The Game Druid

After many high-profile delays, the PlayStation 3 finally launched in North America on November 17, 2006. Two often-turbulent years later, the console celebrated its second birthday to steadily rising sales and a widening software portfolio, despite being outpaced by the Xbox 360 at US retailers in October.

But while the 360’s drastic price drop and holiday bundles made it a distant second to the still-white-hot Wii, the PS3 has apparently matched it in one respect. In part of the PS3’s birthday celebration message on the official PlayStation Blog, Sony Computer Entertainment America hardware marketing director John Koller announced that the PlayStation Network now has as many users as Xbox Live.

“[The] PlayStation Network has truly hit its stride with unique downloadable games and a video delivery service featuring movies, TV shows, and original programming that you can watch in HD with your PS3,” Koller boasted. “And with 14 million active accounts and 273 million pieces of content downloaded, we know that you’re thirsting for this digital entertainment.” At the Tokyo Game Show last month, Microsoft announced Xbox Live currently had 14 million subscribers.

The executive also mentioned the 17-million-unit worldwide sales milestone the PS3 hit last month, roughly 5 million units behind the 360’s lifetime-to-date sales. He made brief mention of the long-in-development PlayStation Home service, and referenced its upcoming open beta would occur in the next 12 months. However, he did not say when the avatar-based virtual world, still ostensibly slated to launch by year’s end, would go online.

Sony Corp. has been promoting the PlayStation 3 video game console as an ultimate home entertainment center with Blu-ray disc player inside. But Kazuo Hirai, who is chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. believes that the new-gen PlayStation is all about games and only then about other types of entertainment.

“The thing that I did, when I took over last year was to boast the appeal of games themselves… The main premise of the PS3 is video games. That’s the absolutely most important thing that we cannot lose sight of,” said chief executive of SCEI in a new interview with Japanese Nikkei Net Interactive, reports Kotaku web-site.

Sony PlayStation 3, unlike Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, can playback movies on Blu-ray disc media that is supported by all the major Hollywood studios these days. Many of Sony Corp.’s execs have praised the PS3 as a Blu-ray player, not a video game console.

Sony PlayStation 3 console is based on the Cell processor developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba, the RSX graphics chip by Nvidia Corp., wireless network and Bluetooth connectivity and is equipped with Blu-ray optical disk drive. There are several versions of the consoles available around the world with different hard disk drives and variable compatibility with PlayStation 1/2 games.

It’s official: Activision Inc. and Vivendi Games are now defunct nomenclature. After shareholders handily signed off on the merger at a meeting yesterday, French megacorp Vivendi SA and Activision said today that they had completed the transaction to create Activision Blizzard. The newly formed company will retain Activision’s current headquarters in Santa Monica, California.

“We have created the world leader in online and console games with this transaction, and the combined strengths of the two businesses offer immense growth potential,” gushed Vivendi SA CEO Jean-Bernard Levy. “I am also very confident that, with the new leadership team in place, the new entity is perfectly positioned to take advantage of these rapidly developing markets across the globe.”

Former top Activision man and newly installed Activision Blizzard president and CEO Robert Kotick issued an equally glowing statement, vaunting the publisher’s prime position in the console and online PC space. “With more than 10.7 million subscribers on World of Warcraft, and with tens of millions of people playing Guitar Hero, Activision Blizzard’s games are transcending the traditional stereotypes and are more popular as a form of entertainment than ever before,” he said. “We look forward to building upon our brands to create value for our shareholders, customers, and consumers.”

With the merger now closed, Activision Blizzard is expected to surpass publishing kingpin Electronic Arts as the world’s most lucrative third-party game-software publisher. As per today’s announcement, the business combination brings together a number of top-selling franchises under one roof. Considering statistics from a variety of global stat-tracking organizations, those number-one ranked brands include Guitar Hero for family entertainment and music-based gaming, World of Warcraft in subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing games, Spider-Man in superhero games, Tony Hawk in the action sports genre, Cabela’s in sports hunting, and Call of Duty in first-person action.

As per the original terms of the deal first announced in December, Vivendi SA has contributed the entirety of its Vivendi Games subdivision–worth $8.1 billion–as well as $1.7 billion to acquire a 52 percent controlling stake in Activision Blizzard. The French megacorp will in the next few days attempt to expand its hold to a possible 68 percent through a $4 billion all-cash tender offer, made to current Activision shareholders at the agreed-upon price of $27.50 per share.

Although that buyout offer was a handsome premium on Activision’s approximately $21-per-share sticker price in December, it is unlikely that Vivendi will find many takers in the present. Activision’s stock has maintained a steady climb since the merger was initially announced, and as of press time today, the publisher’s stock was trading in excess of $32 on the NASDAQ exchange. Activision Blizzard will continue to operate as a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the ATVI ticker symbol after the merger.

