PSN | The Recycle Bin

Sunday roundup.

According to GameSpot [when was the last time I quoted that site?] I am nowhere near an extreme gamer.

The research firm went on to break down the US gaming population into seven groups, four of which use both PC and non-PC platforms. The biggest group makes up what NPD calls “Secondary Gamers” (33.6 million), mostly female gamers who play less than four hours a week and don’t own a console. The fastest-growing segment was the mostly male “Console Gamers” (32.9 million), who own at least one or two dedicated gaming machines and play around 12 hours per week. Next up is the shrinking “Heavy Portable Gamers” group (30.0 million), who own at least one portable and are the youngest group, with an average age of 19. The smallest section is the so-called “Extreme Gamers,” whose gaming habit takes up nearly as much time as a 40-hour work week.

I did not do the Fat Princess PSN thing, which may have been for the best. Qj.net reports all sorts of latency issues.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 T&A. This one from the examiner is hilarious.

And finally, kotaku figures roughly 11 million folks use PSN. That number does not completely suck.

Happy Sunday! Enjoy one (or three) last cold ones because Monday is coming. Fast.

Tomorrow is the big day.

It is hard to believe, but finally, after a long, long wait [you got me, it was not that long a wait] the Madden 10 PS3 demo is finally here. And something about a Fat Princess.

This can only mean one thing. It is time for the weekly PlayStation LifeStyle PSN rumor post. Tomorrow will be a big day.

Can you believe that I actually did not pay extra, preorder from a special location or any other nonsense just to get the Madden 10 demo a few days early? Just for the hell of it I am not even downloading the Madden 10 demo. I say screw ‘em! That’s an attention-getter.

More PixelJunk Shooter Goodness

The Official PlayStation Blog posted a nice 6 minute clip of PixelJunk Shooter. This video is of an ice stage and does nothing to deter me from my opinion of putting this one on my wanted list. The PixelJunk series is all about high quality gameplay and solid production value. Sure Shooter will not contain the big budget wiz-bang of a GTA, Madden, or Resistance title, but it will be an excellent gameplay experience.

Dog days are back.

I just checked out N4G to read about the latest, greatest, hottest, news in videogamedom, and there was pretty much next to nothing going on right now. TheSixthAxis had the most interesting story. Apparently Fat Princess is going to included 21 trophies; all bronze. Joy.

More HVB Fun.

I played my first online games last night. I lost the first one by 100 points, but I won the second game, which happened to be a rematch initiated by the game one winner, 164-163. While my scores were not really noteworthy, much less impressive, the online experience was fun for two reasons. First, I earned a trophy, and it looks fairly straight forward to unlock some more trophy whore goodness. Hooray for trophies! Second, since I was using Berry, and my opponent was using Berry, I learned how to better utilize Berry. I know that sounds crazy, but back in the more civilized golden age of gaming friends would come over to kick your ass in Lock ‘n Chase and you would learn from your beating. Playing HVB online was sort of the same experience.

I always have a good time researching a game at metacritic, and in the case of High Velocity Bowling (HVB) the scores are rather revealing. The review sites give the game a subpar 68% (based on 13 reviews), but the users give HVB a 9.0 (based on 12 votes). The users have spoken; HVB is the bees knees.

High Velocity Bowling.

I downloaded High Velocity Bowling (HVB) a while back when it was on sale for $4.95, but I never really got into it. Call it an impulse purchase; waste of money. Not sure that I ever really seriously tried the game, but it did not seem to be worth the effort.

As I have been rebuilding my PS3 and restoring all the PSN content that I previously purchased, I decided to take HVB for a spin. I have to say that I am impressed. I am not sure what is different about the game today compared to when I first downloaded, but right now I am fairly addicted to this one.

I have only unlocked a couple of characters, so I am obviously not very far into the game. I have also not checked out the online play option yet. I want to get better before braving the online world against the competition. Getting my ass handed to me frame after frame hardly seems like a fun way to spend my limited gaming time. Besides, two nights of bowling is hardly enough to make me confident to take on the masses.

