It is no secret that the PlayStation 3 is not the most developer-friendly console on the market, however it seems as if Sony has listened to the criticism and will address this issue when they design, manufacture and develop the PlayStation 4.

Apparently developers will have a lot more input when it comes to the PlayStation 4′s design, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida recently suggested that developing the PlayStation Move showed just how important and beneficial developer input really is.

Sony’s hardware manufacturers were not the first involved with PlayStation Move, instead Sony’s Worldwide Studio tried out many different motion controller-related technologies such as 3D cameras and ultrasound. This input assures that developers are working with what they want to work with.

Yoshida also went on to suggest that the PS4′s OS and platform tools will actually be developed by game developers, which I think sounds pretty promising.

Do you think that more developer input will make the PlayStation 4 better than any future Microsoft console?

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In the course of human history, there comes a time when gamers start thinking ahead to the next generation of consoles.  Many people argue that all three consoles are winners in this generation.  However, Sony was in a position to defeat Microsoft and Nintendo and did not do so.  Here are five things Sony can do with the PS4 to ensure they come out on top, when the PS4 eventually appears years down the line.

1.  Innovate, don’t duplicate!

Innovation: Sony told us over and over again that Playstation Home would revolutionize how gamers played with each other.  That revolution lasted about 10 minutes inside Home until you realized there was NOTHING to do and the entire experience was one big ball of suck.

The sad thing about Sony’s best innovation is that it isn’t theirs. Blu-ray has been a saving grace for Sony allowing for more content and higher quality movies to be played on their gaming console.  I can’t give them credit for the invention but sticking that invention in each of their consoles is exactly the innovation they need to win the next generation.

Duplication: Microsoft gave us achievements and Sony duplicated it with the emptier feeling trophy system.  Now this may sound a little…how do I put it? off balanced, but achievements are the Los Angeles Lakers and trophies are the Los Angeles Clippers.  Their purpose is the same, they are both appreciated additions to the games entertainment value, but one is clearly superior to the other.

Remember that console you were soooo excited to purchase so you could use awesome motion controls and really feel immersed in the game?  The Woo…I mean, WII! Remember 6 months later when the novelty wore out and you clicked the “Confirm Auction” button on eBay?  Well guess what!?!  Sony has duplicated the Wii and brought us Playstation Move!  Even though Playstation Move will be have more accurate controls than those offered by the Wii, it’s just another novel idea that will end up chatting with your other unused peripherals…namely Donkey Konga bongos and the “Now free with the purchase of anything in Best Buy” DJ Hero turntable.

2. Better Launch Titles

Sony had a tough time getting out of the blocks with the PS3.  When Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is one of the top three titles at launch, you have yourself a mighty big problem.  Of the 21 launch titles on the PS3, 17 were already available for the Xbox 360!  Resistance was the one bright spot and let’s be honest…it wasn’t that great.

Just to help Sony out, here are a few ideas for great launch titles for the PS4:

God of War V

Uncharted 4

Kevin Butler presents: The Adventures of Sax Guy and Old-Spice Man

3. Do NOT invest anymore time or money into 3D Gaming

Six months ago, I might have argued in the other direction with 3D gaming.  Avatar was filling seats with its hot Blue Man Group sci-fi action, and James Cameron did the 3D world proud. Bad news: every other movie released in 3D was not done nearly as well as Avatar and 4 seizures and 10 migraines later, I’m done with it. There are plenty of ways to push gaming into the future, but please Sony, don’t try and make 3D gaming one of those ways! My carpet hates vomit.

4.  Charge for PSN accounts to make it better

Forget about Playstation Plus, charge an annual fee for all users and use that money to make your network better.  Xbox Live is so much better than the Playstation Network, I tickle my elbows when people claim otherwise. Examples?

While Microsoft and their 8-person party chat is calling me from their satellite phone high atop Mount Kilimanjaro, Sony and their no-cross game chat system is yelling at me through a flamboyant male cheerleaders megaphone.

