..Playstation Universe.

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2009-03-16T22:39:00.001+05:30

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Two New Gears of War 2 Documentaries

2008-09-19T20:41:00.001+05:30

"When you blast something, you want to see lots of chunks" This quote - directly from the video above - is going to haunt me in my dreams for a very long time. In fact, I'm actually going to put a word of caution on both of these videos. Not because of the violence, but because if you don't want to know anything about the game, you might want to skip these two. They have tons of information regarding the new weapons and finishing moves you'll find in Gears 2. Second video after the jump.

Source:

http://kotaku.com/5052009/two-new-gears-of-war-2-documentaries

A New Metal Gear Solid Game "Exists" (Update)

2008-09-19T20:37:00.001+05:30

Solid Snake’s story is finished, but that doesn’t mean Konami is going to seal the Metal Gear Solid franchise in an early grave. The first sign of a new Metal Gear Solid game comes from the Japanese Trademark database where Konami registered Metal Gear Existence with the boring image on the right. It’s made to be used with video games so it’s likely, very likely, the name of a future Metal Gear Solid game. Going by the title alone it sounds like we’re going to visit the existence - or origins of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. So, will this be another game starring Big Boss? Let the wild pre-Tokyo Game Show speculation begin!

Update: Konami also registered “Existence” alone, without a link back to Metal Gear Solid in the USPTO on August 11. “Guns of the Patriots”, Metal Gear Solid 4’s subtitle, was also registered separately.

Images courtesy of Konami.

Source:

http://www.siliconera.com/2008/09/19/a-new-metal-gear-solid-game-exists/

Rumor - God Of War III slated for March 2, 2009 release?

2008-07-14T01:33:00.001+05:30

GameStop has just listed the God Of War III release date as March 2, 2009. While retailer release dates are not usually a reliable source of information, God Of War I and II released in March of 2005 and 2007 respectively, and Chains Of Olympus for the PSP came out this past March. 3 God Of War titles all in March... suddenly March 2009 for God Of War III sounds a bit more believable.

Still, take this news with a grain of salt. Expect more on God Of War III this week following the E3 convention.

SOurce:

http://www.psbeyond.com/news/Rumor-God-Of-War-III-slated-for-March-2-2009-release.720.html

Where to get E3 Coverage: The List!

2008-07-14T01:00:00.001+05:30

So, I was searching for one topic with all the E3 info in one and couldn't find one, so I decided to make one to make life easier for Gaffers. Without further ado...

Live Streams

Gamespot http://e3.gamespot.com/live.html
Not sure if 1UP will be doing live streams.
GTR (http://www.gamertagradio.com/vbporta...ead.php?t=7643)
IGN (http://livewire.ign.com/2008/e3/index.html)
ScrewAttack (http://screwattack.com/HardNews/071108)
GameTrailers (http://www.gametrailers.com/e32k8.php) Not entirely sure about this one, they do list them in their calendar, and they have the GT logo on them, but I am not sure if they will be streamed)

PM me or post on the thread with other sites that will have live streams so I can add it here.

TV Networks

SpikeTV (http://gameplasma.com/index.php?do=viewarticle&id=796) (Commercial-Free and in HD)
G4 (http://e3.g4tv.com/e32008/index.html) (Commercial free)

Live Blogging

The Stiq
Kotaku
PM me or add in the thread sites that will feature live blogging so I can add it here.
411mania.com
Playstation Blog (only covers the Sony conference... duh)
Giant Realm.com (the site name is banned here on GAF ... >_>)
EuroGamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=178217)
TheWiiCast (http://thewiicast.com/) Nintendo Exclusive coverage

GAF E3 IRC Channel

Easy way to join:

http://irc.netsplit.de/webchat/?net=...rs&room=gaf-e3

Any browser will work with this. Uses a Java Applet. To use a real IRC client:

Server: irc.globalgamers.net
Channel: #gaf-e3

Only Place that matters
NeoGAF.com

Conference Times (thanks Vinterbird)

When will the presseconferences be live? Well, here is your answer:

Microsoft E3 Media Briefing:

San Francisco - Monday - 10:30.
Seattle - Monday - 10:30.
Los Angeles - Monday - 10:30.
Denver - Monday - 11:30.
Mexico City - Monday - 12:30.
Minneapolis - Monday - 12:30
Chicago - Monday - 12:30.
Detroit - Monday - 13:30.
Washington DC - Monday - 13:30.
New York - Monday - 13:30.
Rio de Janeiro - Monday - 14:30.
Reykjavik - Monday - 17:30.
London - Monday - 18:30.
Paris - Monday - 19:30.
Copenhagen - Monday- 19:30
Oslo - Monday - 19:30.
Frankfurt - Monday - 19:30.
Stockholm - Monday - 19:30.
Athens - Monday - 20:30
Cairo - Monday - 20:30.
Moscow - Monday - 21:30.
Kabul - Monday - 22:00.
Hong Kong - Tuesday - 01:30.
Tokyo - Tuesday - 02:30.
Melbourne - Tuesday - 03:30.

Nintendo E3 Media Briefing:

San Francisco - Tuesday - 09:00.
Seattle - Tuesday - 09:00.
Los Angeles - Tuesday - 09:30
Denver - Tuesday - 10:00
Mexico City - Tuesday - 11:30.
Minneapolis - Tuesday - 11:00.
Chicago - Tuesday - 11:00.
Detroit - Tuesday - 12:00.
Washington DC - Tuesday - 12:00.
New York - Tuesday - 12:00
Rio de Janeiro - Tuesday - 13:00.
Reykjavik - Tuesday - 16:00.
London - Tuesday - 17:00.
Paris - Tuesday - 18:00.
Copenhagen - Tuesday- 18:00
Oslo - Tuesday - 18:00.
Frankfurt - Tuesday - 18:00.
Stockholm - Tuesday - 18:00.
Athens - Tuesday - 19:00
Cairo - Tuesday - 19:00.
Moscow - Tuesday - 20:00.
Kabul - Tuesday - 20:30.
Hong Kong - Wedensday - 00:00.
Tokyo - Wedensday - 01:00.
Melbourne - Wedensday - 02:00.

Sony E3 Media Briefing:

San Francisco - Tuesday - 11:30.
Seattle - Tuesday - 11:30.
Los Angeles - Tuesday - 12:00
Denver - Tuesday - 12:30
Mexico City - Tuesday - 14:00.
Minneapolis - Tuesday - 11:30.
Chicago - Tuesday - 13:30.
Detroit - Tuesday - 14:30.
Washington DC - Tuesday - 14:30.
New York - Tuesday - 14:30
Rio de Janeiro - Tuesday - 15:30.
Reykjavik - Tuesday - 18:30.
London - Tuesday - 19:30.
Paris - Tuesday - 20:30.
Copenhagen - Tuesday - 20:30
Oslo - Tuesday - 20:30.
Frankfurt - Tuesday - 20:30.
Stockholm - Tuesday - 20:30.
Athens - Tuesday - 21:30
Cairo - Tuesday - 21:30.
Moscow - Tuesday - 22:30.
Kabul - Tuesday - 23:00.
Hong Kong - Wedensday - 02:30.
Tokyo - Wedensday - 03:30.
Melbourne - Wedensday - 04:30.

- - - - - -

I am sure there will be smaller live streams popping around as has happened in years before (I remember last year I had 3 live streams plus G4... maximum reliability FTW!). The lists are quite incomplete, so share here where stuff can be found so I can add it up here.

Keep em coming guys! Thanks a lot

SCEE Explains 2.40 Error, Sony Will Replace Bricked Machines

2008-07-09T00:02:00.001+05:30

See Full Image

As you now know, Sony has presented us with firmware update 2.41, which is now free of any serious bugs and doesn't have the nasty capability of damaging systems like the original 2.40 update. However, even though we're good to go now, some are still wondering: what happened?

Well, according to an official statement issued to ThreeSpeech by SCEE, it seems Sony pinpointed the problem: the flaw in 2.40 "prevented a limited number of PS3s from activating properly after updating to version 2.40, when certain system administrative data were contained on the HDD." Obviously, this has been fixed with update 2.41...but that doesn't really help the users who can't even use their bricked system because of what 2.40 did. If it turned out that badly for you, you need to contact Sony's customer service, and they will replace your busted PS3. That's good news, yes? You may be without your system for a while, but at least you won't have to pay for their mistake, which is always a bonus. Lastly, SCEE did repeat the fact that if you downloaded 2.40 without any problems, everything is fine.

It appears you still have to download 2.41 (the system says it's "required," as it does with all firmware updates), but it won't really change anything. We did hear about an additional "Last Game Played" tab with 2.41 that shows you the date and time of the last game you played on your PS3, but that's about it. This should bring the complicated ongoing news story of firmware 2.40/2.41 to a close now: in-game XMB and trophy support is here, and there should be no further issues due to those significant additions.

SOurce:

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/3365.html

Sexy sells!

2008-07-08T23:19:00.001+05:30

Sex sells. We know it does. And when the target audience consists mostly of men it's a no-brainer that wrapping some rudely inviting breasts, a cute ass and a killer pair of pins around any game-related product is going to turn heads. Certainly it's guaranteed to get more attention than an unsexed alternative. A promo shoot for a racing car game without a near-naked maiden draped over the hood is just, well, a picture of a car. No matter the horsepower, it lacks aesthetic va-va-voom.

To continue our prestigious Week of Babes, we've gathered together some examples of hotties being used to promote a variety of game-related products. Whether it's a cheap shot of morally corrupt advertising or simply innocent appreciation of the female form is for you to decide. In the meantime, let your eyes linger over the fine selection of beauties nestling over the following pages.

If you feel inclined to indulge yourself further, a gentle persuasion in this direction will take you straight to the sexy.

Source:

http://www.gamesradar.com/f/sexy-sells/a-20080229114759937065?setRegion=uk

Rumortoid: Another PS3 price drop to $299? [Update]

2008-07-08T21:47:00.001+05:30

The last time we heard of a PlayStation 3 price drop it was a little more believable. Many felt that the system was overpriced, so a lower price was definitely welcome. The reduction(s) in price came, and Sony had a pretty decent holiday season for it. Now rumors are surfacing of another price drop. Another reduction in price would be every bit as welcome as the first, but this time around we'll be a bit more cautious with our hopes.

M&C says that the folks at SlickDeals.net are saying that we might see a $299 40GB model by January 29th. SlickDeals did successfully break news of the prior PS3 and Xbox 360 price drops, but we've heard nothing else along these lines yet.

Some may point to the recent announcement of a reduction in manufacturing costs as evidence, but we'll agree with M&C -- Sony wouldn't stand to gain much right now by dropping the price. You never know with Sony, though.

What do you think? Will we see a drop? Would this really benefit Sony in early 2008?

[Update: The moon speak here at Bloomberg Japan is a statement from Sony's Kaz Hirai saying that there is no plans for a price drop. Didn't they say that last time?]

Source:

http://www.destructoid.com/rumortoid-another-ps3-price-drop-to-299--66080.phtml

PS3 Firmware 2.41 is Now Available (Direct Links)

2008-07-08T21:31:00.001+05:30

After the buggy firmware 2.40 it seems Sony has fixed the glitches and have released the new less buggy firmware 2.41. Yup you read right! Its out and available to download… What you waiting for? Go and grab it. News Source

Hi, everyone. As many of you know, we released PS3 firmware update v2.40 last week, but had to take it offline temporarily because, for a limited number of users, the XMB wouldn’t display after the update was installed. We’ve been able to fix the problem, and I’m happy to report that firmware update v2.41 will be released shortly (its up and good to download)

We want to extend our apologies to the PlayStation community for any inconvenience. Now we’ll be looking forward to seeing everyone online and racking up those trophies! News Source

——————————————————————————————————————————

South Africans / Europeans HERE is the direct download of the latest 2.41 firmware, instead of d/ling on your ps3. The American readers of PS3Blog can get it HERE.

How to install direct download Firmware onto Ps3:

Before starting, use your PC to create a folder named ‘PS3′ on the storage media or USB device. Within the folder, create a folder named ‘UPDATE’ (This folder name is case sensitive and must appear in all capital letters). Once the UPDATE folder has been created, download the PS3 system software update (The link above) to this location.

Once the update data has been saved, disconnect the storage device and connect it to your PS3 via the slots under the slot cover or the USB connectors depending on the device you’re using.

Once connected, navigate to Settings on the PS3 Home Menu, select [System Update] and then [Update via Storage Media]. Select the connected device and your PS3 will install the update data stored there.

Source:

http://www.ps3blog.co.za/2008/07/08/ps3-firmware-241-is-now-available/

PSN Store of India By end of this fiscal + also launch of PS2 4th ver, Bring the store on baby !!!

2008-07-03T19:26:00.001+05:30

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will be launching the fourth version of playstation-2 (PS-2) by Diwali this year. This will simultaneously be released in the European and Indian markets, said SCE country manager (playstation) Atindriya Bose to ET.

The higher-end version promises to be slimer, sleeker and more suave in its looks. There will be no more external AC adapters, all of which will be in-built and the product price will also be the same as the earlier version (Rs 6,990).

SCE India will also be launching the playstation network for their playstation-3 in India, which will allow gamers to download free games and also buy them online. This portal is already available in the US and Europe. “The playstation network is ready for India. It is only the integration of the payment gateway that needs to be done.” said Mr Bose. We shall launch it by the end of this fiscal, he added.

Sony Play Station, over the last 13 years, has evolved as every gamers aspiration. It has its own cult following and to grow this base, SCE wants to market PS-2 as gaming console for novices of all age groups and class.

“PS-2 is an entry-level console, which helps first timers to enter the gaming zone,” said Mr Bose. While PS-3 failed to make as great an impact as PS-2, SCE wants to tap the BRIC markets with PS-2.

It has a 120-million installed base, worldwide, with 3,40,000 of these being in India alone. “We feel PS-2 has the potential to penetrate further into the Indian and Russian markets. Console gaming is in its nascent stage in India. These are untapped markets and are new to the gaming world, hence we have no plans to phase out PS-2 anytime soon,” he added.

Asked if this would affect the market for PS-3, Mr Bose said that would not be the case. “We do not market it as a PS-2 or PS-3. It is the experience of the PS that we market. PS-3 is for the next generation. People who are first timers in the gaming market want to pick up PS-2 and experience that, before upgrading to PS-3,” he said.
source

PlayStation Experience Back on Patrol

2008-06-20T02:14:00.001+05:30

This Summer, our two PlayStation trucks, The PlayStation Experience & The PlayStation Patrol are back out on the road, traveling around the country to popular events and concerts to showcase the hottest PlayStation products, and, thanks to some really exciting changes, they are better than ever.

We’ve transformed the PlayStation Experience truck into a social and community-focused environment for gamers with the addition of several highly-interactive and hands-on gaming areas.

We are showing a pre-release version of LittleBigPlanet to consumers in a specially themed area. LittleBigPlanet is certain to be one of the biggest games to hit PS3 this year and we are offering an incredibly rare opportunity chance to play the game months before it even releases!

A new interactive Rock Band stage enables consumers to try out their skills with the blockbuster game Rock Band and register for our summer-long contest “Take the Stage with Rock Band On Tour,” where you and up to three additional band members have the chance to win a trip to perform on a side stage at an actual concert event! You can check out the current leaders and learn more about the contest and it’s rules at http://www.takethestagewithrockband.com/.

We also have a specially built SingStar Stage where SingStar PS3 comes alive as aspiring rock stars sing along to their favorite songs while watching the actual music video on screen from top artists including The Killers, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Outkast, R.E.M., Radiohead, Britney Spears and The Pussycat Dolls.

We still left in plenty of regular game stations so you can check out many of the latest releases on PlayStation 3, including the exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and PLAYSTATION Network (PSN) titles such as PAIN, echochrome and PixelJunk Monsters.

The PlayStation Patrol truck has also gone through it’s own metamorphosis. We created the PlayStation Player’s Lounge, a competition area complete with lounge seating and two 52-inch LCD big screen TVs for some of the best big screen battles ever.

We did not want to stop there, so we built in two Gran Turismo 5 Prologue game stations complete with racing seats complete with Logitech Driving Force GT steering wheels!

With the five interior 40-inch LCDs still in play, along with tons of other screens on the outside, we left plenty of room for gamers to check out all the latest and best from PlayStation!

We’ll be updating both trucks with new games throughout the year, including exclusive access to this year’s most-anticipated titles prior to their general availability. Click here and here to see whether the trucks are rumbling towards a town near you.

Source:

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/06/19/playstation-experience-back-on-patrol/

MGS4 Easter Eggs-travaganza!

2008-06-19T23:55:00.001+05:30

While perusing Gamespot’s forums, I came across a wonderful thread that has tons of Easter Eggs (and spoilers) I missed on my first Metal Gear Solid 4 play-through. Although I can’t confirm or deny the veracity of most of these Easter Eggs - some of them sound incredibly far-fetched - I was excited to see just how much hidden content might lie just beneath the surface of this eggstrodinary game. WARNING: This list contains some mega-spoilers!!!

Alleged Easter Eggs:

Stress goes down faster if you sit in the box.

If you call Rose on the codec and shake your Sixaxis, her boobs will jiggle.

If you flick the remote for the screen Campbell talks to you on with the Mk II you get pictures of girls in their underwear. (I don’t understand this one, but it sounds exciting! Apparently it only works in Act 1. If you can figure it out, post the solution.)

During a cut-scence, you can shake your controller to return snake to his regular camo.

In the Vista mansion there’s two posters of Akina Minami, when snake views these in first person he will call out the models name and his psyche gauge will go up.

In the Shadow Moses when at Otacon’s office he asks you for the code… just input 14893 you’ll hear a familiar sound after hitting enter, and itl gives you 100,000 DP points.

When you in the basement lab at Shadow Moses you can use MG Mk 2 to reactivate the electric floor and destroy the Gekko.

Also, if you move the MG Mk. II around during the briefings, you can usually find items, ammo, and iPod music on the Nomad. You can even find batteries so your Solid Eye or MG Mk II lasts longer. There’s a PS3 on the table upstairs.

When you are fighting the Beauties (The BB squad after they’ve come out of their suits), if you wait around long enough, you’ll get whisked off to an area of pure white. Point the camera at said Beauty and she’ll pose for you. Playing “Oiishi Two-han Seikatsu” during a white world boss fight makes them dance, and pulling out the camera during a white world boss fight makes them strike a pose.

There are ghosts in Shadow Moses, only way to see them is using the camera you find on board the Nomad and you must have the Sorrow doll equipped… there are 30.

In MGS2, if you codec Snake as Raiden with a ration equipped, he says that he admittedly finds it better than Roses cooking. So if you call Rosemary with a ration equipped in MGS4 see that the Colonel couldn’t agree more with Raiden.

If you play the game on a Wednesday or Saturday (depending on the time the Ps3 is set to) Drebin’s prices will be cheaper.

In act 3 there is a sewer you can crawl into and when you go down into it, it looks like a kids room and on the walls it has all the covers from previous MGS. It has a bean bag chair and tv where you can play the original mgs on the NES. Plus there is a big Narc machine to refuel your health. (Sounds like total BS to me, but hey… anything’s possible!)

Whenever Snake is smoking there is always a no smoking sign behind him.

At the start of the game when the adverts are on, you can press X to change through different channels like on TV. There’s a great one where David Hayter is being interviewed wearing a Solid Eye.

When you’re looking for Naomi there is a boulder.
It is not as tall as snake, about 3-4 times his width and behind it is one that is taller than snake and about 10m wide. Using night vision it reads:SOUTHEND 29-W5574. I have no clue what it means.

You can raise the MKII’s little head with both the d-pad up and down, and the Sixaxis tilt forward and tilt back.

If the fight against Laughing Octopus, once she is out of her armour, if you lie face up on the bed in the complex, she will climb on the bed and saddle you. (BS?)

In act 2, when you’re tracking Naomi, there’s a plate with the production team’s hand prints on the ground. Lay on this plate and the octocamo will blend to match, covering you in hand prints. This is the only place in the game to get this specific camo, so register it if you want to keep it.

If you return to the crashed Hind chopper after the Crying Wolf fight, you’ll hear an audio flashback of Liquid Snake being shot down, and you’ll recieve (I think) 1,200 DP.\

Otacon’s piss stain is still there in his lab. Look with your NV.

When you first start the game the TV channels are 15, 16, 23, 42… the number from the show LOST.

Feel free to confirm or deny any of these wacky Easter Eggs, and please keep adding to the list if you find anything else.

Source:

http://theexplodingbarrel.com/?p=329

Metal Gear Solid 4's ISO size is... (rough estimate inside)

2008-06-19T16:42:00.001+05:30

Update: 30GB. Original post below.

___________________________________________________________________

Taken from an NFO on a certain site that has scene dump info:

Quote:

324 x 100MB

Some multiplication and division later shows that MGS4's size is roughly 32GB. And that's archive compressed, so it's most likely slightly larger than that. Some questions/comments:

- Given that there's a main 4.5GB install plus additional installs per Act, how probable is it that they duplicated data on the disc?

Sony Reveals Motion-controlled Gaming Phone with PlayStation Styling

2008-06-19T00:47:00.001+05:30

Continuing the recent trend of motion-controlled cell phone games, mobile maker Sony Ericsson has unveiled the F305, a gaming-focused phone with a motion sensor.

Due out by September, the F305 is said to put "gaming at the heart" and take mobile gaming "to a whole new level," It comes pre-loaded with motion-controlled bowling, fishing, and jockey games.

The device also supports traditional game controls, with the two "dedicated gaming buttons," O and X, having a similar style and appearance to those of a regular Sony PlayStation controller. Up to 8 hours of gameplay are promised per battery charge.

"Encounter gaming in a completely new way," Sony Ericsson teased. "The phone can, for example, follow your actions to imitate bowling or casting a fishing line."

Though motion-controlled gaming recently reached broad public awareness thanks to Nintendo's Wii, lesser-known devices had been implementing motion sensors long before the system debuted. One such example is an LG Electronics phone, premiered in February 2005, that sported a motion-controlled skiing game.

Source:

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53202

MGS4 Cheats and Achievements (contains spoilers) :: PlayStation Universe (PSU)

2008-06-18T04:55:00.001+05:30

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding weapon:

* Desert Eagle, Long Barrel: Acquire the Fox Emblem.

* Patriot Future Assault Weapon : Finish the game and secure a "Big Boss" rank to obtain this weapon, which comes complete with infinite ammunition.

* Race Gun pistol: Finish the game in Single Player mode.

* Solar Gun: Obtain the five statues (the four Battle Beauties and Frog Soldier/Haven Troopers) through non-lethal means on their respective idols.

* Thor 45-70: Acquire the Fox Hound Emblem.

* World War I pistol: Acquire the Hound Emblem.

Bonus ammunition

The following ammunition will be available for purchase from Drebin upon finishing the game:

* Emotive Cry
* Emotive Laughter
* Emotive Rage
* Emotive Scream
* Smoke Grenade Blue
* Smoke Grenade Green
* Smoke Grenade Red
* Smoke Grenade Yellow

Bonus equipment

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding piece of equipment:

* Bandana: Finish the game in Single Player mode without killing any enemies, including bossess. Alternately, you may purchase it from Drebin for 5 million Drebin Points in a new game session after completing the game. As with previous instalments, the Bandana provides you with an infinite supply of ammunition for all available weapons.

* Digital Camera: This item is found in the Nomad vehicle during the mission intermission. It will contain bonus footage if you wait until Act 4 to acquire it.

* Scanning Plug S: Log more than ten hours of online play time on the same profile as your single player game to unlock it for purchase from Drebin.

* Stealth Item: Finish the Single Player mode without entering the Alert phase. You can, however, trigger a caution and still obtain this item.

Bonus face paint

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding face paint:

* Big Boss: Acquire the Big Boss Emblem. Wearing this mask installs great fear in your enemies, who as a result will cower and/or run away when they spot you.

* Crying Wolf: Defeat Battle Beauty (human form) Crying Wolf by non-lethal means.

* Drebin: Acquire and keep over 60 weapons.

* FaceCamo: Defeat Battle Beauty Laughing Octopus. This mask is an extention of the Octocamo, covering the whole of Snake's head.

