January 8
Evolution and WipEout Team to mergeEvolution Studios, creators of the MotorStorm series (purchased by Sony in 2007) are set to merge with the WipeOut team. The WipeOur team run under the name of Sony Studio Liverpool and are set to be under the same roof as the people at Evolution Studios.
Michael Denny head of Sony Worldwide Studios in Europe tells Gamesindustry.biz about the relationship between the two studios.
[Y]ou may be aware that Evolution and our Liverpool Studio have now merged in terms of management structure and using combined resources. Liverpool had great success this year with Wipeout HD and they also helped on MotorStorm as well.
Each studio has its own internal concepting group which will always be looking at new opportunities and new IPs, and we’ll continue to extend and innovate within our existing franchises as well.
When asked about a possible merge in the future, Denny responded with:
Yes, it was always the intention with them being in the same geographic location and working so closely together, it would be ideal if they could be housed at some point within the same site, but it’s not happening overnight.
When the two studios do merge, what can we expect from them? WipeStorm?
December 10
Finally we can go Home – again- released soon
After almost two years and three possible release periods, Home will finally be available to the public from December 11th 2008.
SCEE let know that tomorrow, everybody who has registered to the Playstation Network will be able to download Home from the Playstation Store. There was much speculation of when it would be available and in the latest interviews with people from SCE/Sony/Playstation only increased them.
Kazuo Hirai was proud to say,
PlayStation Home is truly a promising network community service on the PlayStation platform, made possible with the powerful combination of PS3’s overwhelming computational power and PlayStation Network that covers many countries around the globe. We are committed to providing PS3 users with exciting gaming experiences with PlayStation Home and together with our partners and users, expand the new world of interactive entertainment as we move forward.
We’ve heard about different kind of places you can visit like the lately announced ‘Clubs’ or event halls like the Tokyo Games Show, but also special spaces dedicated to certain games. From the start you can expect to have access to a Far Cry 2 space.
Sony has aimed for such game inspired environments so that it allows people to discuss the specific games, plan strategies and access content and clues that will enhance the gaming experience.
Expect more spaces like this to come soon from games like Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune™, Warhawk™, Motorstorm and SOCOM (we say this one will be available once the game hits Europe) and even other games.
SCEE has focused on bringing us more of these engaging environments together with Electronic Arts, UBISOFT, Midway, Sega and Atari that will provide users with an on-going gaming experience.
We already know that Red Bull had it’s own thing coming in Home but joined by other brands like Fashion leader Diesel, furniture designers Ligne Roset, Paramount Pictures, video content providers Hexus TV and Eurogamer they are one of the first to provide us with content once the Open Beta launches.
Expect to Dress 2 kill your avatar in Diesel clothing ranging in prices from free of charge to €1.50. Or do you rather want to show of your in-door decorating skills by furnishing your apartment, Summer Cottage or any other estate with exclusive Ligne Roset furniture. Maybe even be hired by somebody else.
To take the PlayStation Home Theatre to another level, Sony teamed up with various content providers to enhance the cinematic experience. Expect to see lifestyle technology programming from Hexus TV. Gaming content from Eurogamer and exclusive film content from Paramount Pictures (Maybe Sony Pictures as well in the future).
Paramount Pictures will be using Home to promote it’s latest movies like the highly anticipated film Watchmen to PlayStation®Home residents. You will also be able to get a selection of virtual Watchmen merchandise like T-Shirts with the smiley face logo, Doomsday clocks and character statues. Expect to see these items in (begin) 2009, ahead of an exclusive Q & A event where cast and filmmakers will meet selected press and competition winners fans within the Watchmen themed environment.
So this all seems like good news, but we still wonder how much content will actually be released in Open Beta from the start. With content we mainly mean clothing and furniture. The small store update that was received last week for people who were able to get into the Extended Closed Beta was nice acording to some but still not enough.
Will we be able to play music from our hard disks in our apartment or watch a clip on the TV in you Summer Cottage home. We don’t know yet, but coming tomorrow most questions will be answered, and then the judgement over Home’s potential will really start.
Get ready and be prepared to an experience that will take your Playstation 3 console to a whole other level.
Michael Denny boss of SCE Worldwide Studio claims that MotorStorm: Pacific Rift has sold over one million games worldwide since it’s launch.
We’re pleased with the high Metacritic rating of 82 per cent and it’s sold over a million units worldwide
Despite the hectic release schedule which resulted the game of landing outside the top 10 during this period it still managed to sell 1 million units.
The sequel to the popular PlayStation 3 launch title was released at the beginning of November, entering the charts at number 29 in the UK and then falling the following week to 35.
Look out for downloadable content as Evolution Studios is working on it.
motorstorm-pacific-rift_14-07-08_04
Once the release date was November 14th, now it appear MotorStorm Pacific Rift will arrive on the Playstation 3 on November 7th. Atleast that is what the official UK site of Playstation says.
Evolution Studios will bring us ATVs, rally cars, buggies, motorbikes, race trucks, mudpluggers and Big Rigs and Monster Trucks in this new edition.
Check out the latest advert video ont he Playstation Blog.
September 11
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift Gets Release DateMotorStorm Pacific Rift just got a official release date over from the PlayStation Blog. The date is set to release on October 28th. if you are looking for an off road racing game then this should be the game for you.
Also in the coming weeks pre-order programs will be announced in the coming weeks.
European Platinum titles are on the horizon after seeing some box arts. MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heavenly Sword and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destrution are the first ones to be on the Platinum line.
No price or release dates yet.
The 80GB PlayStation 3 SKU bundled with Motorstorm will no longer be available. Sony confirmed this to Joystiq.
In Sony’s words:
“Retailers aren’t getting any new inventory of the 80GB Motorstorm bundle,”
Please note that this does not mean the 80GB model is out of production it just means that MotorStorm won’t be bundled with it. Instead Metal Gear Solid 4 will be bundled along with a Dual Shock 3 controller.
The Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle will appear in stores on June the 12th 2008.