Steve’s Take:

Kicking things off is Jack Tretton and a joke about ponchos! IN YOUR FACE! It is on!

Killzone 3 – Sony pulls a Microsoft amd comes out waving the big gun around. Unfortunately for MS, Killzone 3 looks amazing AND it’s exclusive. Lots of 3D gobbledegook that means jack to me. Killzone 2 hits in Feburary, is in 3D, and support Playstation Move! Thumbs Up!

Playstaytion Move – Prepared to hate, must resist stupid motion controller… Sorcery looks very very cool… i mean NO! Stupid gimmick! Unresponsive rubbish! Oh forget it – Move looks pretty damned amazing,and the tech behind it is goddamn impressive. Of all the games to sell me, a Harry Potter clone and Tiger Woods. Thumbs up.

Kevin Butler is in the HIZZOUSE! Preaching the message of unity between casual and hardcore. Y’know, for a highly paid marketing machine, Butler is without a doubt… the man! This is one of the most awesome moments ever, and the crowd is devouring it. “We are GAMERS! We have gigantic TV screens in one bedroom apartments!” I see this whole sequence becoming a classic moment in the history of gaming, where all console loyalties were tossed aside. It was an awesome, and very classy move by Sony, and i’ve no doubt that Kevin Butler has gone way beyond his marketing firm roots at this point. The guy has entered the Video Game hall of fame.

Move Montage – a barrage of titles for Sony’s mo-con solution, ranging from the party games you’d expect to some suprisingly hardcore offerings. Goddamnit! It all looks like fun! The pricing isn’t completely ludicrous either. Thumbs up!

God of War: Ghost of Sparta – Why can I not get excited about this? Or the other 70 titles supposedly coming between now and christmas for the PSP? Even handed gesture.

Little Big Planet 2 – While I certainly recognize the cleverness, the first game just didn’t grab me. This time around, they’re throwing every kind of minigame imaginable into the mix. Maybe this time… Even Handed Gesture.

Playstation Plus – A paid premium service for PSN users. 50 bucks a year nets you early demos, beta access, free PSN games and PSP Minis, and free PSOne classics. Also includes Cross Game Chat with any PSN member (as long as the chat is initiated by a PS Plus subscriber). Sounds like a solid value, and everything that was free remains free, Kudos to Sony! Thumbs up!

Medal of Honor – A new demo with a look at the Unreal 3 powered single player, brief, but incredible. Some more online multi stuff, and exclusive bonus for PS3 owners! Medal of Honor Frontline (arguably the best iteration on any console) for free, in HD, included with the PS3 version! Thumbs up!

Dead Space 2 – Continuing where we left off last night. That is one bitchin boss fight. I had zero interest in this one before now. The PS3 version also includes the wii flop, Dead Space: Extraction (currently holding a very lofty 83% average score on Gamerankings) with full on Playstation Move support. Thumbs up!

Portal 2 – Gabe Newell is on stage! BOMBSHELL! The former PS3 detractor makes a few jabs about his past anti-Sony sentiments before showing some awesome footage of Portal 2, which hits in 2011. Thumbs up!

Final Fantasy XIV – Still looks good. Still not much info floating around about this one – i have a feeling some slippage into 2011 is imminent. I still can’t wait! Even Handed Gesture.

Gran Turismo 5 – Smokin hot trailer! Over 900 cars, fully 3D, Nascar, F1, WRC, and Top Gear (the awesome show, not the awesome SNES game) are all in there. Releases November 2nd! Thumbs Up!

InFamous 2 – Not much to see really. Looks like more of the same, and it’s coming in 2011. Even Handed Gesture.

Twisted Metal – Original series creator David Jaffe takes the stage and shows off some multiplayer. I’ll be honest, i think it looks like ass, and i was never a huge fan of the series to begin with. Thumbs down.

