Skatter Tech

On Tuesday, Skatter Tech managed to make it into Sony’s Press Conference, however due to network interference we weren’t able to live blog the event. Both the provided WiFi and our HTC EVO 4G hotspot failed to work. Fortunately, we took notes and snapped some photos.

12:02 PM – CEO of SCEA takes the stage. After a quick intro, the presentation stepped into 3D territory. It is clear that this will be the year for 3D. Keep in mind, Sony’s PS3 is the only console that supports 3D HD. However, let’s not forget the Nintendo 3DS that was announced on Tuesday as well.

12:03 PM – Existing PS3 owners will be glad to hear that their console already supports 3D. In fact, every PS3 built supports 3D. However, it’s not ready out of the box. Sony will push a software update through the PlayStation Network to enable support for 3D.

12:04 PM – Its official, Killzone 3 is coming to PS3. That’s not all, it’s also in 3D. Unlike games that were ported into 3D after initial development, Killzone 3 was apparently built with the extra dimension in mind from the ground up. The game also runs in 2D for those that don’t own new 3D HDTV sets.

12:07 PM – Sony played both a trailer and some gameplay footage for Killzone 3 in 3D. While having to wear 3D glasses is still annoying, the graphics were pretty impressive. Although there was a “pre-alpha code” disclaimer during the footage, it looked about ready for launch with a few touch ups. At first, the 3D aspect appeared to be somewhat unnecessary, but that soon changed with a jetpack simulation. The depth perception offered a valid reason for 3D games. Those few momments of the game looked so great that the audience cheered loudly. Shell casings falling off to the side, bullets from enemies flying by, and blood splatter in between makes the game exciting refreshingly exciting. Killzone 3 is slated for launch in February 2011. It’s also entirely compatible with the PlayStation Move controllers.

12:12 PM – Sony announces other upcoming titles for the PlayStation. These 3D titles include MotorStorm and Gran Turismo 5. Other games such as Crysis 2, Mortal Kombat, Ghost Recon, TRON Evolution, and NBA 2K 11 will also be available in 3D from partners. Some PlayStation Move compatible games include The Fight, eyePet, Tumble, and MLB 10 The Show. Sony played some trailers for these games, however it’s hard to tell the true quality until we see real gameplay footage. Most of it was cut-scene action sequences.

12:20PM – Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing, takes the stage to talk about PlayStation Move. Much like the Nintendo Wiimote with the Motion Plus attachment, the The PlayStation Eye camera paired with PlayStation Move controller helps create a 1:1 movement. In addition, the controller has multiple degrees of accelerometers. The illuminated globe at the end of the controller also acts as an additional indicator for the Eye Camera. PlayStation Move games will likely be distributed on Blu-ray discs that have included both a regular PlayStation 3 DualShock Controller version and a PlayStation Move version.

12:28 PM – PlayStation’s Creative Studio director is presenting a demo of a new game called Sorcery for the PlayStation Move. As the name implies, it’s some sort of wizardry/magical adventure game. The controls are very similar to Nintendo’s Zelda demo for the Wii, which were presented earlier that day as well. It’s actually quite humorous that even the control menu for selecting different weaponry with Sorcery was exactly like Zelda’s. However, keep in mind that both companies have probably been working on these titles for a very long time.

12:35 PM – EA demonstrates a new update for Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf game. As expected, the Move technology is the center of focus for the game. It enables a 1:1 motion offering a “truly realistic” golf-like experience. The game will be available as both a PlayStation Store demo and a quick update will enable Move controller support for existing owners.

12:39 PM – Remember those famous PlayStation characters? Ratchet, Jack, Sly Cooper, Bentley, Clank, and Daxter? Well, they are all grouped together into a single new game: Heroes on the Move. The title is apparently a work in progress and the details appear to be as well. The trailer looked exciting, but we don’t know much more just yet.

