PlayStation.Blog » gamescom10

SOCOM 4 gamescom Floor Demo: Video tour

Jeremy Dunham — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:00:17 +0000

It’s a proud week for us here at Zipper Interactive as tomorrow marks the 8th birthday of our first-ever PS2 game and the title that started a huge multimillion-selling franchise, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs. To celebrate the eight-year mark, we’ve put together a special video for our fans.

In it, you’ll experience the gamescom 2010 SOCOM 4 demo in its entirety with commentary by lead designer, Travis Steiner. This is the first time anywhere that you’ll see the gamescom demo played all the way through and in high-definition, making it a “must watch” for anyone even remotely interested in what we have in store for 2011.

Let us know what you think below, and please accept our sincerest thanks for making the first eight years of SOCOM as great as they have been. Here’s to many more to come!

Recap: gamescom 2010 as it Happened

Sid Shuman — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:08:14 +0000

All week long, our intrepid EU PlayStation.Blog correspondent James Gallagher has been making the rounds at gamescom in picturesque Cologne, Germany.

Like most of you, the US PlayStation.Blog team has never attended gamescom. We thought we’d let James tell us what it’s like, from the major game announcements to the gaming culture to the restrooms (no joke). Let’s listen in…

For those that have never been to gamescom, I’d describe it as a mixture of E3 and PAX, although I’ve never had the opportunity to visit Seattle.

You’ve got your SCEE press conference, where we try our best to come up with big game announcements and — for me, most importantly — you have thousands of gamers in the beautiful city of Cologne, pulled together in celebration of that shared passion. There to meet them are the fruits of a great deal of imagination and hard work from the German PlayStation team. If you haven’t seen the PlayStation gamescom booth, then check it out via my video tour:

The biggest announcements of the week came from Insomniac Games, who announced both Ratchet & Clank All 4 One and Resistance 3. Insomniac’s President, Ted Price, joined the SCEE President Andrew House on-stage to lift the lid on two brand new PS3 games and I was lucky enough to interview him afterwards.

Another huge PlayStation story landed even before the SCEE press conference had begun, with EA announcing that Mass Effect 2 is coming to PS3, and that the special editions of Dead Space 2 and Medal of Honor will include HD versions of Dead Space Extraction and Medal of Honor Frontlines respectively.

PlayStation Move was everywhere at gamescom and one of the most enduring images I have is gazing across the booth at the masses of glowing spheres of all colours. I’d say that Sports Champions was the most popular title, with SingStar Dance proving popular with those brave enough to play it. I’ll tell you one thing about German gamers: they love their SingStar.

Also extremely popular were the the 3D TVs scattered across the show floor with Killzone 3, MotorStorm Apocalypse, Gran Turismo 5, The Fight and many more all playable in stereoscopic 3D. Glasses have never been so fashionable.

However, despite all the announcements and the games, my favourite part of gamescom is the atmosphere. Cologne is a densely packed city and the close proximity of the Koelnmesse Convention Centre, and it really makes you feel close to the people behind your favourite games.

I have to tell you, standing next to Kazunori Yamauchi at a urinal while Evolution Studios’ Matt Southern washes his hands is a weird experience for any gamer.

LittleBigPlanet 2: Community Updates + LBP2 gamescom Highlights

Mark Valledor — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:02:54 +0000

Welcome Sackboys and Sackgirls! It’s been a few weeks since our last recap and, with gamescom underway, there are lots of new LittleBigPlanet 2 updates to share.

HOT LittleBigPlanet 2 interviews from gamescom (thanks GameSpot)

Introducing the Creatinator with some frosty goodness.

Welcome aboard the new U.S.S. Sackboy Spaceship! Play arcade games, experiment with reverse-gravity, and level link to watch cutscenes.
Alex tells us how to make a top down racing game from the new Music Sequencer (MIND BLOWING).

Raw footage from the gamescom demos

Gran “Fur”ismo – LittleBigPlanet 2’s latest top-down racing level

Get a glimpse of one of the new levels with Sackboy and “unicycle-like doohickeys”
“Low gravity” escape. And yes, gravity is adjustable now…

New on the PlayStation Store

PS3: All 20 Marvel Sackboy costumes and level kit now available (plus new EPIC wallpaper

PSP: Robin Hood: Men in Sacks DLC (You know you need some new tights)

Random images from the week

Magazine cover awesomeness…

Light writing goodness (cool stuff @Jac_sin)…

Mt. Sackmore? A LittleBigPodcast exclusive …

OMG, LBP POD!!!

gamescom: inFAMOUS 2 Interview

James Gallagher — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:01:23 +0000

After the SCEE gamescom press conference, we had an event where press and developers could mingle, overindulge and try out the latest PlayStation games. I got talking to Bruce Oberg, co-founder of Sucker Punch Productions and development lead in inFAMOUS 2; without further ado, here’s what we said.

