heavy rain

The PlayStation Move might not be a huge success without the help of big name, hard-core games, Heavy Rain creator David Cage said in a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz.

Cage told the publication that the success of Sony's motion controller, announced at E3 in June, will depend on software "because the hardware works really well." But he cautioned that a focus on casual games could marginalize the impact the PlayStation Move could have on the market.

"If it's only about casual entertainment and casual games, I don't think it's going to play … Read more

This week, we follow new developments in the system-wide PS3 meltdown, which knocked PS3 gamers off the grid for most of Monday. Then, we find out that a New York school administrator coincidentally named "Dan Ackerman" is spying on kids' laptops. Does this mean Dan now officially has an evil doppelganger?

HD video on a Netbook is something of a misnomer, but as we demonstrate, equiped with the right hardware and the latest beta Flash player from Adobe, you can play and stream HD video to a Netbook (with varying degrees of success). Finally, we engage in a … Read more

It seems that a major worldwide firmware bug has affected most PlayStation 3s, preventing the consoles from connecting to the PlayStation Network and in many cases (including our own) not allowing for offline game play. The problem, whatever it is, comprises all PS3 consoles aside from the newer PS3 Slim.

We've been keeping an eye on the official PlayStation Twitter feed and blog that claims Sony has narrowed down the issue, though 12 hours after the bug (error 8001050F) was first reported most systems remain paralyzed. At first it seemed the crisis centralized around trophy support, while other reports … Read more

This week on preGAME, hosts Jeff Bakalar and Mark Licea take a sneak peek at the online multiplayer component of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Watch as Mark hops into a game on Xbox Live during the show!

But before we get into the live game demo, we'll discuss the new downloadable content (DLC) for some very notable titles. Resident Evil 5, Borderlands, and BioShock 2 all have extra content coming your way, so tune in to see when they'll each be available and how much they'll cost. This news story leads us to our featured discussion of the week: whether or not DLC is here to stay. We'll touch on the good, the bad, and the annoying.

All this plus a DICE 2010 awards recap and all of the week's top headlines and releases on preGAME!

Want to be a part of our live taping? Make sure you head to http://cnet.com/live/pregame every Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern. If you missed any of the stories we talk about on today's preGAME, make sure to check out our links below.

Heavy Rain is by far one of the most ambitious video games to hit consoles in quite some time. From David Cage, the man behind Omikron and Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain is much more heavily invested in real human emotion than in supernatural phenomenon.

Regardless of whether the story affects you, we guarantee you've never played anything like this before.

Jeff: Heavy Rain isn't a video game per se. It's actually an interactive story that you watch first and participate in second. The narrative told in Heavy Rain is so many light years ahead of anything else out there that it stands separate from the rest as a truly innovative piece of software. The game places you in the shoes of four central characters whose storylines interweave and connect through one common goal: revealing the identity of a serial murderer known only as the Origami Killer. Make no mistake, the true star of Heavy Rain is its psychologically thrilling exposition, a story with just the right amount of twists and turns that it trumps most of what Hollywood offers us today.

Things don't pick up until an hour or so in, but when they do, Heavy Rain is able to successfully transport you into its creepy and occasionally all-too-real atmosphere. By giving you control over making major decisions in each of the main characters' paths, you are able to identify with these fictional people. And because these ultimatums must be made with great haste, you're easily able to understand the gravity of their importance. Playing off the basic human emotions of love for one's family and the desperate lengths we go to preserve that, Heavy Rain is much more identifiable than your average game.

All the action is carefully choreographed and--most impressive--dynamic. Fight scenes can change on-the-fly, all but guaranteeing you'll never see the same sequence twice. Every decision you make in the game is linked to changes in the story's presentation, which add to the overall sense of a personalized experience. All the major chapters have such impressive build ups and suspense that we occasionally forgot this was a Blu-ray game in our PS3 and not a drama on cable.

… Read more

On this week's Digital City podcast, we discuss new MacBook Pro rumors, and discover why New York drug store chain is using a sushi-making machine to bring raw fish to its shelves.

Then we lament how laptop users are no longer welcome in several big NYC coffee shops -- to counter this disturbing trend, we run down some of our favorite spots for computing on-the-go.

Finally, Heavy Rain hits the streets this week. Everyone's interest level is high, and Dan and Scott give some spoiler-free impressions based on their very different playthroughs.

Bonus: if you've ever wondered … Read more

This week on preGAME, we're joined by CNET editor Scott Stein as we jump into a LIVE demo of Heavy Rain for PlayStation 3 a whole two weeks before the game hits stores! Joining us over the phone to talk us through the demo is Petro Piaseckyj, the game's managing producer.

Before we fire up our Heavy Rain demo, we discuss the reputation dogging movies adapted from video games. We thought the Prince of Persia Super Bowl ad looked decent, but we remain skeptical.

Want a first look at the new Fallout game? We've got the brand new trailer for Fallout: New Vegas. Watch with us as we examine it live!

Want to be a part of our live taping? Make sure you head to http://cnet.com/live/pregame every Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern. If you missed any of the stories we talk about on today's preGAME, make sure to check out our links below.

Historically speaking, the months following the holiday season usually spell disaster for those gamers in the market for new titles. While January gave us Dark Void and Mass Effect 2, February is packed with even more high-profile releases.

The saga of Rapture continues as BioShock 2 hits store shelves February 9. This time around you'll suit up as a Big Daddy as you chase the creature known as Big Sister. For a sneak peek at one of the early levels in BioShock 2, make sure to check out this week's episode of preGAME!

That same day marks the … Read more

Welcome to Justin's penultimate episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast! Tomorrow will be our last show as a team, but there's plenty of special Yuletide episodes, contests, 404 merchandise, and CES shows to look forward to in 2010.

I know we swore this story wouldn't get discussed on our show, but we finally cave in and say a couple quick words about the recent Tiger Woods sex scandal. As the story unfolds, Wilson tells us Tiger is in even hotter water for sending a racy text message to his lady on the side.

We all make mistakes, so we're not hating on the guy, even though these accidents are most common among teenagers.

Next, Jeff gives us an insider's look into the glitz and glamor of a professional video game reviewer with an overview of Sony's upcoming PS3 game lineup. One of the more unique titles is Heavy Rain, described by the director as "a very dark film-noir thriller with mature themes." Jeff describes the format as a graphic version of "Choose Your Own Adventure," where the decisions you make in the game help to route you through the levels and the storyline. Take a look at Jeff's PS3-exclusive gaming rundown for the full story and more previews.

Finally, virtual daps to Nicholas and Props Guy Jim for using their Photoshop skills to make a few special holiday images for the show. Be sure to subscribe to our iTunes or RSS feed to get the updated holiday album cover art! Also, we're saving Props Guy Jim's picture for the holiday blog, which will go live on Christmas Eve--thanks again, Nicholas and Jim!