Category: Playstation 3

LittleBigPlanet 2 Beta Beats Capcom to the Punch

It’s kind of hard not to be amazed by what people are capable of. LittleBigPlanet 2 is still only in beta and yet more and more amazing videos keep coming out. Take this newest video for instance, which recreates Marvel vs. Capcom 3, managing to edge Capcom’s release date by a few months.

The dynamic camera movements are a nice new feature, as is the obviously over-dramatic voice recorded to announce the fight’s beginning. What really impressed me were the special moves that were on display, such as a missile and bomb projectiles. Also, a demo for LBP 2 will hit the PSN Store tomorrow and while it likely will just be a Story mode-based demo without any of the building tools, I am still anxious to get my grubby hands on it.

[youtube width=”500″ height=”310″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-AdUZeuxYc&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]

What do you think? What games are you looking to make using this handy new dev kit? I would love to see some RPGs, myself. Is anyone going to download the demo tomorrow? Speak!

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 14: The 2010 Recap

Mass Effect 3As promised, here’s yet another edition of the GamerSushi Show, 3 weeks in a row! Seriously, you should be impressed with us, because I am. And I am not easily impressed.

Anyway, I actually didn’t make it to this podcast as I had family in town, but the other dudes are more than capable and ended up having a great discussion on the year 2010 in review. There’s a big discussion about the VGAs, the biggest disappointments of 2010, as well as its biggest surprises. Naturally, since I’m not there, it probably means it was maybe the greatest podcast ever of all time, so please listen to it and tell everyone how much better it is without me.

There probably won’t be a podcast next week because of Christmas, so don’t hold your breath. We’ll let you guys know if it’s coming or not, it just depends. In the mean time, check out this podcast and enjoy its gaming goodness.

And, as always, please go rate this cast on iTunes and subscribe with the handy links to the right. Enjoy! Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 14: The 2010 Recap

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Ruling the Open Gaming World

Fable 3

Howdy, gents. I hope that this post finds all of you starting the holiday gaming extravaganza that this time of year is typically known for. As I said, we’re mostly taking it easy for the next couple of weeks, but because I like you all, I thought I’d share a post with you that I found.

Over at the Moving Pixels blog at Pop Matters (one of my favorite gaming blogs), a recent article goes over the idea of owning the open world in single player sandbox games. Taking a look at new games Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Fallout: New Vegas and Fable III, they study the recent trend in game design that pushes players to control major portions of real estate and owning/converting as much of the game world as possible. It’s interesting to think about the idea that in many of these games, the players tend to want to set the main storyline aside in favor of getting invested in the world itself, which I guess is the case with many RPG’s as well, even apart from owning land.

I think this gets to another interesting issue as well: does this mean that the stories in those games aren’t actually all that compelling? If we are willing to set them aside to do everything else but the stories, is there a problem with the design there? In addition, most of these games almost seem to require a fair amount of exploration and sidequest upgrading in order to stand a fair chance in the proper endgames.

So what do you guys think? Do you tend to set aside single player campaigns in favor of sidequests? Do you like the idea of controlling game worlds, or do you just focus on the stories when you play? Go!

Source – Pop Matters

Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam Trailer is a Fortunate Son

I’ve made no secret about my love for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and on more than one occasion I’ve referred to the multiplayer as the best I’ve ever played. How fortunate for me, then, that after months and months of free maps (hey, most weren’t that great, but they didn’t cost me a dime), Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a getting a full-fledged expansion with Vietnam. Since I’m a total sucker for anything CCR, this trailer is right up my alley, and maybe it will be for you too.

Apparently this multiplayer add-on is blowing critics out of the water because IGN gave it a 9.5. PC players are getting access to Vietnam on Saturday, three days in advance of the console players. I’m picking this up for sure, but what about you guys? Are you going to run through the jungle?

