On Boxing Day (that would be the day after Christmas to all of us Yanks) Prime Minister Tony Blair flew out to Florida with his family for a week-long holiday at the Miami Beach home of the Bee Gees Robin Gibb.
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If you're wondering about PS3's rival to the 360's Marketplace or the Wii's Virtual Console, then look no further than here, as there are several new games on their way, starting with fl0w, which we mentioned a while back: the flagship downloadable game for PS3. The game has now been dated, and it won't be long until you get to try it out, as the game is launching in two weeks. The developers have also been signed by Sony to produce three more downloadable games. News also broke of two new games currently in development for the PS3 store, and Factor 5, of Rougue Squadron fame on the N64 and GameCube, and currently developing Lair for the PS3, are the developers behind it.

fl0w, (in case you have no idea) puts you in control of an aquatic organism, where you must eat other organisms, evolve and eventually reach the abyss. Yes, it still sounds confusing, but also makes you think "how the hell do you play that? Best check it out". Well, actually you can, since the game is on the developer's website (thatgamecompany). And are you wondering about the name? Well, the following excerpt provides some sort of an explanation:
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Talking in an interview with Gamasutra, Factor 5 co-founder and president Julian Eggebrecht has revealed that his company, currently finishing Lair, is also making two PlayStation 3 EDI downloadable games, describing PS3 downloadable games as having "huge potential".

Having asked Eggebrecht what trends and aspects of the game biz he's particularly looking to, next year, he commented: "Actually I'm really looking forward to 2007, because we're going to finish Lair, which is my biggest concern right now, but also, I'm really looking forward to working on a couple of smaller projects [for PlayStation 3], with the so-called EDI [E-Distribution Initiative] from Sony, which I think has huge potential, and personally as a director, I think it's one of these things that we in the creative community need a little bit."

San Rafael-based Factor 5 started life as a small German developer in the late '80s, particularly known for the Turrican series, before moving to California to begin a long association with LucasArts and Nintendo on the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series for both Nintendo 64 and GameCube. More recently, its deal with Sony has produced PlayStation 3 dragon combat title Lair.

Therefore, with such small developer beginnings, it's obvious that Eggebrecht feels that smaller titles are a boon to both his staff and the company as a whole: "People who work on these two and a half year, three year projects have a chance, even within an organization like Factor 5, which usually works on these large games, to work on something small again."

The Factor 5 president concluded: "That's the biggest thing I'm looking forward to in 2007, which is also going to be a challenge, because of course we were there about 15-20 years ago doing these small titles, so suddenly you've got these production challenges with working on something really, really small."
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A pamphlet included in the US retail PlayStation 3 hardware bundle has shed some light on the release dates for a few of the next-gen system's upcoming exclusives.

According to IGN, the pamphlet reveals that despite MotorStorm enjoying a December release in Japan, where the PS3 goes on sale today, it won't be released in the US until February.

Meanwhile, Factor 5's dragon-'em-up Lair (which smacks a bit of Dynasty Warriors in our early build) is down as March, along with Heavenly Sword from UK-based Ninja Theory.

The good news, we suppose, being that those games could all wind up as European launch titles - if they stick to the proposed dates. Ha.
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After seeing the PlayStation 3 in action at Digital Life, we were finally able to get some hands-on time with the soon-to-be released next gen console. We got to play a bunch of launch titles at a Sony sneak peak event in Manhattan. On display, amongst others, were Resistance: Fall of Man, Call of Duty 3, Lair and Genji: Days of the Blade. Here is our tag teamed opinions on the games we had the most time with:

Resistance: Fall of Man

Paul: Clearly the main reason to check out the PlayStation 3 this November and it did not disappoint. It played much like Call of Duty set in the distant future. It has the humans versus aliens element and the human and futuristic weaponry to make it reminiscent of another certain humans vs. aliens launch title but not nearly as compelling. The game again was stunning to look at, I'll repeat my sentiment that it is the best looking console title to date, but a little bit less stunning to play. It was odd to not have rumble, I took a ton of damage at first because I did not know when I was being shot, but, once I remembered to keep an eye on my energy bar, it became easier to keep track of health and progress safely through the game. It was the best game available to play and will certainly be the title that everyone buys and is talking about come November 17th.
Vinny: Paul hit the nail right on the head about Resistance playing like a futuristic Call of Duty, for the most part. The damage system is not like COD, but the style of gameplay is otherwise similar to the WWII classic. The graphics, while outstanding and easily the best I've ever seen, aren't a big enough jump to wow anyone at this point. The game was fast and fun, though rumble is sorely missing. Resistance is a great game, but not a system-selling killer app like its been hyped to be.

More after the jump¿
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From PSM3: "Ridge Racer is a pleasant surprise. It's slick and slippery like a greased-up seal and the bright, chunky arcade visuals look stunning in HD. When it first arrived we almost flipped a lid ¿ the menu was full of options! Woo! But, typically, you can only select one game mode (arcade) and one track (a jungle thing with lovely misty waterfalls). But what a track it is, with a shockingly-beautiful section going through a damp cave. The reflections are so good, you can almost see your own face in the puddles.

