We're afraid your secret wish for Go! Team fueled romps through velvety, user-submitted playgrounds isn't going to be fulfilled for quite some time -- neither will your desire to play the highly anticipated sequel to the original "Halo Killer". According to a recent post on Three Speech (a "semi official" Playstation blog), both LittleBigPlanet and Killzone 2 aren't going to see the light of day until September or October of next year. While an official due date for Killzone 2 hasn't been nailed down yet, this new information contradicts the last release date we heard for LittleBigPlanet, which was "early 2008."

We're holding out hope that these new schedules for big black's two potential killer apps are pure conjecture, but considering Three Speech's partnership with Sony, we're guessing that they know something that we don't; like, for instance, which dark, secret pastes give Phil Harrison's dome its intoxicating sheen.

[Via 1UP]

Even virtual worlds need to visit the powder room before parading in public. The practice of 'touching up' is something our shallow, image-conscious society accepts (heck, we expect it!), so long as the object doesn't stray too far from our idealized imaginations. So when Guerrilla Games rolled out a new batch of Killzone 2 screens, captured from this year's E3 demo, fans noticed the images looked a little too good to be true, drawing obvious connections to Killzone's infamous E3 2005 debut trailer, which substituted actual game content with pre-rendered 'target' video.

Guerrilla QA manager Seb Downie joined the discussion on the PlayStation Forums, admitting, "[The screenshots] are only the tiniest bit touched up ... there was a little bit of colour-correction done and some minor polish, but nothing major." The comparison image above, also posted in the discussion (via PSU), seems to corroborate Downie's admission, revealing sharper colors and deeper contrasts in the 'doctored' screen on the right (effects that seem within the limits of standard display settings; i.e., a television could be capable of displaying both the dull and stylized versions of this scene by tinkering with its display settings). Also, the "original" version of the image is a frame snagged directly from video, so it's subject to a certain amount of blurring that's not necessarily an accurate depiction of gameplay frozen in that instant. In any case, how can a screenshot ever tell the truth? Downie concludes that Killzone 2 simply "looks better in motion."

Because we can probably hook that up for you. Ah, speak of the devil and up he jumps, here's nearly a half-hour of Killzone 2 footage straight from Leipzig. It's a hot clip, too. Thrill as the action occasionally starts after long periods of stopping! You won't believe how far the camera can zoom in and out!

...OK, so this is admittedly more of a making-of segment, with a developer explaining some of the tools that Guerrila Games has at its disposal to create the game. But if you're starved for Killzone 2 content, we imagine that you're not going to be too picky.

[Via PS3F]

The infamous Killzone 2 trailer of E3 2005. An unbelievable and completely improbable feat of gaming technology, quickly debunked as rubbish. This year, however, Sony returned with not only a real time demonstration of Killzone 2, but a playable tour as well. Before E3 had even begun, we knew that nothing could possibly prevent the tears, bitter or no, of the fiercely devoted.

With an uneasy hand, we present the collapsing of the universe: GameVideos' Killzone 2 comparison. The original CGI fest going toe-to-toe with the real deal. It's not entirely fair, however, as the real time video tends to feature the marines flying around for too long, but that won't stop the endless debates.

[Update - For those who just can't get enough, GameTrailers also released a comparison of their own, in high-def no less.]

Clouds dash by as a flying vehicle zooms ahead. Armored soldiers are yelling frantically, as the chaotic sounds of a war zone fill the jam-packed auditorium. Sound familiar? It's meant to be. The opening seconds of the new Killzone presentation bring to life the infamous E3 trailer from 2005 -- only this time, it's in real-time.

Certainly, the question on everyone's mind is: does it look as good as the notorious it's-not-CG-we-swear trailer from 2005? In many ways, the visual fidelity of the updated presentation matches the highly polished look of the debut trailer. Beautiful volumetric smoke filled the screen, and the characters were alive with animation. Motion blur was used to great effect, adding a subtle hint of realism (unlike the over-the-top blur of Crysis.) However, unlike the deceptive E3 presentation of yore, this one had an aura of believability. A critical eye could note a few rough jagged edges, and textures that are a far cry away from Hollywood renders. In particular, the floor textures were no short of terrible. The facial animation system could certainly use a bit more work as well. Were we a little disappointed to notice such identifiable indicators of visual flaws so quickly? Certainly. However, in spite of all the shortcomings within the game, there's no denying that Killzone 2 provides a visual feast that effectively demonstrates the technical prowess of the PlayStation 3.

