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The game drops players into heart-pumping, electrified racing action with 20 cars on a track all targeting the finish line and battling each other as they trade paint and collect intense power-ups, including the ability to blast other cars out of the way with huge bursts of energy, boost their speed, and more.

While controlling photo realistic cars, gamers can use offensive and defensive attacks as they battle for the lead and careen through real-world track locations ranging from L.A. and San Francisco to the streets of Hackney, UK and the treacherous roads of Barcelona, Spain.

“We did our homework and saw a huge opportunity to move beyond traditional racers and create a game completely focused on making racing ‘fun’ again,” said Martyn Chudley, creative director, Bizarre Creations. “Blur delivers a new style of racing experience for all gamers, regardless of their experience, skill or genre preferences. Everything the player does, both in their cars and with their cars, is a dramatic adrenaline rush; it’s a real blast!”

“We know that racing can be fun for everyone, and we are excited to enter this genre with a game that keeps players in the pack and combines fun with intense racing battles,” said Maria Stipp, EVP and GM of Owned Properties, Activision Publishing. “Bizarre Creations is one of the most creative studios in the industry with a rich heritage of top-rated racing games and we are excited to partner with them on Blur, which is set to break the mold of traditional racing games.”

Beyond the action-packed racing filled with fast curves, sneaky alternate routes, hair-raising jumps and fully realised damage models that provide for spectacular crashes, Blur’s narrative is presented through Bizarre’s innovative new community-based interface, reaching far beyond the game itself. This unique story-driving social network evolves dynamically as players compete in different races, make new friends, rivals and fans, and connect with other racers both in-game and in real life.

Looking beyond Blur’s single player story, gamers can engage in competitive and team-based multiplayer races with up to 20 players online, or on a single console via 4-player split-screen. Bizarre is especially excited to introduce Blur’s original social gaming experience – custom groups, where anyone can create unique multiplayer modes based on their favourite ways to play the game. These new modes are immediately shared through Blur’s social network, expanding the game in ways that are only limited by the gaming community’s creativity.

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INTRO:

Finally Qore has proved to tons of people that the entire subscription is worth having. When Qore was first announced people really didn’t give it a chance simply because the power of the internet allows you to se, for free a good portion of the content that was provided through Qore. Although that may be true Qore do provide some exclusives that’s worth having the service for and Uncharted 2 is one of them, and trust me it’s only the beginning.

Point #1

Uncharted 2 is a huge title that only Qore subscribers are going to enjoy, but this is a smart method on Sony’s behalf because more and more people are going to join right now as well. The game industry can be tough with competition so companies need to come up with incentives for their fans and Qore provides consumers with exclusive beta content, behind the scenes game development, a chance to get to know developers and the process of getting these games up and running. The Playstation fans they get a chance to see their version of the game running which is important and rare to see, considering that major websites like IGN and Gamespot over 90 percent of the time only showcase the 360 version when it comes down to multi-platform gaming.

Closing

Sony has plenty of exclusives coming out this year and Qore will definitely be utilized in so many ways that the following is going to grow faster and faster making Qore a significant marketing tool for a cheap yearly price that gamers won’t be able to resist. So if you haven’t purchased Qore do so now because Uncharted 2 isn’t the only big title your going to miss out on.

Written By: Gerard Williams

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Meet Vanillaware:

In 2007, developer Vanillaware release Odin Sphere for the PS2. The company proved that it had the ability to combine artistic direction and incredible 2D illustrations to create one of the best looking games on the PS2 to this date. In 2009 Vanillaware is going to continue that trend when Muramasa: The Demon Blade is released on the Nintendo Wii. 

Vanillaware’s next project:

Vanillaware’s Muramasa looks very similar to Odin Sphere, the million dollar question is how does it play? The game starts with two characters, each with their own unique story line. Momohime is a young princess, who’s fleeing her castle after being possessed. Kisuke is an amnesiac ninja, who happens to be a fugitive on the run for a crime he does not remember committing. According to GameInformer, “While the plot varies, depending on your choice of protagonist, the action-heavy gameplay is unchanged.” Kisuke’s and Momohine’s weaponry will be distinguished into two categories, the Odachi and Tachi swords. The Odachi sword can be better describe as the strong weapon. It’s bigger and bulkier than the Tachi sword, which makes it slow, but it can cause heavy amounts of damage to the character’s enemies. The Tachi sword is light and quick, which makes it more suitable for fast-paced combat. The characters will also be able to switch among three equipped swords, however, each weapon has a durability meter that decreases after each attack and defensive maneuver is performed. Switching between weapons plays an important role in Muramasa. The two protagonist will face hordes of ninjas, demons and ghost, so swapping between weapons is crucial. After excessive use of their weapons, the sword’s durability will begin to deplete and eventually break. The sword is less effective when it’s broken, but the durability charges after the character switch to another weapon. 

