Exclusive to PS3 Attitude, we bring you the monthly 'most wanted' PS3 charts at GameFlirt

GameFlirt are one of the UK's top games rental companies, and you won't find this information anywhere else - not even at the GameFlirt website.

Like the often seen Netflix charts for US movie titles, it's a great indicator of what's hot in the PS3 community.

Assassin's Creed continue to be the number one rental. In the course of running these charts, we've noticed that critically acclaimed games don't tend to stay around for too long since it would appear people would rather buy the game instead. What does this say about Assassin's Creed? It's too early to say, but the general consensus of opinion appears to be 'great look, repetitive gameplay, worth renting'.

In the meantime, Oblivion and Army of Two have dropped off the chart altogether.

Metal Gear Solid 4 remains the number one pre-rent title and GTA: IV has finally made an appearance, although coming in at fourth place suggests that most people will be buying their copy outright. Which makes us wonder if consumers are just a little wary of MGS4 and whether it really is as good as the preview videos would suggest.

Here are the charts in full.

Top 5 current rentals year-to-date:

1 - Assassin's Creed
2 - Blacksite
3 - Unreal Tournament III
4 - Devil May Cry 4
5 - Ridge Racer 7

Top 5 pre-ordered games for April:

1 - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
2 - Haze
3 - Mercenaries 2
4 - Grand Theft Auto 4
5 - Monster Madness

Labels: Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry, GTA, Haze, MGS4, news, Playstation 3, PS3, UT III

You may remember we were invited up to London to get a sneak preview of both the co-op mode in Haze and the multiplayer game modes.

We were sworn to secrecy about the game modes - until now that is.

Today we're happy to reveal to you, for the first time, brand new screenshots from the multiplayer game modes. Click the icons below for our gallery of brand new, never seen before on the 'net images.

Haze Multiplayer

We'll be giving you our full review of the multiplayer experience in May, along with lots of other Haze news.

We'll also be running an exciting Haze giveaway in May, which you'll automatically be entered into if you get involved in our current April Competition!

So watch this space for everything you want to know about Haze - arriving next month on May 23rd. You can pre-order Haze now.

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

We told you about the Haze launch date.

Then we told you the date was a little hazy.

Now the previously hazy date is clear once again!

Yes - Ubisoft have finally set the date. And guess what?

That pesky PS3 Attitude Calendar was spot on all the time! Wow!

Why not celebrate with a new T-Shirt...!

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

Along with a select few, we were lucky enough last month to be invited up to the PlayStation 3 Rooms to get hands-on with Haze.

On display for our thumb-twiddling pleasure were the co-op and multi-player modes. We're sworn to secrecy about the multi-player experience right now, but today we can reveal more about Haze co-op play.

Sitting down to a February build of the game (much further on from the one we played last November at GameCity) the anticipation built as we were launched into a LAN play co-op game.

Which is where I made my first mistake. I didn't spot the handy vehicle sitting behind me, and none of the other three players I was 'teamed' with decided to use it, so I ran blindly off into the distance on a map that was clearly made for driving through.

Picking off a few Mantel troopers with some select sniper shots, Derek Littlewood of FRD popped up from somewhere and said "decided not to use the vehicle then?". By the time I'd realised just how many troopers were against us, and without the protection of a vehicle, I was done for.

What I didn't know about co-op mode was that once you are dead, you get to sit in spectator mode and see what your teammates are doing. And they weren't doing a lot. So I sat. And waited. For a long time.

Eventually, the guys at FRD and Ubisoft got the others to move up and get themselves killed. I've never been so happy to see my compatriots bite the dust.

Second time around was a lot easier with the vehicle in action. When you're inside pointing your gun through the armour plating, you get a real sense of claustrophobia. The idea, I guess, is to make you think about how you approach the enemy. Drive up close, but not too close. Get out. Find cover. Pick them off.

Having a good strategy makes all the difference in Haze co-op, and the fear of dying only to be relegated to the 'stands' ensures that there is a good incentive to get on the headsets and work together as a cohesive unit. If you go all Rambo on the enemy, you're sure to be punished.

In all, the co-op mode offers something different that requires a good amount of thought and proper cooperation. Having little mini-stories to complete extends the life of Haze beyond what other FPS titles currently offer. After all, who has bothered to go back and complete CoD4 single player again after the brief, but brilliant, experience. It's all about the multi-player mode from then on. At least with Haze you are offered an extra, almost episodic experience you can enjoy with your friends.

Co-op mode on Haze is available on separate screens via LAN play with up to four players, or two on a single screen and two joining via the 'net. There's no lobby to access for your friend to get involved - they just press Start and they take over the body of one of your team-mates instantly.

Check out the brand-new, never seen before screens of the Haze co-op mode below, or click the gallery thumbnail to check out the hi-res versions. We'll have a lot more from the Haze universe soon - watch this space!

Haze Co-op Mode Gallery

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

Ubisoft now say that the 22nd May is 'around' when Haze will be launched.

So - we're going to stick our neck out and say that since most releases in the UK appear on a Friday, Haze will appear on the 23rd instead.

Whatever date Ubi decide on, we'll be amongst the first to tell you. Oh, and the scarily accurate PS3 Attitude Calendar will be updated, of course.

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

[Gloat Mode: ON] We were right again! [Gloat Mode: OFF]

It has been confirmed that Haze will arrive on May 22nd, exactly as we stated on the PS3 Attitude PlayStation 3 Events Calendar weeks ago. The fact is, the calendar is proving to be scarily accurate and on a regular basis, so please make sure you visit it regularly or subscribe to it using Google Calendar.

