Thursday, November 29, 2007

Uncharted: Tech Dive: Making The Game


Naughty Dog tells us how they pushed the PLAYSTATION 3's processing power with their new title, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, exclusively released recently for the PLAYSTATION 3.

Dark Sector Webisode #3


IGN has a new webisode for Digital Extremes' upcoming action title, Dark Sector. The video shows some of the gameplay elements of the title, from shooting to slashing. Enjoy.

Madden 08 Patch Coming Soon for the PLAYSTATION 3

A patch for Madden NFL 08 was just released on the Xbox 360 version of the game, and is on it's way to the PLAYSTATION 3 version.

This new patch fixes the following issues.

Fumble Fix - Reduced fumble chances in certain situations. This has been tested thoroughly and we feel that people will be happy with a more realistic (and more fun!) number of fumbles. This was priority number 1 for us.

DB Reactions- changes to the way that DBs play man coverage. Defenders in man coverage won’t be able to react to passes that they cannot see. This should make it easier to throw against man coverage.

Favre “Moonwalk”- I love the names that you guys come up with for issues such as this one. You can rest assured that you won’t see Farve (or any QB) dancing toward the sideline anymore.

Hook Zone Flip Bug- I saw a post on a community forum talking about this bug and it turns out the fix was very minimal risk. You can now flip plays with hook zones without the players leaving their zones.

Franchise - Fixed NCAA import issue where players would turn 26

Franchise - Fixed bug where HOF Unlocked players cannot be released in Franchise.

Franchise - Fixed bug where the FA pool would run out of certain positions

Online Game Reporting- fixed a number of issues where games weren’t being reported correctly or people weren’t getting the right number of ranking points for a win. This will also make stats more accurate.

EA SPORTS World- Accomplishment ‘20 consecutive completions’ not awarded when completions ends up under 100%

We will remind you when it's available for download.

[Via Pasta Padre]

Harmonix Working on PLAYSTATION 3 Rock Band Fix

Harmonix, developer of the new Rock Band, has released a statement today based on the PLAYSTATION 3 version of the game.

In the statement, they address the issues of the PLAYSTATION 3 version of Rock Band.

"Some of you have contacted us about the PS3 edition of Rock Band - from issues with guitar compatibility to frustration that stand-alone guitars and drums for Rock Band have not yet hit stores,"
They continue on.
"We are committed to providing the best play experience possible and working hard to ensure that we solve these problems as soon as possible. We promise to keep you updated and, in the meantime, we thank you for your patience."
They've also added that the issues of the PLAYSTATION 3 version have "our [their] full attention". We will keep you updated when we know more about this fix.

[Via Games Radar]

Gamespot Editor Fired Over Kane & Lynch Review?

A new rumor has surfaced today of long-time GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann has been fired. Normally, that wouldn't be worthy of a news post, but the reason for him being fired makes it worthy.

It seems it was due to advertiser pressure for his review of Eidos Interactive's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men.

Jeff reviewed Kane & Lynch: Dead Men with a not so nice score of 6.0, which is a fair in GameSpot's scale. The reason for Jeff's firing wasn't the score, but the "tone" of his review.

If the rumor is true, it could be a sad thing to see from a great site such as GameSpot. Bad publicity too.

[Via Kotaku]

PLAYSTATION Home 24 Minute Walkthrough


Veoh has surfaced with eight new videos of the PLAYSTATION Home Beta, the main video, shown above, is the 24 minute walkthrough of the beta. You can view the other videos, which are breakdowns of the above videos at the link below. Remember, this is a beta, meaning a work in progress.

Enjoy.

[Via N4G]

PSP Firmware v3.73 Arrives

In a new press release released by Sony, it reveals firmware update 3.73 for the PLAYSTATION Portable. The update is only a fix however.

The update improves the operation of the UMD drive. Before, in certain cases, the drive would suspend and fail to load data properly off the UMD, so this issue is now resolved.

You can currently download it over Wi-Fi or PC, whatever method you choose.

[Via IGN]

Ex-2K Boston Employees Forming New Studio?

Gamasutra's job board showed a job listing for a development studio being established in Bay Area of northern California by "creators of the award-winning 'Bioshock'." It seems now though, that the listing excludes the BioShock game reference.

To add to that, Surfer Girl blogged that many creators of the game did not want to work with Ken anymore saying "a good chunk of the BioShock team did not want to work with Ken [Levine] ever again" and that publisher 2K "let them set up a new studio so that they can make Bioshock 2, leaving Ken with Project X."

What does this new studio have to bring?

