Killzone 2 and lack of updates

Wow, what a game. but i have not been playing much of the single player.
i was in the beta, way back when, for Killzone 2 so i've used that experience to jump into the multiplayer and kick ass, lol.
there's not many games that i can dominate when playing online, so i'm fully enjoying this.
there are alot more maps than i've played before, and it's taking some time to adjust to them, but they are genearlly pretty good, a good mixture of close combat and distance.
i'm enjoying myself soo much i apologuise for the lack of updates, i'm keeping the twitter going pretty frequently.
but seriously, anyone with a ps3 should be playing this, well i'd say flower as well. it has the best graphics, the best multiplayer...all things people have said the ps3 didn't have. here it is, now people go and enjoy it.

UK PSN Update 26/02/09

Todays PSN Update was released pretty late. but, with today being Killzone 2 Day...did anyone really mind?

PS3 Games
High Volcety Bowling - Trick Shots pack two [Free]
High Volcety Bowling - Dwyane Pack [£0.79]
High Volcety Bowling - Candy Pack [£0.79]
Lord Of The Rings Conquest - All New Content (game pack) [£6.29]
Skate 2 - San Van Classic Pack [£3.19]
Street Fighter 4 - Brawler Pack [£3.19]
Buzz - Quiz Of The Year 2008 [£3.99]

Guitar Hero - World Tour
"Get Out of Denver" by Bob Seger [£1.59]
"Her Strut" By Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band [£1.59]
"Old Time Rock & Roll" By Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band [£1.59]
Bob Seger Track Pack [£4.39]

Rock Band
"3 Dimes Down" by Drive by Truckers[£0.99]
"Can't Let Go" By Lucinda Williams[£0.99]
"Futures" By Jimmy Eat World[£0.99]
"Lucky Denver Mint" By Jimmy Eat World [£0.99]
"Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World [£0.99]
"People Got A Lotta Nerve" by Neko Case [£0.99]
"Satelite Radio" by Steve Earle [£0.99]
"The Bomb (live)" by Old 97's [£0.99]
"Jimmy Eat World Pack (songs mentioned above) [£2.49]
"Alt Country Pack (other songs mentioned above) [£4.89]

Videos
Lumines Supernove Trailer
Prince Of Persia Epilouge Trailer
Echochrome Master Maze Makers Trailer
Burnout Paradise - The Ultimate Bundle Trailer
Fifa 09 - The Ultamte Team Intro Video Trailer
Disgaea 3 - Absense Of Justice Trailer

Theme
Loco Roco 2 -MuiMui House

Demo's
Tom Claney's H.A.W.X

PSP
Generation Of Chaos [£9.99]
WWII: Battle Over The Pacific [£9.99]

Nothing really to see here this week, alot of videos and some content. no new PSN games tho. oh well, Killzone 2 will have to make do, lol

New Zero Punctuation: Fear 2

I decided to embed this weeks Zero Punctuation because i really like it. nothing more.
his video reviews were a huge breath of fresh air and genually a big laugh. they are short reviews and whilst yes, very little impresses him, it does make you look at them different.
So watch and enjoy. head to http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation to watch other reviews that he has done.

PSN Members Hit 20 Million Users Worldwide

A press release from Sony has proudly announced that since November 11 2006, when the Playstation Network was launched, worldwide Sony now has 20 Million registered users of the Playstation Network. in their press release, Sony has broken down some numbers of what these users are doing.

• It took 1 year 2 months to reach 5 Million Users
• 10 million in 1 year 8 months
• 20 million in 2 years, 3 months.
• the ps3 has over 600 titles that incorporate the PSN
• PSN Store offers more than 14,500 individual pieces of content
• Home was launched in December 2008. it now has over 4 million users
• 2.6 Million users now use Life with Playstation
  

Someone Replied!

As crazy as it sounds, but apart from signing up to press releases from various publishers, i finally had someone reply to a email i sent.
i've been trying to find out what happened to Blast Factor, Echochrome, and Bionic Commando Rearmed trophy patches. so far i've tried contacting Sony Europe, Sony America, and Blue Point Games (the developer of Blast Factor) and had no replies from either. However, when i contacted Grin Studio's (the developers of Bionic Commando Rearmed) they replied. it was very polite, but they couldn't answer where the patch was. they informed me i would have to go to Capcom to find out what happened....
Still awaiting a reply...

