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LittleBigPlanet Karting totally has a story
You may think a bunch of puppets in go karts doesn't have any narrative significance but this LittleBigPlanet Karting trailer proves there's a real conflict fueling this racing game.
PlayStation 3 Slim review (late 2012): is the third time a charm?
More Info Sony announces a slimmer PlayStation 3, 250GB bundle launches September 25th for $269 Sony PlayStation 3 (2012) up close and personal (eyes-on) Sony explains missing PlayStation 3 price drop on old models, EU exclusivity of Flash memory version What else can be said about the PlayStation 3 at this point that hasn't already been said? Since launching in 2006, there have been approximately 400 different permutations of the console: variations on hard drive sizes, functionality, physical shape and, of course, price. The latest model, the PlayStation 3 Superslim, is no different. It comes in just two permutations: 250GB ($270) and 500GB ($300). With the latter launching at the end of October, we've spent the last week with the already available 250GB model. Is it time to finally jump in to the PlayStation 3 party, or upgrade that aging 2006 model? Head below to find out.
Summoning monsters as a plant-based wizard in Soul Sacrifice
I'm still not clear what the actual name of the character I selected during my demo of Kenji Inafune's upcoming Vita game Soul Sacrifice was, nor was I able to grasp the more delicate workings of some of its deeper mechanics because the Tokyo Game Show demo I experienced was (surprise!) completely in Japanese. But I worked around it.Though the context of the upcoming universe alluded me, the combat in Soul Sacrifice broke down language barriers ... because it spoke the universal language of kick ass.%Gallery-163120%
Sony's PlayStation 3 getting 'PSN Day 1 Digital' to launch games digitally alongside retail
Taking a cue from Nintendo's Wii U, Sony's PlayStation 3 is getting digital versions of some games delivered at the same time as their physical counterparts starting next week with Resident Evil 6 and NBA 2K13. via "PSN Day 1 Digital." Unlike Nintendo's initiative, however, Sony's is third-party focused -- not one game on its initial list of eight titles is published by any of Sony's international publishing studios. It's unclear whether this is a full-on initiative for Sony's PlayStation 3 or a promotion for October alone, but Sony's PlayStation blog calls PSN Day 1 Digital "a new program," which indicates it's something more than just a one month promo -- all the same, we've asked Sony for more info. Beyond just offering a smattering of games digitally at launch, PSN Day 1 Digital allows for pre-orders, and even offers a 10 percent discount on 007: Legends should you pre-order as a PlayStation Plus member. Head past the break for the full list of titles.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time hits PS3, PS Vita and PSN on Feb. 5
Nothing is quite as adept at stealing your precious free time like video games. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is making a grab for your life minutes when it launches on February 5, simultaneously on the PS Vita and PS3.Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will also be available as a PSN download on February 5 – purchasing the PS3 version through retailers or PSN will automatically give you the PS Vita version free, and both are cross-play compatible, the PlayStation Blog reports.Our brothers and sisters across the pond will need to wait a little longer for Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. It will launch in Europe sometime in March across both PS3 and PS Vita, and the PSN version will also be available there day-and-date with the boxed retail versions. Ain't technology grand?
Latest PS3 challenges Wii U storage philosophy; EU, US disparity explained
The new, slimmer PS3 comes in two forms in the US, 250GB for $270 and 500GB for $300. Europe gets the 500GB model and a 12GB Flash-based system. All of these consoles support Flash storage expansion via USB, and the US version allows internal HDD replacement. The US gets two larger systems because its consumers demand more "out of the box," according to SCEA VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles John Koller, speaking to Engadget. "The smaller Flash drive isn't coming to North America, and a lot of that reason is the digital consumer," Koller says. "We really want to make sure, out of the box, that there is an option for them to be able to download that content. That is really critical for us, very very important." Nintendo is taking a different approach to storage with the Wii U, launching 8GB and 32GB models with the ability to easily attach any form of external storage, even "a full-on three terabyte hard drive," says Nintendo America CEO and president Reggie Fils-Aime. "The reason we did it that way is that the cost of that type of storage memory is plummeting," Fils-Aime continues. "What we didn't want to do is tie a profit model to something that's gonna rapidly decline over time. We'll let the consumer buy as much as they want, as cheaply as they want." Sony sees US consumers are more willing to buy a new console with a larger hard drive than to purchase external storage. "When you look at some of the earlier chassis, and the really early adopters – the 20GB, and the 60GB – that consumer had a choice," Koller says. "They could either go out and buy another hard drive – and it's an easy install, so we make it easy for the consumer if they want to take a hard drive off the shelf and plug it in, they can do that. They had a choice of doing that, or purchasing another PlayStation 3. And what's been happening is we're seeing a lot of adoption of second consoles in-house." Besides, Sony doesn't make any money if you buy a Western Digital hard drive. But neither does Nintendo.
