In the news, all the talk is focused on the Playstation Network Crisis (Day 19!) with commentary from our war correspondent on the frontlines: Jack Bastard: Ass Kicker.

There’s also some excitement generated by a host of announcments from the Namco-Bandai camp this past week, including a locked down release window for Dark Souls (“Spiritual successor” to Steve’s game of 2009 – Demon’s Souls) which will be coming in a nice special edition. We love special editions!

Share in the comments below, over in the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or by emailing feedback@pixelverdict.com.
Blast Processing theme song by Dan “String Vulture” Moore.

You can listen to the show with the player above, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.

Bask in the glorious cover art as Arne Meyer spills the beans over at the Playstation Blog:

UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception features the return of famed fortune hunter Nathan Drake and follows him through a gripping, action-packed storyline that will take you all over the world. In his search for the fabled “Atlantis of the Sands,” Nathan Drake and longtime friend and mentor Victor Sullivan set off on a daring trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert. But when terrible secrets of this lost city are uncovered, their journey becomes a desperate bid for survival that will force Drake to confront his deepest fears.

Throughout UNCHARTED 3, you’ll be taken to spectacular new locations around the globe,that will showcase all of the work we’ve taken on to take acclaimed physics, particle and visual effects to a new level.

Competitive and co-op multiplayer will return as a key ingredient to the UNCHARTED 3 package, where all of the new features we have planned will combine with our signature single-player cinematic gameplay to create a unique action-adventure multiplayer experience that can only be found in the UNCHARTED universe.

Oh, and there’s one more thing – UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception fully supports high-resolutionStereoscopic 3D.

Also, THIS:

Join Adam, Jon and Steve for a very special episode as we celebrate the 15th birthday of Sony’s little grey video game thingamajig. The boys get nostalgic, sharing their early experiences with the PSX, and how it affected their gaming habits. You may learn something new from our “15 facts about Playstation”, or not. We close it all out when each of the boys chooses their favorite game of the Playstation era.

Enjoy this heartfelt look back at the history and the life of the system that some feel revolutionized gaming, and legitimized the passion of playing games as more than just kid’s stuff.

When did you get your PSX? What was your favorite game on the machine? Do you feel that Sony’s creation truly changed the face of gaming? Share in the comments below, over in the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or by emailing feedback@pixelverdict.com.

Blast Processing theme song by Dan “String Vulture” Moore.

You can listen to the show with the player above, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.

Adam, Steve, and Erich wrap up Pixel Verdict’s E3 2010 coverage by tackling Nintendo and Sony’s press conferences. The Big N comes on strong with entries in classic game franchises from Metroid to Donkey Kong, Kirby to Zelda, Mario to (gasp) Kid Icarus!? Plus, they reveal the glasses-free 3D successor to their DS handheld juggernaut—and it’s awesome. Meanwhile, Sony pushes their own (more expensive) brand of 3D, reveals the launch line up for the PlayStation Move motion controller, and goes for the game trailer montage record. To hear this podcast in 3D, just cross your eyes for the next hour and twenty minutes.

What did you think of the E3 press conferences? Let us know in the comments below, over in the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or by emailing at feedback@pixelverdict.com.

You can listen to the show with the player below, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.

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

I recently played through the first taste of Sony’s forthcoming, highly-anticipated Olympian brawler.  Like anyone else who’s sucked up the joy of dismembering mythological creatures in the previous God of War installments, I’ve been jacked for this third, next-gen tale of Kratos and his seemingly unquenchable desire to impale bystanders. 

So what would the demo hold?  Is this merely a high-def enhanced version of the formula or has Sony cooked up something totally new for the big PS3 debut?

The short of it: God of War 3, at least judging by the demo, feels like God of War and God of War II.  The visceral combat is familiar, so familiar in fact, if you’ve played the other games, you’ll have no problem pulling off those same combos you’ve been unloading from the get-go. 

The demo starts with Kratos tearing through bad guys in a city under siege, while Helios flies around on his flame chariot blasting out fireballs and one of the Titans–an awesome sight–continues his uphill climb that was teased from the end of the second game.  Along the way you’ll fight three mid-level bosses including a Centaur, a Chimera and a Cyclops.  These are nice, epic fights culminating in the goriest finishing moves I’ve ever seen in the series.

You then take down Helios with a well-placed arrow, proceed to rip his head off, thus unlocking the Helios head skill, which shines a light on secrets in the game world.  Apparently your controller will vibrate when you’re close to a secret, but what about the schmucks like me who just have a sixaxis?

The final leg of the demo is a nifty, cinematic flying sequence, which ends as Kratos is about to throw down with the Titan and then–we’re done.

Overall, this demo was fun and brutal and epic, all the characteristics we’ve come to expect from God of War games.  And as sharp as the graphics were and as pounding as the sound was, I still came away thinking this was essentially more of the same, just a lot prettier.  A few gameplay tweaks likes the Harpy and Cyclops riding  were interesting and Kratos has these huge stone boxer gloves as an alternate weapon that unleash some rightous pain, but it remains to be seen if Sony Santa Monica can really advance the series.

