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Angry Birds Star Wars coming to most game consoles on October 29th (video)
Angry Birds Star Wars has invaded virtually every major mobile and desktop platform; as of October 29th, it will have a footprint on nearly every modern game console, too. The sci-fi bird flinging title will ship to the US that day for the 3DS, Wii, Wii U, PS3, PS Vita and Xbox 360, with international customers getting their turn on November 1st. Regardless of the platform, there's a few rewards for patient gamers -- the console editions will carry a raft of competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes, as well as 20 exclusive levels. We're slightly surprised that there aren't PS4 and Xbox One ports just to complete the picture, but the launch is still good news for those who'd rather play ABSW on the big screen than give its sequel a try.
Sony adds Indie Games category to PSN, brings Hotline Miami to the Vita (video)
As much as we'd like to talk about Sony's increasing hospitality toward independent developers, we're a little too anxious. You see, the company has just added an indie games channel to its handheld console, with Hotline Miami as the flagship title. Users will also be able to grab 53 other titles, like Thomas Was Alone, Sound Shapes and Limbo, but we're too busy with Hotline Miami to pay attention right now. Sony is also promising that we'll see Spelunky, Terraria and Hohokum in the next few months, which'll keep you entertained when you've finished, you know, Hotline Miami. If you'd like to catch a trailer showcasing all the new games, head on past the break.
Sony will launch cloud gaming service for PS3, PS4 and Vita in 2014
Sony announced that it will provide streamed PS3 games, powered by Gaikai, to Vita, PS3 and PS4 owners next year. While it won't make the launch of the PlayStation 4, Sony says it will be "fast and responsive," and hopefully worth the wait. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Sony's Yoshida confirms all PlayStation 4 games work with Vita via Remote Play (with minor exceptions)
Sony's PlayStation Vita is getting a major content boost when the PlayStation 4 launches later this year, as all PlayStation 4 games will run on the Vita via Remote Play. The only exceptions offered by Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida were, "unless the game requires specific hardware like the camera [PS4 Eye]." It also stands to reason that PlayStation Move-specific titles won't run via Remote Play, nor anything else that requires peripheral hardware (the Buzz! series, for example). The PlayStation 4's Remote Play functionality with the Vita is said to be far more robust than its previous PlayStation 3 / PlayStation Portable iteration. Developers can even put Vita-specific controls in their PS4 games, enabling Wii U-esque second screen functionality, Yoshida told us earlier this year. We'll have our Vitas on-hand at E3 in a few weeks when we expect Sony will offer first hands-on with its next gaming console.
iOS games spending overtakes dedicated games
App analytics firm App Annie has released a new report about portable gaming, and announced that iOS gamers are now spending more money on Apple's platform than on traditional handheld titles. The light blue above is last year's fourth quarter, the dark blue is this year's first quarter, and as you can see, both iOS and Google Play spending is up, and has actually topped spending on traditional handheld devices like the Nintendo 3DS and the PS Vita. This is mostly due, says App Annie, to a seasonal drop in traditional handheld game spending -- game sales always tend to go up over the holidays, and then drop in the new year. But it's also clear that iOS is growing a lot -- and in fact, in the chart above, it's actually higher than even traditional gaming was last quarter. We'll have to see how this plays out going forwards. Both the PS Vita (made by Sony) and the 3DS (made by Nintendo) have packed schedules for software releases this year, and the Sony handheld is set to be supported by the release of the new PS4 console. So this battle isn't over at all yet. But smartphones are clearly a dominant force in the world of portable gaming, and consumers are happy more and more to spend their money on iOS games rather than another traditional handheld title.
Sony lifting development license fee on PlayStation Vita and Mobile starting ... yesterday
Sony's already got a low barrier to entry for developers on its PlayStation Mobile platform, which encompasses the PlayStation Vita handheld game console and a variety of smartphones -- just $99 for a license enables publishing across all PlayStation Mobile devices. Apparently that fee is too much for some folks, so Sony's waiving it altogether. Starting right now (as of yesterday, actually), Sony's "removing any existing barriers" between developers and the PS Mobile platform by dropping the publishing fee, thusly making it all the easier for devs to push their games to the Vita and various smartphones. There are already some great indie games featured on Sony's PS Mobile store, including Vlambeer's Super Crate Box and Super Icon Ltd.'s Life of Pixel, and this paves the way for even more. Of course, Apple's iOS publishing fee is $99 per year and the App Store is certainly more flush with content than Sony's Mobile store, which tells us it isn't the license fee that's stopping people from pushing their games to PS Mobile.
Sony announces Jak and Daxter Trilogy coming to PS Vita this June
Despite what the sales figures might imply, the general consensus is that, for the most part, the PlayStation Vita's a neat portable console -- although some still argue Sony could do a little more to give its precious handheld a boost when it comes to available content. And just as it did with the PS3, the Japanese electronics maker has now announced that a remastered collection of Jak and Daxter is headed to the PS Vita as well, which includes Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II and Jak 3. The trilogy's said to be debuting on the PlayStation Vita at some point in June of this year for $29.99 in North America, or a corresponding €29.99 for those located across the pond in Europe. Not too bad a price to pay for some nostalgia-filled gaming sessions, eh?
