Realm Media Networks - PlayStation 2

E3 2007: The Simpsons Game melts faces, relies on team work

Luke Wallace — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:56:57 -0700

While watching a friend play The Simpsons Game, I asked the representative on hand if I could jump in and help. "Sure!" he said, and I took over the controls of Bart Simpsons while my friend played as Homer. Together we would have to work together to defeat Lard Lad, who, just as in Treehouse of Horror VI, had come to life and was terrorizing the city. Not an easy task, it required team work, and a little luck.

Each of the main Simpsons characters (sorry Maggie) is playable at different points throughout the game, and each has special abilities that aid in completing the various levels. Bart has the ability to use a grappling hook to reach high areas, and can float to the ground after jumping when in Bartman form. He has a slingshot for shooting projectiles, giving him an advantage over other characters when needing to attack enemies at a distance. This came in particularly handy for shooting Lard Lad in the back, thus stunning him and giving us access to his wiring within.

The graphics looked good, but it was easy to tell the game was still in development, as there were bugs with the camera and the character controls were not quite refined enough. The representative explained the cell-shaded graphics were a bit different than traditional cell shading, as the models actually changed shape to help give the characters the right look from every angle. I never noticed this "face melting" visually as I was playing the game, but the characters did appear more true to their animated form than 3D renderings usually allow.

The Simpsons Game doesn't tie into the movie in any way, except for being released in the same year. We're told that the game will be a video game parody of video games, with references to many many games throughout. The Lard Lad battle was being given a "play by play" in game by Kent Brockman, in the same vein as games like Madden NFL 08.

If the crowds around the game at E3 are any indication, there will be a lot of "D'oh" and "Woo Hoo!" moments in front of the television later this year. End Communication.

Sony reaches out to the community with PlayStation.Blog

Luke Wallace — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:54:37 -0700

Sony has never been known as a very personal company, especially in their entertainment division. Since the launch of the Playstation 3, there has been backlash from the gaming community saying that Sony doesn't care and about its customers, ignores reality, and refuses to address the community directly. Sony has countered this concern by launching a new blog that will speak directly to the Sony community.

It’s with enthusiasm, eagerness and, honestly, a little bit of relief that we lift the cover on our first official Sony Computer Entertainment America company blog - welcome and sorry for the wait.

PlayStation.Blog is a bit of work in progress, we see it as a place where we can share with you our company’s collective insights, opinions and perspectives on all things related to SCEA, PlayStation and the industry we play in.

Microsoft has had an ongoing relationship with the community through Major Nelson (Larry Hryb), the Xbox Live Director of Programming. Nintendo has no direct outlet like this, but is considered more in touch with the community than Sony. There is the potential to really turn around the perception of Sony in the eyes of the gaming community with this blog. Hopefully it will become more than a simple outlet for plain-language press releases and screenshots.

PLAYSTATION.BLOG

Big hair returns in Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s

Luke Wallace — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:53:52 -0700

Activision is rocking all the way back to the 80s in a Playstation 2 exclusive that is sure to inspire torn jeans and big hair in your favorite 30-something. The track list for Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s continues to grow with some classic songs from music's darkest era.

"Hold On Loosely"
"No One Like You"
"Only a Lad"
"Radar Love"
"Ballroom Blitz"
"The Warrior"
"What I Like About You"
"Wrath Child"

Licensed music is not usually touted as the main feature of a popular video games, but with Guitar Hero the music is the game, and the right tracks can tempt the most un-rhythmic of game players.

For a full list of the announced tracks thus far, click the read more link below.

The Shield First Trailer PlayStation 2

Jeff Greeson — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 08:50:50 -0800

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McDonald's draws Gamers from all over DFW

Luke Wallace — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:50:51 -0700

On October 14th I attended the McDonald's Midnight Gaming Tournament to attempt to compete in Guitar Hero with people from around the DFW area. I would soon learn that I was nowhere near the level of those that showed up, but with only a couple hours of playtime, I didn't expect to be. The story involves Guitars, Cheerleaders, and a final showdown between people described as "machines" and "robots" by their fellow competitors. I would leave with a new respect for those that long to be a the ultimate Guitar Hero.

