Insomniac to announce new game before PAX, demo it there originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Check out that new table for Zen Pinball on the Playstation 3. Sexy! I haven't played it yet, but based on that video, I'd almost venture that it's sexier than the Excalibur and Earth Defense tables. It's available now on the Playstation Store for two bucks.

Here are your Martian missions, should you choose to accept them:

Dock the spaceship and activate the magnetic crane to collect space samples
Land with the space spider to analyze the ancient Martian symbols
Call in the satellite to scan distant galaxies, calibrate its solar collector and activate its electromagnetic fields to lock three balls
Restore the Mysterious Pyramid, then deactivate its defense system
Spell out MARS to activate the secret portal of lights
Repair the artificial gravity reactor to stabilize gravity on MARS

The strategy game Swords & Soldiers will soon break free from the Nintendo Wii and make its way out into the wider high-def world. This wonderful little -- but surprisingly full-featured -- real time strategy game is currently only available as WiiWare., but a next-gen version is in development and will be available "soon" for the Playstation 3. Which, along with Flower, Fat Princess, Wipeout HD, and Pixeljunk Shooter is yet another bit of bad news for the Xbox 360.

The PS3 version will include new HD graphics, support for online games, and "revamped" controls. This last bit is going to be a challenge, since Swords & Soldiers is built to use the Wiimote pointer to press interface buttons and pick out spell targets. That's a crucial part of how the game is so perfectly suited to intense five-minute matches. Using an analog stick to slide a cursor around the screen is going to be a compromise. But I guess a compromised Swords & Soldiers is better than no Swords & Soldiers.

Swords & Soldiers was on my list of games you should have played last year and I interviewed the developers here.

Currently, Hulu Plus is only available to a select group of Playstation Plus subscribers — Sony’s $50-a-year premium service. Any Playstation Plus subscriber can download the app, but they’ll need to request an invitation to the Hulu Plus preview period to use it. Once accepted, users just need to pay Hulu Plus’s $9.99 monthly fee to access it. Once the preview period is over in a few months, the app will open up to all Playstation 3 users — by which point it should also be available on Sony’s Bravia TVs, Blu-Ray players, and other web-connected devices.

Just like how Netflix was exclusive to the Xbox 360 for some time, Hulu Plus will be exclusive to Sony’s console until the end of 2010. Meanwhile, Microsoft is readying the service for its Xbox 360 next year.

The exclusivity deal is a coup for Sony, who had to wait a year after Netflix’s streaming service hit the Xbox 360 before it was available for the PS3. Even now, using Netflix on the PS3 requires a separate disc, and it’s unknown when a native Netflix app will hit the console. It’s taken some time, but the console is finally beginning to become the entertainment hub Sony proudly said it would before its 2006 launch.

Tags: Hulu Plus, Playstation 3, Playstation Plus, PS3

Companies: Hulu, Sony

Two separate reports have emerged tonight that point to Hulu’s long-rumored premium service finally arriving soon. The service, dubbed Hulu Plus, may be available for some 10,000 testers next week, according to All Things Digital. In addition, there’s talk that Hulu will announce a partnership with Sony next week to get its content on the Playstation 3.

The news follows rumors from earlier this month that said Hulu would be headed to the Xbox 360 soon and that it was developing an iPad app as well. With all of these separate rumors coming in so close to each other, there’s a definite possibility we’ll finally see some big announcements from Hulu soon.

It would make sense for Hulu to announce Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 support, along with its iPad app, when it launches Hulu Plus. While some of Hulu’s website viewers may find a reason to pay for the service, it has the potential to find more support among users who want to bring its content to their televisions and the iPad — much like how Netflix’s Watch Instantly found success on the Xbox 360, iPad, and a variety of other devices.

As I’ve written previously, the company has been quick to block methods of viewing its content on televisions via Boxee and Sony’s Playstation 3 Web browser — most likely due to pressure from its corporate overlords NBC Universal, ABC, and Fox. While it would be nice for Hulu to bring its free ad-supported content to other devices, the company’s past actions have made it clear that if users want its content on their TVs, they will likely have to pay.

Tags: Hulu Plus, ipad, Playstation 3, xbox 360

Companies: Hulu, microsoft, Sony

We knew it was coming – and today Sony has made it official. The PlayStation 3 now supports stereoscopic 3D games.  

PS3 owners who happen to have a 3D set can download a total of four games and demos that showcase what the system can do. (A firmware update making the console 3D ready was quietly pushed to owners two months ago.) The downloads will be free for people who buy one of Sony’s Bravia 3D sets, which go on sale later this month.