We'll have much more about Haze as we get closer to the release date, so look out for all manner of nectar-fuelled goodness from PS3 Attitude.

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

Exclusive to PS3 Attitude, we bring you the monthly 'most wanted' PS3 charts at GameFlirt

GameFlirt are one of the UK's top games rental companies, and you won't find this information anywhere else - not even at the GameFlirt website.

Like the often seen Netflix charts for US movie titles, it's a great indicator of what's hot in the PS3 community.

This month sees the biggest shift of the year so far. Call of Duty 4 has dropped out of the chart altogether. It would seem that our favourite game of the moment is so impressive, people have stopped renting it and have bought their own copy instead. That means for a second month running, Assassin's Creed takes the number one slot.

In fact, Assassin's Creed is the only title to make it on to this month's chart. Other new entries include Devil May Cry, Ridge Racer 7, Oblivion and Army of Two. Everything there makes sense to us except for Ridge Racer 7 arriving in third place! We reckon all the people who picked up a PS3 over Christmas have just found out about game rentals and are trying some old school racing...

Metal Gear Solid 4 remains the number one pre-rent title, of course! Devil May Cry 4, UT III and Blacksite has moved out of the pre-rent chart since their release, so Haze is joined by Monster Madness and Mercenaries 2. The difference this month is the pre-rent list is a top four instead of a top five, as March is always one of those transition months on the gaming calendar whilst new titles get ramped up for the Easter break.

Here are the charts in full.


Top 5 current rentals year-to-date:

1 - Assassin's Creed
2 - Devil May Cry 4
3 - Ridge Racer 7
4 - Oblivion
5 - Army of Two

Labels: Army of Two, Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry, GameFlirt, Haze, MGS4, news, Oblivion, Playstation 3, PS3

Wembley Stadium played host to the inaugural Play.com Live show today, with another day of the event coming tomorrow.

PS3 Attitude were there to cover the event and whilst there was a lack of items we felt needed 'live' updates, there were some highlights for PS3 fans.

The bottom floor of the event was almost exclusively Xbox 360 hardware. And yet there were still new builds of multi-platform products to be played. The latest Soul Calibur IV was there and looks very slick indeed.

Playing as one of three characters - Taki, Cassandra or Mitsurugi - it is exactly what you would expect from a Soul Calibur title. Only this time the graphics have taken a real ramp up since the PS2 incarnation. Everything looks pixel perfect.

Rainbox Six Vegas 2 was also present and was another title that seemed to deliver exactly what was expected of it. A straight sequel, and whilst that's not a bad thing it also doesn't appear on the surface to bring anything new to the franchise.

Moving upstairs marked the shift from white to black as everything became PS3-oriented. Immediately to the right was the Rock Band setup from EA. With still no release date for the UK, I was surprised at the skill of some of the players, the best of which were chosen to battle on the music stage later in the day for a complete Rock Band kit each.

Sony's stand was very well put together with some impressive 'pods' set up for GT5: Prologue. Around the driving area Sony had a number of screens showing videos from LittleBigPlanet and God of War: Chains of Olympus for PSP. In addition, they had playable demos of Time Crisis 4 and the new Buzz! game.

We covered Time Crisis 4's FPS functionality earlier today. In the standard game mode it doesn't offer anything new, but the new GunCon 3 is a remarkable piece of equipment that we expect will be made use of in the future to much better effect.

Buzz! now comes with wireless controllers, although your old wired ones will do just fine. The game has taken a real step up graphically as you'd expect, but the new game modes are a lot more fun and I can see this version being a massive hit for families. I played against three other players (and won with 5,000 points - woo hoo!) and it really helped me to forget just how much my feet were hurting!

The latest build of Haze was also available to play upstairs and although it doesn't look like it has graphically moved on from the build of Haze we played at GameCity, it's still as exciting to us as before. In the deluge of FPS titles available for the PS3, I can see Haze being one of those that raises its head above the rest. The responses I got from other players seemed to suggest they thought so too.

Capcom showed the Street Fighter IV trailer and had Lost Planet set up to play, so I'm afraid we didn't spend much time with that.

On the third floor were a few third-party stands, such as the memory manufacturer SanDisk and Corgi, who had light sabres and other merchandise for sale. I was fortunate enough to meet my favourite ever Dr. Who - Tom Baker - who was being as effervescent as ever. On the next stand was Robert Llewellyn of Red Dwarf and Scrapheap Challenge fame who I shared a few comedy moments with.

The e-sports section of the show saw one lucky PES 2008 player walk away with £50,000 in cold, hard cash. The Soul Calibur IV competition had a Dodge car as the prize. Certainly Play.com seemed to have lined up some pretty decent prizes for their first show, and it's good to see e-sports becoming more serious and gaining better rewards.

The two outstanding moments for me were the actual gameplay video from Codemasters of Race Driver: GRID, and the demonstration from the guys who are making Far Cry 2.

Race Driver: GRID looks amazing, but it is the little things that make a difference. The environments you race in and the detail in the crowd and surroundings are superb, but also subtle. Unlike some racing games I've played, the crowd don't all move in unison as if they're connected by a metal rod, and they're not cardboard cut outs either. It's this subtlety that makes all the difference.

