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.
On Sale Now: $36.99 - $44.99
View the latest prices for God of War Collection (PlayStation 3)
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)
(Credit:
Apple Records)
For this week's installment of the weekly Crave giveaway, we're offering up something everybody seems to want these days--the entire collection of newly remastered Beatles CDs. While the picture you see above is of the boxset, you're not actually getting the stereo boxset, but you will get every CD that's in the boxset. That includes the albums "Please Please Me," "With The Beatles," "A Hard Day's Night," "Beatles For Sale," "Help!," "Rubber Soul," "Revolver," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "Magical Mystery Tour," "The Beatles," "Yellow Submarine," "Abbey Road," and "Let It Be." On top of it, we'll throw in a special-edition lithograph poster of the Fab Four themselves. Dig that.
Normally, this package would cost around $250, but you have the chance to get the whole thing gratis.
So, how do you try to win a free Beatles remastered CD package + special-edition lithograph poster? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.
- Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, no need to register again.
- Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
- Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
- The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive (1) Beatles remastered CD package + special-edition lithograph. Approximate retail value is $250.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
- Entries can be submitted until Monday, September 14, at noon EDT.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 PM EDT on September 14, 2009. See official rules for details.
Good luck.
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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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.
If it's good enough for Criterion and CNET, it should be good enough for you.
It goes without saying that the folks who work at Criterion Collection are film buffs. And anyone who has watched one of the company's lovingly remastered DVDs can attest to the fact the company really cares about making films look as good as they can. That's why we took notice when a poster at AVS Forum pointed out an interesting tidbit in Sound & Vision's recent profile of Criterion Collection's new high-def home theater--Criterion's reference Blu-ray player is a PS3.
We're not exactly surprised. We've been using the PS3 as our reference Blu-ray player at CNET since it was released, and you'll notice that it tops our best Blu-ray players list by quite a margin. Furthermore, it's worth noting that video quality expert Joe Kane help set up Criterion's new home theater room. When we checked out Joe Kane's demo of the truly awesome SP-A800B at CES, we specifically asked what Blu-ray player he thought had the best image quality, he immediately said the PS3. So if you're worried about the image quality of a "game console" versus a high-end standalone Blu-ray player, it's worth rechecking your assumptions when CNET, Criterion and Joe Kane all vouch for the PS3's excellent performance.
Another interesting piece of gear we noted from the S&V article is... Read more
Spotted on Shopper: the Creative Zen Vision:M in the 30GB black variety. No, I am not playing a cruel joke on Zen lovers. You really can still buy the player. Of course, you'll be shelling out more than $500 for one, but that's worth it for a piece of tech history, right? Or...no? You tell me. I can't be the only one that mourned the retirement of this chunky-yet-fabulous portable media device, but I won't be shelling half a grand for one anytime soon. Of course, I still have a functioning one (in green, no less!) in my possession, so that could be influencing my decision a bit. But finding the Vision:M still on sale stirred up fond memories of the player from CES 2006 and onward. Join me as I wax nostalgic, won't you?
Best in Show: Even before the Creative Zen Vision:M crossed the review desks, it was turning heads at CNET. Despite the fact that neither MP3 player editor was able to attend the CES 2006 Best in Show vote meeting to pimp their nominee, the device caught the attention of various other CNET editors and garnered the Best in Show award for being the first MP3 player to show true potential as an iPod competitor. True, it came nowhere near knocking the king from its throne, but it won the hearts of plenty consumers looking for a different kind of player that was actually a quality device.
That dreamy screen: One of the most immediately impressive qualities of the Zen Vision:M was its beautiful screen. At 2.5-inches and with a 320x240-pixel resolution, it appeared at first blush identical to the iPod's, but it displayed a whopping 262,000 colors to the iPod's 65,000, which meant photos and videos looked outstandingly crisp, bright, and saturated. Plus, the Zen really made use of that beautiful LCD, offering a 4x5 photo thumbnail grid, various interface themes, and the ability to set your own images as wall-paper (something the iPod doesn't offer to this day).
