Singstar has been a revolution for Sony, there is no doubt that it is one of the many games that has made the Playstation 2 so successful, but can it do the same for the Playstation 3 and what if anything does this next generation version bring to the table?
On the face of things Singstar on the PS3 doesn’t really looked to have changed much, the usual modes such as Duet, Solo, Pass the Mic and battle still remain and the interface of the songs is practically the same but with a little more next gen gloss. So what sets this game apart from its last generation counterpart? The simple answer is its online features.
The first online feature added to the game is the SingStore, a service which eradicates the need for future expansions to the game, this is basically an itunes style store which allows you to choose from a wide range of tracks at a very reasonable price of 99p each, this will get you the song and the video and it is my belief that the pricing here is absolutely spot on, at the time of writing there were 41 songs available to download, ranging from classics such as Travis, Sing to more seasonal songs such as I Wish It Could be Xmas Everyday. The developers have promised that they will add new songs on a frequent basis and eventually hope to be able to release a song as soon as it hits the charts.
Another new addition to Singstar and perhaps the best of all is My Singstar Online, here you can create an online profile to which you can upload your videos, snapshots and recordings for others to hear and see, you can also view any other players profiles, meaning that you can watch their videos and view their pictures, which as you can imagine is great entertainment in itself, not only that but you can leave comments and rate their content. The interface for this feature is very well executed and easy to navigate, it is quite simple to find any player providing you know the first letter of their profile, finding friends is even easier, just press triangle when in the meet other players menu and everyone on your friends list with a Singstar profile will appear. This could become a very popular feature indeed and this is backed up by the fact that there are already quite a few videos on there (including my own efforts).
Playing the game itself couldn’t be easier, simply plug in your mic, choose your song and your away, during gameplay (and providing you have a Playstation Camera plugged in) you will notice a small video in the corner of the screen, this occurs automatically, so that at the end of the song you can view a playback of yourself in action, along with some photos and your best bits, you then have the option to save these, which enables you to view them again by visiting your media gallery, and if you are feeling brave upload them for the world.
The presentation of Singstar PS3 really cannot be faulted, the SingStore is a excellent idea and the My Singstar Online features are what the game was made for, to get the best out of the game you really need a Playstation Eye, however given the quality and excellent features of the camera no-one should really be without one of these anyway.
Singstar PS3 is a great example of what games should be, it offers great value for money, is very easy to pick up and play and best of all is great entertainment, sure it may not be everyone’s type of game, but I for one could not have a PS3 without it.
