App Review: Doom Resurrection — Casual Slaughter for the Masses

Doom Resurrection is aptly named, the archetypal shooter having risen from the grave for the iPhone and iPod touch. The thing is, though, when the dead return, they never come back the same.

You know the story: future, Mars, research facility, teleportation experiments, hell unleashed. Mayhem ensues as you, the sole surviving marine, attempt to thwart the evil and escape, killing anything that moves along the way.
The game itself is clearly derived from Doom 3, the 2004 re-imagining of the PC franchise. Remade again for a handheld experience, Doom Resurrection is visually stunning. The textures, the models and the lighting all are superb, as are the sound effects. Doom Resurrection made me forget I was playing a game on a phone or a media player. The detailed graphics are something I would expect to see on a PlayStation Portable, and yet the frame rates are fluid on my iPhone 3G.

Controls

However, unlike the PSP, the lack of physical controls on Apple’s devices has condensed Doom Resurrection, too. At 80MB and eight levels of play, there is still plenty of game, but it’s a different kind of play.

Accelerometer = Aim/Look

The biggest change is the control scheme with the accelerometer being used to look and aim by tilting the device. It’s a responsive, well-designed implementation, as is the solution for player-controlled movement: eliminating it. A “shooter on rails” has been the pejorative refrain from critics describing the lack of free roaming in Doom Resurrection. Instead, the player is moved along a set path through the levels, pausing for combat and story exposition, the latter playing out in IM chat bubbles — voiceovers, please!

Doom Resurrection User Interface

The UI is built around the core of the Doom franchise: shooting things. Up to three weapons can be cycled through, most of which need reloading. Ammunition, as well as health packs, are scattered and hidden on the levels. Touching them on the screen picks them up, but since movement is guided, they can be easily missed.

Shake Move

Besides shooting, there are three other actions the player can take during the game. On the first few levels, fat zombies will attempt to grapple and bite. Shaking the device pushes them off.

Dodge Move

Dodging missile attacks like fireballs is accomplished by using the special move button located on the bottom, opposite the fire button. Timing is everything, and it’s best to learn early. Dodging is used throughout the game, as is cover.

Uncovered

Some enemies will stand off and shoot at you. In that situation, by toggling cover you can hide behind objects and avoid damage.

Under Cover

Whether behind cover or not, a yellow hexagon will appear as enemies fire. That shrinking hexagon represents enemy accuracy, and when it turns red you’ll start taking damage if you are out in the open.
Overall, the control scheme is great for a multitouch device. The question then becomes whether the game itself is worth playing, not to mention paying $9.99.

Gameplay

Three most important rules for Doom Resurrection: headshot, headshot, headshot.

Play begins with acclimation to the control scheme and introducing the story that continues throughout the game. While some exposition can be skipped, other dialogue has to be tapped through, annoyingly even on replay. The story and dialogue could be better, too. One character, a little plot device robot that follows you, makes sounds in lieu of speech. Does a game that’s based upon blowing bodies apart with a shotgun really need a cutsie R2-D2 knockoff?

You see this? This is my BOOMSTICK!

The repetition of the storytelling is a small annoyance; a larger one is the repetition of the killing. Sadly, there is no random spawning of monsters. The game is exactly the same, regardless of difficulty setting, and that would be the third disappointment. The four levels of difficulty are based upon how much damage attacks inflict. One other complaint would be that only a single saved game is allowed. Still, the complaints on play are small, and the praise deservedly big.

I said stay down! Bad dog! Here, have a chainsaw chew toy.

The first time through, around three hours at moderate difficulty, was a riot. The lack of roaming was never missed, the near-constant combat keeping me fully engaged. It’s not just point and shoot, either.

Two-headed monkey demons, meet the chaingun, chaingun, demon monkeys.

Nicely migrated from the franchise is the need to match weapon to foe. There are eight seven weapons: assault rife, shotgun, double-barrel shotgun, chainsaw, chaingun, plasma rifle, and, of course, the BFG. In my opinion, the assault rifle is a concession to the casual gamer, what with an infinite ammo supply, but the rest require judicious use of supplies.

Attention, monsters, there’s a blue light special on aisle nine, the plasma gun.

The best firing solution is short bursts when possible. If not, switching weapons often takes less time than reloading. Frantically reloading while an unspeakable evil charges down a hallway is another hallmark of Doom. Resist the Pavlovian urge to reload after every kill, as there is often an immediate follow-up attack.

