GamerCrave.com » Sony

Android Phones Get a Playstation Emulator

Jared Newman — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:59:06 +0000

If you can deal with imperfect sound and, more importantly, don’t mind a bit of the old video game piracy, the Android Market has a way for you to enjoy original Playstation games on a smartphone. The app is PSX4Droid, and it’s a fully-functional Playstation emulator for high-end Android phones, available now for $6 in the Android Market.

Here’s a video of someone playing Crash Bandicoot on a Nexus One. It looks pretty good minus the occasional stutter, but the sound is prone to speeding up and slowing down. Also, the player accidentally taps the phone’s menu button once — a frustration that should be familiar to anyone who’s played Android games with virtual buttons on the sides. But for RPGs in which timing isn’t essential — and there are plenty of those for PSOne — PSX4Droid should get the job done. There is Wii remote support for folks who absolutely need physical buttons.

Playing ROMs that are this recent — Sony sells lots of PSOne games for PSP and Playstation 3 — falls outside of my comfort zone, but I guess it’s Sony’s loss for trying to beat smartphones with the PSP instead of joining them with its own official emulator. [Engadget via The Escapist]

Sony Patent Targets Split-Screen Cheaters

Jared Newman — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:19:48 +0000

Depending on your world view, looking at someone else’s screen in split-screen multiplayer gaming is either a time-honored tradition or the lowest form of treachery. Sony’s filed a patent that should appear to the later group, intended to stamp out screen-lookers with 3D technology.

Stereoscopic 3D works by displaying two rapidly alternating images on a single display, each showing a different perspective of the same scene. When you wear 3D glasses, the alternating images are sent to your left and right eyes, with shutters on the glasses acting as filters. The 3D effect is achieved when you’re only allowed to see one of the images at a time.

Sony’s patent for same-screen multiplayer entails splitting the alternate images between two different pairs of glasses, instead of different eyes on the same pair of glasses. By sending different images to each pair of glasses, both players get their own version of the action in full-screen glory.

I agree with the folks at Broke My Controller that this is a more exciting development than 3D itself. Gaming in the third-dimension is gimmicky, but preventing a buddy from snooping your location in a first-person shooter? That’s just practical. [Broke My Controller via Playstation Lifestyle]

Heavy Rain DLC Killed By Playstation Move

Jared Newman — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:34:15 +0000

There’s bad news afoot if you’re in the camp that loved Heavy Rain: Developer Quantic Dream has indefinitely shelved plans to release new downloadable episodes for the game. And it’s all Playstation Move’s fault. Speaking to NowGamer, Heavy Rain director and designer David Cage explained that the team had to stop working on DLC to retrofit the Playstation Move motion controller into the full game.

Quantic Dream originally planned to release three new episodes, each about an hour long, explaining the backstories of Heavy Rain characters. “I thought fans would really enjoy these episodes because they explained many aspects of HR and why characters are who they are,” Cage said.

The decision to table DLC in favor of Move support came from Sony HQ. “This is a decision I can understand, and I am certainly happy we had the opportunity to play with this device and to support it, although I am certainly disappointed for fans we could not finish the story of HR the way we intended,” Cage said.

Why not just finish up the DLC after adding Move support? There’s just not enough time. Quantic Dream wants to get cracking on its next (unannounced) project, Cage said, so any more time spent on Heavy Rain would mean delays on whatever’s coming up. That seems fair. I’d rather see something new from the experimental studio than see Quantic Dream get bogged down in Heavy Rain for too long, but I’d also rather see those new episodes than experience the same game with more hand-waving.

Playstation Plus Launches: What’s There, What’s Missing

Benjamin Opal — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:11:24 +0000

Playstation Plus, which arrives on the Playstation Network today via firmware update, is Sony’s answer to Xbox Live, but it’s a decidedly different service. Instead of charging players for online multiplayer — that remains free — Sony is fashioning Playstation Plus as a sort of VIP program. The gist is that you get free games, early previews and hour-long trials of full games for $50 per year or $18 for three months. Details below.

Here’s my abbreviated take on Sony’s blog post explaining Playstation Plus:

I imagine the biggest lure to Playstation Plus will be the free games, avatars and themes, but it’ll take a few months to get a sense of what Sony plans to offer. For now, Sony says you’ll be able to download PSN games, minis and PS One Classics on a rotating basis, starting with WipEoutHD, Fieldrunners, Age of Zombies and Rally Cross. The available games will change every month, but as long as you remember to download them, you can keep playing for as long as you have a subscription. Themes and avatars may be kept forever.

Full game trials also seem like a solid lure, but again we’ll have to see how many games participate. First up is an hour-long trial of Infamous. As for discounts, Sony promises 20 percent to 50 percent off select PSN games, but there’s no mention of discounts on full retail games. No word yet on which exclusive demos and betas will be available first.

