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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!
Celebrate the summer in Perfect World International
Grab your beach towels, slather on the sunscreen, and slip on a pair of shades, for the summer is upon us! Just because we love MMOs doesn't mean we can neglect healthy seasonal traditions. Perfect World International is excited about the summer as well, and is ushering in an ocean's worth of new content for players to dive into a month early. If a makeover is your thing this season, then you'll be thrilled to know that you can finally switch between the Demon and Sage paths with a new conversion feature. Maybe you want to see what it's like to be a good girl or a bad boy, for once. The neglected Tideborn players won't be left out of the beach party, either -- they can now acquire Demon and Sage skills, as well as a few other new skills for the Assassin and Psychic classes. Grab a few pals for a quick game of "Kill the Nien Beast," as the grumpy Gus returns for another swipe at Archosaur. This Public Quest was so popular during the spring that it just had to come back for round two. Finally, for the remainder of the month of May, catch a wave at the Double XP Event -- hang ten with double XP, double Spirit and double items!
PlayStation 3's 3D implementation explained, may require upscaling and reduction in detail to work
It was only a couple of days ago that Sony flicked the switch on 3D compatibility for the PS3 -- albeit without retail games that can yet exploit it -- so what better time to dig into the nitty gritty details of the company's implementation of the third dimension? Digital Foundry have done just that, starting off with a discussion of how Sony translated WipEout HD from 2D into 3D. Noting that the original version ran at 1080p, Sony's senior development manager Simon Benson explains that notching resolution down to 720p opened up some pixel processing overhead (one 1080p stream requires nearly 2.1 million pixels, whereas a duo of 720p images is around 1.85 million in total), while reducing the refresh rate to 30Hz allowed the devs the breathing room to complete the extra geometric calculations required by 3D. That's certainly not the 1080p video at 100Hz per eye that we were hearing about at IDF last year, but at least it shows that games that haven't been coded for 3D can be translated, albeit at more demure settings. In the case of Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, the game already ran at a 720p / 30fps clip, so the solution was to generate it at a lower resolution and to use hardware upscaling and a few optimizations to make 3D work. Lest you think the transition was all bad news on the graphical immersion front, the SCEE devs also mention that quite a few field-of-view and motion-illustrating effects could simply be disabled in 3D, as in that mode "you get [them] for free." Of course, we're still only talking about retrofitting 3D, and Sony's big hope is that developers will code for the new format right from the start, resulting in visually richer and technically more efficient implementations. Hit the source for more.
'Wipeout' (not that Wipeout) coming to Wii and DS
click to wipe in to the galleryFrom now on, thanks to Activision's latest announcement, we're going to have to specify which Wipeout series of games we're talking about. There's Wipeout, the now Sony-exclusive futuristic racing game series, and Wipeout: The Game, the new Wii and DS game based on the game show about people falling off of elaborate obstacle courses. This Wipeout is a four-player game in which opponents can taunt and throw stuff at each other as they attempt the show's trademark (and not at all inspired by Ninja Warrior) obstacle courses. Of course, the show's hosts will provide in-game commentary. Commentary like you'll hear in the video after the break, in which yelling men ride foam rockets while the hosts relentlessly mock their intellligence and weight. Wipeout: The Game will be out this summer, "just in time for the premiere of the TV show's highly anticipated 3rd season."
The Classifieds: The Spectacular Wipe Club
The Classifieds brings you weekly updates on guild recruiting, rankings, splits and merges, progression and more. Have guild news or a Random Act of Uberness to share? E-mail TheClassifieds@wow.com. Huzzah! We have a winne -- err, loser to announce! Proudly claiming the lead in our Spectacular Wipes Challenge is the stalwart PUG from US Thrall-A shown in the Sarth-3D video, above. "This was a zerg attempt prior to release of 3.1, the first done Alliance-side on Thrall-US," writes submitter Popalicious. "While we don't all come from the same guild, most of us were friends and some of us had been guilded together prior to the release of BC (though I think the hunter in this video was a total PUG none of us knew at all, heh). I was the only one who had successfully completed Sarth+3 on 10- or 25-man in the group, so it was kind of awesome fun to see the spam when we finally did get it down. I was proud of us for sticking it out, but the QQ over Vent when this wipe came up ... 'OMG one more poison proc and he would have died!', 'One more tick of Ret Aura ...' After this wipe, one of the rogues went back to Zangarmarsh and farmed up some Firebloom, convinced it would be that one little extra push we'd need. But sadly, it just wasn't meant to be that night. We did complete it successfully the next week with almost the exact same makeup." This group's 223-hp spectacular wipe easily bests <Spectacular Death>'s 1,475-hp gem. Can your boss wipe beat that? Send in the best of your worst to TheClassifieds@wow.com. Now let's crack open The Classifieds ...
