Most people disregard games based on movies as they are usually low budget, rushed developed, cash grabbers to tie in with the movies that they are associated with. Which is true for the most part. However, there are some gems out there that are quite good or at least decent.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was one of the few movie tie-in games that I remember liking a lot back in the day. Even though this is an obvious movie tie-in, it appears as if the game took more from the books than the actual movie. Riddled with Zelda like controls, simple platforming, mini games, and a sort of sandbox world/castle, this is a game that was obviously made for a youngr audience but still provides a good enough challenge from time to time to be entertaining.
Since the announcement of Blizzard bringing the famous action rpg Diablo 3 to the PS4 and PS3, everybody has been wondering how the game will work? Well one new feature that would excite console fans and disappointed PC players is that the console version will allow players to play the game offline.
In an interview with GameTrailer's Geoff Keighley, Blizzard production director John Hight confirms that Diablo 3 in the PS4 and PS3 won't constant internet connection in order to play the game. There will be local multiplayer for up to 4 players on the same screen, no split screen.
Being able to play Diablo 3 offline in the console version really feels like a slap to the face to all PC players who have supported the Diablo franchise. The one simple feature of being able to play the without an internet connection was requested by Diablo fans before and after the game went live. This further supports my impression that the PC version of Diablo 3 was solely built around the game's Auction House, especially the Real-Money Auction House.
But hey, its water under the bridge at this point for me. I've played the hell out of Diablo 3 regardless and I still had a great time with it, but this kind of news won't sit well with other fans still engaged in the game.
First screenshots of the console version was released showing the new UI. You can check it out below.
Last week, Sony jumped the gun and revealed the PlayStation 4, the successor to their 2006 console the PlayStation 3. The Sony Meeting was 2 hours long and didn't waste any time during the event. The console's big features and specs were covered, along with exclusive titles with third-party developers backing up the new system. It was a well thought presentation that focused heavily on the game developers and the gamers, but at the end of the day it just left more questions than answers.
I woke up around 6AM to watch the event live, and when 7AM hit, the first presenter gets on stage. With a small introduction, Sony announces the PlayStation 4, all our speculations were correct, now what is the console all about?
Better graphics and stronger specs is expected in new hardware, but what I got from the event was that Sony is focusing on making the console more developer friendly and more social. There was so much talk about the new share button found on the new DualShock 4 controller, making it one of the biggest feature for the console so far. The ability to share any video clip, screenshot, or even live stream your gaming session to friends and other players in PSN can all be done easy by pressing the button. Sounds cool, but how effective will it be? Also, did Sony take into account consumers with sub-par internet connection? The whole sharing aspect seems to require a decent connection speed to really utilize these features, so I still have my doubts with the whole social aspect of the PlayStation 4, and I really don't see that many people using it. We'll just have to see how fluid and easy it really is.
They also mentioned a feature where you get to play a game while downloading it, and the option to try out any game available on PSN on the fly. Sounds amazing, but brings me back to the same question - Is Sony considering all their consumers? With a bad internet connection, features like that will come out useless, making some buyers unable to fully maximize their investment. Sony is slowly moving into a more digital structure making online a must, to really enjoy everything. It is confirmed that you can still play games offline though, at least that hasn't changed.
8GB of GDDR5 is good news
When they were talking about the new console's specifications, the big news was the RAM. First rumored to be 4GB of GDDR5 RAM, Sony announced the PS4 having 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, a big upgrade if you compare it to the PS3's 512 GDDR3 RAM. This gives developers more room to breathe when developing games for the PlayStation 4. Many developers consider the PS3 the hardest hardware to work on, and it looks like Sony wants to change their image with game developers.
