The PSN is Up and Running!

After 22 days without service, the PlayStation Network is back up.

Rejoice! Go turn your PS3 on right now and download firmware 3.61, which will force you to change your password amongst other things, and celebrate by watching some Netflix or playing some LittleBigPlanet online!

I start my fancy internship this week so this weekend, which now starts on THURSDAY for me, HECK YEAH MAN, I will finally start playing Red Dead Redemption. It will be glorious.

Hope you guys managed to survive without your online PS3 gaming-ness.

Read more here.

Thank You, Sony...

If you haven't already heard, the PlayStation Network (or the PS3's online service for those of you weirdos who somehow don't know that already, because I mean how could you not know that already, you're here, aren't you?) has been hacked.

Yes, Sony, a multi-million-dollar company, was hacked by some still-unknown third party. It's depressing and disturbing that such a thing is even possible. You would think that Sony, with its big bags of money all piled up in a room somewhere in their fortress of media, would have created, y'know, a STRONG SECURITY SYSTEM. But nope, apparently that wasn't a priority, and now a hacker has obtained access to every single PSN user's personal information, including credit card information. (Thankfully, security codes were not compromised. This seems almost ironic but I'm too tired right now to think about that any further to determine whether it really is irony or not. Someone tell me.)

Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. The network is still down so we can't log in and try to change our passwords. If you use the same password for your email/other important accounts as you do for the PSN, it is recommended that you change it. Yes, that would be a smart move. Do that.

I really hope the network comes back up soon, but honestly, this really makes me lose faith in Sony a little bit. I just can't believe that they created a network open enough that a random number generator (or whatever) could hack into it. That's just unacceptable. I'm not going to sell my PS3 or anything drastic like that, and it's not like I can't use it at all or anything -- although not being able to use Netflix on it or have my trophies sync is a major problem for me; I had to download Netflix on my Wii and watch Parks and Recreation in SD as opposed to glorious HD, sad face -- but it's still frustrating when one of the major selling points of the system just shuts down like this.

The service is free, so we can't expect as much as an XBox Live user would from Microsoft. However, I really hope everyone who has had to endure this ordeal can be compensated for their patience in some way. I'm not sure what a viable option would be, but I hope Sony comes up with something. A free game would be stinking awesome, though. Just saying, guys. I've been wanting to play Final Fantasy VII for awhile now. ;)

My Year in Lists, Part 1: Games and Books and Junk

"My Year in Lists" by Los Campesinos!

So as I said before, despite running this SUPER MEGA SUGOI-NYA blog about entertainment, I'm actually not that culturally relevant. Okay, I'M not culturally ANYTHING, but neither are my interests! Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to write about TV and it's going to be hard picking a numero uno considering the best show I watched this year is 10 years old. But that's what the word "try" exists for! For me to use it! (And fail!)

5 AWESOME GAMES FROM 2010*

*I didn't really play that many new games this year so honestly these are just the games I played. I'm sure that if I had played them, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mass Effect 2, and whatever other games you liked would be on here. But games are expensive.

Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)

Okay! I know you hate this game! Everyone does! ...Except me. Final Fantasy XIII might not have lived up to the hype - but that would have been impossible. It may not be one of the better Final Fantasies - I, for one, cannot stand how the shopping system works, and despise how hard it is to make any money. The game is literally linear, as well, but I don't mind some hand-holding. What I do mind is a terrible battle system, and thankfully this game has perfected the FF ATB system and created one that is extremely fun, even addicting, to use. I loved the Paradigm Shift idea as well as staggering your opponent for massive damage. FF13 is a game where you basically run from one monster to the next, so it's great that fighting them is so enjoyable.