PS3 Version of Mass Effect 2 Uses Mass Effect 3 Engine

Mass Effect 2 Logo

You have to love Bioware. Since PS3 owners can’t experience the joy of the original Mass Effect, thanks to it having been published by Microsoft, Bioware is going all out to make things right with the PS3 release of Mass Effect 2. First, there’s the 15 minute interactive comic that starts out the game, catching players up on what happened while allowing them to make critical choices themselves, which will of course carry over into Mass Effect 2.

But now, with the news that Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 is actually using the engine for Mass Effect 3, resulting in better graphics, it’s just too much. Bioware could have done the quick and dirty port that so many others have done, but they are really going out of their way to craft a quality product and I have to admire them for that. Personally, it doesn’t matter to me because I will be playing Mass Effect 3 on the 360, but it matters to all those PS3 owners who have to create their own adventure with Shepherd.

What do you think about this? Should more companies be like Bioware or are they just wasting their time and money with needless features and gimmicks?

Source: 1UP

The Video Games of 2011 So Far

Dead Space 2

I’m just going to go ahead and get this out of the way now.

2010 isn’t even over yet, and already I am kind of freaking out about the kind of year 2011 has in store for us. We’ve been saying it a lot over the last few weeks, and you’ll just have to bear with us, because we’ll be saying it a lot over the next few months as well: 2011 is going to be a tornado of gaming. It will be so crazy you may slap a bear in the face. And trust me, that’s crazy.

I promise we’ll try not to talk about Uncharted 3, Mass Effect 3 and Portal 2 too much. But it’ll be difficult. So, in an effort not to overdo the hype and the excitement, I feel like it’s best to just have an official topic dedicated to the list of 2011 games. Kotaku recently posted the entire thing, and it’s even crazier when you see it all together.

Hit the jump to see the full thing!
Continue reading The Video Games of 2011 So Far

Uncharted 3 Gameplay is on Fire

After the surprise pre-VGA announcement of Uncharted 3, followed by the delicious teaser trailer confirming a release date of November 1, 2011, what will Nathan Drake do next? How about a gameplay demo on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon? Would that be something that would interest you?

Naughty Dog and Sony are really pulling out all the stops this time around. Now that they have a known quantity on their hands, they seem intent on spreading the word, which is kind of nice to see from the usually subtle and esoteric Sony. The gameplay footage, by the way, is pretty spectacular with gorgeous fire effects and pretty nifty hand to hand combat, including a dive from a high perch to crush a bad guy below. Check it out and tell us what you think!

Time’s Top 10 Games of 2010 Hails Alan Wake

time top ten games 2010Hot off of Eddy’s post about a list (we told you they were coming), I bring to you Time Magazine’s Top 10 games of 2010. Personally, I feel that the list is kind of strange, but I thought I would put it up here to see what kind of reaction you guys have to it. The first thing that I noticed about the list is that Alan Wake, Microsoft’s Lovecraftian exclusive, comes in at number one, beating out other luminaries like Red Dead Redemption and Halo: Reach.

The number two game on the list, something that I’m sure will make Jeff happy, is Rovio’s mobile sensation Angry Birds. On a traditional “game of the year” list, throwing something like Angry Birds on there still looks strange to me, even though I personally love the game. Instead of running through the list one by one, though, I’ll post it for you fellas after the jump. Continue reading Time’s Top 10 Games of 2010 Hails Alan Wake

GamerSushi Asks: Biggest Let Downs of 2010?

Final Fantasy 14

As the end of the year draws nigh, it’s only natural that every site in the world is going to come up with a series of “Best Of” lists regarding the nearly late but still great 2010. We try to vary things up around here when we can, but since there’s no news, you’ll probably be getting a few of these lists as we find them, because hey, we like to post. Sort of.

Anyway, Gamasutra has been doing a series of lists about 2010 in review, including this new one I enjoyed where they covered the year’s Top 5 Disappointments. The list covers everything from the giant cluster that was the Final Fantasy XIV launch through the removal of the Taliban in Medal of Honor. I suppose it could also be called the biggest fails of 2010, but hey, it’s their list. I think if I’m going over my list of disappointments, it would include Little Big Planet 2 getting moved to next year, and Microsoft’s focus on Kinect at E3.

