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PlayStation Vita Price Cut Coming in 2013

Posted by Brad vanVugt on October 8, 2012
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Thanks to an interview with Sony UK headman Fergai Gara by Eurogamer and via DigitalSpy, we now know Sony will be issuing a Vita price drop in 2013.

Said Gara: “We always aim to establish price cuts. So the question is not so much if, but when. We won’t have an across the board pricedown this Christmas. But what you will see us doing is work very hard with our retail partners to add value to the product to make it more compelling.”

A date or how much of a price drop we’ll see was not specified, but I’ll be damned it that’s going to keep me from speculating!

I figure you’ll see that price drop happening around February (i.e. the one year anniversary of the launch) next year.  As far as price point goes, a $50 drop down to $199.99 seems to make the most sense.  I also wouldn’t be shocked to see a standard bundle with a 4 gigabyte memory card as well as a 30-day PlayStation Plus trial, especially since we’ll be seeing Plus make its way to the Vita shortly.

The timing of this announcement is curious though.  Why announce before the holidays this drop is imminent, but that it specifically will come next year?  If I didn’t already own a Vita, what reason would I now have to get one now over waiting until next Spring?  While I agree a price drop is necessary sooner rather than later for the Vita just to move units, I fear Sony might have slightly undermined what could have been a strong holiday for the Vita, especially considering the arrival of Plus, as well as the Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty bundles that will be in stores in the coming weeks.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Coming to PSN

Posted by Brad vanVugt on July 18, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , . 2 comments

A new Ratchet & Clank game is coming to PlayStation Network this Fall, which is awesome!  I’ve long loved the R&C series, and am happy to see that Insomniac Studio’s decision to become a multi-platform developer won’t slow the development of their core franchises.

The game looks to be a return to form for the R&C series after the diversion that was Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One.  It will be a traditional third-person shooter with all of the crazy weapons that is the trademark of the series.  It’s also adding a…tower defense element to the game.  There will also be an online mode whose details will be shed at a later date.

Oh, Insomniac.  You had me right up until “tower defense.”  Am I the only one around here sick to the gills of tower defense games?  From Final Fantasy VII to Assassin’s Creed Revelations, we’ve seen that tower defense and action ain’t exactly chocolate and peanut butter.  I’m not going to write it off until I play it, because that’s totally unfair, but I’m certainly a little more wary than I would’ve been upon hearing about a new Ratchet & Clank game.  Here’s hoping the addition of this element adds to the fun of the game as opposed to making it feel like a chore when the game drops.

No release date or price has been announced as of yet.

Source: PlayStation Blog

New Free Games Coming to PlayStation Plus Tomorrow

Posted by Brad vanVugt on July 2, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

Last month, Sony recruited a lot of new users to their premium PlayStation Plus service by giving away 12 free games, dubbed the “Instant Game Collection.”  Sony also mentioned titles would be rotated in and out of the service to keep things fresh.  Tomorrow, when the PlayStation store updates (usually around 5pm EST), we will see 3 new titles made available for the low, low price of free: Gotham City Impostors, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, and Renegade Ops

The descriptions for each title, direct from the PlayStation Blog:

Gotham City Impostors: Previously announced as 50% off in Plus as part of the PSN Summer Sale, we’ve got a surprise for Plus members as Gotham City Impostors will be free for the month of July! Hatched from the twisted minds at Monolith Productions, Gotham City Impostors is a download-only multiplayer FPS that pits violent vigilantes (dressed up like Batman) against craven criminals (dressed up as the Joker) in open warfare on the streets of Gotham City. Since its release, there have been a ton of new additions to the game, including more customization options, thousands of player unlocks and upgrades, and more. Check out Giant Bomb’s review praising its gameplay and outstanding humor. Add this phenomenal multiplayer FPS to your collection this July – free with your PlayStation Plus membership.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX: This edition of one of gaming’s most beloved franchises takes the series in a bold, and incredibly addictive direction. With fast-paced gameplay, countless twists on the classic Pac-Man experience, awesome head-bumping music, and crazy-good leaderboard integration, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is a title that no gamer should miss — IGN gave it a 10 out 10! And now, with your PlayStation Plus membership, you won’t have to!

Renegade Ops: Last year’s PSN PLAY promotion introduced 4 amazing PSN games to heat up the last days of summer. Renegade Ops was one of those titles and deservedly so. The critically-acclaimed PSN game boasts 4 player co-op, destructible environments (using the Just Cause 2 engine), addictive gameplay, and lots of fun add-ons. This title will spice up your PlayStation Plus game collection with firepower on the back of co-op gameplay, and is a true must-download for all members. Check out 1up.com’s Renegade Ops review, where it scored a perfect “A” grade.

I would highly recommend, nay, implore all of you to jump on this deal, if only for Pac-Man Championship, which is an amazing title.  Seriously, it’s a modernized version of the classic game with an insane amount of replay value, and it’s incredibly fun.  Gotham City Impostors was also a title I had a passing interest in (Batman connection, of course), and will certainty give it a whirl.  Renegade Ops I admittedly don’t know a ton about, but the reviews for it were fairly positive, and hey, it’s free!

It’s also worth noting that Virtua Fighter 5, Hard Corp: Uprising, and Zombie Apocalypse will be rotated out of the instant game collection when the update hits tomorrow, so make sure you Plus members add them to your download queue tonight before they go away.  Remember, you can “purchase” the game without downloading it, and you will still have access to it even after it disappears off the Plus page.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Okami HD coming to PlayStation 3 This Fall; Includes Move Support

Posted by Brad vanVugt on June 19, 2012
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Okami was a cult hit of the previous console generation.  Releasing originally on the PS2. it was a unique game beloved by many for its Legend of Zelda-esque gameplay, and it’s beautiful cell-shaded watercolor style graphics.  The game also received a Wii port about a year after its original release that allowed players to use the Wii remote to control the game’s Celestial Brush gesture mechanic, something that was more natural than having to pause the action and draw brush strokes with the analog stick as in the Ps2 version.

Capcom announced today that an HD version of Okami will be releasing exclusively on the PlayStation Network this fall.  Unsurprisingly, the HD release will also allow use of the PlayStation Move controller.  Additionally, it will carry a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio (as all of Sony’s HD remakes do), and will have full trophy support with 51 in all, including a Platinum Trophy.  Even better news is it won’t require the Move, so if you don’t feel like waving your hands in the air, you can just use your DualShock, a la the way the game controlled on the PS2

I’m pretty jazzed by this news.  I didn’t give a fair shake to the Wii version of Okami, but enough of my friends lauded the PS2 version enough to still make me want to play this game.  I’m always a fan of games that ape the Zelda formula (Darksiders, anyone?), and I love the unique visuals that allowed Okami to stand out when it originally debuted.  Check out the trailer below, which also shows some comparison shots between the PS3 and Ps2 version.  No word on price yet, but I would expect it to hit around the $20 mark.

Update: via Game Informer, Capcom has confirmed that the price of Okami HD will be $19.99.
Image Credit and Source: PlayStation Blog