James Gallagher: From what I’ve seen, you seem to have been working particularly hard on the game’s graphics. Has this been an area in which you’ve placed special focus?

Bruce Oberg, Co-Founder, Sucker Punch Productions: We’ve tried to leave no stone unturned in just about every facet of the game and the graphics have been helped by us having another year of learning about PlayStation 3 under our belt. We’re able to use more of the cell processors now than we finished the first inFAMOUS, so we can have more characters on-screen, more complicated shaders, and much greater layering.

It basically means we’re able to up the amplitude when it comes to graphics and the number of breakable objects you see on the screen. The characters, in particular, look a lot better as we have learned things like light scattering under the skin that makes a big difference. We’re also using motion capture for the first time to create animations, which gives movement a more powerful, visceral look. It’s all looking great!

JG:How much collaboration has there been with studios such as Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games on this project?

BO: We’ve always felt like a little brother to those guys that you mentioned; they’re down in California so we don’t see each other all of the time, but we’ll occasionally give them a call if we’re having trouble with this or that, because they’re super smart.

We’re completely humbled to be mentioned in the same sentence as either of those teams.

JG: Morality was at the heart of inFAMOUS and I’ve always thought that the Holy Grail for those kinds of games is to nail the grey shades of personality in-between. Would you agree?

BO: Morality was never our starting point with inFAMOUS; it was ‘what would you do if you do if you were suddenly given superpowers’ and I think that karmic choice is a big part of that. What would you do? It’s not natural to give someone this power and then expect them to be a hero.

People responded really well to the choices we gave them, and we’re going to be doing more of that in inFAMOUS 2, but I think we’re going to make the choices even stronger, taking you either further in the good or evil directions. We want it to be clear to people what kind of choice they’re making.

JG: What are the storytelling challenges in that kind of forking narrative?

BO: It’s incredibly challenging. You think of the story as a tree that ends up with so many branches that it becomes a daunting task creating all of that content. In inFAMOUS there were essentially two endings that you could see and we might broaden that a little bit, but the real emphasis is on making sure that the way the game plays changing after you make certain choices.

JG: What inspired the new setting of New Marais?

BO: First of all we wanted somewhere that would offer more variation than a regular city. New Marais has echoes of New Orleans and other Southern cities, but there’s also a bit of Atlanta in there. We wanted a warmer, wetter climate with all these different districts like a modern area, a French quarter, a swamp and all these different shapes of the gritty world. It gives us a far more varied ‘jungle gym’ to explore.

JG: What are the new powers like?

BO: We showed the Ionic Vortex at E3, which is tornado made out of static electricity that just wreaks havoc. You have to remember that Cole is not a beginner anymore like he was at the beginning of inFAMOUS. He has a lot of powers already, so we’re giving him even more, but also a greater sense of limitation in that he has to consider the damage he’s going to cause to the city by using the really big powers.

JG: For people like me that have played a LOT of inFAMOUS, what’s going to surprise us in the sequel?

BO: I think that the sheer amount of extra content in there and the scale of the new powers is really going to blow a lot of people’s minds.

gamescom: Killzone 3 Video Interview with Steven Ter Heide

James Gallagher — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:01:34 +0000

You may have read my impressions of Killzone 3’s multiplayer mode earlier in the week, but why listen to what I think? Find out further details around the explosive mode from the game’s Senior Producer, Steven Ter Heide in this video interview direct from gamescom.

The Helghast weren’t the only things I shot this week; look out for a few more video interviews next week, here on the PlayStation.Blog.

Ted Price Interview

James Gallagher — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:23:07 +0000

I’ve been a supporter of Insomniac Games ever since I played Spyro the Dragon on the original PlayStation that still sits proudly beneath my TV. Therefore, it was a genuine Pleasure to meet the company’s President, Ted Price, at gamescom in Cologne.

First of all, I was keen to hear how it felt to finally spill the beans on the two PlayStation 3 games, Ratchet & Clank All 4 One and Resistance 3, that they have been secretly working on.

“It’s a relief!” Ted replied. “Our fans are very vocal on the forums about what we’re doing and now we can finally confirm that we are making these games and that they are going to be awesome.”

It has been a huge year for Insomniac Games an I was also set on finding out how important it felt for them to reassure PlayStation fans of their commitment to their big first parties IPs.

