[E3 2015] Predictions

I won't bother you with a "sorry I haven't posted in a while sob story" and get straight to it: E3 kicks off tonight with Bethesda, and while I could sit here and ramble off what they're going to talk about, it's all known: Fallout 4, Dishonored 2, Doom reboot...

That doesn't interest me. 

What does interest me is talking about the known unknowns: the stuff we know that we don't know. Taking rumors and substantiating them. Making sense of the mess that surrounds the pre-E3 hype. There are nine conferences in the next three days: Bethesda tonight; Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Sony tomorrow; Nintendo, Square, and "PC gaming" on Tuesday.

It's going to be a busy next few days.

I won't have time to discuss all nine, so I'm just going to take the Big Three - Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo - and discuss my top five, not-in-order, predictions for what could (and, in some cases, should) come of their conferences.

[E3 2014] Sony Predictions

I'll be breaking up my predictions into platform specific (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony), along with a post dedicated to third-parties. I don't have a schedule, but expect all four posts to be published before E3's start. Check out the hub for other prediction posts as they're published.

First things first, Sony is riding high into this year's E3, still rolling off of success after success. Their head is high, their horse is brushed pristinely, but it's going to be fairly easy for them to stumble this year; last year's E3 was a high point in the house of PlayStation.

Since launch, the PlayStation 4 has outsold the Xbox One month after month, even during March when Titanfall launched. They launched Infamous: Second Son to very solid reviews (and even better sales, even though it's here in software sales that Titanfall won), they have the - purported - best version of Watch Dogs to play, The Last of Us: Remastered is up for a summer release - as is PlayStation Now - and it's only May.

[E3 2014] Your Speculation Destination

I'll be breaking up my predictions into platform specific (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony), along with a post dedicated to third-parties. I don't have a schedule, but expect all four posts to be published before E3's start. Keep your eyes here on the hub for each prediction post as it's published.

[UPDATE 4] Your final update is here; third-party predictions are live, and not a moment to spare!

[UPDATE 3] Well, shit, that was fast. Sony predictions are up!

[UPDATE 2] Microsoft predictions are live!

[UPDATE] Nintendo speculations are now live! Check the link at the bottom of the post.

We're just a few weeks away from the start of E3, the first of the eighth generation where all three major players - Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony - have their newest systems out in full force. While the Xbox One and PS4 are not even a year old, Nintendo is in the second year of the Wii U, but has the most work to do. The PS4 has already over taken Nintendo in sales by a million and a half, but Microsoft is still trailing behind. Way behind.

And here you thought that Titanfall was going to help.

Even two months after Titanfall and Microsoft giving it away, they are still trailing behind Sony by 3 million units. Nintendo is in a stride, clocking in a respectable 6.2 million units, two and a half years after it's release. While several million sounds nice, they're going at about 350,000 a month, whereas Microsoft is more than double that, and Sony adding a "1" to the front of that number. 

E3 has always been a time where the big boys show off what they have in store. We've seen some promises of some key franchises, or at least them alluding to them, but nothing has been concrete. 

I've said that Nintendo has the most to earn at E3: a lot of their key franchises have yet to hit the system after this long (or even be announced), their online infrastructure sucks, and their DRM is pathetic. They need to earn gamers and consumers back to the Wii brand by educating them on what the system does, prove it has games to play by actually showing games - ones that people will want to play - and by overhauling what the system is capable of. They need Santa giving out blowjobs again (yes, the link is SFW). 

Sony, on the other hand, has the most to lose: they're in the lead, still running off of Jack Tretton's E3 2013 steam, with a 3 million unit lead on Microsoft. They need to come out swinging, again, with reveals of new IPs and new entries in established franchise. Not only that, but show the future of what the PlayStation systems (both the 4 and Vita) can do, and what they can do together.

Microsoft, however, has the most to prove: they're in the biggest rut, still making repairs from Don Mattrick's horrible attempt to make repairs since last year. They need to prove that they've been listening to gamers - those they lost to Sony - by showing off what the Xbox One is capable of, and what experiences they've been working on. 

What do I expect from everyone? A lot, actually.

