Tag Archives: Sony

Sigh . . . E3 2014

You may have noticed the  lack of E3 fan fair (unlike most geeky sites) on Giga. I must admit, it’s my fault. After covering E3 (from the comfort of my home) for the past two years, I have grown a bit numb and have lost much interest in the great spectacle that is the Electronic Entertainment Expo. No, I’m not jealous of the lucky people who get to peruse the upcoming games, take pictures with  booth babes, swim through crowds of people, and stand in long lines for hours, nor have I lost interest in my geekiness. I guess . . . I guess I just don’t care.

Or maybe I just don’t like to be repeatedly teased and roused for 30 seconds for games I may not see for years or ever. When a game is about a month away from its release, go ahead and announce it, get me excited, but if it’s still a year in the making, don’t make me hate you. If it sounds interesting, I’ll still try it out; I don’t need six years to decide whether or not I’m interested in a game. Don’t get me wrong, seeing an awesomesauce trailer or some great gameplay can be entertaining, but what if what you see is not the final product (i.e. Forza or Aliens: Colonial Marines)?

The drama, hype, and pageantry surrounding E3 isn’t very appealing either. Console against console, company against company, who had the best press conf—sigh. All this hype to watch a guy (most of the time) give a stiff delivery of a memorized script. The attempts to throw in an awkward joke or two makes me cringe. The press conferences are always so mechanical rather than being relaxed and fun, like a bunch of friends talking about cool sh**. Cheesy? Yes, but I’m sure it would be better than what we’re getting now. Even Aisha Tyler tried her best to pump some life into E3 2012.
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Checking my Facebook feed was enough for me, and I was still excited when something interesting popped up. Honestly, if someone stood on a stage and read a list of games along with headlines from any media outlet covering E3 (i.e. “Your PS4 Friends Don’t Need Far Cry 4 to Play Far Cry 4,” “The Last of Us: Remastered PS4 Release Date Announced,” “The New Zelda Is Open-World, Looks Absolutely Incredible,” “Bloodborne Is Coming to PS4 Straight From the Minds of Dark Souls”) I would be quite satisfied.

Maybe when I’m finally able to go, I’ll be more excited and understand the greatness of E3. Til then, I’ll continue to write about the indie games that deserve a moment in the spotlight.

The Console Wars: E3 2014

Everyone is probably wondering who “won” E3. Microsoft brought game after game with impressive demos and trailers. Sony boasted that their camera was optional and showed some really impressive titles, even showing how fun and unscripted a demo can be. Nintendo brought to life the dreams of children with games made of yarn and clay, and toys that can come to life. All in all, this year’s E3 was better than last, but if I were to pick a “winner” I would have to give it to Nintendo.

Image from IGN.com
Image from IGN.com

Now, while I’m sure many disagree, let me defend my stance. Even in the early days of the Super Nintendo, major franchises and characters have been given many sequels and spin-offs. Who knows how many Mario and Zelda titles gamers have played over the years? In the coming year, Nintendo will continue to bank on their major characters; however, the creativity they’re putting into these games to make them feel unique is what really impressed me. I’m actually excited to play Hyrule Warriors, a game many would think is a Dynasty Warriors clone. Dynasty Warriors is by no means a perfect game to emulate either—often plagued with repetition. However, the fact that Nintendo is taking this risk is what makes it cool. I had a similar experience with Pokemon Conquest on the DS. The game was by no means perfect, but the different approach to one of my favorite franchises was refreshing and interesting. I can’t wait to try out Yoshi’s Wooly World, simply because it feels different and familiar at the same time. Not many games capture that feeling and the fact of the matter is only games can capture that feeling.


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Yet, the true winners at E3 are the gamers. Developers slave for years to bring gamers the best entertainment our world has to offer. Each year brings new technology and innovation. We are privileged to be able to fabricate these experiences that are almost impossible to have. When was the last time you spent the afternoon strolling through a dark forest in search of a dragon’s cave? When was the last time you saved the planet from an alien invasion with most advanced weaponry available? When was the last time you huddled in a corner, wracked with fear, while an ogre sniffed the air in search of a meal?

Screenshot from futurismic.com
Screenshot from futurismic.com

For me, it was yesterday in a video game.

