Sony Announces 34 PS3 Games At Gamer's Day

destinyland writes "Sony just announced a whopping 34 titles that are upcoming for the PlayStation 3. Despite record losses for the game group, their stock shot to a five-year high and they promised to eliminate 80% of their operating loss within one year. Analysts think that Sony's plan for that might include eventually lowering prices for the PS3." The 'Gamers Day' event featured a great deal of new information about Sony products and services, including the new PSP Store. Joystiq had some hands-on time with highly anticipated titles like LittleBigPlanet and Heavenly Sword.

Comments

Hmm..

[Turn-X Alphonse]

So, where's the list? If they have 30+ I want a list of names, not figures and 3 names.

Re:Hmm..

[UbuntuDupe]

Oh, I got that right here. My close, personal friend, Dick Marks, posted them here. The one I'm REALLY looking forward to, is the untitled, unannounced sports game from a to-be-determined studio.

Re:Hmm..

[CastrTroy]

Wow, they're coming out with 34 games, 9 of which are called Untitled, with no release date, and quite a few others that have a name, but still no release date. Is anybody less than impressed with this list of games?

Lower the price?

[grogdamighty]

"Despite record losses for the game group, their stock shot to a five-year high and they promised to eliminate 80% of their operating loss within one year. Analysts think that Sony's plan for that might include eventually lowering prices for the PS3." Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but how do you eliminate operating loss by lowering prices? Is this one of those crazy "make it up in volume" schemes?

Re:Lower the price?

[hal2814]

You see they're going to let you sell them and you'll get a cut of the sales. Now you can get someone to sell them for you and then both you and Sony will get cuts of the sales. That chain can keep on going. Eventually, you'll be able to get enough people under you that you don't even have to sell PS3s anymore. You can just watch the money pour in from your underlings selling PS3s.

Re:Lower the price?

[alvinrod]

Additionally, getting extra PS3's into the wild will increase the number of game sales which also increases profit for Sony. In addition to this, every PS3 out there is also a Blu-Ray player and helps move Sony a few steps closer to winning a format war that they've invested a lot of money in. If Blu-Ray wins out, people are more likely to start buying Blu-Ray players and Blu-Ray movies (both of which Sony sells) which will also generate some extra revenue for Sony.

There are probably a few more angles I haven't seen, but I think that covers most of it.

Re:Lower the price?

[revlayle]

It's like the Video Game division of Amway!

Re:34 Games in the next year

[Intellectual Elitist]

Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Lair, Warhawk, Stranglehold, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, Stuntman: Ignition, Heavenly Sword, and Sega Rally Revo are all due before the end of September.

Doesn't mean much

[AKAImBatman]

Sony just announced a whopping 34 titles that are upcoming for the PlayStation 3.

Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have a single gem like Super Paper Mario than 34 unnamed, generic, run of the mill "games". I'm sorry, but I'm not 14 anymore. I don't have time to play constant mediocrity. So a single really fun game is going to appeal to me more than a gluttony.

And while I'm on the topic, I'd like to point out that Super Paper Mario literally defines what Nintendo means by "fun over graphics". The graphics are quite pretty vector drawings, but there is no $4,000,000, ultra-realistic, shiny armored characters that look good on an HDTV. Instead, the company put their budget into every aspect of the game. There are nearly a dozen different "pixls" you can pick up, giving you a wide variety of methods of solving puzzles. EVERY character in the game has its own lines. There are no "generic" NPCs. The storyline (while quite lengthy at times) is amazingly well done and lends itself directly to the gameplay. All the towns and areas have rich histories and plenty of text about the characters that populate them. The gameplay itself changes quite often. Besides the usual jumping around, there are amusing street-fighter-type battles, a cute NES-style RPG simulator, passcode protected areas, puzzles requiring special button presses or a specific order of block bashing, switch puzzles, item combinations to make new items, a shoot'em'up boss level, etc, etc, etc.

I have been making a point of purchasing most of my Wii and Gamecube games at either used or below retail prices. But Super Paper Mario was worth every penny I paid for it. It is truly a fresh game that drives the bar of quality ever higher. If the PS3 had a game like Super Paper Mario, I can tell you that they'd be selling a LOT more boxes right now. Even at $699.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[toolie]

Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have a single gem like Super Paper Mario than 34 unnamed, generic, run of the mill "games". I'm sorry, but I'm not 14 anymore.