* Laughing Octopus: Defeat Battle Beauty (human form) Laughing Octopus by non-lethal means.

* Metal Gear Solid Snake: Start Act 4 (Shadow Moses Island) This mask is an exact render of Snake's face as he appears in MGS1 on the original PlayStation.

* Otacon: Use the Metal Gear Mk. II to shock or run into Octacon at high speed during one of the interactive mission briefing segments.

* Raging Raven: Defeat Battle Beauty (human form) Raging Raven by non-lethal means.

* Raiden A: Use the Metal Gear Mk. II to shock or run into Sunny at high speed during one of the interactive mission briefing segments.

* Raiden B: Use the Metal Gear Mk. II to shock or run into Naomi at high speed during one of the interactive mission briefing segments.

* Roy Campbell: Use the Metal Gear Mk. II to shock or run into Campbell at high speed during one of the interactive mission briefing segments.

* Screaming Mantis: Defeat Battle Beauty (human form) Screaming Mantis by non-lethal means.

* Young Snake with bandana: Start Act 3 (Easten Europe)

* Young Snake: Start Act 3 (Eastern Europe)

Bonus costumes

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding costume:

* Altair's Rags (Assassin's Creed): Get the Assassin's Emblem.

* Business Suit: Finish the game.

* Civilian clothes: Start the Eastern Europe level.

* Metal Gear Solid optical camo: Finish the game without entering the Alert phase. Alternately, purchase it from Drebin for 5 million Drebin Points after starting another game session after completing the game. This camo makes you completely invisible.

* Middle East militia disguise: Go to the Middle East militia safe house.

* South American militia disguise: Go to the South American cove valley village.

iPod songs

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding song on Snake's iPod. Certain songs have an additional secret effect when played during the game.

* Beyond the Bounds: In Act 4: Shadow Moses, Tank Hangar, after power is restored, return to the upper catwalk, and explore all the rooms. This song increases stun damage done by Snake from non-lethal weapons.

* Big Boss: Get the Big Boss Emblem. This song increases stun damage and Snake's accuracy.

* Bio-hazard: In Act 3: Europe, Midtown, hold-up a resistance soldier and body search him. This song causes soldiers held by Snake to scream.

* Destiny's Call: Received randomly from an allied or neutral militia or rebel soldier after Snake gives them a healing item. This song causes soldiers held by Snake to become enraged.

* Flowing Destiny: In Act 4: Shadow Moses, Canyon, before leaving the canyon area, examine the rocky walls for a hole hiding the song. This song causes soldiers held by Snake to weep.

* The Fury: In Act 2: South America, Cove Valley Village, search inside the fire-ravaged house. This song causes soldiers held by Snake to become enraged.

* MGS 4 Love Theme/Action: Received randomly from an allied or neutral militia or rebel soldier after Snake gives them a healing item. This song causes soldiers held by Snake to weep.

* Opening - Old L.A. 2040: In Act 4: Shadow Moses, Nuclear Warhead Storage B2, input "78925" into Otacon's lab computer. This song increases Snake's accuracy.

* Policenaughts Ending: In Act 4 Shadow Moses, Nuclear Warhead Storage B2, enter "13462" into Otacon's lab computer. This song causes soldiers held by Snake to fall asleep when touched.

* Rock Me: In Act 2: South America, Confinement Facility, search the island in the south-eastern quadrant. This song increases the amount of life recovered from items and other means.

* Sailor: In Act 2 South America, Vista Mansion, look between the east wall and a cargo container. This song increases the amount of life recovered from items and other means.

* Show Time: Received randomly from an allied or neutral militia or rebel soldier after Snake gives them a healing item. This song causes soldiers held by Snake to scream.

* Snake Eater: Get all 40 game clear Emblems. This song increases the amount of life recovered from items and other means.

* Subsistence: Play one game of Metal Gear Online, starting the match with at least two players. This song increases Snake's accuracy.

Emblems

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding Emblem:

Ant: Shake 50 enemies for items.

Assassin's: Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode with killing more than 50 enemies with the knife, having over 50 CQC holds, and getting discovered less than 25 times.

Bear: Choke 100 enemies to death.

Bee: Use the Scanning Plug S or Syringe on 50 enemies.

Big Boss: Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode on the hardest difficulty without dying, instigating no alerts, killing no enemies (including Bosses), using no life recovery items, using no stealth suit or bandanna special items (can possess, but not activate), and with a completion time of less than 5 hours.

Blue Bird: Give friendly soldiers 50 items.

Eagle: Get 150 headshots.

Fox: Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode on the Naked Normal or higher difficulty without dying, instigating no more than five alerts, killing no enemies (including Bosses), using no life recovery items, using no stealth suit or bandanna special items (can possess, but not activate), and with a completion time of less than 6 hours.

Fox Hound: Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode on the Big Boss Hard or higher difficulty without dying, instigating no more than three alerts, killing no enemies (including Bosses), using no life recovery items, using no stealth suit or bandanna special items (can possess, but not activate), and with a completion time less than 5 hours and 30 minutes.

Frog: Dive or roll 200 times.

Gecko: Press against walls for a total of one hour.

Giant Panda: Successfully complete the game after 30 cumulative hours of game play.

Gibbon: Hold up 50 enemies.

Hawk: Be admired by 25 friendly soldiers.

Hog: Get 10 combat highs.

Hound: Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode on the Naked Normal or higher difficulty without dying, instigating no more than three alerts, killing no enemies (including Bosses), using no life recovery items, using no stealth suit or bandanna special items (can possess, but not activate), and with a completion time less than 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Hyena: Pick up 400 dropped weapons.

Inch Worm: Crawl on the ground for a total of one hour.

Little Gray: Collect all 69 weapons.

Lobster: Crouch for a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Rabbit: Look at 100 Playboy pages.

Password option

Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode to unlock the "Password" option in the "Extras" menu. There are no known passwords currently, but keep checking back.

Bonus combat vests

Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode to unlock new combat vests.

Big Boss Extreme mode

Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode to unlock the Big Boss Extreme difficulty.

Replay bonus

Successfully complete the game in Single Player mode, and create a cleared saved game file. Start another game session, and encounter Metal Gear II in Act 1 to get the Drebin Points, weapons, ammunition, items, and special items from your original game.

Alternate ending

If you fight Mantis with a Sixaxis controller, the ending is different than if you were using a DualShock 3 controller.

Otacon bonus

In Act 4: Shadow Moses, when at Otacon's office, he will ask you for the code. Input "14893" to hear the familiar monkey sound and get 100,000 Drebin Points points. Note: This is a reference to the Codec frequency (148.93) that Drebin calls you on. Alternately, input "78925" or "13462" as a code to get an iPod song.

Infinite Drebin Points

First, acquire the drum can. You do this by finding the soldier that is hiding in the can, and using it as a bathroom. After that, go up ahead a few feet, where you will see three crates. When you have gone past them, you will see just two crates. You will also see about three rebel soldiers fighting. One is carrying an RPG and the other two have machine guns. They will die and respawn continuously. You will have a chance to pick up the RPG after the soldier has died three times. Do so because each RPG is worth 6,000 Drebin Points. The important thing is to stay anywhere behind the two crates, otherwise the trick will not work. Going further than the two crates will stop the respawning loop of the soldiers dying. The only way to get the RPG without breaking the respawning loop is to use the Mk II.

Cheaper Drebin prices

Set the PS3 system date to a Wednesday or Saturday, and Drebin will have cheaper prices.
# Statue locations

The statues required to unlock the Solar Gun can be found at the following locations:

Frog: In Act 1: Middle East, Advent Palace garage, atop the Nomad vehicle.
Octopus: In Act 2: South America, in the Research Lab Boss room, upper right room.
Raven: In Act 3: Europe, on the top floor of the human phase of the Boss fight.
Wolf: In Act 4: Shadow Moses, behind Snake's starting spot in the human phase of the Boss fight.
Mantis: In Act 5: Outer Heaven, near the northern-most door during the human phase of the fight.

Audio flashbacks

Experience the following audio flashbacks to get 1,000 Drebin Points for some of them:

Find the crop circle near the river while tracking Naomi in Act 2 after the Laughing Octopus fight (flashback of the Colonel acting strangely in Metal Gear Solid 2).

Find the Hind (flashback of the end of the Hind confrontation).

The middle of the helipad (flashback of Hind D speech).

The small shack to the West of the area (flashback of "A surveillance camera?!").

Enter through either of the vents instead of the door (flashback Master Miller's introduction).

Stand near the tank hangar's door (flashback of Meryl's "Where I can see you" speech).

Stand in the decontamination room before the hallway to Otacon's office (flashback of Cyborg Ninja fighting Genome Soldiers).

Inside Otacon's lab (flashback of Grey Fox's introduction).

Stand in the filled-in trench leading up to the Comm Towers (flashback of Meryl telling Snake to continue without her).

Climb as far as you can up the Comm Tower nearest where you enter and walk around (flashback of beginning of the Hind confrontation).

In front of the other Comm Tower, facing the exit (flashback of Otacon's "What are you fighting for?" speech).

Stand near the door leading back to the room where you fought Vulcan Raven (flashback of Raven's final speech).

In Shadow Moses, near the elevator (flashback of Infiltration speech).

Return to the crashed Hind chopper after the Crying Wolf fight (flashback of Liquid Snake being shot down).

Aim the Mk.23 SOCOM while at Shadow Moses (Snake will say "Just like old times").

Move the camera view directly overhead and move around (Snake will say "Just like old times").

Control opening commercials

When starting a new game, you are shown two random commercials. You can change the channel by pressing Up and Down to get new commercials. There is also a Hideo 1 and Hideo 2 channel, which are like Video 1 and 2.

At the start of the game when the commercials are on, you can press X to cycle through different channels. You can see a segment where David Hayter is being interviewed wearing a Solid Eye.

Control intermission sequences

During an intermission sequence, press D-pad Up to zoom the camera in, then use the Right Analog-stick to pan the camera around. The harder you press Up, the more zoomed in the camera view. Also, some intermission sequences have prompts to see it through Snake's eyes by holding L1 (look for the icon at the top left of the screen) or view flashback images by repeatedly tapping X when a prompt appears (look for the icon at the top right of the screen). You can also pause an intermission sequence by pressing Start.

Intermission sequence extras

During the following intermission sequences, press L1 to see secret events:

Laughing Octopus: Laughing Octopus quickly leaps away outside the window during one of the L1 sequences when you first meet Naomi.

Naomi upskirt: In Act 2, when Snake's talking to Naomi and drops his cigarette, use the hidden L1 option to look up her skirt.

Psycho Mantis' ghost: During the first intermission sequence with Beauty and the Beast, after using the option to look through L1, look to the left to see the ghost of Psycho Mantis.

Listening to radio during briefings

During the mission briefings, touch the the radio on the table upstairs with the Mk II, and it will play music.

By switching the radio on and off in Act 4, you will get different songs, including a remixed version of the "Love Theme" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Reset Octocamo appearance

Shake the Sixaxis controller to return Snake's Octocamo to its neutral (black and blue) appearance.

View motion capture names

When a character is introduced for the first time, press R2 to view the name of that character's motion capture actor instead of the voice actor name for that character.

Reducing stress

Sit in a box to reduce stress faster.

Regaining Psyche

When Snake's Psyche gauge decreases during intermission sequences, repeatedly tap X to regain it.

Shoot from inside a dumpster

There are dumpsters throughout the game which you can use to hide. Move in front of them, and press Triangle when the prompt appears. Once inside, if you have a handgun, The Operator for example, you can hold L1 to lift up the lid of the dumpster and aim your gun from inside.

Faster iPod navigation

Instead of rotating the Right Analog-stick to control the iPod, use Triangle, Square, Circle, and X.

Secret ghost photographs

Equip the Sorrow Doll, and have the camera from the Nomad. You can use that camera to find thirty ghosts in Shadow Moses. After taking pictures of them, they can be viewed in the photo album with a new option.

In Shadow Moses, when you return to Otacon's office to shut down security and turn on the power, take a photograph of the area to the left of the Policenauts poster. When viewed, there will be a superimposed image of Hideo Kojima's face.

Take a picture of the wolves after the Crying Wolf battle. Sniper Wolf's face will appear in the corner.

Secret Sunny and Naomi pictures

Do not pick up the camera during the briefing when it first becomes available. Wait until Act 4 to get the camera, and it will have some funny pictures of Naomi and Sunny playing around in the kitchen.

Hidden development team autographs

While tracking Naomi, get to where there is a PMC soldier standing next to a claymore. Move northeast from there to find a metal plate on the ground with signatures and handprints from the game's developers. Note: Lay down on it to get the handprint design for your camouflage. Register it to memory, and you can use it whenever desired.

Hidden crop circle

When you are tracking Naomi's footprints in Act 2 after the Laughing Octopus fight, you will arrive to a river. Instead of crossing the river, look to your left. You will see another set of footprints. Follow these, and they will lead you to a crop circle where you will hear some strange dialog by the Colonel about an alien abduction.

Vomiting Snake

If you kill a large enough number of enemies in a conflict zone, you will hear Liquid from Metal Gear Solid say "You enjoy all the killing, that's why!", and Snake will vomit.

Posing as statues

You can step up on statue pedestals, and press Triangle to assume various poses. With one of the statues, you will grab its crotch. Do this several times, and that part of the statue will break off.

Beauty And The Beast preview

In Act 1 when in the underground hanger/cave, you can use the Mk II to listen to a wounded PMC soldier's conversation. He will talk about the Beauty And The Beast group before you actually meet them.

Posing Beauties

After defeating any of the four Beauties, there is a second round where they walk towards you, trying to grab Snake. During this phase, run from them for three minutes, and the screen around you and the Beauty will turn white. Take out the digital camera you obtained from the mission briefings. The Beauty will stop chasing you and do sexy poses for your camera.

Play the "Oishii ChuhanSeikatsu" Japanese pop song on your iPod while fighting a Beauty. She will start dancing. If you aim a camera at her, she will pose.

Beauty And The Beast magazine models

You can buy a magazine with pictures of the models that the Beauty And The Beast unit were based on from Drebin.

Japanese models on TV

Flick the TV remote with the Mk II to get Japanese models to appear on the television.

Barely dressed women

Flick the remote for the screen Campbell talks to you on with the Mk II to see pictures of ladies in their underwear.

Naomi's cleavage

When Naomi is in the Nomad and on the computer talking, use the Mk II to look at Otacon's computer. His webcam is focused on Naomi's cleavage.

Alternate Rose's shirt

During the third playthrough of the game, when you first meet Rose she will be wearing a new shirt.

Shake Rose's breasts

When you speak with Rose on the Codec, shake the Sixaxis to make her breasts move

Playboy magazine

To look through the Playboy magazine, press R1, then go into first person view. Then, hold L1 and press Circle to go through the pages.

Akina Minami posters

There are two posters of Akina Minami in the Vista mansion. Look at them in first person view, and Snake will say her name and his Psyche gauge will increase.

Remove frosty breath in Multiplayer mode

When playing in stages where your breath frosts, have Snake play dead while prone. His frosty breath will no longer be seen by others.

Easy Gecko kill

When you are in the basement lab at Shadow Moses and the Gecko appears, send the Mk II to the electric console to the right of the elevator. Note: This is the same console that was destroyed with the rocket in the original Metal Gear Solid. Use the Mk II to reactivate the electric floor and destroy the Gecko.

Defeating Vamp

In the first part of the battle against Vamp, after you get his health low enough, he will fall down. As he gets up, grab him in a CQC hold, and inject him with the syringe that you obtained earlier. This will disable his Nanites and make him mortal.

Long game advisory

If you complete a chapter after 4 a.m., a message will come up during the install screen (Snake smoking), suggesting that you get up and do some stretches, and saying that you have been playing awhile.

Mystery man

When tailing a resistance member, if you look behind Snake, you will occasionally notice a man with a hat and trenchcoat also tailing him. This is how the Scarabs found the hideout. If you try to shoot him, he will duck away around the corner and disappear.

Dancing Sunny

Play the "Oishii ChuhanSeikatsu" Japanese pop song on Snake's iPod. During that song, press Start to see Sunny dancing at the bottom left corner.

Liquid Ocelot kiss

At the third part of the final fight, when Liquid Ocelot grabs Snake by the neck, allow the controller to idle. After some time, Liquid Ocelot will kiss Snake on the cheek.

After death messages

After dying, call Rose to hear a conversation about Snake having dreams of being killed or a comment from Snake saying that he feels like he has died once before.

Controlling briefing projector

During the Act 5 mission briefing, use the Left Analog-stick to change the projection's height on the screen. This will make some of the attendees angry.

Trailing wolves

Tranq Crying Wolf, and the wolves in that area will follow you.

Attacking wolves

In Act 4, kill one of the wolves after you defeat Crying Wolf. The others will attack you. Call Otacon, and he will wince. Call Rose, and she will tell you that animal cruelty is the first sign of criminal behavior, and says that she will have you psychologically assessed if you continue to kill them.

FROG soldier reaction to searches

Hold up a FROG soldier, and body search them. When you would normally ball crush a male prisoner, they will say "You men are all the same", "You're disgusting!", or "Ugh" and kick you.

When you search a FROG soldier when they have no items, she will giggle as if ticklish.

When you search a FROG soldier and touch her chest, sometime she will moan or say "You're pretty good at this".

Militia soldier execution

Sneak through the first part after the opening, and go through the buildings. At the building to the right of where the APC shows up, crawl under the rubble. You will see a militia soldier get brutally shot after pleading for his life.

No smoking sign

Whenever Snake is smoking there is always a no smoking sign behind him.

Urination

When tracking Naomi in Act 2, look to the right when crossing the river to see a guard relieving himself.

Follow the resistance member in Act 3 to see him urinating in the fountain in the small park.

In the central park during Act 3, there is a statue that Snake can interact and imitate. Stay in that pose until a resistance member appears, and he will urinate on you.

Hideo Kojima references

When Snake hides from the two Irvings next to the box of watermelons, the box reads "No Place For Hideo".

You can see a ghost image of Hideo Kojima in Otacon's lab using the camera. It is between Policenauts and the poster that from a distance reads "Final Fantasy VI".

On the computer, the term "Video 2" is called "Hideo 2".

Metal Gear Solid references

During the Act 1 FROG attack sequence, attack Meryl. She will say the same things she said when you attacked her in Metal Gear Solid.

You fight Crying Wolf in the same area you fought Sniper Wolf.

You can find the Hind D still in the Snowfield where you fight Crying Wolf.

During the Mantis fight, switch your controller ports when your television switches to "Hideo 2". Otacon will come on the Codec and notify you that the trick does not work twice. You will also get a suggestion about destroying the bust.

After you die during the final Boss battle and select "Exit", it quickly changes to "Exist". Liquid Ocelot says "Not yet Snake, it's not over yet" and it moves the pointer back to "Continue". This is a reference to a quote by Liquid in the original Metal Gear Solid.

Metal Gear Solid 2 reference

Call Rosemary with a ration equipped to see a reference to a sequence that happened in Metal Gear Solid 2, when Raiden calls Snake on the Codec with a ration equipped and comments about Rose's cooking.

Metal Gear Solid 3 reference

When Drebin and Little Grey jump off of the Stryker, they will land in Naked Snake's pose from Metal Gear Solid 3, when he first arrives for the Operation Virtuous mission.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

If you stare at Meryl's breasts, she will blush similarly to how she did in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Metal Gear Solid series references

At the very beginning of Act 1 when Sunny's cooking eggs, she says "Only two eggs? Solidus must've taken the day off."

Look at the two puppets dangling from Screaming Mantis. The two puppets appear to be Psycho Mantis and The Sorrow from previous Metal Gear Solid games.

The three chickens in the Nomad are named Solid, Liquid, and Solidus.

When Snake and Naomi talk about war changing and how it used to be "just a game", all of the Metal Gear Solid titles appear in an indexed list. After MGS4, there are a few boxes titled "In Production."

The rubber duck in the upper gantry of the Nomad can also be found in Capture The Flag mode in Metal Gear Online; in the GA-KO camouflage in Metal Gear Solid 3; and floating in the flooded Shell Core in Metal Gear Solid 2.

Otacon has a model of Rex beside his computer.

The Naked Gun reference

Drebin sells laundered guns, called "Naked Guns". Drebin's name is a reference to Frank Drebin from The Naked Gun movies.

Policenauts reference

One of the backgrounds on Otacon's computer is a scene from Policenauts.

PlayStation 3 references

In the Act 1 briefing, there is a PS3 on the second floor of the plane.

During the Act 1 briefing, go upstairs on the Nomad to see Sunny unpacking her PS3 and PSP.

In the Act 2 briefing, there is a PlayStation 3 on the table.

After you defat Crying Wolf in Act 4, Otacon will call you as you enter that building and tell you to change discs. He then catches himself and starts talking about Blu-Ray and the PlayStation 3.

When you send out the Mk 2, look over Snake's shoulder by tilting the camera. He is using a PlayStation 3 controller to control it.

If you use a Sixaxis controller against Psycho Mantis he says, "What? No vibration!" and the flashbacks show the Sixaxis.

PSP reference

During the Act 2 briefing, Sunny is playing a PSP. The game is Penguin Adventure, a 1986 title for the MSX computer system, which was Hideo Kojima's first game.

Snatchers reference

The suit Snake wears in Act 3 is a homage to Gillian Seed, from Snatchers.

Star Wars reference

In the Act 5 briefing, while Mei Ling is explaining the situation to everyone she says something about it being an impenetrable fortress or something similar. Snake then says, "He has his very own Death Star."

Zone Of The Enders reference

When you look at the briefing scene, Otacon's computer desktop picture is the main character from Zone Of The Enders, another game directed by Hideo Kojima.

Weapons list

The following weapons are available in the game:

Pistols

1911 Custom
Desert Eagle (originally used by Meryl)
Desert Eagle Long Barrel
Five Seven (gun used by Snake when he infiltrated Galuade)
Glock 18C
GSR (.45)
Mk 2 Pistol (Tanq)
Mk.23 SOCOM (Snake's main handgun from Metal Gear Solid)
Operator (Colt .45 with extended barrel)
PMM
PSS
Race Gun (fires ricochet bullets)
Solar Gun (causes enemies to drop weapons and does extreme damage to Vamp)
Thor .45-70 (rifle pistol)
Type 17 (broom handle machine pistol)

Sub-machine guns

Bizon
M-10
MP5sd2
Mp7
P90
Patriot (The Boss' weapon; has unlimited ammunition)
VZ. 83 Skorpion

Assault rifles

Ak102
An94
FAL Carbine
G3A3
M4 Custom
Mk.17
XM8

Sniper weapons

DSR-1
Heavy machine guns
HK21E
M14EBR
M60E4
M82A2
MK.46 Mod 1
Mosin-Nagant (The End's sniper rifle)
PKM
RAIL GUN
SVD
Tanegashima (old flint lock that is very slow to reload, 33% of hits causes a whirlwind that carries off enemies making them drop items)
VSS

Shotguns

M870 Custom
Saiga-12
Twin Barrel

Grenade launchers

MGL-140
XM25

Rocket launchers

Fim-92A (Stinger)
Javelin
M72A3
RPG-7

Weapon modifiers

Dot sights
Flashlights
Fore grips
Grenade launchers
Laser sights
Masterkey (under barrel shotgun for assault rifles)
Scopes
Suppressors

Others

C4
Chaff grenade
Claymore
Grenade
Knife
Molotov cocktail
Sleeping gas mine
Sleep gas satchel charge
Smoke grenades (yellow, red, blue, green)
Stun grenade
White phosphorus grenade

MGS4 Cheats and Achievements (*contains spoilers*) :: PlayStation Universe (PSU).

