Third Rate Game Play: Ape Escape 3

Game: Ape Escape 3 System: PlayStation 2 Developer: SCE Japan Studio Publisher: Sony Player: Tony Experience: Played Ape Escape 1/2 before

PAX East 2013: Tearaway

While Sony was present at PAX East this year with a collection of The Last of Us booths, what was more interesting was the booth off to the side of the showfloor completely covered in construction paper and papercrafts.  No, this booth was not a misplaced crafting booth in a gaming convention; this was the booth for Media Molecule's Tearaway.  We got to speak with Community Manager James Spafford about the game, and you can see what he has to say in the video above.

Tearaway is a PlayStation Vita adventure game where you help messengers deliver messages to a very special recipient: you!  In order to reach you, however, they have to travel through thick forests and treacherous lands made of paper.  Thankfully, you can assist with more than mere control; you can physically press up into the world with your fingers and even tilt the world to send enemies flying every which way.  Interaction with the PlayStation Vita is key in this adventure.

Whereas level creation was a big factor in LittleBigPlanet, creation takes a different role in Tearaway.  As players go through the game, they will encounter beings in need of colors or designs, and with the PSVita's camera, players can take pictures to cover the beings and help.  Also, as the game progresses, papercraft plans will be made available to players to physically print and create, acting like small trophies for completing specific goals in the game.

Tearaway is slated for release sometime this Fall, exclusively for PlayStation Vita.

3RM @ NYCC 2012: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

Alex:

I will admit, I was quite curious when I first heard about PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.  I had been wondering if another of the big three companies could bring a collection of mascots together and somehow merge them cohesively into a single product, whether as a fighter or otherwise.  Having played some of the game at New York Comic Con, I have to say it does a good job of making a competent fighter, with a couple concerns here and there.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a mascot fighting game in which up to four characters known to the PlayStation brand fight each other in order to be the best mascot around.  These characters range from the heroes on the original PlayStation (Parappa the Rapper and Sir Daniel Fortesque) to the newest characters on PlayStation 3 (Cole and Nathan Drake).  A multitude of third party characters are also in the roster, including Raiden from the Metal Gear Solid franchise and the new Dante from DmC: Devil May Cry.  Those looking to see Kratos and Nariko finally get into an all-out brawl will get their wish with this game.  The playable characters are not the only ones fighting for supremacy, too; the environments usually feature two worlds blurring together in the most cataclysmic ways.  Who wants to see Hades’ underworld lair become colorful and attacked by Patapon warriors?  I know you do.

What makes Battle Royale so different compared to other fighters is how points are calculated in-game.  No player has a hit-point bar, but instead, each character has a power meter which fills as the he or she lands attacks and collects items on-screen.  When the meter is filled up, the All-Star can use a special attack, and anyone who is hit with said attack will be defeated, earning the character a point per opponent felled.  Those who want to get points quickly can use level 1 special attacks, but as the power level rises, the attacks become much more destructive to ensure more points in the end!  My concern with this score system lies with balance of the special attacks, but I suspect the guys at SuperBot will be able to wipe this away when the final game arrives.

In my playtime, I got to try out Sir Daniel and Parappa, and both felt fairly different.  Sir Daniel’s sword attacks and alternative weaponry felt slower compared to the more active Parappa's punches and kicks.  At times, it felt like the attacks were a little slow, making landing them a little less effective, but when I got a few good hits in, the opponent was definitely feeling it!  Furthermore, fighting characters whose special attacks were at-the-ready made me a bit paranoid; what a worse way to go than have someone use a special move just as you are about to make a move on them.  Hitting characters with the special attacks themselves required a bit of timing and precision, too, because if you are hit mid-attack, you lose the ability to use it again until you fill the power meter once more.  Needless to say, halfway through the match, strategies have to change from straight brawling to tactical fighting.  All the while, the background shifts and occasionally attacks the stage, and even with only a handful of items, there is quite a bit of activity to be had.

There were a couple issues I had in-game that might go away with future playthroughs.  I was too used to pressing up to jump that on more than one occasion, I ended up punched in the face as a result.  Also, using items did not really have much impact in a match as I expected, and the button placement for using said item seemed oddly placed.  Then again, with three face buttons dedicated to various attack styles, I can see how it ended up on a shoulder button.  Also, I feel that the presentation of the game is a little too simple for a game featuring everyone from the PlayStation world in it.  Perhaps when I see the final release I will shake that off, but right now it feels a little patched together for one reason or another.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale comes out this November, and I look forward to having my rear-end handed back to me by Kratos again and again.

