PS3 news and tidbits thread

[Bloodwych]

I agree Demon Cleaner - thanks for posting the links, I enjoyed reading up on it all.

The slim must use 45nm chips perhaps?

I think mine has a 65nm CPU and 90nm RSX - it's the CECHK 80GB.

Even then, I wish it had 4 USB ports like the earlier 60GB models. I have a mouse and keyboard plugged in and end up charging the controller on my PC!

Progress also means cheaper design unfortunately. This is the console that will really make the PS3 mainstream this xmas.

I'm going to be a snob and turn my nose up at the kiddy slim! :p

[Harrison]

It's not really that much smaller than the origina, however with the PSU now internal to the system it makes it neater, and a 120GB HDD as standard is quite nice. It definitely doesn't look as good as the original glossy one and the touch buttons looked better. But for the price reduction, cooler, quieter running and reduced power consumption it is an interesting evoluton of the original.

And the HDD can still be swapped out and upgraded, so that is useful.

[Harrison]

I wish it had 4 USB ports like the earlier 60GB models. I have a mouse and keyboard plugged in and end up charging the controller on my PC!

You can use USB hubs with the PS3. And you can get very small 4 port hubs.

[Bloodwych]

with the PSU now internal to the system it makes it neater

The PSU is internal on the fat model too?

Yeah, I should perhaps get a hub. To be honest though, I have my PC on loads and it's not an issue charging it on there most the time.

As you mentioned, the 120GB hard drive is nice and still being swappable is vital if I was ever going to purchase it.

[Bloodwych]

Another thing about non-fat-boy-slim.

You can't install Linux or a third party OS on it. :(

Definately not getting one ever now, as that's what I have a keyboard and mouse plugged into mine for! The fact it can be used as a computer really appeals to me and one of the reasons I got a PS3 in the first place.

And although it's slimmer - it's also longer from front to back!

[Harrison]

You can't install a third party OS? That's not good!

[Bloodwych]

You can't install a third party OS? That's not good!

Let's hope it's just a Sony rumour to shift the older fat boys.

I'd miss a feature like that a lot.

[Sharingan]

Jesus Christ. There's a guy on PSN (PSN user Hakoom, search the name on Google) that is currently a level 18 (Trophy-wise) and has ... prepare for it ... 63 Platinum trophies. WTF.

Now, some of you might not grasp the exact grotesqueness of this bit of information, so just imagine this: a Platinum trophy is awarded only when you do and unlock just about everything there is to do in a game. This includes things like finishing the game on Ultra Hardcore difficulty level without using continues or saving, finishing a game in 2 hours flat when the average gamer might take 12-15 hours, kill the end boss using only the bare fists, racking up 50,000 online competitive kills, collecting stuff, finding secrets etc.

In other words, it takes a HELLUVA LOT OF TIME, sweat and frustration just to achieve one measly Platinum trophy (there are PS3 games out there that would take 70-80 hours AT LEAST to do everything for).

And this guy has 63 of 'em.

I can't begin to fathom what kind of life this person has. Either he's just really skilled, or he has very little else to do other than playing video games.

He's rich, though, considering he owns like 500 games.

[Submeg]

:blink: that is just scary.

[Teho]

That is pretty insane. Also remember that Trophies has only been available just a little over a year!

[Harrison]

Except, what if it is really a clan using a single PSN account? More people could easily achieve more together. That is the only thing that makes sense.

Any idea where the account/user is from? Japan or Korea would answer a lot.

[Sharingan]

I think I've seen it mentioned that he's from somewhere in the Middle East.

Anyway, I do believe it's only one person though, and not a clan!

On another note, the PS3 Slim will be out officially in two days. I'll be picking up one definitely, mainly for the decreased noise production and electricity usage. I have to say it doesn't look half bad, either, though I kinda hoped it would be a little smaller still.

For the price, it's one hell of a bargain - a games machine, media center, full featured Blu-ray player all in one? Heck yeah.

[Sharingan]

The PS3 Slim has reportedly been selling like hotcakes, especially in its country of origin, Japan. In the UK it has outsold all competing consoles by a ratio of 3-1.

It seems like this new lower price point and redesign have been the catalyst to breathe new life into Sony's next-gen machine.

I bought myself one too; at first, I thought it looked a bit cheaply built, but now that it's set up correctly, it integrates really well into the A/V rack.

[Harrison]

That is some great news. Maybe we will now finally start to see the PS3 take up the position it deserves instead of being behind the inferior 360. Although the 360 is still quite a bit cheaper.

It will be interesting to see what the failure rates of the new Slim PS3 will be. I expect they will be even lower than the original PS3 though thanks to more integrated technology and smaller die sizes helping to reduce system heat more.