Of PlayStation Vita owners, 'almost all' own PlayStation 3 as well
Sony isn't sharing exact numbers, but Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles John Koller teased that "almost all" PlayStation Vita owners are also PlayStation 3 owners. We were discussing the potential crossover between Vita and PS3 -- the obvious comparison to Nintendo's latest offering, the Wii U, and its tablet controller. The Vita and the PS3 are capable of producing similar functionality, and, if anything, with higher fidelity, as the Vita is a standalone console. Koller says Sony invites the comparison. "We tell our PlayStation fans all the time that what the Wii U is offering is something that Vita and PS3 can do quite easily," he says. It's not just about the functionality, however, it's about whether implementing that functionality makes any sense. "It's dependent on the content. So we need to make sure the content isn't force fed. And, to us, making sure that the gamer receives the right type of experience is what's most important. So we're gonna pick our spots, but that technology does certainly exist here." It wouldn't be hard to imagine Sony bundling the Vita and its new PS3 model together for holiday sales, pushing up against this holiday's Wii U launch. Koller says not just yet, though. "As we look at the lineup, there are gonna be some opportunities to do that. Whether we want to bundle the hardware together remains to be seen," he explains. It sounds like we'll be hearing more on that front in the future, as "retails asks for it all the time," Koller says. For now, however, he's happy knowing that the vast majority of Vita owners are already prepared for cross-functionality between the two consoles. "In the meantime, you look at the Vita consumer and a very high percentage -- almost all of them -- own a PS3. So you see that crossover works."
New PS3 doesn't mean price drop for old models, Sony explains why
The newer, slimmer PS3 comes in two versions: 250GB for $270 and 500GB for $300. The old PS3 models, 160GB for $250 and 320GB for $300, will not see their prices drop, even though they now have price-point competition from the same brand. This is all because of consumer demand for quality content, says John Koller, Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles."There's no price drop formally, but the thing that's been happening in the market over the last year or so is that there's been so many retail price promotions, and so many different gift card offers and all those things, being done by all of us [Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony], that we've heard from our consumer, 'Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value,'" Koller tells Engadget.Most consumers we can think of (ourselves included) love having great content, but hold an equal passion for cheaper consoles. Koller says his answer is "kind of a long way of saying, 'No, no formal price drop.'" Besides, there are only so many older PS3 models on the shelves, he points out.At the Tokyo Game Show, Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House tells Reuters he thinks SCE will be profitable this year. "We have a growing installed base, growing connectivity of the PS3," House says.After announcing the Vita "may be trending behind in certain territories," and a projection for the company's largest-ever yearly loss, $6.4 billion, it looks as if SCE is relying on the new (and old) consoles to boost finances.
