature and very well implemented. Plus if you have a phobia of touch screen controls, you can just use the standard controls. The success of the Uncharted franchise looks set to continue.

Street Fighter X Tekken looks fantastic on the PS Vita and the inclusion of Cole MacGrath as a exclusive character may seem like an odd choice at first but seeing him in action (albeit briefly) quickly eliminates any doubt as he looks pretty badass. The fact that it supports cloud-based technology is a nice feature to as is the simple command feature. Hopefully the analog and/or directional pad will be more suited to beat ‘em ups then the PSP was.

For more information about the E3 presentation of the PS Vita, click here.

Conclusion: Say what you want about Microsoft but at least they are punctual. Either that or hackers got to Sony again which lead to their delay. Still when the Sony Press conference did finally kick off, we got an enjoyable press conference with some very exciting games announced, as well as more information on the NGP…I mean PS Vita. If there was one huge fault, it was that there was a lack of energy which made this year’s presentation inferior to last year’s. The best example was for the PS Vita, which should have had it’s speakers at least somewhat excited and yet it was quite subdued. Only Yoshinori Ono and to a lesser extent Travis Williams from San Diego Studios gave off some energy and while the PS Move wasn’t as excessively plugged as the Kinect was at Microsoft’s presentation, it still felt it was shoehorned at times. Overall though core and casual gamers were addressed and the PS Vita is looking more attractive with each mentioning. But no Kevin Butler?! What’s up with that Sony?

LA Noire : The Collected Stories

Everybody loves a freebie,  and that is exactly what Rockstar are offering LA Noire fans.

Read more

Recap of Sony’s E3 2011 Press Conference

Note: The following thoughts are of Jay Wheelers and are not the overall opinion of Push-Start.

It is finally that time of year again; E3. It’s like Christmas for hardcore gamers right now, and despite the time for us in the UK (1:00am), the night is still early to witness some of the most exciting news and announcements we are likely to see all year. Xbox 360 has already had their moment today, and now, it is Sony’s turn. Here are the highlights of the Sony Press Conference played out in Los Angeles, which was scheduled for 5:00pm.

The anticipation of the Sony conference is exacerbated by the briefing being delayed by almost twenty minutes, due to ‘crowd control’. All I’m thinking to myself is “get sat down now!” Although with that said, Sony has a lot to deliver, and will definitely be worth the wait.

The PlayStation logo comes up on the main screen, amongst blue waves, and so it begins; with a big screen intro of a swirling NGP, PlayStation move, and a montage of upcoming games. It all looks pretty damn impressive, my only issue at the moment is; how on earth is Sony is going to squeeze all of this into ninety minutes? The NGP being the first to ogle at on-screen gives the impression that this year’s E3 will be particularly focused on the successor of the PlayStation Portable, as well as everything PS3. Games featured in the montage include The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Uncharted 3, and… The Green Lantern? Ok then.

Jack Tretton of SCEA is the first to hit the stage. He welcomes everyone to the Sony conference, before immediately addressing the PSN outage, which saw the network completely offline for almost an entire month since the middle of April. He sent out a light-hearted “you’re welcome” to all asteemed members of the press who dwelled in the controversy that burdened Sony this year. Tretton continued with saying a serious thank you to all third-party developers and retailers across the world for their support during the difficult time. However, he particularly wanted to address the customers, who he branded as “the life blood of the PlayStation”. He says that apologies go out to all of those for any distress caused by the outage of PSN.

Negativities aside, Tretton stated that since the return of the PSN, there has been a 90% increase over the original amount of activity seen before the outage of the network, insinuating that there is still a lot of dedication and passion for PS3. And that, along with what the briefing has on offer will hope to convince others that PlayStation is stronger than ever.

Tretton soon after makes the announcement that Sony has now developed a partnership with Cinemanow, resulting in a service, which will be available later in the year on the PlayStation 3. Tretton also hinted at more partnerships expected in the future.

The first game of the briefing is introduced, which is, yes… you guessed it; Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception. Co-presidents of Naughty Dog, Evan Wella and Christophe Balestra, come to the stage to show off some real time gameplay of Drake in action. Kicking off the demo on a boat in the middle of a storm, the games looks just as good as expected, if not better. Walking indoors established a stealthy sneak into an elegant hall guarded by baddies. Running back outside into the storm shows the incredible attention to details in both texture and real time lighting, making the environment as realistic as you’d want it to be. Drake continues to stealth kill his way through the corridors, down to the lower levels, where it becomes more dark and eerie, only means that it’s ready kick-off. Classical platforming is also demonstrated, before a cut-scene where Drake is ambushed, and all hell breaks loose as a shoot-out ensues, which sees the boats interior wounded by a detonated grenade, resulting in the boat flipping onto its side. Now more platforming is demonstrated as an intense race against time begins to get out of the flooding ship, together with the same cinematic footage that you would expect from an epic game like Uncharted. Left at a cliffhanger, the games title appears, followed by a huge round of applause from the audience.

