Thrillhouse17 from PSHRadio.com sits down with Platform Nation to give us a video review for Rez HD

Todays Gamers Video Update is a video review so here you go, PlatformNation.com’s official video review of Unreal Tournament 3 for the PS3.

MSRP 59.99

Pluses
+ Fun fast pace FPS
+ You can use EITHER keyboard and mouse OR the sixaxis controller
+ Supports vibration
+ Allows user created mode (free downloads)

Minuses
- Like most ps3 games, not everyone has voice chat
- No clan support

http://www.unrealtournament3.com

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It’s no secret that I love Warhawk , despite the fact that it’s gone through quite a few growing pains. Yesterday the first batch of downloadable content was released, Omega Dawn. I quickly swooped in and picked it up.

Coming in at essentially eight dollars ($7.99), the new pack will give you:

• A new map called “Omega Factory”, and its 6 different layouts.
• A new aircraft called the KT-424 Combat Dropship.
• 5 new layouts for maps from the original game, taking advantage of the new aircraft.

Getting into a game that took advantage of this content was initially rough. It’s no secret that exclusive content splinters the user base, so finding a full game with 31 others willing to shell out 8 bucks took me longer than I would have liked. Hopefully this is only a temporary problem, and with time more will pick it up, but one worth mentioning nonetheless.

If you’ve played Warhawk then you know it takes time to learn every nuance of a map, as they’re quite large. This new Omega Factory is no different. It’s a very dark (night time), industrial area, who’s rocky surfaces are lined with giant pipelines. Two giant towers, only accessible by air, overlook the battlefield, giving the map a very vertical feel. I’m not going to pretend to know the map perfectly, but it seems to be equally balanced between air and ground combat zones. The new airship fits right at home here.

Speaking of, the new KT-424 ship is a very welcome addition to Warhawk. Similar to the Elephant in Halo 3, if it could fly, the KT is a huge beast to be feared. The pilot takes the helm while up to 6 others hop on board, each manning a different missile turret or gun. The KT can either navigate the map, offering support and carrying tanks/jeeps to soldiers in need, or can position itself in hover mode, allowing the pilot to man the rapid fire guns. While heavily armored and extremely deadly, the dropship is slower and less maneuverable than the warhawks, becoming an instant target.

The simple addition of this new vehicle, and it’s inclusion in all 6 maps, adds quite a bit of strategic play to this online game. A team that communicates well, and coordinates strikes will easily dominate. So get a headset. The fact that not everyone has one, and isn’t willing to talk, can be incredibly frustrating. There is nothing more pathetic than someone taking off in the new KT, alone, and being mercilessly shot down.

At $7.99, and offering 1/5 of the content in the original game, the Omega Dawn expansion is perfect for those that love Warhawk, but probably not enough to bring back those that have moved on. Since its release the PS3 has since received COD4, TF2, and UT3, other excellent online shooters, so this content might be too little too late. If you still play Warhawk, you’ll spend hours on the new map, learning the different layouts, and flying the new ship, making this a great deal.

I hope more people purchase and play this expansion. Hopefully we’ll get more.

Todays Gamers Video Update is a video review so here you go, PlatformNation.com’s official video review of the Playstation Eye.

MSRP 39.99

Pluses
+ Video quality
+ Ease of setting up
+ The video editing software
+ Group video chat

Minuses
- Can not send video messages
- No real 3rd party support announced yet

http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Accessories/SCPH-98047

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Due to an admittedly limited number of Playstation exclusives this holiday season, Haze has fallen under a (perhaps undeserved) critical microscope. Chia had the pleasure/misfortune of playing this on-again-off-again PS3 exclusive at PAX, and was unimpressed. Yet, despite his claims of extreme mediocrity, I look forward to this title, and hope that it delivers enough fresh content to merit my time. Looks like European Playstation owners (and those claiming to be) will be able to give this game a test, and see if it’s worth squeezing in between the other blockbuster holiday titles.

What I find interesting, and extremely promising, is that the demo will apparently offer a segment of the game playable both in single player and 4 person co-op. Here’s hoping that Chia was wrong.

http://es.playstation.com/ps3/news/articles/detail/item82530/Demo/

I’m starting to feel like a contestant on The Price Is Right. How much do you think the PS3 is worth? Six hundred, five hundred or four hundred dollars?

