WipEout HD Approaching, Dust Off the Trophy Case

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Well, it’s been a while, but WipEout HD is almost out the studio door and on the virtual shelves of the PSN. What started life as a simple port has grown into a full-fledged game in its own right, with an extensive list of features. One of the things we’re very happy to support is PSN Trophies, 37 of them to be exact (well, 38 including Platinum)… and that’s what I’m going to talk a bit about today.

WipEout HD

Internally, we decided to ensure our trophies covered four main areas – game progression, stat milestones, novelty and skill. You’ll notice these categories reflected in the actual visual look of the trophies themselves, as and when you earn them. There’s are good mix of stuff you’ll earn naturally (through playing ‘normally’), and some bespoke stuff you might have to set some time aside for. For example, you may never have thought of playing Zone Mode with just airbrakes up to Zone 50, but that’s what you’ll have to do if you want the silver ‘Airbreaker’ Trophy in your collection. Then there’s another type of trophy, which falls kind of between those two areas, like the gold ‘Beat Zico’ trophy.

Actually, I’ll go off on a little tangent here.

WipEout HD

A few of us in the team had a long running competition with a very specific ruleset – Anulpha Pass/Forwards/Speed Lap/Venom/Pirahna. We were setting some impressive times. Every now and then someone would find a new tactic, a new line to take through a corner or another barrel roll opportunity, and shave a fraction of a second off the fastest time. We think we’ve found the optimal route now, so it’s all about a flawless execution of that line. We spent a lot of time on this competition, so we decided to make a trophy out of it. When it came to submitting the lap time, Zico Liu (one of our programmers) was top of the table, so he got the naming rights. Obtaining the gold ‘Beat Zico’ trophy is no easy task, so best of luck. Zico has since beaten his own time, and so has Stephen Taylor (another of our programmers), but like I say to them, Time Trials and Speed Laps are like punching a bag – nobody’s hitting you back. Online is where the big boys play, and I’m sure they’ll agree that that’s MY world. In fact I’d like to take this opportunity to trash talk some of our team – Ste, Zico, Tony, Col/s, Ian, Gaz, Matt/s, Sandy, James – I OWN you all.

I won’t go on about specifics and spoil them for you (although I’m sure the internet will do that given enough time), so I’ll leave it there. To summarize, WipEout HD has trophies. There’s one platinum, some gold, more silver and lots of bronze. There’s a good range of difficulty ranging from very easy to damn hard. I take my hat off to anybody that earns themselves the platinum ‘Transcendence’ trophy any time soon.

WipEout HD is available on 09/25 for $19.99. The team are very proud of this game and are just as happy as the fans to see this benchmark title finally get onto the PLAYSTATION Store. Oh, and don’t let the price tag fool you, WipEout HD is no run of the mill port. I can assure you that the PSN bar has been well and truly raised.

Thanks for your all your support and patience, it’ll be worth it.

3, 2, 1 – GO!

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123 Comments

  • WipEout HD amazes me by its graphics, its byfar the best looking PSN game thus far and i dont expect any other game to come close to it.

  • this game is really looking good now im tempted to get it but there is 1 thing that is stopping me at the moment..the price.
    $19.99 is a great price…in dollars but for some really crazy reason scee seem to think the us dollar is worth more than the euro. when wipeout is on the european store will it be priced right or will it be 20 euro? which is $30 usd

  • FeaturePreacher – I doubt they will have that ever. A disclaimer would not get them off the hook if any kid ever had a seizure and it was tested to cause seizures. I wish we could have it like that but don’t count on zones ever being that way.

  • “There’s are good mix of stuff”? lol

    Anyway, it’s looking really great!
    Thanks to all the team who worked long and hard, enduring the critism for delays etc.
    Can’t wait for friday (NZ Psn) to give this a shot. Loved Pulse, and can see this game inheriting that love in a BIG way.

  • Trophy lists like this is where I draw the line.

    When one of your trophies is “Become better at the game than one of the programmers”, you’ve moved into unfair territory. An average, skilled player should be able to get the majority (if not all) of the trophies in ANY game. Making achievements and trophies for ONLY hardcore players who are devotees and gaming sevants, is one sided and alienating to a boat load of people. Its amazing how easily developers have botched trophies SO FAST, considering the time they’ve had with making Achievement lists.

    Making achievements ultra difficult and hard core, is demeaning and demoralizing to other gamers, who given their salt, are rather skilled and adept…just not devoted to become one of the best in the world, spending hours and hours a day playing. And at the end of the day, do you want to reward ALL of the players of your game, alienating nobody, or reward only a handful of people who would probably love your game anyway, while alienating millions more? Seems like an easy answer to me, but as of late, it would seem developers have lost track of the meaning of achievements.

  • Nice. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to seeing you all online.

  • ? I have the G25 and I went out and bought the GT force wheel because it has a +&- shift. Will that still control the nose?

  • damn uk got LBP beta… now they have NO RIGHT to complain!!!!!! (eurogamer.net)

  • Any word on downloadable content? Wish we could play all previous Wipeout games circuits or at least the packs that were released in Europe for the psp versions.

  • ahh, not a big punisher fan, ill see what people say about first

  • oops, sorry was ment for the punisher thing, i WILL buy wipeoutHD

  • Awsome just in time for my 80gig ps3 to arrive! :) Happy Days!!!!

  • @Madman
    Do U really want trophies to be awarded like achievements were awarded for the 360 game Avatar: The Last Airbender

    Here’s a link to show how easy it was to get these achievements.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv-kv4QJnV8

    If you’re not good enough at something, try harder. Either that or wait until there’s a game with trophies easy enough to earn. If trophies were easy enough for the average player to earn them, then a platinum trophy would be meaningless.

