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We just wrapped up the keynote presentation by Phil Harrison, and as Robert has already mentioned, it was quite impressive. It certainly helps that the British are naturally as charming as Christ, but, beyond that, what was on display was quite spectacular, as well.
Now, don't get me wrong, I still believe Sony would have been as effective as they had been this last year if they had just bludgeoned the general public repeatedly with hammers, instead of actually releasing anything, but they do have some very shiny things coming in the near future. First off was PlayStation home, a sort of virtual lobby world that this bloke in a robot helmet remarked to me was the new Second Life.
My head is still ringing from the inflatable soccer ball that had smashed into me previously, I agreed, but without the lure of sex with anthropomorphic foxes, could it possibly manage the same appeal of the former? Of course, it doesn't have to, but they are including the same kind of user-created content that has made Second Life so popular, so one can safely assume it's merely a matter of time before you can't swing a dead whatever-the-hell-Daxter-is without hitting a man seducing a sexy unicorn. That's just how the Internet is, kids. Welcome to Web 2.0.
Hit the jump for more (and I promise, no more furries).
On the topic of Web 2.0, Sony's new favorite buzzword is GAME 3.0. It brings that same confluence of people and ideas that websites like Wikipedia and Google have sprung out of, but, of course, it also includes gaming. In an electronic nutshell, GAME 3.0 is the idea that consoles are merely receptacles for online, worldwide content, as opposed to the static systems they have been in the past. What this means for people who have no Internet access is debatable, but if I had to guess, I'd imagine that you're going to be missing out on a ton of content if you happen to be sans broadband.
Singstar, Sony's upcoming karaoke replacement, seems to be taking great advantage of this innate connectivity. Phil mentioned to us that not only would you be able to download tracks directly into the game to expand the playability, but you would also be able to record yourself, and rate other players' abilities within the game. I imagine that combining the angst and rage of the typical fifteen year old Internet dweller with the fragile self-esteem of the twelve year old girls imagining themselves as the next Kylie Minogue via this title, is a recipe for children around the world to end up sobbing as their parents explain to them that they aren't even of that skin color, let alone homosexual.
The real meat of the presentation was LittleBigWorld, a game developed by the team who brough you Rag Doll Kung-Fu on Valve's Steam service. It seems to build on that same sandbox style popularized in Viva Pinata and Animal Crossing, but instead of a sex-starved mexican party favor, or a vaguely human ball of joy, you play as a psuedo-human hackeysack. You create and manipulate objects in the world in an amazing-looking physics-based environment (with stunning real-time lighting), and in accordance, everything falls, spins, and smashes into things as you would expect. Taking advantage of this, and the previous pedigree of the developers, violence becomes hilarious, while still remaining cartoonish enough to appeal to Ma and Pa.
There are still questions remaining as to how well Sony can translate the things they showed today to real-world use, but if they can manage to make it even nearly as cool to play with as it seemed, it could be the start of Sony dominating yet another generation of video gaming.
(Editor's Note: Did you really think I was going to spend all week here without using that image? -- Nex)
Jesus....Sony just turned me to the dark side in 24 hours time.
My mind is boggled...could the fanboys be right? What's going on? I feel so confused...I always loved the Japanese...but...
I need to go lay down...
First, let me get this straight...I need to buy a PS3 now, right?
If I owned a PS3 right now, honestly? To be completely fucking honest? This Home thing just looks like one giant stupid ass chatroom, and I'd be more pissed off about Sony not making ANY real GAMES ANNOUNCEMENTS (cept for littlebigworld, which could be cool).
Singstar could be cool, but it sounds like it'll be very hard to make it work well. I'll hold off my opinion on that till I see it working first hand.
But seriously, I'm way suprised people are looking at the Playstation Home in such a positive light. Its a prettier yet dumbed down version of second life, with some minigames here and there. BIG DEAL SONY, where MGS4?!
It's more the prospect of this in comparison to Microsoft's on-line that's pretty interesting. This could make the gaming community get connected in a whole new way. This represents an element of interactivity that XBL is completely missing (notice I didn't say lacking, as XBL will always be THE place for on-line GAMING whereas Sony's obviously coming from a more social perspective.) XBL is great and all, but you never really get an idea of WHO the people you're playing against/with really ARE. This could be seen as a good thing depending on what your on-line experience has been like in the past.
I don't know...the ideas behind this surely seem pretty great, but we'll have to see how It's executed before we pass any real judgment. I'll still be waiting at least another year or two for them to work the kinks out before I consider getting a PS3, but the prospect sure is a LOT sweeter than it was yesterday.
LittleBigWorld looked tight. That game looked like it could be really fun. However, the service itself seems like too much if you ask me. It will seem more like a chore to get to places even with the PSP telportation. The gamer trophies seems like a waste for the most part since you can't see it until you go in and invite your friends to come in as well. A gamer score should be visible to everyone and not who you invite in. One redeming quality I can think of for the game trophy room, the ability to watch clips of how you took down the last boss of a game. That is pretty cool in my book.
Get over yourself. There's still a weak software lineup, a steep entry price for Second Life for you and your friends, and a home karaoke/YouTube application. MGS4 is still the only system seller I see for the larger part of the US. Karaoke is NOT a big seller here, a physics demo didn't sell HL2 (Gmod), and again, it's a $600 console. Look at when PS2 sales exploded. It was when it crossed the $200 price point. Pretty close to where the Wii is now both in price and in driving numbers.
Hmm...everyone (read: game bloggers) is getting pretty excited about all this...granted I didn't see it live...so maybe there's a certain je ne se que to these proceedings...but I've got a wait and see feeling on this press conference.
