Wednesday 15 July 2009

Gamestop Lists Mass Effect 2 On PS3


Well, it looks like Gamestop.com are either copy-pasting their product descriptions or they know something we don’t, because the PS3 listing for the collector’s edition of Dragon Age Origins appears to offer an “exclusive in-game item for the upcoming Mass Effect 2″. And yes, on the PS3 version.

I’ll be honest, I’m assuming that this is a mistake, but if it’s not this is the first confirmation that Mass Effect 2 is heading to the PS3. For what it’s worth, the American special version of Dragon Age Origins also contains a bonus DVD, a cloth map and other in-game content. The thing costs $75, and doesn’t come with a set of night vision goggles.

DC Comics God of War mini-series Coming October


IGN is reporting that DC/Wildstorm Comics and Sony are teaming up to chronicle the events of Kratos in a God of War comic series. Spanning six issues, this new comic will hit stands this October and is being written by Marv Wolfman who, among being a notable dude in the comics biz, is also a big fan of the games.

The series, which will run up until the release of God of War III, focuses on the sordid tales of Kratos' past, detailing his enrollment in the Spartan army at the age of seven, as well as events that occur between the first two games. What we're wondering is how the comic will include the QTE sex scene. You can't have God of War without that!

The Reason EU Home Lags Behind


Currently in sunny/rainy (it can’t make up its mind) Brighton, the Develop conference is enduring the indecisive nature of the weather. At said conference, Peter Edward, Director of the PlayStation Home platform group tried to give us a reason as to why the European version of Home is still so lacking in spaces and content compared to other territories – especially for an EU developed platform. I say tried, as we knew the reason he gave, but do we really accept it? I’m not sure I do.

Edwards put the delays down to localistion. ”I think localisation is a big part of that,” he said. “The expectation that spaces will be localised into at least the EFIGS (English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) languages leads to delays.” I don’t know whether this is just me being cynical, but why not just hire more people to localise? Or start localising earlier, who knows. All I know is that I’m fed up of waiting for these spaces, bring them here already!

European users have downloaded a huge six million free and paid virtual items, a figure of paid items would be rather interesting to see how much Home is actually generating for Sony from it’s seven million users, three million of which are based in Europe. 80% of its users are aged 18-35, which according to Edwards is also suggesting a broadening of the console’s user base.

FIFA 10 Release date


It as been confired that the next FIFA game in the series named FIFA 10 will be released on the 2nd of october here in the UK.

Here are 13 key facts:

360 Dribbling-The first-ever true 360 dribbling system in a football game provides finer dribbling control, enabling players to find spaces between defenders that previously were not possible.

Skilled Dribbling-All-new animation warping technology provides unprecedented control. Skilled players now have the ability to face a defender and use highly-responsive lateral dribbling to skip past him.

Freedom in Physical Play-Wider dribble touches and new collision sharing creates a varied, less predictable, and extended fight for possession between the dribbler and a defender.

Player Urgency-Improved urgency AI logic, with over 50 new movement cycles, delivers more responsive positioning so your players stay focused on the ball and move at a speed appropriate to the action.

Improved Trapping Intelligence -Players now have a better awareness of where the easiest, most natural trapping position is so they can get the ball on the ground and under control easier and earlier.

Advanced Positioning -Defenders multi-task and play the pitch more intelligently by covering dangerous spaces left by out-of-position teammates. In attack, players analyze space more effectively, curve their runs to stay onside, create passing lanes and vary attacking options.

More Accurate Passing -Players better analyze space resulting in pinpoint passes that give their receivers more options and time to outrun defensive pressure.

Authentic Shooting -Refinements to the shooting system and modifications of the ball physics create a wider, more realistic variety of shots that enhance the exhilaration of scoring.

Varied Defending Options -Slide Tackle targeting has been enhanced so skilled players have more reach and avoid tackling through the dribbler. Better effort clearance logic gives defenders more options when attempting to get a foot on the ball before an attacker. Effort, such as sliding to block crosses and overhead kick clearances, give defenders more tools to prevent goal-scoring opportunities.

Refined Goalkeeper Intelligence - numerous improvements mean that goalkeepers now have more urgency and better perception of where to intercept loose balls, resulting in a more responsive and powerful rushing system. New animation warping technology provides game-realistic goalkeeper positioning and momentum, resulting in more varied scoring opportunities.

Manager Mode Authenticity-More than 50 major improvements were designed to create an authentic experience to mimic the real-world game. Match results are based on team and player strengths and weaknesses. Player transfers are determined by multiple decision points, including club finance and prestige, availability of similar players, and competition from AI-controlled clubs. Player development is more realistic with true-to-life growth curves based on factors such as age and environment.