Sony did what Sony does best. they worked the crowd, and were wall to wall with games, games, and more games. The 3D tech looks cool and all, and they gave it some time, but not enough to take away from what was really important. As much as I want to hate the hell out of Move, the tech just seems to work so damned well! This is what was promised in the weeks and months leading up to the Wii launch. We’ll see how well the software pans out, but the lineup looks to be classic PSOne era 3rd party loaded Sony. This whole conference for me really hearkened back to Sony’s glory days in the PSOne era, they were fun, easy going, not too stuffy or elitist, and not too particularly concerned about technology, with their focus squarely planted on how the new tech serves the software. They put on the best show of E3 thus far, but Nintendo is ahead by a hair in my book, more because of the content. At any rate, i look at what Nintendo and sony have done today, and i see two companies who are embracing their respective heritages, who are giving their fan base exactly what they want out of a video game console. While Microsoft just seems to be more out of touch than the ‘Big N’ were at their worst a few years ago. I know I can’t freaking wait to lay mitts on a lot of Sony’s product.

On the downside, Kaz is just not savvy enough for these things, and the early reveals kind of knocked the wind out of this one a little – imagine how awesome things would have been if Killzone 3, Little Big planet, and Infamous 2 had been kept in the dark until today. I would have liked to see some more of this fall’s big guns. A Socom 4 demo would have been sweet! The suprises, particularly Twisted Metal, definitely didn’t blow me away either. Ah hell, i’m just disappointed because there’s been no mention of Dragon age II!

Final Score: A

The Charge

In case you wanted yet another gem-breaking puzzle game.

The Case

Puzzle Chronicles is an RPG/puzzle hybrid game that combines some light skill progression and even lighter character customization with fairly engaging gem-breaking puzzle gameplay.

Players begin by creating a character, naming him or her and jumping into a boilerplate fantasy world that is seemingly built around the concept of finding randomly strewn-about artifacts and keys to open up new stages that contain even more randomly strewn-about artifacts and keys.

In short, it’s like any role-playing game! (RIMSHOT) Actually, there’s not much of a story going here, just your standard-issue Save the Kingdom scenario. It won’t win any writing awards, but the narrative is suitable enough to tie the puzzling and item-hunting together.

Not that the storyline is the big selling point for Puzzle Chronicles, of course. Nope, this is more about the Puzzle and less about the Chronicles and the good news is that the focal gameplay component is worthwhile enough to keep the game afloat. In the interest of full disclosure I’ll say that I’m not a big puzzle guy, having played my fill of Meteos on the DS and that goofy Mortal Kombat puzzler from Armageddon way back when. Noob that I am, I still found Puzzle Chronicles mechanics amusing.

Like most puzzle games, it’s all about strategically stacking jewels and clearing them out. There are basic colored jewels, detonator jewels, and special “attack” jewels, which, when broken, push the game board divider closer to the opponent, giving him less space to work with. Each enoucnter has your character on one side and the bad guy on the other. First one to run out of space and get stacked up, loses. Presuming you come out the victor, that means gold and XP, which you can use to advance stats and purchase special abilities that can be used in game (e.g., modifiers on the jewels).

The puzzle department is certainly crowded on XBLA/PSN/PSP/DS and hard core players may find themselves swamped as it is with the offerings, but I enjoyed Puzzle Chronicles. It has a nice feel, attractive graphics, a deep puzzle mechanic and enough stats to keep players juking.
The Verdict

Not Guilty

April comes in like a fercious wet box of kittens with a pretty timid little “mew”. Not much on the slate, but what’s there is of solid stuff!

04/13

- Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City(PC, PS3)

- Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox360, PC)

04/20

- Monster Hunter Tri (Wii)

- Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper (Xbox360)

04/27

- Dead to Rights: Retribution (multi)

- Super Street Fighter IV (multi)

- Nier (multi)

- Fifa World Cup 2010 South Africa(multi)

- Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake (PSP)

- Record of Agarest War (Xbox360)

After seeing Sam Fisher get his kill on to the strains of “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”, i’m so sold on Splinter Cell: Conviction. I’ll also be doing some monster hunting, and Street Fighter is a must. What are the rest of you asking the Easter Bunny for? Outside of Creme Eggs?