Sony explains missing PlayStation 3 price drop on old models, EU exclusivity of Flash memory version
Call it the "SuperSlim," the "Ultrasvelte," or the "LipoStation 3" -- just as long as "it stays positive," says Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles John Koller. The new, even thinner version of the PlayStation 3 doesn't have a new name to distinguish itself from the myriad other PS3 models. Like Apple's third iPad iteration, the third iteration of the PlayStation 3 is simply, "The PlayStation 3." And like the second PS3 console, Koller says the new model is Sony's new standard, with previous models going the way of the Puerto Rican shrew (poor little guy is totally extinct). The new PS3 comes in two models for North America, 250GB and 500GB, which Koller says is a result of North American consumers being more "digitally inclined" than other territories. "We have to provide the hard drive size and the opportunity for them to be able to, out of the box, utilize that content," he argues. But this philosophy may be flawed -- one of Sony's main competitors, Nintendo, is applying the same logic to its Wii U, albeit with starkly different results. Nintendo argues that it doesn't want to pass the rapidly declining cost of memory on to the consumer, so you'll be able to attach any form of external memory to its console. That functionality also exists in the PS3 -- Flash memory via USB or a full-on internal HDD replacement -- but Koller says consumers are more inclined to purchase additional consoles rather than replacing internal storage. "When you look at some of the earlier chassis, and the really early adopters -- the 20GB, and the 60GB -- that consumer had a choice. They could either go out and buy another hard drive -- and it's an easy install, so we make it easy for the consumer if they want to take a hard drive off the shelf and plug it in, they can do that. They had a choice of doing that, or purchasing another PlayStation 3. And what's been happening is we're seeing a lot of adoption of second consoles in-house," Koller says. That philosophy is why Europe's the only territory getting a 12GB Flash-based PlayStation 3. Sure, consumers can expand the system's memory with Flash -- the new model allows for internal memory expansion as well, except for the 12GB version -- but that doesn't line up with SCEA's goals in its territory. "The smaller Flash drive isn't coming to North America, and a lot of that reason is the digital consumer," Koller says. "We really want to make sure, out of the box, that there is an option for them to be able to download that content. That is really critical for us, very very important."%Gallery-165870%
Inafune's new zombie game 'Yaiba,' his Soul Sacrifice surprises for TGS
Mega Man creator and Dead Rising producer Keiji Inafune is working on a new zombie game called Yaiba, Siliconera reports. Platforms and other details are scarce at the moment.If you'll be joining us in Japan next week and have an affinity for things both horrifying and portable, then you may be interested to learn that Inafune will be showing off his upcoming Vita title Soul Sacrifice during the Tokyo Game Show. This will be the first time the game has been playable, by members of the press or otherwise.Inafune also teased that a surprise announcement of some kind, unrelated to Soul Sacrifice, could be made during the show, according to Andriasang's translation of his blog post. Whether that surprise has anything to do with Inafune's recently released Android title JJ Rockets or Yaiba itself is anyone's guess, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a rhythm 3DS game set in an unspeakable hell dimension. In three dee!
Meet LittleBigPlanet Karting's antagonists, 'The Hoard'
Apparently, after the events of LittleBigPlanet 2, mysterious beings from far away lands arrived on Craftworld and began hoarding all of the world's most valuable treasures, with no other motivation than to be in possession of them. Somehow, this all translates to go-kart racing.
Pre-orders open for 'The Art of Journey,' first 750 copies signed
The Art of Journey, thatgamecompany's compendium of concept and production artwork from its unbelievably gorgeous PSN game, can now be pre-ordered for $60 through Bluecanvas. The first 750 people to place their order will receive a copy of the book signed by Journey creative director Jenova Chen and art director Matt Nava.While some of the art book's pages are equipped with augmented reality capabilities, the new photos of the product below are not. You can, however, hold a book up to your nose while looking at these pictures, and it's kind of like Smell-O-Vision.%Gallery-164752%
Killzone 1 goes HD in PS3 'Killzone Trilogy,' packing all three games together this Oct.
Everyone's favorite yellow-eyed flunkies are returning to the PlayStation 3, albeit this time in a re-release of their greatest hits. Yes, Killzone's 1-3 – which aren't places, but games – are getting boxed and bundled for the PlayStation 3 as "Killzone Trilogy," arriving this October. The first of the three games is even getting an HD makeover for its re-release, and all the multiplayer content for the latter two games is included in the package.The whole shebang will run $39.99/€49.99/£40.84 when it arrives on October 23 in the US and October 24 in Europe. Head past the break for all the specifics on those bonus maps.%Gallery-164530%
This Unfinished Swan story trailer is delightful
This trailer for The Unfinished Swan from PAX 2012 delves into the Sony-published, Giant Sparrow-developed game's mysterious plot. While no specific release date has been revealed for this PSN-exclusive game, the game's official site indicates it will launch some time in 2012.
