More GDC vids surface

As the title says, these are some more videos of those GDC tech demos Sony showed off. enjoy.

File : Raycasting demo (7.52 MB) (532×400)
File : Chameleon Fish (7.29 MB) (532×400)
File : Crowd Demo (24.4 MB) (540×304)

Final Fantasy XIII To Be Shown @ E3 2006

Yes you read it rite, the first showing of Final Fantasy XIII will be at E3 this May, along with all the other PS3 stuff to be shown, this will be the top of the list not just for me, but for thousands of gamers of around the world.

" Final Fantasy XII won't be hitting British shores until the end of the year, but already buzz for the series next instalment is beginning to emerge, which is supposedly going to be revealed at this year's E3.

American games mag EGM makes the claim, suggesting that the next entry in the Final Fantasy series is heading exclusively to the PlayStation 3. According to the mag, a brief teaser video will be rolled-out at E3 showing off Final Fantasy XIII in all its next-gen splendour, and presumably sending series loyalists into an excited frenzy.

Whether this rumour turns out to be true or not, we think the next Final Fantasy game appearing on Sony's next-gen console is a pretty safe bet. The series has traditionally be married to the PlayStation brand, with rival consoles left empty handed of any "true" Final Fantasy games.

Either way, E3 is just over a month away and we'll be there to report first-hand on any hot announcements in the world of Final Fantasy." Source: CVG

Also playsyde.com has been showing videos of the yet to be released (PAL EU) Final Fantasy XII, here are the vids, enjoy.

File : Opening (24.31 MB) (640×480)
File : Intro (77.28 MB) (640×480)
File : Gameplay 1 (69.13 MB) (640×480)
File : Chocobo ride (Bebpo) (8.14 MB) (640×480)
File : Battle 1 by Maskrider (16.96 MB) (640×480)
File : CG sequence #2 by Maskrider (35.07 MB) (640×480)
File : CG sequence 3 (4.63 MB) (640×368)
File : CG sequence 4 (19.22 MB) (640×480)
File : Custscenes compilation by Bebpo (101.65 MB) (640×480)
File : Town run (107.12 MB) (640×480)
File : Judge Battle (64.5 MB) (640×480)
File : Fighting (84.56 MB) (640×480)
File : Fighting 2 (38.27 MB) (640×480)
File : Whoops (73.75 MB) (640×480)
File : Ashe's 3 Mist (7.84 MB) (640×480)
File : Battles by Bebpo (235.88 MB) (640×480)
File : Mist: Balflear (9.16 MB) (640×480)
File : Mist: Ashe (9.28 MB) (640×480)
File : Mist: Fran (8.18 MB) (640×480)
File : Mist: Basch (9.09 MB) (640×480)
File : Mist: Vaan (8.02 MB) (640×480)
File : Mist: Penelo (8.83 MB) (640×480)
File : CG #5 (12.5 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Mateus (14.07 MB) (640×480)
File : CG #6 (27.03 MB) (640×480)
File : CG #7 (compilation) (23.65 MB) (640×480)
File : CG #8 (compilation) (20.74 MB) (640×480)
File : Treasures of Aht Urhgan trailer (14.94 MB) (640×360)
File : Treasures of Aht Urhgan trailer 720p (76.56 MB) (1280×720)
File : Summon: Shumihaza (12.13 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Adramelech (16.64 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Belias (13.84 MB) (640×480)
File : CG Sequence compilation #9 (26.67 MB) (640×480)
File : The Mandraz (8.5 MB) (640×480)
File : Opening the door to Giruvegan (6.35 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Cuchrain (11.79 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Zalhera (13.75 MB) (640×480)
File : CG #10 (compilation) (40.18 MB) (640×480)
File : CG #11 (compilation) (26.21 MB) (640×480)
File : CG #12 (compilation) (27.75 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Exdeath (12.17 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Famfrit (12.53 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Ultima (18.88 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Hasmallin (13.75 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Zeromus (12.67 MB) (640×480)
File : Final Boss Skills (20.46 MB) (640×480)
File : CG Pre Ending (75.26 MB) (640×480)
File : CG Ending (58.47 MB) (640×480
File : 8 death blows (52.01 MB)
File : Summon: Zodiac (13.14 MB) (640×480)
File : Summon: Chaos (10.92 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Zalhera (5.55 MB) (640×480)
File : Funny video – Mobhunt Gilgamesh (38.35 MB) (640×480)
File : Super hard bosses (17.57 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Exdeath (7.36 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Hashmallim (5.06 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Ultima (6.45 MB) (640×480)
File : Super hard bosses (17.57 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Exdeath (7.36 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Hashmallim (5.06 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Ultima (6.45 MB) (640×480)
File : Death Blow: Zodiac (12.96 MB) (640×480)

New stuff.

Well Ive added a Message Board to the right of the page, please leave something behind.

also ive discovered how to post Youtube vids on my blog, so if you find a funny video (only hosted at Youtube) then send it to me and I will post it, and as soon as Ive figured out how to do the same with Google Video then I will post them too, but I will keep you posted about them.

Also added is a new Link Gametomorrow Blog this is a blog by a selection of IBM gaming enthusiasts that work in all aspects of gaming throughout IMB. They tend to have really cool stuff about Cell, so if you want to read really in-detail and tech-wacky stuff about IMB and gaming then thats your place.

Ha ha ha!!

Very funny.  

3D Work Update

Well Ive eventually mapped the UV's for my PSP model (apart from the hands), and as sugested by my mate Simon ive decided to mirror the UV's to save on texture space. The UV layout is a bit messy, but ok I guess it could have been better but for 20 mins work its not too bad.

