Student Mugged in the London Riots to have PSP replaced by SCEE
Over the last few days; we have all witnessed the atrocious conduct and violence that has swept London, as well as other major cities in the UK. Whether you’ve seen it all on the television, in the newspapers, the internet, or even in person, the riots are all people can talk about lately.
One of the most popular and disgusting images of the criminality that overwhelmed the England capital is of 20-year-old Malaysian Student, Ashraf Haziq. In this video posted to Youtube, a group of youths assist Haziq to his feet, after they see him on the floor with a nasty facial injury. Despite this seemingly aspiring portrayal of community spirit, two of the youths immediately start sifting through Haziq’s backpack, before confidently walk off with his PSP.
In response to the mugging, SCEE Marketing Director, Alan Duncan, has reached out to Haziq after seeing a Tumble page, entitled ‘Lets do something nice for Ashraf’.
Duncan said the company would “like to give Ashraf a new PSP and games.”
If we can find out how to get it to him we’ll replace the PSP,
-SCEE Rep to Gaming Site VG247
Duncan even went as far as requesting to be put in touch with the hospital where Haziq was treated with a broken jaw. His message was received and staff is processing the request.
Sony was also a victims of the London riots, after the Sony distribution centre in the Enfield area of London was set alight by looters. Sony confirmed that an investigation is currently ongoing into the incident.
We at Push-Start would like to personally praise Alan Duncan and the others at Sony for their wonderful act of charity, and hope that the individuals involved in this disgusting crime will be braught to justice.
We also wish Ashraf Haziq a speedy recovery.
Rumour: PlayStation Vita Will Be Released on October 28th?
Most Sony PlayStation fans today will be itching to get their hands on the Next-Generation of Portable gaming; the PlayStation Vita. And after much speculation in regards to the official release date of the device in the United Kingdom, it may possibly have been unveiled by Blockbuster UK.
Sourced by IGN, an anonymous reader sent an image of a Blockbuster UK flyer, listing all the dates and pre-order prices of numerous upcoming titles, as well as Sony’s upcoming portable console. Both versions of the PS Vita, according to the advertisement, will be released on Friday, October 28th. It also shows that the Wi-Fi only model will retail at £229.99, and the 3G and Wi-Fi model will retail at £279.99, the same prices listed by all other UK retailers.
This news has arrived just after yesterday’s press release for Supremacy MMA, which indicated that the PS Vita would see a retail release this fall, making it more evident that such a release date can be very likely.
It is however undetermined as to whether this advertisement is in fact authentic, due to no official confirmation of the release date being made by Sony, and can therefore be nothing more but a rumour at this time. However, the date does coincide with Sony’s global launch window.
Push-Start will keep you updated on the story, but here’s to getting yourself a PS Vita just in time to wrap up for Christmas.
Rumour: Battlefield Listed for Handhelds
With EA’s figures coming in earlier this month it seemed normal until the Portugease Electronic Arts publish some information regarding some titles for the 3DS and Vita. Battlefield is currently listed only for 3DS as the Vita is still waiting to launch, but it maybe a 3DS exclusive. We shalle to wait until GamesCom for more information on the listing. 
EA Sports FIFA 12 Launches Global Pre-Order Offer
Electronic Arts have announced today the biggest sports franchise’s FIFA 12 hits stores September 27 in North America and September 30 worldwide.
UK fans who pre-order FIFA 12: Ultimate Edition exclusively available from GAME or Gamestation on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 video game will receive 24 FIFA 12 Ultimate Team Gold packs (4 per month for six months) to build their dream club in FIFA 12 Ultimate Team. UK fans who pre-order the FIFA 12: Special Edition from other UK retailers will receive 18 FIFA 12 Ultimate Team Gold packs (3 per month for six months). FIFA 12 UItimate Team will be available this October, and both editions will be available to pre-order until September 30, 2011.
Press Release
FIFA 12 Ultimate Team is a massive online community of fans building, managing and competing with their ultimate football team from the world’s best players in FIFA 12.
FIFA 12 brings to the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics engine that delivers real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch. Revolutionary gameplay innovations inspired by the real-world of football make FIFA 12 deeper and more engaging. All-new Precision Dribbling creates a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for better control in tight spaces, more time to make decisions in attack, and more control over the pace of the game. Innovations in attack are balanced by a re-designed defending mechanism.
