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Ratchet's Quest for Booty starts Aug 21 on PSN
The PlayStation Blog reveals that Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty will hit the NA and European PSN on August 21 -- Japan needs to wait one extra day. Those looking to join Ratchet on his quest, as he battles pirates and continues the search for his robotic life-companion, can expect to pay $15 for the 3-4 hour episode.As we learned during our hands-on time with the title, Quest for Booty will satisfy Ratchet fans and give a small fix before the full-blown sequel eventually comes along. The game has full-production values, but focuses more on adventure elements than the over-the-top weaponry of the series. Insomniac is calling this episodic adventure an "experiment," but if it sells well, we're guessing the developer will experiment some more in the future.[Via PS3 Fanboy]%Gallery-27947%
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty dated
On Playstation.Blog, the precise release date of Rachet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty was announced: August 21st via the PS Store. And guess what, Europe? You are getting it the same day too! Our Japanese friends will have to wait until August 22nd, but with the time-zone difference, it is virtually the same day. As unveiled before, the price will be $14.99 for an "action-packed 3-4 hour experience for almost the same price as a movie ticket." No word yet on whether the Blu-ray release of the PAL territories will be released the same day. For more info on this upcoming stand-alone mini-sequel, check out our hands-on impression. %Gallery-27944%
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty
"So the engine had to be cut back to make it work as a downloadable title, right?" I asked, seeing no evidence that this was the case, but assuming the worst. "Actually," the Sony rep replied, "Quest For Booty looks slightly better in places than Tools of Destruction. We've improved the lighting engine since then." My mind boggled, I continue playing the upcoming downloadable "sequel" to Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. It's clear from the start that the emphasis is placed more firmly on exploration in Quest For Booty. There are plenty of characters milling around with which you can chat and as you perform the necessary tasks, a larger and larger area will open up to you. After a Metroid-style "oh noes, I lost all my weapons!" opening, your wrench is your only friend. You'll collect a few weapons as you progress, but much of the game's emphasis is on using the wrench's new ability.Your wrench is infused with electromagnetic energy, which allows it to manipulate objects from afar. There are plenty of puzzles that utilize this in order to open your path as you try to find your pal Clank. It's not a huge addition, but it does the job of breaking up the usual rail-grinding, platforming and energy-tether swinging. %Gallery-27944%
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty
click to embiggen Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty is the first (and possibly only) episodic DLC for the series. Community Relations Manager James Stevenson told us during a hands-on session that RC:QB is an "experiment" and that it could serve as either the start of an episodic series or just a transition between two disc-based titles. The 3 to 4 hour game is built on the Tools of Destruction engine with some better lighting. Other than a new grapple feature, which is used for puzzle solving and world interaction, the game is in many ways an extension of the Ratchet and Clank series. Stevenson said the game was planned to be "more heavily focused" on platforming elements instead of the guns (although those are available as the game progresses). %Gallery-27947%
PSN first-party E3 screenshot roundup
Since we don't want you to be overwhelmed by the deluge of media emerging from E3, we've picked a bouquet of the best screenshots from Sony first-party PSN lineup, including luscious images from ex-seed expectations experience, Flower. Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty, PixelJunk Eden, Fat Princess, Siren: Blood Curse ... Which of these are you dying to download? %Gallery-27943%%Gallery-27947%
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty Blu-bound in Europe
As revealed earlier in Sony's E3 press conference, popular platforming pair Ratchet & Clank are to embark on a $15 PSN adventure sometime this Summer. The cheaper, bite-sized game will serve as a "great introduction to what R&C is all about," depicting the adventures of the Lombax and robot following Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction's climax.For those excited by the news but alarmed by the lack of a physical disc to cherish and smell when nobody's looking, SCEE president David Reeves has promised a Blu-ray disc version of Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, just for PAL territories. There will also be PSN version, but we all know that'll look completely rubbish in your sprawling disc collection.
SCEE boss promises more 'day and date' releases with SCEA
Click for high-resolution image. Many European gamers have been frustrated by the inexplicable delays of games in Europe. Yes, there are localization issues, but when a title like echochrome, which features very little text, releases weeks after its American counterpart, people seemingly have the right to complain.Grilled at a recent E3 cocktail, SCEE boss David Reeves told Eurogamer that "every relevant title that SCEA announced for America will also be introduced to the PAL territories - most of them day and date." Even newly revealed titles like Ratchet & Clank: The Quest for Booty (pictured, above) will arrive in Europe ... although a Blu-ray version of that game will be available in PAL regions as well.MotorStorm Pacific Rift, LittleBigPlanet, Siren: Blood Curse, Resistance 2 are all promised to show up on European PS3 systems before the end of March 2009.%Gallery-27944%
Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty confirmed
After months of speculation, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty will come our way this summer via PLAYSTATION Network for $14.99.
Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty $14.99 this summer
The newest iteration in the terrific Ratchet and Clank series is going for quality over quantity -- Sony has announced that the game will release for $15 on the PSN sometime this summer, and will feature "a shorter game at a lower price." The game will describe what happens to Clank after the end of Ratchet and Clank: Future, and will serve as a "great introduction to what R&C is all about."No official date yet ("just this summer"), but looks like some good and cheap Ratchet and Clank fun.
UK Deal of the day: Ratchet and Clank for 15
Another great PS3 game is available for a bargain price in the UK today. Argos, the high street catalog shop, has Ratchet and Clank up on its website for the excellent price of £14.99 -- a saving of £25. Our tipster assures us that this is less than you'd expect to pay on ebay, so definitely make sure you grab this one. Unfortunately, R&C won't be supporting trophies until at least after Resistance 2 gets released. Even then, it's not a certainty, but don't let that put you off. Ratchet & Clank is easily our second favorite PS3 exclusive from 2007 and at this price, it's well worth a punt.[Thanks jonneyt]
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty rated by ESRB
Many moons ago we heard of Ratchet: Quest for Booty due to a leaked PSN list, and now the ESRB has rated a very similarly named title. Although Sony hasn't officially acknowledged the game's existence, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is pretty much an open secret now following the software ratings board's listing.The ESRB rating doesn't explain whether this a retail follow-up to Tools of Destruction or a standalone PSN Ratchet & Clank game. With E3 next week we're not even going to try and pull speculative answers out of Clank's metal heinie; a little bit of patience should result in answers shortly.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty at ESRB
One of our sharp-eyed readers spotted an interesting listing on the ESRB website: a listing for Rachet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, which has been an open secret since we have found previous evidence suggesting its existence. All signs point to it being a PSN download, but it is still unclear whether this will just an add-on for Ratchet & Clank Future or it can be played as a stand-alone game. With this ESRB listing, it shouldn't be long before we hear official word from Insomniac.[Thanks, Tom G.!]
Insomniac's Dezern and McCabe talk new North Carolina digs
Insomniac's push eastward was one of last week's most intriguing items of interest, despite a lack of details concerning what exactly the Ratchet & Clank developer has in store for its new Raleigh, NC studio. However, while we don't know exactly what the Burbank, California-based developer has up its sleeves, we figured if anyone had the scoop it would be current Insomniac art director Chad Dezern and gameplay guru Shaun McCabe, both of whom will be given reigns over the company's eastern arm once it opens in January.We recently spoke with both execs about the new studio, and we couldn't help but kick off the interview by asking the one nagging question on our mind: Why North Carolina?"We wanted to expand Insomniac's capabilities while retaining the small team culture in Burbank. Opening up an office in The Triangle lets us do that while also offering an alternative for talented people who want to stay on the East Coast," Dezern answered. "Plus, Shaun and I are from the South and we missed the distant strumming of the banjo."
The quest for booty continues in Ratchet & Clank: En Busca del Tesoro
Months ago, a rumored PSN release list showed a game called Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty. Since then, we haven't heard much about this potential game, but a recently uncovered Spanish logo suggests that this is the real deal. En Busca Del Tesoro also refers to treasure, and may expand upon the fun pirate themes of Tools of Destruction. According to the Spanish release, this PSN downloadable will provide new adventures for our favorite robot-lombax duo.From the looks of things, this content may be playable without a copy of Ratchet & Clank Future. Now, all we have to do is wait for Insomniac to officially spill the beans. Check out a Spanish-language clip of Ratchet & Clank, after the cut.[Via NeoGAF]
Insomniac plans North Carolina studio
Raleigh, NC had better stock up on Ambien. GameDaily reports that Burbank, CA based Insomniac Games – creator of Resistance and Ratchet & Clank – plans to have a North Carolina office open for business by January 2009. Insomniac art director Chad Dezern will head the studio, with gameplay lead Shaun McCabe taking on the role of production director. Both Insomniac veterans will head east once development wraps on Resistance 2.The studio, situated in the same "Research Triangle" area of Raleigh-Durham as Gears of War developer Epic Games (no peeking, guys!) will be home to roughly 30 new Insomniacs working on current and all-new franchises for PS3. In his interview with GameDaily, Insomniac president Ted Price points out that a team of 30 should be just the right size for creating a big-time PS3 title using the company's refined tools and technology. PS3 fans should be (rightfully) excited by the prospect of Insomniac likely bringing another all-new franchise to the system by way of the new studio, as the Burbank home base continues to develop future Ratchet and Resistance installments.
