Saturday 29 August 2009

The Horror Continues

Dear Hello Kitty® Online Fan:

The HKO Closed Beta is almost here! We'll be sending you an email next week with details on how to join. Don't forget to add us to your safe sender's list.

Did i not suffer enough in the Japanese closed beta, did i not escape the 'Saw' type traps set by the other founders to brake out of the Hell O'Kitty? why can i not be allowed to be free, do i know too much? can i be trusted with the NDA? will the blood letting begin again and another 'day it rained blood' event destroying the inhabitants of the neon and pink happy happy fun world of the demonesstressette, Ms Kitty! *cue thunder and lighting*

Some people get MAG betas, i get Hello Kitty to take care of (again) someone has to do it i guess.

i'm taking this one for the UTS team, you all owe me one! :)

[mobiletone]

Friday 28 August 2009

The Revolution will be... on Mars


I'll not refer to 'hammer time' at all even though i really want to, my first impressions of RF:G are pretty good, to compare it to GTAIV because it's a sandbox game would be wrong, if anything the comparison should be made with FarCry 2 due to it's wide open expanses and dotted outposts around the place and having to travel to various locations to get missions. You also pick up missions from intercepting radio messages. looks great, is fun, has 'in' jokes too, like one of the first buildings i came across had a sign outside stating it had been built by the Ultor corporation!? didn't i kill those bastards off in Saints Row2? -haha- another was when i was driving around exploring the fogged bits of maps and entered Tharsis!! and we all know what's there don't we.

anyway, enjoy your bank holiday weekend folks. l8rz!!!

[mobiletone]

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Ten great PS3 games you may have missed

1 / 10

Mirror's Edge (EA)
Vastly underrated on its release last year, this innovative and highly stylised chase game brings a new physicality to the first-person perspective, and it just oozes style. Sure, there are frustrating moments and you'll finish it in a couple of days, but if you want something truly unusual to mess about with over a rainy summer weekend, leap this way

2 / 10

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (Ubisoft)
Flawed but extremely atmospheric Wild West shooter, filled with exciting shootouts, swaggering outlaws and convincing John Ford-esque locales. If you’re tired of the second world war and the Middle East, it’s a mightily refreshing change of pace

3 / 10

Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Rockstar)
Immensely exciting urban racer, jammed with great locations and awesome cars. It's also a huge challenge with many, many hours of gameplay. You can pick it up for 18 quid on Amazon which is steal akin to hot-wiring a brand new Ferrari 458. Well, maybe EVO VIII

4 / 10

Valkyria Chronicles (Sega)
A gloriously deep tactical role-playing game set on a warring continent that resembles 1930s Europe. The turn-based combat system is cleverly devised and the story of oppression and honour is genuinely moving. Plus, you'll get at least 20-30 hours of gameplay out of it – much, more if you're not a veteran of such classics as Final Fantasy Tactics and Shining Force

5 / 10

Civilization Revolution (2k Games)
Sid Meier's engrossing world-domination sim has been a stalwart of the PC gaming scene for 18 years. This brilliantly rethought console version strips away some complexities, but guiding your clan from a bunch of ancient warriors to a powerful global force remains a deep and worryingly addictive challenge

6 / 10

Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction (Sony)
The loveable alien duo returns for another epic sci-fi adventure. Forget the plot, feel the perfectly tuned controls and rollicking action, as the unlikely heroes battle from one side of a densely realised galaxy to the other, wise-cracking all the way. Now available as part of the PS3 Platinum range for around a tenner. You'd be a fool not to

7 / 10

Condemned II: Bloodshot (Sega Europe)
Truly gruesome first-person shooter following an alcoholic serious crimes investigator, Ethan Thomas, on the hunt for serial killers in the back alleys of Metro City. If you're after gore, violence and, well, more gore, you really shouldn't miss this. Your children very much should, though ...

8 / 10

Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Tecmo)
Your clan is massacred and now it's time to seek revenge on the evil Vigor Empire. Well, that's the story out of the way, from here on in it's all massive swords, extravagant moves and joyously brutal combat. Not one for mincing button-mashers, though; be prepared to put in some serious hours mastering the fighting system ...

