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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.
PlayStation 3's first 3D title updates coming June 10th to Japan
Good news / bad news, folks. First with the smiles: PlayStation 3's first 3D-enabling updates are due out on June 10th for downloadable titles Super Stardust HD, WipEout HD, and Pain. The first two games get the added dimension for gratis, but Pain lovers (who should be accustomed by now to its abundant premium add-ons) will need to fork over ¥300 (approximately $3.28) for the benefit. The other stickler is that these updates are so far only announced for Japan -- and by merit of a Bravia promotion, Europe as well. So what's a North American gamer with a penchant for wearing special glasses to do? Keep waiting, true believers.
First PS3 3D game updates available in Japan on June 10
Sony Japan has announced the first games to be updated for 3D in that region -- a set of games corresponding to those included with Sony Europe's Bravia promotion. Super Stardust HD, Pain, and WipeOut HD will all be patched to support 3D for those in Japan with fancy enough TVs on June 10. Like in Europe, new Bravia buyers in Japan will be treated to all three of these 3D games for free, along with a 3D MotorStorm Pacific Rift demo. For those not buying a new TV, the 3D update for WipeOut and Super Stardust will still be free (even if the games aren't). Pain, however, lives up to its name with a ¥300 ($3.28) charge to add the new 3D mode. Now that near-identical details and launch dates have been released for 3D support in Japan and Europe, we can safely guess that a similar promotion will be on the way in North America. [Via Andriasang]
3D PS3 games coming to PSN in June, 4 free with Bravia purchases
If you're looking to ditch your old HDTV in favor of Sony's HX803-series Bravia 3D TV, due to arrive in Europe this June, you'll receive four free 3D PlayStation 3 games. It's not explicit whether the "free collection" will be comprised PSN codes or compiled on a disc, but the promotional titles, including WipEout HD, MotorStorm Pacific Rift, PAIN and Super Stardust HD, will also be made available on PSN at the same time. We're following up with Sony America about whether it plans to have a similar promotion in the same timeframe. We'll be sure to update in glorious 2D text if it does.
ESRB: Uncharted, PAIN and more become Pinball Heroes on PSP
*Not what you're getting. This probably wasn't what fans had in mind when they demanded an Uncharted game for Sony's handheld. A series of new ESRB ratings reveals a new pinball franchise, most likely under the PSP Minis label, based on various first-party PlayStation properties. Pinball Heroes: Uncharted is the most noteworthy of the bunch which according to the ESRB descriptor, is based on Drake's Fortune. "Players use flippers to hit the ball around a crashed airplane, into silhouetted character targets, and off bumpers shaped like gold coins to score points."In addition to Uncharted, other franchises will be getting the pinball treatment, including High Velocity Bowling, PAIN and Hot Shots Golf. Wait, no Pinball Heroes: God of War? That's a missed opportunity!Unfortunately, no further details of the Pinball Heroes franchise can be garnered from the ESRB listings. We're submitting a few questions to Sony (like "how much?" and "why?") and will update when we hear back.[Via GamerBytes]
European PSN releases for October 29
Don't call it a comeback! Well, okay, call it a comeback if you must -- after last week's sorry showing, the European PSN releases from this week are fairly phenomenal. There's a pair of demos for Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, new content for DJ Hero, EyePet and PAIN, as well as the full version of LocoRoco Midnight Carnival. Check after the jump for the full list! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Rumor: PAIN developer Idol Minds lays off more than half of staff
Idol Minds, known best for the PS3 downloadable game PAIN, has laid off more than half of its staff, according to a report by Kotaku. The original team of 46 has been reduced to a mere 20 through a series of layoffs, the latest of which affected seventeen developers.Kotaku's sources point to budget cuts from long-time publishing partner Sony Computer Entertainment. However, it's hard to ignore the irony of the team's namesake: other than a few expansion packs to PAIN, no major releases or game announcements have come out of the studio since 2007. What this means for the future of the PAIN franchise is unclear for now. Calls to both Idol Minds and SCEA were not returned.
