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New games this week: Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction edition
It's a good week for PlayStation 3 owners, especially the new ones. You may have been a little disheartened as you looked for something awesome that only your shiny new PS3 can handle, and, if a few early reviews are any indication, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction may just be that game. There's good news elsewhere too, with Xbox 360 getting Ace Combat 6 and the Wii is receiving what we suspect might be a hidden gem with Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. Oh, and portable treats on the PSP with Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles and a new Phoenix Wright on the DS. Check all the new releases after the break.%Gallery-3182%
Future comes one week early for Ratchet & Clank
Like the comically violent effects of the series's trademark weapons, some fantastic news comes flying in from the Official PlayStation Blog regarding Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Due to manufacturer's expediency, the game started arriving in stores early and instead of getting angry and Hulk smashing everything, Sony's given retailers the green light to start selling the game next week. However, it's not yet known what stores will be selling it before the "official" October 30th release date.This situation currently remains YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) given there's no list of stores, public anyway, who've received a slice of the Future early. However, expect fellow gamers to post tales of receipt on every forum they post on, which while annoying should aid you in your quest. Good morning, and good luck.
PSN Thursday: Everyday Shooter, Ratchet & Clank demo, and more
There's a slew of new things on the PlayStation Network Store today via a much needed update, including the downloadable game Everyday Shooter and a Ratchet & Clank Future demo. In layman's terms, this means hundreds of PS3 owners will be unreachable for the next couple of weeks. Stock up on food and water, and make your bathroom plans in advance. Here's the full release list: Everyday Shooter full game ($9.99) Ratchet & Clank demo (free) Conan demo (free) NHL 2K8 demo (free) Uncharted behind the scenes video (free) Folklore trailer (free) Fallout 3 trailer (free) Ratchet and Clank wallpaper (free) Everyday Shooter wallpaper (free) The Assassination of Jesse James movie trailer (free) Spiderwick Chronicles movie trailer (free) Walk Hard movie trailer (free)
Insomniac invented the spherical world
When Kikizo asked Insomniac's Ryan Schneider about other games taking influences from their Ratchet & Clank series, Ryan mentioned one game in particular that seemed to crib from them. You're not going to like it!"One that we're even extremely flattered by is Super Mario Galaxy, with their spherical worlds; we did spherical worlds in Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal. It would be amazing to think that Miyamoto-san thought that was so cool that he wanted to incorporate it into Mario Galaxy."You know who else did spherical worlds? The universe. You may remember some awesome levels like Earth and Pluto Neptune. We're not going to jump into Nintendo fanboy mode and spew venom at Mr. Schneider for daring to impugn Miyamoto-sama, but we will say that Nintendo's probably been working on Galaxy for roughly forever. But if it turned out to be true that Miyamoto and team saw an awesome idea in another game and ran with it, good for them. We'd like to think that the team at EAD keeps up with other games.[Via GoNintendo]
Ratchet & Clank delayed one week
It looks like Ratchet & Clank didn't show up three hours early to get through spaceport security and will be delayed a week. The boys were expected on Oct. 23, but according to the PlayStation Blog they'll be arriving Oct. 30. Not only has the game been delayed, but the demo expected Oct. 4 on PSN will now show up on Oct. 11. If you can't wait for the demo, remember that you can always pick it up at GameStop with a pre-order of Ratchet & Clank Future.R&C Future is definitely a game we're looking forward to. Not only because the series has always been solid, but because we like pretty colors and we're getting a little sick of the brown motif in games. A week extra isn't so bad compared to other PS3 delays we've seen.[Via Gamespot]
TGS07: Ratchet & Clank Future Japanese trailer and Sixaxis control video
Above you'll find the Japanese trailer for Ratchet & Clank Future, and after the break we've got a video showing a little bit how the Sixaxis is implemented in the game. If Ratchet looks a little weird to you (notice the dark eyebrows and eye difference), it's because the Japanese actually have a different Ratchet. Not only that, but they have a different story going on. Localization is funny like that. If you'd like to know more, PS3 Fanboy has a great interview with Insomniac's Ryan Schneider as he explains the different Ratchets. He says, "In Japan ... they will write their own backstory and they have their own sensibilities. We actively support and encourage that and they're great in identifying what works in that market. Of course, we don't complain because we're one of the few successful Western franchises there period." Although the Japanese Ratchet won't be unlockable in the US version, the Japanese language mode will.
