14
Jul
2009
Upset about PSP: Go Pricing? Don’t Blame Sony!
Disclaimer: This is an editorial based on opinions that may or may not be rooted in fact.
The announcement of the PSP: Go (worst kept secret of E3) was met with mixed reception by consumers. The main deterring factor was that despite the exclusion of a UMD drive, this new PSP model is set to retail for $80 more than the core PSP-3000 SKU is selling for currently. Granted, this new system is lighter, slimmer, and altogether sexier, but when the only added feature is Bluetooth connectivity, how can that pricetag be justified. The answer is simple: Sony’s not making the money on it. Because there isn’t a major difference in the actual innards of the system from its predecessor, the manufacturing cost cannot be that much higher.
With a console that is strictly dependant on digital distribution, retailers would be reluctant to stock such an item unless they were actually making a good deal of profit on it. Remember the articles about European retailers refusing to carry the PSP: Go? Well, despite Sony refusing to admit that there was ground to theses claims, it leads me to think that retailers are getting compensated with their cut from the console sales since these purchases won’t lead to further game sales from their retail location. Essentially, gamers and their wallets are being punished because Sony is trying to make portable gaming more accessible to everyone, since they are trying to bypass the middleman in the process.
So, keep this in mind on October 1st when you’re staring at a $249 price tag on a PSP: Go! Your hard earned money isn’t going to end up in the hands of Sony, but the retailers that are getting a bigger cut of the profits just so that won’t be tempted to refuse to carry the stock.
Please leave your comments and thoughts below!
2
Jun
2009
Realtime E3 Updates Via Twitter
Hey guys!
Just reminding you, make sure you follow my Twitter account for realtime updates from the big two press conferences today: Nintendo at 9 PST and Sony at 11 PST.
I promise that the updates will be both informative and entertaining!
-Will
20
May
2009
E3 Rumor: Xbox360 Slim More Likely Than PS3 Slim
This isn’t an argument about which company needs the additional SKU more, but rather an assessment of which is more plausible to be announced at E3 in June. Once the facts are reviewed it becomes pretty clear that both of these are in development, but the 360 version is more likely to be released first.
- RROD seems to have been solved – After a very bumpy start, with the release of the Jasper chip in 360 models, Microsoft seems to have finally put the RROD problem behind them. Although this isn’t to say that another error (E74 or something else) won’t pop up to plague future systems. Having a slim chipset, and being able to redesign the case entirely should also allow them to approach the “overheating” issue from an entirely new angle. I fully expect that a redesigned 360 should have failure rates well within industry standards (1-3%). Especially with the power brick being the size that it is, there’s no excuse this not to be the case!
- Xbox 360 has a 1-year lead on PS3 – The 360 has been around for three and a half years now, while the PS3 has been around for only two and a half. Considering that the 360 has taken a page out of Sony’s book for the PlayStation 2 regarding their approach to this generation, it would only make sense that they would continue to do so in this respect. That having been said, the PS2-slim model was announced and released during the fourth year of the PS2’s lifecycle. Why not emulate the most successful console of all time?
- Microsoft has been TOO quiet so far this year – At last year’s E3 they dropped the Final Fantasy bombshell, and it shook the gaming world. But at this point last year, they already had numerous announced titles that we slated for a Q4 release (Gears of War 2 was announced at GDC). Because this isn’t the case this year, it leads me to believe that their bombshell this year will be a hardware announcement rather than a software one. Sure there are also rumors about them entered the mobile gaming market with an announcement at E3, however I feel as if a 360-slim one is much more likely.
Like I said before, I fully expect that both companies have these SKUs in development, but which is more likely to be announced once you consider all the above information? Sure, Sony needs to have this announcement, because a smaller model usually means less expensive chipsets, fewer components, and cheaper production costs. What does all of that add up to??? Price drop! But, just because one company needs it more than another doesn’t mean that they are ready to announce/release it. Ideally both companies will come to E3 and announce slim models, however this seems highly unlikely.
In the end, regardless of what is announced, the gamers come out as the winners. Looking forward to seeing what these companies can bring to the table in two weeks!
Please leave your comments at the bottom of the post!
18
May
2009
Will Guest Stars in another Podcast
Your TPR Admin, Will teams up with the guys over at The Gamer Access again to bring you what’s going on in video games right now. Here are the main topics of this show (be warned, it’s about 3 hours long):
- April 2009 NPD Numbers
- Uncharted 2 Gameplay Impressions
- PS3 Firmware (v2.76) Update
- inFAMOUS Only Possible on the PS3 According To Sucker Punch Employee
- 1 vs. 100 Beta Impressions
- More GTA IV DLC Rumored To Be Announced At E3
- MGS4 Coming To 360?