---

Tony:

Being the first massive crossover fighter using PlayStation franchises, I knew I had to try out PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale for myself at Sony’s New York Comic Con booth. Playable for both the PlayStation Vita and the PlayStation 3, I choose to play multiplayer on the PS3 version. For my hands-on with the title, I chose Uncharted’s main man, Nathan Drake.

The game has a number of similarities to Super Smash Brothers. Besides the crossover of characters, All-Stars is also a 2D fighter where up to four players battle each other using special moves, items, and the environments themselves. However, All-stars also changes up the formula resulting in some major gameplay changes. The biggest change being that instead of getting points by knocking the opponents off the stage, players get points by hitting other players with special moves, which were acquired by doing damage in combat. These special moves come in three different power levels. While a level 1 special move might only strike right in front of the player, a level 3 special might instantly kill everyone on the screen, although it takes a lot longer to reach that level. Since it takes time to fill the power bar, players must decide whether it is better to use more low-level powers or save up to reach more devastating attacks higher up. Each of these moves varies from character to character; for example, Drake’s level 2 special had me push over a large column, which defeated anyone crushed beneath it while Parappa’s level 2 had him riding on a skateboard along the stage. This new game mechanic forces players to rethink their battle strategies as you need to battle in order to increases your specials while avoiding other people’s specials. It definitely changed my battle strategy.

Besides the special moves, there are also the normal moves needed to increase one’s power level. Having three buttons and four joystick directions, each character has an abundance of moves that reference their respective titles. Some of Drake’s moves were rather basic like throwing a grenade or shooting a handgun. However, there were also more unique moves such as Drake falling through ruin floors and having it collapse on the people below or going across a zip-line, shooting an automatic weapon along the way. The multitude of moves added variety and creativity in battle, but it also meant it was more difficult to learn the new move sets. Also, depending on the move or character, sometimes the moves seemed to lag or lacked the umpf one would expect from the attacks. Drake’s punch seemed to hold back a moment before actually hitting the other players. This might be because of character animations or it might be a way to create balance between the fast, weaker characters and the slow, strong characters. Since I only got points for specials, in the heat of battle it was difficult to tell if I was even making a dent against my opponents. This is something that more playtime might overcome.

The stage I battled on was LittleBigPlanet’s Dreamscape stage which started out empty and flat but quickly added platforms, trees, and other elements together, making the battle much more interesting. One unique feature the stages of Battle Royale have is the mix-up mechanic in which a stage is infiltrated by another franchise's characters or world. Once the LBP stage was filled, the announcer from the Buzz! series appeared in the background and asked us a question. We then had to stand in the right place on the battlefield corresponding with the correct answer, and although I got the right answer, I could not figure out what my prize was. This mixing of franchises has me intrigued to see what other mix-ups happen on the other stages.

Everything in the game runs smoothly and the animations are handled nicely as well. The only thing that stands out is how separated the characters and stages feel. Since PlayStation franchises range from fun and colorful to dark and dreary, placing them all together creates a sense of disconnect between them, but that might be what they wanted to evoke, in the end.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has obvious similarities to Smash Brothers, but with a completely new roster of characters, moves, and levels along with a completely different goal to victory, it comes out acting like a different title entirely, as it should. The mixed-up stages and multitude of special moves should allow for All-Stars to create a unique experience for PlayStation fans everywhere. The only issues are that some moves feel slower than they should and it is hard to tell if you are doing anything in combat when the only thing that matters was using your special moves. A unique premise, I would like to see how it turns out when it comes out on November 20, 2012.

3RM @ NYCC 2012: LittleBigPlanet Karting

Tony:

One of Sony's big titles at New York Comic Con this year was their new racing title LittleBigPlanet Karting. As one can tell from its title, it is the new kart racer starring Sony’s beloved LittleBigPlanet franchise with Sackboy-racing galore.  After having played a race through the game, I can say it has the potential to fill that kart racing hole in PlayStation 3 owners' lineups.