PlayStation Vita's firmware update 2.10 adding folders, enhanced video playback
Tired of all those messy icons cluttering up your PlayStation Vita's home screen? Sony's providing a solution in its next update, firmware version 2.10, which enables folders of up to 10 items to be organized on the screen. That means you could potentially take those 100 max applications allowed and stuff them all into folders on the home screen, effectively condensing your various home screens from 10 to one. The rest of the update isn't so thrilling -- namely, being able to identify which memory card you've got in the device, some email app enhancements, and video support which "allows you to play video within the browser." There're a few more minor tweaks, which we've included in the list past the jump -- a complete list of updates in gritty detail will show up here when the update goes live at some point "later this evening."
PS Vita 3G price drops to $199 at certain Sony outlets
Just when we had gotten used to the idea that the PS Vita's price drop in Japan would not be followed by a similar one here, Joystiq reports many Sony stores are offering the 3G bundle at a discount. While not all the stores contacted had the lowered $199 price, most of the ones that were still open at this hour did. We're not seeing this price drop reflected in any other stores, and there's no official announcement of any change, which only contributes to the confusion. Different store employees gave different explanations for the change, including a few indicating the model would be discontinued. The online shop still shows both the WiFi and 3G models for $249, so for now all we know is that if you are interested in buying, it would serve you well to look around for the lower price.
Runner2 out tomorrow on Wii U and Steam, Wednesday on Xbox Live
Gaijin Games' Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien sequel was submitted to its various platforms earlier this month, but we now have official dates and prices for the title, courtesy of Gaijin's co-founder Alex Neuse himself. CommanderVideo will start his run on the Wii U and Steam (for PC, Mac, and Linux) tomorrow, February 26, and then be available on Xbox Live on Wednesday of this week, February 27.The PSN, iOS, and Vita releases are coming later: Neuse says "hopefully March 5" for the PSN release, "but Early March for sure!" iOS and Vita versions are due out sometime this summer. The game will be $14.99 no matter what platform you buy it on, and Neuse notes that there's still a few hours for a Steam preorder if you want the various bonuses and discounts. If you've been waiting a long time to hear the voice of Charles Martinet narrate the long-awaited BIT.TRIP sequel, your wait is almost over.Update: March 5 on PSN is confirmed, according to Gaijin's other co-founder, Mike Roush.
The DualShock 4 is 'near final' hardware, Remote Play is more than an afterthought, and other notes from Shuhei Yoshida
The only hardware shown on-stage during Sony's PlayStation 4 event was the retooled DualShock controller, the DualShock 4. No box. No PS4 Eye. No new version of Move. As for the console itself, its absence makes some sense in light of today's news from SCEA prez Jack Tretton that the console's internals are "still in development in terms of final specs and design." So, how final is the only piece of hardware Sony was willing to trot out? "It's near final. It's just gonna be small tweaks being done," Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida told us in an interview this morning. Sadly, he also admitted we won't be able to touch any of it anytime soon. "By E3, I think" was the best he could offer. He blamed Sony's hardware folks for not allowing access, despite him pleading with PR to give hands-on time. "I was just asking our PR team can we just let you touch this stuff. Our hardware guys don't want you to find out some detail that ..." he said, trailing off. "Some dirty secret?" we asked. "Of course," he responded with a smile. Moving on to Vita and the Remote Play functionality on PS4 (which allows you to play any PS4 game on your Vita, via streaming), Yoshida said that -- unlike with the PlayStation 3's Remote Play functionality -- Sony's asking devs to try their game via Remote Play on Vita before submitting final code for publishing. He also said that, using Remote Play, developers could implement Vita-specific controls. "Some PS Vita games make use of the edge of the screen to add contextual buttons -- that works really well, I think, and it's easy to see. So that kind of thing I'd like to see developers do on PS Vita over Remote Play," Yoshida explained. He also apologized for not showing the final box, getting out ahead of the inevitable question from the room full of journalists. But hey, we sympathize -- Sony's gotta save something for E3, right? PlayStation Plus on PlayStation 4 may also be on that list; when we asked Yoshida about its presence on the next Sony game console, he coyly answered, "I know the answer, but we're not talking about it. I'm a subscriber, so I'd like to see it." Us too!
Sony isn't cutting the Vita price in North America due to international exchange rates
Despite the PlayStation Vita getting a recent price cut in its home country of Japan, Sony says it isn't getting a similar price adjustment in North America. The Vita recently dropped from 30,000 yen (3G) and 25,000 yen (WiFi-only) to 19,980 yen, but Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida tells Joystiq that that same price drop won't happen in the US. He cited exchange rates as the primary reason -- Japanese Yen has dropped in value to (currently) 0.93 cents to every US dollar, meaning Sony actually loses money in exchange on products sold outside of its home territory. The Vita launched in February 2012 and has suffered from poor sales throughout the past year -- Sony's hoping to revitalize that a bit with PlayStation 4 connectivity. Via Remote Play, Sony hopes to ensure that nearly all PlayStation 4 games are streamable on Vita. Whether that'll be a feature that consumers use is another question altogether; Remote Play exists on PlayStation 3 already, and it's not what we'd call a great experience.
