Tag Archives: playstation
Rumor: Next PlayStation Codenamed Orbis
The next PlayStation is codenamed Orbis and will launch in time for the 2013 holiday season, according to a report by Kotaku today.
In Latin, Orbis can mean circle or ring or orbit. As cleverly pieced together and pointed out by Kotaku, that doesn’t mean a whole lot until coupled with the Vita, which in Latin means life. Combine the two, you get: Circle of Life.
Assuming that this information is valid, this points to two important things. One, the Vita will have further integration with the PS4/Orbis. Two, with this much thought and underlying meaning being put into the codename, it may in fact be the actual name of the system. But let’s hope not. (Continue reading after the jump.)
PlayStation Plus Perks for April
PlayStation Plus, at one time, felt somewhat like a lost cause, but now – not so much. The team over at PlayStation have been working hard, delivering viable content, making PS Plus a worthwhile service, and ultimately putting a smile on the face of those who have invested in it. Like next month, for example, PS Plus subscribers will have more than enough to look forward to, and a good portion of it is free.
Beginning on April 3, two of the bigger draws for the month, Shank 2 and Shift 2: Unleashed, are free to download. Also free in April, Plus subscribers can expect PSOne Classic Silent Hill and PSN Title Frogger Returns; and the inevitable PSN Minis, laughable descriptions and all, Canabalt, Farm Frenzy 2 and Mystic Garden. On top of those offerings, Plus subscribers will get early access to the closed beta for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier – which has no listed date yet, but will start sometime in April.
Additionally, there will be discounts on House of the Dead 4, Disney Universe, and GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City.
Source: PlayStation Blog
This Week in Gaming History: You Must Rise Above the Trial of the Gods
This week has certainly seen some momentous releases over the years, many of them during times when the monumental franchises we know by heart today were still in their infancy. This week’s list of events reminds me of a scene from a popular gaming-centric web series in which one of the main characters is asked if he believes more modern games like Halo: Combat Evolved will someday be considered classics in the same way that some of the games below are today.
I would agree with the character’s response that we will all have positive memories of the games that stimulated us as children. But child or not, one day I see some other 19-year-old writer taking over my job here and rightfully memorializing Halo, Uncharted, and Assassin’s Creed in much the same way. Because it is not just our childhood memories that makes them classics, but their impact on all that will come after them.
This Week in Gaming History: If History is to Change, Let it Change
Do you ever wonder what great occurrences were happening at this time in the distant (or not so distant) past? Sometimes it’s awe-inspiring to look back at events now indoctrinated into the history of video gaming and remember how it felt to be in that time and place, to immerse yourself in nostalgia and embrace the significance of all you’ve lived through.
And if you didn’t live through it, well, everyone should appreciate their history. The world of video gaming simply would not be what it is today if not for the industry’s pioneering developers and the games that ushered the newly popularized idea of home video game consoles to the forefront of personal entertainment in the past three decades.
So as a testament to all of those treasured childhood memories and overlooked ancestors of modern beloved series, Addicted-Gamers is proud to take a look back at some of the most important gaming developments of yesteryear.
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection Coming to Vita this Summer
The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will launch on the PlayStation Vita in Japan June 28, and will make its way to the west sometime this summer.
Similar to the PS3 version, the Vita version will include Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, with graphical upgrades, trophy support and altered controls to take advantage of the Vita’s touch-panels.
Here’s what Konami Digital Entertainment General Manager Martin Schneider had to say:
“We’re confident that users will be pleased with the new innovations Kojima Productions have implemented with the new PlayStation Vita iterations, offering a truly unique experience for this exciting new format.”
There was no mention of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Further details, like pricing and an exact release date were not given.
