B3yond the Report 06.09.09
Posted by Mark Salmela on 06.09.2009
411’s Mark Salmela is back to talk about his experiences at E3. There is a lot to discuss, including the PS3 motion controller, PSP Go!, Mod Nation Racers, God of War 3, Final Fantasy 14, Uncharted 2, Ratchet and Clank: A crack in Time, The Last Guardian, Agent, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Pixel Junk Shooter, and more when you go B3yond the Report
Welcome back to another brilliant edition of B3yond the Report. I am your host Mark Salmela, and E3 was awesome. I spent Sunday through Friday in Los Angeles with the 411 Games staff and it was quite the adventure. Since there is so much news to discuss I'm going to refrain from going into details about our trip, although I will probably do it next week.
With that said Sony had quite the press conference didn't they? I was there live and while they had awesome catering I was disappointed in the set-up overall. Last year was much better, and Microsoft this year looked a lot more visually appealing. Personally I felt it was stupid to have another, smaller screen come down every 10 minutes for a PSP trailer. There was great food, a poor set-up, and a slew of announcements. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Not about to unveil a motion controller, it's B3yond the News of the Week~!
Sony announced PS3 motion controller
Why?
Let me ask that again.
Why?
Oh that's right, because everybody has to copy Nintendo. At least Microsoft's Natal project is innovative and has potential. This is just a PS3 Wiimote. I hate waggle in video games.
Let me repeat that statement because it's important.
I hate waggle in video games.
There, I said it. I may write about Sony but I don't have to like it. Just like MAG last year Sony felt the need to throw random shit at the wall and see what gets a reaction. Was the motion controller interesting? Sure. Was it the highlight of the show? It may be the highlight for worst of the show, but not the best. I just can't support the idea of a PS3 motion controller. I knew well in advance Sony was tinkering with several different concept ideas for motion control. Microsoft was doing the same thing. But it was Sony who I thought would know better after the failure of the SIXAXIS controller. Once again I was wrong.
I do have hope since the motion controller apparently will not be replacing the DualShock 3 in any way. I have a good feeling that the motion controller will be supported by Sony in a few random games here and there but will mostly be forgotten. Hell if things go my way it'll be immediately forgotten just like the PlayStation Eye which is apparently required to get this thing to work. So here's hoping that this will just be yet another failure on Sony's hand and we can quickly move on from this damn thing. Speaking of which? Anyone want to start a betting pool as to when this thing will come out? I'm putting money on March 2010, days before Sony ends its fiscal year. Although Christmas 2010 doesn't sound too shabby either.
You can abandon UMDs for only $250!
The Sony E3 press conference summed up my thoughts on this matter perfectly. Sony unveiled the PSP Go! and showed off a lot of cool features. It's smaller, sexier, and easier to use. Sony plans to have every game released from now on PSN and UMD format as well as the majority of older PSP titles. People were happy and accepting of the PSP Go! Well they were, until they announced the price point. Then everyone went silent.
Sony doesn't learn from their own fucking mistakes.
Let me repeat that again. Because once again, this is fucking important to understand.
Sony does not learn from their own fucking mistakes.
Seriously, $250! What the fuck? I have thought about this. And that's a rarity for me. But I thought about this and I cannot think of any realistic reason as to why the PSP Go will cost $250. Sony got rid of the UMD format. Sony's supposed to redesign their hardware to be more efficient and effective, not the other way around. So why does this thing cost more money? $250 is what the original PSP that I purchased in March 2005 cost. So why the hell will this thing which will play the same games it did 4 years ago still cost the same price?
Sony just doesn't get it. It's funny too because Jack Trenton thinks he's part of the "in" crowd and thinks that he "gets it". Well no Jack, you don't. You and SCEA have no idea what you're doing. You just keep throwing shit at the wall and hoping it sticks. As I'll get into below there were some great announcements by Sony at E3. Sony showed some great games at E3. But Sony made some fucking stupid announcements at E3 and this was just as idiotic as the motion controller for the PS3.
I was going to buy a PSP Go too. My launch PSP is on its death bed and after going hands-on with the system at E3 playing Gran Turismo PSP I thought it was a terrific handheld. The analog stick is much improved. It's smaller but has a longer stick for more precision. It looks gorgeous and is really lightweight. But Sony being Sony just doesn't get their audience and is about to launch a horrendously overpriced handheld onto the market. Good job Sony, good job.
