SingStar
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Rumor: Second PS3 Singstar?
A second PS3 Singstar game is in the works? This speculation started when a June 2008 listing for Singstar Vol.2 popped up at an Australian retail listing site. According to Kotaku, a SCE Australia rep couldn't confirm the title, but did hint at the possibility of SCEE's London Studio expanding the franchise via another disc-based update.Is a second Singstar volume really ready to hit retailers so soon? It wouldn't be too surprising seeing as these titles get churned out over in PAL territories every six months on average. Then again, shouldn't the PS3 Singstar have better longevity than its predecessors due to the addition of the SingStore? Also, hasn't the SingStore just recently been updated with a sizable amount of tracks? Color us negative, but if we see more huge updates like the one on March 7th, then why would there even be a need for a second volume so soon?[Via Kotaku]
SingStore update arrives, as promised
Rejoice, karaoke fans! Sony has come through on its promise to add an extra 67 songs to the SingStar SingStore. The new songs are up right now, ready for you to spend your hard earned cash on. We've plonked the full list of songs after the break for you to check out in case you didn't see them before. Also, you might be prompted to update SingStar to version 1.10. We don't know what it does, or how long it's been out, but it seems to have cleared up our connection problems with the game. Score two for SCEE!
67 songs headed for the Singstore on March 7th
It's about time. Finally, the first worthwhile Singstar Singstore update is on its way. On March 7th the Singstore will be updated with 67 new songs, almost doubling the amount of content that's available today. It's true that a lot of songs included in this update are from previous Singstar iterations on the PS2, but if these updates (which should be occurring twice monthly, now) keep looking similar to this, we'll be impressed.The song list is really rather good, actually. We're quite looking forward to grabbing some ourselves. Particularly, some Bowie, The Darkness, Feeder and Lordi. To see the full list of songs due to be up on the Singstore on the 7th or March, check past the jump.
SingStar SingStore gets 67 songs with March 7 update
May those who drink from the waters of karaoke (in Europe) rejoice, the SingStar SingStore is getting its first major update since launch on March 7. There was an update with 18 tracks last month, but this update will have a whopping 67 songs, almost doubling the offerings. The list of the songs in the update can be found after the break.The karaoke faithful over at sister-site PS3 Fanboy point out that a lot of the songs are from previous PS2 versions of SingStar, but if these mega-updates continue it might help alleviate the complaints that the SingStore wasn't living up to its potential -- especially if a lot of the songs are recycled from PS2 versions.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Overheard@GDC: Karaoke-palooza
Unidentified man posing just after singing the second verse of Divinyls' "I touch myself" on Singstar the Sony press lounge. He was the first of many to embarrass show off his vocal skills. Actually, he was one of three to do so, just before it was halted for the Buzz! Charity post. Shine on you crazy diamond.
Win a Bravia HDTV in Sony's Buzz! contest
So we're pretty sure quite a few of you are anxiously anticipating Buzz! to make its way to the PSP later this year. [Editor's note: Buzz! has NOT been announced for release in the US.] To help you brush up on your quiz show skills, SCEA's PlayStation Blog is holding a contest kicking off at noon PST today through midnight, complete with some great prizes.In all, 10 questions will be presented, and the first person to correctly answer all of them will win a 37" BRAVIA M series HDTV. Prizes will also be given to the second- and third-place winners, receiving a PS2 SingStar bundle and games and PS2 versions of Buzz! Hollywood and SingStar 90's, respectively.The full details of the contest will be posted later today, but all of you budding quiz show contestants better get ready because this may be your one and only chance to win real prizes while playing Buzz!
SingStar '90s makes us feel old
As if VH1's I Love the '90s and The Simpsons' recent '90s-stalgia episode weren't bad enough, Sony is helping us feel incredibly old with the announcement of Singstar '90s. The new karaoke collection, which goes on sales March 12 for the PS2, features Boyz 2 Men, New Kids on the Block, Spin Doctors and other artists that were popular in a decade that only ended eight years ago for goodness sakes.Speaking of old age, we've been approaching it rapidly as we wait for the oft-delayed PS3 edition of Singstar, which an IGN interview reveals is now set for a May release in the U.S. That same interview also reveals the existence of Singstar Pop, Vol. 2, also coming in May for the PS2. We just hope our new dentures don't adversely affect our singing voices by then.
