Posts by Andrew Yoon at PS3 Fanboy

Andrew Yoon
New York, NY - http://www.ps3fanboy.com

After a fairly lengthy stint as a Community Manager, maintaining websites for Konami, Square, Namco, and others, I became absorbed by the Joystiq crew, and ~~work~~ blog full-time. As the lead PlayStation writer, you'll see my work prominently on PSP and PS3 Fanboy, although I contribute to all the other Joystiq sites as well. As a big anime fan, you'll notice that I'm also the managing video game critic at Anime News Network.

Noteworthy games: Ikaruga (DC), Pokemon (GB), Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64), Half-Life 2 (PC), Metal Gear Solid (PS), God of War II (PS2), Resident Evil 4 (GC), Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA), Otogi (XB), Chrono Trigger (SNES), Gitaroo-Man Lives! (PSP), Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! (DS), Gears of War (360), Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii), Super Stardust HD (PS3)
Currently playing/reviewing:
Hot Shots Golf 5 (PS3), Persona 3 (PS2), Jeanne d'Arc (PSP), Metroid Prime 3 (Wii), Bioshock (360)

EMAIL: andrew @ joystiq .com

PSN cards expanding to Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Rite-Aid in September

Posted Aug 27th 2008 5:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: PlayStation Network

The only time we ever saw a PLAYSTATION Network card was when Sony gave us one for Christmas. Never -- not even once -- have we seen these cards available at a retail store. This is easily one of the most demanded items from our readers, many who don't have a credit card to use for the PSN. Thankfully, support for these cards will expand in September to stores we've actually heard of.

According to the PlayStation website, these pre-paid cards can be found at Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Rite-Aid this September. So whether you're renting a movie, drinking a Slurpee, or buying some condoms in a rush -- keep an eye out for these PSN cards.

[Via CAG]

Jenova Chen recognized as top young innovator by Technology Review

Posted Aug 27th 2008 12:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: e-Distribution Games

One of the founders of thatgamecompany, the team behind flOw and the upcoming Flower, has been recognized by Technology Review's TR35 awards. Jenova Chen is being called a "top young innovator" for his work on game design, focusing on how "gaming can be an emotional journey for many different audiences and not just an aggressive experience for young males."

"Jenova Chen exemplifies what it means to be an innovator. He pushes the boundaries of his industry, questioning assumptions about what gaming can be. Because of his breakthrough vision, the impact from his approach to gaming will be felt for generations to come," said Krisztina "Z" Holly, USC Vice Provost for Innovation and Executive Director of the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation.

The upcoming flOwer took multiple accolades at E3, including our own award for Best PSN Game. Gamespot also awarded it Best Downloadable Game and Best Graphics.

Gallery: Flower

Afrika teams up with Japanese hotel chain to create pseudo-safari experience

Posted Aug 27th 2008 11:15AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

We love bizarre Japanese promotions, like this one between Sony Computer Entertainment and Tokyu Hotels. During the month of September, they'll have a special campaign which starts at 19,000 yen. Special Afrika-themed rooms will include a special projector screen displaying high-resolution images from the upcoming PS3 safari game. A special exotic meal will be prepared and delivered to your room as you enjoy the digitally rendered African environment from the PS3. At the very least, this beats having to stay in a boring non-Afrika themed room, right?

Hands-on with the incredibly luxurious Starpex guitar

Posted Aug 26th 2008 9:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Peripherals

Click for high-resolution image.

One of these guitars is a real guitar, and one of them is a video game controller. It's hard to tell at first -- which is exactly what the Starpex is going for. Unlike other Guitar Hero and Rock Band controllers on the market, this is meant to emulate the experience of playing on a real guitar. The construction of the guitar is a testament to that: this is a hefty device, weighing almost as much as a real guitar. Its full size makes the Guitar Hero controller look even more like the toy it is. The solid wood finish looks fantastic, and feels absolutely great to the touch. Even the strap that's included with the controller is well-made: the thicker fabric made it far more comfortable to wear.

