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OPM details some features found in Haze
How can one not be excited about Haze, what with all the information slowly leaking out about it, the almost-unnecessary-but-welcome comparisons to self-proclaimed "most gorgeous shooter in the universe" Crysis, and other such hubbub? It's tough, and the latest issue of Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM for the curious) sheds some light on even more subtle details you may have missed in any gameplay footage you may have stumbled across. We'll, erm, detail them below. Just as a neat effect, flames will apparently tear through the grass around you as well as burn out buildings. Not necessary for gameplay, but a rather fun effect nonetheless. A remote-controlled grenade will be available. Lob it wherever, then tap a trigger button to blow it up. Reminds us of those remote explosives found in GoldenEye for the N64. The only time a watch was a viable weapon ... There are a lot of unannounced vehicles to ride around in. Your guess is as good as ours. "Overdosed" teammates may start to go a little crazy. They might shoot rockets in the wrong direction, or pull a pin from a grenade and stand there laughing maniacally until ... ka-boom! A dozen vastly different environments will make their way to the final build. Everything from free-roaming jungles to claustrophobic hallways will make an appearance. What's interesting to note is that the developers of Haze have a respect for Hideo Kojima's method of storytelling. They said "politics should never interfere with gameplay, but having a theme worth thinking about gives the experience real substance." We agree. So what can we expect with this game? Fast-paced action with a story that makes you think, but won't confuse or irritate you with political jargon and country-specific sentiment? That'd be cool.
Adgadget: Goat of war
Looking back at the decapitated goat scandal that was Sony's press event for God of War II, which hit British tabloids and gaming news last month, the freshly slaughtered skin may have been the least offensive part.If you frequented any gaming sites in the last few weeks, chances are you saw more pixilated pictures of flesh than you would have in a commercial for Girls Gone Wild. Unfortunately, not all the skin was of the girl variety – most of the pixilated flesh belonged to a freshly slaughtered goat that made an appearance at an event held in Greece to promote the recent launch of the game God of War II. Among the festivities back in March, guests were challenged invited to win a PS3 by reaching into what looked like the most pathetic pit of snakes and eat a traditional Greek dish fashioned after goat intestines while topless women paraded around the joint. The goat had been purchased from a butcher prior to the event and though a spokesperson claimed the goat had not been slaughtered for the event, many were left skeptical considering goats aren't typically decapitated in such a manner. A video of the event surfaced, complete with commentary and cliché flame graphics.
Official PlayStation Mag dead, demo disc the killer?
Just as Ziff-Davis and Microsoft's trembling lips meet for the long, slow kiss that is Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, Ziff and Sony are, like, totally breaking up. They say it's mutual, that all relationships must end ... but we all know who's really to blame. It's that ne'er-do-well demo disc, that's who!With the steady erosion of print readership and the growth of online outlets (like Sony's own ThreeSpeech project who, curiously, keep cribbing from OPM) it's no wonder they've reconsidered their commitment to the world of dead-tree gaming journalism. Coupled with their (about to launch) PlayStation Network, capable of delivering videos and demos -- the very same videos and demos that used to come bundled on DVD with every issue of OPM -- the gimmick has dried up.Increasingly, print magazines rely on these gimmicks to provide extra incentive to read all the gaming news you already read online 3 weeks ago. Game Informer has that infinitely valuable shelf space at the nation's largest gaming retailer while Computer Gaming World had to reevaluate and become Games For Windows. What's curious is why Microsoft not only doesn't see Xbox Live as the final nail in Official Xbox Magazine's proverbial coffin, but they use the magazine to distribute exclusive demos, weeks before they hit Live (see: Rainbow Six Vegas). Maybe, with a 60% attach rate for Xbox Live, they realize there's still plenty of offline 360 gamers who can't get their demos from Live.[Update: The fine folks at Ziff contacted us to "clarify that the 1UP Network -- 1UP.com, GameVideos.com, MyCheats.com, the 1UP Show, our podcasts, etc. -- and EGM will cover the PS3, PS2, and PSP in depth with integrated print, video, podcast, and web features through the holiday season, 2007, and beyond." So, there you have it. Don't think Ziff is axing the Sony coverage, they're just axing the magazine.]Read -- Sony's press releaseRead -- Ziff Davis' press release
Does OPM hate the PSP?
