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Complete Wipeout Pulse soundtrack listing
The Wipeout series is known for its incredible techno-heavy soundtrack, and Pulse doesn't look to disappoint. The upcoming racer will have yet another licensed soundtrack, which CVG has unearthed: Flat Out by Dopamine Chemical by MoveYa! & Steve Lavers Tokyo by Stanton Warriors Break ya self - Wipeout mix by B Phreak & Groove Allegiance Slingshot - Wipeout mix by Rennie Pilgrem & BLIM X-Project (100% Pure mix) by DJ Fresh Frontline by EdRush, Optical & Matrix Seven Stitches by Noisia Smart Systems by MIST Exceeder - special mix by Mason Steady Rush by Booka Shade Fenix Funk 5 [wipeout edit] by Aphex Twin Aero Dynamik by Kraftwerk Suspicious Thoughts by Skream Sea of Sound - Wipeout mix by Guy Gerber & Shlomi Aber City Lights (Martin Buttich remix) PSP Cut by Loco Dice Of course, if this doesn't suit your tastes, you have customizable soundtracks as well. With customizable ships, infrastructure multiplayer, and significant gameplay improvements, Pulse sounds like it will almost certainly be a winner. We can't wait to find out more.
Future PS3 firmware updates could improve upscaling 30% to 40% [Update]
If you're already impressed by the PS3's upscaling of older PlayStation games and DVD movies, wait until you see what Sony engineers have in store for future updates. SCE chief technology officer Kawanishi and AV manager Kanehide were talking about the future of the PS3's firmware updates when a very interesting claim was made. "We have gotten feedback from critics regarding several failure patters for upconverting, but we are getting closer to the goal. I think we can improve another 30 to 40%," said Kawanishi. He is talking about the upscaling performance, as in, 30 - 40% better than what was given during firmware 1.80. The dynamic duo also believe they can give this performance boost without additional fan noise, further believing in a future, fanless PS3 console. Very cool indeed.[Update: We had previously, failed to source Next-Gen Biz for the original story. The links have slightly changes, but all sourcing is cited correctly. Apologies all around.][Via CVG]
WipEout Pulse interview reveals vehicle customisation tool
In an interview with Kikizo.com, Tony Buckley - Director of WipEout Pulse - laid out some more details for the upcoming PSP game. Discussion includes PSP technical limitations, graphical improvements, the Photo mode and custom soundtracks. Have a read, it's good stuff. Also mentioned during the interview is a vehicle customisation tool. This will allow players to produce their own skins for their ships, Forza 2 style. While it is unclear as to how exactly this will work, we assume that the actual designing process will take place on a PC, with the edited texture downloaded onto the memory stick for use in the game. This has never been done before on the PSP and, with the right amount of 'Game 3.0' added, could make for an exciting new dimension in WipEout gaming. Buckley already mentioned his idea for a ship texture contest. Though he might have to come up with a better prize than a date with him, if he wants a decent amount of entries. The only danger with functionality like this is that people will be spending more time designing their vehicles than they will be driving them.
Ken Kutaragi officially throws in the towel, retires from SCE
The father of the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, has officially retired from Sony Computer Entertainment. Previously, following a corporate re-shuffle, Mr. Kutaragi stepped down as CEO of SCE, replaced by Kaz Hirai. Now, Ken Kutaragi is relinquishing his Sony duties further, stepping down as SCE's Chairman and Group Chief Executive while remaining on board with SCE in an advisory role. Perhaps Sir Howard Stringer can assist with Ken Kutaragi's early retirement by quickly issuing restraining orders against him on all things Sony PlayStation-related. After all, earlier reports show "Krazy Ken" Kutaragi clearly doesn't know "when to say when" as he proceeded to inflate the PS3's budget until it exploded in everyone's collective faces, causing fallout from a few layoffs to a huge quarterly loss. Except now without Kutaragi in the limelight, how are we going to get such beautiful mock-ups of the PlayStation grill?