Oh, and Jack, we didn't actually like the Hannah Montana game, we were kidding. I just want to put that out there.
Alright enough hate, God of War and Uncharted kicked ass
I don't like to hate Sony and talk shit about them, but I do it when I feel necessary. But it wasn't all doom and gloom for Sony at E3. They had some cool games to show off, starting with Uncharted 2 and God of War 3. Uncharted 2 looks absolutely beautiful and after going hands-on with the co-op and single player modes I can confidently say that Uncharted 2 will be a must-own. It won 411's best PS3 game award and it was one of my favorite games at the show.
Uncharted 2 feels even more like a movie made into a video game than the first one. And you know what? It works. It works great. The climbing is fluid, the shooting is solid, the graphics are amazing, I love the voice acting, and the story is freaking awesome. I couldn't ask for more in a video game. This is easily my most anticipated game of the fall.
God of War 3 on the other hand was raw and absolutely brutal. Once again I went hands-on with God of War 3 and the demo was all sorts of awesome. Ripping bodies in half has never been more fun. From riding harpies to fighting creatures made up of 3 different animals to fighting centaurs to fighting giant lava monsters God of War 3 has it all. The new harpy wings that Kratos has for gliding look bad ass and fit perfectly with his arsenal of weapons. God of War 3 will have an eventual demo and the full game will be coming out in March 2010. Good stuff.
There's a lot of ass-kicking going on in God of War 3.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker announced for PSP
Damn, the PSP finally has an interesting line-up. I may hate the PSP Go! but I love the line-up. Motorstorm, Little Big Planet, Pixel Junk Monsters Deluxe, Gran Turismo, and now Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker all sound awesome. I may have to start playing PSP games again.
There I was after Microsoft's press conference on Monday thinking "well the money finally got to him". And it's still true. Microsoft still threw big bucks at Konami to get a Metal Gear game on the 360. I'm honestly surprised they didn't close the show on it, as Microsoft had made a habit out of closing their shows by stealing a Sony franchise and bringing it to 360. But thankfully Metal Gear Solid: Rising will be a multiplatform title that will release on both the 360 and PS3 as far as I know, and it won't be a timed exclusive even.
I was actually pretty surprised to see Hideo Kojima on stage for the PS3 press conference. I think it says something when he speaks in Japanese at Sony's conference yet spoke English at Microsoft's conference. I'll let the readers draw their own conclusions.
This Metal Gear was a necessary title in the franchise. There are too many plot holes that need to be filled after Snake Eater and Portable Ops. Besides, most people don't even know the different between Big Boss and Solid Snake, so Konami can fool the casual gamer into playing as Snake while keeping the hardcore gamers happy that Solid Snake has gone into retirement. While I would have preferred to have the next installment of the Metal Gear franchise on the PS3 I can see why it is on the PSP.
I don't think it's been announced either way yet, but does anyone know if this means Metal Gear Solid: Rising will not be a part of the official Metal Gear canon? That's how it's coming off to me. Maybe the end of the game will feature Raiden waking up from a dream.
What a happy family.
And the rest of Sony's press conference
I honestly thought Sony was joking when they said Final Fantasy 14 would be exclusive for the PlayStation 3. Well, everybody did. I mean come on, Final Fantasy 13 is still over a year away and they already announced Final Fantasy 14. Well, it's not a joke. But it's also not a traditional FF game. FF14 will be another online MMO game like Final Fantasy 11 was on the PlayStation 2. As someone who doesn't like either MMOs or RPGs I am totally unaffected but I am curious to see if this has any effect on the momentum of the PS3 or the sales of FF13 on PS3. My guess is it won't in the long run, but who knows.
Well after years of darkness L.A. Noir has re-emerged under the title of Agent. It's good to see that the game is sticking to its original storyline and surprisingly it's still exclusive to the PS3. After all of the titles that were announced years ago and has since become multiplatform titles like Tekken 6 it's good to see someone stick to their exclusivity deal. And it's Rockstar North of all people. Rockstar started this whole mess of exclusivity when GTA4 was announced for 360. Speaking of which, does Peter Moore still have that tattoo?
As for the rest of the conference I was pretty unimpressed. Too many games didn't get mentioned at all. Showing Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time for 10 seconds in video form is absolutely ridiculous. Heavy Rain got little to no mention at all; Fat Princess was left in the dust. But oh wait we needed to show off the dumbest gameplay footage of MAG ever. The guy didn't do jack shit on screen.