Another great thing to come out of the meeting was that Sony aims to create the PS4 as a center point for other products. The PS Move gets a new purpose for consumers who bought the motion controller, which I bet is gathering dust right about now. Media Molecule(LittleBigPlanet) is hard at work at a design tool that allows players to sculpt 3D objects with the use of the PS Move, and also allow them to make a puppet band presentation apparently. The presentation from Media Molecule may be the low point for some, but is actually a great avenue for potential. It's a great concept and from what we saw from LittleBigPlanet, there are tons of players that love to be creative. The PlayStation 4, the creative console they say.
The PS Vita also gets some love. The PlayStation 4 will feature remote play, giving the option to transfer any game you are currently playing on your HDTV to your PS Vita's small screen. This was shown during the presentation of Knack's gameplay, the first exclusive title for the PS4. If this remote play feature does get executed in most PS4 games, PS Vita will have a bigger purpose now. But that is if developers take into account in adding the remote play feature during development. It would require the effort from the game devs to implement the feature, so it's hard to tell if it will be available for all PS4 games.
After all the talk about the specs and the features, they shifted to the games. Sony showed a good mix of game engine demo's and exclusive game titles to really show the power of the new console. The Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games and Square Enix's Luminous game engine makes an appearance, reminding us that we are entering a new generation. A new Killzone game and a new inFAMOUS game were pretty obvious reveals, and it's good to see a game like The Witness included in the reveal line-up, showing the world that Sony does want to create more artistic games similar to Unfinished Swan or Journey. Destiny, Bungie's next big title, shows up with new gameplay footage, confirming it as a next-gen title. I Still don't have a firm grasp on what Destiny is aside from it being an FPS, but it's good to see it coming to the PS4. But among all the game announcements, the biggest shocker for me was of Capcom's presentation of Deep Down and Blizzard entering the stage.
The part where I said "WHAT!?" during the presentation
When I say shocking, I mean in a weird and bad way. Capcom's Yoshinori Ono, better known for his work at Street Fighter 4, goes to the stage. At first, I was thinking a new Street Fighter? It didn't makes sense that a guy who revived the Street Fighter franchise comes to a Sony presentation. But Ono quickly state's that he's not here to talk about Street Fighter. Apparently he was there to introduce a new game engine from Capcom called the Panta Rhei. To debut the engine, a new game called Deep Down was shown by Ono and looked amazing, but was questionable. Is this game really on real-time? Even with the UI at the bottom left, it was hard to believe something like that was not CG. Deep Down(still a working title, thank god) made me put my guard up. It looks amazing, but I didn't want to get too excited. I'm still not convinced that the Capcom's new engine can produce a playable product that will look just like that. I'd love to be proven wrong though, but for now I'm not buying it.
Then we have Blizzard coming to the stage, after the people at Bungie showed Destiny. I'm sure I wasn't the only one at the edge of their seat when Blizzard showed up. Blizzard? On a Sony press conference!? All I could think about is, if this comes out as a new title from Blizzard, It's going to be huge! But no... all we get was a game that's reaching a year old. Diablo 3 was announced for PlayStation 4 and PS3, and I just literally felt my jaw dropped. This felt like the worse possible outcome. Why bring in a game that is not fit at all for console gaming. I was really hoping for a new franchise from Blizzard, but they dropped the ball on that one.
But not all was lost. When Ubisoft took the stage, I knew what was coming. Watch Dogs is confirmed as a next-gen title. A new playable demo was revealed showing the game's sandbox gameplay. This is one title that just looks amazing. This is the game that gave me goosebumps and is definitely in my buy list for next-gen games.
At the end of the presentation, the console was a no show. They never showed the console itself, Just the controller. I guess Sony wanted to act first, but not go all in. Not even a price point was given, which is expected since Microsoft has yet to reveal their next-gen console. But we do get a release window - Holiday 2013. Sony gave us a taste, and with two console's now revealed, the console war has officially begun. I'm sure Sony wanted to redeem themselves after the horrible reveal of the PS3, and I think they did with this Sony Meeting. Some might say it's a bit too early, but I think the timing was perfect. A great start, and the amount of information was enough to satisfy and keep people interested for more.