[Via Kotaku]

Namco Bandai: "We are Looking for Other Publishers to Make Titles for Guncon 3"

In a new interview with Namco Bandai Time Crisis 4 producer Teruaki Minami, they talk about the game, along with the Guncon 3.

Some interesting Guncon 3 related information is brought up after they ask Minami his thoughts on Japan PLAYSTATION 3 marketing.

He ensures that the market is still growing and that they plan to release new titles for the PLAYSTATION 3 using the Guncon 3. He also mentions that:

"By the way, currently we are looking for other publishers to make titles for Guncon 3. I know that the number of titles which work with Guncon 3 is not enough for consumers, and we definitely need more titles that work with Guncon 3. As you can see, we only have Time Crisis 4!"
That means more PLAYSTATION 3 exclusive titles are on their way. You never know what could be the next system seller, right?

[Via Gamasutra]

HAZE: Possible Downloadable Content, PLAYSTATION 3 Thoughts

In a recent interview with Rob Yescombe and Derek Littlewood of HAZE, they talk about working on the PLAYSTATION 3 console.

Yescombe is very proud of the HAZE, as he says "Well, with four-player hot-swap co-op, the Nectar gameplay system, two unique factions with totally different skills and abilities, as well as the 16-player multiplayer story maps, we’ve got a top notch package". He ensures us that we will get the value for our money.

Littlewood spoke on Blu-Ray necessity for the PLAYSTATION 3. He says it's not clearly a necessity, but it's a great addition to the conosle. Developers can add an increased amount of content that you can't do on normal DVDs.

Yescombe comes back explaining that some developers don't utilize the storage capacity due to multiplatform titles. If your developing exclusively for the console, then there is no reason not to use the space, but multiplatform needs to be equal on both consoles.

He continued on, explaning why they dropped HAZE on the Xbox 360 and PC. He explains that dropping those two consoles allowed to work and focus on one platform, and that the entire HAZE team has been able to work very closely with the PLAYSTATION 3.

The reason they chose the platform is because the company has a history of good results from PLAYSTATION hardware. They wanted the PLAYSTATION 3 to get some recognition.

On downloadable content, Yescombe says that he would like to, but he cannot comment anymore on it at the moment. When asked about dedicated servers for the game, he could not comment at all either.

Yescombe starts to talk about clans and friends. You'll be able to send in-game messages to your friends, or co-op them into your multiplayer game. He wasn't allowed to say more after that sadly.

He ends it with saying that they are using what they've learned from HAZE for TimeSplitters 4 development, and that you need to buy the games.

[Via PSU]

New GT.TV Arrives on Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Demo

Starting tomorrow, users who have downloaded the Gran Turismo 5 Prologue demo from the Japanese PLAYSTATION Network will be receiving some new content from the demo.

Demo players will be able to download a new and free video clip for the demo's GT.TV mode.

The new video is titled "The GT-R Legend Inside Story I". The videp is an original production from the Nissan GT-R development team and the Gran Turismo staff. It includes HD footage of the GT-R's development and of Gran Turismo producer Kazunoru Yamauchi test driving the car at Nurburgring in Germany.

Expect a part II and III in the coming weeks.

[Via IGN]

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Dated for Japan

Capcom Japan has announced today the final release date for the PLAYSTATION 3 version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. The game will be arriving on February 21, 2008, with a reduced price of 6,290 yen (approx. $57.00).

Remember, the PLAYSTATION 3 version will include all the downloadable content for the PC and the Xbox 360 version making it a complete set. It will include the secret characters in the PC version, online play, and 16 hours of gameplay.

[Via IGN]

Rock Band Special Bundle Just Got Better & Sexier

A new eBay auction that just went up for the PLAYSTATION 3 version of Rock Band features more than just the special pack bundle and two Guitar Hero III Gibson SG guitars.

It comes with a girl named Chloe.

What will Chloe do you ask? On Christmas Day (December 25, 2007), she will personally deliver your copy of Rock Band. She will open presents for you and take pictures with you while wearing the same outfit on in the picture to the left.

Her occupation? Model. You can view her MySpace here.

[Via Destructoid]

Race Driver: GRID: The First Six Screenshots

Codemasters is working on a new, and visually appealing racing title named Race Driver: GRID. If your a fan of the Midnight Club series, your going to love the type of cars featured in this game.

Coming mid 2008, Race Driver: GRID is set to capture every moment from the starting grid to the chequered flag and concentrate those moments into an intense and dramatic race experience. Race Driver: GRID is being developed for the PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC gaming systems.

The first six screenshots of the title, are shown below. Looking a little too fast and furious, don't you say?


