PlayStation LifeStyle » Marco Antonio

Yakuza 4 Oils Up New Masseuse, Yakuza 3 U.S. Release Still Uncertain

Marco Antonio — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:29:18 +0000

For many U.S. gamers the name Mari Yaguchi may not ring any bells. Despite being an avid gamer, a current writer for Famitsu magazine as well as hired to promote Nintendo’s World of Goo, Mari Yaguchi seems to be quite busy these days. Miss Yaguchi will soon have another bullet point to add on to her resume as she has been selected to star in the next game in the popular Ryu Ga Gotoku series (Yakuza in the West).

Set to star in Yakuza 4, Miss Yaguchi will play as (coincidentally) Mari who works at a massage parlor that players can visit in the game to regain their health. Miss Yaguchi’s role sees the departure of the previous game’s masseuse (played by trans-sexual Ayana Tsubaki).

While the release of Yakuza 3 for U.S. gamers is still very much up in the air, Japanese gamers will already be receiving the fourth game in the series some time next year. The fact that Sega has remained mum on the topic of a U.S. release at all has been cause for stress for many Yakuza fans; even so far as to create an online petition to get the game to release in the States.

As always stay tuned to PlayStationLifeStyle for the latest news and updates to see if the plight of Yakuza fans will result in a Happy Ending.

Ken Kutaragi Making a Comeback?

Marco Antonio — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:38:15 +0000

The Father of PlayStation proudly displays the PS3

For many PlayStation faithful the name Ken Kutaragi should be instantly recognizable. Having been attributed the title of “The Father of PlayStation,” he has been credited with starting the success of Sony in the home video game market back in 1994 with the release of the PSOne, and then following up in 2000 with the unparalleled success of the PS2, as well as championing the success of the PSP in 2004 and 2005.

The ex-SCE executive stepped down in 2007 due to nagging problems with the newly released PS3. Everything from production problems which caused launch delays in all three major territories, an extraordinarily high retail price point which contributed to relatively slow sales compared to the competition, to Kutaragi’s apparent lethargy when it came to negotiating with publishers to secure exclusivity rights which may have allowed once former exclusive titles like Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto IV to make their way to Xbox 360.

However Kutaragi seems to be back in a fashion at the head of a new startup Internet company called Cyber AI Entertainment. According to Nikkei Net (subscription required) this new company’s focus is on networking technologies with Kutaragi serving as president with a hefty 90% share in the company. Kutaragi went on to comment about the operations:

“We’ll initially focus on research and development relating to information processing, targeting cutting-edge networking operations.”

But is there more than meets the eye going on with this new company? According to Nikkei Net it may be possible since Kutaragi inferred that this new company may develop “an advanced platform for entertainment” that takes advantage of Internet-based development and processing referred to as cloud computing.

Is it possible that this move by Kutaragi may be to eventually partner with Sony in the future to collaborate on the PS4 using this new research and development? Or will he try and develop a whole new console? Whatever the case may be these new events will be interesting to see what ultimately develops. Be sure to check back to PlayStationLifeStyle for any updates and also for the latest news going on in the industry.

[Source]

Borderlands has Shortages & Shortcomings

Marco Antonio — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:53:30 +0000

No other words can possibly be sweeter to a developer to read than reports of “sold out” being associated with their new game. Music to their ears but much consternation to gamers eager to play said game but can’t due to its quick selling out. While it only released two days ago it appears that Gearbox’s new game is a hard-to-find commodity for 360 owners; at least if you live on the East Coast of the USA.

An unnamed representative of the company went on to comment:

Copies of the Xbox 360 Borderlands SKU have run out in a few regions, especially the East Coast. We are aware of this and are working with production and distribution at ramping up to catch up with demand. There will be more copies of Borderlands available on shelves as early as Thursday or Friday at many retailers.

The West Coast seems to have ample supply on hand especially concerning the PS3 version which, unfortunately, seems to be suffering from a whole other problem entirely concerning a “broken” friends list feature utilized for the multiplayer portion of the game. Thankfully Gearbox is well aware of this problem plaguing the PS3 version and is currently hard at work on a patch according to Scott Velasquez, a software engineer, commenting on the official Gearbox forums:

We’ve identified the problem and are working on a fix. We’ll find out very soon if the issue exists for the PS3 International versions of the [sic] Borderlands. If it does, we’ll hopefully have a fix implemented before it affects those customers.

No specific reason was given as to why the friends list feature is broken for the PS3 version as the game was extensively tested by Gearbox and 2K. Instead a more cryptic explanation was given by Scott saying only that:

…this particular issue we found could have never manifested itself in our or 2K’s test environments.

Make of that what you will. So if you have recently picked up the PS3 version and have experienced this problem, fret not, for a fix is on the way. Borderlands has been dubbed as a “role-playing shooter”, or RPS, and is a hybrid game blending two popular genres into one addictive package. The game’s two major selling points include support for four-player co-op and touts “bazillions” of guns that the player can find and use in its massive world.

[Source]

PSPgo Going Cheaper Already

Marco Antonio — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:47:56 +0000

Many gamers have scoffed at the PSPgo, mainly due to its hefty price tag of $249.99 which is just $50 less than a PS3 here in the states. One major online retailer is trying to make that price tag a little bit more bearable.

