Playstation 2 has been around for 9 years and today’s announcement is the reason we should all hate math.  I won’t deny that the Playstation 2 represents a lot of entertainment, especially for its current price of $99.00CAN and a back catalog of upwards of  10,000 games, but isn’t it kind of depressing when Sony releases information like this:

“….one in every three U.S. households own a PlayStation 2 system and nearly 140 million people around the world can attest to its great entertainment value, making it one of the world’s most popular video game systems.  The PlayStation 2 system is responsible for pushing the envelope by introducing popular franchises like God of War, Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank and METAL GEAR SOLID, which are continuing to make their way into the hands of new gamers – young and old.  One such franchise, SOCOM, took clear advantage of online game play and connectivity via the PlayStation 2 system.  As a result, the SOCOM franchise has become one of the most played of all time, with over 530 million online hours logged since the debut of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs in 2002.  This equates to an incredible 60,000 years of online play.“

60,000 years of online play!?!  And that’s just for one title on one platform!  It makes me ponder what world socio-economic problems could have been solved, how many marriages could have been saved, and just how many sunsets we’ve all missed because we were playing games. So, while Sony is celebrating — and the company should, it’s a big milestone — I’m wondering what I’ve missed.

It’s really easy to tell what time of year it is just by the pile of games hitting shelves lately.  Here’s your update for today, Tuesday, October 20, 2009:

• Borderlands (360, PS3; PC coming October 26)
• FIFA 10 (360, PS3)
• Astro Boy:  The Video Game (Wii, PS2, PSP, DS)
• Lips: Number One Hits (360)
• Tropico 3 (PC)
• Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars (PSP)
• MotorStorm Arctic Edge (PS2)
• Charm Girls Club (DS)
• Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo (Wii)

This news actually manages to annoy me.  It’s not “fanboi” anger or anything, just annoyance, simply because Ghostbusters has been getting such positive buzz lately for all platforms.  Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that Sony has made Ghostbusters an exclusive for their platforms (Playstation 3 and PSP).

The game is set for a June 19 release alongside the Sony Pictures film, but only on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2 platforms, which will have a period of exclusivity lasting several months until the PlayStation Portable edition is launched.

It is unclear exactly what will happen to the Xbox 360, DS and Wii versions of the game, although GamesIndustry.biz understands that Atari may look to publish them at a later date.

The bolded parts of the quoted part of the article are being followed up for clarification. CLARIFICATION: This news holds for the European region only.  Ghostbusters in North America is still coming to Xbox 360, Wii, and DS.
Source: Sony picks up Ghostbusters from Atari

There must be something about being President and Group Chief Operating Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. that suddenly starts gums flapping because the current position holder Kaz “Ridge Ra-a-a-acer” Hirai has been saying stuff that simply boggles my mind.

It’s worth showcasing some of the comments he made to Official Playstation Magazine, which Gamesindustry.biz and Eurogamer brought to my attention.

On being the “official” industry leader:

“This is not meant in terms of numbers, or who’s got the biggest install base, or who’s selling most in any particular week or month, but I’d like to think that we continue official leadership in this industry.”

In this case, Kaz is 100% incorrect.  The official leader of gaming industry is me.  True, the swearing in ceremony was poorly attended, the only witness being a half-consumed bottle of scotch, but I’m the leader, not Sony.

On the competition:

“It’s difficult to talk about Nintendo, because we don’t look at their console as being a competitor. They’re a different world, and we operate in our world – that’s the kind of way I look at things.

“And with the Xbox – again, I can’t come up with one word to fit. You need a word that describes something that lacks longevity.”

First, Kaz should finish his own crossword puzzles. “Something that lacks longevitiy” is 18 down and depending on 4 across, the answer might be “spent.”  But I digress.  Nintendo has already come out and said they don’t consider Microsoft or Sony as competition.  Kaz must really be operating in his own world to not have heard that bit of news. (more…)

Gamesindustry.biz via CNET has reported that Sony executive Ian Jackson seems to be pleased with the performance of of the Playstation 3.  A snippet from the story:

“…sales of PlayStation 3 were up by more than 130 per cent during the festive period.

“We’ve had a solid holiday season and have delivered consistent growth throughout this year,” said sales vice president Ian Jackson, in a statement to CNET.