Continuous Gameplay- Maintain the atmosphere, pace, and intensity of a match with quick free kicks and referee carding.

New Practice Arena-Work on individual skills in a fully featured practice mode before stepping on the pitch.






Warhawk Servers To Close?


A certain Dylan Jobe has left a message over on the EU forums. “I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the postings and predictions of morgothemighty are indeed true – the Warhawk servers as you know them will be shutting down in approximately 3 months time.”

“With the advent of our latest project, servers will need to be freed up to allow us to offer the same fantastic service you have known and loved from warhawk. I can’t say too much now, but you will be blown away by what is in store for the lover of online only, multi vehicular, multiplayer gaming.”


Update: Glasgow is safe, Dylan has told us “that post is fake and not me. I’ve informed the team in London. All the servers are not going away.” So don't worry people warhawk is here to stay.

Guerrilla Games Not Done with the PS3, Killzone 3?


Halo started it all for console first person shooters as we know them, and until Call of Duty 4 came along, it was pretty much unopposed. One failed attempt to take the crown was the original Killzone, which received a poor response from gamers everywhere. Killzone 2 launched on the PlayStation 3 earlier this year in February and has gone up against the juggernauts of the FPS genre. We here at TheGamerAccess.com were hungry for more information on Killzone 2 and the future plans of Guerrilla Games so they were nice enough to answer many of our questions.

I would first like to introduce you to the amazing people at Guerrilla Games who took time out of their busy schedules to answer our questions:

Mathijs de Jonge - Game Director

Eric Boltjes - Lead Online Designer

Steven ter Heide - Senior Producer

Now let's get to the interview shall we?



TheGamerAccess.com: What is it like being a Sony first party studio and what other developers have you worked with?

Mathijs de Jonge: It’s great to be a first party Sony studio. The balance between creative freedom and support from their side to develop our games is spot on and works well for both of us.

TheGamerAccess.com: What media has influenced the development of the Killzone franchise?

Mathijs de Jonge: Blockbuster action and war movies mostly.

TheGamerAccess.com: What ever happened to Hakha and Lugar from the original Killzone?

Steven ter Heide: Both are around and well I believe. They were interesting characters for sure, however for Killzone 2 we wanted to introduce some new characters that brought different elements to the story.

TheGamerAccess.com: How much did you learn about the PS3 that will make future projects easier?

Mathijs de Jonge: A lot. We now have a very strong and solid engine. And equally important, our in-house tools have been further improved as well which allows our staff to worry less about how (technical) to implement something rather then what (creative) to implement.

TheGamerAccess.com: Did you have a goal for Killzone 2 and were those goals met?

Mathijs de Jonge: Yes I feel that we’ve met our goals to a large degree. Everybody has seen our 2005 trailer in which we first communicated our vision for the game. Translating this video into a playable experience with the same level of graphical detail and intensity was a challenging task, but I feel that we managed to pull this off successfully. The first time that I personally felt assured that we had something unique was during a press event in Santa Monica where I played in front of the journalists through the 2nd level. Although I had played that level many times already it still managed to suck me in and I felt a real rush that not many other games have ever managed to do.

TheGamerAccess.com: Are you happy with the current sales totals and weekly sales totals of Killzone 2?

Steven ter Heide: It’s very satisfying to see the title doing well. It’s especially great to be playing your own game online with so many other people out there. Sales figures of course are a big focus and we are happy with consumer response to the game. Most important for us though is listening to the feedback, positive or negative to help us improve the product that we make.

TheGamerAccess.com: Did Guerrilla Games see any other game or game developer/publisher as competition with the release of Killzone2?

Steven ter Heide: We were very happy with the strategic placement of our release window. Traditionally a lot of titles are released during the Christmas period, so coming out in February gave us some time to polish as well as release without that many titles around.

TheGamerAccess.com: Have and will you guys ever consider making a sequel/prequel where the player sees the war from the eyes of the Helghast?

Mathijs de Jonge: It’s certainly an interesting idea but again right now we are still in full online and DLC support for Killzone 2.

TheGamerAccess.com: Do you guys plan on developing another title for this generation? Killzone 3?

Steven ter Heide: PlayStation 3 has a very long life ahead still, and we’re certainly not done developing for this platform. We still see enough opportunities to get better and pushing the platform even further.

TheGamerAccess.com: Do you have anymore DLC planned, other than map packs, for Killzone 2?

Eric Boltjes: Actually we have been releasing DLC already. Our DLC will remain focused around Map Packs, although that doesn’t mean we’re not introducing new features. Map Pack #2 – Flash & Thunder – introduced a new Nuke mechanic to spice things up. You’ll see us building on this premise in the future.

