Sony took some heat for removing backward compatibility from the PlayStation 3 so early in its lifetime, but the elimination of such functionality has opened the door for re-releases of classic PS2 games like the God of War franchise. We already chatted with John Hight, Director of Product Development for Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, at Santa Monica Studio about what to expect from the Collection, so let's see what we think after a week's worth of playtime with Kratos and the final version.
In the God of War Collection, both God of War I and II have received major face-lifts and performance upgrades that are immediately apparent the moment you begin playing. The game's 60 frames-per-second gameplay is incredibly smooth, so much so that it's actually jarring when a cut scene of lesser quality leads into the action.
The games graphics have also been adjusted to fit HD resolution displays and, as a result, look fantastic even by today's standards. Some textures have been bumped up as well, though they may be less apparent.
Like Hight said, there is absolutely no difference in gameplay between the classic PS2 versions and the Collection. If you've played the original titles, there isn't anything new to discover here. We think the first two PS2 titles are perfect as is and we're glad their experiences were kept intact.
So is it worth it for veterans of the God of War franchise who've mastered the previous two games to buy God of War Collection? It's tough to recommend purchasing a rehash of a game to anyone who has played through the original. Sure it's nice that both games--and some additional video footage--are packed into one Blu-ray Disc and priced right at $40, but there are sure to be some PS3 owners who will resent the fact that they are essentially "buying" backward compatibility.
That said, die-hard fans of the series may find value in the technical upgrades and new PlayStation Network trophy support. Also, if you can't wait until March 2010 for God of War III, the Collection includes a voucher that will let you play through the entire E3 2009 demo--which, as it turns out, is one of the best sneak peeks we've ever played.
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Episode 58 of the Digital City, where we wrangle with the legal arguments over Apple vs. Psystar; show off the latest super-fancy laptop to hit our desks, the $2,000 HP Envy 15; and find the world's best laptop backpack in the Booq Boa.
Both Modern Warfare 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii get some praise, while PSP Go sales seem to hit a wall; and we compare the original God of War games to the new polished-up versions in the God of War collection for PS3.
Related links:
>>Booq Boa Squeeze review
>>Spend some time with New Super Mario Bros. Wii
>>Modern Warfare 2 arrives
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Digital City Podcast 57: Hands on with PS3 Netflix; luxury laptops; and Modern Warfare 2 drops early
This week on the Digital City, Joey tests the new Netflix/PS3 BD Live disc, with mixed results; we talk about all the cool new luxury laptops you'll never buy, including Sony's Vaio X, Dell's Adamo XPS, and HP's Envy.
We also show off Nokia's new Booklet 3G Netbook, and debate the relative merits of games sequels, from Bioshock 2 to God of War 3. We also note how everyone in New York seems to have gotten their hands on a copy of Modern Warfare 2 early, giving the holiday season's biggest game an unusually sloppy launch.
Related links:
>>Hands on with Nokia's Booklet 3G
>>Say goodbye to sleep: Modern Warfare 2 arrives
>>Hands on with the new Dell Adamo XPS
>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
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>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter; and Scott!
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Russ with Hova--no big deal.
(Credit: Russ Frushtick)Russ Frushtick from MTV's Multiplayer blog joins us on today's episode of The 404 Podcast to give us the rundown of this month's upcoming video game releases, but first we have to give a quick head nod to the Yankees for winning the World Series and, of course, Matsui for coming through with the MVP of the series.
Also, were you as annoyed with the lame tech commercials during the game as we were? Between James Cameron's upcoming flop "Avatar" that looks like a 2-hour video game cut scene, the new Droid phone ripping Apple apart, and the rather malicious new Mac ads practically lying about past versions of Windows, we could barely watch the game!
Next, we run down a list of near-extinct tech that just won't seem to go away. The list includes items like the landline telephone, Twitter, vinyl, fax machines, Windows XP, and Sonic the Hedgehog, and although we agree with most of them, how are people supposed to send sandwiches to loved ones without a fax machine?
By far, the highlight of today's episode comes toward the tail end of the show during our classic Calls From the Public segment, where Jeff is the reluctant receiver of a huge spoiler to his current read, Lois Lowry's "The Giver." If you're planning on reading the book for the first time, you might want to click the mute button for the remainder of the episode, or risk suffering a similar fate. On the other hand, the look on Jeff's face when things get spoiled is too hilarious to miss.
EPISODE 461
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... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
With God of War III coming in March 2010, Sony and Santa Monica Studios are set to release both original God of War games on a single Blu-ray disc for the PlayStation 3 this month. Packed with a high-definition upgrade and smooth 60-frames-per-second performance, the God of War Collection will also include a voucher for the E3 2009 God of War III demo.
We spoke with John Hight, Director of Product Development for Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, at Santa Monica Studio to find out what else we can expect from the game.
JB: Why should someone who maybe has played both original God of War titles for the PS2 want to pick up the Collection?
JH: For the same reason you watch a favorite movie or listen to a favorite song. These are epic, well-crafted games that stand the test of time. Seeing these moments in HD makes the memory that much more real.
JB: What advantages does Blu-ray provide?
JH: With Blu-ray, we were able to place both games and the bonus video content on a single disc.
JB: Is there any new content in these games?
JH: We've added PlayStation Network Trophy support so you can compare progress with your friends and see how you measure up to Kratos' high standards for combat and exploration.
