Random 3D gaming considerations

I had a chance to play some Tumble and Flight Control HD in stereoscopic 3D mode today. Man am I shocked. Despite having tested extensively other 3D games before (from Super Stardust HD to WipEout HD) and therefore being relatively used to the effect, I came away from those two games much more impressed than I thought I would. In fact, I believe both offer some of the most effective and meaningful 3D experience currently available on the PS3. 

VIDEO | iWatch: Tumble

From tech demo to fully fledged puzzle game, Tumble shows what some Move-engineered creativity can build upon even the most simplistic conceptual premises.  

Enjoy! 

iWonder: "First Person Fighting Game" by Sun

When I saw the game The Fight: Lights Out and the tech demo of the puppet control, an idea sparked in my mind. How about making a first person fighting game that supports 2 controllers?

Poll of the Week (September 27th to October 3rd)

Click here to see previous polls' results

VIDEO | iWatch: High Velocity Bowling

Released more than two years ago on PlayStation Store, Sony's bowling simulator High Velocity Bowling got recently updated (for free) to support stereoscopic 3D visuals and, most importantly, the PlayStation Move motion controller. So, how does it play now? Check the video to find out!

Enjoy!

Calibrating Hues: How the Sony PlayStation Move knows where it is

If you have played or at least demoed all of the PlayStation Move games currently available (and there are about a dozen of them out there already) you have surely noticed that not even two of them share the exact same start up calibration process - the one that asks you to point the Move somewhere and push a button.

PlayStation Move Dynamic Theme Video

Here is a video showing the PlayStation Move Dynamic Theme in action, currently available for "free" only to European PlayStation Plus subscribers.

Enjoy!

PlayStation Move and 3D support a possibility for The Last Guardian

In an interview with Fumito Ueda conducted by Dengeki Online at the Tokyo Game Show, the creator of The Last Guardian (and Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus) didn't rule out the possibility of adding 3D and Move support to the game.

PixelJunk lifelike: Moving with the Music

Announced during this year's Tokyo Game Show, Pixeljunk lifelike is Q-Games' first (known) project conceived for the PlayStaion Move. It's not a game tho, but rather a music visualizer created in collaboration with Japanese visual artist and musician Baiyon (who previously lent his unique sensibility to the making of PixelJunk Eden), which will allow users to interact with visuals and music using the new Sony motion controller. 

VIDEO | iWatch: PlayStation Move Vs Pointing

Exposed in this new tech analysis are some oddities concerning the PlayStation Move behavior as a pointing device. 

Is this the PlayStation Move's Achilles' heel?

Will the PlayStation Move work in your room? Here are your answers!

As promised a few days back, here are the answers regarding PlayStation Move "compatibility" with the gaming set-ups some of you kindly submitted.

Official Furi! Furi! Sarugetchu (aka Ape Escape Fury! Fury!) trailer released

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has released the first trailer of the upcoming Move-required installment of its Ape Escape series. 

The game involves catching monkeys in a first person on-rail fashion as well as fighting enemies light-gun style using the PlayStation Move as either a net, an hand-held Japanese fan or a futuristic looking sling. 

Metal Gear Solid Rising will support 3D [UPDATED]

[Update] Apparently, the game was shown in 3D as a "tech demonstration", meaning it doesn't imply the actual game will support it. Same goes for FFXIV and Hot Shot Golf 5, both shown as "tech demos". Color me as confused as you are.

They just keep coming don't they? (And I'm not done yet - look forward to the upcoming next couple of posts... actually, I'm done as tech demos mean nothing.)

Sony and Konami announced today that the PlayStation 3 version of Metal Gear Solid Rising will fully support stereoscopic 3D mode. Yep. 

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus HD collection coming to PlayStation 3 with 3D support

After months of speculation, Sony has officially confirmed that both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus PS2 classics will get re-released on PlayStation 3 in high definition and on a single Blu-Ray. Not only that. Both will be playable in stereoscopic 3D too!

3D Blu-Ray movie update coming to PlayStation 3 this month with firmware 3.50

Not sure if he was just misinformed or the release date was pushed forward since his keynote, but contrary to what president and CEO Howard Stringer said during Sony's IFA 2010 press event in Berlin, the next PS3 firmware update which will introduce 3D Blu-Ray movie compatibility is actually coming out this month. On September 21st, to be precise.

StarDrone announced for PSN with PlayStation Move and stereoscopic 3D support

Ukraine developer Beatshapers has just announced they will be bringing Orb Games's original 2008 PC release StarDrone to the PlayStation 3 this fall. It will be a PSN title, only playable with the PlayStation Move and supporting stereoscopic 3D mode. 

In StarDrone you control the trajectory of a drone launched in a zero-gravity environment via the centrifugal force generated by connecting and disconnecting its energy beam to special anchor points. It basically plays like pinball-meets-Breakout-meets-PixelJunk Eden, using the PlayStation Move-controlled pointer to select anchor points. Inertia does the rest.

The video embedded below offers a first look at StarDrone for PS3 (interestingly, the PlayStation Move sphere is not lit up in the PiP, meaning the game probably relies on the gyroscope and the accelerometers built into the device The sphere is actually lit, but in white - thanks to Beatshapers' Founder and CEO Alexey Menshikov for the correction in the comments section below), but if you want to get a better idea of how it plays I strongly suggest giving the PC version a go by downloading its free demo right here. It's quite awesome actually.

Source: PlayStation LifeStyle, PSNStores

VIDEO | iWatch: Kung Fu Rider

Take a look at one of the oddest PlayStation Move games yet in this exclusive video overview of Kung Fu Rider, developed by Sony Japan Studio. 