Well we have just downloaded the new firmware update 2.40 for the Sony PlayStation 3, and here are a few thoughts:

1) The friend’s category has been redesigned and has now been upped to support 100 (yes..big deal)

2) The long awaited “Trophy” feature has now been added, depending if the game supports this feature you can now “Collect Trophies” for that game. If you wish to see your friend’s trophies, go to their profile and to view your own go to “Game” the “Trophy Collection”.

3) In game chat has been given a major boost, by being able to exchange messages with friends and family during gameplay. This is achieved by pressing the “PS” button and using the functions from the “XMB” (XrossMediaBar), you can also search the Internet from the XMB screen via a google bar which is now incorporated. Although the search results take a little time to show up, but that is also due to the internet problems I’ve been having over the last 2 days.

Anyway to cap it off, here’s some more dope…The following first-party games are also slated to offer Trophy support:

• BUZZ! Quiz TV
• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• NBA 09 - PS3
• PAIN*
• PixelJunk Eden
• Resistance 2
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
• Warhawk*

*Requires a game update to be downloaded and installed.

Cheers

The Game Druid

To the surprise of no one, Google is now offering software that streams video, photos, and music from your PC to your television.

“In the old days, we used to watch a simple device called a television. Nowadays, all the stuff worth watching and listening to tends to be stored on or accessed through a computer,” writes software engineer David Garcia on the Google Desktop blog. “To help remedy this, we are pleased to release the Google Media Server.”

The Google Media Server is a free Windows app that sends media files to your TV via the Playstation 3 and other Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) devices. It works in tandem with Google Desktop, the desktop search tool that also runs various and sundry software widgets known as Google Gadgets.

With help from the Google Media Server, your TV can access videos, music, and photos stored on your PC, and naturally, it can tap straight into YouTube, the video-sharing site where Google hopes to serve an enormous number of advertisements.

Google is already streaming YouTube videos into living room via third-party devices like Apple TV and HP’s Media Smart TV. And now it’s reaching out for the Playstation 3 crowd.

But this is just a Google beta. And it may go nowhere. Judging from the Google Media Server discussion forums, the new app is hardly ready for prime time.

Sony is reportedly working on a new PlayStation 3 controller it seems - the third controller to appear for the Blu-Ray playing games console after the original SixAxis controller and later DualShock. The new controller is expected to break apart in some form, creating two halves which can be held and wielded independantly.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made. It’s also a fine example of storytelling prowess within its medium, combining gameplay and narrative so slickly and beautifully that it’s impossible to extricate one from the other. It’s likely you will emerge awestruck from your first play-through, wishing the experience would continue yet nonetheless satisfied with its conclusion. It’s difficult not to sound hyperbolic when discussing MGS4 because every part of its design seemingly fulfills its vision, without compromise. There is no halfway.

Fully realized, lengthy story sequences will come as no surprise to anyone who has played a Metal Gear game. You’ll spend a good half of MGS4 watching cinematics, but it would be a grave misinterpretation to assume that great gameplay takes a backseat to the story. Rather, these two elements are tightly intertwined, and this tapestry is held together by an important technical thread: Cutscenes that are rendered fully in real time within the game engine. It’s impressive enough that these scenes look as good as any prerendered cinematic you’ve ever watched. It’s even more amazing when those same scenes transition without pause into gameplay, and the same hulking mech you watched lumber about in the cinematic is looming above you. The subtle animations, the lush environments, and the rich textures are the same in and out of story sequences, and the effect is so seamless it may take your breath away. You can skip past the scenes if you prefer, but doing so would soften the experience. The story sequences carry more weight because of the intense gameplay that precedes them–and the gameplay feels more compelling because the story gives you powerful reasons to care about your mission. The high point of this fusion occurs in an exciting and memorable split-screen sequence that simply must be experienced.

Talking about what, exactly, is going on in the plot in the midst of MGS4’s grand sweeping gestures is to risk spoiling each little surprise as it emerges. Snake, suffering from the rapid onset of aging, now must cope with stiff joints in addition to the looming specter of Liquid Ocelot’s newest plans. This is Snake’s final hurrah; yet as the story reaches one height after another, the juxtaposition of huge set piece battles and formidable bosses with Snake’s deteriorating body creates tension and gravity even beyond the series’ usual pretensions. Some new plot strands emerge while others get tied up, and old friends (and enemies) refuse to be forgotten. You’ll also bear witness to a few reunions–some bloody, some teary, and some legitimately shocking. Parts of it are overblown, to be sure. The musical score gets heavy-handed and the voice acting and writing are frequently dogmatic, so while there are plenty of subtle moments, subtlety isn’t really MGS4’s strong suit. But it doesn’t need to be. After all, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and judging from a few silly attempts at humor that don’t work, developer Kojima Productions was wise to err on the side of melodrama.