Uh oh, now you've done it. Prepare for the onslaught of 'Mario?!?! LOLZ, what r u, 14?' comments.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[hansamurai]

How do we know that within those 34 games, there isn't a "Super Paper Mario"-equivalent for either you or some other older gamer? Everyone has different tastes, some people like specific genres, some people will play something from every genre. I've grown out of the stage where I must own the latest and greatest right now and I really only have time for a couple of new games a year, yet I can still find those games across platforms and appreciate them, even though they're not Mario. Right now I'm playing Okami, Guitar Hero, Puzzle Quest DS, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Now that may sound like a lot but considering I only have a few hours a week, those will last me a long time. I only have time for games that are worth playing, I don't try to hold every game I play up to Chrono Trigger, but I'm not so elitist towards game companies or platforms that I don't even consider them.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[DrEldarion]

What's to say there won't be a few amazing gems in there? Why do you assume they'll all be generic and run of the mill? As far as I know, there's nothing preventing anyone from making fun games for the PS3.

Also, "fun over graphics" makes me roll my eyes. Get this through your heads, people - the two are not mutually exclusive. For a non-PS3 example (to avoid fanboy accusations), see Gears of War. I have had a ton of fun playing games on my Wii, but I am very frequently wishing for higher-resolution graphics.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[pl1ght]

Sorry, while paper mario might be fun. It just doesnt cut it in my book of what I consider fun. Id take Heavenly Sword any day over Paper Mario. Different tastes for different people. Nintendo understands the ADD generation where ridiculous short party games are all that many ppl find fun today. Some of us others still enjoy the epic detailed intricate hard games that come with 360/PS3 territory. Not to mention Multiplayer capabilities.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[AKAImBatman]

Nintendo understands the ADD generation where ridiculous short party games are all that many ppl find fun today. Some of us others still enjoy the epic detailed intricate hard games that come with 360/PS3 territory

Not epic and detailed? You obviously haven't played Super Paper Mario.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[toolie]

Nintendo understands the ADD generation where ridiculous short party games are all that many ppl find fun today. Some of us others still enjoy the epic detailed intricate hard games that come with 360/PS3 territory.

I'm over 5 hours into Paper Mario: Lost in Time and doubt that I'm 1/3 of the way through the game yet. I hardly doubt that qualifies as an ADD game. Some of the fights are a major pain in the ass. Its possible I just suck at it, but I doubt it.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[bigstrat2003]

Because if there were, they'd be announcing those rather than "We've got 34 games coming up." I call BS on this statement. There's no reason they can't do both, and indeed, you make it sound like high-profile games aren't coming to the PS3. I guess FF13, GTA4, and MGS4 don't exist to you? Saying the PS3 doesn't have any spotlight games coming up is about as ridiculous as saying the same of the Xbox 360.

I'll get that "through my head" when you agree to get this through your head: There is a limited budget when developing a game. If you spend it ALL on graphics assets, you can't spend it on the game. There MUST be a balance between the two. Super Paper Mario took the opposite extreme. It used a 3D Vector Drawing engine to produce 2.5D graphics (they're really 3D, but you usually see them from one side) of a drawn nature. The engine isn't going to win any awards on photo-realism, but it does the job very nicely. The money that the Intelligent Systems team didn't spend on graphics was then able to go to story line, scripting, level design, puzzle design, game variations, item variety, character design, etc. The result is a stunning example of a game that is nice to look at, but truly pulls its weight in the gameplay department. So you've never, ever played a game which had great graphics and great gameplay to boot? I feel bad for you if that is indeed the case. It doesn't sound like you accepted the GP's point at all: graphics and gameplay are not mutually exclusive. Some games, for example, don't need tons of new gameplay mixed in to give us what we expect. When the next version of UT comes out, the fans of the series know what they're getting into, gameplay-wise. The improvements in gameplay will be evolutionary, not revolutionary, but the improvement in graphics should be extreme. There's a good example of graphics trumping gameplay in terms of development time.

Not all games are an established FPS series, you'll say, and I agree. So for an even better example, I bring you a game straight from the same camp as your example: Final Fantasy VII. Like Super Paper Mario, it's an RPG. Unlike SPM, FF7 was hailed at the time, as I recall, for its stunning graphics, especially the CG cutscenes. FF7 is also (rightfully so, imo) hailed as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, if not the greatest RPG of all time, if not the greatest game of all time. It earns this praise for its story, and its gameplay, both of which are very endearing to people.

So, not just any game, but an RPG, like Super Paper Mario, which had great graphics, and great gameplay and story as well. You have one example of a game which is fun without cutting-edge graphics, but your point (or what seems to be your point) falls apart, because we can pull up example after example of games which are damn fun while still having great graphics.

