God of War III Message Board older than one year ago

Earning a Platinum Trophy in God of War III will give you an elusive reward: a link to a secret page, hidden on the God of War website. The "Spartans Stand Tall" website doesn't feature much right now, other than falling rain and a shield with an upside-down V, possibly a Lambda sign -- wait, does this mean we're finally getting the Half-Life/God of War crossover we've been waiting for?

This could simply be a placeholder website for upcoming God of War DLC. Or, this could be hinting at a new Ready at Dawn-developed PSP game we've heard murmurs about. In fact, Chains of Olympus was revealed in exactly the same way, via a website hidden in God of War II on PS2. Considering the franchise's penchant for announcing new installments alongside the latest releases, we wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a brand new game in the God of War universe. Stay tuned.

[Thanks, Bryan!]

#screengrab A humorous Photoshop, or a look at how games would be labeled if the government handled ratings? As seen on Joystick Division. More »

It's been over 20 years since Golden Axe, and all they added was combos and cut-scenes?  I just played the GoW III demo and while the cinematics are great, the actual game is disappointing...

• Gameplay consists of button mashing the same enemies, move up a screen, repeat.  *yawn*
• Why have unexplained chests of energy everywhere?  Just auto-heal if you are going to be lazy game designers.
• Enemies disappear instantly after you kill them, so you don't get to appreciate the damage you dealt.
• During the QTEs, you don't get to enjoy the cinematics because you have to stare at the corner to see what button to press.

I have only played the demo, and none of the previous GoW games, so is there something else to this?  Why are games like this (Ninja Gaiden, DMC, etc) so highly acclaimed?  </rant>

Are you working your way to a Platinum in God of War III? You may want to check out this video, which helps you net Hit Man, one of the more challenging Trophies in the game. To get the award, you must perform a 1000 hit combo. Should your fighting skills not be up to snuff, there are two easy (but time consuming) ways of getting the achievement. It can take upwards of 20 minutes of mindless button mashing, but it's a sure-fire way of making sure you get the Bronze Trophy.

Check out the (rather cheap) strategies after the break.

[Via N4G]

#survivalguide With gaming's favorite shirtless Greek, Kratos, now beating up and killing baddies in God of War III, it is time to look at some of the best shirtless guy films. More »

#screengrab Reader ryandesu used paper cutouts to dress up a poster he got with God of War III today. "Since this may be Kratos' last game, he's gotta get a real job, but can't go to interviews in his normal attire." More »

#screengrab As seen at a Best Buy God of War 3 midnight launch. More »

Larger-than-life gameplay, stunning graphics, and legendary storytelling to provide consumers the adventure of a lifetime.

Fellow Spartans!

The wait is finally over! CHAOS has been unleashed nationwide as the highly anticipated God of War III releases on store shelves today. If you didn’t make it to the midnight launch events last night, make sure to call your store and get your copy fast. God of War III is set to take to the stage as the biggest entertainment launch event in PlayStation 3 history and will be remembered as one of the best action adventure titles of 2010. Now is your chance to take down the Gods of Olympus by wreaking havoc and spreading chaos through all of civilization. I’d like to especially thank our Santa Monica Studios for all their time, hard work, and energy in delivering this award winning video game. I’d also like to give a big thank you to all the fans who have stayed loyal throughout Kratos’ journey and continued to support all things God of War.

In celebration of today’s launch, I’d like to share with you our new trailer called “Chaos,” featuring kick-ass footage from the game.

In the End, There Will Be Only Chaos….

#ps3 There's a televised God of War trivia competition on Spike tonight. What fun. There is one bright spot emerging from the charade, though: the winner's prize, which is this custom God of War III PlayStation 3 console. More »

Can you say, “Biggest meetup ever?” Because if you made it out to San Francisco on Wednesday, you experienced it first-hand. Not that we didn’t expect an early God of War III hands-on event to draw a mega-crowd. But still, hats off to you guys for making it out in spades. A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out for an entire day’s worth of festivities, culminating in a chance to play God of War III before it hits stores tonight/tomorrow! Thanks also to those who followed along at home — hopefully it will make picking up the game even more exciting!

And you East-coasters that have been asking and asking for us to come to you…well, it’s official. The PlayStation.Blog is coming to New York City and Boston (PAX East) next week! Specific details coming soon.

