So this fancy PlayStation Vita thing hits UK stores on Wednesday and I have been saving up for the past few months to ensure I have the best launch experience possible.
I will hopefully be grabbing a handful of good games across a variety of genres. It may not be the best line up of games (only a few favourably reviewed ones so far) but it is certainly the strongest launch line up I have ever seen, if you get what I mean. There is something for everybody and in this early stage of the console’s lifecycle it is surprising that there is so much on offer already.
Here’s my final list for Wednesday:
I’m also getting Frobisher Says & the AR Card games for free and a bunch of compatible digital PSP games I never got round to finishing when I had one of those. OOO! I also just remembered I have a load of untouched PSN Minis I’ve gathered as part of my PSN+ Membership that should hopefully work with the Vita. So come Wednesday I should have plenty to be getting on with :)
I knew the pre-order process was to easy and trouble free for a Sony product!
When I got home this afternoon I received an email from Sony saying I could choose which game I would like my £5 discount on as part of the pre-order pack stuff for the PS Vita. All I had to do was hit the “Select Game” button at the bottom of the email and I would be taken to the relevant page to pick my game. I would then receive my code from the 21st onwards. Yay for discounted PS Vita gaming goodness!
So I clicked the button and I was taken to a Playstation webpage.
I was told I needed to log in with my PSN-ID so I did.
I was then told I needed to enter my PS Vita pre-order code which I within reach because I’ve been keeping all my pre-order receipts, Game gift cards, etc. in the pre-order pack box.
So I entered my code and hit enter.
I then received the following error message,
“There was an error with the pre-order code.”
So I tried again, and again and again. It failed every time. So dutifully headed to the Playstation Forums to find out what the situation is. Basically Sony have broken things by making them overcomplicated! No official word or fix for the issue has been given but people are finding that they can access the game discount selection page by clicking a link in a previous confirmation of email address email from when they first registered their pre-order. Sadly I have long since deleted this email and so have many others with no way to get it back!
The annoying thing is that the code has worked in the past for redeeming my codes for the PS Home items and exclusive PSN avatar.
Goddamn it! I want Escape Plan at a discounted price :(
So on Tuesday I headed off into deepest darkest Manchester to check out the PS Access Vita Rooms. My time there was split into two sessions. A more laid back and casual drop in and play session during the day and a more packed and free booze filled evening VIP session. I say VIP, it was really more of a “you just signed up for it before we ran out of tickets” type deal. Both were good and bad for different reasons but I figured you would want to hear about the main event, the PS Vita and it’s games! All you really need to know is that I spent a good few hours messing around with various units and games. Also the pictures do not do the Vita justice!
PS Vita Hardware:
Being the generally lucky person I am, this isn’t the first time I have had to sample the Vita. I got a quick go on one at Eurogamer way back in September. Like then, the quality of the hardware itself is impressive. It is much lighter than you are expecting even with all the anti-theft cables and stuff bolted onto the demo units. It sits comfortably in your hands and feels solid. It doesn’t bend or warp easily, this console feels like it could go ten rounds with a tiger and still walk away in good condition (not that I’m willing to test that theory). Everything is well positioned and thought has been put into the various buttons placement. From simple things like the PS button being slightly indented so you can’t accidentally press it during play to the overall button and control placement. It all fits. While the right stick can seem a bit close to the square, triangle, X and circle buttons at times you will quickly adjust to it and be off on your way.
The console does suffer from that glossy grease magnet problem common with Fat-PS3’s but often you don’t notice it during play unless the screen is absolutely covered in finger marks. The photos I’ve taken pick up on it a lot more than I did at the time. There is another potential issue we encountered. On the Vita’s absolutely covered in marks (basically the ones that had been used by dozens of people without being wiped down) the touchscreen could loose responsiveness. Overall though it was fine and I would say it attracts the around the same level of grease and marking as an iPad. So that means if you are anything like me, you will want to keep screen cleaning cloth on you at all times! (Must keep gadgets clean! MUST KEEP GADGETS CLEAN!)
