B3yond the Report 05.20.08

Posted by Mark Salmela on 05.20.2008

Never fear, B3yond the Report is here! This week, I cover my most anticipated PS3 games. Also, news on games like MGS4, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, Sonic Unleashed, Haze, Pixel Junk Eden, Little Big Planet, GTA4, and more!




Well if it isn't my favorite children? Come looking for a story? Well I've got all of the Sony news you've become addicted to. But it's a good addiction, like LSD. If you guys haven't seen, last week I unveiled my secret project for 411mania. Since MGS4 is now only 4 weeks away I've been counting down to MGS4 by doing a special look back at the previous MGS games. Last week I did Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. You can read them here . The next edition goes up tomorrow and it's about Metal Gear Solid 1 for the PS1. Be sure to check it out.

Also, this week is your last chance to enter into the Echochrome level contest. Basically, I want you to send me your best Echochrome levels. Here's the link to last week's column where I described how to upload levels on Echochrome. While I don't have a physical prize I can give you, I can basically pimp anything or promote anything you have or want to say in this column. Sound fair?

Now that I've got all that off my chest, it's time to get back to what I do best.


Comin straight outta Compton, it's B3yond the News of the Week~!

Updates on Metal Gear Solid 4



Well this past week we were given a few new updates to the highly anticipated PS3 exclusive MGS4. Besides the new trailer which I've included later on in the column *and is incredibly awesome*, there were quite a few interesting new pieces.

First off Metal Gear Solid 4 has finally gone gold and has been completed. Hideo Kojima has said that it's been a hard and long process, but that Snake's final chapter has been completed. Saving for a nuclear disaster *not too far fetched by MGS standards*, there is nothing that will stop MGS4 for coming out worldwide on June 12, 2008.

Second, Snake will have some nifty new gadgets on him while playing MGS4. One of these weapons will be the Apple iPod. The iPod will be Snake's music hub for the game, where players can download and store music tracks for in-game playing. For example users can play the classic Metal Gear theme song at any time through the iPod. Cool stuff. Snake will also be able to take Regain, a Japanese energy drink. Apparently the drink will give Snake a quick energy rush, but will end with Snake crashing. Just like in real life. And finally, Snake will be able to buy *for a whole lot of money* a gun named Tanegashima, a gun that will shoot out tornadoes and suck up enemies. It's based off of a Japanese legend, and unless you're quite the penny saver most players won't be able to afford it. But if you do it will be quite the powerful weapon, and will destroy enemies without destroying their ammo and other pickups.

Finally, yes, the Altair costume seen in the MGS April Fool's Day trailer will be unlockable in MGS4. MGS4 will be out on June 12 exclusively on the PS3, I can't wait.




Pretty froggy.

Credit: Kotaku


Insomniac reveals new info on Resistance 2



Well the Sony Gamers' Day in America has revealed new information about Insomniac's latest title, Resistance 2. First off while Resistance 2 will feature online multiplayer for up to 60 people in one game, it has been confirmed that teams will be divided into smaller squads. Teams will likely be made up of 8 – 10 people and will feature character classes, although character classes other than the medic and soldier have yet to be confirmed. Resistance 2 will also feature a rewards system similar to COD4, which according to the developers will reward the players "for just about anything positive they do in the game".

Resistance 2 will be set in America, and will feature a lot more of the aerial attack from the Chimera. The maps confirmed so far are Scotia, California's Redwood Forest (showcased in the demo), and the Chicago single-player level. I've included a couple of the new screenshots from Resistance 2, the game's looking awesome. Resistance 2 will be released this November.