What is Muramasa’s setting?:

 Muramasa is based off Japanese mythology. The game is set in the era of the Genroku, during the time of the shogun “Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.“  Tokugawa’s thirst for power caused a conflict over the incredibly power swords known as the Demon Blades. The Demon Blades are cursed weapons that summon demons from the netherworld and bring tragedy and misery upon the living.

Can Muramasa win back some of  hardcore market for the Wii?:

Muramasa has what every action game needs:

1. Hordes of enemies:

A game with thirty stages, will have to keep gamers on their toes, when fighting legions of demons and ninjas

2. Epic boss battles:

The boss battles in Muramasa should satisfy any hardcore gamer. The bosses are hand drawn with such detail, that it puts some 3D games to shame.

Final Comments:

Is Muramasa enough for the Wii to win back its hardcore market? Many of Nintendo fans have turned to other platforms because it appears the Big N has found a new home with the casual market. Hopefully to this game won’t be overlooked like other titles such as Madworld.

Additional info:

Genroku: The period spanned through the years of 1688 through 1704, it was considered the Golden Age of the Edo period.

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi: Tokugawa was the fifth in Tokugawa dynasty shogun Tokugawa dynasty  between 1680-1709

Sources:

Gameinformer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oboro_Muramasa_Youtouden

Last month, Sony Computer Entertainment America director of hardware marketing John Koller told GameSpot to expect “a lot of announcements coming up to E3 and particularly at E3.” In particular, he was referring to the PSP, which was the subject of three reports today indicating big things are in store for the handheld.

Game rentals and music downloads on the way?

Last night, gaming blog Joystiq received a screenshot of what was purportedly a Web survey about a game-rental download service for the PSP. The text on the shot says “the service will enable you to download a fixed number of games during your subscription period…[which] might renew weekly, monthly, or for some other time period.” Sony already offers games for sale via digital download, including the download-only Patapon 2.

The survey goes on to ask basic market-research questions about pricing, subscription periods, maximum monthly rentals, and what number of new games respondents would want to see added each month. The survey also asked if the “recency” of the games on offer would be a factor, and how strongly respondents would want games on the release date itself.

Interestingly, the supposed survey also promises that “at launch, there will be an extensive catalogue [note European spelling] of games to choose from.” Such a scenario is reminiscent of the PlayStation 3 video store, which had movies and TV shows from Lionsgate, Warner, Disney, Paramount, Turner Entertainment, MGM, and (of course) Sony Pictures Entertainment on day one. That service was unveiled via a surprise announcement during Sony’s 2008 E3 Press Event.

With Sony saying that the PSP’s UMD optical-disc format “isn’t going away,” any digitally distributed PSP game rental service would presumably complement physical game rentals. That service appears to be well underway, according to a Develop report today. Citing unnamed sources, the European game-industry magazine said it “can confirm” back in March, Game Developers Conference attendees were “briefed” on the service behind closed doors.

The third PSP report of the day came from CNET’s news blog, which reported that Sony has been meeting with record labels about an iTunes-like music download service for the PlayStation Newtork in general and PSPs in particular. However, “The sources said the talks are only preliminary and no deals have been struck.”

When asked for comment on all three reports, Sony reps said, “These are all rumor and speculations, which we can not comment on.”

Courtesy of Gamespot.com

Its looks like we have another Blu-ray hybrid disc in making. The highly acclaimed comic book film Watchmen will be released on a special Director’s Cut Blu-ray and the two episodes of the “Watchmen The End is Nigh” game will be put on the same disc as well. As if that wasn’t enough the details on Director’s Cut have been revealed.

