There are a LOT of great pre and post-show moments. This is merely a sampling of the best from 2009.
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(Credit:
SCEA)
Making a game exclusively for a single console is a tricky proposition: it's hard to justify the multimillion-dollar budget required for a truly A-list product while limiting your potential audience to owners of only one of the three major living room consoles. Nevertheless, Microsoft has its well-regarded Halo and Gears of War games, Nintendo has a stable of famous franchises, and Sony has Uncharted (while still holding back on God of War and Gran Turismo for PlayStation 3).
Sony's Saturday matinee-style adventure was an early hit for the PS3, and its sequel has built tremendous buzz over the past year, based on carefully constructed sneak peeks and trailers. We've spent this past weekend playing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (out October 13) in order to determine if it lives up to the hype.
The game is tremendous fun and the interactive equivalent of a big, over-the-top summer movie. It's an unashamed mix of influences from Indiana Jones to Tomb Raider, with antihero Nathan Drake playing a mix of treasure hunter and art thief. Drake is rakish and good-natured, so you don't really mind that he's essentially a hardened criminal.
This time around, Drake's pursuing ancient treasures plundered by Marco Polo, which should eventually lead to the mythical city of Shambala. Don't expect much more depth than that from the "Da Vinci Code"-like premise; the story and characters run the gamut from cliched to nonsensical, and no one ever seems to have a particularly well-thought-out reason for anything he does. At least the banter between characters and the voice acting is on par with a decent made-for-cable action movie, which may sound like faint praise, but is still a pretty high bar for most video games.
(Credit:
SCEA)
It's to Uncharted 2's credit that the game is such an excellent overall entertainment product despite the lackadaisical storytelling. While it may not break any new ground (unlike, say, Scribblenauts), it's still the purest distillation of globe-trotting action/adventure we've seen in a long time. The incredibly high level of polish on everything from the scenery to the animation to the soundtrack draws the player in, creating a seamless experience that flows easily from set piece to set piece. Put simply: if you're looking for a reason to show off that PlayStation 3 console and massive HDTV, this is it. We'd be hard-pressed to think of a game that simply looks better.
Still, after several hours, a few minor flaws become obvious. ... Read more
On Sale Now: $49.97 - $59.99
View the latest prices for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PlayStation 3)
We already showed you what exclusive titles you can expect for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, now let's wrap things up with the Nintendo Wii.
Historically, the Wii has benefited from a large amount of solid first-party titles like Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda. It's certainly refreshing to see third-party publishers getting into the mix this year with offerings like Dead Space Extraction and The Conduit.
With the release of Wii MotionPlus, we're beginning to see games that require the accessory to work. Titles like Wii Sports Resort and Red Steel 2 won't play without the advanced motion control attachment.
While it may cost more to play certain games on the Wii, the new technology should open up even more unique and interesting ways to play video games.
Click through our slideshow and tell us which exclusive Wii games you're most excited about.
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.
One of the biggest decisions when choosing a video game system has to be the exclusive games. Console manufacturers go to enormous lengths to tie up deals with developers and their publishers in order to claim one console's superiority over another.
Numerous titles and franchises are only available on Xbox 360 including Gears of War, Halo, and Forza MotorSport.
Now that E3 2009 has come and gone, let's take a look at some more 360-only titles that are scheduled for release in the coming months.
Stay tuned for our PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii exclusives slideshows, both coming soon!
(Credit:
Guerilla Games)
Sony has been continually criticized for not having enough exclusive titles--and exclusive hits--for the PS3 to help drives sales of the console. That's not entirely true; the company has had some attractive exclusives, such as LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and MotorStorm, but it's still paying the price for not hanging onto the Grand Theft Auto franchise--and failing to match Xbox 360's mega hits, Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 with anything as enticing (Resistance 2 was good, but it probably didn't move boxes).
Well, with Killzone 2, it now has a terrific first-person shooter that's getting rave reviews across the board--and you can't get it on the Xbox 360. Several gaming pubs have given it a perfect score (see Metacritic's roundup here) and our own review (via GameSpot) came in at 9.0. Just as importantly, mainstream newspapers like The New York Times have also given it the thumbs-up.
In Tuesday's Times, Seth Schiesel delivers a virtual love letter. "Perhaps the highest praise I can offer is that Killzone 2 is the first console shooter to make an old-school PC gamer like me wish it was available for 'my' system."
He also calls it the finest-looking shooter he's seen on a console. And more controversially, he adds, "Gears of War 2, the top shooter for Microsoft's competing Xbox 360, still looks good, but with Killzone 2, Sony is demonstrating that the superior silicon horsepower in the PlayStation 3 is opening a widening gap over the 360 when it comes to pure eye candy."
