ps3

Is Spec Ops: The Line an oasis in the desert?

Forgive me if I'm absolutely sick and tired of military shooters. It seems that no matter what time of year, there's always a war game that's ready to thrust you into some third-world country and have you shoot a bunch of bad guys for 8 to 10 hours.

The format is severely outplayed, so it's no surprise that going into Spec Ops: The Line I was expecting more of the same. Thankfully, Spec Ops deviates away from conventional shooters to the point that it can be enjoyed independently, all while maintaining a very mature and gritty storyline. It's one of the first games to really vilify war, rather than reward it.… Read more

Sony paints PS3 controller gold

Who can deny the charm of gold?

Sony Computer Entertainment today officially unveiled the metallic gold Dualshock 3 controller for the PS3, due for release on October 19.

Launching exclusively through GameStop, the controller carries a hefty $54.99 retail price. However, we doubt that sum would stop the aspiring Auric Goldfingers of the world from getting one. We say this because its insanely easy to find most of the other PS3 controller colors sold online (and often at stores) for $40 or less.… Read more

Lollipop Chainsaw cuts through normal video game stereotypes

Last summer's Shadows of the Damned was an overlooked triumph that excelled on multiple levels. Its style, humor, campy storyline, and overall originality easily made it one of the best games of 2011.

Developer Grasshopper Manufacture and Creative Director Suda 51 are back, once again challenging mainstream gaming archetypes by approaching things from a quirky and unique against-the-grain mentality. Lollipop Chainsaw also introduces a collaboration with filmmaker James Gunn ("Slither," "Dawn of the Dead" remake), that results in arguably the offbeat developer's most approachable game yet.

Lollipop Chainsaw might not have the best graphics and it's definitely a bit rough around the edges, but it's a welcome change of pace that instills some confidence in the gamer who is bored with cookie-cutter gaming stereotypes. … Read more

Going 'Beyond' with game director David Cage

LOS ANGELES--David Cage had a great E3. The French game director and the development team he leads up, Quantic Dream, are responsible for some of the industry's most ambitious interactive entertainment experiences like 2010's Heavy Rain. At an event where originality and innovation were the hottest of commodities, showing a game like Beyond: Two Souls was like hitting the jackpot.

I was lucky enough to attend a breakout session hosted by Cage where he dove a little deeper into the world he has created for Beyond: Two Souls. … Read more

Why Sony's Beyond may be one of the most important games of E3 2012

LOS ANGELES--At Sony's 2012 E3 press conference, one of the high notes of the entire show turned up during the opening minutes. Beyond: Two Souls, a new game from designer David Cage and his company, Quantic Dream, showed a lengthy, if noninteractive, trailer. In one sense, it's a new game from a quirky cult favorite who shies away from mainstream gaming conventions. In another sense, it's Sony, the only console maker that also runs a major movie studio, embracing the true cinematic potential of games.

To fully understand why I think this is one of the under-the-radar highlights of E3, we should look back at why Cage (the nom de game of French designer David De Gruttola) is up there with Miyamoto or any of the other handful of name-brand game designers, by taking a look his unique genre-bending projects over the past 14 years. … Read more

Sony sneaks out PlayStation Move racing wheel

Hidden among the other Sony announcements at E3 2012, the PlayStation blog detailed an upcoming $39.99 PlayStation Move racing wheel accessory set for debut for the PlayStation 3 this fall.

While the wheel looks somewhat unusual, it actually boasts a few not so obvious features that make it worth looking at. For starters,… Read more

Sony lets games do the talking during press conference

LOS ANGELES--At the company's E3 2012 press conference, Sony let a collection of exclusive software and features do all the talking. Spread across the PlayStation 3 and Vita platforms, there was certainly an impressive display of thrilling -- and most importantly exclusive games that are only available on Sony's machines.

Getting things started was David Cage, the head of developer Quantic Dream, the house behind the PS3 story-driven success, Heavy Rain. Cage announced Beyond: Two Souls, the next title in the genre-redefining resume of games his studio has produced. Adding some star power to Beyond is actress Ellen Page, who plays the lead character in the new title. … Read more

Sony pumps up PlayStation Plus

Later this week, PlayStation Plus members can download 12 games free, including major titles such as Infamous 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, and Saints Row 2. The company expects to start bringing more free games to the table each month, suggested PlayStation President and CEO Jack Tretton at Sony's E3 press conference. … Read more

Live blog: Sony's E3 2012 press conference

More details of God of War: Ascension? A cloud gaming acquisition? A reason to care about PlayStation Move?

We've already outlined what we expect Sony will announce at this year's E3 press conference. To see the news as it happens, heat up some dinner and check back here on Monday, June 4, at 5:45 p.m. PT/8:45 p.m. ET.

While you're waiting, feel free to peruse our ongoing coverage of E3 2012.

Three little-known ways to use a USB flash drive with your PS3

There's a good chance that the USB ports in your PlayStation 3 mostly, if not exclusively, get used to power and connect your gaming accessories. What's not obvious, however, is that those USB ports can also be used to read and write data to a standard thumbdrive.

What kind of data, you ask? Dust off your thumbdrive and check out these three useful ways to pair it with your PS3.

Load up music, movies, and photos There are a few ways to get music, video, and photos from your computer to your PS3: wirelessly stream it; burn a … Read more