  • This game looks great, the only reason this is not a first day purchase for me is that I haven’t play any WipEout game before so I am not sure if I will like it. Is there any possibility we can get a demo for this game?

  • @ 55 – Madman

    So trophies should be easy?…

    DID YOU READ THIS?

    “There’s a good range of difficulty ranging from very easy to damn hard. I take my hat off to anybody that earns themselves the platinum ‘Transcendence’ trophy any time soon.”

    There is a reason you earn trophies, its called “bragging rights”…If anyone could do it, then it wouldn’t be a trophy, it would be a “prize for buying and playing the game”…

    You want a trophy? you have to earn it…

    As in olympics…GOLD are for the BEST, not for everyone…

    For everyone else there is bronze….lol

  • Totally off topic but woot I got into the european littlebigplanet beta, downloading now :D

  • thanks for this AAA release!! finaly my ps3 becomes a real PLAYSTATION

  • Sony, I mean this sincerely:

    When you give me Wipeout HD on a Blu-Ray disc, I will happily buy it.

    DLC is *not* ownership. As long as there is no physical media, you will not get my money.

    Give me something tangible and real to buy, otherwise – no sale.

  • Nice will get it as soon as its released! :D
    but i do have 2 things I want to ask.
    1. Will you in the future, release updates like new vehicles and maps?
    2. I heard that the split-screen can hack a little during the game and if it’s so will you try to fix that with an update later?

  • This game looks beautiful! I’m wondering, what’s next, DLC for WipEout HD, or truly NextGen Wipeout?

  • So Madman, your definition of what trophies are all about should be the one that all companies are bound to?

    Go play Mario Tennis, son.

    12

  • Madman, what is wrong with you? This isn’t the Xbox, this…. is SpartaPlayStation.

  • yo, i want this game. jus looks kool and i could use the trophies. i have 80 trophies and im closing up on Lv 5. so with those i’ll get it for sure. i have 1 plat. and i think this will be other one. hellyeah PSN we coming up and shuting them down!! keep up tha good work!

  • Will there be a retail version coming out since you guys have a platinum trophy???

  • Like many others here I’m definitely getting this, but will this game have future downloadable updates like the psp versions? The DLC for those games really added to the value. If so, will those updates be free or will you charge?

  • This game looks SICK.

  • :( I want to be in the LBP beta

  • its about time. and trophies? even Better!!! im getting this day one :)

  • my trophy case is dusted and waiting for this game! thank you Karl for the update. at this point its hard for me to sit here and read anything about Wipeout without my mouth salivating. i’ve been eagerly awaiting this title since you guys announced it.

    thanks,
    Lh

  • I’m in day one! See you at the Finish line…

  • A quick question for the devs.

    Why wasn’t the eliminator mode brought over? That was my favorite addition to pulse.

    Also, why not give ps3 users the ability to custom make skins?

    I know these can be patched (or probably ‘purchased’ as add-on) but I believe they should be there. Just wondering if this was in the works or just plain left out. Thanks in advance for any response, can’t wait to get my hands on this bad boy!

  • Without a demo, I won’t buy it.

    I’ve been burned, screwed over, shafted, and disappointed with too many of these PSN games. Too bad I can’t trade them in toward something I actually do want :(

  • >”Sony needs to renew all it’s licenses to whip out the official “WipeOut Music Pak” for this.
    Imagine all the music from previous games on one disc that can be used with WipeOut HD.”

    That’s a really, really excellent idea.

    And I’ll second a revamped Rollcage.

    And I’m going to say it again and again until I get it Sony.

    Give me Wipeout HD on a *physical disc*.

  • I will have to beat Zico now.

  • All I can say is… it’s about damn time! Thanks for putting in the work. I’m looking forward to the purchase!

  • Thanks for making it $20. You guys could have been total jerks and sold it for $40. :D

    I’ll get it sometime, just not now, sorry. :)

  • @55:

    If all trophies were easy and just anyone could get them, we’d have to redefine “trophy.”

    Get good at the game and be rewarded for your skill. Continue to suck and get nothing. Seems fair to me.

    Trophies are meant as a way to measure skill. If just anyone could get them, what would trophies mean? Nothing.

  • Just… two more… days. Don’t know… if I can… hold out.

    Been a wipEout fan since I saw my first PlayStation and played the wipEout demo.

    On the off chance that someone with the power to do something about it might actually be reading, please bring back the robot-y voice announcer from XL. He’s the best!

  • I Love You!

  • I am sold! :)

  • awww yeah.

    this is gonna be sic.

    1st day purchase.

    PSN= wyldekat

  • will there be an online demo and a BR release?

  • Hi, thanx for the great game and work !
    When we think that lazy CAPCOM want us to pay for a 8-bit game !! or when they lie saying trophies will come to BC rearmed !

    it’s a day one purchase for me, and I urge everyone to bypass CAPCOM until they respect sony player at least as much as Xbox360’s !!

    Thank you again, can’t wait

  • can.not.wait.
    Wipeout HD will pwn my life for weeks:)

  • Almost here…

  • sweeeeeeet! i can’t wait to download this game… i hope i can get all the trophy, and if i don’t… at least i’ll have mad fun with wipeout trying to get them… thanks for the hard work peeps.. i give you all mad props for that

  • Is the game coming to european psn Please answer

  • when will it be coming to european psn store Is it coming out the same time as the release in america

  • Hopefully there can be a patch to make the current zone mode,

    http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_8740_en.html

    ,into the zone mode it was and should have been,

    http://www.video.dpadmagazine.com/2008/09/11/wipeout-hd-previewfinal-build-comparison/

  • i’m so ready for tomorrow to approach i want this game seriously!!!

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