Top Current Generation Game Soundtracks
It’s fairly safe to say that Tetris simply would not be Tetris without its iconic theme. Many early arcade games took simple beeps and blips and arranged them into the catchy, timeless tunes that are so easily recognizable today. Many modern gamers still revel in the now-classic sounds of arcade titles. But this phenomenon is not limited to the classics. More modern titles have picked up the torch laid down by their pioneering forefathers and developed their own unique musical identities. Which begs the question: Why is music so important in video games?
Music has long been used to enhance the experience of watching plays or movies by helping to establish an emotional connection to the audience. Music in video games functions much the same way, adding an intangible emotional undercurrent to the game that greatly enhances the characters and events within the story. Music can also be added to different environments in a game to help convey the atmosphere of that particular setting. The music significantly magnifies the impact of the environment on the player by adding to the aura established by the graphics and sound effects that make up that area. Overall, a game’s music can be an invaluable asset.
In honor of the often underappreciated soundtracks of modern video games, and the amazingly talented composers who create them, A-G has arranged a listing of the best (of the best) game soundtracks from the current console generation:
eBay Alert: One Of A Kind Michael McDonald Arcade Fighting Joystick Controller PS1/PS2
Here’s something you don’t see every day, a custom, one of a kind, Michael McDonald arcade fighting joystick for PlayStation 1 or 2 on eBay. I assure you, I am not making this up. Yes, Michael McDonald does have some soul-piercing blue eyes. Is this a must have for the joystick collector? How many arcade sticks do you think come from a smoke-free houseboat? I wonder if harnessing the power of smooth rock would help my Balrog skills?
Believe it or not, it is actually up to $82.00 with 22 bids.
I primarily used this for Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom games, where I won many tournaments by harnessing the power of smooth rock.
12 New Characters Coming to Street Fighter X Tekken Vita
As it turns out, the Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken will have the most packed roster of all. In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Street Fighter, Capcom today announced twelve additional characters that’ll be included on Vita. In addition to the PS3/Vita exclusive PAC-Man, Mega Man, Cole, Toro and Kuro; the vita version will also include Street Fighter’s Blanka, Cody, Dudley, Elena, Guy and Sakura, and Tekken’s Alisa Bosconovitch, Bryan Fury, Christie Monteiro, Jack, Lars Alexandersson and Lei Wulong.
Previously, Xbox 360 owners found themselves not being too concerned with Sony’s exclusive characters, mainly because they weren’t really characters any fighting-game fan would care to have (Fat Mega Man!? C’mon!), but this update reveals important characters to both franchises, characters that could be fan favorites. Capcom is planning on supporting the game with loads of DLC, though, and with the Vita version launching in fall of 2012, there’s a good chance these characters will be downloadable on consoles and maybe even PC.
Source: Capcom-Unity
$50 Million Vita Ad Campaign Begins with Commercial
Yesterday, we learned of the $50 million Sony’s planning to invest in marketing the PlayStation Vita’s launch, “the largest platform launch in terms of marketing” in PlayStation’s history, according to Sony’s senior director of handhelds John Koller.
Koller told The New York Times that the $50 million will go towards commercials, billboards, retail partnerships, digital banner ads, and a Twitter campaign focusing on the hashtag #gamechanger.
It’s a bit odd that so close to launch, we’re finally just now hearing of a marketing push. I was almost certain my prediction that Sony had air time for a Super Bowl commercial was an accurate one, and looking back it really seems like a missed opportunity on their part. But I digress.
Sony begins the Vita’s marketing campaign with this “The World Is In Play” commercial (not the Japanese Harrison Ford commercial, thankfully). Check below.
“Welcome to PlayStation Vita” Video Tour
Playstation Vita’s February 22nd launch is on the horizon, and Sony is making sure consumers are informed of the Vita’s assortment of features. The Playstation Blog has posted a video to do just that.
In the video, Guy Longworth, Senior VP of PlayStation Brand Marketing, and John Koller, Senior Director of Playstation Handhelds, educate on the features and benefits of the PS Vita.
You can check out the video below. (Grab some popcorn, it’s 12-minutes long.)
