Revitalizing PlayStation 3

I have been a lot more appreciative of the PlayStation brand as a whole for the last ten years despite my first experience with it being in late 1997. With PS3, it was something my family got into in 2012 and had on and off spans of playing it until early October of 2016. Prior to that, the last time I really was playing it was that April and gaming also took a backseat somewhat that summer. I played some stuff like Blasto and the original Zelda, but nothing too substantial. Getting back into PS3 revitalized an interest in playing it and playing games a lot more.

The game that kicked it off for me was Ducktales Remastered. I bought it that summer and didn't get into until the start of October. I don't know what drove me to play it, but I did and blew through it within a couple of days, beating it on every difficulty, unlocking everything as well. Immediately after that, I revisited Back to the Future, the last game I really played on there that April. Went back and got the rest of the trophies I missed out on. Definitely felt good to get back into the system.

I played the original Uncharted a very tiny bit when my family got the PS3, but at this point with revisiting, played through it all. Got every treasure and every trophy. The hardest difficulty was not anything to take lightly. In between that was Madden 13, Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, and Wolfenstein 2009, either starting with getting trophies or cleaning up a little bit on ones I missed. Not too long before completing the trophy list for Uncharted, I got back into Jetpack Joyride, a fun phone type game that can be rather addictive and played on my own profile Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12. One of the last games I played that month was Splatterhouse 2010 and got back into that during that October and November.

During this time, I would flip flop between both PS3 and Xbox 360 up until I bought my PlayStation 4 in June 2017. I also found myself getting back into doing YouTube at the very end of 2016 and doing videos on a consistent basis in 2017. Without this revitalization, I don't know how much more gaming I would have done or stuck to older hardware. PlayStation 3 may not be the best system out there of all time, but getting back into it will hold a special place for me for the rest of my life. 

No More PlayStation Movies

This is more of a take on why I think this happened. Yesterday was the last day you could buy movies, TV shows, and specials on PlayStation 4 and 5. With PS3 and Vita, I'm not sure. I can assume yes, but will have to look into it deeper. Sony announced the disbanding back in the spring. I'm not sure there is an honest answer you can find in why this occurred. Digital is a big thing now these days. This was in service for a long time. If there was a big guess, probably competition.

With PlayStation and Xbox, you have access to many services. Those services have gotten bigger and bigger within the last decade. Hulu is a great example. Small potatoes ten years ago and now are one of the biggest names for streaming with acquired content and new stuff coming in. Obviously Netflix is still one of the kings of it, though its lost some steam. The major prime time networks and conglomerates have their hand in the pie. Disney, NBC, Viacom. You're getting more meatier content and much more access compared to PlayStation.

I don't know how digital renting worked for it. If I had to assume, a couple days and that was it. I'm not sure many people liked that idea. Even with digital, you want to have a film or show and keep it and re-download whenever. And probably the selection was not a strong point despite having big name properties. Why buy Fast and Furious when I can see all of them on Peacock?  Probably back in the late 2000s, it was serviceable and there wasn't much to worry about. Now these days, Sony saw the writing on the wall.

Does that mean Sony has given up on the concept? Maybe. If nothing new materializes in a year, I would say yes. That's not to say they won't return to this, but they'd probably would choose the right time to do a video store again. The PS4, I can kind of understand, but not PS5. For now, Xbox kind of has a slight advantage despite having other streaming services on that console. This however will not dictate a console war that some people obsess about. 

GTA Online Shutdown: 7th Gen

I look at GTA V as the last really huge title for the seventh generation of gaming before the new PlayStation and Xbox systems came about. This was a showcase of the 360 and PS3's power and would get online not too long after it released in September 2013. The trend of online shutdowns has continued the last couple of years. Rockstar is intending to shut GTA Online for 360 and PS3 in mid December with currency not being allowed to be bought in September.

It's not a shocker, but I am a little surprised. I would have figured another year. Then again, Halo on 360 is shutting down at the end of the year for all of its games. I am struggling to think of games that aren't Call of Duty that still would have online. But I'm sure there still is a decent amount. It brings together a large discussion on what happens with games once the online is gone. GTA would be fine given its single player content. Offline modes for other games. Then you have something like Destiny or Titanfall. I'll be curious about backlash if it gets really high on criticism.

