Adam Shear's E3 2011 Predictions Part 2: Sony

Now for part two of my E3 predictions, Sony. Sony is easily the most open out of the big three. They were not at all afraid to reveal the majority of their 2011 lineup by the end of 2010. Even with all we know, there still are surprises. Not only is Sony's press conference about PS3, it is also about NGP, Sony's next portable system which they unveiled earlier this year. Just remember that these are all predictions and everything I am writing is just my opinion based on fact, not actual fact.

On the PS3 side it is all about two things. The first is once again apologizing for the long PSN outage. By E3 the PlayStation Store pretty much has to be back online. The second thing is that it's all about the games. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One, Resistance 3, Twisted Metal, and more will all be shown via either new trailers, on stage demonstrations, or both. New details about all these games will definitely be revealed. I believe The Last Guardian will also make an appearance due to high demand. The Last Guardian is definitely a late 2012 or early 2013 title and I would not except Sony to talk much about it. Starhawk, another title not coming this year will also probably make an E3 appearance as well.

There's no doubt that there are also more games than what we know of. There definitely will be surprises coming this year. Sly 4 was teased in The Sly Collection but I don't think it will get an E3 reveal. Sucker Punch just wrapped up inFamous 2 and I'm sure that now they are deep into production of Sly if that is their next title. If so, I'd expect to be at next year's E3 rather than this year. I don't really know what other surprises there will be but there will be reveals for games coming this year.

PlayStation Move will also be a huge focus for Sony. Support for Move is currently lacking and Sony will now reveal some of the Move exclusive games they are working on including Sorcery which was shown at last year's E3. Sorcery will probably release either later this year or early next year. LittleBigPlanet 2 is receiving an update so PlayStation Move can now be used in levels. Sony might show that off at their press conference but I'm sure no matter what, there will be some sort of announcement about LittleBigPlanet 2's first major update. Third parties are also probably making a some content for Move and if so, some of it will be showcased at the press conference. It won't be much though. Kinect definitely has more third party companies involved.

The next major focus will be NGP. We will definitely get a final name and at least a release window for Japan and probably the US as well. Considering its a US show, I would expect the US launch window to be revealed. It might be too early for a price but if not, I think Sony will price NGP around $300-$350 for the Wi-Fi only model. The Wi-Fi + 3G model will probably be $400 minimum.

Games will be a primary focus obviously and in terms of first party games, there's no doubt Uncharted for NGP will be the killer app for the system. Others like Little Deviants which were previously shown will also be expanded upon at Sony's E3 press conference. Third parties will also be a focus and I'm 100% positive that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (or some other Call of Duty game) for NGP does exist and will make its debut at E3. Call of Duty was already confirmed for NGP but showing it will be unlike anything anyone has seen from handheld gaming and no doubt that and Uncharted will be exactly what NGP needs at launch. Many NGP games will debut at E3 and while I have no idea what many of them are, it certainly will be exciting.

To see if I'm right, tune into Sony's E3 press conference live on June 6 at 8pm EST. There are plenty of ways to check it out including the PlayStation Blog and even PlayStation Home.

PlayStation Store to Return May 24th

At long last, the PlayStation Store will be making its triumphant return on May 24th after the month long outage that crippled PS3 and PSP owners worldwide. Alongside it's return is Sony's welcome package that will entitle PSN users to their choice of two games. PS3 owners can choose between free copies of:

Dead Nation

inFAMOUS

LittleBigPlanet

Super Stardust HD

Wipeout HD + Fury

And PSP owners can also choose between the following:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

As part of the welcome back, all premium services will have the appropriate allotted time added on to their services, and in addition to that, everyone will receive:

• A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
• Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
• To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

 

Editorial: The PlayStation Network Outage Survival Guide

Hello friends, if you are reading this, you may have realized that there has been a PlayStation Network outage for an extended period of time. It's been five long days already with probably a few more on the horizon. Certainly by now there are riots in the streets, protests, Nintendo fans celebrating the fact that their method of online gaming is not the worst out there while this outage continues on, as well as grown men in fetal positions checking the status of the outage every minute. Certainly there are ways to lessen the pain of not being able to play online and I have those tips just for you with my own handy dandy PlayStation Network outage survival guide.

1. Play games in single player mode: There are many people who only play multiplayer games like Call of Duty. Little do they realize that these games also have single player modes. Time for COD enthusiasts on PS3 to take a break from leveling up to try beating the campaign. There are plenty of people who have not touched this mode and it is a sad sight to see. If you are looking to buy a new single player game to keep your thumbs busy during the outage, check out masterpieces such as Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, any Ratchet and Clank Future game, God of War III, and many more. There are tons of amazing single player games out there. You might even be able to find some bargain bin titles that will keep you busy offline for hours.