I am surprised to see how much DLC is available for HVB. It looks like the developers continue to support this game with new ad-on content, most of which is premium (albeit very cheap), but there are some free goodies. I am going to refrain from purchasing any of the DLC until I unlock more goodies and see if this game has staying power.

If you are wondering, HVB is lot more fun and more involved, and much deeper than the Wii Sports Bowling offering. Besides the actual content and controls, the graphics are actually 1080p. And we all know that graphics make the gameplay better. For those of you that do not follow this blog on a regular basis, that is sarcasm, but the graphics are very nice for this type of game and completely put the simple Wii Sports offering to shame.

My kids have been dying to play HVB with me, but I told them that daddy needs some time with his long lost PS3 before they get a crack at it. Besides, I want to open up some of the content first, and I need to make sure I can kick their little smart asses. Yes, my oldest son is getting better at some games than dear old dad. What the hell is the world coming to?

I have not mastered the controls yet, but I am actually trying to follow real life bowling motions. I am sure I could just site on the couch, press some buttons, flick my wrist, and call it fun. But would that really be fun? I think I would be missing the point. At any rate, trying to time the motion and get the spin down (L2 or R2) has been an interesting learning experience, but I am sure that I will get the hang of it sooner or later. The fun factor here keeps me coming back for more, which is the reason we play games in the first place.

PSN to get Castle Crashers … one day.

Another PSN game that was announced at Comic Con is Castle Crashers by The Behemoth. I know this one has been available for 360 owners for a while, but since I do not have one of those, I am happy that this tasty hack-n-slash multi-player game is headed towards the PSN. One day. A release date has not been announced.

I am fairly sure that Castle Crashers will be a release day purchase for me. I love some good old D&D’ish hack-n-slash type fun.

Looking forward to PixelJunk Shooter.

Yesterday PlayStationLifeStyle posted about five minutes of footage of the upcoming PixelJunk Shooter game. The video was shot at in San Diego, CA at this year’s Comic Con; quality is not all that excellent.

I really like the concept of having to dive into the water to cool down your ship (or whatever it is). This idea looks good on paper (well, the video), but I am not sure how this would play over the course of a long gaming session. This seems like it could get repetitive, but knowing PixelJunk, they probably made the concept fairly seamless with the gameplay.

PixelJunk continues to put out quality games. Shooter will be a release day purchase for me. You can never have too many shooters!

Taking the day off to regroup.

I think after yesterday’s epic failure with the PS3 backup and recovery of my old data, I may have to take a day or two off from videogame blogging.

For what it is worth, I called the Sony support number and after a few minutes (waited less than 5) I got a person on the phone. He confirmed that I have the same system; I did not receive a replacement unit. I walked through the system restore functions with the guy on the phone, and when I got to the warning message about this being a different system I was told that some of the content must have been copyrighted or illegal. WTF? I told the guy that I did not have one illegal game, video, or otherwise on my system. Ridiculous.

I was able to restore, but the restore only took 7 minutes vs. 120 minutes that it took pre-repair. It looks like the only data recovered were some videos, which to be honest I think I could do without.

I think my only option is to see if I can look inside the backup/restore file and pull out individual files. I have no idea how the file is put together; maybe it is a zip or tar ball file?

It sucks that I lost Oblivion, F1, and other PS3 game data and saves. I can always download all my purchased content again; of course it takes forever to pull anything off of the PSN, but I can recover that part of my PS3. I cannot get over the fact that I have lost years of PSX and PS2 saves. Once I transferred the data to my PS3, the memory cards were discarded, sold, etc. It just plain sucks ass that years of gaming history are gone, and the sad thing is that I tried to do everything right – I actually backed up my f’ing system.