Alex’s Take: Sony E3 2014

The PS3 was the most powerful game system of the last console generation. It boasted better graphics, more disc space, and free online play. In fact, the only thing keeping me from the PS3 was its initial high price point. When the PS4 released with a lower price tag than the Xbox One, I knew something awesome had happened at Sony.

Sony’s  live press event this year continued last year’s jabs at Microsoft. It wasn’t nearly as often or mean-spirited like last time, but their jokes still had the crowd rolling. Many new titles of established franchises were shown alongside a few unique ones. PlayStation Now and PlayStation TV were also discussed, but several questions still remain.

The biggest game discussed was Bungie’s Destiny, which was told to have more bonuses and will overall be better on the PlayStation 4. In fact, Sony will be offering a white, 500 GB PS4, bundled with Destiny and 30 days of PlayStation Plus on September 9th later this year. Furthering this almost awkward love for Sony, PS4 owners can play the Alpha test starting June12; the beta tests will hit July 17th and Destiny will be released on PS4 first.

Following Destiny was a mysterious game, The Order: 1866. This game appeared on the cover of Game Informer, blasting out of hiding to woo gamers with its strange and dark art direction. Gameplay footage shown at Sony’s press event proved to be intense. The player, instead of a flashlight, held out a lantern with a single candle guiding his way. Stumbling upon an obvious zombie, the character stared in horror as it devoured some poor sap. Then, the zombie transformed into a Mr. Hyde-esque creature that chased the player and slapped him around.

Screenshot from stage demo
Screenshot from stage demo

All seemed bleak for the hero, until the magical triangle button appeared on screen. Lucky for the hero, the player hit that button, giving the hero the will he needed to take a health potion. While the art direction and story is intriguing in The Order, I wish quick quick-time events would fade away.

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Several games were given the remake treatment. Alongside a new film trailer, the original Ratchet and Clank is getting remade for the PS4. This won’t be an average graphics update either. Sony boasted that the game will get all new assets and set pieces, making the game the best it could ever be. Grim Fandango, a point and click adventure of the past, will also be getting a remake. The crowd exploded at this news, making me feel bad for never playing it. Other games being ported to the PS4 include The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto 5. Feeling a bit jaded, the PS Vita will be receiving Minecraft and several of the indie titles with its big brother.

There were some shining gems in the press event. Of course there were several sequels and things we’ve seen before, but these games showed a uniqueness not seen in the others. Entwined is a beautiful game about two spirits in love and is available now for $9.99. Bloodborne, the darkest game shown, could be a super-spiritual successor to the Dark Souls franchise. ABZU comes from the makers of the award winning Journey. No Man’s Sky, creates a first person space adventure that lets the player take off to visit other planets. Sony ended their event with a trailer for Uncharted 4, presumably the last game starring Nathan Drake or as I like to say Indiana Croft.

While they didn’t show as many new games as Microsoft showed, Sony did put on a good show. Personally, I think a little too much time was spent on services and television shows. I was even more depressed when absolutely nothing was shared about Square Enix’s big sequels: Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3, two games that will force many gamers to buy a PS4.

Screenshot from Warosu.org
Image from Warosu.org

 

 

Warframe: Space Ninjas are Awesome

Ninjas. Space ninjas. The end. Seriously, that’s all I need to say about this game, but I’ll continue if I must.

These space ninjas, known as Tenno, are the bane of the Grineer: twisted looking aliens who lack the grace of the Tenno. What they lack in grace and skill, however, the Grineer make up with galaxy crushing numbers. Similar to the Jedi order, what remains of the Tenno must now band together to fight back against the tyranny of evil.

Grineer Gang (1)

It’s nice to have a reason for the hacking, slashing and shooting, but this game is really about the gameplay. With a combination of a melee weapon (sword, knife, scythe, etc.) primary guns (assault rifles, sniper rifles, etc.) and side arms (kunai, handguns, etc.), you suit up in your warframe. These warframes vary in stats and abilities. Some will be better with melee attacks while others specialize in support abilities. Each suit comes with up to four special abilities that you have to level up to be able to equip. These abilities can range from a dashing slash attack to repairing shields or setting an enemy ablaze. Players will bring all this firepower to bear against various enemy types in several mission types including sabotage, assassination, and all out elimination—my personal favorite.