Apologies For The Ad's

As you may have noticed, i have added ad's to the site. it wasn't a easy choice but i feel i need to.
just so my readers understand, at present the ad's are not relevant, but they should change to something more relevant to this blog.
Please don't think that you have to click on them, i'm not making anyone do that.
in the future, the aim is to have ad's from actual game companies on both the twitter site and this blog, but for now this is the best i can do

What Have You Played This Week?

What have you guys/gals played this week?
Feel free to add your thought about it, like whether you enjoyed it, had a frustrating time, as it would be interesting to know. for example, this week i've played...

• Burnout paradise - 360 - it was ok, but didn't take long to get annoyed with it. i honestly feel it's a step backwards and they should make another like burnout revenge
• Noby Noby Boy - ps3 - if it wasn't for sites telling me what the trophies were, i don't think i would've ever done anything with the game, it really is strange and open ended, and for the £3 i paid, i can't really complain.
• Astro Tripper - ps3 - one of the hardest games i play, i die all the time and yet i keep going back to it. it could be casue its £3, or it could be really good. i'm not too sure, but at least now i've finally got to the end boss of the game....just got to beat it.
• Street Fighter IV - ps3 - i haven't played a street fighter since the mega drive, so i was really lost when i started. the tutorial is average, but i still struggled to pull of moves. graphics are lush, i just need more practice before i take it online and play others i feel.
• Folklore - ps3 - i rented this game not really knowing what to expect. intial feelings are good graphics and interesting story line, but i feel i've got a long ways to go yet.

Wells thats it for me, so how about you?

Noby Noby Boy - WTF!?!?!

I thought that i would do a review of Noby Noby Boy, but it turns out i can't. i fall into a group, inbetween those who don't "get" the game and those that do. it's a awkward place to be, to love some parts, but really hate others, the main exmaple being the camera controls, unfortunately, it is a game that will polarise to those extremes. The graphics are not stunning, the music is pretty non-existent, which is a shame cause i think clever use of music like Flower would really help the game.

there is no story, no goals, your just Boy and you have to make Girl grow. what you do with boy inbetween is entirely up to you, and it's this that really stumps me cause so little is told of what that is. thankfully there are trophies, and if anyone gets the game i recommend they look at a site and the trophies for this game, as they are all blank on the console bar one, as they act as a good basis for what you can do in the game. most games use trophies to show what else can be done, but here they are done in such a way that they are a manual for what you should try.

And yet, it's these sort of games that i want more on the PSN, these games that try to change the definition of what a game is. Flower, which was released the previous week, was another game that showed us another way a game could be made, played...and to be honest, i really did enjoy flower. these games are really unique to the PS3, sure the 360 has had some interesting games but they were more safe, more likely to sell than say Noby Noby Boy, and it's these risks, these "games" which Sony is prepared to put on th e PS3 that makes me more interested in the PSN, interested to see what else is coming, to try something new.

So in the end, no review just some ramblings and thoughts.

Star Trek Online Update [Updated]

Cryptic has uploaded another "ask Cryptic" section, and this one has some rather interesting points. catch the full article at http://www.startrekonline.com/node/176 .
here though are some interesting comments when asked about ship customisation that i personally find quite interesting.

• The vessel you choose will have a familiar silhouette, for example a Miranda class or a Centaur class. you won't be able to add say more warp engines to it, the vessel has to look like it's silhouette, but that still means you "...will be able to modify all the parts – the saucer, the nacelles, the pylons, the primary hull, etc. You will also be able to modify colors, decals, and other bits."Basically creating a viariant of the main design, like the Enterprise B Variant of the Excellsior deisgn (with the extra impulse engines)

• You can upgrade internal parts of your vessel. However, the upgrades are specific depending on your Vessels Class, Nova Class, for example, would be more scientific. all sorts of upgradable parts are available however "....rimary items like your weapons, shields, deflector dish, impulse and warp engines, etc. You will also be able to add lots of enhancements to your systems, such as targeting computers for better accuracy, EPS conduits upgrades to improve power transfer rates, better biobeds for your sick bay..."

