The renamed Sony NGP in winter will cost $ 249 and will come with a number of social networking features for gamers
So, as widely guessed in the media, the Sony NGP is now called PlayStation Vita and it's launching this winter, with a Wi-Fi-only model at $249 (?151) and a 3G and Wi-Fi model at $299.
The award announcement drew cheers from the 6,000-strong audience at the Sony 's E3 press conference on Monday - many experts predicted the console would debut at $ 349 or more.
But it 's not only lower than expected price that the console is in very direct competition with the Nintendo 3DS - Sony would like multiple functions of Vita, which correspond closely with the rival machine highlight.
Social networks, for example, is an important functionality. The unit comes with a service called closeness that you compare with other nearby Vita owners to connect to trophies and can come to socialize. It 's very similar to the 3DS street right concept, which automatically swaps data between the game consoles as players pass in the street.
Vita is also a chat system called party room, the owners enjoy talking with other players via a headset can provide. It 'll work on games, so that colleagues still talk, if they' re both playing different things - a key social element in the early success of Xbox Live.
Introducing Vita was Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai also like to point out the Gadget 's front and rear-facing cameras, and the potential for augmented reality gaming.
"We 're confident that PlayStation Vita is the first product that really the line between interactive entertainment software and your life experience," he said. And yes, Nintendo 3DS offers Augmented Reality functionality, which issued in the six AR-free mini-games that come free with the console.
There were some very popular game demos at the event also. We saw a level of Uncharted: Golden Abyss, a Vita-exclusive spin-off from the hugely successful PS3 action-adventure series. Set in and around a crumbling temple, it 's graphically extremely strong, with advanced visual effects such as water-modeling and dynamic lighting to create a densely detailed and atmospheric conditions.
Developer Sony Bend Studio has sent a dual control system that the players choose the PS3 for the classic controls, or a new set of options can be integrated Vita.
For example, players can draw with the touch screen for combat, tapping an enemy or the environment from various moves. We 're also a section where hero Nathan Drake has a treacherous rock wall appears scale, the motion can be used to direct it left or right to be - players simply tilt the console. When run on a precipice, a tap on the screen do a jump, and when navigating along towering projections on the wall and wiped the screen makes Nathan swinging from one to another.
It 's also a new mode that allows you to plot a climbing course for the character, allowed by a route on the screen, then lifts the arm and the relevant steps.
Sony also mentioned that the panel 's innovative touch pad used to come back, but wouldn' t, as I said. And again, most actions are also carried out with the keys so luddite joypad jockeys can only with what they do stick.
Another exciting announcement was made Ruin (working title), a top-down action role-playing as amended, for both CV and PS3. Reminiscent of a slightly lighter, more playful Diablo, it 'sa classic "explore the dungeon, fight the bad guys and grab the loot' experience, but with some elements of social connectivity.
It seems that there are multiplayer elements of the main mode, allowing players to pop into each others' games, helping or hindering whoever they find. Yep, sounds like Demon's Souls, but apparently Ruin also features Twitter connectivity, and a sort of Tower Defence feel, with players building lairs that have to be protected against incoming invaders – these lairs get more powerful as the player progresses and earns more loot.
But here 's the amazing part. Both the PS3 and the Vita-use versions of a cloud-based game store mechanism, and they 're compatible with each other. This means you can play the Vita-version on the bus, save it, and when you get home, take in the same place on the PS3. Apparently, saving and loading of the cloud is extremely fast, and it 'sa really need, in addition to the usual interplay between handheld and home consoles (although, of course, you' ll need buy both versions of the game, unless the PS3 one is a free download).
Another audience to like about the press conference was the revelation that Street Fighter X Tekken, the fighting game that combines the two biggest franchises in the genre, Vita is coming. Producer Yoshinori Ono came to show to the stage that showed the game and how the touchscreen can be used to access can move.
He also revealed that the game appareance a guest of Cole, the lead character in superhero adventure inFamous function. His electrifying attacks and flying kicks fit right in, as it seems.
There were also two remakes of classic Vita PlayStation titles. Sony is building a new version of its popular racing game ModNation Racers, with a design-your-own-control option that uses the touch screen is an intuitive drag and drop functionality. Track selected pieces then thrown on the screen and corners are created by tilting the console at the required angle.
Awesome, can the rear touchpad tapping on the mountains around the tracks (the longer you press, the higher the peak) to build, while the front screen can be pressed to wells that are filled with water to create lakes can create be. And if the CV version is released, players will be able to download the 2m tracks already created the PS3 version.
In a similar vein, a beautiful version of Vita-physics-based platformer LittleBigPlanet, the touch controls to build your own mini-games and levels more easily. A short trailer showing the motion controls used to scroll around a barrel on the screen while at it 's also possible to take photos and use elements of the images to provide the environment, or even create enemy characters. We 're shown, a player who has a photo of a girl who cut her hair and she as a pair of legs for a marauding giant.
Of course, many games journalists emerging after the two-hour show even more skeptical that it 'sa mass market for another specialist handheld games console. But Vita is for all the right bases, innovative use of familiar elements such as touch screens, cameras and accelerometers, forging useful links with the PS3.
