So, I have a White PSP Slim (The Darth Vader one), and I really like the design and capabilities of it, but lately I've found myself playing it less and less. I've got a few games that I'm still playing and a small list of games I want to get from Gamefly. But, there just aren't a lot of titles that I'm dying to play on it. Games I've really enjoyed include the Syphon Filter games, the Lego games, Daxter, Ratchet and Clank. So there has been cool content that was unique to the platform, but it seems that many studios are shying away from releasing content solely for the system.
I'm looking forward to Resistance Retribution, but other than that and Star Wars The Force Unleashed, there aren't a ton of must-play games coming out. It's not a new suggestion, but I think piracy is slowly killing the platform. Studios don't want to spend the development money when they know that a greater percentage of people are going to download the game illegally. The hardware sales have been climbing steadily, but eventually, there won't be any new games coming out for it other than ports of other games. I'm really concerned because I would hate to see my PSP just gathering dust. I've even toyed with selling it, but three things keep me from doing that:
1. Remote Play. This has been a really cool feature that I don't think has been properly utilized. There are a few games out there that should create a patch for playing via remote play. The Lego games would be awesome over remote play (although this would cannibalize the sales of that platform). I played PixelJunk Monsters via Remote Play, and other than a little lag here and there, it worked very well.
2. Exclusive games or content. The Resistance game, and the new content in Star Wars The Force Unleashed will hold my interest for now, but unless something else is coming out...
3. Online play with friends. So, really this is meant for me and one friend to play golf. That has been fun even though he killed me. But, the online experience with the PS3 is so much better, I wonder how long this will be of interest.
I hope that Sony pushes some good first party titles for the PSP, and I would love it if other studios followed suit. Maybe they need to focus on downloadable since that seems to be more secure, and would have the cost savings of digital distribution. I'm grasping because I'm concerned with the future of the PSP, and it's too cool a platform to just disappear.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Pixel Junk Eden Demo Impression
So, I bought PixelJunk Monsters when it came out on the PSN, and I really enjoyed the game play, although, I didn't finish it (Burnout Paradise took over and Gaming ADD). I'm planning on getting into it again soon, but it may have to wait. I downloaded the PJ-Eden demo on Thursday, and so far, I've played through it twice. It was on my list of games I'm curious about from E3 and I was glad to see a demo.
The game is essentially a platformer that gives you control of a character and lets you loose in a garden (level) with the objective of collection "Spectra". These Spectra help to build your Eden and progress to other gardens. You collect pollen to grow new plants to attach to and climb, etc. The demo only lets you collect 5 (of the 50) spectra, but if you play it right, you can play all the way through Garden 1, or play 3-4 spectra of Garden 2 or 3 spectra of Garden 3. This is a game that is very different than other games I play (shooters, racing, sports, action) as it is very mellow, but it is also a platformer which puts it right in my wheelhouse so that is a cool contrast. The mix of the visual style and the music is really cool as I can't see how the game would have any other music. The only problem with the demo is that you can only play through it once without deleting your save game.
Some cool features of the game include: up to three player co-op locally (too bad I only have two controllers), Remote Play support (haven't tried this yet, but I will...), Trophy support (I can finally get trophies), and the ability to upload captured video to YouTube. With all of these features for a cost of "less than 10 dollars", I'll definitely be buying this game when it comes out on Thursday. So obviously my impression was you should play this demo if you have a PS3 and I think you'll want to download the game too.
The game is essentially a platformer that gives you control of a character and lets you loose in a garden (level) with the objective of collection "Spectra". These Spectra help to build your Eden and progress to other gardens. You collect pollen to grow new plants to attach to and climb, etc. The demo only lets you collect 5 (of the 50) spectra, but if you play it right, you can play all the way through Garden 1, or play 3-4 spectra of Garden 2 or 3 spectra of Garden 3. This is a game that is very different than other games I play (shooters, racing, sports, action) as it is very mellow, but it is also a platformer which puts it right in my wheelhouse so that is a cool contrast. The mix of the visual style and the music is really cool as I can't see how the game would have any other music. The only problem with the demo is that you can only play through it once without deleting your save game.
Some cool features of the game include: up to three player co-op locally (too bad I only have two controllers), Remote Play support (haven't tried this yet, but I will...), Trophy support (I can finally get trophies), and the ability to upload captured video to YouTube. With all of these features for a cost of "less than 10 dollars", I'll definitely be buying this game when it comes out on Thursday. So obviously my impression was you should play this demo if you have a PS3 and I think you'll want to download the game too.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Gaming ADD
So, I've come up with a new term for how I play games now. It's called Gaming ADD. Back in the day, I would research a game for a long time before I would buy it, then I would play it non-stop for weeks. Then I'd trade it in for the next game that I had researched, etc...
