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Molyneux says the PS3 still needs a defining game. He's right.

ocelot.jpgMolyneux's has stated that the PS3 is still lacking a defining title. Speaking to recently to gamesindustry.biz, he said"It is always one or two games which define a platform - it's the same for the Wii, and the PlayStation 2."

"I think the PlayStation 3 is still waiting for that definition title that represents the platform - and I think that's what hardware manufacturers need to do, find that defining title.

While it would be easy to dismiss as a bit of trash talk from a Microsoft owned studio, the fact is, he's right. So far, the PS3 has conspicuously failed to come up with a real flagship game, a game that people will remember the console for. We've had a few good titles, but no great ones. Metal Gear Solid IV certainly appealed to fans of the series, but the gameplay isn't ground breaking. The story is told with panache, but seems to be told in a way more suited to the big screen. Don't get me wrong, I love the Metal Gear Solid series, I just didn't think that the fourth instalment could fit the bill as a blockbuster title that had a broad appeal. As a friend once pointed out, it feels like a nice title at times, given the long cutscenes and downright bonkers story, but a niche title with a ginormous budget.

via gamesindustry.biz

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on September 18, 2008 2:57 PM in Games| Interviews
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Kaz Hirai was surprised by Harrison's departure

kazps.jpgPresident and CEO of SCE, Kaz Hirai, has done a nice little interview with not-official-but-basically-official UK PlayStation blog, ThreeSpeech. As you can imagine, most of the questions don't stray too far into dangerous territories that might embarrass, but there's still some interesting morsels to be found.

Kaz is quizzed over Phil Harrison's somewhat abrupt departure to less green pastures at Atari. "At the time, I didn't know he was going to Atari," Kaz responded. "It was obviously a surprise when he told me he was going to move on."

It does sound like he caught the Sony head honchos off guard, but there's no bad blood between them: "It's a small industry and he's obviously remained in it and from his perspective, it was a great thing to move on to a new challenge."

Posted by Al W on May 30, 2008 12:47 PM in Interviews
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Viking developer: mandatory ratings will be good for games

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Last month I went to a preview of Sega and The Creative Assembly's new free roaming hack-and-slash, Viking: Battle of Asgard. The game stands out as one of the most graphically violent titles we've actually seen on UK shelves and bloodily dissecting your foes limb by evil limb is the par for the course.

At the time, I interviewed Senior Game Designer Col Rodgers and took the chance to quiz him about his thoughts on the then-rumoured introduction of a mandatory ratings system. "I'm a parent myself and ultimately I wouldn't like to think that there were unrated games going out and my children could be exposed to [violent games]," he said.

I asked he thought that whether it mandatory ratings system could actually be good for gamers. "Yes I really do", Rodgers replied. "You've just got to be responsible when you approach this. Sega and Creative Assembly are responsible - what they do is understood to be 'what they do', and it is controlled as such with all the correct ratings in place."

Posted by Al W on March 28, 2008 2:44 PM in Games| Interviews
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Heavenly Sword developer's next game isn't a sequel

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I liked Heavenly Sword. It was short, repetitive and a bit shallow, but it was also fun, cinematic and really good-looking. It felt like it could benefit from a sequel which could tighten up its weak points and expand its interesting story a little further. So it's a bit of a shame to hear that Ninja Theory isn't working on a follow-up. Though looking at it from a glass-half-full perspective, it sounds like their next project could be something even better. Hurrah.

Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Ninja Theory co-founder Nina Kristensen suggested the developer would take its undoubted storytelling and cutscene creation abilities one step further with its next title - with ambitious plans to use the new game's engine to create a full CGI movie to be released as a companion piece.

"We're certainly targeting a triple-A blockbuster, with two and a half years in production," said Kristensen. "If you want to make something that's really high-end, really engaging, if you get the best talent from the movie industry and you're able to integrate effectively into the game you're going to end up with the best possible results," she continued.

Does this mean more hopping up and down in a blue suit with ping-pong balls attached for Andy Serkis? If Kristensen's comments are anything to go by, Ninja Theory would clearly relish the chance at working with the mo-cap king (kong) once more.

To finish this post, here's an interesting (albeit fairly tenuously-related) fact: Richard Ridings, who voiced Roach in Heavenly Sword, also does the voice of Daddy Pig in popular kids' TV show Peppa Pig. That's the kind of knowledge that only working from home with Nick Jr. on in the background will get you.