Credit: PlayStation Blog


Sony PlayStation Store Update for the week of May 15



Well, the PlayStation Store went through its weekly update again. This week we were treated to a couple of different demos, as Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit and Overlord: Raising Hell both received free demos on the PlayStation Store. I've always been so-so on the DBZ games. They're not bad fighters by any means, but they're no where near great. While Burst Limit continues on this same path of "good not great", I will say I think the graphics are really crisp and look like they were taken straight from the TV show. One thing I would have liked however was a longer demo, as the demo was basically two quick fights and that was it. I guess there's the opinion that the fact that I wanted to play the game more served the purpose of the demo but in this case I disagree. I think this demo was too short and didn't give me any taste what-so-ever of what this game was really about. Now if they had given me more than a 5 minute demo I could have gotten a better taste for the game and could have made a better decision about whether or not I wanted to buy it.

As for the Overlord: Raising Hell demo, all I have to say is average. I played Overlord on the 360 last year and found it mediocre, and I played it on the PS3 this year and still found it mediocre. While some people may like it I didn't. We also received a couple of downloadable characters for Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, some bad trailers, and more Rock Band songs. I know the Clash had a song up there this week but I forgot the other two, all I remember is that I hated all 3 songs *what a surprise*. Any who, not a terrible PlayStation Store update this week, but not a good one either. I don't mind though since I'm dirt poor right now, and I haven't even gotten to beat Echochrome or Pixel Junk Monsters Encore yet.

Credit: Sony



B3yond the tabloids!

In what I would consider a desperate attempt to stop me from slaughtering innocent children, Sega has announced that there will be no more bestiality in Sonic games. Even Sega has come to realize that having Sonic make out with humans is a really bad idea. But Sonic turning into a werewolf? That's still brilliant in their mind. Sega is one of the few studios that I actually believe I could run better than the clueless idiots who run it now.

The NPD sales numbers are in for April, and the 360 outsold the PS3 by a mere 900 units *188,000 to 187,100*. These numbers are severely below expectations, since originally console sales for the two machines were predicted to be near 300,000 due to GTA4's release. GTA4 also sold 1,850,000 units on the 360 compared to 1,000,000 units on the PS3. Considering the two install bases, I would consider this a success for the PS3, since the kept the ratio under 2:1.

And because EA just doesn't get it, they've now extended their deadline for the Take Two takeover for the third time. I've been saying it for weeks now, if it didn't happen before GTA4, it's not going to happen for a while now.

In a positive note for PS3 users, the PS3 outsold the 360 by 45% in Australia for the first quarter of 2008. This doesn't even include any of the Bravia plus PS3 deals. I'm tellin' ya, it won't matter if the 360 holds onto America and outsells the PS3 there; they're still going to lose if they continue to get stomped in the rest of the world. Even the 360 price drops didn't slow down the PS3 in Europe.

Echochrome will be uploading 20 free user created levels for download over the next two weeks. Be sure to check them out in freeform mode.

LucasArts has played the France card, pulling out of the ESA yet still planning to be apart of E3 this year. Either be Activision junior or shut up and fall in line LucasArts, I don't want anyone taking the middle ground. Does being apart of the ESA even give you any benefits anymore? Seriously…

Codemasters announced that there will be up to 12 players in its online multiplayer mode. But there's still no announcement as to why their racing games suck.

Free Radical has confirmed that Haze does not run at 720p, but the barely HD 1024 x 576. Considering I've already been disappointed by the Haze demo, it's even worse to hear that this PS3 exclusive can't even pull off 720p. While some say it's not much of a downgrade I have noticed a difference in the games that don't run in 720p *Haze and Halo 3* versus the ones that do *Ratchet*.

The Metal Gear Solid 4 "extremely limited" gunmetal gray PS3 bundle will be exclusive to Konami site members. While the gunmetal gray PS3 bundles are only 40GB PS3's and will be exclusive to Konami site members, the normal MGS4 PS3 bundles will include 80GB PS3's and will be available at all major retailers.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has announced that Shuhei Yoshida has been selected to take Phil Harrison's place as SCE World Wide Studios president. While Harrison did a fine job, not a whole lot changed with his departure, just like I predicted. And since nothing major changed without Harrison, I doubt we'll see any major changes with Yoshida's promotion.

