Sony, E3 and other stuff
Sorry for the delay, but it took a while to find time to sit down and watch Sony’s presentation from last week’s E3. Plus after watching the yawn-fest that was Nintendo’s show (no “Mario”+ no “Zelda” = no interest), I wasn’t really in the mood to hear more about “casual gaming.”
Thankfully, neither was Sony.
With a teaser for “God of War III” for the PlayStation 3 and more info on “Resistance 2,” “DC Universe Online,” “InFamous” and “LittleBigPlanet,” Sony delivered the goods for the hardcore crowd.
For those who were late to the PS3 party (myself included), Sony announced the first line of PS3 Greatest Hits titles — “Resistance” for $29.99? I’m sold. Also announced were a movie/TV download service that allows you to transfer the files onto your PSP (neat), a partnership with YouTube and a price drop for later this year ($399.99 for an 80GB system that is not backward compatible.)
Sony didn’t drop a bombshell like Microsoft’s “Final Fantasy XIII” announcement, but it was the clear winner amongst the three console makers at E3. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the PS3 is looking pretty strong right now.
| Speaking of the PS3, the June NPD data has been released and sales of the console were more than double those from the previous month. Roughly 405,000 PS3’s were sold in June, thanks in large part to the release of the masterful “Metal Gear Solid 4.”
The Xbox 360 moved 219,800 units, finishing fifth for the month behind the Nintendo DS (783,000), Wii (666,700), PS3 and PSP (337,400). “MGS4″ was the top-selling title in June as consumers purchased nearly 775,000 copies. The DS version of “Guitar Hero” was the second-hottest title, followed by “Ninja Gaiden II” for the Xbox 360, “Wii Fit” and “Wii Play.”
All told, the gaming industry saw $1.7 billion in sales, up 53 percent from the same period last year. Apparently that recession thing isn’t so bad after all.
| IGN has the entire track listing for “Rock Band 2″ and a couple of the songs caught my eye, the first being a new single from Guns N’ Roses.
Really? Guns N’ Roses? Back in the day, I was a big GNR fan but now … Besides, can anyone really be sure that the long-awaited “Chinese Democracy” album actually exists? I guess we’ll find out later this year when “Rock Band 2″ drops.
I’m also stoked to see AC/DC, Billy Idol, Allman Brothers, Alice in Chains and Bob Dylan. Actually, I’m pretty stoked about the entire list. Check it out here.
That’s it for now. With any luck, this week I’ll have reviews of “NCAA Football 09″ and “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.” Stay tuned.