Defending is now as strategic as attacking with all-new Tactical Defending, which fundamentally changes the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling. Plus, CPU players have been infused with Pro Player Intelligence, the next generation of player intelligence and performance.
FIFA 12 will be available for the PlayStation3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS , PSP (PlayStation®Portable) system, iPhone , iPad , and iPod touch.
Five of the Best – Tennis Games
Wimbledon has made its yearly appearance, so what better time to mention as many tennis clichés as possible, and maybe discuss a few tennis games. So grab some strawberries and cream while we serve up (I’m truly sorry for that one) some of the finest recreations of the sport for you to play when the rain stops proceedings and Tim Henman* starts losing.
*I might be a little out of touch with the tennis scene.
Jimmy Connor’s Pro Tennis Tour (SNES, 1993)
Realism was a word few used to describe games in the early 90’s, but Jimmy Connor’s Pro Tennis Tour managed to pull off a fairly accurate depiction of tennis, despite the limitations of graphics and control. Using a control method which could be simplified to allow the AI to move the player-character, JC focused on its shots, rather than the more popular Super Tennis, which was mainly based on player movement. Once the button was pressed to hit the ball, both power and direction could be applied in order to hit the perfect shot. Each face button offered a different type of shot and mastering the controls was critical to success. A rewarding system, then, which made the effort of working through the year-long season mode and attempting to become world number one all the more gratifying. It looks dated now, but still plays extremely well, once you get the hang of the controls. It’s a pity the only real player in the game is Connors himself, and the fake opponents lack personality, but they do play to their skill sets and that’s probably more important.
Wii Sports Tennis (Wii, 2006)
Wii Sports Tennis, despite being a small part of a game bundled with a console, is actually rather fun. It’s not much like actual tennis, but you might say it’s as close as you can get (not including EA’s disappointing Grand Slam Tennis) thanks to the motion controls. You do genuinely swing your racquet/wiimote for backhands, forehands and serves, and while a gentle flick of the wrist has much the same effect, buying into the game – especially in multiplayer, is immensely enjoyable. A room housing a Wii and some friends soon becomes quite raucous as shots fly, wiimotes hit other players, accusations of cheating abound and eventually, someone manages to out-air-swing their opponent. It’s clearly a long way from a tennis sim with motion controls, but as a fun alternative, particularly for those who don’t know their elbows from their Edbergs, it’s somewhat difficult to top.
Everybody’s Tennis (PSP, 2010)
Coming spectacularly late in the life of the PS2, many gamers missed out on Everybody’s Tennis, a spinoff of the superlative Everybody’s Golf series. It’s now improved and available for the PSP, and is well worth playing if you enjoyed the golf games. Taking the same graphical style of colourful environments and anime characters with oversized heads as its more sedate cousin, ET (not the alien) even retains the comedy sound effects. The progression system is different however, based on earning experience and working through a story mode, rather than just unlocking better characters (though this is still part of the game). It’s far more interesting, and the unusual approach to a sports game works, just about anyway. It may not be for everyone, but moving from school kid to tennis champ is fun in its own way, and unlocking new shots and skills along the path to glory is a great way to keep things fresh. The control system is close enough to Virtua Tennis so it’s familiar and obviously excellent. It lacks something intangible that Clap Hanz managed with their Golf games, a level of charm maybe, but that doesn’t make this a bad game, it’s a great PSP title and suits the portable system perfectly.
Mario Tennis (N64, 2000)
Typical of an N64 release, Mario Tennis is an absolute blast with four players. Choosing from a range of familiar faces such as Mario, Bowser and Wario is a staple of these games and Tennis is no different. It does include Boo though, who doesn’t get enough opportunities to star in games. Each character has different abilities, Mario is all-around as always, Bowser is powerful, you know the drill at this stage. The controls are simple, though explaining them makes them seem far more complex. A and B are the only buttons used for shots and different combinations produce different shots. Double tapping increases power, A then B for a lob. It’s a lot more intuitive than it sounds, I assure you. Surprisingly, for a game of this type, it plays a pretty accurate game of tennis. The court types are realistic in terms of response, the ball physics are brilliant and the range of shots is frankly astonishing, considering Donkey Kong is delivering them. It’s not too complex of course, but quite deep. It wouldn’t be a Mario game though, without power-ups. All the Mario Kart classics are here should you want to deviate from a more traditional game and as usual it’s quite a kick to send your opponent to the ground with a carefully placed shell. It’s perfect for multiplayer and the game’s mechanics are more than good enough to maintain a solid single-player mode. Mario has a real talent for sports and tennis might just be his best.