Resistance is punishingly difficult, but we like a challenge and the balls-out action and gorgeous set-pieces make it feel like a kind of sci-fi Call of Duty. The first level takes place in York town centre, leading eventually to a leafy area of Nottingham. We've always wondered what alien-besieged middle England would look like, and now we know ¿ messy, covered in rubble and dotted with explosive barrels.

Lair plays a lot like ancient fantasy shooter Panzer Dragoon, but with tilt-sensitive controls. You have to jolt the pad towards enemies to attack them which is strange, but overall we're impressed. The dragons look magnificent. But, if we're honest, it's more of a graphics demo than an actual game at the moment. The lightweight tutorial involves barely any play and you spend most of your time floating about admiring the lighting effects, shadows and realistic-looking rocks.

Having played the original Genji a Hell of a lot, we felt instantly at home with Genji 2. Remarkably, despite the 'giant crab' horrors of E3, it's actually really fun to play. Amazing, fluid animation and a trio of varied characters you can switch to at any point during the level. Briliantly, THAT giant crab is in the demo we have, although we couldn't figure out how to flip it over for massive damage. Dang.

But our favourite is MotorStorm. We've had three versions of the demo and every time it gets better. The latest is a...
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The PLAYSTATION 3 has already been known to support amazing new technologies for next gen gaming and Factor 5 has gone into some depth into what they are being able to provide on the PS3 with their title, Lair.

With the Cell structure of the PS3 and the ability for the processor to run graphics as well as working along side the RSX graphics card, Lair will sport some incredible next gen gaming...
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Factor 5 is designing Lair to take advantage of many of today's most technologically advanced graphics and physics techniques. A sum-up of discussion on these techniques is provided below.
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Lair's air-bound dragon riding action has captured that part of us that dreams of soaring over clouds and castles on a majestic beast, before swooping to ground and barbecuing armies of soldiers in their plate armor like foil-wrapped cocktail sausages. If you've yet to be captured by PS3's flame-'em-up, then hit the Movies tab to see a brand new trailer, complete with God of War-style aerial attack. We've also rounded up a handful of fresh screens under the Images tab, with one particularly ... » Read More

A list printed today from Gamestop that lists all the games they have in their database and their release dates.
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What do Japanese game developers think about the next-gen consoles? Famitsu Mag took it upon themselves to ask 58 game developers (directors, programmers and designers) from 19 game companies about next-gen consoles and here are the results...

Which next-gen console will send cash registers ringing:
* Wii (60%)
* PS3 (37%)
* Xbox 360's (3%)

Which system they prefer for game development:
* Wii (63%)
* PS3 (32%)
* Xbox 360s (5%)

Which next-gen console they want for Christmas:
* Wii (49%)
* PS3 (42%)
* Xbox 360 (9%)

Most anticipated PS3's games:
* Metal Gear Solid 4 (12 votes)
* Final Fantasy XIII (10 votes)
* The Eye of Judgment (7 votes)
* Afrika (6 votes)
* Heavenly Sword (4 votes).
* Runners up: Bladestorm, Gran Turismo HD, Lair and Resistance: Fall of Man

Most anticipated Xbox360 games:
* Blue Dragon (18 votes)
* Lost Odyssey (14 votes)
* Culdecept Saga (8 votes)
* Dead Rising (4 votes)
* Gundam Operation Troy (4 votes).
* Runners up: Lost Planet, Gears of War, Riot Act and Idol Master
Most anticipated Wii games:
* The Legend of Zelda (26 votes)
* Super Mario Galaxy (8 votes)
* Wii Sports (5 votes)
* Animal Crossing (3 votes)
* Smash Brothers X (3 votes)
* Runners up: WarioWare, Fire Emblem, Sonic and the Secret Rings and Elebits

What they expect from PS3:
* Extremely high expectations (48%)
* High expectations (32%)
* Don't expect much (18%)

What they expect from Xbox 360:
* Not expecting much (45%)
* High expectations (40%)
* Extremely high expectations (13%)

What they expect from Wii:
* Extremely high...
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The gameplay revolves around a story of an unusual team of a warrior and a dragon whose aim is to defeat countless armies to save a civilization. In a world that is on the brink of extinction due to the ravages of wars and conflicts, the only one you can trust is your dragon, trained for deadly aerial and ground assaults.

In large-scale battles - both in air and in land - your dragon is your major asset as its flying, scorching, clawing, and smashing abilities is an advantage that can turn the tides of war. The game heavily relies on the features of Sony's Siaxis controller that delivers flight control and attack movements thru gestures.
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German game site www.gameguide.nl posted today the ultimate list of 160 game tittles in production for the ps3.
Within the 160 tittles ,95 of them will be ps3 exclusive .