Ratchet & Clank demo now at GameStop
Ratchet & Clank, along with their tools of destruction, are in demo form at GameStop according to IGN. You'll have to wait until Oct. 4 to get easy access to the Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction demo on PSN and just a little longer to get the full game on Oct. 23. But right now you can stop by your favorite game retailer -- and here's the catch -- plunk down $5 for the pre-order and get your demo disc now. No word yet if other retailers will also receive the demo.On the bright side, if you don't like the demo, you can look at it that you saved yourself $55. Then again, if you have a little bit of patience you can get the demo for free on PSN in a couple weeks. Oh the vicious questions of a gamer: Pick up everyone's favorite Lombax now at a cost of $5 and whet your appetite for some solid platforming gameplay in a month? Or wait a couple weeks for the free demo and decide to get the game a couple weeks later? The choice is yours.%Gallery-3182%
Ratchet & Clank PS3 demo on Oct 4
Sony has scheduled some preliminary Tool time, dating the Ratchet & Clank Future demo for October 4th, according to IGN. The demo will feature Tools of Destruction's opening level, as disclosed by Insomniac in an interview with thedaily.com.au. "[Resistance taught us] the importance of opening the game with a bang -- and that's just what we do," Insomniac told thedaily.com.au, "Players will get a sneak peek of this level via a downloadable demo that should hit the PlayStation Network Store in the not-too-distant future." Not-too-distant being just 23 days away.Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is scheduled for retail release on October 23rd.
Brian Allgeier reminisces about his Ratchet & Clank journey
To quote the man, "What a strange long trip it's been." Brian Allgeier recently updated his blog over at IGN, swimming upstream in his river of memories about making Ratchet & Clank come to life, from the beginning to the latest PS3 version. While we'd love to recount his memory of Ratchet & Clank's roots with you, that's his story and we'd feel guilty if you didn't check out his own words on the matter. Let's just say that working on a dead-in-the-water project got everyone's creative juices flowing, resulting in the crazy gizmos we know and cherish along with our favorite furry hero.Brian Allgeier went on to answer a question that many gamers want to ask many developers: how can you keep working on that same franchise for so long? Luckily, every game takes different strides in different directions to keep things fresh -- much like every Final Fantasy game is distinct, every Ratchet title has its own stylistic elements and added areas to keep the same characters fresh. The PS2 titles featured some RPG elements, but Allgeier says with the PS3 version "our goal has been to focus on a galactic adventure with expressive characters in lush and vivid worlds. We're developing new gameplay, storytelling techniques, and a stylistic approach to give players an immersive experience." We simply can't wait to get our hands on the final version of Tools of Destruction, especially after sitting back and learning what goes through the Creative Director's head.
PlayStation Fancast 010: Insomniac Edition
We're sorry you've had to wait so long for this, our latest episode of the podcast. We hope it will be worth it. The title is a bit of a double entendre, as this week we have two special guests from Insomniac joining us on the show. The other meaning? Well, due to scheduling difficulties we didn't start recording until midnight and Jem was due to fly to Leipzig early the next morning, so he might sound a bit tired. We promised we'd keep up with the regular weekly schedule and, as a result of failing this week, we're hoping to bring you another episode before the weekend. Full of Leipzig and PAX anecdotes. Hopefully. Episode 10 features Jem Alexander, Nick Doerr, Andrew Yoon with special guests James Stevenson and Ryan Schneider from Insomniac Games. We discuss Jem's trip to Sony's 3Rooms in London and get in-depth with Insomniac about all things Ratchet and Clank. Among a couple of other things. Check below for the complete program. Complete Show [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [RSS] Add the PlayStation Fancast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. Use m.pspfanboy.com to add the show to your PSP system's RSS feeds. [iTunes] Subscribe to the Fancast directly in iTunes. Program: 0:00 - Intro 0:01 - Second intro 0:02 - 3Rooms 0:28 - Special Guest interview - James Stevenson and Ryan Schneider from Insomniac Games As always, feel free to leave your comments with us, either here in the post or via email to Jem[at]PS3fanboy.com. Also, if you're a fan of the show, please join our PS Fanboy Facebook group.