Rockstar is also shutting down online for Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire. For Max, that did have online multiplayer. Tried it in 2015 with no success in finding a game. L.A. Noire's stuff is related to Social Club, which all three games will lose. Keeping track of stats in accomplishing cases and finding collectibles. The numbers could still be decent on other games and apps. I just question if stuff will be done by 2022 or 2023. It's not like PS3 or 360 were abandoned that quickly. 

What do you think? How much longer until online ceases on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? The inevitable will happen. Like I said, GTA V online is not a huge shock. Enjoy what you can before it is gone in December for those two systems.

PS3 Returns... Sort Of

This was a 180 today. A few weeks ago, Sony announced the shutdown of the PlayStation 3 store along with the Vita and PSP. If I'm judging it, I wasn't surprised. My thought was around this period of time where it would be shutting down. In a blog from CEO Jim Ryan, they have reversed course. For now, PS3 and Vita stores will still be open. However, the PSP one will be shut in July.

Just because they will stick around for longer, doesn't mean others' worry and a couple of my blogs will be wrong.  It will happen one day. Same with the 360, 3DS, Wii U, what have you. I'm still a little confused about the PSP storefront shutting down. I thought it closed in 2016. Unless I read something wrong, maybe there was something that allowed you to still buy games on its store. Whatever the case, it's a 16 year old system and wouldn't get hurt too much. A very good chunk of its library can by found physically and a number of the digital stuff are games that most will not care much about. Not all, but a decent amount.

The Vita not getting the shaft is a win. Out of the three, this one was what was going to suffer the most due to a huge part of its library being digital only. To go along with the system being a failure, it isn't easy to amass games for it. Of course, that and PS3 have games that garner attention a lot more than PSP from a digital only standpoint. Still, I'd save up a bit to get titles, but not in a panic type of mind now. Look for the ones that are digital only first and keep an eye on prices of physical copies versus the digital ones. Makes a difference in spending six to ten dollars and spending 50 or more.

Enjoy while it lasts.

Tips for PS3, PSP and Vita Digital

This should go without saying, but this topic will have meaning until July 2nd for PlayStation 3 and PSP. Vita on August 27th. If you still like this blog piece after that, feel free to keep clicking as this will apply to other competitors as well. Let's begin.

People are going to want games digitally for PS3, PSP, and Vita. I got a few tips on what to do. 

1. Look for digital only first. I'm not saying you should ignore the physical stuff that were also digital first, but the ones that were digital only should be looked into. These are what you lose for good when a store shuts down. Getting stuff like a Life is Strange and House of the Dead 4 should be a priority. Find what you may like and get it while you can. 

2. Go digital if a physical copy is impossible or expensive. This will apply to PS1 and PS2 games digitally as well. It would be easier to get Silent Hill on PSN because it's not a 70 dollar game. For six dollars, hell yeah. You can easily get into some Turbografx stuff due to it flopping back in the 90s and games not being easy to find for both availability and price. Even some of the Sega stuff can be easily gotten like Sonic CD and Nights into Dreams. For PS3, PSP, and Vita, keep eye on where the prices are for physical releases. It's up to you to determine whether or not you go the physical or digital route for a specific game.

3. Is DLC and online relevant to a game? If it's stuff like costumes and microtransactions, I would hold on to your cash. If you think it's a priority to get additional content such as extra levels, side games, that's what I would focus on. Be weary of online as both PS3 and Xbox 360 have been shutting down servers of games and will continue to do so. Buy at your own risk, especially for stuff like this.

4. Use the Search feature. There is a misconception that games are deleted off of PS1 Classics and other sections. While true in some cases, people do not want to search. When using that feature, you can look for the game that was supposedly deleted. Don't assume quickly a game was taken off.

If you think there's other tips that should be said about shopping digitally for PS3, PSP, and Vita, leave a comment. Making the experience easier and smoother should be something we should aim for. 

Supposed PS Store Shutdown

I've never heard of this website called TheGamer. Looking at responses of people who asked about their credibility, it seems like they don't. A lot of clickbait from the sounds of it, and this one might be like that, but I'm not sure. An unnamed source talked to the site and said Sony is looking to shut down their PlayStation Stores on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita. PS3 and PSP supposedly in July and Vita in August. It's not the first to be like that. Nintendo shut down their DS store in 2017 and the Wii Shop Channel two years later.