2. Play with friends in the same room: If you can't play against your friends online, invite them over to your house. Sure, you have to play split screen but that ain't stopping the fun. Just make sure it is people who actually want to play video games when they come over. If they at first refuse, tell them you've fallen and can't get up or that you're addicted to crystal meth and need an immediate intervention. And when they come over, make sure you have food ready for your guests. People like food, especially cheese doodles.

3. Enjoy the outdoors: If you've been addicted to multiplayer modes of games like Killzone 3, Uncharted 2, LitleBigPlanet 2 or others, you may have forgotten what that yellow circle in the sky is, that's the sun. Going outside and walking is great exercise. Since you first grabbed that Sixaxis or Dualshock 3 controller, you may have noticed that your body might have gotten a little wider and puffier than you remember. Time to get rid of that weight and run some laps at a track, your local park, or even your neighborhood. If your body mass has stayed the same, do the same thing. Chase birds, feed ducks at a local pond, pick a person out of a crowd and chase him. Make a game out of whatever you do outside and it can be about half as fun as getting those sweet headshots. Going outside every once in a while is always good.

4. Find other forms of amusement: There's lots to do other than playing video games but many other forms of amusement do not compare. You're gonna have to just suck it up and do it. That mexican game with the ball attached to the cup looks fun or just watch a bunch of movies... oh that's right, all video streaming services won't work on your nice TV while PSN is down. If you like sleeping, maybe knocking yourself into a coma until the outage is over is just your cup of tea. My point is there's lots of other things to do than play video games. Maybe finding a new hobby will change your life.

5. Play online on another system: Whoa there partner, you would never consider this. After all those years of being completely loyal to the PlayStation brand? You're the type of person who would spit on an Xbox 360 controller and break someone's Wii before they got the chance to play with it. You'd be out of your mind to betray Sony after all those years. Certainly if you are not a loyalist, go right ahead and pick up on all the multiplayer fun on Xbox 360 or play some Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii if you don't mind the lag. There's lots of fun to be had on the two other systems on the market.

So there you have it, my PlayStation Network outage survival guide. If you follow these tips, you'll be completely sane until PlayStation Network goes back online. When that is nobody knows for sure. Stay tuned to GamersCast Podcast for more information.

Sony Giving PS3 and PSP Gamers Even Better Deals

Sony today has announced some price cuts that will be of great benefit to all gamers. First, they cut the price of the PSP down to $129.99. This is great deal that also comes with lower prices for games. New releases such as God of War: Ghost of Sparta and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars will now be as low as $29.99. Some PSP favorites such as Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Assassin's Creed Bloodlines are now Greatest Hits titles that will cost only $19.99. And legacy PSP titles such as Daxter and Killzone Liberation are now in the PSP Favorites brand and will cost an extremely low price of $9.99.

These are some great price drops but Sony did not stop there. It also added a few amazing PlayStation 3 titles to its Greatest Hits branding. The newcomers which include Heavy Rain, God of War III, ModNation Racers, UFC Undisputed 2010, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition will now all cost only $29.99. This is a huge price drop for some of the PS3's greatest games. If you are thinking about buying a PS3, these amazing games at lower prices could be a deciding factor.

If you would like to contact Adam Shear, the author of this post, you can do so at adam@gamerscastpodcast.com

Editorial: My Thoughts on NGP

While it's clear the PSP is on its last legs, or possibly dead, Sony has finally announced that the PSP's successor known as NGP is on the way. It seriously blew my mind and exceeded my wildest expectations. Will it be the next big thing or will it lose right from the starting gate to Apple and Nintendo?

The specs of NGP really blew my mind. This thing is capable of bringing the same experience of playing current gen consoles like Xbox 360 and PS3 to a handheld. Sure NGP is huge but that's because it boasts a 5 inch OLED screen. It also has amazing new parts such as a second analog stick, front and rear cameras, Sixaxis motion controls such as an accelerometer and gyroscope, GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G, a touch screen, and a rear touch panel. I've never seen so many new things added from one generation to the next. The parts added are not just to catch up to its competitors who have motion controls, 3G, and touch screens, but these new parts also enhance gameplay. I was most definitely impressed by Little Deviants, one of the many games coming to NGP. The amount of control I can have over the environment is insane. Uncharted also looked amazing. I don't know if I would use the touch screen or touch panel to control Nathan Drake but the addition of the second analog stick brings those dualshock control I love on the go. I'm very excited for many of the games announced including LittleBigPlanet, Killzone, Uncharted, Call of Duty, and more.