- What Is More Important? Graphics, Gameplay, or Online
- Which Will Sell Better: Fight Night Round 4 or UFC?
- E3 Predictions
- Community Questions
- Uncharted 2 Beta Contest
- MUCH MUCH More
Click Here to Listen: Accelerated Gaming Ep. 14
***NOTE*** For instant hilarity, go to the 1h 05min mark of the podcast.
Once again, they refer to me as Cyrus in the podcast. And that’s based off all of my handles:
PSN – UNCyrus
Twitter – http://twitter.com/uncyrus
Skype – UNCyrus
Please leave your feedback and tell me what you think!
23
Apr
2009
TPR Admin Guest Stars in a Podcast
TPR Admin Will guest stars in TheGamerAccess’s Accelerated Gaming Podcast: Episode 12.
Please listen to the podcast and support one of TPR’s affiliates: The Gamer Access
They call me Cyrus in the podcast, based off my PSN – UNCyrus… so listen in and please leave your feedback!
15
Apr
2009
Starhawk: Is Sony Biting off more than they can Chew?
Alright, now with the recent news of SCEA copyrighting the name Starhawk, it seems like the rumors about the next iteration of Warhawk being set in space have been all but confirmed. This game has a lot to live up to, as its predecessor still remains one of the most played games on the PSN, and this is over 2 years after its initial release. Fans of this series are going to expect a lot out of this title, and Sony has chosen to be extremely ambitious by setting this title in space where there is seemingly limitless potential. However, are they shooting themselves in the foot by trying to attempt too much? And what new obstacles does this change in scenery present for this new game?
Let’s start out with what is expected from this new game:
o Better graphics – Considering the size of the maps and the number of players online at the same time, this was a feat to accomplish this in the first generation of games on the PS3. However, now we’re in the third year of its lifecycle, and consumers have raised their standards. The same cartoony graphics just won’t be acceptable for this new game. Expect sharper textures, and GREATLY increased range of visibility on the horizon for both the environments and players.
o Destructible Environments – This one really speaks for itself. Especially with a game that offers so many amazing weapons to choose from, destructible environments would only enhance the game. Not only would you be able to obliterate a squadron of enemies with cluster bombs, but now you also would be able to send the environment to the great beyond along with them!
o Better Dedicated Servers - The outcry from this may have started in response to more and more information surfacing about M.A.G. This game would have the potential to be the “MAG of space”. I’m expecting to see at LEAST 60 player dedicated servers that would allow for all of these players to be in vehicles in the same sector of the map and all visible at the same time. That’s going to require quite a bit of finesse to accomplish, but I have faith that it’ll be doable.
o Single Player Campaign – PLEASE! They teased us with a training mode that was implemented during the trophy patch on this first PS3 Warhawk. Now people want a full blown campaign mode. But the worst thing that the developers could possibly do is to just throw together a half-assed campaign just to say that they had one. People don’t like being thrown into an online-only game without getting to practice first.
Now you may be wondering why I’m making such a big deal out of the game being in space? It’s because there is not set ceiling for any of the environments. Not only that, but in space there is not set floor, or walls, etc. How do you make an environment that is supposed to be limitless into the size where players will be forced to interact with eachother. It’s a very delicate balance.
What I am hoping for (but I doubt that I’ll ever happen) is for a space fighter game in the style of the old LucasArts game Tie Fighter. I’m hoping that Starhawk could become the 3rd person version of this, and if that’s the case, it would live up to all of my expectations. Long story short: SCEA has their hands full with taking on such an ambitious game as this. Not only do they have their current player/fan’s expectations, but they also have the difficulties of being able to develop in an environment where they are trying to limit a limitless 3d/no gravity area. I think they can do it, but they have their work cut out for them. Look forward to hearing more about this title at E3 2009 in June.
13
Apr
2009
Top 5 Games That Need to be Announced
I know everyone is excited about the games that are slated for release this year, and looking forward to the developers showing them off at E3. Let me name a couple: Halo ODST, Uncharted 2, Mass Effect 2, and Bioshock 2. But enough about these games, let’s talk about the ones that the developers haven’t talked about yet. What are the Top 5 titles that NEED to be talked about, and need to be announced, because we know that they’re in the works:
5) Warhawk PS3 Sequel – Everyone knows that it is in the works, there was even mention of the sequel being set in outer space. But besides that and some prerendered sketches, what is known about it? Nothing! Warhawk is and still remains one of the most popular online games on the PS3, for a game that’s nearly as old as the console itself, it has a dedicated fanbase to say the least.