• The final thing which can be customised is your bridge crew. "...Your Bridge Officers will come with unique skills that can only be used if they are at a duty station." An example which they mention earlier in the article would be the chief engineer, "... your engineer’s skills will determine your maximum warp speed."

Some interesting stuff. i like how the studio is continuing to maintin interest in thier game by slowly divulgeing information about it, pictures. but what impresses me the most is how they are involving the community. they offer contests like thier Kobsyashi maru contests or thier Planet Exploration stories with prizes like Beta Slots and Forum Slots. They have already begun to develop the community, meaning when the game is released they will have greater numbers in the game from the off, and good day 1 sales of course.
They have even worked with the new Star Trek Movie and incorperated some of those story lines into the games, making both as Cannon as each other. a known example is the uniforms, the left is from the book tie in, the right being from the game. expect information on Data later?!

[picture from http://trekmovie.com/images/merchandise/idwcrypsyn.jpg ]

[Update]
Looks like IGN has got some more screen shots for the game that aren't even on Star Trek Online's website. Click on IGN Star Trek Online Pic's to have a look at them.

UK PSN Update 19/02/09

Todays PSN Update was released pretty late. but now it's out and it's a big release with some PSP love also.

PSN Games
Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix [£11.99]
Noby Noby Boy [£3.19]

PS3 Games
Little Big Planet - Wipeout Costume Kit [£2.39]
Naruto Ninja Storm - Storm Pack 7 [Free]
Skate 2 - Dyrdek's Fantasy Plaza Pack [£3.19]
Mirror's Edge - Pure Time Trails [£6.29]
Burnout Paradise - Jansen 88 Special [£3.19]
Burnout Paradise - Hunter Manhattan Spirit [£1.59]
Burnout Paradise - Hunter Cavalry Bootlegger [£1.59]
Burnout Paradise - Carson GT Nighthawk [£1.59]
Burnout Paradise - Time Savers Pack [£3.99]
Burnout Paradise - Legendary Cars Collection [£6.29]

Guitar Hero - World Tour
"hi,hi,hi" by Wings [£1.59]
"Jet" by Wings [£1.59]
"Junior's Farm" by Wings [£1.59]
Wings Track Pack [£4.39]

Rock Band
"Black Sunshine" by White Zombie [£0.99]
"More Human Than Human" by White Zombie [£0.99]
"Pick Up The Pieces" by Average White Band [£0.99]
"Wasted Again" by Turbonegro [£0.99]

Video
Mini Ninja's - Announcement trailer
Flower - Behind The Scenes

Theme
Magic ball
Cuboid
Mahjong Tales - Ancient Wisdom Theme
LocoRoco 2 - Planet Theme
Flower Theme

Wallpaper
Flower

PSP
Internation Athletics [£11.99]
Stateshift [£9.99]
Spectral vs. Generation [£9.99]
World of Pool [£7.99]

Resistance Retribution thoughts...

i'm playing the resistance retribution demo on the PSP, which came out today, and wow. right from the off it shows off some really impressive graphics, gives you some interesting story, and throws you right into the action.
right there, i wonder what people will think of the next bit. this game does not play like any other resistance game simply because it is on the PSP and not the PS3. if it was on the PS3, i'm sure that people would love the game, buit with the different controll scheme needed for the PSP, it's not quite as intuative as a dual stick shooter.
the main controlls use the left stick as movement and the face buttons as directions to shoot, R1 is primary fire with L1 as secondary fire. thankfully, this scheme is becoming more and more common on the psp, when people port over dual stick games. Super Stardust Portable, Riff Everyday Shooter are two new games which use the same controlls as this game.
i personally feel that this is the best compramise for this system, and fully enjoy using it with Super Stardust Portable, but with this demo...it kinda throws you in the deep end after the into with battle after battle after battle....before an epic battle at the end. for the demo's size it feels short, it clocks in at 171mb, but it also is a good taster of what is to come.
it looks like the resistance universe, right down to the music. this is going to be one of the biggest hits of the year for the PSP.

UK PSN Update 12/02/09

This week sees the much anticpated release of Flower and Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars as well as a surprise demo for the PSP of Reistance Retribution.