In an “announcement” that shocked no one Sony UK officially pulled back the curtain and revealed the 40 GB version of its home entertainment console. This newest version will run our tea and crumpet friends 299 pounds (or 610 bucks, ouch), and is speculated to cost us 400 bucks. This special “Short Bus Edition” will feature 2 usb ports (compared to the usual 4), will not be including the multi media memory card slots (which were not included on the 20 GB version, remember that one?), and will not feature any sort of backwards compatibility.

Lets get this out of the way:

PS3 Fanboy Response - See, this is why Sony is the greatest. They listen to consumers and give them the greatest console in the world. They heard us complaining about the price being too high (even though they should charge double) so now they’re removing the extra features that we don’t need (but were given anyway, because Sony is sooo nice) so now everyone can enjoy the extensive library of exclusive games that the PS3 has to offer.

Xbox 360 Fanboy Attack - Sony is so stupid. This is why they don’t understand their consumer. They make a console that is way overpriced, doesn’t have rumble, and is only good for movies. Then they make the price the exact same as the 360 but take away features like PS2 compatibility? I’d rather play my core 360 and buy the hard drive separately because that’s way cheaper. Good thing that Halo 3 is FTW and has an excellent campaign with a rich fulfilling story, and that xbox live is charging me for premier service like achievements. As soon as my 360 gets back from customer service it’s nothing but tea bagging noobs online while singing into my headset.

We’ve all known for quite a while now that Sony had a cheaper console in the works. What we didn’t know was that this new edition wouldn’t be quite as feature-rich. Removing 2 usb ports from the console is odd, as they can’t cost Sony that much to include. The 360 has 3 usb ports, however one is there solely for the Wi-Fi adapter (100 dollar add-on), which this newest PS3 already has built in, so perhaps this exclusion is acceptable. Removing the multi media card slots was almost expected, as the 20 GB version didn’t originally have them, and isn’t a feature that many users take advantage of.

The most prominent feature to slip through the cracks is backwards compatibility. Does including this feature, even if it has to be via software emulation, really significantly add to the sticker price? If the tech has already been created, and successfully implemented in the other versions, does it make economic sense to strip down this new model? Apparently so.

How important is backwards compatibility? With today’s buy and trade consumer mentality, does anyone really go back to older gen games? Or was Sony thinking that since there are 120+ million PS2s already in homes removing this feature was a viable solution to the PS3’s “high” price point.

I don’t know, and question this latest move. As someone who owns 100+ PS2 games (only about half have actually been completed) this newest model doesn’t interest me. Backwards compatibility, while not exactly necessary, is an important feature to me. I’ve been known to crack open a dusty copy of last gen’s greatest offering and reminisce for a few hours. Still, I consider myself to be in the minority. Most people are probably willing to sacrifice previous gen support for a little extra cash in their wallets. Plenty bitched about the 360 not being fully backwards compatibly, but how many actually used the feature?

Odds are if you desire this feature then you have a working PS2 already. I’m not trying to justify Sony’s decision, as I don’t fully approve it, but I do in part understand it. I guess that you have to move on and grow up sometime.

It’s no secret that Warhawk has been a resounding commercial success on the PS3, but has been plagued with server stat problems. Now, after weeks of Medals, Ribbons, Badges and Points being lost forever, it appears that whatever issue cursed this otherwise excellent game has been resolved.

Is this a permanent fix? Or is this simply a fluke? I have been playing Warhawk daily since release, and have lost a grand total 5235 points. You can imagine my surprise when today, after 15 days, my stats finally changed. Will this be a regular occurrence? Only time will tell…

Update: Curse ye who dares play this game. I played for about two more hours, only to find all points accrued in that time stuck in stat limbo. How many server restarts have they had now, three? This is beyond unacceptable.

Update Two: In what creates further confusion some of my “stat improvements” seem to have lumped together, all hitting at the same time. I understand that the servers need time to refresh and reload stats, but what puzzles me is that while sitting at the main menu I received congratulations on achieving a new rank.  A rank I don’t have enough stat points for. This game is 12 flavors of crazy.

Our hosts meet and greet.

Topics include: Warhawk, Lair and Heavenly Sword are discussed, among other things.

Contributing Artist: PSH Radio Staff (Thrillhouse17, Mik, Chiahippo)

Album: PSH Radio!

 

 Show 1, Where it all begins [49:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download