Tag Archives: Playstation 4

SHENMUE 1 AND 2 REMASTERED! SEGA MEGADRIVE Announced At SEGA FES 2018!

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SEGA Fes 2018 is a SEGA hosted event going on from April 14 to April 15 that pretty much showcases everything SEGA. Think of it as a BlizzCon, but with SEGA. The unfortunate news is that the “Fes(tival)” is being held at Belle Salle Akihabara in Tokyo but IF you happen to be in Japan and you CAN attend, the good news is that it’s free!

Belle Salle Akihabara

The event covers 3 floors: The Stage Zone in the Basement which is intended for the fans and has various stage events and announcements. The Huge Attraction Experience Zone on the 1st Floor features the huge attractions that make up the centerpieces of the event. And finally The Museum Zone on the 2nd Floor which is more of a celebration of SEGA console anniversaries (30th for Saturn and 20th for Dreamcast) and centers around the history of SEGA as a whole.

 

The biggest announcement so far has been the introduction of the SEGA MegaDrive Mini. Meant as the SEGA version of Nintendo’s NES and SNES Classic, the SEGA MegaDrive Mini will go on sale this year, though there wasn’t any more details as to what games will be on the console other than possibly a way of asking the audience what they want.

Another major announcement is the remaster of the critically acclaimed Shenmue 1 and 2 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC just in time for the release of Shenmue 3 later this year. Both games will feature Japanese AND English voiceovers as well as options for modern vs. classic controls and a fully scalable screen resolution.

MEGA MAN X LEGACY COLLECTION 1 AND 2 Announced!

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The Mega Man games have been a veritable juggernaut in the video game industry. From its humble beginnings on the Nintendo Entertainment System to the newly announced Mega Man 11, the franchise has brought its unique gameplay to fans for over 30 years. But recently Capcom announced on their twitter account that the second set of Mega Man games collections is coming to US shores.

 

Announcing the Mega Man X Collection Set 1 and 2!

 

The Mega Man Collection Set 1 will cover the Mega Man X games, originally featured on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Playstation consoles, from the original (X) to the fourth iteration (X4). The second collection, featured originally on the Playstation, Playstation 2, and Windows platofrms, will feature the fifth iteration (X5) to the eighth (X8).

This time, the company is planning on releasing both collections on the Playstation 4, XBox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch this July 24th and plans to have a ton of extras. From art books, to a widescreen mode, to a fully rendered 3D mode to even a dual boss fighting mode, it looks like the franchise is looking to appease the classic audience and bring in a whole new one in time for the Mega Man 11 release. In addition, there’s the The Day of Σ movie that was originally in the Maverick Hunter X game that explores the origin of the antagonist Sigma and the Mavericks.

The Return Of SPYRO THE DRAGON!

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Spyro the Dragon is a video game series that helped drive the sales of the Playstation. However, for some reason, the series never really made it past the Playstation era, instead it seemed to have disappeared along with the Crash Bandicoot series.

 

But it’s not like the title was forgotten. Many fans of the series begged Insomniac Games (creators of both the Spyro series) to bring back their favorite purple dragon, but the development company decided it was in their best interest to explore new IPs in Fuse and Sunset Overdrive. However with the release of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, many fans were wondering if they could see Spyro fly again.

And he will, though maybe not in the for the fans want.

 

What we’ll get is a remaster of the original 3: Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Revenge, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. It isn’t a bad start. With the successful reimagining of Ratchet and Clank, I believe Insomniac is trying to gauge interest in possible future games. Activision announced on Thursday that Spyro will return to the Playstation 4 in 3 pack titled Spyro Reignited Trilogy.

 

However, IF you have the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, you can enter the partial Konami Code: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Square (instead of B, A) in the Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped title screen to see the Spyro Reignited Trilogy trailer.

Remember: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Square

The game will retail for $39.99 on Playstation 4 this September. As with the Crash trilogy, this may be a timed exclusive and will most likely appear on the Xbox and possibly the Switch. I guess we’ll see.

SPIDER-MAN Release Date Revealed!

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When Spider-Man was officially announced at E3 2016, trying to get fans hyped up for the Spider-Man Homecoming movie that was to release the next year and heralding the new relationship between Sony and Marvel. Development was given to Insomniac Games, whose titles include Fuse, Sunset Overdrive, Ratchet and Clank, and Spyro the Dragon, which was a great move for the new title and would mark the first time the studio would work with an established IP.