Report: Half of Studio Liverpool staff laid off
According to a report from Develop citing inside sources, Sony has terminated half of all employees at Studio Liverpool -- the team behind the WipEout franchise. In January 2009, Sony merged Studio Liverpool (formerly Psygnosis) with Evolution Studios and last week announced plans to restructure the new team. In its report of the restructuring, GamesIndustry.biz noted redundancies "may be necessary;" however, Sony has yet to confirm how many positions were affected by the decision. Within the comments of GI's original article, a user registered as SCEE programmer Paul Ripley wrote "I would estimate about at least 50% of Studio Liverpool has [just] been culled (myself included). Hard to work out exact numbers at the moment." Develop's inside source relayed similar information, noting Sony's layoff plans for the studio were "looking heavy." Joystiq has reached out to Sony for comment, but has yet to hear back as of this publishing. If you work/worked for Studio Liverpool and would like to speak to us on or off the record, we're all ears.
WipEout HD in-game ads return, still affect load times
Fans of Sony's blistering anti-grav racer WipEout HD will no doubt recall the game's update to version 2.0 back in August. That's because one of the additions came in the form of advertisements that would play during race loading screens. Having to see ads in a game you've paid full price for is one thing, the fact that they nearly doubled load times is another. Thankfully, Sony responded to an outpouring of ire over the ads by yanking them. Well, as we were warned last month, they're back. The 2.10 update for WipEout HD boldly proclaims that "Changes have been made so that any adverts shown during loading screens will not adversely affect the loading times" upon first launch. OK, ads are back, but at least they don't increase load times -- right? Not so fast. When loading a particular race, we perceived some degree of delay while the ad (in this case for Fat Princess) played. Wanting to make sure it wan't just in our ads-in-our-games-can-leave-now-please heads, we timed it. Lo and behold, the same course loads in 16.9 seconds without the ad and 21.7 with it -- an almost five second difference. The results were more or less the same for every track we tried, with smaller venues loading faster, naturally. So, despite assurances otherwise, load times are being affected by the re-instated ads. We're working to get in touch with Sony and the game's developer, SCEE Studio Liverpool, to find out exactly what gives. [Thanks, Ken!]
New in-game ads speeding towards WipEout HD
WipEout HD (and Fury) will be receiving a 2.10 patch soon. In addition to "small improvements to front-end functionality" and some minor fixes, the 2.10 patch will change the way in-game advertisements are displayed. You'll recall, Sony was largely criticized for the game's State Farm ads which increased load times – a "no no" for the in-game ad model. SCEE marketing executive Mikel Arrien says they've learned from the controversy: "We have therefore focused on ensuring that the advertising is embedded as sympathetically to the overall experience as possible." That doesn't mean ads have been completely removed from the picture with 2.10! In fact, more advertising is about to hit the game -- at least in European territories. "WipEout and in-game advertising and sponsorship have gone hand-in-hand since 1996, when a now famous energy drink appeared in the seminal Wipeout 2097 and over the years many brands and products have been associated with the series," Arrien said, trying to explain why the WipEout HD platform seems so ripe for commercialization.
PS3's new 3D mode captured on video, coming in 2010 to all existing games
You know what's absolutely useless? A video of Wipeout HD being played in 3D, with some schmuck wearing 3D glasses and babbling on about how much fun he's having. Well, that schmuck is this Engadget editor, the video can be found after the break, and we've gotta say: we loved it. Especially for something like Wipeout HD, whose neon-infused tracks make for an almost too convenient example of rapidly approaching vanishing points, we'd say 3D could really be a quasi-"killer app" for consoles going forward -- especially if those fancy new motion controllers don't catch on for Microsoft and Sony. In many ways, 3D just seems to make more sense in a video game than for a movie, and the whole problem of finding content to deliver in the format has already been solved: a software update for the PS3 sometime in 2010 will enable it to provide a 3D viewing experience to "all" existing games on the system. We're sure there will be some exceptions, but it sounds very promising. The console itself pumps out a quite regular signal over HDMI, which the TV syncs up with your 3D glasses. A 200Hz TV, for instance, alternates 1080p frames, with 100Hz for each eye. Of course, you'll need a brand new TV, but at least it won't be restricted to just Sony televisions. Start saving those pennies!
