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While new information didn’t freely flow from Harrison’s lips, the PlayStation 3 was featured far more prominently than many people expected it to be and a number of in development games were shown running in real-time – no CG videos here.
Some of Sony’s plans for the PlayStation 3’s online service were revealed earlier this month, but a few more details were cited in yesterday’s speech. Harrison reiterated that a basic service would be available for free, but publishers would have flexibility to do what they want. This includes microtransactions for in-game items and publisher hosted servers, but could well lead to certain games carrying a fee for online play.
A demo of Motorstorm was used to highlight the possibilities with microtransactions and F1 PS3 was mentioned as another game that could make good use of downloadable content. Episodic content was also talked about, further highlighting Sony’s push towards digital downloads. Current industry sore point ‘in-game advertising’ was also a clear part of Sony’s vision, which, despite its current pad press, seems to be something that will become more and more common.
Of most interest to gamers desperate to get their hands on the PlayStation 3 were the real-time demos, plus videos of a number of games. The main games shown were Motorstorm, Warhawk, Heavenly Sword and Resistance (formally known as I-8). Reports from those who saw the demos first hand are mixed, with some claiming that the games were a far cry from the ‘demos’ shown at E3 last year, while others seemed genuinely impressed by what they saw. All games shown were said to be running on code from December, with promises that many advancements will be made before E3. Speaking of E3, Warhawk was confirmed to be playable at this year’s event, while Resistance was confirmed as a 2006 release.
The demos ended with a video of an unannounced PlayStation 3 title, showing a vast futuristic cityscape. However, it wasn’t too long before the game’s identity was revealed, as the name ‘ Ratchet & Clank’ was seen on a billboard attached to a blimp.
With E3 only about six weeks away there’s still plenty for Sony to spill. The PlayStation 3’s final controller design is still to be revealed, as is a launch price and launch titles. Sony may well hold some cards to its chest past E3, with final details coming at September’s Tokyo Game Show, but E3 is still shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years.
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