[acemanwise]

PS3: The First Console to Offer Amazon Instant Video
source:blog.us.playstation.com

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Hi again, PlayStation community. I’m here to bring some good news today: Amazon Instant Video is available now on PlayStation Network, making the PS3 the first and only video game console to offer the service! Head on over to the TV/Video Services category of the XMB, where you can download and install the new Amazon Instant Video app right now for free. Once you launch the app, you’ll have instant access to thousands of streaming and downloadable movies and TV shows for rental or purchase. There are more than 120,000 commercial-free movies and TV shows for rental or purchase, including new releases, classic favorites, major TV shows, full seasons and even new episodes of some of your favorite TV shows the day after they air. Many of the DVD and Blu-Ray titles on Amazon.com are also offered on Amazon Instant Video available through this new app.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member (I am!), you’ll also be able to watch as many of the more than 17,000 Prime Instant Videos as you can handle, at no additional cost. If you’re not yet an Amazon Prime member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial right there within the app or just sign up—it’s $79 per year and totally worth it.

Our own Jeff Rubenstein got an early look at the app, and he can walk you through it here:

http://blog.us.plays...-instant-video/

[acemanwise]

AvPGalaxy Interviews Gearbox Software
source:avpgalaxy.net

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Some time ago you may remember us asking the community to submit their questions for a community Q&A with Gearbox Software about the upcoming title Aliens: Colonial Marines. We did a selection of the best and most commonly asked questions and today we have received the answers. Unfortunately, mainly due to time and resources constraints, just a few of the questions that were submitted have been answered. Click here to read the interview in full.
“One of the major goals we had in mind when we first started talking about Aliens: Colonial Marines was to offer a deeper insight into the mythology of the Aliens universe and answer some of the unresolved questions there. That’s something we’re very excited about, and a lot of that stems from discussions the team had with Ridley Scott. As I’m sure you can imagine, we’re also very excited about the possibility of Prometheus offering additional insight and answers as well. “

A very special thanks to Sega and Gearbox for answering our questions as well as the community for getting involved.

http://www.avpgalaxy...arbox-software/

[acemanwise]

Top 10 games that will blow us away visually in 2012
source:vgarabia.com

2. Max Payne 3:

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Max Payne is back and he never looked so good. From what I have seen so far from the trailers, Max Payne 3 is shaping up to be a stunning looking game. The animation is top notch, the visuals are slick and bullet time looks better than ever.

3. Bioshock Infinite:

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The first Bioshock game is powered by Unreal Engine 2.5, but Irrational games heavily modified the engine at that time to accomplish the vision set by them. Bioshock Infinite will run on the latest version of Unreal Engine 3, but the developers at Irrational games have made many tweaks to the Epic's middle-ware engine to make their game stand out from the rest of games powered by Unreal Engine 3.



Irrational games technology director Chris Kline said, "All major FPS engines (CryEngine 3, UE3, id Tech 5) are designed and optimized for static environments that the player moves through, which is a reasonable choice because, even if there are trees moving in the wind, the ground under the player's feet isn't going anywhere. Unfortunately for our tech team (but good for you) everything in Columbia is capable of moving.The very ground beneath your feet could fall out of the sky at any moment, which makes for some awesome gameplay and visuals but required us to create a completely new technology that we're calling "Floating Worlds."


Bioshock Infinite will be one of the few examples where we see great marriage of art direction and technical prowess.

4. Assassin's Creed 3:

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The Assassin's Creed franchise is one of my favorites and I always find myself immersed while playing the games. Assassin's Creed 3 will be running on an upgraded version of the Anvil engine, titled 'AnvilNext'. The new engine will allow the dev team to include over 2,000 characters on-screen at any one time, implement a dynamic weather system and completely overhaul the animation system. Just look at the screen above, I really can't wait for the game.

5. The Last of Us:

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The Uncharted games are known for their impressive visuals and if Naughty Dog previous works are an indication for what we can expect from their upcoming game The Last of Us, it's pretty much confirmed that it will be one of the best looking games of this generation.

http://www.vgarabia....sually-in-2012-

[coastie65]

I have seen some game play vids of this as well as a lot of screen shots. It is definitely on my list as I have thoroughly enjoyed the Uncharted series.