“We’ve had such a great relationship with Sony over the years that we felt it very important to remind people that we’re still great partners and that we still have great franchises that we’re working on,” he said. “What we’re going to see what from Ratchet & Clank and Resistance is going to be fresh; I think that we’ve demonstrated that at the SCEE press conference.”

I started asking about Resistance and asked why they have opted to debut the game via a live action trailer.

“That was really to set the tone; to give people a taste of what of what’s coming with Resistance,” he said. I asked whether this is something we can expect to see in the full game but, with a smile, was told that we’re not talking about that.

So, moving onto Ratchet & Clank All 4 One, I asked where the idea of co-operative gameplay was borne.

“Co-operative gameplay is something we have been talking about for a long time. We have experience with co-op with Resistance and it’s a natural fit for Ratchet because there are so many people who love to play Ratchet & Clank games with friends or siblings, and we have so many characters that naturally work well together. However, I have to tell you that this is being made by Insomniac North Carolina and I’m sitting back and helping with advice here and there, but they’re really driving this.”

It was hinted in the press conference that the game would be ‘co-op with a competitive edge,’ so I asked Ted to elaborate on this.

“You saw it today where all of the players are collecting bolts and earning points, and we’re not talking about what they’re going to do with what they collect right now, but you can interpret quite a bit from what you see.”

It was there we left. It was a pleasure to meet one of my gaming heroes and I’m in an eternal state of wonder over what Insomniac Games will do next. In case you’re wondering too, here’s another look at the two trailers they released at gamescom:

gamescom Comes to PlayStation Home + Star Wars, Superheroes & More

Locust_Star — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:27:31 +0000

Those of you who have always wanted to attend gamescom — one of the largest gaming conventions in the world — will finally have your chance this Thursday, August 19th when the gamescom event space launches in PlayStation Home. Get a sneak peek at upcoming PlayStation titles, play games with your friends, rack up exclusive rewards, and experience the excitement of the show floor — all in our gamescom event space!

Week three of the Empire Strikes Back 30th anniversary celebration continues with even more Star Wars items releasing into the ever-evolving world of PlayStation Home. We’re talking AT-AT tables, a Probe Droid chandelier, and even a Wompa skin rug. And if you really want to show the world how much of a Star Wars fanboy (or fangirl) you are, you can pick up the “Everything” Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary bundle, available (along with a ton of other awesome Star Wars content) from the LucasArts store in the PlayStation Home Mall.

Visit the Costumes store in the PlayStation Home Mall and transform yourself into a bonafide PlayStation Home superhero or supervillain. Choose from the Red Raven and Epsilon Viper costumes (available for the guys) or the Nocturne and Wild Scarlet costumes (for the gals). Grab the bundles at a super-low price and then take to the streets of PlayStation Home where you can wow civilians with your newfound super-gear!

Speaking of rounding out your PlayStation Home collection — be sure to visit the PlayStation Home Mall to pick up Scott Pilgrim t-shirts (available in the Threads store) and the new Lockwood items (pictured below and available from the Sodium store).

While you are at it, head to Central Plaza, where you can get a free Subway Fiery Footlong t-shirt and watch a special video of the Los Angeles Clippers’ own Blake Griffin, airing in the PlayStation Home Theater. Join the Subway Fiery Footlong Frenzy and you could win PlayStation games and hardware before they appear on shelves. You heard me – you can be the first of all your friends to own LittleBigPlanet 2, LBP2 Collector’s Edition, Gran Turismo 5, GT5 Collector’s Edition, PlayStation Move hardware and software bundles, and the Invizimals PSP bundle. Simply collect game codes at Subway restaurants and enter on SubwayFreshBuzz.com. There’s literally a prize every minute!

Top Gun the video game has launched on the PlayStation Network. To celebrate, we’re offering you a chance to win the game, the movie and two exclusive Top Gun t-shirts for your PlayStation Home avatar. Join the Top Gun Scavenger Hunt, being held in Central Plaza starting tomorrow, August 19th. Check out the official Rules and Regulations at the end of this post, and be sure to download the Top Gun game from the PlayStation Store before August 24th in order to receive a free limited edition flight suit for your PlayStation Home avatar!

Before I head out of here, I’d like to bring your attention to a new game that VeeMee (makers of the London Pub personal space, Pool personal games, and other hit pieces of PlayStation Home content) will be releasing in the very near future. Think: Scrabble…but this time you wear your answers.

Here’s how it works: Pick up the AlphabeTees Game Pack (made up of the 26 words of the Alphabet including some punctuation) from the PlayStation Home Mall. Each day a new question will be shown on the Central Plaza Jumbotron. Get together with your friends to form the answer, take a photo, and then upload directly to the AlphabeTees competition entry portal (located under the Central Plaza Jumbotron).The winning entry will then be shown on the Central Plaza Jumbotron screen the following day so that everyone in PlayStation Home knows just how skilled you are!