It is announced soon after that the multiplayer beta will begin on June 28^th. Uncharted 3 hits stores in November. The presentation of U3 is finished with a trailer completely in 3D. And let me assure you, it’s the best looking thing in 3D since James Cameron’s Avatar, if not better.

Insomniac games is next on stage, with Marcus Smith showing off real time gameplay of another PS3 exclusive, Resistance 3. He gives a quick synopsis moving on with the actual demonstration, also in glorious 3D.

We are introduced to what literally looks like hell on earth. Ships smash to the ground, drones flood the skies, allies on fire and screaming for help, and chimera are gunning for you, hell-bent on your demise. Explosions left right and centre show some pretty intense gun fights and all your favorite iconic Resistance weapons are all there, including the Auger and the Revolver with explosive rounds. We are then thrown into what looks like a run up to a pretty big boss fight; sprinting through the remains of a building, escaping the clutches of chimera infantry and a huge chimera-like creature, towering over everything else in the level. It looks a lot bleaker and darker than other Resistance games, but remains to have the same hard-hitting action that Resistance has a niche for.

Soon after the demonstration; the Resistance 3 sharpshooter bundle is announced, which includes; PlayStation move controllers, the PlayStation Eye, a copy of Resistance 3 and the PlayStation sharpshooter. The bundle will be available from Resistance 3’s retail release date, which is September 2011.

This is then followed by a big announcement for pretty much every PlayStation fan out there. As Tretton happily reveals that both God of War titles that were exclusive to the PlayStation Portable, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, will both be bundled as PS3 ports, entitled God of War: Origins, which can be enjoyed in stereoscopic HD. ICO and Shadow of Colossus were also mentioned and will be available later this year. Tretton states that it is these games, as well as many others, mixed with the power of Blu-ray that makes PlayStation the “ultimate solution for 3D”.

Keeping with the theme of 3D and bundle packs; Tretton mentioned how difficult it can be for some to afford a decent 3D television and glasses. And have therefore announced a PlayStation-certified 24-inch 3D television, which will be available this fall. One major thing that makes this 3D monitor worthy of gamers attention is unique technology, where split-screen looks like separate screens, when using 3D compatible glasses. It honestly has to be seen to be beleived.

Playstation 3D glasses will also be available separately this fall for $69.99.

If you like the sound of all of this, then you will be happy to know that there is a bundle for all of this 3D goodness too, which includes; the 24-inch 3D monitor, the glasses, a HDMI cable, AND a copy of Resistance 3, all for $499.

Now with 3D out of the way, the next category on PlayStations mind is PlayStation Move. Tretton expresses his deep enthusiasm for PS move, after revealing that 8.8 million units have been shifted off retail shelves. And the first game to reveal brand-new move compatibility in an upcoming title is NBA 2K12, presented by 2K’s Chris Snyder and Erick Boenishck. Titled “NBA on the move”, the demonstrate real time use of the move controllers to allow players to pass the ball to fellow athletes as well as maneuvering through the court. Instant impressions show that this is graphically impressive, delivering a truly simulated basketball experience. Movement of athletes and the people in the environment are astonishingly life-like. But, if you think that’s not enough to persuade you the truly-realistic vibe that NBA 2K12 possesses; LA Lakers Coby Brian arrives onto the stage to have a quick game himself. Although having a pretty poor attempt at the game, he comes out of it saying “it looks too real… so realistic it’s frightening”. If a NBA superstar like Coby Brian can be convinced to think so, I’m pretty sure we’ll all have to agree.

October 4^th is the announced release date for NBA 2K12.

The next highlight of the E3 Sony conference is PS3 exclusive, Infamous 2, introduced with a brand new story trailer, showing off some pretty epic gameplay footage, and some pretty crazy and outlandish enemies to face. Infamous 2 will be released on June 10^th in the UK. It is also detailed that PlayStation Move will be implemented into the game, by creating your own online missions, where move controls can be used.

A brand new Starhawk trailer is then shown. Revealing a battlefield that is so big, it expands to the far reaches of space, even as the main character narrates; “the universe is a dangerous place”. Starhawk is set for a 2012 release.

Terry goes on to mention an iconic PlayStation franchise, which has sold more than 4 million copies since its first installment. A trailer then appears, revealing Sly Cooper himself. The newly announced Sly Cooper: Thieves in time is revealed and is set for a 2012. Gameplay footage will arrive in due course, as it will be revealed later during the E3 convention.

