Rather, it borrows from both the competitors technologies by utilizing the PlayStation Eye camera as well as a sensor equipped controller for a supposedly more precise and responsive tracking. The Move controller looks like a microphone with a glowing light bulb on top and I can easily see it be the target of bad jokes. Also like Nintendo Wii, you can pair the motion controller with an an analog stick that Sony calls a “sub-controller” which will communicate wireless over BlueTooth.

Weather that translates into a better gaming experience is yet to be seen but from the alpha version I saw yesterday, things are looking good- especially with the Table Tennis game from Sports Champion (yes, its like Wii Sports for PS3) and Move Party both of which feel natural and precise to a point of being spooky! I can also see games like Heavy Rain working in a nice way with PlayStation Move replacing gestures on your gamepad.

Moving out of the casual gaming world could prove to be a hit or miss. I can see games like SOCOM4 providing a more “mouse-like” experience for better aiming but I’m not sure how well a game like Motion Fighter would turn out. The good thing is that Sony has a good line-up for PlayStation Move with 20 titles in development along with three dozen publishers that are ready to support the platform.

Sony has priced PlayStation Move quite appropriately as well- the sub $100 bundle that includes the controller as well as the PlayStation Eye camera and a game is pretty decent. So in short, while I look forward to PlayStation Move, it sadly does not have the same effect that Nintendo Wii and Microsoft’s Project Natal had when showcased the first time.

God of War 3 is the last game in the trilogy, and ends the quest for revenge, that Kratos set out on 5 years ago. 3 out of those 5 years were spent developing this game.

The story won’t change much, obviously. Kratos is still ‘upset’, still wants revenge and still gets revenge. However, the way the story is told does undergo some change. The simplified story of the past games was part of their charm; but God of War 3, seeing the current trend in story-telling, tries to make the story more complex. Though there is no problem with adding twists to the tale, the complexity means that game loses some of its charm. You end up going through some levels just to fill the story.

Luckily, even though the plot can be important, GoW tasted most success due to it’s gameplay. And most will be pleased to hear that the game is still the same beast that it always was.

Understanding that changing the gameplay too much will end up spoiling the game, Sony Santa Monica decides to tweak it here or there; and most of the time, when you’re ripping enemies apart, you won’t even notice these changes, but they contribute a lot towards towards the brutally fun nature of the game.

You start the game with your trusty old blades and, just as before, you can pick up some goodies. Unlike the previous games, where the blades were clearly superior to anything you picked up, the weapons you acquire have unique advantages and you’ll end up switching between them. Unfortunately, several of the weapons, despite their different attributes, look and feel similar to your blades; therefore not making the experience of chopping off limbs any different. Each of the weapons are linked to a magic ability which you can select using the d-pad, and you can utilize this to the max, thanks to the newly-added ability to change weapons mid-combo.

Talking about combos, this time you’re given greater control over them, which is a welcome change, considering they are the best part of the game. You still have the trademark combos from before, along with some newly added massive ones. Usually the problem with the immense nature of some combos means leaving yourself vulnerable to attack, however, this time, you’re allowed to pull out of a combo at any moment to parry off danger.

You might be thinking to yourself, why would anyone want to block when you can reduce the enemy to minced meat. The answer is that the game has been tweaked slightly to give more importance to blocking and rolling. Though it may not sound that way, but the change does improve gameplay. Another improvement is that the square-triangle combo has been dumbed down to stop people from abusing it, and forcing them to use some of the combos that deal damage over a larger area. This, taking into account, the immense number and nature of enemies, is a welcome change.

Immense, that is the word that sums up the game. You have immense numbers of enemies on-screen, you have immense levels and you have immense bosses bigger than whole levels in some cases. The boss battles are, undoubtedly the best part of the game. This is not only because of the wide variety of bosses you face but, mainly, due to the way you kill them. Every boss provides a jaw-dropping moment, and the context-sensitive kills add a hypnotically cinematic feel to the action, sometimes to such an extent that you forget to press a button and end up being ripped apart. Even Sony SM realized that and decided to put the triggers for the context-sensitive kills at the edge of the screen, as far away from the action as possible, so you can experience bloody murder in its fullest form.

That experience is taken to a whole new level thanks to the graphics. The game is beautiful. The dynamic backgrounds are awe-inspiring, and Kratos is probably the most detailed character out there. To top it off, the game lets us have a look at some of the kills from wicked angles. But just when you think that Sony SM can’t do anything wrong as far as graphics go; unfortunately, they have. Though most of the game looks grat, there are some character models and textures that are mediocre at best; though it doesn’t take away much from the experience, it is unfortunate that such things affect a game as good as this. Credit to the developers though, the whole game is rendered; there are no CG cut-scenes.