TheGamerAccess.com: Will you guys ever add a "true" party system to Killzone 2's multiplayer?

Eric Boltjes: No, unfortunately due to the way KZ2 is setup right now, we are unable to put such a feature in.

TheGamerAccess.com: Will we ever see different online modes such as hardcore, no respawn, or even games that have rounds instead of the full warzone?

Eric Boltjes: We are currently investigating if we can put in such features in the future but no promises yet.

TheGamerAccess.com: Will there ever be dedicated rooms that will not allow players to tweak any changes, leaving the online experience to be played how you guys feel they should be, such as medleys, warzones, deathmatch-only, and other modes? Because as it stands now, it's hard to find a room that a player hasn't allowed all elements of the game to stay in. For example, a lot of games now exclude the assault class entirely.

Eric Boltjes: Part of Killzone 2’s focus points was to allow players to create their own customized games as much as possible and to a large extent I think we have succeeded. However, we are always looking at the way the community is responding to our designs and will take this type of feedback into consideration for future projects and possibly DLC. I cannot tell you specifics right now though .

TheGamerAccess.com: Do you guys plan to follow suit after other Sony first party studios by developing a new complementary IP like Naughty Dog or Insomniac have done with Uncharted and the Jack series or Resistance and Ratchet series?

Steven ter Heide: We cannot comment on future projects.

TheGamerAccess.com: Are there any studios you are looking to collaborate with?

Mathijs de Jonge: Other than the Sony studios we’re already working with, not really.

TheGamerAccess.com: What future games from other developers are you looking forward to?

Mathijs de Jonge: The one title that I’m really looking forward to is The Last Guardian from Team Ico. That game looks really inspiring and refreshing.

The Gamer Access

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TurboGrafx PC Games Coming to PSN


From today the PSN store in Japan will be updated with PC engine games including Bomberman '94, New Adventure Island (Takahashi Meijin no Shin Boukenjima), Sengoku Mahjong, and Devil Crush are available starting today, priced at the standard Game Archives going price of ¥600. The games are playable on both PlayStation 3 and PSP.

Sony also i have said to expect more PC engine games in the future, and maybe we will see more classic games from other platforms such as Genesis and NeoGeo.

No word on if we will see this kind of service for U.S and Europe but i would expect we will see it at some point in the future. Japan seems to get most things first then over time they come to other regions, maybe Sony are trying out this service first in Japan to see if there is a demand over here.



Rumored PlayStation Store Update: 16/07/09


Below is the rumored store update for tomorrow (16/7/09)

Games for your PS3:


  • [US] TBA
  • [JP] Tales of Vesperia (Demo) CONFIRMED
  • [JP] PC Engine games:
  • Bomberman ‘94
  • New Adventure Island
  • Sengoku Mahjong
  • and Devil Crush
  • [EU] TBA


PSP Games and DLC:

  • [US] Myst
  • [US] Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This? CONFIRMED
  • [US] Unbound Saga (coming to EU next week) CONFIRMED
  • [JP] Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light CONFIRMED
  • [JP] Rezel Cross CONFIRMED
  • [JP] Jeanne D’arc PSP the Best CONFIRMED
  • [JP] PoPoLoCrois PSP the Best CONFIRMED
  • [HK] Idolmaster SP CONFIRMED
  • New DLC content added on Tuesday.
  • [EU] TBA


PS3 Game Downloadable Content:

  • [ALL] LittleBigPlanet CONFIRMED
  • Ghostbusters Pack: Includes sticker pack and costumes.
  • [ALL] Guitar Hero CONFIRMED
  • Eagles of Death Metal: “Anything ‘Cept the Truth”
  • Eagles of Death Metal: “Cherry Cola”
  • Eagles of Death Metal: “I Only Want You”
  • [ALL] Rock Band CONFIRMED
  • Big Dipper “All Going Out Together”
  • Big Dipper “She’s Fetching”
  • Big Dipper “Younger Bums”
  • Judas Priest “Dissident Aggressor (Live)”
  • Judas Priest “Eat Me Alive (Live)”
  • Judas Priest “Prophecy (Live)”
  • The Dead Weather “Hang You From the Heavens”
  • The Dead Weather “No Hassle Night”
  • The Dead Weather “Treat Me Like Your Mother”
  • [JP/HK] Naruto Ultimate Storm CONFIRMED
  • Storm Pack 7.
  • [HK] Disgaea 3
  • Class World Command Attack Mode.
  • [HK] Record of The Agarest War CONFIRMED
  • Items, Points and Forbidden Book.


PS3 Game Updates:

  • [ALL] Killzone 2 CONFIRMED
  • New patch issued on Tuesday, along with associated server downtime.
  • [US] Disgaea 3
  • Trophy Patch coming this week.