Double Fusion slows down WipEout HD with ads
The latest WipEout HD patch did more than just add Fury content to the game. No, it also introduced advertising courtesy of Double Fusion, "the leading in- and around-game advertising and gaming audience network." While in-game ads are nothing new, the implementation of WipEout's ads are causing quite a bit of grief for PS3 owners. Why? They slow down the game significantly.Players have become accustomed to load screens, but now they must also wait for an advertisement to play before beginning a new race. As demonstrated by a user-captured video, the standard load time for WipEout HD is about eight seconds long. If an advertisement plays, the load time increases more than twofold: to nineteen seconds.Most in-game advertisements appear as unobtrusive and non-interactive billboards. However, slowing down a game's performance to present ads in a program gamers have already paid for is far too intrusive. Jonathan Epstein, CEO of Double Fusion, stated that "Double Fusion is responding to advertiser demand and offering an engaging ad format while pushing in-game ad innovation to a new level." It's unfortunate that we have to wait while that new level loads.[Thanks, Chris!]
WipEout HD Fury expansion dated July 23, priced
Zico Liu, programmer (and Trophy) on WipEout HD, recently dropped by the European PlayStation Blog to confirm a price and date for the game's latest expansion: Fury. Psychedelic speedsters in Europe can get their greasy mitts on this new content come July 23 for £7.99 (€9.99). US gamers won't miss out, as Fury will also be available on the US store for $9.99 that day. For those of you not in the brightly-colored loop, Fury adds a whole lot of new content, including game types, tracks and ships, to Sony's futuristic racer.Source - Playstation.Blog.EuropeSource - Playstation.Blog [US]%Gallery-64658%
'Fury' coming to WipEout HD
PS3's downloadable antigrav racer, WipEout HD, is getting its first bit of DLC. Attendees at E3 will be able to try out "Fury," the first expansion pack for the game. Included in the upcoming pack are 8 new tracks, 13 new ships and 3 new game modes. A patch will also add new trophies, a "re-styled front-end" and improved multiplayer functionality.One of the new modes being reintroduced to WipEout HD is the "Eliminator" mode, last seen in PSP's Pulse. This combat-centric mode gives favor to killing instead of racing. It's one of our favorite modes from WipEout Pulse, so we're glad to see it make a comeback.In addition, the upcoming Fury DLC will add "Zone Battle," a multiplayer twist on the classic "Zone" concept. In this new mode, players will be able to acquire zone pads and choose between a speed or health boost. Opponents will be able to drop zone barriers, a deadlier WipEout interpretation of Mario Kart's banana peel. Finally, the "Detonator" mode has players shooting at mines while trying to try through 14 different stages. We'll be giving you a full hands-on report on "Fury" later this week.%Gallery-64658%
WipEout Pulse PS2 port revealed by German ratings board
Not too long ago, we reported that a WipEout Pulse port was rumored to hit the PS2. Back then it was still intangible gossip; however now, there is substantial evidence that such a title is indeed in the works. German ratings board USK (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle) has this PS2 port listed down in its database -- the record of which can be seen embedded in the image above.Without any reciprocal rating on North America's ESRB, the PS2 WipEout title may never leave Europe -- that is, if it gets off the ground in the first place.
LittleBigPlanet getting WipEout, Ape Escape costumes
The bad news: According to a PlayStation Europe community manager, LittleBigPlanet's DLC hiatus will continue until next week, just slightly beyond January 22's promise of "big surprises."The good news: As of January 26th, fans of Media Molecule's make-your-own-platformer will receive numerous downloadable goodies. January 26th -- Chinese New Year costumes (free, available for 10 days only) January 29th -- Groundhog Day costume (available one week only), God of War mini pack, Kratos costume February 5th -- Valentines Day mini pack (available for 2 weeks only) February 12th -- Ape Escape costume, Toro costume February 19th -- WipEout costume kit That's right, a WipEout costume kit. Haven't you always wanted your sack person to resemble a cuddly little HOVER VEHICLE THAT SHOOTS MISSILES OUT OF ITS NOSE? The neutral news: Release dates and prices have yet to be confirmed for the North American PSN. We'll keep you informed. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Rumor: Wipeout Pulse headed to PS2, Fat Princess due in March
According to an alleged Q1 release schedule issued by Sony Computer Entertainment Benelux, the PlayStation Network can--Yes, that's right. Sony Computer Entertainment Benelux, which handles the European economic union comprising Belgium, Netherland and Luxembourg. Anyway, VideoGamesBlogger claims to have received this schedule, which includes a PlayStation 2 version of PSP racer Wipeout Pulse -- due in February -- and a March PSN release for obese royalty roll-a-thon, Fat Princess. In addition, the--What? Yes, of course we asked Sony for comment. The company indicated awareness of an "out of date" release schedule being mistakenly circulated to the media and could not confirm any of the games nor release dates. Even though Flower's already been confirmed for February 12th. The other ...No, we're not being hasty. We're just trying to convey some information here. It would be truly helpful if you could just stop interrupting us. We're trying to write a post here. In the nice, padded room.
