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It’s quite unbelievable, really. I bought my PSP in October 2005, preparing for the huge event that was to be Gran Turismo on a compact gaming device. Needless to say, I was let down, as were many, many other avid fans of the genre. Most people are fooled just once. Not me. I bought the PS3 special package that included GT5 Prologue, once again with the implicit understanding that a full version of the game would be released in a very short timeframe following that purchase. That was about two years ago.

There’s good news for those who still care to be excited about the Gran Turismo franchise. A preview of the final game for the PS3 was shown in August and a release date set for early 2010.  And today, after four years of waiting, Gran Turismo for the PSP has finally been announced!

Amazingly, the game will be available on a UMD, making it available to owners of older PSP models. Here’s the blurb from the official website:

Massive content including over 800 cars and 35 tracks with 70 layout variations, can now be enjoyed on the PSP “Playstation Portable” anytime, anywhere. That’s what Gran Turismo for PSP is all about.

Led by cars like the ’74 Lamborghini Countach LP400, there are many models making their first appearance in the series. As for the tracks, there is the popular Nürburgring, and a dirt track that can be driven by 4 players simultaneously.

There are many new innovations such as the single races where the player can nurture their personal AI driver, head to head racing using the Adhoc mode of the PSP, and trading and sharing of cars. The popular drift trials are also included in the game.

GT on the PS3 is absolutely awesome and one of my favourite titles on that platform. From the screenshots and the preview movie, the portable version looks just as good. I just hope that I can still find my dusty PSP in the cupboard somewhere…

and then, I hope it still boots up…

A new version of the Sony PS3 is to be launched overseas sometime this September. The PS3 Slim is much smaller, featuring a space-saving design and promising to cut down on its larger brother’s carbon footprint by consuming about 40% less power.

The PS3 Slim offers built-in WiFi, two USB ports, 120GB hard disk and both HDMI and optical audio output. Blu-Ray drive included, of course. The new PS3 does away with support for third-party operating systems and backward compatibility. No more running Linux or building cheap supercomputer clusters!

At the same time, Sony announced the imminent arrival (though with no specification of a date) of the 3.0 firmware update for the PS3. The firmware update improves the console’s interface with quicker access to certain items and shortcuts to downloads and games. Messaging has moved up to the main menu and is no longer hidden beneath a layer of options. Some avatar icons will be available, as well as new content for purchase.

A new version of the console is great news. As an existing owner of a PS3, it’s of little interest to me, though. Far more important to me is the answer to the question: where the hell is Gran Turismo 5, already? And there seems to be an answer to that too, it seems. According to Blast, Gran Turismo 5 will launch in October – it’s a title I’ve been waiting for since I bought my PSP about four years ago. The same title prompted me to purchase the PS3 with the GT 5 teaser disk in a bundle.

Could it finally be a reality, and how on earth will it stack up against Grid and similar high-octane racing games that have impressed me? Time will tell. I’ll believe it when I see it!

This weekend was the first time in a long time that we put the PS3 to good use. Since we are Lego fans, we stocked up on all three Lego titles available for the console, namely Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the newer Batman.

The Star Wars game for the PS3 was particularly difficult to get hold of. When it was first released, I took the approach of not buying it and instead wait for when we were ready to play it. Little did I realize that the title was very popular and simply sold out. When I eventually got around to looking for it, there was no hope of finding a copy locally, not even pre-played. I had to resort to importing it from overseas. It seems that game titles rely on scarcity, too…

So far, Alexander has been car-crazy and has been playing The Cars game every now and then. That’s fine, but doesn’t do much for a youngster’s interpersonal skills. Whilst I initially balked at the ludicrous price tag of an additional PS3 controller, that’s been the single best addition to the console.

Two-player games are now a reality and open up a new dimension in gaming for someone who is used to grabbing the steering wheel all by himself and determining without intervention which way to go…

We started our adventure in the deep jungles looking for ancient artifacts in Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

Our progress was reasonably swift, though we needed to work on our teamwork to circumvent traps and to progress. It’s a fantastic game and is great fun. As with all games in the Lego series, different characters have different abilities. There’s no violence to speak of and no worrying about dying and having to restart a level: characters simply bust into their component parts and re-animate. That is useful in that kids (and adults alike) are not discouraged when an obstacle requires many attempts to pass. With Indiana Jones and Marion trapped on the mountaintops in the snow, we decided to venture into space and try out Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

Both games are similar in operation and gameplay. Once again, very enjoyable and a lot of fun. There are plenty of puzzles to solve, often by having characters build bridges and the like out of Lego bricks scattered around. In the palace section, we needed to co-ordinate the use of four characters.

I haven’t had the opportunity to play games on the PS3 like this in ages. Can’t wait to start on Batman some time soon! Highly recommended for young and old alike.

Logitech has just announced a rather exciting addition to their range of gaming peripherals. The Flight System G940 is a solution lovers of flight simulators may be interested in: it comprises a force-feedback joystick, pedals and dual throttle control. Aimed at both aeroplane and helicopter enthusiasts, the Logitech G940 looks and feels the part.

Unfortunately, the G940 is specific to the Windows gaming environment and has specific compatibility with Microsoft Flight Simulator X, IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946, Falcon: Allied Force, Lock On: Modern Air Combat X-Plane 9, Enemy Engaged 2, and DCS: Black Shark. No idea yet on whether or not there’s a chance to get this working on the Mac or PS3.

