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Codemasters snaps up 'Driveclub' developer Evolution Studios
It was a sad day when Sony decided to drop Evolution Studios from its pantheon of first-party video game developers. Following the announcement, it was unclear what would become of the company best known for creating Driveclub and the MotorStorm franchise. Well, now we have an answer. Codemasters, another racing specialist in the UK, will be picking up the company on April 25th. It'll create something of an independent super-studio, with Mick Hocking, co-founder of Evolution, taking on the role of VP Product Development at Codemasters.
Sony closes 'Driveclub' creator Evolution Studios
You likely saw this coming, but it's still sad to say: Sony has confirmed that it's closing Evolution Studios, the developer behind both the MotorStorm series and the troubled Driveclub. The tech giant isn't saying exactly what prompted the closure (we've published its full statement below). However, it tells us that the shutdown followed reviews of "short and medium term" plans, and that it's devoting attention to studios that will be in a "stronger position going forward." In essence, it didn't see Evolution's work leading to a bona fide hit in the near future.
Sony pulls another game from PlayStation Store after new Vita exploit found
Sony's withdrawn Everybody's Tennis from the PlayStation Store after discovering it could be used to hack the PS Vita. The game was pulled without warning (probably to the consternation of tennis fans) as the company attempts to keep absolute control on its new platform. It's the second title to get the treatment after hacker Wololo discovered an exploit in Motorstorm Arctic Edge that allowed the Vita Half-Byte-loader to be launched on the device. It looks like the game of cat-and-mouse between massive corporation and a single individual will continue for a while, with Wololo claiming they've got access to around 10 more undiscovered exploits. Popcorn, anyone?
PS Vita homebrew loader arrives today, but only if you have this hard-to-get game (video)
...And here's the catch: the game you need is Motorstorm Arctic Edge (or 'Raging Ice' in Japan), and it appears to have already been pulled from the PS Store. Besides, it was never compatible with US-registered Vitas in the first place. Nevertheless, if you happen to have bought this old PSP title for your Vita already, then this may just work. Hacker Wololo claims that later today he'll release Vita Half Byte Loader files, which will give you a "limited PSP homebrew experience" on your lovely new handheld -- and indeed we've already seen it playing Sega Genesis titles. The hack supposedly uses an exploit in this particular Motorstorm title -- but since Sony is already on VHBL's tracks, who knows if it'll really work or how long it'll last? Video evidence after the break.[Thanks, Patrick]
MotorStorm devs saved from Apocalypse by Sony
After the well-reviewed MotorStorm Apocalypse failed to move the sales needle in the states and Europe (it wasn't even released in Japan, following the March tsunami) Evolution Studios boss Matt Southern worried it would be the death of the studio. "We made a game we're really proud of and for some really heartbreaking reasons things didn't go so well," he told Eurogamer. But like a late-race turbo boost saving a car from elimination, Southern said that Sony has given the studio a shot in the arm with the Vita-bound mini-racer, MotorStorm RC. "We split the company up into three teams, one making RC, one supporting MotorStorm Apocalypse post-launch with DLC and multiplayer, and another bunch of guys just brainstorming new ideas. In a climate like the one we've had this year, that is rare." It's great to hear about any studio staying in business for whatever reason, but if the last MotorStorm sold poorly despite its quality, isn't yet another MotorStorm game an odd choice for a follow-up?
Motorstorm RC brings tiny trucks to Vita and PS3
For a new, smaller PlayStation system, Sony just announced a smaller MotorStorm. MotorStorm RC for PS Vita, due in the spring, shrinks the trucks down to radio-controlled toys, making it basically the Virtua Fighter Kids of PlayStation racing franchises. Weirdly, the RC trucks are still driving in real off-road racing type locations, "from the dusty desert mesa's of Monument Valley, to the dangerous jungles of a Pacific island, to the icy tundra at the Arctic Edge, to the apocalyptic ruins of an urban city." Essentially, a roundup of MotorStorm's greatest hits. It's actually not just for Vita -- it'll be available as a PS3 download as well. And when you buy one, you automatically have access to the other, with the ability to use the same save. That PS3 version will have 4 player split-screen.
Gamestop bundling Resistance 3 with PlayStation 3DTV anyway (if you preorder)
In an effort to prove that Sony ain't the boss o' them, Gamestop will be bundling Resistance 3 with each pre-order for the now-MotorStorm-infused PlayStation-branded 3DTV, launching this November. It's also possible that Gamestop is simply honoring its existing pre-orders while sweetening the pot to attract new buyers, but where's the fun in that? As weird as pre-ordering a television set is, having two 3D-capable games certainly adds a little extra something to deal, and when you're spending $500 on anything it's important to get your money's worth. It will be interesting to see if other retailers follow suit, but considering the fact that this is a 24-inch 3DTV, we doubt potential buyers will have room for anything larger than another disc. [Thanks, MLC!]
