Sorry, that was the snappiest headline I could come up with. Anyway, Sony has announced several 'strategic partnerships' with third-party developers including NCsoft Corporation, Ubisoft, Midway and Konami, to ensure PS3 gets the exclusive content it needs this year. The console versions of Haze and Unreal Tournament have both been confirmed as PS3 exlusives in the run up to Christmas. Haze will arrive on PC and Xbox 360 next year. As you probably already know, Metal Gear Solid 4 has also been confirmed PS3 exclusive when it debuts early next year.
The Unreal agreement would also seem to offer a more in-depth partnership between Epic and Sony. As the press release explains:
"Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and industry veterans Epic Games announced a multi-stage agreement. Revolutionizing the industry with the advent of the Unreal® Engine when first launching the Unreal franchise several years ago, Epic Games has joined with SCE to fully optimize the Unreal Engine for PS3 development to assist developers using this engine to accelerate game creation and maximize performance. Already underway, this optimization currently affects seven developers using the Unreal Engine to create 20 games already in the works and with many more to come.
Sony is expecting 100 third-party titles to be released on PS3 this fiscal year, 15 of which will be exclusive to the platform.
Elsewhere, a couple of new annoucements.
First up is a 'new franchise' named Infamous for PS3:
"Developed by Sucker Punch Productions, the creators of the smash Sly Cooper franchise, finds players discovering extraordinary super powers. As the players power grows they will feel what its like to either be a Super Hero or wreak havoc in a city and population that will evolve and react depending on the choices the player makes."
Could this have, in anyway, been inspired by... Heroes?
Confirmed for PlayStation Network download were WipEout HD (a version of PSP title WipEout Pulse) and echochrome, which is described as a 'crafty puzzler'.