Source: GI.biz

Posted by Chris Schilling on March 19, 2008 9:44 PM in Games| Interviews
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Biting the hand that feeds - Harrison gets narky with Sony Japan

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Head of worldwide studios for Sony, the lovely Phil Harrison, has expressed his annoyance at Sony Japan's ignorance to his constant pushing of social gaming, citing the success of Nintendo's Wii as proof that he was right.

Talking about EyeToy, Singstar and Buzz, evidently Harrison repeatedly attempted (and failed) to get the company's Japanese executives interested in more massmarket-oriented products which were already a proven success in the West. Sadly, said execs seemed to think that Japanese audiences wouldn't be interested in playing games socially. "And then out comes the Wii" sighed Harrison.

The slight "told you so" smugness aside, it's unusual to hear Harrison talk so candidly about such an experience, not to mention his praise for Nintendo and how the Kyoto giant has marketed its products. It will certainly be interesting to see if Sony's marketing changes tack accordingly in 2008.

Source: Gamesindustry

Posted by Chris Schilling on February 22, 2008 11:03 AM in Events| Games| Interviews| Sony news
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PS3 too good for our simple minds to comprehend? Sony explains failings...

JackyT.jpgJack Tretton, the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, who's been involved in the PlayStation brand since its very beginnings, has admitted that the company expected users to grow familiar and comfortable with the PS3 a lot sooner. Speaking with Gamedaily to celebrate a year in his current position, he admitted "while we knew price would be a challenge for the PS3, we underestimated the education process and the fact that there is a lot of information for consumers to absorb about PS3 given its advanced technology. This will be an ongoing challenge, but we think we've made great strides over the past year".

Jack's frankness is refreshing, and it's hard to fault honesty in a world where there isn't enough of it, but his comments are also slightly curious from a gamer's point of view. It certainly feels like we've all absorbed an enormous amount of information on the console, so it's hard to feel that 'advanced technology' is responsible for the gaming community's mixed feelings toward the PS3. However, in the midst of a console war there is a hell of a lot of information to take onboard, and with Sony targeting the everyday consumer as much as the hardcore gamer, perhaps Jack is right, and the console buying masses are feeling a little lost.

In the same interview, Mr. Tretton muses on the PS3's online service, proclaiming his confidence that the service needs no improvement to match the Xbox 360's Live service.

Source
Gamedaily

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Posted by Will Freeman on December 7, 2007 6:22 PM in Hardware| Interviews| Sony news
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Want your young 'un to play (and fail) for England? Then chuck out your Playstation

robertgreen.jpgIs it harsh to call most footballers overpaid morons? I’m a football fan, but when so called ‘superstars’ come out with ridiculous comments like this, then my will to live rapidly deteriorates.

West Ham ‘keeper, and third(?) choice England goalie doesn’t blame England’s failure to qualify for the European Championships on pathetic managers with no tactical ability, or players that simply fail to perform for their country. Nope, it’s because we’re all locked away playing our ‘Playstations’.

“We would have the best team if we could go into every household and throw away every PlayStation, Xbox and video game,” said young Mr Green. I mean, Robert, really? So is the reason England don’t do it on the biggest stage is because we’re all unfit fatties who play video games 24 hours a day? Do me a favour.

Am I coming across as irritated enough? Seriously, how do these overpaid sods have the gall to blame their failings on ANYTHING other than themselves? It’s almost as bad as parents blaming the fact the little buggers they call children are going on murderous rampages purely on games. Because games are the source of every little bit of evil in the world. Obviously.

I used to be a fan of yours Robert Green. But now, you can be branded as an absolute arse of the highest order with your comments. Now grow a pair of balls and place some blame on inept performances from your footballing pals for a change.

Source: Football365

Posted by Chris Pickering on November 26, 2007 6:29 PM in Interviews
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EA VP claims PS3 has a bright future - says consumers are waiting for quality titles

ea_logo.jpgWe all saw the figures recently detailing the breakdown of EA gaming sales per console, and were dazzled at the huge dazzling chasm between the PS3 and Xbox 360 figures, which were about as close as I am to winning next years Miss World contest. If I forget to do my bikini line.