Wipeout Pulse gets previewed (we're jealous)
German gamer and long-time Wipeout fan eLhabib has received a preview copy of the upcoming Wipeout Pulse, and has posted a detailed write-up of his experience at the WipeoutZone Forum. A sample blurb is drenched with excitement: "Where do I start? First of all, the art style: as I stated before, a perfect blend of purE and w3o, so pretty much a dream come true for me and many others around here. The HUD is very slick, minimalistic, with a very noticeable w3o touch - cool thing about the new HUD: it blurs with the speed as you activate a turbo or go over a speed pad, it shakes as your ship gets hit or bottoms out!" There are pages of rants available, and as fellow Wipeout fans, we have to admit that the wait for this game is painful. Hey Sony, we're friends, right? Where's our preview copy? Off-screen video is embedded, after the cut. %Gallery-4074%
Church of England thanks Sony for apology, it's not enough
And here we go into week two of the Church of England vs. Sony over the use of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man. The Church of England has responded to Sony's apology letter saying that they "thank Sony for the apology" however they are not budging from their previous issues with the game and the portrayal or use of the cathedral in it. The Church of England in their statement says, "In the meeting with Sony we will discuss our outstanding demands, how this game came to be produced and where the images of the Cathedral came from." Those outstanding demands? Oh, removing the game from store shelves for the use of guns (to protect the planet from Aliens in an alternate time line) within the church and a "substantial donation." Please find the full text of Sony's apology letter after the break including the Church of England's full response [Via GamePolitics]
Japanese hardware sales, Jun. 4 - Jun. 10: E-scandal Edition
And so, the Church of England vs. Sony saga at last seems to be inching towards a resolution. How did it ever turn into such a mess? The answer to that question, obtained only through ingenious hacking techniques, lies after the break (that place we put all the nonsense that has nothing to do with sales charts). The lesson to be learned, of course, is that when you're creating a work of fiction or designing a game, it's best to avoid any real locales. Actually, just make sure the whole thing takes place in outer space. There's nobody there. - DS Lite: 117,193 5,947 (4.83%) - Wii: 64,529 5,219 (7.48%) - PSP: 24,711 1,647 (6.25%) - PS2: 11,097 717 (6.07%) - PS3: 8,776 222 (2.47%) - Xbox 360: 2,533 314 (14.15%) - Game Boy Micro: 481 171 (55.16%) - GBA SP: 302 55 (22.27%) - Gamecube: 167 59 (26.11%) - DS Phat: 35 36 (50.70%) - GBA: 16 -- 0 (0%) [Source: Media Create] See also: Previous Japanese hardware sales charts
Sony says sorry to Church of England
Sony has apologized to the Church of England about any offense that may been caused regarding the use of Manchester Cathedral in the game Resistance: Fall of Man. Sony says, ""It was not our intention to cause offense by using a representation of Manchester Cathedral in chapter eight of the work ... If we have done so, we sincerely apologize." Sony confirmed the letter is legit and says that they also offered to meet with the Church to discuss their grievances. The Very Rev. Rogers Govender said they'll accept the offer to meet, but says they've still got issues. Yeah, like where's their money? The Church of England went into this for a payday. Originally the Church started off saying they were shocked that a "place of learning, prayer and heritage [was] being presented to the youth market as a location where guns can be fired," but in the end, it just comes down to money. Sony's letter did make one point very clear. There is no connection between "contemporary issues in 21st century Manchester and the work of science fiction in which a fictitious 1950s Britain is under attack by aliens." We'll see what happens after Sony meets with the Church. Ethically, the final outcome should be announced publicly considering the Church made such a public stink in the first place. Update: We did contact Sony to receive the full contents of the letter abridged by the AP. They informed us they are not making the letter public. Sony also said, "We believe that our letter adequately sets out our position and we look forward to showing the Cathedral authorities the game in its full context." Update 2: The Sony letter as reprinted by the Church of England found after the break
Separating challenge from speed in Wipeout Pulse
As acclaimed as Wipeout Pure was, many found the game unbalanced in terms of difficulty. In an interview with IGN Australia, lead designer Colin Berry noted: "Some people felt that Pure was perhaps too hard and that they didn't get to enjoy the faster speed classes as they were too fast and also the AI was too hard. We also had the hardcore Wipeout fans saying that the game was a little too easy and they wanted something more challenging to keep them coming back." In an attempt to make the game more accessible to gamers, the team has now separated the difficulty from the speed. "We then have an easier setting which will allow players to play at the higher speed classes against less competitive AI, thus they can enjoy the speed of the game without always feeling they have no chance to compete. Then we have the hard difficulty setting which means that even on the slower speed classes, the hardcore Wipeout fans will face a challenge from the AI, and at the higher speed classes they have something to keep them coming back again and again." Certainly, this will allow novice players to play at faster speeds ... a welcome change from the original. For more details on Pulse, make sure you read IGN's full interview.