To get everyone into the swing of things AlphabeTees will be giving away a free sample pack of 5 letters from the AlphabeTees game point in Central Plaza. We’ll update you with more details (including release dates) on this Blog, so keep your eyes peeled.

See you in Home!

PlayStation Home Top Gun Scavenger Hunt Contest

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void outside the 50 United States, Washington D.C. (“D.C.”) and where prohibited. The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and D.C. only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or D.C. and are at least 13 years of age at the time of entry. To enter, you must have a PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, a valid PlayStation Network account, a valid PlayStation Network ID (“PSN ID”), internet access, a copy of PlayStation Home installed on your PlayStation 3 system and a valid registered PlayStation Network e-mail address.

1. ELIGIBILITY: The PlayStation Home Top Gun Scavenger Hunt Contest (the “Promotion”) is only open to legal United States residents 13 years of age or older on or prior to August 19, 2010. Prize winners or prize winners’ parent or guardian (if the winner is under the age of 18) may be required to sign a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability within 14 days of prize notification. By acceptance of prize, winners agree to the use of their name and/or likenesses for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable or failure to return the affidavit within the designated time frame will result in disqualification. Employees of the Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (the “Sponsor”) and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. SPONSOR: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404.

3. TIMING: The Promotion begins August 19, 2010 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (“PDT”) and ends August 25, 2010 12:00 p.m. PDT (“Promotion Period”).

4. PRIZES:

a. First Place Prize: The Sponsor will award the First Place Prize to the entrants who send the first 30 emails, containing the correct answers to the 5 trivia questions that are received by the Sponsor during the Promotion Period. First Place Prize winners will each receive vouchers for a copy of Top Gun the video game, a copy of Top Gun the movie, and 2 PlayStation Home virtual Top Gun t-shirts (1 male blue t-shirt and 1 female grey-shirt) all downloadable from the PlayStation store (ARV $25.97).
b. Second Place Prize: The Sponsor will award the Second Place Prize to the entrants who send the first 20 emails after the 30 First Place Prize winners containing the correct answers to the 5 trivia questions that are received by the Sponsor during the Promotion Period. Second Place Prize winners will receive vouchers for a copy of Top Gun the movie and 2 PlayStation Home virtual Top Gun t-shirts (1 male blue t-shirt and 1 female grey-shirt) all downloadable from the PlayStation store (ARV $10.98).
c. Participation Prize: All other qualifying entrants who submit entries during the Promotional Period but have not won the First Place prize or Second Place prize will receive a voucher for 2 PlayStation Home virtual Top Gun t-shirts (1 male blue t-shirt and 1 female grey- t-shirt) downloadable from the PlayStation store (ARV $0.99).
Vouchers will be delivered to winners 6-8 weeks after the conclusion of the Promotion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal or greater value if prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-transferable and no substitutions allowed.

5. HOW TO ENTER:

Log into your PlayStation Network account and launch PlayStation Home application.
During the Promotion Period, make your way through PlayStation Home to view the Top Gun posters. There will be 5 Top Gun posters, each poster containing 1 trivia question.
Answer the 5 trivia questions.
Submit your answers to each of the 5 trivia questions by sending an e-mail to HomeContests@playstation.sony.com with “Top Gun” as the Subject line. Include your PSN ID in the body of the e-mail along with your answers to the trivia questions.
The Sponsor will award the First Place Prize to the entrants who send the first 30 emails, containing the correct answers to the 5 trivia questions, that are received by the Sponsor during the Promotion Period.
The Sponsor will award the Second Place Prize to the entrants who send the first 20 emails after the 30 First Place Prize winners containing the correct answers to the 5 trivia questions that are received by the Sponsor during the Promotion Period.
All other qualifying entrants who submit entries during the Promotional Period but have not won the First Place prize or Second Place prize will receive the Participation Prize.
Limit 1 entry per person and e-mail address. Subsequent entries will be disqualified. All winners will be notified via e-mail. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, mutilated, illegible, incomplete or misdirected entries. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes corrupt the administration, security or proper play of this Promotion. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules will be automatically disqualified.

6. General: By acceptance of prize, winner agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its affiliate companies, subsidiaries, parent companies, advertising and promotion agencies, and their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use/misuse of the prize. Winner agrees to the use of his/her name and/or likeness for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Neither Sponsor nor its affiliates, subsidiaries, division or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes (federal, state or local if any), or expenses that winner might incur as a result of entering or participating in this Promotion or upon receipt or use of prize.

