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Awfully disturbing Hot Shots Golf ad
Japan loves making crazy ads ... and Sony's Minna no Golf 5 gets the same quirky treatment. This latest campaign from Sony takes place in a spa, and there are balls everywhere. Is this some not-so-covert attempt at terrifying innuendo? Or, are our American minds simply reading far too much into this? See also: Awfully disturbing Ape Escape ad
Minna No Golf 5 PS3 bundle on its way to Japan
The Japanese love their golf. In particular, they love Minna No Golf (you might know it better as Hot Shots Golf). They love it so much, in fact, that to date there have been over 300,000 pre-orders for the latest iteration of the series on the PS3. Seeing this as an opportunity to boost system sales in Japan, Sony have announced plans to release a Minna No Golf 5 bundle pack.Interestingly, the bundle will come in both 20GB and 60GB form, so there's no sign that the 20GB system is being dropped yet as it has elsewhere. The bundle allows a saving of almost 4000 yen when compared to buying the system and the game separately. That works out to about £16 or $32, so nothing special. Still, that coupled with the light and airy box art (as opposed to the "forbidden evil" design that the boxes have now) may allow for a surge in console sales.Japan is an important market for the PlayStation 3 and, as of yet, the decent game offerings have been a bit western for their tastes. With FolksSoul released tomorrow and Minna No Golf 5 next month, we could be seeing the real start of the Japanese PlayStation adoption taking place quite soon.[Via IGN]
Hot Shots Golf 5 putting video -- not for the feint of heart
Golf games are relatively simple. Line up your shot, charge your power meter and slam that funky white crater-ball as far as possible. Then you get to the green... and you have to putt. Not only do the dynamics of the game ostensibly shift, but the complexity and threshold of skill are both increased exponentially. Putting requires an avid desire to sink the shot in one go, often making you consider the wind speed, the tilt of the ground, the distance to the hole, the power behind your putt ... there's a lot more to consider, basically. Check out the trailer for a nifty putting montage courtesy of Hot Shots Golf 5, if not for a tutorial on how to get your act together whilst putting.
Hot Shots Golf 5 gets its online... on
For those of you who don't play golf, it's a game with a ball and a stick. Many games begin that way, but their evolution takes them on very different paths. Isn't it amazing how a ball and a stick, along with a unique set of rules, can become a multitude of recreational activities? Bonus points for naming as many as you can! These bonus points can be traded in for props. Not stage props, but a tip of the hat props.If you've followed our coverage of Hot Shots Golf 5 and downloaded the demo off of the Japanese PS-Store, you know it's a pretty darn fun title. Now we can tell you about the online basics of the game, thanks to Famitsu magazine. Online lobbies will support 50 players and you can customize your player with a multitude of clothes, gear, etc. Playing a round with friends is fun and all, but hopefully it's not with all 50 people -- a 9-hole course could take hours!There are slated to be about 14 playable characters in the game, including Japanese golfer Shigeki Maruyama. We might see some changes upon the stateside release, which has yet to be announced. Eventually, though...
Minna no Golf ad highlights GPS functionality
While the rest of the world watches, GPS continues to gain support and popularity in Japan. The latest commercial for Minna no Golf showcases a happy woman playing golf. Then, she uses the GPS device on her PSP to get details on the course she's actually playing on. Yatta! It's interesting to see SCEJ promote the GPS peripheral so strongly in Japan. Certainly, the diminutive device deserves to get all the attention it can get. When will the rest of the world be able to join in? [Update: IGN has revealed more details about the GPS support of Minna no Golf Ba. The game spans two UMDs due to the incredible size of these maps. "The first disk will include sixteen courses from southern Chiba along with one special course. The second disk will include fifteen courses from northern Chiba." Additional volumes are planned to be released later on, featuring even more golf courses throughout Japan.]
Minna no Golf 5 demo hits Japanese PlayStation Store
If you don't already have a dummy Japanese PSN account, now's the time to make one. We've spent the past 19 minutes downloading a playable demo of Clap Hanz' Minna no Golf 5, which is the PS3 debut for a series that's also known as Hot Shots Golf and Everybody's Golf. The demo weighs in at 241MB, and a quick play reveals what could be the greenest game of 2007 -- it just needs some frame-rate improvement in places and we'll be sold. The final product is due for release in Japan this July.