Nevertheless, EA’s VP for UK and Ireland Keith Ramsdale believes that the PS3 has a strong future, and that the appearance of decent quality titles means big sales figures. Apparently PS3 sales figures for the sublime FIFA 08 were 75 per cent of the Xbox 360 numbers, despite yet another huge gap in terms of user base.

He has a point, obviously, despite his blatant ‘bigging up’ of his EA titles. I’ve said it numerous times, but absolute stellar top quality PS3 games are thin on the ground at the moment. The likes of Ratchet and Clank, Resistance, and Motorostorm are indeed wonderful games, but can they really be considered true system sellers akin to Halo 3 on the 360? The Christmas line-up is looking pretty impressive, and the price cut has invigorated hardware sales. But gamers will still happily wait until some real major super titles arrive before opening up their wallets.

Source: GamesIndustry
Related posts: No wonder EA are a little apprehensive about the PS3 - last 3 months 360 platform sales dwarf the PS3, EA backed the "wrong horse" with primary focus on PS3 and 360

Posted by Chris Pickering on November 15, 2007 10:11 AM in Games| Interviews
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Interview: Dr Tanya Byron on the UK government's independent gaming review

Dr Tanya Byron, once host to the BBC's House of Tiny Tearaways, has been heading up the so-called Byron Review - an indepedent study commissioned by the UK government to investigate the role of video games and the internet on children. We've been paying close attention to the study as so far it has stayed refreshingly clear of the 'games are the downfall of society' angle often poularised by the mainstream media.

Alex from our big sisterly blog, ShinyShiny, went along to interview Dr Byron about the review about gamer's views on the study and her expert opinion on gaming as a child psychologist. Check it out below:

Posted by Al W on October 29, 2007 3:02 PM in Interviews
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Gaming Anti-heros

Protoscreenshot_large.jpgRadical's new game Prototype stars a genetically modified protagonist with a passion for a bit of ultra violence. It may still be a long way off, but it's time we learned more about it so we have something to think about over the cold winter months. In a recent Games Radar interview with the game's producer, Max Belanger, we find out more about this modded menace Alex Mercer.

Mercer isn't your typical hero its seems Radical are atempting to position him as one of gaming's "darkest anti-heroes." with a ton of cool powers - super strength, enhanced agility and shape shifting Mercer certainly has the skills for this dark and brooding accolade - but what's really interesting is the promised psychological development her will go through in the game. It is clear that Mercer is a man who is after answers.

He seems a lot like the Wolverine and Batman. But this article got me thinking what other really cool anti-heros have you enjoyed playing? What games have stuck in your mind for allowing you to blur those lines between right and wrong?

Prototype will be released for the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC in the summer next year.

Posted by David Halse on October 12, 2007 8:07 PM in Games| Interviews
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MGS PS3 bundle on its way

MGS4PS3.jpgWell it might not be ‘officially’ confirmed, but it looks like a Metal Gear Solid PS3 bundle will be on its way to stores to coincide with one of the PS3’s most anticipated games.

According to an interview with MeriStation.com, Sony Europe vp James Armstrong is attempting to put together a package and have it in the shops before Easter. Sounds like good news all around.A very rough translation of the quote follows:

“I am going to advance something to you; yes, we are working in pack of PlayStation 3 that includes Metal Gear 4 Solid and the new DualShock. We want that it is in the street before Easter and that is our fight at the moment.”

With a very oddly timed pre-christmas lull in the PS3’s games line up, I think many of us will be asking Santa for money this Christmas, simply so we can go out and pick up all the good titles being launched in the first few months of 2008. Perhaps Easter will become the new Christmas if Sony gets its way…

Source + Image
Kotaku

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Posted by Keri Allan on October 12, 2007 10:30 AM in Games| Hardware| Interviews| Sony news
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Controversial: "The Outsider is next-gen, Halo 3 and Bioshock aren't" says Braben

TheOutsider_16_qjpreviewth.jpgFrontier Developments boss David Braben has told Eurogamer that his new project; The Outsider, will be one of the first proper examples of fifth generation gaming on the market, and that Halo 3 and Bioshock are not next-gen.

"I loved the 1930s-1950s atmosphere of BioShock: the lovely Art Deco visuals and the audio that worked especially well. Overall the whole game was beautifully executed, but the gameplay itself was not 'next-gen',” he said.