Background

The Video Gamers League partnered with McDonald's to put on a tournament in the greater-Dallas market to provide a way for Gamers to compete beyond the local area. There is a tournament for each of three games, Tekken 5, Guitar Hero, and NCAA 07 Football, and all the tournaments take place at the same time, from 9PM on Saturday until whenever a winner is determined. The format follows a simple single elimination format starting with up to 32 players, resulting in a single winner after 5 rounds. There are going to be eight preliminary tournaments, resulting in eight winners per game that will compete on the ninth week to determine the overall champion for each game. I attended the fourth week of the tournament on October 14th.

Review: Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra

Ryan Klemick — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 07:39:17 -0700

Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (hereby referred to as X3), is the final installment of the Xenosaga series and it certainly lives up to the great expectations that fans of the series have placed on it while patiently waiting for it’s North American release. With updated graphics, a simplified battle and character development system, and more of the signature epic cinematic scenes that the series is known for, X3 delivers in ways which previous incarnations of the series have not been able to.

Graphically, it is definitely the prettiest of the series. Characters have gone through a slight redesign once again (each game of the series features its own look), and this time Shion and crew have come out looking better and more realistic than in X1 or X2. Location design has also made a huge leap forward, with the prologue containing some incredibly surreal levels that dwarves anything the design team attempted in previous ‘encephalon dives’. The numerous cut scenes have also taken a step up, looking much sharper than in the predecessors, and they probably push the PlayStation 2 hardware to its maximum limits.

Genesis games coming to Playstation 2, PSP

Luke Wallace — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:04:07 -0700

As re-releases and updates to classic games are released almost weekly, we can see that nostalgia gaming is becoming a big part of the gaming market. Like old TV shows being put out on DVD, releasing old games can be a way for a company to take advantage of existing Intellectual Property. Sega, now only a software producer, is probably the largest player in this market currently, and will be releasing a collection for the PlayStation 2 and PSP this November entitled the Genesis Collection. Joystiq's Robert Summa has seen an early copy and gives some of the details.

Not all of the 28 games included -- there will also be an additional three to unlock -- have been officially announced, but here are a few that were on the version I saw: Shinobi II; Sonic the Hedgehog; Golden Axe I, II, and III; Virtua Fighter 2; Altered Beast; Ecco the Dolphin; Phantasy Star

Nintendo has already announced that Genesis games will be playable on the Wii this fall through the virtual console, but they haven't given any pricing or title lists. This reporter played Sonic the Hedgehog, and was quite impressed with the feel and look. If Sega is releasing this collection for less than $1 a game (on average), this might start to give us an indication of the price range on the Wii.

Relive your Genesis days this November [Joystiq]

Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run allows plenty of places to run

Luke Wallace — Thu, 18 May 2006 18:34:22 -0700

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is becoming one of the major action heroes of our generation. He will be starring in a new movie based on the video game Spy Hunter, due out for release in 2007. But before that, a new game called Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run will be released this fall. Midway had this title available in their booth at E3 last week, and I was able to spend a little time going through the first few levels.

The original Spy Hunter was a top-down vertical scroller that pitted you against the road. There were road hazards, various enemy cars, and even helicopters. The car would also turn into a boat to allow movement across water (in those days black meant road, blue meant water). But what made Spy Hunter truly unique was the arsenal at your disposal. Machine guns, missles, oil slicks, and smoke screens could be used to help you best your opponents.

All of these elements have been translated into the latest version of Spy Hunter, but new in this version is the ability to leave your car for some third-person shooter action. As 'The Rock' you will be expected to leave your car/boat to open passage ways and deal with the large number of baddies that don't attack you on the open road/sea.