A lot of Playstation 3 owners must’ve asked Sony about cross-game voice chat, because the company addressed the issue with this response: “Cross-game voice chat is a feature we know our passionate user base has asked for and we’ll continue to look at as a viable offering for the PlayStation Network.” It’s too bad the feature is still missing from PSN, but I’m glad it’s not something users are being asked to pay for right now.

Currently, you’ll have to sign up for Playstation Plus directly through the console, but Sony plans to sell subscription cards at retail, and you can also pay with existing Playstation Network cards.

Pic: Kevin Butler Cracks Up Sony’s Presser

Jared Newman — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:59:28 +0000

Something clicked with Sony’s latest marketing campaign, which stars a fictional vice president named Kevin Butler. I think it’s the way he’s identifiable in his geekiness, but still suave and commanding. Plus, he says some funny stuff, often at the expense of Sony’s competitors. So the crowd at Sony’s press conference Tuesday was delighted to see Butler — played by actor Jerry Lambert — take the stage for a rousing speech. Watch it on YouTube, and check out some of the Kevin Butler ads. After the jump, photos of the Sweet Tooth ice cream truck from Twisted Metal, which also made an appearance at the press conference.

LittleBigPlanet 2 Trailer is the Rare, Droolworthy Kind

Jared Newman — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:04:49 +0000

It’s not often that video game trailers hit me with that schoolkid-like “must play now” stupor, which is why I don’t post many here, but the debut trailer for LittleBigPlanet 2 is the exception. Maybe it has something to do with the music — Passion Pit’s “Sleepyhead,” Shazam informs me — but it’s probably because of Sony’s grand promises of creating entire games within LittleBigPlanet 2′s level creator. The game will be out for Playstation 3 in Winter 2010.

I liked the original LittleBigPlanet, but despite the boundless creativity from amateur level creators who replicated levels from Contra and scenes from Star Wars, the game lacked a certain longevity. Ultimately the game’s platform engine gave a sense of changing scenery, but not much variety in play. Also, with no overarching structure for user-generated levels, playing around in them felt more like a one-off gimmick than something you could truly get lost in.

LittleBigPlanet 2 aims to fix those issues. Players will be able to string their levels together into entire games, but more importantly, the leve creation tools allow for new experiences like racing, old-school shoot-em-ups, RPGs and Arkanoid clones. Also, the two million levels already created for the first game will be playable in the sequel. This is going to get very interesting. [via Sony]

Yes, You Need This Portable PS3 Slim Case

Jared Newman — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:55:26 +0000

Usually when you see a modern game console equipped with its own LCD screen, it’s the work of some clever modder whose creation you’ll never actually get to use. Not so with Hori’s portable PS3 Slim case. The monitor has 1366-by-768 resolution and folds over to become a convenient little package, plus there are built-in speakers, so all you need is a power source and a controller and you’re good to go.

Obviously, you can’t play the portable PS3 Slim case on an airplane or in a car (unless you had a serious power converter), but imagine taking this beast to your room when the big screen TV’s in high demand, or having it at the airport during a long layover. You’ll never be without God of War III or Uncharted 2 ever again. All you need is roughly $264 and the ability to figure out how to get it from Japan when it arrives on May 27. [Hori via CNet]

PS3 Hacker Geohot on Lost Linux Support: I’m Sorry

Benjamin Opal — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:15:50 +0000

On Sunday, Sony announced that it the next Playstation 3 firmware update will cut off “Other OS” support, which allowed users to install Linux distributions on the console. Effective April 1, PS3 Linux users will have to back up their data and wave goodbye to the feature or avoid the update and sacrifice online play and other features. Sony has only pinned the change on “security concerns,” but hacker George “Geohot” Hotz, who released the first-ever PS3 hack earlier this year (preceded by several high-profile iPhone jailbreaks), which could ultimately allow piracy or other nefarious uses of the consoles, believes he played a role:

First off, I want to apologize to all the people who use Linux on their PS3. Before releasing, I weighed the pros and cons, and considered the possibility of an impact on OtherOS support. My logic was this. OtherOS support had already been removed from the Slim … The builders had apparently no intention of including it in future products. So for the purposes of openness why not release?

Commenters on Hotz’s blog are divided. Some are cursing him for essentially ruining Linux for legitimate users, while others agree with Hotz that Sony was wrong to punish the entire user base. I feel like it’s elementary school all over again, where the class show-off pulled a stunt and cost everyone recess. Of course, Hotz says he’s just going to fight back, looking for a way to restore Other OS. Until that happens, he says not to update. [via Geohot]

New Michael Jackson Video Game Coming?

Benjamin Opal — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:54:04 +0000

Sony’s monster deal with the Michael Jackson estate hints at a video game starring the late King of Pop. According to the Independent, the $200 million deal gives Sony the right to release 10 Michael Jackson albums, plus DVDs and video games. Now, that doesn’t mean a Michael Jackson video game is in production or even planned, but it’s certainly possible. As GameSetWatch’s Eric Caolli suggests, a version of SingStar or some other music game starring Jackson seems like a no-brainer.