BFG: good times, good times

Of course, bosses require an entirely different approach: biggest weapon to smallest, full auto, keep shooting. The exception is the BFG. That weapon requires holding the fire button down as long as possible, releasing a correspondingly large plasma discharge. I love the BFG, and I love Doom Resurrection.

Summing Up: Gold Award

Doom Resurrection is bloody fun, if you swing that way. For those that do, but worry over a “rails” ride, Doom Resurrection is “rails” like a roller coaster. For those wary of repetitious play, the replay value is in the perfect level as scored at the end. New features will diversify play with future updates like leaderboards, downloadable content and cooperative multiplayer, but even without new play, Doom Resurrection is golden.

Scoring a Level

Doom Resurrection is the best game to date for the iPhone and iPod touch. Seriously, it is, and if $9.99 seems like a lot, it’s really not, not for a game that can compete with content on dedicated handhelds like the PSP. The big brains at id Software have done it by creating the next evolutionary leap in casual gaming, and it has teeth like razor blades.

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Online Chess Kingdoms: The PSP Outlet for Chess Lovers

Online Chess Kingdom is an interesting game on PlayStation Portable which provides a lot of entertaining moments for chess lovers. Portable online chess offers an excellent option to play with multi players adding to conventional rules an interesting twist.

The story is about forces such as law, order, spirit, magic and chaos created by an omnipotent deity. These forces are sent packing by the deity after they start squabbling with each other. Each of them develops and gains enough strength to reach the borders of their neighbours where they decide to battle. A lot of interesting chess games start from here.

The game features Sci-Fi and alien characters as chess pieces. As a player, you can choose to play with the traditional looking chess pieces in the quick games. Apart from the online mode, players can choose to play the campaign mode where you have the option of moving your armies around by taking turns with your opponents in a strategic layer. You have to navigate your armies through a chessboard-like grid map.

As two armies meet, it ends up in a chess game. The losing army is eliminated from the game and the winning army continues. In the battle mode of the Online Chess Kingdoms PSP game you are required to make quick and swift moves around the field and defeat your opponent as fast as possible. You win if you are the first player to reach the point limit as each piece carries a point value. This mode is in fact one of the most exciting modes in this game.

Online mode comes with a pretty interesting structure. As a player, you join hands with one of the factions you choose and try to wipe out the other factions. You can choose a territory and attack a particular faction. You can also choose to just stay around and defend your territory from attackers.

If you find an opponent in the online mode, it is fine. If you do not, then you have the option of playing with the computer. Offline mode offers players difficulty levels numbering four which ranges from the novice to the master level. Online Chess Kingdoms is an interesting enough game for chess fans which allow you to play competent chess online on your favourite PSP.

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Peak 10/Zoo Games deal

CINCINNATI (July 13, 2009) – Peak 10, Inc., the leading independent data center operator and managed services provider, announced today its support for the local interactive entertainment industry with the addition of Zoo Games, Inc to its growing customer base. Peak 10’s expert team will provide reliable hosting services out of its enterprise-class facility in Cincinnati.

“We are constantly looking for ways to maintain and improve client satisfaction and are incredibly excited about enhancing our business model through Peak 10’s IT support services,” said Dave Reynolds, the IT support manager at Zoo Games, Inc. “The success of our company depends on our capacity to be accessible 24x7 and we trust Peak 10’s ability to provide us with the security and reliability we need to deliver our games with excellent customer service.”

Zoo Games, Inc. prides itself in creating quality games, suitable for the entire family. Although many of the game titles contain quirky, fun themes, they actually represent world-class production and design values. Zoo Games is currently developing games for Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PlayStation®2 system, PSP®, and PC. Zoo Games continues to publish highly recognizable gaming brands that contain interesting and entertaining schemes. Recent popular releases include Diner Dash®, Groovin’ Blocks and M&M’s beach party.

“As a growing video game publisher, Zoo Games requires carefully managed IT and data center services,” said Ernest Leffler, vice president and general manager of Peak 10 Cincinnati. “Peak 10’s premium services will provide the security that Zoo Games needs, allowing the organization to focus on its business applications and foster the growth of its business and the interactive entertainment industry in Cincinnati.”