(TBA = To Be Announced )

List of ps3 games in development:

2K Games/Take-Two/Rockstar
- College Hoops 2K7 ~Visual Concepts, TBA~
- The Darkness ~Starbreeze, 2007~
- Grand Theft Auto 4 ~Rockstar North, Q4 2007~
- NHL 2K7 ~Visual Concepts, TBA~
- NBA 2K7 ~Visual Concepts, TBA~
- Red Dead Revolver 2 ~Rockstar North, TBA~

Activision
- Call of Duty 3 ~Infinity Ward, Launch~
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance ~Raven, Launch~
- Spider-Man 3 ~Treyarch, Q2 2007~
- Tony Hawk's Project 8 ~Neversoft, Launch~

Atari
- Alone in the Dark 5 ~Eden Studios, TBA~

Atlus
- Shin Megami Tensei 4 ~Atlus R&D1, TBA~

Beuna Vista
- Turok ~Propaganda, TBA~

Capcom
- Devil May Cry 4 ~Capcom Studio 1, Q4 2007~
- Monster Hunter 3 ~Capcom Studio 1, 2008~
- Resident Evil 5 ~Capcom Studio 4, Q4 2007~
~
- Untitled ~Action~ ~TBD, TBA~

Codemasters
- DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road ~In-house, 2007~

D3 Publisher
- Dark Sector ~Digital Extremes, TBA~

Eidos
- Untitled ~Action~ ~TBD, TBA~

Electronic Arts
- Army of Two ~EA Montreal, TBA~
- Battlefield: Bad Company ~DICE, 2007~
- Def Jam 3 ~EA Chicago, 2007~
- Fight Night Round 3 ~EA Chicago, Q4 2006~
- Half Life 2: Complete Pack ~Valve/EA, Q1 2007~
- Lord of the Rings: The White Council ~EA Redwood Shores, Q4 2007~
- Madden NFL 07 ~Tiburon, Q4 2006~
- Medal of Honor: Airborne ~EALA, 2007~
- NBA Live 07 ~EA Canada, Q4 2006~
- NBA Street Vol. 4 ~EA Canada, 2007~
- Need for Speed: Carbon ~EA Black Box, Q4 2006~
- Skate ~EA Black Box, 2007~
- Tiger Woo...
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Saturday 23 September 2006 Even with the Tokyo Game Show floor absolutely packed, we could pick out the gold-overload visuals of Lair from across the hall and managed to settle in for a spot of dragon-riding. The demo began with a tutorial, which turned out to be most handy as - to our surprise - Lair controls exclusively using the PS3 pad's motion-sensitivity. Though it took a while for us to stop fingering at the analogue sticks (which have no effect on control), and a little longer to ... » Read More

We've got new screens of the PS3's seemingly missing-in-action fantasy flier Lair. The game's swanky dragons were used as an early example of the machine's visual power, but little of it has been seen since. But now, when you hit the Images tab above, you can check out four new screens of Lair's ground and air ... » Read More

More News come into light upon one of the PS3's most promising titles LAIR Not Due out Till Next Year Summer at earliest has now opt to take advantage of the PS3's 6 axis Motion sensing tilt Controller functionality. (guess Warhawk and Blazing angles arn't the only air based games that will

"According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the kids over at Factor 5 are working on making Lair compatible with the controller as well. The controller's tilt-sensors will be used to directly control your dragon"
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Here's a list of 19 of 27 confirmed playable PS3 titles. The publisher for each game is listed in parentheses.
Railfan (Ongakukan)

Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)

Fatal Inertia (Koei)

Blade Storm (Koei)

Mahjong Taikai IV (Koei)

Coded Arms Assault (Konami Digital Entertainment)

Genji (SCEJ)

Formula One World Championship (SCEJ)

Heavenly Sword (SCEJ)

Lair (SCEJ)

MotorStorm (SCEJ)

Resistance Fall of Man (SCEJ)

The Eye of Judgment (SCEJ)

Warhawk (SCEJ)

Gran Turismo Series (SCEJ)

Minna no Golf 5 (aka Hot Shots Golf, SCEJ)

Ridge Racer (Bandai Namco Games)

Gundam Target in Sight (Bandai Namco Games)

Armored Core 4 (From Software)

All but the first game were previously announced. Given its publisher (and title), the first game is likely a train simulation game of some form.

The remaining 8 titles are currently a mystery, so we encourage wild speculation.

Sony will also have a theater in its booth which will show video footage of a total of 35 titles. We presume there will be some overlap with the playable titles and the video-only titles, but Sony wasn't clear about the matter.
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Lair has to be one of the coolest looking PS3 titles to grace our screens. I mean fighting on the back of a dragon against a dozen others in high-def glory sounds awesome.

IGN went into more detail as to why gamers must buy the German made Lair....
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Tuesday 28 March 2006 We've got just one shot of upcoming PS3 title Lair to show off, but it's a goodie. Factor 5's dragon combat game looks to be one of the most impressive of PS3's game-in-progress prospects, and one about which very little is known. Still, as this new shot demonstrates, it's likely to be centred on airborne squad scraps - notice the D-pad commands in the top left? We'd gladly attack turrets if we were piloting that leathery, fire-puking ... » Read More

A top Sony exec has confirmed that both Sony's own Warhawk and Lair from developer Factor 5 are already lined up as launch titles for PS3. When not staggering under a nametag that read "Co-Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Corporate Executive Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc", Mr Jack Tretton was the man who let the feline flee from its fabric encasement during an online interview. Answering a question about PS3 power and the previously seen demos, Tretton said, ... » Read More