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Impressions: The Agency (PS3/PC)
Last month, during Sony Gamers' Day, we ventured deep inside SOE Seattle's secret lair -- no joke, the building's not even marked with the company name -- to get an updated look at its spy MMO, The Agency, for PS3 and PC. Now that details of the event have finally been declassified, we're pleased to share our impressions of the eyes-on demo with you.The actual event began with a fairly lengthy presentation by key figures from the SOE Seattle team, featuring Matt Wilson, Hal Milton and Corey Dangel. All three had previously worked for Microsoft (which would explain why the studio is located just two blocks from Microsoft's main HQ), and, between them, they have assembled an impressive resume, including work on Asheron's Call, Dungeon Siege, Wing Commander, Ultima Online, Total Annihilation and critical darling Psychonauts. Of course, as Wilson highlighted, SOE Seattle's primary objective is to deliver console-based MMOs, a vastly underdeveloped market, in which very few developers have experience. Enter The Agency.%Gallery-63985%
Patapon producer 'listening to' requests for PS3 version, more sequels
Patapon 2 is finally coming to the PSP in North America. While associate producer Chris Hinojosa-Miranda couldn't precisely explain why the title has taken so long to reach its final destination, he did say that the added time provided more focus on localization and translation. (Even still, we manged to spot a few lingering instances of "Engrish.")Hinojosa-Miranda told us that the development team continues to get requests for a downloadable PS3 version of Patapon that features online modes, which he says the studio is "listening to." The team is also looking at licensing out more of those popular Patapon plush dolls (in case you missed the first batch). Will there be a Patapon 3? "There's such a critical love for Patapon, the characters, the story overall, and the music especially ... there's a good chance that the franchise will continue," Hinojosa-Miranda suspects.Expect our Patapon 2 review shortly. %Gallery-27797%
Sony Gamers' Day 2009: inFamous gameplay videos
Rounding out our inFamous coverage from Sony's Gamers' Day event, here are two, thorough gameplay videos (above and after the break), which shed light on the rather dark world featured in Sucker Punch's sandbox action title. The videos put into motion the mechanics that power not-so-pedestrian bike messenger, Cole McGrath, up, over and through these urban environments and their precarious vertical obstacles and junk yard-spawned, mechanical overseers. Typical, infamous carjacking/hooker-beating this is not. inFamous is scheduled for release on May 26, exclusively on PS3. %Gallery-51349%
Joystiq hands-on: Trash Panic (aka Gomibako)
We already previewed Gomibako back in October at TGS, so when we were given the chance to take another look -- this time under the North American title Trash Panic -- we nearly passed it up. It's trash after all, right? Well, yes. "Gomibako" literally translates to "trash box," and plenty of attendees at Sony's Gamers' Day event walked right by, assuming, "Oh. Tetris with trash. I get it."It's easy to dismiss Trash Panic as a Tetris knockoff, but this puzzle game has a robust physics engine, whimsical graphics, and Katamari-like inspiration that'll find your trash bin growing with each level -- until it actually sits on top of Earth. As you play, the trash also grows in scale, and you'll graduate from tossing away routine office trash to comets, meteors, space stations, and even aliens.If this sort of gameplay counted as community service, then the world would be a much cleaner place. %Gallery-34460%
Joystiq hands-on: PAIN's Sore Spots (now with Daxter!)
PAIN has come a long way since launching with just one level, two characters, and no online multiplayer. It's managed to rank at the top of PSN downloads through a consistent stream of content add-ons, which -- you guessed it -- have added new levels, new characters, and online multiplayer. We got our hands on the next update, the "Sore Spots" level pack, and its new characters at Sony's recent Gamers' Day in Los Angeles.Read on for our full preview and to find out what's coming next from developer Idol Minds. (HInt: A heckuva lot more crotch-related agony.)%Gallery-51346%
Joystiq hands-on: White Knight Chronicles
click to enlarge Sony and Level-5's latest role-playing collaboration, White Knight Chronicles, has been out in Japan since December, but we recently got a chance to check out a partially localized version of the game at Sony Gamers Day 2009. Starting up the demo, we were treated to an intro cinematic featuring final English voice-over. The sequence, featuring the game's hero Leonard and his party gearing up for their quest, immediately dispelled any doubt that Level 5 -- known for a typically more anime or cel-shaded art style -- could pull off an immensely detailed, more "mature" looking RPG. The cutscene also left us hopeful the voice acting we were hearing remained as solid throughout the entirety of the final game. Speaking of sound, Sony confirmed to us that it's planning to implement voice chat in the US and European versions of White Knight Chronicles, something that was painfully absent from the Japanese release. We're told it's not 100% set in stone, but the dev and localization teams "really want to make it happen." %Gallery-51356%
Joystiq impressions: MotorStorm Arctic Edge (PSP)
