Four Reasons Why Gaming is the Superior Form of Entertainment

Why does society look down upon people who enjoy playing games?  What makes watching tv or movies more acceptable? Read more

Why the Wii has Won

Looking back on 2008, one thing stands out in my memory that seriously changed the way I look at video games. That thing is the Nintendo Wii. Read more

A Gamers Christmas Wishlist for 2008

What games should you be hoping to find under the tree when Santa comes to town?  Read more

Killzone 2 Graphics Blow Minds, Pantaloons

I think it goes without saying that the newest videos showing gampelay from Killzone 2 are absolutely amazing.  Read more

World of Warcraft Meets Guitar Hero

Blizzard continues to build excitement leading up to the release of the heavily anticipated World of Warcraft MMO expansion Wrath of the Lich King. Read more

Sins of a Solar Empire Universe Grows with 4 Planned Expansions

Kalypso Media has announced they will be publishing four expansion packs for the hit space strategy PC game Sins of a Solar Empire. Read more

Launch of the Gamers Glossary

Hey everybody, I’m happy to announce a new addition to Console Me, the Gamers Glossary. Read more

NHL 2009 Launch Event – NHL Stars Included

Yesterday I was lucky enough to score an invitation to Electronic Arts’ NHL 2009 launch event in Vancouver, Canada.  Read more

Sony Press Release: Upcoming PSN Games

Greetings everyone.  I’m back from my long overdue vacation and will be updating the site regularly once again.  As I work on a few things for posting soon, I have obtained a press release from Sony that outlines some of the exciting PSN titles that are on their way this fall.  For me, I’m really pumped about Wipeout HD and Flower.  It’s great to see Sony finally stepping up with their online offerings to compete with Xbox Live.

August 20, 2008 – PLAYSTATION®Network is the premier source of downloadable games content, with a huge offering of fun, innovative new games as well as classic PlayStation® titles. Already boasting huge successes with the likes of PixelJunk™ Monsters, Super Stardust HD™ and echochrome™, PLAYSTATION Network is ushering in a new generation of top titles from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) with the following on show at Games Convention 2008.

Flower™

A true escape from the modern world, Flower challenges traditional gaming conventions with a lush, vivid environment in which players control the wind, using petals to reshape and revive their game surroundings. Using simple SIXAXIS™ wireless controllers, play involves flight and exploration, as you guide a petal across the landscape. Collecting additional petals and feel the gameplay change from serene to chaotic as you collect more and more. With more than 200,000 individually animated blades of grass, Flower is a game only possible thanks to the power of PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™).

Fat Princess™

In modern life, obesity is a social concern but, in medieval times, it was a key battle tactic! The Fat Princess of the title is your own over-fed royal that you must rescue from your enemy’s dungeon – if you can carry the porky madam to safety, that is. Choose the role of a warrior, archer, mage, worker or priest; your most important weapon here is teamwork as you work alongside up to 15 other players online to defeat the enemy team across ten individual maps and over numerous gameplay modes. Bringing countless players together on PLAYSTATION Network, Fat Princess™ is a blast of hilarious, furious multiplayer fun.

Crash Commnado™

Old school gameplay meets next generation technology in Crash Commando™, mixing classic side-scrolling action with intense multiplayer fun in the ultimate slapstick shooter. Up to 12 players slug it out online or offline in frenzied death-matches, taking control of jetpacks, jeeps and tanks on two gameplay layers which can be moved between seamlessly via portals. Sign up with either the Jarheads or the Grunts in all-out warfare for world supremacy on a battlefield strewn with exaggerated gore and special effects. Track your victories with online leaderboards, rankings and trophy support.

