Here is my list of PS3 sequels that I will not hesistate to buy.

Uncharted 3
Possible Code Name: Uncharted 3: Hidden Journey

Where it started

Uncharted 1 was very good, Uncharted 2 was very very good and without a shadow of a doubt Uncharted 3 will be very very very good.

With Uncharted one the core mechanics were spot on, cross breeding a intuitive cover system with gun play and fighting mechanics all merged into an action adventure frame work. The developer Naughty Dog no stranger to creating Jungle environments from their Crash Bandicoot days focused on this and only a couple of other environments in their first game. Without a doubt the game turned out to be exceptional thanks to the shine of the graphics and superb voice acting and motion capture.

Uncharted 2 built upon this and blew the box wide open by providing far bigger environments with a vast range of scenery’s. The game play mechanics were supplemented with better hand-to-hand combat, more robust climbing techniques and a bigger focus on the ability to perform stealth attacks. The game also presented itself with far bigger and breath-taking set pieces and of course an online mode that was both addictive, balanced and above all extremely fun.

The Sequel

Uncharted drakes fortune focused on trailing Francis Drake, among thieves trailed Marco Polo. As a guess Christoper Columbus could be next – but how could the game improve?

Well the game is pretty much perfect – simply creating a new story and new environments would satisfy most fans but a few nice features could be added.

For one a coop mode that is part of the single player campaign would be nice, not just separate missions. Also a few more cover moves such as lying down flat or hiding would be beneficial.

Finally a big change I would like to see is destroyable environments which would add a completely new dimension to the game – and create more challenging puzzles.

Grand Theft Auto 5
Possible Code Name: GTA V

A little back story

Grand Theft Auto has ascended from top-down game-play to fully 3D – each time the maps becoming bigger and more detailed.

The latest version saw Liberty City (AKA New York) with a potential population of 8 million souls, making it feel like you really were traversing New York city or at least it’s inbreed cousin.

With cover mechanics, moral choices and numerous side missions (such as vigilante, cab, pizza delivery and tour guide) and the ability to upgrade your home, your appearance and your weapons coupled with a fully immersive and organic life-like city – Grand Theft Auto has turned into to almost a game city simulation, but how can the next one be better?

Going forward

So far we have seen GTA in various Americana like settings. For a new version it would be nice to actually travel the globe, visiting open towns, densely packed cities with underground networks (London) or a high tech metropolis complete with magnetic lifted monorail trains and robotic law enforcement (well maybe that’s going to far).

The police in GTA games have always been bit to easy, so why not make the police real people, the bad guys real people and have a truly dynamic game-play. The police can get rewarded for catching criminals without damage to the city or it’s population or for performing specific operations (such as drug raids) and the bad guys get rewarded for completing their missions successfully without getting found out. With this type of mechanic I truly believe GTA would ascend to a whole new level.

Killzone 3
Possible Code Name: Killzone 3 (duh)

The previous version

Killzone 2 still today is the prettiest console shooter out there. With unmatched detail such as every bullet casing having a unique sound effect depending on what it hits and particles that actually vortex near turbine engines – Killzone 2 became the new bar for console FPS’s.

However the environments in Killzone 2 were very atmospheric which is another way of saying there were all dark and grey. On a few occasions you would be treated to a change such as manning an anti-air cannon or travelling in a walking mech but these were sparse.

The online was well constructed and although I liked the realistic speed and team play reliant objectives many didn’t. The maps (except maybe 1) were also quite confined, which was good for creating fire zones but often felt cramped.

What to change

First off, we have had Earth and Helgan now lets have something in between. In Killzone 3 I would like to fight in many different environments from jungles, to asteroids and meadows to the high sea’s. Also more vehicles would be nice, as well as more equipment such as the ability to create turrets in single player or use C4 at will.

Online the maps should be bigger – Battlefield Bad Company 2 size would be good. But add in vehicles too, the walkers would be a nice additions but also the drop ship allowing troops to get to an objective quick would be a good strategic element.

Overall the game needs to be more varied but keep the core mechanics and attention to details I have come to love.

PixelJunk Sequel

Where it began

The first game PixelJunk made for the PS3 was a gloried scalectrix game, it was okay but nothing special.

However their next game is now one of my favourite PSN titles – PixelJunk Monsters. Simply put its an addictive tower defense game, with cute HD graphics, varied levels, coop play, remote play and hypnotic music. Many an hour can be spent well with a friend playing this game and the simple mechanics makes it accessible to all.