WATCHMEN: DIRECTOR’S CUT

190 minutes (vs. 162 minutes for Theatrical Cut)
Video: 1080p VC-1
Audio: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD

Special Features:

• Maximum Movie Mode (BD exclusive split-screen, on-camera commentary)
• Watchmen: Focus Points
• The Phenomenon: The Comic that Changed Comics
• Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes (BD exclusive)
• Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World (BD exclusive)
• Music Video: Desolation Row (My Chemical Romance)
• Digital Copy (theatrical version)
• BD-Live

Thats not all, an “Ultimate Cut” of the movie is set for release at the end of the year and its rummored to feature a 205 minute cut of the movie. But till then be sure to check out the Watchmen Directors Cut on Blu-ray, when it hits stores on July 28.

E3 is the highlight of the gaming year when it comes to exposure to the mainstream news, and the reveal of exciting new products to the hardcore. More people are looking in on what the game industry has coming than at any other point in the year. This is a great thing for the industry because it shows that games are no loner built around kids or 40-year old virgins playing alone in dark rooms. The question is, does E3 really convey the type of people gamers really are today, or does it continue to support this “nerdy” stereotype surrounded by gamers.

Everyone loves booth babes. I mean who doesn’t love a model standing around just to be eye candy. Most conventions do this, including car conventions, music conventions, etc. The funny thing about E3 though is the fact that they think that just having the models there isn’t good enough for the typical journalist, no instead they have to toss some crazy ass costume on them to look like an elf, wizard, or a Final Fantasy character. It makes sense that they want people supporting their product to look related to the product, but it is kinda ridiculous when you have a chick dress up like a gnome but the only thing she knows about gaming is Halo and Mario. When major news outlets cover E3, like CNN, you see footage of these booth babes who look like every stereotypical nerds fantasy with of course 20 of the nerdiest looking guys ever drooling around her. Screw the games, lets star at the level 42 wizard chick. I’m just saying that myself, and I’m sure most of the staff on the HHG site, have never had a fantasy about banging a video game character so the costume isn’t really necessary. Our attention will get distracted if the chick is hot (note: half the E3 models ain’t hot), and not if she looks like Aerith.

Then of course they pick the most ridiculous people to represent us at the events . Last year I was watching a major news channel on cable TV and the people they had speaking about games, who probably had their degree in broadcast communications, but of course they had no idea what the hell Metal Gear or God of War is. Then they are set in the crowd to find fans of gaming, and I don’t know if they do this on purpose or not, but they always seem to find a guy who looks like he got left behind from a Dungeons and Dragons convention in 1988 with his wolf-tee. The problem is that instead of getting someone like a Brian Crecente, Geoff Keighley, Adam Sessler, Dan Hsu, Stephen Tolito, etc to represent their face of the conference they get some dude who only plays game on his iphone and fans who equally know nothing about gaming.

Then of course the biggest problem is the news they cover. Wii, Wii, and GTA violence. It’s like a broken record that keeps spinning and spinning. When Cammie Dunaway and Reggie are the faces of the development side of the industry you gotta run in fear. I mean there is more to us then the “toy” known as the Wii, right? It’s not all about Wii Sports Resort and Animal Crossing. Instead of focusing on games on the other two consoles that can be both great games and positive influences instead they focus on how video games make people violent. This year expect Dragon Age’s sex scene to make it’s round with every psycho mom in America talking about how gaming is corrupting their children.

E3 should still be fun because who gives a damn about what other people think, but that doesn’t mean that no one should know how much we’ve grown up. Gaming in the next 20 years is on track to be just as mainstream as movies and music with the rise of the iphone and everything becoming more portable. E3 is filled with a lot of well-educated cool guys who get to attend events like concerts, parties at clubs/restaurants, and most importantly very big press conferences. There are some great journalists in the industry who could give this event some light to the mainstream. No we don’t all play the Wii or spend our lives on WoW, and no dressing up like a warlock isn’t going to tickle our fancy. Video games are being enjoyed by all types of people, both you and old, and of both sexes so instead of trying to broadcast the stereotype from the 1980’s, can we please be represented like any other indstry that gets together to talk about the big news coming up?

Shocker? Probably not, but OnLive COO, Mike McGarvey, wrote in a recent blog entry that E3 is a “retail-oriented conference, both for retail platforms and retail publishers, and OnLive is neither.” Pretty strange quote if you ask me. This really doesn’t help them since they are planning a Summer beta and Winter release. Then they come up with a line saying that they are not a retail platform. Really OnLive? Isn’t that basically what your entire purpose is. Also if E3 is kinda good enough for every other hard hitter in the gaming industry, then I would say you should give it a chance.