As for San Francisco, it was a day-long celebration of God of War III. Several of you lined up as early as 5am to secure a spot in our massive tent. (Check out ALL the pictures of our God of War III GDC 2010 Meetup on Flickr!)

At around noon, we unleashed the burrito truck upon the line! Now that spells CHAOS!

Shortly after, we opened the tent “doors” to the masses. Everyone was greeted inside by PlayStation 3s loaded up with God of War Collection, and a special challenged awaited. The test? Complete the God of War II Challenge of the Titans “Blind Fury” the fastest…in one try. You die, you’re out. And the winner would lock down a God of War III Ultimate Edition!

We thought we’d see plenty of quick deaths, but in fact, many of you utterly blitzed this challenge. But only one came through with a time that could arguably last through the ages. 16 seconds! 16 freakin’ seconds! Here’s your winner:

Throughout the day, we raffled off TONS of games, posters and other unique PlayStation goodies. Anyone who brought a PSP took home God of War: Chains of Olympus, but we also gave away MLB 10: The Show PSP, Heavy Rain, Fireteam Bravo 3, Killzone 2 and much more.

The highlight of the meetup was definitely the presence of Stig and the Sony Santa Monica Studio team who stopped by to sign autographs for everyone who came! All attendees also scored a limited-edition God of War III art book!

And finally, there was the chance to take your picture and create a personalized God of War III cover! There are some truly great shots in Flickr, so flip through ‘em!

God of War fans -

The day you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. At 12:00 a.m. tonight, Kratos will be invading a retailer near you as the widely anticipated God of War III will be hitting store shelves! For those looking to channel your inner Spartan warrior, check out GTTV Presents God of War III: Last Titan Standing on SPIKE TV at 11:38 p.m. In this 30 minute special, action adventure comes to life as 10 of the biggest God of War fans in America get pushed to the limits, both mentally and physically.

These die-hard disciples of Kratos must shave their heads on the spot to show their allegiance, climb out of the underworld, and know their God of War trivia, as asked by game director Stig Asmussen. And, above all else, prove their physical strength across epic challenges and gameplay ability in a battle against Hades from God of War III. In the end, only one titan will be left standing – the one who best embodies the characteristics of Kratos, the God of War.

Here’s a look at the promo…

Here’s a look at the custom Kratos PS3 that the winner will be receiving…not bad!

And for those of you looking to be the first to get your hands on a copy of God of War III, we’ve teamed up with GameStop to host Midnight Launch Events at locations all around the country. Tonight, more than 3,500 stores nationwide will be welcoming Kratos faithful with various contests, challenges, and giveaways. Most participating GameStop locations will open at 10:00 p.m. local time, however, consumers should contact their local store to confirm the exact time of the event as they may vary by location.

GameCrazy and Best Buy are also holding midnight launch events. Click the corresponding links to find the nearest location.

Below are store GameStop addresses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York to get you started. To learn more about events near you, visit a local GameStop store or go to www.gamestop.com/kratos.

In the End, There Will Be Only Chaos….

Los Angeles
Game Stop
7100 SANTA MONICA BLVD
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90046
(323) 845-9685

San Francisco
Game Stop
151 POWELL STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102
(415) 362-7601

New York City
Game Stop
1282 BROADWAY
NEW YORK, NY 10001
(212) 967-9070

Shipments are flowing in now.

#dlc We've heard that God of War III had a pretty involved postscript that had to be trimmed from the game. The game's director explained why to Kotaku Talk Radio, but said if it does come back, it'll be free. More »