"I found Halo 3 great fun, too, but also a little disappointing - as although there were a few nice touches and improved graphical fidelity, it hadn't really moved on much from Halo 2 in terms of the gameplay. If anything I am reassured; I think Outsider more than stands up to them, and I still think Outsider will be one of the first 'next-gen' games.”

Posted by Keri Allan on October 11, 2007 1:00 PM in Games| Hardware| Interviews
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Maguire claims early PS3 adopters shouldn’t feel cheated

maguire.jpgIn an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, SonyComputer Entertainment UK’s managing director Ray Maguire states that early adopters to the PS3 shouldn’t feel cheated, despite the imminent price drop.

“One thing is common amongst the entire market for consumer electronics and that is that there are early adopters like myself who will spend GBP 10,000 on a plasma TV that is worth GBP 3000 within three years. That's the way the market goes. What do they get for that? They get six months of enjoyment of the product before anybody else gets that ability to play those games,” said Maguire.

A much uttered argument, and one that does contain a hefty amount of truth. But, the problem is that these initial six months that us early adopters have enjoyed have simply not contained any PS3 specific gaming titles that could be considered absolutely essential. Do I feel cheated? Damn right I do.

Source: GamesIndustry
Related posts: SCEE confirm PS3 price drop - we told you so!, PS3 price drop to be confirmed tomorrow

Posted by Chris Pickering on October 8, 2007 11:55 AM in Interviews| Sony news
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TGS 2007: No Assassin's Creed demo


During TGS this year that lovely Jade Raymond got chatting to the guys at Gamersyde and much to everyones dismay, confirmed there will be no playable demo of Assassin's Creed. Also covered are character details, downloadable content, the PS3 build of the game, Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Jesus Christ! Take a look at the video!

Posted by David Halse on October 4, 2007 8:08 PM in Games| Interviews| Videos
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LittleBigPlanet may be the killer title says analyst...again

littlebigplanet.jpgWedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter is again 'bigging up' LittleBigPlanet by discussing his opinions on Sony’s upcoming line up post TGS. He stated that he thinks the PS3’s killer game for Japan will be the in-house title LittleBigPlanet.

"...We think that LittleBigPlanet will be a console seller in Japan,” he said this week. He also added that Metal Gear Solid 4 and Assassin’s Creed also falls into the same group of games that “appear to be well positioned to resonate with the Japanese audience.”

The PS3 is currently lagging behind the Nintendo Wii in Japan, but that seems to be the same globally, in my opinion. The Wii is selling thick and fast, but the PS3 continues to grow a steady fanbase - figures seem to be showing us. Perhaps we’ve found the console’s killer title after all, and it comes from our own shores – the game is under development by UK-based Media Molecule, which was founded in 2006 by former Lionhead designer and Rag Doll Kung Fu developer Mark Healy.

Source
Next Generation

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Posted by Keri Allan on October 3, 2007 3:05 PM in Games| Interviews| PlayStation Home & Online| PlayStation Network| Sony news
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TGS 2007: Soul Calibur 4 footage

TGS 2007 gave Gametrailers.com an opportunity to speak to the guys behind Soul Calibur 4! Certainly one of my most anticipated titles that featured at the show. As a long time fan of the series I cannot wait to get my hands on the title.

This interview contains some stunning game footage including some of one of the new characters Hilda... strangely a fighting lady who wears a full suit of armour rather than noting! Not sure how the fans will react to that one!

Also covered in the interview are some online details and a tiny hint that we might just see special guest characters similar to those found in Soul Calibur 2. Take a look and see what is in store from the latest version of this classic fighting series!

Posted by David Halse on September 30, 2007 7:06 PM in Games| Interviews| PlayStation Home & Online| Videos
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David Hayter: speaking with the enemy

Super_Smash_Bros_Brawl7.jpgWe know that pesky Solid Snake has been sneaking about over to rival camp Nintendo to star and undoubtedly drive the success of Super Smash Bros on the Wii but now what is this we hear Mr David Hayter!?

For those looking at their screens with blank impressions, David Hayter is the vocal talent behind the cigarette smoking sneaker snake himself. It seems that Nintendo were not content with stealing the character but also Mr Hayter as been tempted to the mass market side and will be lending is voice to Super Smash Brothers.

Hayter confirmed it all on his YouTube page and had these choice words to say about it. "I've recorded it already, and I believe that fans of both games are going to be extremely happy. It's very cool. That's all I can say."