He described 2008 as “a pivotal year for PlayStation” with “the best software line-up in the industry” on offer.

“Early internal data points to an increase of more than 130 per cent of PS3 hardware sales for the holiday season – since Black Friday – and we’re also seeing a growth of nearly 40 per cent in total PS3 hardware sales for the calendar year,” Jackson continued. “We remain confident this momentum will continue into the new year.”

Some years ago, I actually met Ian Jackson at a Sony event in Toronto. Then he was the Managing Director for Sony Computer Entertainment Canada and he seemed to be a personable and reasonable guy but the statement that Sony remains “confident this momentum will continue into the new year” smacks of PR talk and little to no acknowledgment that there’s a massive economic meltdown happening out there and people are keeping their money in their pockets (which is actually kicking the economy in the teeth again).

And many people would take issue with the statement that Sony has “the best software line-up in the industry.”  With many in the industry thinking that the PS3 exclusive LittleBigPlanet would be a massive, console-selling hit, it seems to have fizzled at retail (at least, in the short term — if there was ever going to be an “evergreen” title for Playstation 3, LBP is it) even with huge positive buzz. And what other PS3 exclusives can anyone think of that propel the console to claim the “the best software line-up in the industry” title?  I’m glad Sony posted some stronger sales figures — hardware allows people to buy software! — but some of the other statements deserved to be brought into the spotlight as they don’t appear connected to popular belief and/or the facts as they stand.

It’ll be interesting to see how Bully is received in Japan, school culture across the ocean being so different than what Bully is based upon, if Great Teacher Onizuka is anything to go by. ZeniMax Asia KK announced today that Bethesda Softworks will have Bully on Japanese retail shelves on July 24, 2008, which is actually today in Japan. We think. While we try to sort that out, here’s a bit from the official press release:

Bully, the critically-acclaimed title by Rockstar Games, allows you to experience the life of a troublesome schoolboy. With both single-player missions and 2 player mini games, you’ll stand up to bullies, get picked on by teachers, play pranks on malicious kids, win or lose the girl, and ultimately learn to navigate the obstacles of the fictitious boarding school, Bullworth Academy. Originally released on the Xbox 360 in 2008 and the PlayStation®2 system in 2006, this is the first time the game will be available in the Japanese market.

“We’re looking forward to bringing this fan favorite to Japan,” said Tetsu Takahashi, General Manager, ZeniMax Asia K.K. “Rockstar produces exceptional games and we’re excited to be working with them on extending their reach to gamers across the globe.”

Atlus has sent word that they plan to release Persona 4 for the PlayStation 2 on December 8, 2008 for $39.99US.  Also of note is that the game will come with a soundtrack packed in along with it.

Atlus has official announced a North American release for the enhanced version of Persona 3, which will be out on these shores on April 22 for only $30US on the PS2. Here’s the press release:

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 25, 2008 – Atlus U.S.A., Inc., the vanguard of role-playing games, today announced Persona 3 FES for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, the highly-anticipated definitive cut of 2007’s RPG of the Year, Persona 3. With two games on one disc–a brand new chapter featuring 30+ hours of gameplay and an enhanced version of the original game loaded with new content and features–Persona 3 FES is the comprehensive version of one of the most acclaimed RPGs of 2007. (more…)

Last week, news came out that Phil Harrison was frustrated with some of what was going on with Sony Japan, and now word has come in that he has resigned from Sony all together.  According to Gameindustry.biz, he will be heading over to Atari to try and rebuild that ailing company.

Despite expressing his frustrations, it would seem that it was all smiles for his official statement on leaving the company:

Harrison, who has not yet confirmed his possible move to Atari, added: “The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far.

“I am grateful to all the PlayStation family for their incredible support, guidance and friendship. It has been a privilege to serve as part of the team and be inspired by them on a daily basis.

“I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can.”