Singstar gets a SingStore update (finally)
We were promised an update to the SingStore and now we've got it. But wait, weren't we supposed to get eighteen new songs? We can only count 14. Where are the other four? Also, the next update that was promised on ThreeSpeech on the 4th of February seems to have been pushed back to the six, if the in-game news feed is to be believed (but when has that ever been the case?).The update isn't a complete failure, however. There are a few tracks that we're tempted to nab. Namely, David Bowie's "Life On Mars" and The Fray's "How To Save A Life". For the full list of new songs check after the break.
Singstar devs respond to complaints
We posted earlier about various complaints people were having their Singstar experience. Namely, that the SingStore was practically empty and the online servers were buggy, at best. While they haven't said anything about the server troubles, the developers of Singstar have responded with regards to the SingStore. On the 18th (that's tomorrow - or today, by the time you're reading this) another 18 songs will be added to the store. Artists include David Bowie, Blur and KT Tunstall. Does this bring the total anywhere near the 350+ that was promised for launch? No, it doesn't. Then how about the update after that? During the week of February 4th (hmmm, that's three weeks away) there will be another update, but they don't say with how many songs. After that the store will be updated twice monthly.We wonder how long it will take to reach that magic figure of 350 songs that was promised. These 18 new songs coming tomorrow are certainly a start, but we're still not very impressed.
Sony says SingStar store will get updates soon
Trying to alleviate issues the SingStar faithful are having with the dearth of songs in the PS3 incarnation, Sony's SingStar Studios says downloadable songs for the SingStore are on the way. The studio admits its original vision was to have 350 songs available at launch, a mark missed just a bit as the store currently has a little over 60 songs (a fact made even sadder considering the game's delayed arrival).The studio notes that 18 tracks will be available on January 18th (15 English songs and 3 Spanish ones) from artists such as KT Tunstall, David Bowie and Blur. There will be another update on Feb. 4, followed by further updates twice a month after that. If that doesn't work out, it might be time to call Harmonix and get schooled in how DLC is supposed to be done.
PS3 Fanboy voices-on: Singstar
Singstar is touted as a party experience - alcohol not required. Every part of the game has been designed around the party environment, meaning that you're never more than a few button presses from another section of the game. Pressing the Start button at any time whilst navigating the menus allows you to move directly to any of the online sections of the game, including the SingStore, Media Gallery, and even your PS3 friends list. Access to the friends list in game allows you to read or send messages to your PS3 owning pals. the gameplay is identical to previous iterations of the franchise. While it's possible to play Singstar on your own, there's no way to escape the slightly sad feeling it brings. The multiplayer modes allow you to mix up the gameplay with co-operative play, competitive play or team based play. Again, the emphasis is put on in-the-same-room multiplayer, as there is no online play available.%Gallery-3205%
SingStar players saddened by understocked SingStore
SingStar's offerings on the PS3 have been less than stellar thus far, causing fans to express themselves in the most effective method possible: a petition.Of course, we wouldn't report on an internet petition if it didn't bring to light some legitimate problems. Though Sony promised more than 350 music tracks for the service at launch, it has so far delivered less than 100 songs. This is especially bizarre given that the SingStore advertises "hundreds of songs available to download," which is obviously not true.On top of this, copious server outages, and a lack of updates to the SingStore news sections are leaving fans in the lurch. If the petition doesn't do anything (which is absolutely unheard of on the internet), then here's hoping Sony at least wises up and begins catching up on the missing content.
Singstar players are unhappy with the state of community features
We don't usually write about petitions for two reasons. One, they're usually requesting one game or another to be made available on a platform of their choice and, two, because they rarely work. This petition regarding Singstar, however, does highlight some problems regarding the game that we have ourselves noticed since its release. Singstar has been given pretty good reviews so far (we'll have some in depth thoughts up for you within the next few days), because it has pushed what it did on the PS2 towards new, online, horizons. Unfortunately, the reality of these features, and what Sony promises, don't match up. The Singstar servers for the SingStore and My Singstar Online have been flaky, at best, with frequent time-outs and periods of downtime. Not only that, but Sony promised 350 songs on the SingStore at launch, whereas there are currently less than 100 (though closer to 50).This wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't text within the game itself which clearly states that there are "hundreds of songs available to download", or if there was some sort of community news update which would let people know what's going on. As it is, people are left in the dark and are getting frustrated.
Sony announces new PS3 bundle for UK
A new Playstation 3 bundle will go on sale in the UK this Friday, featuring two first-party titles along with the 40GB model of the PS3, GamesIndustry.biz reports.The bundle, which will retail for £349.99 GBP, allows consumers to pick two games from a list of first-party titles to accompany the console. The list includes big 2007 titles like Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, and SingStar (with microphones). With the 40GB PS3 normally priced at £299.99, this deal probably won't incite a voracious demand for the console, but it is a nice way to pick up a few games on the cheap with a new system.Full list of titles available through the offer after the break.