Far Cry 2 will be coming to the PS3, and it looks like a serious step up for FPS titles. The real selling point is the natural weather and enemy AI. Virtual wind blows the palm fronds (which are all destructible) and also allows you to set fires that blow towards your enemies, helping you gain cover and create a distraction. The world (which is 50Km in size!) gradually moves through a 24-hour cycle. If you spend long enough, you'll see the sun set. If you want to perform a mission at night, you can sleep for a while and tackle it in the dark.

We'll have more on Race Driver: GRID and Far Cry 2 in the near future.

So - on to Day Two. We'll cover anything that needs a quick update live from the show, but come back same time, same place tomorrow for a wrap-up.

Labels: Far Cry, GT5, Haze, news, PES, Play.com Live, Playstation 3, PS3, Racedriver, Soul Calibur, Time Crisis

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

It's officially the worst update on the European PS Store ever.

I'm not going to say any more about it right now. The list speaks for itself:

Videos (all free)

Haze - new Boss Speech trailer
Conflict: Denied Ops - Dev Diary #4

We're in a state of shock. Surely this can't be it. More to come on this story later...

[UPDATE]

OK - so we checked and checked and this is really it. Just two videos.

Conflict: Denied Ops is ok as games go, but it just doesn't cut it in a market flooded with FPS titles.

Haze - on the other hand - we care about. We've played it. It's awesome.

We'll save you the bother of actually downloading the trailer they posted on the PS Store today though - you can watch it below.

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS Store, PS3, PSN

Labels: Hardware, Haze, MGS4, news, opinion, Playstation 3, PS3

Exclusive to PS3 Attitude, we'll be bringing you the 'most wanted' PS3 charts at GameFlirt

Labels: Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, Devil May Cry, GameFlirt, Haze, MGS4, news, Playstation 3, PS3, UT III

Labels: Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, Devil May Cry, GameFlirt, Haze, MGS4, news, Playstation 3, PS3, UT III

It will soon be the Year of the Rat.

In Chinese astrology the Rat is considered a leader and a pioneer. Rats can also be controlling, having their own way whatever the cost. Although Sony were 'born' in 1946 (which makes them a Dog - incidentally the same sign as my good self), you might say there are certain attributes of the Rat that sit well with them.

If you think it is odd to mix Chinese astrology with a Japanese company then bear with us. Although the Japanese celebrate the new year on the 1st January, they send postcards to their family and friends with the relevant animal depicted on the front - harking back to when the lunar calendar and the 12 animal signs were in use throughout Japan.

So what will this year bring, and will Sony win the ratrace against their most fierce of rivals? Just how will the Dog fair against the Rabbit (Microsoft) and the Ox (Nintendo).

Burnout Paradise is our first indication that 2008 is going to be a good one for the PS3. Yes - I know... since it is being released in January it doesn't fall into the Chinese 'lunar year' which starts in February. But since the Japanese start their year in January too, we're going to run with this one!

Then it's the turn of Devil May Cry 4 to hit our screens. There was a time when I was particularly angry with the Sheep (otherwise known as Capcom) for taking DMC to other platforms. But now we've seen it looking particularly spectacular on the PS3 we're not so unhappy. Add to that some exclusive downloadable content and the grass is certainly looking greener on this side of the fence. Maybe we'll hold off on turning Capcom into lamb chops for now.

Haze can't be ignored. Although it is yet another FPS, it is a special one. I don't honestly think that it is going to compare in any way to the Rabbit's best effort (the ever present Halo franchise) but it is truly a much deeper and more involving experience than many of the existing 'shooter' offerings available on the PS3. Call of Duty 4 excepted.

Shortly after you've managed to figure out how to squeeze those three titles into your heavy social calendar, the Tiger of Rockstar will rip your diary apart with the launch of GTA: IV. Once again it is a title that will appear on the Rabbit's platform, but we're not bitter about it. I couldn't care less if it were on every platform - just as long is it rocks our world as much as we think it will!

Around this time in the Year of the Rat, we expect that two amazing innovations will have found their way on to our favourite black monolith. PlayStation Home and LittleBigPlanet.

Home promises to be more than just a 3D lobby, although admittedly the ability to launch you and your newly-made friends into the multiplayer part of any game you own is a great feature. With huge amounts of content promised for launch and throughout the life of Home, plus the 'social networking' abilities available via the web-based portal to your Home space, Home will become many things; a replacement for the XMB, a lobby, a content viewer (both yours and content from Sony and third-parties), a casual games arena, a social networking site, a marketing tool to reach non-PS3 owners, a vanity case of game achievements, a mobile blogging/photo centre and much more.

LittleBigPlanet is surely one of the most anticipated titles of the year with it's innovative mix of gameplay, creation and sharing. If there's one title that is destined to take on the marketing behemoth that is Halo 3, this is it. 'What?', I hear you cry. How can you compare LBP and Halo 3? Think about it.

There's Halo 3 characters, faceplates, headsets, controllers and skins everywhere you look on your favourite retailer's shelves. You can get ringtones, wallpapers and themes for almost any mobile device. If there is one thing I want to see this year it's a Sackboy that I can actually buy, along with fabric pens so I can modify him, just like in the game. And a Sackboy controller. And a Sackboy gift set. Sony should be marketing the crap out of this game. I want to see Sackboy on the shelves of Clinton Cards alongside that ever-present blue-nosed teddy bear. You get the idea.

As the year progresses, we'll be hit with another massive title that is definitely staying on the PS3 only. Metal Gear Solid 4 will arrive. Every indication is that this final chapter in the story of Snake will be monumental in every way. The recent previews we've seen show the game to be something really special and the ending is promising to be as epic as you would expect. Once again you're going to have to figure out how to balance still playing GTA and LBP when this one hits. Who said gaming was easy!