The gameplay proper is familiar to fans, but it’s been cleaned up and expanded, holding as many twists and surprises as the story. For starters, both gunplay and close-quarters combat are more satisfying. Regarding melee, the controls have been streamlined, making it less cumbersome to grab an enemy soldier or perform a stealthy blade kill. Shooting mechanics are even more improved, so much so that shooting your way out of a pickle is just as enjoyable as sneaking around it. There are a huge number of weapons to play with; so many that you’ll probably finish the campaign without using many of them. Yet, quality wasn’t sacrificed for quantity: Every weapon feels just right, from your handy operator sidearm (best when upgraded with a silencer) and standard issue assault rifles to a powerful railgun. The standard over-the-shoulder view is fine for the most part, but you can gaze down the sights from a first-person perspective. Both views can be further improved with various enhancements, such as laser sights and scopes.

Not that you don’t have all the tools for completely avoiding your enemies if you choose that route. Snake’s got the basics covered: crawling, hugging walls, peeking around corners, and hanging from ledges, for example. Cover mechanics are tighter than ever, so you can crouch and take potshots from behind cover with ease. There are also a number of important gadgets that will make your life easier in this regard. The most obvious of these is your OctoCamo suit, which takes on the texture of your surroundings when you’re prone or pressed against cover. Not only does this make it simpler to avoid watchful eyes, but it’s also a cool visual effect. Eventually, you’ll be able to camouflage Snake’s head, and a few of the available camo options are bound to stir some fans’ nostalgia. The Solid Eye is your other major tool, as it expands your compass into a sonic-sensitive radar and allows you to use night vision and a tactical first-person view. These are helpful gadgets indeed, even during boss fights, like a stirring encounter in a blinding blizzard.

Other gadgets, such as portable hiding places (cardboard boxes and rusty barrels) and the Metal Gear Mk. II (a stealthed robot that you can command as a scouting device), are useful to anyone who prefers the sneaky approach. Not every gadget is a welcome addition, though. For example, the much-ballyhooed iPod is a neat touch, but to use it, you cannot have another gadget equipped, so you’ll quickly forget the option even exists. But aside from these nitpicks, one of the things that makes the core gameplay so enjoyable is that you’re rarely strapped into a single style of play. Shooting your way through requires more thought and care than you’d put into a standard action game, but you never feel as though the gun mechanics are stuffed uncomfortably into a stealth game. If you’d rather sneak, you never have the impression that stealth was shoehorned into a game that’s meant to be played as a shooter. Sure, you’re Solid Snake–you’re not supposed to get caught. But if you’re stuck in a jam, breaking stealth isn’t a death sentence, and in fact, facing certain enemies head-on is often a heart-pounding, challenging experience. The few levels that do force you into one style, such as one in which you shadow your target through an Eastern European city, are still great, if not quite as impactful.

You’ll need to keep an eye on Snake’s stress levels and psyche. Though these aspects are more peripheral than health levels, they fit nicely within the plot. When Snake gets stressed (if he gets cold or encumbered, for example), his psyche gauge starts to deplete. The lower the gauge, the slower you will move and the less quickly you replenish health. Generally speaking, the psyche meter is rarely a factor, and should you notice Snake groaning a bit more, there are items like compresses you can use for a pick-me-up. Should the meter get too low, you won’t be able to hold up your weapon or rush for cover. This doesn’t happen often though, and while you’ll need to keep a close eye on your health for obvious reasons, you won’t need to pay too much heed to psyche.

The gameplay and story would, perhaps, not be as effective if Metal Gear Solid 4 did not look and sound so impressive, but truth be told, it’s an amazing piece of technology. From the gritty textures of concrete walls to the effective lighting and shadowing, there are few aspects you could reasonably fault. In the biggest battles, billows of smoke fill the screen and blood splatters against the camera–all while meticulously designed helicopters fly overhead and ad-hoc team members take potshots from behind grungy dilapidated vehicles. Yet in the midst of the visual drama, it’s the little things that are likely to provoke awe. Small details, such as how Snake rubs his sore back when his stress levels get high or the authentic manner in which he ascends staircases, create as much atmosphere as cluttered underground tunnels and war-torn Middle Eastern cities. You will have to wait through some scattered install periods (just under 20 minutes worth, in total) and the occasional loading screen, and you may find some frame rate drops and low-res textures here and there, but these aren’t issues in light of MGS4’s impressive graphical accomplishments.