After Monsters came ‘Eden’ a strange spider-man type platformer where you were charged at collecting pollen, then the most recent edition came in the form of PixelJunk Shooter. A retro feeling shooter where you used the dynamics of crumbling rock, water, lava and oil to battle through the puzzling levels each of which you could enlist a friend to help you.

With each new iteration PixelJunk have shown that simple game-play and simple but cute graphics can equal superior pieces of entertainment. But what will they do from here?

What’s next?

We’ve had PixelJunk Racer, PixelJunk Monsters, PixelJunk Eden and PixelJunk Shooter. So it affect we have had the ‘genres’ racing, strategy, platformer and shooter. So maybe next we will see… PixelJunk Figher, a cross between Alex Kidd and streets of rage – who know’s, but one thing is for sure, PixelJunk games only get better so it’s going to be a must buy.

Fallout 4: Online
Possible Code Name: Fallout MMO

The previous game

Fallout 3 was an incredible game. Building on the strong foundation of it’s 2D counter-parts Fallout 3 allowed you to play the massively open game in the style of your liking.

With countless places to visits, items to collect and enemies to slay you could easily sink 30 hours or more into the game and still not have seen everything.  Think of Morrow Wind but replace most the weapons with guns and the magic with drugs and you’re pretty much there.

Set in a post apocalyptic  World, Fallout 3 had you striving to survive while finding out what really happened to your father. A strong story line supplemented with numerous side quests kept you gripped and longing for more.

MMO?

With such a well defined universe it wouldn’t be too much to ask to have an MMO based around the Fallout theme would it? With persistent stats and a universe that carries on evolving even when your not playing, a Fallout MMO would essentially be the gritty version of World of Warcraft with everybody trying to get the infamous ‘Fat Man’.

Missed anything?

Have we missed anything, if so let us know in the comments section below.

Well this year sees the release of an A-Team movie – and I’m left very concerned, yet quite interested and excited at the same time. Looking forward to seeing it!

So… the main cast….

Sgt. B.A. Baracus is to be played by Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. He is apparently an Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. I have got to say although I didn’t think finding someone to play B.A. would be easy – he looks the part! However he is missing the gold I also wonder what his acting skills will be like (not that Mr T was great!). Even if his acting is bad I will not write it on here. You tell him!!!!!!!

Liam Neeson is to play Col. John “Hannibal” Smith. On the above picture I do think he looks the part. However I saw one other picture and he looked uncomfortable. In my opinion the verdict is still out on this casting.

Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck is to be played by Bradley Cooper. On the above photo he looks too rugged – face was always quite clean cut. I think the clean cut suited the face character. Perhaps it will change my view of face when I see the film.

Then there my favourite character Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock who is going to be played by Sharlto Copley. Realistically no one is going to play Murdock as well as Dwight Schultz. But I do like the look he has on the above photo. This is the character I am most looking forward to see how it is going to be portrayed.

Patrick Wilson is going to play Col. Lynch. Lynch was never a strong character for me – so I think he could be played by many people. Should work.

Dwight Schultz and Dirk Benedict are due to make a cameo. This concerns me as the only film that I have ever seen a cameo work is on Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy – with Marvin My issue with cameos is your always brought back to who everyone remembers playing the character and I feel that detracts from the new person playing their character. I may be surprised and see it work – who knows!

Mr T however was asked to make a cameo and turned it down. I think that’s a good thing!

Anyway – we shall see. Once I have seen the film I may feel inclined to follow this up with some more – I may not. Lets just hope its better then the Knightrider sequels!

If anyone has any comments on what they feel – would be great to hear them. If they make me think more about this film – I may even add to this post.

Thanks for reading!

Dan

Before we get started, I would just like to say I used to be a hardcore PC gamer before I came to the realisation of the following points, also PC gaming is a thriving market especially if you love the ability to modify your games. These points are meant to assist not dictate.

Price

To have a gaming rig to play the latest games in HD you need to spend quite a lot of money, about 5 times the cost of a gaming console. Not only that you need to factor in the price for an operating system and HD graphics card that also outputs sound in HD or an HD sound card if you want to experience 7.1 DTS HD surround sound . The games may be a bit more expensive on consoles if you buy new, but the trade-in market is much bigger so you will be able to recoup some money back if you require.