[Tiago]

Another thing about non-fat-boy-slim.

You can't install Linux or a third party OS on it. :(

Definately not getting one ever now, as that's what I have a keyboard and mouse plugged into mine for! The fact it can be used as a computer really appeals to me and one of the reasons I got a PS3 in the first place.

And although it's slimmer - it's also longer from front to back!


Really ? Is it confirmed?
that's not good, i was thinking in get a PS3 in a near future, but if it's true i would not get a slim.

What about the prices in uk?

Here in Portugal both slim and fat are 299 euros, some stores offer 1 game.
I am sure in December they will get down...

[Harrison]

I also think they will fall in price again ready for Christmas. Maybe the Phat PS3 will even be discounted to clear stock, which could be a great time to grab one before they vanish.

[Sharingan]

RPG fans rejoice ... the PS3 is set to receive a Director's Cut version of Star Ocean 4 after all, with extra content.

[Demon Cleaner]

RPG fans rejoice ... the PS3 is set to receive a Director's Cut version of Star Ocean 4 after all, with extra content.That was obvious, lately so many games are announced as exclusive, but later eventually come out for the other console. I already bought it for the 360 though.

Same is with Tales of Vesperia, and I didn't buy it yet when it came out, because I saw that the PS3 version will have more content, so I will wait until its release.

[Sharingan]

Yeah, 3rd party exclusives are becoming a rarity. It's all about the money, really, and developers can't justify bringing out their games on a single console anymore.

I think Sony did well to build up a strong 1st/2nd party - even if all former 3rd party PlayStation franchises end up on other consoles, they still have their in-house titles to fall back on. This, IMO, is where Microsoft is screwing up, since they've been selling or closing down their 1st party studios in recent years.

[Harrison]

And with the companies looking to evolve their consoles into the true connected multimedia world Sony have the edge again, even over Apple. Sony own a lot of the record and film industries recording studios, back catalogues.. etc and so don't need to pay any royalties for a large proportion of the worlds available films and music.

What do Microsoft have to compare to that?

And as said above Microsoft have been doing the mad thing of buying up smaller games developers, some of them previously creating some great games, and then dissolving them. Why? Sony have been guilty of the same. Take Pygnosis for example. Although you could say that the remains of that are still going as Studio Liverpool with the fat trimmed off, so it isn't actually dissolved.

And with Sony owning so many companies, studios and intellectual properties they have a lot of 1st and 2nd party developers and existing rights to use for the PS3.

Microsoft have a pretty good console with the 360, but the new slim PS3 is now closer to the 360 Elite and beats it on specs, plus it is a great Blu-Ray player with is a brilliant bonus for every HDTV owner out there. Cheaper than a standalone Blu-Ray player, and yet it has upgradeable firmware so the Blu-Ray spec can be kept up to date with the latest BR players being released.

[my_lo]

Great new for PS3 owners and Star Trek fans: there hasn't been an official confirmation yet but it seems that Cryptic plans to realease Star Trek online for PS3 as well :)

Here is the link (http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/star-trek-mmo-heads-to-playstation-3-486365) to the info.

[Demon Cleaner]

Uncharted 2 is at an average score of 98/100 at Metacritic at the moment :blink: Looks like it's very good. I have the 1st one, but didn't play it yet, guess now would be the right time ;)

[Teho]

Definitely find time to play the first Uncharted as soon as you can! It is an excellent title. It came out in a time where slagging off all Sony exclusives was in fashion, as mediocre title after mediocre title kept coming out. So people picked at its few flaws and cried for its failure. Except it wasn't one. No, it doesn't actually bring anything new. Yes, it pretty much rips off gameplay ideas from others. But it is all so well put together! Looks great, plays great, tells an excellent adventure story. It is in fact one of the best titles on the system in many people's opinion, I don't think you'll regret giving it a go. :)

[Demon Cleaner]

I started Uncharted last Monday and finished it yesterday, I played 2-3 hours a day during 4 days to get through, played it on easy, so I guess I needed about 10 hours (as casual gamer). It was really good, I would rate it a 8.5/10, sometimes the shooting parts annoyed me a bit, as it felt like the same over and over again, I preferred the jumping and climbing parts.

Now I will wait until Uncharted 3 gets released, and then play the 2nd one :lol:

[Teho]

You know I bought Uncharted 2 on launch and still haven't gotten around to playing it? Problem was Brütal Legend was released at the same time and I got that the day before. And I've been playing Mass Effect on the PC the last couple of weeks as well. And yesterday I got Borderlands for it. So much to do, so little time. :(

In other news, I got an e-mail with a redeem code for the God of War 3 demo yesterday!:w00tdance:

...still downloading though.