So what about you guys? What were your top disappointments of 2010?

Source – Gamasutra

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 13: VGA Special

VGA 2010Wow. So the VGA’s happened last night, and anybody that’s remotely interested in gaming news has probably heard by now – 2011 is going to be insane. With Portal 2, Uncharted 3, Mass Effect 3, Elder Scrolls V, Forza 4, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, Dragon Age 2, Twisted Metal, Last Guardian and Gears of War 3… it’s looking like many of us are going to go broke just trying to keep up with everything.

As I’ve said previously, I’m not exactly a fan of televised video game anything, because it seems that the people producing the material have no idea what really appeals to gamers. While the VGAs had some gimmicky and annoying bits about them last night, they were certainly better than years before, primarily because a lot of the content skewed towards gaming more than it has in the past.

Anyway, before all of this insanity happened, the GamerSushi dudes got together to record a podcast and make some predictions. We thought it’d be cool to post just after, so you can fact check us against everything that happened. Here’s the list of official VGA 2010 winners if you’re interested. Beyond the VGA’s, we play another one of Nick’s awesome games and even talk about the reveals of Uncharted 3 and Mass Effect 3.

Hopefully you guys enjoy our goofy rantings. Once again, please go rate this cast on iTunes and subscribe with the handy links to the right. Enjoy! Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 13: VGA Special

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Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Trailer is All Hot and Bothered

Besides Mass Effect 3, the other eagerly awaited trailer at the Video Game Awards was for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Before the Game of the Year was announced (congrats to Rockstar for that, by the way), we got a quick peek at what sort of peril Nathan Drake will be in come November 1, 2011. The trailer also shows a little snippet of gameplay, something that made it stand out amongst the pre-rendered trailers of the night. Have a look see, I know you want to.

November alone is going to be kind of a ruinous month next year because we’ve got this, The Elder Scrolls 5, possibly Mass Effect 3 and who knows what else dropping. If I give this year an S game wise, I might have to give 2011 an S+. What do you guys think of the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception trailer? What do you hope Naughty Dog will do with the game?

Mass Effect 3 Trailer Makes Landfall

It was rumored, teased and leaked on the EA Store, but now we have official confirmation of the existence of Mass Effect 3. The teaser trailer shown a while back is actually just a small sample from a much larger, much more grandiose effort. Enough mincing words, though. Have a look:

Not too many details about the actual mechanics right now, but who really cares? It’s Mass Effect 3, it’s real, and it’s coming Holiday 2011. I think I speak for everyone when I say “do want”. What do you guys think?

GamerSushi Asks: Big 2010 Games That You Didn’t Play

2010 games you missed

Father Time is a cruel master, marching forward inexorably without a care for our mortal whims, such as the real and growing concern that there were too many games this year and just not enough time to play them all. True, I’m not really one to talk given how many games I’ve put away since 2010 started with Mass Effect 2, but there were some that I’ve missed. Final Fantasy XIII tops that list, followed by Gran Turismo 5 and a couple downloadable titles like Super Meat Boy and Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

True, some of the games passed me by simply because I was busy playing other ones, but every year there’s always a few that slip through my fingers regardless. Since we had such a banner year release wise, with something new to play almost every month, I was wondering if you guys had any games you missed out on. While it is true that we can always go back and play ones that we forgot, 2011 is quickly coming up and the bevy of games that are going to be available then look tasty indeed.

So what games got by you and why? Any you regret missing, or any you passed up on purpose? Go!

Call of Duty: Black Ops Outsells Everything, Ever

Black Ops

Yikes. So apparently, Call of Duty: Black Ops isn’t only a fairly good time and a fun game to play, it also cures cancer, makes sandwiches and prints out posters of Christina Hendricks. Wait, no. It doesn’t actually do all that other stuff. So why in the world are people buying it like the future of the free world depends on it?