Now, I just rent games I have any interest at all, and as soon as they arrive, i play for a few hours. If I'm not sold on the game within that short time frame, they go back in the envelope, and back to Gamefly to get my next fix. I really try to play all the way through games, cause I like the sense of accomplishment, but since I have limited game time, I am just not as inclined to spend time on a game that I'm not totally sold on, or is frustratingly difficult. The latest casualty - Devil May Cry 4. The game was fun, but after a while, I just wasn't into it. It wasn't the difficulty (I hadn't got that far), I just would rather play something else (Burnout Paradise). So, I sent it back and we'll see what I get next.
Also, this may prove difficult because with the PS3 implementing trophies, I'm going to need to start playing older games I've already finished so I can get the trophies. I know I'll have to get Uncharted again, but that's ok, because it was one of my favorite games that I've played this year.
Now, I just rent games I have any interest at all, and as soon as they arrive, i play for a few hours. If I'm not sold on the game within that short time frame, they go back in the envelope, and back to Gamefly to get my next fix. I really try to play all the way through games, cause I like the sense of accomplishment, but since I have limited game time, I am just not as inclined to spend time on a game that I'm not totally sold on, or is frustratingly difficult. The latest casualty - Devil May Cry 4. The game was fun, but after a while, I just wasn't into it. It wasn't the difficulty (I hadn't got that far), I just would rather play something else (Burnout Paradise). So, I sent it back and we'll see what I get next.
Also, this may prove difficult because with the PS3 implementing trophies, I'm going to need to start playing older games I've already finished so I can get the trophies. I know I'll have to get Uncharted again, but that's ok, because it was one of my favorite games that I've played this year.
Friday, July 18, 2008
E3 Impressions - PJ Edition
So, I finished watching the Sony E3 presentation last night (Thanks to the PSN actually providing it this year), and there were a lot of cool things about it. Here are the ones that I found most interesting:
1. Resistance 2 - I really liked the first game, but the levels they showed were awesome. They kept mentioning scale, and it was really evident in the Leviathan battle. Part of that seemed a little weird though. I'll be interested to see how it measures up in the final game.
2. Sony's commitment to the PS2 - They are bringing out 130 titles for the PS2 this year. That seems really high when they aren't providing backward compatibility on the PS3 going forward.
3. LittleBigPlanet - I cannot even describe how excited I am by this game. I really hope they don't let everyone down and delay it again. Should be the best community game since Burnout Paradise.
4. Video Store - I think this is a really great move to bring the PSN in line with other online retail opportunities. I like how you can move it to your PSP. I don't like how when you delete it to free up space, it's gone forever. I guess I'll be burning anything I buy to DVD or backing up on my portable hard drive (I also really need to expand the drive I have in my PS3.
5. PSN titles - I love the idea of Ratchet and Clank continuing on PSN. I'll be buying that for sure.
6. The many developers touting the PS3 (even notable devs from critics of the platform)
Here's what I was a little disappointed by:
1. No Netflix announcement. This rumor has been going on for a long time, and when the 360 announced it on Monday, I thought it was sure that the PS3 would announce it. Wonder if they are waiting to not compete with the new Store, or if was really only a rumor.
2. No Jaw-Dropping announcement. I'm still waiting for the announcement that they are making a peripheral that will turn the PS3 into a Location Free player or something of that nature. The games looked good, the video store is nice, but nothing blew me away.
3. No Killzone 2 love. I know this conference was about Resistance 2, but Killzone still should have had a little presence... even if it was just a teaser of really in-game footage.
Games I MUST play from E3: (not just from Sony's conference)
1. LittleBigPlanet
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
3. Resistence 2
4. Mirror's Edge
5. Prince of Persia
6. DC Universe
7. Resistance Retribution
8. Lego Batman
9. Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty
10. Motorstorm 2
Games I'm curious about:
1. Infamous
2. Flower
3. PixelJunk Eden
4. Mortal Kombat vs. DC
1. Resistance 2 - I really liked the first game, but the levels they showed were awesome. They kept mentioning scale, and it was really evident in the Leviathan battle. Part of that seemed a little weird though. I'll be interested to see how it measures up in the final game.