[acemanwise]

The Legend of Dragoon Coming to PSN: RPG Classic Reborn May 1st
source:blog.us.playstation.com

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The Legend of Dragoon was one of the last projects I worked on as a producer in Japan Studio and by far the biggest team I managed hands-on. We started the project in 1996 with only a handful of people, hired one by one as we were building up teams for Ape Escape, The Legend of Dragoon, and Ico simultaneously. During the peak of the game’s development, we had well over 100 people working internally in the studio on The Legend of Dragoon — for a PSone game! We had roughly 10 artists dedicated just to drawing concept art for this gigantic RPG. As the game contained lots of pre-rendered maps and full-motion videos, we were forced to spread the content over four CDs, which was the maximum number of discs that the fattest PSone game case could hold.

It took nearly three years to build the team and develop the game, which was released in December 1999 in Japan and June 2000 in the US. As I moved from Japan to the US in March 2000, I was able to personally handle the game’s release in both Japan and the US. Following the game’s launch in Japan, we learned from players that certain parts of the game were too difficult. The team re-balanced the gameplay for the release outside of Japan, so the US version was the complete version of the game that we were all proud of.

http://blog.us.plays...reborn-may-1st/

[acemanwise]

Dust 514 Cinematic Trailer And New Screenshots
source:playstationer.net

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Well don't we have some juicy content for you Dust 514 fans? Dive in to check out the new Dust 514 cinematic trailer.

And not only do we have the trailer but we also have some brand spanking new screenshots straight from EVE Fanfest.

Pics.... http://playstationer...ew-screenshots/

[acemanwise]

We build a PS4! What can the rumoured specs do?
source:officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk

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f the rumours are to be believed, the PS4 (or Orbis) is reportedly going to ditch Sony’s trend for custom hardware – the PS2′s Emotion Engine or PS3′s Cell processor, for example – and be powered by off the shelf PC parts.

The alleged specs are an AMD A8 3850 processor and AMD Radeon HD 7670 graphics card. If those specs really are true, it’s a big shock. The HD 7670 is actually identical to the year-old HD 6670, a mid-range PC graphics card from AMD that can be picked up for under £100.

The AMD A8 3850 processor belongs to AMD’s ‘Llano’ range, designed to handle both the usual CPU tasks and deal with graphics – it’s aimed at those who want to save the pennies and go without a graphics card.

As you’d expect then, it’s priced low – available at a pinch over £100, and it’s raw operating speeds aren’t that impressive. It runs at 2.9 GHz across four cores – for reference, the PS3′s six-year-old processor runs at 3.2 GHz across essentially four of its availible 6 cores.

The Llano processors are good at what they do – offer a cheap ‘all in one’ graphics and CPU solution to those on a budget, but when we’re talking about the next generation of consoles it seems odd for a chip like the A8 3850 to be in the picture at all.

http://www.officialp...oured-specs-do/

This post has been edited by acemanwise: 16 April 2012 - 06:31 PM

[acemanwise]

Top 10 Games for the Playstation 3 After 5 Years
source:gamingenthusiast.com

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As the PS3 nerd-in-residence, I’ve been asked to compile a list of my favourite games for the console. This list doesn’t include any first-person shooters, so if you like those, you’re out of luck. Nor does it have Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed or Bioshock. I’ve even taken a pretty huge risk and included a trio of HD remakes, something I am almost certain is illegal on a gaming website. Nevertheless, in the words of Adam Sandler, I have the microphone so you will listen to EVERY **** WORD I HAVE TO SAY.

10 – Batman: Arkham Asylum

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Let the derision begin. Yes, I know the sequel is better, no, the sequel isn’t on the list, and, yes, I had a Batman duvet cover when I was younger. Batman rules. I had a Batman cake at my fifth birthday party. When I was a kid the only thing I wanted to be when I grew up was Batman, and this is the first game that made that possible without making Batman a wimpy little nancy-boy. He had a deep voice, his suit didn’t have nipples (if it did, I mentally blocked them out), and he had stubble for God’s sake. He was, for the first time ever, BatMAN. And it ruled.