• Hey, Why is the PlayStation.Blog White? — By now, you probably know why it’s white. But if you’re reading this and STILL can’t figure it out, well, you might have to see an eye doctor. Hope you like the new look!
• LittleBigPlanet: This Week in DLC — Get your Sackboy digitally smashed with the St. Patty’s Day costume. Plus, check out the other happenings in the world of LBP.
• God of War III Path To Olympus Experience Launches on GodofWar.com — God of War III is three days away. But it might have been a while since you’ve played I and II. Worry not, warriors. Path To Olympus will get your memory back in order to prep you for Tuesday.
• FINAL FANTASY XIII on Store Shelves Today, Includes PS3 Exclusive Bonus Offer for FINAL FANTASY XIV — Who picked up FFXIII on Tuesday? How far in are you?
• Hustle Kings Adding Video Chat, Voice Chat, Game Launching and More — Your comments never go wasted! Hustle Kings is adding video and voice chat, game launching and much more. See the full list inside the post.
• PlayStation Network First to Deliver HD Movies from All Six Major Movie Studios — That’s right. If you haven’t jumped on board the Video Store train, get on now. PSN is the first platform to host HD content from all six major studios.
• Yakuza 3 Hits Western Shores! — It may have taken some time, but Yakuza 3 is officially available here in the west on PS3. Anyone get it yet?
• It Only Does Epic Trilogies — Peter Dille kicks off the brand new Kevin Butler TV commercial (awesome!), plus a new 15-second TV trailer!
• Reminder: God of War III GDC San Francisco Meetup is Tomorrow! — Our biggest meetup yet! Honestly, this was one of the most rewarding, successful gatherings we’ve had yet, and I want to personally thank each and every one of you that showed up. Hopefully you had a great time.
• Qore Episode 22 – Featuring Final Fantasy XIII, Dead to Rights: Retribution, Lost Planet 2 and the God of War Graphic Novel — Qore Ep 22 kicked off on Thursday featuring (of course) FFXIII, the GoW Graphic Novel and a lot more. Check out the post for the preview video.
• PlayStation Home 1.35 Launching Tomorrow — Home Director Jack Buser explains exactly what’s in the newest version of Home.
• FINAL FANTASY XIII Comes to PlayStation Home + Sodium Updates, Indiana Jones Items & a Huge Sale! — Lots of Final Fantasy this week, and where else would you expect additional FF content but in Home!
• Live from GDC 2010! PlayStation Press Conference — “Live.” That’s a scary word. Hopefully you watched along with us, as me and Jeff tackled introducing the PlayStation Move at the PlayStation GDC Press Conference. If you missed it, watch the replay as we interview SCEA President and CEO Jack Tretton!
• THE EYE OF JUDGMENT LEGENDS Hits PSN Today — You may have played it on PS3, but pick up THE EYE OF JUDGMENT for PSP on PSN now!
• EyePet Available this Fall with PlayStation Move Support! — You may have seen EyePet before, but it just got a whole lot better. PlayStation Move brings a whole new element of control to the table, and we’ll have a great video soon that shows you exactly what to expect.
• MLB 10: The Show PS3 Demo Available Today! — You’ve been asking for a demo. We’re heard you loud and clear! Log on to PSN and get it today, for free!
• The Tester Episode 4 Available Today — Four episodes in, and now things are really heating up!
• PlayStation Comics Store Update — The amount of digital comics piling up in the PlayStation Store is impressive to say the least. Comic-heads, get in there!
• PlayStation Move Developer Diary #2 — You saw the press conference. Now see just how creative developers are getting with PlayStation Move!
• Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Coming to PSN — Sam & Max hit the PlayStation 3 for the first time. See how you can get a discount on all episodes inside.
• PlayStation Store Update — Mega Man 10! Plus, your MLB 10: The Show demo, Qore Ep 22, Feeding Frenzy 2, lots of sales and more.
• PlayStation Network Video Content Update — Get a deal on the Bro Code Six Pack, a selection of How I Met Your Mother episodes!
• New Gran Turismo 5 Trailer: Night Racing — GT5 goes dark. See the newest trailer and a batch of new screenshots!
• God of War III’s Stig Asmussen: Your Questions Answered — We promised we’d get him. And we did! See Stig answer your questions 4 days before God of War III hits stores!

Courtesy of Jeremy Dunham

• Patch Alert: MAG v1.04 and Bonus Armor – New fixes for your favorite 256-player shooter and a special surprise!

See, I told you we’d get him! As you could imagine, God of War III Game Director Stig Asmussen is a very busy man. But as promised, we managed to lock him down for about 10 minutes to bombard him with your questions at the GDC PlayStation.Blog.Lounge (also, check out our chat with Designer Director Todd Papy who filled in for Stig last week). With T-minus four days until Chaos, Stig is looking very relaxed, and so he tackles your inquires with ease. And I promise there are no spoilers here, so no need to worry for those of you that are struggling to stay in the dark.