It doesn’t make sense for them to not show up to E3 unless they were denied by the ESA which brings up a whole bunch of other questions. This is the video game industry’s biggest stage, so if you actually have a product like the one you are promising then you show it. Unless they plan on going to Leipzig, or whatever the hell it’s called this year, then yeah not a good marketing move on their part.

So does this hurt your perception on OnLive?

Last week’s release of the April NPD numbers revealed that the US gaming market saw a 17 percent decline in sales for the second month running. One game apparently hit hard by the decline was the PlayStation 3 exclusive touted as a “Halo killer” by Sony loyalists, Killzone 2. After years in the making and a reported $21 million budget, the game sold just 58,000 units last month, down from just more than 323,000 units in March. Add in the 296,000 units the game sold in two days on the market in February, and its US sales total stood at 677,000 as of April 30.

Helghan’s coffers are not filling as fast as before.

Drops like Killzone 2’s are not uncommon. As explained by game-industry analyst Jesse Divnich in his analysis of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars’ now-flat sales, most AAA games tend to fall off sharply after their first one or two months on the market.

That said, Microsoft partisans in the verbal console wars were quick to point out that Killzone 2’s April sales were less that those of the 21-month-old Halo 3. The Xbox 360-only shooter sold 67,000 units domestically during the month, including limited and collector’s editions, reported NPD. (Killzone 2 did not come in a collector’s edition.) In its first three months on the domestic market, Halo 3 sold just more than 4 million units, with its life-to-date US total topping 6 million units as of last month.

The discrepancy between Killzone 2 and Halo 3 is eyebrow-raising, given both have roughly the same very high Metacritic scores. However, it has several rational explanations that don’t reflect poorly on the PlayStation 3 or the game itself.

Even before it was on the Xbox 360, the Halo series was a cultural phenomenon, with a fan base much larger than that of the original 2004 Killzone for the PlayStation 2. Halo 3 is by far the most popular exclusive on the 360, which had a US installed base nearly twice that of the PS3 as of March–14.9 million to 7.5 million consoles, respectively. Microsoft has also aggressively discounted its error-prone hardware, with the cheapest (and hard-drive-less) model now $200 less than the $399 PlayStation 3.

Furthermore, Microsoft pulled out all the stops promoting Halo 3 in the weeks leading up to its $170 million launch day. With a marketing budget of more than $10 million, the game’s trailer was attached to summer blockbusters, and its artwork appeared on everything from soda cans to junk-food bags.

Halo 3 also had the benefit of not launching in the midst of an economic downturn and shrinking game market. The lowered demand for games was reflected by NPD’s top 10 list, particularly in 10th-place finisher The Godfather II (PS3), which sold only 91,000 units. In March, the tail-end game on the chart was 2K Sports’ Major League Baseball 2K9 (360), with 205,000 units.

Courtesy of Gamespot.com

When the PSN was launched with the release of the PS3, many considered it a redheaded stepchild to Xbox Live. Many thought Xbox Live to be light years better than the PSN. Fortunately for PS3 owners, the service continued to improve at such an astonishing rate that it is now near the value of the Xbox Live. While this is great there are still some things the PSN is missing that would be a great bonus to the service and the store is the inclusion of PS2 Classics.

The Xbox currently has Xbox Originals which has a solid library of the first Xbox games including Halo: CE, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, both Max Payne’s, and many more. Now those are just 5 of the couple dozen great last gen games that Xbox Live has. When you look at the PS2’s library, think of the amount of quality titles that could be available on the Playstation Store.

While this may not be a must for those who own a backwards compatible PS3, or still own their PS2 this would be a great addition to the Playstation Store for the 10+ million PS3 owners who either have a limited backwards catalog or no backwards compatibility whatsoever. Their first party titles from last gen would be a great start with games like the God of War series, Shadow of The Colussus, Ico, SOCOM, Gran Turismo, and Killzone 1. Then other companies like Konami and Square Enix would also approve of a service like this to make money off of franchises like Metal Gear and Final Fantasy.

Sony has shown their support for putting their back catalog on the PSN with PSOne classics, but is that enough? Hopefully this E3 or in the near future they will allow PS3 owners the ability to play some of the reat games on their last console. With no backwards compatabilty on any of the current models it would be an ideal way for a gamer to enjoy a great game on a budget.