Ease of use

Often if you want to play a game you will just want to pop in the disc and away you go. With a PC this is often not the case, with PC games you will need to install the software and resolve any conflicts. You will also need to change many more settings and install the latest graphics or Direct X drivers. A PC often takes longer to load a game then what a console would when you factor in the whole boot-up process.

Local Play

Most console games provide the ability for more than one person to play on the same system, but how many PC games do? If you want to play your friends simply buy some more pads and chuck in your favourite game, if you want to play with more than one person locally on a PC you will need to buy additional peripherals install the drivers and tweak the settings, providing the game supports local play in the first place.

The console will also most likely live in your lounge making a family centric media center not just for you tucked away in your room, this makes the console a more social platform especially for parties.

Your Wife

So you spent days perfecting your warrior and have focused for hours to delve deep into the last dungeon of the game, right at the point you are about to reveal the secret of the last scroll you wife turns up and demands use of the PC so she can visit her Facebook.

If you have a PC for gaming, you will need to consider buying a netbook, laptop or additional unit as because the PC is used for more than gaming then it is likely other members of your family, your wife, friends or kitty will want to use the PC for some other purpose.

Out of the Box Features

Things like VidZone allow you to turn you TV into a personalised music channel, NetFlix allows you to stream on-demand HD movies and the BBC iPlayer means your wife can watch that episode of Eastenders she missed. Consoles these days offer other features ensuring it is rooted in the living room to make it the ultimate media centre with the option to stream movies from NAS devices or PC’s so that it really can access a wealth of media in an instant.

Microsoft and Sony Working Together

It’s no secret that Microsoft have an exceptional team for software development and Sony likewise in hardware development. Pooling these talents the two multi-billion dollar companies have developed an innovative product that encapsulates their talents empowering the user with an intuitive and friendly interface made to thrive in the living room of any home.

Dubbed the ‘Sony Vaio L Touch HD‘ the full HD touch screen runs Windows 7 and comes as standard with a wealth of media features, including a Blu-Ray drive with Blu-Ray authoring tools, DVR functionality, a built in HD Digital tuner and webcam with automatic face tracking.

With connectivity for HDMI devices, various memory cards, FireWire and USB, Wireless networking including DLNA media streaming and Bravia Sync the device is able to communicate with the other devices throughout your home seamlessly.

Under the hood the L Touch features a powerful processor and 6TB of RAM as standard. It also features in selected models a 1TB hard disk for instant recording of all your favourite shows.

The L Touch isn’t just a powerhouse however, with a sleek keyboard and mouse supplied along with a wireless remote control the L Touch also isn’t bad to look at.

The innovative approach of combing all these amazing features together in a sleek exterior at an affordable price of £999 means you can have an ultimate media device that will last you for years sitting right in your living room. Using a mutli-touch interface means the device is accessible and intuitive to use and combines the best features of other devices in one place.

We see this device as the stepping stone into a centralised living room experience, over time these types of devices will most likely become more common place, especially since a abundant of media is now delivered online.

Sony First Party Software Developers and In-house Software

One of the things that has always separated Sony from other console makers has been it’s open mind when dealing with new and exciting projects from fresh and untapped developers. Games like Final Fantasy VII, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Okami and even Shadow of the Colossus are good examples of this; where it would have been unlikely that other studios would have supported these products.

Sony doesn’t mind if the Intellectual Property (IP) is brand new and untested or if the developer requires years to produce a game, Sony have always embraced these projects they feel will deliver exceptional entertainment value, and this shows.

The Playstation Network to date has many titles to offer, many unique and exclusive to the PlayStation 3;  Sony’s latest console to market.

PixelJunk Monsters and PixelJunk Shooter are good examples illustrating this point, demonstrating a unique vector based art style and game play mechanics coupled with exclusive musical scores by top Japanese artists. The PixelJunk games would have most likely existed only on the indy scene had it not been for Sony.

FlOwer is again a good example of Sony’s open mind, as the game can only be described as a game very loosely thanks to the unique play style which see’s players guide the wind by simply moving there gaming pad in 3D.

Full retail games such as the ever popular LittleBigPlanet and upcoming ModNation Racers also conform to the ethos of innovation by providing players with the tools to design their own levels and play millions made by others.

SingStar the original music game is still breaking ground, utilising today’s technology players can now download new songs in seconds, challenge other families from the other side of the World as well as record and view other performances, similar things are also achieved with Buzz the original console quiz game, adding re-playability thanks to players being able to create their own quizzes.