Nintendo - Now Available
Microsoft - Now Available
Sony - Now Available
Third-Parties - Now Available

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; End Game

We're almost done! The fifth, and final, installment of this editorial of mine on the Wii U. Exactly how does Nintendo expect to win over their long-time fans, those they swooned with the Wii, and the developers they desperately need to create invigorating experiences? Where can Nintendo go from here, and how can they make sure they utilize their one year's head start and keep Microsoft and Sony off of their heels? Keep reading to find out...

Over the years, Nintendo has never really been known for having powerful hardware, but more of having a powerful library of IPs and franchises they could put on that hardware. Between their top franchises - Mario, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda, to name a few - Nintendo has a very compelling catalog. Asides from the already announced New Super Mario Bros. U, along side Pikmin 3, they are the only "main" Nintendo properties on the system announced thus far. It's assumed we'll see Link in Hyrule Field soon enough (whether or not it'll be similar to the HD demo we've seen is yet to be known, so don't go believing rumors quite yet), and we're hoping for a new Metroid and StarFox entry within a reasonable time. We haven't gotten wind of what's going on, but that's OK. What concerns me the most is that, despite Nintendo already having a fairly solid lineup for the system, their third parties are only content with bringing ports, and the Wii U needs more than that.

This is not enough to get me to buy the Wii U version.

Having Assassin's Creed III and Batman: Arkham City - the two power-house third-party games - on the system is great; the crowds were almost over-gasped when they announced them. Arkham City was a great game, but it's a year old. Assassin's Creed III is bound to be a fantastic entry, but it's a month and a half after it's initial release on other systems that people already own. I've yet to meet someone who is holding out for the Wii U versions of these games. We don't need ports that restructure the game and make it appear "tailored" to the Wii U; remember back to Sony saying they don't want Wii ports for the Move. There needs to be fresh experiences, and being exclusive helps.

Two prime examples are ZombiU and Rayman Legends. Coincidentally, they're both from Ubisoft, who has stated they don't plan on investing too much into the system, but after the purported shit-storm Nintendo caused between themselves and EA over using the Nintendo Network as an Origin platform, it looks more like Ubisoft and Nintendo are best buds. I don't expect too much from EA, as the gimped Madden 13 doesn't speak well for their integrity with their Wii U releases, but there are plenty of other third party developers Nintendo can woo.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Installment 04

We're back with part 4 of this massive editorial, focusing on Nintendo's direction competition: Sony, Microsoft, and Apple, and what they have geared up for their respective futures. Nintendo has a conference coming up on September 13, where the final bits of news is expected to be released. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

This year, we see Nintendo not only initiate the eighth generation of home consoles, but this is the first time in Nintendo's history since the NES that they've released a console before their competition. Not only is this an incredibly bold move by Nintendo, but it's also naive. They're allowing their competition know how they're handling their new system, giving them a deep insight to their plans, and adjust accordingly. Assuming the Wii U lands in November, that gives Microsoft and Sony 7 months between then and E3 next year to tweak their battle plans and come out swinging. That is, if Nintendo is tight-lipped on pertinent info that won't come to light until the release; otherwise, if this upcoming press conference is much more info than just pricing and release date, that makes it 9 months. Seven to nine months is enough time to tweak just about anything they need to; if Microsoft can take SmartGlass from initial on-paper design to displayable prototype to the masses in twelve months, then three-fourths of that time is ample.

* * *

To date, Microsoft hasn't said shit on the Xbox Next (or Durango, Xbox 720, Xbox Infinite, what have you). If you recall that document leak back in June, Microsoft actually confirmed it to be legitimate, even if it was "out-dated" by their measures. Regardless, it's interesting information. Things such as Project Fortaleza (or "Kinect Glasses") seems to bridge Kinect elements with Google Glasses concepts. Halo 5 isn't billed as a launch title, but it's coming shortly after. The Kinect 2 appears to want to talk to Xbox controllers for further integration. The system itself is to be $200-300, the same price range it's at now. There's a lot going on in there, but the juiciest information is right above. 

Microsoft's back catalog of games needs some love, especially Rare. They've been on the front lines lately, with the various Kinect Sports games, and the minds behind Avatars. Despite this pivotal piece for Microsoft, Rare hasn't done shit with their respective properties since Banjo-Kajooie: Nuts & Bolts. What about Killer Instinct 3? Where the hell has Joanna Dark been? My most important question is "why hasn't Rare made a new IP?". That question may be answered with the next generation; hell, we may even get to see that realistic Kameo sequel. If you unleash Rare, the last few ounces of faith I have in them tells me that, since they've been away from their original IPs over the course of the 00s, they can very well come back with a slew of fresh ideas for Banjo, Perfect Dark, and Kameo.