click to enlarge MotorStorm is about to roll onto the PSP for the first time with a new title -- and it's not even a port! MotorStorm Arctic Edge, developed by Bigbig Studios (the guys responsible for Pursuit Force), made an appearance at the recent Sony Gamers Day event and took us for a ride through its chilly environments. If all those word things after the break aren't your thing, be sure to give the screenshots in our gallery a long, cold stare.%Gallery-51347%
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe coming to PSP this Fall
PixelJunk Monsters is coming to PSP and, as promised, features a ton of new content not found in the PS3 version. The handheld version of the tower defense game will include all the content of PixelJunk Monsters, Encore, and a bit more. Deluxe will add a new island with ten new stages, new enemies and new music tracks. Two new towers will be introduced into the game, which players can utilize in the classic stages and Q-Games will also challenge the PJM hardcore with a brand new boss as well.Although PSP isn't getting Trophy support yet, Monsters Deluxe will feature a "Medal Challenge" mode that replicates the achievement system used on the console. In addition, unlocking Medals will give players access to unlockables, such as videos, artwork and more.Finally, PixelJunk Monsters wouldn't be complete without a co-op mode. You'll be able to go online in both Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure modes. Nice!%Gallery-51376%
Get fat off of these new Fat Princess screens
Click for high-res carnage. Okay, so Fat Princess is still in beta. But it's so close! Can you taste it? We have a fresh batch of new Fat Princess screenshots from Sony's Gamers Day -- check 'em out!For those of you in the beta right now, feel free to leave a comment. Are you enjoying the cute (but gory!) online multiplayer?%Gallery-51374%
New SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 screens emerge
click to enlarge As we told you before, the PSP's upcoming SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 looks to be a more action-oriented entry in the popular franchise. There's a bigger focus on firefights this time around -- and we don't mean the kind with hooks and ladders. You'll be blasting away, sneaking up on unsuspecting turret-jockeys, and leading your four-man team into a series of shootouts that make that bank robbery scene in Heat look like a day in the park. A really, really boring day in the park where nothing happens.Though their static presentation may not adequately capture the game's intensity, these latest screenshots from Sony Gamers Day 2009 should at least awaken that inner desire to shoot people getting in the way of freedom.%Gallery-50260%
Joystiq hands-on: PixelJunk 1-4
click to enlarge Right about now you're probably thinking, "Cool, a compilation of the first four PixelJunk games!" followed by, "Wait a second ... there have only been three PixelJunk games." This is true. As you can no doubt tell from the above screenshot, PixelJunk 1-4 is an entirely new downloadable PS3 title from Kyoto-based Q-Games. It just doesn't have a final name yet.We can think of some adjectives to describe this summer release based on our first hands-on. "Fun" comes to mind, as does "simple." Two staples of the PixelJunk franchise, when you think about it. Oh, and "really cool fluid dynamics." Wassat? Let us explain after the break.%Gallery-51352%
Darkness reigns in new inFamous screenshots
Click for bigger destruction. These are some remarkable screenshots and renders for the upcoming inFamous. Sucker Punch has been concealing the game's darker tone -- but no more. In this new set of screens from Sony's Gamers Day, we see a ravaged Empire City, and a Cole consumed by power. This gallery is a must-see for anyone even remotely interested in this upcoming adventure. %Gallery-51349%
Joystiq hands-on: MAG
Little has been heard about MAG, Sony's ambitious 256-person online shooter that was announced during last year's E3. In fact, other than the CG trailer shown at the conference, there has been an almost total lockdown on any information related to the game. Last week, however, all that changed during Sony's Seattle Gamers Day event. The event was held at developer Zipper Interactive's Redmond, Washington headquarters, where studio heads Jim Bosler and Brian Soderberg took the stage to explain MAG, the technology behind it, and how the game actually works with 256 people. With a long history of making online shooters (the developer was the first to bring an online game to the PS2 with the first SOCOM), Zipper has been working hard to make sure that players will experience a smooth and pleasant experience, even when playing against a couple hundred other people. In fact, it's been running weekly 256-player tests since late last year with SCEA folks in California in order to test the network technology -- Zipper says it's already achieved smooth gameplay. Concept-wise, the idea behind MAG was to be able to re-create battles on the scale of Blackhawk Down, with hundreds of well trained soldiers engaging in highly coordinated battles across large areas. In order to do this, the developer has created one of the most robust command systems we've ever seen in a videogame.%Gallery-51370%
Sony Gamers' Day 2009: Preview of, er, the previews
Are you ready for a blowout of PlayStation coverage? Sony's embargo for White Knight Chronicles, MAG, PixelJunk 1-4, and much more ends right now. Rather than bombard the front page with a massive, simultaneous update, we're choosing to release our previews over the course of the day. Use this post to access our published content and get a glimpse of what's to come: inFamous Fat Princess MotorStorm Artic Edge MAG PAIN: Sore Spots Patapon 2 Uncharted 2 PixelJunk 1-4 PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe White Knight Chronicles Trash Panic SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3
