Sony's Secret Weapon

There has recently been a lot of hype surrounding Sony's upcoming Sci-Fi Shooter titled, Killzone 2. Here's what I think of the situation. Knowing that ALL EYES are going to be looking at Killzone this February, it will either MAKE, or BREAK the game. Heck, I've already pre-ordered and paid off my copy for Killzone 2! But that's just me. From what I've been reading lately, some people are worried whether or not it will be worth the long wait. From what we here, at TGO have seen, it looks like it's definitively going to deliver.

[chaosatom]

= Win. AAA.

The sells will be good, but idk how good. That's depends on ADs. But as Long as the game is Good, I think it will do quite well and hopefully sells more on mouth to mouth bases from other gamers.

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

Graphics are there... Gameplay I am on the fence... Looks decent but then again so did Killzone1... I will have to play the game before I judge Killzone2

[computer]

Graphics and gameplay I already know from first-hand experience are both amazing. The only thing I have yet to experience is the story, which I hope isn't as short as the rumors say (8 hours?).

[BulletToothtony]

it wasn't incredible but it was a decent game.. or are you just saying that because of the media saying so even thou they never played the game..

if you played it then tell me how were they able to finally conquer the helghast.. quick easy question that you would know if you played the game.

If you didn't then shut up.

[getupahh]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[INehalemEXI]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[getupahh]

WTF was Sony thinking with that advert?

[INehalemEXI]

secretly, every man wants to watch a proper lady drop 1.

[theKiller]

10 hours of intense action like COD4 campaign but 4 hours longer.

[AAACE5]

After finding out more about Killzone 2, I think it will be a great game, and could move some Ps3 units as well once people get to see KZ 2 in action. But reviews do play a large role in this game catching on like a wildfire for some people!

It might just be the right time for me to pick up a Ps3 now, since my 360 just died on me, and i'll have to wait a month to get it back.

[Karum]

There was an article here not long ago with Guerilla Games saying the SP campaign was a good 10 hours long.

[chaosatom]

*Slaps PP.*

[acetw1n]

Slaps pp again

[DavidMacDougall]

PP runs to his mother for help just to get slapped again and told to **** off

[Obama]

pp **** off and ask for Cliff B's condolence.

[cryymoar]

sorry, but what's "pp"?
:(

[Obama]

Cliff B's favorite. Also known as the biggest crybaby bot on this site.

[BLUR111]

it's Riiiiiiidge Raaaaacer!!!!!

[TheMART]

Seen the pretty low sales on LBP, Motorstorm 2 and Resistance 2...

Don't know. Strange those 20 mln. PS3 owners don't buy the big IP's on their system. I guess KZ2 will go the same sad way.

PS3's are sold to BluRay moviefanatics I guess, not gamers.

[Aclay]

@Mart

^^^^There's a difference between Killzone 2 and Resisance 2, Motorstorm, and LBP.

The difference is that Killzone 2 is more anticipated than LBP, Motorstorm Pacific Rift and Resistance 2 COMBINED. The anticipation that Killzone 2 has is like the same kind of anticipation (if not more) that Metal Gear Solid 4 had.

Yeah I know, LBP got tons of hype, but that doesn't mean that it was a game that most PS3 owners were anticipating.

Resistance 2 on the other hand had little hype at all, and the fact that it came out in November with COD World at War, a lot of PS3 owners went for Call of Duty over Resistance (I bought Resistance 2).

LBP, Motorstorm Pacific Rift and R2 have all sold over a million in about 1-2 months, and that's good to me, and all 3 of those games will continue to sell. Just because they didn't sell a Million in a Week, it doesn't make them failures.

Killzone 2 will easily outsell R2, LBP, and Motorstorm Pacific Rift simply because it's a game that nearly every hardcore PS3 owner has had their eye on for YEARS, and the fact that the game is actually living up to the hype both graphically and gameplay wise, I think Killzone 2 is going to be one of the fastest selling PS3 titles once it's released.

