259w ago - It's now been almost 2 years since the PlayStation 3 found its way into consumers hands, and things are looking brighter over the horizon. Blu-Ray has won the format war, there's a good lineup of titles dropping throughout 2008, developers are getting more of a handle on the hardware, and sales are keeping pace - at least with the Xbox 360.

Unfortunately, one area has stayed stagnant since its inception, and there doesn't seem to be much of a sign of improvement until at least this fall. I am referring to the PlayStation Network, and its abysmal showing this far.

As we all know, Microsoft came out of the gate with an extremely strong showing in almost every aspect of their online service. The marketplace, albeit a bit slow in the beginning, was soon filled to the brim with content for users to download.

Whether it be the extremely functional community features, demos of almost every game released for the system, a plethora of downloadable content and titles, or the much hailed foray into downloadable movies and TV shows, LIVE has set the bar in terms of what a console online experience should be.

No one expected Sony to deliver to the same extent as Microsoft, simply because Microsoft had years of experience with the first Xbox, as well as a much stronger software backbone,...

259w ago - In fall of 2008, two of the industry's premier shooters will face off in Resistance 2 (PS3) and Gears of War 2 (360).

Resistance, a PS3 launch title, found its way into gamers' homes and hearts following a stream of positive reviews from the gaming media. Though it sorely lacked the polish of Gears of War in terms of its visuals, it more than made up for its blemishes with a terrific story, solid gameplay and an excellent multiplayer component.

Gears of War, a title that did not see the light of day until over a year after the Xbox 360 was released, featured a brilliant singleplayer campaign with unsurpassed visuals and seriously addictive gunplay. Since their releases, Insomniac and Epic have had more than ample time to optimize each title's engines in order to get the most out of their respective consoles.

The gaming public is not only looking for these developers to deliver memorable second chapters, but also to create momentum before the crucial 2008 holiday season.

Nathan Hale and Marcus Fenix, though physically dissimilar, share more resemblances than it may initially seem. Hale, of Resistance fame, is a grizzled US Army Ranger (named after the United States' first spy) who was last seen in a snowy landscape being abducted by mysterious soldiers after destroying...

260w ago - Open worlds aren't exactly new in gaming nowadays. Just look at Grand Theft Auto. There's something liberating about an open world, as you're able to go where you want when you want; you don't feel like you're being funneled along a very narrow path.

With Far Cry 2, Ubisoft and its Ubisoft Montreal team want to deliver what is quite possibly the most convincing and realistic open world yet, but instead of trying to build urban jungles they're building actual jungles, as well as Serengeti plains, forests, and more.

We finally got our hands on Far Cry 2 this month to explore its African setting for the first time, and it's an impressive game in terms of technology and gameplay.

The mission that we got to play demonstrates the complex open world that's being created for the game. You play as a mercenary (you get to select from a pool at the start of the game) who is tasked with bringing down a merciless arms dealer who is arming both sides of a civil war in Africa. However, you need to work your way up the ladder to get to him, which means that you'll have to do missions and align yourself with various factions.

You start in a swampy area, with a safe house nearby. Go to the house and you'll meet a couple of characters, one of whom will task you with destroying a nearby pipeline...

260w ago - As if there was ever any doubt. More Metal Gear Solid 4 reviews are starting to come in now, and the scores are high. From NeoGaf:

- PlayStation Official Magazine (UK): 10/10
- PlayStation Official Magazine (US): 10/10
- PlayStation Official Magazine (Italy): 10/10
- PlayStation Official Magazine (Dutch): 9.6/10
- LEVEL (Sweden): 10/10
- Joypad (France): 19/20
- Jeuxvideo Magazine (France): 18/20

The game gets released in Europe on June 12.

260w ago - Speaking to ButtonBandits.com, Chief Game Designer Ralph Fulton has said that he believes forthcoming title GRID is the most exciting racing game ever made and that competing titles such as Forza and Gran Turismo are all about the car list rather than racing.

When asked if he was pleased development was now over and how he thought the final product had shaped up Ralph said "we have been desperate to get everything into it we wanted to get into it and I think we're all really pleased now the dust has settled on it with the product we've got.

I think it's a really exciting racing game, I'd go as far to say it's the most exciting racing game ever made, it looks stunning and I think were all going to take a well deserved rest after this."





On comments in forums and online on the number of cars in the game compared to competing titles such as Gran Tourismo and Forza, Ralph said "Yeah I can understand that. When you have competing games like Gran Turismo and Forza, which pride themselves on the car list, there all about the car list, that's their focus. I know Turn 10 have been quite open about the fact that Forza is just really a car list. Which is great for them.

Does it make sense for Codemasters to try and do the...