When I open my drawer of video games to grab an “oldie but goodie” to enjoy for an hour or so, I cringe when I reach for a PS3 game.  Why?  Because I know that if I grab a game I haven’t played in over 2 months, I will encounter a 150+MB update that will waste half of the time I had to play.  So I reach for an Xbox game instead.  Oh sure, my Xbox games have updates too, but they NEVER take more than 10 seconds to complete.

5.  Pray that Nintendo throws in the towel

Sony, you may want to send Mr. Cobb into the dreams of Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata and plant an idea in his brain to turn Nintendo into a dog food company.  A dog food consisting of primarily shredded mini-game themed video game discs.

Honestly, I don’t see Nintendo striking gold twice.  They’re enjoying the spoils of their gimmick for now, but when the time comes to move on to the next round of the console wars, Sony can give themselves a great shot at being number one if they “StumbleUpon” SarcasticGamer.com and read this article.

Unless of course Nokia makes an N-Gage Console…Then they can only hope for 2nd place.

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Some fresh info on the capital’s month-long gaming jamboree.

The organisers of the annual London Games Festival have been releasing a steady stream of intriguing announcements over the last week. Running from September 30 to November 4, the festival is a collection of events taking in the Eurogamer Games Expo, the Golden Joystick Awards and the MCM Expo, which covers games, mucis and manga. There are also plenty of more esoteric options, including BoardGameCamp, a day-long spin-off event form the annual GameCamp looking at, yes, board games with lots of practical sessions and the chance to design your own game.

The big news, perhaps, is that Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka will be there in the first week, presenting his new game Ivy the Kiwi and then holding an audience Q&A session. Naka left Sega back in 2006 and set up Prope, a studio dedicated to supporting offbeat and indie game projects. The date and venue are yet to be confirmed by check the website for more details.Meanwhile, the huge Eurogamer Expo, which takes over Earls Court between October 1-3, has just announced that Peter Molyneux will be kicking off the first day with a demo of Lionhead’s Fable III. If it’s anything like the talk he gave at this summer’s Develop conference, it’ll be worth the entry price alone: Molyneux is a great speaker and fabulously indiscreet, so you’re bound to pick up a few secrets that’ll have Microsoft execs shuffling uncomfortably in their seats. Talking of Microsoft, it seems Gears of War 3 will also be on the showfloor in playable form, joining the likes of Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 3, Medal of Honor and Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.

Finally, the festival has also announced a competition offering two lucky winners the chance to go to every event on the calendar and blog about them all for the official website. “We’re looking for two enthusiastic gamers, who are keen to join the games industry, to become the festival’s official ‘voice’,” says director, Kirsty Payne. “This is a fantastic opportunity for an aspiring writers and bloggers – not just to see the inner workings of all aspects of the games industry, but to get their work in front of a global audience.” If you’re interested, you need to email Kirsty (kirsty dot payne at ukie dot info) outlining in 200 words or fewer why you would be an ideal candidate.

Games

Events

Keith Stuart

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Could this be the year you switch allegiances?

The challenge facing EA when they were planning FIFA 11 must have been similar to that facing a top football manager after a successful season. Change too much, and you may lose what made you great in the first place. Change too little, and you could stagnate and allow your rivals to catch up.

Konami, meanwhile have a pretty huge task on their hands. Once title challengers, their form has slipped in the past few years to the point where few could see them winning the title race this time around – though their past pedigree means you can never rule them out entirely.

I got my hands on FIFA 11 last month and was very pleased with what I saw – the game has built on the successful features of 2010 World Cup, feeling different but still reassuringly familiar.

Aside from the obvious cosmetic tweaks – the new pitch and player likeness are really something to behold – and hundreds of small tweaks most gamers will never notice, it’s the gameplay which feels like it’s received the most attention.

Passing in particular has been revamped, hopefully eradicating the ‘ping-pong’ passing problems which irked so many FIFA 10 players. You can no longer tiki taka your way through opposition defences with all but the most limited of teams – it requires real skill to weight passes appropriately to string moves together.

I’d imagine this will place the focus back on dribbling and player skills as the key to unlocking the opposition – better start boning up on your rabonas and Cruyff turns.