 

When E3 2017 came and went, many fans were left wondering when the game would come out. The gameplay trailers looked amazing, but there was no confirmed release date. Ryan Penagos, VP and Executive Editor of Marvel Digital Media announced the game would be released in 2017 and many fans were anticipating it would be released by the end of 2017, while Shawn Layden, President of Sony Interactive Entertainment America announced a first half 2018 release.

 

But the final confirmation seems to have come from Game Informer and Sony itself on Wednesday. While the release of the Game Informer features a fantastic cover and a lot of detail about the game in the magazine, James Stevenson, Community Director of Insomniac Games announced the release date on Playstation blog site, covering the digital end of the news.

    We will finally get to see Spider-Man on PS4 on September 7, 2018.

 

It’s not exactly the time that fans were expecting, but if you know Insomniac, you’ll know that they thrive on quality (just look at their recent Ratchet and Clank game…it’s such a smooth game!) and quality takes time.

Providing the voice of the masked wonder is none other than Yuri Lowenthal. He has been a driving force in the voice acting community with voice credits on Naruto as Sasuke Uchiha, the Prince in The Prince of Persia video games, and Ben Tennyson on the Ben 10 series (though not in the current iteration as Ben, he still voices some of the creature forms).

Are you excited about the new Spider-Man?

HORIZON ZERO DAWN Has First Birthday, Earns Big Accolade

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The Playstation 4 is clearly one of the most successful consoles in this generation. Releasing in the holiday of 2013, Sony decided to not go too fancy with Cell technology and just focus on just being a great game console. Over the last 4 years, the Playstation 4 has and still continues to sell very well, moving on tens of thousands of units per week.

But one game that wowed critics and consumers alike was Guerilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn that released in early 2017. The open world semi-prehistoric, semi-futuristic saga was so loved by fans, it garnered a Best Original Game Award in 2015 and 2016 by the Game Critics Awards at E3 (games awarded by the Game Critics Awards apply to games displayed at E3, not released games) and was nominated in 8 categories at The Game Awards including Game of the Year.

Now Horizon Zero Dawn can add another accolade: The most successful first party game for the PS4. This is a big thing considering the game has only been out for only a year. As of this writing, a whopping 7.6 million copies have been sold since its launch. It now sits above some well-known Playstation 4 exclusives such as Bloodborne, Until Dawn, and The Order 1886.

 

Congratulations Horizon Zero Dawn, you deserve all the praise.

MONSTER HUNTER WORLD Best Selling Game?

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Could Monster Hunter World be Capcom’s shining beacon of light?

It seems to be so. The release of Monster Hunter World has returned some massive numbers. Famitsu, a company that tracks Japanese retail sales, has recorded that the game sold more than 1.35 million copies in its first weekend release. Maybe it’s the fact that it was the first major console release of the game since the first Monster Hunter or maybe it’s the streamlining of the game mechanics that make it easier for newcomers to approach. Regardless of what it is, the formula has definitely worked.

Video game fans are at least familiar with the Monster Hunter franchise. Starting back in 2004 on the Playstation 2, it wasn’t a spectacular game, but received fair reviews. Its core loop of kill monsters, loot monsters, build better gear only to kill bigger monsters did well enough for the game that it spawned 3 sequels before Monster Hunter World.

Monster Hunter started humbly on Playstation 2 in 2004.

But not even a month into the release and Capcom is not only declaring Monster Hunter World the fastest selling game of the series, it has set a new record of fastest selling Capcom game of all time! Considering the company has some heavy hitter franchises in Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Mega Man, a franchise as young as Monster Hunter is giving Capcom the breath of fresh air it needed. As of Monday, February 12, the company has announced that Monster Hunter World has broken the 6 million sales mark, which includes digital and physical media. It’s also no surprise that the game was the top selling game on PSN for the month of January.

 

It released on January 26.

 

Personally, I love the game. It’s not the best game of all time in my book, but the core loop of the game just makes me want to play all the time.

Monster Hunter World is currently out on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.

Franchise Fred Game Review: Rock Band 4 for PS4

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I was sad when Rock Band stopped releasing new DLC for Rock Band 3 because I would have kept playing new songs. I’m of the “if it ain’t broke” mentality, so I was just happy to see any Rock Band game come back. Now it’s the only game in town for five button guitars, if you want to play along with music the way you’re used to.