... Read more
The Pretenders weren't gone enough for "Break Up the Concrete" to count as a comeback, but it still stuns--this is rock 'n' roll as we perhaps forgot Chrissie Hynde could make it. Gruff melodies pair with countrified guitars and a voice that hasn't sounded better. This exclusive offer of the MP3 "Don't Lose Faith In Me" is available on Download.com Music and MP3.com for one week only.
Big Daddy on your PS3
After countless rumors, it appears that last year's underwater dystopian masterpiece, BioShock, will see the light of day on the PlayStation 3 after all. The critically acclaimed title had recently been in the news regarding its big-budget Hollywood adaptation.
Now, Computers and Videogames is reporting that the latest issue of the UK magazine PSM3 is showcasing a preview of the PS3 version of the game along with a handful of screenshots. While there's been no word from 2K Games officially, once the magazine hits newsstands on June 5 we'd imagine a press release will follow shortly after.
This is great news for the Sony console, as BioShock was originally an exclusive for the Xbox 360 and PC. This is not the first game to lose exclusivity with the 360, as Lost Planet found its way on the PS3 last January--albeit over an entire year after its initial release. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion shared a similar fate, showing up on the PS3 about a year after its Xbox 360 debut. Rumors have also been tossed around about the sci-fi RPG Mass Effect appearing on the PS3 as well.
In an industry where software exclusivity traditionally dictates console sales, factors like online services and additional hardware features may begin to take supremacy as top selling points.
Is console exclusivity long for this world? Tell us what you think.
Warner to HD DVD: That's all, folks.
(Credit: www.referenceforbusiness.com)The big buzz today around CNET offices in New York is the news that Warner Bros. Entertainment has decided to stop making HD DVD discs and will become a Blu-ray-only studio at the end of May. Needless to say, this is a major blow to the HD DVD camp, which earlier this year struck a deal with Paramount to go HD DVD exclusive. You could say this is a tit-for-tat move by Sony and the Blu-ray camp, but it's actually more of a clubbing because Warner has a much bigger library of movies than Paramount.
While rumors of Warner potentially dumping HD DVD have been circulating for the past few months, the timing of the announcement right before the start of the Consumer Electronics Show seems designed to inflict maximum damage to Toshiba's planned HD DVD push at the show. With lower prices on its standalone players and the Paramount deal, Toshiba and HD DVD backers such as Microsoft appeared to be gaining some momentum in the format war. But now the company is faced with a PR nightmare. (An HD DVD event is scheduled for Sunday in Las Vegas; it should be interesting). No one knows at this point what it took for Warner to say sayonara to HD DVD, but you can bet it involved a truckload of something.
Does this spell the end for HD DVD? If I had to give a yes or no answer, I'd have to say yeah, it's probably curtains. The fact is, with the lack of studio support, it's very hard to recommend to readers to buy an HD DVD player, even if it is half the price of a Blu-ray machine. All that said, things have looked bleak for Toshiba and HD DVD before and they've managed to scrap their way back into contention, so you never know. Feel free to weigh in after you read the full press release from Warner, which I've posted below via The Digital Bits:
WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE ITS HIGH-DEFINITION DVD TITLES EXCLUSIVELY IN THE BLU-RAY DISC FORMAT BEGINNING LATER THIS YEAR
Decision made in response to strong consumer preference for format
(January 4, 2008 - Burbank, CA) - In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.
"Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want," said Meyer. "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers."
Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.
"Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices," said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. "Today's decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner."
"A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry," said Tsujihara. "Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future."
What do you think? Is there any hope for HD DVD? Should Toshiba and Microsoft continue fighting or make a deal?
Will Rockstar's next game be so massive it only fits on a Blu-ray disc?
(Credit: Blu-ray Disc Association )While Rockstar Games was unwilling to go Sony-only for the next version of Grand Theft Auto, the company is apparently working on its "next great franchise," and it will be a PS3-exclusive. No details were offered on just what that franchise might be--or when it will be released--but according to Gamespot UK, it won't be LA Noire.
In explaining why Sony locked up the game, the article quotes SCEA's director of third-party relations, Michael Shorrock, who wrote on the official US PlayStation blog: "Rockstar really wanted to make a game that you can truly only do on PS3, harnessing the power of CELL and Blu-ray disc, and this deal lets them do just that."
That's exciting news for PS3 fans. Of course, if the game is as great as Rockstar says it is, we might not see it until 2009 or 2010. By then, any AAA PS3 game will be so massive in scope that it won't fit on a DVD, only a Blu-ray disc. Maybe that's why Shorrock was saying that the mysterious franchise would only be playable on a PS3.