Church of England asks Japanese to join campaign
The Associated Press reports the Church of England is now asking the people of Japan to join their campaign against Sony and the game Resistance: Fall of Man, which has one scene of fighting aliens in an artistic rendition of Manchester Cathedral during an alternate time line. Ready to watch the AP drop the ball just like CNN? Here we go, the AP reports, "The new PlayStation 3 game, 'Resistance: Fall of Man,' involves a virtual shootout between rival gunmen with hundreds of people killed inside the cathedral. Church officials have described Sony's alleged use of the building as 'sick' and sacrilegious." OK kids, what's wrong with that paragraph? Looks like somebody didn't even bother to Google the game. The Church of England says they have received a "silent response on the issue" from Sony since contacting them on Monday and deem it "not acceptable behavior." Sony says it's in talks, which the Church denies, and even Prime Minister Tony Blair chimed in yesterday with his thoughts on the issue. The Church of England stands by their claim that "for a global manufacturer to recreate the interior of any religious building such as a mosque, synagogue, or in this case, a cathedral, with photo realistic quality and then encourage people to have gun battles in the building is beyond belief and in our view highly irresponsible." The Church, speaking through the Very Rev. Rogers Govender, said they want an apology ... and a "substantial donation" to the Church's education department. Money makes everything better. [Via GamePolitics]
Insomniac staying out of Church vs. Sony scandal
We've been wondering where Resistance: Fall of Man developer Insomniac was in this whole Church of England vs. Sony kerfuffle. Turns out they are keeping their head down and letting Sony Europe handle it. GI.biz received a statement from Sony America's spokesmeister Dave Karraker and he said, "SCEE is handling all the communications from there on the matter and is dealing directly with the authorities in Manchester ... We are viewing this as a conversation between the Church and SCEE and don't plan on making any further announcements regarding it." Insomniac is making themselves quite a bit of controversy six months after the game's release (well, three for England). Not bad for a company that made its name on cutesy violent epics like Spyro and Ratchet and Clank. How will this all end? Who knows, but the drama moving a couple PS3 units can do nothing but help Sony at this point, especially if the NPD numbers come in as badly as predicted. Go on controversy, help sell consoles!
Smoking new Wipeout Pulse screens
Spanish language gaming site Meristation seems to have taken a ride on Wipeout Pulse, Sony's long-awaited sequel to the critical hit Wipeout Pure. Pure was easily one of the system's best looking titles at launch, standing up quite well even to this day. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as though Pulse is adding much to the visuals. While it certainly doesn't look bad, new screenshots on Meristation don't show off significant visual improvements ... besides the rad new smoke effects (pictured, above). We're confident that the gameplay will more than make up for the graphics. Hopefully, we'll be able to give you more once E3 rolls around. [Via NeoGAF]
Sony vs. Church of England, meanwhile CNN has field day
This weekend the news broke that the Church of England was unhappy with depictions of Manchester Cathedral in the Insomniac developed, Sony published, game Resistance: Fall of Man. The Church had issues with Resistance's use of guns in the virtual cathedral and called the whole thing "highly irresponsible." Sony went ahead and finally issued a statement stating that they take the matter seriously: "Whilst we believe that we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game, we will be contacting the Cathedral authorities in order to better understand their concerns in more detail." So, that's that, until dialog begins between Sony and Church of England; however, while the two groups work out their issues, CNN's headline writer is having a field day with this story. The best example is the first story they ran about the Church's issues. The headline reads: Cathedral shootout game under fire. Who knew that Resistance was all about a cathedral shootout? Then their latest story had the headline: Church wants cash for 'sick' game. Funny thing is that the word "sick" never shows up once in a quote, it's merely a word supposedly used by the church to describe the situation, but there's no attribution. Get ready kids, the mainstream media might spin this story off its axis.