Active in the computer and video games industry, Peak 10 offers cutting-edge cloud-based services and virtualization solutions that allow businesses reduce hardware and space requirements, optimize server utilization and provide higher levels of availability for an organization’s IT infrastructure. Peak 10 has leveraged this technology in customized solutions benefitting businesses in the interactive games sector such as Emergent Game Technologies, a leading source for all the game development tools required to build, test, manage and expand interactive games. Peak 10 owns and operates data centers in nine key markets that include Cincinnati, Ohio; Atlanta, Ga.; Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.; Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; Louisville, Ky.; and Richmond, Va.

About Zoo Games, Inc.

Zoo Publishing, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zoo Games, Inc. Run by industry veterans, the company is focused on licensing, developing, and publishing a wide variety of casual and family-friendly video games for Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Playstation®2 system, PSP (PlayStation®Portable) system, and PC through their wholly owned subsidiary, Zoo Publishing, Inc. Product highlights include Order Up! and Deal or No Deal for Wii™, and multi-platform releases of titles for M&M’S, Chrysler, and Jeep. Zoo Games, Inc. is headquartered in New York, N.Y. and Zoo Publishing, Inc. is based in Cincinnati, O.H. Zoo Games, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zoo Entertainment, Inc. More information on Zoo products can be found at zoogamesinc.com.

About Peak 10, Inc.

Peak 10 is the leading independent data center operator and managed services provider, delivering scalable, economical and reliable solutions for hosting and managing complex information technology infrastructure. Its team of experts embrace the industry's evolving technologies by adopting and tailoring solutions such as virtualization and cloud-based services as part of its robust managed services offering. The company's strong customer focus, financial stability, geographic diversity and technical strength attracts market-leading companies such as LendingTree, Rivals.com, Global Knowledge, Pergo, Healthways, Churchill Downs and The Fresh Market. Peak 10 is SAS70 Type II compliant and helps companies meet the requirements of various regulatory compliance acts such as Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), HIPAA, PCI and Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLBA). For more information on data center solutions from Peak 10, visit www.peak10.com.

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PSP Game: Unbound Saga Coming Next Week

Vogster Entertainment has announced that Unbound Saga, their comic book inspired arcade-style brawler for the PSP (PlayStationPortable) system, has gone gold. Pop your knuckles and get ready to "lay down the smack down" as Unbound Saga will be available in North America on July 16th, followed by Europe on July 23rd, exclusively via digital download on the PlayStation Network.



The Unbound Saga video game is based on Dark Horse’s comic book of the same name and follows the adventures of self-aware comic book tough guy Rick Ajax, as he battles the constant and cataclysmic threats that are put in his path by the god-like entity known as ‘The Maker’. With cover art by illustration icon, Joe Linsner (Cry for Dawn, Dark Ivory) original story by comic book veteran Mike Kennedy (Star Wars, Superman, Alien vs Predator) and art by fan-favorite Cliff Richards (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Wonder Woman, The New Thunderbolts), Unbound Saga combines comic book action with button throttling gameplay that leads players through level after level of imaginative landscapes and bizarre foes.

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Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Is the Best Selling PSP Game

Capcom must be pleased with itself. The company has just announced that Monster Hunter Freedom United, the latest title in the successful series, has sold more than 3.5 million units in Japan, making it the first videogame released for the PlayStation Portable from Sony to go past that milestone.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, the game is known as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G and was initially released in March 2008. It has sold very well from the beginning and managed to keep popping up in the charts thanks to the release of a Greatest Hits edition, which saw a lower place. This “The Best” version accounted for about 1 million units of the 3.5 million sold during the life time of the game.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite only arrived in Europe and in North America in June this year, with Capcom hoping to capitalize on the strong performance the game had in Japan. To that end, it has put up a big advertising campaign and is offering bundles and a PlayStation Portable console in order to encourage players to pick it up.

Monster Hunter is a very quirky game at its core as it focuses on players fighting, solo or in a group, tough and dangerous beasts with weird names. To make sure that the fight goes in their favor, they must carry the correct equipment, have enough potions that aid them in combat and then track the target in order to learn its rhythms, assaulting it in patterns and taking advantage of its weaknesses.

Grinding is pretty much the order of the day and the game really comes into its own when players cooperate to take out the beats. It remains to be seen whether Western players will be interested in this type of experience. 