9 / 10

inFamous (Sony)
The survivor of a massive explosion finds he has incredible super powers with which to battle a range of deadly comic book-style villains. This intriguing sci-fi romp is one of a new generation of open-world action adventures, but has not been the mega-hit Sony expected. Definitely worth discovering now

10 / 10

Red Faction: Guerrilla (THQ)
Incredibly well designed third-person sci-fi blaster, set amid a bloody revolution on the planet Mars. Even if the story lacks the depth we're becoming accustomed to, the destructive environments are amazing fun, as are the ridiculously powerful weapons. A blast

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Win a PS3 Slim Competition!

That's right, thanks to our good friends over at TechRadar.com and Eidos we are giving you the chance to get your sweaty gamer mitts on not only the latest and greatest bit of console loverlyness under the sun in the shape of The PS3 Slim but you'll also get a copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum too. IS THIS THE GREATEST COMPO EVER!!?? i should say so and it's open to all you fantastic Unoffical ThreeSpeech site readers, just hit up this [link] and answer the mind achingly easy question to be in with a chance of eternal happiness* good luck and Grud speed.

ps3slim

For all the full details on Sony's PS3 Slim announcement and all the other PlayStation news of import, you can read the full rundown from Sony's GamesCom media conference right here.

[mobiletone]

we are not down for maintenance, feel free to browse our fine independent website.

*eternal happiness is dependent on a zen outlook and not the Sony Corporation

Monday 24 August 2009

You are now under my control

Science + Video games x Graphic Design = Periodic Table of Controllers



Nice work from Pixel Fantasy - some great video game art over on his Flickr account (diggin the pac-tron and Konami code - used that all the time with LifeForce/Salamander on the NES!).

Friday 21 August 2009

well, it's too small to be a PS3 slim

how does the old saying go, beware of strangers bearing gifts? so when a courier turns up with a sign for package from our overlords at SCEE i was curious. could it be my membership pack to the inner sanctum? a 1Tb solid state drive? a PS3nano prototype? nope, sadly not, it turns out it was a copy of Killzone2 that i'd won months and months ago in that 'weareplaystation' compo, damn, that was March!! Joey Payne (you may know the name from the Eeeew.blog) said they've had trouble with suppilers? uh yeah sure, you're SCEE, how could you possibly have trouble getting copies of your own published game?

mini demo review: DiRT2 - feels like the first game with some added bells and whistles on. the paddock area is pretty sweet and feels like you're stumbling around the mobilehome in between events rather than some floaty VR type menu. the racing itself rules, in-car view is spot on and now has added fluffy dice etc if you wish :) another plus is it uses the 'rewind' system from GRiD so when you blast a rock pile at 120mph it's not the end of the world. Online works very well incorporating a voting system for races and pops up player stats when you're waiting to start on the grid, such as, longest jump, fastest average speed etc. good for l33ty feelings. if you liked DiRT or GRiD you'll love this.

Mini Ninjas - proving once again ninjas > pirates. this game is cute, easy to pick up and play and i was getting into it when the contractors came round to fit my new windows.. i am currently holed up in the bedroom surrounded by the noise of powertools and hammering... the bloody cat escaped too so i had to run around in bare feet outside trying to catch him while he nipped under security fences and between vans! that would make a great mini game somewhere -haha-

[mobiletone]

Thursday 20 August 2009

Tuesday 18 August 2009

GT5 Info



Take this with a pinch of salt right now, but according to the guys over at GTPlanet we can look forward to some of the following features in Gran Turismo 5:


  • 1000 vehicles

  • 60 courses confirmed with 20 or more to be revealed

  • New physics system

  • Real-time collision deformation

  • Return of license tests

  • Ability to create private rooms online

  • Online photo and replay mode

  • Ability to upload replays/videos to Youtube

  • Online voice/text chat

  • GT5 Prologue museum(!)



and last but not least this little nugget:

  • movement of Cockpit Camera interface (confirmed in full 3-D. The camera can be fully manipulated and you can opt to have your head tracked by the PSEye)


Linkage to the full article

Various gaming sites are also reporting that GT5 is playable at gamescom (or whatever the public event is called these days) so expect to hear loads more on this (and other game announcements) when the doors open tomorrow.

