Best of “The Best Ofs”

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I hope you all enjoyed the holidays, and the first 36+ hours of 2008 so far. We’re back to business as usual here at SCEA, meaning a PLAYSTATION Store update tomorrow, and regular postings resuming here on the ol’ PlayStation.Blog.

While the last couple of weeks have been kinda slow video game-news-wise, there’s still been plenty of fine reading. Everyone with a Web site or blog seems to have written up a Best Games of 2007 feature, and here are some highlights and emergent themes:

IGN may have put together the most in-depth “Best of” series, with separate listings for PSP and PS3. Lot to read there.

Gamasutra went beyond just the Top 10 Games of the Year for various systems (though Persona 3 and Ratchet & Clank Future: ToD were both honored), the site also highlighted its Top 5 Trends (#2 “Indies Going Major” – “two of the most significant games released to the console download market this year: Everyday Shooter and flOw.”), and God of War II‘s Kratos checking in as one of the “Top 5 Most Affecting Characters.”

Best of 1

Another nod to Persona 3, and another somewhat-lower-profile gem (Folklore) made Susan’s Top 10 on Wired’s Game|Life blog.

I found myself nodding vigorously in agreement with MTV Multiplayer writer Stephen Totilo’s “Great Gaming Moments of 2007.” Sniping soldiers on the bridge with Heavenly Sword‘s Kai and God of War II’s opening battle with the Colossus of Rhodes are two of my favorite gaming moments of 2007, and probably of all time.

Best of 2

Yet more love for Kratos, who not only ran away with multiple PlayStation 2 Game of the Year awards, but also received a number of cross-platform nods in GoW II.

For a more PlayStation-centric view (nothing wrong with that!), the PS3 Fanboy/PSP Fanboy sites dug really deep into every category that you could probably imagine.

And while New Years is traditionally a time to look back, I love the way Game Informer looked forward on this list. Plenty to get excited about, no?

OK, back to work on what will be an exciting 2008 for you PlayStation fans! I hope your holidays were somewhere near as exciting as it was for these kids!

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122 Comments

3 Author Replies

  • @Solace
    Well maybe they could run them through emulation, or just make them compatible with the versions that do support backwards compatibility. I definitely think that downloadable PS2 games would be a great idea. PS2 so far was the best system I ever owned, and making its huge library of games accessible to PS3 owners through a download seems like a great idea. Maybe the games could be cheaper in downloadable form as well. Imagine hard to find games like Beyond Good & Evil and Psychonauts appearing on the store along with favorites like God of War and Gran Turismo. It would be like reuiniting the whole family.

  • Any news on when we will get the dmc4 demo.

  • @artofwar420

    you can justify taking away the PS2 compatibility in the 40GB model.

    Removing backward compatibility is never justified; and is/was a legally stupid move on Sony’s part. It is sucha Brobdingnagian cluster #@$% that I am still unable to fully understand the Genius behind it. No doubt Sony has taken to hiring former Micro$oft executives or perhaps the responsible Rocket Scientist owns more Micro$oft stock than Sony.

  • soon it will be possible to download xbox games to your xbox360. so sony better step up and do the same with ps2 games.

  • ^^^just about what he said..08″=Sony

  • Hi Jeff Rubenstein :)

    Could you tell us if the PS3 will ever be able to Bitstream DD TrueHD or DTS HD MA) format ?

  • Jeff:

    Hope it’s for RockBand, as my Guitar Hero 3 guitar won’t sync and I’m still waiting for a reply from RedOctane(I sent them an email on the 17TH!?!?!?! of December!) Do you mind knocking some sense into them? They don’t even have a support line(Activision doesn’t deal with the guitars, only the game).

  • @nailerr comment 40. i agree the xbox used to have it and it failed big time. users demanded it to be taken of. so i don’t know why sony put this option on the ps3. for the chat it’s ok. but for online play it’s terrible.

  • @PsychoEddie

    not exactly… look the sales since the 40gb model.. and keep selling… the only game that I played since my 60gb ps3 is god of war 2… after that.. nop… and many people need to buy a ps3 at any cost… sooo… if the ps3 is selling well since the 40gb ps3 that only means that the factor that the ps3 need keep selling was the price… just my point of view…

  • Ditto on DTS HD-MA. I’m fine with PCM, but a growing number of disks include only DTS HD-MA soundtracks.

    JET

  • Heh,so you heard about the PS3 kid? The PS3 made him go nuts lol.