GTI Club Supermini Festa! has over 15 courses in five different stages from across the globe including Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States. Each stage takes racers through open cities and rough terrain and challenges them to tackle oncoming traffic and uncover new routes and secret courses. Gamers can drive over massive jumps, around hair-pin turns and through secret shortcuts in 16 customizable Supermini cars based on the original arcade game, and a few all-new additions. In the garage, gamers can also design their own Supermini from the ground up, or tune their engine’s performance to perfection. Players can race to the finish against friends in multiplayer modes via ad-hoc party for the PSP with up to four players.

GTI Club Supermini Festa! is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and is now available for PSP and PSPgo download for $29.99. GTI Club Supermini Festa! will also be available on Wii this Spring

Via Kotaku, news comes out that PM Studios is bringing Gunbird 2 to the PSP.  Now there hasn’t been much on Sony’s portable that I’ve found compelling enough to shell out the sheckels for, but this, my friends, makes it tempting.

Gunbird 2 is, essentially, the most bat-&#$%  insane shooter ever forged.  I became engrossed with it when it came to the Dreamcast and everyone I’ve forced to try it has also fallen under its spell.  It takes like nine minutes to complete, but features some of the most incoherent (read: awesome) storylines ever.  Pro-tip: match chibby flying-carpet straddler Hei Cob with anyone and strap in for an endless march of fat jokes.

The Charge:

For the first time, Become a master assassin on the PSP System.

Opening Statement:
Hot on the heels of Assassin’s Creed II comes the first iteration of the series for Sony’s powerhouse portable. Does Assassin’s Creed make the leap of faith into the palm of your hand? Or is this one portable knock off worth killing?

Facts of the Case:
It’s been a month since Altair buried his hidden blade into the neck of Robert De Sable, leader of the Templar Knights. As the new leader of the Order of Assassins, he’s gone on the offensive, taking the war to the Templars. Travelling to Cyprus, Altair hopes to wipe out the last remaining leaders of the Templar forces before they can rebuild and strike back.

The Evidence:
Reviewing a PSP title is always a dicey prospect for me. When you get a handheld with such horsepower, do you stand the games shoulder to shoulder with their console peers? Or should one judge the title against the sea of utter trash that consists of your average portable system’s software library (the PSP being no exception). Taken on its own; Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines is really a pretty amazing feat. Not only have they managed to squeeze an experience that feels remarkably close to the big brother games on the current consoles, but they’ve managed to do so without a whole lot of compromise to the core mechanic.

You still roam through a crowded city (though not quite so crowded as on PS3 or Xbox360), and you still have several side missions you can attempt in between assassination attempts (though the model is closer to the more linear approach of Assassin’s Creed II than the first game). Controls immediately feel markedly familiar to veterans of the series, and are not at all tough to grasp, even without the second analog stick, and in seconds you’ll be free-running over rooftops and dodging angry guards.

Technically speaking, I’m amazed that they’ve managed to squeeze this stuff into what is essentially a slightly enhanced PS2. The atmosphere and character of Assassin’s Creed is instantly recognizable, and character animations are every bit as fantastic as one might expect from the series. The sound is also top drawer stuff, and the game sounds fantastic through a set of nice headphones.

Rebuttal Witness:
While Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines does capture the core of the big console titles pretty effectively, it must be acknowledged that there are many elements stripped down or removed altogether from this version. The assassination missions basically boil down to fight scenes and boss battles rather that the calculating and strategic offerings the game is typically known for. The emphasis is definitely on the combat, which feels more like the first game than the second, now allowing for much in the way of choice or diversity. It’s an issue worth noting, but it doesn’t sour the deal completely.