[pabloamigo]

PS3 Slim pics

Look how small and cute it looks compared to that fat ugly version you've got under your TV. Now do you see why you need to get one? :)
[reakt]

[mobiletone edit] full set of photos of the new slim can be found here.

Firmware 3.0 video

The Network is DOWN, this is not a drill.

Sony delivers the goods at Gamescon 2009, PS3 Slim is Official!





well, there we go, all the facts posted in the comments what do you think?

For those who like a bit of hoofball...

check out this new trailer for FIFA10.

I was I was embedded!!!

Must say, for the first time since FIFA: Road to the World Cup 1998, I am actually looking forward to a FIFA game.

Although a part of me still pines for PES (what happened Seabass, what happened!?!)

Next job EA - make SSX Tricky HD!!!!!!

[pabloamigo]

edit: note to EA. When you offer an embed code for your latest trailer, ensure that it, you know, embeds!!!!!!!!

Monday 17 August 2009

PS3 price cut confirmed, 360's to rise!

U.K. supermarket chain, ASDA, has slashed the price of the 80GB PlayStation 3 console across all of its stores.

Speaking to our local store, an ASDA representative confirmed that the 80GB PS3 is now £240, which includes two selected games from the following titles: LittleBigPlanet & Ghostbusters, Killzone 2 & Resistance 2 or Terminator Salvation & inFamous. Most other retailers are still selling the PS3 at around £279.99.

The price cut comes ahead of Gamescon in Germany later this week, where it's rumoured that Sony may reveal a PS3 slim model. Is ASDA trying to shift old stock in preparation for the new model?

compare that to:-

While there are 360 price cuts on the horizon in the US market, in Britain, consumers don't have things as easy, because instead of price cuts, Microsoft have instead announced an impending price increase.

According to a report on Eurogamer - who spoke with ShopTo and another "corroborating independent retail chain source" - Microsoft sent an email to stores this morning that the recommended retail price of an Xbox 360 Arcade unit will be raised from £130 to £160 (USD$210 to $260).

The price of first-party accessories and peripherals will also go up, though in this case only by "one or two pounds". The price of the Elite was not mentioned (though interestingly, the Pro model wasn't mentioned at all, lending further credence to the rumours of its imminent demise).

[mobiletone]

Sunday 16 August 2009

Throws Down The Gauntlet

UTS-nonvector

i left the text boxes and final tweaks off for obvious reasons, so c'mon, get your crayons out and get drawing some stuff up for that inFamous competition. you have to be in it to win it :)

Friday 14 August 2009

PSPgo? no tah, i've got a Dingoo!

The Dingoo Digital A320 is an attempt to "break the monopoly of foreign brands into the game market." Dubbed 'China's PSP', units are now slowly making their way to the West, and gamers in the UK can now pick up a Dingoo for under £70.

Destined to remain an underground console, the Dingoo A320 is building momentum thanks to its bargain price, out-of-the-box support for classic emulators and a vibrant development scene – thanks to its open source nature
Enthusiast developers have already coded a wealth of applications, with attentions now focused on Dingux – Linux port, which opens up the console to further possibilities

Available in a choice of black or white, the Dingoo A320 packs in 4GB of built-in memory, with a miniSD slot for a further 4GB.
Through its variety of built-in emulators, the Dingoo plays over 8000 classic games originally played on Nintendo and Sega consoles such NES, SNES, MegaDrive, as well as arcade platforms.
A dream console for fans of classic gaming formats, the A320 is a nightmare for legal teams across the globe.
The Dingoo is not supplied with any of the classic games it plays for good reason – the rom images themselves are illegal. Whilst you can easily find these games in darker corners of the internet, you run the risk of being saddled with a massive fine if you download them.
With its tiny 320x240 QVGA screen, the Dingoo delivers performance close to its quoted seven hours of battery life, even when regularly switching between the console's in-built Aladdin's cave of features.
As far as the interface goes, never before has a console been graced with such a shameless Sony XMB rip-off. Yep, it's very very similar the the XrossMediaBar interface found on the Sony PS3, PSP and new Sony Bravia TVs.