High Stakes on the Vegas Strip Now Playable on PSP

It seems when 2.01 was put out for download last week, it enabled you to play High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition on your PSP via Remote Play.

I'm told that the game "works flawlessly over Remote Play allowing the player to use your PSP to also play the game online against real players".

I do not own the title, so I can't confirm it, but if you guys can help me out and give this a try, report here.

[Thanks Scott & Chris!]

SEGA Announces "The Club" Website Is Live

The official website for SEGA's upcoming brawl title, The Club, has just gone live and online.

Visiting the website, you can check out members of The Club, see the game enviorments, information about the game, watch the game trailer, and even sign-up to receive the latest information on the game.

Visit the site at the link below.

[Visit: The Club]

Burnout Paradise Producer Loved Working from PLAYSTATION 3 At Start

In a new interview with producer of Burnout Paradise, Nick Channon, we find out the good side of Electronic Arts. CVG quizzes him on several questions, then asks:

Everyone seems to be leading on Xbox 360. Why did you decide to make the PS3 your main SKU for Burnout?

Channon: We've always led on the Sony platforms. Historically at Criterion we've always done that and we didn't want this year to be any different. We've always loved Sony machines and we've loved PS3 from the start, we think it's a fantastic machine. We felt very strongly about that.

So from the beginning we were always going to lead on PS3 and our transition between the two machines has been really seamless and straight-forward, where as other people have lead on 360 and found it hard to get on PS3.

We've had none of those problems. We really like 360 and if you get the opportunity to play it the two versions are exactly the same. I think we've really reaped the benefits of leading on PS3 because of that.
I think we can agree here, you wait and see how nice Burnout Paradise will look on the console. It will be "fabulous".

[Via CVG]

EU PLAYSTATION Store Update: November 29, 2007

The US update was just announced, now lets take a look at what Europe receives on it's PLAYSTATION Store today. The content below.

Demos
- TimeShift demo (free)

PSone Classics
- Destruction Derby (£3.49)
- Kula World (£3.49)

Add-Ons
- MotorStorm Crazy Samurai & Quick Foot Liveries (£1.49)
- Resistance: Fall of Man Map Pack 2 (£2.99)

-Sonic The Hedgehog Add-Ons
-Very Hard Sonic Mission (£1.49)
-Very Hard Shadow Mission (£1.49)
-Very Hard Silver Mission (£1.49)
-Boss Attack Shadow (£1.49)
-Boss Attack Silver (£1.49)
-Team Attack Amigo (£1.49)

Game Videos
- Assassins's Creed "Altair Was Here" trailer (free)
- Blazing Angels 2 "Racing Trailer" (free)
- PAIN Video (free)
- Smackdown vs RAW 2008 Video (free)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune "Making the Game" video (free)
- This Is Living: Blu-ray (free)
- This Is Living: Gaming (free)
- This Is Living: Evolving Entertainment (free)
- This Is Living: Faster Processing (free)
- This Is Living: TheMaking Of (free)
Enjoy your content Europeans, at least there are some PSone titles to give a shot too.

US PLAYSTATION Store Update: November 29, 2007

Today is Thursday, meaning we have another PLAYSTATION Store update. Let's take a look at what this new week brings us. Our verdict? PAIN is good, the rest is a disappointment.
Games
  • PAIN ($9.99)
Demos
  • TimeShift Multiplayer Demo (free) (it seems to have been removed from the online store for some reason and never showed up on the PLAYSTATION Store)
Add-Ons
  • Resistance: Fall of Man Map Pack Bundle (includes #1 & #2) ($7.99)
  • Resistance: Fall of Man Map Pack #2 ($4.99)
  • Motorstorm Vehicles & Skin Pack #1 ($1.99)
  • Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Boss Battles Track Pack (free)
  • Rock Band David Bowie Pack 1 ($5.49)
    • "Heroes" by David Bowie ($1.99)
    • "Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie ($1.99)
    • "Queen Bitch" by David Bowie ($1.99)
  • The Elder Scrolls Oblivion: The Shivering Isles ($29.99)
  • PAIN Add-On Character Santa ($0.99)
  • PAIN Add-On Character Cookie ($0.99)
Game Trailers
  • Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction BTS - Weapons (free)
  • TimeShift FPS Video 2 (free)
Theatrical Trailers
  • Stop Loss trailer (free)
Blu-Ray Disc Trailers
  • Memoirs of a Geisha trailer (free)
  • Resident Evil: Extinction trailer (free)
Wallpapers
  • (6) PAIN Wallpapers (free)
  • (5) Resistance: Fall of Man Wallpapers (free)
  • (1) Aquatopia Wallpaper (free)
The add-ons are a great addition to the store, but barley any demos or such were released. Even missed ones such as SmackDown vs. RAW 2008 or such would have been nice.