The picture quality of the screen itself is as reported, awesome! While not as high a resolution as the iPhone’s the Vita’s OLED screen size and overall quality makes up for it. It handles colours and black levels brilliantly and there is almost no ghosting (I didn’t see any but one of my friends said they did during the Uncharted demo). The touch controls on both sides of the console are responsive and just as good as that of the best smartphones and tablets on the market. The only times it seems sluggish or un-responsive is during certain games and how they implement the touch controls (more on this later).
The UI for the console is also surprisingly good. Once you get your head around moving the pages up and down to go through you apps pages and left to right for the different open apps it all starts flowing. It should also be mentioned that leaving a game and going to the main interface only takes a single and quick button press. No waiting for the game to quit or the UI to load, just press the PS button and your back at the game’s page. From there you can quickly close the game or app by pulling the top corner down. It is quick and refreshing to see when you compare it to stuff like the PSP, PS3 and Xbox all of which have wait times when leaving games or loading the console UI. You can also have multiple apps open at once but it will eventually tell you to close certain ones to perform certain, more taxing, tasks.
The games I played are after the jump!
Taken from the Playstation Blog:
What can you expect from the sale? Well, the first week you can expect the likes of Crysis, Dead Space 2and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit at some great discounts. Of course, there’s plenty more within that week, too!
The second week will continue with more amazing games, such as Street Fighter III: Third Strike,Payday: The Heist and Dungeon Hunter: Alliance and much more.
As for the ‘Final’ week, maybe your ‘Fantasy’ will come true…
Week 1 discounts are as follows:
Super Bundles (Includes full game and DLC)
- Dead Space 2 Super Bundle (Was £39.99/€49.99 – Now £19.99/€24.99) File Size: 14GB
- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Super Bundle (Was £39.99/€59.99 – Now £19.99/€29.99) File Size: 5GB
- Dante’s Inferno Super Bundle (Was £23.99/€29.99 – Now £15.99/€19.99) – Additional 25% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 7GB
- Burnout Paradise Complete Edition (Was £23.99/€29.99 – Now £15.99/€19.99) + Additional 25% off for PLUS subscribers File Size:3.5GB
PSN Games (PS3)
- Crysis (Was £15.99/€19.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) File Size: 4GB
- Burnout Crash (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.99/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 1GB
- DeathSpank (Was £9.99/€12.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 1.5GB
- Gatling Gears (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.49/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 1.5GB
- Shank (Was £9.99/€12.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99)File Size: 2GB – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers
- The Fancy Pants Adventures (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.49/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 330MB
- Risk: Factions (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.49/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 600MB
- NBA Jam – On Fire Edition (Was £9.99/€12.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) File Size: 900MB
DLC Bundles (Game not included)
- Dante’s Inferno DLC Bundle (Was £13.99/€17.99 – Now £11.99/€14.99) File Size: 1.3GB – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers
- Dead Space 2 DLC Bundle (Was £17.49/€21.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) File Size: 2GB
- NFS Hot Pursuit DLC Bundle (Was £27.99/€34.99 – Now £12.99/€16.99) File Size: 700KB
- SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED DLC Bundle (Was £23.99/€29.99 – Now £19.99/€24.99)File Size: 350MB – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers
DLC Packs
- Dragon Age 2 – Legacy (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £6.49/€7.99) File Size: 650MB
- Mass Effect 2 – Arrival (Was £5.49/€6.99 – Now £3.99/€ 4.99) File Size: 600MB
- Tiger Woods 12 – Birdie Pack (Was £11.99/€14.99 – Now £8.79/€10.99) File Size: 800MB – Additional 35% off for PLUS subscribers
- Tiger Woods 12 – Eagle Pack (Was £19.99/€24.99 – Now £13.99/€17.99) File Size: 2.1GB – Additional 25% off for PLUS subscribers
Some alright deals in there looks like it will only get better with each week with the last week promising something Final Fantasy related1 (ooooo!)
Now that we have got the negativity out of the way here are my top five games of the past year!
In at number 5! - Dragon Age II
What kept me into the game and left me with fond memories where things such as:
Throwbacks and reference to DA:O while few and far between, when characters and stories from my DA:O save data popped up it made me smile. Simple but always effective!