Portable pain gun could replace Colt 45s, logic in robot-controlled future
The Pentagon has been dreaming of portable pain guns for as long as we can remember, and if it has its druthers, said fantasy could soon become a reality. The Thermal Laser System (or the IR-Lesslethal device, if you prefer) has been brewing since at least 2005, but just recently the weapon prove to testers that it could create a beam strong enough to cause alarm and pain without actually damaging the skin or retina. Think of it as a portable crowd controller (or your worst nightmare, either one). Of course, there's still quite a bit of testing to get through before it's actually rolled out for military or police use, and there's the fact that leaving no marks leaves open the possibility for undocumentable abuse. Not like that would ever happen, though. [Image courtesy of Deeper Thought]
TGS 2009: Sony adding motion to existing titles, new RE5 with motion coming Spring 2010 [update]
During Sony's second press conference at the Tokyo Game Show, Capcom's Jun Takeuchi took the stage to demo the PlayStation 3's new motion controller with his game, Resident Evil 5. That's right, Sony will be bringing motion control to a handful of existing titles, including a re-released RE5 in Resident Evil 5: Director's Cut this coming Spring.Sony also showed off LittleBigPlanet being controlled by two people, one wielding a motion wand while the other used a DualShock 3. Apparently a mess of other titles will be getting the motion treatment -- 13 in total (seen here, mostly in Japanese see update below) -- with Flower and Pain standing out as notable examples. Update: We've got the full list right here.%Gallery-73849%
13 PS3 motion control games confirmed for next year, motion-enhanced Biohazard 5 coming Spring 2010
Sure, the company's Tokyo Game Show keynote was a bit of a bore, but in a second press conference for Japanese media, Sony did what it could to make up for it by revealing Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition, the first PS3 title we've heard of to support the new motion controllers -- and better still, it's due out Spring 2010. Also confirmed is the existence of 13 first-party titles with motion support coming at some point next year, including Pain, EyePet and Flower. Both Biohazard 5 (known in the US as Resident Evil 5) and a LittleBigPlanet tech demo were shown on stage, and pics from the announcement are being uploaded now, so stay tuned! Update: Some new details of the LittleBigPlanet motion control demo from our friend Ittousai of Engadget Japan. In the presentation, one player was playing the normal way via DualShock while a second person was "assisting" by means of the motion control.
PSN Thursday: In time with Turtles, Silent Hill and George Takei
Oh, my! Although the release of Turtles in Time and Silent Hill on PSN this week is certainly noteworthy, it's the appearance of George Takei in PAIN that takes the cake. The original Star Trek star will be at your disposal to shoot from a canon and ... seriously, why would you want to hurt George Takei? He's awesome! The Andy Dick hurtable PAIN DLC character from a couple weeks back was a far more understandable option. Check out the rest of the update after the break. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
PAIN Trophies made easier, thanks to AXE
PAIN has some of the worst Trophies ever. However, things are going to get oh-so-slightly easier for PAIN veterans thanks to an unlikely partnership with AXE. (Yes, the deodorant company.) A new character, "Smooth Jarvis," will get a brand new set of AXE-inspired moves that will net you bonus points. These bonus points, in turn, can be helpful in unlocking PAIN's "Affliction Addiction," "D-Town Destruction," and "PAIN in the Park" Trophies.We're certainly fans of this kind of in-game advertising (versus what WipEout HD offered). But, we beg the guys at Idol Minds: please make the "King of PAIN" Trophy easier. Please!
Team17 head: Timed exclusivity is 'just the way the world works'
"I appreciate PS3 owners getting pissed off because it's not on their platform immediately, but that's up to Sony I guess to address that," Team17 studio head Martyn Brown said in a recent interview with VideoGamer.com. According to Brown, exclusivity is just a fact of life. "People on Live Arcade can't play Super Stardust [HD] or PAIN or a bunch of titles ... it's just the way the world works really." he added. Addressing concerns that his company was paid off by Microsoft for the timed exclusivity of Alien Breed Evolution on XBLA, Brown answered ... "bollocks" (British for "nonsense"). Instead, Brown credited the exclusivity deal to "early faith" from the publisher. Specifically, Brown stated, "In exchange for exclusivity we get a lot more promotion ... it isn't the case of here's some cash in a suitcase, It just doesn't work like that -- It would be nice if it did!" No suitcases full of bank notes, Mr. Brown? Oh, that's right, GTA IV's exclusive DLC used up all of Microsoft's petty cash for a bit. Sorry, guy! %Gallery-68333%
Europe getting a PAIN-ful Blu-ray next week
The most popular PlayStation Network game of 2008 is finally finding a home on retail disc ... in Europe. A Blu-ray version of the physics-based action game will be out June 24th in Europe, June 25th in Australia and New Zealand, and in the UK and Ireland on June 26th for €24.99/£19.99.The offline collection will include all the expansions released so far: Abusement Park, Movie Studios and Sore Spots. You can expect a few DLC characters to be included as well, such as Tati, Ginger, Cookie and the Ded Baron. However, while the package is a rather comprehensive offering of PAIN, it will not include the next DLC pack, Museum, coming this summer. [Thanks, Daniel G.!]