We love receiving mysterious packages at Joystiq HQ and are particularly enamored by the ones that don't violently explode upon their opening. The card pictured above matches the latter description, though it seems to indicate that demolition and destruction is nevertheless in our near future. The card glibly invites its recipient to attend a unique two and a half hour Sony event on the evening of July 10th, just as Min-E3 gets underway.

Unless Sony has taken a very interesting approach to promoting the next SingStar, the disagreeable fellow on the card implies that Killzone 2 will be the event's focus. Considering the event's length and the game's brief showing at GDC, a playable version of the anticipated shooter seems increasingly likely to appear. Once we finally see whether or not it lives up to the infamous 2005 prerendered trailer graphically, we can move on to more pertinent questions like, "Is it any fun?" We suspect we'll have an answer next month.

And like a rifle butt to the ocular cavity, the spark of hope in our eyes was handily extinguished with SCEA Manager, Ryan Bowling telling IGN, "No, Killzone won't be [at] GDC at all." Really? The game was a no-show at both E3 and TGS last year; in fact, the only thing we've heard (besides rumors) following the title's infamous E3 2005 debut is that it's the "biggest multimedia project in Dutch history." So, if that rumored Killzone 2 demo won't be making an appearance at GDC after all, and E3 is gone, when will it crawl out of the foxhole it's been hiding in for the last two years? Says Bowling, "The time for that game is coming and we'll have new information about it in the future, but not at GDC."

[Thanks, Nav]

1UP Editor Luke Smith has posted a bold prediction on his blog: "Expect a playable Killzone 2 demo to be released ... before gamers are participating in the beta for Halo 3." Smith's reasoning descends from a string of rumors, which suggest that Killzone disappeared, in part, to direct the spotlight on Resistance. The rumors also indicate that while on the down-low, Guerilla has transformed its "Halo-killer" from a pre-rendered heartthrob into a developed game; some rumorists even suspect that Killzone has been playable online for nearly a year.

Smith points to Phil Harrison's GDC keynote address as an opportunity for Sony to steal (in typical from-out-of-nowhere fashion) some mindshare away from Microsoft and the mid-March Halo beta test by dropping *GASP* the Killzone 2 bomb demo! Never mind that the Killzone franchise has yet to deliver a noteworthy game; is the first half of 2007 really gonna be defined by a clash between a beta test and purported demo? If I'm a developer not working for Bungie or Guerilla, I'm about ready to hire a new PR agency -- that, or beg Sony to let my game piggyback on the Killzone demo's shoulders.

Update: In response to comments that Killzone: Liberation (PSP) is "very good" or has "gotten great scores all around" (etc...), we simply offer up evidence that the title ranks 56th among current PSP games (233 in all) listed in score order. While we respect the opinions of those who enjoy the game, generally speaking, we maintain that Liberation is hardly noteworthy beyond its tie to the ridiculously over-hyped Killzone franchise.

When Sony showed off the first trailer of Killzone 2 off forever ago (E3 2005), they billed it as actual in-game footage. Later down the line, it turned out those "in-game" shots were just CGI mock-ups; target renders they're called. Now Sony is telling us those CGI mock-ups are inferior compared to the REAL Killzone 2. O RLY?

Phil Harrison, Sony CEO and game commenter extraordinaire, made some bold claims in the most recent issue of OPM (reprinted at Sony's semi-official blog, ThreeSpeech); supposedly, KZ2 has "some elements [that] already exceed the trailer." Excuse us, Mr. Harrison, but we'll wait until we see a working game this time.

Given just how good Gears of War looks, pumping something out that looks like the Killzone 2 E3 trailer is possible. However, given Sony's history on this particular title, we're less inclined to believe 'em until we (or someone else we can all trust) actually plays the real thing.

When Sony showed the now-infamous Killzone 2 trailer at E3 2005 I got goosebumps all over. Though we're all aware now that the trailer was merely CGI flimflammery, the memory still haunts those of us lucky enough to experience it in that darkened theater with sound so rich and deep it gave us a heart massage.

Therefore, it's with no small disappointment that we report that Killzone 2 remains AWOL. After mysteriously disappearing from the E3 2006 lineup, Killzone 2 failed to show up at TGS.

Some would suggest that this isn't a big deal as the Japanese gamer doesn't dig FPS games all that much. That excuse doesn't explain the huge presence of Resistance: Fall of Man in Sony's TGS booth. What gives?