Re:Doesn't mean much

[badboy_tw2002]

Oh Lordy Lords...can we please just be done with that old "Gameplay vs. Graphics" chestnut? I love playing the Wii and all, but I really hate the spineless doublethink that gets brought up as soon as someone mentions something from another platform. "Ugh, probably just some pretty pictures on some $10,000 HDTV no one owns - I for one prefer GAMEPLAY in my GAMES over GRAPHICS, but maybe that's just ME and not some beer-guzzlin sheeple - sniff sniff"

I've worked in game development for a while now, and have done programming and project management. Let me assure you, we do not have a column with dollar signs that says "Graphics" and one that says "Gameplay" and add money to one and subtract it from another. You know what makes great games? Great ideas, great designers, great execution. You really can't polish a turd, but you can take a great idea and make it a steaming pile by not executing on it. Execution means polish, and polish a lot of the time means a high graphic standard (not photorealistic - Okami anyone?) Here's another fun fact: Artists are cheap. The real cost in HD game devlopment is still what it always was - engine development, tuning, optimization, getting that 60 fps so you don't look like a chump (well, that's a programmers point of view :). So all those "skyrocketing prices of next gen game development!" FUD pieces you read, well, no one around here suddenly went "oh shit, HD, we need twice as many artists, and we need to shudder our windows with $100 bills so the HD looks really good!" Game development hasn't changed because suddenly the resolution doubled. Hell, HD was passed a while back on the PC, and you never saw any "oh shit, now we're totally screwed" pieces in the PC world.

The fact of the matter is, a good game is a good game. Graphics can and do make a game more enjoyable. The two aren't mutually exclusive, no matter what the Nintendo PR (is it even them saying that?) machine would have you believe. After all, where was that talk when the Gamecube was putting out equal or better quality graphics as the Xbox/PS2?

An actual list....

[Churla]

There's more of an actual list, although still only showing about half of the games, over at 3 -games-sony-strikes-back/>Gamer.Blorge.com</a> But even then of those (which I assume are the best ones in order to get mentioned) only about 3 are exclusives. The others are either going to be available on many platforms, or just sequels to franchises... A good summary was over on Fark somewhere..

SingStar Another franchise entry
Heavenly Sword
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Movie tie-in
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Movie tie-in
Madden NFL 08 Another franchise entry
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Another franchise entry
Grand Theft Auto IV Another franchise entry
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Another franchise entry
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Another franchise entry
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent Another franchise entry
The Bigs Not exclusive, seems like a lame faux sports title.
NCAA Football 2008 Another franchise entry
Timeshift PS3 Not exclusive
Assassin's Creed Not exclusive
The Darkness Not exclusive
Lair
All Pro Football 2K8 Another franchise entry (Used to be the ESPN NFL line)

You have basically 3 exclusives.. yay.

Though who cares if it's a "franchise entry"

[Sciros]

Twilight Princess is "Another franchise entry." Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros Brawl, Metroid Prime: Corruption, etc. -- the games that make the Nintendo Wii's holiday season (hopefully) worth waiting for through the current drought are all "franchise entries." Mind you they are also technically "exclusives."

Cross-platform franchise entries such as NBA 2K8, that's a different story. Those I agree aren't worth getting excited about, at least not over a particular console.

Also, I'd call Ninja Gaiden Sigma a "PS3 exclusive." It's not Ninja Gaiden or Ninja Gaiden Black, really, and it's also not being released for the 360 (sadly, as I am a NG whore).

Anyway, don't think I'm disagreeing with your general sentiments; I'm not. The PS3 is really lacking in titles that make the console worth purchasing. That list does little to change that.

List of the nicest games:

[RorthronTheWise]

This is just a summary of the best ones * Heavenly Sword * LittleBigPlanet * SOCOM Confrontation * Folklore * Uncharted: Drake's Fortune * Lair * Ratchet & Clank A good summary with screenshots, comments and videos can be found on 1up: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3159592 LittleBigPlanet, Folklore, Lair, Drake's Fortune and Heavenly Sword are all of them very bad news for the Xbox360 and even the Wii. Yes, even the Wii. Oh and take a laugh with the Pain simulator!

Re:34 Games in the next year

[JFMulder]

So, considering Lair (3rd person dragon riding), Warhawk (3rd person shooter), Heavenly Sword (3rd person brawler) and Ninja Gaiden (3rd person brawler) are exclusives (tough 360 owners can get the Xbox version of that last one), all those other games are also available on the 360 right now or will be at the same time as the PS3 version.

And those are 360 exclusives coming soon, Blue Dragon (RPG), Forza 2 (racing), Halo 3(FPS) (sigh... I must be one of the rare 360 user who doesn't care about this one) and Bioshock (FPS, on the PC too).

It's really going to be a battle of the exclusives. And in this case, the 360 actually seems to have the better hand.

One game to Rule Them All

[WillAffleckUW]

One game to Rule Them All
One game to Bind Them
One game for PS3, and not for Wii or xBox360

In the Shadows where the PS3 moans

Three games for the Elven Kings in their Halls of Shrubberies
Full of graphics but with POV that makes them unusable

Five games for the Dwarven Kings in their dank cold basement flats
Hack and slash with no plot

Seven games for Mortal Man, Doomed to Die
FPS is all you get

One game to Rule Them All
Still cannot be found
It, alas, is ported to the Wii
And to Nintendo is Bound!