P.S. I LIKED HOPE. Sorry. And Lightning is awesome, but everyone knows that. (I also love Sazh. And the music in this game! And, GASP, I like the cut scenes!)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Movie: The Game (PS3)

This PSN timed-exclusive provided me with many, many hours of fun multiplayer entertainment. I do think my friends would agree with me that this was the best multiplayer experience of our year (resurgence of Super Smash Bros. Brawl love aside). Is the game better than the movie? In some ways, yes. Look at that character design! Paul Robertson's sprite work was great; it had me longing for some kind of 8-bit Scott animated show. Also, the music in this game, by Anamanaguchi (did I spell that right? I did? YES), is phenomenal. I can hear it in my head right now, actually. That's what playing this game for about 6 hours straight will do to your brain, man. It screws with your mind. 

Super Scribblenauts (DS)

Yes, there was a sequel to Scribblenauts. Yes, it came out this year. Yes, I only just got it for Christmas. But it was AWESOME. AndoneoftheonlygamesIbeatthisyear. While I never got around to playing the original game, it sounds like this sequel took all of the criticisms (can only move with the stylus, too repetitive) and corrected them. The addition of adjectives means that there are so many possibilities in this game that it's impossible to just give it one playthrough. The game is definitely short; I beat it in about 6 hours! But this replayability and just the overall lighthearted tone of the game makes me want to go play it right now. Be right back.

Robot Unicorn Attack (Browser)

Okay! This game is a flash game by Adult Swim! It's pretty stupid! SUE ME BECAUSE I LOVE IT. Yes, this is how pathetic my crop was if this is on my list, but it's actually the most fun I've had with a game all year. Seriously. I played this game for hours straight and never got bored. This also wins my esteemed Fonzie Award for Best Music, with "Always" by Erasure. If you don't have that song stuck in your head within seconds you don't have ears. Or a heart. Why don't you go play the game right now? Take a little break?

Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver (DS)

If you didn't see this coming then you don't know me at all. AT ALL. -sob- Pokemon Silver for the GameBoy Color is my favorite game of all-time, so there's no way I could NOT love this game. I think SoulSilver is the reason I didn't really get any games this year; it just took up all of my time. I ended up getting a little bit burned out on it when I started Kanto, but I'm feeling the Pokemon fever again. There are just so many things to do in this game: the Pokeathalon, Gym Leader Rematches, KANTO as I mentioned, the Pokewalker (which I actually haven't used at all), etc. Pokemon is really one of the reasons that I love being a product of the early 90s. I LOVE YOU POKEMON HUGS AND KISSES XOXO

Honorable Mention: Dragon Quest IX (DS), which I just got for Christmas and thus haven't played too much of. I'm loving it so far, though.

Games that I wanted to play but didn't but will, definitely will: Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii), Trauma Team (Wii) (I got it for Christmas so I'll get around to it!), Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii), Costume Quest (PS3), Red Dead Redemption (PS3), Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)

Games to Look Forward to in 2011!: Catherine (PS3), LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3) which I am so excited for I can't even describe it, Pokemon Black and White (DS) surely to be my Game of Forever, The Last Story (Wii), Ninokuni (DS and PS3), and most of all the 3DS! which is not a game but a console, a console that will bring me so many games that I want to play that all I'll be able to do is play games all the stinking time.

THE 1 BOOK I READ FROM 2010*

*According to my Goodreads account, I've read 18 books this year. This is 7 less than last year but still a pretty solid number. However, only this book was released this year. Stuck in the past, I tell you! (Oh, although I did read this awful kid's book, Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation, which I got for free. Despite the "love interest" of sorts being named Allegra, it was terrible.)

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

I guess it wasn't really necessary for me to mention this, but I liked it a lot and Jonathan Franzen (plus Jonathan Safran Foer; more on that later maybe) basically made my year with this and The Corrections. I LOVED The Corrections; it's easily one of my favorite books. Almost immediately after finishing that one I began this one. Freedom touches upon similar themes, which is both good and bad. However, in the end it just did not hold a candle to Franzen's last book. 

Freedom made me physically ill at times, between the "turd excavation" scene and the sheer awfulness of lead female Patty Berglund, but I think for a book to elicit such a strong emotional response from me means that it must be doing something right. I think I would love this book if it weren't for the fact that I now have to write an essay about it. That's proving to be impossible. Oprah's Book Club! Help me! 