A Sony representativs on the floor mentioned that the game’s single-player campaign takes place across several planets. On each of these planets are a number of races that must be completed as well as several challenge missions which unlock once the races are complete. He also mentioned that the number of these differ from planet to planet; one planet might have five main missions and three extra races while another might have only three main missions and five challenge course. In the demo, I got to race on Turtle Island from one of the earlier planets.

As soon as the race began, it played much like most kart-racing games. I could accelerate, brake, reverse, and drift with ease. Along the track, there were a number of weapons similar to other racers out there, including red rockets which chase the nearest racer and a blue rocket which chases down the racer in first-place. It just so happens that such a rocket caught up with me on the final lap while in mid-air so that I got hit, fell into the water, and got in third place, which is also not uncommon for me in kart racers.

In order to differentiate itself from other racers, LittleBigPlanet Karting adds features found from the LittleBigPlanet series. In certain segments of the race, there were special jetpack pads which when driven over, would place a jetpack on my Sackboy and boost me quickly through the track. I did not stumble upon these jetpacks where I obtained the other items, and the jetpacks activated as soon as I ran over the pad, which meant that these jet pack pads work more like speed boosters than items. There were also power orbs scattered around the course, although the attendant informed me that all they did was give me more score at the end of the race. However, he added that the larger orbs hidden in the stage unlock content in-game, which likely includes costumes for Sackboy, kart parts, and other LBP customizations.

The most unique addition to the game was the grappling hook. Driving over special pads gives the Sackboys grappling hooks, allowing them to swing across large gaps and take shortcuts. In the beach level I played, I had to use one in order to make the last jump over some water. The necessity of the grapple pick-up opens up new strategies with which to annoy your opponents; imagine preventing opponents from reaching the grapple pad having them land face first into the water!  On the flip side, the grappling hooks' necessity also meant I had to properly react in the jump, but a poorly timed button press quickly resulted in me falling straight into the water. Luckily, the airtime in this game is longer than in most racers, giving ample time to grab any grappling points as well as perform various boost-giving tricks. Not so luckily, this longer hang time also means homing weapons tend to hit you in mid-air more often than in other kart racers.

Following the norm of the LittleBigPlanet series, the level I played was made up of cut cardboard, fabrics, and other handmade materials. It was filled with circular fish rolling back and forth, various sea turtles wearing goggles, and massive umbrellas in the background to remind me just how small the world I was racing in really was. The game managed to maintain the LBP feeling while still being a kart-racer. While the level I played was fairly similar to other racing games, the attendant hinted that the courses later in the game get rather crazy but would not spoil them for me. He did mention that using the game’s level customization, one could make a 2D racer, although he would not say whether this happened later in the main game or not. Knowing how detailed and thorough some players are, I look forward to see what madness the user-created content presents.

Still, there were a number of rough edges I noticed during the demo. The bloom and fog effects seemed to hinder the draw distance of the game. Although the track remained in view, objects in the background quickly faded into a blue haze that felt unnatural and distracting. Certain environmental details were not present, such as water splashing when I fell off-course; the kart simply stopped in place and warped me back onto the track. I suspect this might be added in later, as this was just a demo. Finally, the loading felt terribly long; it took nearly 25 seconds for the race to load. I worry that more complex stages later in the game or user-generated levels might take longer to load, when 25 seconds is already too long.

While LittleBigPlanet Karting plays much like any other kart racer out there, it manages to introduce elements from the LittleBigPlanet games such as the grappling hook and crafty appearance to separate it from other racers. I would need to play more races to know if the floaty jumps have an impact on the races, thanks to airborne collisions. Using the fun aesthetic of fabrics and cardboard, LBP Karting makes the normal kart-racing environments feel unique again, but hopefully the game’s loading does not take up too much time away from the racing. For fans of LBP and PS3 owners looking for a fun kart-racer of their own, this game feels just what you were looking for.

LittleBigPlanet Karting releases early November, exclusive to the PlayStation 3.

3RM @ NYCC 2012: Soul Sacrifice

Alex:

Not too long after the PlayStation Vita launched around the world, Sony held a special event in which it formally announced upcoming projects from a variety of sources.  One of them would be headed by the lead producer of Mega Man, Onimusha, and other games at Capcom before his recent departure: Keiji Inafune.  That game, Soul Sacrifice, has remained one of the biggest exclusive projects on the system, and now that I had time to play some of it at Sony’s New York Comic Con booth, I can see why many are watching and waiting for its release.