All mGs4 Face camos

2008-06-18T04:44:00.001+05:30

Facecamo: Defeat Laughing Octopus
Young Snake: Reach Act 3
Young Snake with Bandana: Reach Act 3
MGS1: Reach Act 4
Laughing Beauty: Defeat Laughing Octopus non-lethally
Raging Beauty: Defeat Raging Raven non-lethally
Crying Beauty: Defeat Crying Wolf non-lethally
Screaming Beauty: Defeat Screaming Mantis non-lethally
Campbell: Hit Campbell with Metal Gear Mk. II during the Act 1 Mission Briefing
Otacon: Hit Otacon with the Metal Gear Mk. II during a Mission Briefing
Raiden A: Hit Sunny with the Metal Gear Mk. II during a Mission Briefing
Raiden B: Hit Naomi with the Metal Gear Mk. II during a Mission Briefing
Drebin: Acquire 60+ weapons
Big Boss: Obtain the Big Boss emblem

Nervous? Microsoft hypes Xbox 360 on Metal Gear Solid 4 launch

2008-06-16T00:49:00.001+05:30

He's got his Solid Eye on you, Microsoft.

On the day which the year's most anticipated game launches exclusively for PlayStation 3, Microsoft was quick to amp the success of its own Xbox 360. The release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was met with figures showing heavy-hitter Grand Theft Auto IV has sold more on Xbox 360 than PlayStation 3.

Microsoft was quick to trumpet the success in a move likely orchestrated to counter the worldwide release of Konami's stealth-action blockbuster. While Metal Gear Solid IV is expected to sell well, it'll be tough to match the incredible numbers Grand Theft Auto IV has pulled it. A press release issued by Microsoft proclaimed, "Xbox 360 generates more dollars at retail for third party publishers."

Looking at sales figures for Grand Theft Auto IV proves the point. The game sold more than a combined 1.3 million copies in May. Backing Microsoft's claim, NPD data shows the Xbox 360 version outsold PS3 2-to-1. Interestingly enough, while Grand Theft Auto IV did phenomenally well on Xbox 360, it was the only game for the console to crack the top ten. May was dominated by Nintendo titles for Wii and DS.

Beyond trading blows with PlayStation 3 on game sales, Microsoft hailed the Xbox 360 as being the preferred console of choice with a higher average playtime. Citing Nielsen Games GamePlay Metrics, the company rose above PS3 and even Wii with 75 hours of gametime per month for Xbox 360 owners. PS3 clocking in at 53 hours, whereas Wii drew up third place with only 35 hours

SPurce:

http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=192208

2008-06-14T17:11:00.001+05:30

Genre: Goty
Release: Fall 2008
Platform: PlayStation 3
Developer: Insomniac Games

First Official Screens released!

MUST LISTEN: Insomniac Games Full Moon Show - Season 2 Podcast premiere with Resistance 2 info, Bungie interview and more!

• One campaign focusing on Nathan Hale across 1950's USA invaded by the Chimera.
Game starts out with Hale getting shot down in Iceland (this is the first level) and the country getting overrun by the Chimera. He barely manages to escape alive back to the USA. Nathan Hale is there recruited into a top secret program called the Sentinels, other soldiers who are immune to the virus. Alongside each other they train and prepare for the war. Two years go by and then the shit hits the fans. The Chimera invades with hundreds of gigantic crafts attacking both coastal shores of the USA. UNITED WE FALL.
• One campaign specifically crafted for Co-op focusing on a squad of soldiers, supports 2 players offline, 8 players Online (Co-op). Story runs parallel to the singleplayer with a bit more focus on level flow instead of story presentation. Each players have different classes.
• Online Multiplayer (dedicated servers with faster matchmaking than any game before) supporting 60 people, lobbies for individual squads. Each squad is given different objectives and the (huge) levels flow such that it's squad versus squad instead of hoping everyone together.
• Classes for Co-op, templates include Heavy which is equipped with a chaingun and is powered by the amount of kills he makes which again recharges a mobile shield. There's a Special Ops class that has a re-engineered bullseye rifle with scope functionality and extreme stopping power. Also there's a Medic class equipped with a Medicator gun that shoots red damaging bolts at enemies and blue healing bolts at comrades.
• Mobile phone quality headset voice transfer
• Huge graphical leap with textures being sharp both close and far away. Shaders, shadowing and lighting greatly improved. Game also has a much wider color palette.
• Scaled AI so what's closer to the player and in view gets more sophisticated behavior compared to those far away.
• Randomized layout for certain areas in the Co-op campaign (also procedurally animated clouds).
• Boss fights in FPS gaming finally done right, enemies far bigger than the tallest seen in the original game.
• New creatures including Chameleons.
• Insane stat tracking & Community features coupled with MyResistance.net. Fully featured profile pages at that site tying in with social networking concepts. Clans and Parties can be open with no invites needed and more.

Originally Posted by Game Informer:

"Resistance 2 will be too epic to dismiss as anything but one of the biggest, boldest, and most high-reaching titles of 2008. It's a game that won't be ignored."

Media:
• Ted Price - Resistance 2 Interview Part 1
• Ted Price - Resistance 2 Interview Part 2
• Colin Munson - Resistance 2 Interview Part 3
•
• Resistance 1 Voices Trailer
• Resistance 1 EU Launch Trailer

Links:
• Resistance2.com (empty)
• http://www.MyResistance.net
• Official NeoGAF R:FoM thread
• Insomniac Games Official Website
• Resistance universe back story (top presentation)
• Resistance universe European campaign (top presentation)

Source:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=226865

Hideo Kojima At NYC's Metal Gear Solid 4 Midnight Launch

2008-06-12T18:50:00.001+05:30

This was the scene outside the Metal Gear Solid 4 midnight launch at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, New York City. The epic crowds were here to get their brand-new copy of the game signed by Hideo Kojima, who was in attendance with the lovely Yumi Kikuchi, the voice and model for the "Beauty" Raging Raven.

The real madness took place inside, of course. Hit the jump for full details.

Kojima's signing took place on the bottom floor of the three-story megastore, and throngs of people had already started lining up long before the event had begun to kick off. When I arrived, the energy was unbelievable, with crowds periodically chanting Kojima's name or "Metal Gear! Metal Gear!"

I chatted up some fans in line, and when one person told me he'd just bought a PS3 specifically for this game, some six or seven other people immediately chimed in that they had, too. Everyone there identified themselves as a diehard franchise fan who couldn't wait to meet the creator.

After a bit of waiting, an announcement let the crowd know that Kojima himself was about to appear. People went nuts, and began chanting his name in chorus anew, raising their fists in the air:

When Kojima descended the escalator, a flurry of cameras, flashbulbs and cheers erupted. In this blurry little pic I took, Kojima is waving to everyone as he comes down. Sorry for the poor quality, but I actually think my hands were shaking - the high energy and anticipation were very contagious!

Here, Kojima has taken his place at the table with Ms. Kikuchi. Forgive my finger in the frame. There was a big rush of people trying to get photos and I had to snap quickly!

As a game journalist, I of course have to maintain a fair and balanced objectivity when writing about games. But on a personal level, I am a mammoth fan of the Metal Gear Solid series and always have been. So when I got the chance to shake Kojima's hand, I must confess I babbled like a nut, and I think I said, "Thank you I love Snake please bring him back thank you I love Metal Gear thank you!"

I've seen a few midnight launches here in New York City, but never have I seen anything game related of this scale and spectacle. There had to have been a few hundred people there, everyone buzzing with excitement. Very cool!

Source:

http://kotaku.com/5015693/hideo-kojima-at-nycs-metal-gear-solid-4-midnight-launch

Photos from the MGS4 London Zavvi midnight opening

2008-06-12T18:48:00.001+05:30

Konami’s just sent through some photos from the London midnight Zavvi opening for MGS4’s launch. Looks jolly, doesn’t it?

Are You Ready To Sneak Out?

2008-06-12T12:06:00.003+05:30

Wow…

Its actually finally here…

I just got my call from Gamestop, telling me I could pick up my Limited Edition copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots tomorrow at midnight. A moment I have been dreaming of for years.

Knowing that this is the end of the of the “Solid Snake Story” gives me some mixed feelings. Of course I cannot wait to get my hands on this masterpiece, and I only have a great gaming experience to gain, but inside I feel a loss. A part of playstation, a part of gaming, and a part of my history will be gone. Never have I developed such a “relationship” with a game or its characters. Never have I enjoyed a franchise as much as I have Metal Gear Solid. Never have I wanted to play a game so badly.

Since the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, I have been dying to get a chance to play MGS4. Now that its here, of course those feelings haven’t disappeared, in fact I am sure they have increased. But I cant help but have a sense of “whats next”? I mean, this is THE game to me. There are many games that I am anticipating, but I don’t think anything will ever reach the level of anticipation that I have for MGS4. We are a point in the gaming industry where these “hardcore” games are getting fewer and fewer. “Casual” and “Social” gaming is the future. Amazing, single player, story driven games are a thing of the past. So what else is there for this “old dog of war“? I guess I will just have to remain optimistic, that and I will just have to bask in the glory that is Metal Gear Solid 4.

Even if MGS4 doesn’t make game of the year, for me this will be the game of my life.

How do you feel about MGS4, and the end of “Solid Snake’s Story”? Please comment below.

Also be sure to check out my article Old Snake… Meet Old Sev.

Source:

http://playstationlifestyle.net/2008/06/11/are-you-ready-to-sneak-out/

Konami slams Wal-Mart for breaking MGS4 street date

2008-06-12T12:06:00.001+05:30

Konami has taken a step back from its “these things happen” comment on broken street dates, criticizing Wal-Mart for selling Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots early, even warning that Sony can withhold shipments of the game’s bundle.

“Walmart is in trouble for breaking street dates. They’ve been penalized in the past for doing so,” Konami’s Dani wrote.

A couple of the mega-retailer’s stores have sold MGS4 80GB PS3 bundles up to a week before the title’s scheduled release date of June 12, violating written agreements with Konami.

“Sony can withhold any more shipments of that bundle to those stores that did sell it early, thereby DEPRIVING other people who thought it would be sold on Jun 12, from getting a bundle of their own.”

SOurce:

http://gamerush.zoomshare.com/files/news/002593_Konami_slams_Wal-Mart_for_breaking_MGS4_street_date.htm

Hideo Kojima At NYC's Metal Gear Solid 4 Midnight Launch

2008-06-12T12:05:00.001+05:30

The real madness took place inside, of course. Hit the jump for full details.

After a bit of waiting, an announcement let the crowd know that Kojima himself was about to appear. People went nuts, and began chanting his name in chorus anew, raising their fists in the air:

Here, Kojima has taken his place at the table with Ms. Kikuchi. Forgive my finger in the frame. There was a big rush of people trying to get photos and I had to snap quickly!

SOurce:

http://kotaku.com/5015693/hideo-kojima-at-nycs-metal-gear-solid-4-midnight-launch

Metal Gear Solid 4 Japan Launch - Tokyo

2008-06-12T12:04:00.001+05:30

This morning, Metal Gear Solid 4 launched in Tokyo, Japan. According to Famitsu, there was a line of twenty or so in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku at 8:30 this morning. By 9:15am, the line grew to about 50 people, and swelled to around one 100 thirty minutes before the store opened.

The Yodobashi Shinjuku store manager pointed out that the rainy weather wasn't exactly ideal for the launch event, and that by sometime time today the store would probably sell out of the PS3 Metal Gear Solid 4 bundles.

Over in Tokyo's Ikebukuro, there were 20 or so people lined up in front of Bic Camera. By the time the store opened at 10am, the line had grown to 60 customers — mostly males in their 20s and 30s, couples too and ladies buying for their boyfriends.

Dudes with consoles.

While the rain drizzled in Tokyo's Yurakucho as MGS4 went on sale at Bic Camera. The store typically draws long lines, but at an hour before the store opened there was exactly zero people lined up out front for Metal Gear Solid 4. Because of the bad weather, the line of ten customers was waiting inside. Five minutes before opening, the line reached 23 people. Note: this is the same Bic Camera where Sony held its official PLAYSTATION 3 launch with PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi.

Shinjuku Launch [Famitsu]
Ikebukuro Launch [Famitsu]
Yurakucho Launch [Famitsu]

Source:

http://kotaku.com/5015686/metal-gear-solid-4-japan-launch-+-tokyo

Beauty Behind the Beast: The Foxy Four of MGS4

2008-06-11T07:07:00.001+05:30

Four beautiful women gathered from around the world. Each one has been mentally violated by the horror of war. As their sole means of survival, they are modified into the ultimate bio-mechanical arsenal: The Beauty and the Beast Corps. Can Solid Snake finally uncover their humanity and rescue them from their lucid nightmares? Or will they simply be another notch or four on the casualty list?

Director Hideo Kojima’s vision, a physical beast on the outside and a woman’s beauty on the inside, has finally been realized with the approaching release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Two voice actors were provided for each boss in the English voices department, one providing the beast’s voice, the second portraying the human voice and both voices subsequently over-lapped to further the personality divide. The high-grade production values don’t stop there. Kojima commissioned four real-life beauties and used advanced modeling and digital photography techniques to have them provide the framework, so to speak, for the feral four.

We know some of the powers displayed by each beastly beauty, and the references to famous and infamous Metal Gear Solid bosses and Snake Eater pathos. What of the beauty beneath the beast? Let’s take a closer look at the models who have gamers head-over-heels in love with their rampant murder mixed with a dash of stylish mangling and post-traumatic stress echoing in their desensitized mechanical hearts.

Mieko Rye

Date of Birth: July 11, 1975
Birth Place: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Height: 5′ 6” (167.5 cm)
Character Modeled for: Raging Raven

Her face says “Don’t mess”, but Maxim Swimsuit celebrity Mieko Rye swoons over a gentleman (hope you’re taking notes). Her svelte, amazon-like body, curly auburn locks and dusky complexion all team together and work wonders for this Brazilian beauty.

Unlike the other women, Mieko is more of an out-and-out model, who’s done advertisements for Jockey, Macy’s and Nike, all big-time American brands. She hit the road to fame when she modeled for Maxim in 2006 for a wet-wet-wet photo-spread that’s said to have slain many a good man.

Scarlett Chorvat

Date of Birth: September 14, 1975
Birth Place: Bratislava, Slovakia
Character Modeled for: Screaming Mantis

Named after the wistful Scarlett O’Hara of Gone with the Wind fame, Scarlett Chorvat (pronounced as ‘Shorevaht’) arrived in the United States at the age of 5 and quickly established herself in semi-professional tennis.

Upon being discovered, she went on to work in advertisements for Michelob Beer and Crest Whitestrips before being crowned Miss Hawaiian Tropic. Scarlett’s career really began to pick up in 2000 when she was hand-picked by famed Hollywood producer Joel Silver to star as Becca Shaw in the UPN science fiction TV show Freedom.

In the past several years, she’s made a name for herself by appearing in several critically acclaimed shows such as 24, Entourage, Boston Legal and Nip/Tuck, besides acting in comedies Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and Buying the Cow and serious ventures Bull Run and Broken. She is currently on set working for The Perfect Sleep, an action/drama/thriller directed by Jeremy Alter.

She still plays tennis, most times for charity, and is an avid snowboarder. Guitar Hero fans take note: Scarlett loves to play the guitar. Million dollar, Mary-Jane Watson-esque smile, moonlit gray eyes, girl-next-door looks, supreme shredder and can do a 180-degree spin on a half-pike? Consider our nerd senses fried and our hearts a-flutter.

Lyndall Jarvis

Birth Place: Houtbay, Cape Town, South Africa
Height: 5′ 9” (175 cm)
Character Modeled for: Crying Wolf

Arguably one of the more mysterious hotties in the modeling world, her sky-blue eyes and pure blonde hair make her instantly recognizable, almost in an other-worldly way.

Her first major assignment came in December 2004 when she appeared on the cover of Blunt magazine. Her mother agency is Outlaws Models Agency located in Cape Town, South Africa, but she has since been recognized by NEXT Model Management, a large multi-national modeling conglomerate with head-quarters in cities like New York and Paris, to name a few. She’s currently based in Los Angeles but returns home regularly.

Jarvis has promoted several brands such Levi’s, Must Be, Guess and Bebe since her modeling debut, the latter two for which she currently has contracts with. Not much more can be said about Jarvis – this goddess amongst winter angels hasn’t even revealed her age (not that her age is showing even one bit).

However, besides her three sizes rounding out at 34-24-34 and slim size 4 figure towering over the other girls, the ever-smoky effect of her eyes denote both her seductiveness and chastity at ease with a confidence that comes naturally.

Yumi Kikuchi

Date of Birth: March 15, 1974
Birth Place: New York, USA
Height: 5′ 3” (160 cm)
Character Modeled for: Laughing Octopus

What would an MGS game be without a woman of Asian descent? In Yumi-chan’s case, she’s been the colonel to General Kojima’s aggressive promotion campaign, accompanying him whenever possible to every Japanese and stateside promotion. She has her own blog through which she’s been detailing their escapades together and confesses that she’d like nothing more than for Kojima to get the success he deserves.

Before MGS4, Yumi has been the favorite of Japanese action-movie director Ryuhei Kitamura’s epics, starring in the stylish sword-fights of Longinus and Sky-High. She also starred in Godzilla: Final Wars (yes, they still make those movies).

Her one defining strength, for which she scored over the other four women, is her voice. Anime like Refrain Blue, the Mahoromatic franchise, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World and Comic Party each feature the voice talents of Kikuchi, and she also has experience in radio for Tokyo FM (Kansai Radio).

No doubt this would be the reason for Hideo Kojima’s weekly internet broadcast Hidechan! Radio being hosted by Yumi, along with his casting of her as the Japanese voice for Raging Raven. But in the ultimate homage to his trusted partner, Kojima literally made Yumi the face of the returning Naomi Hunter – every original feature of Hunter’s, from the deep brown eyes to the pert nose and fleshed out lips, has been modeled after her.

Cuteness has several degrees but when it’s on an all-woman body like Yumi Kikuchi’s, you know you’re gonna love demolishing this war economy. Did we mention she’s a qualified kindergarten teacher?

Source:

http://theangrypixel.com/blog/2008/06/11/beauty-behind-the-beast-the-foxy-four-of-mgs4/

MGS4 install times revealed, Kojima makes in-game Blu-ray joke

2008-06-10T09:58:00.001+05:30

Someone over at NeoGaf has posted the in-between-chapter install times for MGS4, the total install being 4.6Gb.

This comes at the same time as an in-game conversation between Snake and Otacon is revealed where Otacon is telling Snake he doesn’t have to change disks because of the capacity of Blu-ray.

As the Metal Gear Solid 4 street date was broken by Wal-Mart last week, spoilers and in-game have inevitably made their way onto the internet.

Spoilers through the link. Watch the video here.

By Mike Bowden

8 Minutes = first install, when you start the game.

Then before each act, the time it takes to install is as follows

Act 2 - 3 mins
Act 3 - 3 mins
Act 4 - 2 mins
Act 5 - 1 min

Feature: The 9 Most Shocking Resignations and Firings in Gaming

2008-06-07T22:09:00.001+05:30

Sure, employees come and go in the gaming industry, but the following nine moves still managed to shock us.

The gaming industry is a dynamic one, with its professionals coming and going from company to company. It's a testament to how varied gaming is--not many people can stick to one game (or game company) for an extended period of time without wondering if the grass is greener elsewhere. The companies are also quite finicky, as many developers are only as good as their last game, and a flop can mean a firing. Nevertheless, there are some dedicated employees whose career moves have confounded us. Here's The 9 Most Shocking Resignations and Firings in Gaming!

The Leadup:

Phil Harrison joined Sony in 1992, overseeing the launch of the PlayStation brand, which won two consecutive console generations, and the PSP, which, while lagging far behind the Nintendo portable juggernaut, still sold quite well. The PlayStation 3, which is currently the lame duck of the console wars in terms of sales, has proved to be the undoing of many Sony executives, causing Ken Kutaragi to step down as Sony Computer Entertainment's CEO, and, some believe, Phil Harrison as the company's Worldwide Studios President. Harrison resigned on February 25, 2008, less than a year-and-a-half after the PS3's release.

The Aftermath:

Not even a week after he resigned, Harrison was hired as Infogrames' President and "Directeur General Delegue (we have no idea what that second thing is either), with the intention of reviving the Atari brand for the 83rd time. That's not the type of job a guy can just waltz into the office and get, so we're guessing Harrison had it lined up for quite some time. What's confusing is figuring out why Harrison would jump ship from a leaky battleship like Sony to a capsizing canoe like Atari.

The Leadup:

Gumpei Yokoi began at Nintendo in 1965. During the company's playing card days, he created the Ultra Hand, a ubiquitous children's toy, and when the company moved its focus to games, he really thrived. He created the Game & Watch, which birthed portable gaming, and was also responsible for the Game Boy, which revolutionized it. But he wasn't just a hardware guy; he headed a software development team responsible for creating Metroid and Kid Icarus. His last project with Nintendo was the Virtual Boy, which performed poorly, and affected his status with the company greatly. He resigned a year after the failed console's release.

The Aftermath:

Yokoi went back to his roots and oversaw development of the Wonderswan with Koto laboratories. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see the project to completion, as he died after being hit by a car in October of 1997. The Wonderswan ended up being one of the Game Boy's biggest competitors in Japan, taking a notable market share from the portable king.

The Leadup:

Peter Moore knew how to help companies succeed through difficult times. He helmed Sega as the company launched the Dreamcast, and helped ease the company into becoming a software-only publisher. When the Xbox needed a boost after its rough first years, Moore stepped in, becoming the face of the company. And the arms, as his massive guns became the company's billboard at its E3 press conference, using it to announce release dates for Halo 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Having righted the Xbox's ship, Moore once again moved on, resigning to work for EA.

The Aftermath:

Moore is currently the President of EA Sports, helping give a good name to a company that has been looked down upon by the hardcore crowd for rehashing tired series with yearly sequels. He's been instrumental in the introduction of new IPs like Facebreaker and GameShow. Many still have disdain for the house that Madden built, but Moore's just getting warmed up.

The Leadup:

Gertsmann had been a part of GameSpot's console editorial staff since that part of the site's inception. For the following 12 years, he produced hundreds of reviews, eventually ascending to the role of Editorial Director in 2007. His firing in November 2007, which was rumored to have been affected by Eidos' displeasure of his review of Kane and Lynch: Dead Men, set off a firestorm of controversy.

The Aftermath:

Gertsmann's departure was only the beginning of a mass exodus of GameSpot staffers, which still continues. Editors Alex Navarro and Ryan Davis both left the company as a result of Gertsmann's firing, with freelancer Frank Provo also moving on. Gertsmann co-founded GiantBomb.com with Davis, which takes a more laid-back approach to reviews, previews, and features. The site has been active since March, and promises to "blow up" this summer.

The Leadup:

While John Romero had plenty of experience as a developer, creating many memorable games for the Apple II. It wasn't until he moved onto SoftDisk to publish a disc-based gaming publication that his gaming development career really shifted into high gear. At SoftDisk, Romero met John Carmack, and the two started a new development company known as id Software. id was responsible for many of the PC's most influential titles, including Commander Keen, Doom, and Quake. Romero and Carmack's conflicting personalities eventually led to the former's forced resignation.

The Aftermath:

id Software has continued to develop Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake sequels, but has not developed a new IP in the 12 years since Romero's departure (the company has published a few, however). Romero headed up a new development company, Ion Storm, which was shut down less than five years after its inception, due to a string of less-than-stellar titles like Daikatana. From there he founded Monkeystone, which also closed less than a half-decade later, before moving on to Midway to work on Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. Romero is now working on an MMO with another newly-created development team, Slipgate Ironworks.

The Leadup:

Hironobu Sakaguchi expected to leave Square 16 years before he resigned. He created Final Fantasy in 1987, expecting it to be his last videogame, but the game became a massive hit, saving the beleaguered gaming company after a string of flops. He continued to work intensely on the eponymous RPG series, eventually becoming the President of Square in 1995. He had hoped to usher in a new era in the company in 2001 when he directed the company's first feature film, entitled Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. When the movie flopped tremendously, Sakaguchi was on the outs with the company. While he still remained with the company for a few more years, playing a key role in the development of the popular Kingdom Hearts franchise, he never reached the same standing as he did before his film debut, and left the company in 2003.

The Aftermath:

Sakaguchi surprised many by starting up a new studio meant to compete with Square-Enix for RPG supremacy. The Microsoft-backed Mistwalker development studio has already produced two key RPGs for the Xbox 360--Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, while Square-Enix has yet to create a next-gen RPG.