PLAYSTATION Store Worldwide

LittleBigPlanet Due To Hit This Year?

The Sixth Axis, a European PLAYSTATION 3 gaming site, have obtained a bit of information for people who tested Warhawk. They write:

"...beta testers lucky enough to have sampled Warhawk early can perhaps look forward to something a little bit special in it's place. We're going to go out on a limb and guess that it will be in the form of a LittleBigPlanet beta but don't get your hopes up, and there's no word on a date yet or indeed anything even remotely official."
I was one of the lucky few who was able to test Sony's Warhawk, and if this means we get LittleBigPlanet as well, than lucky us.

[Via TSA]

Devil May Cry 4 Demo Hitting the Network This December?

Two days ago, French gaming website, Jeux France, reported that a Devil May Cry 4 demo will be coming out soon and exclusively for the Xbox 360. Many Devil May Cry 4 fans weeped, but I'll gladly say it, it is untrue.

An angry PLAYSTATION 3 fan posted in the comments: “Why the hell won’t it be on PSN!?” And a Capcom representative replied to him kindly with:

“Wait a little while longer and the demo strategy will be clear.
I’ll say this: The information printed above and in that article as written is incorrect.
The news you’re looking for is not far off... a little more patience please.”
The official website for Devil May Cry 4 is going to update December 5, 2007 with news on the demo. A demo was shown playing on the PLAYSTATION 3 a few days back as well.

Could a demo be coming this December?

[Via Ripten]

Warhawk Omega Dawn First Screenshots

Sony has just released 28 new screenshots of the Operation: Omega Dawn pack for Warhawk. This pack will be releasing soon on the PLAYSTATION Network.

The Operation: Omega Dawn pack for Warhawk features an enhanced level of teamwork, tactics and coordinated aerial assaults with the new KT-424 Combat Dropship.

- Omega Factory battlefield includes 5 new map layouts featuring advanced building complexes and huge
industrial towers.
- KT-424 Combat Dropship transports 1 pilot, 6 soldiers and 1 ground vehicle; and features a deadly new
weapon – the MBEC-3 Heavy Support Cannon.
- The 5 large layouts from the original battlefields have been modified to include the KT-424 Combat Dropship.
View more screenshots at the link.

[Via InsideGamer]

Project Origin (F.E.A.R 2): New Information & Screenshots

Gameplayer has spent some time in front of the sequel to F.E.A.R which will now go by the name Project Origin thanks to the contest they held a while back.

It goes into detail about the story, new gameplay features and how the graphics are shaping up. It also features a bunch of screenshots.

"She may still be psychically emanating her appearance of herself as a child, but Alma is very much on the loose. She slowly walks over, solemnly intones “We all fall down…” and then the action really begins."
Read the full article at the link below along with some new screenshots.

[Via GamePlayer]

Overlord Coming to the PLAYSTATION 3?

Triumph Studios recently put up a job posting stating that it is looking for PLAYSTATION 3 programmers able to port over coding from the Xbox 360 and PC to the PLAYSTATION 3.

Considering that their only title on the Xbox 360 and PC together is Overlord (which received a metascore of 81/100), could this mean a port of the game is making it's way to the PLAYSTATION 3?

Or could it just mean they are beginning a new project and need PLAYSTATION 3 porters? That would make sense, but why would they need to be able to port over Xbox 360 AND PC coding?

[Via Jeux France]

Night Note: New Site Launching A Week Later Than Expected

To: onAXIS Readers
From: onAXIS Administrator
Subject: Site Update

Alright, time to give you guys a little site update on thew new site. I've managed to get the site looking almost similar in both browsers with only little differences, which I'm currently fixing up. I should get the hosting account up next week, so expect the site by at least Sunday.

Anyway, other than that, the day's been a news full day, not necessarily the best news that you'd see, but let's have a look below, shall we.

Important Articles for November 28, 2007
The 2007 for the PLAYSTATION 3

Hot News Stores for November 28, 2007
GameSpot Previews The Orange Box
Borderlands, Rainbow Six 2 Trailer Coming to SpikeTV
EA Making More Money on Mobile Than PLAYSTATION 3
KILLZONE 2 Beta Coming 2008
First Details on PSN Game, flOwer
Resistance Map Pack Press Release
Home Beta Not Arriving Tomorrow
GTA IV Boxart Revealed | Video Reveal
Rock Band Song Schedule for DLC
Tekken 6 Heapload of New Videos