Soul Sacrifice follows the life of a young slave whose master, a powerful sorcerer, has locked him away, preparing him for a sacrifice.  While imprisoned, the slave encounters a demonic being in the form of a book, allowing the slave to read through the many fights between the sorcerer and a multitude of mutated beasts.  All the while, the slave enters the book, gaining the powers and experience from those fights as he reads onward.  It is not long before he and the player both realize that these monsters used to be humans themselves, twisted and distorted by their inner desires and the magic they encountered.  In the end, the slave must decide whether to free their souls from their curses or sacrifice them for his own gain to eventually face the sorcerer himself…but at what cost?

Soul Sacrifice is an action adventure title in which the player, along with any helper characters, is tasked to complete missions and face-off against giant monstrosities, ranging from a grotesque Harpy to a massive golem of flesh.  In my playtime with the game, I was sent out to a desolate city to end the life of a Cerberus knight of sorts; originally this knight and his two hounds fought to protect his land but shifted to this form in order to protect the land from anyone, friend or foe.  Before I could encounter the target, however, I needed to venture through the environment to find him, and a multitude of other beings emerged to fight me in the meantime.  These smaller monsters can be quite helpful in their own right; upon defeating them, you can choose to free their souls for health or sacrifice them for attack boosts.  What a way to start the adventure, to have an appetizer of lesser souls before feasting on the main course!

Some might say the “hunt down one giant beast” gameplay is a bit similar to Monster Hunter, and I would agree, save for a few immediate differences.  Rather than select a weapon class, an armor set, and a large stock of items, Soul Sacrifice sets up players with particular spells, and as more spells are used, the sorcerer mutates and grows stronger.  When the demo started, an attendant assigned six spells for me to use in-game; knowing what these spells actually did was not entirely possible, as the demo was entirely in Japanese.  It would take some guess-and-checking to figure out that one set of three spells dedicated themselves to offensive attacks and the other set was for self-modification.  One spell turned my arm into an armored ice fist, with which I could not only punch but also use to shoot ice gusts toward my enemies.  Another spell in particular spawned a monstrous plant being to fight alongside me, but I was not even aware it was my monster and proceeded to attack it in the process.  I will make sure not to do that again.  When in need of health or other attribute boosts, I was able to swap to the other set of three spells, healing myself or speeding up my attacks where possible.

My short experience before the three-headed knight had helped me out, but certainly not enough to survive the fight.  Soul Sacrifice provides players with the ability to lock-on enemies and move the camera easily with the right thumbstick, something I found very useful in the state of frenzied battle.  Dodging attacks seemed harder than anticipated, and being the only one fighting the monster at the time, it was easy to be beaten into submission hastily.  As in all Monster Hunter-esque games, healing takes valuable time, and before long, the monster would be atop anyone healing not behind cover.  This brought about another difference with Monster Hunter: rather than fail you on a time limit, Soul Sacrifice fails you the moment you fall in battle.

Soul Sacrifice is grotesque but beautiful, and it looks very smooth on the Vita’s screen.  I did not see any unnecessary need to use the Vita’s extra features, although I might be a bit early to say that.  Furthermore, the game does offer up to four players to cooperate in these missions, although the group needs to agree on whether to sacrifice the soul or free it at the end.  Keiji Inafune has said this adds another gameplay element into the mix, but I am unaware as to what that element is at the moment.

From my short experience, I found it easy to jump into and hard to master, and the multitude of spells and monsters should make this game far from boring in the long-run.  I just hope that the next time I see it in my hands I can understand what spells I am actually using!

Soul Sacrifice releases for PlayStation Vita early next year in Japan, and hopefully it will see worldwide release by the end of 2013.

Third Rate Game Play: Wipeout 2048

Game: Wipeout 2048 System: PS Vita Developer: Studio Liverpool (Wipeout Series) Publisher: Sony Player: Alex Experience: Played Demo

Check out the article after the jump!

E3 2012: The Impressions Part 2

At the end of E3 (which, by the way, was fairly lacking of megatons), the two of us sat down and decided to provide our thoughts around all six of the show's main conferences.  On this post, we cover the last three: Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo's conferences.  What did we think about these events?

Ubisoft

A solid lineup of games coming soon and into the future

Sony

A review of the current good lineup focusing more on Wonderbook than PSVita

Nintendo

A look into the Wii U's launch window, 3DS in 2012, and no megatons

Now that we have covered our impressions, we will have one final video summarizing our views of E3 as well as a post here for our completed BINGO cards.

