There's no denying that the online multiplayer experience is a major selling point for video games like the just-released Modern Warfare 2. The ability to play with (and against) other players from around the world adds an expanded dimension and a social component that single-player titles lack.
But while the bulk of the mainstream media criticism of these games tends to focus on the violence, gore, and questionable ethics in such combat-centric titles, little is spoken about a growing issue that can affect online gamers playing any title: instances of racism, misogyny, and homophobia (see below for a Current TV video on the latter subject).
Increasingly sophisticated gaming networks such as Microsoft's Xbox Live and Sony's PlayStation Network allow players to communicate with one another before, during, and after gaming sessions via text and voice. Having participated in online gaming for more than a decade, I've heard every last profane muttering and expletive known to man.
But when my attention to online gaming shifted from the PC to the home console, I began to notice a comparatively more hostile environment. For whatever reason, this hostility usually came in the form of racial insensitivity and homophobic behavior.
Fast-forward to the current generation of games, and hearing racial epithets like the "n word" or homophobic slang like the "f word" shouted online is more commonplace than you might want to believe. Meanwhile, women who play in the male-dominated world of online gaming sometimes find themselves the victims of sexually suggestive comments and gender-based taunting.
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Nexus404)
While this type of behavior and language is actively discouraged in polite society, that mindset is totally disregarded by some in the online gaming world. Odds are that if you play enough online, you'll experience it firsthand.
A quick survey in the CNET office of gamers who play online using voicechat told us that all had had at least one negative experience. And unfortunately, it only takes a single unpleasant match online to really slam you back down to reality.
Perhaps the cloak of anonymity that playing a video game online provides increases the prevalence of these instances. Or maybe the brutal reality is that social issues like racism are more of a problem than we'd like to admit. The fact remains that there are some seriously deranged and troubled people out there, and they are speaking into my headset.
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Amazon)
Sony announced Wednesday that Amazon will be the first online retailer to sell codes for games and add-ons available in the PlayStation Store. In addition to buying a voucher in-store or downloading directly from the PlayStation Store, PlayStation 3, PSP, and PSP Go owners can now shop online at the world's largest online retailer as well.
Having a digital store has seemed to work for Microsoft and the Xbox Marketplace as users can also use the site to read customer reviews and browse through rankings. Sony has recently increased the number of original PSP games available in the PlayStation Network store, though it doesn't seem all of the newest titles are available yet on Amazon.
Check out the PlayStation Network Amazon store.
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Sony)
There may not be many hardware changes inside the PS3 Slim, but each new console will ship with the PlayStation 3 3.00 firmware update. Here's what you can expect:
There are a few minor cosmetic changes to the interface and XMB (cross-media bar). Most noteworthy is a new tab under the PlayStation Network icon called "What's New." It will highlight new featured downloadable content, news, etc., and will also be the first thing you see when powering on your PS3.
Firmware 3.00 will also introduce new dynamic theme support. These are much more involved than previous PS3 themes, with fully animated backgrounds and even the ability to change themes as the day goes on.
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Sony)
A status box in the upper right corner will give you a heads-up display of how many friends are online and your current message count. Below it, a ticker shows Sony news and information.
Fans of avatars are in good shape, with 3.00 introducing a brand new batch of selectable icons. There will also be "premium" avatars available for purchase in the PlayStation Store. Lastly, trophy support will now be distinguishable between base and add-ons so you can compare your progress among the two.
Sony plans to release firmware 3.00 soon and it will be available on every hardware version of the PlayStation 3.
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PlayStation)
In a brief interview with MTV Multiplayer late last week, Sony's Director of Hardware Marketing John Koller says that Sony plans to expand its digital catalog to include non-PlayStation console titles as well as back-catalog games from the PlayStation One console.
"PSOne is included, but everything is on the table. We look for some of those big hits from all of the past games in their history and look for ways we can bring them over," John Koller says. "It's not always easy. There are obviously technical areas that need to be bridged. But when those are solved, consumers will see a wide variety of retro games and brand new games coming to the PlayStation Network.
