The Astounding New PlayStation Store!

[Chris Nahr]

Now navigable without mouse & keyboard! You can simply use the game controller that came with your console! It's amazing!

Also, there's a new expansion for Super Stardust HD but I haven't tried it yet.

[sventest]

I'm really liking the new store. Finally, one of the first parties figured out that you can arrange electronic "things" on multiple shelves depending upon how you want to sort the content.

Now that sorting and arrangement is fixed, the only major thing missing is user ratings/reviews and a few other types of filters.

[BobJustBob]

There's also a free patch to SSHD which adds an Easy mode (I couldn't tell much difference) and maybe some other stuff. OMG I bet it's feeling the GTA4 crunch111eleveneleven

[Jazar]

What it needs is a good search bar so that you don't have to drill down for anything.

[Charles]

What's amazing is how fucking slow it is the first time you access it. And how it shows empty blocks until it gets an icon.

edit: even though you can select it and read a description.

[Kraaze]

What's amazing is how fucking slow it is the first time you access it. And how it shows empty blocks until it gets an icon.

edit: even though you can select it and read a description.

That was bugging me too. I know my internet connection isn't that slow, there's no reason for fricken small images to download that slowly. It's giving me 56k modem flashbacks.

Also, anyone know if there's a way to bump up the text size in the store? My puny little 34 inch HDTV renders some of the text to small to read without standing up and walking up close to the TV.

[Gunmetal]

What's amazing is how fucking slow it is the first time you access it. And how it shows empty blocks until it gets an icon.

edit: even though you can select it and read a description.

I haven't updated yet, but does that mean it's faster on subsequent returns to the store? I would hope they're putting some sort of HD caching to work. That's a weakness of the XBLA Marketplace, especially when the connection is flakey and you end up having to re-fetch all the game title names

[Charles]

I haven't updated yet, but does that mean it's faster on subsequent returns to the store? I would hope they're putting some sort of HD caching to work. That's a weakness of the XBLA Marketplace, especially when the connection is flakey and you end up having to re-fetch all the game title names

It's faster if you revisit the same page, but it still seems to take probably 3 seconds per icon-- I don't know if they are transferring 2mb JPEGs or what, but it's really stupid.

I don't know if this caching is per session or if it will have to redownload when you start a new session or restart your machine. Knowing sony, it probably chucks everything when you turn the machine off or quit the browser.

[Jazar]

I haven't updated yet, but does that mean it's faster on subsequent returns to the store? I would hope they're putting some sort of HD caching to work. That's a weakness of the XBLA Marketplace, especially when the connection is flakey and you end up having to re-fetch all the game title names

Surprisingly no there doesn't seem to be any cashing (at least with different sessions). However, the only delay is gettin the image icon. You can still select the different items, read the descriptions and continue from there. Sometimes the icons appear instantly, sometimes they take a few seconds to fill up, but at least you can continue using the store.

[Gunmetal]

The next important question: Does the Circle button go back a screen, like it does in every single US Playstation game ever made, or does it still ask you if you want to exit the store?

[Charles]

The next important question: Does the Circle button go back a screen, like it does in every single US Playstation game ever made, or does it still ask you if you want to exit the store?

It goes back a level now.

[Dave Long]

I think the real question is how will it fare during the launch of GT5 Prologue tonight? Does Sony have the bandwidth for this release?

[MikeSolita]

I think the real question is how will it fare during the launch of GT5 Prologue tonight? Does Sony have the bandwidth for this release?

I'd guess the vast majority sold will still be BD copies, especially considering kids don't have credit cards and the re-sell/trade value of a hard copy.

The store's loading times are so much better, and organizing all the DLC for a game under its own folder was a no-brainer

[flyinj]

Is GT5 launching tonight? I assumed it was relegated to the "Thursday store updates" that Sony so rigidly enforces.

[slantz]

Also, there's a new expansion for Super Stardust HD but I haven't tried it yet.
It's pretty good.

I tried one of the new modes in the expansion, 'endless' mode I think, which is an unlimited amount of escallating random waves, including many new wave types that weren't present in the original campaign.

That mode is very akin to Geometry Wars is that it's insanely hard and each game instance is much shorter than the main arcade mode. (Not to mention it's different every time.)

I haven't tried the other modes yet, as they looked less interesting. But for any SSHD fan, that endless mode should be well worth the $5.

[skyride]

I don't get the slowness either. I have the same problem with Wii Store. But no problems at all with Xbox Live. Pretty sure it's not my ISP since my PC and Xbox are downloading really fast. Is there some kind of port forwarding that might solve this problem? I did change my router setting/DMZ for my 360. Also, all the devices are wired directly to router/modem.

[Kraaze]

I don't get the slowness either. I have the same problem with Wii Store. But no problems at all with Xbox Live. Pretty sure it's not my ISP since my PC and Xbox are downloading really fast. Is there some kind of port forwarding that might solve this problem? I did change my router setting/DMZ for my 360. Also, all the devices are wired directly to router/modem.

I seriously doubt it's anything fixable on the individual users end. Especially since just about everyone is seeing it. Sony most likely just coded something dumb and it didn't show up in their lab tests where the test PS3 were talking to a local store server via gig-e LAN.