Although Europe will see GT5 Prologue early in the year (February we reckon), there's a good chance the full Gran Turismo 5 experience will hit our shelves in the Year of the Rat. Promising a huge amount of detail, cars, tracks and content, along with realistic damage (hooray!), real-time weather simulation, GT-TV content, My Garage homepages/social networking and - most importantly - the Top Gear Test Track, GT5 will give us petrol-heads something to really get our teeth into once we've completed everything Burnout Paradise can offer.

Finally, we'll be sinking our teeth into the Hellghast scum once again as Killzone 2 comes to the PS3. Whether or not the screenshots you have seen are 'doctored' or not, it doesn't really matter. The fact is that this game is one hell of an FPS. Incredible graphics, amazing character animation, deep storyline, real atmosphere and pixel-perfect shooting mean that this one title may just blow your mind as well as your wallet. Another PS3 exclusive, I predict Killzone 2 will be the biggest selling of them all, which is a risky bet given the massive appeal of the games we've detailed above.

Honourable mentions go to the other games that will hit this year in retail and PS Store form; Tekken 6, SOCOM: Confrontation, Madden 09, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Everyday Shooter and Wipeout HD to name but a few. And we've ignored the possible release of those other exclusives - Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII - because we just don't believe they'll make it onto shelves this year.

And don't forget the additional hardware and PSP interactivity that is due. Soon you'll be able to buy PlayTV in Europe and add a twin-tuner Freeview PVR to the list of incredible things you can do with a PS3, and view live TV or your recorded programmes via Remote Play. There's so much more to come from the PS3 this year and much of it will be delivered, free of charge, via firmware updates and the PS Store.

Simply put, the Year of the Rat will be the best one yet for Sony. The Dog can learn new tricks, it seems.

Check out the gallery below for various screenshots and wallpapers...

Labels: Burnout Paradise, Devil May Cry, GT5, GTA, Haze, Home, Killzone, LittleBigPlanet, Madden, MGS4, news, Playstation 3, PlayTV, PS Store, PS3, PSN, SOCOM, Star Wars, Tekken, Wipeout

We're finally back from our extended break (some much needed R&R), and we're starting 2008 with the PS3 Attitude Big Three for January.

As a reminder, the Big Three tells you what you should be spending your hard earned cash on during the coming month. We only cover UK and European release dates, so don't go telling us that the 'big US-only release' is missing from the list! And we only cover games arriving during the month in question.

Picking three titles in January is a little harder than expected since new games will be a little thin on the ground at the start of 2008, but let's give it a go anyhow:

1. Burnout Paradise

There aren't many demos out there that I actually play for as long as a full release, so all the signs are good for the first next-gen Burnout title.

Set in Paradise City, which is much bigger than we expected, this version of Burnout has a number of nice gameplay changes over previous incarnations. For example, you no longer choose from a menu of different races. You simply pull up at the lights and hold down the break and accelerator to signal your intent. Each junction has a different challenge.

The online gaming is sublime and the full game will include over 300 challenges. If you've been playing the demo you will have noticed that they keep adding new challenges, including the 'synchronised barrel roll' task on the beach. It's great fun hooking up your PS Eye or headset to coordinate the drivers into the right locations to ensure everyone completes the challenge, and I can't wait to get my teeth into the full title when it arrives on the 25th.

Not only is this your 'must have' game for January, it will certainly be one of the standout titles for the whole of 2008!

Bonus Material: If you click the title link above to pre-order Burnout Paradise the nice people at GAME will send you a code via email on launch day to unlock an exclusive extra car.

2. Haze

Although no-one has yet confirmed the launch date for Haze, we fully expect it to be available in January. As soon as we get full confirmation, we'll let you know.

As you'll have gathered from our initial impressions of the build we played at GameCity, Haze is a great FPS from the team that brought the world such gems as GoldenEye and TimeSplitters. To say this game has pedigree would be an understatement.

The gameplay by itself is enough to warrant attention, but the storyline and the use of the soldier-enhancing/entrancing drug Nectar take this particular game to another level.

We're sticking our neck out here by putting Haze in the January Big Three when the lainch date hasn't been confirmed, but we're fairly confident. And regardless of which month Haze is released, it would be in our Big Three in any case, so put a few pennies aside for it anyway!

Bonus Material: By clicking the link above you can pre-order Haze and the chaps and chapesses at GAME will send you the product in a nice tin with a free glow stick. Nu Rave!

3. Unknown

Heck - we failed. We couldn't find three titles that were certain to launch in January. Haze isn't even certain to arrive and it still made it onto the list!

The truth is, there's going to be a lot more to talk about in February and beyond with games like Mercenaries 2, Devil May Cry 4, Viking, Army of Two and Brothers in Arms all arriving before the end of March. Along with a whole slew of great PS Store titles that are expected to hit before the end of the quarter we'll all be very busy. Our advice is to save up your pounds or euros in anticipation.

Labels: Big Three, Burnout Paradise, Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

Gamer TV, which airs in the UK on Bravo, will be showing a Haze special this weekend.

Tune in at any of the following times to see how Haze is shaping up. As you may know, we think Haze is something special, so it will be good to see what Gamer TV make of it.

• Saturday 1st December 10.00 am on Bravo 2
• Sunday 2nd December 11.30 am on Bravo
• Monday 3rd December 4.30 pm on Bravo

Now that Ubisoft have confirmed to PS3 Attitude that Haze will be a 2008 release, this will help keep us happy until it arrives.