E3 2011: The Conferences, Impressions

Unfortunately, these couple weeks were full of things for us here at Third Rate Minion, and as a result, releasing these videos seems late. However, I also follow the rule of "Better Late than Never," and besides, E3 is still fresh in our minds.

So if you'd like to hear recaps and commentary on each of the big three's press conferences from this year's E3, indulge in our video goodness.

We will have a look at what predictions went well soon!

Third Rate Game Play: FantaVision

Game: FantaVision System: Playstation 2 Developer: SCEI (Ape Escape) Publisher: Sony Player: Alex Experience: Blind

The year was 1999. The first gaming generation of Sony was ebbing, and with the company being victorious in capturing the mindshare of consumers and developers alike, it looked like the second generation was going to be that much greater. Sega was releasing Dreamcast worldwide, but Sony would use that year’s Tokyo Game Show to let the world know who really dictated when the generation started. While no major game was truly demonstrated at the show, a myriad of Playstation 2 tech demos revealed the strength of the system and how it fared against the Dreamcast in graphics.

The tech demos ranged from water effects to animation prowess. To show off reflective surfaces and water effects, Sony showed off a demo involving a submarine, a rubber ducky, and a large sink. Meanwhile, third parties helped create their own tech demos, ranging from the dance scene in Final Fantasy VIII to the leading lady of Ridge Racer. However, the only demo which really emerged as a full game right at the Playstation 2's launch was a demo which featured explosions of color and fireworks to demonstrate the system’s particle effects to the TGS audience. That demo would become FantaVision.

Before FantaVision was created, its Designer Katsuyuki Kanetaka had worked on the Playstation adventure title Ape Escape, in which a young boy named Spike must catch monkeys who have spread havoc across time in an effort to rule the present and ruin humanity. The game’s biggest focus was demonstrating how to use the DualShock controller, which debuted late into the Playstation’s original lifecycle. FantaVision does not share much design-wise from Ape Escape, however. Whereas one is an adventure platformer, the other is an arcade puzzle game.



"Fireworks are launching across a city's skyline. In this puzzle game, you must connect them quickly to have them explode. Earn more points for detonating more fireworks at the same time. You can also work against another player to see who can gain the most points. Be careful, as control of the screen can shift and one player could be left with few fireworks to explode."



FantaVision is an arcade title in which players must trigger firework flares after they are launched into the air and before they fall away from the player’s view. The single player campaign features eight levels of increasing difficulty, each with their own unique song and pathway through a number of environments. The first few levels take place in a city, and as the game progresses, players will see fireworks on the Moon and into the farthest reaches of space. However, if the player fails once, the game has to be played from the beginning, leading to a very difficult experience for some.

As the screen moves along a fixed path, flares of different color are shot into the game screen. Players control a reticule which moves in the direction of the DualShock 2’s Left Stick once a button is pressed. Once locked onto three or more of the same color flare, the player can ignite the fireworks and create explosions of color in the sky. Some flares have different explosive properties, including ones which burst into many smaller explosions. If explosions and a flare of the same color collide, that flare will also ignite, giving potential for larger and longer combos. Once enough flares are lit right, players trigger Starmine, which gives them the ability to create massive combos for high scores. There are also power-ups which can greatly benefit players as more flares arrive than can be triggered at one time.

The North American and European versions of FantaVision both have a sufficient 2-player versus mode in which both players attempt to trigger a select number of flares first or get the most triggered in a specific time. Unique power-ups, including a screen flip mechanic, change the limits in which each player’s reticule can go, helping or hindering them in the process of creating explosive colors in the sky.

A unique aspect of the game is that the music differs from each region of its release. The North American, European, and Japanese versions of FantaVision all have their own soundtrack.



FantaVision was received modestly, with its minimal presentation and basic game design. It was Sony’s only launch title for the Playstation 2 in America, but other companies such as Agetec and Tecmo took the liberty of making its launch more than acceptable in consumers’ eyes. Of course, having DVD playback options helped, too, as DVD players were equally expensive compared to the PS2.

In Japan, FantaVision had a special rerelease called Futari no FantaVision, or FantaVision for You and Me in 2002. This version added the previously-excluded 2-player mode from the NA and EU versions of the game. The music was also remixed to provide a new experience for those who had played the first game. Some refer to this game as FantaVision Version 2, as it is a more complete and altogether better product than what was pushed out quickly at its March 2000 Japanese launch.

