PlayStation Network and Home

Sony has announced new games and services for the PlayStation Network. New details on Home and new downloadable PS3 games finally fill out the the clever, but thus far, hollow service. PlayStation gamers have been waiting with baited breath for announcements about Home, the free 3D online community for the PS3.

Featured upcoming PlayStation Network downloadable games include: echochrome - a puzzle game that uses the Sixaxis controller PAIN - a humorous action game WipeOut HD - a new addition to the popular futuristic air-racer game

Additionally, Sony unveiled a new sales/marketing strategy with two games, the much anticipated Warhawk, and SOCOM US Navy SEALs: Confrontation. Both games are going to be available via two different delivery methods, they can be downloaded via the PlayStation Network, or purchased from retail stores on Blu-ray disc. This is the first time that a dual-delivery method has been employed by a major videogame console.

Sony's demonstration of Home, however, took the PlayStation Network limelight. At the E3 Sony press conference, spokespeople presented both in person and as their own personalized avatars within the PlayStation Home 3D community service. While this combination of real-world and virtual-world dual presentation has occurred in Second Life, it was the first time it was demonstrated on a home videogame console. Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, outlined the key components of PlayStation Home. The following new features will all be a part of the free Home service when it launches this fall: Launch Games Within PlayStation Home: Users will have the ability to launch Blu-ray Disc (BD) or PlayStation Network games from inside PlayStation Home. Since PlayStation Home is designed to be a virtual meeting place for a worldwide community, users who want to play a game together can meet in one location to set options and start the multi-player online game. New Home Square: The newly designed Home Square replaces the PlayStation Home lobby concept first introduced at the Game Developers Conference in March. The new open-air space provides internal developers with more flexibility to build upon the community experience. New Personal Spaces: Four new apartments including a Beach House, Norwegian Cabin, Manhattan Penthouse and a traditional Japanese House, were introduced today to allow for additional user choice and personalization. Phil Harrison had the following remarks to add to his presentation of Home: "After more than three years in development, we’re preparing for a landmark global roll out of PlayStation Home in the fall. As an integrated service of PLAYSTATION Network, PlayStation Home will enable people to build connected communities around all of the entertainment experiences that PS3 has to offer."

Home looks to be one of the highlights of a very competitive fall/holiday videogame season. Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, commented on the importance of the PlayStation Network to the PS3's strategy: "Our goal is to deliver the most compelling entertainment experience to our PlayStation fans through PLAYSTATION Network. The interactive content sharing features of PlayStation Home, combined with the library of innovative downloadable games and entertainment, truly push the boundaries of our customer’s imaginations and deliver on the promise of an integrated content and community service."

With most of the services of the PlayStation network, including Home, being offered for free, it seems as though Sony is quite serious about taking on Microsoft's very successful Xbox Live service.

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PlayStation Plus Details

Yes, there is finally a pay-service version of the PlayStation Network, and it came bundled with the new PS3 firmware 3.40: PlayStation Plus.

PlayStation Plus, according to Sony, includes the following for either $49.99 annually or $17.99 for three months.

PlayStation Plus Features List:
Receive special discounts and free items from PlayStation Store. Take advantage of pre-sale opportunities. Obtain premium avatars and themes. Enjoy priority invite privileges to beta testing opportunities for select online games. Play some featured full-length games for a limited time prior to purchase. Automatically download and install game update data, video files and demo versions of some games. Automatically download system software update data. In essence, PlayStation Plus gives subscribers free games, discounts on PSN games and DLC, automatic downloads of demos, firmware and more, and priority Beta invites. Early, cheaper, exclusive, and sometimes free, PlayStation Plus offers a bevy of content for one price.

The content list is frequently updated, and rumors of additional features, like Hulu Plus video service, abound. But as a sample, here are some of the highlights available at launch to PlayStation Plus Subscribers: wipEout HD - Full Game Cuboid DLC Rally Cross - PSOne Game Age of Zombies - PlayStation Minis Infamous - Full game limited trial Fat Princess Avatars Gauntlet II - 50% off Mortal Kombat II - 50% off and much more So, unlike Xbox Live, PlayStation gamers will still be able to play games online and access content without an annual subscription, but those who do receive a premium content, rather than play, experience. Time will tell if the service is concrete enough for consumers to understand the value.