LittleBigPlanet Karting pre-orders at Gamestop include 'Headstart Pack,' exclusive Sackboy and kart
We caught wind a while ago that pre-ordering LittleBigPlanet Karting from Gamestop or Amazon would net you a sweet Kevin Butler Sackboy and golf-cart kart, but now Gamestop's pre-order offering has been upgraded with some extra chotchkies.For starters, Gamestop pre-orders now come with an exclusive "Headstart Pack" that immediately unlocks 900-plus pieces of construction materials, costumes, karts and music that would normally have to be earned by, you know, playing the game. It also includes a United Front Games-themed Sackboy and accompanying arcade cabinet kart (as seen above), as well as the Kevin Butler stuff we already knew about.
God of War: Ascension Euro dates announced, along with Special / Collector's Editions
God of War: Ascension will be available on March 13, 14 or 15, depending on whether you plan on buying it in greater Europe, Australia/New Zealand, or the UK/Ireland, respectively. Meanwhile, North American folk can still expect to rain bloody death down upon their enemies on March 12.Non-North American revenge aficionados looking for something a little more substantial than just the game itself will have both Special and Collector's editions to choose from, which each contain varying levels of goodies, both in-game and out. The Collector's Edition is identical to the North American version and includes a steelbook case, eight-inch Kratos figure, digital copy of the soundtrack, a PS3 theme and avatars, a double multiplayer XP boost and a voucher for all future DLC.Special Edition, on the other hand, includes everything listed above except for the statuette and the DLC pass. No pricing information or pictures of the packs have been released as of yet, thought details are expected in the "near future," according to the European PlayStation Blog.
Nariko and Fortesque confirmed for PlayStation All-Stars [update]
Two more characters have been announced as members of the PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale roster, both of which attach firmly to either side of the "deep cut" spectrum: Nariko of Heavenly Sword fame, and MediEvil's Sir Daniel Fortesque.As has been the case with the last few All-Stars character reveals, both Nariko and Fortesque were originally rumored a few weeks ago when files pulled from the beta found their way to neoGAF. Nariko's fighting style is described as "high risk, high reward" by designer Seth Killian in the video above, while Fortesque is said to be much slower and more methodical. Both characters, however, use weapons culled from the annals of their respective series' history.Update: The video originally embedded above, belonging to Gamespot, has been set to private. We have replaced the video with a mirror located here and have updated this post's source link to reflect that change.
Take a look at the Journey: Collector's Edition mini-games
Journey: Collector's Edition is out today. The collection bundles together thatgamecompany's Flow, Flower and, of course, Journey into a single package – but that's not all. It also includes three never-before-seen mini-games from internal "24hr Game Jams." We put together a short video showcasing all three of these new games: Gravediggers, Duke War and Nostril Shot.If that isn't enough to entice you, know that there are cat ninjas at one point.
Sports Champions 2 is going for gold October 30
PlayStation Move-based sports minigame collection Sports Champions 2 is set to launch October 30, Sony revealed in a recent blog post. As the follow-up to the PS Move pack-in game, it will include a new archery minigame along with bowling, skiing, boxing, golf, and tennis.Sports Champions 2's Party Mode also enables groups of players to set up multi-game tournaments. That sounds like fun for the whole family, except for the socially-awkward fella that took last place in the screen above.%Gallery-162823%
Dante, Sackboy, Ratchet, Clank and Spike join PlayStation All-Stars' roster [Update: Now with trailers]
DmC's Dante, LittleBigPlanet's Sackboy, Ratchet and Clank's, well, Ratchet and Clank, and Ape Escape's Spike have just been revealed as playable characters in PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale during Sony's Gamescom press conference in Germany.All five four of these characters – Ratchet and Clank fight as one – were included in that leaked character roster we posted near the end of last month, which gives us hope that the other "unannounced" characters listed (Nariko, Raiden, Sir Daniel Fortesque, etc) may in fact be totes legit. The game will launch for PlayStation 3 and Vita in November, but people with both systems will only need to buy it once.Update: Trailers for each new character have been added beyond the veil.