The Leadup:

Dan Hsu started with Ziff-Davis in 1996, working almost exclusively for Electronic Gaming Monthly, except for a one-year gig heading up Gamers.com. He returned to the magazine in 2001, serving as its Editor-in-Chief for six years, increasing the magazine's industry status greatly during that period. In September of 2007, Hsu was promoted to 1UP's Editorial Director, but less than a year later, in April of 2008, he tendered his resignation.

The Aftermath:

Hsu has not made his next career move yet, though in his farewell blog post at 1UP, he remarked, "For better or for worse, you'll hear from me again in the near future. I love the videogame business too much to stay away." Wherever he ends up, expect him to make news and make waves.

The Leadup:

Clover Studios was created by Capcom in 2003 and commissioned to create a new action game for the Nintendo GameCube. The result was Viewtiful Joe, one of the system's most unique and popular games. Over the next three years, Clover created three more original Viewtiful Joe titles and two ports, before working on a pair of unique PlayStation 2 titles--Okami, which was an adventure title starring a fox; and God Hand, an outrageous brawler. Neither title garnered great sales (despite the gaming media's almost unanimous praise of Okami) and Capcom closed the studio down in 2007.

The Aftermath:

Capcom ported Okami to the Wii in April of 2008, assigning the development to another studio--Ready at Dawn. The port was regarded by many as inferior to the PS2 version, and Capcom caught flak for excising the credit sequence that featured Clover staff members. Many of Clover's key developers have banded together to form a new team known as Platinum Games. Platinum Games is currently working on three new titles for Sega, including the highly-anticipated MadWorld.

The Leadup:

Tomonobu Itagaki started his game development career with Tecmo in 1992. He was influential in creating the company's most revered franchise--the one-on-one fighting series Dead or Alive. His success with the series vaulted him high in the ranks of Tecmo, as he became the leader of the company's Team Ninja development team. Itagaki also was the creative force behind the resurrection of the Ninja Gaiden franchise on Microsoft's Xbox consoles. On the date of the release of his latest title, Ninja Gaiden II, Itagaki announced his resignation from Tecmo and his intention to sue the company, citing tension with Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda and an unpaid bonus for his work on Dead or Alive 4 as the reasons.

The Aftermath:

Itagaki's next move is not yet known. Tecmo has confirmed that Team Ninja will continue to function without its former leader.

Source:

http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/features/190408.shtml

Offical PS Mag info - MGSO review

2008-06-07T22:05:00.001+05:30

It's that time agian, all the most interesting PS Official mag info

The Big debate: Will you pay £180 for Rock Band?

Rumours:

That's a bloody good pair of speakers ($130,000 ish):

Previews include, Killzone 2, Mercenaries 2, Ghostbusters, Darsiders: Wrath of War, This is Vegas, The Lord of the Rings Conquest

Again just for you MK_Red, not much though:

Next month:

Special features on Prince of Persia, Siren, Far Cry 2, Little big Planet, FIFA 2009 and...

BOND:

Lots of Reviews this month:

Haze

Quake Wars:

SingStar Vol 2:

FLOW (PSP) - The first one I think:

Civilization Revolution:

The one you are waiting for: MGSO

Other Reviews:

Lego Indiana Jones - 8
NBA Ballers - 7
Bishi Bashi Special (PSN) - 8
Overlord - 7
Buzz! Quiz TV - 8

Source:

http://forums.n4g.com/m_146430/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#146430

Metal Gear Solid 4 World Tour 2008, Dates/Places/Times all here

2008-06-05T13:49:00.001+05:30

From June 2, 2008, Kojima Productions begins its World Tour, visiting Europe, North America, and Japan
in celebration of the worldwide release of Metal Gear Solid 4 on June 12.
Click on the territories below to access information regarding in-store signing sessions and launch events
with Hideo Kojima, Yoji Shinkawa, David Hayter, Yumi Kikuchi, Ken Imaizumi, and Ryan Payton.

Europe

London, UK:

A signing event at HMV OXFORD kicks off the world tour!

DATE: June 2, 2008 / PLACE: HMV Oxford, London

Milano, Italy:

*Private Show

A signing event in Milano, Italy.

DATE: June 3, 2008 / PLACE: Milano, Italy

Madrid, Spain:

*Private Show

A signing event Madrid, Spain.

DATE: June 4, 2008 / PLACE: Madrid, Spain

Hamburg, Germany:

After a one day break, a signing event in Hamburg.

DATE: June 6, 2008 / PLACE: SATURN Hamburg, Germany

Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Kojima Productions hits Amsterdam.

DATE: June 7, 2008 / PLACE: Media Markt Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Paris, France:

After a day of rest, a signing event in Paris with an added development member!

DATE: June 9, 2008 / PLACE: FNAC FORUM, Paris, France

Japan

Tokyo, Japan ???

Yokohama, Japan ???

Osaka, Japan???

U.S.A.

Los Angeles:

Midnight MGS4 launch event and signing session in Hollywood!

DATE: June 11, 2008 / PLACE: Best Buy, West Hollywood (La Brea)

New York:

Midnight MGS4 launch event and signing session in New York City!

DATE: June 11, 2008 / PLACE: Times Square Virgin Megastore, New York City, N.Y.

A signing session in New York City.

DATE: June 12, 2008 / PLACE: UNIQLO Soho New York Store , New York City, N.Y.

San Francisco:

The final leg of the North America tour, held at Sony Meteron.

DATE: June 14, 2008 / PLACE: Sony Metreon, San Francisco, C.A.

Source: http://www.konami.jp/mgs4/world/index_en.html

Man I wish I could go I would take my MGS games and my PS3 to get signed

MGS4 is for the fans, says Kojima

2008-06-04T14:49:00.001+05:30

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima’s given a gold-dust interview to IGN (watch it after the link), saying that Metal Gear Solid 4 has been made for those that have followed the series for the past decade, and admitting his relief that the game is about to launch.

“It’s been ten years since Metal Gear Solid was released in the US for the first time,” said the Japanese dev legend. “People who are experiencing Metal Gear Solid for the first time will enjoy it, but it also adds more enjoyment to the people who have followed MGS for ten years, because you can always look back and think about what you were doing ten years ago, or five years ago, and look back to your life, to yourself.

“I want people to play MGS4 and feel what they were doing ten years ago, or four years ago… I’ve chucked all those elements in there, so you could look back to your life, to yourself, so that you can absorb that and go beyond that in the future as well. That’s the part where I emphasise it is for the users. It is for the people who love the Metal Gear series.”

He added: “We finally finished creating the game, and also we got assurance that we can release the game simultaneously worldwide. That’s why overall I said I’m relieved not. But also I’m kind of excited and nervous and how [the game will] be perceived.”

Other topics covered in the chat are the inclusion of an iPod in the game, the Assassin’s Creed costume and lessons learned from the MGO beta. Must-watch.

Source:

http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/06/04/mgs4-is-for-the-fans-says-kojima/

Mirror's Edge NOT Set For This Month

2008-06-02T20:38:00.001+05:30

Mirror's Edge

Mirror's Edge is one of those games that might surprise a lot of people. The concept is both original and ambitious, and for that, developer DICE should be applauded. However, could EA really drop this game without much in the way of build-up or a marketing campaign?

The rumor started thanks to a VideoGameMedia's preview for Mirror's Edge, which said the title is actually coming out in only a few weeks time. Could this be possible? Here's the direct quote: "If this all sounds like a hoot and a half, you wont have to wait long; Mirror's Edge is slated for a mid-June release date."

Many have been wondering if this might be true, and we would get a chance to play this encouraging title so soon. But we have contacted EA on the matter, and the response we received is very definitive: "Defintely not true. Mirror's Edge isn't coming out for a while." It seemed very weird that we hadn't heard anything new from EA or DICE, and this is one game we expect to see a lot more of before an official release date is given. We'll certainly be looking for new info and details as time goes on, but for now... Sorry guys, but we're going to have wait a bit longer for this one. Oh well, more time to ramp up the hype, right?

Source:

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/3169.html

Peek at Rare's Unreleased Games

2008-05-20T22:00:00.001+05:30

A look at what could have been -- or might still come?
By Thomas Puha, 05/19/2008

From: 1UP
_________________________________________________________

The Nordic Game conference, held in the city of Malmö in Sweden last week, played host to many interesting speakers, such as Jet Set Radio designer Ryuta Ueda and Ico director Fumito Ueda, to name a few. But one of the sessions that really caught our eye was "East West All-Stars," where Ueda, Ninja Theory visual art director Alessandro Taini, Furi Furi creative director Ryosuke Tei, and Rare senior concept artist Ryan Firchau showed off artwork to demonstrate the differences in design approaches and style between East and West.

Most interesting was the concept art shown by Firchau of several games that never came to fruition at Rare.

"Concept art" is just that. But the work Firchau showed looked like it had the potential to be far more interesting than anything Rare has released in the last few years. Take a look at some of the photos that show art from a seemingly dark fairytale with werewolves (Sabre Wulf?) and a sci-fi game that looks a bit Halo-ish, only with more dirt and grime. What do you think of this stuff -- could any of it have made for some cool games?

Frank O'Connor Leaves Bungie( To work on New Halo IP)

2008-05-17T15:59:00.001+05:30

On a much more serious note, hearts are heavy here at Bungie -- even the cold, shriveled prune in my chest -- as this week, Frankie announced his decision to leave the studio. As much as you all will miss Frank, Bungie will miss him that much and more. He brought a finely shaped dome, spot-on writing and a much-needed Scottish lilt to Bungie. Good luck, Broconnor.

A note from Frank and one final Mister Chief are below:

"Dear BungieFans,

It’s not you, it’s me.

In many ways, you’re too good for me. You can find someone better. Maybe a little hairy dude. Maybe a Hungarian Unicyclist. I just know that I don’t deserve you, and that this is just as hard for me as it is for you.

Yours truly,

Frankie.

I am leaving you. I am off to work more closely with Microsoft on the Halo franchise, so I shan’t be too far away, but I wanted to take this last chance, appropriately enough in a Weekly Update, to tell you a very fond thanks. Thanks for being the most energized, enthusiastic, loyal, faithful, creative, imaginative and incredible community any video game could ever have.

Thanks for being patient when things went wrong, when playlists didn’t work, when matchmaking broke, when bugs were being fixed. Thanks for the mail, the screenshots, the movies, the machinima, the models, the paintings and the sheer enthusiasm and talent you’ve shown me over the years.

Thanks for not following through on the death threats.

Thanks for sticking with us through thick and thin and thanks for the loyalty you’re going to show Bungie over the coming years.

And on that note, let me tell you a bit about the coming years. It was very hard for me to make the decision to move on, but one thing that made it just a bit easier, was seeing the amazing work that’s coming down the pipe. I was busy working on a story for one of our next games, an experience that is destined to surprise, amaze and entertain like nothing we’ve ever made before. That game has an amazing team invested in it, and one that will be tasked with building the Next Big Thing. You should see what they’ve already achieved, you truly should.

And there are other things rumbling at Bungie, just as secret, just as epic and just as incredible. And the thing that turns all that rumbling into incredible gameplay experiences is, has always been and will always continue to be, the people. The brilliant, talented, industrious gang of geniuses who brought you everything from a monochrome Pong clone to the staggering vistas and vision of Halo 3.

Artists, engineers, musicians, designers, writers, administrators, producers, managers, even our security staff are Bungie people, through and through. They are all, every last man, woman and Bob, the very essence of the spirit of the company and the thing I will miss most of all.

There are too many to name. More than 120 now, more than double the number than when I first started, about halfway through Halo 2. Amazing to think that I am Old School Bungie, when I never felt like anything other than a wide-eyed child in a moonlit candy store.

So thanks again. And look forward to all that candy. They’re making it for you.

Goodbye, thanks for all the Photoshops today - and don’t eat stuff off the sidewalk."

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.a...news&cid=13795

Battle of the 2008 Exclusives

2008-05-16T20:56:00.001+05:30

The Playstation day was fantastic it showed us more about games we already knew about to whet our appetite, things looked very promising for Sony. Then Gears 2 reared its beautiful head, followed by a flood of info for Banjo Kazooie 3, Fable 2 and a new Viva Piñata game.

So how do the two consoles stack up in exclusive titles, and which titles are the ones to boast about?

Xbox Exclusives

Ninja Gaiden 2
Gears of War 2
Fable 2
Viva Pinata 2
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
Too Human
Tales of Vesperia
Alan Wake?
Halo Wars?

Playstation Exclusives

Haze
Metal Gear Solid 4
LittleBigPlanet
Resistance 2
Buzz! Quiz TV
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
SOCOM: Confrontation
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
The Agency?
Final Fantasy XIII?

I haven’t included the Wii in this comparison because Nintendo seems to be holding their cards very close to their money belts. So who has the upper hand in this comparison? Numbers wise no one does, it is pretty much even, but look at the types of games being released. Sony has 4 shooters dropping before the years end, while Microsoft has one with an assortment of eclectic games. There are some big titles coming out, E3 probably won’t bring us any new releases for this year but it will be very telling for the games that we already know about. Who will come out on top? My final verdict will have to wait until after E3 as the proof is in the pudding.

Source:

http://www.geekpulp.co.nz/2008/05/16/battle-of-the-2008-exclusives/

Sony Announces 2008 and Early 2009 PS3 Line-up

2008-05-16T20:55:00.001+05:30

Just just announced its 2008 and early 2009 PLAYSTATION 3 software line-up. Via press release, Sony's Scott Steinberg says:

For the second half of 2008 and beyond, we will see a spectacular line up of triple-A titles and original gaming content that will satisfy PlayStation fans across the board... Highly anticipated games such as Resistance 2(TM), LittleBigPlanet(TM), and Killzone(TM) 2, along with original content such as SIREN: Blood Curse and PixelJunk(TM) Eden, demonstrate SCEA's passion to lead the market by continuing to deliver unique gaming content and revolutionary sequels to our best-selling franchises.

Wow. Scott Steinberg (TM) remembered the trademarks and everything! Hit the jump for the full line-up:

Hot Shots Golf(R): Open Tee 2 — PSP (Available June 3, 2008 / E for "Everyone")

Developed by Clap Hanz, Hot Shots Golf(R): Open Tee 2 introduces six challenging new courses, along with new characters to customize using hundreds of accessories. Robust Internet play allows players to challenge other Hot Shots across the globe in tournaments of up to 16 players. Players can tee-off locally with up to eight others via Ad Hoc mode, or engage in a number of single-player modes such as Challenge, Training, and Stroke Play. With the franchise's signature over-the-top visuals and pick-up-and-play action, fans of the series can once again look forward to hitting the links on the go with the most fun and wacky golf experience available.

Secret Agent Clank(TM) — PSP (Available June 17, 2008 / E10+ for "Everyone 10+")

Ratchet, Clank, and Captain Qwark return to PSP this summer in Secret Agent Clank(TM), an all new adventure where Clank takes the lead as the titular character. Taking cues from spy classics of the past, Secret Agent Clank presents the Ratchet and Clank universe with a spy themed twist, including Clank as the Galaxy's greatest undercover agent dressed in a tuxedo. Developed by High Impact Games, the studio that brought Ratchet & Clank(R): Size Matters to PSP, Secret Agent Clank brings the humor, quality gameplay and action that fans have come to expect from the franchise back to PSP.

wipEout(R) HD — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Rated E10+)

One of the most beloved PlayStation franchises of all time returns with wipeout(R) HD for PS3. Available exclusively for download on PlayStation Store, players race at blazing speeds and experience adrenaline-filled, anti-gravity racing action in full-1080p High Definition (HD) running at a breathtaking 60-frames-per-second. Featuring a selection of the best tracks from previous versions of the wipEout franchise meticulously reworked for PS3, wipEout HD supports up to eight player online multiplayer racing in addition to various other race modes like Tournament, Time Trial and Speed Lap. Featuring a new Pilot Assist option to help players navigate tracks at blazing speeds, wipEout HD also includes a Photo Mode, support for the SIXAXIS wireless controller's motion sensing controls, and a bumping soundtrack with Dolby 5.1 surround.

Elefunk(TM) — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / E for "Everyone")

Elefunk(TM) is a PS3 construction puzzle game exclusively for download on PLAYSTATION Network. In Elefunk, players are tasked with building bridges and structures capable of supporting elephants as they stroll across treacherous ravines, rivers, fire pits and swamps. Using various materials with real world physics applied to them — ranging from metal to wood and rope — players must select the proper materials and pieces to build a structure that will hold up the crossing elephants. With single and multi-player gameplay both on and offline, Elefunk delivers simple and fun gameplay for the casual fan, with leaderboards and challenging modes for the more competitive gamer.

PixelJunk(TM) Eden — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

PixelJunk(TM) Eden is the third PSN title from the addictive PixelJunk series by Japanese developer Q-Games. In this stunning platform game, the player feels like a small insect seeing a garden for the first time. Within this constantly evolving and vibrant 2D plant environment, the player leaps and swings between lush plants, smashing into approaching enemies and navigating around the undergrowth to gather treasures. Through various levels, the player is treated to stylish 1080p graphics, a dynamic soundtrack and addictive gameplay. PixelJunk Eden supports both single and co-op play.

SIREN: Blood Curse — PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

Released in twelve downloadable episodes, SIREN: Blood Curse delivers a haunting and horrifying story exclusively to PS3. Set in the Japanese village of Hanuda, an American TV crew has arrived to research and film an expose on the legend of a "vanished village." Controlling seven different playable characters, the player must discover the mystery behind the curse that grips the eerie village of Hanuda. The unique "sight jack" system allows the player to see from the point of view of the Shibito, or living dead, to avoid their detection or watch as they close in on the crew. Intense graphics, realistic character animation, and a gritty film-like graphical presentation add to the horror of SIREN: Blood Curse.

SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation — PS3 (Available September 16, 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

With the power of PS3, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will deliver the most intense and authentic high definition modern combat action. Delivering a global-scale combat experience that has been refined over four generations of the SOCOM franchise, SOCOM Confrontation gives players the opportunity to battle against the best and brightest from the U.S., Europe and Asia. Players will be able to modify their appearance through facial and physical customization and battle across seven North African environments, including a 32-player version of the most popular SOCOM map of all time "Crossroads." Additional themed packs containing new Special Forces, weapons, maps and features will be made available for download via the PLAYSTATION(R)Store.

LittleBigPlanet(TM) — PS3 (Available October 2008 / Not yet Rated)

Developed by Media Molecule, LittleBigPlanet(TM) is a new and hugely innovative PS3 title that establishes a new genre called "creative gaming." LittleBigPlanet allows players to Play, Create and Share inside a glued-together and hand-stitched 3D landscape. Players customize and control their burlap Sackboy (or Sackgirl) character and can PLAY alone or with up to three others, exploring a variety of developer-created levels. Also, using a simple tool system, players can CREATE their own objects and even full levels. Players can then SHARE these creations with their friends or with the world through the online PLAYSTATION Network community.

NBA 09 — PS3, PSP, PS2 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

Developed by SCEA San Diego, NBA 09 builds on the technology and features of NBA 08 with more advanced graphics and gameplay control to deliver an experience catering to hardcore basketball fans and casual gamers alike. For the first time, NBA 09 brings "The Life" mode to PS3, delivering gamers the most detailed and engaging NBA experience both on the court and behind the scenes. Additionally, NBA 09 will feature a full Franchise mode, where gamers can run their own virtual team on every level — from determining salaries, to deciding playing time, to making trades. Progression mode, where players are rewarded experience and attributes during gameplay, returns with players now able to track "team progression" for all five characters. Extending playability, NBA 09 will bring back NBA Replay mode, where players will be able to re-enact highlight performances from the real NBA season to gain additional rewards. Other key features include expanded commentary, a variety of mini-games, and full online gameplay action.

NBA 09 — PSP (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

Developed by SCEA San Diego, NBA 09 for PSP brings fast, fluid gameplay and delivers the most engaging portable NBA experience available. Featuring a new Franchise mode, players will be able to draft and construct contracts while engaging in multi-season gameplay. The popular Conquest mode returns in a variety of formats, allowing players to take over the country in gameplay modes such as Dodgeball, Elimination, Fast Break, and Pick-Up games. Carnival mini-games return, including Pinball, Pop-a-Shot, and Skee-Ball, and cross platform compatibility allows players to use mini-game Carnival tickets earned to purchase items in NBA 09 PS3. Additional mini-games round out the experience including, Pick and Roll, Alley-Oop, Box Out, Give and Go, and 21.

NBA 09 — PS2 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

Developed by SCEA San Diego, NBA 09 for PS2 returns with the fourth installment of the critically acclaimed "The Life" mode. Within The Life, players will control storylines for three different characters, interacting with them on and off the court. In addition, a full Franchise mode will be featured, along with optimized gameplay and artificial intelligence (A.I.) to deliver a true basketball experience. Online roster updates will be available weekly, and NBA 09 will bring an expanded set of commentary featuring Kevin Calabro and Kenny "The Jet" Smith.

About BUZZ!(TM) Quiz TV — PS3 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

This fall BUZZ!(TM), the popular quiz show franchise, makes its way for the first time to PS3 with BUZZ!(TM) Quiz TV. BUZZ! Quiz TV comes stocked with five different channels of questions including Music, Movies & TV, Sports, Brainiac and Lifestyle, combining to deliver over 5,000 questions. Extending the quiz show network beyond the disc, up to four players from anywhere in the U.S. can team up for trivia showdowns in the online multiplayer mode, Sofa vs. Sofa, and new quiz packs to be available for download from the PLAYSTATION(R)Network. Also, for trivia fans wanting to see if they can trump others with their own vast library of knowledge, Mybuzzquiz.com will provide a global community for players to create and share their own quizzes online and make available to download on PS3.

BUZZ!(TM) Master Quiz — PSP (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

Coming this fall, the BUZZ!(TM) franchise puts trivia in the palm of your hand with BUZZ!(TM) Master Quiz PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable). Packing over 3,000 questions on topics including music, celebrities, TV, sports, science, nature, movies and more, BUZZ! Master Quiz puts players' knowledge to the test at home or on the go. When gaming solo, players can enjoy a series of 15 different quiz challenges in single-player mode. Staying true to the franchise's social gaming roots, BUZZ! Master Quiz also offers three new multiplayer modes designed specifically for PSP.

MotorStorm(TM) Pacific Rift — PS3 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

The most brutal offroad racing festival is back, with players this time attempting to tackle the diversity and unpredictability of a remote Pacific island environment. Developed by Evolution Studios exclusively for PS3, MotorStorm(TM) Pacific Rift revisits the intense racing action introduced in last year's MotorStorm(TM), this time allowing players to navigate a radically different tropical environment chock full of lush jungle, towering peaks, and crystal-clear water. Players will experience a greater selection of tracks and vehicles to choose, as well as extensive multiplayer options including four player split screen and races with up to 20 players online. Additionally players will be able to utilize a new photo mode to save images within the game and for the first time be able to take music from their PS3's HDD to create a customized soundtrack.

Resistance 2(TM) — PS3 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

On the brink of annihilation, mankind resumes the fight against the unstoppable Chimera on the shores of the United States. Thus the stage is set for Resistance 2(TM), the highly anticipated follow-up to Insomniac Games' best-selling PS3 launch title. Players will once again step into the war-torn boots of Sgt. Nathan Hale, who not only faces near impossible odds on the battlefield, but also struggles with the Chimera virus raging inside his own body. In addition to an epic single-player campaign, Resistance 2 will offer a truly unprecedented eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer built upon a 'massive battles, greater intimacy' mantra. Also, players can expect tightly integrated community support via MyResistance.net.

Killzone(TM) 2 — PS3 (Available February 2009 / Not Yet Rated)

Developed by Guerilla Games, Killzone(TM) 2 is the highly anticipated first-person shooter created exclusively for PS3. Killzone 2 brings a highly detailed, ultra-realistic "theater of war", where players encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Set on the hostile enemy planet of Helghan, players will once again join the ranks of the ISA with a directive to battle through the harsh environment to capture the Helghast emperor and bring the enemy war machine to a halt. With an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new weapons, vehicles, and gameplay elements all wrapped in an intense storyline.