After developing FantaVision, the team went on to work on a similarly-designed title with less puzzle elements into the mix. This game, Flipnic: Ultimate Pinball, was released in Japan in 2003. The game would come out the following year in Europe through Ubisoft and 2004 through Capcom for the US. In Flipnic, players go through a number of uniquely-designed pinball tables with an “evolutionary” twist throughout the game. Designer Katsuyuki Kanetaka later acted as support for Ape Escape Academy and Ape Escape: On the Loose for the Playstation Portable, but since then he has been inactive in game development, based on MobyGames information.

Sony was wholly successful during the Playstation 2’s reign, outpacing Nintendo’s new console, effectively killing Sega’s last console, and moving forward against Microsoft’s first console venture. Having sold over 150 Million consoles, the Playstation 2 is seen as the highest-selling console of all time, let alone in the previous generation. With over two-thousand games over the past eleven years, the system is one of the most diverse and highly-competent video game consoles of all time. Since the Playstation 2, however, Sony has been met with some conflict. The PSP, Playstation Portable, was made to win the handheld space owned by Nintendo, and while it has gained a foothold in Japan, the device failed to make a mark against the Nintendo DS worldwide. The Playstation 3 launched with an infamous price of $599, ultimately yielding sales to the similarly-powered Xbox 360 and the much cheaper and unique Wii. Of course, with this generation still proceeding onward, it is unknown as to how the Playstation 3 will be remembered relative to the other two consoles. Currently, the NGP, or Next Generation Portable, is in production and will be releasing at the end of 2011 in America. Regardless of what is happening now and in the future, many can agree that the Playstation 2 will be a console with the perfect lineup and most likely will never be eclipsed unless the gaming industry continues to expand.



FantaVision was something we had not expected to reach us in time, but the game appeared to us just as we were ending our runs through the PS2 launch collection of videos. FantaVision, being a puzzle arcade game, did not have a lot to demonstrate, but we decide to run in blind, which turns out to be a bit stupid in hindsight.

We explore the main game twice, once after watching a tutorial video and the other after watching more tutorial videos. After getting Game Over screens both times, we take a look at the multiplayer element of the game, just to get a feel of what the game has to offer. There is not much else with the game, so we make do with the little game content we have.



FantaVision was not entirely the game I expected, while at the same time, it fit perfectly within my perception. Graphically, it must have been a nice game to watch back then, but a decade later, the age is definitely more apparent. The game design is very unique, asking players to aim at flares and detonate them as fireworks and, through that, create chains. It took a few notes from other arcade puzzle games, and that I must admit makes it a better fit into the genre.

However, the game does not offer much. Unless you perfect the combo or powerup systems, you are bound to fail early into the game. This is definitely the type of game you have to try out several times in a row to actually complete. Seeing as we did not want to bore anyone, we moved forward as quickly as we could. The multiplayer aspect of the game was interesting, but the overall experience was something I would see in the downloadable space nowadays. How different the industry gets after only a decade!

3RM Says: This game blows my mind. Into many colors! Ooooo.

Playstation coming to Android

At Sony's Playstation Meeting 2011 in which it unveiled its upcoming handheld, the NGP, the videogame producer also unveiled Playstation Suite, a platform for its older and newly-produced Playstation products to be implemented onto the Android platform.

It had been rumored for months that Sony was going to produce a Playstation Phone: a phone which not only contained Android but also Playstation-specifc products. However, while Sony is indeed working on a special phone dedicated to Playstation gaming, entitled the Xperia Play, Sony's Playstation Suite will be available for many if not all Android devices to enjoy, provided they have Android 2.3 or higher installed.

The Playstation Suite is a platform on which Sony will release products onto Android Phones. Currently, the company will be releasing PSOne-emulated games onto the service, and it will also be providing new game experiences over time onto the platform.

Not only that, but Sony will be providing a Playstation Certified service in which Sony certifies and provides Quality Assurance on hardware platforms, ensuring a quality gaming experience on particular mobile devices.

Playstation Suite will, of course, be accessible on the NGP, too, when it releases within the next year. A launch date for the Suite itself has not been disclosed, but it appears close to completion.

SOURCE: Engadget