[Harrison]

Mass Effect is a brilliant game, that is true. And there is a DLC expansion for it now too, making it even bigger! ;)

And now Mass Effect 2 is on the way next year. So even more to play! :)

I'm not sure what I think of Borderlands yet. The graphical style isn't one I really like and it is really a shooter more than an RPG, with the leveling up and upgrading being centres on the weapons more than the characters.

Is Brutal legend good. I've not seen any trailers of the game yet.

[Submeg]

ALRIGHT! Finally pumped some blood into the PS3 over the past few months! The games that I have finished are...

- Assassin's Creed
- LittleBigPlanet
- Resistance: Fall Of Man
- Resistance 2
- Mirror's Edge
- Fifa Street 3
- Call Of Duty 3
- Grand Theft Auto 4
- inFamous

I am now looking at getting a stack of new games for PS2 and PS3! I have been playing Bully on the PS2....here's my list of PS3 games that I'm looking at:

- Assassin’s Creed II
- Bionic Commando Rearmed
- Burnout Paradise
- Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Colin McRae: Dirt 2
- Dead Space
- Dragon Age: Origins
- Demon’s Souls
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Game Of The Year Edition
- Echochrome
- Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Frogger Returns
- Grand Turismo 5
- God Of War III
- Golden Axe: Beast Rider
- Just Cause 2
- Katamari Forever
- Lego Batman
- Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
- LocoRoco Cocoreccho
- Metal Gear Solid Rising
- Metal Gear Online
- MAG
- Megaman 9
- Mushroom Wars
- NHL 2K10
- NASCAR 09
- Nucleus
- Paintball 2009
- Prototype
- PAIN
- PixelJunk Monsters
- Prince Of Persia Classic
- Red Faction: Guerilla
- Soulcalibur IV
- Trine

What do you think of those/what should I add/avoid?

[Sharingan]

From that list I'd definitely recommend (I've left out the games that are yet to be released):

- Assassin’s Creed II
- Burnout Paradise
- Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Colin McRae: Dirt 2
- Dead Space
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Game Of The Year Edition
- Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
- LocoRoco Cocoreccho
- Mushroom Wars
- Soulcalibur IV
- Trine

Assassin's Creed 2 I'm playing myself right now. It is a definite improvement over the first installment, and should keep you engrossed for a while.

Of special note is Trine, an oldschool-ish platform game that's reminiscent of The Lost Vikings. The graphics truely are spectacular. I'd say it's definitely worth the 20 bucks.

If you're into PSN games, I would also recommend Critter Crunch and Cuboid - simple but addictive puzzle games. At 6 bucks and 8 bucks respectively, you really can't go wrong.


Of the games that are to be released, these are probably safe bets:

- Demon’s Souls
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Grand Turismo 5
- God Of War III
- Metal Gear Solid Rising
- Metal Gear Online
- MAG


I'd definitely avoid Golden Axe, unless that's really your kind of thing!

[Harrison]

Trine is indeed a great platform game. Right back to old sckool side scrolling platform adventures, but with some amazing graphics and cool gameplay using 3 characters you can switch between at any time. I've been playing it on the PC with a 360 gamepad and have been really enjoying it.

Sharingan (http://forum.classicamiga.com/forum/member.php?u=75)'s selection from your list I would also go with. I've played most of the ones currently out and they are all great fun.

Avoid getting Dragon Age: origins on the PS3. If you can get it on PC instead as the combat system is much better and makes the game much more playable and easier to control.

Red Faction: Guerilla is a great game. Again I've been playing it on the PC and it has an interesting story, unqiue gameplay taking the distruction of everything in the environment to a new level, and the graphics look amazing to boot.

Maybe avoid Prototype. I got bored of that very fast. To begin with it is great being able to run around and do practically anything you like, treating the city like a sand box to play in, but it soon gets very boring because other than gaining more and more attack skills everything starts to feel very much the same, and it isn't the longest game either.

Burnout Paradise is great fun. Being able to drive around a huge city at break neck speeds doing whatever you like, and the races are fun. Although it isn't the best in the Burnout series in my view. I would also recommend you take a look at Need for Speed: Shift as an alternative as I think that is better, and has amazing visuals and car handling.

The Lego games are great fun, although I didn't find either of the Indy ones as good as the Lego Star Wars games, so get those instead if you haven't played them.

Fallout 3 is a much have. If you like FPS and RPGs, but are not a huge fan of the original Fallout games then you will really enjoy it. In contrast, if you are a fan of the older Fallout games it might be very disappointing.

