Sony had a lot of news, most notably the launch of their PlayStation Network video store today. If you login, you may have to hunt for the new Video button near the top of the store next to the default Game (tabs might have worked better!). Once you click it, you'll find movies and TV shows from Sony Pictures, plus Disney, Fox Film and TV, Funimation, Lion's Gate, MGM, Paramount, Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. Movie rentals are $3-6, with only a few available in HD. They are good for 14 days until you start watching (twice Xbox Live Marketplace's limit), and then you only have 24 hours (same as Marketplace). The other minor improvements over Xbox 360 are that you can actually buy movies (standard def only) for $10-15 and transfer them to your PSP via USB from your PS3 or PC. However, some movies are ONLY available for purchase and, again, none in high def. Most TV shows cost you $2 each to buy (no rentals or season passes, just like the 360). Here's what else Sony announced:
- New SKUs:
- PlayStation 3 with 80GB hard drive for $400, due to retail in September
- PlayStation Portable Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters Pack with the aforementioned game, National Treasure 2, 1GB Memory Stick Duo and Echochrome download voucher for $200 (overpriced unless you actually want the worst ever Ratchet and Clank title plus a UMD movie)
- PlayStation 2 bundle with Lego Batman game and Justice League: New Frontiers DVD for $150
- The Sony Greatest Hits series will soon launch $30 budget PS3 games including Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 3, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fight Night: Round 3, MotorStorm, Need for Speed: Carbon, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Rainbow Six Vegas, Resistance: Fall of Man and Warhawk
- LittleBigPlanet is coming in October (and may be the coolest thing Sony's ever done)
- God of War III is coming to PS3 (someday)
- DC Universe Online is an MMO where you can create a superhero team up with classic comic heros and villains including Batman, Superman, The Joker and Lex Luthor
- Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty is a short but polished $15 downloadable title due this summer (not clear whether the retail game is required to play it)
- Massive Action Game (working title) will offer 256-player online battles
- PSP is getting Buzz! Master Quiz, Lego Batman, LocoRoco 2, Midnight Club LA Remix, Patapon 2, Resistance: Retribution, Star Wars: Force Unleashed and Super Stardust Portable
- The PlayStation Home won't be launching anytime soon, but you will get a long-overdue single PSN sign-in for PS2, PS3, PSP and PC in the fall
Nice work Gamewatcher! I like reading your posts much better than sitting through hours of E3 coverage on G4. Granted some of the demos and trailers were gorgeous. I was wondering if you heard more about Animal Crossing and the online options? My family loved the Gamecube game, four of us paying off our houses and myself collecting all bugs and fish. But if you need online to get the full experience we may have to pass.
Thanks! It was a lot of work, but I do it so that busy gamers can get the summary without wading through hours of filler and, worse, unmitigated spin.
As for Animal Crossing, it looks like it's the same basic gameplay you can enjoy offline, but with the added bonus of being able to invite online friends to visit and even chat using the room-to-room mikes.
I never got into the Animal Crossing games, but the one actually looks like fun and our 5-year-old will be ready to play this when it comes out.
On the PS3 front, I will probably buy the Ratchet and Clank expansion and LittleBigPlanet, and maybe God of War III. Their movie rentals are still too expensive, and not nearly enough in HD.
Nothing for the PSP really grabbed me, but then I haven't actively played a game on it in over a year.
For Wii, I will get Animal Crossing, Wii Sports Resort and maybe Wii Music and Rayman Raving Rabbids.
On the DS, there's GTA: Chinatown Wars! And maybe the Spore Creature Creator.
The Xbox 360 stuff was where it was at for me. Fallout 3 (already preordered special edition), Portal: Still Alive, Banjo Kazooie, and maybe even Fable 2 (disliked the first one's "room to room" map structure but the new one looks more evolved). I also am intrigued by the dashboard revamp; it will be interesting to see whether this works as well as they portrayed it. I'll also try their Netflix service since I already use Netflix, though I'd prefer if they offered HD rentals - even if it meant a slightly higher Netflix subscription.
All in all, it's shaping up to be another good year to be a gamer. Now, if I could just get my red ringed Xbox 360 replaced!
-=Gamewatcher