IndustryGamers interviews PSN’s Eric Lepel

IndustryGamers posted a very interesting interview with Sony’s Eric Lempel (Director, PlayStation Network). Most sites that are linking to this are focusing on Mr. Lempel’s comments comparing PSN to XBL – “I don’t think there’s a lot of “catch up” [with XBL] anymore.” but I thought the article (found via N4G) contained more interesting nuggets of information.

IG: I know Sony has said the PSP Go is not intended to replace the traditional PSP model, but it does sort of seem that with this digital push that is going to eventually happen. Don’t you think this will phase out UMD permanently?

EL: I think it really depends on the consumer and what they want. As Kaz [Hirai] mentioned it was really about going out there, talking to people and seeing what they wanted.

Kind of like everyone really wanted a second analog stick?

IG: And the pricing on the digital games will be identical to the UMD counterparts?

EL: Well, we don’t actually control pricing, so we can sell to retail at a wholesale price and then they set the resale price. On the PlayStation Store we do set the pricing for first-party titles, but on third-party they give us a wholesale price. On games where we do control pricing, what we’ll steer towards is having it cost the same; it won’t cost more [at retail or digitally] for the launch of a new title.

What? That was like a punch in the guts. At a minimum I expected the digital content to be $5-10 less to make up for no UMD, no case, manual, shelf space, etc. If this is correct … or rather if I understand this statement correctly, it looks like PSP Go owners are about to get screwed.

IG: With PSP Go being all digital and the fact that you can access the store on the PSP itself, do you feel it’s one step closer to competing with the iPhone?

EL: What’s a little bit different with us is that PSP is a game-centric device; it was built for gaming. A lot of this other stuff you see on other devices – lots of smaller games, not that deep – might not provide the best experience. The PSP Go has a lot more horsepower and there’s a lot more you can get out of this. I think the Go will open [the door] for more unique stuff that you probably wouldn’t find on another platform because they can’t run it or they just don’t have the controls.

I just wrote about this fascination with comparing the PSP Go to the iPhone (or iPod Touch). I really do not understand why this continues to come up, but now the hot rumors are that a PSP Phone is forthcoming. Oh well, gives me some more fodder for the blog.

And last, but not least …

IG: Some people may be worried about filling up the internal memory of the PSP Go, so what would you say the average size of a game file is going to be? How many games could a user fit onto the device?

EL: If you’re strictly talking games, and not movies or other stuff, with the average game being perhaps 800 MB you could probably get about 20 games onto the PSP Go.

I cannot even imagine trying to lug around 20 UMDs. At this point I think I am quoted out. Check out the article; it is a solid read.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Preorder Mess.

If you want to see preorders gone bad, or dare I say how to completely and utterly f’up a preorder program just take a look at the newest Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time preorder fiasco. The game’s bonus material is available with your preorder depending on which retailer you decide to give your hard earned dollars. Excuse me?

Discovery (GameStop/EBGames), Power ([edit: TBD] ~~where or where is this one~~), Bolt (Amazon), and Space Page ([edit: WTF is Game Crazy?] ~~no idea which store has this one~~). If one of these bonuses catches your fancy, you preorder from the appropriate retailer. What happens if two or more catch your eye? Sony is basically pissing in the river, telling Ratchet fans to f’off, or just give us your cash. Thanks.

The reality is that I expect all of the bonus materials to end up on PSN via DLC. Of course at a price. You would think $60 was plenty for a game, so why rape us over the coals for bonus materials that should be included in the game? It is one thing to make money, and I am all for that, but I am surprised that Insomniac would agree to alienate their long time fans. Then again this has the stench of a Sony blunder written all over it.

Epilogue
Edit: After reading all of the comments, I thought this one was worth quoting.

James Stevenson replied on July 2, 2009 at 10:52 am

How do you know that we would charge for this content, and how do you know that it’s not unlockable in other ways on the disc?