Rachet & Clank™: Quest For Booty

Ratchet and Clank make their return in a bite-sized mini-adventure filled with their trademark crazy weaponry, side-splitting comedy and dazzling 3D animation in this treasure-hunting adventure. Help Ratchet sail solo into a world of galleons, parrots and cutlasses in his quest to uncover booty and his missing mate Clank. Journey through the dark caves of Hoolefar Island, navigate the treacherous Viper Caverns and take on foul-tempered buccaneer and new nemesis Captain Darkwater. Beware: danger lurks around every corner.

The Last Guy™

Set in the aftermath of a strange event that has caused many people to turn into fierce monsters, this fast-paced and fun game challenges players to save humanity by leading everybody else through the streets of world cities to safety. With a focus on gameplay rather than gore, The Last Guy is a game that’ll keep you coming back for more monster mayhem every time. Gather the survivors into lines and lead them through the streets of 14 world cities – all recreated with stunning aerial photography. Each city has an escape zone which you must lead your lines of people into while avoiding the enemy at all costs…

Savage Moon™

Classic tower strategy gameplay heads into outer space in Savage Moon™, as players attempt to protect an isolated planetary outpost from rampaging hordes of gigantic, ravenous space bugs. Position your towers in the best position possible to beat the bugs and convert your victory points into weapons that suit your preferred tactics. Classic strategy gaming meets interstellar gameplay with endless strategic possibilities – can you beat the bugs and save the moon?

PixelJunk Eden™

Prepare to be stunned by PixelJunk Eden™, the game that challenges you to help alien plants flower and bloom in a psychedelic, hypnotic Garden of Eden. Smash into enemies to release batches of pollen, making your flowers grow. Swing higher and higher through your growing paradise, climbing up iridescent stems, swinging from twirling branches, swaying on psychedelic flowers and searching the undergrowth for hidden treasures – with mesmerising graphics and electronic soundtrack created by Japanese artist Baiyon.

Rag Doll Kung Fu™

Rag Doll Kung Fu is a party fighting game based on the ancient principles of kung fu and rag-doll physics. Fast-paced combat, exaggerated action and unique visuals come together in a game that is easy for beginners but has enough depth in its combat system to keep hardcore fighters coming back for more. Using simple SIXAXIS motions to pull off special moves and combat sequences, players compete in matches with up to four other players either online or offline. The perfect party game for experts and beginners alike.

Warhawk™: Operation: Fallen Star expansion pack

The third expansion pack for mighty online warfare title Warhawk, Operation: Fallen Star introduces the remote, forested Tau Crater – the site of a crashed Chernovan warship containing invaluable experimental technology. With the Chernovans trying desperately to salvage the ship, the Eucadians have arrived with a view to stealing it for themselves. This pack brings ten new battlefields to the Warhawk experience – as well as the Infantry Jetpack – a personal rocket pack that allows soldiers to soar above the fray of battle into the aerial realm of the Warhawks themselves.

WipEout™HD

The arrival of WipEout® HD on PLAYSTATION®3 marks the dawning of a new era for the iconic racer, so strap yourself in for anti-gravity combat racing in full 1080p High Definition. Choose a futuristic craft then speed into the thick of the action in adrenaline-fuelled races across eight reversible tracks full of smooth loops, sharp bends and sheer drops. Master the ultra-realistic motion sensitive controls; unleash high-tech weapons to blast your opponents off the track. Take part in global online racing for up to eight players, compete for trophies and test your skills against the best pilots on the planet.

Super Stardust™ Portable for PSP™

One of the most popular PLAYSTATION Network titles arrives on PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), making outer-space action mobile, so wherever you go, a blast of furious intergalactic shooter fun is close at hand. Retaining all the aspects that made Super Stardust a hit on PS3, Super Stardust Portable is sure to follow in the successful footsteps of its home system counterpart.

All of these titles will be on show at Leipzig 2008, so make you check out the future of PLAYSTATION Network gaming with these incredible, inventive downloadable titles.