A lot of people are upset. Unfortunately, a lot are taking it as if it is fact without knowing there isn't any source or the clickbait nature of TheGamer. There is reason for concern, though. Along with the Xbox 360, there were many games on PS3 that you weren't getting on disc. Whatever legion of games that are still there are lost for good if it were be shut down. Same with DLC's. With PS3, if this is to be true, this was to be expected. I'm not sure what the deal is with PSP since its storefront was shut in 2016. You can get games for it via PS3 and Vita, but you have to dig deep and do a search, something I don't think most will use. Vita I can't really discuss, but it's been dead for a long time. That would probably be the worst thing to happen since you can't find many titles physically and a ton over the last five years or so have been digital.

The unnamed source said the announcement would be made at the end of the month. Take it with a grain of salt since it is a clickbait situation. If it were to be true, get what you can, but wait to hear what a legitimate group has to say. How you play games for systems DS and up will definitely be different as the online capabilities get closer to death. Preservation is a much bigger deal in recent memory since 2016, 17. Emulation is not great for these systems and won't for a good while. If to what is alleged is true, I'll definitely target some stuff you should get. But let's see what occurs and if Sony says if they have plans for it or not. Xbox could be in this situation in the next year or two as well.

Console Buyer's Guide 2019

Black Friday and the holiday season begins very soon, so there is the look of what game systems are out on the market. For 2019, it may mark one of the last big years for the current ones out there.

Starting with the dead systems, it's safe to say you can't find many PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and Vita games on store shelves. Your best bet is going to be the used local stores or having to use online to get the games. Everything but the Vita can still be found easily at a GameStop, but how much longer they will have these games, I'm not sure. Until PS3 and 360 stop using servers for good would be my guess or when the new systems come out in November.

I'm surprised to still see the 3DS on store shelves. Nintendo stated that it will still be supported heading into 2020, but I don't buy into it fully. Not any big releases and being eight years old is not healthy. I guess milk it until the cows come home. For what it was able to do, it stabilized and did very well following a disastrous launch due to the high price. You can find 2DS XL's and some games, but the selection is not the greatest at most stores. Used local stores and online may be the ultimate way to get the titles you may want that aren't the usual suspects.

This year will be the last very huge year for PS4 and Xbox One. I don't think there's one advantage over the other except in exclusives. It comes down to what you like more. Do you like Halo, Gears of War, and a couple others? Uncharted, MLB, Ratchet and Clank? I still think the edge goes to PlayStation, but I don't think either one is a bad choice. They're cheap and you can get games at good prices everywhere. Not much else to say.

Last is the Switch. The Lite model should entice some for the holiday season, but will they like that it's portable only? That I'd ask because it being a hybrid prior to the release may be the only incentive. I think there should be a price cut for the original model. Beyond the first party games, there is relatively good support still and plenty of releases from older games and new ones. It's a way to make up for some of Nintendo's blunders. How well this does beyond this year and 2020 is a question in itself and if the novelty sticks or fades away.

Shop safe. Shop smart. And shop carefully for these systems and games.

Beyond: Two Souls Review

Although they have been around since 1997, Quantic Dream has only made a handful of titles, the latest being this year's Detroit: Become Human. They have been around in Sony's corner the last eight years with the first being Heavy Rain. The second of the group, Beyond: Two Souls, came around in the fall of 2013 as a late release on PlayStation 3 and a few years later on PlayStation 4, which is what I am playing it on. As far as this release was, it stayed in that David Cage style of being a cinematic movie while having it still be a video game.

You are Jodie Holmes and you experience a lot of her life from when she was a kid up to her 20s. She's no ordinary person as she has an entity beside her. This entity, Aiden, causes a lot of stuff for her that sets off a lot of events and a lot of analysis. Without getting too much into explaining the story, it's an interesting sci-fi plot and you make the choice of doing right and wrong. It's up to you how things go and they also pull in some good surprises and twists.