Like I always say; a poor BioWare game but still a good game.
Heating things up at number 4! - Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Another game that was brilliant, warts’an’all! Uncharted is a franchise close to my gaming heart. The big set pieces, movie like narrative, and gameplay all sing to me as I play the game. Even with some weird glitches and animation quirks the game is still solid. The glitches and quirks at least show Naughty Dog was trying to do something new with the third game rather than just simply re-treading the same ground as Uncharted 2. The dynamic animation system while imperfect adds and extra “touch” of realism and life to the game. The story while pretty much giving up and aping Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for its themes is still an entertaining and a fun ride. Even if it is a bit by the numbers. The various locations in the game are also impressive too. You have burning buildings, sinking ships, shootouts in ship graveyards (which I enjoyed! Despite popular opinion), horseback chases and an opportunity to play as young Drake. All made the game standout from the previous two for me. Overall I would say it caps off the first set of Drake’s adventures nicely. It rounds everything out, ending with the three characters that started the franchise on its road to glory. The multiplayer is also an improvement over the previous game’s I think. There is a lot more variety and things to do on the maps, the kickbacks and perks all work together nicely to make the fight fair right up until the end of the match. Now though due to the nature of the story and gameplay there is both a need and a wish for Naughty Dog to shake things up for the inevitable Uncharted 4.
The middle man at number 3! - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Mmmmm…….Skyrim….. Such a grand and epic game that it can be a bit overwhelming at times! There is so much to see and do but so little time in my life to play it! This like every Bethesda game I buy will take me a long time to get though and that is not a bad thing at all. I am getting my moneys worth! Skyrim is a game that you can easily get lost in. Wether it is just exploring the land or working through side-quests and the main story. It all fits together to make a brilliant whole. Bethesda have outdone themselves with Skyrim and I cannot wait to see what additions they make to the game with the upcoming DLC. That’s all I really have to say about Skyrim because it is simply a great game and everyone who has played it knows it and if you haven’t played it; What is wrong with you? :D
Pipped at the post at number 2! - Portal 2
To be honest in the run up to Portal 2 I was excited but I was expecting the final game to just be more of the same as the first. How wrong of me to doubt Valve in such a way! Portal 2 took what was done with Portal and built upon it in every conceivable way. The puzzles were bigger and more varied with the new mechanics and additions. The flow of the game was smoother and moved from the room by room approach to a more subtle variation on the idea. The story was more in-depth and kept me hooked all the way through. It was funnier, darker and masterfully presented. Lots of foreshadowing and laying breadcrumbs early on in the game that pay off further down the line and all that. The co-op is brilliant too even though I have only scratched the surface of it. It is intuitive and well thought out. It isn’t simply tacked on for the sake of having multiplayer, it could have been Portal 2 on its own it is that good! Solving a puzzle with a friend gives the game a stronger positive feedback loop and it keeps you playing just to solve then next one, then the next one and then the one after that. I think it is Valve’s best game to date and it has set the bar for their next game incredibly high.
So good it gave me nerd tingles at number 1! - Batman: Arkham City
My love for Arkham City is well known and it deserves to be my number one because for me at least because it is so good! Here are some of the reasons it is my game of the year:
In the end I think that it is the perfect blend of two things that I love that does it for me. Comics and Games come together perfectly in this game to create an amazingly rich and deep experience that I am still enjoying months after its initial release.
What a crazy year it has been! Lots of highs and lows, it was great overall but here’s the stuff that disappointed me. The first two are here for your reading pleasure the rest are after the jump!
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The game started with such promise and the idea that my choices would impact the game further down the line. The gameplay was fun and I liked being able to choose my way through the environments. There was a level of freedom to the game that was refreshing. Then about half way through it all changed. The scope narrowed considerably, you could tell basically the whole of Canada was cut out of the game. The environments started to close in and force you into the various types of gameplay. As for those big impacting choices that change the game and the story considerably? WHERE THE F*&K ARE THEY? In the end it all boiled down to three big red buttons or inaction that where summed up with crappy FMVs, that could easily be reloaded to change the outcome! There was no build up, no sense that one choice was more inline with my actions than another. No feeling that everything had lead up to this moment and that only one course of action seemed right. No feeling that I had effected the world of the game at all because it just became a matter of multiple choice, at least Dragon Age II gives a sense that Hawke means something to the world of the game! The second half of the game is a complete let down.