12:43 PM – For this part, it’s best that I let Kevin Butler say it himself. Video courtesy of GameTrailers.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGZbJlpsohc

12:48PM – The news you’ve been waiting for: The PlayStation Move will be available in Europe on September 15, in North America on September 19, and in Japan on October 21st. Other launch titles include Socom 4 and Time Crisis.

12:52 PM – Sadly, it looks as though the PlayStation Portable is still hanging on its last limbs. To remind customers about the PSP, Sony is launching a new Ad campaign to get people interested again. As game selection has been below acceptable, SCEA is pushing for some real titles and quality content. One of these includes a new refreshing augmented reality game that uses the PSP camera accessory. God of War: Ghost of Sparta is also another exclusive title. Tron Evolution, Toy Story 3, and over 70 other titles are coming to the Sony PSP by December 2010.

1:01 PM – According to Sony’s spokesperson, there are currently over 50 million registered PlayStation Network users across the world. Online is a vital experience for PlayStation owners. However, content is their number one goal. Games such as LittleBigPlanet 2 help Sony focus on playing, creating, and sharing. To further improve the online experience for loyal customers, fans, and hardcore gamers, Sony is launching PlayStation Network Plus. While the current PlayStation Network service will remain free and won’t lose any features, the premium paid version will offer some advantages. For $49 per year, PlayStation Plus subscribers get access to exclusive trailers/videos, early access to game demos, discounted pricing, automatic downloads, push updates for patches, and faster system updates. For instance, subscribers will get a free copy of Wipeout HD, two PSP Mini games, and access to Sony’s Qore digital podcast.

1:16 PM – Electronic Arts is continuing to be an exclusive partner with Sony’s PlayStation. A new Medal of Honor game is coming soon. War veterans who helped design the game will upload videos of their interviews and experience on June 28th. The game was designed to be as realistic as possible. Dead Space 2 is also hitting store shelves for the PS3 very soon.

1:25 PM – In an unexpected turn of events, Valve showed up on PlayStation’s stage with a special announcement. Valve had original canceled their entire E3 keynote event shortly before the conference. As expected, the special announcement consisted of a quick glimpse into Portal 2. The game will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 in 2011.

1:28 PM – Square Enix takes the stage to show off a quick trailer for Final Fantasy XIV.

1:30 PM – We covered Ubisoft’s press conference, but in case you missed it, the game developer is briniging Assassins’s Creed: Brotherhood to PS3 soon. The game is also reaching other consoles too, but some special packages and levels are only available to PS3 users. It will be available on November 16th, 2010.

1:32 PM – This time around, Sony spewed a list of upcoming game titles. Here are a few shooters: Socom 4, Killzone 3, Medal of Honor. Dead Space 2, and Mafia II. For sports: Madden 11, NBA 2K 11, Tiger Woods PGA tour 11, Sports Champions, Fight Lights Out, and NCAA Football 11. For family games: EyePet, Start Party, LittleBigPlanet 2, The Shoot, EchoChrome II, and Heroes on the Move. For racing enthusiasts: Gran Turismo 4 HD, Mod Nation Racers, and Motor Storm Apocalypse. Other upcoming games include True Crime, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Shooter 2, Pixel Junk, Mortal Kombat, Castlevaina Lord, Sorcery, DC Universe, Sly Collection, Tron Evolution, inFamous 2, and Final Fantasy XIV. That’s a mouthful, excuse me if I missed any.

1:43 PM – And on a final note, for another surprise, Sony brought Twisted Metal back! This time it’s in HD on the PS3! It was originally on the PS1 and PS2, but never made it to the PS3. It’s been around as one of the longest and oldest PlayStation games. Twisted Metal was even available for the PSP. The new HD version comes with support for PlayStation Network. Up to four players can join in on a split-screen game from a single console. However, online games can reach up to 16 players. Each vechicle has two specials just like in previous Twisted Metal games. From the initial gameplay footage, the graphics looks phenomenal. Instead of just a simple arena, the Twisted Metal Nuke mode features hills, highways, cities, sky scrapers, and much more.

Links: us.PlayStation.com