2. Sony's commitment to the PS2 - They are bringing out 130 titles for the PS2 this year. That seems really high when they aren't providing backward compatibility on the PS3 going forward.
3. LittleBigPlanet - I cannot even describe how excited I am by this game. I really hope they don't let everyone down and delay it again. Should be the best community game since Burnout Paradise.
4. Video Store - I think this is a really great move to bring the PSN in line with other online retail opportunities. I like how you can move it to your PSP. I don't like how when you delete it to free up space, it's gone forever. I guess I'll be burning anything I buy to DVD or backing up on my portable hard drive (I also really need to expand the drive I have in my PS3.
5. PSN titles - I love the idea of Ratchet and Clank continuing on PSN. I'll be buying that for sure.
6. The many developers touting the PS3 (even notable devs from critics of the platform)
Here's what I was a little disappointed by:
1. No Netflix announcement. This rumor has been going on for a long time, and when the 360 announced it on Monday, I thought it was sure that the PS3 would announce it. Wonder if they are waiting to not compete with the new Store, or if was really only a rumor.
2. No Jaw-Dropping announcement. I'm still waiting for the announcement that they are making a peripheral that will turn the PS3 into a Location Free player or something of that nature. The games looked good, the video store is nice, but nothing blew me away.
3. No Killzone 2 love. I know this conference was about Resistance 2, but Killzone still should have had a little presence... even if it was just a teaser of really in-game footage.
Games I MUST play from E3: (not just from Sony's conference)
1. LittleBigPlanet
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
3. Resistence 2
4. Mirror's Edge
5. Prince of Persia
6. DC Universe
7. Resistance Retribution
8. Lego Batman
9. Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty
10. Motorstorm 2
Games I'm curious about:
1. Infamous
2. Flower
3. PixelJunk Eden
4. Mortal Kombat vs. DC
Friday, July 11, 2008
Gamefly - The Best and Not-So-Best Thing for Gamers
So, I mentioned a while ago, that I both love and hate Gamefly. I got a comment asking me to expand on that and since I have a little time today... here we go.
For those not familiar, Gamefly is essentially an online rental service for games. Kinda like Netflix. They have PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii GameCube, Xbox, and Xbox 360 games and will ship you up to three at a time depending on your membership plan. Originally, they had limited distribution centers (CA and PA), but have recently opened up a new center in Austin, TX (And I think another one in GA?). Can't remember that one.
Here's what I like about Gamefly: The selection is very good. I've been able to play many really good titles when they first came out by timing my returns appropriately. (Ratchet & Clank Future, Lego Indiana Jones, Uncharted, etc...). I'm also able (since I can have two out at a time) to rent a PSP game and a PS3 game at the same time. The price is reasonable ($25/mo for two at a time), and based on normal single rentals, it's much cheaper. The turnaround which used to be a problem is now much better as it only takes a day to get to Austin (plus Fast Return works sometimes - This is a service where the Post Office is supposed to scan it when it gets there so they can send the next one out.) The site is really easy to use and you can even buy the used games at prices that are usually better than Gamestop.
Here's what I don't like: The problem with so many choices... I have a hard time deciding. A good problem to have, but still. Plus, games like Burnout Paradise take up time I should spend with a game I've rented. I recently got Devil May Cry 4, but since the Cagney update for BP came out the next day, I'm not sure when I'll be playing that game again. So, I almost feel like I'm wasting that money. Also, Austin hasn't built up their supply of games yet, so when I get games, they are still coming from CA which takes an extra day.
Verdict: I've tried other rental services and they were no where near as good as Gamefly. I recommend this to anyone who is interested (in fact, if you are interested, please click the link to the right. I'd love to refer you for a credit for me :) ) The selection is good, the supply of games is pretty good. I haven't had to wait too long for a game (although MGS4 might be my first opportunity at this), and the prices are reasonable. Did I mention that every 3 months, they give you $5 towards a used game? and after 6 months, you get 5% off, 10% after 12 months?
For those not familiar, Gamefly is essentially an online rental service for games. Kinda like Netflix. They have PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii GameCube, Xbox, and Xbox 360 games and will ship you up to three at a time depending on your membership plan. Originally, they had limited distribution centers (CA and PA), but have recently opened up a new center in Austin, TX (And I think another one in GA?). Can't remember that one.