SOurce:

http://kotaku.com/5009315/sony-announces-2008-and-early-2009-ps3-line+up

Sony: Go Ahead And Buy An XBOX "Their Support Isn't Much Better"

2008-05-14T15:54:00.001+05:30

Reader Adrian's PS3 is broken and since the console was a gift that didn't come with a receipt, Sony is denying warranty coverage. Where it gets tricky is that there's a "manufactured on" sticker on the back of the machine indicating that it is clearly less than a year old — meaning that there's no possible way it could be out of warranty coverage. Adrian tried explaining this concept to Sony, but they weren't interested. No receipt. No warranty. When Adrian threatened to switch to XBOX, Sony's only answer was that "their support wasn't much better."

Adrian writes:

It’s Sunday, so it is the one day I have to take care of my personal business, and relax. My PS3 crapped out on me a few days ago, and sadly, I cannot get anyone at Sony to fix the problem. The thing is, the PS3 was a gift to me for Christmas. The receipt is nowhere to be found (not by me, but by the person who bought it for me) all she has is a credit card statement. Instead of going to the store and demanding someone give us a receipt for the transaction, I decided to call Sony and see if they would take it under warranty because, for starters it was bought in December, and it was manufactured in July 2007. When I spoke with someone at Sony, I was basically told that they don’t go off of the manufacturing dates, but rather, on the date of purchase.

Fair enough I would think, but if the playstation was manufactured less than a year ago, it would be hard to lie about it’s validity of the warranty anyways. No matter how I went at this, the rep couldn’t help me. Basically he said, no receipt, $150. I am outraged that Sony won’t make themselves responsible on an item which is CLEARLY less than a year old. Their own label on the PS3 clearly shows that it was made in July 2007, 3 months shy of the year mark. Why would they even place that label on there, if it wasn’t any good to them? I’m just angry that a receipt would still be needed, even though I can clearly prove that it should STILL be under warranty.

I tried arguing with the guy telling him I would switch to a Wii, or an Xbox 360, and he just laughed and said, “their support isn’t much better.” I told him I would tell all my friends about Sony and not to buy a Ps3, and he simply said, “that’s totally up to you, but we are gaining momentum right now with customers.” Basically, he was a jerk, my PS3 is shit, and nobody seems to want to help me. That is where you come in. Perhaps someone higher up will see the absurdness in this.

Adrian, we think you're probably expecting a little too much of Sony. They're simply not equipped to deal with this situation logically, and CSRs aren't allowed to make decisions that require independent thought.

Therefore, our advice to you would be to call the friend that gave you the PS3 and ask her to contact her credit card company and see if they'll repair or replace your PS3 under their extended warranty protection. This process should be fairly painless compared with the task you've set for yourself— convincing a huge multinational corporation to think like a rational human being.

Good luck.

SOurce;:

http://consumerist.com/5008866/sony-go-ahead-and-buy-an-xbox-their-support-isnt-much-better

2008-05-13T19:52:00.003+05:30

Reduced: 88% of original size [ 720 x 540 ] - Click to view full image

2008-05-13T19:52:00.001+05:30

rubber duck alarm clock(another produt to be available soon)

kaz, hideo, and konami rep on stage

the MGS4 branded motorcycle

2008-05-13T19:50:00.007+05:30

the MGS4 branded motorcycle

MGS4 Ipod

2008-05-13T19:50:00.005+05:30

ipod

2008-05-13T19:50:00.003+05:30

Reduced: 80% of original size [ 800 x 466 ] - Click to view full image

MGS4 final japanses bundle

2008-05-13T19:50:00.001+05:30

final japanses bundle

regain energy drink

Reduced: 68% of original size [ 931 x 526 ] - Click to view full image

MGS4 sony erricson phone

2008-05-13T19:49:00.003+05:30

this MGS4 sony erricson phone will be available soon

M G S 4 gameplay session......

2008-05-13T19:49:00.001+05:30

A couple of non-spoiler bits from the gameplay session. Kojima showed what appears to be some tie-up promotions. He had Snake select Regain 24 energy drink from the item menu. The drink appears as a high res 3D model, complete with a full product description (Kojima and his assistant actually took out their own real Regain drinks and drank them, causing the majority of the press to violate the no photography rule).

The next promotion was an iPod. There's actually an iPod item in the game, again shown in a high res 3D model. Kojima had Snake pick up a CD item from the stage then play it back in his iPod. You can listen to the songs that you pick up along the way as you play the game. Snake's assistant can be seen dancing to the music when you're in the item screen.

UPDATE: 2:32

The gameplay demonstration ended with a showing of the Tanegashima which appears to release tornados on the battle field. Kojima says he'd just showed us 1/12.5 of the game.

Producer Kenichiro Imaizumi appears next to Kojima to talk about the collaborations for the game -- some of the stuff that was shown in the gameplay session and mentioned above.

He first shows off an ad showing off Snake drinking Regain. MGS4 Regain will be available at convenience stores on 6/14 with a cell phone screen cleaner included.

Next, Ga-Ko alarm clock -- an alarm shaped like a rubber ducky. Yes, this does appear to have something to do with the game.

Next, a Sony Ericson celphone -- model W62S. This cell phone is used by Vamp and other characters in the game.

Next, footage of Snake riding a motorcycle. Is this next product an MGS4 motorcycle!? Actually, it's just a Triumph motorcycle, which appears in the game.

Next, a collaboration with Assassin's Creed! The April Fool's Joke was true! Snake will be able to dress up just like in the April Fool's trailer once he's done something special in the game!

Jade Raymond delivers a video message, congratulating the Kojima Productions team.

Finally, a collaboration with Uniqlo clothing for t-shirts and other items. Konami hopes to release these worldwide.

UPDATE: 2:46

Next, the best collaboration of them all! Gravure idol Akina Minami will appear as posters in the game. This applies to the worldwide versions of the game, marking Minami's debut on the world scene.

Finally, Kojima reveals plans for a tour that will take the staff throughout the world around launch, touching on cities like, Tokyo, London, Madrid, Milano, Amsterdam, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Game Informer June 2008 Issue

2008-05-13T17:30:00.001+05:30

I got my issue earlier, the cover story is Guitar Hero 4.

Guitar Hero 4 (PS3, 360, Wii, PS2)
- Create a song. Although these exclude vocals due to storage and possible copyright issues.
- You'll be able to name your song as well as creating album art. After you've done all that you can upload it to GH Tunes where anyone can download it.
- You'll be limited to 5 songs at first. But depending on the ratings you get you'll possibly be able to upload 10 or more.
- The song sharing mode will be in the Wii and PS2 versions also, but GI says it's unlikely that it'll be as robust as the PS3 and 360 versions.
- Drums, bass, vocals guitar
- Create a rocker
- Create a guitar and drums
- All songs will be master tracks
- They don't want to discuss specifics on track listing out of fear of being scooped by the competition. However they confirmed 4 bands: Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park and Sublime.
- A new guitar designed by Red Octane that includes a new input mechanic that'll "impact the way you play GH in the future".
- GI saw see through notes while playing that Neversoft said was the new input mechanic and that they were trying to patent.

Prince of Persia (PS3, 360, PC)
- Inon Zur is the composer
- Combat is 1 on 1 now rather than having you face groups of circling enemies.
- 1 button will control your sword during combat, another for jumping and another for grabbing and manipulating things.

Resident Evil 5 (PS3, 360)
- The text is mostly just stuff Takeuchi talked about on the Famitsu DVD.
- A few new screens, one showing a chainsaw, an overhead shot of a female character that GI assumes is Claire, and a shot of Chris holding a blonde haired girl who they assume is Sherry.

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360)
- RARE says they didn't want to make a hi res version of the old Banjo platformer.
- You create vehicles with parts you find around the levels.
- GI says their first vehicles was a 4 wheeled kart with a spring attached to the bottom that allowed them to jump things. They later found a helicopter blade that allowed their kart to fly. Later they added balloons to the vehicle and put the blade on the back and created a hovercraft.
- RARE showed them a vehicle that was a monster truck that was able to detach its chasis to become a mini bike. When the bike ramped off a cliff it revealed collapsible glider wings and started flying.
- There will be 1,600 parts including weapons that you'll be able to attach to the vehicles.
- The town is called Showdown Town.
- GI says that despite the large focus on vehicles it still features platform elements from the previous games like traditional platforming, tight rope walking and jiggy piece collecting.
- Showdown Town is 16 times larger than anything RARE has created before.
- Every level has a different intro. Nutty Acres begins with a credits spoof of 80's soap opera's like Dallas.
- Note collecting is back and will act has currency that'll allow you to bu vehicle blueprints.
- RARE says there are 15 different challenges spread across 6 different levels. There will also be side missions.

Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise
- Improved interactivity between the pinata's and the environments.
- Pinata's will mimic each others action and follow the leader around the garden.
- They'll be adding toys for the pinatas to play with like musical instruments, spaced themed toys, and trains that the pinata's will ride around the garden.
- 30 new pinatas.
- 2 new sub areas called Pinarctic and Dessert that'll allow you to travel to new locations and lay traps for the pinatas.
- A photo mode will allow you to upload pictures to the website.
- A drop in and drop out co op mode.
- Improved UI.

- Fallout 3 (PS3, 360, PC)
- They'll handle the ending as a dynamic cutscene that changes depending on specific decisions you make. Right now there are over 500 variations of the cutscene.

- You can talk to Dogmeat although he only barks and wags his tail. But they say you always tell if he agrees or disagrees with you.

- There are no guilds like in Oblivion. You just go around doing different quests for various groups.

- The world is entirely open from the start although certain areas can be difficult at the start.

- There will be licensed music from the 40's and 50's. Songs and artists include Ink Spots"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", Bob Crosby's "Way Back Home", and Roy Brown's "Butcher Pete".

- There are no vehicles.

- The game has gotten bigger since the initial announcement. They've had to remove some features but they say they weren't anything they'd officially announced.

- GI asked if there will be downloadable dog armor and they say that they've been making that joke around the studio. They say they doubt it'll be in there and that they really aren't even thinking of any downloadable content until the game is complete.

Other previews

- Warhammer Online - Age of Reckoning (PC)
- Skate It (Wii, DS)
- Darksiders: Wrath of War (PS3, 360)
- Tales of Vesperia (360)
- Rise of the Argonauts (PS3, 360, PC)
- Haze (PS3)
- The Sims (PC)
- Ninja Gaiden 2 (360)
- Line Runner 2: Unbound (Wii, DS, PC)
- Order Up (Wii)
- Damnnation (PS3, 360, PC)
- Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (DS)
- Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon (PS3, 360)
- Metal Gear Online (PS3)
- WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 (PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PSP)
- Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 (DS)
- Freaky Creatures (PC)
- Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)
- Final Fantasy IV (DS)
- 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (PS3, 360)
- Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii)
- Gauntlet (DS)
- Robocalypse (DS)
- Sonic Unleashed (PS3, 360, Wii, PS2)
- Baja (PS3, 360)

Reviews:
GTA4 (PS3, 360): 10 10
NBA Ballers Chosen One (PS3, 360): 6.75 7.25
Assassins Creed's: Director's Cut Edition (PC): 9 8
GT5: Prologue (PS3): 7.75 8
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition (360): 8.25 8.25
Universe at War: Earth Assault (360): 5 8
Mario Kart Wii: 8.5 8.5
Battle of the Bands (WII): 6 6.75
We Ski (Wii): 6.25 7.25
Wii Fit: 8 8.25
Drone Tactics (DS) 7 7
Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles (DS) 6.5
Summon Night: Twin Age (DS) 7 6.75
Ninja Reflex (Wii): 5
Emergency Mayhem (Wii): 5.5
MLB 2K8: Fantasy All Stars (DS): 5.5

Loose Talk:
- The next Nintendo and MS systems would arrive in 2010. Sony's would arrive in 2012. They hear that MS will have your achievements carry over to the new system.
- EA pulled the plug on the Road Rash project that GI mentioned last month.
- Thief 4

Source:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=294354

KILLZONE 2 - Re-Emergence Thread May 2008 - HD gameplay footage up

2008-05-08T18:45:00.001+05:30

Killzone 2 @ PlayStation Day, London May 6th 2008
____________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION PRE RE-EMERGENCE
____________________________________________________________________

The last build the public witnessed was from E3 07 (which also made an appearance shortly after at Leipzig). It's been quiet ever since.

Well. It's time again. Killzone 2 is fully playable for the press at PlayStation Day in London May 6th onwards. It's a totally new level from recent code.
After 10 months(!) of waiting it's finally time to take another look. As always, this OP will continuously be updated with the latest info.

____________________________________________________________________

RE-EMERGENCE
____________________________________________________________________

Updated Info

New release date: February 2009
SCEE demo rep: 'We could have easily gotten the game out this year but want to space out our shooters.'
(Socom --> Sep, R2 --> Nov, KZ2 --> Feb)

New level, Corinth River, was playable at show.
People were walking around in Helghast uniforms.
LittleBigPlanet has Helghast sackboys.

Media
• Great Quality 4min Video (Stream) @ JeuxVIDEO.TV Shit looks absolutely amazing.
• Great Quality 4min Video (Download) @ JeuxVIDEO.TV
• Great Quality Trailer @ Gamersyde
• 720p Gameplay Video @ Gamersyde
• 12min Gameplay Video @ Jeux-France Slooow.
• LittleBigKillzone @ Youtube
• High res Gameplay footage #1 @ Gamersyde
• High res Gameplay footage #2 @ Gamersyde
• Attract mode video looping @ Gamersyde
• Screens @ IGN

•

• Gamespot Hands-on Impressions
• IGN preview
• Important guy assigned to AI
• Official E3 2007 Reveal Thread
• Killzone 2 @ Leipzig Resource Thread
• www.killzone.com (Total redesign soonish)
• http://www.guerrilla-games.com/ (Company Website)

Source:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?s=4e1dc1ceb147a2abd313674d375e03e7&t=291759

PS3 games list & SPE usages

2008-05-08T18:44:00.001+05:30

According to IBM the bulk of the PS3's processing power is located in Cell's SPEs (/SPUs). Without using them games development is very similar to developing a game on a decent specced single processor PC or Mac (So not really difficult at all like some developers claim, funnily those who do not even use the SPEs in the porting process! This should then actually be pretty straight foward, with of course the advantage of being able to optimize for a single uniform configuration). PS3 exclusive devs who are using the SPEs claim it's not that difficult to develop for and that it's much easier to develop for than for the PS2. Considering more and more games start to utilize these SPEs I thought it would be interesting to list those games.

SPE usage doesn't per se make a good game, neither not using them per se makes a bad game, for example simple games such as distributed on the PSN don't really need that much performance with the exception of games like Super Stardust HD, which is quite impressive with so many effects and things going on at once. However IMO for games which greatly depend on performance, not using the SPEs [enough] IMO don't make these games genuine PS3 games to judge the power of the platform on, but should rather be viewed as far from optimal ports.

Beyond3D Motorstorm interview: "Scott Kirkland: Cell’s SPUs provide a huge amount of processing power. Early adopters tended to bias usage towards either RSX or PPU support (we fall into the latter category). I’m confident that over the coming months, exploitation of this resource will become far more balanced."

Insomniac Q&As on how they try to help 3rd party developers and why some developers are still struggling with the Cell archicture:

Q&A: Insomniac's Mike Acton - Part 1
Q&A: Insomniac's Mike Acton - Part 2

"What I've always said is that bad code, and bad data design in particular, is bad on any architecture, but it's particularly bad on the PS3 because the Cell is a much more modern, much more heterogeneous design. It's much more parallel, and so requires good data design and good code. So if you're poorly designing your data and your code, then yeah, I can see why it'd be difficult to take something like that and try and manipulate it to work on the PS3, especially when people have invested a huge amount of money and time on something that basically doesn't fit a modern methodology. Yeah, it's going to be time-consuming to get that to work - if it's at all possible."

"It's interesting, because I think that probably the oldest programming methods are the most relevant today. It's the habits over the last five or eight years that are struggling, and it's interestingly the people that are more recently out of school that are going to have the most trouble, because the education system really hasn't caught up to how the real world is, how hardware is changing and how development is changing."

Some early PS3 games that are known to use the Cell's SPEs, some more recent highlights and how these games use the SPEs:

1) Resistance: Fall of Man

"Animation and calculating collisions between objects are perfect fits, says Hastings. So those are the primary jobs Resistance doles out to the SPEs.."

Source: Spectrum online

"SPU System:

Animation
Audio (NextSynth and LR1)
Bucketer sort
Collision (separate broad and narrow)
Dynamic DB
Dynamic joint
FX update
Geom Cull Clip (for shadows and decals)
Glass
Moby constants
Physics collision
Physics simulation
Particle (weather fx)
Render mats
Static DB
Water (FFT)

10-20% total SPU utilization" (uses 5 SPEs, Resistance 2 uses 6 SPEs)

http://www.insomniacgames.com/tech/a...ing_public.pdf

2) Resistance 2

"Propriety game systems are now being heavily farmed out to the PS3's SPUs, keeping the central PPU as a sort of traffic cop that organizes what gets attention at any given moment. In simple terms, the game is taking much better advantage of the untapped potential of the console. In regard to visuals, the expanded use of the SPUs means more enemies on screen, significantly more complex AI from all of those foes and dramatically expanded options for special effects."

Source: Game Informer

GDC 2008 - Insomniac SPU Programming (Powerpoint)

3) Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

"We were using the SPUs and that's a key to having a game that runs fast on the PS3, but there were a lot of things that we knew we could improve, and we have been improving them on Ratchet. And even with Ratchet, we're still seeing more and more things we can do; it's kind of like peeling off the layers of an onion."

Source: Gamedaily

"We are continuing to build our Insomniac Engine and have made many improvements to it since Resistance: Fall of Man. The one huge focus for us has been moving more of our processes over to the SPUs on the CELL processor. This has allowed us to get our physics and effects systems running roughly four times faster than it did in Resistance at nearly double the framerate, which is something you can see in weapons like the Tornado Launcher."

Source: The New Zealand Herald

Here on the NeoGAF forum Mike Acton of Insomniac explained a comment regarding "experimenting with pre-vertex shaders on the SPUs".

"1. Transfer some of the load from the GPU to the SPUs.

2. Minimize complexity of the GPU Shaders. i.e. Rather than making more GPU vertex shaders, or more complex GPU vertex shaders, we'll just edit the data directly from the SPU before the GPU gets it. This allows us to "disguise" complex vertex shader code as a simple shader from the GPU's perspective.

3. Run parts of the complete vertex shader code at different rates. An (SPU Vertex Shader, or Pre-Vertex Shader) does not necessarily have to run in lock-stop with the (GPU Vertex Shader). It could run at half-rate or lower, depending on the data and the need.

We're still experimenting with different approaches and places to do this, but we've had good success so far. For example, we used this idea in RCF to handle UV animations - textures weren't animated on the GPU, the UVs were animated before the stream got to the (GPU Vertex Shader) so it could use the same GPU shaders as any stream that did not have UV animation."

Source: NeoGAF forum

Insomniac Games SPU Shader Presentation (PDF)

4) Motorstorm

"SPU usage is a good example. The progressive development of corresponding debugging and profiling tools made thorough exploitation of this powerful resource quite challenging for the less technically biased members of the team. In the aftermath of MotorStorm, with mature tools at our disposal, we’ve been developing mechanisms to make the PPU and SPU’s power and parallelism far more accessible to our entire team, re-thinking data organization and algorithms in the process. MotorStorm only uses between 15 and 20 percent of available SPU resource, so we’re aiming to achieve a 5 fold increase in SPU performance, which should allow us to do some awesome stuff!"

"Our SPU exploiting systems consist of:

i) Havok physics.
ii) Determination of object visibility.
iii) Concatenation of hierarchies.
iv) Billboard object culling and vertex buffer creation.
v) Updating of particles and vertex buffer creation.
vi) Updating of vehicle dynamics.
vii) Updating of vehicle suspension constraints.
viii) Audio (MultiStream).
ix) Video decoding."

"If by cooperative rendering you're referring to SPUs supporting the RSX, I strongly believe that this approach will become far more widespread. In addition to reducing the vertex load on the RSX through the use of culling and vertex pre-processing, this approach also provides an efficient mechanism to introduce procedural geometry.

Historically, CPUs have provided course grain scene culling using view frustums, occlusion planes, portal visibility and BSP-trees with GPUs left to perform fine grain rejection using guard band clipping, occlusion and backface culling. While such features improve fragment performance, they don't reduce vertex processing overhead.

The leap in performance provided by Cell gives us the bandwidth to significantly reduce RSX time spent processing vertices that don't contribute to the final scene. The favoured approach is to use SPUs to generate minimal scene/instance specific index and vertex buffers from compressed data."

Source: Beyond3D

5) Formula One Championship Edition

"We don't really use the concept of reserving certain SPUs for specific tasks. Instead we employ the concept of prioritized job lists that are executed by the SPUs whenever one is available. We use the SPUs for the following jobs: audio effects, particle system, physics (landscape collision, narrow phase and collision resolution), rain effects (rain droplets and rain splashes) and various render side jobs. The game logic is driven largely by the PPU. We use the SPUs together to collaborate on working through each frame that's displayed by the game. The SPUs are extremely versatile so they can be used to accelerate any in-game system."

The SPUs are heavily involved in the graphics pipeline and do an enormous amount of work to eliminate inefficiency before anything arrives at the PPU and RSX. For example, the SPUs are powerful enough to decompress and check every triangle [polygon] before passing it on to the RSX. Triangles that are facing away from the player, or that are not on the screen can be 'trimmed' away by the SPUs, which hugely reduces the amount of redundant work sent to the RSX. This in turn lets the RSX get on with what it does best--drawing stuff on screen.

The SPUs can also be used to augment the RSX vertex shaders, making far more vertex-heavy tasks possible which is very useful for character animation. Additionally, the SPUs can be used to implement behavior very similar to geometry shaders--F1 CE uses them in this way to render seamless interpolated levels of detail for some scene elements. So in answer to the question "Do the Cell and RSX work together?" the answer is a resounding "Yes," and I think this is one of the real strengths of Playstation 3 that we'll see increasingly exploited by development teams going forward.

Source: Newsweek

6) Super Stardust HD

"We are able to get over 10,000 active objects with physics and collisions and over 75,000 particles simulated and drawn @60fps. That said, we were unable to use all the available processing power from Cell for this game, so for the next game there are still plenty of reserves left"

Source: IGN

Solo Pack update

"We probably draw about twice the number of objects compared to the original game. We are pretty close to maxing out the RSX, but in our next game we will still push the chip more. Currently we do not use SPUs to pre-process the geometry for RSX — that will make a major difference. I estimate that we can further boost the graphics performance by 50%."

Source: MTV Multiplayer

7) Heavenly Sword

"In Heavenly Sword, the Cell enables incredible numbers of enemies to be on screen at one time. The trick is that Cell treats entire regiments as a single unit of artificial intelligence when they are at a distance; as they draw closer, Cell gradually divides the army into smaller and smaller groups, so they eventually become individual troops with unique fighting styles and tactics."

"Heavenly Sword is one of the first PS3 games to tap into Cell's true potential. Here are the highlights.

Artificial Intelligence To keep up with the hundreds of on-screen enemies, Cell treats distant armies as a singlular "hive mind." As they approach Nariko, Cell splits their intelligence across squads, and finally, individual troops.

Graphics Wind gusts swirl Nariko's hair and clothes, and bazooka blasts send out showers of dust and rubble. 1080p support is still a question mark, though.

Physics When firing a cannon, Nariko can influence the trajectory of the projectile using the Sixaxis. Ninja Theory claims it needs the Cell to handle these complex calculations."

Source: Gamepro

"Personally I really love the SPUs as they have exceeded our performance expectations and we've got a lot of them to play with."

Source: Eurogamer

"In terms of graphics, we use the SPU as a form of object processor. So essentially everything up to and including the production of RSX's command stream probably has a module on SPU to help.
This includes,

1. A module that does a lot of object level clipping and culling both for the view frustum and ths shadow maps. Its job is per frame to calculate how big each shadow map should be in world space and what objects needs rendering in each map.
2. Animations, using ATGs (DeanA team) animation library, every animation is blended and bones updated.
3. Blend shapes, a custom module that handles facial animations
4. Skin matrices, even after animation there some work required to get them into the format used by the GPU vertex shader.
5. Flags, a simple verlet based simulation used for the flags in the game
6. Cloth & Hair, a constrained physics solver used for simple chains that are then rendered as Nariko's cloth and hair
7. Pushbuffer generation. This produces the commands used by RSX to actually render the scene. Has a number of optimisers to reduce redundent state changes.