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, as the A320's front-end allows you to easily find the function you want to use within seconds of switching the console on – despite Dingoo's amusing use of English


[mobiletone] pimping - http://www.dingoo888.co.uk

neither Unofficial ThreeSpeech or MobileTone condones the use of pirated ROM/.ISO/.GBA files *coffs*

Draw a comic and win stchuffs!!


As you may or may not know there's a competition running where we can let our creative juices flow (o'er missus!). It's being sponsored by Sucker Punch, the guys behind the wonderful and pew pew pewy game inFamous.

Your mission is to read the moral scenario Cole has been placed into and finish the comic book story in the space provided however you want, using artwork and words.

The winner will be chosen by inFamous developer, Sucker Punch, and be gifted with a massive batch of the following prizes:

• Their comic strip artwork professionally printed and signed by Sucker Punch Productions, the developer of inFamous.
• Signed inFamous artwork provided by Sucker Punch
• inFamous comic book in English
• inFamous Artwork Book (signed by Sucker Punch)
• inFamous Strategy Guide
• inFamous Special Edition on PLAYSTATION 3
• inFamous PlayStation Home T-Shirts (Reaper, Cole, VIP)

Four runners-up will also be chosen and will all win copies of the following, each:

• inFamous comic book in English
• inFamous Artwork Book (signed by Sucker Punch)
• inFamous Strategy Guide
• inFamous Special Edition on PLAYSTATION 3
• inFamous PlayStation Home T-Shirts (Reaper, Cole, VIP)

hit up THIS LINK for more details.

[mobiletone]

ps: if it's anything like the 'weareplaystation' compo you'll still be waiting for your prize months after you win. hmmph! grumble grumble grumble..

Thursday 13 August 2009

Follow us on twitter

Unofficial Threespeech is now down with the cool kids, er, and Steven Fry.
Yes, we're on twitter! - http://twitter.com/threespeech
The feed is automatically updated every half an hour and will "tweet" the subject of the new articles (and a link to them) as they're posted here on the blog.
[reakt]

999 Supercar Challenge beta keys...

...coz I've already had one!

Register at CVG and grab yours

[pabloamigo]

all missions nailed

The T-51b Power Armor is the Power Armor in the original games. It is a unique model in this game and can only be found via the dangerous Fort Constantine.

The T-51b is one of the only three Power Armor variants, the others being the Tesla Power Armor and the Enclave Hellfire Armor, in Fallout 3 which does not carry an inherent Agility penalty; instead, it grants a CharismaStrength bonus like in previous Fallout games; this could be a mistake by the developers or a possible attempt to make no single dominant armor in the game. bonus for reasons unexplained (possibly a nod to the iconic nature of the armor in association with the Fallout franchise, or because it is hard to say no to someone wearing this impressive and powerful armor). For some reason it does not offer a Strength bonus like in previous Fallout games; this could be a mistake by the developers or a possible attempt to make no single dominant armor in the game.

[mobiletone]

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Pet Talent Corner


The fewer bits you have, the cooler you are!

If you regularly cry yourself to sleep at night reminiscing about Julian Rignall's mullet or wondering how a brand of washing powder could write game reviews, then help is at hand.

The Mean Machines archive is a wonderful place, full of nostalgia and hairy, spotty men who like to play games alot. As well as a bit of MM history and staff profiles, you can also view scans of all the issues (I still remember the Robocop issue coming out) and selected MMSega, Nintendo Magazine System and C&VG reviews.

As the Beastie Boys would say, 'ch-ch-check it out!'

[pabloamigo]

Sony PS3 Slim Specifications?

Don't you think the whole PS3 Slim thing is soo last month? anyways what with GamesCON next week, where Sony will tell us NOTHING then hint that they may say something at TGS they're gonna keep us hanging on.. i don't want a slim sexy console, i want a huge black thing the size of a wardrobe covered in blinking red leds and making strange humming noises before asking if i'd like to play a game of chess, yeah, you know. :)

So what am i doing updating at this time? well i have the day off as my abode is surrounded in scaffolding and some rugged manly types are laying concrete outside while i hide indoors nibbling my toast and slurping my coffee and later they're going to be doing the pre-works to fit spanky new windows (not Vista *chuckles*) which gives me a GAMER DAY! so i'm finally going to nail that last Fallout 3 mission 'you gotta shoot 'em in the head' well, if i hadn't already shot mr Crowley in the head things may be a bit easier as you have to get the quest off him, d'oh! fingers crossed that my other saves are ok as he is recently headless, well, i'm pretty sure he started it, i just got caught in the crossfire, it was self defence, honest guv! bloody ghouls!