JB: Are there any other technical improvements we'll see in the Collection besides anti-aliasing and 60fps?
JH: We "up-rezzed" some of the textures and the user interface to match the higher resolution of the models and environments.
JB: The original God of War games were praised for their great control and gameplay mechanics. Was it difficult to preserve that experience during the revamping of the games?
JH: You'll find these games faithful to the originals in every respect. The extra horsepower of the PS3 allowed us to keep both games at a consistent 60fps. Most people may not notice, but it improves the responsiveness.
JB: And a follow-up to the above: was there anything being considered for the Collection that was taken out because it compromised the feeling of the original games?
JH: We had a few requests to go in and tweak the difficulty of some areas but decided against changing things--why mess with success?
God of War Collection is set for release on November 17. Check back then for our final thoughts on the game!
On Sale Now: $36.99 - $44.99
View the latest prices for God of War Collection (PlayStation 3)
Sony, please make this your next PS3 re-release.
Sony's announcement this week of a PS3 edition of the first two PS2 God of War games, called God of War Collection, was exciting--unless you already own both games.
With 720p HD support added in, however, it raises a serious question: will backward-compatibility be a relic of video game days gone by? With the PS3 no longer able to play PS2 games, fans will be ever more reliant on re-releases and virtual console titles to resell them the greatest hits of the last generation.
As long as the old re-releases are lovingly upscaled to HD and given some extra bells and whistles, however, we could be a little more forgiving. There are plenty of other memorable franchises from the PS2 glory years that Sony would be wise to re-release and package with HD-compatible upgrades. Here's our short list. And we'll give you a hint: one of them involves giant rock formations.
Any we left off?
After going off on a rant in the preshow, we settle down for a hilarious episode, inspired by the near-extinct Snow Leopard. Jeff opens it up with a complete horror story about his experience trying to buy the new Mac OS upgrade from a local big box retailer. We won't name names, but clearly this company is hiring all kind of unqualified employees, and Jeff's had about enough.
Everyone's favorite cell phone for the elderly, the Jitterbug, is now available on Verizon Wireless for senior citizens who want to switch over to nationwide coverage. Well, we certainly can't talk about such a story without busting out a few impressions, so this time around we try to combo them up...look out for Verbose Space Beer Old Vampire!
In other news, the God of War collection is coming to Blu-ray for PS3, but what seems like a great two-for-one deal is actually a slice of the larger PS3 ripoff: since the console doesn't support older games, owners of the new PS3 Slim are forced to pay for the new package if they want to play this series, instead of just popping in an old disc like you could with previous PlayStations. It's true that the HD upgrade adds a lot of value to this offering, but it still seems like a shady deal.
What do you think? Leave us a voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET and let us know your thoughts on the PS3 Slim or tell us about the worst job you've ever worked. We want to hear your horror stories!
EPISODE 417
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... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
The PS3 Slim may not have backwards compatibility, but owners of the newest Sony console can get a taste of what it feels like when the God of War Collection releases this holiday season.
The collection will include both original PlayStation 2 God of War and God of War II games on one Blu-ray disc. Also, each title has been completely revamped with antialiasing graphics (less jagged edges), 60-frames-per-second performance, and a 1280x720 resolution (720p). The disc will also enable trophy support for both games.
The God of War Collection is set to launch this holiday season for $40. God of War III is still on schedule for a March 2010 release.
As Sony starts to make a push for the holiday season with a new bundle and rumors of slimmer hardware, we all know that exclusive software remains as the biggest selling point for any console.
We recently showcased a handful of Xbox 360 titles that will be available only on that console. Now it's time to take a look at what the PlayStation 3 has to offer in the coming months.
PlayStation 3 owners already enjoy franchises like Resistance and Ratchet and Clank, but will finally get a taste of some series that have yet to debut on the PS3.
There are also a few titles we left out just because information on them is still very scarce. While we're excited for exclusive titles like The Last Guardian, we're not sure of a release date.
Click through to see our slideshow of exclusive titles for the PlayStation 3. Be sure to check out our Xbox 360 feature and stay tuned for our look at exclusive titles for the Nintendo Wii.
Oh the irony...
(Credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET)Although we have to wait until next week's show to hear of Dan's possible escapades with McLovin' and company, along with his (enviable) hands-on experiences, at this year's E3 event in Los Angeles, that doesn't stop us from giving our take on what went down.
Note to Dan: We expect some video footage of actual gameplay, NOT a 15-page slide show...we kid, but, no, really.
Oddly enough, we were all physically suffering from one thing or another before the taping of the show--Joe with his sinuses, Julie with the constant eye twitch, and Scott with...whatever--but we mustered enough strength to push forward 'cause that's how we roll. Based on what we saw of E3, we discuss who won the motion sensor/controller wars, the PSP Go, and which games we were excited to get our hands on in the future.
We also talk about what could, or should, be expected at this week's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Obviously, the iPhone OS 3.0 should be shown off, but what about the new iPhone? We predict what the rumored new iPhone--or what Joe calls the "iDevice"--will have, and what it needs to take back the hype from the Palm Pre.
In the midst of all the serious and informative discussion though, we find ourselves victim to double entendres and innuendos. Also, Julie strikes several poses in front of the404 banner in the podcast room, but you'll (obviously) only catch it on the video version of the show. It's all in fun.
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