Dirt 2 is a must have game. Best in the Colin McRae series to date.

Dead Space is again a must have game. Great gameplay with some brilliant set pieces and good dark space horror. The combat takes some getting used to, and is quite unique, but worth it. Being able to cut off alien limbs to weaken them never gets old. Think of it like Event Horizon meets Alien. And the sequel is due out soon as best play the original quickly.

CoD: MW2 is also really worth getting. However be warned that if you have an older PS3 (not a slim) then many people have been having overheating issues with their PS3s due to the game really pushing the system.

[Demon Cleaner]

CoD: MW2 is also really worth getting. However be warned that if you have an older PS3 (not a slim) then many people have been having overheating issues with their PS3s due to the game really pushing the system.Really? Didn't know that, and I own it for the "old" PS3. Didn't play it yet though.

[Harrison]

Yep, apparently it has been causing the PS3's equivelant of the RROD, which shows itself by the power light blinking red when you try to switch the system on.

It is however fairly easy to fix for anyone with the right equipment and patience. It is due to the heat in the system making the solder connections brittle and cause system errors. Doing something called reflowing fixes over 85% of dead PS3s. This involves applying a hot air gun at 350 deg C for 15 seconds to each of the PS3s main chips to make the solder reflow, reseating their connections to the motherboard. It obviously requires a complete strip down of the PS3 to do this. A 6 part video is on youtube detailing it if anyone ever has this problem. BTW, a paint stripper gun can be used in substitute for a hot air rework station.

[Submeg]

geez that's a bit scary....I do have an old PS3, so yikes! Cheers for the recommendations! One of the games that was said to avoid I had marked as a possibility, so good to know I can knock that off the list!

Still unsure about Fallout, seeing as the first two were awesome....what's it like? I like FPS and RPG...so I'm unsure...

[Demon Cleaner]

I didn't like Fallout 3 much, but have to say that I only played for about 10 hours and I found it to be quite boring.

[Teho]

Fallout really is just a post-apocalyptic skin for Oblivion. Most of the gameplay works exactly the same, the sneaking, using red/white text to note if taking an item is considered stealing or not, a lockpicking minigame (though a different one) aso. If you buy it because you want more of the first two games you will be disappointed. If you buy it for what it is though you should enjoy it because it really is a great game in its own right. Its just not a good Fallout sequel. They could easily have changed the few references that are there and called the game something else, and no-one would have known it could have been Fallout.

[Submeg]

Fallout really is just a post-apocalyptic skin for Oblivion. Most of the gameplay works exactly the same, the sneaking, using red/white text to note if taking an item is considered stealing or not, a lockpicking minigame (though a different one) aso. If you buy it because you want more of the first two games you will be disappointed. If you buy it for what it is though you should enjoy it because it really is a great game in its own right. Its just not a good Fallout sequel. They could easily have changed the few references that are there and called the game something else, and no-one would have known it could have been Fallout.

Well that's just a bit disappointing...they shouldn't have called it Fallout then. Fallout was great for the way the game ran...the fact that it's a FPS just doesn't make sense :no:

[Demon Cleaner]

Of the games that are to be released, these are probably safe bets:

- Demon’s Souls
That is already out since 1 month.

[Sharingan]

Not in Europe, is it?

[Harrison]

As Teho said, Fallout 3 is a great game in its own right, but not a great game from a Fallout point of view. You mentioned you liked the first 2 games, so it could easily disappoint. It does use a lot of ideas and story elements from the series, but is definitely more a cross between Half-Life 2 and Oblivion than a Fallout style RPG.

The problem with Fallout 3 is that it can get very boring if you try to play it like just an RPG, exploring and just trying to find what is out there. If you stick to the missions and side quests it removes that and creates a great experience. Although just heading into the main city and exploring the rubble and underground is great fun and quite tough going.

[Demon Cleaner]

Not in Europe, is it?Nope, but as it's a PS3 game, meaning region free, you can order it from the states.

[Harrison]

Are all PS3 games region free and will run on any PS3?

[Teho]

Yes, but you can have trouble getting downloadable content from the playstation store to work. If you buy an american game, you pretty much always need to get extra content from the US store, even if it is free. It's a bit of a hassle but not impossible to create a second account with a US address in order to do this though. Actually many people do that anyway because the US store has more content, gets trailers and demos earlier and so on.

[Harrison]

It is similar with the PSP. The US store always carries more game demos and extra content than the EU one.

[Demon Cleaner]

I also have 2 accounts, meaning also 1 american, because as Teho mentioned, demos and trailers are often released earlier in the US Store. You can also create a 3rd japanese one, but then of course you will have to read japanese. You can't use your credit card in the US store though, it's only meant for american credit cards.