Posted by David Halse on September 30, 2007 6:42 PM in Games| Interviews
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The PS3 helps FXIII get "close to perfection"

FFXIII%20posters-1.jpgIt seems Square Enix sees the PS3 as the future of gaming, and that the console offers its developers their best chance to reach perfection to date.

In an interview with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, Final Fantasy designer Tetsuya Nomura discussed the all important TGS FFXIII trailers which ended with "For PLAYSTATION 3 ONLY" on them. This had the internets gossiping away; Sqaure Enix was going to stick to being Sony exclusive. But why, you might ask?!

Posted by Keri Allan on September 28, 2007 3:23 PM in Games| Interviews
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Activision already bragging about what they'll do with Bizarre

activision%20diff.jpgActivision has big plans for developer Bizarre Creations – its plans to launch its first internally made racing game for Christmas ’09, taking on the big boys in the racing arena; EA, Sony, Microsoft and THQ.

In an interview with MCV, European boss Joerg Trouvain said: “its true there is a lot of competition out there but Bizarre Creations is not just a studio – it’s one of the very best studios in the world, and we will be able to deliver an outstanding racing game to the market.” The company’s executive vice president of publishing Robin Kaminsky added: “We believe Bizarre’s development capabilities coupled with Activision’s world class marketing and distribution resources should enable us to take the racing genre beyond where it is today.”

Posted by Keri Allan on September 28, 2007 1:10 PM in Games| Interviews| Software
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Home open beta still to happen this year says Harrison

Home%20black.jpgPhil Harrison has told Gamespot that as far as he is concerned, Home’s release delay means nothing has changed. Well, that’s a bit silly really, ‘cos it has changed, but perhaps he just couldn’t think of the right turn of phrase. Anyway, the main point he was trying to make is that general beta testing will be taking place before Christmas, so we’ll still get a chance to explore home before the fireworks herald the start of 2008.

"We will still be opening in late November/early December for general beta testing. So, the commercial start of Home will be pushed out later, but you will still get the experience this year."

That’s some good news at least. But with all the Home hype building up, lets hope its not a disappointment…

Source
Gamespot

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Posted by Keri Allan on September 21, 2007 2:16 PM in Interviews| PlayStation Home & Online| Sony news
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Blu-ray will front PS3's future marketing campaigns says Hirai

ps3magnifyingglass.jpgAlthough the PS3’s Blu-ray drive has caused lots of price/cost issues for the Japanese giant, Sony’s Kaz Hirai has told the Financial Timers that the company will be using Blu-ray as the leading tool in the PS3’s future marketing campaigns.

Hirai claims Sony Computer Entertainment is working closely with Sony Pictures and Sony Entertainment to “get the Blu-Ray message out”, though he did admit that marketing the machine as both a games console and hi-def movie player poses challenges.

Posted by Keri Allan on September 21, 2007 2:07 PM in Blu-ray| Hardware| Interviews| Sony news
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TGS 07 - Home delayed 'till 2008

ps-home-lobby-old-490.jpgThe PS3’s big hitting social MMO Home has been delayed until Spring 2008, according to Kaz Hirai during the Tokyo Game Show press conference.

During a Q&A session following his keynote, he explained why Home has been delayed from sometime this year to spring of next year.

Posted by Keri Allan on September 20, 2007 9:09 AM in Events| Interviews| PlayStation Home & Online| Release dates| Sony news
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MGS will be back

ray1.jpgHideo Kojima the crazy son of a gun behind the outrageously popular Metal Gear Solid has let on that MGS4 is not goodbye to the series, just farewell to the chain smoking, box dweller Solid Snake. Oh yes the franchise will go on just as sure as there will be a FIFA 09, 10, 11, 12... Well you get the idea.

In a recent interview with Gamert.nl Kojima was asked whether it would be difficult to say goodbye to, probably, the best known stealth franchise Metal Gear Solid. Kojima commented that it actually would not be too hard as the Metal Gear Solid series will continue just like the James Bond franchise. He said the only disappointing thing is to say goodbye to Solid Snake as that character and part of the series is his baby but his new staff will be free to use MGS brand for a new franchise as they please.

So great news that new games in the MGS universe will come into being after the Solid Snake saga has ended. Where could they take the series after this? Using the giant Metal Gear robots in a fighting game like Godzilla?... No maybe not.