[NaiNaiNai]

LMFAO RS2 has little hype, this entire site was up on it saying it was a halo killer. blah blah. same for LBP was gona sell better then fable 2 yet that didn't happen. Dont try and spin this crap. you guys always say this is gona beat this is sales. or gameplay and blah blah, but when it comes out and doesnt do it. you have to spin it like. advertising, or it was delayed to much, or my favorite, the game wasn't hyped enough. cant say that about MGS4, and it didn't sell magically, MGS4 is over the top hyped its title alone made that for sure.

im just gona say this, this game is already pre-ordered and half way payed off, and i dont even get my ps3 till friday, and even with that said, i have a strong feeling its sales will be lack luster. along with the reviews that pop out about 3 weeks to a month later.
-nai-

[silverchode]

mart are you a moviefanatic?

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

You seem to forget, that N4g does not equal the world.

If people would actually get off this site, the only actual hyped games are Mario games, and halo games. Because those are the big name games today.

Littlebigplanet, Resistance, Gears, aren't hyped a lot.

They aren't well known like call of duty, halo, mario ect.

[caffman]

Sorry I must have been living on another planet then.

[WANNA GET HIGH]

http://www.youtube.com/watc... :)

[chaosatom]

p.s Has that been your comment for the last 2 weeks? XD

oh wait, found some awesome quality video
http://www.videogamer.com/v...

[SnuggleBandit]

Gametrailers has the best quality vids IMO

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

OMG the animation is so beautiful :-)
but NO im not falling for this killzone hype crap until I have played it myself and know the game is good... I thought KZ1 was gonna be good and look what happened... I dont hype sequels to crap games

BUT THAT ANIMATION GOD DAMN!

[SAiOSiN]

Gametrailers does not have quality IMO. The winner is ign and youtube (the HD ones are amazing)

[GIJeff]

killzone 1 wasn't a bad game at all. At least the single player was quite good.

[Nathan Drake]

Sony's secret weapon is the PSP,<--information on the confusing statement coming soon

[xg-ei8ht]

I still love those adverts.

Even the Lair one.

Seriously rocks.

[jay2]

Nah, disagree with that comment.

[WANNA GET HIGH]

Killzone 2 will be a very good game but i have a feeling it will end up like LBP in terms of sales.I just know sony will not market this game, as much as i want them to i just have a feeling they would not.

[chanto23]

the reason is that this time not only the PS3 only owners that bought LBP will buy Killzone 2, but also a lot of 360 only owners and 360 fans that also own a PS3 will buy this game. I don't think it will sell millions on the 1st day but it will sell better than LBP. I don't expect MGS4 numbers since this game is not what Japanese like.

Plus the word of mouth will really help this one a LOT!!!

[kewlkat007]

A shooter on the other hand...we know where they sell best. It will have to do better than MGS4 in the US, and that s storied/strong franchise..

[CyberCam]

Everyday non-business type of people, don't really think with a business strategy in mind and only comment or reacts based on emotion, which could end up bankrupt in the end.

Think about this, your company has lost upwards of a billion dollars this year on operating costs and your bleeding money in a recession stricken time. You've made some terrible business decisions in terms of marketing your all products & rushing some titles to the market that are not quite ready. Presently you can't afford to take any more risks and lose more money, so you need to spend what money you have wisely.

You have the most expensive console on the market that for most part has been losing you money like crazy, but you're continuously looking for ways to cut your manufacturing costs. Finally after some time you have managed to stop the money bleeding and are now making money on your hardware.

You have the majority of the media & the competitors customers taring you a new one and spreading as much negative propaganda to the public every chance they get. Sales are slowly declining but you know that you have a few aces up your sleeve (software wise).

One of these 'aces' is a AAA software title that you've already spent 50 million on (way beyond budget), but it's your best software product that appeals to the masses. You don't want to blow unnecessary cash on marketing that does not need to be spent. The idea is to sell as much overall products without over spending on marketing, which cut into your profits.

Now sometime before it's release, you release ton of videos to the gaming community in order to do some cheap marketing and start the hype train rolling and to get a feel of what the demand might be for the game.

A couple of months before release you get the final build into the hands of the gaming journalists to raise the level of hype and to observe the reaction of the leaders of the gaming community.

