3D games made a splash earlier this year at the Consumer Electronic Show 2009 when Wipeout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue were shown off running in 3D. Today, the first 3D game hits the PlayStation Network, the side-scrolling beat-em-up Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao. You will need a pair of classic “red & blue” 3D glasses to see the anaglyphic 3D effects or a DLP HDTV capable of stereoscopic 3D.
A whole load of new content is coming to PlayStation Home tomorrow. First off is a new personal space based on the last stage of Killzone 2 – Scolar Visari’s Palace. Releasing in tandem with the Visari Throne Room will be a variety of virtual items that you can use to customize your area. Another personal space, the Post-Apocalyptic Apartment, is also coming, as well as accompanying furniture. Approximately 70 items in total are being released just for this personal space, so the customization options for this area alone are virtually endless.
Smash Cars, from TikGames / Creat Studios, is already available to purchase in the US and it’s finally coming to Europe this week. Smash Cars is a tricked-out single and multiplayer online RC toy car racing game, with real-time physics simulation and vehicle customization. Players can twist and turn, grind and gear up, perform aerial tricks and stunts while racking up points as they knock friends off the track and race to the finish.
With the recent logo changes to the PlayStation 3, Firmware 3.0 is likely to bring about a change to the boot screen. A video was spotted on YouTube showing the new boot screen already on the pS3 Slim console, sporting the new logo. Currently, the PS3 boot screen says ‘Sony Computer Entertainment’. Only PS3 Slims could have this new boot screen, but it’s difficult to tell at the moment.
This week a bunch of new stuff is coming out for Crash Commando including a patch, new characters and a new map pack. On August 27th, a patch will go live with a number of new improvements (see below) as well as some cool new downloadable add-ons for you. Three character add-on packs will be released this Thursday, each containing two new playable characters, and a new map pack.
Its only been a few weeks since the first Red Faction: Guerrilla DLC pack, Demons of the Badland, was announced, and already a new pack in inbound. The second downloadable content pack will deliver destructive new multiplayer modes and maps. The Multiplayer Pack will feature two new modes, Bagman and Team Bagman, along with eight new maps, playable across all multiplayer modes.
At GamesCom, the PS3 wasn’t the only thing that got smaller. The entire PlayStation 3 branding was revamped to improve visibility. According to Kazuo Hirai, “when you have PlayStation 3 spelt out, the aspect ratio was such that if you wanted it on a billboard it became tiny. It didn’t work in terms of visibility.” The logo no longer uses the Spiderman font to sell out the entire system name; instead, it is now just “PS3” and uses a new font.
The first TV ads for Sony’s new PS3 Slim have surfaced online. This Japanese campaign focuses on the fun your face is having while you play video games. When we mean fun, we mean all kinds of people from different age groups and lifestyles, grunting, laughing, climaxing, what-have-you. This isn’t the first time Sony has released a odd advert to promote its products. Check out the adverts below.
The PlayStation Network will be undergoing maintenance tomorrow, Tuesday the 25th of August. As a result you will be unable to sign in to the PSN between 4:15pm and 9:05pm UK time. The maintenance window is global. If you’re already signed in before the maintenance begins, however, you should be able to stay connected to the PSN servers. It is likely that you’ll be disconnected and required to sign back in once the PSN comes back up at 9:05pm, though.
Speaking to the Times Online at GamesCom, Sony head Kazuo Hirai confirmed that Sony’s answer to Microsoft’s Project Natal is set for a spring launch next year. The motion controller from Sony was originally announced at E3 in July this year. The device, which uses the PSEye to track 3D movement and accelerometer within the device itself to track movement, is expected to be a major step up on Nintendo’s Wiimote.