Sony released PlayStation 3 firmware 2.35 this week. While Sony would only comment that the firmware update "improved gameplay performance in unannounced games", it's obvious that it was to improve the gameplay in GTA4. With all of the trouble people have been having with GTA4 and Rockstar now putting the blame on Sony this was to be expected. Although for my money, any update from now on that doesn't include in game cross media bar access or Home is a disappointment. Sony knows what we want; it's just how long are they going to make us wait for it.

Put this in the rumor section, but apparently plans for PS3 firmware 2.40 have been laid out. Apparently the groundwork for the PS3 trophy system will be laid out, especially with the announcement that Pixel Junk Eden will support PS3 trophies. Also rumored in the 2.40 update is in-game chatting, which while it's still not in-game cross media bar access, it's a good start. Finally, there are rumors that the foundation for Sony's upcoming video service will be put into firmware 2.40. Here's hoping these feature make it into the PS3 soon so they can finish up in-game XMB *the rumor says the firmware update will come before MGS4 on June 12*.





B3yond the Cinema!



Here's the latest MGS4 trailer titled "Courage is Solid". It's an incredible trailer and I can't wait for MGS4 on June 12.



Here's some new footage of Killzone 2. It's looking pretty solid to me.



Here's even more Little Big Planet gameplay footage for you. I can't wait for this game.



Finally, here's some Motorstorm: Pacific Rift footage for everyone. It's already looking awesome.



The One Man Water Cooler~!



Thanks to Eric once again for providing the awesome. You can really tell which pictures are awesome, and which ones were made by me in MS paint. Thanks again Eric.


Well, well, well, if it isn't my most favorite segment of the column *most of the news stories are boring*. This week, I want to talk about something very special, this week I am going to explain what the "birds and the bees" story is actually about.

Wait…

Never mind, I just came up with the perfect idea for a children's novel. It'll be great. I'd go further into detail but that'd be giving away spoilers *that and I have no idea where this joke is going, although I am aroused*.

Any who, this week I want to discuss what my most anticipated PS3 games are. Now I'm going to keep this list rather small *trust me, I could easily make this a top 25, that just shows how much potential the PS3 has*, as I'm limiting it to only my top 10 games. I'm also going to keep it PS3 only, since people get mad when I discuss non-PS3 games in the PS3 column. But to be honest and fair to the PS3, Ninja Gaiden 2 is the only 360 game I'm really looking forward to. That's right, Gears of War sucks *as does Fable*. It's a fun game to play co-op, but the online multiplayer S-U-C-K-S. Also, no one knows what Nintendo is up to, although I do know Animal Crossing and Kid Icarus are coming to the Wii, both of which I am looking forward to somewhat. So this list will be 10 PS3 games, all of which I am incredibly pumped for. Also be aware that if the game hasn't been formally announced than it cannot be on my list. I love Team Ico and Naughty Dog, but we don't know what they're working on, so I can't put them on my list. With that said let's get to it.

Honorable mentions *games I am looking forward to but are not in my top 5*: Tekken 6, SOCOM Confrontation, WipeOut HD, L.A. Noire, Silent Hill 5, and inFamous *I wanted to list inFamous but we just don't know enough about it yet*.

10.) Twisted Metal PS3: Make no mistake; I am a huge Twisted Metal fan. I still love Twisted Metal 2 to this day, and the announcement of Twisted Metal on the PS3 made Mark a very happy man. Now I do have a few concerns about the game, because it's not 1996 anymore. Jaffe and his crew at Eat Sleep Play are going to have a hard time making Twisted Metal seem fun and relevant again in 2008. But if I were to have anyone take on the task of making a PS3 Twisted Metal, Jaffe is the first man I would go to. So for better or worse, Twisted Metal PS3 is my 10th most anticipated PS3 game.