4) Black 2 – Before you judge me, play the first game! This is a rarity that I will actually admit that EA did a really good job with this game. That’s true in regards to everything except the marketing of it. This was one of the best FPS singleplayer experiences out last generation, yet there wasn’t a lot of publicity behind it, so it slipped between the cracks of the media. However, if they were able to create fully destructible environments, and retain very fun gameplay in a lastgen title, I fully expect them to give this title a graphics overhaul to even try to give Modern Warfare 2 a run for their money. Look for this title!
3) Killer Instinct 360 – We’ve been waiting… and waiting… and waiting. It seems like it’s been 3 years now that there have been rumors in the works about this game. But the fact is that this title is as important to the Xbox franchise as Tekken was for the Playstation brand. Rare needs to follow through and answer the calls of their fans that are demanding the release of this fighter. I fully expect Killer Instinct to at least be on par with SFIV in the graphics and gameplay department. That’s not asking for too much, is it?
2) Team ICO Game - This has been going on for too long. We know that something is in the works, but everyone has remained silent about it. Shadows of the Colossus was one of the best games last generation along with ICO, and they have had this “new project” in the works since. However no one can tell you any information about what it is or when it will be released. There have even been rumors regarding PS Home Xi and how it is related to the release of this new game. (These are all vicious lies) ICO just needs to announce something soon, and E3 sounds like the perfect venue.
1) Metal Gear Solid 5 – Sorry 360 fans, this one’s going to be a PS3 exclusive. MGS4 was exclusive and took potshots at the 360’s DVD9 format in the game, so that almost guarantees that this will remain on the PS3 only. For everyone that sat through the 10 hours (or more…) of cinematics in MGS4, it is obvious that the franchise can’t just end on that note. The rumor mill has been even talking about Raiden being the playable character in the next title. That would be a nice throwback to the days of MGS2. I’m not saying that this is going to be another system seller, because I believe that the days of games holding that much influence over the market are over, but if there is a teaser for this game at E3 as I have heard rumors of, then it should blow anything else that we’ve seen so far out of the water.
What are your thoughts, opinions? What should have made the list and didn’t? Leave a comment and let me know!
10
Apr
2009
FFVII on the US and EU PSN? Not for months!
The announcement of Final Fantasy VII coming onto the JPN and HK Playstation networks today made me do a double-take. Then the immediate question is, when will this content reach everywhere else? This will not happen this week, not next week, not even in the next month! Here’s why:
- The release of the game on the Asian storefront coincided with the release of the FFIV: Advent Children movie on Blu-Ray. So, one Final Fantasy release can ride the coattails of another.
- This content has been highly demanded for months, if not years! There is no way that a news item of this magnitude would just come out spontaneously in the middle of April. My guess is that E3 would be the perfect unveiling of this download in America/Europe
But wait… Here’s the catch! Both of these are slated to happen at the SAME TIME! According to Amazon.com, the Blu-ray is supposed to be released on June 2nd, which is the same day that E3 2009 starts in Los Angeles. Coincidence, I think not! Look for FFVII to be downloadable onto the PSN and possibly even XBLA after E3 this year.
8
Apr
2009
E3 Preview: Sony Shows their Cards Early, Microsoft Stays Silent
Some big news items have come up recently related to Sony and announcements that are going to be made by them at their E3 press conference. By far the biggest on so far is the information about the PSP-4000 or PSP2 that is surfacing. According to sources, it is going to be debuted at E3 and is slated for release in December of this calendar year. This is big news for Sony as a company, because they are the only company successfully competing with three separate consoles on the market at the same time.
Besides the PSP2 news, there have also been new talks about God of War 3 gameplay demos, as well as the same coming from the upcoming title M.A.G. It seems like they are showing all of their cards early, in order to try to ride a wave of hype heading into E3 this summer. While this is just the opposite approach than what Microsoft is doing. They are…. Silent.
Just like last year, heading into the conference they mentioned no specifics, but just slated that they would be unveiling “big things”. This was an understatement if anything, as the FFXIII bombshell was one of the biggest announcements in all of gaming history. I wouldn’t be surprised to see something close to this level of magnitude or importance. Maybe even FFXIII going multi-platform in Japan? There are rumors swirling as to what Microsoft is going to announce. The only thing that everyone can be sure of is: It’s bound to be more interesting than Nintendo’s press conference last year.