[mobiletone]

Monday 10 August 2009

what console would you choose?

that was the question put to the loverly minxs over at GameGirl, nice to see them showing some love for the PS3 and not turning the whole thing into a horrible fanboy shouting match.

http://gamegirl.blogfaction.com/article/110257/ask-the-gamegirls-next-gen-system/


to be honest it was just an excuse to post that pic ;)

Sunday 9 August 2009

it am tiem for a montage? fanvid sunday!

who needs 'The Lost & The Damned' when mobiletone is running the Stilwater Bike Club? ;)

Saturday 8 August 2009

PS3 making paper for EA

It has been revealed that the Sony PS3 and PC have both outperformed the Xbox 360 in terms of Electronic Arts sales, after figures for the company’s quarter ending June 30th was released.

According to MCV, revenues from the Nintendo Wii made the most for EA, with $161m earnt, comparing with the $109m they made last year in the same quarter.

The PC was next in the list, managing to make the company 124m. Then surprisingly, the PS3 followed with total revenues of 121m, compared to the Xbox 360’s 73m. The PSP even managed to score one over the DS for EA.

Head over to MCV for more figures from EA’s second quarter. Let us know your thoughts on the news.

Thursday 6 August 2009

Love Film?

Pitched as a festival for films you can download onto your PSP or iPhone, the Portable Film Festival is running throughout August with over 180 films available for streaming or download.

I've had a nebby round the site and there's some good stuff on there; plenty of variation with short films, music videos, animations etc...

Check it out

http://portablefilmfestival.com/index.php

Highlight for me is the video to Battlestar by Harmonic 313 (aka Mark Pritchard of long-time pablo favourites - Global Communication).



[pabloamigo]

You Can Feel The Love

anyone seen Microsofts new advert..? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwu0gExNVuw

seriously, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!? is this nothing more than Sony fanboy baiting?
also, to celebrate Zero Punctuations 100th episode we kind folks here at Unofficial ThreeSpeech post this uber video in which you learn how to replace that clunky old mechanical Hard Drive in your PS3 with a STATE OF THE ART SSD or
Solid State Drive to all you luddites.


[mobiletone]

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Sony and Soho a go-go

I've lost count of the times i've read the phrase innovative or state of the art in press material before or online or in a magazine, and yes you may comment it's because I'm just another cynical world weary gaming bastard but here are my reasons for doing so;

  • It's really for us to decide if it's genuinely innovative as PR companies have been known to exaggerate on occasion (i know, hard to believe eh?) 98 times out of 100 the product isn't innovative or state of the art, it's just a slightly better version than the model it's replacing.

A perfect example of this was last week at a Sony press event in Soho which had a 1970s theme (it was all to do with remembering a period when we printed photos for public display or had slideshows rather than just keep them sitting away on our cameras). The event was to promote their entire range of products for Christmas (no sign or mention of the PS3 Slim though). The standout products were the WE5 range of TVs. With a completely straight face the Sony representative never steered off the party line in trying to promote the new innovative feature that lay within the WE5 range - an on/off switch. This helps to cut power consumption compared to TVs with standby buttons (evil things standby buttons are now by the way, they must be stopped at all costs).

Whilst we will applaud any manufacturer who is looking to cut the power consumption of their products, forgive me if i'm wrong but I'm sure TVs had on/off switches decades ago? it's not new is it? let's be perfectly honest. My memory is bad but not that bad.

WipedOut

In-game ad spot pulled after complaints about prolonged loading times

An agreement between in-game ad firm Double Fusion and PS3 platform holder Sony has hit a stumbling block today with news that a new advertisement recently introduced in download-only racing title WipEout HD has been removed.

The decision comes after reports that the ad has doubled loading times between tracks with users forced to wait for the completion of it before gameplay is allowed to commence.