Can you believe March 16 is just around the corner?

#midnightlaunches GameStop just dropped a list of stores opening at midnight to make sure 24-hour Walmart stores don't steal all of their customers when the game launches. Will you be staying up late to kill the gods? More »

#kotakutalkradio God of War III director Stig Asmussen joined hosts Brian Crecente and Stephen Totilo on Kotaku Talk Radio today, broadcasting from the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. More »

#roundup Kratos is tough enough to take on the gods, but is he man enough to face the assembled video game critics in the God of War III Frankenreview? More »

#podcast Kotaku Talk Radio is coming to you live from the Game Developers Conferce today, where God of War III director Stig Asmussen will be taking your calls. Join us! More »

#podcast This Wednesday, God of War III director Stig Asmussen joins us live from the Game Developers Conference on our weekly podcast to take your calls. More »

#godofwar In 2008, Jonathan Bissoon-Dath and Jennifer Barrette-Herzog sued Sony and God of War creator David Jaffe for copyright infringement over the original PS2 game. That case has now been dismissed. More »

#gallery The God of War III game demo was first revealed at the E3 2009 gaming expo in Los Angeles. The game will be released this March. And my, how the game has changed. More »

Not like we thought it slipped your mind, but if you’re in the San Francisco Bay area tomorrow, you’re invited to come celebrate the launch of God of War III!

And if you have the means to get here, do it – we have a history of treating our fans to extremely good times. And tomorrow is no exception as you’ll have many chances to win great PlayStation games and prizes, get autographs from members of the development team, create your own God of War III box, and much more. So whatever the means – train, plane, car, bike, rollerblades, horse, camel – get here tomorrow! There’s only one God of War III event and we don’t want you to miss it (In all seriousness, if you arrive on a camel, you’re getting something incredibly cool).

Check out our initial post for all the fine details, but here’s a quick recap. We’ve got a couple HUNDRED tickets for our very special community (that’s you!) to get you in to the amazing and mega-exclusive God of War III event, where you’ll get to go hands-on with the final version of God of War III, enjoy some epic food and hospitality, and watch a still-secret-but-guaranteed-to-be-super-awesome band perform.

And all you need to do is show up. But we HIGHLY recommend arriving early. The hands-on event doesn’t start until 7pm – so we’re setting up a community-only pre-event party that goes on all day. What does that entail? Free food from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m, awesome schwag giveaways and raffles, free wi-fi (In the words of Triumph, “For you to Tweet on!”), the chance to put yourself on the God of War III box, autographs and more! So if you haven’t already signed up, RSVP on our Facebook Page!

Important Details:

• The hands-on event goes from 7-10pm on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the SF Concourse Exhibition Center. The pre-party meet-up begins at noon (you’ll see our tent in venue’s parking lot). Directions here. Don’t even think of strolling up at 6.30pm – you ain’t getting in!
• Keep in mind that you must be 21 or older to get into evening hands-on event, but anyone 18+ (or with their parent/guardian) can come to the all-day meetup. ID *will* be checked!
• Parking is rough in the area, so try to take BART or Caltrain – both very close to venue.
• Once you’re in, you’re in — no ins and outs (don’t worry, we will have bathrooms). Unless of course you don’t want to stick around for the amazingly awesome hands-on event at 7pm. Then you’re free to leave at will…but you’re making a HUGE mistake!
• You must RSVP via this Facebook event invite
• Be sure to leave your replica Blades of Chaos at home
• You might wanna think about bringing your PSP ;-)

The End Begins at GDC…

Hi everyone,

It’s been fun to watch all the speculation on whether or not God of War III would get its own spot with Kevin Butler. The answer? Of course, how could it not? We’ve been looking forward to the launch of God of War III for some time now (as you all have) as it’s one of the best examples of “It Only Does Everything” that you’ll find. Where else can you get epic storylines, groundbreaking depth of scale, dynamic 3D realism, and our signature gameplay that is God of War. Yes, God of War III will be one of our biggest sales drivers this year, selling multiple millions of copies and becoming a system seller for PS3. It’s that good and everything you’ve heard is true. With more than 35GB of Blu-ray gaming goodness, it’s truly a shining example of “Only on PlayStation.”