Another exciting PS3 exclusive makes its mark, titled Dust 514, a sci-fi FPS/MMO from the publishers behind EVE online. Details include that Dust 514 will have a dedicated home space, PlayStation Move compatibility, as well as the exciting concept of console gaming being directly connected to a PC MMO, meaning that both PS3 and PC gamers can join, or go against each other in intense online battles.

A trailer of Dust 514 follows, which shows the player in first-person-view in a drop ship dumped onto a explosive battlefield, and within minutes, gunned down in an overwhelming assault. Certainly, in regards to the visuals and art direction has the universal vibe of EVE online. A close beta is expected for Dust 514 in the fall of 2011.

Bioshock Infinite comes next with a trailer. And by god it is just so pretty. It seems much bigger and frightening than the previous games, with what seems to be giant flying Big Daddies, rocket launching blimps, intense aerial combat, and of course, more and more Splicers.

Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational games comes after the footage talking about Bioshock Infinite. He expressed that he previously showed skepticism about PlayStation move, until a phone-call from Sony, saying that they want to persuade him to be a believer. After playing with the move, they realized opportunities of they can use the technology, and have therefore implemented move to the game.

Ken brings with him the NGP (Next-Generation-Portable), talking about a game that has been up in the air for a few years, and said it’s the perfect home for. Could this mean a Bioshock game on the NGP? I’d put my money on it.

Alongside the announcement of a brand new Star trek game, which will be available next year, an announcement was also made that Star Trek is another game that is added to the ever long list of titles that will have move compatibility. And for you big Trekkies out there, there will be a PlayStation move peripheral of the Star Trek phaser. Cool? Damn right that is cool.

Kazuo Hirai is next to make a public appearance, to talk about… you guessed it; the NGP. However, its official title will now be the PlayStation Vita. Why? Well, Kaz explains that Vita means life, and the intention of the PlayStation Vita is to blur the lines between entertainment and your way of life, due to augmented reality, courtesy of its cutting-edge technology. Social networking and on location gaming will also be crucial to the PlayStation Vita, as Kaz quotes that it “delivers a unique social experience”, with features including voice chat, despite what game you and your friends play, and where you are, thanks to 3G and Wi-Fi. Other specifics will arrive in the near future.

Scott Rohde of SCEA turns up and continues to talk about the work on PS Vita, boasting of the advanced technology that people on the show floor will be able to have a go on later on in the convention.

Uncharted makes another return in this briefing with a real time demonstration of Uncharted: Golden Abyss. And I’ve got to be honest with you; the graphics literally look no different to any Uncharted title on the PS3. Processing power shows the same dynamic real time shadows and visuals that you expect from any upper-standard PS3 title. But the visuals are not the only highlights here; there are multiple ways of playing the game too. The screen can be used as a virtual button to climb walls and melee enemies. Duel analogue sticks and buttons for standard use of controls can also be used in both combat and platforming gameplay. Motion control can be used to swing from ledge to ledge too. Combat controls for typical Uncharted gameplay is still here, with duel stick controls and snappy cover mechanics. Touch screen can also be used to enhance the combat, such as switching weapons. These multiple uses of controls are not only unique to the Uncharted series, but are unique to any other gaming device, something that gives a creative edge to playing a truly remarkable PS3 exclusive.

Other demonstrations of titles upcoming for the PS Vita included Ruin, an action-based RPG, Modnation Racers, and Little Big Planet.

Wipeout 2048 was also mentioned, particularly for its ‘cross-play functionality’. This new feature will allow online competitive gameplay between both Vita and PS3 gamers. More titles are expected to have the same feature in due course.

Street Fighter X Tekken is the next big title to be introduced, with a brand new trailer. The first announcement is that there will be a PS Vita version of the title.

But the biggest shocker is that the main protagonist of PS3 exclusive, Infamous, will also get in on the action. A brief amount of gameplay shows off Cole’s skill, which sees him blending in very well in regards to the unique art direction and his use electrical superpowers, complimenting the vicious hand-to-hand combat.

Kaz makes one final stand on the stage announcing what is arguably the biggest announcement of the Sony Press conference; the release and price of the PlayStation Vita.

Holiday season of 2011 will be the launch date of the PS Vita, and it will be available in two different models; one with Wi-Fi and 3G connection, and the other model with just Wi-Fi. The Wifi only version will be available at $249, where as the model with both 3G and Wi-Fi will retail at $299. If you ask me, that the PS Vita is reasonably priced, considering that this is a pretty advanced piece of equipment. So it can be agreed that this is a pretty sweet spot price-wise.

The Sony conference closes with these reassuring words from Jack Tretton:

“The best is yet to come”.

Conclusion:

Starting off the Sony conference by mentioning the PSN outage was a predictable move by those in the briefing. But it was delivered very sincerely, and proves that despite the catastrophe that Sony and its customers had to endure; Sony is determined to not allow their name to be dragged through the mud by the selfish and self-righteous hackers/cowards that call themselves “freedom-fighters”. Ahem, sorry, got a bit carried away there.