Atlus is planning to bring the heavily anime influenced 2D fighter, Arcana Heart, to North America later this year on the PS2.  Here’s the press release:

IRVINE, CA – JANUARY 31, 2008 – Atlus U.S.A., Inc., the publisher responsible for some of the best games you’ve never played, today announced Arcana Heart, a 2D fighter bursting with brawling anime-style beauties, for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system. These gorgeous fighters will make your jaw drop with their looks (or their fists). This April 8th, beauty is in the black eye of the beholder! (more…)

Sony is busy tooting its own horn right now after a respectable performance by its PlayStation 3 in the final weeks of 2007.  According to the company, 3.9 million units were sold between the PS2, PS3, and PSP.  This was broken down into 1.2 million PS3s, 1.3 million PS2s, and 1.4 million PSPs sold between November 23rd and December 31st.

“The PlayStation brand ended the year in a very strong position and clearly indicates more positive momentum going into 2008,” SCEA CEO Jack Tretton stated.

“We are particularly pleased to have sold through 1.2 million units of PS3 during the holiday selling season. Consumers are clearly responding to the expanding multimedia capabilities and a great line-up of over 200 games.”

Talking with Reuters, SCE head, Kaz Hirai is hopeful that the PS3 can start to turn a profit soon:

“The next fiscal year starts in April and if we can try to achieve that in the next fiscal year that would be a great thing. We are going through the budgets right now. That (profitability) is not a definite commitment, but that is what I would like to try to shoot for.”

“Component costs are coming down, and the number of components … we are seeing a reduction,” he said. “The 40 gigabyte PlayStation 3 obviously has fewer components (than more powerful models), and uses less power, which means that components required to dissipate heat, for example, can be smaller, so there is some cost reduction there.”

According to a post on Capcom’s blog, both Monster Hunter and Resident Evil: Outbreak for the PS2 will see their servers for online play shut down at the end of the year.

After more than 3 years of online service, the external company providing server hosting for both Resident Evil: Outbreak and Monster Hunter has decided to exit the PlayStation 2 online business altogether, with no possibility of outsourcing either the service or the technology.

This means that online gameplay for both games will come to an end on December 31, 2007. Fortunately, the single-player campaigns in both games will be unaffected by this change and will continue to provide hours of entertainment on both PlayStation 2 and backwards-compatible PlayStation 3 hardware. Thank you for supporting Capcom’s online titles over the years!

Apparently both games’ servers were run by an independent company that is leaving the business, which explains the abrupt nature of the announcement.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock hits retail today for Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, and Wii. Here’s a snippet from the PR press release:

Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced that Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will officially rip it up on retail store shelves nationwide this Sunday, October 28. To help celebrate the legendary launch, over 3,000 stores across the country are expected to organize their own midnight launch events this weekend, allowing all aspiring axe-shredders to unleash their inner-rock star.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow fans worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. Fresh downloadable content will also be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.

We knew this one was coming since The Armchair Empire started just before the PS2 launched.  Ah those bygone days of yesteryear!

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today celebrates the seven-year anniversary of its PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.  Since its release in North America on October 26, 2000, more than 120 million hardware units and more than a billion units of PlayStation 2 software have sold worldwide, making it the best-selling gaming platform ever released.  While other game systems have vanished from the market, PlayStation 2 continues to exhibit strong momentum, a testament to the design and technology at the core of the product and demonstrating SCEA’s commitment to a 10-year product lifecycle.

“While today’s anniversary celebrates PlayStation 2’s past, we’re very excited for its future,” said Jack Tretton, President and Chief Executive Officer for SCEA. “We look forward to the platform’s continued growth and expect to sell approximately 12 million units worldwide by the end of March, leading us to anticipate that PlayStation 2’s lifecycle will exceed that of the original PlayStation.  Never before has an in-home game system experienced this type of worldwide success on such a long-lasting scale.

After releasing the game on the Wii a little while ago, EA is eyeing a couple more consoles to bring their music-based game, Boogie, to later this year.  From the press release:

Chertsey, UK– September 5, 2007– Shake it. Sing it. Create it. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Boogie™, which shipped for the Wii™ in August, is taking its dancing act on the road with a unique Nintendo DS™ version that features the first 3D gameplay on the handheld system. All the new modes in the game can be experienced in full 3D using special glasses packed in to the retail box. Boogie is also shipping on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and brings both singing and dancing gameplay to one of the world’s most prevalent hardware systems. Both titles will ship to retail stores this holiday 2007. (more…)