Could it be? Does the PS3 have more and better exclusives this year? Looks like 2008 may possibly be the year of the Playstation, again. Just like old times.

Is it just me or is almost every big game coming out this year a sequel? No matter what console you’re on. Either way, you got to be excited about something on the list. If the majority of these games actually release this year, wow. But does anyone really expect that? So, let’s jump in and analyze the exclusives. Note, this list in no way represents the entire list of exclusive titles for each console. It does, however, represent what we at Counteragent think are the biggest exclusives most likely to actually be released this calender year.

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Unless you’ve been living in a nuclear bunker in fear of flying Wii-motes, you know Nintendo’s little gadget can be used for some pretty neat things.  Well owners of the big black monolith, soon you will be able to track your face too!  MTV’s Multiplayer Blog has a video and a small writeup on it.   The good news is you won’t have to strap on a Wii-mote (eww..not like that), and you won’t have to wear goofy glasses either.  All you’ll need is one all seeing Playstation Eye and your face.

So what can you DO with headtracking?  Imagine playing a game of Rainbow Six Vegas, and instead of some fancy button combination to lean around a corner, you simply tilt your head.  Looking left or right would be as simple as looking left or right in real life.  Of course, there is a downside to this – if you look left to look left on the screen…well you are no longer looking at the screen!  There’s no word yet on whether the technology will be used in any upcoming PS3 games, but as a proof of concept the potential is very high.

In other Playstation News, rumors are abound that the official Playstation Store will finally be seeing a much needed interface update. According to Kotaku, a revamped store will look more in line with the SingStore that’s already available to our friends in the European region.  Considering the existing Playstation Store looks like a 2001 AOL Web-page, this is a good thing.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition was, in my opinion, one of the best “next-gen” games last year. Yeah, there were a lot of good games in 2007, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, Uncharted, the list goes on, but I think, for it’s part, Lost Planet was a great gaming experience.

It was one one of the first great games of last year. I don’t just mean last year, as in November or December. I mean last year as in January. That’s right, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for Xbox 360 was released in January of 2007. Consequently, you can also pick that up for less than $30 bucks. Then again, the PS3 version should be less than most new PS3 titles, at around $40. Plus the PS3 version contains all the downloadable content you’ve had to pay for on the Xbox. So, that’s cool.

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Abandon ship! Phil Harrison, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS), is quiting as of February 29, 2008. Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai is set to take Phil’s place as the President of SCE WWS. Subsequently Kaz shaved his head in order to better serve as president, because no one like too much change.

Phil Harrison has been with Sony from the beginning of their venture into gaming with the original Playstation. Is Sony really going to make it out on top this year? With a shocking resignation like this only time will tell what further effects it could have. Can Kaz Hirai lead the PS3 to victory? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion.

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Morgan Webb and Adam Sessler of X-Play were kind enough to get us this interview and hands on demo of the upcoming super spy MMO The Agency. The Agency, hmm, much like the Counter Agent Global Enforcement, is something you’ll definitely be into. To my knowledge it’s the first MMO on a console and the first MMO based in the counter intelligence realm of spies and espionage. I know I’m not alone when I say this looks like a refreshing take on a genre of game dominated by the sole property that is Blizzard’s World of Warcraft.

If Sony’s willing to take risks like this and make unique, good gaming experiences more often then the PS3 may actually prove to be an adversary of the Xbox 360 giant. Here’s hoping.

Boom!

Watch this video. You may start drooling. I have to say, this game looked above average a few months ago, however, after you watch this you’ll probably agree, this game now looks amazing. Adam Sessler from G4TV’s X-Play got to talk directly to LucasArts’ Jeff Gullett about the upcoming terrain deformation extravaganza Fracture. I just hope you don’t run out of grenades as much as most games.

Boom!

So, Sony had announced Skype would be coming to the PSP and it’s here. Yay! Sorry, it only works on the new Slim PSPs.

Here’s the Press Release:

Skype™ communication features available

London, 30th January 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced the immediate availability of the latest system software update for PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable). Version 3.90 will enable all owners of the new PSP Slim & Lite* to make and receive phone calls, adding a whole new raft of functionality, highlighting the true portability of PSP.

Skype™ is a little piece of software that allows users to make free calls over the internet to more than 276 million other Skype users anywhere in the world, whilst also having the ability to make cheap SkypeOut™ calls to landlines and mobile phones. With the addition of these features, alongside the ability to send and receive Skype Voicemail, PSP can now claim to be a highly cost-effective and accessible portable communications device, in addition to its entertainment credentials.

To use Skype on PSP**, users simply need to upgrade to system software 3.90, register and talk, using a headset and remote control or Go! Cam.

Also added through system software update 3.90, is the Go! Messenger icon, highlighting the commitment shown towards communications on PSP***. Although Go! Messenger will not be available until early March, the presence of the icon not only emphasises its impending arrival but also allows users to obtain more information about the feature from a dedicated website, accessed via clicking on the icon. More information about the release of Go! Messenger will be announced soon.

* The Skype functionality is available for the PSP Slim & Lite only

** To use Skype on PSP users require a suitable WiFi internet connection

*** Go! Messenger functionality will be available with all models of PSP, including Slim & Lite

Boom!

Business Weak has reported that Sony has been able to “shrink the PS3’s chips and tweak its design,” helping in getting the cost per machine down to “around $400 now, from above $800 just before it went on sale in November 2006.”

Engadget writes: According to Nikko Citigroup’s Kota Ezawa, the biggest culprit for such an improvement is the “reduction in the parts count.”

Looks like Sony is finally breaking even on the massive disappointment that has been the PS3. I think this is great. If they really want to sell PS3’s now all they have to do is cut the price in half, from the current high price of $399 to the very reasonable and attractive price of $199. That way they’re not only cheaper than the Xbox 360 at $279 for the cheapest “arcade” edition, but even cheaper than the ever popular Wii at $249. They’ll also only be losing half the money they were losing before, from $400 to $200. Win, win, I think. They get the Playstation 3 into a bunch more customer hands and solidify Blu-Ray as the dominate high definition dvd format.

I have to admit, I’ve been a little bit of a skeptic of Sony’s PS3 since they launched. However, if they did something like this (which they won’t, because they’re stupid corporate Sony) and continued to pass the savings on to the consumer, they could actually come out on top by the end of this year.

Boom!

The good news for Sony just keeps on coming. First our story about MGS4 and now this. It looks like the price of the PS3 has been cut in half. While $400 seems somewhat high it is notably better then $800 that it did cost to make.

The seeming victory of Blu-Ray over HD/DVD is also good news for the PS3. The money guys are saying that it means Sony will start to see a profit in the near future.

Looks like this might be the year on the PS3.

Thanks Businessweek

This doesn’t seem to happen very often lately, but it looks as though the Playstation 3 may finally be getting some good news. The news comes in the form of the consoles flagship allstar title Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots getting an early release date. As early as the 2nd quarter of this year. They won’t pin down an exact day, or even a month, but the game is said to be in the final stages or “last push” as assistant producer Ryan Payton revealed on the weekly Kojima Productions Report podcast, of testing and “polishing” the game.

Shack News has Payton quoted as saying: “Mr. Kojima of all people is really committed to [the date] because he really hates to disappoint people, and I know he is embarrassed by what happened with the 2007 slip into 2008.” Some features may be added, but “for the majority of the team, this is the end.”

If the rumors are true, this is also good news for Xbox 360 gamers, as they’ll potentially get the game on their console of choice sooner as well.

Boom!