9.) Final Fantasy Versus 13: Now I think most of my readers have figured it out by now, but I am not a big fan at all of turn-based RPG's. But with that said, let me also explain I am a sucker for CG trailers. Just look at my 3rd most anticipated title for an example of that. While I know Final Fantasy Versus 13 will be another RPG just like the other Final Fantasy's, it is being developed by the Kingdom Hearts team, and I must admit I kind of enjoyed Kingdom Hearts. Plus, I still get that funny feeling in my pants when I watch the FF13 trailer. I mean come on; this is a thing of beauty. I will honestly buy FF Versus 13 on this trailer alone, mark my words. It's that damn impressive.

8.) Gran Turismo 5: I loved GT5 Prologue. While some people may not agree with my opinions on the GT5 Prologue review, I also don't agree with the majority of the reviews out there saying the game is mediocre and half-assed. But one thing both parties agree on is that GT5 will be awesome. GT5 is promising an insane amount of cars, and with damage, modification, and the GT content we've all come to love over the years there's no way you can hate on this game, car lover or not. There's a reason professional drivers practice with Gran Turismo games, it's just that damn good. You don't see NFL players seriously playing Madden with hopes of getting better at real football now do you?

7.) Resident Evil 5: Now while one could easily spark a huge racial debate, let me say that I am very relaxed on the racial issue. I think anyone freaking out over Resident Evil 5 taking place in Africa is insane. Sure it is a white man *Chris* fighting black people, but it's much more than that. It's not like Postal 2 where you killed Gary Coleman because it was funny. Resident Evil 5 has a story to tell, and I'm going to wait to hear it before I make racial judgments. With that said, Resident Evil 4 was awesome *although I think it was overrated by several publications*, and I can't wait for the true next-gen Resident Evil experience.

6.) Resistance 2: The only reason this game isn't higher on the list is because I wasn't a big fan of Resistance 1. It was fun for a while, but I got bored of it quickly. But with 8 player online co-op, as well as 60 player online multiplayer, this game looks to rock. If Resistance 2 can keep the multiplayer hectic while still fun, and add in much needed additions like vehicles than this game will be totally awesome. Here's hoping this game comes together in time for its November 2008 release *I do think they'll make their release window*.

5.) Little Big Planet: The definition of user created content. Just like YouTube opened the doors for user created content on the internet, Little Big Planet looks to do the same on consoles. Giving players all of the development tools that the developers have, Little Big Planet looks to create the ultimate video game community. The possibilities are near endless with Little Big Planet, as everything I've seen and heard about the game looks awesome. While I hope that there'll be some sort of option of speeding up the characters and gameplay, everything else looks incredible. Here's hoping this game doesn't suffer anymore delays, as I honestly don't think I can take any more delays for Little Big Planet before I become frustrated with it like I did Home.

4.) Motorstorm: Pacific Rift: I'm not going to lie. I fell in love with Motorstorm. It is probably my most played PS3 title. I absolutely love Motorstorm, and although it was far from perfect, everything I've seen and heard about Motorstorm 2 looks to fix those problems. No longer stuck in the desert, Motorstorm 2 will have lush environments, taking place in areas such as the rainforest, as well as a volcano. Along with the levels, Motorstorm 2 will finally bring split-screen multiplayer into the series, a definite must. When I hear about Motorstorm 2, this is what I imagine a Road Rash on the PS3 would be like. I can't wait for Motorstorm 2 this Christmas.

3.) Killzone 2: While this game is dangerously close to destroying its own hype with all of the delays, the fact is that Sony is hyping Killzone 2 as the end all, be all game for the PS3. Ever since the PS3 was announced back at E3 2005 Killzone 2 has been the promise of everything the PS3 will bring gamers. Beginning with the controversial E3 2005 Killzone 2 trailer, everything that has come on the PS3 has been measured against that trailer as the standard of "next-gen video games". And now with Killzone 2 surpassing its own trailer with actual gameplay footage, Killzone 2 is looking to rock. Sony is throwing so much effort and money at this project that it better rock, as they've put way too much hype into this game to let it suck.