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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra PS3 Pics

For the fans, EA is already making G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra game based on the movie. The game will be launched on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii and mobile phone. Recently, EA released four new screenshots of G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra game for PlayStation 3.
Also movie is shaping up on G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. As per Techtree game reviewer, Navneet Prakash, the screenshots aren't impressive enough. These probably look like the quality expected on PlayStation 2.

Nothing against the G. I. Joe fans, but it's too early to say anything from the game trailers. We'll wait to get our hands on the game before giving out any sort of word on it.

This game is due to release on August 14.
Check out the screenshots...
 

 
 

 
 

 

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Power Up: Grid games are going to college

The pace of life slows down appreciably in the summertime and so does the flow of new video games.

Thankfully, a pair of college-football titles shipping later this month will stir up some excitement among fans of sports and music games. NCAA Football 2010 rushes into stores on Tuesday for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable, while Black College Football Xperience (BCFx): The Doug Williams Edition takes the field on the 360 on July 20.

While the EA Sports college gridiron title is always a blast, a legal cloud hangs over the series this year. Three former college quarterbacks have sued game publisher EA and the NCAA for the alleged use of their likenesses in the game. The three plaintiffs, who include former Rutgers QB Ryan Hart, want to be compensated just as their NFL brethren are to appear in Madden.

The players say that their depictions in NCAA Football resemble them in every way except that they are unnamed. For example, game characters share their real-life counterparts' jersey numbers, height and weight, and skin tone, and even possess on-field abilities modeled on actual college players. Consider this a modern, video-game twist on the old "are college football players really amateurs?" debate.

On a more positive note, NCAA Football 2010 features improved artificial intelligence as well as enhancement to the play-calling and team-building systems. Legal worries notwithstanding, the much-anticipated college football game is sure to be a best-seller once again.

This year, however, I'm even more excited about the first truly unique football game to come along in some time. This month marks the console debut of Black College Football Xperience: The Doug Williams Edition. Created by Nerjyzed, a minority-owned developer in Louisiana, BCFx looks at football from the perspective of 36 historically black colleges and universities such as Grambling State, Jackson State, and Southern University. Williams, of course, is the former Grambling State QB who led the 1987 Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl championship, the first African American quarterback to win the big game.

What sets BCFx apart from other football offerings is that music is as much a part of the game as touchdowns and interceptions. In addition to its football action, BCFx contains a pair of innovative rhythm games. An interactive Halftime Challenge mode lets your band's performance build late-game momentum for your team. Meanwhile, the game's Drumline Challenge offers players the chance to use a drum pad or standard controller to match beats with drum cadences and band tunes. The game also features an interactive Legacy Museum in which players can learn about the rich gridiron history of historically black colleges and universities. The bottom line on BCFx? If you find yourself getting bored with each new season's incremental changes to the basic X's and O's of NCAA and Madden, you'll want to try this game.

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Warriors Orochi 2 Coming To PSP With Exclusive Content

Warriors Orochi 2 is scheduled to hit store shelves on the 25th of August, 2009 in North America. Although it was originally released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, it's now being released on the PlayStation Portable and will feature a line-up of 96 characters from Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors.

It will also has some new features which are exclusive to the PSP system which are a 2-player vs mode, and the ability to play the story mode cooperatively. There will also be 12 new scenarios in Dream mode, as well as the option to have Japanese language in the game.

It definitely sounds like Koei are attempting to make this game worth a second look, even for those who already own the original console version. 

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Sony: PSN no longer lagging behind Xbox LIVE

Sony Computer Entertainment continues to expect great things from the PlayStation Network, relying on their gaming network services to help the division return to profitablity. The PSN launched after Xbox Live, but PSN Operations director Eric Lempel believes their service is finally pulling ahead of Microsoft's popular online platform:

"I don't think there's a lot of 'catch up' [with XBL] anymore. In some cases, I think we've got more, and we've got some other things they don't have. In terms of strengths, of course we're still free, and we're giving you a lot for free. It's not just free online gaming, but we've got PlayStation Home, which is a massive community and application that's totally free to use.

"From my perspective, we have our own strategy and we've always been building our roadmap and saying here's what comes next; I think you've seen PSN has evolved tremendously since we've launched."

That said, Sony does not yet have plans to introduce HD streaming video for the PSN. Lempel cites quality concerns, selection of newer releases, as well as the need to keep things free on PSN as main reasons for their hesitation to embrace up to 1080p streaming video.

