Welcome to a new series of weekly features where the folks at PSU Towers cobble together and dissect some of the week’s hottest stories on the PlayStation gaming front.
As you’ll see below, this week proved one of the most eventful in recent months, with the first details on what is sure to be one of the PS3’s biggest sequels hitting the web, plus rumblings on yet another mammoth sequel from the folks at Capcom. It wasn’t all good news though, as we also got word of a delay of one of the summer’s most anticipated digital delights from SEGA.
Don’t forget to post your own personal highlights of the week in the comments section below.
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Sony to announce Premium PSN service at E3?
This particular story has been spun a few times over the past year or so, though it by the look of things it may actually be happening if we’re to believe VG247’s trusted source (and these guys rarely get things wrong, we might add). While the thought of having to cough up some of our hard earned dough to experience some of the finer fruits that PSN has to offer, we’re comforted by the knowledge that we will still be able to indulge in copious amounts of online gaming for absolutely nothing. The proposed price point – less than $50 a year – isn’t exactly a surprise in this day and age, though it remains to be seen whether or not Sony will come up with the goods to make it worth it or not. Still, we’re intrigued by the prospect of snapping up a free PSN game once a month – let’s just hope they’re not all rubbish.
Capcom to announce sequel ‘bombshell’ at E3
Now this has megaton written all over it. Details are virtually non-existent, though we do know that the game in question will be part of one of the company’s well-established franchises, which automatically has us thinking it’s either Resident Evil 6 or Devil May Cry 5. As mentioned in our article, DMC5 has been rumored to be in development over at Ninja Theory, which ties in neatly with the fact the unnamed sequel is being helmed by a western developer. Still, with no confirmation on this, it’s all just conjecture at this point. Of course, there always exists the possibility that Capcom intends on resurrecting one of its earlier franchises – namely Dino Crisis or Onimusha – for current-gen platforms, and we’d welcome either one. Resident Evil is due a major overhaul with its next instalment, though with RE: Portable still not yet available, it might be a while before a new console iteration in the franchise rears its decomposing, maggot-infested head
Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Pack sets PSN Sales Record
Sales statistics usually render us either unconscious with absolute boredom or swelling with immense admiration and pride, and in the case of MW2’s DLC success on PSN, it is most certainly the latter. Sure, the Stimulus Pack has caused a fair amount of controversy over its pricing and actual contents, but that obviously didn’t stop punters forking out for it left and right, resulting in the pack smashing day one and week one sales records across Sony’s online service. With all the trouble surrounding Infinity Ward as of late it’s refreshing to hear some good news. Congratulations guys.
Call of Duty: Black Ops trailer
Regardless whether or not you are a fan of Treyarch’s efforts in the Call of Duty brand, one thing’s for sure – Black Ops is sure to top anything the company has churned out thus far. The full-length trailer for the eagerly anticipated Cold War-era shooter looks absolutely jaw-dropping, reaffirming our initial hopes that Black Ops is going to give Modern Warfare 2 a run for its money in just about every department conceivable. Do yourself a favour and go and take a butcher’s at it now.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Delayed
Top News? Yes. Good news? No. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, SEGA’s latest attempts to make a half decent Sonic game have resulted in some of the most promising developments we’ve seen since the days of Sonic Adventure on Dreamcast. With Sonic 4, the company has finally understood that fans don’t want Werehogs, Knights, annoying emo villains and whinging sidekicks, they want it simple – classic, 2D Sonic gameplay taking the franchise right back to its roots. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Sporting a sumptuous retro aesthetic echoing the spiky Hedgehog’s glory days on the Megadrive (that’s Genesis to our friends across the pond), Sonic 4 looks the business and seems to effortlessly capture that addictive, finely-tuned gameplay that had us glued to our TV sets back in the early 1990s. The fact Episode I has been delayed from a summer release to a late 2010 launch is absolutely gutting news, especially considering this particular time of the year is decidedly lacking in terms of quality games. It’s going to be a long summer…
Naughty Dog working on Killzone 3, first details emerge
Microsoft announces Gears of War 3, and soon enough, the first Killzone 3 details start to trickle in. The natural equilibrium of the videogames universe is restored. Make no mistake; this is possibly the best news we’ve heard all year. While an official announcement won’t likely be made until E3, Killzone 3 is very much a reality, with US magazine GamePro lifting the lid on a heap of juicy details including the presence of jetpacks, an arctic environment, 3D compatibility, new weapons plus news that Naughty Dog is involved in the creation of the sequel, having apparently co-designed the graphics engine. Of course, we could type for hours about how much this excites us until our fingers were well and truly knackered, but there really is no need to elaborate: Killzone remains one of the PlayStation brand’s hottest properties this generation, and given how spectacular the last entry was, Sony is sure to have another triple-A blockbuster on its hands. Now, where’s my Resistance 3, Insomniac Games?