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3

Labels: Big Three, Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3, SingStar, The Orange Box, Uncharted

The PS3 Attitude Big Three is here, so let's count down the titles we think you should be aiming for this November.

1. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Quite simply, this game is close to perfection. We've played the demo and we've had a view of the finished product and I have to tell you, it's superb in every way. Ratchet & Clank have always been favourites of mine, but the PS3 really takes them to the next level in every way. A must for PS3 owners.

2. Assassin's Creed

Whether you buy the regular version, or the special edition, Assassin's Creed should make it's way into your collection without fail. Beautiful graphics and awesome gameplay where everything has a reason. Every crack in the wall is something for Altair to climb up and your actions change the way other characters respond to you, including the crowd. Take a look at the latest trailer to get a feel for the game.

3. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

It was a hard choice to pick number three, especially with Call of Duty 4 and the possibility of Haze still coming in November (despite the fact that it hasn't yet gone gold). But in the end it had to be Guitar Hero III. It simple. Haze and CoD are both different and yet brilliant FPS titles. CoD was the toast of E3, and Haze looks quite incredible. But since Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II were incompatible with the PS3 I've been suffering huge withdrawal symptoms! Get your rock god on this coming month.

Labels: Assassin's Creed, Big Three, Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3, Ratchet and Clank

One of the other big reasons to travel hundreds of miles to Nottingham (instead of going a few miles to London!) was the hands-on Haze demo.

I met David Doak of Free Radical at the event and got my hands dirty with a title that I'm certain will do good business.

Playing initially as one of the 'rebels' on a split screen with another avid gamer, the first thing you notice is that the controls are immediately accessible. Haze doesn't mess with the FPS formula in this respect. Everything you'd expect would be on the buttons and triggers is there, but with a few bells added on.

For example, if you are playing as a rebel you can grab some 'nectar' from any of the Mantel fighters you've despatched and create a nectar grenade. Throwing the grenade at Mantel troops initiates an overdose of the drug in their systems. You can see the individuals who are affected since their armour turns red.

You see, when you have an overdose of nectar as a Mantel soldier you go a bit crazy. You see the Mantel troops going mad and shooting their own people under control of the drug. The nectar grenade also provide cover and, simultaneously, gets in the way of targeting troops on the other side of the fog, so you need to be careful to use effectively.

The controls are fluid, the graphics are gorgeous and the storyline is well-considered. You move seamlessly between action and the occasional story-supporting cut scene but never with that feeling some games offer where the screen goes black and you wait for the FMV to appear. It's all rendered by the PS3, and it all flows.

Playing as the Mantel troops is a lot of fun too. When you administer nectar you have to be careful not to overdose. You also have to be careful not to administer too little either, or the effect won't last long enough for any benefit.

When you are under the spell of the drug, enemies glow. When you're fighting in the jungle and the rebels are using cover, nectar is the only way you can spot them, so it is essential to get the balance of nectar application right. You also run faster under the drug's effects and you gain a slight 'auto-aim' capability which helps with picking off the rebels.

The biggest feeling you walk away with is one of true involvement. The AI is great with enemies taking up good positions and working together (when they're not shooting each other after an overdose) and that helps the atmosphere. The graphics are stunning and the sound seems excellent.

I spent a long time talking with David about the game and the state of video games in general. Some of what David said needs to be in a different story as it relates to the game industry in general. As far as Haze is concerned although the game is slick and plays beautifully, they are still working furiously to give it some extra spit and polish.

Which means to say that the rumours we've all seen about Haze going gold can't be true! However, David was keen to point out that they should still have it ready and available for Christmas. We know from a recent Ubisoft financial report that Haze is one of the three new titles they are to release between now and next March but I personally think we'll see this one hit in late November.

Many thanks to David and Free Radical for a great session with Haze. I for one can't wait to play the final product. Whilst the PS3 has many FPS options, Haze is certainly a stand-out title and deserves it's place in anyone's collection.

[Photo by Jon Jordan - thanks Jon!]

Labels: FPS, Haze, news, opinion, Playstation 3, PS3

So, what did the US get that we didn't this week?

Here's the list of US PS Store releases, although as of writing this they haven't appeared on the network:

• Go! Sports Ski Game ($2.99)
• The Simpsons Demo
• Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War Demo
• NBA 08 and Eye of Judgment Video Tutorials
• Uncharted Behind the Scenes Video
• Haze developer interview Video
• Tekkonkinkreet Movie Trailer
• Surf's Up Movie Trailer

The Go! Sports Ski game is remarkably cheap. I thought LocoRoco Cocoreccho was cheap when it came out in the UK, but $2.99 (£1.46 or so) is amazing. Even if they swap the Dollar sign for a Pound sign when it hits Europe it'll still be good value.

Enjoy!

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS Eye, PS Store, PS3, PSN

The EU PS Store has been updated and includes the following:

• SKATE. Demo
• Bladestorm Download Demo
• Stuntman:Ignition Demo
• Jericho Demo
• Snakeball Trailer
• HAZE Gameplay Trailer
• GRAW 2 Trailers (four of them)
  
• Blast Factor Wallpapers
• flOw Wallpaper

It's good to see a number of demos appearing on the EU Store for once. I appreciate not everyone has a US or JP account, but for those of us that have we already splayed Skate, Bladestorm, Stuntman and Jericho. We also already had the wallpapers.