Sony will continue to bank on gaming for the PSN's success, and in this regard Lempel is pleased with the headway the company has made since the service launched. Around 45 percent of the catalogue of digital download titles are exclusive to PSN, and Lempel believes this is a result of developers leveraging the HD capabilities of the PS3. Lempel concedes that Sony won't be able to offer back-catalogue PS3 games for download through PSN, due to the sheer size of some of the titles which (in Sony's view) necessitated the Blu-ray media format.

The PSN graces the PlayStation Portable platform as well, and here Lempel exols the virtues of reducing the price of the PSP development tools. With regards to the new PSP Go which exclusively supports digital download titles, the goal is to make select PSP titles available online for download over the PSN day and date with their UMD retail releases.

When pressed with comparisons to Apple's iPhone and its increasing popularity with gamers thanks to the App Store, Lempel believes iPhone users tend to be more forgiving with the free (and almost free) titles available for the platform. SCE doesn't see the iPhone as a serious "gaming-centric device", and they expect the device's users to feel the same way. Shorter, quirkier games are not discouraged for the PSN, but Sony is hoping to they won't take away from the console gaming focus of the PSP platforms.

While we can't expect the PSN store to look much like the Apple App Store's game catalogue anytime soon, the PSP Go was designed to better accomodate the "casual" gaming demographic through PSN downloads. It will be interesting to see how the PSN-exclusive software lineup evolves.

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A Glimpse At G.I. JOE on the Playstation 3

Due out next month, G.I. Joe The Rise of the Cobra hasn’t been making many favorable impressions around Kotaku tower. These screens from the Playstation 3 version of the game don’t really do much to change my mind. The game will let players take on the role of one of the game’s dozen playable G.I. Joes or four of the unlockable COBRA operatives. The game includes two-player coop and 20 levels. It is due out on Aug. 4 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable as well as mobile phones. 

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Sony's Eric Lempel on Digital Downloads, PS3 Home Integration

What sort of digital content's coming for PSP owners in 2009? For PlayStation 3 owners? Will Sony offer additional direct-download Blu-ray titles through its PlayStation Store? What about PlayStation Home integration? Will we ever see Home avatars crossover to the XMB interface? I tracked down Sony Director of Network Operations Eric Lempel to get answers to those question and others in the following two part interview. Part one is here. This is part two.

Game On: Let's hit the PSP Go. Today I can plug any model PlayStation Portable into the PS3 and download games or trigger PS3-related game features. Does that change at all with the PSP Go?

Eric Lempel: No, it works pretty much the same way the other models interact with the PS3. The nice thing is, the Go really revolves around the network. It's all about getting content to it from the network. So it's kind of that PlayStation Network centric device that we've been hoping for and waiting for and consumers have been asking for.

GO: What can PSP owners expect to be pulling down yet this year via that network?

EL: Tthe first thing you can look forward to is a lot more content. You might have noticed in recent weeks that we've started bringing out a lot more of the UMDs in digital format so you can buy them from the PlayStation Store and download them. And then you've got the PS One classics, the emulated titles. These are titles some fans haven't played in years, sometimes 13 or 14 years, and we're bringing out as many of those as we can get the rights to. We recently released Final Fantasy VII, as I'm sure you're aware, and it's just unreal how well a 12-year-old game is doing.

I think a lot of people are just coming to gaming and may have never played some of these games. Others might have played them and wish they still could, but don't have the discs anymore. I mean, you can't buy those discs new anywhere, so it's great to get some of those titles back on the network.

The other thing you'll see aside from classics is new original games for the PSP through the network. Aside from all the great UMD content, and there's a lot of that still to come, there are tons of new, entirely original PlayStation Network titles made exclusively for the PSP coming out this year.

So first and foremost I'd say it's content, a massive amount of content through the network on the PSP. And then the next thing is just us improving existing services and adding new features and services. We made a couple of small announcements at E3 about some things we're adding for the PSP and there'll be a lot more to come.

GO: If you take a low-resolution PS One game that by my measure looks pretty awful due to blurry interpolation on a high-definition LCD TV, and you run the same game on the lower-resolution PSP, it actually looks decent. Is that a driving factor in rolling out the back catalogue?

EL: Yeah, definitely.

GO: Okay, let's cover the other digital distribution prong, the PS3. You don't offer any PS3 games directly download at the moment, right?