Probably a few i've missed. Essentially a normal skinned or non-skinned character costs very little PPU time and virtually all processing is done on SPU and RSX. Its this that allows us to render the army scenes for example.

We do no per triangle work on the SPU, we let RSX do that, we however do try and prepare things on the SPU for RSX."

Source: Beyond3D forum

8) Killzone 2

"In this talk, we will discuss our approach to face this challenge and how we designed a deferred rendering engine that uses multi-sampled anti-aliasing (MSAA). We will give in-depth description of each individual stage of our real-time rendering pipeline and the main ingredients of our lighting, post-processing and data management. We’ll show how we utilize PS3’s SPUs for fast rendering of a large set of primitives, parallel processing of geometry and computation of indirect lighting. We will also describe our optimizations of the lighting and our parallel split (cascaded) shadow map algorithm for faster and stable MSAA output."

Source: Killzoneunit

"We've created our own proprietary technology to drive the game, and this is using many of PS3's specific strengths.Large quantities of data can be streamed because we have a great deal of storage capacity. This allows for the level of detail you can see in the game.

It is not a luxury to have Blu-ray, but rather a necessity, as compression only gets you so far. I mean, the level that we showed at E3 and Leipzig topped out around 2GB! Also having the CELL and SPUs means we can offload all of our physics processing to an SPU, or process AI using the SPU's. All this processing power just means we can add more detail and create that Hollywood-type realism we're after."

Source: GamePro.com

I think the following article sheds more light on how the SPEs are currently used in Killzone 2, and addresses the advanced deferred rendering techniques Guerrilla Games already implemented for the game so far.

Deferred Rendering in Killzone 2 (PDF)

9) Final Fantasy XIII

"The White Engine reportedly uses four of the six developer-available synergistic processing elements (SPEs) of the Cell microprocessor to achieve near-pre-rendered CGI quality in realtime."

Source: Play UK through Wikipedia

10) Gran Turismo 5

11) Warhawk

"Although I would say it’s the sum-total of all of our natural phenomenon in the game. Our clouds, procedural water, atmospheric scattering, terrain, etc. All of this stuff runs in parallel on all 7 SPUs simultaneously every frame – I’m still not sure if the game community is giving enough credit to just how fast the SPUs really are."

Source: Playstation.Blog

12) Uncharted: Drake’s fortune

"Like the PS2 the PS3 is a sophisticated and powerful piece of hardware. Our engineers are working very hard at making specific optimizations to take full advantage of the Cell and its SPU's. However, there is so much depth to this machine, that much like the PS2, you will continue to see developers squeeze more and more out of it over the course of what I am sure is going to be a lengthy life-cycle."

Source: IGN

"We are utilizing all SPUs in Uncharted for AI, animation and lots of other systems. We are however just starting to tap into the power of the Cell. In future games I can promise even more utilization of the Cell which will result in more of everything, including game play."

Source: Ars Technica

"As far as the Cell processor is concerned, we're actually using about a third to half of that right now, so there's still a bit of untapped potential there."

" I would say number one thing is animation, and the fact that the Cell processor has so much raw horse power that you could just throw more and more at it and it doesn't break a sweat. Our animation system is very complex, and we layer on dozens of frames of animation so you have that fluidity of movement where Nathan Drake can be running across a courtyard, stumbling over a rock as he's ducking under a hail of gunfire, reloading his weapon and rolling into cover, and all of these animations can happen simultaneously. "

Source: GameSpot

"The PlayStation 3 has a lot of power. When we started Uncharted we were really ambitious and had no idea what the PS3 would give us. Once we got the first devkits, we realized quickly that we could do everything we had planned to. The three main points for me are the Cell, Blu-Ray and the hard drive. We’ve been using the Cell for pretty much all our systems: rendering, particles, physics simulation, collision detection, animation, AI, decompression, water simulation, etc … and to give you an idea of the power of the PS3, we're using only 30 percent of the Cell processor.

In terms of Blu-Ray, we just couldn’t have made Uncharted without it; with Uncharted we have almost filled it (91 percent). We're also using the hard drive to pre-cache data from the Blu-Ray disc. That allows us to stream up to 12 streams for sound, load level data super fast and more importantly to stream textures constantly to guarantee high-res quality on the screen. "

Source: Ars Technica

"Basically, in Jak I we had somewhere in the vicinity of 300-350 animations for Jak and everyone was really happy with the fluidity of his movement and the response. In Uncharted, Drake has got more than 3500 animations and the difference is we're now taking the cell processor and we're taking say two dozen of those animations, like we've got his running animations, flinching animations, reloading animations, rolling animations, just dozens of animations all at once being layered on top of each other and then the cell processor recreates on the fly the single frame of animation that you need to be able to play the game at that moment and the fact we can just dump more and more work on that processor and its SPUs just means we can free up our CPU to do more general purpose tasks. "

Source: PALGN

"We’ve solved most of our memory problems by relying on the SPEs to perform compression, both at load-time and at run-time, using techniques developed by ICE, SCEA Tools&Tech and the SCEE ATG group."

Source: PS3Blog.net

"One of our first goals when we started Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was to push what's been done in animation for video games. We developed a brand new animation system that took full advantage of the SPU's. Nathan Drake's final animation is made of different layers like running, breathing, reloading weapons, shooting, facial expression, etc; we end up decompressing and blending up to 30 animations every frame on the SPU's."

"The main thing about the PlayStation 3 is the Cell processor and more specifically the SPU's. We are only using 30 percent of the power of the SPU's in Uncharted. We've been architecting a lot of our systems around this and we were able to take full advantage of that power. A big part of our systems is running on SPU's: scene bucketing, particles, physics, collision, animation, water simulation, mesh processing, path finding, etc. For our engine, the cool thing about having the SPU's is the fact we can minimize what we send to the RSX (the graphic chip), it allows us to reject unnecessary information and get the RSX to be very efficient. "

"We are constantly streaming animations, level data, textures, music and sounds. It would have been impossible to get this amount of data at that speed to memory without the hard drive. And of course on top of that we use the SPU's to decompress all this data on the fly."

Source: Playstation Universe (PSU)

Uncharted Tech GDC 2008

List continues in post 32

Archive for the tag "scee playstation day"

2008-05-07T22:10:00.001+05:30

“You probably will see” PS3 GTA IV DLC, says SCEE boss

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Action, Hot, PS3, Rockstar, Sony, Xbox 360 | 3 Comments »

Speaking to Videogamer.com at the SCEE PlayStation Day in London yesterday, SCEE president David Reeves said that there's a good chance of the PS3 version of GTA IV getting downloadable ... Read more..

No other PS3 hard drive configurations planned for Europe, says SCEE president

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Europe, Hot, PS3, Sony | 11 Comments »

Speaking to videogaming247 at the SCEE PlayStation Day in London yesterday, SCEE president David Reeves said that PS3's hard drive is staying at 40Gb in Europe for the foreseeable future. "I ... Read more..

European DualShock 3 launch is “imminent”, says SCEE president

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Europe, Hot, PS3, Sony | 11 Comments »

Speaking to videogaming247 at the SCEE PlayStation Day in London yesterday, SCEE president David Reeves confirmed that DualShock 3 will be launching in Europe very soon. "The DualShock 3 launch is ... Read more..

Passing Xbox 360 is important because we’ve been mistreated, says SCEE president

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Europe, Hot, PS3, Sony, Xbox 360 | 8 Comments »

Speaking to videogaming247 at the SCEE PlayStation Day yesterday, SCEE president David Reeves said that the company decided to make an announcement about passing Xbox 360 sales in Europe in ... Read more..

Difference between PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii is “so little”, says SCEE president

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Hot, PS3, PSP, Sony, Trade, Wii, Xbox 360 | 5 Comments »

Speaking to videogaming247 at the SCEE PlayStation Day yesterday, SCEE president David Reeves said it's "little things like PlayTV" that will swing consumers towards PS3 as the differences between the ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Last sets of screens from the asset disc

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Casual, Horror, PS3, PSN, Racing, Rhythm action, SingStore, Sony, UK | 2 Comments »

Just to add to this lot of screens and movies, here are the last shots we missed from the asset disc handed out at the SCEE PlayStation Day yesterday. MotorStorm Pacific ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Home hands-on

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Home, Hot, MMO, PS3, PSN, Sony, UK | No Comments »

Gamespot's posted a hands-on with Home from the SCEE PlayStation Day yesterday. From the piece: As long as you have a game installed on the hard drive or in the disc ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Hands-on with Killzone 2

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in PS3, Shooter, Sony | 3 Comments »

IGN's posted what appears to be the first hands-on with Killzone 2 from the SCEE PlayStation Day yesterday. From the piece: Some of the game's appropriations were sadly wide of the ... Read more..

Episodic Siren Blood Curse for summer release in Europe

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Europe, Horror, PS3, PSN, Sony | 3 Comments »

According to this PS3F story, Siren Blood Curse will release in Europe this summer is 12 downloadable parts. The news came from an asset disc from the SCEE PlayStation Day in ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Media wrap-up

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Action, Adventure, PS3, PSN, Platformer, Puzzler, Shooter, Sony, UK | 6 Comments »

Here's all the shots and video we can see from this afternoon's SCEE PlayStation Day so far. You can find all the rest of our coverage here. Stardust HD Team mode ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Kaz Hirai interview

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, SingStore, Sony | 12 Comments »

Kaz is a nice chap. He only flew in to the UK this morning for the SCEE PlayStation Day in London, but he was still the consummate, media-trained super-exec we ... Read more..

Hirai: “GTA has always been associated with the PlayStation platform first and foremost”

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Action, PS3, Rockstar, Sony, Xbox 360 | 13 Comments »

Speaking to videogaming247 at the SCEE PlayStation Day in London this afternoon, SCE president Kaz Hirai has said no uncertain terms that he believes Grand Theft Auto is primarily a ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day press conference - full audio

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, SingStore, Sony | No Comments »

You can hear the entire presentation from SCEE's PlayStation Day in London by hitting the play button below. Included is a speech from Kaz Hirai and a massive show-off from ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Everything else from the press conference, audio uploading now

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, SingStore, Sony | 17 Comments »

Note to self: get bigger battery. You'll be able to hear the entire press conference from the SCEE PlayStation Day in about 20 minutes. It ran to around 1 hour ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Live blogging now!

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, SingStore, Sony | 12 Comments »

OK, here we go. We're in and we're waiting to for the presentation to start at the SCEE PlayStation Day at the O2 in London. The most recent updates are ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: Line-up revealed

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, SingStore, Sony, UK | 2 Comments »

It's on the back of the registration card. Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Home, yada, yada. Image after the break. Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day: It’s so on, seats taken at 3.30pm BST

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Europe, Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, Sony, UK | 11 Comments »

We've just registered at the O2 for the SCEE PlayStation Day, and we're practically crapping ourselves with excitement. We've been told that press will be allowed to take seats at 3.30pm ... Read more..

User-content planned for Echochrome

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in PS3, PSP, Puzzler, Sony | No Comments »

Speaking in this this official US PLayStation blog post, Echochrome producer Kumi Yuasa has promised that user-created puzzles will be available to download for the puzzler, for free, on a ... Read more..

Siren New Translation renamed Blood Curse

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Horror, PS3, Sony | 3 Comments »

According to this CVG report, Siren New Translation has been renamed Siren Blood Curse, presumably for release in the west. New footage of the game is to be shown today. Apparently the ... Read more..

SCEE PlayStation Day kicks of at 4pm BST - all the news here

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, Retail, SingStore, Sony, Trade, UK | 8 Comments »

Keep your eyes open this afternoon, PlayStation fans, as SCEE will hold its 2008 PlayStation Day press conference at 4pm: it's gearing up to be a whopper. In the absence of ... Read more..

Edge Prince of Persia Prodigy reveal scanned in entirety

Monday, May 5th, 2008 Posted in Action, Adventure, PS3, Platformer, Ubisoft, Xbox 360 | No Comments »

Here. They're good quality scans and perfectly readable. There's a lot of new art in the feature, a few new screens and a full interview, so fill your boots. We ... Read more..

New Resistance 2 shots and info this month

Sunday, May 4th, 2008 Posted in PS3, Shooter, Sony | No Comments »

According to the official Insomniac site, more Resistance 2 info and screens are going to be released this month because of "some upcoming media events". Various reports are claiming that a ... Read more..

Haze demo on PSN next week as part of PlayStation Day

Friday, May 2nd, 2008 Posted in PS3, Shooter, Sony, Ubisoft | 1 Comment »

According to the official European PlayStation boards, the Haze demo will be added to the European PSN next Tuesday as part of SCEE's PlayStation Day. They've given the full content up ... Read more..

Kaz Hirai confirmed for London SCEE event next week

Thursday, May 1st, 2008 Posted in Europe, Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, SingStore, Sony, Trade, UK | 3 Comments »

As previously rumoured, Kaz Hirai will be giving a talk at the SCEE PlayStation Day, as a rep has just confirmed. "Yes he is," a SCEE spokesperson told videogaming247 this morning ... Read more..

First details of SCEE PlayStation Day emerge

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 Posted in Home, PS2, PS3, PSN, PSP, PlayStation Store, SingStore, Sony | 10 Comments »

A chap posting on the US PlayStation blog has unearthed what looks to be the first proper details of the SCEE May 6 event in London. As you can see here, ... Read more..

Speaking to videogaming247 at the SCEE PlayStation Day yesterday, SCEE president David Reeves said that the company decided to make an announcement about passing Xbox 360 sales in Europe in the event’s press conference because of previous ill treatment, both from consumers and Microsoft.

2008-05-07T22:08:00.001+05:30

Kaz is a nice chap. He only flew in to the UK this morning for the SCEE PlayStation Day in London, but he was still the consummate, media-trained super-exec we know and love when we tracked him down on the O2 showfloor. Hit the link for the SCE president’s thoughts on Europe, “changes” to E3, Grand Theft Auto and selling PS3 as a games machine.

We also asked him what keeps him awake at night. See if you can guess the answer.

VG247: When was the last time you spoke in Europe?

Kaz Hirai: Actually, I think that was the first time I’ve ever given a presentation in Europe.

Does that signal anything to do with the importance of Europe to Sony at all, or is this just part of your tenure?

Well, it’s part of my tenure and basically just trying to map out my schedule. Unfortunately it took a while before I could actually block out a good four to five days to come to the European territory, check out the market and meet a lot of people. And basically [this] coincided very well with PlayStation Day, so I thought, ‘Hey, if I’m going to block out five or six days let’s do it [for] an event like this so I can meet as many people as possible, see what the market is like and get some feedback.’

An event like this pretty much replaces E3 as the main event for Sony. Would you agree with that?

Well, I think that E3 is going through some changes, and they’re trying to find the right formula. I understand that they’re going to change the formula again this year. They’re going to tweak it a bit more. But we’ve always had in the US what we call “Destination PlayStation”, and that’s an event we do usually in February, and we invite all the retailers, and all the third-party publishing partners, and we talk about the business and we recap the holiday season from the year past, and we talk about the business for this year. And that’s where a lot of the business gets done.

E3 is an event to kind of confirm the things we talked about at DPS, and at the same time it’s also an industry statement as well. So it’s not just a PlayStation event for PlayStation messaging: there’s a part of that, but I think it’s also an industry event for industry messaging as well. And I think, as I said, that they’re trying to tweak the formula to get it just right.

It was interesting what you were saying in the presentation about PS3 having a ten-year lifespan, and also the fact that David said you’ve now accelerated past Xbox 360 in Europe. Do you think that the acceleration of PS3 sales and a dropping off of Xbox 360 sales is a trend? Do you expect it to continue?

I think it’s basically going to be up to software titles that we’re going to be able to offer to the PS3 consumers, or potential PS3 consumers. Whether it’s from first-party or from third-party, and so long as we can keep the consumers excited and engaged, I think we’re going to have a good run.

Do you think you have the line-up this year to keep consumers excited and engaged?

I think if you just look at the titles we can talk about today, between third- and first-party I think we have a pretty compelling line-up. Obviously there are some titles that we didn’t talk about today that I’m sure we’ll be sharing information on as the months go along, but I think one of the first things I did when I came on board last year, was to reposition the PlayStation 3 as being first and foremost a videogames console. If it’s a videogames console, you’ve got to have a lot of titles. That’s why I put in some initiatives to make sure that we get a good line-up of titles, both from our internal studios and from third-parties, and we’re starting to see the fruits of their labour come to the forefront.

Talking of PS3 as a games machine, how significant was Grand Theft Auto for you as a launch? I mean, you can’t buy it here. It’s completely sold out. There’s been a lot of talk of it driving the PS3 platform because people associate the brand with Sony. Would you agree with that?

I think Grand Theft Auto, the franchise, has always been associated with the PlayStation platform first and foremost, and so I think consumers are coming back again. They had previous versions of Grand Theft Auto on previous platforms, so it’s always good to come home to PlayStation 3 as well, I think. But between Grand Theft Auto and Gran Turismo, and all those compelling titles that are coming out on PS3, again from first- and third-party, that’s what’s really driving the excitement for the PS3 users.

Do you think Microsoft wasted its money by buying that downloadable content? Do you think it’ll make a difference to the way GTA is actually perceived on Xbox 360?

Well, it’s really up to the consumers to decide. In my opinion, I’m hoping that, as I said before, it’s been on PlayStation, you know, it’s a franchise that’s associated with PlayStation for the longest time, and I think that based on the numbers I’m seeing right now, I think the consumers feel that way as well.

As an event [today], what would you be pushing journalists to be looking at? The multimedia message was very heavy in [the press conference], there’s an awful lot of product on the floor, ranging from kids titles to adult titles; which do you think specifically is the driver for the back half of this year?

Well, I think if you’re talking about the real important message points, first is that we’re not deviating from the basic strategy that I put forward last year, that it’s first and foremost a videogames console. That’s where the core, fundamental foundation of our business is going to be.

But we want to build on top of that, because the PS3, technologically, can do a lot more, because it’s networked, it’s got a hard drive, it’s got a Blu-ray drive in there, so we want to start seeding that message as well. Again, to talk about the ten-year lifecycle, there’s a lot more that PS3 can do, so we need to take it in baby steps so we don’t confuse the consumers, or the press for that matter.

And I think that now that we’ve gotten that basic message across, we can now branch out into other entertainment content as well. Because we’re increasing installed base, we want to have games that really are none core gamer titles, like for example Buzz, like for example SingStar on PS3, and that will allow us to expand the demographics a bit more as we increase the installed base. They kind of go hand in hand.

In terms of competition, what actually keeps you awake at night? What’s worrying you? Are you worried by Microsoft, are you worried by Nintendo, or are you just happy with the way things are going?

What keeps me up at night, quite honestly, is the competition for the consumer’s mind-share, time-share I guess, and also financially - dollar-share, euro-share, pound share – in terms of just wanting entertainment. That could range from videogaming all the way to, you know, bowling with your friends on a Saturday night. That’s entertainment as well. If they’re bowling with their friends on a Saturday night, they’re not playing PlayStation 3. That’s an extreme example, obviously, but what keeps me up at night is, ‘What can we do to make sure that the consumers see the PlayStation 3 as being the premier device or platform to enjoy obviously their videogame content, but also other entertainment content as well?’ And I think really proving that point with additional services, additional content, is going to be the key.

That’s the sort of thing that keeps me up at night number one, number two quite honestly – again, this is a bigger industry picture issue – is that there’s still a lot of rampant piracy going on, and that’s not good for anybody, whether it’s us, or Microsoft, or Nintendo, or EA, or anybody else. How we combat that issue in all the markets, not just the emerging markets, is something that really keeps me up at night, because that could really do a lot of damage to our business.

Source:

http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/05/06/scee-playstation-day-kaz-hirai-interview/

Price Of Persia Prodigy New screens

2008-05-05T11:50:00.001+05:30

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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots' (PS3) - 8 New Screens

2008-05-04T08:26:00.001+05:30

MGS4: Guns of the Patriots is set in a war-torn future where huge conglomerates, including the Middle East and South America, fight for supremacy using armies of hand-picked mercenaries.

As with its predecessors, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a story-driven game, with seasoned hero Solid Snake drafted for one final mission. Set across stages including the Middle East and South America, the now aged Snake has been asked to assassinate his old adversary, Liquid Ocelot. To do this, however, he must make his way through a series of battlefields, using his legendary stealth abilities and all-new OctoCamo suit to avoid detection and to reach his target. With series favourites such as Meryl Silverburgh, Raiden, Hal ‘Otacon’ Emmerich, and Roy Campbell returning, and with all new gameplay features including a remote-controlled ‘Metal Gear Mk. II’ droid and enhanced CQC (Close Quarters Combat) system, MGS4 will round of the Metal Gear saga with a fittingly cinematic and gripping final outing.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the Earth to foil Liquid Ocelot's plans for total world domination.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will launch with the Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack" supporting online gameplay. In addition to the single player experience, gamers will also be able to take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques.

The Metal Gear Solid series has enjoyed a reputation for its unique ‘Boss’ creatures, and MGS4 takes this one step further with fully-rounded enemies with their own motives and manias.

The characters – Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, Crying Wolf, and Screaming Mantis – are empowered with special, supernatural abilities and have individual back stories that outline how they have become the beings they are. All were initially good people who, for various reasons linked to events in the Metal Gear Solid series and events they have seen in countless wars, are now altered beyond all recognition both physically and mentally – and are perfect examples of the ‘Beauties and the Beasts’ themes that run throughout MGS4.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Standard Edition ($59.99 SRP)

Marking the return of Hideo Kojima's legendary tactical espionage action series, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots features a cinematic experience and visual masterpiece that will redefine this landmark franchise as a revolutionary game for the PS3. The game is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the earth to foil Liquid Ocelot's. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots includes Metal Gear Online "Starter Pack", which is the full and complete multiplayer component of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition ($84.99 SRP)

Featuring collectible packaging with exclusive artwork by famed Kojima Productions illustrator Yoji Shinkawa, the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition will contain everything that is included with the Standard Edition as well as an additional Blu-ray disc featuring two "making of" documentaries. The documentaries will include extensive interviews with Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Soundtrack CD. The Limited Edition will be available exclusively at GameStop.

A special pre-sale program of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be offered at participating retailers. This pre-sell entitles customers that pre-order either edition, a copy of the Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2 DVD (while supplies last). Featuring extensive original video content the DVD primarily focuses on the interconnected history between all of the "Snakes": Big Boss (Naked Snake), Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake, and of course, Solid Snake. The DVD also contains a compendium of the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots trailers. Additionally, each DVD allocated during this pre-order period will contain a unique voucher code that will enable the consumer to download the Metal Gear Online Beta.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is currently scheduled for a worldwide release on June 12, 2008.

Source:

http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=51868

Red Hot Chilli Peppers: Can't Stop

2008-05-04T06:35:00.001+05:30

An Insomniac Games employee has written in the NeoGAF boards and confirmed that a Resistance 2 demo will be present during the Sony PlayStation day on May 6, two days from now. It is likely that impressions will leak out of the press-only event, and we'll make sure to post them when they appear.

Check back for more Resistance 2 news soon.

Source: NeoGAF

Grand Theft Auto IV: Five Cool Secrets

2008-05-04T04:38:00.001+05:30

The classic satirical tone of GTA returns in its newest episode.

The Grand Theft Auto games have a rich history of in-jokes, parodies and hidden surprises. Seeing as Grand Theft Auto IV is the biggest and best in the series so far, it's hardly a shocker that it's also packed with treats for the inquisitive player. Here are five of our favorites:

Fruit computers

Head for one of the Tw@ internet cafes, and point your in-game web browser to www.fruitcomputers.com. You'll be greeted with a sparse, suspiciously familiar web page advertising fruit-shaped computers - an obvious parody of Apple. There's even a banana-shaped iFruit phone. ("No buttons. No reception. No storage capacity. All ego.")