So, four GRAW 2 trailers (well, instructional videos really) and a Haze gameplay video are all that's new if you're a multi-region account user. Still, it's a step in the right direction and if SCEE can keep things moving at this pace we might get a weekly Store update that's somewhere close to the US soon.

Labels: GRAW 2, Haze, Jericho, news, Playstation 3, PS Store, PS3, PSN, Skate, Stuntman Ignition

After rumour and counter-rumour (and we've learnt not to post those any more!) it's now official.

Haze has become a PS3 exclusive and the Xbox 360 version has been dropped completely. The websites of Free Radical and Ubisoft and the official Haze site all now only list the PS3 version of the game.

Another exclusive in the PS3's cap - that makes 16 by my reckoning between now and March 2008.

Bring on the nectar!

Check out this shaky-cam video of the actual gameplay from Leipzig...

Labels: Haze, Leipzig, news, Playstation 3, PS3, video

In an attempt to add to the general level of joy that has been created by this week's GRAW 2 release, I thought it would be a good idea to get the latest release dates for the PS3 AAA titles I listed recently to help show how much we've got coming along in the next few months.

I got these by comparing the GAME UK and Amazon UK dates and picking the most pessimistic of the two dates. I've purposefully not gone to the rumour-mill or other news sites to pick up the latest 'guaranteed' dates (which rarely prove to be right, including my own past predictions!).

I'm also not saying these are the final dates for any of these releases. In any case, I still think this list is pretty close to the truth and will help you work out how much overtime you need to clock up to afford your favourite titles!

And in case you're not up to speed on these titles, you'll find video links against all of them - just click the [vid] link. Enjoy!

Army of Two	16 November 2007 [vid]
Assassin's Creed	16 November 2007 [vid]
Call of Duty 4	30 November 2007 [vid]
DiRT	21 September 2007 [vid]
Eye of Judgement (and the PS Eye in general)	30 November 2007 [vid]
GRAW 2	24 August 2007 [vid]
Haze	23 November 2007 [vid]
Heavenly Sword	14 September 2007 [vid]
Jericho	26 October 2007 [vid]
Juiced 2	25 January 2008 [vid]
Kane & Lynch	16 November 2007 [vid]
Lair	26 October 2007 [vid]
Ratchet and Clank Future	30 November 2007 [vid]
Skate	12 October 2007 [vid]
Stranglehold	28 September 2007 [vid]
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune	23 November 2007 [vid]
Unreal Tournament 3	30 November 2007 [vid]
Warhawk*	14 September 2007 [vid]

*Warhawk listing is the retail version - we already covered the supposed date for the download version of Warhawk

Labels: Army of Two, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, DiRT, GRAW 2, Guitar Hero, Haze, Heavenly Sword, Lair, news, Playstation 3, PS Eye, PS3, Ratchet and Clank, Skate, UT III, video, Warhawk

The PS3 timed-exclusive, Haze, is shaping up to be one of the big games of the year.

As well as blindingly fast and furious gameplay, Rob Yescombe if Free Radical explains in an interview with Destructiod that Haze is two games in one box, as the two different factions in the game have such different abilities.

Read the full article after the jump to see a complete list of Mantel and Promised Hand skills. The extra good news? All of the listed abilities will be available in multi-player...

Labels: Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS Eye, PS3

To help illustrate just how much there is to look forward to I thought I'd dig around and pull out some of the forthcoming joyfulness that will hit the PS3 before the end of the year (in alphabetical order):

Army of Two
Assassin's Creed
Call of Duty 4
DiRT
Eye of Judgement (and the PS Eye in general)
GRAW 2
Guitar Hero III
Haze
Heavenly Sword
Jericho
Juiced 2
Kane & Lynch
Lair
PlayStation Home
Ratchet and Clank Future
Rock Band
SingStar
Skate
Stranglehold
Tiger Woods, Madden and FIFA 08
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Unreal Tournament 3
Warhawk

Kind of makes the delayed GTA: IV seem like a bit more of a non-issue, don't you think?

Labels: Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, DiRT, FPS, GRAW 2, GTA, Guitar Hero, Haze, Heavenly Sword, Lair, news, opinion, Playstation 3, PS Eye, PS3, Ratchet and Clank, Rock Band, Skate, UT III

It's been announced that along with two world premieres (Rise of The Argonauts and Turning Point) the Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2007 will see the European premiere of Guitar Hero III.

Taking place during the 13th and 14th August, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is focussing heavily on the gaming industry and has a full programme of events. The 'screenings' which take place at the Odeon on Lothian Road will also include showings of Unreal Tournament III, DiRT, Haze and Assassin's Creed.

Unfortunately the ticket price to get in to the festival is extortionate. Considering the companies that are shwing up at the event you'd expect that they would have subsidised the cost to make it easier for people to get involved. Because much of the content is geared up for the gaming industry, I'm sure they can cover the cost on their expenses report...

Labels: Assassin's Creed, DiRT, Guitar Hero, Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3, UT III

1875. In a small town called Santa Monica the Rapp Saloon saw it's fair share of Wild West action.

132 years later the 'big guns' of the gaming industry took their fight to town. Or so you would think based on all the 'Sony won E3', 'MS won E3' and 'Nintendo won E3' threads that pepper the 'net today.

E3 2007 is now over. And just to make things clear, I've seen all three major keynote speeches (before anyone says I can't be objective!).

I'll be honest, there's only one clear winner - us. Regardless of whether you're a 'fanboy' or someone who buys every console, or even someone just in-between, there's something for everyone.

