Assassin's Creed II Dev Diaries Part I: Ezio HD

Video Games | Assassin's Creed II | Dev Diaries Part I: Ezio HD

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Sacred 2 DLC On The Way For PS3

I've copied & pasted the following from the Official Sacred forum.....


Today we got a statement from our Managing director that hopefully helps with some of the upcoming questions regarding patches, future DLC and the possible port for the already accounced addon Ice&Blood for Sacred 2 Fallen Angel, which I do not want to keep from you:

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeikotomFelde
Dear customers

We are currently in negotiation to port the PC addon also to console. This will include also new upgrades and DLC between now and release of the AddOn Dec 09/Jan 10. Also we are working on a Japanese version. This Japanese version also results in new upgrades for the world. We can not confirm any timing of new upgrades for both platforms because the contracts have to be finished first. My guess is we will be able to start release new upgrades for both platforms early October. First we need to finalize the contracts but the Console devs are already working on technical requirements and plans for the Addon port.

Thank you for your understanding and support of Sacred2 and Ascaron

Heiko tom Felde
Managing Director
Ascaron

How To Make Trophies More Fun

Trophies seem to be popular with PS3 owners the world over but what would make them even more worth collecting?

Maybe a way of exchanging trophies earned for credit or special downloads like avatars for your friends list from the PSN store could be one way of using them.

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Another could be a way to use them within Home, like a special store within the Mall/shopping centre called the trophy store where you could exchange them for game related t-shirts/outfits and game related Home personal space items like posters,wallpapers,music from the game's or even special pod casts.

Or how about when you make it to a certain number of trophies Sony could send you an award via post or e-mail showing how many trophies with well done and a special background(favorite game) or maybe a store you can access on your PC or PS3 where you can exchange trophies for real world items for example soundtracks from your favorite game,t-shirts,posters,figures etc.

These are just a few things off the top of my head but some way of using these trophies might make people want them more and in turn buy more games and DLC.

Also a global leaderboard under the friends list so we can see where we rank against the rest of the world and are friends would also be another great feature.

I'm sure Sony will one day introduce a system to use trophies in some kind of way, so i think it's up to us to keep asking for this and then i'm sure Sony will listen

Uncharted 2 fact sheet

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves
FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Action-Adventure Shooter
Players: Single player
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system
Launch Date: 2009
Rating: “RP” for Rating Pending


OVERVIEW
UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves is the story of Nathan Drake, a fortune-hunter with a shady reputation and an even shadier past who is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers. The tenth game by premier PLAYSTATION 3 developer Naughty Dog, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves allows players to take control of Drake and embark on a journey that will push him to his physical, emotional and intellectual limits to discover the real truth behind the lost fleet of Marco Polo and the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala.

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STORY
In 1292, after spending nearly 20 years in the court of emperor Kublai Khan, Marco Polo departed China with 14 ships filled with over 600 passengers and crew. Eighteen months later, when Marco Polo arrived at his destination, only one ship remained and only 18 passengers survived. Although Marco Polo described every aspect of his adventures in detail, he never revealed what happened to these lost ships, passengers or treasure on board – even on his deathbed.

Drawn in by the potential riches to be found – but most inspired by the intrigue of the historical mystery – Drake embarks on a quest to find the lost fleet. He soon realizes that Marco Polo was hiding a much bigger secret – he had gone on a secret expedition on behalf of the emperor to find the mythical kingdom of Shambhala (otherwise known as Shangri-La) and to recover the legendary Cintamani Stone, the “wish-fulfilling jewel” of Buddhist mythology. The Stone is described by Marco Polo as a massive raw sapphire – if it truly exists, it would be worth billions of dollars today.

This discovery sets Drake on a new course following Marco Polo’s 700-year-old trail through a diverse range of exotic environments to find out if the lost city of Shambhala, rumored to lie deep in the Himalayas, really exists. This quest also pits him against a new, more formidable adversary who is after the same artifact – a ruthless, rogue paramilitary leader with a private army and a relentless ambition to recover the stone for himself.

Utilizing the Naughty Dog Engine 2.0 to blend together the art of cinema and gaming, the immersive action and storytelling is brought to life through technology only made possible on the PLAYSTATION 3. Maximizing the CELL processor like no studio has done before as animation, physics, sound, and motion / audio capture combine together to enable gamers to become Nathan Drake and immerse themselves in his extraordinary story as they play.