Now it's showtime, the game is then released and reviews are plastered all over the net (more free advertising), hopefully most reviews turn out positive.

Your initial sales now dictates the amount of money you can spend on advertising. Once these initial sales have been set, you now start your advertising campaign to reach the customers that have not been informed of the AAA product you have released.

Now the second wave of sales spike after the advertising blitz that you've only paid a few months for instead of paying out the nose for a huge 6 months+ campaign.

Your third wave (actually a trickle) of sales comes from word of mouth, from your existing customers to the remaining people that have been living under a rock. You now have made the most profit you can without gouging a huge portion for your marketing campaign.

In short... in these hard economic times you can't just start throwing more money into the wind, how can you absolutely garrantee you'll get the return on your investment, especially when you're already in the hole 50 million big ones! You have to think wisely & use some comment sense!

[silent h3ro]

Are you kidding me? Killzone is going to do way better than LBP. Also I know it will do better than MGS4 IMO, which is a very niche game in the U.S. High budget FPS game release in the U.S. is guaranteed to do very well and add some good marketing to it and it will do amazingly.

[cayal]

"Killzone 2 will be a very good game but i have a feeling it will end up like LBP in terms of sales.I just know sony will not market this game, as much as i want them to i just have a feeling they would not."

Unfortunately so do I.

I hope it sells billions but I just have a feeling it won't and the 360 fanboys will be out in force again.

[SAiOSiN]

I think it will sell around 500k-1mil launch week. That is very good. It has tons of hype. Think about it. New ips like uncharted sold over 2 million. Killzone 2 is an fps making it a lot more accessible to people. I think killzone 2 will sell somewhere around 5mil LTD. that's just my opinion.

[SeanScythe]

not sure when it is but I heard they have ads ready for the super bowl. So if they show KZ2 durring that then a lot of people are going to see it all at once.

[HDgamer]

Sony's secret weapon, every ps1 classic come to life. Gex the Gecko.

[ape007]

gex was amazing,a classic game

I had it on 3DO way back then

bubble up

[ForROME]

Awww good ol gex, I still have my 3do =) need for speed and the horde

[WANNA GET HIGH]

Well lets hope so.I am buying the game day1 :)

[Johnny Rotten]

ummmm ok go spend $60 on another shooter, or any other game for that matter.

Hype is only hype... some people buy into it with high expectations, some people buy into it for what it is, a good game that's up there with the rest!

[ape007]

all I can say that killzone 2 is going to shatter standards,amaze gamers and kill some haters

in other words "killzowned"

[Premonition]

Anyone think it would be a smart move on sony's part to advertise Killzone 2 during the superbowl?

[TruthBTold]

Sony has put a lot of money into KZ2 and GG has worked really hard to create this game. It has been talked about and anticipated by the gaming community for years. Superbowl is probably the most watched event every year, a time when people buy more televisions just to watch the game on a larger or better screen. People will surely be siting on their couch watching every minute of the superbowl and even those unique commercials that air for the first time during the superbowl. If someone wants attention, this is the time to get it from everyone. Sony should work on a badd@ss commercial and air it during the superbowl to let everyone know Killzone 2 is here and its amazing.

[silvacrest]

i wanna be overwhelmed by killzone 2 adds

it should atleast be mgs4 levels but then again if you spend millions developing a game why not tell the world about it?

[lento]

some ppl actually watch the superbowl because of the commericals.... why not give them something to get excited about

so ya very smart move and cant forget the millions of viewers thatll be seeing it.... good way to get the info out to the masses

[SAiOSiN]

i have a hunch that sony will advertise kz2 during half time. I think they picked feb. for a reason.

[Premonition]

I agree sony should advertise Killzone 2 at the superbowl, I mean who knows how much they can sell software and hardware wise do to the viewers the superbowl will attract, I mean if they have to show it 1 or 2 times it wouldnt hurt their wallets hopefully.

[QuackPot]

Sony will be wasting their money advertising at the Superbowl as the Ps3 is still too expensive.