Virtua Tennis (Dreamcast, 2000)
Saving the best till last, then. Virtua Tennis is the crème de la crème of tennis games, a fluid, realistic title with arcade sensibilities, perfect for enthusiast and amateur alike. Starting life in arcades, it was the original home port of Virtua Tennis that really made waves, thanks to world circuit mode. This mode is basically a career or season, in which you improve your characters skills and attempt to rise through the world rankings. Training is possibly one of the most fun parts of VT, thanks to the brilliant mini-games which are now a series staple. Serving at bowling pins, trying to hit a bullseye, knocking down cans and many more absurd games are some of the most fun you could imagine having with a tennis game, using the subtle and phenomenal control system in order to make precision shots, which become more and more accurate as your character progresses. The actual tennis is just as good, thanks to that excellent control system. It’s simple enough to learn, but mastering placement of shots and movement takes a lot of practice, and knowing a little about the game helps in terms of where to play from when hitting volleys, or how to control a game. At the time the graphics were amazing, and they still stand up. In fact, there isn’t an enormous difference between VT on the Dreamcast and the PS3 and 360 versions of the game. As a sim it lacks technical accuracy thanks to the necessity of an arcade friendly approach, so it may not quite please those who want a perfectly accurate recreation of the sport (though it does have real-life players), but for the average gamer who’s had a game or two on an actual court it feel s like the real deal, without being overly complex.
PS Vita hands-on impressions [Updated!]
The Device
Before picking up the PS Vita for the first time, I’d been forewarned by a colleague that it was deceptively lightweight for something so powerful. Thinking myself well prepared I continued onward undaunted. My first thoughts mere seconds later? Jesus Christ this thing is light! I mean REALLY light, far more so than the 3DS and perhaps even the PSPgo (hey, remember those?). Maybe the battery pack had been removed from the unit in question or something like that, but even then it still felt as though I was holding nothing but an empty shell rather than the most powerful handheld gaming console ever made!
However I resist the temptation to in turn call the Vita “fragile” as such; I wasn’t really in a situation where it would be socially or professionally acceptable to put the device though its paces in that regard. But even if I was, I doubt that I’d want to do the Vita any harm becuse just holding it felt so…… nice. My hands extensive memory of the many years of abuse they had suffered at the “mercy” of the PSP’s rough and uncomfortable edges were washed away as they gently wrapped around the Vita’s perfectly rounded contours. The entire device was just exceptionally smooth with little to no uncomfortable protrusions, right from the crystal clear OLED screen all the way round to the ……sigh…. rear mounted touch panel.
But while my index fingers and palms where busy having trauma therapy and my eyes were gazing upon the future of portable screens, my thumbs were busy exploring something else entirely: the twin analogue sticks. Not analogue nubs, not circle pads, not d-pads with some kind of exotic mounting, but actual analogue sticks that stand sound and true, just as god intended. My thumbs promptly reported back, after much random fumbling which I think slightly confused the booth clerks who were watching all the journalists like hawks, that the sticks were relatively firm and functional, but also surprisingly lacking in reach, which might perhaps make precision movement very difficult when a situation inevitably calls for it.
It was then that a bunch of other minor but irritating realisations struck me unawares. For one, the sticks are far far too close to the face buttons, making it exceptionally easy to nudge the former when attempting to utilise the latter. And it wasn’t until I was prompted to press start, as every real man is at some point in their lives, that I realised how ridiculously awkward the start/select buttons are! Not only are they tucked away in a corner of the Vita that’s near impossible to reach when in standard gaming posture, but the actual buttons themselves are significantly firmer that you would either expect or desire such a thing to be. I ended up having to take several attempts at the gargantuan task of “Press Start”, eventually using the tip of my fingernails to force the button down far enough for the system to acknowledge my intentions.
Are these fairly small and petty criticisms I’m making here? Yeah I guess they are a little, but it’s only because I’m really struggling to find much fault with the Vita as a device on the whole. Well, other than how ridiculous that rear touch panel still is! I’m not trying to say it’s perfect or anything like that, but it’s certainly more than satisfactory in all the areas that count, such as portability, visuals, controls and ergonomics. Whether the games on the Vita will correctly leverage these assets is another thing entirely, as the ones I was shown were a bit of a mixed bag.
The games
Note that during my hands-on session I was only allowed to play the 5 separate games for a maximum of 4 minutes each, so I can’t do much more than make a fairly cursory analysis at this point.