Church of England threatens Sony with lawsuit
The church that Henry VIII created is thinking about suing Sony for featuring Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man. The Church of England is offended, six months after the game's release, that there is a shoot-out in the cathedral's nave (fancy way of saying "in the middle" of the church). Sony says they got permissions where it was required for the game. The Church says Sony didn't ask permission and they want an apology and the removal of the game from store shelves ... or they're gonna sue Sony, sucka! The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch says it was "highly irresponsible" for Sony to feature the cathedral in the game because Manchester is known to have a gun problem. But, he does say that they did "re-create one of our great cathedrals with photo-realistic quality." So, all in all, it's almost a back-handed compliment. Then the Very Revd Rogers Govender says, "We are shocked to see a place of learning, prayer and heritage being presented to the youth market as a location where guns can be fired." Oh mercy. Sony told The Times newspaper that Resistance uses "game-created footage, it is not video or photography." And they go on to say that it is entertainment and not based in reality, they "sought permission where necessary." Well, this oughta help sell a few copies of the game and a couple PS3s. Maybe it'll even get a few people to check out the church. Good show Church of England, good show. [Thanks to all who sent this in]
Tekken and Jeanne join Japan's Best lineup
It shouldn't come as surprising that two of PSP's best games is joining the Japanese "The Best" budget lineup. Each game will come at the discounted price of 2800 yen. Jeanne d'Arc will be re-released on July 5th, and Tekken: Dark Resurrection will come a week after. North American gamers will be able to get a taste of Level 5's latest SRPG, Jeanne d'Arc, later this summer.
Killzone devs say they'll shut up the critics
Ever since that over-ambitious trailer from E3 2005, the fellows in charge of Killzone have had to dodge tomatoes from everyone in the universe, it seems. Surely, no game could look that good, could it? Guerrila Games has issued a pretty telling statement regarding their showing of Killzone 2 at this year's E3: "hopefully it will all go brilliantly and we'll shut up even some of the most ardent critics." Well, that and their inner voice telling them "OH MY GOD WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!" So says Sebastian Downie. We can't even imagine what they'll have to say at E3. It's going to be very difficult to satisfy fans and critics alike because they can't get over the fact that the graphics in the game can't possibly match that shown in the 2005 video, which served more as a tech demo than a hint at a game, like Final Fantasy VII. At least, not gameplay. What we were told to expect, however, was the announcement of online capabilities and some kind of public beta coming later this year. We'll see these guys at E3!
Level 5 answers a few easy questions on Jeanne d'Arc
SCEA recently lobbed a few softball questions for Level 5, the talented team behind Jeanne d'Arc, a title we've had our eye on for some time now. The questions ranged from asking how long the game has been in development [2 years] to describing the overall world and story behind the game. The full interview has been included for your reading pleasure, after the break. New details on the combat system are given, which imply importance on stance and character position in order to maximize combat skills. One of the combat particulars "Burning Aura," deals additional damage by trapping enemies between two playable characters whereas "Unified Guard" involves lining up your characters side by side to lessen the blow of damage from bad guys. We're already hooked, how about you? Anyone else got this one on your immediate radar? Jeanne d'Arc should be hitting stateside in August.
Reminder: Global servers, DLC for Resistance coming June 7th
Aside from being an inexhaustible source of adorable cat pictures, the internet is responsible for allowing gamers to reach across their geographical borders, embrace a foreign culture... and then shoot it in the face. It's a noble use of technology, one that has until now been somewhat restricted in Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man. A new downloadable update meant to demolish regional restrictions and implement global multiplayer was initially due by the end of May, but was shifted to this Thursday. Greg Philips of SCEA told CVG last week, "The reason for the delay is we (SCEA) needed a little extra time to get the global servers locked in and ready for thousands of players to come knocking. We would rather have a short delay and continue to deliver on our over the top, online experience." Apart from enabling men from all countries to fall, the update will introduce new multiplayer maps for purchase and "other enhancements" to the PS3's Chimera-blasting launch title. You'll be sure to see us online -- unless we're hiding around a corner with that lovely Bullseye gun. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Killzone: Liberation patch finally available
After countless months of waiting, the promised Killzone: Liberation patch is finally available for download. The patch includes an extension of the single-player campaign (Chapter 5), and new multiplayer options -- such as the hotly anticipated Infrastructure mode, which allows players to compete against other PSP players around the globe. The download is available through the game's in-game menu and can also be found at the newly revamped killzone.com website. [Thanks, Lucas]
SGD '07: Joystiq hands-on with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
While we've talked about Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (which we now decree shall be referred to as Uncharted from here on in, to save on all the typing) before, this is the first chance that we've had to spend any time actually playing the PlayStation 3 title. At Sony's Gamer's Day, we watched a trailer that was extremely cinematic in nature, and the game actually looks like it could be a movie starring people like Paul Walker and Jessica Alba. Oh wait, that was called Into The Blue. Okay, change the girl, tweak the plot, throw in a search for El Dorado, and that's about the theme of Uncharted. %Gallery-3173%