Dragon Age II
This is in both my Top Five for the year and my disappointments! This is because I maintain my stance that even though this is a disappointing BioWare game it is still a good game! It was still a good game despite having some big failings and omissions such as:
Overall I still enjoyed the game. It was fun to play for the most part. The little problems and rushed feeling to the game let it down but it is still a good game. Here’s hoping DAIII takes the best bits of II and Origins to make an epic game with an equally engaging and fun multiplayer mode.
See my Top Five of 2011 for my plus points for DAII!
The next generation of consoles is slowly starting to creep out of the depths of the industry’s consoles manufacturers. The 3DS despite having a slow start is starting to gain ground quickly now that some good games are finally out for it and the PS Vita looks set to take Europe and the States by storm in February. On the home front and plugged into your TV you have the Wii U which still shows promise despite very little of it actually being shown off and the rumoured problems Nintendo are having with it. Then you have the two hidden competitors; the next Xbox and Playstation. So while things are still on the cusp of happening I thought it was a good time for some speculation. A word of warning though, this won’t be a tech specs rumour round up. This will be more of me detailing my opinion on what the consoles and their creators will be doing with them. There is one crazy, what the hell prediction though. So let’s get started!
1. The next Xbox will not be called the GOD DAMN XBOX 720!
I am sick of hearing the name! I hope that the journalist/forum user/idiot/whoever who coined the name has lost their job! This is not going to happen. Microsoft are not this stupid and neither are gamers. The 360 wasn’t called the Xbox 2 for a reason and the next Xbox will not be called the 720 just because it is 360 x 2! The 360 is called the 360 because Microsoft wanted to give the user the impression that it fully encapsulates their entertainment life, all 360 degrees of it. The next Xbox is more likely to be called Xbox Lassie or Xbox AppleSucks than the Xbox 720. So can we please stop calling it the Xbox 720 and just be sensible and call it The Next Xbox for now? Also do not presume that the next Playstation will be called the PS4, Sony might be looking to distance themselves from the PS3 due to the ropey life of the console. A new name might also refresh the Playstation brand in the publics’ eyes.
2. Uncharted 4 will be a launch game for the next Playstation
What started off as a so, so looking Tomb Raider-like game in the early days of the PS3 has quickly grown into Sony’s most important franchise. All three Uncharted games have sold millions and Nathan Drake has become ubiquitous with the Playstation 3. The next Uncharted game will be a launch title for the Vita because as a franchise Sony knows that it will sell Vitas just because of its name and implied level of quality alone. Timescale wise Uncharted for on the next Playstation lines up too. Currently the next Playstation is on track for a 2013/14 launch which is just enough time for Naughty Dog to redefine Uncharted for the next generation of gaming, with better graphics, better gameplay and a more original plot because I can’t be the only one who had Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade flashbacks for the majority of Uncharted 3. Sony has learned a lot from the early days of the PS3, in particular the lack of big well known franchises that were available on the console to begin with, so going out of the gate with their biggest franchise will be a strong move. One, that like the Uncharted Vita game, will shift a lot of consoles just by its name alone.