KEY FEATURES
• An expanded cast of characters who reflect different facets of Drake’s character, including Chloe Frazer, Drake’s current partner and new romantic interest.

• Varied and exotic locations – from lush, green swamps and dense urban environments, all the way to the ice and snow of the Himalayas.


• Unrestricted combat allows players to take an aggressive or stealthy approach to combat.
Free-flowing “traversal gunplay” adds a unique vertical element to familiar cover-based third-person shooting mechanics, allowing the player to engage in combat from any position in the environment – even while climbing and hanging.
Introduction of new traversal and free-climbing mechanics allow Drake to navigate through the environments more fluidly and naturally.
Gunplay and combat enhancements, including an expanded melee system, and a variety of enemy types with advanced AI routines.

• High-quality cinematic presentation of scenes, characters and dialogue, all rendered within the Naughty Dog Engine 2.0.
Dramatic in-game events that make the player an active participant in the cinematic experience.
Full character interaction with dynamic geometry.

• Utilizes Naughty Dog Engine 2.0 purpose-built for the PLAYSTATION 3; utilizes the PS3 technology to hit a turning point in technology innovation by recreating reality and capturing human emotion.

• No visible loading – a Naughty Dog hallmark – returns along with technology improvements in major game systems such as lighting, shadows, ambient occlusion, animation technology and physics, among many others.

MULTIPLAYER

• Robust party system allows players to remain with their friends in matchmaking and custom matches.
• Custom matches allow players to customize maps and modes which their party wishes to play.
• Currency gained in multiplayer matches can be combined with currency gained in single player missions to unlock additional content and upgrades.
• Character animations and environments taken from single player campaign maintain visual fidelity with no degradation.
• Gameplay and character mechanics identical from the single-player campaign, ensuring user familiarity and same level of quality
• Headset support
• Proprietary Naughty Dog Engine 2.0 network code captures a broad range of gameplay data for statistics reporting on the web and for functionality like Cinema, which allows players to watch replays of matches
• Cutting edge technology such as cloud-based computing allows for scalable online infrastructure to provide optimal player experience

Competitive Multiplayer

• Competitive multiplayer gameplay includes up to 10 players in heroes-versus-villains matches
• Deathmatch: Up to 5 vs. 5 with customizable or pre-set game modes
• Plunder: Unique style of multiplayer that encourages team work to transport a treasure across terrain horizontally and vertically over obstacles
• Player boosters give players a variety of options to customize their characters to their play style or to provide an advantage over opponents

Co-op Multiplayer

• Up to three players work together in cooperative modes to accomplish set objectives with increasing difficulty and against special enemy characters
• Combo system encourages further teamwork to increase a point total and currency multiplier
• Weapon upgrades let players customize their weapons to their play style or provide an advantage over opponents

Gran Turismo 5 fact sheet

FACT SHEET


Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Developer: Polyphony Digital, Inc.
Platform: PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3)
Genre: Racing Simulation
Release: TBA


OVERVIEW
Gran Turismo 5 will be the a new entry on the popular, award winning, high seller, very well known Gran Turismo racing simulation series. GT5 will expand on the Prologue game and will be the first full Gran Turismo game to hit the PlayStation 3. The game was first revealed at E3 2006 along with the final design of the PlayStation 3. Its name at the time was Vision Gran Turismo. When the PlayStation 3 was released, what was going to be GT5 turned into Gran Turismo HD that was released as a demo at the time. Later, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was released and GT5 was pushed back to a later release date. In an April 2008 interview, Kazunori Yamauchi revealed that 150 people had worked on Gran Turismo 5 for four years, with all of Polyphony Digital's 120 employees working on GT5, and the game costing 50 times more to develop than 1997's Gran Turismo. In November 2008, Kazonuri Yamauchi was interviewed by Audi at Nurburgring Nordschleife. In the interview Yamauchi confirms features as weather changes, night races, and more features added to the Online parts of the game. However, no release date or window was announced in the interview, although Kazunori Yamuachi has confirmed that GT5 can be released at any time On June 2, 2009 at Sony's E3 2009 Press Conference a trailer for GT5 was shown, though there was no in game footage. The trailer showed licenses from NASCAR and WRC. Many cars and tracks were shown in the trailer, as well as damage but no release date was announced. Gran Turismo® 5, is coming exclusively to the PlayStation®3 system. Known for its signature beauty and precision, the highly anticipated racer will showcase new jaw-dropping cars, real-life tracks, and diverse racing styles. Gran Turismo promises to deliver exciting advancements to the series in the most comprehensive racing experience ever.