In my editorial about the successor to PSP, I said that in order for it to succeed, it needs to find a core demographic. I am so happy to say that I think NGP found one. Its core demographic is hardcore gamers. I'm sure there are many hardcore gamers who have never even owned a handheld system. NGP will definitely appeal to all hardcore gamers so long as there is a quality software lineup. I'm sure NGP will see many ports of great current gen games within its first year or two as an easy way to cash in. But with such power comes great potential. Imagine a Call of Duty game on NGP that would rival the experience you would get on Xbox 360. This is clearly what NGP is capable of. With applications like Near and the LiveArea page for each game, NGP will feel even more connected to your friends than all current gen systems. It is clear to see that the success of NGP will depend on the software released. It must prove to be all the awesomeness of a current gen game in a tiny package. The new methods of controls such as the touch screen, rear touch panel, and Sixaxis will bring all new methods of control that were not possible before. Even casual games like Angry Birds will be able to receive a full port over to NGP thanks to the PlayStation Suite which will no doubt be successful.

Will I get an NGP at launch? Probably not. It will most likely be expensive, around $300 or $400. I'd rather spend my money on all the other great games releasing this holiday and I probably won't have even close to the amount of money I need for NGP. Seeing the way I get money throughout the year, I will most likely get one within the first year or so of its release. I am getting the Nintendo 3DS at launch since it is affordable at $249 and I definitely have the cash for it. Did NGP steal a bit of the 3DS's thunder? It definitely did but I'm sure both will be successful, even NGP so long as the software lineup remains strong and each system shows what they are capable of with each game.

If you would like to contact Adam Shear, the author of this post, feel free to do so at adam@gamerscastpodcast.com

PlayStation Announces Next Generation Portable

Last night, Sony held a press conference to announce their next big thing. That thing is Sony's Next Generation Portable. Next Generation Portable or NGP is the codename for the successor to the PSP. It is loaded with new parts inside including a 4 core processor (making it close to the power of PS3), not one, but finally TWO analog sticks, Sixaxis motion controls which include an accelerometer, gyroscope, and electronic compass, a 5" OLED screen that is capable of HD graphics, a front camera and rear camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G antennas built in, and not to mention, that 5" OLED screen is also a capacitive multitouch display along with a 5" multitouch pad on the back of the system.

Games will be distributed via digital download or through flash based cards. NGP will have trophy support, support for PlayStation Suite, a special store for PlayStation games on Android devices also announced at the event (not to mention it is backwards compatible with all PSP content on the PlayStation Store), an application called Near which lets you see where your friends are as well as what the people in your area are playing, and much more.

Many games were announced and a few were shown off. Sony showed off a new Uncharted game which has the player swiping the touch screen to make Drake automatically jump or swing from vines. Swinging the NGP also makes Drake swing from vines. Another game called Little Deviants uses both the touch screen as well as the rear touch panel to change the terrain within the game. Many other incredible Sony franchises will also be coming to NGP including Killzone, Resistance, LittleBigPlanet, Wipeout, Hot Shots Golf, and more. The only third party game that was officially announced was a Call of Duty game from Activision. Demos of Lost Planet 2 cut scenes running in real time on NGP and well as Hideo Kojima showing off a tech demo featuring Metal Gear Solid 4 running on NGP were shown.

NGP will be releasing this holiday season in Japan for an unannounced price for now but expect it to come everywhere else in early 2012. Stay tuned for GamersCast for continuing updates on all things gaming.

If you would like is contact Adam Shear, the author of this post, feel free to do so at adam@gamerscastpodcast.com.

Editorial: What Will PSP 2 Need to Succeed?