Little Big Planet
It should be no surprise that this game is just more of the patchwork platforming that you (hopefully) know and love. The graphics were fairly decent and the controls were suitably “floaty” to the point where, from a distance, it’s more or less indistinguishable from it’s console cousins.
Gameplay wise the only big change is that certain physics objects (most of which were marked with a special blue texture) can now be interacted with using the touch screens rather than the sackboy’s usual grab ability. I got to play with a several different applications of this new mechanic, such as being able to “push” objects out from the background using the rear screen or pulling back a slingshot with the front screen. Even though these were pretty basic examples, they were still quite fun to mess around with and didn’t feel like they had been forced into the game just for the sake of it. What’s more, there’s a good chance they will pale in compassion to whatever crazy stuff the LBP community will make once the game goes public. Can’t wait!
Virtua Tennis 4
Much to my own surprise this ended up being by far the most entertaining title of the lot! Technically It was your standard Virtua Tennis game but now In order to hit the ball you had to swipe across the screen, with the angle of your stroke determining the trajectory of the ball and the direction of the stroke adding either a top or bottom spin to it. At one point the booth clerk I was standing next too took the opportunity to remind me that the game is also playable with traditional analogue stick and face button controls at any time, but that she “preferred the touch screen style anyway”. Even though I have fairly strong suspicion that this was just a pre-canned phrase that she was being paid to tell people whenever possible, it totally echoed my own sentiments on the matter. Using the touch screen to control the balls trajectory and spin felt infinitely more precise than simply taping a button, possibly making it the first time I’ve ever felt touch screen integration actually enhancing my gameplay experience rather than being a tacked on gimmick.
Little Deviants
You may remember Little Deviants from Sony’s original “NGP” press conference a while back; it was shown as a possible application of the rear touch screen, allowing you to “push” parts of the game-world upwards in order to solve puzzles. But it turns out that that was actually only one of several different mini games present in the full title, all of which involve these little orange monsters (who i assume are the titular Deviants) giving me the impression that Sony are keen to make this the Vita’s answer to the Raving Rabbids. Unfortunately, while the three segments I played made neat little tech demos and all, I can’t really see any of them providing much entertainment after the first few tries.
In the first one was an augmented reality minigame where you had use the Vita’s gyroscope and front camera to hunt down enemies hidden around you and then press the shoulder buttons to shoot at them. If that sounds a little familiar, it’s because its almost identical to the 3DS’s built in Face Raiders app (sans-face scanning trick) something that I doubt was a coincidence.
Next was a slightly more original game where I had to use the Vita’s tilt sensor to steer a flying character through a maze of hazards in order to reach a bomb before it detonates. Trying to see where all those aforementioned hazards where while moving the Vita about in such a fashion was extremely awkward, but I think that’s just a testament to the general stupidity of tilt based games as a concept.
And to fish off I played a quasi whack-a-mole style game where I had to poke the Deviants from either the front or the back touch screen depending on which direction they were facing when they appeared. Sounds simple enough, but unlike the Little Big Planet there were no indicators showing where my fingers where on the rear screen, making it really difficult to hit the targets I was aiming for and not the ones that gave score penalties.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
This is probably many a Sony fan’s most anticipated title for the Vita, and for good reason! It’s perfectly in keeping with Naught Dog’s ludicrously high standards when it comes to visuals; a wonderful showcase for the Vita’s vast graphical capability. Unfortunately it’s the control system that really lets it down, particularly the extensive (but thankfully optional) touch based controls which have you make all sorts of awkward gestures on both screens to do even the most basic of actions.
I really tried my best to embrace this new control scheme rather than be a fuddy duddy about the whole thing, but long before my 4 minutes was up I was already reaching for the traditional button inputs out of frustration. Even then however, the aiming and movement controls felt far too sluggish and imprecise for me to actually have much fun with it. Overall a rather disappointing experience that I really hope can be corrected before the game launches.
Sound Shapes
This was more or less the only “original” title on display at the public PSV booth; created by none other than Queasy Games, the developers of the the somewhat overlooked PSN classic Riff: Everyday Shooter back in 2008. Much like Riff, Sound Shapes is all about music dynamically changing alongside the gameplay, this time in the guise of a side scrolling platformer instead of a twin stick shooter.