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DC Universe Online (DCUO) Review PlayStation 3 (PS3)

While Superman has his weakness (allergy?) to Kryptonite, and Lex Luther sports an Earth threatening ego it is exactly those tragic shortcomings that allow us not only to relate, but to see them in incredible stories. "DC Universe Online" (DCUO) gives us a chance to play with those stories, to fight along side Wonder Woman, to fight as Batman, to rescue Harley Quinn from the wicked clutches of Robin (really) and to create new stories based on super-beings of our making. While no super-powered being is perfect, neither is any game, "DCUO" included, but a casual MMO that caters to participatory culture? Sign me up!As a preview, let me say upfront that I thoroughly am enjoying the game (MMO's are never "finished" until they shut-down, so any review is a snapshot), but let's get some of the super-problems out of the way before we get into the superpowers that "DC Universe Online" (DCUO) wows with.

The biggest hurdle DCUO faces is pleasing action game fans and MMO fans. The game is not as deep as a "World of Warcraft." At a basic level, there's no features like crafting. At a deeper level there's no minmaxing, in fact there are very few details about which powers do what damage, so it can be hard to figure out the best combos to use.

And combos matter because "DCUO" is an action game, but one where you level up, pick equipment (which you have to earn money to both buy and repair), pick powers, group up with peers, join guilds (leagues)... While action games usually are tightly balanced, crafted experiences, "DCUO" is a massive game, both in terms of geography and sheer options. Plenty of action but tons of choices.

So are there problems? Yes, of course. Much of the info you need to succeed you have to go online to get. There are tons of options that need explaining and the game does a poor job of doing so (switching "stances" for example). Navigating text heavy (and oddly slow) menus that are too small to read is a drag (note to developers, yes, you play at a desk with a screen 16 inches from your face, but if I can't read it easily on my 50" TV, the font's too small). Having the game not start because it can't download a required patch proves that many of the problems that plague PC gamers that have, unfortunately, followed "DCUO" to the PS3.

Problems aside, allow me a bit of superhero hyperbole: "DCUO" is a game changer. The game is gorgeous, addictive, and shockingly fun. While playing it I kept saying, "oh they'll need to fix this, and oh they'll need to fix that" but I kept playing, and playing. It's one of the more engaging console experiences I've had since "God of War III," and will probably surpass it as they will continue to update the game and add new content.

Fighting alongside Lex Luther (or Superman for the heroically inclined), exploring the Joker's fun house, disrupting Bane's drug ring with the help of newly made friends/super-people, the game grabs you, provides incredible experiences, and is chock full of content the quality of which an MMO has never seen. This is action game quality being distributed as an online game, and it's incredible.

Art, story, level design, it's all here and it's all superb. Sony Online Entertainment will constantly have to review "DCUO" and the flaws the players find, but that's normal for an online game. From the starting area to the end-game "DCUO" impresses on all levels. If you are looking for a casual MMO that you can fully play without having to commit your life to it, "DCUO" may be your new secret identity.

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How To Save Your PSOne Classic and PS2 Game On Your PlayStation 3

If you've downloaded a PSOne classic to your PS3 this may help. Whether it's Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, or any of the other great PSOne games available for download, eventually you'll want to save your game.

The original PSOne and PS2 required memory cards to save games on. The PS3 has no memory cards, it utilizes a hard drive. Yet the PSOne classic and PS2 games still ask for a memory card to save files on, even when you are playing them on your PS3. So, how do you use a memory card game save file on your PS3?

The answer is to create an internal (virtual) PSOne or PS2 Memory Card.

Time Required: Approx. 5 minutes required

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Ghostbusters: PlayStation Only

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, and Atari Europe announced to the press that Ghostbusters: The Video Game is going to be a PlayStation exclusive title. The PlayStation 3 (PS3) and PlayStation 2 (PS2) will both be getting Ghostbusters: The Video Game on June 19th with the PSP getting a version sometime in the fall.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Ghostbusters, the game will launch simultaneously with the Blu-ray release of the original movie. Ghostbusters: the Video Game will continue to be multiplatform in North America.

Mark Hardy, European Product Marketing Director at SCEE, was excited about landing the Ghostbusters: the Videogame as a PlayStation exclusive, “We’re committed to bringing the PlayStation family the biggest and best gaming experiences first, and it doesn’t get any bigger and better than this blockbuster title. This summer, PlayStation owners will be the first to grab their proton packs and fight the spirit world. We’d like to wish them the best of luck in their ghostbusting endeavours and, of course, to remind them not to cross the streams!”