You may have heard the recent rumors that Sony is getting ready to unveil their take on next generation portable gaming soon and it looks like they actually might at an event on January 27. It is hard to say whether PSP 2 even has a chance at succeeding. The first PSP did not have the success Sony was expecting and it is far behind its competitors, the Nintendo DS and iPod Touch. Even Nintendo 3DS will do fairly well. Everyone but Sony has been a massive hit with the kids and tweens demographics. The PSP was somewhat successful but it has been a massive flop in its later year due to poor support from third parties and no high quality games. In 2010, games franchises like God of War, Metal Gear Sold, and Kingdom Hearts arrive but the audience is not there. The PSP Go was a huge failure because very few people understood digital distribution and connecting the PSP to Wi-Fi in order to get games. At least Apple lets you sync the iPod's games to iTunes which is a very easy process. Not only that but you were restricted to the PlayStation Network store when a lot of great games might have only been available on UMD which even as the PSP exists, it has turned into an obsolete format. What will Sony have to do in order to make PSP 2 successful? It's a huge gamble for them because there is barely any room for them in the portable gaming market with such strong competitors. I have made a couple of lists of what I expect the PSP 2 to have and what it needs to do in order to be successful. Some things do overlap.

Things I expect the PSP 2 to have:

1. Second analog stick: this was easily the biggest problem with the original PSP and with a second stick, there is a huge opportunity for portable FPS games to play well. This alone may help bring amazing games to PSP 2.

2. HD Display: The original PSP had a huge 4" widescreen display which looks beautiful. I expect the PSP 2's screen to maybe the around the same size but much high resolution, at least 720p HD. There are also rumors of it having a glasses free 3D display which Sony has already put on their 3D Bloggie and camcorder which go as big as 3.5". While it still could be possible, I really doubt it since Sony probably started making PSP 2 a while back and its probably too late to go back to the drawing board to add this.

3. Full PSN Experience: While PSP may just have the PlayStation Store, I expect PSP 2 to also have your PSN friends list and have trophy support for all games. This would be an easy and excellent addition to PSP 2 that would increase its use.

4. Impressive Technology: The graphics processor and the chips inside this thing will no doubt be super powerful, probably enough to compete with Xbox 360 or PS3 considering you are looking at the game on a smaller screen.

I expect PSP 2 to release in Spring 2012 if announced on Thursday and it would probably be between $300 and $400.


What will PSP 2 need in order to be successful?:

1. The first four items on the previous list

2. Multimedia Functions: Watching movies in HD and listening to music could be popular features if they are easy to use. Watching a movie on a PSP 2 is probably a much better experience than on a 3DS screen (in 2D) or iPod Touch screen.

3. Apps: Apps have made the iPod Touch successful and Sony can definitely think of a few great things and make great partnerships to put things like Facebook or Twitter on the PSP 2 as a native app.

4. Finding a core demographic: Kids and gamers love the 3DS because Nintendo makes great software and its in 3D and everyone loves Apple's iPod Touch because its easy to use, its an amazing multimedia device, and the games are cheap. PSP 2 needs to find a core demographic in order to succeed. There need to be a niche that's not getting their fill. Maybe PSP 2 can appeal to a more adult audience but adults don't wanna be seen at work or on the train with video game systems in their pockets (at least that's the thought in America). Portable game systems are still widely considered kids' stuff not meant for adults but this is not true. PSP 2 needs to find a specific market interested in it in order to succeed.

5. Cheap games: iPod Touch is so successful because you can get quality titles for only $.99. This is insane! Sony needs to cut into that market. They started with PSP minis but these games are so overpriced. Minis need to go down in price from $7 to $15 per game to only between $.99 and $4.99. Those are the only prices Minis should be allowed to be. This alone would really help PSP 2.

6. High quality software lineup: This is easily the simplest, most important point of all. If there are amazing games people want, people will buy them along with the system. Sony needs huge third party support as well as getting its first party studios to make amazing games on PSP 2. Literally it could succeed on quality titles alone. So long as the games are there and they are good, people will buy the system.

Vote for the Best Game of 2010!

Vote now for what you think is the best game of 2010, and see the winner revealed on December 29th on our Best of 2010 podcast!

Best Games of 2010 nominees:
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Fallout New Vegas
Call of Duty Black Ops
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Red Dead Redemption
Mass Effect 2

Donate Link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=gamerscast%40gamerscastpodcast%2ecom&lc=US&item_name=GamersCast¤cy_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted

Editorial: E3 Predictions Part 2: Sony

E3 is now only a couple of weeks away and every major player in the interactive entertainment industry is going all out with announcements of their biggest titles. Sony has done a very impressive job at E3 for the last couple of years. Their 2006 press conference was a disaster which has been spoofed by many on the web. Thankfully after all that, there are no more giant enemy crabs or talks of a $599 price. Not only but I remember watching the 2006 conference live and Sony started thirty minutes late. They really have recovered since then and I even thought last year's showing was the best lineup of all major hardware companies. This only covers first party titles and does not reflect the opinions of the other GamersCast Podcast staff.