Demo's
Motorstorm 2

PSN Games
Flower [£6.29],
Supersonic Acrobatic Roket-Powered Battle-Cars [£7.99],

PS3 Games
Little Big Planet - Ape Escape Costume [£1.59]
Little Big Planet -Toro Costume [£1.59]
NBA All Star -All Star Weekend 09 (Game Pack) [Free]

Guitar Hero
"Dig Out Your Soul" by Oasis (Full Album) [£13.99]
"Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams [£1.59]
"Drive" by Incubus [£1.59]
"Ain't Got Nothin'", "Falling Down", (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady", "I'm Outta Time", "Soldier On", "The Nature Of Reality", "The Turning", "To Be Where There's Life"; All by Oasis and [£1.59] each.
Acoustic Track Pack - "Drive" by Incubus, "Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams, and "New Slang" by The Shins [£4.39]
Southern Rock Pack - "Commotion" by Creedene Clearwater Revial, "Black Betty" made famous by Ram Jam and covered by Wavegroup, and "Gimme All Your Lovin" made famous by ZZ Top, covered by Wavegroup

Rock Band
The Fratellis Pack 01 - "Creepin Up The Back Stairs", "Flathead", and "Henrietta" [£2.49] [£0.99 Each]

Video
Flower Trailer
Fifa 09 - Inside Fifa Interactive World Cup Trailer)
Tekken 6 - New Year Trailer

Theme
Need For Speed Undercover
Pain - Hasselhoff Theme

PSP
Resistance Retribution Demo [172MB]

Game Press

well i had a email back from Game Press, and to be honest i doubt i'll be excepted.

They wanted to know more about the site...but when i read what type of sites they work with, even though this type of blog wasn't specified, they don't support blog websites.
I'll reply saying what i'm doing with this site, but i'm not too confident they'll let me in.
it's no big set back, it really was very lucky to come across them and all you can do is try.

Star Trek Online Update

Cryptic Studios have released a new video of the character customisation within Star Trek Online.
you can choose from the known famous, and even some of the bad guys, or create your own, whether that is simply modifying a set race, or creating a new one from scratch.
it should be noted that the video also shows quite clearly the new uniform design used within the game as well as the graphic style of the character models.

They are currently at Comic Con, so expect more updates (fingers crossed anyway) and i'll try to update the blog when they happen/ i'll be honest in that i'm excited about this game and the possibility.

After Sony....How about Games Press?

In looking to get a email address to contact Capcom over where the Bionic Commando Rearmed PS3 Trophy patch is, i was going to sign up to Capcom press releases (after doing this i could ask them questions directly) but i noticed that if you had a games press login, that'd let you in also.
after having a look, games press is a site which distributes press releases and imagines froma varity of sources.
so instead of signing up for one, i'll sign up to them and get others as well.
well fingers crossed to see if i'm able to get news from them

Bolt 3d movie....thoughts on games implications

I have just seen Bolt, the new Disney movie, and wow, its a great movie. one of the best disney movies ever. but that is not what makes it special. it's also 3d. whilst i admit to not seeing My Bloody Valentine, Bolts use of 3d is creative.
people mostly imagine that 3d is used to make things come out at you, but this movie used it to great effect in many areas. some simple things like the sphere of the hamsters ball.... in stead of looking like a sphere it actually was a sphere with a hamster in it. other great examples were using it to show depth. imagine playing Little Big Planet, a game which uses depth to move in a 3d environment, not always to great effect. however after watching Bolt, it shows how depth can be shown in 3d to great effect, making it clear whats behind, infront and even distance of an object.

back in 2008 CES, Sony showed off 3d gaming on the playstation 3 using WIpeout HD, Motorstorm and GT5 prolouge. and whilst i don't know what it looked like, after seeing Bolt i can imagine what it looked like. and i'm excited. whilst i'm sure developers would be able to do interesting things with 3d, the more immediate viewing experiance is like the change from standard def to high def. if it becomes mainstream, it will change how you watch/play games/ movies. whats best is that the PS3 can do this nativly, the only change would be the need for a 3d television (and silly Glasses). i imagine, and this is not a long shot, that before the consoles end, we will see 3d games on the PS3

Lets See if i can get a Sony Press Pass *UPDATE*

Sony got back to me, very promptly, and have given me a press pass.
a quick look at the site, the main story is about new psp colours coming to Europe
(these are some of the pictures available, they are psp packshots)
When anything is available, i'll post it on here.