[Jazar]

Hi all,

As you will have noticed, the PS Store re-launched successfully today, and we'd like to thank you for your positive feedback.

We are aware that many of you have experienced delays whilst the PS Store's thumbnail icons are being downloaded. This is a temporary consequence of a new system implementation and high global traffic levels, and will be resolved within the next few days.

Thank you for your patience and continued support!

All the best,
Lestrade

http://community.eu.playstation.com/playstationeu/board/message?board.id=138&thread.id=7875

Maybe they have an aggressive expiration/refresh rate on resources at the moment and caching will be notable soon.

[jfletch]

I'd guess the vast majority sold will still be BD copies, especially considering kids don't have credit cards and the re-sell/trade value of a hard copy.

The store's loading times are so much better, and organizing all the DLC for a game under its own folder was a no-brainer

Even people who buy it have to download a patch which seems fairly large. It took me 2 tries, timed out first try.

I like the new store. A lot. I hated the old PS Store more than you could possible imagine. I couldn't believe how laborious it was to get stuff and give Sony money, and I couldn't believe that Sony - Sony! - would release an interface that was lame, ugly, and nonfunctional (ok, the nonfunctional I could believe).

The loading icons are pretty lame but it is a launch week and the amount of content coming onto PSN servers this week is huge. I can deal with it for now.

[rjcc]

it's funny how even without icons, it's STILL easier to navigate than the old store

[BobJustBob]

GT5 Prologue is up. No demo. Who's gonna be the guinea pig?

[Fugitive]

GT5 Prologue is up. No demo. Who's gonna be the guinea pig?
I'm not sure if we're supposed to use GT:HD as a judge of anything, but the driving in it felt a bit too sterile and detached from the car for me to gather much enthusiasm for GT right now. That might have just been due to a lack of decent camera modes, but I'll wait for better word-of-mouth or a proper demo of the final GT5.

Edit: The new store is a massive improvement, but on an SD screen the icons are a bit too small to be distinctive. That just reminds me that I really need to get a proper HDTV one of these days...

[flyinj]

I'm not sure if we're supposed to use GT:HD as a judge of anything, but the driving in it felt a bit too sterile and detached from the car for me to gather much enthusiasm for GT right now. That might have just been due to a lack of decent camera modes, but I'll wait for better word-of-mouth or a proper demo of the final GT5.

Edit: The new store is a massive improvement, but on an SD screen the icons are a bit too small to be distinctive. That just reminds me that I really need to get a proper HDTV one of these days...

They're a bit too small even at 720p on a 37" LCD.

[Marcus]

Someone has to be the first one to try GT5.

[Chris Nahr]

I tried one of the new modes in the expansion, 'endless' mode I think, which is an unlimited amount of escallating random waves, including many new wave types that weren't present in the original campaign.

That mode is very akin to Geometry Wars is that it's insanely hard and each game instance is much shorter than the main arcade mode. (Not to mention it's different every time.)

So the waves are really randomized? That's nice, I'll have to play this mode a couple of times...

My favorite part of the new expansion is the Easy level for the old Arcade mode, because it finally let me unlock the last planet! But it's really too easy for regular playing, even for me.

[jfletch]

I bought Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the bottom line is the racing and the driving both feel better than ever (I have been playing GT4 recently), AI seems more robust (hard not to be, really), the graphics are (mostly) beautiful, in-car view is insane, some slight tearing especially in the pre-race camera swoops but the framerate seems stable right now, and online works pretty well though is fairly bare bones (in all honesty from what I have read Mario Kart Wii online has more functionality). The game is structured much more tightly than GT4, there are distinct challenges you have to beat. No license tests. There are six tracks, never before raced Fuji and was flummoxed by it last night, London track is slow and tight, the others are Eiger Nordwand (good track, from GTHD), Suzuka and Suzuka East, Daytona, and High Speed Ring.Judge that track list for yourself, I wish it had Laguna myself. There is no mode to like, buy parts for your car but you can tune them up. There is only the intro and "Beyond the Apex" unlocked in GT TV, I don't know why more aren't (they are all on the disc, for sure).

I really like it and recommend it for racing game fans, especially if you have a PS3 compatible wheel. If you are a GT hater, don't bother. Still there are some really ugly stuff they should fix (some of the side view mirrors look like 10-year old PC games) and the more tracks the better. As for disc vs. download, the disc comes with Beyond the Apex and I hear the download version forces you to be online, a la Warhawk. Of course it wasnt' a big deal in Warhawk but it might be here.

[slantz]

So the waves are really randomized? That's nice, I'll have to play this mode a couple of times...
Yup -- the waves really are totally randomized. And it seems to mix the 'elements' a lot more than the main campaign, and has lots of new wave types (generally tougher than what's in the campaign) to rough you up.

In fact, I think there's a couple of wave types that will flat-out kill you if you don't use boost and/or bomb, which is kind of annoying, because I got through the original campaign just fine without ever using boost. But in this mode, it's necessary sometimes.

[Jason Cross]

Someone has to be the first one to try GT5.