SCEE plans to merge Liverpool and Evolution Studios
Two of Europe's brightest development teams will share a home in the future, according to a recent interview with SCEE's Michael Denny. Studio Liverpool, developers of the popular Wipeout franchise, and Evolution Studios, developers of the MotorStorm series, will eventually merge to work at one location. The two teams have already merged "management structure" and are currently using "combined resources." The two teams are already in close proximity to each other, so it makes sense that these PlayStation teams should combine.Each studio will continue to have their own "internal concepting group" to think up "new opportunities and new IPs." Perhaps their next game will feature futuristic hovering ... off-road monster trucks. Wait a sec. That sounds incredibly awesome.
WipEout HD patched for popular players, may require save deletion
Sony has deployed a patch for WipEout HD onto European servers, and presumably will do the same later today in North America, fixing freezing issues that have affected players with over 50 friends. Admittedly, we were rather fond of the "glitch," though it's probably time we let go of our petty grudge against the in-crowd of our adolescent years (note to self: avoid awkward confrontations at next high school reunion politely decline the Jägerbombs). Still, there's some glee to be gleaned from the update. According to the description: "If at any time you have had over 50 users in your friends list whilst playing Wipeout it is possible that your saved data has become corrupted. If this situation applies to you, we strongly recommend once this update has installed you quit the game and delete your saved data using the saved data utility in the XMB, then relaunch the game to create a new profile. Deleting your Saved Data will not affect your collected trophies or online records, but will reset your campaign mode progress, team loyalties, and in-game settings." [Emphasis ours.]See? Popularity doesn't always get you ahead in life.Update: The patch has been released in North America.
How WipEout maintains 60fps and 1080p
Maintaining 1080p and 60fps is no easy feat. In fact, many games in this generation can barely pump out 720p graphics, as seen by upscaling tricks used by titles like Haze, Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV. However, WipEout HD is one of the few games that maintains 1080p at a silky smooth 60fps. How were they able to do that?Inside the Digital Foundry once again examined the pure pixel count of WipEout HD. What they found is interesting. The game does, for the most part, run in full 1080p. However, when the action becomes too intense, the game will downscale the resolution. It appears the PS3 figures out exactly what resolution the game needs to run at frame-by-frame to ensure the game's 60fps count is never broken. "Rather than introduce dropped frames, slow down or other unsavoury effects, the number of pixels being rendered drops and the PS3's horizontal hardware scaler is invoked to make up the difference. It's an intriguing solution that works with limited impact on the overall look of the game"It appears the lowest resolution WipEout can render in is 1280x1080, which is still a 50% increase over 720p. The end result is something gamers, regardless of their AV tech knowledge, can truly appreciate.[Thanks, kzin!]
Download G.A.M.E. 3.0 WipEout Edition: A custom soundtrack for WipEout HD made by GAFers
Wow! Bravo to the NeoGAF forum for creating this incredible custom soundtrack for WipEout HD. While the PSN game offers an excellent soundtrack as-is, it's refreshing to have this new collection of tunes to listen to while racing down these futuristic tracks. The soundtrack was created by a very talented group of NeoGAFers: "We're a bunch of NeoGAF posters who make electronic music. Some of us veterans, some of us amateurs, but we all share a passion for videogames and electronic music."We're offering a mirror download here on PS3 Fanboy to show our support for the project. But, make sure you check out NeoGAF for the full credits list. Download here, and check out instructions on how to use it in the game after the cut. Download (165MB)
PsN ThUrsdAy: ThE BlUe BoMber's WipEout PaRadIse
Yup, random capitalization in titles is still annoying -- especially in game titles.On that note, it's a big week for the PSN update. WipEout HD makes its debut, along with several other downloadable titles, including Mega Man 9. The PSP gets some games to download and there's several content packs for Buzz! on PS3. Check out the full list after the break.A list of this week's super-size serving of goodies found in the European PSN update can be found over at PS3 Fanboy. %Gallery-17035%