Closing Statement:
Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines manages to succeed based simply on the fact that it’s a portable offering that immediately feels like Assassin’s Creed. While it doesn’t have the same depth of its console brothers, and even some of the basic elements of those games has been stripped down some, it’s still a technical wunderkind, and it’s still a worthy distraction for those on the go, or those with a hankering for some portable assassin action.

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony PSP/Sony PSPgo
Developer: Griptonite Games
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: November 17th, 2009
Rated: M(17+) for Mature.

For a while now, the rumor has been that a slimmed-down version of the PS3 will hit stores this summer, accompanied by a price drop of anywhere from $50 to $100. But with E3 come and gone, and Sony staying steadfast in its position that the feature-rich PS3 remains a value proposition at the current price, is it all just wishful thinking?

Considering the $250 price point for the new PSP Go, it might be.

Ask yourself this: Does it make any sense for Sony to sell a Blu-ray enabled, hi-def gaming console for $50 more than a refresh of their handheld system? If the PSP Go is priced more in line with an iPod than a Nintendo DSi, why would they dilute the perceived value of the Go by selling what they believe is a premium product for anything less than a premium price. Look at Microsoft’s other big rival, Apple. They certainly don’t mind complaints that their devices are more expensive than the competition. People still buy them. Sony may be in a different situation without the legions of rabid Apple fans, but everything they’ve ever said about the PS3 suggests that they see it the same way Apple does its $2000+ laptops: as a top-of-the-line product. In that context, the $250 Go price tag makes a whole lot more sense.

Of course, the bigger reason for Sony to not drop the price on the PS3 is that it still costs more than $399 to make each unit. Retooling the process and hardware for a “slim” version might alleviate the financial pain enough for a price drop, but it might also just be a step to help Sony break even. There’s also a chance that a slim model would also be stripped of certain features—wireless, perhaps, or hard drive space (though both are relatively cheap compared to necessary innards like the Blu-ray player)—and that the new model would exist as a “budget” option alongside its beefier, more tech-forward, expensive older brother. Sound ridiculous? Keep in mind the PSP-3000 will continue to be sold alongside the Go, with no indication from Sony that the dual SKUs are just a stopgap to satisfy existing PSP owners who have large UMD collections, and retailers who can’t be happy about the prospect of a digital download future for games.

This is, of course, all speculation. Sony could be readying a price drop for this summer, and the PSP Go could just be a pricey experiment in taking mobile mindshare away from Apple. On the other hand, Sony might really believe enough in their 10-plus year PS3 plan that they’re willing to trade price cuts for pack-in games, and lose sales (for years, if necessary) until they can actually turn a profit. They just better hope their customers will be as patient.

Well, here it is, folks. After months of speculation and rumor, prior to E3, we’ve got leaked photos of the newest incarnation of Sony’s PSP system, dubbed the PSP Go! And surprise surprise, it flips, just like we all imagined it would. Engadget has the skinny on the leak, as well as a photo gallery and some video. Read on after the break for first impressions.

Honestly? I’m a bit underwhelmed. It looks like an overgrown mylo, without the keyboard. There’s nothing in it that says to me I must replace my old PSP with it. It’s still got the same terrible analog nub, same amount of buttons. And the placement of the analog nub horrifies my hands already–I can already feel the cramping and the accidental dropping of the device. It’s lighter and has Bluetooth, and they’ve abandoned the UMD drive… but I’ve still got a sizable collection of UMD games for my old PSP.

It’s great they’re announcing an online store to sell games electronically, but these days, everyone I know has memory cards in excess of 4GB. Did we really need a new piece of hardware to facilitate this particular consumer need? What was the problem with continuing to integrate the PSP into PS3 functionality? Wouldn’t it be cheaper for people just to buy a new Memory Stick and stick with the old PSP than shell out for a new console?

Sony seems to want to run the Go! in tandem with the PSP, as if one device somehow won’t compete with the other, because of how revolutionary and different each is from the other. Frankly, I don’t see it.

(via Engadget)