According to a recent listing from Amazon.com who is now selling the pint-sized PSPgo at a reduced price of $244.99. It’s only $5 off but it’s a start and it’s available with free super saver shipping.

While the PSPgo only debuted earlier this month on October 1st it’s a bit alarming to see a price drop this soon. Amazon’s price dropping practices are not uncommon for the reputable retailer, and they are a dependable source for many online shoppers to find a great deal as they often sell many products below the MSRP.

Whether this price drop was a reaction to other online retailers similarly reducing the PSPgo’s price or a proactive step by Amazon to entice would-be buyers is not entirely known at this point. While a $5 decrease probably isn’t enough to swoon many gamers who remain on the fence about the PSPgo, this price cut may not be substantial enough to get them to buy. However it does offer a slight reprieve from what many have considered a lofty price tag for a system that debuted only $50 less than what a fully functioning PS3 is selling for.

[Source/Via]

PS3 Upselling This Holiday Season

Marco Antonio — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:19:15 +0000

Sony are quite proud of its PlayStation 3, even touting “It only does everything”. The PS3′s multimedia capabilities include everything from HD gaming, to Blu-Ray movies, to digital photos, and more. Because of its wide-array of uses, Sony is confident that the PS3 will sell other related consumer electronics products at retail this holiday season.

According to Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America:

“You can find the PS3 not only in the gaming Isle this holiday season, you’ll see it where home theaters are sold, where blu-ray movies are sold….there’s multiple places in the store where we should be and where we will be this holiday season.”

Many gamers are already familiar with the PS3’s strong multimedia abilities, but the average Joe shopper may not which is the reason behind Sony’s strategy of marketing their gaming machine in other areas of your preferred electronics store this holiday season.

Tretton’s belief is that the PS3 has a major influence on other forms of media purchases by a consumer such as CDs, blu-ray movies, HDTVs and, to a degree, digital cameras as well. He continues,

“…if they buy a PS3 that retailer can sell them games, they can sell them movies, they can sell them music, there are multiple forms of media that are being played through there that people are consuming at the retail level, you buy a stand alone blu-ray player it’s going to help them sell movies, but it’s not going to help them sell games or music or some other devices.”

Sony has always contended that they wanted the PS3 to be at the center of your home’s multimedia design, and this holiday season they seem poised to strike at the heart of that meaning stronger than they have in previous years. Armed with a killer line up of game software coupled with the recently reduced price and redesigned Slim model, this could very well prove to be Sony’s best year since launch.

[Source]

Resistance 3 Prepping for Invasion

Marco Antonio — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:00:54 +0000

Insomniac Games is one of the premiere developers for PS3. While their most recent game, Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, is scheduled for an October 27th release, they might not be content to sit back and take it easy just yet if a recent billboard sighting near Shreveport, Louisiana is to believed.

The billboard was spotted by forum user “goldsoundz” from the site NeoGAF, who went on to say:

“I saw this billboard today in Shreveport, Louisiana. There are a lot of movies filmed here, and this one is about some sort of alien takeover of Los Angeles; the name of the film escapes me at the moment. Snapped off a few photos of the billboard since I wasn’t sure if the game had been announced yet or not. If not, then I’m surprised Insomniac would be announcing it here of all places.”

Unaffiliated Hollywood movie or subtle hint from Sony? While one billboard certainly can not be considered incontrovertible evidence that this is indeed the next game Insomniac is currently working on, it nonetheless serves as a tantalizing tease for many gamers to whet their appetite for next year. Still, one has to wonder the bizarre method Insomniac or Sony employed concerning this unofficial “announcement.”

Whether or not this billboard advertisement is legitimate, stick with PlayStation LifeStyle as we’ll bring you all the latest news from the newest game in the Resistance series!

[Source]

Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter Edition Could Be Yours

Marco Antonio — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:22:34 +0000

If you haven’t already downloaded the multiplayer demo for Uncharted 2, the following news may just be motivation enough to finally get you off your laurels and start. Starting from today, October 10th at 12a.m. through Monday, October 12th at 12 a.m. ten lucky players will be selected at random for each day (for a total of thirty) to win the rare edition whilst playing the demo.

Actually you technically don’t even have to play all that time as just signing on and joining an open match automatically enters you in to the contest. The winners will be announced on October 19th on both Naughty Dog’s and the PlayStationBlog’s websites.

The Fortune Hunter edition is extremely rare. And no that is not just some clever PR marketing campaign created to get you to run out and reserve the game. With the announcement last month coming from Naughty Dog themselves about the edition, many die-hard collectors and armchair treasure hunters were immediately dismayed to learn that the Fortune Hunter edition would not be available through the traditional reservation system. The only way to score one of these babies was to win one in a contest or get chosen in a giveaway. So unless you were already lucky enough to win one previously this may be the only chance you have to own this truly rare edition of the game.

The Fortune Hunter Edition comes packed with a replica of the Phurba dagger (a pivotal relic to the game’s story), a voucher for future DLC and an art book.

[Source]