Ask PS3 Fanboy: Volume 1
Welcome to the inaugural addition of Ask PS3 Fanboy, the feature where we do our very best to answer your pressing questions. Don't be shy! You can e-mail me anytime at colin.torretta@weblogsinc.com and we'll put your question in the running for our next Ask PS3 Fanboy segment. Sorry for the initial delay, but this will be a weekly special ever Sunday -- so ask away!
Q: Is there an effect solution for playing Guitar Hero on the PS3?
A: There is currently no device that offers a 100% support for Guitar Hero 1 and 2, though Pelican has recently released an adapter that provides maybe 70-80% compatability. According to reviews, the adapter works flawless on Guitar Hero but has some issues on its sequel. Unfortunately, you cannot do hammer-ons or pull-offs in Guitar Hero 2 while using the adapter -- making it more or less impossible to play the harder difficult levels of the game. You don't really need to do hammer-ons or pull-offs for the earlier levels so it's not a complete deal killer but definitely annoying. Also, while the Pelican adapter supports Dualshock controllers, it doesn't support rumble at all which is a bit of a bummer.
Q: Have you heard anything about Afrika recently?
A: Very little has been heard about Afrika since it was announced, though three months ago Phil Harrison did mention it briefly in an interview with British gaming site Pro-G. He didn't get into specifics, but did say that he's seen the game and that it's coming along nicely. Unfortunately, he was being very coy about the whole thing so there wasn't a lot to get out of the interview. As for release date, the last time Sony talked about the release date of Afrika, they were saying it will still be coming out in 2007. I think it would be a safe bet that we'll get another taste of Afrika come the mini-E3 next month -- but don't expect an avalanche of info. According to my completely unscientific guesstimates, I'd say TGS '07 will be the big unveiling with a 2008 launch.
More questions after the jump!
Q: When is in-game XMB access coming? I've been waiting for this since launch!
A: I feel you, unfortunately the current 'cost' of in-game XMB access is extremely high. Sony has been working to lower the amount of memory necessary for developers to access different parts of the XMB but they haven't gotten it to a low enough level where developers will freely start to adopt it on a large scale. Warhawk is one of the only titles I know of that integrate with the XMB in anyway, and it just does it to pull in your friends list. I have a feeling that custom soundtracks (the number one reason people want in-game XMB access) is a long ways off, if it ever even happens. Hopefully Sony will prove me wrong on this one ...
Q: Most anticipated PS3 titles for the writers?
A: I polled our writers and this is what I got:
Nick:
"White Knight Story. Please Level-5, writer needs info badly!!!"Colin:
"Metal Gear Solid 4. Platform exclusivity aside, this is the title that rocks my brain with a freakiness. Hideo Kojima has always managed to change how we think of gaming and this looks like his most revolutionary title yet. It makes my heart ache to not be able to play it."Jem:
"LittleBigPlanet. This charming platformer looks like its going to change the way console games work with the Internet. Nothing has ever made user-generated content so appealing!"Andrew:
"LittleBigPlanet: There's a reason why Phil Harrison saved LittleBigPlanet for GDC: it's a concept good enough to be a system seller. LittleBigPlanet reminds us that the immense power of PlayStation 3 can be used towards the one thing all gamers can agree on: fun."Peter:
"Final Fantasy XIII. All my favorite experiences on a Sony console have involved Final Fantasy games, and with the amazing graphics engine they're working on and the possibility of a 'darker' storyline, this looks like it will be the most amazing one yet!"
