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The Evolution of Gaming
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Written by Jonathan Lezama, Staff Writer
With Microsoft releasing new updates and game expansions exclusively for Xbox, Sony finally decided to fight back. September marks the release of Sony’s new PS3 slim. This device, that uses 34 percent less power use, is 36 percent lighter, and 33 percent smaller than the original console will cost buyers a mere $300 dollars. Unfortunately, it doesn’t run PlayStation 2 games, but like every PS3 console it comes with a blu-ray player and wi-fi connectivity. It has two USB ports and the other same ports the original PS3 has, like the HDMI port and Ethernet cable port. PSN (Play Station Network) remains free, so you can always play with your friends online free of charge.
However, Sony’s comeback doesn’t end there. Sony has also been working on a new motion controller similar to that of the Wii’s. It is going to give the gamers a new way to interact in games for it moves smooth when in play. In E3 of 2009, they showed us a demonstration of this device. A man went up on stage and grabbed the controller, to show us how interacting with objects such as weapons and swords worked in games. This didn’t turn out so well because the player chosen kept trembling and messing up. On top of that, Sony didn’t use it on a real game. This is a problem because it doesn’t really tell us if it will work on games we are familiar with like Grand Theft Auto 4, or Metal Gear Solid 4. The man who talked about it reminded all of us that it is still just a prototype and that it will be worked on a lot more.
Sony’s final announcement was the PSP-GO. Unlike the past model it will be smaller, slide open, have internal memory, and won’t run UMD’s (Universal Media Disk). Instead the games will be directly installed to the PSP-GO’s hard drive so the owner doesn’t have to constantly take out and put in UMD’s. The screen is 3.8 inches and features a 480×272 resolution. Size wise, the screen is a little smaller than previous PSPs, but the resolution is identical. It has 64MB of RAM and has 16GB of internal flash memory for storing games, videos, pictures and whatever else your heart desires. The PSP-GO will be released in October for a cost of $249.
Microsoft has not really given much information on a new console, or portable device, but they have announced a new camera called the “Project Natal.” The camera allows players to play controller free. So far the games shown to us as demonstrations are little fun mini games to keep you entertained and moving. But there have been real games like for instance Milo, one of Lionhead’s upcoming games. The game consists on you talking to a kid (Milo) and playing games with him that requires the player to be interactive. In E3 they gave us a preview of the game and how it was played. Milo came out of his house and started to have a conversation with the player. The player spoke, Milo understood. The player moved and his eyes and face moved as well. When you wait long enough Milo will ask what you want to do. Then you pick from the choices you get and a fun little mini game begins. Milo is a very realistic game. And the effects of the camera are breathtaking. The motion is smooth and perfect, so the player won’t get frustrated. Steven Spielberg himself, who announced the device, said “The next step in interactive entertainment is to make the controller disappear.” And that’s exactly what Microsoft is aiming for.
So far, Sony is leading the game with their new, slim, and in a way, cheap version of their PS3. Microsoft is going to have to step it up a notch by coming up with new ways to improve their console, or by selling new exclusives, if they once again want to gain the lead in this never ending cycle of next gen awesomeness. As long as we the gamers do not debate amongst ourselves and just enjoy both epic consoles. There will always be endless fun and great wonder on what they will think of next.
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