For example does anyone really play second life? And for those that do are they the same kind of people who are gonna be on the PS3...is the concept that universal? The only time I ever hear about Second Life is on blogs as a comparative like, "Much like Second Life..." or "Second Life has already proven people want to have sex with Foxes..." or in sensationalized mainstream media reports on "Virtual Millionaires".
I just want to STFUAJPGs...not STFU and create a virtual world based loosely on Naruto's Ninja School. As far as littlebigplanet or whatever the hell...I wonder how you guys would react if this was gonna be on the Wii...seems like the same kind of "innovative" ideas that Rob and Ron spends half the podtoids pointing out are "Gay"...and for "babies..."
Tons of people play Second Life. They call themselves furries.
I think Home will be big for a lot of people, but I don't see it being a system seller. Just a cool bonus for PS3 owners who are into social networking. I just wonder how much microtransaction rape will occur from it to make your pad even remotely cool.
@ Teknohed:
I agree, its all about the games. But lets say you have a date to get to; the date is obviously the main attraction, but would you rather drive there in a Mercedes or a busted-ass Yugo?
-p.s. Er.. Im not sure if someone has said this already but both Sony and Nintendo are Hiro-Itos boys, so in all fairness Churchill should appear in every Nintendo news too.
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21 comments + 95764 views
LittleBigWorld looks awesome.
Cabbage cabbage cabbage.
Jesus....Sony just turned me to the dark side in 24 hours time.
My mind is boggled...could the fanboys be right? What's going on? I feel so confused...I always loved the Japanese...but...
I need to go lay down...
First, let me get this straight...I need to buy a PS3 now, right?
If I owned a PS3 right now, honestly? To be completely fucking honest? This Home thing just looks like one giant stupid ass chatroom, and I'd be more pissed off about Sony not making ANY real GAMES ANNOUNCEMENTS (cept for littlebigworld, which could be cool).
Singstar could be cool, but it sounds like it'll be very hard to make it work well. I'll hold off my opinion on that till I see it working first hand.
But seriously, I'm way suprised people are looking at the Playstation Home in such a positive light. Its a prettier yet dumbed down version of second life, with some minigames here and there. BIG DEAL SONY, where MGS4?!
It's more the prospect of this in comparison to Microsoft's on-line that's pretty interesting. This could make the gaming community get connected in a whole new way. This represents an element of interactivity that XBL is completely missing (notice I didn't say lacking, as XBL will always be THE place for on-line GAMING whereas Sony's obviously coming from a more social perspective.) XBL is great and all, but you never really get an idea of WHO the people you're playing against/with really ARE. This could be seen as a good thing depending on what your on-line experience has been like in the past.
I don't know...the ideas behind this surely seem pretty great, but we'll have to see how It's executed before we pass any real judgment. I'll still be waiting at least another year or two for them to work the kinks out before I consider getting a PS3, but the prospect sure is a LOT sweeter than it was yesterday.
And thus,the haters hath been silenced...
LittleBigWorld looked tight. That game looked like it could be really fun. However, the service itself seems like too much if you ask me. It will seem more like a chore to get to places even with the PSP telportation. The gamer trophies seems like a waste for the most part since you can't see it until you go in and invite your friends to come in as well. A gamer score should be visible to everyone and not who you invite in. One redeming quality I can think of for the game trophy room, the ability to watch clips of how you took down the last boss of a game. That is pretty cool in my book.
Tormented,
Get over yourself. There's still a weak software lineup, a steep entry price for Second Life for you and your friends, and a home karaoke/YouTube application. MGS4 is still the only system seller I see for the larger part of the US. Karaoke is NOT a big seller here, a physics demo didn't sell HL2 (Gmod), and again, it's a $600 console. Look at when PS2 sales exploded. It was when it crossed the $200 price point. Pretty close to where the Wii is now both in price and in driving numbers.
Littlebigworld for a few seconds made me feel less bad about owning a PS3... I hope they fulfill its potential.
Funny story about Churchill.
First of all he was a drunk, and most likely a racist.
But when one female parlimantarian accused him of being drunk in parliament, he reliped.
I may be drunk now, but tomorrow I'll be sober and you'll still be ugly!
Kudos to anyone that has the gall to say that in parliament.
Yet another reason NOT to meet anyone in real life and hide away in your rooms
How much do u want to bet that in about a year this will be overrun by 13 yearolds screaming curse words and saying pwnded everywhere
Fuck this and fuck WoW
Hmm...everyone (read: game bloggers) is getting pretty excited about all this...granted I didn't see it live...so maybe there's a certain je ne se que to these proceedings...but I've got a wait and see feeling on this press conference.
For example does anyone really play second life? And for those that do are they the same kind of people who are gonna be on the PS3...is the concept that universal? The only time I ever hear about Second Life is on blogs as a comparative like, "Much like Second Life..." or "Second Life has already proven people want to have sex with Foxes..." or in sensationalized mainstream media reports on "Virtual Millionaires".
I just want to STFUAJPGs...not STFU and create a virtual world based loosely on Naruto's Ninja School. As far as littlebigplanet or whatever the hell...I wonder how you guys would react if this was gonna be on the Wii...seems like the same kind of "innovative" ideas that Rob and Ron spends half the podtoids pointing out are "Gay"...and for "babies..."
Tons of people play Second Life. They call themselves furries.
I think Home will be big for a lot of people, but I don't see it being a system seller. Just a cool bonus for PS3 owners who are into social networking. I just wonder how much microtransaction rape will occur from it to make your pad even remotely cool.
@ Teknohed:
I agree, its all about the games. But lets say you have a date to get to; the date is obviously the main attraction, but would you rather drive there in a Mercedes or a busted-ass Yugo?
No explanation required:
-p.s. Er.. Im not sure if someone has said this already but both Sony and Nintendo are Hiro-Itos boys, so in all fairness Churchill should appear in every Nintendo news too.
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