Even if LBP got heaps of advertising, which it didn't, it still wouldn't have been a system seller due to the high price and the casual gamer market it was focussed on.

Killzone 2 is not a game for casual gamers and more adult orientated. Nor does it have the large loyal hardcore fanbase of GTA, Halo, Gears etc.

Plus the Ps3 user base is more diverse with different reasons for buy a Ps3 - not necessarily for gaming.

Needless to say, KZ2 will do respectable sales - guessing 2-3 million at the most - all because of the price of the Ps3, the owner demographics & the type of game it is.

So, Sony should save its money for REGULAR & CHEAPER advertising towards the current owner base.

[Bubble Buddy]

Wish the secret weapon was Jak? :(, but Killzone 2 is still good nuff for me :D.

[Jamegohanssj5]

Nice bubbles buddy :D.

TGSI

[buddyro]

$400 and something for a review build of a game I think the game will be great.

[mpmaley]

The only way I'll know that Sony is taking Killzone 2 seriously is if they have a 30 or 60 second advertisement during the Super Bowl, preferably the ballet of death video.

[Gambit07]

I doubt that would get approval to be played on TV.

[QuackPot]

but the Price of the Ps3.

Bring on the < $250 SKU

[rbrtchng]

Sony's secret weapon was Ken Kuteragi or the guy from Genji who can deal MASSSIVE DAMMMMAAAGEEE!

[karlostomy]

Riiiiiiidge Raaaaacer!!!!!

http://au.youtube.com/watch...

*sighs*

[user3915800]

Another over hyped garbage coming from PS3 which by now Im used to having.

[shawnsl65]

that freaky ass baby commercial.. first time that it was shown on tv.. i was like WTF?!

[PS3istheshit]

Man this article really pumps me up
im gonna go buy killzone 1 right away
and im not even gonna think about killzone 2 im just gonna straight up preorder my copy in stores
i am totally convinced its gonna b the begininng of the ps3 legacy
finally after 3 years

[tatsujin]

Yup. I heard all the hype, I got in the BETA and wanted to see what all this crap I'm hearing of. And well ... before I even start, here is whats inside the COMPRESSED BETA.

3 Maps
8 Classes
Tons, and tons of weapons
Badges, upgrades, etc.
Loads of Servers
And bugs (Remember, it IS a BETA)

GRAPHICS -- Not gonna tell you my first impressions, because my jaws literally dropped and I didn't shoot anything, just went around and looked at the details, as it was compressed in a BETA of 500 MB, 500 freaking MB ... and I was just stunned by what the PS3 is capable of. Colors, lights, reflection, shadow and whatever else you want to think of.

GAMEPLAY -- Physics, motion, the heavy load you carry in your controller, shooting the gun, explosives, throwing grenades, running, walking, jumping, ducking, getting hit, dying, reviving and the many many things I've seen, was as realistic as a real-life battle. Resistance 2? Gears 2? Halo 3? CoD4/5? Please guys ... those games are a complete joke next to this game in terms of game play. The sensiation of your characters movement is detailed, in every aspect, of every foot you take, from anything you touch, when you shoot, reload, when you use your special equipment like reviving someone, building a BOT gunner, or your own very small ship to fly off and shoot things. Literally, the weight of your character is placed in your hands, and you WILL feel it.

SOUND -- Not going to go so deep about this. The game is done in 7.1 Dobly TrueDefinition. Shots from your bullets, grenades being tossed, voice acting, getting killed, touching walls, falling, jumping, WHATEVER is done perfectly from every angle if you've got your speakers set up perfectly. Believe me, its too damn detailed. 5.1
DoblyHD here BTW.