[Bloodwych]

Going back to the PS3 FAT cooling failures - it's a little more complicated.

Yes, like the 360, the movement to lead free solder and the immense heat these things can produce has lead to some contact failures, but nowhere near as many as the 360.

However,

The newer FAT models, using 65nm chips and less power therefore less heat, are less susceptible to this than the 90nm earlier release models. Check your model number here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3_hardware

Also, dust build up inside the PS3 makes the problem worse so older PS3's tend to have worse cooling from greater dust build up, therefore more likely to fail.

Since the slims are using the newer lower power chips and they are pretty new so haven't got jammed up with dust yet, they are not having cooling and solder issues - yet. They may in the future as they age.

Another complication is that firmware updates have been causing many people problems, with some firmwares causing some models to freeze in games. I had a problem with one firmware update that caused Farcry 2 to freeze about 20 minutes into a single player game. A few updates later and the issue has now gone.

Bottom line is, once your PS3 is out of warranty, think about giving it a good clean inside, especially if you're a heavy user and it's stored near the floor. I know from using PC's, that if it's on the floor, it sucks up about three times more dust that it does higher up!!!

[Harrison]

So true about PCs. I give my a cool clean out once a month and am always surprised how much dust has got in, even through the filters my cases have fitted. And when I repair systems I can't believe how much dust and crap is inside the systems. They need to really good clean before I can even start, and people wonder why system fans fail.

Maybe custom fitting washable dust filters to the PS3 might help prevent this?

[Bloodwych]

Washable/removable dust filters are a good idea! :)

They also need to be easier to take apart. These days with firmware updates and online control, surely modchips and hardware alterations are less of a concern. If I could just open up my PS3 like a grill rack and cook some food then clean the heatsinks, I would be very happy!

But then people will probably kill the consoles through static discharge. :whistle:

[Bloodwych]

Does anyone know the best split screen PS3 tiles? Any genre, driving, shooting, etc

I need to stock up on a few from ebay for when friends come around.

What got me started was Army of Two, which is quite a good split screen co-op game! It made me realise how much I miss split screen gaming!

[Demon Cleaner]

You can play the first Resistance game in co-op, which is very cool. I tried also with the sequel, but didn't find the co-op (talking about offline modes), so I guess there isn't any?

[Harrison]

Are there any PS3 games that allow LAN gameplay, rather than internet? I know some 360 games do, so was wondering if any PS3 games do. I'm guessing Modern Warfare 2 might.

BTW, has anyone played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 yet? I was playing it on the PC on Friday and it is great. Very immersive with some great set pieces. Some of the scenes could be a bit shocking to some people, such as early on when you are suddenly in control of a terrorist walking through a crowded international airport shooting anyone and everyone you see. Some crawling away to find cover.

The gun battles are great too with enemy fire flying around you. Some of the enemy AI can still be tricked because of limitations, but it is quite good, if not totally realistic.

The only downfall of the game is how linear it is. Everything is scripted just like the first game, and you have to do every event given to you to trigger the next. You have no freedom at all, that games such as Far Cry offer, bit it is still enjoyable, in more of an interactive movie sort of way.

[Sharingan]

For some weird reason, Resistance 2 lacks a co-op mode. Online co-op mode is fun, but it would've been nice to play the single player campaign with a pal.

I have Modern Warfare 2 on the PS3, but it's still packaged and untouched. Still wanting to finish Assassin's Creed II first and perhaps achieve all the Ratchet & Clank ACIT and Uncharted 2 trophies before starting the next game...

[Bloodwych]

Thanks Demon Cleaner for the suggestion.

Yes Harrision, there are LAN games. GRID has a wireless LAN mode - we've had one on one races with two PS3's before. :)

I've played Resistance 2 two player co-op with my cousin on maps that kind of role back on each other in a huge circle. Although it may have been Resistance 1.

[Sharingan]

Red Dead Redemption out in a few days. I'm somewhat hyped by it - Grand Theft Auto in a wild west setting? Bring it!!

Elsewhere, ModNation Racers is also getting very good reviews across the board. It's LittleBigPlanet all over, but featuring kart racing instead. Probably picking that one up as well.

Been playing NIER lately. It's a quirky little action RPG from the guys who made Drakengard. At first glance, it might put off a lot of people because the graphics are extremely bad (for a PS3 title, anyway). However, if you manage to persevere, you'll find a very rewarding game underneath, with a rich, layered storyline, interesting characters that actually have depth to them, exquisite music and great boss battles. I've already finished the game once, but I'm replaying it just because it's so damn good :)