  • Some great looking games coming out in 2008 I cant wait! I am going to pick up a PSP soon in addition to my PS3.

  • I know that they as been a lot topics about it but I don’t care.

    How come we don’t have it yet?I don’t want to get an xbox 360 just for this feature.After trying to connect my laptop with my friends xbox 360,I see that is a cool feature especially when you stream your own music and play your favorite game.

    In game xmb,WHEN SONY?WHEN?!?!

  • The ps3 have some good games last year i hope we get something better this year GOD3 anybody? i hope so, well i’m still playing the orange box and to jeff one question the Orange box don’t have Rumble i got a Dualshock 3 from japan it work for Uncharted no problem but not for any game for the Orange box whats going on men.

  • Hey did everyone hear about Sony putting Skype integration in the PSP?? that is awesome IMO :) nice work sony, hope you guys kick ass at CES. I wanna see some more stuff on that paper thing screen you guys developed!

  • tehuber1337pwnage

    @ Jeff Rubenstien

    At CES, will there be anymore info about Home Beta, and if there will be what will it be about.

    Please reply
    Thanks,
    tehuber1337pwnage

  • @ fragged_23

    I post that few comments back lol.. no one read me lol… and yes it will the best feature Sony will have in the psp

  • Hi Jeff Rubenstein
    The video of those kids getting thier ps3 for christmas makes me so happy to be a sony fan. any word on what is on tomorrows store update and when is the next firmware update is.

    Thanks for everything from last year SONY let start show why is call Playsation 3.

  • WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE MADDEN PATCH???

  • @Rubenstein anything big coming up at CES

  • @65 apparently references to a skype codec showed up in the firmware code as early as firmware 3.10. I’m both happy about skype and yet sad that we’ve had to wait so long for such a great feature. Wonder how much longer we’ll have to wait…

  • I wish more gaming sites would honor uncharted or at least give it more recognition. That game had great graphic technology and animation (I really think it had an edge over Ratchet and Clank.. another favorite of mine), a likable set of characters, a simple and entertaining story. and some good replay value to it.

  • You ask me Heavenly Sword is the game of the year.

    It alone pushed the limits of presentation to a whole new level.

    You almost felt like you were playing a kick ass movie.
    The lighting effects in this game has got to be the best I’ve seen in any game.

    And there’s nothing better than Kai =P

    God Of War II was extreme, the only game which could challenge the greatness that Heavenly Sword was.

    Kratos in GOWIII please!

  • @Rubenstein
    I know this is off topic, but on the US version of Super Stardust HD there is no in game music options like the UK demo version. Can we get an update on that? On the PSP when going thru your themes why doesnt goto the last theme you install like on the PS3?

  • Jeff,

    What we want is word on Gran Turismo 5 Prologue which you advertise to death. North America has been some of your most ardent supporters of this series, yet Sony says nothing. Please give us a timeframe of when it will be coming to North America or stop advertising it to sell systems. It really is starting to get old and seems a bit like false advertisement. Sorry if the tone seems harsh… I’ve been waiting for this title forever!

  • at what time does the psn normally updates its already like 1 am and nothing has been added (im talking about the store)

  • @Jeff (#46) : when you say:

    “That being said, we’ll have things to talk about here on the blog next week, stay tuned.”

    Does this mean that Sony is actually planning of making a cool announcement? or am i just dreaming?
    ;)

    -Q

    ps. I’ve heard that Microsoft is planning to announce the PS3 of the Xboxes.. :P 1 with HD-DVD build inside :P what a bunch of losers at M$…even with HD-DVD, xbox 360 can never be PS3 :P

  • stop it with the Rock Band DLC if it’s going to keep up this 3-4 song’s at a time.

    on and tell SCEA San Diego not to make the PS2 version of MLB The Show better then the PS3 version k-thanks

  • Oh BTW something a little bit off-topic please let us mexicans buy things from the psn store too!

    I just want omega dawn so bad! (among other stuff)

    P.S. Thanks a lot for a Great year sony

  • Is Sony going to bring out a ps3 that can play ps2 games this year???(a higher price one)or are we stuck with the 40GB version for life??? :(

  • um, you know there is an 80 gig…that has ps2 emulation….it should work for a bunch of ps2 games….

  • Looks like I need to crack open my Persona 3 box again.—-12

  • Cant wait to see whats new for download. Thanks for the post.

  • Sony,

    Please pass this message to third party publishers if you think it will help.