Ratchet Week: fighting in space videos
We're going to assume everyone reading this is a huge Ratchet and Clank fan. As a result, we're going to assume you've played all the Ratchet and Clank games through to Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters on the PSP (you do own a PSP, right Sony fans?). Well the space battles are back in Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Don't believe us? We have proof! The video above shows a classic space battle sequence from the game, while the video after the break shows a huge boss battle. In space. Exciting stuff, right? Well, not really. As fun as these parts of the games can be, we ultimately play the Ratchet and Clank series for fun platforming joy. Sometimes these bits feel a little tacked on. Despite that, enjoy the videos!
Ratchet and Clank video dump with pretty colors
Taking a break from playing the awesomeness of BioShock, it's time to take a quick look at another game that's got us getting excited: Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction. Slated for October 23 in North America (but remember it's not region locked), the game has come a long way since we saw it at E3. Why are we so excited about this particular installment in the series we've come to know and love over the years? Well, Christopher Nicholls, animation director for Insomniac Games, hits it out of the park in the video above saying, "This generation is like how many million colors of gray can you have? How realistic -- with lots stubble and [how] miserable can you make all the characters? I think that's OK, but thing with Ratchet, it's a total breath of fresh air. It's back to old-school, is it fun?"We've dumped a ton of Ratchet and Clank videos after the break. Is it worth getting a PS3 for? That's in the eye of the beholder and if you've hit your limit with the brown palette. When one can look at a game and the first thing that happens is a smile creeps in because there's color beyond brown and gray -- from a series that has been consistently solid -- it's at least worth thinking that the PS3 is finally getting some traction.
Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction blows stuff up Oct. 23
In the latest Insomniac podcast they announce Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction will release October 23 in North America. No word on a Euro release -- but they say it's region free, so Europe and Australia, use your NA friends to pick up a copy! Some of the guys at PS3 Fanboy have had more time with R&C since our E3 hands-on and they'll be writing that up very soon. This is one of the titles to look forward to on the PS3 this holiday season, as the Ratchet & Clank series has been consistently fun and far happier than the gritty, dark and gloomy gaming we've gotten used to lately. There's nothing wrong with having a game that gives us a giggle.[Via PS3 Fanboy]%Gallery-3182%
US Ratchet and Clank release date revealed in latest Full Moon Show
Looks like it's "release date revelation" day. A new international holiday during which we find out just exactly when we'll be playing all the great games over the next few months. Top of our list? Ratchet and Clank. We're desperate to get our hands on the final build of this game. Thanks to the latest episode of the Insomniac Full Moon Show, we now know that we will be playing it on October the 23rd. The following months are going to be excellent, if today is anything to go by. Just these Sony first party games and R&C are enough to leave our wallets in a horrid state. So week of October 23rd off work and step into your HandyCryo Personal Stasis Device. That's what we're doing, at least. See you at the end of October.[Thanks mccomber]
Official Ratchet and Clank box art revealed
With the imminent release of Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction coming in the next couple months, Insomniac has released the final box art of their highly anticipated title. Sporting the now iconic image of a Ratchet looking out over the Metropolis level and a terrified Clank reacting to an attacking monster, it looks solid but is not really anything special. With almost all of their screenshots and hands-on demos being in the Metropolis level, it just seems a little played out. I mean, there are other parts to the game... right?[Via N4G]
Ratchet and Clank demo hitting PS Store shelves soon [Update]
