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This Week in PlayStation – March 12th

Kyle P. — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:32:12 +0000

A common stereotype about gamers is their short attention spans. As announcements for new games and hardware come and go, it is easy to lose sight of the momentous events that shaped the gaming world. This Week in PlayStation highlights Sony’s rich videogame heritage, which dates back to the 1980′s. Step back in time with us as we put the spotlight on events big and small that have significantly altered the gaming culture.

This Week in PlayStation March 6th – March 12th

March 6th

2003- Sucker Punch’s Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is released to Japanese PS2 audiences.
2007 - Controversy immediately swells as Rockstar brings Vice City Stories to the North American PS2 audience.
2007 – Evolution Studios unleashes off-road madness with MotorStorm for American PS3 owners.
2007 - Def Jam: Icon, being the third of Electronic Art’s Def Jam series, hits American stores. The game was developed by EA Chicago, the developers of Fight Night Round 3.
2008- Sony official announces the track list and cars for the very much anticipated mini-addition to the Gran Turismo series, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Featuring over 60 vehicles and six tracks, GT5 Prologue was the perfect time killer for racing fans eager to play the next true sequel, Gran Turismo 5.

March 7th

2005 – Sir Howard Stringer takes the mantle of Chairman, Group CEO and Representative Corporate Executive Officer for Sony Corporation. Stringer’s responsibilities include running overall group business operations on a global basis. He continues his role as the head of the Entertainment Business Group and head of Sony Corporation of America.
2006 - Nautilus’ Shadow Hearts: From the New World hits the PlayStation 2.
2007 – Game Developers Conference 2007 – Sony unveils its revolutionary social application PlayStation Home. After multiple closed beta testings, Home is released to the masses in December 2008; a full year and a half later.
2007- Game Developers Conference 2007 – Sony announces what would turn out to be one of the cornerstones for the PlayStation 3, LittleBigPlanet.

March 8th

1996 - Crystal Dynamics releases Gex, the ultra-cool Gecko, to Japanese audiences.
2007 - Sega unleashes Virtua Tennis 3 to the Japanese market.

March 9th

2002 - Sony officially unveils the details regarding the highly anticipated online infrastructure for the PlayStation 2. The network adapter, which would retail later that year for $39.99, would allow players to play online on selected titles. This announcement also brought an interesting quote from then head of SCEA, Kaz Hirai: “And certainly, we’re not looking to define the PlayStation 2 brand solely by the online experience.”
2005- Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 4 is released for PS2 in Europe.
2005 - Sega purchases British game developer, The Creative Assembly. The company’s latest work includes Viking: Battle for Asgard for the PS3 and Spartan: Total Warrior for the PS2.
2006 – The long-standing Far Cry series is bought by Ubisoft. Ubisoft acquires the Far Cry IP and the CryENGINE Far Cry Edition, gaining the right to use the impressive engine in any of their games.
2007 - Rockstar brings Europeans what they want: Vice City Stories for the PS2.
2009 - EA Sports announces the cover athlete for their highly anticipated fight title, Fight Night Round 4. This time, instead of only one athlete gracing the cover, EA decides to put two of the greatest fighters ever: Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.

March 10th

2009 - NBC Universal partners with PlayStation to bring their whole lineup to the PSN video store. The selection includes not only TV shows such as 30 Rock or The Office but movies like Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Burn After Reading.
2009 - Electronic Arts releases the highly addictive Trivial Pursuit to the North American PSN store.

March 11th

2005 – EA Sports releases Rugby 2005 to American audiences.
2005 - Sony announces a ‘fashion show’ for the PSP. Well known fashion designers like Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, Henry Duarte, Coach, LRG, Jennifer Lopez and more will be showing off their exclusive PSP accessories to an exclusive crowd in West Hollywood. Gamers go crazy with excitement.
2008 - Originally released for the PSP, High Impact Games brings Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters to the PS2.

March 12th

2009 - Electronic Arts announces they are working on Army of Two: The 40th Day. EA Montreal is once again handling the development, and the game is scheduled for a winter release.
2009 - Just one day before the launch of Resident Evil 5, Capcom announces that a competitive multiplayer component will hit the PSN. This won’t be free as many gamers would like. Instead, Capcom wants $4.99 for the add-on.
2009 – Sony Europe (SCEE) officially unveils their exclusive ‘trophy card.’ Gamers worldwide can finally use an official Sony trophy card to show off their trophy collection.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Launch Trailer

Anthony Severino — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:43:54 +0000

Everyone’s favorite duo, Jak and Daxter, is back but this time on the PSP (and the PS2). Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, developed by High Impact Games is releasing tomorrow, and to coincide with the game’s launch, a new trailer has been released. Check it out after the jump…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier Box-Art is Unveiled

Dan Massi — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:28:03 +0000

Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier, is the newest Jak & Daxter title, coming from High Impact Games. The developer of Secret Agent Clank is bringing gamers a long awaited treat: a proper sequel to Jak 3 and Jak X.

Now, brought to you by the US PlayStation Blog, is the official release date and packshot of Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier. Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier will be officially released in both North America and Europe on November 3rd 2009.

Will you be purchasing Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier? Will you download it, or purchase it from a retail store? Post your comments below!

[Source]

Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier Screens Fly into View

Dan Massi — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:14:09 +0000

Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier, is the highly anticipated PSP (and PS2) sequel to Jak 3. The title is currently in development by High Impact Games, and will be published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Check out the screens below and let us know what you think!

[Source]

PSP Review – Secret Agent Clank

Adam Wolfe — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:37:45 +0000

The second Ratchet and Clank game has made its way onto the PSP. This time around, Clank takes center stage as the main character. Now with Clank as the lead man, can this game stand with the previous games? Does Clank fill Ratchet’s shoes?