How Sony has done its press conference in recent years is that they at first focus on announcements that will be effective during the holiday season. All surprises that will release this year are usually announced within the first three quarters of the conference. The rest of the time is used to focus on titles for the following year. This is the one thing I like about Sony at E3. They focus more on next year at their conference than Nintendo or Microsoft. Some of what Sony has to offer on Playstation 3, PSP and Playstation 2 is already known and I think there will be fewer surprises this year than last year. What do I think Sony will talk about at E3?

Games Sony will definitely show:

Playstation Move launch titles- Sony has already revealed many titles such as Sports Champions, Move Party, The Shoot, and many more that will most likely launch with Playstation Move. There will no doubt be new titles shown for the first time at Sony's conference. They have already announced that for $99 you get a starter kit which comes with the Playstation Eye camera, a Move controller, and a game. I believe there will be multiple starter kits featuring many different games. I am also interested to see Playstation Network titles that will support Move other than the ones that will be updated to support it. I believe all of that will definitely be revealed at Sony's conference

God of War: Ghost of Sparta- There is no doubt that this will be the most highly anticipated PSP game of 2010. Sony has yet to show footage of the game to the public and E3 is the perfect opportunity to demo the game in front of the world.

Killzone 3- It was just announced last week and Sony will definitely reveal a few new things about the game as well as debut a trailer and possibly demo the game.

LittleBigPlanet 2- LittleBigPlanet 2 is one of those games that just has so many features that not all of it will even be revealed until the game's launch. According to what I have heard, there will be announcements at E3 concerning the "create" function of the game. Some new information will be revealed and it will most likely be something unexpected. I think Media Molecule will definitely surprise all of us with great new information at E3.

Socom 4- Although it was previously announced, more information on Socom 4 will be revealed at E3. It is likely that a release date will also be confirmed at the show.

The Last Guardian- The trailer at last year's E3 blew everyone away and there is no doubt in my mind that Sony will reveal more about The Last Guardian.


Games Sony might at E3

Resistance 3- The announcement of Resistance 3 was leaked on a movie set when a bilboard on the set revealed information on the game. I believe Resistance 3 is in development and will release in 2011. If this is all true, Sony will reveal the first trailer and information on the game near the end of their press conference.

Heavy Rain Chronicles DLC- Heavy Rain has done so much better in sales than its developers at Quantic Dream expected. There so far is only one piece of Heavy Rain DLC (downloadable content) and I believe that there just has to be more in store. This would be the perfect venue to unveil details on Heavy Rain DLC and I would not be surprised if the release of the second piece of content was released only a couple of weeks after it is unveiled.

Games Sony will not show at E3

Eat Sleep Play title- David Jaffe has said hundreds of times that his company's game, whatever it might be, will NOT be on the E3 show floor. End of story.

There is more than just games being revealed. Sony has already confirmed that they will be releasing a paid service for Playstation Network in which you pay for membership but receive extra content. I have heard many things about the service such as that it will allow users to download one free PSN game per month. Only certain titles will be eligible. I also heard the Playstation Protection Plan will be included in the service as well. I think that they also need to give these users free subscriptions to Qore, special "meet and greet" opportunities in Home, getting some content earlier than users not paying for the servie, similar to the way Xbox Live releases demos. Another thing I heard is that cross-game chat will be included with the premium servie. I think if they do all these things, they will get users to sign up. I would think rather than a monthly fee, users should have an option to pay for a full year of service so they do not have to worry every month about paying rather than getting it over with then.

Another huge rumored announcement is the debut of the successor to the PSP. The PSP has been out for five years and Nintendo will be revealing information on the successor to Nintendo DS at E3. Based on this information alone, it is easy to believe that Sony will say something about the new system at E3. I don't think that the PSP 2 will be coming out anytime soon. I think will will come out before Summer of 2012 but I think Sony really needs to think about whether they can compete against Nintendo 3DS and even iPhone which really is a true competitor. I think the PSP 2 does need to avoid putting games like the PSP Mini games on the system. iPhone has taken over as a much better spot for games like that. PSP 2 needs to be closer to bringing the console experience to a handheld. This was the goal with the original PSP and it did not do as well as it should have. The addition of a second analog stick would help so many developers in making great games. I hate using the face buttons as controls for the camera. It does not work. The one thing that will drive the system to success is that it will be much more powerful than the first PSP. This will mean more capable games will released for the system. A high definition screen and built in hard drive with options for expandable memory also must be included in order for the system to succeed. I think the PSP 2 wil not be unveiled at E3 but instead may be at the Tokyo Game Show or at Gamescom.