Of course, what good is a guitar if it can't play as well as its competitors? In spite of its large size, we found the buttons to be as familiar as ever. The guitar may be larger, but the buttons are located in the exact same place. The strum bar is infinitely improved over the Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars -- gone are the days where you'll hear your guitar instead of the music. The noise of hitting the strum button has been considerably muted. The tilt sensor is also responsive, and the addition of the easy-to-hit Star Power button near the strum bar is much appreciated.

Gallery: Starpex Guitar

Continue reading Hands-on with the incredibly luxurious Starpex guitar

Sony to bring Resistance and free goodies to PAX

Posted Aug 26th 2008 8:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Community

Are you going to Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) this year? Lucky you! You'll get to meet our very own Jem Alexander and you'll be able to get your dirty hands on all sorts of exclusive gaming -- never playable to the public before! PS3 fans can get in on some Resistance 2 love, while PSP owners will rush to check out Resistance Retribution. A plethora of PSN titles, such as WipEout HD, Savage Moon and Crash Commando will all be available for play. Even better -- you'll get to see live demonstrations of LittleBigPlanet and inFamous!

Even if you can't make it to Seattle, don't fret -- Sony has a consolation prize for you. Visit PlayStation.com when the show begins on August 29th, and you can win a PS3 prize pack. Find out more here.

Red Baron Arcade brings air combat to PSN in September

Posted Aug 26th 2008 3:20PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Videos and Screenshots, e-Distribution Games

Download to PSP

Stainless Studios is bringing their PC arcade air combat game to the PSN in September. Set in World War I, Red Baron challenges players to tackle 36 single player missions, or go head-to-head in 8 player online multiplayer. There will be over 20 aircraft to choose from, and multiple modes: deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag. It's a genre seriously under-represented on the PSN, and we're sure many will try the downloadable demo when it releases on September 18th.

FYI, the PLAYSTATION Network is down [Update]

Posted Aug 26th 2008 11:50AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: PlayStation Network

Those of you trying to go online right now will see that the PSN is currently down. According to Metal Gear Online, the service will be unavailable until 1PM PST (4PM EST).

Update: It's back up!

Check the status of the Network here.

[Thanks, Tony!]

Rumor: Firmware 2.5 may allow screen captures

Posted Aug 26th 2008 10:15AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Rumors

CVG has learned from a shadowy "development source" that the next major PS3 firmware update, possibly 2.5, may include the ability to capture screenshots directly from the PS3. "Exactly how this would be done and what you could do with the shots once you've grabbed a piece of the action isn't yet known."

The PS3 already has the ability to save images from games to the hard drive, but they must be specifically programmed into each game. For example, players can save low-res images from Metal Gear Solid 4's camera. They can also save images from replay videos in WipEout HD. Having the ability to take screengrabs whenever will let us immortalize our most cherished gaming moments ... and will certainly make our jobs easier.

It's never too late: Warhawk demo may be in the works

Posted Aug 25th 2008 11:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: e-Distribution Games

The team at Incognito has been expanding the Warhawk universe in quite a number of ways, with three expansion packs, various free patches and tutorials for beginner players. While the Warhawk community seems rather healthy, it appears that Incognito is going to go another step further: it looks to be making a downloadable demo available in the future. An impromptu Q&A developed on the PlayStation.blog, with one reader asking Dylan Jobe about the possibilitiy of a demo. "What about a demo of sorts? A game like this won't ever see my purchase if I can't even try it out."

To that, Jobe responds: "We're on it." Considering this is an online-only title, how would a Warhawk demo even work? Would there simply be a server dedicated to demo-only players? Or will, it be a time-limited offering? Guess we'll find out whenever Warhawk's better-late-than-never demo appears.

[Thanks, Kyle!]

How much would you pay for the wireless keypad?