EL: We've offered a few, actually. We did three different games to kind of test the waters and try it out. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, SOCOM Confrontation, Burnout by EA is also available over the network, and Warhawk. So actually four of them. Three from our worldwide studios group, one from a third party.

GO: Plans to expand that catalogue in 2009 or do you hold the line?

EL: We'll probably hold the line on the Blu-ray disc side, just because there's a lot of stuff that quite honestly is too big to deliver over the network right now. We can technically do it, but it might be a bit long for the consumer. On the other side, there'll be a lot of great original content coming to the PlayStation Network through the PlayStation Store for the PS3. In recent weeks, we've had a lot more support from our third-party partners and there's a ton more coming. I was checking the release schedule for the rest of the year, and it's really looking good. Lots of great content from both our worldwide studios groups and third parties. Tons of stuff in fact.

GO: What about PlayStation 2 backward compatibility, the oft, beaten, and flogged question. Is it possible to offer a software downloadable, flash-updatable solution to existing PS3 owners?

EL: It's something I couldn't answer right now without talking to some of the engineers.

GO: Eric Lempel's vision for the rest of 2009? Where do you want to be by the end of the year with the PlayStation Network?

EL: I'd encourage people to really explore the value of PlayStation Network. There's a ton of stuff under the hood. It's not just online gaming, and it's not just the store. There's a lot of other stuff that gets overlooked. Just to rattle through the list, users who have a PS3 have free access to the PlayStation Network, they've got Wi-Fi built in so it's easy to get connected. Once you're connected, you've got access to a ton more stuff.

So just to go through the list, you've got the PlayStation Store, where you can demo a ton of PlayStation Network as well as Blu-ray games. Of course you can buy a ton of great content, some of the content we've discussed, but you know, there's add-ons for games, there are completely new and original games, there are classic versions of games that have been updated, there's free trailers, there are themes, wallpapers, music. I mean, there's a ton of stuff available on just the game side, and a lot of that I think gets overlooked here and there. And I also would say that the games we put out on PlayStation Network are not these tiny bite-sized games. They're quite deep, immersive experiences, made exclusively for the PS3. You know, high-definition, great games. Great content that's actually high quality.

GO: Stuff like Flower?

EL: Yeah, something like Flower. Stuff that's unique. Stuff that if we just stuck to Blu-ray games, they probably wouldn't put it out Blu-ray because it wouldn't justify a $60 price point, and so it's really suited to the network. That's what I like about the network personally, that we can have these developers who we really couldn't work with in the past because we didn't have the right model or distribution method, but now we can. We can bring these guys in and let them go a little wild.

Moving over to the other side of the store you've got the video section, where we're constantly adding new partners. At E3 we made a significant announcement, adding a bunch of additional partners, and we've got all of the major networks, all of the major studios, for rental and for sell-through. We even have some high-definition movies that you can buy as well as rent, so again, lots of great entertainment, lots of great content on the store side.

And then we've got PlayStation Home. I'm sure you've seen the press lately. We've been adding a ton of great content there, really tying in a lot of the games that have been released recently into Home, giving people new experiences and such. That won't slow up. The Home team has a very aggressive roadmap for the rest of the year. They'll be adding a lot of great content and new features.

GO: Speaking of Home, right now if I want to access it, I have to stop what I'm doing, cursor over to Home, leave behind the XMB, go through this big launch process, and then presto, there I am, but now I'm cordoned off from the rest of the operating system. Has Sony every thought about combining the two somehow, to speed up access, or better integrate the experiences?

EL: I think we're already starting to focus on integrating Home into the regular gaming experience. But I think in a way you've answered your own question. I mean, we're giving gamers a choice. If you want to quickly jump into something and you know what you want to do, you can do that on the XMB.

But Home is really about an online gaming community. It's about going into that space, taking the time to wander around and explore. We do give you the option, you know, some of the integration pieces. You can launch games from Home if you like. So if you run into people, you start talking about a game, and you want to play that game, you can launch into it straight from Home. So we have it both ways. Home isn't a navigation system, it's a community, a very big, robust community. It was a massive undertaking by us, and it's doing quite well. We've got seven million users worldwide who've tried it, and a lot of them are using it on a regular basis. The average user spends about 30 minutes a session, which means they're wandering around actually doing things and enjoying their time enough to stay.