Sony will no doubt do nothing but impress at E3. What will they really show? We will have to wait until June 15 to hear more information. The final part of my E3 prediction will arrive later this week so stay tuned for that.

Get Some Early Laps in with the ModNation Racers PSP Demo

Many gamers who have been awaiting the release of ModNation Racers will get their chance to test drive the portable version of the "play, create, and share” inspired kart racer. A ModNation Racers demo will be arriving for PSP. The demo is packed with content including eight unique Mods and their karts. The two tracks featured in the demo are Lost Temple and Flaming Jumps. Both tracks promise to be full of opportunities to get some big air and the ability to distract your opponents with a variety of weapons.

Of course ModNation Racers would be nothing without the innovative Track Studio which allows players to create their own tracks to race on. Just about every aspect of the track is customizable. The Alpine theme will be the only theme available and the track parts you can use will be limited but it will give you a good idea as to how the Track Studio works and it will whet your creative appetite.

The ModNation Racers demo will release on May 11 in the PSP store which can be accessed ether directly on a PSP or on the Playstation Store on Playstation 3. This is an amazing opportunity to get some early laps in before the release of ModNation Racers on May 25. Remember that this game is also coming to Playstation 3 and it is very similar to the PSP version so console gamers may wanna give the portable version of the game a test drive as there has been no word of a Playstation 3 demo.

Editorial: Will iPad Revolutionize Gaming?

As you all know, the highly anticipated tablet computer known as the iPad will launch tomorrow morning. The iPad, created by Apple Inc. has a high resolution ten inch touch display. The iPhone which launched almost three years ago has shown that its multitouch capabilities, accelerometer, 3D graphics comparable to Nintendo DS and PSP, and internet connection features provide a very unique gaming experience. Players can interact with games in new ways which makes some games on the iPhone such as Flight Control, Plants vs. Zombies, Rolondo, Doodle Jump and Pocket God stand out from the crowd as unique titles. Smaller developers have created very unique experiences and are continuing to do so with thousands of games already released on iPhone and hundreds of millions downloaded. The digital distribution model allows developers to control their price and change it at will. iPhone games and applications have succeeded in taking the spotlight away from many other mobile phones, MP3 players, and even portable gaming systems. Children are even starting to ask for iPod Touches for Christmas instead of a Nintendo DS or PSP.

Will iPad take this successful formula of the iTunes ecosystem and App Store and allow developers and consumers to take gaming to the next level on this new device? So far the iPad lineup of apps at launch consists of retooled apps that were already made for iPhone. Games such as Plants vs. Zombies, Flight Control, Call of Duty: World at War Zombies, Fieldrunners, Super Monkey Ball and many more are receiving new versions that are made specifically for iPad. The larger, higher resolution screen allows games to be bigger and better than ever before. The games unfortunately will cost you money even if you bought the iPhone version.

Konami made a smart move by putting the iPad version of its Metal Gear Solid Touch game inside the same app as the iPhone version so when the user opens the game, it will be different depending on which device they are using whether it is on iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. These universal apps will probably gain popularity over the decision to make consumers pay for something they already have. Since iPad can open and play iPhone apps, app developers will most likely see an increase in sales. I believe that the iPad could hold its own as being an incredible gaming device, possibly being better than iPhone. I could imagine a future where consumers will pick up an iPad not just to browse the web, check email, read books, or stream high quality video, but to play all of the great games it is offering and will offer in the future.

Its Finally Time To Buy A PSP!

Destination Playstation is always a huge event. The release dates of the dualshock 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, and an overhauled Playstation Store were announced at last year's event. This one focuses on PSP and Sony was not lying when they said big games are coming.

LittleBigPlanet will be coming this fall to PSP and Media Molecule is once again behind the next installment of the franchise which will be built from the ground up for PSP.

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge will be coming this fall to not just PSP but also Playstation 2. It will release this fall and will also be built for the ground up for its respective systems.

Rock Band: Unplugged will be the first game in the franchise to go portable exclusively on PSP. It will not use any additional accessories and will play like Amplitude and Frequency for PS2 (basically just with buttons and being able to scroll from instrument to instrument in real time.) The game will feature an in game Wi-Fi music store for DLC and will release later this year.

Dissidia Final Fantasy from Square Enix which sold 850,000 units will finally come to America later this year on PSP

EA Sports announced Madden 10 and Tiger Wood 10 for the PSP

Ubisoft announced Petz for PSP. They also announced Assassin's Creed for PSP to release later this year although they did not give any information about the game.