I've already talked my head off of how SmartGlass may very well become something great; I'm not going to banter on any further. I will, however, drop this nugget in here: if they really wanted to be sly enough, release the SmartGlass app on the 3DS and the Vita.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Thrice

If you caught the subtle music reference, good on you.

In this third installment, we're all about how you interact with the Wii U, primarily, the GamePad. We're gearing up for the September 13 conference Nintendo is holding. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

The biggest hurdle that Nintendo has in this generation, asides from not knowing a fucking thing that Sony and Microsoft are doing, is convincing people - customers and developers - that the GamePad is worth the investment. The GamePad, in itself, is an amalgamation of various technology knick-knacks we've grown accustomed to over the years. One part tablet, one part controller, squeeze in some social networking, add a touch of NFC (Near-Field Communication), and you've got a clusterfuck of gizmos.

By and large, it's main goal is to be a controller. In reality, it's nothing more than a gigantic, single-screened DS. Think about it: your TV would be the top screen, delivering the goodies to your noodle, while the controller's screen - a touch enabled screen, mind you - is where you interact with the game, with menu inputs, maps, inventory management...all the shit we've seen in DS games over the past 8 years. If the GamePad is allowing you to play the Wii U games on the controller, what's the point of the 3DS?

Between the 3DS, the GamePad, and the Wii U, cross-play gaming should be a no-brainer. Sega, of all companies, started the whole cross-play aspect with the Dreamcast and the Visual Memory Unit (or the VMU); sadly, it didn't catch on like it should have, as the technology then was severely limiting it. Then, Nintendo caught on with the GameCube and the GameBoy Advance, and the connection using the Link Cable; this was a hindrance, as some games (such as Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles) didn't suggest using the GBA, it was almost forced. Next up to the plate was Sony, and while the PSP was a great move forward with interlinking home console and portable system, the Vita is where it took off, as your game saves could go back and forth, making the Vita a true "portable PlayStation", despite some severe limitations. Where Sega started, Nintendo innovated, and Sony took on full-force.

* * *

A fantastic idea.
Also, the worst infographic ever.

The Vita, despite having sluggish sales and a poor library thus far (with a few gems), the connection there between it and the PS3 is fairly remarkable. I recently picked up WipEout 2048 on the Vita, but only after it was announced that WipEout HD's content was going to be a free download for anyone who owns both versions. It was a great step forward for the cross-compatibility, but there are huge hurdles that need to be gotten rid of. Main point? Why the fuck do I need to own a copy on both systems in order to bring it over? Much like Digital Copy and Ultraviolet for DVDs, or even ripping my CDs to my computer and dumping them on my iPhone, why in the name of fuck can't I get a digital download of the Vita version if I buy the PS3 version? Thankfully, Sony has recently unveiled their Cross Buy platform at Gamescom, where if you buy the PS3 version, you get the Vita version for free. They've yet to detail the program - Can I buy the Vita version and get the PS3 verison? Is it a digital version of the Vita game? - but Sony has some big games lined up for the service, and is definitely a welcomed addition.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Part Deux

Here's part two of my mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

A powerful system cannot be the only crutch Nintendo can lean on. They need help, and they need to make people know they're still innovating. Sadly, their own innovation may be their own downfall, as others are quick on their heels, even before they get out the door...

Since the GameCube, Nintendo has been showing its age. When the Wii launched, many gave Nintendo hell, referring to it as the "GameCube 1.5", as it didn't have the technical glitz nor glamour as the Xbox 360 or the PS3; it was only slightly more powerful than the Xbox. Yes, the GameCube could do [insert advantage here] and the PS2 could do [insert another one here], but the Xbox was often regarded as the powerhouse of the last generation.

Despite the lack of power, the Wii held its own while completely ignoring HDMI and (at the very least) 720p, two modern entertainment staples. Microsoft even caught itself in a fault, and added HDMI to the Xbox 360 mid-life-cycle, something fans and critics alike had hoped for in a revised Wii HD. Regardless, Nintendo skipped the revision and came full force with the Wii U (much like how they skipped on bringing the Wii Remote to the GameCube and made it less of an afterthought and more of the main attraction), including many missed opportunities the Wii left behind. It has been reported by third parties that the Wii U will be drastically underpowered compared to the Xbox Next and PS4/Orbis; Epic says that Unreal Engine 4-powered games won't find life on the Wii U past the first generation without being severely dumbed down.