2.) God of War 3: The ending to one of the most epic storylines ever. The story of Kratos has been an amazing one, and I can't wait to see how this one finishes in 2009. When nominations were made for the 2007 game of the year, I was actually a little upset at all of the publications that completely forgot about God of War 2. The game was practically flawless for crying out loud. The only real complaint I had with God of War 2 was that isn't wasn't made in HD for the PS3. With the rumor that God of War 3 might have online, and the fact that God of War 3 will be the conclusion of the incredible God of War franchise, there's no doubt that God of War 3 will be awesome.

1.) Metal Gear Solid 4: This is what it all boils down to. I would honestly admit that I have never been so hyped for a game before in my life. MGS4 just looks to have it all. With MGS meaning so much for so many people, it's only fitting that this game gets the top spot on my list. Gamers hearts were broken all around the world when they found out that this would be the last official MGS title, but that should only fuel them that much more to play this game. There are so many open wounds in the MGS universe that it seems impossible to close them all. But somehow, I feel that Hideo Kojima is going to do just that, and that we will see a fitting conclusion to one of the best franchises in video game history. There are very few video game characters that I would label as iconic. These characters are Mario, Sonic, Link, Master Chief, Pacman, maybe Laura Croft, and definitely Solid Snake. While Master Chief may have finished the fight, come June 12th, Solid Snake is going to finish the war.


Agree or disagree? Be sure to leave me a comment or email explaining your most anticipated PS3 game.



B3yond the Mail



To Satan (Guest): Satan said: "Yet another edition of this poorly written column. Give it up, Salmela – you can't even come up with a good name for this crap."

The critics are raving about Mark's latest report!

To Toddo (Guest): As far as I'm aware of MGS4 has been signed to an exclusivity deal to Sony. So while I don't know the details of the contract I do know that there's been no work what-so-ever on porting MGS4 to 360 and I doubt it ever will. If by the off chance MGS4 does get ported to another console I wouldn't expect it before 2010.

To calem (Guest) : Hell yeah Pixel Junk Monsters Encore is hard. I'm pretty sure I've actually grown grey hairs from this game. With that said I've got about 2 levels left to beat and 3 more to get rainbows on. After that I will chuck my PS3 against the wall.

To Rod Oracheski (Registered) : While I do see the press laying off of violence in video games as it becomes more socially acceptable I don't foresee a whole lot of people being outraged in kids being able to rent R rated movies again *according to the FTC report of retailers selling them to kids*. It's old news. I still think there are untapped markets on the internet just waiting for parents to become outraged by. At least most parents know what games like GTA are, most parents still have no idea what's really on the internet readily available for their kids with no real form of ID checking. Imagine the news stories if parents saw their kids watching 2 girls 1 cup and the like.



The 411mania Empire~!



The Full Circle by Joe Roche. You'd think with Joe graduating from law school and everything that I'd congratulate him and lay off the insults. You'd also think Too Human will actually be good.
Nintendophiles by Theo Fraser. Screw GH4.
The PC Centric Extravaganza by Chris Evans.
The Select and Start News by Vincent Chiucchi, who relates this column to male reproductive organs. Take that how you will…
The Negative Edge by Tommy Coloma. I still think Mirror's Edge has promise.



Signing Off!



Well that's it for me. I've been hard at work trying to make sense of the Metal Gear franchise, so if you'll excuse me, I've got more work to do. Be sure to check out tomorrow's edition of B3yond the Special: A look at Metal Gear Solid. I'll probably be back with another edition of B3yond the Report next week, depending on how big my work schedule is *I think they might be scheduling me some insane hours next week*. Any who I hope to be back, and if not the MGS features will for sure be up. Remember, try to send me your Echochrome levels, I NEED YOUR ECHOCHROME LEVELS BY THIS SUNDAY *5/25/08*. Cya later!