Looking forward
E3(Electronic Entertainment Expo) is coming up, and I'm positive that's when Sony goes all in. In fact, that's when all three go all in. Microsoft has yet to reveal their console(reveal possibly before June), and Nintendo is definitely going all out with first-party titles during this year's E3. For Sony, I'm expecting the price and how the console looks during Sony's E3 press conference this year, as well as more title reveals. Also, for all you Final Fantasy crazed fans, Square Enix confirmed during the Sony Meeting that a new Final Fantasy title for the PS4 will debut during E3, so look out for that.
You can find our full summary of the Sony Meeting 2013 here. Or, you can watch the whole 2 hour press conference yourself below.
We only saw a glimpse of the new DualShock 4 controller during Sony's Meeting this morning, but they released official images of the controller for everybody to check out.
Included in the batch of images is also the first look at the PlayStation 4 Eye, Destructoid reports that the new PS Eye uses two high-sensitive cameras with wide-angle lenses that have an 85-degree diagonal angle view. I will have 4 built-in microphones and will have the ability to do facial recognition.
Hopefully the PlayStation Eye comes with the standard PS4 package, but if history repeats itself, we most likely have to buy the eye separately.
The design of both the DualShock 4 and the new PlayStation Eye is not final. Changes can be made throughout the year, but it's looking good so far.
[UPDATED] - PS Blog adds more detailed information about the new controller.
DUALSHOCK 4 adopts the familiar form factor of the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller with some key enhancements:
Motion control is enabled by a new highly sensitive six-axis sensor
Dual analog sticks fine-tuned for better precision plus improved surface materials and shape for more delicate manipulation
L2/R2 buttons on the top of the controller employ a curved design for easier, smoother interaction
A new “Options” button combines the functions of the DUALSHOCK 3’s “Select” and “Start” buttons for operating in-game menus
The share button, which got a lot of attention during the event, gives players the ability to share any image or video clip on the fly. You can even live stream your game session through streaming sites like Ustream. The share button also allows spectating players to help you out in a difficult part in the game.
At the front, the LED light can illuminated various color and can be used to differentiate characters and players. The LED light can also be used to indicate if the player has taken damage for example.
The controller was developed with the new PlayStation Eye in mind. A peripheral that has dual camera which can sense the depth of the environment in front of it and also track the 3D location of the controller via its light bar.
The touchpad adds another new input for the players to interact with certain games. It also has a built-in speaker and headphone jack.
The Sony PlayStation meeting is now over and the PlayStation 4 is now officially announced. All the details and game reveals below.
Opening the PlayStation Meeting, they instantly announce the PlayStation 4. I was hoping for a new name, but I'll take it. What's great about this presentation is that they explained the features and specs of the new console quick and simple, then went straight to the games.
The PlayStation 4 specs and features
The PS4 features a supercharged PC architecture, with a x86 architecture CPU, an enhanced PC GPU, and 8GB of GDDR5 system memory (PS3 currently has only 512 MB of system RAM, a big leap). This all means that the PS4 can make nearly two teraflops of computations a second. These specs make developers fell less constricted when developing their games for the PS4, Sony says.
The PlayStation 4's specs provide the ability to play any game while you're downloading. So updating your game via patch, or downloading new DLC can now happen in the background while playing. Sleep state is now also available - You can turn off the PS4 and resume where you left off. The power of the PS4 was shown with a real-time demonstration of Epic Game's Unreal Engine 4.
Another feature for the PlayStation 4 is remote play - Allowing players to transfer the game currently played on your HD TV, into your PS Vita. This was demonstrated when introducing their first official title for the PlayStation 4 - Knack. They haven't confirmed if this feature can be used on all games.
DualShock 4 controller revealed
After they announced the PlayStation 4, they reveal the controller. Similar design to the traditional PlayStation controller with added features:
Touchpad: The Dual Shock controller has a touchpad in between the d-pad and the face buttons. They haven't added much detail on it, but it's strongly familiar to the back touchpad seen in the PS Vita.