Somebody answer the phone

Speaking of cell phones, GTA IV plays a cruel trick on the cell-addicted. When you're driving a car and Niko receives a call from one of his friends, your TV speakers will imitate the telltale chirps of cellular interference just before Niko's phone rings. Hands up - how many of you have reached for your own phones upon hearing it? Yeah, us too.

To Catch A Predator

GTA IV features its own TV-style child predator sting operation. Just drop into a Tw@ cafe and visit the web site www.littlelacysurprisepageant.com. What's that? You just wanted to watch a sting, not be the subject of one yourself? Too late. Better get running, because the cops are probably already at the cafe door.

Visit The Heart Of Liberty City

Liberty City might seem living and breathing, but who'd have thought it actually had a beating heart as well? You'll need a chopper and access to the entire map to discover it. Head for the Statue of Happiness, and bail out so you land on top of it. Inside the statue you'll find a ladder that leads up to - well, go there and see for yourself.

What's the emergency?

Low on health? Being hassled by street hoodlums? On fire? Just dial 911 on your handy cell phone, and a friendly dispatcher will send you your choice of emergency service vehicles right to your location. Pro Tip: pedestrians don't like it when you steal a fire truck and spray them down with water. (Incidentally, you can call for backup from a police car computer, too.)

Source:

http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/grand-theft-auto-iv-five-cool-secrets/1209944

More Info About Metal Gear Solid 4 Flashbacks

2008-05-04T04:37:00.001+05:30

The latest issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine has more info on what-looks-like playable Metal Gear Solid memories in MGS4. According to the magazine, cut scenes at the beginning of the missions refer to the franchise's evolution. What's more:

...as characters talk and reference other stars of this universe, you may see an X or L1 button icon quickly flash on the screen. Hit the right button while it's highlighted and you'll be treated to a very brief context flashback. Basically, the system uses images and moments from the past Metal Gear games to help visually rekindle your own memories of the who, what, where, and why.

In short: Clues you into what the fuck is going on. Helpful!

Thanks, T.G. for the tip!

Source:

http://kotaku.com/386418/more-info-about-metal-gear-solid-4-flashbacks

New MGS4 trailer hints at MGS revival

2008-05-03T12:19:00.001+05:30

Grand Theft Auto IV may be the talk of the town right now, but there's another huge game looming on the horizon that will certainly give the PlayStation 3 the biggest boost its received thus far: Metal Gear Solid 4. Hoping to stir up even more interest in the title, Kojima Productions has put out a trailer for the game that hints at the potential for a Metal Gear Solid revival.

The new trailer showcases the first area of Shadow Moses Island from Metal Gear Solid, the same area from Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, and the Shadow Moses level from Super Smash Brothers Brawl. It then shows a young Snake running through a thick snowstorm in a forest, all rendered in the MGS4 engine. Snake moves wearily through the snow, only to end up back at that fateful beginning many came to know well back in 1998. The text taunts, "THIS YEAR MGS REVIVED?"

The end of the trailer makes it look as though you may replay portions of the original game via flashbacks of the FOXDIE-aged Snake in MGS4, but it's hard to say what the reality is. Kojima is a man known to surprise his audience, and needless to say that fans of the franchise (yes, myself included) are anxiously awaiting the chance to live out the saga's potentially final act on June 12.

Source:

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/05/02/new-mgs4-trailer-hints-at-mgs-revival

New MGS4 Gameplay Footage Released From G4 TV

2008-05-03T12:18:00.003+05:30

New MGS 4 Gameplay Footage from (G4 TV)released.

‘Ghostbusters’ Developer Prefers Working On PS3 First

2008-05-03T12:18:00.001+05:30

We’ve seen many developers struggle with multi-platform development this generation. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are different technical beasts. Complications with the wildly popular Unreal Engine 3 middleware have made things even more difficult.

Terminal Reality, the studio behind the upcoming “Ghostbusters,” spent a lot of time evaluating each console before moving forward with their first next-generation game, Terminal Reality president Mark Randell told MTV Multiplayer at a Sierra media event last month.

In the end, contrary to most teams this generation, they decided to make PlayStation 3 their lead development platform for “Ghostbusters.” Here’s why.

Randell explains the technical reason behind their decision. “The multiprocessing model of the PS3 is not a general-purpose model,” said Randell. “It simultaneously uses one main processor and six specialized co-processors: the Synergetic Processing Units, or “SPU’s.”

That’s not the case with Xbox 360 and traditional modern PCs. “[Those platforms] share a general-purpose multiprocessor coding model,” he continued. “The 360 uses three general-purpose PowerPC processors, and most current PCs use between one and four Intel or AMD processors.”

The end result: Terminal Reality believes that moving a “Ghostbusters” game developed on hardware with specialized processors (PS3) to general processors (Xbox 360, PC) is much easier than doing it the other way around. Many studios, however, have chosen the other way around, with the PS3 version lagging in performance up until the last few months of development. Or, as the case with a number of mulit-platform games released in 2007, never catching up.

Randell’s team might spend a more time on technology early on, but the ease in porting means they avoid having one platform perform better than the other, he argues.

“We’ve found that writing for the PS3 first and then porting to the 360 and PC is a much simpler and more efficient procedure,” he concluded.

Even though PS3 development is notoriously difficult, most projects still lead on Xbox 360. We talked to one developer doing exactly that earlier this week. Unlike Randell, he believed you just need the right team. You’ll hear his thoughts on Monday.

SOurce:

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/05/02/ghostbusters-developer-prefers-working-on-ps3-first/

GTA IV PS3 version is SUPERIOR than Xbox360

2008-04-30T01:22:00.001+05:30

they should rename the x360 version as WASHED OUT version

no colors

FR dips

severe pop ins

http://xs226.xs.to/xs226/08...

cant be played at FULLSCREEN

http://www.n4g.com/News-140...

PERMANENT FREEZING PROBLEMS on X360

http://www.n4g.com/industry...

thats what defines the XFIX ME VERSION

allow me to introduce to you the superior version of GTA4

***************************** **********

Swedish gaming mag Gamereactor said that there are MAJOR DIFFERENCES between the 2 version

http://www.gamereactor.se/r...

Swedish Gamereactor mentioned in their 10/10 review that they were pretty surprised regarding the difference between the PS3 and 360-versions. The PS3-version features better colours, contrast, load times and what looks to be better resolution textures. The game also looks sharper and has a more stable fps.

IGN

http://www.n4g.com/NewsCom-...

"For those wanting to know which version looks better, the edge goes to the PS3. The textures and framerate are comparable, but the PS3 has far less pop-in. The 360 has richer colors, but the PS3 has better anti-aliasing making it look a little cleaner. Because GTA IV can preload onto the PS3 hard drive, the in-game loads are faster. Don't worry Xbox owners, the load times are rarely more than 30 seconds and don't occur very often. The slight visual edge goes to PS3, but the 360 is no slouch. Either version will do you proud".

X360 version has FR dips too . more frequent than the PS3 version
"Past GTA titles have had mild-to-serious framerate issues and technical glitches, because the games were trying to do far more than the PlayStation 2 could handle. While GTA IV is pushing the PS3 and 360 to the limit, it also runs amazingly well. Sure, there are framerate hitches here and there and (particularly on 360) there is some texture pop-in, but it actually runs better than I expected. That a game with great AI, an awesome physics engine and a detailed open world runs so well and with such short load times is a technical marvel. For that, I can forgive framerate issues and some noticeable aliasing. "

http://www.n4g.com/NewsPend...

EGM "PS3 version looks slightly more vibrant and sharp "

GAMESRADAR

http://www.gamesradar.com/x...

"Occasional pop-up".........ONLY IN X360 version of GTA4

http://xs226.xs.to/xs226/08...

GAMESRADAR also confirms that PS3 version is SUPERIOR

"While the PS3 and 360 versions of the game are functionally identical, the PS3's visuals sport noticeably smoother edges, along with a warmer color palette that makes everything look slightly more realistic. If you're looking to compare Accomplishments with your Achievement-hoarding friends, though, forget it - GTA IV ignores these half-assed consolation prizes altogether. PS3 owners also have to put up with a nearly eight-minute installation the first time they start the game, which puts the normally slower Blu-ray load times on par with the Xbox 360 version. (That is, unless it's running on a 360 with no hard drive, which we're told will face much longer loads.)"

http://www.gamesradar.com/p...

ROckstart Support: NO GTA Freeze

2008-04-29T23:36:00.001+05:30

Earlier today we broke the news that some Grand Theft Auto IV gamers were having problems with the game on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

For them, the game was freezing up during the introductory cut-scene, something that neither I nor Mike experienced during our time with the game on both systems. To be clear, we have no idea how widespread the problem is, but it's certainly on Rockstar's radar and making the rounds both in our tips line and on forums.

Rockstar declined to comment on the issue officially, so I went to the phone and called up Rockstar Support to see what they had to say about the problem.

A very friendly, and obviously unhappy, fellow answered the phone who, after thanking me for not yelling at him and apologizing profusely for the problem, spilled quite a bit of beans on the issue:

The man told me that the problem is apparently only effecting the 60 GB version of the Playstation 3, but that it didn't matter than my particular console was a launch console (Yes, I told a little white lie and said my copy was locking up.) He said the problem is not across the board for the 60GB PS3s but rather only impacts some, so their tech folks are working around the clock to try and figure out what is causing the issue.

He did ask me to make sure that my harddrive wasn't full and that I had the latest firmware update, but confessed that that really isn't what's causing most of the problem. He also said that the Xbox 360 is having the "exact same problem," which has further stumped their tech folks.

I asked him if wiping the harddrive and reinstalling the PS3 version would help, as seen on the PS forums, he said I could try but that he hadn't heard of it helping a single person.

He ended the call by saying that they really have no idea when a fix will be coming because they can't figure out what is exactly causing the problem and then once more apologized.

"I feel terrible about this."

If only more support folks were as empathetic and genuinely concerned about the problems their customers are going through.

SOurce:

http://kotaku.com/385183/rockstar-support-no-gta-freeze-fix-in-sight

GTA 4 plagued with bugs

2008-04-29T23:35:00.001+05:30

GTA 4 plagued with bugs
PS3 suffers more than Xbox 360

IT SEEMS PS3 owners are suffering some GTA 4 blight of their own, after the infamous prostitute-bashing game was leaked early by pirates on the Xbox 360.

Several readers have emailed the INQ to report that their copies of GTA 4 on PS3 cannot be installed to the hard-drive on their consoles, even after a factory reset and reformat of the device. Other users have reported crashes after successfully installing the game.

Similar tales have popped up on the official Playstation forums, Digital Spy, GTA Forums, AVS Forums, and many more.

To begin with, users believed that only 60GB-launch consoles were suffering from the problems but, since these first systems reported errors, non-launch 60GB and 20GB console users have also reported problems. PS3 Forums has started a poll showing that it isn't restricted to one type of SKU here.

Someone on the Playstation forums contacted Sony support and received this answer: "The Rockstar tech guy said that they are looking at the image that was sent out for the PS3 disc and they'll post onto the official Rockstar forums when a fix comes up, which he said would hopefully be soon."

Another reported that the Canadian support offices were being plagued by callers: "A friendly English bloke claims he was getting hammered with issues, and he is leaving work in 25 minutes."

There is currently no official response from Rockstar.

Some Xbox 360 owners are also reporting problems, though the situation doesn't seem quite as bad as that of the PS3. One user is reporting crashing and odd texture problems on the GTA Forums.

There are similar reports that a few Xbox 360 consoles have RROD'd when playing GTA IV, but this is hardly unexpected news... µ

SOurce:
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/new...iv-plagued-bugs

PS3 GTA IV almost certainly 630p News // PS3 /// Eurogamer

2008-04-29T20:19:00.001+05:30

The PlayStation 3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV almost certainly runs in 630p.

Word spiralled from comparison shots by the same fellow responsible for outing Halo 3 as sub-HD, and the same chap who assists with our Face-Off screenshots before we show them to you.

However, Eurogamer's Face-Off compiler and resident big-brain Rich Leadbetter says that while the PS3 version may be a touch blurrier, it's not necessarily inferior. Far from it, in fact.

"It's worth noting that due to the post-processing effects the game employs (there's a serious amount of stuff being done to the raw frame), the PS3's lower resolution serves to mask a lot of the nasty after effects," said Leadbetter.

"For example, look at the dithering on the signs in the background on those shots. A bit ugly on Xbox 360, but smoothed and blurred away on PS3, presenting a generally nicer look."

Apparently the problem with pinning down the resolution previously was due to Rockstar releasing the bulk of its press shots on Xbox 360.

Look out for our full Grand Theft Auto IV Face-Off soon.

GTA IV is out today on PS3 and Xbox 360. You can buy it in shops, unless you queued up last night to get it, and lots of people did.

PS3 GTA IV almost certainly 630p News // PS3 /// Eurogamer.

Grand Theft Auto 4 Cheats, Codes, Cheat Codes for Xbox 360

2008-04-29T20:18:00.001+05:30

# Cheat mode

While playing the game, press Up to display Niko's cellphone. Press Up again to access the keypad. Then, enter one of the following codes to activate the corresponding cheat function. Once a code has been entered correctly, a new "Cheats" menu option will be available on your phone, below "Options", where you can access the cheats without having to enter the phone number again. Note: Do not save the game after enabling a code to avoid unforeseen problems. Enabling some cheats may prevent achievements from being earned.

Full health

Dial "3625550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "DOC-555-0100". This code prevents the "Cleaned The Mean Streets", "Finish Him", "One Man Army", and "Walk Free" achievements from being earned.
Full health and ammunition

Dial "4825550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "GTA-555-0100". This code prevents the "Cleaned The Mean Streets" achievement from being earned.
Weapons tier 1

Dial "4865550100" into the cellphone. This will unlock the baseball bat, handgun, shotgun, MP5, M4, sniper rifle, RPG, and grenades. Note: This phone number translates to "GUN-555-0150". This code prevents the "Cleaned The Mean Streets" achievement from being earned.
Weapons tier 2

Dial "4865550150" into the cellphone. This will unlock the knife, Molotov cocktails, handgun, shotgun, Uzi, AK47, sniper rifle, and RPG. Note: This phone number translates to "GUN-555-0100". This code prevents the "Cleaned The Mean Streets" achievement from being earned.
Remove Niko's wanted level

Dial "2675550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "COP-555-0100". This code prevents the "One Man Army" and "Walk Free" achievements from being earned.
Add one star to Niko's wanted level

Dial "2675550150" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "COP-555-0150".
Spawn Annihilator police helicopter

Dial "3595550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "FLY-555-0100". This code prevents the "One Man Army" and "Walk Free" achievements from being earned.
Spawn Cognoscenti

Dial "2275550142" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0142".
Spawn Comet

Dial "2275550175" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0175".
Spawn FBI Buffalo

Dial "2275550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0100".
Spawn Jetmax

Dial "9385550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "WET-555-0100".
Spawn NRG-900

Dial "6255550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "MBK-555-0100".
Spawn Sanchez

Dial "6255550150" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "MBK-555-0150".
Spawn SuperGT

Dial "2275550168" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0168".
Spawn Turismo

Dial "2275550147" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "CAR-555-0147".
Change weather and brightness

Dial "4685550100" into the cellphone. Note: This phone number translates to "HOT-555-0100".

Grand Theft Auto 4 Cheats, Codes, Cheat Codes for Xbox 360.

GTA IV for the Playstation 3, having Freezing Errors?

2008-04-29T13:21:00.001+05:30

Matthew Griffin at PSN At Home reports "Alright, so I got home from the midnight release with my copy of GTA IV Collectors Edition unpacked it live on the feed installed and guess what, it froze! I tried a couple more times and it even have reinstalled 3 times, it still keeps freezing. I am not alone, from the looks of it, it is the 60 GB Launch PS3 that is having the problems and might be just the Collectors Edition of GTA IV. Jeffrey Tavares has the regular edition and a launch PS3 and is now running the Live Feed. I will keep everyone up to date as much as possible!"

UPDATE: It looks like there are multiple assumptions. First off it is not only the Collectors Edition, so far though I have only heard of 60 GB version freezing. Although thing which is the latest I have heard from Tech Support is that it may be a Shotty Batch of games that have been sent to GameStop. If you are having this problem and did not get at Gamestop Please let Tech Support know at the following Number(s) America: 1-866-405-5464 or Canada: 1-800-269-5721
Updates:
UPDATE2: It is not just 60 GB Launch PS3s, I know 60 GB PS3s that are not launch and launch 20GB PS3s having the problem. I have just attempted a quick format (full one takes 3 1/2 hours so not trying) and installing GTA IV Again will update once I know something!

UPDATE3: So the Quick Format did not work, and it is not only the PS3 having these problems it appears. I am also finding reports of Xbox 360's having Lock up issues. I do not know if it is wide spread or even related to the Playstation Issues. I am currently re-installing GTA IV for the 5th time this time after a Quick System Restore in which it erased the Hard Drive and reset all the default system settings. As soon as I know more I will update.

UPDATE4: Well the quick system restore didn't do anything. I had all the extras disabled and didn't help one bit. All I can suggest currently is to call where you got your game first thing when they open and tell them to give you another copy to try. Good Luck to all!

http://psnathome.com/news.php?item.942

Grand Theft Auto IV - PS3 XB360/Cheats

2008-04-28T01:10:00.001+05:30

Enter one of the following codes during game play. A small box will appear to confirm correct code entry. Note: The following codes should be considered unconfirmed until the retail version of the game is available.

Weapons tier 1 Press R1, L2, R2, L1, Up, Down, Left, Right, Up.

Weapons tier 2 Press R1, L2, R2, L1, Right, Down, Left, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up.

Weapon tier 3 Press R1, L2, R2, L1, Right, Down, Left, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, Right(2).

Run quickly Press R1(2), Left, Right, L2, Square, Triangle, L1, Circle.

Never die Press R1, Circle(2), L2, R2, Triangle, X, L1, Right.

Health Press R1, L1, L2, Square, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right.

Money Press Up, Down, L1, L2, Left, Right, R1, R2, Square.

Money Press Up, Down, L1, L2, Left, Right, R1, R2, Square.

SOurce:
http://www.wikicheats.com/index.php/Grand_...S3_XB360/Cheats

Greybush speaks: GTA IV impressions

2008-04-27T21:30:00.001+05:30

I know what some of you are thinking -- that I would never write an impressions post about anything before it was released unless I had some inside info, or knew that something bad was about to hit the shelves. So which one is it? Neither. After getting my hands on Grand Theft Auto IV a few weeks back, alongside Nick, I have done a lot of thinking. I really feel like I need to give you the honest perspective of a random broke-ass gamer, and not a lifelong gamer/videogame journalist. Since Nick took the multiplayer route, I am going to play dueling banjos and tell you what I think about the single-player mode.

Some big standards have been set by Rockstar in the past for this genre, and the bar is almost unfair in the expectations for this game by fans of the series. Analysts are yapping back and forth with sales figures and projections across the spectrum, but the spectrum they use is mythical compared to other games. EA's attempted takeover, a massively inflated Take-Two stock price, and even Take-Two's own shareholders fighting to take the offer have put this game into a spotlight that I have never seen. The effect on gaming hasn't been the strongest. But I am going to tell you, the gamer, why you will buy this game, and what will and will not happen after you buy it.

Hit the jump to filter through all of the noise.

I will go straight into it. I see that when Rev. Anthony writes an amazing review, most people scroll straight to the bottom to see his score so they can think of a less-than-witty retort. This is just a post of my impressions about the game. I will save you the trouble of looking for a score.

Single-player "11 out of 10"

I have ADD + Azheimer's + a rapist's wit

First let me give you an insight into how I think, and why I feel the way I do. Before I left to go to New York to play the game, I really have to say that GTA IV had an uphill battle to win me over. I had never been a huge fan of the series, though I completely understand why others were. Things about it just didn't sit right with me.

I didn't like the controls, I thought the animations looked bad, I didn't really care for the graphics overall, and I honestly always thought that the violence, language, and adult overtones of it were gimmicky and what made people play it. I didn't really get drawn in by the story. I have never been a story-driven gamer, but always a button masher. I want action. I don't want to have to obtain the magic sword of f*cking Gandor to unlock a quest. I want to beat people and steal their sword, only so I can use it to beat bigger people and get a bigger sword. What I am trying to say is that I had a high bar set, and I knew that it would be hard for me to like this game no matter how hard I tried to judge it on its own merits and not reflecting back on things I didn't like about the series in the past. This is also why I hate game reviews with a passion. This is also why some franchises will never have honest, unbiased reviews. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So for GTA IV to impress me, it was going to take something special.

...and then she put on the pony costume and handcuffs

The single-player mode of GTA IV is amazing. The reason this game is worth your hard-earned money as a gamer is in single-player alone. In six months when people discuss games that you have to buy for the 360 or PS3, GTA IV will be at the top of the list. I can honestly brand this game with my "11 out of 10" without any cash exchanging hands. I mean it. You can see where and just how much work went into this game. If you step back and view the artwork of the game and realize that no two buildings seem to be the same, you will be blown away. The fact that this game has so much packed into it really made me and Nick both laugh out loud, thinking about Konami's claims that Metal Gear Solid 4 wouldn't fit on one Blu-ray Disc. I have played MGS 4. It's amazing, but not a drop in the bucket compared to THE SCALE of what is going on in GTA IV. I really feel like Rockstar made this game for you, the gamer.

For one dollar I'll guess your weight, your height, or your sex.

The story of GTA IV did something to me that few games could. It made me remember characters and places. I have spent countless hours on games only to forget what the main character's name was a few weeks later. I still have no idea what the voice's name was in Portal and didn't listen to anything she said. I just played an awesome puzzle game. That being said, by some act of God, I am still aware of who Niko is and why he is there, and that he is Roman's cousin. I know, I'm like Rain Man. Whatever. It is just one more thing that shows me what went into making this game great.

Let me make it very clear that I did not finish the game. I did not play through the 30 to 100 hours one would need to see every aspect of the story. I didn't need to. I gave a sh*t about the "who's" and the "what's" in just one day. I want to know more. I usually feel angry about not finishing a game because of achievements, or because I just want to say that I beat the game. This is not what GTA IV does. It made me care more about what was going on and who it involved. It does a great job of making the consequences for your actions feel more realistic, more than anything else I have played in the past.

Talky talk talk

The dialog is well written and well voiced. It may be crude, but compare it to an episode of The Sopranos. Clearly, you will not be buying this game for your grandkids. GTA IV is for adults and is intended to stay for adults. Parts of it may make some of you die laughing and others cringe. It takes many paths bordering on racism, sexism, homophobia, and yes, it even picks on nationalities (often confused with racism). Why didn't it bother me? The same reason that The Sopranos doesn't. It was an escape from the confines of what we deem acceptable, and it was downright f*cking entertaining. I forgot to mention... It's a f*cking videogame, and if it can realistically do that, then it has done its job. If you allow the story to get under your skin, it will take hold and stay there. If it can do this for a mindless gamer like me, it can probably do the same for all of you. Basically, if you read Destructoid, you won't be too offended, I promise.

You look so beautiful and peaceful, you almost look dead

The graphics and animation do something that I didn't know was possible. Everything feels familiar but isn't a copy-paste from another place on the map. Every building looks different. Every part of the city feels more like a real city than ever before. Chain stores all look a little different. It is just amazing how much artwork went into this game. The characters' facial gestures and actions add a realism that I just haven't seen in anything before. It just f*cking works on a par that I didn't see happening for a few years. At one point I looked at Nick and said something like, "This game makes me want to go to Bethesda and punch people in the face for making me accept the way Oblivion looked." I know that comparing Oblivion to GTA IV is not the best choice, but I can't really understand why not. The size and scale are a safe comparison, so why aren't the graphics? I know that Oblivion is a few years old, but I looked at GTA IV like there was a ten-year gap in between them. Hell, it makes me want to punch people at Rockstar for the way Vice City looked, but I won't. The soundtrack was badass and kept me singing Flock of Seagulls for weeks. Ugg. Did I just admit that?

Nothing cute here. I'm looking at bewbs.