Books I read and loved this year that were from last year or earlier: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, which I still think about often; Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist; Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut; A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore even though most people hated it. And I already mentioned The Corrections. Also I totally feel like I read Atonement this year but I guess I didn't but I loved it so read it. Yay.

TOMORROW, on My Year in Lists: The Best TV That I Actually Watched This Year, Plus Some Other Stuff! Vague, I know! Excitement! 

From the Persona Team, Catherine Trailer

I'm tired. Really, really tired. I blame LittleBigPlanet and it's hideously high entertainment value. I was playing online with some random Puerto Rican person until 1 AM. Man-oh-man. Good times.

While LBP fills every gaming orifice that is not already filled by Pokemon in my body (don't ask where or what these orifices are, because that is a personal question. Also, it's nonsensical and I have no answer for you, anyway), I can't help but stare longingly at my perfectly organized game shelf (which, it just occurred to me, I must take a picture of to immortalize for all Internet-going generations to come!) and wish that, settled in-between LBP and Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, there was a copy of my much-desired Persona 5. Unfortunately, nary a title exists as of yet. But I assure you, it will come. Gosh darn it all, it will come. I won't let Persona 5 NOT be on the PS3.

While gamers have been awaiting any sign that Atlus was beginning development on the game, or at least on some PS3 project, for the longest time there was nothing. The system was launched nearly 4 years ago, and there has so far been squat. Thankfully, though, Famitsu and Gamescom exist. Gamescom is the European E3; if you don't know what Famitsu is then I don't know WHAT you're doing. It's the premier gaming magazine in Japan. So while this pretty big event is going on, Famitsu has revealed some pretty big news to go along with it. Also, Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is in September, so they're also prepping for that.

Finally we have evidence that the Persona team is not allergic to the HD consoles. DRAMATICALLY I PRESENT TO YOU CATHERINE IN ALL CAPS (this is NSFW but, I mean, who reads my blog at work anyway? I don't think anyone who reads my blog even has a job):



Yeah. Catherine is not known to be related to the Persona universe, but who cares, really? It's an "adult horror action/adventure" game about a dudebro named Vincent, who appeared in Persona 3: Portable, a "listless salaryman, is the main character and his life turns into a nightmare, literally, when he meets the charming Catherine."

The game has a really cool art style that I love. The game play has yet to be seen, and I'm a baby so I don't really like the adult themes, but I'm holding out hope that this game turns out to be my kind of thing. I'm pretty excited.

Catherine's coming to the PS3 and 360 in Japan this Winter. We can look forward to seeing it sometime next year. I hope. (DUN DUN DUN!)

More screens/info here: http://www.siliconera.com/2010/08/19/welcome-to-vincents-lamb-filled-nightmare/

E3 2010 Day 2: Nintendo and Sony (Plus a Tiny Ubisoft Recap)

Today started out as one of the worst days of my life, but quickly became one of the Top 10 Greatest Days Ever. Capitalization WARRANTED.

Before we get to the brilliance and excitement that was Day 2 of E3 2010, let us backtrack to yesterday and talk briefly about Ubisoft's conference. It was not too thrilling, save for some surprises (new Rayman AND new Raving Rabbids, MICHAEL JACKSON SINGING/DANCING GAME!). My favorite games were Children of Eden, Project Dust, and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, which I will never play, most likely, but will champion regardless. I also enjoyed Innergy, which is a silly name for a silly game but also too cute for me to pass up. The conference was hosted by Joel McHale from The Soup and that enjoyable but soon to be overrated sitcom, Community. He hosted last year, too, but I think he was much funnier last year. There were a lot of great, mean-spirited quips, especially at the pink-haired guy who demoed Innergy. God, I really hope that's how it's spelled, or I'm making myself look like an idiot.

Now onto today's conferences!

 Nintendo Press Conference: June 15th, 2010, 9 AM Pacific. 