But thankfully Sony made up for most of its mistakes by showing off The Last Guardian. While we still don't know much about the game the new trailer shown at E3 looked beautiful and had awesome graphics. Here's hoping the game makes a 2010 release.
Ending on a positive note Mod Nation Racers looked awesome. The live demo on screen totally sold me on the game. You don't have to use the Mario Kart style weapons in your courses if you don't want to, which I appreciate. I'm not saying the weapons were dumb, but I like the option. Mod Nation Racers has a lot going for it and I am totally pumped for a Little Big Planet style racing game. This was one of my favorite games of the show.
PlayStation Store Update for the week of June 4
Sony has always provided a good PlayStation Store update the week of E3 and this year was no different. I've made my opinion known many times before that I hate JRPGs but I am totally cool with Final Fantasy 7 highlighting their PlayStation Store update. I mean come on it's FF7! It'll sell a million copies easy despite my personal opinion. Besides, they also put up the original Medal of Honor and Street Fighter Alpha 2 which are two awesome games. If you never played the original Medal of Honor I highly recommend it. Besides, it's $6, what do you have to lose? Trash Panic also went up for download for $5, which is a great deal. Ubisoft also put up Cellfactor: Psychokinetic Wars, although I'd recommend getting the free demo before making a purchase *it's $10*. Hell, even the original Wolfenstein 3D went up for download for a mere $5.
Sony also put up approximately 30,000 videos from E3, which I was totally cool with. This year's E3 had a ton of cool trailers, and it's great to be able to download them. It is weird however that they didn't put up The Last Guardian trailer for download despite having it in their E3 press conference which would be downloaded in a gigantic file. Also they totally edited the God of War 3 stuff which was bullshit. Anyways I'm going to wrap this section up, just go hit the PlayStation Store already; there is a ton of awesome crap to download.
Due to my ass being tired from E3 and all of the previews that are flooding the site from writers like myself there will be no Water Cooler today. This column has gone on long enough and it's time to call it a wrap. I will be discussing the trip to E3 and things that were going down on the floor next week and eventually an updated list of the top ten PS3 disc titles since I've finally had a chance to play Infamous. The Water Cooler is taking a well deserved break.
Well that's it for me everyone. E3 was a total party and I recommend everyone try to go at least once in their lifetime. I've said it every year but we need a showcase event in the US like E3 to promote the video game industry. E3 has already been confirmed for next year June 15 – 17, so make your booking plans now. Speaking of E3, how was your E3 Shaqy?
Big Daddy Diesel got his hands on some lovely ladies.
Don't you mean lovely games Shaq?
Nah son, I ain't got no time for games when there's half-naked ladies putting their hands on Superman.
I see your point.
Maybe next year.
Well that's it for Shaq and I everyone, we'll be back in 7. In the mean time feel free to leave your comments below, I always read them. Also feel free to add me on the PSN, my name is Fester. Cya in 7!
God Of War 3 will be the reason I finally buy a PS3.
Posted By: thedouce (Guest) on June 08, 2009 at 11:56 PM
I heard L.A. Noire and Agent are two separate properties, but who knows for sure based off just a name and one line description.
As for Microsoft 'buying' MGSR, don't tell me you're a member of Redkey's 'everything's a conspiracy' group. Over 30 million consoles sold and a sky high attach rate - that's why the game is coming to the 360.
Posted By: Rod Oracheski (Registered) on June 09, 2009 at 01:31 AM
''I think it says something when he speaks in Japanese at Sony's conference yet spoke American at Microsoft's conference''
American? Dude, it's called ENGLISH.
Posted By: Guest#2412 (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 01:41 AM
"''I think it says something when he speaks in Japanese at Sony's conference yet spoke American at Microsoft's conference''
American? Dude, it's called ENGLISH."
Corrected. I wrote that part at 5 am waiting to get on an airplane that was delayed, so pardon the grammar.
And Rod, after reading all of the interviews where Kojima praised PS3 and talked about how Metal Gear Solid was a Sony franchise including puns against DVD format in MGS4, it's a little hard to believe he didn't have any sort of incentive to go to 360. It's not like Microsoft doesn't have a history of doing it...
