The PS3 Weekend Warrior: The E3 and NPD week extravaganza

This week is a special one indeed for the PS3 Weekend Warrior. An insane amount of news has come in from E3 2008 and we’ve got even more stuff from the NPD. The biggest games, the most controversial issues, and even some homebrew goodness await you in the full article up next.

We’re here again for the weekly round-up of the biggest and most happening news for the PlayStation 3. This week’s Weekend Warrior is huge as E3 finally started rolling over in California and surprises big and small flooded the web. The NPD Group has also released the sales figures for June and the PS3 is in a pretty good spot. We also have announcements from Sony as well as other game makers so let’s get down to business because this one’s going the distance!

E3 2008: Good and not-so-good revelations

One of the biggest stories this week happened even before Sony even got the chance to take the stage. Microsoft went ahead of everyone and did their keynote. What nobody expected was for them to pull off a magic trick if there ever was one. They didn’t just pull a bunny off a hat, it was a damn elephant!

If by some freak chance you still don’t know what we’re talking about, we’ll break it down for you: Square Enix‘s Final Fantasy XIII is going to the Xbox 360, too. It’s still uncertain if Final Fantasy Versus XIII will follow suit but we’ll be keeping tabs on it for sure.

Link: E3 2008: Final Fantasy XIII also heading to Xbox 360, Square Enix talk roundup
Link: FFXIII producers talk Xbox 360 version, confirms major shocking FFVII announcement at DKS3713 event
Link: E3 2008: Japan won’t get Xbox 360 FFXIII, Versus XIII still PS3 exclusive, new FFXIII trailer

But that’s not to say that Sony wasn’t able to return fire. As a matter of fact, there were still a lot of things to be happy about. For instance, the PSN’s video download service was launched unexpectedly for North America. The Japanese counterpart of the service will come by September. Both SD and HD content will be available for everyone’s viewing pleasure.

Link: E3 2008: PS3 video store goes live tonight
Link: Notice: Sony’s PSN Video Store is region-locked
Link: PSN video store to launch in Japan this September

And games were in no short supply either. Final Fantasy XIII may no longer be exclusive, but God of War 3, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, and LittleBigPlanet still are. God of War 3′s very first trailer was shown and it sent chills down our spines because it looks like there will be more chaos than ever before. Also, Capcom’s Resident Evil 5 has finally gotten a release date and some new details.

Link: E3 2008: God of War 3 trailer revealed, March 2009 release possible
Link: E3 2008: Resident Evil 5 demo, features, launch date revealed
Link: New gameplay footage of Killzone 2 released, tank busting and more

Also, there’s been some confusion as to when Media Molecule will launch LittleBigPlanet. While the popular belief was that it would drop in September, Sony’s Jack Tretton set the record straight by saying that it’s the game’s closed beta which is due out that month. The full game is coming in October and hopefully, there will be no more delays.

Link: E3 2008: LittleBigPlanet beta this September
Link: E3 2008: Tretton says LittleBigPlanet is a go come October

Oh, and Quantic Dream showed off in E3 what was by all accounts an impressive trailer for the PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain. The game seems to be so cool, we can’t even talk about it.

Link: E3 2008: Heavy Rain impressive, too bad we can’t talk about it

In line with the opening of the video download service over at the PSN, Sony has brought back the 80GB PS3 for US$ 399. With that much space, you’ll be able to house all your game data and videos. What you can’t have in it as of yet, though, is WipEout HD which has been delayed due to technical issues.

Link: E3 2008: Sony Europe confirms 80GB PlayStation 3 and Platinum games line
Link: Wipeout HD delayed due to technical issue

We all wanna go Home!

As expected, there have been events to showcase PlayStation Home along with videos for people monitoring it over the internet to watch. Still, there’s no denying that there’s only so much more waiting that PS3 owners can take. Readers have been on the verge of losing their minds as their excitement is evolving into frustration. Hang in there, fellas.

Link: E3 2008: PlayStation Home dev walkthrough video
Link: Invited media interview Insomniac, Sucker Punch within Home

Good news from the NPD nook

This June’s NPD results were fantastic for the PS3 as more than 400,000 consoles were sold thanks in large part to blockbuster title Metal Gear Solid 4. The sales results surpassed expectations and pleased Sony’s bosses.

Link: Sony, Nintendo react to June 2008 NPD results
Link: NPD Group releases June 2008 results

And a little something for all you homebrew fans

Once again, homebrew developers put on video some proof that homebrew can be run from the platform. This time, Java was put into use and a game was run on it. Too bad the software can’t be distributed because it has legal issues, but you should watch it because this one captures the imagination.

Link: Java Homebrew launched from XMB; PS3 homebrew coming soon?

A quick thought or two

Well, yeah, it’s kind of disappointing at first to think that FF13, one of the supposed big time console movers of the PS3, was going to go cross-platform. After thinking about it for a bit, I realized it wasn’t so bad. It’s not like it’s being taken away from us. Besides, there’s still FF Versus 13 to be proud of as a PS3 owner. It’s not a foregone conclusion that the game won’t follow the other’s lead, but for the moment, it’s safe in the Sony yard.

What gets me a little salty are all those teases of a big Final Fantasy 7 announcement. Personally, I’m one of the game’s biggest and most loyal fans, but after what Square Enix did with Dirge of Cerberus, I’ve learned that not all things FF7 are sacred. Let’s just get it over with, can we, Square Enix?

And about Home? Yeah, I know where you all are coming from. I’ve been waiting for it for so long that I can’t remember how many heartbreaks it has given me. Somehow, I feel that 2008 will finally be the year for it. If it isn’t…. Let’s not even get into that. It’ll drop when it drops.

Oh, and lastly, all the games in E3 are cool but why is nobody talking about Disgaea 3? The series was definitely good on the PS2, and I’m pretty sure a lot of people are anticipating its US debut this summer. Here’s hoping for more stuff from NIS.