My Pro Evo demo crashed during download (definitely a sign) but as usual Konami are promising their best ever release. It’s unlikely to match FIFA in terms of presentation and finesse, but I’m sure it will still maintain a decent fanbase with its alternative interpretation of the beautiful game.

Dipping into both series over the past year, it’s as hard as ever to define exactly what differentiates them both in terms of gameplay. FIFA, to me, feels more fluid, but slower. Meanwhile I’ve found it harder and harder to score great goals on Evo, but easier to keep clean sheets.

A year ago now I wrote an article in which I confessed my loyalty to the Evo franchise – ultimately that loyalty was short-lived once FIFA’s superior online play and ability to create more cultured passing moves won me over. I’m now a FIFA man, through and through – something I never thought I’d hear myself say. Well, write.

With the both demos now out, you’ve all had a chance to sample both offerings. Could this be the year that you switch allegiances? Or do you already know who’s got your £40 come the first week of October?

FIFA 11 is released on 1 October . Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is released on 8 October

Games

Jack Arnott

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On their own, Sony’s PlayStation Move and push toward 3D gaming mark two major initiatives toward changing the way people experience video games. But what happens when you take both of these technologies and combine them with the same game? That’s the question we sought to answer when we saw that Sony was allowing Tokyo Game Show attendees to play the upcoming first-person shooter Killzone 3 with Move motion control and 3D glasses. At the risk of looking like someone cosplaying as cyberpunk magician with all that fancy gear, we took a turn at Killzone 3 to see how the experience differs while playing with Move and 3D.

Slim-PS3.com is updated regularly each day with the latest Free PlayStation news and games reviews.

Recent PS3 news: IGN writes: “As we reported in late-August, NBA 2K11 will ship with PlayStation Move support and will be adding 3D technology later in the calendar year, free of charge. Yesterday I got the chance to sit with a 2K Sports developer as he walked me through using Move in-game and the benefits of adding a third dimension to round ball”. Our blog is updated regularly each day with the very latest Slim PS3 news and games reviews.

Powerful games bought to new audience

Ico was the greatest game ever released on Playstation 2. Ico’s minimalist look and emotional pull – why don’t more games use the character hand-holding mechanic so memorably used here? – created a game unlike any other. The “spiritual successor” Shadow of the Colossus – also released on PS2 – didn’t quite hit the same highs but was still a memorable and powerful experience. So the confirmation that both are getting HD upgrades for a PS3 release is easily the best gaming news you will hear all month.

Famitsu – via andriasang – have published separate boxes for each but you would imagine a bundle release would make more sense in Europe. What we don’t want are any “updates” that detract from the original games. HD visuals will do fine thanks.

Anyway, what do you think? Excited by the news? And if so, what are your memories of Ico and Colossus?

Games

Sony

Greg Howson

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Need a distraction this lunchtime? Got a “modern” browser? Then you might care to go and have a play on Biolab Disaster – a fairly standard platformer which wouldn’t draw much attention, except for the fact that it’s entirely written using HTML5 and Javascript.

Is that clever? Cool? Well, it’s interesting, because it shows that more developers are getting to grips with the possibilities offered by HTML5. Was it harder than doing it in Flash? Quite probably – but once one person has done it, and shared their experience, it gets easier for everyone who comes after them.

And as Dominic Szablewski, the developer, says,

“Biolab Disaster formulates the playable truth that it makes sense to create games for HTML5. Not only is the result on par with current Flash games, but also is the development process incredibly smooth and satisfying. The hurdles that a new technology such as HTML5 sets, were already overcome by the game engine. For the development of the game itself, I didn’t have to deal with any browser or platform issues at all.”

“With Microsoft delivering some HTML5 support in Internet Explorer 9 and JavaScript and rendering performance steadily increasing, I can’t see any reason why JavaScript and Canvas would not be the gaming platform of the coming years that finally removes Flash from its quasi monopole.”

(I think he means “monopoly”. Though monopole is a good word too.)

This echoes the rather larger effort that we’ve seen from SPIL Games, which at the end of August announced that it would be offering HTML5 versions of its its games websites – and that it thought that would be a new standard within a few years.