Innovation isn’t just about new ideas, it can also arrive in the form the realisation and adaptation of existing technology and game play mechanics. Killzone 2 is a game that features blistering graphics, AI and attention to detail never seen before in a console shooter which demonstrats this point clearly. The developers even went to the lengths of recording the sounds of all the materials in the game when bullets struck them all in the name of realism.

Uncharted 2 takes this further by encompassing all the great things about all other games — game play, graphics, story, multiplayer, sound and features, all in one gorgeous package. The game plays like a Hollywood blockbuster and contains no loading screens once your in-game, with plot twists, thrilling game play and corny catch phrases this game blurs the line between movie and game.

But as well as games Sony also offer such mediums as digital art in the form of demo-scenes most popular back in the 80’s (Linger in Shadows is our favourite), digital comics and small casual games dubbed ‘minis’ . Most impressive of all is the huge social meeting place known as PlayStation Home — This software provided free, allows PlayStation 3 users to enter a virtual world in which they can create their very own avatar and meet friends in the virtual world to chat, play and generally hang out. With areas dedicated to events, film promotions, game specific areas and virtual arcades as well as a myriad of other virtual spaces, the software truly is a jump in the right direction for virtual social networking.

With games aside things like ‘Life With PlayStation” (AKA Folding@Home) provides PlayStation users with a screen saver that can help solve diseases such as Cancer by using the 7 core processors idle time to help perform complex mathematically equations, although similar things have been seen with ‘Seti@Home’ including this within a gaming console truly shows an innovative approach to best utilising the hardware.

VidZone is another great example of how software can be provided free but still be hugely profitable; VidZone allows users to choose from thousands of music videos to effectively create their very own music channel with the ability to buy tracks instantly and share their content to mobile devices such as the PSP, greeted openly by music labels the application already features thousands upon thousands of music videos despite being in its infancy.

With unique games, meaningful applications and immersive innovations, Sony truly is leading the way with new and bold ideas with software. It will be exciting to see how boundaries are pushed over the coming months and years.

Journeyman

Never heard of it, well I’m not surprised. Back in early 2007 this show was launched with the main actor Kevin McKidd playing Dan Vasser, a journalist in San Francisco. The basic plot was that Dan Vasser was unwillingly travelling back in time for undetermined durations, always to an event he could change for the good. It was a new take on the cult classic Quantum Leap, but in a more serious light. It was recently ripped off by the film The Time Travelers Wife, but the film was an epic failure as they missed the point; drama.

What made the series (well one season) shine is that the character development was deep and made you really root for Dan’s struggle as he was trying to come to terms with what was happening. His relationship with his wife broke down, his work fell apart and his friends and family try to commit him to a psychiatric ward.

Unfortunately you never found out what caused him to time travel and the series was left on a cliff hanger.

Dollhouse

For a change we got two seasons of this, one of the most innovative shows in many years. Launched in 2009 with the star being the very foxy Eliza Dushku I really thought this show would stick around for a while.

The premise for this series was rather ingenious. People who were willing for money (or sometimes not) had there brains wiped by sophisticated new technology and made into dolls. These dolls were basically children in adult bodies and lived within the self sufficient spa like facility underground until they were required.

The dolls were hired out and had there brains reprogrammed to what ever was required. The dolls believed they were the person they were programmed to be and were given the knowledge, skills and traits that were required to complete the ‘engagement’. The dolls were hired out for anything from sexual liaisons, specialist serial killer hunters, undercover agents, replacement mothers or even negotiators.

The show therefore had very little limitations and interesting plot elements were introduced. One such element was ‘Alpha’ the very first doll. It is revealed that he escaped after becoming psychotic and killing everybody around him, furthermore he has developed the ability to ‘remote wipe’ active dolls in the field, rendering them useless.

Another interesting twist is that ‘Echo’ the main doll played by Eliza starts to remember each engagement and details about her self, but unfortunately this wasn’t developed further as the series was canned soon after this plot point.

The best bit about this was of course seeing Eliza is various outfits from school girl to secret agent Eliza was truly the biggest doll of the doll house.

Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles

A spin-off from the Terminator movies, the series takes place directly where the second movie left off. Following Sarah Conner played by LenaHeadey as she tries to protect John Conner (played by Thomas Dekker) and prevent SkyNet from ever being created, the series includes a lot of special effects and drama as the two struggle to stay alive and stop the plans created by the machines.

Things get more interesting when Derek Reese, Johns uncle (played byBrain Austin Green) arrives from the future to help them out and to escape the misery of the future. However when a terminator commissioned by the humans is sent back to further protect John, Derek isn’t convinced as the two have a somewhat uneasy history.