Best joke ever!
Image credit: http://www.roboawesome.com/?p=16875

Fortunately, that may not be the case...

A recent report from BGR says that the Xbox Next (or Durango; what have you) will be running an eight-core CPU with 8 GB of RAM. Despite this sounding fairly powerful, this same report puts it at six times more powerful than the 360. If this report is true - which I'm taking it with the largest grain of salt known to man - then that means it's only marginally more powerful than the Wii U, which has been described as "definitely more powerful than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3" by 5th Cell (the guys behind Scribblenauts). This puts the Wii U at about 2-4 times more powerful than the Xbox 360.

This becomes a contradiction with a recent statement from Sumo Digital's executive producer Steve Lycett (Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed) saying the Wii U "looks as good any of the HD platforms". He quickly brings our hopes back up with this number: "The Wii U has way more memory, so we can take advantage of that with less compression on elements and textures, so [Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed] will look all lovely and shiny."

Now, we all know that we shouldn't be asking "how many more times" is one system more powerful than another, but used as a general rule of thumb; despite the GameCube being regarded as an inferior system, it could still do things better than the PS2 and Xbox, something I'm hoping repeats itself with the Wii U.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U

The Next Big Innovation?

What you're witnessing is the first part of a planned five for a mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

May we look at Nintendo's competitors - or their own history - as inspiration for the Wii U's success? What about where they look for inspiration? What proof do we currently have that the Wii U may, or may not, be successful?

It's coming. It's inevitable. We stand on the precipice of a new generation's step forward into the spotlight. Nintendo is ushering in the eighth generation at the end of this year, and with it brings another flurry of criticisms and skepticisms. We saw it when Nintendo showed off the Wii's controller, unveiled the system as the 'Wii', and when they laid out technical specs on the system; just Google around for it, and you'll see it around the internet. Hell, it even happened with the GameCube (what with it's purple lunchbox attire) and the Nintendo 64 with it's cartridge-based games; Nintendo always receives criticism when a new system comes out.

When Nintendo first showed us the (then named) Revolution's controller, I, myself, was taken aback. It was a radical approach to a growing problem: lack of innovation. Nintendo broke conventional means of controller design they themselves created in the mid-80s, and every other console manufacturer stuck to since. Nintendo gave us some fine examples of what the controller could do, what with the pointer acting as an excellent approach to first-person games, or the accelerometers acting as their own method of input; Nintendo was ready to reinvent, or out-right create, new genres. The most ludicrous - or, dare I say, crazy - part about the entire endeavor? They knew people would buy it, and ended up ushering in the fitness craze in video games with their own Wii Fit, and others followed suit. The (purely) motion controlled games such as the pack-in Wii Sports - where there was minimal button pressing, and actually acting out what you wanted to do - was groundbreaking at the time; Nintendo is constantly seen as a key innovator in this field.

Six years later, Nintendo is in full pre-production of the Wii U, getting it's brand new system geared up for the holiday release. The Wii proved successful, because it hadn't been done before. One factor Nintendo is banking on to encourage customers to buy into their name all over again is the backwards compatibility. Not with just the games, but with every accessory made for the Wii, including games, downloaded or not; Nintendo could easily market this as "buy the new system, keep all of your old shit". The Wii U, on the other hand, is building off of two things: the established success of the Wii by keeping the name - falling victim to "sequelitis", much like the Xbox and PlayStation - and the booming success of the tablet craze Apple ushered in with the iPad.

Yes, I'm saying it: Nintendo is looking to Apple for ideas.

[(P)REVIEW] PlayStation Vita

Today, my retail store of choice got our demo Vitas in, and when I say "demo unit", I mean it's a full-fledge Vita with a giant sticker on the box that says "Not For Resale". Everything else about this system and packaging is what you are to see when it launches in a little under a month (February 15 for the 1st Edition pre-orders, February 22 for everyone else). Don't worry: other stores should be getting their units very soon; we were supposed to have them a few days ago.

Now, on to the bread and butter!

How'd I Do on Sony's Conference?