Retro Review: Hot Shots Golf 2
File Size: 157MBPrice: $5.99Developed By: Clap HanzPublished By: Sony Computer Entertainment of AmericaOriginal Release Date: February 29, 2000Short ReviewRecommended. For better or for worse, the golf genre's lack of significant evolution makes Hot Shots Golf 2 an incredibly worthwhile purchase. The graphics have aged very well, and the quick load times make this $6 purchase just as worthwhile as other fully priced modern golf games.
Japan gets PSP GPS, others can import
The plug-in GPS Receiver for PSP was released today in Japan and inevitably, has been made available to potential importers via Play-Asia ($68.70, includes shipping to US). Its usefulness is currently limited, as the navigation software (of Japan's roadways) has yet to be released; though Sega's constellation navigator is available.In addition, the device is compatible with Metal Gear Solid: Potable Ops, but limited GPS usage in the game doesn't exactly warrant the $70 splurge. The receiver will also be compatible with the next installment of Hot Shots Golf, which is due out early next year in Japan (as Minna no Golf-jou).
Get your Hot Shots Golf: Coca-Cola special edition PSP at eBay
I'm sure you're all aware of the Signature PSP lineup by now, but did you know Sony teamed up with Coca Cola to manufacture 1,300 Hot Shots Golf: Coca Cola Special Edition PSP bundles in Japan last year? The bundled Hot Shots game, which Coca Cola gave away in contests, was basically a big commercial for the company as it featured Coca Cola advertising, clothing and even bottle-shaped golf clubs.Unfortunately, the contests are all over and you can't win one anymore. However, if you have about $660 burning a hole in your pocket, the bundle can be all yours via an eBay auction here. You even get the prize letter from Coca Cola to make you feel like you've won something.
The GPS games: more details revealed
The upcoming camera and GPS peripherals have been getting a lot of attention, most notably because they have the ability to extend the PSP's already impressive capability set, and interface with games in new, original ways. One of the more creative examples we mentioned earlier was Hot Shot Golf's communication with GPS that transforms the game into a personal golf assistant when you're actually on one of Japan's golf courses. According to IT Media, this can become the "golf tool of the new age." This will certainly bring in a very unique audience to the world of gaming: golfers, who might pick up a PSP just to get all the golf data they could ever want. (But we wonder, how many people will actually use this functionality? And: will it work on US golf courses?)Of course, Hot Shots Golf isn't the only game using PSP's GPS feature. Read on to see how other software is taking advantage of the device.
TGS 06: Camera & GPS details revealed [Update 2]
The fine folks of PSP Vault appear to have discovered a few new screenshots and details of the upcoming PSP accessories: The camera uses Chotto Shot, a program that lets you edit your movies. Using AdHoc, you'll be able to transmit videos to other PSP owners. Hot Shots Golf will let you plan your golf shots on actual golf courses in Japan. The GPS functionality will help you locate other Metal Gear Solid players. Read - Camera details revealedRead - GPS details revealed[Update 1: IGN has revealed new pictures from the GPS interface.][Update 2: Vault reveals hints about MGS GPS functionality.]
SNL writers distracted by the PSP
Saturday Night Live cast member Jason Sudekis recently had a chat with Yahoo! about video games on the set of the show. Surprisingly, the PSP handheld seems to be the system for the writers and staff of the show. "They all have PSPs there running around Liberty City Stories or playing 18 holes on Hot Shots Golf. Now that PSP is out everyone can play the same game in the same room and you don't have to have a TV."It appears that his favorite games on the handheld come mostly from Sony's excellent launch with the system: Burnout Legends, Twisted Metal Head-On, and Hot Shot Golf. His top game on the PSP is Lumines (great choice, my man!).Those of you that are interested in joining the SNL cast one day better start getting your PSPs revved up.
SCEA: PSP price drop to $199 on March 22nd; EyeToy, GPS, and PSone game-download support coming later
As noted in our earlier story on the PS3's worldwide launch in November, the PSP will drop in price to $199 in the U.S. on March 22nd.According to an official PR announcement from SCEA, this basic package with PSP, AC adaptor, and battery will also retail for $229.99 CND (for our friends up north).Highlights include classic PSone games for download onto Memory Sticks, web browser compatibility with Flash, a silver USB EyeToy camera for video and voice-over-IP chat in September, and GPS support for games like Hot Shots Golf as well. Europe will get their basic PSPs for 199 Euros on the same date, while Japan will get a new white SKU on April 15th.See also: PS3 worldwide in November PSP-specific page from IGN; second IGN page with other pricing info New PSP Value Packs revealed [with bundled games for Europe] Rumor: New PSP to get a built-in camera and 4GB of flash