God of War 3 comes as close to being perfect as mythologically possible, an awesome game being dented by some small flaws. If you want revolutionary gameplay then you should stay as far away from this game as possible. But if you’re looking for the same experience as the previous games intensified to a whole new level then you’re in luck, because that is exactly what GoW 3 does.

Following Mr. Yoshido, Mr. Peter Dille, Senior VP of Marketing & PSN came up on stage and talked about the momentum that PS3 has going for itself. He mentioned that Playstation was the only console around the world that experienced a 50% growth rate in terms of Software Sales versus 2008 whereas the overall category amongst all consoles was down by 9%. He said they Sony is having a hard time keeping the hardware in stock which is a high-class problem. He moved on to 2010 and said the year started with MAG and 256 players online simultaneously that can only be done on PS3. He followed that up with Heavy Rain, White Night Chronicles, MLB10, God of War III (which clocks it at an unheard of 35Gigs!), ModNation Racers, GT5 (few chuckles heard when he mentioned that) and finally SOCOM4. All in all an extremely impressive year for PlayStation to look forward to. This is not all as he said that, as always, there will be a few surprises at E3.

Finally, he proceeded to talk about PlayStation Move which he said is unlike anything in the market- its fast, precise and accurate. It recognizes everything from the tiniest twitch to the strongest punch. He gave due respect to Nintendo Wii for making motion sensing games mainstream but said that nothing has been as precise and ultra-sensory as PlayStation Move and this is because of the technology Sony has used which is a combination of the Play Station Eye (camera) and a wide range on input sensors found on the Move controller. He said that the controller will be available as a standalone product or as a starter kit with the Playstation Eye and one game for under $100 as well as a full console bundle with the three things just mentioned. This was followed by a video demonstrating Move.

Following the Video, we got to see the controller in real world- enjoy the following videos which showcase what the PlayStation Move is about.

Launching towards the end of the year, Mr. Dille said that outside Sony, there is a long list of 3rd party titles that will support Move from publishers like Activision, Capcom, Square Enix, EA, Sega, Ubisoft, Konami an Disney.

Here’s the official press release from Sony.

PlayStation division Sony Gulf FZE today announced that PlayStation®Move motion controller for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, launches worldwide this fall, offering a motion-based, high-definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market. Concurrently with its launch will be also release PlayStation®Move sub-controller to be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects. The PlayStation Move platform, including the motion controller, sub-controller, and PlayStation®Eye camera*1, together with a strong line-up of software titles, will deliver an innovative and highly immersive experience on the PS3 system.
The combination of the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera detects the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller, allowing users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a colour-changing sphere that is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Through PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected, whether the user is swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. With PlayStation Move motion controller, users can provide direct input through action buttons and an analog trigger, while receiving physical feedback from rumble functionality and visual feedback from the sphere’s ability to display a variety of different colors. Furthermore, PlayStation Eye camera can capture the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences.
The newly announced PlayStation Move sub-controller is a one-handed controller, developed to further expand the game play options that PlayStation Move games can offer*2. PlayStation Move sub-controller features a sleek curved design that pairs with the motion controller and comes with an analog stick and directional buttons that allow users to easily control the game when moving characters or choosing a direction. Like all other Wireless Controllers for the PS3 system, it comes with a built in lithium-ion rechargeable battery as well as Bluetooth® technology, enabling the controller to transfer the input information wirelessly to the PS3 system without a cable. PlayStation Move motion controller and sub-controller will further broaden the gaming experience on the PS3 system for all genres, from games that use one motion controller to games that use both controllers.
The introduction of PlayStation Move controllers has been well received within the industry and now 36 third party developers and publishers*3 have decided to support PlayStation Move platform. In fiscal year 2010, SCE Worldwide Studios will also release more than 20 games that are either dedicated to or supported with the PlayStation Move platform.
SCE, with strong support from software developers and publishers, will deploy various measures to enhance the PlayStation Move software title line-up and vigorously promote the PS3 platform.

*1 Users will need to use the PlayStation Eye camera to enjoy PlayStation Move motion controller on PS3.
*2 DUALSHOCK® or SIXAXIS® Wireless Controller can also be used in place of the sub controller.
*3 Please refer to the attached list below for detail.

As the official game of the 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, F1 2010 will include all of the official teams, drivers and circuits from the coming season. F1 2010 will feature the return of seven times FORMULA 1 Drivers’ World Champion Michael Schumacher, the introduction of several new teams, and the brand new Korean International Circuit that will host the 2010 FORMULA 1 KOREAN GRAND PRIX.

The September launch will see F1 2010 become the first official FORMULA ONE game to appear for Xbox 360 and marks the return of FORMULA ONE to PC after an eight year absence. The arrival of the HD editions of FORMULA ONE follows Codemasters’ extremely successful launch of F1 2009 for Wii and PSP, which became a top five best seller throughout the past holiday period.

In F1 2010 gamers will take on the full, expanded grid in a variety of game modes including GRAND PRIX, Championship, Time Trial and an extensive, innovative Career mode. F1 2010 will also feature a highly advanced damage model, fully dynamic weather system and extensive competitive multiplayer options.

In production at Codemasters Studios Birmingham, F1 2010 is being developed using the EGO Game Technology Platform, Codemasters’ proprietary tech that powered the critically acclaimed, million-plus selling Colin McRae: DiRT 2 and Race Driver: GRID. The award-winning technology has been further developed to accurately recreate the unique aerodynamics and handling of 200MPH+ FORMULA ONE cars. The tech combined with Codemasters’ unprecedented access to FORMULA ONE teams and drivers will ensure that F1 2010 delivers the most authentic FORMULA ONE racing experience yet. F1 2010 will be released September 2010 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Games for Windows.

“While most mob-inspired games’ emphasis is solely on action, Mafia II features a deep and compelling narrative that is embellished with a sophisticated, era-evoking atmosphere,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “In partnering with Playboy, we are able to add a unique element of authenticity to the game by using vintage images from the magazine that illustrate the power of Playboy’s influence on the attitudes and culture of that generation.”

Mafia II is a beautifully crafted look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia where clothing, cars, music and advertising are meticulously created to replicate an American city in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Players will easily become engaged in the game’s cinematic, Hollywood-style experience with strong, believable characters in a living, breathing city that transports them to a time when rock-n-roll first strummed its guitar and chrome-plated hot rods roared down boulevards.

“For more than 55 years, Playboy has been a part of America’s pop culture landscape, engaging its readers with insightful features, interviews and fashion spreads, as well as pictorials of some of the world’s most beautiful women,” said Playboy magazine’s Editorial Director Jimmy Jellinek. “Mafia II is set when Playboy first came into vogue and features characters whose style and attitudes mirror content from our early issues. We’re excited to bring an element of authenticity to the game that is unmatched in the men’s publishing category.”

Mafia II is currently in development by 2K Czech, the same creative team behind the award-winning, genre-defining Mafia®, which captivated millions of gamers around the world. By fusing high-octane gunplay with white-knuckle driving and an engaging narrative, Mafia II looks to be the industry’s most compelling Mafia title to date.

• Some players were experiencing increasingly long load times. A major cause of this problem has been fixed.
• At higher levels, non-player characters now receive a bonus to armor penetration. This mitigates an unintentional imbalance with well-armored high-level characters, since armor penetration previously did not scale as aggressively as armor itself did.
• Elite-rank enemies (lieutenants) can no longer be shattered. This preserves the intended tactical design of many combat encounters.
• Portraits for summoned creatures (like a ranger’s wolf) were displaying improperly while in the party camp. This no longer occurs.

The patch (63MB) can be downloaded from here or here.

According to the magazine, Portal 2 takes place “hundreds of years” after the event of the original game and has Chell, our lovely lady protagonist, waking up in a destroyed Aperture Science Lab and is immediately put to puzzle solving by our melodious and sinister AI friend GLaDos. The sequel is also set to have 2 player co-op.

Here is the entire article in easy to read bullet points courtesy of CVG:

- Portal was a ‘trial’. Size and assets specifically kept minimal. Had no idea it would be this popular.
- Portal was a ‘test bed’, Portal 2 is a ‘game’.
- GlaDOS returns as the antagonist.
- Chell returns, and we play as her.
- Portal 2 takes place a long time after the original. Hundreds of years, in fact. The complex has overgrown.
- Those orbs seen at the end of Portal are personality orbs. They’ve cornered off sections of the labs as their own, and are concerned about the decaying state of the complex.
- Portal gun remains unchanged.
- Physics will now be part of portal puzzle solving. EG: A vent that sucks air in can be combined with a portal to ’suck’ from a different location.
- “Paint” mechanic, various liquid substances that cause some reaction. For example, in the demo shown a orange substance on the floor caused Chell to be propelled upwards. Using portals you can apply these ‘paints’ to other areas of the level for puzzle solving.
- Reflection cubes will allow Chell to reflect lazers for various puzzles.
- The co-op campaign will have you playing as two bipedal robots. The like to hold hands.
- Splitscreen for people playing on the console, and ‘picture in picture’ available for those playing remote co-op (eg: PC). This allows you to easily communicate with the other player and combine efforts for puzzle solving.

Source.

Fallout: New Vegas, the follow-up to Fallout® 3 – the 2008 Game of the Year – brings this beloved franchise to a location only Fallout could do justice: Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas takes all the action, humor, and post-apocalyptic grime and grit of this legendary series, and raises the stakes.

Screenshots:

Fallout: New Vegas is planned for Q4 2010 for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.