Regardless of the reason, Call of Duty: Black Ops has sold over 14 million copies worldwide, and more than 8.4 million in the U.S. alone. That means that it has barely passed the likes of great gaming staples such as the Mass Effect and Uncharted series combined. It’s also sold more than Grand Theft Auto 3, Ocarina of Time and Metal Gear Solid. And Halo 3. So maybe that doesn’t mean it’s outsold everything, ever (the Super Mario games will probably always stay on top), but dang if this isn’t still impressive.

It’s seriously hard to wrap my head around the sheer juggernaut capabilities of the Call of Duty franchise. Every year it gains more and more steam, and it’s hard to imagine that it won’t outlive its welcome some time in the next few years. That being said, I plan on buying it soon.

Who’s still loving this game which is apparently the Chosen One of all things video game, ever?

Source – Kotaku

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Revealed for 2011

uncharted 3

In the grand Internet tradition of revealing things days in advance of when we’re supposed to find out, Sony and Naughty Dog have popped the cork on the official reveal of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception before the first legitimate trailer goes up Saturday on Spike’s Video Game Awards show.

In a post on the Official PlayStation blog, Arne Meyer, Naughty Dog’s Community Strategist, dropped some knowledge about the upcoming Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Like the previous game, globe hopping will be a main attraction but most of the plot centers around the search for a so-called “Atlantis of the Sands”. The game will pull inspiration from many sources, but Lawrence of Arabia is once that’s getting touted a lot. Players will also get to explore the relationship between Drake and his long-time partner and mentor Victor Sullivan, which is good news if you’re into some potential stubble-on-mustache action.

Also returning are the co-op and multiplayer modes that made their debut in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but this time around they’ll be a bit more robust. Single player also includes some new gameplay mechanics like being able to go toe-to-toe with multiple enemies. Naughty Dog also mentioned that Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will be available in high-definition stereoscopic 3D so you can have a little motion sickness with your platforming.

Not much else has been revealed aside from the potential release date of late 2011, but I expect that Saturday will uncover more about Drake’s third adventure. So, are you guys excited about the return of Nathan Drake? What do you want from Uncharted 3? Go!

Source and image – Official PlayStation blog

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 12: Characters and Cameras

Epic MickeyIt’s the first week of December, so we’re bringing a brand new edition of the GamerSushi Show, back in our shorter and more frequent format. If we can keep rolling with this, you should see one of these bad boys each and every week.

In this edition, we cover a whole slew of topics, including a brief look back at 2010, and a look forward at the titles we’re going to be playing in an effort to close the year out strong. We also tackle the release of Epic Mickey, one of the Wii’s new flagship titles, and discuss the game’s virtues and a couple of its shortcomings, including third person video game cameras and why it seems so hard for developers to get it right. After that we tackle a new game from Nick (which Anthony dominates) and then take a look at Game Informer’s list of 30 Characters that Defined a Decade.

So, as you can see, just because things are shorter does not mean we don’t have anything to talk about. Once again, please go rate this cast on iTunes and subscribe with the handy links to the right. Enjoy! Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 12: Characters and Cameras

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GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Sleepers of 2010?

Pac Man

Every year, there’s a bunch of games that seem to slip through our nets as gamers. As frantic as we are about our hobby, there’s absolutely no way we can manage to grab or buy everything so that we can get a full sample of the year for review. I know that in my life, I pretty much have to narrow down my buys to a handful of games and really cut it off there, for fear of an angry wife or an empty checkbook.

Because of this whole “not enough money and time” thing that reality constantly slams us with, occasionally a few great games slip by the wayside. On top of that, sometimes the gaming media at large doesn’t always properly cover everything in a way that highlights some of the greats. They tend to focus on the Halo: Reach’s, the Valve games, the Call of Duty’s out there while ignoring some of the other sleepers.

For instance, I keep hearing things about the following games: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Vanquish, Enslaved, Super Meat Boy, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent for PC, but haven’t been able to see or play any of these games as of yet. I think that needs to change.