The Share button: A lot of rumors mentioned about Sony adding a share button, and they were spot on. The added button gives the player the ability to share any moment during a game session to your friends with a press of a button. A video clip, a screenshot, even the ability to ask a friend within PSN to take control of your controller via his own PS4, and to help you in a difficult part in a game. This feature is thanks to Gaikai joining the PS4.
LED and motion tracker: The LED found above the controller has a built-in motion tracker which has somewhat similar functions if you compare it with the PS Move. The LED can illuminate various colors to either differentiate characters and players during a game, or add extra info like if you have taken damage.
Analog Sticks: A bit of a change in looks. The analog sticks now have rims around its edges which I'm guessing is done to get a better grip of the stick with your thumb. The gap between both sticks seems to be wider as well.
Triggers: For the Dual Shock 4, the annoying and, at times, slippery R2 triggers, has been changed. Instead of the R2 triggers being convex, it's more straight making it easier to press or hold. L1 and R1 triggers are more rounded as well.
The Dual Shock 4 controller is said to be faster and stronger. The options button is now also location on the upper right of the touchpad, with the share button on the opposite side. The controller has a built-in mono speaker and sixaxis motion sensor system. Less latency and enhanced rumble. Of course, we'll only know if this new controller is more responsive if we actually get to hold it in our hand.
After all of the talk about the PlayStation 4, they went on with the games. have a look at everything that was shown, plus other reveals:
Knack
Killzone: Shadowfall
DriveClub
inFAMOUS: Second Son
The Witness
Deep Down (working title)
Deep Down is Capcom's new IP for the Playstation 4. Together with the new IP announcement, they also revealed their new engine called the Panta Rhei. Deep Down will be the first game to use this engine on the PS4, and it really shows. I think this is the most graphically appealing reveal during this press conference.
Watch Dogs
Ubisoft's new IP Watch Dogs is confirmed as a next-gen title. During the announcement, a new demo was shown giving a bigger idea on the game's sandbox gameplay.
New Game engine from Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls) went on stage but sadly did not reveal a new game. What they did show is a new game engine running on the PlayStation 4 showing the emotions that are now possible thanks to the console. A real-time demo shows an old man reacting to the light, showing a lot of the new facial animation.
Media Molecule reveals new PS4 design tool using the PS Move
Media Molecule didn't show the next littleBigPlanet, but they did showcase what's possible with the new PS4 design tool together with the PS Move. they showed examples of digital shapes being sculpted using the PS Move, and also giving users the ability to animate a scene using the Move.
Square Enix working on new Final Fantasy for PS4, wait for E3 they say
Square took center stage and showed the Agni's Philosophy tech demo being played in real-time using the PS4. Square's new game engine - Luminous, is definitely next-gen software and will be used for future games. Square also announced that a new Final fantasy is in development and we should stay tuned on this year's E3.
Bungie's Destiny coming to the PS4, even on PS3
Bungie revealed that their recently announced title Destiny will be hitting the PS4. They also revealed that the online shooter will be available for the PS3 as well. A trailer was played showing new gameplay footage.
Blizzard partners with Sony. brings Diablo 3 to the PS4
One of the most surprising reveal during the event was Blizzard partnering with Sony. Diablo 3 will be the first to get affected by this partnership since the action RPG is now heading to the PlayStation 3 and 4. No date given, but expect console news from Blizzard from now on.
PlayStation 4 coming this holiday 2013
At the end of the presentation, Sony reveals that the PS4 will be available this holiday. No price was given. Even the console wasn't shown yet. It looks like Sony is not throwing all their cards on the table just yet. But I'm positive we'll have a look at the console and a price announcement during this year's E3, which is coming this June.
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Most people disregard games based on movies as they are usually low budget, rushed developed, cash grabbers to tie in with the movies that they are associated with. Which is true for the most part. However, there are some gems out there that are quite good or at least decent.