Have Oddly highlighted Augmented Reality as a selling point, showed Sony off very little of this functionality (although, for example, was demonstrating an AR-beat 'em-up called Reality Fighters, which uses outside camera to your real-world environment into an arena for the characters to the fight), but more news will no doubt trickle out through the rest of E3.
For now, Vita is a curious fact that on the verge of winning larger audiences than many can be expected.
Light new release schedule of Codemasters 'new racing game Koei and Tecmo' s 3DS fighters out Kung Fu Panda 2 and Naughty Bear Gold Edition also.
Last week came the big names and games such as LA Noire Fable III for the PC, but this week 's focus is on off-road racing and portable 3-D fighting action.
Leading the pack this week is Codemasters 'Dirt 3 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 The game looks to continue the series 'move away from pure rally racing with the addition of the Gymkhana discipline to the event list. This sits alongside the traditional demonstrations, point-to-point racing, Rally Cross events, and more primarily off-road activities in a range of vehicles.
Dirt 3 zooms in on Tuesday to trade.
In addition to the standard $ 60 edition of Dirt 3, the game will be in a $ 300 RC-car-pack-ship version. The package contains a copy of Dirt 3 and a 1 / 16 model by Ken Block 's Fiesta Gymkhana. The RC car comes fully assembled and waterproof electronics, all-wheel drive and a foam front bumper, and other special sport.
On-the-go players this week to pick up 3D fighting game Dead or Alive can: dimensions on Tuesday for Nintendo 's 3DS. The game features 25 characters, including fan favorites Kasumi, Lei Fang and Tina Armstrong. There are 12 species, including an arcade mode, allow the players to be fighting against a variety of opponents in one-on-one battles. There is also a story mode called Chronicles, a five-chapter plot complete with cut-scenes features.
From this Tuesday is THQ 's Kung Fu Panda 2: The Videogame for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and DS. The game begins where the second film - by this Friday - leaves off and use some of the system 's unique technology. The Xbox 360 version requires the Kinect and the Wii version of THQ can make 's uDraw tablet.
Gamers who can pick up take the bloody history of Naughty Bear 's murderous revenge to the next level ursine Naughty Bear Gold Edition this Tuesday. The title sells for $ 30 and includes the lukewarm welcome original and three chapters of downloadable content, more weapons, costumes, "kills comic," and "enhanced" multiplayer.
For further details about the week 's games, visit GameSpot' s New Releases Page. The complete list of download games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Start dates are listed dealers and are subject to change.
Tuesday 24 May
Cake Mania: Main Street - DS - Majesco Games
Dead or Alive Dimensions - 3DS - Koei
Dirt 3--X360, PS3, PC--Codemasters
Emily the Strange--DS--Conspiracy Entertainment
King Arthur Collection - PC - Paradox Interactive
Kung Fu Panda 2: The Video Game - X360, Wii, PS3 - THQ
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Videogame - PC - Disney Interactive Studios
Murder in Venice - DS - City Interactive
NASCAR 2011: The Game - Wii - Activision
Naughty Bear Gold Edition - X360, PS3 - 505 Games
Paws & Claws: Pampered Pets 2 - DS - THQ
WEDNESDAY 25 May
Aion 2.5: Empyrean Calling - PC - NCSoft
Duke Nukem: Critical Mass - DS - Deep Silver
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The HD consoles 'tablets, both of "High-definition" input in 2000x1600 Revolution, multi-touch surfaces for "stretch Pinch-and-and rotation," and built-in tilt sensor (which the Wii uDraw has, because it a Wiimote in all). Both pills are copies of a new version uDraw Studio , Ripples uDraw Studio: Instant Artist With new tutorials and a new interface. It 's also a version of Pictionary planned for the new device.
Read More uDraw for 360 and PS3 is multi-touch, ships with new studio software
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Rockstar bringing portable overhead actioner to Apple's tablet with HD makeover next week for $10.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars certainly achieved substantial critical success upon its initial release for the DS in March 2009. However, Rockstar Games' overhead action adventure proved not to be a commercial juggernaut like its console cousins, with Nintendo calling sales of the game "frustrating."Since then, Rockstar spread of the game 'S to reach the PSP and iPhone, and now publisher of adding another platform to mix, Apple' S IPAD.
The Triad's blood will flow in gripping HD next week.
In a post to its blog this week, Rockstar confirmed that an iPad-specific version of GTA: Chinatown Wars will arrive on Apple's App Store September 9. Like the iPhone version, Chinatown Wars for the iPad will carry a $9.99 price tag.
However, just because it's the same price doesn't mean Rockstar hasn't made some improvements to the iPad game. In addition to the tweaks made to the iPhone version, such as a multi-touch user interface and adjusted difficulty levels, the iPad version has been given an HD makeover, bringing with it crisper, high-definition graphics.
About what you expect from Chinatown Wars on the IPAD, check out GameSpot 'S review of the iPhone version .
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Eufloria, the "ambient game of space exploration and conquest that employs surprising themes of plant growth and bio mechanical evolution," will be making its way to iPad, iPhone, and Mac in Spring of 2011. Developers Alex May and Rudolf Kremers have partnered with the Omni system, and tuna , who will be handling the ports of the twenty-five level strategy game, which was originally released for PC in 2009. A PSN version is already in the works for 2011 as well.