The early reviews are echoing what we already know, that the wait for God of War III will not have been in vain. PlayStation: The Official Magazine has given God of War III a score of 5 out of 5 while Game Informer has followed suit with a 10 out of 10, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg as we expect an onslaught of positive reviews to hit newsstands next week.

Some of you already know what to expect from the final installment of this Olympic-size trilogy. For those of you who don’t, comparing God of War III’s scale and scope to previous chapters is like comparing Kratos’ Blades of Chaos to a letter opener. We are confident that if you haven’t jumped on board yet, this game will certainly be the incentive you’ve been waiting for to get a PS3. Our hats are off once again to our studio organization for creating another amazing experience. I’ve been saying it for awhile, but the depth and breadth of content on PS3 is unrivaled and will continue to be a catalyst to our sales all year long.

While the game itself won’t be in stores until March 16, many of you dedicated God of War fans have already been feeling the Fury of Kratos at your local 7-Eleven. Already, thousands of vouchers from the cups have been redeemed for exclusive downloadable content. Kratos will also be invading the world of NASCAR. On Saturday, March 20, the No. 20 car will be sporting a brand new God of War III and GameStop themed paint scheme driven by Joey Logano during the Scotts Turf Builder 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. For our die-hard fans, we’ve produced our first collector’s item with the “Ultimate God of War III Edition” which comes packed with exclusive collectibles and downloadable content (priced at $99.99). Several retail partners are seeing huge demand on pre-orders for this edition, so make sure to grab yours on launch day.

Which brings us back to our good friend Kevin Butler, who will also play his part to promote God of War III with a new TV commercial that begins airing the end of this week. Suffice it to say that Kevin can’t possibly ignore the game’s star power. We will also have a 15 second commercial highlighting all the glowing accolades this game is already garnering. We hope you all enjoy your exclusive access to both commercials here before they hit the airwaves:

I look forward to hearing your feedback on the commercials and this amazing game.

Anger management simulator God of War III cost $44 million to create, according to director of production development John Hight, which is "right within budget." Speaking with Giant Bomb, Hight revealed that the team of 132 staff required to finish the third installment was more than double the crew (of about 60) on hand to wrap up God of War II, with the biggest growth occurring in the graphics and art departments.

Considering the ultimate Kratos adventure will likely go on to become a phenomenal sales hit, the $44 million budget isn't as ridiculous as it might seem. Consider that Gran Turismo 5's budget, at last count, had reportedly ballooned to around the $60 million mark. On the other hand, Ken Levine previously put the first BioShock's budget at about $15 million. With such variation in current-gen development costs, in the end, the pirce is just a number -- and in the case of God of War III, it was certainly worth the dough.

[Via Edge]

#ps3 It's not often we're told how much a company spends making a video game. So when Sony discloses how much coin was spent developing God Of War III, we'll note it down. More »

#godofwar Spanning three excellent, bloody titles, Sony's God of War trilogy has finally come to an end with the release of God of War III. But did you know there was originally an end after the end? More »

Hey God of War fans. We are excited to unveil Path to Olympus today, a new exclusive feature on GodofWar.com.

So what is it?
In short, it’s a primer to get you prepared for March 16 when Kratos will storm retailers. Kratos has come a long way since his days as Captain of the Spartan Army, and the Path to Olympus episodes will take you through some of his most prolific and darkest moments, while providing the back story leading up the beginning of God of War III.

Who is it for?
This feature is for you if:

• You are a new player and want to learn what all this Kratos mania is about.
• You’re a gamer who has played the God of War games but are scratching your head trying to remember who Kratos killed, who has killed Kratos and everything in between.
• And lastly, if you’re a hardcore fan that wants to experience, once again, some of Kratos’ most exciting and brutal moments before plunging into God of War III.

What to expect
We will be releasing new content leading up to launch that will quickly get you up to speed on the story, preparing you to take control of Kratos as he catapults towards his destiny in God of War III.

Take a look at some of the video content from the first chapter:

Click to begin!

One last thing to share. Many of the God of War developers are now on the GodofWar.com forums answering questions. Head on over to the community section of God of War and hear what they have been saying.

#review Bombastic, titanic, brutally imaginative and even occasionally subtle, God of War III is the latest, best reason for a gamer to save money and skip action movies. The better thrills are on a disc on my PlayStation 3. More »