LBP Beta, I got in, here's my impressions:

Yeah, it's definitely worth the hype. There are 4 single player levels in the beta, two of them are tutorials, and one is a hidden level. The two tutorials are kinda slow, but they serve fine as to introduce you to the basics (grabbing, platforming). The third level is amazing, you have to grab to a windmill and let go in the exact moment so that you can reach the platform you are aiming for. And you also get to play with the jet pack (which is AWESOME).

Then... after you finish the three levels you might (or not) unlock the fourth one (based on your performance), but you unlock access to user created content!! I've played like 30 levels probably, most of them are kinda short but fun none-the-less, but I've played 4 levels that blew my mind:

1.- You have a cannon, and if u press a button you shoot a cannonball, so you gotta aim your cannon at a dragon (which shoots cannonballs at you, too) and try to kill him.

2.- A race to the end (designed for four players) using vehicles, I played it alone, but you gotta grab onto a vehicle (which looks like the really fast ground vehicles from "The return of the Jedi", I think they're called speeders or something like that), and they start going really fast.

3.- A simple level that was nothing but platforming love, you know, the basics: don't fall to the fire, jump the electricity, etc.

4.- A level that resembled Mario Bros. LVL 1. It was pretty identical (everyone knew this was bound to happen, lol).

So yeah, in short words, the game pwns.

Mexico and Blu-Ray: FACTS

BluRay movies launched about two years and a half years ago. Providing visual and audio quality that matches and even surpasses theaters sometimes, many movie enthusiasts were quick to make the jump from DVD and SDTVs to Blu-Ray and HDTVs. How's the situation here in Mexico?

1.- The cheapest Blu-Ray you can buy is around $400.00 M.X.P... and that's buying in Mercado Libre (the Mexican alternative to eBay). The same Blu-Ray can be adquired in Best Buy for $100.00 less.

2.- If you want to buy your Blu-Ray player the safe way (in a big retail such as Walmart or Costco), expect to pay another $50.00.

3.- BluRay movies prices oscilate around $30.0-$35.0... depending on how old they are. Catalogs are extremely limited, and you'll only find big releases such as Spiderman 3, Superman, Heroes... etc. It takes from one to three months for Blu-Ray releases to launch here.

4.- Most Blockbusters don't carry Blu-Rays yet... although the biggest ones do. Their collection is somewhat limited but it is quickly increasing... and there is only one copy of each movie. Among the pics you can find are: Casino Royale, 300, 1000 B.C., Spiderman 3, Harry Potter (1-5), etc.

5.- Blu-Ray penetration is around 4% in the US (as of April of this year). There are no official figures, but they must be around 0.1%... I only know one person who bought a Blu-Ray player and an HDTV set. Most of the people I know has either a PS3 or a HDTV, but most of the times they don't have both / aren't interested in Blu-Ray. As a background fact, HD movie downloads are far from being well known here, but iTunes holds most of that market.

"Five reasons why PS3 is the must-own console this holiday season..."

The Playstation 3 was a victim of critic, bashing and hate when it first launched. Who can't remember those incredibly famous phrase that looked like a joke the first time we heard it : "$599 U.S. dollars". Two years later, Sony has gone a long way to improve the image of the PS3.

Here are five reasons why the PS3 is the console to own this holiday season:

1.- Home


Home has always been an interesting approach to a community. Although it borrows many of its ideas from games like Second Life or Hobbo Hotel, nothing similar has ever been done on consoles, and, truth is, the possibilities are endless. After spending quite some time with the Beta I can only say one thing: it's going to be HUGE. There's nothing as intuitive as traveling to the movies to watch previews, or moving towards a person and talking to them using your headset. Of course it will be full of men disguised as chicks, but which social community isn't?


2.- HDTV sales are through the roof

HDTV sets are selling great... and if you own one you'll probably want to extract as much juice from it as you can... and guess what? The PS3 is the perfect device for doing so. It can play most video and music files, it upscales DVDs and plays BluRays. It lets you download true HD movie and game trailers. State of the art, baby.

A point can be made that BluRays won't penetrate the market because Internet movie downloads are rapidly replacing physical rentals, but the truth is that unless Internet speed connections TRIPLE over the next two years, there is no way movie downloads will look as good as BluRays yet.


3.- Little Big Planet & Resistance 2

Resistance 2 comes as no revolution... but it sets to push the online FPS standard in the PS3. Two campaigns? Eight player co-op? Sixty-four players team deathmatch? Wow... maybe it has been done before... but that doesn't mean it isn't impressive. Hope you guys made it to the beta!

There's been nothing but possitive press for LBP since it was announced back at the GDC '06 (or was it '07)?. Truth is, this game is set to revolutionize the platforming genre, with so many tools to create and share your own levels. Warcraft 3 and Starcraft have both included very powerful campaign editing software, and they're still being played religiously. I expect the same from LBP. Plus, who doesn't love Sackboy?



4.- Sony has been addressing most complains about the PS3

Sony has heard most of the complains about the PS3 and addressed them:

• People don't like our PS3 controller concept? Well, let's give them the Sixaxis.
  
• People wanted rumble? Cool, let's give them rumble.
• People wanted XMB? Fine, let's work on a XMB.
• People want Betas? SOCOM, Resistance 2, LBP have or will have them.
• People want to play online for free? Got it.
  

Sony dropped it's arrogant pants and began listening to customers, and consumers win =).


5.- Ps3 games look as good if not better than their 360 counterparts

Developers have already found their way around the tricky PS3 hardware. Multiplats such as Burnout: Paradise, CoD4, SC IV have already proved the PS3 can make games that look as good as their 360 counterparts. And some games have surpassed everything on the 360 and actually managed to make an impression. If games can look this good on the second year of development... how will games look two or three years from now?

"Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made" (Gamespot, 2008)

Here's my top five reasons to own a PS3 this year list. What do you guys think?