WARHAWK GOING RETAIL AT $59.99
As predicted, headset included.
UPDATE: Sony's released an official statement that confirms the $59.99 price tag for Warhawk, but doesn't specify what's happening with the downloadable version. For that, we'll have to wait a little longer.
The highly anticipated title Warhawk, a PLAYSTATION 3 exclusive, will be available both as a downloadable title via PLAYSTATION Network and at retail stores as a Blu-ray disc on August 28, 2007.The Blu-ray version will retail at stores for $59.99 and will be bundled with a Jabra Bluetooth headset ($39 value), bonus features and upcoming product trailers. Pricing for the PLAYSTATION Network download of Warhawk has not been announced.
Multiplayer shooter Warhawk for the PlayStation 3 will be the first big game available exclusively via download (for we hear, $20) when it hits the PlayStation Network this fall.
June 03, 2006
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Last month, Microsoft made a big deal of its launch of its multiplayer beta test of the upcoming Xbox 360 shooter Halo 3. Press events were held in New York and San Fransisco and a Hollywood "launch" party full of semi-celebs got a little attention as well. The week after the Halo 3 beta launch, Sony quietly launched its own beta test of Warhawk, allowing a few folks to download via the PS3's Playstation Store an early version of developer Incog's multiplayer shooter game. There was no press events for this beta test and no Hollywood photo op but we've been playing the Warhawk beta ever since it launched last week and with a couple of reservations we find it to be both more complete and far more fun to play than the current Halo 3 beta test, which bodes well for the final version of the game to be released later this year.
Let's go over the reservations first before we get to the good stuff. For the most part, all of the issues we have with the beta are things you expect with a game that's still in the bug fixing stage; freezing in the middle of the match sometimes, losing online connections at times, occasionally not being able to get power ups, and a server browser that's gives pretty inaccurate info on ping at this stage. Most servers in the game's browser show a 9999 for a ping but it's likely that you can still play on those servers. We hope Incog and Sony will make sure that when the final game is release it gets the ping issue fixed.
The long-awaited remake to the Playstation hit takes flight on the PLAYSTATION3. Experience the thrill of white-knuckle aerial combat with hundreds of enemy fighters, bone-crunching armored assaults and high-intensity infantry combat in a massive, all-out war fought both on the grand and in the skies.
Protect your homeland from the invading Chernovan armada and take command of the most advanced war machine in the fleet, the Warhawk, capable of aerobatic dogfights at high speeds of hovering over ground troops providing tactical support. Continue the battle on foot with an arsenal of weaponry including pistols, rifles, grenades, and more. Furthermore, gain access to an array of ground vehicles and lay waste with powerful weapons mounted on jeeps, tanks, and specialty transports.
The stunning graphics and power of the PLAYSTATION3 set the stage for a truly unique Warhawk universe filled with hundreds of on-screen vehicles and troops, floating battleships, cruisers and carriers, captivating landscapes, destructible cities, and vibrantly detailed environments.
KEY FEATURES
- Pilot the most advanced fighter in the fleet
Fly or hover to engage in intense dogfights with hundreds of fighters, massive flying battleships and enemy ground forces.
- Fight on foot, in ground vehicles, or in the sky
Next-gen multi-modal design throws you into a deep gameplay experience. Fight in the war as a foot soldier, vehicle driver or ace pilot - whenever you want.
- An epic level of ambient warfare
Defend your land and accomplish your missions within a massive, fully interactive battlefield of Eucadian and Chernovan forces.
- Discover a vast and unique world
Hundreds of square miles of high-resolution terrain filled with a brave new world where old and new technologies merge.
- An epic storyline of heroism
Charismatic characters and powerful armies clash in a gripping saga of discovery and survival.
- Experience an expansive online community
Join in epic multi-modal 32-person online battles, constantly evolving with downloadable content and a variety of online game modes.