So what do you guys think? Do you have a favorite sleeper hit of 2010 so far? Is there a game that you’ve been loving lately (or even earlier) that doesn’t always seem to get a lot of buzz? Share!

Little Big Planet Fan Gets his Dream Job

Little Big PlanetI’ve got to be honest. Every time I hear awesome stories about people that are fans of games getting to work at those studios, I go through a range of emotions. On the one hand I’m insanely jealous and maybe a tad annoyed (SFF fans should understand), but more often than not, I’m just happy that one person gets to live out a really awesome story. Because I’m a human, I love these tales.

Take John Beech, who also goes by “johnee” on PSN. A construction worker by trade, John also happened to be an advent map and level creator for Media Molecule’s Little Big Planet, the sprawling sandbox game that allows players to do virtually whatever they can think of. CVG has posted a cool look at Beech’s story, which goes from his time designing maps with a blanket over his head and the TV (so he wouldn’t wake his sleeping girlfriend) to his near-death experience on a construction site, and how it lead to him asking MM for a job… and then getting it. Beech now works as a designer on Little Big Planet 2, and it sounds like he’s totally living the dream.

The whole story is really kind of touching. The craziest part of the whole thing to me is that Beech didn’t have any other work experience except construction, and didn’t even have a resume with him when he visited Media Molecule. A brief excerpt of the encounter:

I didn’t even have a CV, and I hadn’t done anything except be a builder my whole life, which they thought was hilarious. Then I loaded up my PlayStation and started showing them one of the things I had done.

Two minutes in Kareem, the art director, told me to stop and said, ‘Hold on a second.’ He went and he brought half the company back in and then said, ‘Okay John, you can carry on now.'”

Anyway, I highly suggest reading it for the “warm fuzzies” factor. Do you guys have a talent that you’d love to turn into a video game job? Personally, I’d love to write stories for someone like Bioware.

Source – CVG

Crytek: Consoles Hold Back PC Gaming

Crytek Crysis

Fire in the hole!

For a company that hasn’t exactly made the best-shooter-ever-in-history, it seems that Crytek sure has a lot to say about the game industry these days. Earlier this year, they were waxing philosophical about Uncharted 2 and a few others. Now, the CEO, Cervat Yerli, is taking a few shots at consoles in general, essentially saying that the console market is keeping PC gaming from being all that it can be.

Here’s Yerli’s stance on the matter:

As long as the current console generation exists and as long as we keep pushing the PC as well, the more difficult it will be to really get the benefit of both… PC is easily a generation ahead right now. With 360 and PS3, we believe the quality of the games beyond Crysis 2 and other CryEngine developments will be pretty much limited to what their creative expressions is, what the content is. You won’t be able to squeeze more juice from these rocks…

Until the PC market creates comparable revenues, companies are not going to spend enough on the PC SKU of a game.

Honestly, it seems strange to me to blame consoles for being wildly successful compared to PC endeavors. To me, that puts the onus back on PC developers to up the game in a major way. So what do you guys think? Agree/disagree? Is the console generation holding back PC gaming? And if it is, does it even matter until the PC market can show competitive sales?

Source – PCGamer

Mythbusting Call of Duty: Black Ops

In the past, we’ve seen a series of Mythbusters videos for popular online shooters Modern Warfare 2 and even Halo 3. Thus, it was only natural that Defend The House continued their popular series of multiplayer Mythbusters with a brand-spanking-new entry for Call of Duty: Black Ops.

This edition of the informative yet hilarious videos tackles a few key questions, such as whether or not care package helicopters can be shot down, or how to shoot down Valkyrie missiles. The most important issue it tackles, though, is this: can a man dive over a rocket? Really, it’s a question that needs answering, not just in Black Ops, but every day life. Lord knows it’s kept me up at night.

Have you run into any of these issues in your own online escapades? In general, how do you guys feel about Black Ops multiplayer so far?