In an effort to further improve the offering of digital games available to PSP users through the PlayStation Network, the company is preparing more portable versions of PS3 downloadable titles including Flow and the upcoming PixelJunk Monsters, in addition to producing more internally developed download-only titles and to eventually match the largely available titles to the Japanese market.
As multiconsole service appetites grow--such as with Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console and evidenced by already hacked PSPs out there--Sony is also reaching out to other publishers for their back catalogs, showing an interest to expand to non-PlayStation platforms.
Sony's drive to digital content is backed up by the sense that this is what consumers want. "We know that 50 percent of our base is interested in downloadable games for pay, not for free, from the network," Koller said. "That's something that needs to be acted on."
I'd opt for free, but I hang out with the wrong crowd. I'm grimy like that.
Anyone who knows my television viewing habits knows that the only program I have my DVR automatically record for me is Charlie Rose, the long-running PBS talk show (OK, there was a season of Prison Break in there somewhere, too, but let's not talk about that).
Last night's episode, featuring a long, candid conversation with Sir Howard Stringer, chairman and CEO of Sony, should be required viewing for anyone interested in consumer electronics.
During the course of the show, Stringer talks, fairly knowledgeably, about the PlayStation 3, how Sony lost the portable music player market, how Blu-ray vs. HD DVD played out differently than the Betamax vs. VHS battle, the future importance (and current impracticality) of OLED displays, and the painfully low margin on PC hardware (even expensive Vaios). He also makes a surprisingly spirited pitch for the PlayStation Network as a delivery system for all kinds of content (check out his ideas about using the PS3 and PlayStation Network as a platform capable of sharing content with the iPhone).
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(Credit:
Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)
Sony on Tuesday afternoon concluded the trio of press conferences kicking off E3 2008. Here are some of the highlights:
We first got a glimpse of the highly anticipated sequel Resistance 2, set to ship in the fall. The gameplay looked gorgeous and featured a battle with a 300-foot monster. Next up was some time with LittleBigPlanet, shipping in October 2008, a game that will allow users to design, create, and share their own custom levels over the PlayStation Network. MotorStorm: Pacific Drift and SOCOM Confrontation were also briefly shown.
Other PlayStation 3 games were just teased as we saw a short trailer for God of War III, but we got no real information on its release. We also got to see a glimpse of Infamous, scheduled to ship in spring 2009. It's a title where you play a superhero who must decide the fate of an entire city. Next was DC Universe Online, a massive online role-playing game that will have you roaming around and interacting with your favorite DC characters. We were also introduced to MAG (Massive Action Game), a title that boasts online battles involving up to a whopping 256 players.
Sony also announced a new 80GB PlayStation SKU that will go on sale in the fall for $400. The console will mirror all of the functionality in the current 40GB version and looks like it will also include a DualShock 3 controller.
PSP owners will be glad to see a handful of releases, including the newly announced Resistance Retribution, which will ship in spring 2009--an original adventure set in the Resistance universe. Other PSP titles shown off included Patapon 2, Loco Roco 2, Stardust Portable, and Buzz Master Quiz.
The PlayStation Network is also getting a lot of love. Available immediately is the video store that will let you rent and buy movies and TV shows. Sony has sealed up content support from major studios such as MGM, Warner Bros., Fox, Lionsgate, and Disney. Titles bought can be sent to your PSP for viewing on the go. Also, your PlayStation ID will now allow for universal logon including Web integration.
Also announced was a hefty list of exclusive PlayStation Network games. Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest For Booty will be a shorter adventure continuing the story from Tools of Destruction and available for just $15. Other titles include Crash Commando, Fat Princess, PixelJunk Eden, PAIN: Amusement Park, Flower, Siren Blood Curse, and Rag Doll Kung-Fu.
Sony gave us another look at PlayStation Home, which included game-themed environments. But it still did not disclose a release date for the service.
That does it for the opening press conferences. Keep checking Crave for up-to-the-minute updates from the show.
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