I already covered the Sony keynote in detail and followed up with my thoughts on why Sony did a fantastic job. I think MS spent too much time talking 'figures', which is what they do best anyway, but we all need to remember they had a year of selling over PS3 and Wii so it's no great surprise they've outsold everyone to date. Nintendo had some fun stuff but personally I still see the Wii as more of a last-gen toy than a next-gen gaming or entertainment centre.

Here's a complete wrap-up of my thoughts about Sony's E3 and what it means for everyone who owns a PS3.

First of all, we need more games for our beloved black monolith. And Sony came with new games. Over the next 'financial year' we're going to see literally hundreds of releases on both Blu-ray disk and via the Playstation Store (that's before March 2008).

PS Store downloads will include the likes of Warhawk (also available on BD), Socom, Wipeout HD and Pain. The new puzzler Echochrome will have user-generated content (but no-one can say what or how yet). We know that via the Store you'll get more and more additional content for your existing games, extending their life and adding new features. We've already had additional game modes for Motorstorm but look out for new tracks and extra levels over the next month or so.

New games coming along this Summer, Autumn and Winter include Heavenly Sword, Assassin's Creed, Haze, Guitar Hero III, Rock Band, Killzone 2, Lair, Eye of Judgement, Skate, GTA: IV and Unreal Tournament III to name just a few. 100s of titles before March next year, 15 of them exclusive to the platform.

Secondly, we needed to see improvements to the Playstation network experience. When I first saw Home at GDC I was blown away. But I wasn't prepared for the vast improvements already when Phil Harrison took the stage at E3 2007.

Now, not only do we get the single best 'network' experience available on any platform, we get to interact with it via our PCs and mobile phones. Thanks goodness I only buy Sony Ericsson phones! And we get to launch games from BD or our hard drives directly from within Home with our friends around the world. The entire Home exprience looks so compelling, and it's still free. No monthly subscriptions for us PS3 owners...

When they do launch video-on-demand for the PS3 and PSP, we'll have everything covered.

Finally, we wanted to see that the pre-rendered 'target renders' we saw at E3 2006 were actually achievable.

And we did. Oh boy, we did.

Killzone 2 looks just incredible. I wasn't a huge fan of the original Killzone - it never really grabbed me. Killzone Liberation on the PSP has been one of the outstanding titles for our mobile brother and that has kept me interested in the Killzone brand since the original PS2 game. Now it looks like the PS3 has yet another stand-out title that will shift units worldwide, and I can't wait to waste some Helghast scum!

And Metal Gear Solid 4? The latest trailer showed that the PS3 is capable of producing, in realtime, the kind of cinematic content that ensure you really feel part of the action. I'll be looking out for that demonstration in Tokyo next week...

There were issues at E3, of course. Assassin's Creed didn't look like it was close to finished by all reports - too many glitches. Some people say that's because they felt pressured to get the demo up regardless, but the issues did create a little extra pressure for the PR machine.

And then there's the whole $100 price drop/60Gb phase out thing. It's all over the 'net as you'd expect and Sony's execs seemed to be tripping up over each other to state and counter-state differing points of view.

But here's the deal. Personally, I could care less about the 80Gb model. I already have a PS3. I can upgrade the hard drive in my PS3 to 160Gb tomorrow for £50 and it will take me 5 minutes. Anyone who is buying a new PS3 may as well have the new one with the larger hard drive, but it they want to buy the smaller one and add in a new hard drive, they can.

That's because Sony made the hard drive a standard SATA unit so it's easy to upgrade. Try doing that in any other console right now.

And the 80Gb version isn't coming to Europe/UK anyway right now. Hate to be all UK-biased, but that means I really couldn't care less about the new SKU!!

There you have it. A brilliant E3 for all of us whether you own a PS3 or any of the other units. I believe that Sony really did bring everything we needed to see from them and more. Don't expect to see a Wild West undertaker coming out of his store to measure Sony up for a box any time soon...

Labels: Assassin's Creed, E3, GTA, Guitar Hero, Haze, Heavenly Sword, Killzone, Lair, MGS4, Motorstorm, news, Playstation 3, PS Eye, PS Store, PS3, PSN, Rock Band, Skate

Because sleep is for wimps:

Jack Tretton is on stage. After a couple of PSP announcements Phil Harrison takes the stage.

He shows 'Echochrome' for the PlayStation Store which has the 'least graphics but the most gameplay'. It seems to be a puzzler based on the mind-bending drawings of M.C. Escher. Certainly has the least graphics - it's all black and white line art...

He announces both a 1080p 60 fps version of Wipeout called Wipeout HD with full online multiplayer - Pain (the Jackass-inspired game that's already been covered elsewhere) - Warhawk - and Socom Confrontation, the first next-gen Socom title. All of these titles are for the PlayStation Store. Warhawk and Socom will be available on Blu-ray disk also.

Phil talks about the new additions to Home. He shows Home running on his Sony Ericcson mobile phone!! It doesn't allow 3D but it does allow you to connect to Home to get messages etc. and has a mini-XMB interface. He takes a picture with the phone and puts it in his pocket.

Phil goes on to show a vast array of Home spaces for purchase to show the variety of new properties that will be available. He shows a Singstar video playing on a virtual TV in his virtual house which leads to a video about Singstar on the PS3 and it's downloadable content and PS Eye compatibility. Look at that! The picture he took is in a picture frame on the wall! Home Mobile uploads automatically to your Home space.