PlayStation 4 supports remote play on PlayStation Vita
Sony is eking more out of its Gaikai acquisition than we thought -- it's using the streaming game technology to allow for remote play on the PlayStation Vita, advancing what we saw with the PS3. From a brief demo on stage, the company showed gameplay of the PS4 title Knack on the Vita with little apparent degradation in the visual quality -- it's not leaning on the smaller system's processing, after all. There was also a hint that remote play might not be exclusive, although there's nothing specific in this regard. Not every game will support remote play, either, so don't expect it to be a ubiquitous feature -- but it may help justify the Vita as a companion. Check out our liveblog of Sony's event to get the latest news as it happens!
The Daily Roundup for 02.18.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
PS Vita price cut: both 3G and WiFi models reduced to 19,980 yen (around $215) in Japan starting Feb. 28th
SCEJ President Hiroshi Kawano introduced a PS Vita info session earlier today. Detailing "everyone's PlayStation Vita," he announced a price drop for Japanese models right from the outset. Starting from February 28th, the price will drop down to 19,980 yen for both the 3G (previously 30,000 yen) and WiFi (once 25,000 yen) models. Yep, both will receive a substantial price-cut alongside a a 7-day free trial of PS Plus (including Uncharted, Ridge Racer and four more titles free during February), plus a free download campaign for its Torne TV service until the end of March. No word on whether the rest of the world will benefit from the same price reduction, but we've got in touch with Sony Computer Entertainment to check. Maybe we'll hear more on Wednesday. Update: And SCE aren't saying anything more about those price drops elsewhere -- you can wait two days, right?
PlayStation Home Arcade brings parts of Sony's Second Life-esque world to PlayStation Vita
You like the games in Sony's PlayStation 3-based social network, Home, but not the endless Quincying? We can fully respect that, and we're glad to tell you that Sony's doing something specifically catered to your wants, fictional person -- today, PlayStation Home Arcade launches on the PlayStation Vita, bringing arcade games from the network to Vita with none of the awkward virtual dancing found on PS3. The software previously popped up on the Vita's store, but Sony wasn't saying a word at the time -- and now we know why. To access PlayStation Home Arcade, grab the free download from the Vita's PlayStation Store gateway; we're not seeing it pop up in the store just yet, but keep your eyes peeled! When it is available, to access the games, open up the application and download away -- they range from free to $1.49. For a full list of titles and the official word from Sony, head past the break. For a horrifying demonstration of Quincying, watch this. [Photo credit: PushSquare]
PlayStation Vita arrives in Ice Silver for Asia, starting on February 28th
Good news: Sony has revealed a new PlayStation console! But it's not what you think. Instead, there's an Ice Silver edition PlayStation Vita reaching Asian countries from February 28th onwards. The new hue is attached to a WiFi model and marks the fourth special color we've seen in just over a year since the Vita hit shops, joining the more ostentatious blue, red and white shades from 2012. Hong Kong residents will pay HK$2,280 (US$294) to stand out from the crowd on the 28th, with launches also known to be coming later to Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. There's no word on if or when silver might reach other parts of the world, although Sony might not want to wait too long for any further expansion -- it's likely that a color addition will be the last thing on gamers' minds in a few weeks' time.
The Daily Roundup for 01.17.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The PlayStation Vita only holds 100 content bubbles, regardless of available memory
Sony's PlayStation Vita gaming handheld caps its selectable content at 100 items, one unlucky forum user recently found out. Despite having a 32GB memory card for the Vita with 9GB of free space left, the Vita told him (as seen above) that the device caps displayable content at 100 items. Worse yet, anything beyond the 100 had to be outright deleted, and the Vita had to be restarted -- if you want to access anything beyond the 100, you need to delete something else. Egads! The Vita in question contained a 32GB memory card with "around 50 [PlayStation] Minis, 10 PSOne titles, 20 or so mandatory apps, and 20 Vita/PSP games/apps" -- something we could easily see ballooning now that PlayStation Plus is on Vita. Management of memory card data can (thankfully) be handled on a PC or Mac using Content Manager Assistant, lest you worry that your data is trapped. Still, having to hot swap between (expensive, proprietary) memory cards on the Vita kinda flies in the face of large storage capacity memory cards, like the 32GB one employed by the unlucky person who discovered the limitation. For its part, Sony isn't saying anything just yet, but we'll update if we hear more. [Photo credit: "shagg_187," NeoGAF]
Epix heading to PlayStation 3 and PS Vita
iOS, Android, Google TV, XBox -- heck, Epix even has an app for the BlackBerry PlayPook. So, what's surprising is not that the premium movie channel is coming to the PS3 and Vita, but that it took so long for it to happen. Soon Sony's gaming faithful will be able to download the app from the PlayStation Store and start streaming the network's sizable catalog of movies and original content. Of course, you'll have to have actually subscribe to it through your cable provider first, but you knew that already, didn't you. For more check out the PR after the break.
