Sony Courts the Mainstream With PS3

Games with mainstream appeal sit side-by-side with more hardcore fare on Sony's new console. HD screens.

The big difference between the current and next generations is the technology behind the games, but beneath the surface there's a growing movement among all three companies to draw in as big an audience as possible, and that means attracting the casual gamer.

One of the biggest successes for Sony has been the SingStar franchise, and at the company's pre-E3 briefing on Monday it unveiled the series' next-generation debut.

Simply called SingStar for now, the game takes the basic idea behind the PlayStation 2 games and adds a bunch of new stuff based on the advanced features of the PlayStation 3.

While it includes the more than 300 songs already available in the PlayStation 2 versions of the game, on the PlayStation 3 you'll be able to expand that by downloading songs from the SingStore - an online store you can get at from within the game.

Sony has not mentioned how much songs (or any other downloadable content) will cost.

In SingStar you'll be able to record yourself singing songs using the new EyeToy camera and share clips online with your friends. You can also take clips of you singing and bring them with you by transferring them to your PSP.

Sony's also working on other games for the EyeToy camera, which is getting a major tech boost on the PlayStation 3.

Combining the new version of the camera with the power of the console has allowed Sony to develop a new game that uses traditional collectible card (think Magic: The Gathering) that are brought to virtual life.

During a live demo of the new technology, cards placed on a table came to life on screen, spawning monsters that could be manipulated and sent into battle in real time.

There's no definite project associated with the demo yet, but Sony is sure to have an announcement along these lines shortly.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games