Keep in mind this is still INSOMNIAC. We’re still going to do you guys right – but we also have to work with our retail partners who are making bigger pushes for in-game content as pre-order bonuses.

The sniff of a trend that I failed to notice. Retailers are looking for exclusive goodies, Sony needs to market and push the heck out of their first party games, and all the extras are locked away in the game. Maybe. I still say some of this is going to be premium DLC.

Qore Episode 14 to be released today.

So the latest Qore episode is on the way, and according to the PlayStation Blog, day 1 subscribers from last June will get some sort of special renewal offer. Me? I think I subscribed last July, so it looks like nothing special is coming my way.

Initial subscribers from June 2008 can now take advantage of a special renewal offer. Please check your e-mail for details. You’ll need to visit the PlayStation Store and, under the Media category, find and select the special renewal ‘thumbnail’ to avoid missing an episode.

All annual subscribers and single episode purchasers will receive an exclusive Battlefield: 1943 theme this month, and don’t forget to look for a new mini-game in the Qore Arcade. Also, in celebration of Independence Day, check out your very own fireworks launcher…

Well holy f’ing crap! We get a freaking theme for free. Good grief! I know I have already discussed Qore and Remote Play capabilities ad nauseam, but give us a break already and do the needful. Set Qore free on the PSP!

I am going to think twice before plopping down my $24 renewal. Who am I kidding? I bet I re-up at the next available opportunity. Sucker born every minute and all that crap.

Another Qore update. December comments.

No jokes please about Christmas coming late. As I continue to slog my way through back episodes of Qore, I always come back to the same comment. Decent content, could be deeper, but should be Remote Play(able) on my PSP. If there was ever a game (or whatever you want to call Qore) that should support Remote Play, Qore is the one. I hope there is a change in direction sooner or later. Maybe with the advent of the PSPgo we will see better Remote Play support.

The funny thing about watching some of the Qore content after the fact is that I just learned about a game that seemed interesting. I figured that I would not pay full price, but if the game found its way to the Greatest Hits list or maybe the discount rack, it could be worth checking out. The game? Damnation.

Wow! What an absolute train wreck. The Qore content looked interesting, but the metacritic scores tell a completely different story.

On a positive note, Skate 2 looks really interesting, but this is another game that I may not purchase at full price. These days I am a selective bastard when it comes to dishing out full MSRP for a game. $60+ or more will cause you (or at least me) to think twice before making an impulse purchase. I am going to check out some of the reviews, and if Skate 2 has an open ended mode where you can just explore and skate around; it will probably merit a closer look. I suppose I can always fall back to Tony Hawk on the PSX, but these days I am such a candy-ass graphics whore that it hurts my tired old eyes to look at old PSX games on my HDTV.

Final thoughts. The PlayStation Network Flock! demo, which is listed as “exclusive” to Qore, looks like good clean fun, but this one is on the backburners of my current gaming rotation. The game is all over the map with metacritic scores, only averaging a mediocre 71%. Then again Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is also rated at 71%, but I absolutely love that game, so f#^k the critics. LOL

An “exclusive” demo is not that much incentive to purchase Qore, so I hope the bonus materials pick up steam. If I had my preference it would be for a code to pick a game of your choice at a set price (i.e. $7.99 or less), or maybe put a time limit on the full version of the game. Even a couple of days would be better than what is currently being offered.

PS3 owners love some pinball.

I thought this was an interesting article (via the PlayStation blog) on May 2009 PlayStation Network sales figures.

“Zen Studios’ Zen Pinball was the best selling game on the PlayStation Network for May, and from data we have picked from the game’s Leaderboards, we can see that the title has had well over 50,000 people playing for long enough to post a high score.”

I love pinball … on portable systems. Zen Pinball is the type of title that should have Remote Play capability on the PSP. Without being able to play this one on my PSP, I doubt I will try it unless it is free in an upcoming Qore episode, or is significantly discounted.

Saturday morning gaming update.