Posted by David Halse on September 15, 2007 4:55 PM in Games| Interviews
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Lair pushed the boundries? Did it?

lair-art-big.jpgLair is something of an enigma the titles reception by the media as a whole could be considered pretty luke warm. Many reports sugesting that Lair was over hyped and seriously under delivered.

So, I was quite surprised to see that it is being claimed that this mediocre title had pushed the limits of the PS3! At least this is according to one developer. During an interview with Freep.com one of the development team was asked which aspects of the game they are most proud of. The response to which was to say that Lair takes advantage of all aspects of the PS3 such as 1080p graphics, 7.1 uncompressed surround sound, SIXAXIS controls and enough content to fill 25GB and remarked the game could not be developed on any other system as a result.

You can read the whole interview here.

Now I know that developers live, breathe and sleep their creations but do you think that Lair was really as ground breaking as suggested? I can't help thinking that the developers were too wrapped up in using all the features of the technology to make an enjoyable game!

Posted by David Halse on September 11, 2007 7:51 PM in Games| Interviews
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Silent Hill 5 footage and new info emerges from the fog

1UP.com managed to bag an exclusive first look at the creepy new instalment of Silent Hill and they very kindly provided the interview and in game footage so I thought that you guys might like to see and hear about some of things in store for our next visit to Silent Hill.

Personally I have found the SH series to be the providers of some of the most terrifying moments in gaming I have ever have experienced and it would seem that the 5th instalment is taking a lot of inspiration from the incredible Silent Hill 2 which had many PS2 owners hiding behind the sofa. Unfortunately there has been no real confirmation of when we will be ale to scare ourselves stupid once more but some time in 2008 seems like a safe bet... for now.

Posted by David Halse on September 9, 2007 7:36 PM in Games| Interviews| Videos
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Uh-oh. Square Enix head not happy with PS3's performance so far

final-fantasy-xiii-sqaure-enix.jpgThis is very, very bad news because, Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII, along with Metal Gear Solid 4, is the big hope for turning things around in Japan for PS3.

If Square Enix gets mad and announces FFXII for Xbox 360 or, heaven forbid, Nintendo's Wii, Sony will face a disastrous backlash from its fans worldwide.

Speaking to boring fact blog Reuters, Square Enix's head Yoichi Wada said "Sony first unveiled the PS3 as a mighty home electronics product. Then, after some badgering from game companies, it shifted the position of the console closer to a game machine."

He then rather rudely suggested that "(The future of the PS3) would be tough if its marketing strategy is not straightened up."

That sounds like a pretty firm warning that Sony needs to start selling more consoles, now, or it could risk losing exclusivity on Final Fantasy XIII...

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Posted by Gary Cutlack on September 7, 2007 9:57 AM in Games| Hardware| Interviews
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Rumour: FFVII remake for PS3... again!

FinalFantasyCloudTechDemo.jpgStill reeling from the horror of the Half-Life 2 delay my mood was instantly lifted at the even minuscule possibility of a Final Fantasy VII remake for the PS3 and the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu are certainly throwing fuel on that fire after speaking to a number of Square Enix bigwigs recently.

The guys from Famitsu managed to grab some interview time with a whole host of Square Enix staff including executive producer Yoshinori Kitase, producer Hideki Imaizumi, director Hajime Tabata, and character designer Tetsuya Nomura to discuss Crisis Core and future Square Enix projects.

Posted by David Halse on September 6, 2007 5:55 PM in Games| Interviews
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Analysts expect 80GB PS3 price drop for Christmas

michael_pachter_wedbush.jpgAlthough Sony hasn’t stated anything either way, analysts still strongly believe that the Japanese giant will lower the PS3’s US 80GB price by $100 before Christmas this year.

Industry analyst Michael Pachter from Wedbush Morgan said this week: "We note that Sony recently acknowledged that it will no longer produce its 60GB PS3, and we expect the price of the 80GB PS3 to be reduced to $499 before the holidays, maintaining a premium SKU at that price point," Pachter of Wedbush Morgan has stated.

Posted by Keri Allan on September 5, 2007 9:50 AM in Hardware| Interviews| Sony news
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Sony: Developers having trouble with PS3 is a good thing

PS3%20Front.jpg
It has already been reported that a number of developers have complained that Sony's PS3 is too difficult to develop for.