Usually, people are advised to save the best for last. For Nintendo, this was not the case. Not only was this the single greatest Nintendo conference I've ever seen, but it was one of the best conferences in E3 history. It was definitely the best one out of the Big Three (um, spoiler?). Being a going on 10-year-long Nintendo fangirl, I probably was going to be a little biased from the start, but this seriously was excellent. I know a good press conference, people! Trust me.

Not only was this show amazing, but they showed their single most hyped up game FIRST. That would be The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, a title whose presentation came completely out of left-field. When this title showed up on screen, the crowd went wild; it was insane. It was MADNESS. (But it was not Sparta, that comes up in the next conference.) At first you thought that the game was just going to be shown by our guy from Treehouse Bill Trinen, who I love (I love ALL Nintendo people, though), because Shigeru Miyamoto, a man who needs no introduction EVER, was on a screen in some pre-recorded video. But then Shiggy jumps out of a screen. HE JUMPED OUT OF A SCREEN, GUYS. It was excellent.

From IGN. Obviously. THANKS IGN :) Don't get mad at me for stealing your bandwidth!

He proceeded to demo the game. It looked fun, and this is coming from someone who usually cries just from thinking about Zelda (well, specifically Twilight Princess...and Majora's Mask...). The graphical style was lighthearted in a pseudo-realistic kind of way. The game will rely heavily on MotionPlus usage, with players having to move the Wiimote like it's an actual sword; the Nunchuk simulates the sword. While Shiggs said that the game would have 1:1 control, the live demo did not seem to be so responsive. This was probably because there was interference in the crowd (Bill started yelling at people to "TURN OFF DAT WIRELESSSSS." Hilarious); play previews posted online said that the game really was amazingly close to 1:1. Overall, the game looks great. The release date is still ambiguous but my man Miyamoto said it would come out sometime next year. I don't know if I'll pick it up, but it looks good. 

Now, remember: this is only the beginning. Already, Ninty had showed off what many considered to be their biggest game of the show. Man, they were wrong. The biggest game was coming up next...MARIO SPORTS MIX! :D Haha, no. But Mario Sports Mix did look pretty grand. Reggie -- you know, Reggie, the guy, one of the greatest Nintendo dudes -- announced it while talking about the sports games coming to the Wii. This is an arcade-style medley of sports: volleyball (YESSS), hockey, something that looked like dodgeball that could have not been dodgeball (no wait, it was dodgeball), basketball (YAYYY), and others to be announced. It looked really, really fun. I'm excited. I love the Mario Sports games. Especially Mario Tennis. But not Power Tennis. That crud was dreck. Or is it "that dreck was crud"? Either way.

After that, they talked about some more casual games. Now, the previous two years, casual games were the main focus. However, it was surprising that, right after they were done making a big deal out of the previously-announced Wii Party, an unnecessary Mario Party successor, and Just Dance 2, yet another dancing game I can't play with my friend Matt Damon, they just went straight into Golden Sun. Everyone was going nuts. Me? When Reggie announced that the subtitle would be Dark Dawn, I spent much of the trailer pondering the logic behind that name. I mean, how can the dawn be dark, guys? HOW CAN THE DAWN BE DARK? The game looks pretty good, though. It's coming out this holiday season. It's not my top priority, but we'll see. 

Then they went into something that would have been really exciting had IGN not spoiled it for everyone yesterday: a Goldeneye 007 remake, exclusively for the Wii! I really enjoyed how excited everyone got. I've never played it, but everything I've ever heard about the original has been really positive, and I'd be happy if something nostalgic from my past was being remade for me to enjoy all over again. The graphics were questionable but I'm sure it'll be really, really fun, at the least. It's also coming this holiday. It'll be one bizzzay season.

After that came a lot of Epic Mickey footage! It was so cool. They showed an animated cutscene from the game that was STUNNING. GORGEOUS. BEAUTIFUL. I wanted the game ten times more than I had wanted it before after that and the rest of the demo, and I already wanted it a ton. It looks like just a really classic, fun platformer. One thing I love about Nintendo and their consoles is how friendly they are to games that are designed for all-ages. They're not concerned with being "mature" (although most developers just equate maturity with blood and gore), they simply want to have as many fun games available on their systems as possible. This looks to be one such game! It should be great. September, guys! 