Tucked away in the back of Sony's Tokyo Game Show booth was a large room dedicated to Warhawk for the PS3 -- but it was for good reason, as this allowed Sony to truly showcase the multiplayer aspects of the game. Playing with 10 other TGS attendees (and 6 people hopping in remotely), we were able to get a much better sense of what's in store from the multiplayer game.
The big deal at TGS was the ground combat, which we got to try out for the first time at the show. If you hadn't read or heard about it before, the game allows you to participate in both air and ground combat -- you can simply run over to a hoverjet and take to the air at any time, making for lots of potentially interesting tactical opportunities in team-based gameplay. That said, at least from what we experienced today, the two aren't exactly working as a cohesive whole yet. Either that, or us Warhawk newbs weren't really playing it right.
For starters, nearly every player in our demo immediately made for the hoverjets and pretty much spent most of the match occupied in dogfights (and why not? It's Warhawk we're playing here, not Ghost Recon). This obviously made the ground combat rather uneventful. Which is a shame, since it did play rather well. Movement and shooting felt really good, and there were all sorts of weapons (mines, machine gun, flamethrower, rocket launcher, etc.) and power-ups (such as a health boost) to pick up while running around. Switching weapons was a breeze, with the selection mapped to the D-pad, and targeting enemies was simple thanks to a sizeable aiming indicator. Ground-based vehicles, such as a tank and a jeep, were also available, and allowed for you to also carry passengers to man the weaponry. But again, not many of the other players seemed all that interested.
As more and more favorable impressions are lumped on Warhawk, many have accepted the game's multiplayer focus and becoming more interested in when and how they can get their hands on the update to the PS One classic. Rumors had indicated Warhawk would become a PlayStation Network-only download, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
1UP recently contacted Sony Computer Entertainment America for clarification, who said Warhawk will be available on Blu-ray and through the PlayStation Network. Whether there will be differences in price or content (i.e. the downloadable version being more stripped down, with more option to purchase new content) between the two has not been announced.
Could Sony be preparing to offer an a la carte menu for Warhawk? The downloadable version could include all the basics -- i.e. weapons, vehicles -- needed to participate in a given multiplayer match, but provide the full range of maps as, well, microtransactions. The initial slate of maps would be included on the Blu-ray disc, while online-centric gamers can pick and choose which ones to purchase.
Or not. We'll have to wait a little longer for the full breakdown.
Though no release date had actually been nailed down for Incognito's Warhawk sequel, many expected the aerial shooter to arrive sometime before the end of 2006. Turns out they were wrong, though; Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's fact sheet actually confirms a summer 2007 release.
Warhawk's listed at 50% complete, a far cry from what we'd expect form a game that'd been prototyped on PlayStation 2 for over two years, before switching gears onto PlayStation 3. Still, if that's what it takes for gamers to receive a proper Warhawk follow-up, Incognito can take all the time they want.
TGS 2006: Warhawk Update - September 21, 2006
A thorough briefing on the future of online battlefields.
by Juan Castro IGN Advertisement
Quote:
Warhawk made an appearance on the TGS show floor this morning. Sony has kept the game under wraps since its public debut at E3 last summer, so it's fortunate to see it here in playable form. Only this demo served a far different purpose than the one before it. Sony decided fans had seen enough of the flying segments and decided to open the game world a bit. The brief 10-minute demonstration featured everything the game has to offer, from its multiplayer functionality to the recently unveiled ground combat.
The demo started with an actual mission briefing. Guests waiting in line saw a video detailing the controls and mission objectives. It also showed the single map available for the demo. The play area looked like two massive islands connected by a series of bridges. Each side of the island had its own base, one red while the other blue. The video went on to explain what vehicles you can ride, which include a three-seater jeep and tank. Of course, you can also jump into one of the many warhawks scatterd around the map. It also showed the many weapons available.