Freestyle guitar solo in Rock Band 4

Freestyle guitar solo in Rock Band 4

The most marked new feature in Rock Band 4 is the freestyle guitar solo, and the tutorial does a good job teaching you how to play. It still sounds like a preset solo to me, no matter what notes you hold, but what I like about it is that it keeps you in rhythm, rather than anarchically tapping buttons and strumming. I’d also note that on most songs, the solo never takes you too far away from where your fingers need to be when the song resumes.

I was never much into drums on Rock Band but I do appreciate that the new drum fills simply because they give you actual beats to hit. When drum solos allowed you to bang away, I must confess I created quite a racket. I couldn’t get much sense of the new vocal improv feature. Since I’m using old instruments, it may not be available to me.

In career mode, Rock Band 4 solved a major organizational issue. Now that I have hundreds of songs, just choosing a set list could be unwieldy. Imagine players with thousands. So the ability to vote for songs narrows down the library to a multiple choice of four. The categories add a fun mystery too, as you might select a randomized song from a given year, genre or artist. Sometimes you’ll even get to revote if the audience makes requests, and the requests could be better than the original options.

Rock Band 4 touring mode

Rock Band 4 touring mode

Going on tour gives you choices of how you’re going to progress too. I’m always going to choose the path of song flexibility over gear and rewards. I’m not looking at the animated characters anyway, and I didn’t spend much time on my avatar. I’m about the music so I want the most freedom to pick my music possible.

Since I’m using my old instruments from Rock Band 1 and 2, I still find the guitar a tad unresponsive. I suspect the brand new “band-in-a-box” kit solved that issue, but I don’t have the cash to upgrade. My suspicion is validated by trying out Guitar Hero instruments, which are now compatible. The responsiveness was right back in my comfort zone, but it had new problems. The old Guitar Hero III guitar would lose one of out of the five color buttons randomly. I’m not sure if that’s the age of the equipment or a compatibility issue. And my Guitar Hero World Tour guitar no longer works. The dongle doesn’t even light up.

Compatibility for Rock Band 4 has been extensively covered, so I’ll try to stick to new information.  Since the PS4 now only has two controller slots, that takes up the two guitar dongles and leaves none for the wired mic and drums. Luckily, I could plug the wired mic and drums into one of the guitar dongles, which fortunately had extra slots. It was messy, but it worked and I had four people playing simultaneously.

I went online and re-downloaded all of my old songs. It was cool that Playstation Store remembers which ones I’ve already purchased, because I sure don’t. I could have sworn I owned a few titles that it said I didn’t, and that might still be Rock Band 4 catching up with my old account. I also pour one out for the songs that are no longer available due to rights lapsing. RockBand4_HUD_06_1443603706

Like many party games, Rock Band 4 is going to be an ongoing project for me. I will continue to buy new songs, especially now that they’ve got the DLC back on track. I also intend to get to the bottom of these compatibility issues. Look for more reviews of Rock Band content here on Nerd Report, and look for my band, Franchise Fred & the Sequels (no spaces though) for online multiplayer!

Rock Band 4 Compatibility Page – PS4 and Xbox One

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Since I am playing Rock Band 4 on a PS4 using instruments from PS3 versions, I looked up compatibility and instructions while I was trying to set it up. I didn’t find any complete reference. Harmonix has a compatibility chart, but there’s more to it than that.  I thought I’d start a page here on Nerd Report where people can share their experiences and help in the comments. I will share how I got it to work, but that may only part of the story. (Feel free also to share Xbox One experiences.)

My equipment: Rock Band guitar, drums and microphone, Rock Band 2 guitar, Playstation 4.

You’ll notice that’s four instruments. Playstation 4 now only has two controller jacks. Some design genius figured that with wireless controllers, there was no more need for four or more jacks.

Luckily, one of the Rock Band guitar dongles has extra jacks. A dongle, I learned, is the name for the wireless receiver you plug into the control jack to connect with a wireless guitar. Back on PS3, each instrument came with its own paired dongle.

Rock Band dongles

Rock Band dongles

So the messy plug situation was: two guitar dongles, with a microphone and drums plugged into one of the dongles.

It seems new instruments are simply paired via PS4 bluetooth, but PS3 equipment still requires the dongles, so here we are.