He also shows the PC element of Home where it is a full social networking experience linked to the PlayStation Home network. This is almost too much!

Is there any more? Yes - you can also launch any game from BD disk or your HD directly inside Home! He launches Motorstorm which goes straight into a multiplayer game on a NEW track called Eagles Nest that will be available for download next month... It will go straight back to Home wherever you left off when you quit the game. Stunning.

Phil leaves the stage and we go back to the announcement on the 80Gb model of the PS3 at $599 in North America and the $100 price drop on the current version. Sony announce that the PS3 has helped Blu-ray reach a 2:1 sales ratio against HD-DVD.

NC Soft is announced as a new Sony developer! NC Soft is the famous MMO developer and they will be developing MMO titles exclusively for PS3 - excellent announcement.

As expected Haze is announced as a timed exclusive on PS3. Words were chosen very carefully - "if you want to play it this Summer you'll only be able to do that on PS3" - which means it will go to other platforms but not until Autumn/Winter at least. Ensuing Haze video shows features such as vehicle control, gun control on helicopters and the ability to 'play dead' to catch out enemies.

A multi-stage deal with Epic and Midway is announced that allows for a fully optimised version of the Unreal Engine for the PS3. 100 games are in the works for this engine and Unreal Tournament 3 is confirmed as a PS3 exclusive this year! User created mods from the PC version can be brought over to the PS3 version. UTIII is released this November in the US and the video Sony shows looks absolutely stunning.

Sony show other titles that are coming this year. They include Call of Duty 4, Assassin's Creed, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Resident Evil 5, Burnout Paradise, Madden NFL '08, Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix, The Simpsons Game, Guitar Hero III: Legend of Rock, Medal of Honour: Airborne and Rock Band (see, it IS coming for PS3).

One more exclusive is announced. It is available only on PS3. It's Metal Gear Solid 4. Hideo Kojima takes the stage. He says "I safely made it to E3 again! MGS is celebrating it's 20-year anniversary this year. I've been creating this franchise for 20 years but MGS4 will be the FINAL in the series. The story of Snake will end in this game and this will be my last game in the series. So all the story plots and mysteries will be revealed. The game itself will be a stealth game but with new elements in the battlefield. Stealth in the battlefield. I promise you I'm putting all my skills and experience of the last 20 years into MGS4. Today I brought with me the newest trailer. It's not a movie, it is real-time footage from the PS3 so welcome to the premiere".

The trailer is completely outstanding in every way. You'll be able to download it via the US PS Store today. Afterwards Kojima-san asks "How was it!" and gets a big round of applause. He assures everyone that what they saw was real-time footage and you will be able to play in that quality. He says that next week at a show in Tokyo he will show a real demo of the gameplay!

Phil Harrison re-takes the stage. He's back in the Home theatre to show some more exclusives. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is the first up. It is said that the level of detail and sophistication is only achievable on the PS3. Next up is Folklore. Folklore looks incredible and seems to have a real mix of action, RPG, beautiful graphics and a 'dark' storyline. Heavenly Sword now features. There's been so much news about this game I need to add nothing extra!

NBA '08 is announced next and looks incredible in 1080p 60 fps with realtime roster updates direct from the real NBA. If a player gets an injury in real life, he gets an injury in your game! One of my personal favourites, LittleBigPlanet, is next. Sony show a video of the 'create' part of the game, with the concentration on the game evolving naturally as players create new levels and share them with the entire PSN. The final game Phil wants to show us from his virtual self in Home is Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Once again we're treated to an awesome video where the lead character has over 3,000 animations alone all seamlessly linking to provide realistic movement, emotion and characterisation.

Next up from the real Phil is Infamous, another exclusive from Sucker Punch. A teaser trailer is shown that gives you a sneak preview of an 'anti-hero' game where you have to decide whether your superpowers save or destroy the world.

GT5 Prologue is announced with full online multiplayer as a stopgap whilst we wait for the full GT5 experience. It looks outstanding and should appease the masses who are always complaining about the delays in the current stock of GT titles.

One more announcement from Phil. A video starts and it's Killzone 2. Everything we are about to see is realtime. They show a video similar to the one I featured earlier in the Day 2 round-up, so go experience it for yourself now. This video shows much more real gameplay and the game looks completely amazing. Imagine everything you wanted Resistance to be and more...

The press are invited to play many of the games in the room next door which of course I can't do because I'm stuck here in the UK watching this all on a live feed. That's it. It's all over. Frankly, it's a great keynote from Sony with lots of brilliant announcements and I can't wait to see what the real writers make of the advancements in Home and the batch of exclusives Sony announced. Goodnight all..

Labels: E3, Guitar Hero, Hardware, Haze, Heavenly Sword, Killzone, Lair, MGS4, Motorstorm, news, Playstation 3, PS Store, PS3, PSN, Rock Band

At 12 minutes 21 seconds it's one of the longer demo videos you'll see pre-E3 but that's because much of the video includes Starsky & Hutch-style music and 'oh so funny' titles.

Once you do get through the opening sequence you'll be treated to some nice footage of how Haze is shaping up. I particularly like the concept of overdosing on the 'nectar' to the point where you can't control your fire or even distinguish foes from friends. Just like being in the real Army.

Of course Free Radical are well known for their sense of humour and have piled it into games like TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters Future Perfect. Thank goodness they released Second Sight somewhere in between or else they might have started getting typecast!

Labels: FPS, Haze, news, Playstation 3, PS3, video