When battle becomes too difficult, you can invite up to three friends or strangers to help you tear your foes to shreds. Every mission is fully co-op, so you can always come back to a mission that had you outnumbered and get sweet revenge with allies. My connection is far from the best and I have yet to experience anything more than a second or two worth of lag and the chat is very clear using the standard Sony ear piece.

CorpusExtermination (1)

Graphically, the game is quite solid. During battle, the designs of the various warframes stand out from enemies and other warframes. Even if you and a friend have the same frame, color palette swaps can be done to both the frame and your weaponry to bring a little unique flavor to your Tenno. New planets bring new locations, which have their own unique style and color palette. Firefights pop with the flash of gun barrels, and slicing an enemy in half is much more satisfying when you see his severed remains hit the ground. All the wonderful details that make the combat as beautiful as it is visceral.

NovaAttack (1)

As if all of the above wasn’t enough to pique one’s interest, let me give you the kicker: it’s free. Yes, Warframe is a free-to-play game. If you feel so inclined, you can spend money to expedite getting some of the more powerful weapons and warframes. You can also grind it out and earn in-game money to purchase blueprints and use materials (found during missions and rewarded after successful missions) to build those same items. It’s completely up to the player.

The only major issue I take with the game is the control scheme. With only two preset configurations, which simply swap how character powers are activated, there is very limited room to customize it. It was almost five hours into the game before I realized there is a block button because it is relegated to the up directional button. The placement would be fine if you are meant to block while stationary, but if you want to block bullets on the move, you will have to contort your hand into quite the odd position. Activating powers can sometimes be hit or miss using the touch pad as it can misread your swipe in the midst of a firefight. Early on, these don’t present much of a problem, but as the enemies become tougher, any misstep trying to adjust to these controls will cost you your life.

If you can’t tell, I am in love with this game. The difficulty can become a bit much when trying to play alone, but with a solid team of Tenno, it should be easy to avoid the invisible wall of progress that gamers sometimes hit. Worst comes to worst, you played a free game you didn’t like. If you end up anything like me, you’ll have a digital hit with more than enough enemies to slice and riddle with bullets for months to come. Enjoy my fellow ninjas.

Warframe is available now on PlayStation 4 and PC.

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PS4 Virtual Reality Headset to be Showcased at TGS

It is generally accepted the next major evolution of gaming is virtual reality (i.e. Gamer but without the whole criminal avatar situation). Unfortunately, when some veteran gamers hear the word “virtual” they may have horrid memories of the Nintendo Virtual Boy rush to mind. I apologize for even reminding you of the horrible invention. Sony has plans to bring us the future in 2013 with a custom built PS4 VR headset, which will be shown at TGS (Tokyo Game Show).

sony-vr-3d-headset

 

According to Computerandvideogames.com (CVG), Sony originally planned on revealing the headset at Gamescom (8/21-8/25), but plans fell through at the last minute. The time seems right heading into TGS 2013 (9/18-9/22) and we will be able to hear more concrete details about just how the headset will be utilized and marketed.

For those that do not know, there is another VR headset hitting the market as well and it has quite a bit of industry support. The Oculus Rift will be in direct competition with Sony’s headset. Oddly enough, there were/are rumors that there was to be a merger of technology at one point, so only the future will truly tell where the majority of the market share will go at the end of the day.

sony-virtual-reality-headset-4

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For those worried this addition will increase the price of the system, fear not. Like the PlayStation Eye, the VR headset will be sold separately to keep the cost of the system as low as possible.

Also, R&D has already begun to develop titles that will utilize the new technology as soon as possible. CVG received word that Evolution Studios is working to create a revolutionary cockpit view using the headset. To that end, President of Sony Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, suggested that further R&D was underway: “Y’know, we’re Sony, so we have lots of different things and different ideas in R&D.” He went on to say, “When it comes to researching things, we are doing a lot of things that we can’t talk about.”

As a cynic, I find it difficult to believe this is going to be the game changer it has the potential to be. Consumers these days are very weary of adopting new technology and if early sales numbers do not ring to developers, we may see this fall to the wayside quickly. The PlayStation Eye had grand potential, but a lack of support from third party developers and little to no promotion led to less than stellar sales. Assuming Drive Club can utilize this tech effectively, it would definitely be a positive step towards this being more than just a gimmick, but only time will tell.

~the Ace of Spades

Source: Computerandvideogames.com