Sony replaces Resistance 3 with MotorStorm: Apocalypse in 3DTV bundle
If you live in a dorm room, or an efficiency in Manhattan, or a tiny Harry Potter staircase closet, you were probably chuffed to bits when Sony announced their 24-inch PlayStation-branded 3DTV/Resistance 3 bundle during this year's E3. Now though, it looks like denizens of diminished domiciles will be doing a lot more wicked jumps, and lot less alien shooting. Responding to inquiries regarding this Amazon listing, which shows Sony's PlayStation 3DTV bundled with MotorStorm: Apocalypse instead of Resistance 3, Insomniac Games confirmed the switch in a tweet, apologizing for any inconvenience. According to a statement made to Gamespot, MotorStorm: Apcalypse will also support the full-screen-but-also-split-screen functionality touted by Resistance 3, however no information about why the games were switched has been given as of yet.
MotorStorm Apocalypse review: Crash test dummy
As far as awesome spectacles in gaming go, MotorStorm Apocalypse is up there with the best. I don't know if I've ever seen a game, let alone a racer, with this amount of action happening at any given moment. I can't help but marvel at the degree and detail of the destruction it renders on a city-wide scale -- which is a problem, since I'm supposed to be focused on racing. Everything comes at you so fast, furious, loud and bright that opponents trying to ram you off the "track" (little in this game resembles an actual race course) are the least of your worries. No, the greatest risk is running into the scenery ... over and over and over again.%Gallery-121827%
MotorStorm Apocalypse delayed indefinitely in North America
Sony has put the brakes on the North American release of MotorStorm Apocalypse, delaying the game indefinitely in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The delay, announced on the PlayStation Blog, doesn't exactly come as a surprise, given that the title's launch had previously been postponed in Japan and the UK. Set in an earthquake-ravaged costal city, the Evolution Studios developed racer had been scheduled for release on April 12. Sony told Joystiq earlier this week that the date still stood. When contacted today, SCEA confirmed the delay and added that there is "no new date at the moment."
MotorStorm Apocalypse gets Superbikes, photo mode, demo in 2011
Sony has unleashed a barrage of MotorStorm Apocalypse news over on the official PlayStation blog. Revealed in a video posted after the break is a track called Skyline, which pits racers against each other while driving across the rooftops of a destroyed (and crumbling) city. The clip also shows off a new Superbike vehicle, and lots more. The game will offer player customization in the form of both perks and cosmetic updates, a new photo mode for snapping shots mid-race, extensive PSN tie-in content including some PlayStation Plus exclusives and a new taunts / gestures system that will enable you to bug other riders online. Sony also promises lots of DLC (including possibly a free island-themed track) and a series of developer diary videos in the weeks to come. The game's been given a launch target of Spring 2011, and a demo is planned for early next year. Is it weird that whenever we start to key in on a big Sony release, our biggest wonder is what KB will say about it?
MotorStorm 3D Rift tears up PSN tomorrow (with 2D support)
If you're one of what must be millions of PS3 owners who have already dropped three large on a Bravia 3DTV, you've already experienced a small taste of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift in 3D as part of the demo pack Sony gave you. Good news for you: The experience doesn't end there. As part of tomorrow's PlayStation Store update, Sony is making MotorStorm 3D Rift available, a more substantial 3D-ified release of the game featuring 10 courses, each linked to a specific event type. Unfortunately, there's no multiplayer (online or off), but at least it'll run on those old-fashioned 2D televisions, too -- like anyone uses those anymore! The price of admission for this thrill ride: $10. The price of the game running in 3D: 30 frames per second.
