StarHawk Can Resurrect PSN

With the current farce of the hacking situation of Playstation Network hopefully reaching a satisfactory conclusion next week, I think it's time to start looking forward to what gamers can enjoy on the service once the dust has settled.

Whatever your opinion on PSN, I feel sorry for Playstation 3 only owners for the simple fact they currently cannot enjoy online gaming. I'm a multiplatform owner so it doesnt affect me as much but I would not like it to happen me and although I can understand the hatred towards fanboys on this site, you would not like something like this to happen to you and die hard hostlile fanboys are not the majority.

Soon enough PSN will be back up and things will be back to normal, what better way for a company to get people excited again by announcing a multiplayer purposed title exclusive to the Playstation 3? Let's bring in StarHawk.

Being a Warhawk fan (still play the title from time to time up until the hack situation) I've been trying to gather information about this title from various people for the past three months, some I know in person who got into this wonderful industry and some from being polite and getting to know people from various sources such as Facebook and Twitter.

StarHawk will be revealed within the next week or two (via G4TV according to reports) and I think it is a very smart move by Sony to do so even with E3 fast approaching. Why you ask? Well for one reason it will help smooth over the recent hack once the service has been resumed for the sole purpose that the game has a very strong multiplayer element to it. Apart from getting back into the Killzones, Call of Dutys, Warhawks and so forth, showing something for the near future will get PSN users excited, here is a product designed for PSN and will work well with PSN.

Second reason is from the information I've gathered the game is going to be a vast improvement over Warhawk. Whilst Warhawk is an excellent title in it's own right with a faithful community to boot, it can always be improved on and Dylan Jobe alongside his team have done exactly that. Here is a list of things I've heard about the game:

*Heard nothing of single player or co-op, it's very possible it will be included in the game but I have yet to learn of anything of the kind.

*Much better customisation options including the option to use imported images from the Playstation 3 hard drive for clan logos, troop symbols and plane designs.

*Theatre mode with the option to watch with friends. Highlight options include the abilty to send to Youtube via 480p upload or xmb.

*Excellent lighting engine with much improved sun, reflection and explosion effects

*XP points system that will also show career progress updates & trophy unlock progress during gameplay incidents.

*A vehicle that looks a little similar to the tumbler from Batman Begins/The Dark Knight with a fusion cannon

*Player models are much improved especially the texturing of the combat suits.

*A shotgun has been added

*More defined gun sound effects

*32 players per match

*10 maps not 25 as what had been previously rumoured.

*One map is similar to Island Outpost in level design with a much more futuristic look including stunning weather effects

*Another map has a similar look to the Knossos system,Artemis Tau cluster in the original Mass Effect game.

That's it, whilst it's understandable that many will read this and be skeptical to say the least I would say that the information has come from people who not only have a interest in the game but have employment in the industry. We shall see soon enough but if the information is true or partly true I can say with confidence it will be an excellent game, one to help put the dreadful hacking situation to rest and one that can help restore faith in Sony