The combat system was solid, it had stealth and upgrades and slow-motion and managed to cram in some of the greatest DC characters of all time. I don’t have to justify myself to anyone so let’s move on.

Best moment: That perfect second when you dive down on the very last henchman in any stealth room and no longer have to sneak around. You’re Batman, for crying out loud. Show some dignity.

9 – Grand Theft Auto IV

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This game had a lot to live up to. Coming from the finest gaming pedigree on the previous generations, the GTA series was already the most critically acclaimed of all time. As the first instalment on the next-gen consoles, GTA IV had some pretty enormous shoes to fill, and for the most part it delivered. The story is pretty darn impressive, though it has to be said not as long or mind-blowing as that of GTA: San Andreas. In saying that, it’s very bit as aggressive, violent and bloody as you would want from this series.

Best moment: Getting all the pigeons. Just kidding.

8 – Fallout 3

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Coming from one of the best studios in the world, this won’t be the only Bethesda title on the list (surprise, surprise). I know I said I wouldn’t include a first-person shooter but come on, this is hardly the same thing. Fallout 3 managed to be the best of both worlds, combining first-person shooting action with RPG levelling and tactics. Like other Bethesda games, Fallout 3 also relies on choice and exploration – if you’re willing to put some serious hours into a game, this is one to try.

Best moment: It’s hard to pick one; the best thing about Fallout is that you don’t actually feel like the most important guy in the world for the most part. But if you’ve played the game, you won’t forget the Tranquility Lane side-quest.

7 – Final Fantasy XIII

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As mentioned above, I’m an RPG fan. It feels wrong to make any top ten list without including a Final Fantasy title; let’s be honest, most best game lists end with “and then Final Fantasy VII came and RUINED IT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE”. Ever since the release of XIII-2, everyone seems to be hating on the original. In fact, I sort of loved it, and I got addicted. Is it as good as VII, or X? Perhaps not, but it’s still pretty breath-taking visually, has some epic fight scenes and as ever tells a pretty good story. And until they release FFX in HD (not like I’m holding my breath, or anything. Take your time Square, whatever, not even a big deal) this is going to have to be my Final Fantasy entry for the PS3.

Best moment: When Sazh shoots himself! Or does he? No. Still. Sweet fake-out.

http://www.gamingent...-after-5-years/

[acemanwise]

Tomb Raider preview
source:beefjack.com

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Preview: Crystal Dynamics’ action-adventure torch-bearer was in danger of flickering out, but after a well-received spin-off saved the day, TOMB RAIDER provides the much-needed reboot…

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More of a rebirth than a reboot, Tomb Raider tells the gritty origin story of a teenage Lara Croft, marooned on an island following a shipwreck. Straight out of university, this young Lara bears little resemblance to the heroine we are familiar with, whose built-in floatation aids could have… no I’m not going there. I promised myself I wouldn’t.

Each subsequent instalment since Ms Croft’s 1996 debut has seen the Tomb Raider franchise deliver such tiny, incremental differences (she could crawl in 2, balance in 3, spin plates in 4) that you could be forgiven for thinking that the old girl was running out of steam – until a spin-off, in 2010’s well-received Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, slammed on the brakes.

Fixed overhead viewpoint? Arcade style controls? Co-op? With the Guardian of Light, Crystal Dynamics proved that the brand could flourish outside of its comfort zone, and that following almost 15 years of diminishing returns, Tomb Raider was capable of surprising us again. Don’t expect Croft Kart any time soon, but do expect great things from this upcoming reboot.

http://beefjack.com/...x-360-ps3-pc-2/

[acemanwise]

Leaked God of War Ascension Trailer

This post has been edited by acemanwise: 18 April 2012 - 08:35 PM

[acemanwise]

The 11 Playstation Exclusives To Look Forward To In The Next 3 Months
source:trendygamers.com

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It’s no secret that Sony does a great job of releasing exclusive games for their systems. Within the next three months, we’ll be seeing a total of 11 exclusives launched across the Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, and Playstation Portable. So, here are all of the games Playstation owners can look forward to:

Mortal Kombat (PSV) – May 1st

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While it may not be an exclusive per se, Mortal Kombat on the Vita features everything seen in the recent Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition, as well as a few extra characters and costumes, the big addition is the touch screen use. Instead of having to hit buttons to perform fatalities, simply run your finger along the touch screen and you’ll pull off crazy finishing moves. Vita owners looking for yet another fighting game should definitely pick this one up.

