E3 08: Sony wows with 256 player online game

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 16 July 2008 07:11

Opinion and Analysis

We were expecting in imminent release of PlayStation Home , instead we got a repriced 80GB PS3, release dates for Little Big Planet, some Resistance 2, God of War III, a mini Ratchet & Clank, expanded digital distribution via PS3 some ambitious projects; a 256 player game and  DC Universe Online.

Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America dominated the Sony E3 keynote early this morning (Australian time).

Highlights of the keynote included:

A repriced 80GB PS3, replacing the US$399.99 40GB model (will this flow onto other markets, wait and see).  This expanded capacity will be handy as Sony up the ante in the download content market.

Following on from the Netflix partnership with Microsoft for Xbox 360 movie on demand content, Sony’s riposte included a standard and high definition download service available from today.

Movies and television content from Sony pictures, along with partners Fox, MGM, Lionsgate, Warner, Disney, Paramount, Turner and Funamnation can be grabbed and viewed (after the first minute the download begins) on PS3 and/or PSP.  [Australian readers will need to sit on their thumbs until at least next year for this service – sigh].

On the game front, developer Insomniac has been hard at work, Resistance: Fall of Man 2 was given a spectacular work out, with a demonstration of a suitably sized Leviathan taking out 1953 Chicago buildings.

Ratchet and Clank: Future Quest for Booty will be a cutdown version of Tools of Destruction available from the PlayStation Network for US$14.99.  Sony is ramping up the PSN downloads with Pixel Junk Eden, Pain Amusement Park, Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic and Crash Commando amongst the service line up.

Tretton mentioned that Sony will be looking for a single signon approach across PS3, PSP and PC  and introduced the ‘Life with PlayStation” service including webcam feeds, live weather and News.  But no News on a Home release date yet.