QUALITY -- So forget everything I've mentioned, lets just dig those things that are far away, the things that aren't suppose to be in-game. Zoom in, closer look, go up to it, see what it is? Very, very pretty. Again, even from far away it is realistic. Oh wait, every damn shooter got flaws! Come on, I know there is one. Lets check the door knops ... real-time CG. Shoot the wall, see if its a flat hole. Uh ... nope, NOPE? The bullet PENETRATED the wall. Well hell, lets shoot the metal, the plastic, wood and whatever we see! The ground too for god sakes! Yup, real bullets penetrating the wall, going side-views and you could tell the very image of the hole penetrating the wall. Alright, lets go somewhere else ... There's an Air Conditioner, walls over here, some chairs ... Ah well lets see if we can blow somethings up. Shoot, shoot shoot, DESCTRUCABLE enviorement. But there are other things that aren't destrucable. About 20-45% of the enviorements in multiplayer is destrucable.

BLOOD, GUTTER, CHARACTER REALISM -- How you get killed is different on the Multiplayer in the BETA. I heard they've actually upgraded that a ton better in the final product. There's hundreds and probably thousands of ways to get that death animation going. I want to focus on the blood. In multiplayer, it DOES NOT disappear. You shoot someone in the head, the blood gets splattered across the ground, the wall, the metals and guess what? It doesn't disappear. It stays there till the game is OVER. I had a battle of 3 hours, non-stop, and we were cornered in one spot and we were tossing grenades and shooting at each other back and forth and reviving each other just to gain control over an area, which to HELGASTS, it was a weakness to them if the other opposing team got a hold of it. So by an hour being passed, the walls and floors were destroyed (remember, environment could be destroyed in the game!) blood was like all over the place, about 70% of what I saw was deep, red blood and you could see through whats the blood is on. Bullet holes were just about the corners you look at, the hallway and the stairs as well. Most bodies were there. The bodies disappear after a while. Ah, I forgot to mention this. The game is done in real-time CG, so if there's a dead body, your characters feet will NOT go through the body, it will STEP on the body as it was meant to be.

I'm done, I need to get some sleep. There is too many features in the game, all of this is from multiplayer. The BETA I played was compressed of 500 MB, the developers stated each stage/map is not less than 1.5 GB and could be as much as 4 GB. 3 Maps for 500 MB and compressed? Thats too damn real. Final product is already a glory.

This is the shooter that any fan shooter must get their hands on. This is not your typical game you want to bypass. There is nothing like this on the market, even the new HALO expansion (whatever its called) will have a hard time competing aganist this masterpiece. SPACE (50 GB), SOUND (7.1 HD), GRAPHICS (CELL/RSX, PARALLEL PROCESSING, 6 SPES, EIU, 1 PPE), GAMEPLAY (Physics, real-time CG gameplay, etc).

Play it.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Yeah it's called Dark Knight... Why does this article look like it's been writen by naseem? The PS3 is going to dominate the world using 5th place ribbons. Or they will use a loser rocket that fires false promises and Blu-ray movies. It must be hard for you droids having to stare at our xbot asses while in the back of the line...:)

[654321]

I don't think it's right to call Killzone 2 "Sony's secret weapon", when everybody know's about the game.....

anyways.. Killzone 2 will be one of the best games of 2009. Trust me, I've tied the beta ;)

[Itrguy001]

omg whats with the titles picture freakin scares me

[SprayandPreycom]

sony also said the PSP battery lasts for 10 hours mine dies around 6-7 ....

[NewCHocolATe]

and i will say that, if you were expecting something extremely revolutionary, you will be dissapointed. But the game is still fun, it just takes the best from other games and makes it into its own.

The only big issue I had was the massive spawn camping, which could be fixed in various ways

[Stryfeno2]

PS4

[laryforlife]

just a question, how do you guys know this game will be good, a number of you comment like you've beaten it already?

[RAM MAGNUMS]

KILLZOWNED THE RROD !

[sit down droid]

time 4 u to do your duty and make a new account up i think

[kakashi9]

XBOX TOO ALL FOR DEVELOPERSSS PS3 TOO POWERFULLLLLL

[JOEdANGEL]

Not sure if this game will bring console sales like sony is hoping, but the hardcore shooter crowd that already has PS3 is likely to snatch it up. If realistic graphics are your cup of tea, this game looks like its going to deliver.

[hotrider12]

Im not a killzone player and it look sweet

[TriforceLightning]

Killzone better do Wii numbers with all the hype the fanboys on this site keep boiling over.