Not me. Fuck that business of selling me the game twice...only the first time I get a fraction of the cars and tracks and not even all the features.

I plan to buy GT5 when it's actually GT5, not a paid-for-demo.

[MikeSolita]

played a bit last night. some folks are griping about the $40 price tag, which I can empathize with. I got the game with store credit I received for returning those 5 free blu-ray movies from last fall, so wasn't a factor for me. :P

* The graphics are stunning but only on the cars and all lighting effects on the cars. The tracks themselves and the environments are nothing to get excited about. HDR is liberally used coming out / going into tunnels. Adds a nice touch of realism, but wonder if it'll get overused

* Money comes a lot quicker than what I remember in GT3. You get 35K credits to start, buy a starter car under 30K, and then you're winning 5K to 10K a race (online races included). Your funds build up a lot faster than what I was expecting.

* Because you accrue the same credits online, you basically can play the entire game via online races instead of against CPU opponents, which is really cool. Online is effortlessly integrated and played fine. The only weird thing is they jam a lot of cars on tracks. 12 cars taking corners at the same time gets really jammed. With the soft bumper collision model, there's not much penalty for hitting other cars so it got a little chaotic.

* Physics feel really alive and responsive, especially the over/understeer combined with speed and taking corners.

* Performance-wise, it plays without a hitch. 1080p at 60 fps perfectly. haven't seen any stutter in-game. cinematic replays seem to be a little slower -- 20-30 fps

* Engines, tire, car and track noise is really well done. I just use stereo speakers on my HDTV, and there's a nice sense of space using just stereo sound. Can't imagine how good it must sound on 7.1

* Vibration on the DualShock3 is perfect for this game. Don't buy it without getting a DS3 along with it. The analog sticks are still a little touchy when steering

* In-car driving view is ridiculously cool but not sure I like it more than the upclose (no car visible) view

* Another cool thing is when you idle in the menu screen, the game plays these montages of your active car in different car porn shot situations -- in the pit, in a city street, etc. It also randomnly will show you some (what I assume is) live footage of another online player doing a race. Not sure why or how it picks the player to show. I saw some dude doing a time trial in the cinema replay view

* My biggest gripe about the game is there is NO custom tweaking on cars! You can't upgrade parts or tweak gear ratios or test run acceleration rates or top speeds. which sucks. big-time.

[Fugitive]

* My biggest gripe about the game is there is NO custom tweaking on cars! You can't upgrade parts or tweak gear ratios or test run acceleration rates or top speeds. which sucks. big-time.
From what I've heard, there is tuning, but you have to unlock it through one of the challenges or races or something. It's still a lot more limited than what will be in the full game, though.

[Dave Long]

* My biggest gripe about the game is there is NO custom tweaking on cars! You can't upgrade parts or tweak gear ratios or test run acceleration rates or top speeds. which sucks. big-time.
Work your way through the C, B and A races.

[jfletch]

Not me. Fuck that business of selling me the game twice...only the first time I get a fraction of the cars and tracks and not even all the features.

I plan to buy GT5 when it's actually GT5, not a paid-for-demo.

Nice trolling, but I don't know of any demo which has has 70+ cars, 6 tracks (with alternate modes), drift modes, car tuning, online, time trials, an arcade mode, rankings, etc. If you know of any let me know!

Seriously, the amount of content really would not be out of place in many racing games like NFS or what not (Forza 2, to name one, had 8 tracks). If you don't want to buy it that's cool but there is plenty of game here for your money.

[rjcc]

Nice trolling, but I don't know of any demo which has has 70+ cars, 6 tracks (with alternate modes), drift modes, car tuning, online, time trials, an arcade mode, rankings, etc. If you know of any let me know!

Seriously, the amount of content really would not be out of place in many racing games like NFS or what not (Forza 2, to name one, had 8 tracks). If you don't want to buy it that's cool but there is plenty of game here for your money.

how many full price games come out where you can't voice chat or play with your friends, but it's supposedly coming in an update and that is supposed to be ok?

It's only ok if you consider this a demo.

If you don't call it a demo, it's a half baked piece of crap with less features than your average Wii title, which is just sad.

[Chris Nahr]

The PlayStation blog (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/04/17/playstation-store-update-30/) (appears to be down right now) just announced a free content pack for Lair that enables dual-stick controls! Anyone brave enough to try this and tell us if Lair is now worth buying?

[rjcc]

I think the analog control patch for lair was posted a couple of days ago.

[Fugitive]

Nice trolling, but I don't know of any demo which has has 70+ cars, 6 tracks (with alternate modes), drift modes, car tuning, online, time trials, an arcade mode, rankings, etc. If you know of any let me know!

Seriously, the amount of content really would not be out of place in many racing games like NFS or what not (Forza 2, to name one, had 8 tracks). If you don't want to buy it that's cool but there is plenty of game here for your money.
You do get a lot more than the typical demo, but it sounds a lot rougher than a full game too (online play is reported to be fairly awkward and glitchy), and it's a lot smaller fraction of the final game than the price would justify. If it had been $10 or $15, I might have been interested.

I'm similarly uncomfortable with Live For Speed's "paid perpetual beta" state too though, so it's not just GT.