Before Jackson died from a drug overdose last June, his own production company had reportedly been working on a game, though it’s no clear what kind. Development was supposed to continue even after Jackson’s death, for a holiday 2009 release, according to MJJ Productions. Obviously that didn’t happen. But with Sony getting involved, it seems more likely that we’ll see an MJ game, provided that’s what Sony wants. Given the way the video game hype cycle works, I’m sure we’ll get plenty of advance notice. [The Independent via GameSetWatch]

God of War III Reviews: Perfect Scores and Cliché Abound

Benjamin Opal — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:57:24 +0000

The recurring theme in reviews of God of War III, released today for the Playstation 3, is “epic,” a word that’s often tossed around when a game’s scale is too large for more descriptive words. Normally, I’d expect more caution with this sort of thing, but it appears that God of War III has left several reviewers gasping for adjectives, only able to communicate in cliché how good the game is.

Destructoid’s Nick Chester notes that “epic” is an overused word, but then says God of War III “truly redefines ‘epic’ in shocking and unexpected ways you may not have thought were possible.”

In fact, from start to finish, the game never really lets up. It’s full of more “holy crap” and “seriously, did that just happen?” moments than any game in recent memory, pushing the boundaries of both violence (yes, Kratos is at his most brutal here) and presentation.

The Telegraph actually begins its God of War III review with the dictionary definition of “epic” — itself a cliché in writing.

It’s an overused adjective, isn’t it, ‘epic’? Especially in video game critique or in those bullet-point lists that pop from the back of the box in a snazzy font.

…

God of War III is taking the word back for itself. You want to claim your game/film/novel is epic; you’re going to have to go through Kratos, who will likely tear your arm off and beat you to death with the wet end, given that he’s the angriest man in the history of everything.

And here’s a bit of somber enthusiasm from Computer and Video Games, reminding us that God of War III is essentially a souped up version of its predecessor, but not particularly upset about it:

There’s not a great deal that’s new here – it’s essentially GoW II on crack, but this nevertheless sets the mark for all-out action brawlers with unrivalled brutality, gore and epic scope.

Not everyone relied on the same old words. 1UP notes that God of War isn’t everyone’s bag, but still felt the game is A-grade material:

Chances are, if you were bothered by things like the button-pressing minigames, the puzzles, the linearity, etc. in previous God of War games, God of War 3 isn’t going to change your mind. And if you loved them before, get ready for an incredibly well made follow-up in that same template.

Judging from the long list of perfect scores at Metacritic, critics are not bothered by button-pressing minigames ad linearity, as long as they’re presented in epic fashion.

Sony Patents Demos That Get Worse As You Play

Benjamin Opal — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:02:00 +0000

Here’s an interesting patent from Sony describing a video game demo whose features degrade over time. The illustration above spells it out: You download the entire game, and at first all its features are available to you. But after several hours, your character becomes less powerful. In another scenario, Sony describes a racing game that depletes the number of available tracks with each race. Eventually, you’re left with very little, unless you choose to unlock all features you once had. The patent even allows for subtler changes in a game’s sound effects, lighting and color. Sony says it could distribute these demos on physical media — it’d have to, given that Blu-ray-based games would be inconvenient to download.

It’s a unique solution to a real dilemma: Demos don’t often give players enough to go on, so they don’t do a great job of selling the game. I’m not sure why this solution would be better than, say, a timed demo, but the degrading quality makes the game harder for clever hackers to unlock. In any case, it’s definitely a weird idea to claim exclusive ownership over, but that’s the world of patents for you. [SiliconEra via CrunchGear]

The God of War III Slurpee is a Major Letdown

Benjamin Opal — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:41:40 +0000

7-Eleven is supposed to be selling a Slurpee in honor of the upcoming Playstation 3 blockbuster God of War III, but the “Kratos Fury” flavor (blood and entrails, perhaps?) may not last until the game’s March 16 launch. The folks over at The Kartel searched for the God of War III Slurpee and came away disappointed. For starters, one of the 7-Eleven stores stopped carrying the flavor due to poor sales, even though it’s supposed to be available until March 31. It was reportedly the most unpopular Slurpee the store had seen in a long time, surpassed in sales even by Fanta Banana.

When the Kartel crew found the illusive Wrath of Kratos at another 7-Eleven, it wasn’t pretty. The consistency was not a typical crisp, icy dropping, but a foamy sludge that “bubbled out of the dispenser in an explosive mess.” It was as if the flavor had been sitting around for a while, and from the taste it was clear to see why: The testers reported that what was supposed to be lime and blackberry combination instead tasted like cough syrup, Sour Patch Kids, sugar and who knows what else. They ended up tossing the vile concoctions. I guess Kratos’ Fury is best directed at Greek gods instead of sugary drinks. [via The Kartel]

GamerCrave.com » Sony

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