Notes to Editors:

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PLAYSTATION®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and PLAYSTATION®Network software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PLAYSTATION 3 in November 2006, over 14.4 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level. Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 131.3 million systems worldwide. Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 41.3 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market. With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, over 10 million accounts have been registered to the PLAYSTATION Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and about 200 million items have been downloaded.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at http://www.playstation.com or visit the Virtual Press Office at http://www.scee.presscentre.com.

PlayStation, PLAYSTATION, DUALSHOCK and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. PSP and PS3 are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PLAYSTATION®3, PlayStation®2 and PSP?(PlayStation®Portable) software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PLAYSTATION 3 in November 2006 and the end of January 2008, over 10 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level. Between the beginning of April 2006 and the end of January 2008, over 26 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been sold worldwide, continuing its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history. Between the beginning of April 2006 and the end of January 2008, over 20 million PSP systems have been sold worldwide.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at
http://www.playstation.com or visit the Virtual Press Office at
http://www.scee.presscentre.com.

PLAYSTATION, PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. PSP is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

NHL 2009 Unveils Revolutionary New Feature

Arguably the best sports game released in 2007 is set to return with a vengeance in 2008.  Already the recipient of much praise from journalists at IGN and 1Up, Electronic Arts’ Vancouver Studio has reinvigorated hockey for gamers with their innovative “skill stick.”  So what is new for NHL 2009?  Is it just going to be another roster update with a few extra skating animations thrown in?  The answer is a resounding no.  Once again, the NHL franchise will be pushing the thinking forward for sports games, integrating a new and very exciting feature called the EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL).  Really rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?  Ok, maybe not.  For millions of hockey fans that live and breathe hockey, this may be the feature that you have been waiting for.  For all other sports fans, you can bet that the NHL test bed for this idea will find itself soon in Madden, Fifa and many more EA titles to come.

So what exactly is the EASHL?  It isn’t just another online mode…it’s basically an introduction of RPG elements into the sports genre with a dash of MMO for flavour.  In the EASHL, you take control of your own player and you (yes you, it is your name on the back of that jersey and your real name that appears on the leaderboards – not your gamertag), play online and are graded on your performance.  With the new performance tracker feature, you are graded on how well you play hockey, not on how well you play a video game.  A new system for tracking your progress and skills allows players to “level up” their hockey player by attributing skill points and improving stats…just like an RPG.  Perform well on a consistent basis and your hulking power forward will improve with you.

When you first begin there will be 10 player types to choose from across 3 categories of players:

Forwards: dangler, grinder, playmaker, power forward, sniper
Defensemen: defensive defenseman, offensive defenseman
Goalies: stand up, hybrid, butterfly

Want to be the next Sidney Crosby?  Become a playmaker.  Think you may be the next coming of Patrick Roy…choose a butterfly style goalie.  Point is, you get to tailor your own player and make him into a superstar…that is, if you have the skills to back it up.

So how do the RPG elements work?  As you play online with your created skater you will be awarded hockey cards which give you points to spend on your player’s growth in three areas: offense, defense, and athleticism for skaters and reflexes, puck control, and athleticism for goalies.  You may choose to level up your player across any of the three areas.  Even better, if you decide at any point in your career to change player types you retain all of the points you have earned and can redistribute your skill points to the new player type.

So how is it like an MMO?  All of this player development takes place online in the EASHL with teams made up entirely of gamers just like you.  You will have to work with your team and play your position if you are to have any chance of winning.  Players can emerge online as snipers, grinders or shutdown defensive specialists.  Best of all, it will be your name the opponents fear.  As you prove yourself online you will ascend the leaderboards and can challenge for the distinction of being the best player in the game at your position.  For once the leaderboards truly will mean something.

For anyone that has ever played a sports game this has to come as exciting news.  Finally, gamers have the chance to prove themselves in a system that rewards the player for playing better than everyone else.  Maybe it will finally help answer the question that all sports fans ask…who is the best?

If you want to learn more about the game be sure to check out the official NHL 2009 website here.

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