Starhawk (PS3) – May 8th

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Kicking off the Playstation 3 exclusives in the next few months is the third person shooter, Starhawk. If the beta is anything to go by, the game will be an intense experience that will have gamers coming back to for months, if not years.

Sorcery (PS3) – May 22nd

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It may seem weird to call Sorcery the Playstation Move killer app so long after the peripheral launched, but it is. Ever since the game was shown off at E3 for the first time, it played fluidly, looked great, and just seemed like an absolute blast to play. We’ll be able to get our hands on the game in just over a month and I simply cannot wait.

Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (PS3) – May 22nd

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Although quite popular in Japan, the Atelier series didn’t make the leap to North American gamers until the Playstation 2 with the Atelier Iris games. With The Apprentice of Arland, fans of the series can expect even more item creation and synthesis when NIS America releases the game on May 22nd.

http://trendygamers....rningSkies1.png

Resistance: Burning Skies (PSV) – May 29th

Taking control of Tom Riley, players will once again enter the Resistance universe and battle the Chimera. Featuring the same gameplay seen in the console versions and a very in-depth multiplayer mode, Resistance: Burning Skies will easily become one of the best Playstation Vita games.



Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection (PSN) – June

Combining the two Wii games, Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles, this PSN release features move support, full HD graphics, and trophy support. As long as the price of the collection isn’t too high at launch, this could end up being a must-have for Playstation Move owners.



http://trendygamers....sives-3-months/

This post has been edited by acemanwise: 19 April 2012 - 03:35 PM

[acemanwise]

Playstation 3D Display Discounted by $200
source:stickskill.com

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Late last year, Sony released their Playstation 3D display package right in time for the holiday. If you’re a fan of 3D gaming and weren’t able to snag it during the last holiday, then you’re in for a great deal today.

Amazon is discounting the Playstation 3D display by $200 which drops the price to $299. Within the package, you’re receiving the 24-inch 3D display, Motorstorm Apocalypse, 3D glasses, and an HDMI cable.

One of the coolest features of the unit was for two players to play while seeing a full-screen. The unit allows gamers with the glasses to still view the entire screen, rather than the traditional split-screen, but only see their respective “view”. For fans of couch gaming, it’s a must have feature.

What do you think of the Playstation 3D display? What are some of your favorite games to use with the unit? Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, or discuss the Playstation 3D display in our forums.

http://stickskills.c...counted-by-200/

[acemanwise]

Amazon Slashes PS3 Price to $199, Matches GameStop
source:playstationlifestyle.net

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Update: Unfortunately, the $199 price was just too irresistible, and Amazon’s stock has already run out, with orders now from Tromo Electronics at $264.00. You can still get it for $199 at GameStop though.

Original Story: If you still haven’t picked up a PS3, it’s time to join the family, as Amazon has cut the price of the PS3 to $199, a whole $50 off the usual price.

After GameStop cut their PS3′s to the magic price of $199, Amazon have followed their lead. This close to E3, it’s easy to speculate that this is a sign of a price cut at the show, although it could just be Amazon and GameStop having a little price war. Whatever the reason, the console is now cheaper than ever, while stocks last. With a healthy backlog, games like GOW: Ascension and The Last of Us on the horizon, and the next gen still probably a few years off, we can’t recommend the console enough.

http://playstationli...tches-gamestop/

[acemanwise]

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Name is Real, Site Owned by Sony [Update]
source:playstationlifestyle.net

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Remember when we exclusively posted that the rumored Sony Super Smash Bros. game could be called PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale? Well now we can again be the first to find proof of the existence of the game and the name.