Sony Europe releases the official PlayStation Move European launch commercials

In the wake of SCE America and SCE Spain showing off their TV ads for the upcoming PlayStation Move, SCE Europe has just put online further two new ads which will spread across European TVs over the next few weeks.

Sony's PlayView technology returns at CEDEC 2010 with PlayStation Move support

Shown first at CEDEC 2009, Sony's PlayView made a return appearance at CEDEC 2010. CEDEC (or the CESA Developers Community) is a gathering for the Japanese developers community run by the same organisation (CESA) that also runs the Tokyo Game Show. 

If you don't remember last year's appearance, PlayView is the name given (fairly recently, giving rise to a lot of false PSP2 speculation) to a technology that is similar to a webpage in structure, but presented as a page with information that you can zoom into almost infinitely. 

Flight Control HD price details revealed. It won't come out in North America

Firemint has just announced final release dates and prices for Flight Control HD, also noting that there wont be a North American release for the time being.

New PlayStation Move spot with Kevin Butler

Just in case those Spanish ads below left a bad taste in your mouth...
Ding dong. Kevin Butler is here. 

Spanish PlayStation Move TV advert shows a lot of kissing and little moving [UPDATED]

Not sure how this ad (called "Besos", Spanish word for "kisses") is supposed to convince TV watchers to go out and buy a PlayStation Move (I'm not an expert), so I'll refrain from commenting.

Take a look for yourself and feel free express your opinion in the comments section below (no swearing, please).

PlayStation Move games demos are included on selected retail Move games discs

PlayStation LifeStyle is reporting about a cool discovery they made today when checking out some PlayStation Move retail launch titles. The discovery being, there are demos on them!

More details on the Killzone 3 PlayStation Move "zoom lock" feature (you will love this)

Looks like Guerrilla Games's producer Steven Ter Heide doesn't like to repeat himself. In fact, since the original demonstration of how the PlayStation Move controls are being implemented in Killzone 3, he has been adding something new to his walk-through scripts anytime he's got a new media outlet attending his presentations.

Sony America launches funny PlayStation Move web portal (full of Kevin Butler)

Going by the title of "Move Made Absurdly Easy", the official PlayStation Move portal is full of promotional information about the device exposed in a "Kevin Butler-style". 

Will the PlayStation Move work in your room? Show it to me and I will tell you!

Many people have been contacting me asking about how the PlayStation Move would "fit" in their current gaming set up. Of course it's not easy to give straight answers based on set up descriptions so here is an idea...

First video of Under Siege being played with the PlayStation Move motion controller

The upcoming PSN strategy game Under Siege was featured for the first time (as far as I know) on the official PlayStation Blog today, along with a beefy gameplay video recorded by the developers themselves while playing the game with the PlayStation Move. 

VIDEO | iWatch: MAG Beta (Online Play)

As promised, here is the second (and last) video recorded from the ongoing MAG public beta. This time, demonstration takes place in an actual online battlefield, me trying to test things out while acting as a bullet sponge for other players.

Again, please remember this is work in progress stuff! ;)

Enjoy!

VIDEO | iWatch: MAG Beta (Training Grounds)

This video offers an early overview about how the PlayStation Move controls are currently implemented in the ongoing MAG public beta. Bare in mind what you'll see here is all work in progress and likely to change (and hopefully improve) by the time the actual patch goes live by the end of the year. In the meantime tho, you can get an idea about the current state of development. 

Bounding box will be customizable in Killzone 3

Good news for those coming away unhappy (or unsure) from looking at the first demonstration of Killzone 3 being played with the PlayStation Move (occurred last month, at GamesCom 2010). 

During a new presentation recorded by IGN at the ongoing PAX event, GG's producer Steven Ter Heide pointed out that an option to adjust the size of the bounding box will be available in the final game. 

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath on PlayStation 3... with PlayStation Move support!

They just keep coming don't they? This time it's from the Just Add Water guys (of Gravity Crash fame) which are proudly working on an "enhanced remake" of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath for PlayStation 3. With added PlayStation Move support. 

VIDEO | iWatch: PlayStation Move Vs Light

Many people wonder about how the PlayStation Move performs under different light conditions. Coming from the EyeToy experience of old, this is quite understandable. But the PlayStation Move is different.

PS3 Blu-Ray Movie update set for October

During its IFA 2010 press event in Berlin, Sony announced that the system software update which will turn the PlayStation 3 into a Blu-Ray 3D movie compatible player will go live in October (it was expected to be released this month). 

Disaster Report 4 announced with PlayStation Move and stereo 3D support - coming this Winter

So it says on the latest issue of the Japanese magazine Famitsu which, according to Adriasang, has an article about the 4th installment of Irem's Zettai Zetsumei Toshi (as it is known in Japan).

VIDEO | iWatch: Sports Champions

Take a closer look at Sony's alternative proposition to Wii Sports in this exclusive video demonstration of Sports Champions, featuring picture-in-picture footage of my very self as I go through two of the most eye-opening (with regard to Move awesomeness) sport disciplines included in the game: Table Tennis and Disc Golf. 
 
Enjoy!

VIDEO | iWatch: Start The Party!

This is the longest iWatch video yet, lasting as much as 13 minutes, so you might want to make some pop-corn before hitting Play. The reason why it's so long is very simple: it shows in good detail ALL the mini-games included in Start the Party!

Actually, I think a couple of the "minor" ones are missing, but overall you'll come away with a complete knowledge of the package offerings.

Enjoy! 

VIDEO | iWatch: Flight Control HD

Take a deep (and exclusive) look at this addictive PlayStation 3 game by Firemint (featuring both PlayStation Move and stereoscopic 3D support) to be released via PlayStation Store on September 15th. 

Enjoy!