Saturday, August 20, 2011

Resistance: Burning Skies dev finds Vita not that different to PS3

Resistance: Burning Skies developer Nihilistic hasn’t struggled with the transition from PlayStation 3 to Vita development.


“[Sony] were looking for PS3 developers to milk the power out of the Vita, and I think that’s definitely the right way to go because it’s got a lot of power,” Nihilistic’s Rob Heubner told the US PS Blog.

“It’s got all the shaders, it’s got a lot of CPU.”

Huebner said similarities between the PlayStation 3 and Vita’s capabilities meant it wasn’t “really that big of a change” for the studio to switch over to the new portable.

“We’re a PlayStation 3 company. That’s our engine, that’s our technology,” he said.

The developer also teased upcoming “surprises” foregrounding Vita’s unique controller set in addition to announced touch screen and twin-stick schemes.

No release date has been set for Resistance: Burning Skies

Friday, August 19, 2011

Sony: There’s a “real strong” market for rich portable gaming

Sony’s research has convinced it there is a market for portable gaming of the kind smartphones can’t yet provide.


“When you look at the type of consumer that’s playing cell phone games currently, it’s someone that enjoys smaller ‘kill time’ gaming and has not gravitated to the larger, richer, deeper experiences that true handheld gaming provides,” Sony’s John Koller told Gamespot.

“We’ve certainly seen that on the PSP, and I know Nintendo has probably commented on it for their products, but as we go toward the PlayStation Vita, I can tell you that as we started looking at that product and the market opportunity several years ago, we saw a real strong demographic for those deeper, richer, console-type experiences.”

The hardware maketing director said the controls which make Vita unique in the portable space set it apart, appealing to both core and casual users.

“That ‘new ways to play’ idea, particularly for Vita, really differentiates from what’s available on mobile phones or tablets and, frankly, what will be available on those platforms over the next three to five years,” he said.

“You’re going to see PS Vita expand what a lot of people believe to be true about handheld gaming, and you’re going to see a lot of those current mobile phone and tablet gamers come over to Vita. We’re very convinced of that.”

Alien Spidy Revealed For PlayStation Vita, Includes User-Generated Content

It’s a good time to join the PlayStation family, with the PS3 having been cut to an affordable price and the upcoming PlayStation Vita starting to look better every day. Along with the announcement of several social apps, Sony revealed a new IP at gamescom for the PSV called Escape Plan, now, they have announced yet another game.




Titled Alien Spidy, the game follows the story of “a strange and friendly being from outer space with special powers and the size and look of an earthling spider.” Spidy must face a tiny world of insects in order to rescue his alien friend from the evil Mantis Emperor Virgi in over 25 levels.
The key features highlighted are:
  • Game mechanics base on controlled physics
  • Collect power-ups and items for special abilities
  • Great variety of enemies, including Final Bosses
  • Over 20 different game maps of great beauty and fun
  • A fresh story with an original and humorous plot
  • Use Spidy’s friends skills to surpass obstacles and threats
  • Unblock new game content solving puzzles and performing achievements
  • Co-Op & Competitive multiplayer modes for up to 4 different aliens
  • Create, play and share your own game maps with the Online Community
The map editor allows for user generated content, so you can create new game maps to play and share.
The Official PlayStation site’s listing for the game says that the game will have cross format compatibility with the PS3, but this has not been confirmed.