In addition, two new PSP bundles were announced. The first is a Hannah Montana bundle featuring a purple PSP, Hannah Montana PSP game, a UMD featuring several episodes of the show and a 2GB memory stick for $199. The second bundle is an Assassin's Creed bundle featuring a black PSP, a copy of the Assassin's Creed game along with extra items to be announced at a later date.




Get the GamersCast Newsletter! All of the quality news you would find here can be sent directly to your e-mail's inbox or Wii's Message Board the instant news is posted here! Simply send an e-mail to GCnewsletter@gmail.com or register GCnewsletter@gmail.com into your Nintendo Wii's Address Book to subscribe!

No Zelda...... yet

The countdown clock previously thought to be countdown to the announcement of the next Legend of Zelda game, turns out to actually be a countdown for a Japanese PSP game known as Yuusha 30.

That's a tiny bit of a let down in my opinion....

But don't worry as the Game Developers Conference is right around the corner! Chances are Nintendo could make the announcement there, as it was at this conference Nintendo originally announced the Revolution (now known as Wii) and Twilight Princess.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

GamersCast #31: Best Games of 2008

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

We discuss all of the greatest games to come out on every platform in 2008 in our first ever video edition of GamersCast: Video Game Podcasting!



We discuss and award games for excellence on the following platforms:

- Nintendo Wii
- Xbox 360
- PlayStation 3
- Nintendo DS
- iPhone / iPod Touch
- Xbox Live Arcade
- Wii Virtual Console
- WiiWare
- PlayStation Network
- PlayStation Portable
- PC

And then of course is the overall "Best Game of 2008" award, followed by what games we are looking forward to most in 2009!

Download this, GamersCast #31: Best Games of 2008, soon on iTunes at:
http://itunes.gamerscastpodcast.com


Get the GamersCast Newsletter! All of the quality news you would find here can be sent directly to your e-mail's inbox or Wii's Message Board the instant news is posted here! Simply send an e-mail to GCnewsletter@gmail.com or register GCnewsletter@gmail.com into your Nintendo Wii's Address Book to subscribe!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Delayed

As expected, the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince video game has been delayed. Most movie-games, come out as flops (usually) because the developers are constricted to such a tight schedule. But now that the movie has been delayed to July 17, 2009 this gives Electronic Arts a bit more breathing room and a lot more time to fine tune the game.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will be released across all consoles and handheld systems, coming this July.


Get the GamersCast Newsletter! All of the quality news you would find here can be sent directly to your e-mail's inbox or Wii's Message Board the instant news is posted here! Simply send an e-mail to GCnewsletter@gmail.com or register GCnewsletter@gmail.com into your Nintendo Wii's Address Book to subscribe!

E3 2008 Sony Conference Highlights

A very detailed demo of Resistance 2 is shown, in what appears to be a very intense boss battle.
8-player online co-op.
60-player online multiplayer.
Resistance 2 trailer shown, all the footage in it was captured right from the game, suggesting that this "trailer" is actually the opening movie to the game.

Sony was able to show all of their hardware and software stats, by creating a very impressive custom level in Little Big Planet.
PS3 will soon launch in Latin America.
Greatest Hits PS3 titles will only cost $29.99

More than 130 titles coming to PlayStation 2 this year.
PS2 only costs $129 now.
New LEGO Batman PS2, comes with LEGO Batman game and Justice League DVD for $149. The bundle will be available this fall.

All PlayStation users will have a single log-in for PSN, making it "easier to migrate from PS2 to PS3."

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty Announced!
It begins where Tools of Destruction left off.
It is a shorter game, that's at a cheaper price point, but is made out to be a good start for anyone just getting into the franchise.
It is a PS3 exclusive to be released this summer for $15 over PSN!!!

Sony calls Home "the binding factor of the PlayStation Network"
They show a trailer of PlayStation Home.

They are now bragging about having many companies providing content to Sony for download on PlayStation 3. Many of the companies they mention also already provide content to Microsoft on the Xbox 360.

Uh Oh, it takes about an hour to download a 2-hour movie in standard definition....
But there is a progressive download feature, which is nice.

All of the new content will be available on the PlayStation Store tonight.
And they are adding new titles every week.

New PSP Ratchet & Clank Bundle comes with Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, National Treasure: Book of Secrets UMD, a 1GB memory stick, and Ecchochrome for $199.

