Top 10: Essential Leipzig PS3 announcements

When Sony Europe boss David Reeves said that we’d see some Sony announcements at Games Convention 2008 we imagined all kinds of things. After figuring out Sony announcing the PS4 isn’t all that likely we put together our Top 10: Essential Leipzig PS3 announcements. Based on what Sony showed at E3 and what we know is coming, these are the 10 announcements that gamers everywhere want to see. The kind of announcements and events that will have people talking about Sony and the PS3 for weeks after the show is finished.

10. WipEout HD release date

For whatever reason WipEout HD has slipped off the release schedule. Having played a multi-track preview build a good few months back it shot to the top of our most wanted PSN titles, so news of problems came as a big disappointment. With E3 coming and going without even a sniff of a release date we’re hoping Games Convention 2008 will be the event where Sony finally gives us the info we’ve all been waiting for. It doesn’t even have to be arriving in the next few months. We just want to know that it’s not stuck in some kind of development limbo that reports suggest. Some brand new gameplay footage showcasing the incredible HD visuals wouldn’t go amiss either.

9. MAG Gameplay/info

This was Sony’s big E3 reveal. A massive 256-player online modern warfare title. It sounded great, but the actual game was nowhere to be seen at E3. The CG trailer showed what kind of game we will eventually play, but it didn’t show anything approaching a gameplay situation. If Sony wants to make a splash at Games Convention 2008 it’ll need to do more than show the same games it’s been showing for the last 12 months. We want an in-game MAG video demonstration, ideally on Sony’s consumer stand so everyone can get a look.

8. Resistance 2/SOCOM EU Beta details

Why is it that Europe seems to get screwed when it comes to the cool stuff? Resistance 2 and SOCOM Confrontation will both receive a public beta test in the US later this year. Entry to the betas is currently restricted to those who subscribe to SCEA’s online magazine QORE, but more routes in are to be announced. In Europe we don’t even know if we’re going to get the betas. We’d love free entry but we’d accept a beta key through buying one of Sony’s forthcoming PSN titles, just like gamers bought Commando 3 on Xbox LIVE Arcade to get into the SSFIITHDR online beta.

7. Home release date/beta

A final release date for Sony’s delayed virtual community would be great, but even a wish list has to be somewhat realistic. Next up for Home is a public beta, and Games Convention 2008 seems like the ideal place to announce the kick-off date. Again, Sony could bundle beta keys in with the purchase of certain PSN titles if they wanted to cash in on the beta. It wouldn’t be ideal, but given how long Home has been dangled in front of us like a carrot on a stick we’re betting lots of people would be more than willing to pay to test something out.

6. LittleBigPlanet release date

LittleBigPlanet could be a huge seller on PS3 – it could sell consoles. But it could end up being a brilliant game that no one buys. That’s up to the gaming gods to decide, but we just want to play it as soon as possible. We know it’s due for release at some point in October, but that’s a whole 31 days long. There’s a big difference between an October 3 and an October 31 release date. So we can stop dreaming of a release date, we really hope Sony announces a firm date at Games Convention – ideally by making a clever in-game level where players have to traverse a tricky obstacle course in order to make the date shoot out of a cannon shaped like a PS3.

5. Heavenly Sword 2 teaser

Original Heavenly Sword developer Ninja Theory isn’t working on a sequel to Heavenly sword, but that doesn’t stop Sony farming out the IP to another studio. The first game had its problems but it was beautiful in parts and had potential to turn into a great series. Sony London’s The Getaway and Eight Days both got canned, so they must be working on something else. It might be a stretch to say that game is Heavenly Sword 2 but we can dream.

4. Heavy Rain gameplay demonstration

Heavy Rain is one of those games that gains hype for doing nothing. We’ve seen a tech demo showing a woman in a kitchen, a handful of screen shots and some low quality behind the scenes development footage, yet the game is seen by many PS3 owners as one of the console’s most important titles. It’s hard to know what to expect from Games Convention, but we really want Sony to release some proper gameplay footage so everyone can get a good look at the game. We won’t be happy if we get another God of War 3 reveal and are left with a short CG trailer telling us about a game we already knew existed.

3. God of War 3 gameplay

As far as Games Convention wishes go, this is right up there. E3 promised so much yet delivered the absolute bare minimum when it came to God of War. Having already had the game confirmed we needed to see the game in action, yet all we got was a rendered trailer. It might be asking for a lot to get the first in-game trailer for one of Sony Computer Entertainment America’s biggest PS3 titles at a European event, but after E3 Sony needs to dazzle gamers with actual gameplay. The time for teaser trailers is over.

2. Naughty Dog’s next project

Is Uncharted the best looking PS3 game to date? It’s certainly up there. It’s one of the best PS3 games to date period, so some info on what developer Naughty Dog is up to would go down very well at Games Convention 2008. If everything goes to plan like it is in our heads Sony will show an in-game trailer of Uncharted 2, but with other big games to hype before Uncharted 2’s release we’d settle for a vague 2009 release date. We wouldn’t complain about some in-game screens though, showcasing what is bound to be an improved game engine.

1. BBC secret game

Ever since a BBC journalist wrote about a PS3 game that he believed was better looking than anything he’d seen before we’ve been desperate to know what it is. Some people believe it’s simply Quantic Dreams’ Heavy Rain, but we’re hoping it’s something else. In our dreams it’s the follow up to Shadow of the Colossus from Team Ico – a game so epic that it will cause PS3 owners to faint after seeing just half a second of gameplay footage. We’d settle for an amazingly awesome looking, more imaginatively named Shadow of the Colossus 2, with hulking great beasts filling a glorious 1080p 55″ TV. If it’s at Games Convention Sony will make a lot of people very happy.

What do you want Sony to announce at Games Convention 2008? Let us know in the comments section below.