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KEY FEATURES:


Cars

Gran Turismo 5 will feature hundreds of cars from many different manufacturers; carrying on the trend from other Gran Turismo games in the past. The official list of cars still remains unconfirmed by Polyphony Digital. For the first time in the main numbered series, Ferrari cars will be featured in the game.

As we can see from the prominently displayed logos in the trailer, GT5 holds the official licenses for both NASCAR and the FIA World Rally Championship. What’s that mean, exactly? Aside from the obvious fact that stock cars and WRC rally cars will be in the game, it is still unclear how these racing series will be integrated within the classical framework of a Gran Turismo title.

While no announcements with regards to the official car list have been made, waging through the videos, screenshots and cars included in Gran Turismo HD Concept have given hint that the following vehicles should wind up in the final game (note that the model year may not be 100% accurate):

- 1991 Acura NSX
- 2006 Alfa Romeo Brera
- 2007 Audi R8
- 2007 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro
- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0i
- 2001 Clio V6 Renault Sport
- 2002 Daihatsu Copen
- 1999 Dodge Viper GTS
- 2006 Ferrari F430
- 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB
- 2006 Ford Mustang GT
- 2004 Honda Integra Type R
- 2006 Infinity G35 Coupe
- 1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione
- 1999 Lotus Elise 190
- 2004 Lotus Elise 111R
- 1989 Mazda Eunos Roadster
- 2002 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG
- 1996 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR
- 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR
- 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
- 2005 Nissan GT-R Prototype
- 1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec II
- 1997 Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec
- 2002 Nissan Xanavi 350Z
- 1995 Suzuki Cappuccino
- 2005 Suzuki Swift Sport
- 1995 Toyota Celica GT-Four Rally Car
- 2000 TVR Tuscan Speed 6
- ???? Volkswagen Golf GTI




New Tracks Revealed

If you know your race tracks, it didn’t take long for you to pick out the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway paddock in the E3 trailer. The other new circuit is the Top Gear Test Track. Now, two years later, we’ve finally got our first look at two LMP cars on the Stig’s home turf.

The time of day at the Top Gear track may also be important - it could be our first look at day/night cycles and dynamic weather, something which Yamauchi mentioned in an interview with Audi. Let’s not get too carried away, though. Terronium-12 below, Laguna Seca was also played at dusk in Gran Turismo 3.

Another new track, Toscana, is set in the Tuscany region of Italy. The starting platform is particularly interesting, as it indicates a realistic, point-to-point rally stage (as opposed to the dirt circuits found in previous games). Other tracks include Suzuka Circuit, Fuji Speedway, Eiger Nordwand, London City, Daytona International Speedway,



Online Play


Gran Turismo 5 will mark the series' first foray into the online world, allowing gamers around the globe to connect and race with each other. While offline play should support fields of 16 vehicles, online play is likely to max out at 12. These numbers are the likely player counts, though the final numbers will be determined as Polyphony polishes the game as it approaches release.

Full voice options will be present. The game will give players the option of either having voice chats on during races or to turn them off and partake in a more realistic competition. It sounds like this option will be set by the server type rather than on a player-by-player basis.

Polyphony plans to offer plenty of integration with PlayStation Home, though it's unclear as to what extent this will work. We can assume that you'll be able to park a car from the game in a virtual garage, though this is pure speculation. We do know that the game will allow you to go directly from the game to Home and back again, tying the two together as closely as possible.




My Page: Perhaps the most unique aspect of online play will come in the form of My Page, a personalized starting spot that is said to be similar in vein to a MySpace page. Players will be able to customize their profile, which will reflect their location by showing actual buildings and current weather conditions on their page. Friends list integration should play into My Page as well.

While My Page will tie into the online portion of the game, it'll also act as your main hub for the standard GT single-player mode. Here, you'll find a number of icons including Garage, TV, Album, Options, Profile, Home and Calendar. The Event Calendar will show you a list of upcoming races that you can partake in, while TV should house saved replays.




In-Car View


Another first for the series will be the inclusion of an in-car view, replete with accurate representations of each vehicle's steering wheel, dashboard, instrumentation and more. Engine sounds will be different while racing from this view to accurately model what the vehicles would sound like while sitting in the driver's seat.