As the game opens up, Clank is sent to the Boltaire Museum to halt the theft of a priceless jewel known as the “Eye of Infinity”. Once there, he sees Ratchet being arrested in connection with the theft. Ratchet does not seem to be himself, and in fact is acting quite evil. Clank vows to find out what has happened to Ratchet and who is behind the theft. In order to clear Ratchet’s name, Clank will have to investigate all over the galaxy, fighting enemies both old and new in hopes of freeing Ratchet before it’s too late.

The gameplay is very similar to previous Ratchet and Clank games. There is still plenty of platforming, and you can still smash crates and kill enemies for bolts, the currency system for the game. Where it does differ is that Clank is the main hero this time around, and instead of a physical weapon Clank relies primarily on ‘clank fu’ instead. Clank fu is basically hand to hand combat. You can also buy upgrades for these, adding crazy moves to your arsenal.

The wacky weapons are also back this time around, but Clank’s weapons are more discrete. He will be equipped with a boomerang tie, cuff link bombs, a flamethrower briefcase, and more. Just like the famous James Bond flicks, not everything is not what it seems when it comes to Clank’s attire.

One of the main focuses of Clank’s gameplay is stealth. You will have to sneak up behind an enemy and hit Square, triggering a mini-game in which you will have to hit a series of buttons in a certain amount of time. In addition to the stealth kills, Clank will also be able to hide in pipes, under flowerpots, and even pose as a statue. For each area you complete without being detected, the game will give you a health bar bonus. The stealth tactics also work well since Clank’s weaponry is not exactly the strongest, so an all out attack would go south rather quickly.

Other than the stealth elements, the rest of Clank’s time is spent fighting enemies and platforming. But there are two other play types that you will encounter. The rhythm button games (a la Sly Cooper) will help you navigate lasers, dance or play cards. There is also some downhill skiing and speedboat driving which will have you trying to escape enemies by knocking them into cliffs, or dropping bombs in their path.

Clank isn’t the only character you get to control. You will have to play some arena based levels with Ratchet, which are exactly like the previous games’ arena battles. These are fought in jail, and you will have to survive waves of enemies for the designated number of rounds. The enemies you will be facing are all the guys Ratchet and Clank put behind bars, so you will be seeing quite a few familiar faces. Since Ratchet is in jail, Clank will have to find and buy all of Ratchets weapons during his levels. This only adds another level of depth to the game since you will have to decide who needs the new weapons more, Ratchet or Clank.

There are also some puzzle based levels in which you will be playing as Clank’s little robotic sidekicks. You will remember them from previous games as the little guys that helped open up doors and disable various security barriers. Well this time around, you get to control them and they will be in charge of navigating the complex locks and security systems, as well as fighting off enemies in order for Clank to gain access to certain areas.

The last fan favorite you will be playing as, of course, is Captain Qwark. His levels are pretty comedic since he is writing an autobiography, and you will be fighting all of his epic battles…at least the way he remembers them. From opera fights, to giant cactus people and saving nuns and orphans, Qwark has done it all. Each level is relatively similar, with you simply punching and shooting your way through them. However, Qwark’s, but with Qwark narrating what is going on they all are fun in there on way.

Since Secret Agent Clank is jam packed with many different game types, the gameplay never grows stale. The development team at High Impact Games chose to spice things up by switching up the gameplay and the tone constantly, providing gamers with a far different experience than previous Ratchet installments.

The visuals are crisp and stylized, making Secret Agent Clank one of the better looking PSP titles out there. The voice overs have been well implemented, with characters still played by the original actors. All of the corny dialogue is still in place, with Captain Qwark standing out in particular.

Secret Agent Clanks ends up being a worthy installment in the Ratchet series, and is a blast to play. On top of that, it really puts a spark back in the series by going in such a bold new direction. The length is pretty good, roughly 6~7 hours, and the short missions really make this perfect for traveling or quick play sessions. I hope to see more games like this on the PSP, and all fans of Ratchet and Clank should pick up this enjoyable title.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score

Extremely varied gameplay never gets old.

Crisp graphics and sharp dialogue.

Length is a bit short, but is well paced and enjoyable.

High Impact Games Working on 2 Unannounced Games

Richard Allen — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:18:57 +0000

Written by Richard

High Impact has big bots.

High Impact Games is the team of talented folks that brought you Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters. According to the Sound Designer’s LinkedIn page, it appears that they are working on 2 new games. One for the PSP and one for “Next Gen”. At this point both titles are the aptly named “unannounced title”. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is a great game on PSP or PS2. Is this a sign High Impact Games is working on a new IP? More on this as it develops.

Sound Designer
High Impact Games
(Privately Held; Animation industry)
July 2007 — Present (1 year 8 months)
Design sounds for, Character, Levels, Global Sounds & VO Effects.
Participated in full development cycles.
Manage Sounds for the entire project.
Implement sounds using tools such as, SCREAM, WWise, XACT, Maya & In-house sound tools.
Implimented for 5.1 enviroments.
Implimented for current, next gen consoles & handheld devices such as the PSP.
Setup an in-house studio.
Edit, Clean & Organize VO.
Made new naming convention used for all VO lines.
Scripted intricate and complicated sounds using the sound tools provided (ex SCREAM).
Recorded Foley & stereo ambiance
Recorded in-house vocals (ex recorded VO for enemies, monster, robots etc…)
Titles worked on
-RATCHET AND CLANK: SIZE MATTERS
-SECRET AGENT CLANK
-UNANNOUNCED TITLE (PSP)
-UNANNOUNCED TITLE (NEXT GEN)

[Source]