    I own 288 games for the PS1-3 and well over half of them were purchased after trying a demo. The number of games getting a demo has gone down substantially since the PS3 has been launched and I believe this is hurting game sales.

    In recent months I have purchased several games after trying the demo; Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank, The Simpsons, and Formula 1. But there are still a lot of big name titles that I would consider buying if I had a chance to try them out; Warhawk, Lair, Rainbow six, Call of Duty 4, Unreal Tournament, Orange Box, & Oblivion for example.

    I had planned on passing on the upcoming Burnout game in January because I didn’t care much for the previous version. But after downloading and playing the demo it has become a must own title for me.

    I don’t know how others make there decisions, but for me the hands on demo is the single biggest factor.

    Thanks for your consideration.

  • Anyone else notice how they quietly pushed Haze back to March and said nothing? From now on i’m calling my system the Delaystation.

  • the EU PSN STORE Update is out:

    –Folklore: Fear in the Night Pack (1,49€)
    — Devil May Cry 4: final Trailer

    WWOOOOHHHOOOO! :(

    I hope the US get a better one!

  • upscale to 1080 for 720p games

  • @Jef:

    Anyword on a PSP Store update? We PSP owners would like some of the cool DL content from our favoret games to be added to the store for the PC! It would make it so we can get our hands on the Wipeout: Pure addon packs, as well as the Burnout Dominator, Monster Hunter, and even the Killzone packs without haveing to dig from site to site to look for a good non hex edited DL for them.

    Please do this as it would bring the PSP Store for the PC in line with the PS3 store and all of it’s killer game addon content.

  • @85
    Yeah, you’re not the only one that notices these things. Like I’ve been saying, all I’m getting from Sony is disappointments. Who knows when we will see home? June or July maybe. These delays are not cool for such an expensive system. The majority of these features we are begging for should’ve been inside my $660 packaged box. I shouldn’t be begging for standard features a year later after opening my wallet to Sony.

    I’m a big Sony fanboy, but this is really bad business. We get only get empty promises all the damn time. Enough is enough!!!

  • Not sure where to stick this but….

    One feature that I would love to see on the PS3 other then the very much needed in game messaging and to a lesser extent (but still important) custom soundtracks is the ability to select which wireless network configuration you would like to connect to (much like it’s done on the PSP).

    If anyone is like me, I often take my PS3 to my friends place for some Warhawk and every time I connect to his wireless I have to find his WEP key and punch it in etc etc only to have to change it when I get back home.

    There should also be an option in the network area for easy LAN setup for those times when you have just a switch and 6 PS3’s, no computer or router in the equation at all. Much like Xbox systemlink (It just knows).

    These would be very handy features.

  • If we could only force that much AA in GoW :D

  • Here’s one more idea:
    Create a “wailing wall” page on the site for everyone to post their “woe is me” comments.
    Either that or get a serious moderator – it’s a pain reading through all these off-topic replies to find the one or two good comments that are related to the original post.

  • RUMOR to kill, please…

    Rumor that there will be a subscription fee introduced for PSN.

    Please say this is not so. If I have to pay a subscription fee – I quit and will just stick with free PC gaming.

  • When is the demo of Devil may cry 4 is releasing in PSN?
    What are the new updates for Jan 3 2008.

  • very nice, that Game Informer thing was also a very nice read, thanks1

  • what about that DARK SECTOR demo?

  • @nynja as i know, everything will remain same, only there’s option for subscrption, so you can have unlimited download of games for fixed price.

  • 1 pm and the update isnt up (or at what time is the update coming up?)

  • NYC 4:13 pm no update

  • @Nynja
    First off, it’s about the PC store. Second, it’s not about removing the free PSN we have now. Its more like an alternative where you can download everything for a chunk of cash each Year. But I think some DRM will follow so you can’t quit and keep the game.
    Think of it. PSStore don’t have any distribution costs. So lets say you pay 50$ each year buying a few games and some addons. You don’t want to pay more. Sony and the developers get 50$. No cost on disks or transport. What if they gave you an option to get everything (Games, addons and especially (hopefully later to come) tv-series and movies) for 250$ each year and you take it? Now Sony and co gets 250$ and still no distribution costs. They get 200$ extra for no cost. And you get loads of entertainment.
    Still, it’s the DRM but I think this would be one of the few places it deserves. (As long we can download a converted DRM copy to our psp, ps3, ipod, zune and zen. We wouldn’t mind DRM if it wasn’t for the massive limitation it usually gives us) After all, you get everything.

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