This is further emphasised when Cameron (the good terminator played by the sexy Summer Glau) turns bad after getting damaged and reverts back to her original programming and tries to kill John.

The trust seems to run deep between Cameron and John however, and after she is fixed he lets her back in (after fitting her with a remote charge) and their relationships seems to continue to develop to the dismay of everybody else.

With the sexy Summer Glau in top form, well animated terminators and dramatic action scenes the series could have developed to become something very special. The two seasons at least came to a conclusion, but it would be nice to see the story develop deeper.

So what do you think? Do you agree? Can you think of more TV series that should never have been cancelled, well let us know in the comments section below.

Windows Vista

Windows Vista has been herald as one of the worst operating systems around followed closely by Windows ME and Microsoft BOB.

The operating system was a clear response to the Apple equivalent providing a rich, glossy look but with little or no substance behind the scenes. With driver issues from the offset,compatibility problems with programs and over the top system requirements it was clear this new operating system was flawed, an opinion backed up by many including Microsoft themselves who superseding it rather quickly with the new Windows 7, while extending the support to Vista’s sibling, Windows XP.

Microsoft admits Vista Failure

The Zune HD

Microsoft love to copy other companies ideas, and the Zune HD was no different; Microsoft’s version of the iPod but they completely missed the point.

The iPod is successful as it’s easy to use, has an integrated music library with drag and drop functionality and is still fashionable.

Microsoft decided to ignore this, by making all of their music DRM’ed, they also decided to hand-pick software from developers to be placed on their app store in affect closing-off outside developers. Further more the Zune app store doesn’t coexist with the Windows Mobile Marketplace making the software segregated from other Microsoft products.

With a higher price, uglier finish, fragmented support and applications — along with predictable failure rates, Microsoft really messed up this opportunity.

Microsoft Zune HD Fail

Windows Cloud Mobile

Microsoft along with T-Mobile developed the ‘SideKick’, the first real venture into Cloud computing, storing everybody’s data on the Internet. However only a week after the launch the silver lining burst and the data held by Microsoft’s subsidiary company (Danger) lost a large amount of personal data.

Chalk another one up for Microsoft fail.

When the Cloud Fails

Windows 7

Windows 7 has already run into problems thanks to a recent security update (Microsoft thinks, as they haven’t nailed down the exact issue yet) which causes users to be presented with a Black Screen of Death (BkSOD) after logging in, worse still is that the problem also effects Windows Vista and Windows XP. If Microsoft aren’t careful they could end up repeating Windows Vista all over again, but so far that doesn’t seem likely…

Black Screen of Death

Xbox 360

Ah this old nutshell. With a documented 54% failure rate, this games system has been costing Microsoft money over fist in repairs, coupled with rival systems snatching more users, more sales and more exclusive games and users not having to buy expensive proprietary hardware or subscription fee’s it is likely that the Xbox 360’s days are becoming numbered.

Microsoft Doesn’t Dispute 54% Failure Rate

Bing

The launch of Bing was a fanfare of media buzz, but with service outages and a Google project code named ‘Caffine’ set to make Bing obsolete it appears Microsoft once again has provided too little too late.

It’s Time For Microsoft to Face Reality

Microsoft needs to focus on their core abilities, they need to stop copying everybody else and instead pioneer in their field. Are we being too harsh? Let us know your thoughts, admiration or anger in the comments section below.

Gravity Crash is a new game on the PS3 store, it’s kind of a mix between moon lander and asteroids. It has retro graphics with an HD shine and suitable retro techno music to boot, it’s retro chich to coin a better phrase.

The game is very addictive and has many levels to complete all of which are objective based. Some of the levels also throw great twists at you, with certain levels being dark in which case your ship projects light forwards, some having strong solar wind or rain and others underwater.

There are also a great deal of enemies to kill, puzzles to solve, gems to collect and huge bosses to kill.

One of the features I love which is along the whole “Play, Create and Share” ethos is the ability to create your own levels. Since the entire game was made with this editor you are really not limited, you can also send your levels to friends, and maybe if you are lucky your level will be in the top rated leader board.

Gravity Crash doesn’t feature online play (other than leaderboards) but does support up to four players locally with three modes, death match, race and salvage. This is a great deal of fun for a good lads night in.

All totalled up since this game weighs in at under seven quid, its a great purchase with strong legs.