Lets See if i can get a Sony Press Pass

In trying to find out why Blast Factor and Echochrome still have not had thier updates in the UK, i went looking at the sony press area on thier webiste.
there is a section to sign up to press alerts. i'm going to try singing up, and of course if i'm successful i'll relay any news that i'm allowed to.
and if i'm not successful, of course i'm going to mention that as well....

and i havn't given up trying to find out when Blast Factor and Echochrome, cause i like those games and would like the trophy patch to come out.

UK PSN Update 05/02/09

This week on the PSN we have:

Demo's
KillZone 2

PSN Games
NHL Arcade [£6.29],
Lumines Supernova [£8.99],
Cuboid [£7.99],

PS3 Games
Burnout Paradise Party (game pack) [£7.99]
Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Bundle (Full Game Plus Game Pack) [£29.99]
Little Big Planet - Valentine's Day Level Kit [£2.39]
Everybody's Golf - Glofasaurus-Rex B.C.C Course (Game Pack) [£3.19]
Naruto: Ninja Storm - Storm Pack 6 (Game Pack) [Free]

Guitar Hero
"Black Betty" as made famous by Ram Jam [£1.59]
"Commotion by Credence Clearwater Revivial [£1.59]
"Gimme All Your Lovin" as made famous by ZZ Top [£1.59]

Rock Band
"Break My Heart" by Nikko [£0.59]
"Cowboy Song (live)" by Thin Lizzy [£0.99]
"Don't Tell Me" by Nikko [£0.59]
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar [£0.99]
"Jailbreak (live)" by Thin Lizzy [£0.99]
"Precious" by The Pretenders [£0.99]
"The Boys Are Back In Town (Live)" by Thin Lizzy [£0.99]
Thin Lizzy Pack 01 (all Thin Lizzy Songs mentioned above) [£2.49]

Video
Pain DARTS trailer
Cuboid Trailer

Wallpapers
Mirrors Edge - Time Trail
Mirrors Edge - Time Trail Alternative
The Lord Of The Rings Conquest - Fight For Evil
The Lord Of The Rings Conquest - "Choose Your Hero"
The Lord Of The Rings Conquest - Fight For Good

Theme
Mirrors Edge

PSP
Bliss Island [£7.99]
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 [£15.99]

This is available now.
no sight of battles cars yet. last weeks technical error with the game looks like it's not yet been fixed

"Classic" Game Covers

Not news, but great to look at. Kotaku has found someone who's re-interpreted game covers into retro styles.
one of my faviote is Mirrors Edge, soo simple, but soo accurate at the same time.
So Head over and have a look. it's really cool.
http://kotaku.com/5145909/a-second-serving-of-classic-reimagined-game-covers

Sega Mega Drive: Ultimate Collection - My First Attempt at contacting the industry.

For the twitter feed, i had a plan to try and get some "scoop" information regarding the Sega Mega Drive: Ultimate Collection.
i sent a few questions to a Sega EU Rep, stating also that i wanted to use the answers as a way to help promote their game and the twitter account.
Unfortunately, i never had a reply from them which also meant that the planned "Scoop" launch for the twitter account never happened.

Lets hope future involvement with PR is better than that, lol.

[ picture from http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B001P5HX0Y/sr=8-1/qid=1233671752/ref=dp_image_0/275-6651159-0388465?ie=UTF8&n=300703&s=videogames&qid=1233671752&sr=8-1 ]

First Of Many

Hello all, present and now.
Things look a bit bare at the moment, but over time i aim to develop this, as well as the twitter QTE, into something significant.
i am one person, so at times updating may be difficult, but please bare with me.

The aim of this blog is to offer greater news than our twitter feed provides, for those that want it, but to also offer a more personal view. if i'm playing a game and just love it i will say so and fully encourage you to comment and offer your views and support.
In the begining, it may also have thoughts on starting at site like this and managing the twitter site. difficulties in getting info, exclusives, pictures...etc...etc

The twitter can be found at http://twitter.com/QTE