The rearview and side-view mirrors will all be fully functional, allowing you to accurately tell whether cars are at your side or tailpipe. You'll be able to look out of the side and rear windows by using the D-Pad should the mirrors not quite suffice.





Wheel Support
Gran Turismo 5 should support all USB-based PlayStation 2 driving wheels, including Logitech's Driving Force Pro and G25. In the case of the G25, it's unknown whether or not the game will make full use of the included gearbox, but we assume that it will. It's very likely that a new wheel designed for the PlayStation 3 will coincide with its release as Gran Turismo 3 and 4 saw branded wheels from Logitech launch alongside the game to great success.



Car Damage

In the “crash heard ’round the world”, this Subaru WRX STi was first to demonstrate GT5’s long-awaited damage modelling. The image pretty much speaks for itself

SCEA’s Eric Lempel on the subject of PS3 firmware updates, rumours and the XMB

“We’ve released a bunch of firmware updates to date, and we’ll continue to do that,” he says. “We’re aiming to release them quarterly, and sometimes there are a lot of great consumer features in them, and other times they’re just updates to help things behind the scenes.”

“I should say that a lot of times when we do these updates, there’s a ton of stuff in them for our developers, and consumers don’t see the benefits of those until they play some of those games that come out later on.”

“I think it’s important to know, a lot of people wonder why we do these updates when it just says something about security enhancements or that playability of software will be better. Actually, behind the scenes, there are reams of documents sometimes with improvements for developers, where they can take advantage of a bunch of new tools, or new ways to allocate memory, or other ways to improve performance,” he alludes. “You’ll definitely see another firmware update this year, but it won’t be like what the rumors say… Just in terms of that rumor, it’s not the case.”

Talking about the optional 2.80 firmware “You know, we very much thought about that,” he says, “and actually with 2.8 we implemented something that we didn’t talk a lot about. We actually gave consumers the option to update… With 2.8 it was an option. Users didn’t have to update when we released it, and actually weren’t prompted to do so, because there wasn’t any consumer-specific functionality. I’d say a majority of consumers out there who just wait to get hit by these updates didn’t even know about it. They might still not know about it.”

Pre Order Dead Rising 2 £28.85

Shopto.net have lowered the price of Dead Rising 2 pre order from £32.95 (most ps3 pre ordered games are £32.95) down to £28.85. So if you have yet to pre order Dead Rising 2 shopto.net should be the place for you.

PS3 Going 21:9?

There seems to be a rumour going around that the 2.80 firmware update as a option for 21:9 Cinema TV'S, So could this be what Sony were talking about when saying it as a option people will want?

Developers are under strict agreements not to reveal any details about what 2.80 contains expect more details soon.

PSP2 Details

Eurogamer.es is reporting that PowerVR technology from Imagination Technologies will form the basis of the still-in-development PSP2. The site claims to have insider sources that reckon that a quad core iteration of the low-power SGX543MP chip, codenamed "Hydra", will be present in the next generation handheld, not to be confused with the forthcoming PSPgo. The chip itself appears to be very close indeed to the enhanced GPU experts say resides within the iPhone 3GS, providing a generational leap in performance over older PowerVR MBX processors found in the previous models. The same technology is also found in select netbooks such as the Dell Mini 12, as part of the new low power Poulsbo chipset. The single core version of the chip has been demonstrated at CES running Quake 3 Arena at 30FPS. The obvious difference of course is that the SGX543MP is a multicore processor, available with anything up to 16 cores on tap. According to the original report, PSP2 opts for a quad configuration offering notional specs of 133 million polygons per second, and 4Gpixels/sec fillrate, assuming that Hydra operates at the chip's low-end of 200MHz (higher speed variants are also available, presumably for desktop use). While specs like this are always subject to interpretation, these figures are a ballpark match for the original Xbox. However, PowerVR's tech includes tile-based deferred rendering, which should provide a nice performance boost. Also of interest is the fact that Imagination Technologies itself describes the chip as a GP-GPU, meaning it has the ability to operate as both CPU and graphics processor in one handy package, similar to projects being worked on by Intel and AMD. It may well be that PSP2 will centralise all of its processing into a single chip, thus saving power and providing other efficiency savings from a programming perspective (lightning fast interaction between game logic and graphics, for example). So just how plausible is the original Spanish Eurogamer report? Having shared with us some of the more "off the record" information about the source of the info, it's a likely proposition, not least because Sony is hotly rumoured to have been the mystery "major international consumer electronics company" mentioned in this press release issued back in November last year.