Here's what I like about Gamefly: The selection is very good. I've been able to play many really good titles when they first came out by timing my returns appropriately. (Ratchet & Clank Future, Lego Indiana Jones, Uncharted, etc...). I'm also able (since I can have two out at a time) to rent a PSP game and a PS3 game at the same time. The price is reasonable ($25/mo for two at a time), and based on normal single rentals, it's much cheaper. The turnaround which used to be a problem is now much better as it only takes a day to get to Austin (plus Fast Return works sometimes - This is a service where the Post Office is supposed to scan it when it gets there so they can send the next one out.) The site is really easy to use and you can even buy the used games at prices that are usually better than Gamestop.
Here's what I don't like: The problem with so many choices... I have a hard time deciding. A good problem to have, but still. Plus, games like Burnout Paradise take up time I should spend with a game I've rented. I recently got Devil May Cry 4, but since the Cagney update for BP came out the next day, I'm not sure when I'll be playing that game again. So, I almost feel like I'm wasting that money. Also, Austin hasn't built up their supply of games yet, so when I get games, they are still coming from CA which takes an extra day.
Verdict: I've tried other rental services and they were no where near as good as Gamefly. I recommend this to anyone who is interested (in fact, if you are interested, please click the link to the right. I'd love to refer you for a credit for me :) ) The selection is good, the supply of games is pretty good. I haven't had to wait too long for a game (although MGS4 might be my first opportunity at this), and the prices are reasonable. Did I mention that every 3 months, they give you $5 towards a used game? and after 6 months, you get 5% off, 10% after 12 months?
Burnout Paradise - The Best Game Ever!
So, the title above is meant to draw you in.. you know for the large readership that I have... I've had my Playstation 3 for over a year, and I've played quite a few games on it. Of those, most were rented by Gamefly, and a couple I bought. There is one that I got in February through Gamefly, and after about a week or two, I bought it. That game is Burnout Paradise.
For those of you not familiar with the Burnout series, there have been five games (made by Criterion and 2 made by a different company) with the latest being Paradise. Essentially Burnout is an arcade style racer which rewards reckless driving (drifting, airtime, crashing other cars, etc..) with boost. The game has always had a love of crashing and even has made crash mode which makes the worst part of a racing game (crashing) into something fun. I started on Burnout 3, and love it, and Revenge. They were both incredibly fun to play, and I played the heck out of them.
When Burnout Paradise was coming out, I knew I would buy it, but that was solidified when I played the demo. This was Burnout like I'd never seen it. A completely open world racing game, where I choose the route I want to take in a race (even if it's wrong), a massive amount of cars and locations, and almost limitless possibilities, and all of that in glorious HD. I was hooked and I bought the game (after renting it on Gamefly (gets me a discount on games I buy also). I started working through the numerous events. Races are just like they sound. Marked Man events have you being chased by cars trying to take you down. Road Rage lets you take others down. Burnout Routes a timed events that earn you new cars. And Stunt Runs let you put your car through barrel rolls, flat spins, and other things not recommended by the car manufacturer. Each event was a lot of fun, and immediately accessible. The loading times were gone and every event was just an intersection away. This was cause for some to complain because if you were trying to do a burning route to get a new car, and you failed (which I did a LOT), you had to drive back to the start again to try once more. But in essence, this just helped to teach me the city. Getting to know better routes and shortcuts to take. I didn't even touch on the Road Rules and Showtime (which replaces crash mode) which are both pretty cool in their own right.
All of this was fun and I enjoyed the 80 cars that I had to choose from, but for me, the real fun started when I took the game online. While some games make online very difficult, getting online in Paradise is as simple as three presses to the right on the game pad. There you can race, just drive around, or set new road rules/showtime scores for your friends to beat. Once I got online, I was immersed in the land of the online challenges. The offline mode had 60 different accomplishments which when completed, helped to earn a new status for the game. Online, there were 350 challenges (50 2-player, 50 3-player, etc.. to 8-player). After finding some friends on the Criterion Games forum, I was able to complete two sets of these and get my 81st car. I was totally hooked. I've done a few races online, but for the most part, I've been doing challenges ever since. A couple weeks ago, I completed all 350, but that didn't stop me. A trend with this community is that once you achieve something, you help others to achieve it as well. It's a really cool experience to watch people from all over the world having fun and encouraging this kind of accomplishment. I know it's just a game, but there's something to be said for that.