Ahead of the reveal of a “huge new PS3 exclusive” next Thursday, Sony has registered the web address http://playstational...ttleroyale.com/, which, when you check the Who is shows:

Registrant:
Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
919 E Hillsdale Blvd
Foster City, CA 94404
US

Domain Name: PLAYSTATIONALLSTARSBATTLEROYALE.COM

Of course, the original survey we received as a tip showed that Sony wasn’t all too certain about the name as they were asking what people thought about it, so it’s still possible PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale might come out under a different name. But the fact that Sony registered the domain (while not registering a domain for Title Fight) not only means that the PASBR name is very likely, but is the first real strong evidence of the game’s existence since the rumor surfaced last year.

Update:

We’ve also spotted that Sony has registered the shorter url of http://playstationallstars.com/.

Be sure to stay tuned to PSLS for more coverage of the SuperBot Entertainment-developed game leading up to its possible reveal this Thursday.

http://playstationli...-owned-by-sony/

[acemanwise]

Hardcore Fan Edits 3 Uncharted Games Into Movies
source:gameranx.com

A fan has put together all the cutscenes in the Uncharted games to turn them into full length feature films.

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The Uncharted games are well known for their cinematic action, which comes to players in both their gameplay as well as cutscenes. The games have been described as controlling a movie.

As personal favorites of redditor morphinapg, he decided to splice all three of the games into full length feature films. Each of which runs from a hundred to two hundred minutes.

With these projects I was trying to make movies that would be viewable whether or not you had played the game, or even care about playing video games, so I wanted to make them as close to a real movie as possible. This meant taking out as many chapter titles, button prompts, and more to make it seem less like a video game. There were certain aspects I wasn't able to remove, such as the current weapon selected, or an occasional button prompt.

I tried to focus mostly on the cinematics, but also include the minimum amount of gameplay to link them, especially focusing on the more cinematic elements of gameplay. I wanted to make sure not to cut any cutscenes or any gameplay that would leave the viewer confused if they hadn't played the game, so in the end Uncharted 2 and 3 were quite long, but that's just because the stories are much more complicated than Uncharted 1's. Either way it's still a lot shorter than playing the real game, so if you are ever in the mood to watch the story of one of these games in one sitting, but don't have the time to play the entire game through, then these are great for that purpose, or if you want to show these games' stories to friends or family that don't care about playing video games.

http://www.gameranx....es-into-movies/

[acemanwise]

[acemanwise]

[acemanwise]

GameStop: Playstation 3 with Mortal Kombat or Batman Arkham City (199.99)



http://www.gamestop....n/gamestop-sale

[acemanwise]

God of War: Ascension multiplayer preview - Surprise! Four on four competitive God of War battles
source:gamesradar.com

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The beginning of the God of War: Ascension gameplay we saw last week was a joke – literally. A trick. It began with a Kratos-looking soldier in the typical God of War opening pose, staring at the player, full of rage. When the camera pulled back he was decidedly not Kratos, at least not how we've ever seen him before. He put on a helmet, turned around, and began battling a Cyclops. A few seconds later another soldier, donning the same armor and red body paint, joined the battle, hacking and slashing apart the raging beast.

Soon, the first fighter threw a chain into the chest of the monster, pulling its balance to the side, while the second jumped onto his back. Once there, he pulled the Cyclops back, revealing his ripe, squishy belly for the disemboweling. And disemboweled he was. A blade ripped through his stomach and his organs spilled out, splashing on the floor in bloody detail. At this point the developers pointed out that the second character was, indeed, a second player. He hopped up and down to prove it, but we weren’t seeing co-op.

No, we were seeing four on four multiplayer (something we referenced in our article listing the things we wanted to see from the next God of War), a new feature in God of War: Ascension. The two players dove into the arena and joined two others in a large, open area filled with multiple levels to fight through. Red-painted Spartan combatants crossed blades (or hammers) with blue-painted Greeks, fighting in battles that… well, looked exactly like typical God of War battles. Except with other people.

Shadowing the battlefield was a cyclopean Titan, chained down and thrashing with all of his might. The objective of this multiplayer arena, we were told, was to capture a specific point on the map before the enemy team does, an act that tightens the Titan’s chains and slams him into the world.

http://www.gamesrada...player-preview/