 

Video Interview with Sony @ GDC 2006

Here is a video of Phil Harrison and other Sony reps talking about PS3, If you want to see what the PS3 is all about download this vid.LINK

New Screenshots Surface From GCD

Well here are the New bigger and better quality screenshots from GDC 2006.

Motorstorm

Resistance: Fall Of Man

Jak & Daxter

These images have been shrunk, the originals are twice as big, and there are also some shots of the Network online system HUD and the Havok tech demo.

Source:- LINK

The Most Impressive Looking Game Ever Made?

Well untill something else comes along, but for now Crysis is looking like a must have game of 2006, and a good reason to get one of those $10,000 Dell quad SLI machines.

Check out the HD vid and let me know what you think.

LINK To Vid

Sony stops making original PS

Good bye old friend you will be missed (only for about 5 secs tho, but dont tell him. SSShhh)

“With the PS3 launch looming, Japanese electronics giant shuts down production of the console that brought it to the industry in the first place.

Sony entered the global gaming industry with the Japanese release of the original PlayStation in December of 1994. More than 11 years and two more consoles later, the electronics giant has pulled the plug on its first console, ceasing all production of PS units. Last September, Sony announced that the original PlayStation and its PSOne redesign had surpassed the 100 million units sold milestone.

Despite the news, Sony representatives noted today that the end of production does not necessarily mean the end of availability. PS hardware and software are still selling in countries around the world.

Even if original PlayStation systems and games are becoming slim pickings in the US, gamers likely won’t be going without for long. As part of its PlayStation Business Briefing 2006, Sony last week announced that it is working on an emulator that would allow gamers to play PS titles on the PSP. Details haven’t been released yet, but Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi said the games would be digitally distributed.

While the PlayStation’s decade-plus production run is certainly impressive, it isn’t the longest life span for a gaming console. Atari released its Video Computer System (more popularly known as the Atari 2600) in 1977 and didn’t officially pull the plug on it until 1991.”

Source:- Gamespot

GDC 2006: A Disappointment?

Well over the last week, GDC has been hosting some of the most anticipated hardware and software since the first Playstation. But from reporters that were at the show, the stuff that was looked at, and shown to the press/attendees, wasn’t that impressive.

I am of course talking about the PS3.

Although compared to current next gen consoles out now, the graphics were a massive leap, and not only the graphics but also the physics too, with third party middleware being developed and added to the SDK for PS3 is a great help and leap for developers over the original PS2. Reporters said that “Still, it was a bit disappointing to see Motorstorm in action with our intro to that game so impressive (and so questionably realistic)”[1].

So is the PS3 what everybody hoped and dreamed it would be?

Well im guessing yes and no (just sit on the fence as usual), because so far we have only seen what seemed to be pre-rendered[2] graphics at E3 last year, with Killzone getting top honor for setting the flame wars on forums alight. Most people who saw it said that cant be possible, and that was proven true by an employee who put up his showreel on the internet, showcasing some of the work he had contributed to the FMV of that said Killzone 2 trailer.

But Killzone wasnt the only game to set fire to young forum addicts, Motorstor was also added to the list of arsonist’s. This game also looked mightly fine in the graphics department showing off a great damage model and particle effects, along with silky smooth frame rate and lashings of other top special effects usually only seen in Movies from Pixar and the like.

Unlike Killzone (who has yet to poke its litle smoking head out from the ash) Motorstorm has been give the light of day at GDC, and while the first impressions are good “They even slowed the buggy down and showed how each tire moved independently when going over these curves. Great stuff!”[1].

But from one report to the other the tales of woe and happiness vary, I think this will happen with the end consumer when E3[3] comes around in May. The expectation of people is very high, and this is due to the waiting game played out by consumers but directed by Sony[4]. Sony new what was going on but they let the public think that the spring launch was a go up until this month where at a press confrence they came clean and moved the launch back till November, this has created both joy and dread from a consumer point of view. People now have a confimed date for a launch, and a world wide one at that, but they also have dread that this could be just another smoke screen, because of other problems with either hardware or software. And just to add more tention the HDD has still not been 100% confirmed.

“Question: There’s been some question over whether the hard drive will indeed be included with the PS3. Can you confirm either way?

Phil Harrison: As head of the software studios I don’t want to be the one comment on the hardware, but I’ll say this: developers are all designing their games to support the hard drive. All of our games are absolutely using the hard drive”[5].

So what exactly are Sony playing at, because they are either genious’s or cowboys, either way they are playing with the gaming masses and people are starting to either get hyped or hate Sony and there new machine.

GDC hasnt really cleared anything up at all, it has only sparked another set of forum fires and caused the media to jump up and down and cry with glee about either how good the PS3 will be once on the market or how the PS3 will fall flat on its HDMI ports. The public who will eventually decide the fate of PS3 have been given no reason to beleive the reports or discount them either, because no Videos or High quality pitures have made it out of GDC of the games shown :Warhawk, The Getaway, Jak and Daxter, Motorstorm & the few tech demos including The-un named game with the car been shot up.

For us as a gaming comuity need this information because we deal in visuals not some repeorters whim, but because all we have are eye witness accounts from biased either way repeorters, the hype machine get to a frenzy and then dies down to a simmer, if only we could have some video or pictures then it would ease out withdrawal symptoms and keep us from setting fire to our forum buddys.

Refrences:

[1] – Gamedaily blog by Level 8-2
[2] – Wikipedia – Pre Rendered
[3] – E3 Insider
[4] – Sony
[5] – Phill Harrison