My greatest fears for the conference came to fruition when I noticed that huge titles such as Uncharted 3, Bioshock Infinite and Resistance 3 were pretty thinned out, literally only given minutes to talk about each title, despite the fact that they deserve so much more air-time. However, this can be forgiven, as Sony had a lot of ground to cover, particularly in only ninety-minutes. Excluding the announcement of a new Sly Cooper game, God of War: Origins, and Cole being a playable character on Street Fighter X Tekken, there were no major shockers at this year’s conference. However, with that said, everything that we have seen is very, very exciting for all PlayStation gamers, particularly those who wish to make more use of their PlayStation move controller and newly purchased 3D televisions.

My biggest disappointment is the absence of titles from the conference, including; Batman: Arkham City, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Metal Gear Solid: Rising… Seriously!? Not only that, but I can imagine that everyone is asking the same thing: So, is there gonna be a God of War 4 or not? We’ll just have to wait and see.

It is safe to say that this year was PlayStation Vita’s year to shine at E3, and its rightfully so. With the long-list of features and relentless power that it projects, not to mention the already announced titles on the way, it’s a safe-bet as the future king of portable gaming for the hardcore gamer. Everyone should be itching to put their deposit down for the PS Vita, ready for the holiday season. And if E3 did not prove that to you; then you don’t have a soul.

Overall, not many surprise announcements, but once more, Sony has delivered the goods that makes us proud to own a PS3. Here’s to E3 2012. Only 365 days to go, can’t wait.

Adidas to Collaborate with THQ!

The world famous sporting brand Adidas is collaborating with video game publishers THQ. The two companies announced that they are to bring the miCoach interactive athletic training system to video game consoles.

With an early 2012 release, some of the world’s best and well known athletes will be featured on the system. These include Dwight Howard, Kaká, Jessica Ennis and more. They will guide users through a wide and large selection of sport-specific personalised training programs and as users are on their in-game performance, they will receive real time feedback during their workouts as they are wearing a miCoach heart rate monitor.

The miCoach hardware will be interacting with THQ’s new video game title, which will allow users to synchronize a miCoach Pace and miCoach mobile app to Kinect or Playstation Move.

“We’re taking our successful miCoach line and broadening its reach to an
even larger audience, who we hope will find motivation and inspiration from
adidas and our roster of star athletes,” said Simon Drabble, Director of
miCoach BU for adidas. “In simple words, this combination of console
technology and training for sports supports everybody to become better
athletes, regardless of their fitness level.”

Users will be able to create profiles, set themselves fitness goals and get instant analysis of workout regimens, which will utilise the advanced video game technology. Tennis, Running and Football are among the sports that users can choose out of, as well as American Football and Basketball.

“adidas and THQ are creating a remarkable fitness solution that can be with
you before, during and after your training workouts,” said Martin Good,
THQ’s Executive Vice President of Kids, Family & Casual Games.
“miCoach transcends
the definition of ‘video game’ and brings a truly innovative experience to
game consoles.”

The miCoach interactive training system is scheduled to be released on
Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move in early calendar 2012. For more
information on miCoach training systems, go to www.micoach.com for the information you need.

PSN Welcome Back – Winners and Losers

The ‘Welcome Back’ package from Sony was finally made available late last week, to thank PSN users for their patience and support while Sony tried to steady their corporate ship. It’s a nice gesture, though many will be less than pleased with the lack of newer content, considering there’s a decent chance most Playstation owners already own many of the games. They are quite good however, but some gamers will benefit more than others from the package, depending on what they enjoy. Here’s a quick rundown of which games are the best choice for a few types of gamers, and who benefits most from the PSN outage.

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Dead Island Release Date Confirmed & New E3 Trailer

Today Deep Silver have announced that Dead Island is set to be released in North America on September 6th and in the rest of the world on September 9th, 2011.

Along with the announcement a new E3 trailer.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River Valley Of Death DLC Announced

Codemasters today announced the first downloadable content for Operation Flashpoint: Red River. The new DLC  The Valley of Death Pack will be available at the end of June from the Xbox Marketplace (560 MSP), Games For Windows Marketplace (560 MSP) and PLAYSTATION NETWORK (£4.79 / $6.99 / €5.99).

The Valley of Death Pack features eight new Fireteam Engagements playable in single-player or in four player online co-op. Two new Combat Sweep missions, two new CSAR missions, two new Last Stand missions and two new Rolling Thunder missions are set across stunning new locales. Players will fight through the warehouses and factories of a former Soviet Manufacturing town and carry out operations in a riverside mudbrick village set beneath foreboding hilltop ruins.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River is out now for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.