After that came probably the most left-field surprise: A NEW HOME CONSOLE KIRBY GAME. OH YOUR STINKING DEITY OF CHOICE. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. It was the cutest game I've ever seen, ever. Think of the cutest game you know. This game is about twelve times cuter. It was brilliant, innovative, had amazing style, and just looked to be really, really, really, really, really CUTE. It's coming out in fall, like every other amazing game that I want, it seems. I need it. I need this game. It's called Kirby's Epic Yarn, which is a...questionable title, but it doesn't matter! You play as a yarn version of Kirby who can use his yarn powers to stretch things and just generally be adorable and make you want to throw money at him. Geez, man. GEEZ. Kirby, I will thrown money at you any time you want. Name the amount.

SO CUTE.

Next segment was boring. Reggie made reference to some random Treehouse worker named Chico (a girl) who played Dragon Quest IX for 140 hours. Shouldn't you be working, Chico? Not just playing games? AND DON'T GIVE ME THAT "I work at a game company" CRUD. BAD CHICO. So, yes Dragon Quest IX is coming in July (26 days from today). After that we saw a cool new Metroid: Other M trailer with lots of gameplay. Looked good. Comes out August 31. 

Donkey Kong Country Returns was next. It's the first new DK platformer in a good stinkin' long time. It's made by Retro, who did Metroid Prime and stuff. It looked really, really good. I think it comes out next year. Not sure if they said. I really enjoyed the trailer...too bad it wasn't a surprise to me. The Internet spoils EVERYTHING! (Hey, does anyone remember that DK Country TV show from the early 00s? It was...uh. I watched it a lot, but I'm not sure that I would say that that time was not wasted.) 

After that was the big guns. The 3DS! SO MUCH STUFF happened during it, I can't even explain it all. The system looks EXCELLENT. It's a big bulky, but it kind of has to be. The lineup is FANTASTIC. It might just be the greatest game system of all time. I'll post the whole video(s) for you to see for yourself, because it's just way more than my words can explain right now.

Sorry the videos are sized differently. I WANTED THINGS TO BE UNIFORM. Sad face. Well, anyway, doesn't that look AWESOME? So great. It was so EXCITING. System of forever, right there. I wasn't expecting much from the 3DS, but I was completely blown away. Just look at that line-up! It's awesome. Satoru Iwata, you are definitely my guy. You rule. You...you all are the greatest people to have ever LIVED.

Nintendo's conference was so gosh darn good, it's going to be hard for me to talk about Sony at all. I'll try.

Sony Press Conference: June 15th, 2010, 12:00 PM Pacific

Sony is known for their cool montages. There were a lot of them. They were mostly enjoyable, but by the 4th minute of the 3rd one, I started to get a little bored. Regardless, the opening was nice. Jack Tretton hosted, and he made lots of fun digs at Kinect and their Cirque du Soleil promotional event the night before E3 started. Um. Also, the stage was really cool looking. Soon Kaz Hirai came out. I love that guy. Too bad he was stuck rambling about 3D for 10 minutes. It was hard for me to pay attention, especially since I knew now that, well, Nintendo had come up with my ideal 3D solution. But he tried. Then he started talking about system updates that will allow games to be in 3D, and I was fuming something vicious. I HATE SYSTEM UPDATES. They take too darn long!

Moving on. Killzone 3 was shown. Audience excitement level - high. Mine - low-ish. Pretty tired of FPSes, myself. It was demoed by a German named Herman, which I find far too funny for my own good. Before he left, Herman the German said that the game would be out next February. Good. Now let's stop talking about it.