Posted By: The Salms (Registered) on June 09, 2009 at 01:55 AM
The beyond the cinema part, what type of encoding is this as it won't come up on my computer and is a usual problem for me. Can't work it out for the life of me
Posted By: Mark (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 02:00 AM
You may hate waggle, but it hasn't really been used properly yet. Unlike Natal, which is just a giant wish list from Microsoft (with one tech demo that had a good half/quarter second lag), Sony's motion controller will do what the Wiimote promised and has yet to deliver.
Sony and Nintendo have the right idea. PERFECT the technology that we have now, and work on getting it into games in a fun and useful way.
And I agree about the PSP-GO pricing. I thought this would be the system that would be cheaper to widen the install base while launching a new awesome line of games. Now that I'm finally convinced to buy one I find myself going to craigslist to scope out a cheap used one.
The only other issue I have right now is this. When did spring 2010 become the new holiday season? Heavy Rain, GOW 3, FF 13, damn near everything has been pushed back to that time frame (and maybe more to come). What the hell am I going to play this Christmas?! They better hope Uncharted can carry the season on it's own and not get pushed back.
Posted By: Omni (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 03:02 AM
Oh my lord I love e3!!! Definately gonna buy the psp go! I don't care how much it is!
Posted By: Hdj360 (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 03:55 AM
I'm glad that I'm so loved, Rod. But, c'mon! You sound like a moron! I guess you missed the part about Kojima taking cheap shots at the 360. >__< But, it MUST be a conspiracy because you know EVERYTHING....right? Well, that only seems to be the truth in your own mind.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is Kojima producing, directing, and writing MGSR????
...
...
Let me just answer that for you, Kojima is only producing MGSR. The product will be run by him...and that is the end of it. There is an entirely new team creating MGSR. Kojima's team is making MGS: Peace Walker.
Please, you need to stop being such a fanboy. 360 is getting Metal Solid Solid in name only. The PS3 and the 360 are only getting a Metal Gear Solid side-story (with Lightening-Bolt Action). The real MGS experience is still exclusive to Sony.
CRY MOAR, Rod.
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 05:00 AM
LMAO at Dave and Rod... Still at it after all these years. God of War 3 makes me happy.
Posted By: Todd Vote (Registered) on June 09, 2009 at 10:43 AM
First off, Sony is STUPID for charging $250 for a handheld. "Duh, we wanna beat the DS, so let's make our handheld almost $100 more expensive!" Ugh.
Don't worry Mark, most PS3 owners I know hate JRPGs too, based on the sales figures. Which is why that there are ZERO JRPGs announced for the PS3 in the US beyond Final Fantasy. JRPG companies realized that they won't sell on PS3 (in America), and now they're almost sticking to handhelds exclusively (mostly DS) what with the PS2 slowly getting fazed out. Don't fret, the "cool" people will make RPGs for the basement dwellers only once again. Which is what I tell people when I work at the Evil Video Game Empire, "if you want RPGs, buy a DS."
Posted By: Shaukat (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 12:38 PM
As Chris Rock would say in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, "250?" Let's see, DSi $80 less, and the iPhone now $99 for an entry phone, does Sony even want to pretend they are interested in handheld market?
Posted By: Wii60 (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 12:39 PM
I suppose it's possible that the PSP GO will be bundled with a few vouchers for games or movies to make the price point a little less terrible. And that being said, is $50 really that big a deal? And don't give me the economy excuse, because if you're too broke to pay $250, you're probably also too broke to pay $199.
And instead of Wolfenstein 3D, why can't they release Doom 1 and 2 with online play?
Posted By: Steve307 (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Todd,
Well, it is fun to prove someone wrong. I'm no longer resorting to unfocused/incoherent attacks, at the very least. I guess that is something that is a bit different, don't ya think?
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 01:06 PM
Mark,
Do not read Penny Arcade because they'll ruin the ending for The Last Gaurdian. Just warning ya....
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 02:47 PM
well you play your 360 right up to that little red ring then ill continue playing my ps3 while i laugh hysterically at you
Posted By: Guest#3280 (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 05:05 PM
None of you really know what’s going on in Konami, so why is everyone talking like they know everything? I thought MGS4 was suppose to been Kojima's last, but what you know Peace Walker is on it's way. How do you know Kojima didn't create MGSR too and just want to see how it would sell with people thinking he didn't do it before he really does decide to give it up and let someone else take over? You're acting like he's not talented enough to work on two games.