An SCEE spokesperson told Eurogamer: “The ad has been removed from WipEout HD and we are investigating the situation to ensure that any in-game advertising does not affect gameplay.”

/// any of you rocket jockies notice anything different with the load times or is it just a case of OH NOES I HAS TO WEIGHT AN XTRA 2 SECONZ TO lAODS!!11!!! i don't play the game personally as i have never got on with that control system, shame really has it does look great watching others play it. is it wrong to just leave it playing in demo mode so i can listen to the musics and watch the pretty colours?

[mobiletone]

Saturday 1 August 2009

APB - become somebody


What is APB (All Points Bulletin) and why should I be interested?

Imagine a living breathing city, but for the first time ever an online one. Streets full of vehicles, thousands of civilians going about their daily life.
Now introduce 100 players to this online city. Their mission in life is to achieve fame and fortune, and achieve it fast.
Naturally many will take to a life of crime, feeding on the city, its people and its businesses.
The other players though, the enforcers, will feed on these criminal players.
What will the outcome be?
The great thing is, we don’t know. It’s an online sandbox. Many players will gain fame, fortune or notoriety. Alliances will be formed, rivalries will be bitter.
One thing we do know, every player will be unique. Thanks to leading edge technology, players can personalise their looks, clothing, vehicles and music.
Welcome to the next evolution of action games into the persistent online space.

I’m in. When’s it launching?

APB will be launching services in North America and Europe in Q1 2010.

Is there a beta? And can I get in?

Yes we plan to have a beta. And no, you can’t get in … at least, not yet. But we’ll be providing more information on our beta plans Real Soon Now™.

To register your interest in the APB Beta Phase, please click here.

How big is the game world? And how many people fit on one server?

Approximately 10,000 players per world consisting of 100 player district maps. A hundred customized players driving unique cars, doing crimes, shooting or busting each other is well worth checking out.

What engine is the game running on?

APB utilizes cutting edge technology of Unreal Engine 3™ to bring the polish of next generation art and gameplay into the online space.

Fucking Idiot gets Banned, tries to Sue

yepp, you read that right Erik Estavillo, or PSN User: Vincint19 basically got his arse banned from the PSN by Sony after smack talking and generally being abusive (a total fuckwad) to other gamers, now the fact he was warned on a number of occasions seems to have done nothing to stop him behaving like a complete tool, in fact he was so upset over being banned that he has decided to try and sue Sony over 1st amendment rights or some other bullshit. i just hope he has seriously deep pockets to pay off those Sony lawyers bill when he loses the case.

'Estavillo, then, is suing Sony for repressing his constitutional right to free speech and causing him pain and suffering.'

"
I'm an equal-opportunitist racist" - Vincint19

"Erik Estavillo, who says he suffers from agoraphobia, a fear of crowds and public places, depends completely on the PlayStation game for social interaction.'

Estavillo, 29, cited a number of mental disorders in his filed complaint against Sony on July 6, which claimed the ban "has caused pain and suffering to an already disabled plaintiff."

what about the suffering he caused to other online gamers (disabled or not)? has the idiot thought about that. i doubt it, it's people like him who ruin the PSN for others and i am all up for banning fucking plebians like him who get their kicks from fucking other peoples shit up for life. in fact we should round them all up and send them off to special re-education camps (read: death camps) and not allow them back online until they have learnt to be civil to other users.

i hope SONY rapes him in court and takes him for $100,000's in legal fees

we have contacted Vincint19 about this and are awaiting his reply.

[mobiletone]

Gran Turismo 5 release date


that's right, according to a listing on the Game website we only have 55 days left to wait.

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

Release Date: 25/09/2009
Pre-order
55 days to go!

£39.99
Despatched in time for delivery on release day.

could September be driving month? we have Dirt2 hitting on the 11th and a week later NFS:Shift rolling out of the pit lane with it's unique driver cam on the 18th... could GT5 really drop earlier than the expected GT-PSP?? we all know Digital Polyphony are good at keeping stchum and as there is connectivity between GT5 and GT-PSP it would make sense to have them turn up at around the same time. you heard it here first! :)

[mobiletone]
[edit monday] Sony has deemed recent rumours regarding a 2009 release for Gran Turismo 5 as "rumour and speculation".