Guitar Hero instruments are now compatible with Rock Band 4, and I had some of those to try out too, but each had problems. My oldest guitar for Guitar Hero III connected and activated fine. I even found it a bit more responsive than Rock Band guitars, explaining why I was always a little better at Guitar Hero. But, the colored frets would go dead at random. In mid-song, I’d lose the green, orange or blue fret, which makes finishing the song impossible.

Could that be the age of the guitar? It’s the oldest piece of equipment in this equation so maybe it’s just going bad. It did have fresh new batteries in, and the randomization of the dead frets suggests it’s not just wear and tear.

However, my second guitar, which came with Guitar Hero World Tour, was completely dead. The dongle would not even light up red to connect, although the guitar it should have paired with was still blinking. Do dongles go bad? That’s a tad less old than the guitar that works with missing fret buttons.

RockBand4_HUD_CedarwoodRoad_1443603713On the vocal front, since I still have the old microphone, am I able to use the vocal improv feature? It seems like any time I stray from the notes, it counts as a miss. Do you need the new Rock Band 4 mic to vary the notes? Or am I just not good enough to improv?

I will update this page as I find more information. Please share answers or further questions in the comments.

PLAYSTATION 4 Coming Up Short This Holiday. XBOX and NINTENDO Show Healthy Numbers.

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WoWXMas

Christmas is that time of year when Video Game sales just skyrocket. E3 gives us a little preview on what is going to happen on the holidays, but is never a sure fire prediction. Still you cold expect some kind of accurate news.

PlayStation-4-Announcement-Logo

Let’s face it, Playstation 4 was been on fire earlier this year. In the first quarter (which is around April-June), the Playstation almost tripled Xbox sales, declaring 3.5 million total consoles sold as opposed to the paltry 1.1 million Xbox consoles. A lot of it had to do with pricing, the PS4 was just cheaper than the Kinect-bundled Xbox One, even though it offered more versatility than the PS4.

xbox-one-logo

But fast forward to the latter half of the year. Xbox announced Kinect-less Xbox One bundles for the holiday, dramatically dropping the price point and making it a contender for the price war. Sony tried sticking to its guns and offered some bundles of their own; keeping the $399 sale price since it had done them no wrong so far.

 

And the result?

 

NPD has reported that in November, the Xbox One sales for US and UK were on top of the charts, beating PS4 with 1.2 million units sold…just in November. Just the announcement of a Kinect-less Xbox One doubled the sales of the console in June. The Verge reported that with those numbers, Xbox broke the 10 million units sold mark, catching up pretty quickly to the 13.5 million that Sony has sold. And while it’s 3.5 million is still a long ways off, it’s still impressive that 2 consoles have sold 10 million units within their first year.

SSB

But what of Nintendo? Certainly they’re not riding high like they did with the Wii, but there’s impressive numbers nonetheless. It’s very apparent from E3 that Nintendo was pushing Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii-U and with good reason; Smash Bros. is just a really fun game and has that…Je ne sais quoi that makes people want to play again and again. Smash Bros. for the 3DS released earlier in the season, garnering an impressive 1.5 million sales, which also bumped up their other software brethren sales up 40 percent (GamePolitics). In addition, the new Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire sold 1.5 million units together, making the handheld market on lockdown for Nintendo (as usual).

 

But it was the Wii-U sales that has been impressive. Hardware and software sales have been up 90 percent since the launch of the Wii-U. The Wii-U Smash Bros game itself sold 710,000 copies in the US. The inclusion of the new Amiibo figures have helped Nintendo numbers as well, selling around the same amount of units as the Wii-U Smash Bros. game. And with the amount of store-exclusive and short-run Amiibos, there’s plenty of market for the multi-tasking figurines.

 

The holiday console war is still in full swing and the war isn’t over, but one thing is for sure…all of us are winning.

DIABLO 3: ULTIMATE EVIL EDITION For Consoles In Stores NOW!

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D3Pic

For a lot of people, Blizzard’s Diablo games are a way of life. Click click click click goes the mouse as players battled through hordes of demonic minions, beasts, and other weird amalgams. Unfortunately, it was specifically meant for PC and Mac players. Consoles would get some love with a Diablo on Playstation, but was quickly forgotten for reasons unknown.

Now, more than 10 years later, Blizzard’s Diablo 3 finally arrives in stores for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, AND Playstation 4 (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 releases in September)! Not only do players get Diablo 3, they also get Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls and some extra stuff like new crafting options and Legendary loot! Check out Diablo Ultimate Evil Edition TODAY!