Posted By: Guest#3495 (Guest) on June 09, 2009 at 07:56 PM
Guest#3495,
The only information general public has available is what he said at both press conferences and his interview with IGN.
He said that he was only attached to MGSR as a producer. An entirely new team was making MGSR. He was not going to have a deep involvment with that game. However, he said that the MGS4 team were making MGSPW. He also stated that he would write, direct, and produce this game.
So, are you calling Kojima a liar? You are just as guilty as all of us. You are on the opposite end, though. Seems like you are playing the part of damage control for the 360 fanboys.
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 10, 2009 at 01:43 AM
Don't label me when you don't know anything about me because I can careless about these fanboys(PS3 & 360) or what console it's on. Yes, that's what he says, but it's not like he never said one thing and done another before, so him saying something at a press conf. and doing something different behind closed doors wouldn't surprise me anyway.
Posted By: Guest#4821 (Guest) on June 10, 2009 at 03:32 AM
Since you are nameless guest, there is no way on god's green earth anyone can realize what is your motivation. However, those words are strangely similar to someone else playing the role of damage control.
By taking the limited information into account, it is impossible to see if you are actually being truthful or not. So, I stand by my previous words. I see no fault in them. Therefore, an apology is not being supplied.
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 10, 2009 at 01:46 PM
I DO like RPGs, but I hate MMORPGs. Square has been killing me with how they've handled the franchise since Final Fantasy X (one of the five best RPGs of all time), which was released EIGHT years ago. Since then, Square has subjected us to one of the worst sequels in any medium (Final Fantasy X-2), an MMORPG (Final Fantasy XI), endless delays to Final Fantasy XII (which turned out to be a major disappointment, as it didn't have nearly enough story to justify how long it took to be released and to beat) and Final Fantasy XIII, and now yet ANOTHER MMORPG. All I have to say is that Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII better be really good, or I may lose my faith in the franchise.
Posted By: John Gale (Registered) on June 10, 2009 at 03:28 PM
"''I think it says something when he speaks in Japanese at Sony's conference yet spoke American at Microsoft's conference''
I think it says more that Kojima is working on MGSPW as is the team from MGS4, but he's leaving MGSR to whoever.
Posted By: guest (Guest) on June 10, 2009 at 04:59 PM
Great column as always (even though I don't even own a PS3 or PSP ;-P). On Cellfactor, I purchased the 360 Arcade version and it is very much worth the $10. Actually, it could be the sleeper hit of the year dlc wise since it came out to so little fanfare. I'll probably have a review out on the site I write for by the end of the week.
Posted By: Kedrix (Guest) on June 10, 2009 at 05:23 PM
"Since you are nameless guest, there is no way on god's green earth anyone can realize what is your motivation."
One guest calling another guest out for being 'nameless' with their reply? That's hilarious.
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 10, 2009 at 06:27 PM
Instead of reading what you want to see. How about actually reading what's there? I never typed anything about 360 or PS3 in my first comment, so I see no reason to be labeled a fanboy. Just adding my opinion on what I think is going on in Konami.
Looks like whoever you’re having your console war with never had a problem adding their name in the past, so I see no reason why they would start doing it now. My feeling aren't hurt, so you can save that apology for someone that actually wants it.
"well you play your 360 right up to that little red ring then ill continue playing my ps3 while i laugh hysterically at you"
This is a fanboy
Posted By: Guest#7219 (Guest) on June 10, 2009 at 07:31 PM
Well, I saw the error of my ways. I apologize. It just seems that trolls tend to focus on this article every week. Hell, there is a troll thread on the Sony section that the PS3 lost the war or something.
There are just too many trolls that come onto the gaming section. Because they lack the money to buy another system (or their choice needs to be "justified"), they feel the NEED to attack the other consoles.
By the way, I dislike Guest#3280's comment as much as you. I dislike all fanboys, actually. Every console has its strengths and weaknesses. Some people just need to justify their choices....
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 11, 2009 at 02:09 AM
I'm not a troll though since I have all the systems. I just think that M$ shouldn't be in gaming since they're RUINING it and aren't as good as Sony or even Nintendo. We wouldn't have microtransactions without M$ you know. Ask anyone. All the Xbots have are FPS games and racing games and the PS3 has great games like Killzone 2, Haze, Resistance 2, and Gran Turismo 5 (the REAL driving simulator) that you can't get on the X-box 3Shitty.
Posted By: David (Guest) on June 11, 2009 at 10:22 AM
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