How do we start a guild?
I'd like to take a moment to address another reader email. In this post I kind of skirt the direct issues of recruiting and establishing a guild bank. I offer my best advice on the absolute basics of starting a guild. Please ignore spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors in the reader's email, and direct all of your ire toward mine.heya,me and my friend want to start up our own to guild working towards raid progression. We have both done all pre 3.1 content on other characters on different servers and on moving to a new server have found it hard to find a guild that meets our needs/scheduale; thus we want to form our own guild. However neither of us has any experience in doing so, and would appreciate some tips on how best to start ie. how to recruit, how developed the guild bank needs to be etcthanksBefore you get started making your guild, I'd like to let you in on a little secret. Some of the most painful experiences in my life include boiling the skin off the back of my right hand with scalding water from a steam iron (you wouldn't notice the scar unless I pointed it out, but even 22 years later I use it to tell left from right), the massive hangover I had on 1/1/2000- three days after I got my tongue pierced (and working a double shift), and starting a guild with a handful of friends. My best advice is that unless there is a real need for a guild, don't do it. You and your friend may want to look for a guild that meets your needs, our readers have posted many that are looking for members.
Joystiq hands-on: PAIN's Sore Spots (now with Daxter!)
PAIN has come a long way since launching with just one level, two characters, and no online multiplayer. It's managed to rank at the top of PSN downloads through a consistent stream of content add-ons, which -- you guessed it -- have added new levels, new characters, and online multiplayer. We got our hands on the next update, the "Sore Spots" level pack, and its new characters at Sony's recent Gamers' Day in Los Angeles.Read on for our full preview and to find out what's coming next from developer Idol Minds. (HInt: A heckuva lot more crotch-related agony.)%Gallery-51346%
Upcoming PAIN expansion features wedgies, aliens and Trophies
Looks like PSN's #1 game of 2008 is getting yet another expansion. The next expansion, "Sore Spots," will add two environments: the Morningwood High School gymnasium and the alien-infested Area 69. The expansions will also introduce a few new modes, such as the "Fun With Explosives" inspired "PAIN Science" mode.The official PAIN blog features more details on the upcoming expansion, but we've taken a peek at the new Trophies for the upcoming expansion. To see Idol Minds' devilish new achievements, check past the break.
PAIN goes online today
PSN's best-selling game of '08 gets an extensive update today, adding voice chat, a lobby system and online play. Idol Minds' Travis Williams explains that the large amount of physics data that is used in the game will demand a hefty internet connection: a minimum of 256k upstream will be required.Many new online modes will be introduced, including a paid PAIN content pack, dubbed the "Smack Pack." This premium content will include both Fortress and Darts modes of play. See a video of Fortress, after the cut.[Thanks, Andrew L.!]
Andy Dick in PAIN and so are we
From the "moments too late" category of stories comes the news that Andy Dick has recorded voice-over for his likeness in the PSN game, PAIN. Tragically, it comes after Dick has purportedly sobered up and gotten his life on track.We would have loved to have put Dick in a giant slingshot just a few months ago when he was a total disaster. Now we're too nervous that our download of the "beat the crap out of Andy Dick" DLC is gonna be the one that pushes him off the wagon. [Via Kotaku]
Video: PAIN getting new Darts mode
Looks like the folks at Idol Minds just won't stop expanding PAIN. (Makes sense, considering it's the biggest download on PlayStation Network in 2008). One of the upcoming expansions to PAIN is a new Darts mode. This new mode looks to mix up the fun of Mime Toss with the competitive nature of Bowling. Also new to this mode: online multiplayer, a first for PAIN.There's still no word on release date or price. Stay tuned as we'll be sure to update you when we find out.