The car and boat mechanics felt pretty solid, but I did have my share of missed ramps and turns. The boat handled much differently than the car, which was to be expected, but the transition between the two was a wonderful sight to behold. Once your car leaves land and is heading towards the water, the car transforms and is ready for action by the time you hit the waves. The transition back to land is just as smooth, as your momentum as a boat gives you enough forward movement to maintain most of your speed during the transition back to a car. In short, it's just plain cool.

The weapons while in your car are adequate, but there was no way to aim your guns without turning your car. However, there is the option of firing in 'Salvo Mode', which allows you to fire several guided missles at once. Once you enter Salvo Mode, time pauses and all available targets are given a circular target over them. To fire at a target, you must move your crosshair over the circle so it is highlighted, all within the given period of time. The time period is approximately 3 seconds, which means you will not be able to hit all them, at least not at first. Once the Salvo Mode time is up, time resumes and your vehicle launches guided missles at all the targets you were able to highlight.

The third-person shooter mode is incorporated directly into the missions, meaning there are not "driving levels" and then "shooter levels," you may have to go back and forth from driving to running several times in one level. In the mission I was playing, I had to leave the boat to find a way to open a passageway to continue on. Upon leaving the boat, I had to look at the controls for a couple minutes, as they were a little confusing for me. Moving and looking are controlled independently, meaning that you are not always looking in the direction you are running. With a little practice it became easier, but it wasn't completely obvious to me. The controls were also inverted vertically when I began playing, but reversing them back made it much more intuitive.

The combat system allows for punches along with shooting your weapon, in fact there are several types of punches. It's no Mortal Kombat, the most popular Midway series, but it did make the shooter aspects of the game feel like a serious part of development, and less the add-on bullet point I expected it to be.

After playing for 20 or 30 minutes, my car locked up while going full speed, and I was unable to turn it or fire any weapons. The sounds began to cut out, and eventually the enemies stopped chasing me. I went over the edge of a cliff, but instead of falling I just remained hovering as a car above the water. After a few more seconds of that, the screen slowly faded to black.

Oh right, this game's still in development.

Visit our Midway E3 gallery for pictures from Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run

Visit the official website for Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run

Sony gives a final push to PlayStation 2 with price drop

Luke Wallace — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:28:03 -0700

Sony has announced a price drop on its PlayStation 2 console, hoping to pump up demand for its aging console. With over 33 million units sold in North America, it has become the best selling console of the current generation. Although it will be replaced this year with the upcoming PlayStation 3, Sony claims to not be ignoring the golden years of the popular system.

"While we continue to innovate and design groundbreaking new products, we remain dedicated to our long-term vision for the PlayStation 2 platform," explained SCEA boss Kaz Hirai in a statement about the price cut.

One might question how long-term the vision can be with a new console set to appear in only a few weeks, but we can't forget that there is still active development for the current generation of consoles. With backwards compatibility looking like a certainty for all the next-gen consoles, current development could have quite a long shelf life. These issues and more were covered in more detail in a Realm Media column last December, Current Generation Consoles Not Down and Out Yet.

Sony drops PS2 to $129.99 in North America [GamesIndustry.biz]

Square Enix Looking to Enter the Energy Drink Market

Josh Lacey — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:56:41 -0800

Square Enix has allied itself with Japanese beverage manufacturer Suntory to produce a new energy drink featuring a Final Fantasy XII motif, in anticipation of the game's imminent release. The drink, appropriately dubbed Final Fantasy XII Potion, will be available in Japan on March 7th, which is a week and a half prior to the game's commercial debut in Japanese stores. Seeing as how the beverage purports itself to be an "energy drink", it contains Royal Jelly and Propolis to give the imbiber a little extra pep, and also utilizes ten different herbs to create a unique flavor.

Suntory says that Final Fantasy XII Potion has been developed to deliver a "mythical" taste that captures the essence of the game.

Also, a limited number of specially shaped bottles will be produced that will include an FFXII trading card. There is no official word whether or not consumers will be able to purchase more than 99 of these 'Potions' at a time.

Final Fantasy XII Energy Drink [Gamespot]