So, I missed the live stream of Sony's conference, but it allowed me to fast-forward through the boring shit, like Tretton's opening monologue. Find out more about my predictions on the original post:

• New Move Bundles : YES : Starting it off with a Resistance 3 package, Sony announced new Move bundles.
• Move Price Drop : NO : Nope. Sadly.
• New In-House IPs : YES : StarHawk, Dust 514, Ruin (Vita/PS3 cross support),
• Sequels : YES : Resistance 3 was the intro child, but Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time was the first true announcement shown. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (or Uncharted Ø), was shown running on the just-prior named PS Vita.
• HD Collections : YES : God of War's Origin Collection (Chains of Olympus/Ghost of Sparta) was announced, and Team ICO was reaffirmed.
• PS4 Teaser : NO : Sadly, no. Not surprising, as the main focus was Move and Vita.
• Steam Integration : NO : Unfortunately, no.
• NGP Renamed Vita, Combating 3DS Price Point, Holiday 2011 : YES : Confirmed as PlayStation Vita ("vee-tah"), available in either 3G/Wi-Fi (on AT&T) or Wi-Fi only models with cross-platform saves, allowing you to start on the Vita, save, and pick up on the PS3 at home, or vice versa (only on supported titles, of course). Pricing starts at $249 for the Wi-Fi (now that's competitive) and $299 for the 3G/Wi-Fi model, coming Holiday 2011. Fuck. Ing. Called it. Nintendo needs to drop the price on 3DS. NOW.
• KB : NO : Fuck. Where's the humility?

Not bad, actually. 5 out of 9? Pretty good. 

Sony Conference Predictions, Microsoft Recap

Unlike last year, I didn't make predictions for E3 prior to the show. Going in, however, my top 3 predictions on Facebook for Microsoft was Halo 4, a Dashboard revamp and a price drop. I was 2 for 3 on that one. I was actually following Joystiq's bingo card, which they only got a handful right.

Microsoft's conference was pretty solid. They officially unveiled Halo: CE remake (sub-dubbed "Anniversary", just as the leak predicted) and Halo 4, which sees the return on Chief and Cortana's respective voice actors, that world from the ending of Halo 3's Legendary ending reappears with a tractor beam, a possible new weapon that looks like the pistol that fires explosives and looks like Chief got an upgrade in his cryo-stasis with a jetpack/zero-grav boosters.

The game demos are nice: MW3 was pretty cool, Gears 3 was nice, could care less on the Disney game for Kinect, and all the onesies and twosies were hit-or-miss. I just wish Don Mattrick would disappear, but thankfully he was there seldomly.

Anyways, here's the Sony E3 predictions:

• New Move Bundles Either a new system bundle, an update to the Sports Champions bundle, or a brand new stand-alone bundle that actually gives. If they do, the Navigation Controller will (finally) be thrown in. 
• Move Price Drop If there's any new bundles, Sony may drop the price on the accessories; Move controller should drop to $40 considering the mark up, and the Navigation should drop to $20-25. If there's any reason to buy Move, pricing it less than Nintendo's controllers (considering not everyone owns the EyeToy camera) would be fair-game.
• New In-House IPs With Insomniac confirming their new IP, Sucker Punch, Naughty Dog and Santa Monica should unveil some new IPs. Speaking of in-house devs...
• Sequels - God of War 4, Sly 4, Jak and Daxter 4...all of these games are on their fourth installment. Showcasing these to bring some thunder away from Halo and the Wii HD would be very wise.
• HD Collections We've got Japan's release date for the Team ICO collection, so a release date for the rest of us would be smart. Konami announced MGS, ZoE and Silent Hill collections, so Sony-specific collections would be nice (Jak collection, Ratchet collection), as well as exclusive collections (Grand Theft Auto) and PSP remasters (God of War) would be killer.
• PS4 Teaser If anyone needs good press, Sony is in dire need. Hot off the heels of their PSN debacle, Sony could very well pull a Halo 4 and throw us a teaser for the PlayStation 4. Like I said, it's the Year of the 4. 
• Steam Integration The PS3 needs some help with the online integration. Let's be honest: the PSN sucks. Last year, Gabe Newell bitch-slapped us with Portal 2 and Steamworks. Pulling full Steam integration would be nigh impossible, so some small Steam integration - basically taking Portal 2's Steamworks to a whole new level - would be highly welcomed.
• NGP Renamed Vita, Combating 3DS Price Point, Holiday 2011 The big boy of Sony's conference, the NGP, is rumored to be renamed PlayStation Vita (poor taste in naming, honestly), they'll price it competitively with the 3DS (around $300 or less; anything more and they're batshit crazy). Finally, they'll throw it our way later this year. '
• KB Need I say more?