3. Social Media will be integral to both the next Xbox and Playstation (and the Wii-U if Nintendo get their act together!) wether you like it or not
The rise of social networks over the past seven or so years has been crazy. They have taken over the web, the media, culture and news. When it becomes worldwide news that someone like Alec Baldwin leaves a social network you know they have become important. The current generation of consoles have slowly added low level social media support in the past couple of years. You can integrate your PS3 and 360 with Facebook to show off your trophies and achievements and can Tweet updates of your progress in Uncharted 2. This is just Sony and Microsoft testing the waters really. This are all things that have been added to the consoles mid cycle though and as a result many people just don’t use them. The Vita looks set to continue this same level of interaction with Facebook and Twitter to begin with with the hope that it expands its coverage later. But the next Xbox and Playstation should, hopefully, have full support and integration right out of the box. Encouraging users to share more than just their latest achievements will also be a big thing. Screenshots, videos and challenges will play a big part. The easiest way to make games more social is to give greater options to the user. Performed an amazing kill spree in Halo 4? Tweet the video! Ready and waiting to take on the world in Street Fighter IV On Ice? Send an open challenge to Facebook (this can already be done in a limited capacity with Xbox Live Beacons). Found a funny bug in Fallout 4? Send the picture to both! These are the little things that will make the big difference for consoles. It will also encourage more users to hook them up to the internet too.
4. Both the next Xbox and Playstation will have day and date digital
The PSPGo for a “failed” console was an interesting experiment. It showed three things:
The answer? Provide both and a competitive price point. The digital versions for games on the PS Vita are rumoured to be cheaper than their retail brothers. With the cheaper prices being offset by the cost of the Vita’s pricey memory cards. It wouldn’t be surprising at all for the next Xbox and Playstation to take a similar route. With downloadable games being slightly cheaper than retail then having hard drives and extra memory offsetting the discount. The main reason for a steady switch? It gives the publishers, developers and platform holders more control over the products they release. It will work to lower the cost of games, provide simple anti-piracy measures that do not alienate the consumer and make gaming more accessible.
5. The Wii U will need to reinvent Nintendo otherwise it will be the next Gamecube
I liked the Gamecube. It was a good little console that had a fair few strong titles on it, the main one for me being Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II (PSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) but it was a huge failure in many people’s eyes. This is simply because Nintendo remained stuck in the past in their approach to it. At the end of the day it was just a more powerful N64. The Wii for all the hate it gets reinvented gaming in the wider public’s eye. It became cool. It finally became acceptable all because Nintendo looked at the traditional controller and thought, “It has to be simpler” and it worked for a little while at least. The Wii quickly turned from a new and exciting way to play games into a bloated shovel-ware gimmick machine that pretty much everyone has given up on including Nintendo themselves at this point. The Wii U while focused around the gimmick of having two screens needs to have more going for it than that because the two screen thing has already been done……by Nintendo…..with a little device called the DS…… What the Wii U really needs is to grow up and Nintendo along with it. There are signs that this might be the case with the importance Nintendo are putting on third party support. But the big pink elephant in the room is online. Online multiplayer and online in general is something Nintendo do very badly. From the Gamecube to the DS to the Wii all these console’s approaches to online are draconian and limiting for the user. Nintendo needs to stop treating online gamers as perverts and pedophiles and ditch the friend code system. The 3DS is a step in the right direction but it is still not good enough. If they don’t get it together no reasonable core gamer will touch the console no matter how many third party titles they release for it. Nintendo’s game development arm also needs to realise that adults buy and play their games too. I’m not talking about making an 18+ Mario game here I’m talking about Nintendo making some new IPs that are tailored to the older audience that will inevitably buy their console. The Wii U also needs Pikmin 3 because I have been waiting for that game for to damn long at this point!