Preview: MotorStorm: Apocalypse (in 3-D)
The first thing I notice as I fit the 3-D glasses over my eyes and launch into the MotorStorm: Apocalypse E3 demo is that there are people running all over the place. "Looters ... crazies," art director Simon O'Brien corrects, as I plow into one, sending his ragdoll body flying out of the screen at us. I figure I'm not going to have many, if any more chances to play MotorStorm: Apocalypse in 3-D (I'm no early adopter), so I settle in and run through the demo a few times. The third MotorStorm game for PS3 has been in development for two years and its 3-D component for half that time. Developer Evolution Studios has done an admirable job implementing this technical gimmick, and in 3-D mode the demo maintains a steady 30fps framerate and the visual details hold up (at least better than in Killzone 3's first take in 3-D). MotorStorm: Apocalypse is understandably chaotic, however, and the 3-D distractions, like those flying crazies, make an already difficult race course more challenging to navigate. I slam into a few walls, not easily seeing turns in the impromptu "track" -- a straight-shot race through a crumbling, fictional West Coast city. I finish in something like 13th place and ask if I can see the game in "2-D mode," but the demo doesn't allow for us to switch over. %Gallery-94881%
PlayStation 3 in 3D impressions: almost, but not quite
There are plenty of opinions to be had on 3D, and while many of the staff at Engadget could take it or leave it, this particular writer is a pretty firm fan of the concept. Notice the word "concept." 3D is hard to pull off well. We've all had to come to grips with the dimming effect of most 3D tech, due to the fact that we're only seeing about half the potential brightness of a display, and 3D gaming presents a whole different ream of problems. Follow after the break as we walk through some of our experiences with the PlayStation 3 in 3D and see if it can measure up to our hopes and dreams for a world with one extra dimension. %Gallery-95475%
MotorStorm: Apocalypse announced, racing to E3
Sony's pre-E3 reveals continue with confirmation of MotorStorm: Apocalypse (a.k.a. "MotorStorm 3"). Confirming previously leaked details, Apocalypse takes the franchise to a new urban setting, with a focus on destruction -- not unlike the recently released Split/Second. Players will be (foolishly!) racing through a city in the middle of an earthquake, driving through collapsing buildings. "This isn't post-apocalyptic. It's apocalyptic. You are there when it happens. It's survival racing," the PlayStation.Blog adds. In addition to the new setting, developer Evolution Studios is promising a greater emphasis on online and split-screen multiplayer, offering split-screen team racing in online, 16-player matches. MotorStorm 3 will be playable at E3 next week. Expect our full hands-on report then. %Gallery-94881%
US PlayStation 3 gets four 3D titles starting tomorrow
Perhaps the PlayStation Network needed to be down in order to add extra dimensions -- whatever the case, Sony just announced that tomorrow will usher in the first quartet of PS3 titles to support stereoscopic 3D. Not too shocking, as it happens to be the same day Japanese gamers get the same deal. Entrees include WipEout HD, Super Stardust HD, Pain, and a demo of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. Looking to the future, PlayStation Move title The Fight: Lights Out will support 3D at launch. Of course you'll need a 3DTV to join the fun, but hey, looks like Sony's got you covered there, too.
Rumor: Motorstorm 3 screens look positively apocalyptic
French gaming news site PS3Gen recently got its hands on a few photos purportedly leaked from the next installment in the MotorStorm franchise. The images depict a collapsing, derelict version of San Francisco, where racers must negotiate ruined streets, toppling skyscrapers and -- if the norms of past games in the series remain -- other racers, who are probably driving vehicles that are so much larger than their own. Though PS3Gen doesn't mention where the images came from, they certainly look legit. Between these and the Motorstorm 3 domain registration filed in February, we wouldn't be surprised if this was one of Sony's major players during its E3 press conference. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Pinball Heroes adds Fat Princess, Wipeout, ModNation and Motorstorm tables
Pinball Heroes may be an odd way of cashing in on Sony's most successful franchises, but it works. The original release debuted on the PSP (via PlayStation Network) last year, and featured four tables based on Uncharted, PAIN, Hot Shots Golf and High Velocity Bowling. A new expansion pack, available next week on the PlayStation Store, will add four more tables to the mix: Fat Princess, Wipeout HD Fury, ModNation Racers and MotorStorm. All four tables will be bundled together for $9.99, and can be played with or without the original game. PSP Go owners have even more reason to check out Pinball Heroes -- it's one of the few games that can actually be played in closed system mode!
Sony downplays meaning of MotorStorm 3 domain purchase
SCEE has registered the domain "motorstorm3.com," according to WHOIS data first found by The Gaming Liberty. The domain, which currently redirects to the UK's PlayStation site, would seem to provide a hint that a sequel to the PS3's flagship truck-dirtying simulator is on the way. Or does it? Sony told VG247 that "It's not uncommon for us to secure the URLs containing the names of our successful IP, and those actions should not be interpreted as an announcement of a new title in a franchise." That leaves only the knowledge that MotorStorm is one of Sony's major PS3 showpieces and of course there's going to be another one. [Via Eurogamer]
LocoRoco go to PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home will be getting a near-lethal injection of cuteness tomorrow, thanks to the brand new LocoIsland Estate. Available in Europe for £3.99 (US release TBA), the virtual island features a giant tree house and, even more exciting, a virtual cruise. The Estate also grants access to mini-games, like LocoReverse and a Domingo race. In addition to the LocoRoco space, PlayStation Home will also be getting a MotorStorm space. The MotorStorm Carrier is a decommissioned aircraft carrier that also features its own mini-games, quests and rewards (just like real-life aircraft carriers!). Check out trailers for both new spaces after the break.