Then there was a make.believe thing. I still don't understand what that is supposed to be. Some sort of multimedia...thing? I wasn't paying attention until I saw a red panda, followed by a polar bear! Red pandas and polar bears are so cute! Thanks, Sony! This, by the way, was the second cool montage of the night. It was followed by another montage. In said montage was The Sly Cooper Collection, which I'm really excited for despite hating every minute of Sly Cooper that I ever played. All 12 of them! But I love fun, gore-free action/adventure games, which the PS3 is sadly lacking. They did announce a really cool PlayStation Move (their new motion controller that they prattled on about) game called Heroes on the Move, starting Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, and the Sly Cooper gang. It looks...ugly. But fun! Really fun. I love Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, so even though I probably won't get the Move, I'll keep my eye on the game.

So the PS Move was touted around for the longest time during the show. It was tiring. I like the previous name better, the Wand. I think it's been called the Move for a year now, but oh well. There were some cool games showed for it...well, other than Heroes, I liked Sorcery. The crowd seemed to really like it, too. It looked really, really fun. But not fun enough to convince me to spend $50 plus extra costs on another motion controller.

The best part was when VP of Cool Things Kevin Butler came on stage to make an amazing "inspirational" speech about gaming. God, that man is funny. People were screaming "I LOVE YOU" from the crowd. The crowd was filled primarily with large, sweaty men, mind you. It was fun. Here's Kev's speech below.

He is HILARIOUS. Love the Kinect dig in the beginning. So mean, those Sony guys. I mean, this was mainly just more Move promotion, but it was FUNNY. So, thanks, Kevin. Later, they also showed some new PSP commercials in the vein of the Kevin ones starring that Bobb'e kid who's all over the place. Y'know, the go-to smart mouthed African-American kid? That's him! He plays Marcus Rivers in the new PSP commercials. Very, very funny. Hopefully we'll see them on TV soon.

LittleBigPlanet 2 was demoed. That game looks awesome. I've talked about it before, and not that much else was revealed. Release date? Um...I'm not sure if they said one. Or if they did, I missed it. I think it's out next year, though? I want it. A lot. After that they had to bring the mood down by announcing the not-at-all-surprising PSN Plus service, which will be $50 for a year or $30~ for three months.Wait, that doesn't sound right. Oh well. It's so stupid - you get "100s of dollars worth of free content!" The thing is, that free content only remains free for you to play as long as your subscription lasts. I find that pretty lame, especially since they're giving away PSN games that people will probably want to play for a long time. I guess that's so they can get people to subscribe for longer. Thankfully, all of the currently free services will remain free, so I'm largely unaffected. I still find this service irritatingly XBox Live-ish, though.

There was then a surprise announcement that Portal 2 will be on the PS3, and will be the "best console version." Cool stuff. They showed a trailer. Nice. Gabe Newell is a funny guy, I guess, although I really do not like him at all. Oh, then there was a beautiful FFXIV trailer that made me want the game even more. Too bad it's a stinking MMO. URGH! I don't want to play an MMO. But I do want to play you, FFXIV. So badly...so badly. We'll see. I don't think I ever will play you, but we'll see. ...Um. Oh, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 was shown briefly in yet another montage. Everyone cheered, including me. Then some time was spent showing a trailer for inFamous 2, which looks GREAT. I like the first one a lot, so I'm excited for the new one. I think Cole got a new voice, too. And hair!

The end of the conference saw the unnecessary return of one of the creepiest games ever, Twisted Metal. I was frightened so much that I couldn't look at the screen. What a horrible way to end the conference...I didn't think the series was that beloved. It was kind of random. I wish they hadn't shown that at the end, or at all. It was really, really creepy. Too many clowns.

All-in-all, this conference was better than Microsoft's, but far worse than Nintendo's. It was pretty dull, and definitely not as good as last year's. At least it was better than Sony 2006, but it's pretty hard to be worse than that.

This day was excellent, if mostly because of Nintendo. Tomorrow will be some third-party conferences, including Konami and I believe Square Enix. Those conferences will not be televised, so I'll just try to post some news highlights. Either way, E3 is still on until Thursday, so more awesome exciting fun times are on the way, I'm sure.

(Now I'm going to go watch DBZ Kai, which features yet another horrible English literal translation of a Japanese song. Bleh.)