Resistance: Retribution Announced for PSP and dated for 2009!

Software highlight reel was then showed for the PSP.
It showed Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Madden NFL 2009, Loco Roco 2, Super Stardust Portable, LEGO, Patabon 2, and some others.

For MLB the show, videos can be uploaded directly to YouTube after a partnership with Google. This will be available by the end of the month.

80GB PS3 for only $399!

God of War III Trailer shown. Very brief. BEAUTIFUL graphics.

Infamous dated for Spring 2009.

M.A.G. Announced (Massive Action Game)
256 PLAYER MULTIPLAYER!
Trailer shown.


Conference Ends.




Get the GamersCast Newsletter! All of the quality news you would find here can be sent directly to your e-mail's inbox or Wii's Message Board the instant news is posted here! Simply send an e-mail to GCnewsletter@gmail.com or register GCnewsletter@gmail.com into your Nintendo Wii's Address Book to subscribe!

Sony Will Shine This Spring

Today, Sony held an event in Arizona of all places and revealed some pretty big stuff.  The Dualshock 3 will finally make its U.S debut on April 15 for $54.99 alongside Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and a new updated Playstation Store with a graphically improved interface.  If you think that is big, wait until June.  A limited edition red PSP will be bundled with God of War: Chains of Olympus, Superbad on UMD, and a coupon for Syphon Filter: Combat Ops for $199.  Of course the big news is all about the Playstation 3 in June.  Sony announced that Konami will finally release the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on June 12 along with a beta of the online component in April.  As expected, a MGS 4 bundle was also announced.  This new SKU will come with an 80 GB Playstation 3, a Dualshock 3 controller, and a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for $499.  This new SKU will also come out on June 12.  Sony is definitely making a HUGE comeback. 

Get the GamersCast Newsletter! All of the quality news you would find here can be sent directly to your e-mail's inbox or Wii's Message Board the instant news is posted here! Simply send an e-mail to GCnewsletter@gmail.com or register GCnewsletter@gmail.com into your Nintendo Wii's Address Book to subscribe!

CES 08: Skype for PSP

Sony has just announced that Skype will soon be accessible through your PSP. Skype is a Voice over IP service which allows you to talk with others around the world, in amazing audio quality. This is actually the software we use to hold our podcast episodes, and I can say from experience it works remarkably well!

Skype will be available on your PSP after the next system update is released. This particular update is currently set to be ready by the end of January.

Get the GamersCast Newsletter! All of the quality news you would find here can be sent directly to your e-mail's inbox or Wii's Message Board the instant news is posted here! Simply send an e-mail to GCnewsletter@gmail.com or register GCnewsletter@gmail.com into your Nintendo Wii's Address Book to subscribe!

CES 08: Blu-Ray Interactive

At CES today, Sony again continued promoting the Blu-Ray format, by showing many new interactive features to come of it. These features include downloadable content from a service called "Blu-Ray Live" (real original :-P) and ways to transfer Blu-Ray movies from your PS3 to your PSP.

Now, the PS3 will be able to transfer a 2 hour Blu-Ray movie from the PS3 to the PSP, within 2 minutes with remarkable picture quality. Of course, you can't expect it to be as good as on your HD TV, but still pretty good.

That's the jist of it, but considering Blu-Ray movies will eventually get as big 300GB (or at least disc storage will be), I am a bit skeptical about how the PSP will store or support it. The demo only showed a 20 minute clip being transferred, so how this will all play out.... well, we'll have to wait and see, I suppose....

CES 2008: PSP GPS Navigator

A long time ago on GamersCast, I made a joke about Sony attempting to shove a GPS navigator inside the PSP. Well, guess what? IT HAPPENED!

Yes, a GPS navigator will soon become available on the PSP this Spring. Coming with a detachable GPS and a UMD disc of maps, the GPS will be able to give you driving directions to any destination no matter where you are (as long it's supported your disc)! You'll get a visual of your location through 3D maps and preloaded landmarks and points of interest to get you where you need to go. The GPS will also come with a car monunt and an Car adapter to save battery life on the road!

As I said before the GPS will be released in the spring of 2008 and will cost €299 to everything. Except there's just one little problem, once released maps of the United States are not included! But you will get maps of UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Nordic!

Get the GamersCast Newsletter! All of the quality news you would find here can be sent directly to your e-mail's inbox or Wii's Message Board the instant news is posted here! Simply send an e-mail to GCnewsletter@gmail.com or register GCnewsletter@gmail.com into your Nintendo Wii's Address Book to subscribe!