What a great segue into the soundtrack. Rockstar asked us nicely to stay away from discussing who and what you will hear. What I can say is that it won't be the bargin bin soundtrack from Dollar Tree. The game has a soundtrack that should suit damn near everyone. The bonus is that you can even download and purchase it DRM-free. The radio commercials and chatter are entertaining and fun, and do include celebrity voices that you will recognize instantly. Rockstar spent some money here and it shows. I didn't hear every song or every radio station all the way through. I heard enough to know it was entertaining. I'm not saying that after 100 hours of gameplay, you won't hear the same things ten times. I'm saying it works, and it seemed like a large array of music for a large audience.

I'm gonna buy you a diamond so big it's gonna make you puke

One more thing that I really liked about the game was the non-invasive HUD. I like having the option of seeing what I want to see when I need to see it. Only one little circle covers the bottom left part of your screen for your GPS, health, and armor. If you get into a fight, your weapons and ammo fade in at the top right. If the cops catch on to your antics, stars fade in at the top right and your GPS reacts accordingly. It's simple and it works. The fact that it can be less than the old HUD found in previous games but can be even more effective really made me enjoy what was happening in the game without having to concentrate on things that I didn't need to bother with all of the time. I can also see people making machinima videos in the future because of how open your screen is to take the environment in.

Now that I'm done virtually blowing Rockstar and GTA IV, I am going to virtually blow them again, but refuse to give them a reach-around. I am going to tell you and them what to expect in terms of sales for the opening week as well as impress the hell out of you all or make you laugh hysterically in May. If you aren't into sales figures and cock fights, stop reading now and leave your comment telling me that I am a genius (I swear I accidentally misspelled genius at first) or telling me that I don't know sh*t because you know more than me by trolling forums.

Good Lord -- I've heard about this -- cat juggling!

Gaming analyst Mike Hickey is reporting that after looking over the pre-sales for GTA IV, he expects it to hit 5.8 million sales in one week. I will be reminding Mike of this in May. It won't happen. Even though Halo holds the current record for weekly sales, you have to keep in mind that GTA IV hits the Xbox 360 and the PS3 at the same time. 5.8 million, though? Granted, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sold over 17.5 million, GTA 3 over 14.5 million, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas over 12 million, but they had an install base to support those ridiculous numbers. Take a game like Call of Duty 4, which had a simultaneous 360 and PS3 worldwide release. It sold over 7 million in about 3 months' time. That is a phenomenal number. Granted, it doesn't have the pre-sales that GTA IV has, but I am only using it to give you a gauge for measurement. GTA IV being a very adult-oriented game, much more than Halo 3 or COD 4, is also something that further limits the reach it can have on the current-gen install base.

I have my temporary driver's license -- and -- my astronaut application form...

So this is where I stretch my Matlocking skills out and talk about sales. Michael Pachter is a guy that I have always enjoyed talking with; I love hearing about his thoughts on the future of gaming, and he is a pretty talented analyst in his own right. He made some bold statements concerning EA's takeover bid of Take-Two by claiming that if, and it's a big IF, the buyout was to take place, that EA could further delay the release of GTA IV to make it more or less an even stronger seller later in the year. Let me explain why this will not happen for two different reasons.

The simple reason: modest estimates indicate Take-Two will make between 500 and 620 million dollars in the next quarter. Yes, a half a billion dollars or more. So, for all of the time, hard work and money that they have put in, the reward is coming soon. Giving a chunk of that to EA after this long road is not what Take-Two or Rockstar seem to be about. Yes, the bottom line is always cash in some way, but you feel a passion in these people like we have here at Dtoid. I just can't see that happening without a tooth-and-nail battle royale, and the worst PR following it that you have ever seen. Do I even need to mention how batsh*t insane the Internet will go over delayed pre-orders again?

My second reason that Michael is a little off-base... I am going to get in sh*t over this I am sure. OK. GTA IV will dominate in sales overall by releasing now, and then later in the year, when the addition of DLC comes, re-releasing a "Game of the Year"-type version with the DLC included. I have nothing to back this up except my Godlike common sense. Even the prettiest cows need be milked to feed the family.

He hates these cans!

I know that some of you think that Halo 3 sold 5 million copies in its first week. It did sell around $300 million worth, but it isn't as simple as basic division. Armchair analysts would take 300 million and divide it by 60 bucks. Makes perfect sense if you are a f*cking moron. Multiple prices, multiple incentives, bla bla bla. Simple division doesn't cut it. But GTA IV will outsell the golden cow that is Halo 3. It will, even though it is a horrible comparison, beat Pirates of the Caribbean's $400 million dollar first week haul in the theaters. I know it is entertainment, but a purchased video game can be compared to movie ticket sales. Whatever. People need comparisons.

Pachter is much closer on the sales figures than Hickey could ever dream to be, and they are still record-breaking. This game will create a new measuring stick for next-gen game sales. My guess -- it's really worthless -- but even being conservative, by my research, 4 to 4.3 million copies in the first week is attainable. It is really a tough one to gauge. I wrote this at the beginning of April and the fever is making me think 4.7 million already. Wait until you see the average Metacritic score hit 9.6 and then you will see this the way I do. First week sales won't matter for this game long term. It is a solid reason to be a next-gen gamer. Enjoy it.

Paris Hilton is a ~~slut~~, ~~dirty whore~~, Humanitarian

This is just how I feel about a game, and I wanted to talk to you as if you were asking me personally why you, the gamer, should pump out cash to buy it. Don't ask me if you should buy the 360 version or the PS3 version. That is your call. The games are identical for the most part. If you are an achievement junkie and like how LIVE works, then the choice seems easy. If you like balanced and not offset analog sticks and... umm... Talladega Nights? Then buy the PS3 version.

[Note: This was written, like I indicated, in early April with only pictures and a few things added. No numbers were changed. If you don't agree with how I feel about this game, then please look through this for grammar and spelling errors so that you can prove I am wrong. Dickwads.]

[Dickwad clarification #1: About my comment "The fact that this game has so much packed into it really made me and Nick both laugh out loud, thinking about Konami's claims that Metal Gear Solid 4 wouldn't fit on one Blu-ray Disc. I have played MGS 4. It's amazing, but not a drop in the bucket compared to what is going on in GTA IV." I was talking about the sheer amount of audio data, textures, cutscenes, dialog, etc. I did not mean that one game is better than the other. They are not even worth comparing as they are very different games. Also, that really was said and it really is HOW I FEEL. Notice the giant PS3 banner at the top of this post before you bitch and moan. Fanboys are one thing, idiots are another.]

SOurce:

http://www.destructoid.com/greybush-speaks-gta-iv-impressions-80570.phtml

The GTA IV Comparison Head-to-Head thead of lolipops and bitter fanboy tears

2008-04-26T22:18:00.001+05:30

So, the mods have asked to keep all the console comparisons/warz/bickering/flaming in one official thread. I'm doing this so no one else will have to, and I'll be going back to bask in the glory of the official thread where graphical nitpicking is laughed upon.

KEEP ALL COMPARISONS IN THIS THREAD. NOT THE OFFICIAL THREAD. NOT REVIEW THREADS. THIS THREAD!!!!!!

Let us begin!

-Rockstar has made it pretty clear that the PS3 was a tough system to develop for, including getting used to the "complex architecture." Rockstar also mentioned problems with the 360 version (no HDD, DVD compression) though that interview was many months ago, and has not been brought up ever since. The PS3 architecture has been brought up as recently as a week ago in an IGN interview.

-It was widely assumed that the delay from Fall 07 was due to the PS3 version lagging behind. Rockstar never did officially deny this, but also pointed out the problems with multiplayer at that stage.

-The 360 was the lead platform, with the PS3 version two weeks behind. RS was committed to "making sure both versions are excellent."

-There's more on Sam Houser's discussion with the PS3 version and the delays in this 1up article. (thanks Doc Evils for the link!)

-The 360 is running 720p MSAAx2. (thanks dot50cal!)

IGN (10 out of 10 for both versions)

Quote:

Past GTA titles have had mild-to-serious framerate issues and technical glitches, because the games were trying to do far more than the PlayStation 2 could handle. While GTA IV is pushing the PS3 and 360 to the limit, it also runs amazingly well. Sure, there are framerate hitches here and there and (particularly on 360) there is some texture pop-in, but it actually runs better than I expected. That a game with great AI, an awesome physics engine and a detailed open world runs so well and with such short load times is a technical marvel. For that, I can forgive framerate issues and some noticeable aliasing.

The art team gets major kudos for creating a living world. There is great texture work in the environments, a nice field-of-vision blur of buildings in the distance, some excellently modeled cars, ball-jarring explosions, phenomenal water effects and one interesting-looking Eastern Euro for a lead character. Sure, it's not a game that runs perfectly all the time, but the technical elements almost never get in the way of the gameplay.

For those wanting to know which version looks better, the edge goes to the PS3. The textures and framerate are comparable, but the PS3 has far less pop-in. The 360 has richer colors, but the PS3 has better anti-aliasing making it look a little cleaner. Because GTA IV can preload onto the PS3 hard drive, the in-game loads are faster. Don't worry Xbox owners, the load times are rarely more than 30 seconds and don't occur very often. The slight visual edge goes to PS3, but the 360 is no slouch. Either version will do you proud.

EGM (Print):

Quote:

Grand Theft Auto IV - A+, A+, A
Good: World, relationships, story
Bad: Some missions canned, control takes getting used to
PS3 or 360 version: 360 for DLC, PS3 version looks slightly more vibrant and sharp

-more reviews at Sunday @ noon Central time.

Both IGN and Eurogamer have comparisons planned for this week. They will be posted here.

I'm not looking so much for comments as I am pictures and such. Obviously there are some people here who will do a major breakdown, and I'll post it here if it's detailed enough.

-There was a rumor that the 360 DLC would be the size of Vice City or San Andreas. This is FALSE. It was a misinterpretation of RS talking about the sizes of their previous games, and how they were chapters in the GTAIII universe, much like the new chapters of GTAIV will bring (which would be sequels, not content). Note: the previous is more my understanding of it than anything else, as I can't find any official links to back that up.

-Rockstar has not officially said what the 360 DLC would bring, only that it's coming in Autumn. Sam Houser did give a glimpse of what might be coming:

Quote:

"I think the mission packs with the episodes are going to be pretty deep, offering another full-on adventure in this world. I think we will be in a position to market them not a million miles away from the way the boxed game is marketed."

It seems that the DLC will bring more story and missions to GTA.

-The latest issue of PSM confirms DLC for the PS3 version as well, as well as Home support. However, the quote of "PS3 should be getting its own DLC as well" comes from a dev, and Rockstar has not officially confirmed anything. RS, in fact, has not said anything at all past the game's release for either versions.

Obviously get it for the system you prefer to play on. The graphical differences will be negligible enough to allow for it. We'll know for sure once the comparisons roll out.

Source:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286527

UK retailer breaks GTA IV street date?

2008-04-26T00:58:00.001+05:30

It would seem that ASDA in Alloa, Scotland just couldn’t understand what “do not sell until Tuesday 29 April” means, as you can see quite clearly here. We’ve no idea if this is bogus or not.

So there you go.

SOurce:

http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/04/25/uk-retailer-breaks-gta-iv-street-date/

Hayter (Snake): MGS4 Script 800-1000 Pages Long

2008-04-26T00:57:00.001+05:30

On IGN's Podcast Beyond, special guest David Hayter answered a round of questions from forum posters. He details the amount of time each of his voicework sessions took for each Metal Gear. The first Metal Gear took 2 weeks, Metal Gear 2 three weeks, Metal Gear 3 one month, and Metal Gear 4 took an unprecedented nine months to record audio for. The script, he says, is approximately 800-1000 pages long, the equivalent to eight to ten hours of dialogue. Listen in at 21:00 for this information.

SOurce:

ps3.ign podcast

A first look at MotorStorm 2, details and info

2008-04-26T00:55:00.001+05:30

We have new MotorStorm 2 information which is featured in the latest Playstation World Magazine in the UK. MotorStorm 2 is going to be bigger than a sequel to the first muddy racing game; in fact MotorStorm 2 is that big it has its very own island and 16 tracks to race around on!

MotorStorm 2’s island is a tropical paradise that allows players to race on several different tracks including jungles, beaches and swamps. The location of the island is in South Pacific and features a volcano - maybe we can expect some volcanic action while racing or something along those lines.

Here is a picture of the island thanks to Playstation World Magazine (click to enlarge):

So now that we know the MotorStorm 2 world is a South Pacific island, what sort of tracks can we expect?

Well looking at the map we can expect beach races, swamps, high mountain encounters and hopefully some snow as you can see there is snow on and around the volcano in the north side of the island.

Obviously MotorStorm 2 offers a variety of environments to race on compared to the desert environments from the first game. The new tracks will feature more multiple ways to find the finish line. This should add a hell of a lot more fun and last appeal.

Apparently water will play a key moment in the game allowing you to cool your engine as you splash through the waves on the beach and the grummy swamp. So whenever you boost your nitro and your engine is about to blow, why not cool it off in the water? But don’t expect players using the water as an advantage though, it will probably slow you down at the same time. You get the picture.

The 16 new tracks in MotorStorm 2 will feature fully destructible trees and foliage, so imagine you’re in a Monster Truck and you hit a tree and it crashed down on to the track damaging your opponents behind. Another example is that the bigger vehicles will be able to smash through trees etc no problem, but the smaller vehicles such as the bikes will have to find a way around the blocking obstacles.

That said, bikes will be able to run up tree logs or duck under to skim the logs to get the advantage. Every track in the game will feature fantastic hazards to encounter for example, the ashes from the volcano will reduce your vision on the mountain range.

New vehicles will be included second time around including the massive monster trucks that will probably crush just about anything that gets in its way including opponents.

New animation is on the cards so when you fall off your bike expect the driver to spring out the way, jumping up and over the oncoming vehicles or, if he wants to die by staying put.

There will be more players racing on the same track coupled by faster load times. So don’t expect to wait around long.

MotorStorm 2 will feature 4 player split screen and provide interactivity with Home and offer a unique custom race mode for online play. The graphics will be improved as MotorStorm 2 will feature a tweaked graphics engine.

So there you have it, information on the next MotorStorm! Buy the magazine for even more information and screenshots from the game!

Are you looking forwards to MotorStorm 2?

SOurce:

http://talkplaystation.com/a-first-look-at-motorstorm-2-details-and-info/

Metal Gear Online Beta now open for the US too

2008-04-25T23:00:00.001+05:30

The Metal Gear Online beta is now officially open for the United States as well. To download the beta, US players will require a code which they received after pre-ordering Metal Gear Solid 4.

SOurce:

http://metalgearsolid4.net/2008/04/25/metal-gear-online-beta-now-open-for-the-us-too.html

PS3’s Metal Gear Solid 4 catching heat for “implied” child rape from BBFC

2008-04-25T22:59:00.001+05:30

One of the most anticipated exclusive titles for the Playstation 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, has caught the attention of the big bad game police over at the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) because of one rather questionable instance in the game. Though GTA IV has its hookers, and Man Hunt has its gruesome slayings, the BBFC was up in arms that Metal Gear Solid 4 has what was called “implied child rape.”

Sorry to ruin it for those people who didn’t want to hear word one about the game until it was nestled in the Blu-ray drive of their PS3, but at some point in the game, apparently there is “mention of child trauma,” according to developer Kojima. That was originally called “implied child rape” according to the BBFC, as reported by PS3Fanboy.

However, the BBFC was forced to erase its initial statement of “implied child rape.”. Obviously, a real game depiction of child rape would demand the highest possible video game rating, if not make it banned straight out. There’s a large distinction to be made between that which is implicit and that which is depicted.

A larger issue needs to be addressed in this. Debacles like this bring up the age old dilemma of what differentiates video games from film, books, and other forms of media, and how should video game ratings be compared to movie ratings?

After all, movies like Schindler’s List, American History X, and others are permissible because they make a statement about society and culture, right? Though Metal Gear Solid 4 is obviously fictional, what is really the difference between implicit child trauma in video games and that in film? At this point, film is obviously considered a higher form of media entertainment, because film is allowed much more wiggle room with what content it can display.

Some would argue that video games allow you to take control of things that are only depicted on film, which keeps viewers from truly being “involved” in the depiction. That really isn’t a fair argument; pornographic material, movies, and even books are designed to draw viewers and readers in — to have them adopt the roll, emotions, and perspective of the characters those media forms contain.

Really, there is no difference between graphically violent films or books and video games, so how can video games be held to an unfairly higher standard? I’m not saying that child rape is right, or should be depicted anywhere, but if you’re going to act like it never happens, then where is the line drawn?

People shouldn’t be killed. Babies shouldn’t die during birth. Cultures shouldn’t be oppressed. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, and if film is allowed to depict it in whatever way it chooses, then video games should be allowed the same privilege.

Source:

http://gamer.blorge.com/2008/04/23/ps3s-metal-gear-solid-4-catching-heat-for-implied-child-rape-from-bbfc/

Kojima says he is "very satisfied with the game's final result."

2008-04-25T21:31:00.001+05:30

In an interview for the prestigious spanish website Meristation. Kojima says he is very satisfied with the end result of his final game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

He says: "I am very satisfied with the final result of the game and I believe the gamers will feel the same."

He also goes on to speak about the new technologies and Blu Ray capability. About which he states that "if there was more space I would have added more content like levels and characters".

At the interview he also talks about a lot more like the emotions that the gamers will experience with the game, the risks of chosing to go exclusive to one platform as well as his reasons to do so.

Translated:

On the credit url also.

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meristation.com%2Fv3%2Fdes_articulo.

MGO Resolution 665p Equivalent and 30fps

2008-04-25T19:57:00.001+05:30

Pixel counters at the ready! There’s been some debate over the final rendering resolution of Metal Gear Solid 4. Screenshot pixel counting has been hazy, so the first sign of a possible resolution is found in the launch of the Metal Gear Online Beta. The Beta has now begun in Europe (yes it’s up, go and play!) and the results are in.

Over at Beyond3d technical forums, resident video game investigator Quaz51 (who also happens to be Eurogamer’s source in their console face-offs), has now proved his suspicions right. MGO renders natively at 1024by768.

This resolution is not 768p as you might suspect, since 1024by768 is not a 16/9 isomorphic resolution. Instead, it’s equivalent resolution (contains the same number of pixels) is 1182by665 - or 665p. It is thus accurate to say MGO renders natively at 665p.

Why this resolution? Rendering at this resolution can aid in post-processing effects, help with tiling through the RSX graphics chip, and also has the advantage of natively supporting 4/3 Standard Definition TV’s. In addition, MGO has been confirmed to run at 30 frames per second.

There have been many “sub-HD” games this generation, from Halo 3 to Call of Duty 4. To most the differences will be negligible and won’t detract from the gameplay experience. Moreover, with MGO offering a higher resolution than the above two games along with 2xAA (gets rid of teh jaggies), you’ll be hard pressed to tell the difference.

It’s still uncertain whether this will be the final native resolution of MGS4. For now, go and enjoy the Beta!

Source:

http://www.ripten.com/2008/04/25/mgo-resolution-665p-equivalent-and-30fps/

Several lucky Aussie’s are battling it out for top honours on the GTAIV Aussie Leaderboards

2008-04-25T16:40:00.001+05:30

“`With the unexpected “accidental” early release of GTAIV in several countries, many Aussie gamers are battling it out for top honours in their Leaderboards. All working seemingly non-stop to acquire the next achievement to take them one step higher up the ladder.

It’s been a to-and-fro battle between on of our staffers (GrathiusXR), and other Aussie gamers. Who BTW, got his copy legitimately through DVD-Crave’s “accidental” shipping error, where over 20 odd people recieved their copies in the mail a week early. While DVD-Crave claimed just 3 or 4 copies were shipped, it’s evident that far more than that got shipped out of their warehouse earlier than planned.

Having the game a whole week early will give the 500 odd people world wide a chance to hedge their bets and get a higher place in the global leaderboards before the bulk of the games are released on April 29th globally. NZ will have first crack at it, being the first major country to wake up in the new day dawn, followed by Australia 2 hours later, then spreading across the globe and finally finishing in the West Coats of America some 19 hours later.

Naturally the “Official” release sales figures data will be marked on the US release time, as this side of the world rarely gets acknowleged as being the first off the blocks when it comes to world wide releases. Funny that. We were the first to get Halo2, Halo 3, BioShock, Gears, yet all figures and official data marked the US as the prime point of release. Hmmmm Yep, it seems no where else exists outside the big US of A.

GrahiusXR with 45/6 points is battling it out at the moment with the top five players, Baldalinger (65/4 points), Dominus Magnus (40/6 points), boredofsilence (35/5 points), DrunknMonkey84 (30/5 points) and Busta Chopz (30/3 points). Wit each tryingto out do the other and stay just that one achievement up.

We’ll keep you updated on the huge Aussie GTAIV Battle as the days go on, but make sure you zip back here early, as we hope to have a nice, meaty review for you right on the witching hour come April 29th (New Zealand-Time so that it’s nice and eary, but still legally on time hehehe)

Source:

http://xboxoz360.wordpress.com/2008/04/25/gtaiv-news-aussies-battle-it-out-for-top-of-gtaiv-oz-leaderboard/

GameSpy: GTA IV better on PS3

2008-04-24T22:45:00.001+05:30

Firstly, this week IGN is running a "GTA IV week", where new content is posted everyday. Yesterday we already reported on the interview with the game's Art Director, Aaron Garbut, which can be read here. Last night they published an article detailing four of the game's multiplayer modes - covering Free Mode, Team Mafiya Work, Team Car Jack City and Turf War. Read that over here.

Yesterday we reported on the US edition of OXM giving the game a final score of 9.5/10, as seen here. Today we have news on another Xbox magazine, Xbox World 360(UK), who gave the game a score of 98%, saying the game has an "oscar-worthy dialogue", "unfeasibly rich gameworld" and "inspiring mission design".

Contrary to what many expected, it seems as though the PlayStation 3 version is selling more than the Xbox 360 version at certain large retailers. UK retailer ASDA is reporting that the PS3 version is selling three times more than its rival - the Xbox 360. Over in Australia, EB Games is reporting that while their pre-sales figures show both versions selling fairly close, the PS3 version is in the lead. Another retailer in that country, Gametraders, is saying the PS3 version is selling double than the Xbox 360.

Interesting indeed, I myself - who is a big fan of the Xbox 360 - will be getting the PlayStation 3 version, as I've read and heard personally from people who have played the game already that this version is undoubtedly superior to the Xbox 360. Granted, not as much that I would recommend going out to buy a PS3 console if you have a 360 already. Too bad that episodic content is Xbox exclusive, is Take-Two/Rockstar regretting that decision now?

http://planetgrandtheftauto.gamespy.com/fu...y.php?id=150387

Take-Two lets retailers sell GTA IV early

2008-04-24T22:20:00.001+05:30

A letter from Take-Two has been showing up on the internet regarding the leaked GTA IV situation. Apparently the letter has been sent to all retailers, and lets the stores sell GTA IV early.

GTA 4 First 20 min gameplay- Spoilers

2008-04-24T17:39:00.001+05:30

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/207524.html

New PS3 heatsink, smaller, lighter, thinner

2008-04-24T15:35:00.001+05:30

Might be interesting for those charting the possibilities of a smaller/slimmer version of PS3 down the road. Or just costs. I didn't think heatsinks got so much attention, but there ya go :P

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080424/150927/

Furukawa Electric Co Ltd exhibited a new heat sink for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), a game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc (SCE), at Techno-Frontier 2008. The exhibition took place from April 16 to 18, 2008, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Quote:
And it already begun commercial production of the third-generation heat sink for the PS3. The third-generation product is characterized by its small size, light weight and low cost.

Quote:
Especially, the shift from the second generation to the third was drastic. In the first and second-generation products, a large heat sink cooled both the Cell and RSX. But they are cooled by separate heat sinks in the third-generation product.

Furthermore, copper heat pipes, which were used in the first- and second-generation heat sinks, are no longer used in the third-generation product.

Quote:
The first-, second- and third-generation products support power consumptions of about 200, 160 and 130-140W, respectively, for both the Cell and RSX.

Quote:
The kinds of components are more than 20 for the first generation and about 10 for the second. But the third-generation product has only three kinds of components

Quote:
As a result, the weights of the first-, second- and third-generation products are about 700, 500 and 350g, respectively.

Wow, 700g for the heatsink alone in the first generation

Pic: