E3 2008: Bungie Not at E3 after All

Well, we were all anxious for a ton of killer news and one big reveal.  Unfortunately, none of it was to be.  Here’s the explanation from Bungie President Harold Ryan:

For the last several months, we’ve been building toward a reveal of something exciting that Bungie is working on. We were looking forward to sharing that with our fan community during the week of E3. However, those plans were just changed by our publisher.

We realize that many of our fans are disappointed by this turn of events; members of the Bungie team share that disappointment.

When the right time comes, we look forward to sharing this exciting announcement with you. Until then, we appreciate your continued support and patience.

 

Harold Ryan

President

Bungie LLC

E3 2008: Ubisoft Makes Serious Push into the Girl Gamer Demographic

Ubisoft Gives ’Tweens Ener-G.  The new girls’ sports brand brings team spirit to Nintendo DS.

July 15, 2008 - Today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Ubisoft unveiled its all-new Ener-G series of video games for the North American market. Created for girls ages 6 to 14, the first games in the Ener-G series feature dancing, gymnastics and horse riding, three fun and physical activities that emphasize social interaction.

The No. 1 independent publisher for Nintendo DS, as well as the industry leader in the ’tween girl category, Ubisoft’s foray into the girls’ sports market supports the company’s strategic expansion of its casual Games for Everyone division.

"In 2007, the market for video game software for girls exploded, and Ubisoft’s Imagine(TM) and Petz® video game series for Nintendo DS were huge drivers of that success," said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing, North America, at Ubisoft. "This year, Ubisoft is furthering its leadership in the category with the launch of Ener-G, a new girls’ sports brand dedicated to providing ’tweens with an immersive way to play sports, socialize and network with their friends. Now, girls will have more ways to play than ever before."

Ener-G Dance Squad puts girls in the role of choreographer, letting them create their own routines and compete alone or with a team.

In Ener-G Gym Rockets, girls get the chance to live the life of a young gymnast training her way through competitions in hopes of winning a gold medal at the Olympics.

Fulfilling every little girl’s dream of having a pony, Ener-G(TM) Horse Riders lets players create their perfect equine farm, complete with wild horses that can be tamed, trained and ridden.

With an expected rating of E for Everyone by the ESRB, the first three Ener-G titles will be available in the U.S. this October.

E3 2008: Collection of Best Selling Titles Get Major Price Reduction for PS3

A bunch of re-releases called “Greatest Hits” will soon be available for the PS3. The games will retail for $29.99, include Resistance: Fall of Man, Warhawk, Motorstorm, Call of Duty 3, Rainbow 6 Vegas, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, and several more.

Look for the bargain titles and the nearly affordable 80 GB PS3 at $399.99 to help the console sell.

E3 2008: Sony Announces Media Download Service

Not to be outdone by Microsoft, Sony has added a digital download service to the PLAYSTATION Store. Its partners include Sony (duh!), Fox, MGM, Lionsgate, Warner, Disney, Paramount, FUNimation, and Turner.

The service is available tonight and will cost anywhere from $1.99 to $14.99.  Movies and television programs will be available in both SD and HD.  An SD movie that lasts about two hour will download in about 1 hour, but the titles can be watched concurrently with the download.

Best of all, all of the content can be shared with the PSP and taken with you wherever you go.

E3 2008: Resistance 2: Retribution for PSP Confirmed

Resistance 2: Retribution for the PSP was confirmed to be in development by Sony Bend.  The portable adventure is a completely new addition to the series and will feature a new hero as well: James Grayson.

According to the lengthy trailer, the action looks sharp, fast, and worthy of the Resistance name.  We can’t wait to get our hands on it! Here’s what the story entails:

Set in the weeks after Resistance: Fall of Man, Retribution follows the story of former British Marine James Grayson. After a personal tragedy – he is forced to kill his own brother inside a Chimeran conversion center – Grayson goes on a vendetta to destroy every conversion center he can find. Eventually Grayson learns that his efforts have been futile ... in Western Europe the Chimera have evolved a new method of converting humans to aliens. The European resistance – the Maquis – enlist Grayson’s help, and he joins Cartwright and Parker in Operation Overstrike. The war to retake the European continent has begun.

E3 2008: Ratchet & Clank PSP Bundle Announced

Sony announced a Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Pack for October retailing for $199. This new pack will include Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, silver PSP Slim, a 1 GB Memory Stick, and National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets on UMD.

E3 2008: God of War III Officially Announced

Well, it didn’t surprise anyone, but we’re happy to confirm that God of War III is in development.  We saw just a tiny glimpse of the Spartan-turned-God-turned-mortal.  In fact, we’re not even sure there really is anything completed at all. 

However, fans were given a little taster a storm brewing on the horizon and a doom-filled Kratos issuing an ominous portent of the chaos to come. 

E3 2008: MAG Announced as PS3 Exclusive!

MAG (Massive Action Game) was announced at the Sony Keynote this morning.  The game will allow up to 256 players to battle online at once while dividing them into eight player squads. 

Squad leaders are selected according to their skill and leadership abilities.  There also seems to be class and level upgrading into various kits.

E3 2008: Sony Announces New 80GB PS3, Limited Edition PS2 Bundle, and PSP Entertainment Pack

Here’s the official cut from Sony.  They’ve announced 140 first-party and third-party games across all their platforms.  Not too shabby.

July 15, 2008 - Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) held its annual press conference today at the E3 Media & Business Summit, making a series of announcements which demonstrated the strength of the PlayStation brand across all three of its platforms and further leveraged the heritage and momentum of PlayStation’s family of products to provide consumers with more compelling entertainment options than anyone in the videogame industry.

Starting in September 2008, the newly announced PlayStation 3 (PS3) 80GB model will become the mainstay of the company’s hardware line-up. The 80GB model will retail for $399, and will offer all of the features and functionality of the 40GB model with double the storage to accommodate more movies, graphics, music, photos and other entertainment content -- all for the same price. As with its predecessor, the new 80GB model will be a complete entertainment system comprising of a Blu-ray player, HDMI output, an integrated Wi-Fi connection, Cell Broadband Engine and a built-in 80GB hard-disk drive. The multi-functionality of the 80GB PS3, combined with more than 140 exclusive and third-party titles and the PlayStation Network, is a comprehensive entertainment value designed to appeal to a wide range of consumers from hard-core gamers to general entertainment enthusiasts.

Following the success of five PSP (PlayStation Portable) Entertainment Packs, SCEA announced the Ratchet and Clank Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack, a new bundle showcasing PSP’s multi-functional feature set, targeted for holiday gift-giving. Launching in October 2008 for $199.99 MSRP, the bundle will include a limited-edition "Silver" PSP system with the highly acclaimed game, Ratchet and Clank Size Matters; a blockbuster movie on UMD (Universal Media Disc); a PlayStation Network voucher to download the innovative puzzle game, echochrome from PlayStation Store: and a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo for storing music, videos, photos and more.

In addition, SCEA introduced a new family entertainment bundle for the PlayStation 2 system, the most successful console in industry history. The limited-edition LEGO Batman: The Videogame PlayStation 2 Pack will feature the highly anticipated TT Games/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment title LEGO Batman: The Videogame, Warner Home Video’s Justice League: The New Frontier on DVD, and a PlayStation(R)2 system -- all for $149.99 MSRP, which represents a $30 savings for consumers if the contents were purchased separately. SCEA will also launch more than 130 new titles for PlayStation 2 system this year, totaling 10,000 PlayStation 2 titles by end of the year.

"It’s undeniable we have three successful platforms, the broadest and best line-up of some of the biggest exclusives in the business, and are continuing to deliver compelling and original content to our consumers," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Expect to see continued momentum this year as we remain focused on delivering products and services that extend the strength of our brand and reaffirms PlayStation’s place at the center of consumers’ homes."

Additionally, the company previewed more than 140 first and third-party games at E3 2008 proving its content line-up this year is unmatched in the industry due to its depth, breadth, and diversity. Throughout the holiday season and this fiscal year, SCEA and its third-party partners plan to release more than 140 software titles for the PS3 available on Blu-ray Disc (BD).

SCEA is also developing more than 50 games, game packs, and add-ons downloadable via PlayStation Network in North America this year, offering something for every taste, lifestyle and budget. Also, to continue offering greater value to PlayStation fans, SCEA will launch PS3 Greatest Hits program on July 28 with 10 first and third party titles at a reduced price of $29.99. The PS3 Greatest Hits titles include Warhawk, Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man from SCEA; Call of Duty 3, Activision; Need for Speed: Carbon, Electronic Arts; The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda Softworks; Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Tecmo; Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas and Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft.

SCEA also reiterated its commitment to make PlayStation Network the best entertainment experience in the industry, by announcing a new video delivery service on PlayStation Store for PS3 and PSP systems in the United States. The new video service, available today, allows U.S. consumers to download full-length TV shows and movies to both their PS3 and PSP through the PlayStation Store for rental or purchase.

In addition, SCEA further outlined progress against its revolutionary online experience, PlayStation Home. Highlighting new first party high definition virtual environments for hit PlayStation titles including, Unchartered: Drake’s Fortune and Warhawk. With significant third party support already on board, Sony Computer Entertainment will be expanding the beta in Summer 2008 and commence the open beta service by Fall 2008.