Posted Aug 25th 2008 9:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Peripherals

An amazon.com listing shows the newly announced PS3 wireless keypad arriving on November 30th for $50. While this date and price is far from final, we were wondering how much our readers would pay for this peripheral. We're thinking $50 is a bit too high, and we're hoping this is nothing more than a placeholder price from the online retailer.

You are '100 percent' going Home this year

Posted Aug 25th 2008 8:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: PlayStation Network

Home Producer Martijn Van der Meulen told IGN "without hesitation" that there is a "100 percent guarantee" that the oft-delayed Home will be released by "the end of this calendar year." Not 2009. Not 2010. This year. "He has absolutely no doubt that this will be the case."

We're not surprised by this. While many on the internet joke about the "DelayStation 3," the rapidly expanding beta and increasing developer support for Home makes us honestly believe Mr. Martijn Van der Meulen.

[Via Joystiq]

80GB Core model draws less energy than 40GB

Posted Aug 25th 2008 7:11PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Hardware

Looks like the 80GB Core PS3 may be more energy efficient than ever. A user at the Slickdeals forum connected his brand new 80GB Core system to a Kill-a-watt and discovered a slight energy savings. For example, the 40GB model used 155.2 watts when playing MGS4 -- the 80GB model used only 130 watts. The 40GB used 125.8 watts when idle on the XMB, while the 80GB used 111.9 watts. The popular theory is that Sony has secretly switched to new 65nm RSX chips: these are cheaper to manufacture, and are considered more reliable. Sony has not yet responded to these claims, but we wouldn't be surprised if each new SKU introduces new savings for the costly PS3 manufacturing process.

[Via Joystiq]

'Best of Leipzig' looks a lot like 'Best of E3'

Posted Aug 25th 2008 2:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

Repeating its E3 performance, LittleBigPlanet took top honors at this year's Games Convention show as the "Best PS3 Game." At this point, we shouldn't have to explain exactly why it's so popular -- we're pretty sure you can see for yourself.

Another repeat winner took the crown for "Best PSP Game" -- Resistance Retribution. The upcoming Sony Bend shooter bridges the gap between the first and second games and does so in jaw-dropping style.

Finally, "Best Xbox 360 Game" went to Mirror's Edge ... which coincidentally enough, is also coming on PS3. See the full platform winners on GameDaily.

Linger in Shadows lurks onto European PSN this week

Posted Aug 25th 2008 12:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Videos and Screenshots, e-Distribution Games

Download to PSP

Finally, the veil will be lifted. The strange, mysterious real-time PS3 demoscene Linger in Shadows will be available for download this week ... at least, according to the official PlayStation website. This interactive demo is yet another artistic experiment for the PSN -- you can get a small taste by watching this video released by the artists themselves. We can't wait to see how the PS3 community responds to quite possibly the strangest addition to the PSN yet.

[Via Siliconera]

Warhawk Operation: Fallen Star available for $8 this week

Posted Aug 25th 2008 11:10AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: e-Distribution Games

As revealed at Leipzig, Warhawk Operation: Fallen Star is coming this week. A new update on the PlayStation.blog confirms a few new details: like the 30 new map configurations, many of which accommodate the new jetpack. "In total there are 10 new layouts for Tau Crater and since the jetpack is a massive, game-changing addition to Warhawk, we included a crap-ton of bonus layouts for the original game too - there are 30 bonus layouts that add jetpacks into the Warhawk's original content."

The jetpack looks fairly intuitive to control, from its description. Like piloting a Warhawk, the shoulder buttons are key to maintaining and controlling your altitude. To prevent everyone from having a jetpack at the same time, the stations which provide the jetpacks will have some "construction time" to space out the availability of new jetpacks.

The Fallen Star expansion will cost $8, but a new bundle that features all three expansions will be available for $16. "That's like getting all 3 Booster-Packs for the price of only 2!!!" For those that are recent additions to the Warhawk world (thanks to its Greatest Hits price), this new bundle is certainly a good way of adding a lot of content to the game.

[Thanks, AlterEgo!]

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