Your main objective (as far as I could tell) is to get to the end of the level while collecting as many glowing orbs as possible, and as you obtain those orbs the background music will change according to where that orb was on the screen when you picked it up. Where it differs from Riff is that the music is far more than just a neat little distraction; enemies will often shoot at you in time with the beat of the current music track, requiring to keep a constant feel for the level’s rhythm if you want to survive.
It was certainly a very enjoyable title from what I played, but it was also very abstract compared to the rest of the PSV lineup so I can’t really see it doing well at retail. hopeful they have the sense to make it a DLC title; I’d hate to see Queasy’s second professional game be their last!
Although I didn’t have time to take a look at it myself, I’m told that Sound Shapes will also have an extensive level creation system akin to Little Big Planet, however there’s no word on whether there will also be any sort of bespoke online infrastructure in place to support a full blown community around that feature.
Summary
I don’t think it quite lives up to the dream Sony were selling of a portable PS3, but it certainly meets you half way there with all round a well crafted (mostly) logical successor to the PSP that I believe will easily stand the test of time. While quite irritating at first, the few minor issues I mentioned earlier are the sort of thing that players should be able to adapt to given enough time. Of course If we’re lucky they may even be dealt with by Sony at the production stage before the console even hits the market.
The only real elephant in the room in my book is that rear touch screen, which after my hands-on time with the Vita just seem even more ridiculous than it did before (no mean feat!). I’ve yet to see anything that makes it look like anything other than an ill-conceived gimmick, and my heart sinks whenever I think about how much could have been shaved off the Vita’s production costs if it had been omitted from the design all together.
As for the games, while each of the ones I played did a good job of expressing the individual strengths of the Vita, they all did so in isolation; none coming even close to demonstrating decent graphics, gameplay, rear/front touch screen usage and controls all in one complete package. But then again, that’s likely something for future generations of Vita games to be concerned with. For now however, If this is the sort of quality we can expect from Vita launch titles then I think the system should be off to a relatively solid start, or at the very least make the 3DS launch line up look more of a joke than it already does.
Cross-Game Chat Finally Coming to PS3?
For quite some time now, the majority of PlayStation 3 owners have been adamant to have one feature to their online gaming experience with the PlayStation Network; cross-game chat. Many even requested the feature to be added as “compensation” for the PlayStation Network outage in April, but no such result. However, rumours have now emerged, which could potentially see cross-game chat finally arriving to the PlayStation 3.
During this year’s E3, Sony announced during their briefing earlier this week that the successor to the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, will support cross-game chat. What this means is that users can chat with anyone on their PSN friends list, regardless of the games and content that you (or they) are currently playing on.
The cross-game feature will be built into a mini-social networking service, called Party, which is announced to be an exclusive to the handheld. The service will also allow groups of friends to instantly jump into games together online, as well as creating chat rooms.
With a handheld as powerful as the PlayStation Vita; the social side of the device will be a sure-fire hit with fans. But, although SCEA’s Ramana Prakash made it clear that they are only announcing Party for the PlayStation Vita; according to sources from PSU.com, a representative of Sony, who asked to be anonymous, has allegedly hinted that such a service will eventually come to PlayStation 3 systems.
Speculation of cross-game chat arriving to the PlayStation 3 occurred after the Sony briefing at E3 2011, where they also announced that the upcoming instalment of the long-running racing franchise, Wipeout 2048, will also have a cross-platform feature, where people on their PlayStation Vita can link-up and play online with others on their PlayStation 3.
No comment has been made by Sony as to whether such rumours are true. But let’s keep our fingers crossed.
PlayStation Vita will be release in the holiday season, with a price-tag of £229 for Wifi only models, and £279 for models with both Wifi and 3G.
Source: PSU.com
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?
Street Fighter X Tekken Confirmed For PSVita
Capcom announced yesterday during the E3 2011 Sony Press Conference that Street Fighter x Tekken will be coming to PS Vita.
In STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN, PSVita players will also get a new character included known as Cole MacGrath from the inFAMOUS series will be a playable character exclusive to SCE platforms.
With the addition of new gameplay mechanics and controls, including tag battles for the first time in a Street Fighter game, the acclaimed fighting action of Super Street Fighter®IV has been expanded to suit the needs of both Street Fighter and TEKKEN players alike. Produced by Yoshinori Ono, STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN continues the rich heritage of quality that Capcom has established in the fighting game space.
STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN is scheduled to release for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system in 2012 and details will come soon for PsVita.
Here are some screenshots
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 28th. 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 4th 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 10th 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.