The sound design comes together nearly as well. The soundtrack on its own is rather pompous, but in context, it works just fine to create the appropriate mood for any given cutscene or battle. The voice acting follows suit but succeeds far better. Because the growling voice of David Hayter’s Solid Snake is so good, the rare hamming from the mostly excellent supporting cast is easily forgotten. But the sound effects are unforgettable and excellent across the board. The Gekkos emit blood-curdling moos like gargantuan cows, explosions are outstandingly obnoxious, and everything from the clicks of the Solid Eye to the laughter and screams of the beastly bosses are top-notch.

On top of it all, Metal Gear Solid 4 offers some enjoyable online 16-player action to complement its superb single-player experience. Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch are represented, of course, and they play just fine, assuming you don’t approach the online component as a standard shooter. The maps are beautifully rendered and packed with detail, and while not every mechanic is as wonderful in multiplayer as it is in single-player (hiding in your cardboard box won’t usually get you far, for example), it’s all good fun once you adjust to the pace. The multiplayer star, however, is sneaking mode, a Team Deathmatch variant in which one player plays as Snake and another supports him as the Metal Gear Mk II. Shooting others is amusing–but sneaking enthusiasts will enjoy the violent, stealthy game of hide and seek you play as Snake. Playing support is equally entertaining because as Mk. II, you can go invisible, creep up on other players, and zap them with your electronic tentacle. It’s a blast. Other modes include base mission, in which teams compete to conquer bases; a capture and defend mode; and rescue mission, which is similar to the same mode in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. Unfortunately, the process of creating an online account is laborious, so expect to take a few minutes to enter a litany of information (a pain if you aren’t using a keyboard). Thankfully, the variety of customization options and sheer numbers of players online mean that this process is quickly forgotten.

If the story-heavy presentation of previous Metal Gear games taxed your patience, Metal Gear Solid 4 won’t change your mind. For anyone who appreciates games that rise above the simple act of pushing a few buttons and pulling a few triggers, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a stimulating ride that you won’t soon forget. You’ll want to see what happens next, yet when its long campaign draws to a close, you’ll wish it would continue. That’s not just because it’s a well-told tale, but because that tale is woven through a thoroughly impressive game that tops its predecessors.

For those of you continuing to have Grand Theft Auto IV lockups on your PS3 even after the May 7th Rockstar patch… tough noogies. The latest 2.35 firmware won’t specifically help. Sony says that the “minor update” will “improve stability of some PS3 titles” — then clarifies that GTA IV is not part of the vagary. Nevertheless, Sony does say that they “have a identified a solution that should resolve the issue.” So buck up Niko and get on the horn with Sony for help, God know the police won’t.

Sony has stated that the PlayStation 3 has now outsold the Xbox 360 in Europe.

Speaking at PlayStation Day 2008 down in London, David Reeves, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s president, said, “We have sold over 5m PS3s throughout Europe. We are particularly proud of this as it has been achieved in a SIMILAR time frame to PS2, which retailed if you remember at a significantly lower price.

“We have been consistently outselling our closest competitor since October 2007.

“Even with the latest (Xbox 360) price drop I am delighted to be able to announce today that we have sold more PS3s throughout Europe than Xbox 360 even though they launched 16 months before PS3.”

That’s not bad going, we’re sure you will agree. Alas, hard figures were not provided, but outselling the Xbox 360 in half the time is no mean feat.

Reeves did not draw a comparison between the PS3 and Wii in Europe.

Reeves also hammered home the message that the PS3 is all about the games. “Kaz has clearly indicated that PS3 is first and foremost a games machine - and it is!” he exclaimed.

Big-ticket professional gaming might soon be a reality in India like in the rest of the world. Vixture, the biggest gaming event to be ever held in India, was announced today at a press briefing in Mumbai.

Vixture is being brought forth by Zero Friction and Electronic Arts (EA), and is also supported by MTV. It will be a PC and multi-console gaming championship with prize money totaling Rs 50 lakhs, which is by far the biggest prize money in a gaming championship. The three-day finals will be held in Mumbai from June 13-15, 2008. Sixty-four teams will participate in the finals after elimination rounds spanning the entire country. Preliminaries will be held in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune from May 15-30, 2008. Crysis (PC), NFS Pro Street (Xbox 360), Cricket 07 (PS2), Fifa 08 (Xbox 360), and Fight Night Round 3 (PS3) will be the games featured in the competition. Crysis alone will be five-on-five while the rest will be single-player games.

The top team will romp home with a cash prize of Rs 20 lakhs while the runners-up team will get Rs 10 lakhs. The top individuals in each of the five games on offer will win Rs 4 lakhs each. www.vixture.com is still under construction but gamers may register there May 1st onwards, or get in touch with the organizers at 022 64515076. The entry fee for the competition is Rs 250 per person.