PS3 UK Tour drives 90,000 people into SingStar paradise
The O2 Arena in London recently heard a music tour come through town. This wasn't any ordinary music tour, however, as one of the main focuses of the event involved SingStar for the PS3, courtesy of the SCE UK marketing team. The O2 Arena wasn't even the main event -- this tour overtook train stations, shopping centers, and universities in an effort to spread the knowledge and allow fans to try SingStar out for themselves. Over 90,000 showed up and experienced the latest vocal simulator.The SCE UK marketing team hailed the O2 Arena as their final stop, saying "We decided to feature SingStar in this last pinnacle venue as we felt the game was a natural fit in the enviroment of the O2 Arena." The tour also promoted the multiple functionalities of the PS3 outside of gaming. But did the tour work? "Neighbouring retailers were very pleased with the tour and reported a huge increase in unit sales since our arrival. And we have converted a lot of consumers who were unaware of the capabilities of PS3 and found other reasons to buy." SingStar also jumped up to the number 8 spot in the UK PS3 sales charts. Cool.
Even the menus are sexy in SingStar
SingStar is heading to our European friends in just a few weeks, and already videos of the final game are leaking onto YouTube. This one caught our fancy due to its focus on the various themes you can apply to the SingStar interface. Video backgrounds mesh quite harmoniously with the music and colored menus. Sexy! In fact, we like the menus of SingStar so much, we'd love to see some of this style end up in XMB themes in the future. [Via NeoGAF]
European Singstar advert found on YouTube
While Uncharted might be Sony America's greatest hope in order to increase PS3 sales this Christmas, Europe has one other PS3 champion that could perform a similar function. Singstar is a hilariously successful PS2 franchise which will no doubt prove a success on the PS3 as well, with its downloadable songs and online user generated content. It's no surprise, then, that Sony has arranged a TV advertising campaign just in time for Christmas. The full TV spot can be seen above and we expect to see 20 to 30 chunks of it being shown inbetween all our favourite programs. Will it be enough to persuade casual gamers to part with their cash and pick up a PS3 this December? We're certainly intrigued to find out.[Thanks, mike!]
SingStar hums into the UK and Australia early December
SingStar for the PS3 has returned from its state of release limbo and is ready to help the UK and Australia belt out next-gen karaoke beginning the first week in December. Australia will receive the game Dec. 6 and the UK on Dec. 7. There is currently no announcement for the US.The game will come as a standalone title or with a bundle that has two wired microphones. SingStar will also launch with 40-plus downloadable tracks on the SingStore. In the UK a song will cost 99p to download, which converted is about $2 USD, and that's how much the UK pays for a single off iTunes, so it sounds contextually fair. Australia will pay A$2.50 per download, which converted is about $2.25 USD. We now wait to see what the US gets charged, because there ain't no way in Hades we're paying more for a SingStar download than a Rock Band download.%Gallery-1946%
SingStore pricing unveiled - a quid per song
With only three weeks and two days until Singstar finally gets released, Sony has decided to answer some of the burning questions regarding the game. The disc will come with 30 songs on it - a nice selection actually - but will also be complemented by the much-hyped SingStore. This online marketplace will have 44 songs on launch day with updates occurring regularly (the first of which is scheduled for December 17th) with around 350 being released over the coming months. All of these songs will be downloadable whilst the game is being played, meaning a party atmosphere can still be maintained without having to watch a progress bar.Some of these 44 songs are technically already available on previous Singstar versions for the PS2 (of which there are many), but we're promised that there will be some all new tracks as well. This is particularly great for Americans - even though they won't get the game until next year - who don't have access to all the Singstar PS2 games that Europeans do. The price of these downloadable tracks will be £0.99 (€1.49) each. Pretty much a perfect price, from our point of view - more than £1.50 would have had us donning our bowler hats, bowing to the gentleman behind the counter and strolling out of the SingStore without looking back.
Singstar finally gets a concrete release date
The tale of Singstar PS3 is a woeful one. First it was due out in June, then August. Finally it sunk into that terrifying mire of "When's it out? We have no idea ...". Licensing issues are apparently what has caused the huge delays, but finally everything seems to be back on track and the game, along with the online SingStore, will be available this year in Europe.In fact, the game will be tagging along with its good friend Uncharted: Drake's Fortune onto European shelves on December 7th - just in time for Christmas. Sorry Americans, you'll have to wait until next year. Though if you're really impatient, you could always import. Will make for a nice bit of role reversal.