Of course, no new technology ever runs completely smoothly. There are still big differences between browsers in performance, and compatibility.

The author offers his own notes on compatibility: Opera 10.61: PerfectSafari 5.0 (Mac): PerfectFirefox 4 Beta 3: PerfectFirefox 3.6: Sound issues; slowChrome 7: Sound issuesIE 9 Preview: Sound issues; slow.

In fact, he’s a bit narked with some of the browsers involved. Specifically, Safari:

“please get your shit together! You are a very nice browser; my game runs with an excellent frame rate and everything works fine. But please (please!) support the Ogg Vorbis codec for Audio elements. There is no reason not to. I had to encode all my sound files in Ogg Vorbis and MP3, just because of you, Safari. You make my life unnecessarily difficult.”

Unfortunately I think he’s going to be disappointed – the chances of Apple supporting Ogg Vorbis are between zero and none.

All the browsers tested performed well – offering frame rates above 30fps – apart from Internet Explorer 9 (preview 4), which could only manage 23fps on his Intel Core2Duo/Windows 7 rig (on which Opera 10.6 managed a whopping 263 fps. (To see the comparative rankings, click the picture at the top of this post.)

Still, never mind – we’ll have to see how the real Internet Explorer 9 (released this evening) performs.

And if you headed over there on your iPhone/iPad and didn’t get a result, he’s ahead of you…

“The [game] engine gets no canplaythrough notification for sound files from Mobile Safari. Haven’t really looked into it, as the game itself will only run with ~12 FPS (iPhone 3GS) anyway (the bottleneck is the drawing performance – it easily consumes 90% of the CPU time).

That’s got to be embarrassing for Apple, which has made much of the HTML5 qualifications of its iOS operating system. Perhaps someone will get in touch with Szablewski and help out.

Also: he doesn’t know if it works on Android. Anyone got an Android phone and want to try?

There’s also a making-of video. And when you next do a making-of video, do think carefully about what web searches you’re going to leave visible in the browser search space.

HTML5

Games

Charles Arthur

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Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, KickAss, FIFA 11, Shank, ModNation Racers, The Forced Unleashed II, Ace Combat: Assult Horizons

Episode 24 of FirstPlay will be on the Store this Wednesday, and comes with an exclusive Top Gun theme as well as a review of genre-twisting RPG sequel Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep for PSP. We also have not one but two huge studio visits this week, the first to EA Sports’ Vancouver lair to check up on FIFA 11, and the second to see Enslaved: Odyssey To The West at Ninja Theory, and a review of superhero hit Kick-Ass on Blu-ray.

We’ve also got a packed Network Highlights section this week, including a review of side-scrolling slasher Shank, a look at the latest minis and a round-up of the best user-created ModNation Racers, and plenty more games in our screenshot galleries, including sandy shooter Spec Ops: The Line, robo-suited blockbuster Vanquish, The Force Unleashed II and ‘The Modern Warfare Of The Skies’ (their words not ours) Ace Combat: Assault Horizons.

Which, for just 99p, gets you over half an hour’s HD game coverage and a pretty picture of a plane for your XMB. And if you subscribe it’s even cheaper –  around 75p an episode if you take out a 90-day subscription for £8.99.

We’d also like to remind you that you can stay in touch with all things FirstPlay by following us on Twitter at @firstplay_uk and on our Facebook page. We also have a YouTube channel up and running. And don’t forget you can sign up for the FirstPlay newsletter here to have regular news and content updates delivered directly to your inbox.

The FirstPlay team would love to hear from the PS3 community so if you’ve got anything to share, from videos and grabs to suggestions for content feel free to get in touch.

Our blog is updated regularly each day with the very latest Free PlayStation 3 news.

Alrighty PlayStation Plus subscribers (those of you on the fence should take advantage of the discounted three month trial) here is what’s in store for you with on the 21st.

Lots of great games, my only real beef with PlayStation Plus is that I’ve already bought so much of the content. “Zen Pinball” is a personal favorite that I bought ages ago…
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