6. Home consoles will do everything they can.
Like the social media prediction this is something that is already here in a limited capacity. The Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 have dabbled in providing users with more robust content outside of gaming. The Wii was the first to include services like BBC iPlayer before everyone gave up on Nintendo’s little waggle box. The PS3 has made a big effort to emphasise that it can do more than just play games with the push for things like Blu-Ray films, TV catch up services and media streaming. My PS3 is my most used console but I hardly play games on it which is not a bad thing at all. I use it for iPlayer, 4oD, movie streaming and as a freeview box to watch TV. Microsoft have very recently made a big push with streaming TV services with the new dashboard update and the slew of TV services it is launching around the world in the coming months. Even agreeing with the BBC and making iPlayer available to all Xbox users wether they are behind the Gold wall or not. Again like the social media prediction all of these services will be available out of the box for the next wave of consoles in a more robust and expanded way. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the next generation consoles comes with an aerial port and a deal with a satellite/cable provider to be used as a next gen set top box *cough, cough* Sky *cough, cough* Next Xbox *cough*
7. The next Playstation will have a redesigned controller
The Dualshock while a perfectly serviceable controller suffers from three things; poor design choices, being a controller from the 90s and Playstation Fanboys. The Playstation Hardcore and Sony need to get over the Dualshock and let it rest in piece for the sake of the next generation and the Playstation brand. Sony need to have a more ergonomic controller with real triggers and a build quality that makes it feel more like a piece of gaming equipment than a Happy Meal toy. 360 controllers, OnLive controllers, Wiimotes, iPhones and gaming mice all feel like great pieces of gaming equipment because they are designed around the ergonomics of using them. They have weight and shape that makes them sit comfortably in the users hands. The Dualshock 3 suffers because it uses the same shape as the first Playstation controllers before the leaps and strides in controller design were made. It is a design stuck in the past and if it persists in the next Playstation many, me included, will be put off by it.
8. The Next Xbox will have more exclusives
I believe that the criticism that the Xbox has less exclusives that the Playstation is one of the biggest fallacies in modern gaming. If you look at the numbers now you will see that yes, the PS3 has the most exclusives but many franchises that have become very popular this generation started life off as Xbox exclusives before spreading their wings. As for the smaller number of “true” exclusives, I personally believe that the ones available on the 360, while limited in number, are much stronger than the majority of those available on Sony consoles. Fable, Halo and Gears of War are all highly polished franchises and the secondary franchises like the Kinect titles and games like Crackdown are all really good alternatives to well known game types. Microsoft will be wanting to add to their roster of AAA franchises heading into the next generation with at least two to three big brands coming out from Microsoft owned developers. They know they cannot rely on Halo to shift consoles anymore and they also need to keep new ideas coming out to remain relevant. Don’t get me wrong though Sony’s approach to exclusives works too. The just try it and if it works run with it approach seems to work well for them and it shows. All the games I own for the PS3, bar one or two, are exclusives and I have a fair amount of PS3 games! It is just exclusives on the Playstation are an everyday thing while on the Xbox they are a big deal, particularly when Microsoft are behind them.
9. We will start to move away from Shooters
It saddens me greatly that this is the view most gamers are comfortable and well versed in. Looking down the barrel of a gun with a very, very, VERY limited viewing range (viewing ranges could be a whole post in itself!). Identikit FPS games have become commonplace over the past few years as many try to replicate the success of Call of Duty. While there will always be a place for the FPS there are signs that people are starting to want something more, something else. We are starting to reach the point of over saturation and that can only mean one thing, it is time for another genre to take centre stage. While I hope, due to my gaming preferences, that it will be RPGs it could be anything. It will most likely be one that blends the most popular aspects of shooters with another genre which is not a bad thing at all.
10. My stab in the dark crazy prediction: Microsoft will bring out a handheld mid-generation
This is something that has been talked about for a long time and it is something I can really see Microsoft doing for a few reasons:
This all hinges on one thing though, the Playstation Vita. If it takes off as Sony hope and ushers in a new age of portable core gaming, Microsoft will want a piece of the pie. While it won’t be a direct competitor for the Vita it will be more of a mix between a Vita and an iPod Touch/iPhone. With Microsoft declaring that you won’t see masses shovel-ware like you see on the App Store. It will also interact a lot with the next Xbox and Windows 8 (or I guess 9) like the Vita with the PS3 allowing you to take some games from your home console with you on the go. Because at the end of the day it is one of the cooler features for the Vita and it sort of defuncts the purpose of the Wii U. This is more of a pipe dream prediction but I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually happened.
Hideo Kojima confirms Metal Gear Solid 5
Hideo Kojima has confirmed that Konami are currently working on the newest entry in his long-running espionage franchise, Metal Gear Solid 5.
Looks like it will be buying Official Playstation for the first time in years. Kojima always gives good interviews.
Source gamefreaksnz
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Launch Trailer!
WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Guys i wasn’t kidding
i went to a cafe today and thor was there