Deal of the Day: Ratchet & Clank for $15
Get ready for the release of Secret Agent Clank by playing the first PSP Ratchet game, Size Matters. High Impact did an incredible job of recreating the classic Ratchet gameplay on the handheld. Watch for the space missions: they're still some of the prettiest levels created for any PSP game to date.Check it out for $15 at amazon.com.[Via CAG]
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters drops to Greatest Hits price
The Greatest Hits line-up continues to grow. Well, at least according to amazon.com and Best Buy. Greatest Hits games are available at a budget price of $20. If you didn't pick up Size Matters yet, this is a great time to pick up a copy. Our review was quite favorable on Ratchet's first PSP outing -- at $20, it's a stellar deal.This price drop seems appropriately timed to get PSP fans ready for the upcoming Secret Agent Clank, another PSP follow-up to the always-popular Ratchet franchise.[Thanks, MikkoH.!]%Gallery-11888%
Insomniac considering new IPs, Ratchet sells a million
In an interview with MTV's Multiplayer, Insomniac Games president Ted Price discusses development at the company going into the PS3 era. He says that Ratchet and Clank Future was the "best production experience" after the "hell" of putting together Resistance, elaborating that working with the new PS3 tech and a genre the company hadn't worked in for 10 years was tough. Price confesses that Ratchet recently hit the million sold mark globally, but says the game has a "long tail." He also allays fears that Insomniac will become a Ratchet and Resistance mill, "We'll continue to produce new IP, there's no question about that." As for Resistance 2, players can expect deeper storytelling this time around and a better connection with ... boy, what was his name again?Actually, the last part of the interview is all about Resistance 2. Price reiterates that the 60 player arenas are going to happen and they've been playing them internally, along with the eight-player co-op. Looks like it's going to be showdown between Killzone 2 and Resistance at the end of '08 on PS3.MTV Multiplayer and Ted Price: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Insomniac still interested in new IPs
Not content with creating two million selling franchises in quick succession, Insomniac's president, Ted Price, isn't ruling out any new IPs coming along in the future. When asked about their plans to keep alternating between Resistance and Ratchet in the years to come by MTV's Stephen Totilo, Price responded by saying that Insomniac will "continue to produce new IP, there's no question about that. So that means that pattern won't necessarily continue as you stated."Considering how different Ratchet & Clank and Resistance are, our mind boggles at what else Insomniac have in mind. Price also notes that Insomniac were experiencing consumer fatigue while they were developing a new Ratchet game every year. Now they have two-year cycles, still with one game releasing per year, with multiple franchises. We agree that this keeps the series' fresh and, with Price teasing about new IPs appearing in the future, we're intrigued to see what they're going to come up with next. Having said that, let's keep focused on Resistance 2 for now, shall we? We haven't even seen any gameplay footage yet!
No shirt? Sony launches official apparel program
Tired of searching Etsy in vain for fan-made God of War apparel? You're in luck! Sony today announced partnerships with four different clothing and accessory makers to feature the company's biggest franchises on all sorts of shirts and such. IV Gear has a list (shown above) of at least some of the franchises which will be depicted, including God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance: Fall of Man, Heavenly Sword and Little Big Planet. Apparel makers Fortune Fashions, Bioworld and MJC will also put the games' logos and character on everything from hoodies to handbags."PlayStation is an extremely strong and well-known brand" Shelly Gayner, Director of Licensing, SCEA, said in a press release "We feel that this is a great opportunity for us to satiate our core fans and extend and capitalize on PlayStation name recognition by creating a new line of apparel in connection with the PlayStation brands and our top franchise titles." Memo to Sony: If you really want to satiate the fanboy audience, you'll put Sofia from Battle Arena Toshinden on a body pillow. We're just saying ...