He wasn't the only one thrilled by the deal. “With our colleagues at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe publishing Ghostbusters: The Video Game, we are thrilled by the dynamic new Ghostbusters game. We think it will have tremendous appeal to gamers and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this beloved franchise.” said Mark Caplan, Vice President of Licensing-Interactive for Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. “With this superb game launching alongside the Blu-ray release, we will reach existing fans and the next generation, bringing them all into the irresistible Ghostbusters universe.”

In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, players are placed two years after the Ghostbusters 2 movie. Wielding a proton they will be tasked with capturing ghosts and living the supernatural adventure of a Ghostbuster. Recruiting new Ghostbousters to help them, players will once again save Manhattan from ghouls, ghosts and other badies that go bump in the night.

The game has been written by original Ghostbusters writers Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and it reunites members of the original cast for the first time in 20 years. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson have all returned to both offer their likeness and to do the voice overs for the game.Ghostbusters: The Video Game also features performances from fan-favorites William Atherton (Walter Peck), Annie Potts (Janine) and Brian Doyle-Murray (Mayor Jock Mulligan).

Ghostbusters: The Video Game has had to walk a rough road, and has seen multiple publishers, but it has always looked like a superb game and European PlayStationites should be thrilled to have it on their roster of exclusive games.

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Top Ten PlayStation 3 Gifts Guide: Holiday 2010 Edition

The PS3 is well known for providing HD gaming at resolutions up to 1080p, as well as offering HD movie support via downloaded movies and Blu-ray movies, but it also fully supports both 3D movies and games. In fact, it's one of the easier, and cheaper and higher quality ways to get into stereoscopic 3D at home.

With a 3D HDTV, such as the Sony Bravia 3D TVs, your PS3 can make (certain) games and movies pop out at you, delivering a gaming experience that rivals having things jump out at your in the theater.

From "Gran Turismo 5" and "LittleBigPlanet 2" to "Crysis 2" and "Wipeout HD" playing games in 3D is something that must be experienced to believe. While in some games it does feel like a gimmick, in others you'll wonder how you ever played in 2D.

Sony is offering kits that include a 3D compatible Bravia TV, electronic active 3D glasses (unlike theaters, home stereoscopic 3D glasses shutter rapidly to let only one eye see the screen at a time, but it's so fast it's unnoticeable) and the necessary goods to hook it all up.

With the latest update, the PS3 is more than capable at running 3D games and movies. If you have an early adopter in your house, this will keep him or her ginning for years to come.

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How To Save Your PSOne Classic and PS2 Game On Your PlayStation 3

If you've downloaded a PSOne classic to your PS3 this may help. Whether it's Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, or any of the other great PSOne games available for download, eventually you'll want to save your game.

The original PSOne and PS2 required memory cards to save games on. The PS3 has no memory cards, it utilizes a hard drive. Yet the PSOne classic and PS2 games still ask for a memory card to save files on, even when you are playing them on your PS3. So, how do you use a memory card game save file on your PS3?

The answer is to create an internal (virtual) PSOne or PS2 Memory Card.

Time Required: Approx. 5 minutes required

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Top Ten PlayStation 3 Gifts Guide: Holiday 2010 Edition

The PlayStation Network gift card is an excellent gift for any PS3 owner. It comes in multiple denominations (and unlike the Wii or Xbox 360, PSN uses dollars instead of confusing "points"), and can be used to buy downloadable games, such as "Fat Princess," "Sonic the Hedgehog: 4," "DeathSpank," "Battlefield 1943," "Braid," "Peggle," "Diner Dash," "Pixel Junk Shooter," and PSOne classics like "Final Fantasy VII." It can also be used to buy or rent movies, digital comics, and a variety of other digital media sold via the PlayStation store.

Downloadable games are a fun a popular option because you not only never have to worry about the game not being in stock at your local game retailer, and you never have to fret over ruining or losing the disc, but you also get a lot of great content for relatively little money. Whereas a retail game will usually cost around $59 for a new PS3 title, downloadable games vary in price with $4.99, $9.99, and $14.99 being common price tags.

Whether you want to see the gamer on your list get the most bang for your buck, or you want to give a gift that comes in lower than the retail cost of a game, PlayStation Network gift cards are always appreciated and are easy to put to good use.

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