7. WINNER LIST: To obtain names of winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PlayStation Home Top Gun Scavenger Hunt Contest, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 4th floor, Foster City, CA 94404. Prize winners’ name request will be fulfilled within four weeks. Requests for winner list must be received by September 8, 2010.

8. RESTRICTIONS: Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

DC Universe Online: “Savior or Destroyer” Trailer from gamescom

Wes Yanagi — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:01:21 +0000

Just in time for gamescom in Cologne, here’s a new trailer for SOE’s upcoming PS3 action MMO, DC Universe Online. This trailer reveals some of the over-the-top combat, as well as the powers and movement sets that players can choose from in making themselves the next great legend in the DC Universe — either as its savior or its destroyer.

DC Universe Online is scheduled to launch November 2 for the PlayStation 3. To preorder the game and get some killer in-game items, click the pre-order link at www.dcuniverseonline.com.

Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One Coming to PS3

Chad Dezern — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:17:42 +0000

Hi everyone. My name is Chad Dezern and I’m the Studio Director at Insomniac Games’ North Carolina studio. I’m here to share some exciting news. We’ve been hammering away in our secret shack in the middle of the woods since January 2009. Now it’s time to emerge into the sunlight and hold our creation aloft. It’s alive!

We’re excited to announce that we’re hard at work on the first ever one-to-four player cooperative, online/offline, drop-in/drop-out Ratchet & Clank title, Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One!

We knew from our earliest meetings that we wanted to give players a chance to play in the Ratchet Universe with Ratchet and Clank at the same time. And after we started, we felt an almost moral obligation to include Captain Qwark and Dr. Nefarious; there was just too much comedy potential in bringing this group together for us to pass up the opportunity. Their bumbling idiocy, prickly antagonism, and unfettered evil was a perfect reflection of how we play All 4 One here in the office. I’m looking forward to telling the story of how the four of them find themselves together . . .

The game is about cooperative play through and through. We want to make it easy to get together with friends and family, get in a game and have fun in the Ratchet universe. We’re working hard to capture the feeling of fighting through amazing battles with other players, whether they are on the couch next to you or playing online half-a-world away.

Our official reveal happened at the PlayStation Press Conference during gamescom in Cologne, Germany. We will be following up with a panel at Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle on September 4. There, I’ll be joined by other Insomniacs: North Carolina Production Director Shaun McCabe, Senior Writer TJ Fixman, and Senior Community Manager James Stevenson. We’ll talk about all things Ratchet (including comics and action figures), and we’ll show all of the content from our announcement.

We can’t wait to show you more of the game. We feel like the game we want to make lines up perfectly with the game our fans want to see–the time is right for Ratchet coop! Keep an eye out for more info in the coming months. Don’t miss a thing: follow @InsomniacGames on Twitter, and sign up for our community and newsletter on InsomniacGames.com to stay up-to-date with new announcements.

So long for now, we’ll talk more soon.

Available This Fall: New PS3 System Models Featuring 160GB & 320GB Hard Drives

John Koller — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:16:33 +0000

Hi everyone! If you’re like me and use your PS3 to store all your favorite digital content, larger storage capacity is a must. This fall, we’re introducing two new models of the PS3 system– a 320GB PS3 system, which will be included in the PS3 Sports Champions Move bundle; as well as a 160GB PS3 system, which will be available as a standalone. These new higher capacity models will continue to offer the same advanced features and functions of the current models, but with approximately 33 percent more capacity and at compelling price points.

The 160GB PS3 system brings you more storage for the same price as the previous model — $299.99 (MSRP) — and is shipping to retailers nationwide now. The 320GB PS3 system will hit store shelves on September 19, in conjunction with the launch of PlayStation Move. It will be part of the PS3 Sports Champions Move bundle, which includes one PlayStation Move motion controller, PlayStation Eye camera, a copy of Sports Champions on Blu-ray disc, and bonus Blu-ray game demo disc– all in one complete package for $399.99 (MSRP). The value included in this bundle is incredible and we know this will further add to the exceptionally high demand for the new platform.

These new, larger hard drives mean more room for storing all the great content that PlayStation offers: thousands of games, movies, TV shows, as well as your personal photos, videos, music and so much more. There’s never been a more convenient, cost effective way to join the PlayStation family and bring the future of entertainment into your living room.

Next month is set to be a historic one for us here at PlayStation – you’ll be able to pick up high capacity PS3 systems and come September 19, you’ll be able to purchase PlayStation Move, the new and innovative motion gaming experience for the PS3 system that delivers the most realistic and immersive high-definition gaming experience ever created. The future of gaming has arrived and PlayStation is the force behind these innovations.

Enjoy!