The coolest thing happened this week however. Criterion has not stopped supporting this game even though it shipped six months ago. Yesterday, they released an update to the game which added some new paint jobs for cars, three new online modes (Marked Man, Stunt Run, and Road Rage), custom soundtracks for PS3, and most importantly, 70 new multipart, timed challenges. I've already finished about 10 of these and they are a TON of fun. The timed element really adds to the accomplishment of completing them. I've played Online Marked Man, and won my only try so far. I got lucky and took down someone chasing me. That was a lot of fun as well. The best part of this update, it was free. And it's not the last update for the year. There are at least two more coming (one which will bring Motorcycles)
So, why is this the best game ever? The gameplay is awesome, the replayability is phenomenal, the online community is accepting and easy to play with (for the most part), and the developer continued support has made the game even deeper than it was. I recommend this game to anyone who has a PS3 or 360. Some of the events have a little learning curve, but the city is so fun to drive in, and the game is such a blast, that it was easy to call this the best game ever.
BTW, if you're ever online on PS3 playing Burnout Paradise, my PSN is FrankenCelery
For those of you not familiar with the Burnout series, there have been five games (made by Criterion and 2 made by a different company) with the latest being Paradise. Essentially Burnout is an arcade style racer which rewards reckless driving (drifting, airtime, crashing other cars, etc..) with boost. The game has always had a love of crashing and even has made crash mode which makes the worst part of a racing game (crashing) into something fun. I started on Burnout 3, and love it, and Revenge. They were both incredibly fun to play, and I played the heck out of them.
When Burnout Paradise was coming out, I knew I would buy it, but that was solidified when I played the demo. This was Burnout like I'd never seen it. A completely open world racing game, where I choose the route I want to take in a race (even if it's wrong), a massive amount of cars and locations, and almost limitless possibilities, and all of that in glorious HD. I was hooked and I bought the game (after renting it on Gamefly (gets me a discount on games I buy also). I started working through the numerous events. Races are just like they sound. Marked Man events have you being chased by cars trying to take you down. Road Rage lets you take others down. Burnout Routes a timed events that earn you new cars. And Stunt Runs let you put your car through barrel rolls, flat spins, and other things not recommended by the car manufacturer. Each event was a lot of fun, and immediately accessible. The loading times were gone and every event was just an intersection away. This was cause for some to complain because if you were trying to do a burning route to get a new car, and you failed (which I did a LOT), you had to drive back to the start again to try once more. But in essence, this just helped to teach me the city. Getting to know better routes and shortcuts to take. I didn't even touch on the Road Rules and Showtime (which replaces crash mode) which are both pretty cool in their own right.
All of this was fun and I enjoyed the 80 cars that I had to choose from, but for me, the real fun started when I took the game online. While some games make online very difficult, getting online in Paradise is as simple as three presses to the right on the game pad. There you can race, just drive around, or set new road rules/showtime scores for your friends to beat. Once I got online, I was immersed in the land of the online challenges. The offline mode had 60 different accomplishments which when completed, helped to earn a new status for the game. Online, there were 350 challenges (50 2-player, 50 3-player, etc.. to 8-player). After finding some friends on the Criterion Games forum, I was able to complete two sets of these and get my 81st car. I was totally hooked. I've done a few races online, but for the most part, I've been doing challenges ever since. A couple weeks ago, I completed all 350, but that didn't stop me. A trend with this community is that once you achieve something, you help others to achieve it as well. It's a really cool experience to watch people from all over the world having fun and encouraging this kind of accomplishment. I know it's just a game, but there's something to be said for that.
The coolest thing happened this week however. Criterion has not stopped supporting this game even though it shipped six months ago. Yesterday, they released an update to the game which added some new paint jobs for cars, three new online modes (Marked Man, Stunt Run, and Road Rage), custom soundtracks for PS3, and most importantly, 70 new multipart, timed challenges. I've already finished about 10 of these and they are a TON of fun. The timed element really adds to the accomplishment of completing them. I've played Online Marked Man, and won my only try so far. I got lucky and took down someone chasing me. That was a lot of fun as well. The best part of this update, it was free. And it's not the last update for the year. There are at least two more coming (one which will bring Motorcycles)
So, why is this the best game ever? The gameplay is awesome, the replayability is phenomenal, the online community is accepting and easy to play with (for the most part), and the developer continued support has made the game even deeper than it was. I recommend this game to anyone who has a PS3 or 360. Some of the events have a little learning curve, but the city is so fun to drive in, and the game is such a blast, that it was easy to call this the best game ever.
BTW, if you're ever online on PS3 playing Burnout Paradise, my PSN is FrankenCelery
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