Two Souls has you playing as both Jodie and Aiden. This is a single player game, but can be a two player one, which was not tried at the time of this review. As Jodie, you can perform various actions when prompted. There is some freedom with her, but a lot of what you do comes from pressing certain buttons, quick time events, and a few other knick knacks. Switching to Aiden is simple. This entity can do a few things to people and even Jodie herself. They vary a little bit and they do a good job of not going overboard with what can be done during the game.

Graphically, it's surprisingly excellent. Whatever Quantic Dream did, they did a great job capturing the characters and areas. It seems very real and authentic. One of the selling points was in its audio, mainly voice acting. I'm not huge on Ellen Page and think she's overrated, but she held her own as Jodie. Add in Willem Dafoe as Professor Nathan Dawkins and a few others portraying other characters, and the voicing is not half bad. Given what the developers intentions are, it's a Hollywood type production, but in video game form.

There's not much else really to say. It's a little over 20 chapters. You can replay them any way you want it and there are options to play either chronologically or what they intended through specific parts of Jodie's life first. As I said, you make the choice of doing right and wrong. A lot of the trophies are earned in a specific way and then you can come back for the other option. There are a lot of endings. Overall, it's a decent balance between being a video game and being an interactive film. My only complaint is some of the quick time events. Some of the moments come off a little rushed and almost require you to have your decision half a second before you press what you think should work. It's trial and error, but still.

With that aside, Beyond: Two Souls is pretty good. An interesting story with above average audio and stunning graphics, it plays fine without any huge bugs or glitches. Out of the two at the time, I would play this over Heavy Rain, though that one isn't that bad.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Medal of Honor Frontline (PS3) Review

One series I grew to love when it debuted was the Medal of Honor games. A favorite and one of my first PlayStation 2 titles was Frontline. It did everything right and expanded on what a World War II and first person shooter game should be. This was a surprise to see it remastered for just the PlayStation 3 as a bonus for the 2010 Medal of Honor release. Nothing changed with the gameplay, but it was more of a cosmetic change with the graphics. It's still a fun game.

Frontline had you returning as Jimmy Patterson in missions that took place before and in between missions in the first game. There are six missions combined for 19 levels. Each mission has about three or four. Following tradition, you are doing objectives to beat the level and stop the Nazi war machine. It takes you to a few places in Europe like D-Day in France, and some unique locale in Holland. Unlike other games in the series at the time, it followed with one huge mission broken into several.

The only thing EA changed was its graphics. As far as areas and backgrounds go, it is a bit of an improvement. That being said, the characters and enemies have a mix of both PS2 and PS3 quality. Not bad, but could be worse. Audio was not changed at all. It's still the same music, sound effects and voices. And it sill delivers on what it did in 2002 by creating a great war environment that lets you soak in that era of action and heartbreak.

Combat is really realistic but still plays like a video game. Various weaponry from the series come in the forms of M1 Garands and STG 44's just to name a few. They function quite well and provide enough firepower for Patterson. You have to be a little bit careful as ammo may not always be available for one particular weapon in a level. Health is still the same. Instant kills come from grenades and bazookas. The same ways of healing are back

Enemies are a bit more ferocious compared to the PS1 counterparts. They will put up a fight and will use various strategies to take you down. Controlling Patterson is a breeze and the game offers a decent amount of schemes for your liking. Level designs are smart and know how to convey a battle with allies and being on your own. It doesn't stray from what the original intentions were with the series at that time. Do well and you earn a star. Get a gold in every level of a mission to earn a medal.

There are a few difficulty modes with the hard one being brutal. It's pretty fair without being cheap. Options include cheats, changing audio and subtitles, and a password section. You can watch stuff in a gallery once you beat missions or view performances and medals in the records section. Saving is a breeze with autosaving, but saving manually is an option.

I only have a few complaints. With this version, the audio can skip sometimes or not load up after pausing, but that was rare. Videos after beating the last level of a mission were not synced. My only other complaint is something that I never liked on the original version and that was the dying aspect. Getting killed meant restarting the level from the beginning. A number of them take a good half hour to do and without means of saving can be frustrating sometimes.

Frontline is not something I would really recommend, but it is an alternative to other World War II games. I would give it at least a playthrough. This is still a nice game to have and it still plays well.

Score: 7.5 out of 10