Let's see how I do later tonight.

Sony's "Welcome Back" Package Detailed for North America

After nearly a month of inactivity, Sony finally kicked the PSN back on late last week. Today, Sony has announced their oft-hinted at "welcome back" package for North America:

ALL PlayStation Network account holders will be able to choose 2 of the following PS3 titles:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

...and 2 from the following PSP titles.

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation 

Any title downloaded will be yours forever, and you have within 30 days of the "Welcome Back" package going live. As well as getting 4 free games, you can also score all of this, as well (taken verbatim from Sony's announcement):

• A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
• Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
• To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

Sony hasn't given an exact date as to when you can get all of the goodies, but it will be available once the PlayStation Store comes back to life, which is one of the later phases of Sony's planned roadmap to restore the PSN.

[Via Sony's PlayStation.blog]

[HANDS-ON] Sony's Xperia Play/PSPhone and 2D-to-3D Conversion Tech

So, here it is, my very first hands-on with a yet-to-be released device, the Sony Xperia Play, or, more commonly known as the PlayStation Phone. Sorry for the lack of photos; I forgot my camera (it was a Sony sponsored Best Buy training; I wasn't that excited) and my iPhone died on the way up there (4 hour bus ride from Maryland to NYC).

At a meeting in New York City at some ritzy hotel at the corner of 6th and 30th (the "Avenue of the Americas", apparently), I was treated to a preview of some pretty cool stuff that Sony has in the pipeline (most of it their version of Apple features, and their stuff isn't even on par with what Apple offers).

First off, the coolest thing of the entire thing was their 2D-to-3D conversion technology that is coming with their summer lineup of their Vaio laptops. Pop in a lame-ass, 2D Blu-ray movie or a non-3D game, and the laptop will "upconvert" it to 3D. I watched the intro to Toy Story 3 and played around the snowy airport level from Modern Warfare 2, and I have to say, it was pretty snazzy. Of course, I'm not a 3D buff, but it was impressive. Playing a FPS in 3D will definitely take some time getting used to, but I did watch a couple guys play Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and as a 2D fighter game, the 3D appeal is nothing more than exactly that: visual appeal.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Announced [UPDATED]

UPDATE: Amazon has posted what appears to be a stand-in box art for the game, which simply uses the artwork available in the press kit, and is nothing more than the panoramic shot with the PS3 box art template thrown around it. Remember, Uncharted 2's box art was created using artwork that was released when the game was announced as well. Check it after the break.

Original Story: Oh yea. This is what I'm talking about. Sony, on their PlayStation.blog, just announced Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and that it will take place in the Arabian Deserts (along with a teaser video). Following the path of Indiana Jones, eh?

This time around, Naughty Dog "wanted to deal with the challenge of animating the fluid landscape", as to why they chose the desert setting. They're not just going with the desert to test their skills, oh ho ho ho, Drake & Co. will be searching for the "Atlantis of the Desert", or Iram (which has many different names). Sully will apparently be getting a bigger goddamned role, which has me gitty for more interlaced blasphemous deliciousness.

Naughty Dog will be on hand on Jimmy Fallon's late night show on Monday, December 13, to give a live demo of the game. Entertainment Weekly's December 17 issue will also feature "a ton of additional details on UNCHARTED 3 and the new art shown above in glorious, full color print."

The game doesn't have a projected release window, but judging by the other games (and seeing as it's announced at the tail end of this year), I'm assuming a Fall 2011 release date.

I will kill myself before the game comes out, the anticipation is that bad. In the meantime, check out a glorious artwork panoramic of Drake and another crashed plane.

[Via PlayStation.blog]

No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise Coming Stateside in 2011

Earlier this year, Japan got No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, and HD-ification of the first No More Heroes game. Shortly after it was announced, Ubisoft came out saying they would not publish the title in the US, so a localization immediately stopped there.

Until today.

Konami has come out of the woodwork and has officially announced Heroes' Paradise will be coming to the US, exclusively to the PS3 with Move support (hot damn). This has me very excited, as now, I can sell my Japanese copy, stop trying to play it, and hopefully, it will be better localized with better controls on the DualShock's side of the equation, with Terminex working with them to get rid of all the damned bugs.