So it's not about navigating the same content you get on the XMB, it's about doing something different with other people. I don't think it'd be smart of us if we made Home the interface, because if you want to jump in and start a game, you're right, you don't want to walk to it. You probably don't want to wander around past a whole bunch of people who might want to talk to you, just to get to it.

GO: How about this then. You mention XMB-like features being added to PlayStation Home, launching games and such. How about the inverse of that, say bringing PlayStation Home features over to the XMB? The one I hear talked about most is avatars. Being able to carry your identity with you back out of Home and into the XMB.

EL: It's definitely something we're looking at. We launched Home late last year. It's technically still a beta. We wanted to see how it would do and it's doing quite well, and now people have become attached to their Home personas. Given that avatars are something they want carried across, it's definitely something we're working on.

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Is a PSP Phone Truly on the Horizon?

Supposedly, Sony is about to open a new department that will explore a "cell phone-game gear hybrid." Work on the fabled project could begin as early as this month. So far, Sony has declined to comment on the rumors.

If the rumors about a PSP phone were true, it would be fairly obvious to say that Sony is targeting Apple’s iPhone.  Gaming has taken center stage in the iPhone-iTunes App Store since the introduction of the iPhone 3G. Seven of Apple's top ten iPhone applications are games, and mainstream game publishers have for some time been incorporating the iPhone into their plans.

Sony however, is struggling to keep its PlayStation Portable in the game. The PSP was recently retooled, producing a more compact device dubbed the PSP GO. The new device swaps out the UMD drive for a 16GB HDD, and also has a 3.8-inch screen, Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi connectivity, and a slide-out screen to reveal gaming controllers underneath. The PSP Go hits store shelves October 1st.

But when compared to the endlessly multifunctional iPhone, the new and improved PSP is still a one trick pony. While Sony has already crossed its brands Walkmen and CyberShot with its cell phone partner Sony Ericsson, the company has remained reluctant to do the same with the Playstation.

Sony was on the right path with the Aino. Using Sony's Remote Play feature, the device can pull any content from the PS3 – except games. While everyone likes all the other features the PS3 has to offer, it is still first and foremost a gaming console. So without gaming integration, the Aino is nothing more than another cell phone with Wi-Fi.

Some would say a PSP phone is a no-brainer, but Sony’s sluggishness on the idea isn’t really surprising when looking at the company’s history.

Sony’s Walkman, a once revolutionary gadget, lost out to the iPod before Sony even knew what hit them. Both the Xbox 360 and the Wii are outperforming the PlayStation 3, and Nintendo is crushing the PSP with its DS console.

If Sony could produce a do-it-all device, it could arguably regain all that lost ground, and leave its competition in the dust. The question is will Sony get a clue when it comes to consumer behavior, or will it continue to fall father behind in the innovation category?

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Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G sales hit 3.5 million in Japan

Monster Hunter continues to do Capcom proud in Japan.  The action RPG franchise spawned Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, last year's best-selling title for both the country and Sony's PlayStation Portable.  It's no stretch to say that MHP 2nd G was a major reason Sony remains a dominant competitor to Nintendo for the increasingly lucrative portable gaming throne in Japan.

The MHP 2nd G gravy train shows no signs of stopping for Capcom.  While the title has not yet reached million-seller status this year, its lifetime-to-date sales have now surpassed 3.5 million units.  Capcom boasts that MHP 2nd G is the first PSP game to reach this milestone, at least in Japan.

The original edition of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G was released back in March 2008.  A greatest hits re-release ("PSP the Best") followed months later in October, and sales for this edition alone actually contributed a handsome one million units to the total LTD figure.  MHP 2nd G was recently released in North America and Europe as Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, and Capcom is hoping they can make the franchise equally appealing to an international audience- especially when they've got a Monster Hunter 3 localization in the pipeline.

MHP 2nd G's latest sales milestone is Exhibit A in the case for dominance of the portable gaming scene in Japan.  Exhibit B would be Dragon Quest IX's massive number of preorders ahead of its official release this weekend.

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Digital download comics comng to PSP in Japan

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has announced today that it will delivering comic book content to the PlayStation Portable later this year, via the PlayStation Store. 

While no details on things like pricing or specifics have been announced, you won't need one of the fancy new PSPgos to view it -- it'll be compatible with all PSP models. And why wouldn't it be, really? One place you won't be able to view them, it seems: Your PlayStation 3. The content will only be available to download and view on the handheld. 