Here’s what players will be able to experience:

·                     WipEout HD (full game): A classic racing that’s a good candidate for 3D

·                     Super Stardust HD (full game): Another gimme. Asteroids fly past you as you navigate the deadly battleground.

·                     PAIN (demo): The stereoscopic 3D content will include the Downtown area and tutorial along with three modes, including two new modes created specifically with stereoscopic 3D in mind, Alien Toss and Ice Breaker.

·                     MotorStorm Pacific Rift (demo): MotorStorm Pacific Rift in stereoscopic 3D puts you in the driver’s seat of a buggy for a one track, single player race around the deadly Kanaloa Bay for a dangerously real battle against ruthless opponents.

The company also announced “The Fight: Lights Out,” an upcoming game for its PlayStation Move motion controller will also be available in 3D when it releases later this year. Look for more 3D announcements at E3.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill is heating up with talk that Microsoft could be making a 3D announcement as well for the Xbox 360 – perhaps at E3 next week. The company has previously said the system is capable of stereoscopic 3D effects, but was planning to wait until there was publisher demand for it before making that update available. 

3D is nothing new in PC games. It even works pretty well, if you're into that sort of thing. But today, Sony is the first company to officially drag console gaming into the 3D fad. They've announced 3D versions of four games. Well, three games and a demo.

Although the games are available now, you'll need one of Sony's latest Bravia 3D-ready HDTVs, available for pre-order to ship in about a month. Here's the general breakdown of models. The bottom line? Between $2000 and $4000. Plus whatever it costs for however many pairs of glasses you're going to need.

The initial game line-up is a bit odd, consisting entirely of downloadable games available through the Playstation Store. Conspicuously missing are any big system sellers like Uncharted and God of War. I presume these will be saved for a later harder push if the whole 3D thing doesn't blow over too soon. So for now, you can get 3D versions of Super Stardust, a twin-stick shooter; Pain, which should do 3D pretty well as you fling hapless characters through busy environments; and the demo for Motorstorm: Pacfic Rift, a lush racing game. But the real incentive is Wipeout HD, a gloriously trippy sci-fi racer that may as well have been made for 3D. And a great game, to boot.

Kung Fu Live isn't going to wait around for all that newfangled Project Natal and Playstation Move technology. This, uh, innovative action game uses nothing but a Playstation camera and you.

With accurate tracking and background removal, the player's real-life image is transported inside the game. Boosted with super-human abilities, the player literally becomes the hero of the game...Kung-Fu LIVE is targeted at the broad audience as a game to be enjoyed in a social setting amongst family and friends. Toss away the gamepad and kick, jump, flip and throw punches against a growing swarm of baddies - Kung-Fu LIVE is all about hands-free, real-time movement and action. Step into the world of martial arts in this humor-toned and sporty beat 'em up adventure!

The developers claim the game will be out later this year. They're in Finland and they call themselves Virtual Air Guitar Company Ltd, which is either an awesome name or a terrible name. I can't quite decide. I wish them luck, but frankly, I'm the last guy I want to see in an action game. However, I am looking forward to YouTube videos of people playing Kung Fu Live.

Publisher Sony and developer Media Molecule have surprised exactly no one with the announcement of Little Big Planet 2. But they certainly surprised me when they made it clear that this sequel hopes to do what the original game entirely forgot. Namely, an actual game.

From the press release, it's clear that this isn't going to be just a way to create cute levels about moving to the right and occasionally hitting the jump button:

Along his adventure, [Sackboy] will have access to new equipment to aid him on his journey, including a grappling hook, power gloves, a magic bag, and more, all anchored by a fresh storyline to PLAY that is set in an artistically modernized new world. Players will also have the opportunity to add customizable Sackbots (robot Sackboys) to their creations. These interactive, programmable characters bring the game to life and allow users to record animations and voice-overs with them, as well as customize sizing and clothing for each individual or group of Sackbots...In LittleBigPlanet 2, the tools have evolved to allow users to not only make better levels, but completely new games. With the implementation of a new CREATE mode, players will have the ability to broaden their developer horizons across multiple genres. Now allowing for a higher level of gameplay control, players can reset the control buttons for any object and change the rules to any level--imagine racing games, flying games, and shooters-you can now take control of anything! Also included are new multiplayer abilities so games can have life meters, scoring, and other elements to advance the types of games available for a social/competitive multiplayer experience, including puzzle games, sports, action/adventure, and more.

Continue reading Finding a new dimension for gaming at the 3D Gaming Summit

Finding a new dimension for gaming at the 3D Gaming Summit originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.