No release date is set in stone as of yet, asides from the cryptic "2011". Maybe we'll see a release of it on the anniversary of the Japanese release date, which was April 15. One can only hope...

[Via PlayStation.blog]

[ANALYSIS] Microsoft Prices Out "Cost of Ownership" For Motion Gaming

You've gotta love this one. After Major Nelson posted the official pricing for Kinect, gamers began criticizing Microsoft's expensive approach. Well, Microsoft was quick with the Reggie-style graphs, and cranked out these lovely beauties (originally spotted on Kotaku):

First, we see Microsoft trying to justify the price of Kinect. They say that Kinect is cheaper for a new system owner across all three systems. They undercut Nintendo by $60, and Sony by a whopping $210. That's not all.

Here, they take on existing system owners, which I fall into (for all three). Kinect is just $10 shy of Nintendo, where as Sony is a full next-gen game above Microsoft. Let's delve past through the corporate bullshit and get some rectifying done.

Sony Conference Round-Up

The Sony media briefing took place on June 15, 2010, at 3:00 PM EST. Television broadcast was made available (and commercial-free, thank god) by G4, which I watched the entire hour-and-a-half thing (I'm starting to get used to this).  

Jack Tretton is up, and joked at Kinect and the ponchos. He said that bringing Kevin Butler on stage was a serious thought after everyone had suggested it, but, sadly, he won't be appearing today. Damn.

Killzone 3 is up, and what they're seeing is gameplay footage, and in 3D. Oh, and Move support, too.

A lot of games with 3D support (Ghost Recon, Shawn White Snowboarding, Mortal Kombat), and The Sly Collection announced in the spirit of the God of War Collection. One final 3D video: a giant sampling of various 3D supported titles. Motorstorm: Apocalypse, EyePet, MLB 10 The Show, The Fight, Killzone 3, Tumble, Crysis 2, Mortal Kombat, Gran Turismo 5 and The Sly Collection.

Now they're onto the Move. They're showing developers reactions to the controller.

How Sony won the last-gen, and how they'll probably win this gen: rebranding

This title has been in the drafts since December 17, so it's not all too familiar with my growing trend of getting partway through a draft, saving it for months on end and casually finishing it.

Ever since Sony announced the PS3 Slim, I had a slight inclination to buy one, purely out of the new design. I grew out of it, and never looked back; I still have my 1st-gen 60GB PS3 that can play my PS2 games (suck it, Sony). Another thing around that time was Sony had changed the way PS3 game's slipcovers look:

As you can see, Sony got rid of the Spider-Man font, and threw everything up top. Hell, they even started to brand which games were PS-only for the first time ever. But, there is a certain...allure to the rebranding here that makes it more appealing. It almost seems, dare I say, less threatening than the original?

What Microsoft Needs To Do To Revamp Achievements

Yesterday, I got the full 1,000 available GamerScore for Assassin's Creed II. That makes my thirteenth game - according to my 360 - that I've gotten 100% Achievements for (15, if you count Resident Evil 5 and Tomb Raider: Legend, both of which I've earned all retail achievements). That's a pretty astonishing feat for myself, considering I don't necessarily go out of my way to nab all of the Achievements or Trophies in a 360 or PS3 game, respectively. For those wanting to keep record, I've gotten five Platinum Trophies for my PS3, and I've completed an additional two other games, bring that number to seven, fully completed games. Remember, when I say "fully completed," I mean "all Trophies/Achievements."

When Sony came into the "gamer rewards" program, they were pretty late to the game; the PS3 firmware update that enabled Trophy support hit nearly two years ago (July will be the two year mark), and that was two and a half years behind Microsoft and their Achievements system, which shat all over the industry, creating a unifying system that brought all games together, forcing gamers to become so-called Achievement Whores, increasing their - I fucking hate this phrase - "E-Peen." However, Sony did an incredibly interesting thing when they introduced the Platinum trophies.

E3 '10 Predictions : Hardware : 9 Weeks To Go

As foreshadowed in my previous post on the Xbox 360 Slim, here are my predictions for E3 hardware. I'm not doing software here - I may do that later - but right now, I'm focusing on the three major companies and what they'll be bringing to the table.