Kaz Hirai, President of Sony Computer Entertainment has been speaking with the guys at Official PlayStation Magazine and issued a statement on the development issues. Maintaining a positive spin on the situation and actually going as far as saying it is a good thing!

Hirai proposed a parallel between the problems that the PS3 is facing and the problems that faced the PS2 at launch. He also when on to say that if developers were finding it easy that might point to them getting the best from the system immediately and thus reducing the systems lifespan.

Posted by David Halse on September 3, 2007 6:46 PM in Games| Hardware| Interviews| Software
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Haze jumps off the fence - confirming PS3 exclusivity

HAZE_Trooper_Description_preview--screenshot_large-1.jpgFirst Radical's sci-fi first-person shooter Haze is now being planned solely for Sony's PS3, according to an Ubisoft interview with Gamespot.

Originally lined up as a multiplatform release for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 in spring, there has been rumblings of change for sometime now. Back in May Ubisoft announced that the PS3 had become the ‘lead platform’ for the title, which would be released in November as a timed exclusive, but now Ubi has announced that no other versions are currently in development, and although it was still leaving the door open in the future for ‘new partnerships’, currently the game is indeed only planned for the PS3.

Posted by Keri Allan on August 31, 2007 4:45 PM in Games| Interviews| Software
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EA developer says PS3 tools 'suck'

75388-1.jpgIt seems the EA/PS3 development tools ‘discussion’ isn’t quite over yet, as a NASCAR developer from EA Tiburon has made his feelings on them pretty damn clear this week.

In an interview with Xbox Evolved, the developer said on the PS3/Xbox 360 comparison debate:

Posted by Keri Allan on August 30, 2007 10:58 AM in Hardware| Interviews| Software
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Crytek working on new console game, plus secret PS3 technologies

yerli.jpgLeipzig has seen the big player focus on hardware and accessories this year, plus the odd ‘new’ game we’ve already heard about, so it’s nice to finally have some news on new ‘top secret’ games in the works.

Thanks to GamesIndustry.biz, we can now tell you that Crytek; the team behind the upcoming Crysis, is heavily invested in console development, especially for the PS3.

"Our PS3 development is going deeper than many people assume right now," studio boss Cevat Yerli said.

Posted by Keri Allan on August 24, 2007 9:43 AM in Games| Hardware| Interviews| Software
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The US public's reaction to the GTA IV delay

gtaivdelay.jpgUS website and print magazine The Onion has gone onto the streets of America to do some vox pops on what the population think of GTA IV’s delay into 2008, with quite amusing results.

Some of the comments were just brilliant. “Well, I suppose until then I can relax with a fine glass of wine and brush up on my Dostoevsky,” said one guy. Another seemed a little more tense however.

Posted by Keri Allan on August 22, 2007 12:46 PM in Games| Interviews| Release dates| Software
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Mark Rein - Unreal Engine games are not all the same!

phat_raptor.jpgMark Rein has made himself look like a man on the edge by lashing out at accusations that all Unreal Engine games look the same.

When asked why they looked a bit similar during a questions and answers session his curtly responded, "Do you think BioShock looks like Gears of War? Really? Have you seen Undertow?" Visibly irate he at least offered some further insight saying "The answer to that is that if two games look similar to one another in this day and age...it's probably intentional. It's probably two art directors who like one another's work and go for the same effect."

Doug Binks from Crytek was on hand to back up Rein, to a point. "I do think there are technological features from engines that define a certain amount of the look," he said, "but you can play around with that using tools."

Posted by David Halse on August 21, 2007 7:26 PM in Games| Hardware| Interviews| Software
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Dark Sector developers enter the great engine debate

11398_Dark%20Sector.jpgDigital Extremes covert mutant-agent shooter Dark Sector has been pushed back to early 2008 and the official line according to developer Digital Extremes was that the delay is due to the overcrowding of big titles this holiday.

Seems fair enough really, with a holiday season wall to wall with top quality titles Digital Extremes might be a little worried about their title getting lost in the crowd.

However, it now seems that there might be a truth that is much darker and more akin to Dark Sectors covert-ops than first revealed. Gaming site Gameplayer recently had a hands-on session for Dark Sector at Digital Extemes' studio and game director Steve Sinclair joined them to help demo the project.

Posted by David Halse on August 20, 2007 7:55 PM in Games| Interviews| Rivals
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