Still, let’s be hoenst,  this formula has been flawless since the first game and Sony will have my money on Day 1.  Judging from the demo, I wouldn’t anticipate any major breakthroughs, though.

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:

“Aw crap.”

Opening Statement:

Back in the early days of my PS3 ownership, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was the first game I played.  It immediately shot to the top 3 of my favorite-for-this-gen list of games.  I had never before seen such a masterful approach to cinematic gaming; the folks at Naughty Dog has crafted the finest game/movie hybrid effort ever, mixing quality gameplay with an engrossing story and memorable characters.

Needless to say, since the announcement of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, I have been gripped in a churning excitement, restless with the anticipation of what delights Naughty Dog has cooked up this go-round. Click the jump for the review.

Facts of the Case

Intrepid treasure hunter Nathan Drake has cast his lot in with some shifty comrades in search of a legendary sapphire and the mythical Shangri-La.  Along the way he shoots a lot of bad guys in the head and stuff happens that blows my mind.

The Evidence

This game is great.  It’s a must-buy for PS3 owners (just as the first was) and sets new standards in a number of gaming categories.  Here, then, is my itemized list of why Uncharted 2 is a sure-fire contender for game of the year and some of the biggest fun I’ve had this generation.

The Tech

Wow, what an absolutely stunning achievement in code-slinging.  Uncharted 2 is the best-looking game ever created.  The visuals continually out-perform those that preceded them, from the shockingly detailed rendering of war-torn Borneo to the vistas of Nepal to the imaginative creations of the ice fortress and the final stage.

But where I was constantly surprised by Naughty Dog’s prowess was with respect to the little things.  Drake’s clothes get wet when he’s in water or rain.  In the higher altitudes, the snow powder sticks to his clothes, and he leaves boot-prints wherever he walks.  And all of the marvelous graphics and environments slow seamlessly with very few load screens once you get rolling.  So awesome.

The Gameplay

As much as I liked the first game, the gameplay felt like a collection of other elements from games that had done them better.  Here, it all coalesces into something that’s galactically fun.  The cover and shooting mechanics are smooth, the enemy AI is smart, but not invincible, the platforming intuitive and not overused and the rail-shooting segments brief, but memorable (convoy–hell yeah!).  Add in a sweeter combat system and some fun stealth elements, and the substance more than matches the style.

The Cinematic Quality

This has always been the big selling point for the series for me and with the sequel, Naughty Dog proves no one makes an interactive summer blockbuster better.  The cut scenes are frequent, but the production and voice acting is so top-shelf you’ll actually look forward to them.

The story is an effective globe-trotting, treasure-hunting romp that is perfectly set up to show off the amazing action set-pieces sprinkled throughout: the train chase, the truck shoot-out, two helicopter showdowns, a frantic firefight in a collapsing building, a desperate dash over a crumbling bridge and the centerpiece, Drake’s escape from a train car dangling over a cliff.

Rebuttal Witness:

Closing Statement:

Whatever.  Go buy this game.  It is the bee’s knees all the way down to the ankles.

The Verdict:

Platform: PlayStation3
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: October 13th
Rated: T for Teen

Pictured above, the "stop importing from Play-Asia" Edition!

Atlus has revealed its plans for the US release of the cult import hit and PS3 exclusive, Demon’s Souls.

The game drops in North America on October 6th in two varieties. The regular edition, and a special deluxe edition. The deluxe edition comes packaged in a spiffy slipcase and includes a 150 page strategy guide (which you’re gonna need!) There’s also an exclusive art book being offered as a pre-order bonus through select retailers. Regular edition goes for 59.99(US) and the deluxe will set you back 69.99(US).

If you’ll recall, I thought pretty highly of the Asian version of the game. Whether or not Atlus has made any alterations to the game itself remains to be seen, but I’m sure one of us will be back with our thoughts on the domestic flavor of Demon’s Souls when it drops in October.

With E3 officially underway, Tim, Steve, Jon, and Erich tackle the near-opposite Nintendo and Sony press conferences. On the one hand, brand new Mario games, a mind-blowing Metroid announcement, and the head-scratching introduction of a so-called “vitality sensor.” On the other, two hours of blockbuster high-def gaming mixed with an awkward me too motion control demo and the unveiling of the not-so-secret PSP Go. It’s Blu-ray vs. Blue Ocean and the boys have plenty to discuss. Plus, Steve, Tim, and Jon weigh in on Microsoft’s showing with surprisingly mixed opinions.

The big press conferences may be over, but the dissection has just begin. Add your thoughts in the comments below, in the Jury Room forums, or by emailing us at feedback@pixelverdict.com.

You can listen to the show with the player below, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.