This morning as I was slurping down a couple of cups of the black stuff, what I like to call the nectar of the gods, I put together a few nuggets of gaming goodness for your reading pleasure. I am going to start prepping for a morning run before the heat manages to reach sunstroke levels. Lots of family activities, household chores, and some work are on the radar for today, but I should have some time for gaming this afternoon. After all, it is too damn hot to do anything else.

Search for cheap soccer.
Recent CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying action, the miraculous Confederations Cup run into the finals, and upcoming Gold Cup play has me jonesing for a decent soccer title. Over the last few months of complete gaming inactivity, I sold off my PSP and PS2 soccer titles (I never bothered to pick one up for the PS3). I think I have some sort of PES for the PS2 (maybe), but I think I may actually be soccer less for the first time in recent memory. I am not sure how I arrived at this low point, but I digress.

I thought about picking up FIFA 2009, but it is still selling for close to $50 for the PS3 and $30 for the PSP. That is too steep a hill to climb when the annual update is only four months away. The next versions of PES are due in November, but much like the FIFA games, the “current” versions of Pro Evolution Soccer are just not what I would consider reasonable. It is hard for me to stomach throwing down $40 for a game when the new version is due in November.

Of course that is the way it is with sports games. They seldom hold value, and while there are bargains to be found on the used market, the retail price holds because the manufactures and retails assume some unsuspecting mother or grandparent will decide to go with the “cheaper” version of the game.

I guess there is always Worldwide Soccer Manager. I have not tried one of those in a couple of years, but I think for now I am going to have to sit on this one and decide if my jones is going to force me into what I consider an overpriced purchase.

XPlay G4TV
A couple of nights ago I caught the tail end of the God of War III demo (or preview, advertisement propaganda) on G4TV. I only saw the final 10 minutes, but the game looked extremely impressive. I have never played a GoW title, but I have the first one tucked away somewhere. All the button manipulations and combos and specialized moves in these types of games are just too damn trying for this older gamer. Still, when March 2010 rolls around, given prosperity and continued good health, I may be inclined to give this one a go.

Qore (November)
I finally got around to installing and watching the November Qore episode. I only have a couple of comments about the actual episode. First, the Japanese content was much too brief. Just when it started getting interesting, it closed too quickly. I think the Japanese gaming scene is something that could have been greatly expanded, and is the type of content that most gamers would enjoy watching. My other comment is that when you actually know what Veronica Belmont is talking about when she holds up a PS3 version of Aquanaut’ Holiday, you are probably a little over the top. Dare I say a complete gaming nerd or geek? I was going to say hardcore, but I always hated that term, and I have no idea what it has been replaced with in this current generation of gamers.

Trophy Whore
I have never read anything from The VFLHP Blog, but I came across this article via N4G, and decided it was worth a reference. The author talks about some of the good points brought about by the advent of trophies, and then goes into the bad points. All that is well and good, but the writer never gets off the fence; comes across as rather wishy-washy.

The anti-Trophy brigade sees them as the worst thing to happen to gaming since the Wii (Yeah I said it!!!). Excuse my French but the phrase “Trophy Whore” has now entered the vocabulary of most gamers. This is a person who has basically become addicted to collecting Trophies. This is the main problem most people have with Trophies. There is no denying the fact that there are now people who only buy games in order to get the Trophies in them. One look at www.ps3trophies.co.uk gives us a clear example of how big this “Trophy Hoarding” has become. Right at the top of the Trophy Leaderboard is Killerxx from (Yeah you guessed it!) the USA, who has collected no less than 2683 trophies, including 44 platinum ones, which means he/she has bought and played at least 44 games to death! I don’t mean to insult this person but a certain “World Of Warcraft” inspired episode of South Park springs to mind!

I see no downside to trophies. They add value to games, and they make playing some older long forgotten game a little worthwhile. I would hazard a bet that gamers addicted to trophies were already addicted to gaming.