Here’s the press release:

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– As Malthael tightens his grip over the innocent people of Sanctuary, a legion of console gamers stand ready to join the crusade against death. Blizzard Entertainment today announced that Diablo® III: Reaper of Souls™ – Ultimate Evil Edition™ is now available on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360®, and Xbox One™.

The console-exclusive Ultimate Evil Edition is filled to the brim with action, adventure, and epic loot—it includes all of the content from Blizzard’s award-winning action role-playing game Diablo III, as well as new features and updates from the critically acclaimed Reaper of Souls expansion, including Adventure Mode, Act V, the Crusader class, leveling to 70, new Legendary loot, new crafting options, and much more. The Ultimate Evil Edition is available now at retail stores and digitally through the PlayStation®Store and Xbox Store (Xbox 360 digital version will be available September 18).

“With the Ultimate Evil Edition, we wanted to create a truly epic action-RPG for current- and next-gen systems, so we included all of the latest Diablo III and Reaper of Souls content and added innovative social features like the Nemesis System and Apprentice Mode,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re excited to be delivering the definitive Diablo console-gaming experience to new and returning players, and we can’t wait to see everyone in Sanctuary.”

Crafted for Consoles

The Ultimate Evil Edition takes advantage of the unique features of the console platforms. All four console versions of the Ultimate Evil Edition feature 4-player same-screen and online multiplayer—whether Sanctuary’s heroes are banding together on the same couch or joining the fray via PlayStation®Network or Xbox Live, Reaper of Souls makes it easy to experience Diablo in the best way possible: with friends.

The Ultimate Evil Edition also adds more ways for players to share their adventures: Apprentice Mode makes it easier than ever to group up with friends; the Nemesis System sends hero-slaying monsters into friends’ games until vengeance is won; and new Player Mail and Player Gift features give players new options for sharing their treasures with allies—because nothing says “friendship” like unwrapping a piece of awesome loot.

In addition, players who fought the forces of evil in the original PS3™ or Xbox 360 versions of Diablo III are able to continue their crusade against death, including cross-platform support on next-gen consoles. PS3™characters from the original game can be transferred to the PS3™, PS4™, or Xbox One version of the Ultimate Evil Edition, and Xbox 360 characters can be transferred to the Xbox 360, Xbox One, or PS4™ versions. For more information on exporting your characters’ save files, visit the Diablo III community site.

Join the Crusade with Reaper of Souls

In Reaper of Souls, the five valiant heroes from Diablo III—Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, and Wizard—are joined by a new champion: the Crusader. Clad head to toe in fortified armor, the Crusader is an unstoppable force of righteous destruction who channels the power of divine wrath to visit retribution upon his demonic quarry.

Reaper of Souls adds a challenging new act to Diablo III in which players will embark on a dark and perilous journey through terrifying landscapes; explore the legendary city of Westmarch; and slay countless minions, each hell-bent on bringing the players’ heroic quest to a grisly end. The adventure culminates in a climactic confrontation with Malthael, the Angel of Death, whose twisted designs spell ruin for the innocent people of Sanctuary.

In addition to the Crusader hero and Act V, the Ultimate Evil Edition includes a revamp of the game’s loot system, an expanded Paragon progression system for max-level characters, and several other improvements to theDiablo III game experience, including:

  • Adventure Mode: A new game mode that gives players the freedom to go anywhere and slay anything
  • Bounties: Randomized objectives that reward players in new ways for exploring Sanctuary
  • Nephalem Rifts: Fully randomized dungeons offering endless replayability and heaps of loot
  • Level Cap to 70: Formidable new spells and abilities that take players to new heights of power
  • The Mystic: A powerful new artisan who provides heroes with loot-customization options

All of this new content comes with the Ultimate Evil Edition, which players can purchase today at a suggested retail price of $59.99 for the PS4™ or Xbox One, or $39.99 for the PS3™ or Xbox 360—check with your local retailer for availability.

Players who take the fight for Sanctuary to their big screen TV on the PS3™ or PS4™ will also enjoy exclusive content based on two popular PlayStation® games!

  • The Last of Us™ Nephalem Rift, a new randomized dungeon level teeming with ravenous creatures modeled after the infamous Stalker, Clicker, and Bloated infected
  • The Guise of the Colossi, a unique transmogrification plan that unlocks six armor appearances inspired by Shadow of the Colossus™

For more information on Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition, visit the official Diablo III console website. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes eighteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.