The launch price is set at USD 300 and we’ll hopefully see this in the European and South African markets in the next few months.

More information here.

So they’ve tried for 30 years but still haven’t managed to invade

This year marks the 30th anniversary of a perennial video game favourite that is still being played in its original and remade forms the world over. From MAME to original arcade machines and handheld conversions to the latest consoles.

Most notably, Tomohiro Nishikado‘s creation caused a temporary shortage of Yen in his native Japan upon its release and earned Taito, the game publisher, in excess of USD 500 million in revenue.

Save planet earth from the Space Invaders (Flash required – the link for the embedded code is here):

Game on!

In the batcave, we focus on racing games. Alexander’s favourite is MotorStorm, a Mad Max alternate racer set in the mud puddles and sand dunes of central somewhere.

His excitement couldn’t be greater when he got to see the trailer for MotorStorm 2. That trailer is now a permanent fixture in VLC and is replayed ad-nauseum.

MotorStorm 2 is to be published by Sony and developed by Evolution Studios. The setting this time is an island in the Pacific…

The graphics have been enhanced and some monster trucks added. The monster trucks will be able to ride over cars, break most vegetation, and destroy structures.

16 tracks will add to the excitement, as will the added challenge of having to deal with driving through pools of water. There’s the promise of a 4-player split screen. I hope it supports the G25 steering wheel.

Something to look forward to on the PS3…

Codemasters‘ latest racer is available on pre-order. Racedriver GRID promises to be a continuation of the excellent racing simulators I remember playing on the PC. With the power and graphics capability of the PS3, not to mention my skunkworks project VRSX, GRID is a must-have addition to my present collection.

In Racedriver GRID, various racing modes and competitions are available including racing around the streets of San Francisco to drift racing in Japan. From the movies highlighting some aspects of the game I am astounded by the realism and graphics quality. The damage model looks impressive, though I’m not sure how a car’s handling and performance will be affected by crashes and bumps.

As with the recent TOCA series, a career mode is available and through the participation in that, the player is able to trade and upgrade cars and take part in various races.

Update: I’ve ordered the game and have just been informed that there is stock. Should be here quicker than I thought!

Logitech make some awesome peripherals. From mice to keyboards and speakers to remote control units. It’s not often you get to see something as cool as this, though! If you’re a petrol head and enjoy racing games on the PC or the Playstation, you should consider the Logitech G25 Racing Wheel.

You’ll forget the cash you spent the moment you lift the heavy box. It’s heavy, and for good reason: all components are steel, with heavy plastic bases fitted to both the pedals and the steering wheel. The box contains the steering wheel, the pedal assembly and shifter unit. Of less importance to those using this on a PS3 is the driver disk for Windows XP and Windows Vista. Another power adapter to add to your collection and an instruction booklet rounds out the package.

A beautiful touch is the leather-wrapped steering wheel, sure to make you reach for those racing gloves. Quickshift paddles and two action buttons provide easy access to oft-used functions. The wheel features two-and-a-half turns from lock to lock. Helpful to drift out of corners or careen wildly into the track barrier…

You’ll feel bumps and crashes quite nicely. The wheel has two motors for accurate force feedback. The Logitech website indicates which game titles are compatible with which level of racing wheel feature. The good news is that most games are supported, and all support at least a subset of the force feedback effects.

The steering wheel unit features a USB cable that is plugged into the platform of choice: either PC or Playstation. The ability to use this peripheral on different platforms adds to its appeal and ensures longevity. Both the pedal and shifter units connect to the steering wheel unit to provide interconnectivity.
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As with my shift to products by Samsung I also find myself supporting Logitech more and more. They make some great mice and keyboards but those all pale in comparison to this one:

Certainly not meant to increase your efficiency at typing demand letters in a word processor or fudging financials in a spreadsheet, the official steering wheel for the brand-new Gran Turismo on the PS3 is built to enhance your driving experience. Off course it has force feedback to ensure your muscles receive a workout. It connects to the console with USB and has 24 levels of adjustment to fine-tune brake bias, traction control and other settings on the fly, no less. Lock-to-lock: 2.5 turns. There’s a sequential stick shift in combination with sensitive brake and gas pedals. Ha – who needs the brake in any case?

Priced at USD 150 this is one gadget you’ll want if you’re into racing on the PS3. Available from April in the US. I hope we’ll get to see it on our shores soon.

Hamilton wins the Australian GP. Yawn. How interesting. Yawn. Less than a yawn is the almost official fact that Gran Turismo is coming to the Playstation 3. Rather than be hugely disappointed by its non-appearance, as I was by the promised-but-never-seen GT for the PSP, I’ve waited with the purchase of a PS3.

Off course, the Prologue is just that: the demo of the actual game everyone is waiting for. Promised to be available by December 2007, it’s obvious that the Prologue is late to arrive. It is available for purchase. Fan-boys will no doubt buy the Prologue and the actual game too. The final version of the game should be available in late 2008, but who’s holding their breath? The screenshots look good, and if the past franchise is anything to go by, this should be a great racing game. Just depends how much longer we’ll have to wait for the real thing…