[Update: The demo is not coming out this week. Karraker issued a clarification statement: "In my original interview that this is getting sourced from I was speaking about the Heavenly Sword demo. A bit of confusion between the editor and me has led to this story being mistakenly reported, which is now being corrected."]We love furry animal critters and funky robots, so of course we're going to love the rumored Ratchet and Clank demo when it comes out. Game Informer had an interview with Dave Karraker about that very topic and he said the demo was, in fact, complete. He expects it to actually release this week, alongside the Heavenly Sword demo. We'd like this to be true, but we've heard nothing about it, so we remain skeptical.With all the other demos getting announced, we're not surprised to hear of this one. We've just got to find an appropriate frame of time to slide the demo under the door, so to speak. If nothing else, give this demo a chance to get a better feeling for the game, if you didn't exactly agree with the hands-on impressions from E3.[Via PSX Extreme]
A small taste of Ratchet & Clank Future's E3 outing
On the cusp of E3 week, PlayStation.Blog has produced a promised good from the folks at Insomniac Games: a screenshot from the upcoming Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Not just any screenshot, mind you, but one depicting the very first playable moment from their E3 demo. Right now, some E3 attendees are totally making out with their plane tickets. Their saliva soon to grace more than just paper, but the floors of many a Santa Monica convention center.Smaller details as to why the city is being blown up are skirted, however, transforming penguins are not. Larger sizes of the shot have been made available as to avoid hordes of PlayStation fans going blind.
Developers Studio: Brian Allgeier and Ratchet & Clank
Just as we did before with Heavenly Sword, we've got another Developers Studio for you via the PlayStation Blog. This time, we're getting the focus on Ratchet and Clank from Insomniac's own Brian Allgeier. When he describes the game as "A Spectacularific Galactic Sci-Fi Adventure" you really start to know how they come up with such creative weaponry -- they'll all about having fun.The folks at Insomniac answer a number of questions about their upcoming PS3 exclusive (hitting shelves this Fall, no less), including their favorite part of the game and describing one of the bosses. Can we mention that the boss battles are epic, giant forces to be reckoned with? Anyway, please check out the full interview at the PlayStation Blog and leave us your thoughts. We can't wait to play this game -- it really does seem to live up to the "Toy Story quality" graphics boasted oh-so-many years ago.
PSP Fan Art Fridays: Ratchet & Clank
Do you want to share your PSP-related fan art? Send us an e-mail. A new piece of fan art will be shared every Friday. It seems almost criminal that we hadn't featured a Ratchet & Clank fan art yet. Luckily, this week we got this Ratchet fan art e-mailed to us from Matt. It's interesting to see a more slender Ratchet. It sort of reminds us of the PS3 version of his character model. Not only that, but the lighting and stern look of both Ratchet and Clank is refreshing. Thanks for sending in this great fan art Matt! Please let Matt know what you think of it in our comments section. %Gallery-3450%
Jack Tretton teases E3 surprises, promises "more than 100 titles" by year end
Sony has been going full throttle on it's new PlayStation.Blog with some of the biggest names at the company doing regular posts. This time, the president and CEO of SCEA, Jack Tretton weighs in with an interesting post about the past successes of the PlayStation brand and some of his thoughts of the future. It's interesting stuff and definitely worth reading. He also gives game-starved PS3 owners some good news by implying that the drought is almost done: "We have more than 15 games coming from our own internal studios alone this year for PS3. Our third party partners will weigh in with a host of great games giving us more than 100 titles by year end on that system alone."Later on in the piece are hints that we're in for some cool surprises at E3 too, stating that not only will we see new stuff on the known titles like Ratchet and Clank or Heavenly Sword, but also they will announce "a few surprises we have up our sleeves that no one has seen." Intriguing and exciting stuff and we'll find out in less than a month! Anybody want to start the random unsubstantiated guessing on what they're gonna show? I say ... Killzone Bowling and Barbie's Xtreme SOCOM Adventures.[Via N4G]
