Entertainment Electronics Blog

The recent news of a delay for the PlayStation 3 version of Final Fantasy XIV may have disappointed eager fans. Producer Hiromichi Tanaka has stepped forward with word on why the delay is happening, and how Square Enix is aiming to fix the problem.

In an interview with VG247, Tanaka said the delay was due to PS3 RAM restrictions. “The main reason was the memory,” he said through his translator. “On the PC, they have enormous memory. For PS3, there’s a restriction. They are adjusting the memory size and customizing it; it took longer than we were expecting. But we’re really working hard to bring it out as soon as possible.”

The explanation probably doesn’t soften the blow for PS3 owners who have to wait an extra several months, but at least we know the cause. Besides, it could be worse — the 360 version is delayed indefinitely due to Microsoft’s Live policy.

At E3 today Konami showed the first trailer of its next Silent Hill game, with the working title of Silent Hill 8.

The game is scheduled to launch in 2011 on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and promises to be “a next generation horror game that fans truly deserve,” according to a statement released today by Konami.

The game stars prison inmate Murphy Pendleton, who escapes from a prison transport vehicle and finds himself stranded in Silent Hill. From the glimpses we’ve seen in the trailer, Pendleton will have to deal both with the supernatural horrors of Silent Hill and with the cops, who are on his trail.

We should have more substantial details soon, but for now check out these first screenshots from the trailer, which we should have available on the 1UP later today.

It’s not nearly as big in North America as it is in Europe, but gamers on both sides of the pond will soon be able to enjoy MotoGP. Capcom has announced that the motorcycle racers will be available in North America next month.

Users will be able to download all 2010 season content for free, which includes new tracks, team updates and new motorcycles. The content will be available free.

If you’re into motorcycle racing, then it sounds like a treat. If you’re not sure, a demo should be out sometime soon.

MotoGP 09/10 will be out March 16 on Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America, and March 19 in Europe.

Shortly over a year after The Lost and Damned debuted on the Xbox 360, Grand Theft Auto IV’s Episodes from Liberty City will no longer be exclusive to Microsoft’s console. Rockstar just announced plans to bring both The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned to PC and PlayStation 3 this March.

The two episodes were temporarily Xbox 360 exclusives thanks to a little encouragement on Microsoft’s part — $50 million worth, to be precise. That deal appears to have run its course, however, and with all the talk of lower-than-expected sales of the expansions on Xbox 360, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see them turning up on other platforms.

Look for both GTA Episodes on the PlayStation Store, the Games for Windows Live Marketplace, and at retail on March 30.

Sony is teaming up with 7/11 to bring out Slurpees based on the upcoming title, God of War 3. Kotaku reports that the drinks will be heading to 7/11 stores in February, and feature “ferocious blackberries and frosty limes” as the flavor. Blackberries don’t particularly ferocious to us, and this unfortunately beats out our suggested “blood and pained screams of your fallen enemies” flavor. But fans can look forward to more than just a syrup-based frozen drink, since the cups will contain codes that can be cashed in at Slurpee.com for God of War 3 downloadable content.

This is similar to the recent Dr. Pepper partnership with EA for DLC in its games, including Mass Effect 2. Drink manufacturers have made game-branded products before, but we’re betting they’ll see more success with these recent promotions that offer in-game rewards. As a move that encourages more purchasing with the promise of small, free in-game trinkets, it’s a win-win for soft drink companies and publishers alike.

In Japan this week, Namco Bandai Games released the first details for Ar tonelico III, the latest in the RPG series that’s been released faithfully by NIS America over in the States. The new title, a PlayStation 3 exclusive, is set to go on sale January 28 over there for 7329 yen.
The first new game in the Ar series for about two years, Ar tonelico III is once again built around the concept of Song Magic, sung in a unique language known as Hymnos. This magic is the key to both the story and the battle scenes; it can also only be wielded by Reyvateils, who just happen to be really cute anime girls. Aoto, the hero, jouneys with two of these Reyvateils, Saki and Finel, in his journey.

As in previous games, you have the ability to “dive” into the minds of these Reyvateils, helping them unleash their full set of magic. Unlike previous games, though, the heroines have multiple personalities they can switch between, which can alter what abilities they have during battle. In addition, you can pick up parts of songs while diving into the girls’ minds, which you can then put together to form your own magic in the midst of battle.

More information on Ar tonelico III will be unveiled at the Akihabara Entertainment Festival 2009, set to take place this Sunday in Tokyo.

By now, mandatory installs are a pretty accepted part of PlayStation 3 games, but one of the highest-profile upcoming titles will be install-free: Final Fantasy XIII. IGN reports that the game won’t include a hard disk installation. Despite this, however, the game is said to be low on load times. Game director Motomu Toriyama claimed that the developer has concentrated from the start on keeping loading times low, and the only time a player will see a load is going between a town and a field. Besides that, the game is said to flow smoothly.

This is all related to the PS3 version, of course. Since the Xbox 360 allows optional installations for all games, it would stand to reason that FFXIII would allow it. But seeing as the game is likely to take up multiple discs on the system, players might have to install one disc at a time when swapping. We’ll have to wait for more details on how that will work, but for now the Japanese PS3-exclusive is probably more on the minds at Square.

Back when BioWare pushed back Dragon Age Origins’ release date one last time, from October 20 to November 3, they also announced the PlayStation 3 version would be following “later in November.” Not so anymore. Bioware co-founder Ray Muzyka has confirmed the game will release on the PS3 on November 3 right along with the 360 and PC versions in North America (via GameSpot).
The confirmation comes along with the announcement that the game has gone gold and is heading toward mass manufacturing, so stalwart fans who’ve been looking forward to this game for five frickin’ years can rest assured it won’t be delayed again. Musyka also confirmed that the PS3 version’s PlayStation Trophies will correspond with the previously revealed Achievements for the 360 version.

Now, there is one bit of bad news if you’re reading this in Europe, as the PS3 version of Dragon Age Origins is still releasing later in November there. “[We're] still working on the EU release timing for PS3,” said Muzyka. “We’ll have an announcement on that shortly — [it's] still planned for some time a bit later in November.”

Elecom has released another set of keyboards with the TK-U01MAL series. Both are available in USB with a 3m long cord, and are available in black to match your PS3 and in white to match your Wii. Since these two keyboards are primarily made to be used with the two gamimg devices, they can also “stand-up” so that they take up as little space as gamers aren’t slobs and can be Ikea-net if they put their mind to it. Till now, nothing on pricing or whether the Elecom TK-U01MAL series keyboard will be available in the States.

But you can always import, if only you wish.

By using the PlayStation eye and microphone, Sony is going to detect and record your emotions, including laughter, anger, excitement, sadness, joy, and even boredom.

According to the patent filing, this technology identifies emotions by reading facial expressions, as well as group behavior such as two players high-fiving each other. As you watch a program or play a game, the PlayStation 3, hooked up to a camera and microphone, would analyze your face, body language and any sounds you make or actions you perform. This gets turned into metadata which is then sent back home to see how well a piece of media is being received.

It’s true that they could get more accurate reviews and data on the way people react to games or movies, but I don’t think it’s really needed. I think sales figures and gaming review sites already do a good enough job. On the other hand, I’m still wandering if it could detect players’ laughter at its ridiculous idea.