Weapons change for every situation. If you find yourself without a ride, you start with a basic pistol. You can expand your arsenal quickly by finding other weapons scattered just about everywhere. You can find sniper rifles, flamethrowers, bazookas and machine guns when on foot. You also have access to grenades for those tight spots when you need a little extra firepower. When you come across a jeep, you can hop in the drivers seat and drive by pressing the triangle button. You can also ride shotgun or control a turret in the back if you want. Yes, it's a little like Halo, but that's actually a very positive thing.
The coolest aspect remains aerial combat and it's no surprise most people took to the skies. When you come across one of the warhawks, you enter the ****pit by pressing square. You tilt the controller upwards to take off vertically and then hit the triangle button to light the engines. To land you cut off the engines and tilt the controller down. It's a simple and intuitive system that works remarkably well. And since you can land just about anywhere, it helps keep the flow of the game brisk. Not that you'll want to land that often - mid-air combat is really where its at in this game. As such, it was no surprise to see most players on the show floor shun most everything but the futuristic aircraft.
Not that the other options don't play well. In fact, running around the ground blasting people with bazookas is a lot of fun. You run by using the left analog stick and look around by using the right. You cycle through weapons by pressing the D-Pad and fire by using the R1 button. Fortunately, the map on display provided plenty of room to take cover. It also had several places, such as bell towers, where one could set up sniping positions. You can also use these same positions to take cover and blast tanks with a bazooka as they roll by.
When flying or driving through town in a tank, you can collect a number of items that give you health and ammunition. When flying, specifically, you can collect a number of weapons, including missiles and a gun that shoots electric bolts. One of the more important items, however, are the missile decoys. Stay in the air for more than 10 seconds and someone will invariably get a lock on your craft, forcing you to drop a decoy and blast away to safety. You can only use one at a time, though, and there's a delay for each use, so you can't fly around pooping them out every second.
Stay tuned for more.
__________________
Last edited by Dukefrukem; 08-24-2007 at 05:04 PM.
That's now my pat answer for anything the Office Idiot says to me... "I have balls of steel... I have balls of steel.. ballsballsballsballsballs.... Blow it out your ass"
As more and more favorable impressions are lumped on Warhawk, many have accepted the game's multiplayer focus and becoming more interested in when and how they can get their hands on the update to the PS One classic. Rumors had indicated Warhawk would become a PlayStation Network-only download, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
1UP recently contacted Sony Computer Entertainment America for clarification, who said Warhawk will be available on Blu-ray and through the PlayStation Network. Whether there will be differences in price or content (i.e. the downloadable version being more stripped down, with more option to purchase new content) between the two has not been announced.
Could Sony be preparing to offer an a la carte menu for Warhawk? The downloadable version could include all the basics -- i.e. weapons, vehicles -- needed to participate in a given multiplayer match, but provide the full range of maps as, well, microtransactions. The initial slate of maps would be included on the Blu-ray disc, while online-centric gamers can pick and choose which ones to purchase.
Or not. We'll have to wait a little longer for the full breakdown.
Last month, Microsoft made a big deal of its launch of its multiplayer beta test of the upcoming Xbox 360 shooter Halo 3. Press events were held in New York and San Fransisco and a Hollywood "launch" party full of semi-celebs got a little attention as well. The week after the Halo 3 beta launch, Sony quietly launched its own beta test of Warhawk, allowing a few folks to download via the PS3's Playstation Store an early version of developer Incog's multiplayer shooter game. There was no press events for this beta test and no Hollywood photo op but we've been playing the Warhawk beta ever since it launched last week and with a couple of reservations we find it to be both more complete and far more fun to play than the current Halo 3 beta test, which bodes well for the final version of the game to be released later this year.
Let's go over the reservations first before we get to the good stuff. For the most part, all of the issues we have with the beta are things you expect with a game that's still in the bug fixing stage; freezing in the middle of the match sometimes, losing online connections at times, occasionally not being able to get power ups, and a server browser that's gives pretty inaccurate info on ping at this stage. Most servers in the game's browser show a 9999 for a ping but it's likely that you can still play on those servers. We hope Incog and Sony will make sure that when the final game is release it gets the ping issue fixed.