OPM stands for Official PlayStation Magazine. You'd think that because it's sponsored by Sony, it would have slightly inflated scores for the games. But that doesn't seem to be the case ... at all. In fact, it appears that OPM is dishing out some painfully low scores on games that have been reviewed favorably by most other publications. For example, Killzone: Liberation only got a 7.5, Ace Combat X got a 6.0, and most surprisingly of them all: Lumines II got a measly 6.0. I've been playing my review build for quite some time, and I find it to be much better than the original, and that says a lot. What's with these horribly low scores, OPM? Do they have a grudge against the PSP?[Via IGN Boards]
Bethesda confirms Oblivion to PSP in Spring 2007
Yesterday, we broke news that 1UP broke news of the Official Playstation Magazine breaking news of Oblivion heading to the PSP and PS3. Did ya get all that?Well, now we get confirmation right from the source. Yeah, that's right, Bethesda has issued a press release confirming Oblivion is headed to the PSP in spring 2007. In America, the game will be published by Bethesda, while Ubisoft will publish it in Europe.As if you didn't already know, this is a huge win for the PSP and PS3. I don't think there's anyone in their right mind who would argue that the PSP is the only major handheld system on the market that has enough horsepower to properly handle a game like Oblivion.It's times like this that help me forget about things like hardware sales charts and focus on the massive amount of great games on the PSP's horizon. It truly is a great time to be a gamer.[Via Bethesda]
November OPM to feature Killzone demo
According to the latest RadiOPM, The next issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM), will also feature the Killzone: Liberation demo that's been extensively covered on the site. With distribution through OPM, and PlayStation Underground, it appears that Sony's really revving their marketing machine to hype this game. And why shouldn't they? The game's really good. [Via IGN Boards]
OPM Ed opts for 360 this November
You may have noticed some odd behavior from your favorite Sony fanboy last Friday. Perhaps he flipped off his PC monitor whilst shouting, "TREASON!" If so, then said fanboy was undoubtedly reading the blog of one Dana Jongewaard, editor of Official Playstation Magazine. So, what's the big deal? Look no further than the title of her blog:"Why I am buying a 360 this November"Citing that $600 is just too much for a console, and that the PS3's killer apps won't be out 'til next year at the earliest, and that she just doesn't really care about Blu-Ray, Dana has decided to get Microsoft's white box of joy instead (at least until the PS3 goes down in price). The funny part is all the commenters threatening to cancel their OPM subscriptions for her scandalous comments. If you've got the time, the comments are good for a laugh. Welcome to the fold, Dana.Just for the record, I own a DS and a Gamecube aside from my beloved 360. If that bothers any of you, I guess you'll have to cancel your internet service or something.
Offer for one free year of EGM ends today
"Free" offers on the internet often come with annoying trials and lengthy cancellation procedures, but this one here's legit -- it's actually running from the subscription web site of the publisher of EGM, Ziff Davis Media.You may have seen this offer for 12 free issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly on Joystiq or other game sites out there. Basically, what's happening is the Ziff Davis Game Group is running a subscription drive for the mag, sponsored by the World Cyber Games. Free subs are only on offer through today, however, so get a move on if you want a piece of the printed action.Of course, EGM may be no OPM, but it's helpful for even the healthiest fanboy to get a balanced diet of multiplatform news and information on a regular basis. Also, please note that you're under no obligation to sign up for the World Cyber Games page which follows the EGM subscription one, so you can absolutely get your free mag without registering with the WCG.[Via Joystiq]