Unique-yet-simple interface: Love it or hate it, no denying the Vision:M's rocking touch strip was unique. It was partially borrowed from the Zen Micro, but improved in that it allowed for accelerated scrolling through lists. Clicking it on either side shuttled through tracks, leaving the surrounding tactile buttons for specific functions: play/pause, contextual menu (for changing playback mode on-the-fly, say), back, and shortcut. We rued the lack of dedicated volume, but appreciated the simple step-down menu, which--true to form--utilized Creative's patented interface with genre/artist/album/track sorting.
Features for all: It wouldn't be a Creative MP3 player if it didn't offer some extras. The Vision:M delivered with an FM tuner and recorder, voice recording capability, album art support, a custom EQ, bookmarking, on-the-fly playlist creation, and calendar and contact syncing. Plus, it acted as a USB host for direct photo offloading from digital cameras, and it was one of the flagship players for the on-the-go subscription music movement. (Nearly every WMA-playing device has followed in its footsteps.)
Resting on performance: With its 97dB signal-to-ratio, the Zen Vision:M passed our listening tests with flying colors, succeeding in providing crystal clear audio at even ear-splitting levels. It's audio battery life of 15.9 hours was more than reasonable for a hard drive-based player at the time, and the 5 hour video battery life was definitely impressive. This player knew how to shine.
Back in the old days (like 2007), the marketing strategy for new albums included a prerelease "rolling thunder" PR campaign. First came a single, followed shortly by the video.
Then a few chosen reviewers would get early copies with "NOT FOR RESALE" imprinted across the front, allowing them to have their reviews ready slightly before or on the release date. Retail outlets would receive promotional matter, like cardboard cutouts of the band standing in front of the album cover. A few warm-up shows would feature songs from the record. Meanwhile, somebody--a reviewer, a disgruntled record company employee--would leak the entire album to file-trading services.
Jack White and Warner Bros. have decided to dispense with all this for the upcoming release of the Raconteurs' new album, Consolers of the Lonely. Today, the band announced that the entire album will be released simultaneously online, on CD, and on vinyl next Tuesday. No advance singles, no reviewers' copies, and perhaps not even a video at release (they just finished shooting it).
The band would have waited even longer, but knew that the news of the album's imminent release would have slipped out, and didn't want this quick-release strategy to be seen as a reaction.
And why not? Radio stations hardly play this kind of rock 'n' roll anymore, and fans don't need reviewers to tell them what to think: the huge Jack White fans will buy it regardless, and more casual fans probably would have formed their opinion after sampling the leaked version anyway. This way, the band saves promotional money and the release date might actually be cause for excitement, rather than the jaded "oh, I downloaded that months ago" response that greets most album releases today.
(Credit:
MSI)
As every laptop maker tries to outdo each other in colors, patterns, and even textures, MSI has decided to zig where the rest are zagging: It's going back to basic white.
The Taiwanese company today is officially introducing its "PR200 Crystal Collection," a luxury laptop most notable for its pearl-white finish and 120 crystals encircling the MSI logo. This blanco edition appears to complete the entire spectrum for MSI, which debuted a black version more than a year ago before going through various other colors and finishes. Inside, it features a 12.1-inch display, an Intel Core 2 Duo chip, 160GB SATA hard drive, a 4-in-1 card reader, 1.3-megapixel Webcam, and even a fingerprint reader, according to Fareastgizmos.
Further evidence that MSI knows its market are the accessories that come with each laptop, which include a matching pearl-white mouse, a 1GB crystal-festooned flash drive, and not one but two leather cases. So take that, Ego.
(Credit:
Sony)
Just after Dell and Microsoft introduced a line of crimson PCs for (Product) Red, Sony is using the same color for its own limited-edition laptops--but for Valentine's Day instead.
Despite the unfortunate juxtaposition of the two campaigns, Sony can hardly be singled out for the superficial marketing ploy of its "Red Collection." February is barely a week away, and companies will be coming out in droves to peddle their wares as Valentine gifts. (Apple announced its own entry with a new Nano, albeit pink instead of red.)
Sony's offering is a $1,000 package that comprises a Vaio CR Series notebook with a 14-inch LCD, Intel Dual-Core processor, 1GB of memory, 200GB hard drive, and built-in Webcam--all in "sangria red, the color of passion." Also included are a matching mouse and case, as well as a Dooney & Burke keychain with heart-shaped charms, according to GeekSugar. We would have settled for the sangria alone--in a pitcher.