No word on whether or not this is coming to North America... yet. But Comic Con is at the end of the month, and Sony will be there, an announcement wouldn't be too surprising.

This is something I'd keep an eye on. Love me some comic books, but the material they're printing them on these days is getting a bit... expensive. And heavy, especially if I want to carry around a graphic novel or multiple issues. Let's see if Sony and its partners can deliver content that's both attractive and affordable. 

What comics/manga would you like to see on the PlayStation Store? 

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'Monster Hunter Freedom Unite' (PSP) Sells 3.5 Million Units In Japan

Since being released in March of 2008, this title has continued to be an exceptionally strong selling PSP title, earning the distinction of being the best selling PSP title of 2008 in Japan. Since going on sale in October of last year, the “Best version” of “Monster Hunter Freedom Unite” has gone on to ship over 1 million copies, further extending the life of this long-running hit, and making “Monster Hunter Freedom Unite” the first PSP game that has shipped over 3.5 million copies.

The “Monster Hunter” franchise is a series of hunting action games that allow players to experience the thrill of hunting huge ferocious monsters in an expansive natural environment. Another characteristic of the series is the distinctive cooperative play that lets friends work together to bring down the games’ huge, fearsome monsters as a team. This groundbreaking gameplay style has enabled brand new kinds of communication in games.

The latest addition in the “Monster Hunter” series, “Monster Hunter 3(tri-)”, will bring the beloved feel and gameplay of the series back to home consoles starting on August 1, 2009 (in Japan). The latest “Monster Hunter” will become the first third-party game to be bundled and sold with the Nintendo Wii in the “Monster Hunter 3(tri-)” special pack. Also, a number of special preview events will be held in July, giving players a chance to experience the game before it is released. In addition, ‘Monster Hunter Festa ’09’, will be held in August and will bring fans of the game together in celebration of all things “Monster Hunter”.

With over 500 hours of gameplay and previously unreleased monsters, weapons and missions, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is set to be the biggest game of the series so far. Via Ad-Hoc functionality, players can experience the social gaming phenomenon that’s gripping Japan and adventure with up to three friends for a thrilling and savaging multiplayer hunting party. From devising the strategy to executing the attack, team play with your friends is going to be key to hunting down the ferocious beasts.

Monster Hunters can prepare for the ultimate fight with more than 2000 armour sets, 1500 weapons and 400 missions to choose and customise their characters from. Throughout the strategic gameplay players will be rewarded for their deep fighting combat sequences and tactics, encouraging them to seek out the more experienced Monster Hunters and team up in order to learn from their experience.

Using the Ad-Hoc connection players can adventure with up to three friends for a savaging multiplayer hunting party. From devising the strategy to executing the attack, players will need to work together in order to hunt down the ferocious beasts and progress through the wide range of quests on offer. Players will be rewarded for their use of deep fighting combat systems, encouraging them to seek out the more experienced hunters and team up in order to learn from their experience.

New to Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is the fully customisable AI Felyne companion who will accompany players on quests and gather extra resources for the player. PSP owners may then share their companions with other players through ‘felyne casting’ with users transferring data through the PSP sleep mode.

Also new to Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is the improved media install option where players can save the game to a memory stick, allowing the game to load from the memory stick and UMD simultaneously for faster loading times. Fans of the series will be pleased to hear that they can transfer their data from Monster Hunter Freedom 2 over to the new game.

Features:

• The biggest Monster Hunter title to date with over 500 hours of gameplay
• Huge variety of character customisations including 1500 weapons and 2000 armour sets
• Players can form a team of up to 4 players through Ad-Hoc play and experience the multiplayer social gaming phenomenon
• Media Install option where players can save the game to a memory stick, allowing the game to load from the memory stick and UMD simultaneously for faster loading times
• AI Felyne companion who will accompany players on quests and gather extra resources. With the ‘felyne casting’ feature players can share their companions with other players, transferring data using the PSP’s sleep mode.
• Fans of the series can transfer their data from Monster Hunter Freedom 2 
  

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Downloadable Comics Coming To The Playstation Portable

Remember a few months back when Sony made hints at bringing comics to the PSP? Well today that service was announced in Japan. There’s no word of a release date or the type of content to expect, just that comics will be coming to the PSP and will be downloaded from the Playstation Store.

We expect the service will eventually launch in the West. Comic-Con would be the perfect venue for an announcement. That takes place at the end of this month.

 

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