E3 '07: High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition Impressions

The PlayStation Network's download service may have been playing catch-up with Xbox Live Arcade for a while now, but at least Sony Online Entertainment is filling in the inexpensive-poker-game gap with High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition, which is supposed to be up for download by the end of summer. SOE showed the game at its recent press event and then again today at E3; we were able to confirm that yes, this is definitely poker. Five kinds of poker, actually, because the game will offer variants ranging from Billabong and Shanghai to Tahoe and the venerable old Texas Hold 'Em.

The game presents a basic view of a poker table inside what looks like an apartment of some kind, and your player is represented by an in-game character whose appearance you can extensively customize. You can select basic facial attributes and clothing style when you first download the game and create your profile. But then, you can cash in your winnings later to acquire more specific accessories, such as sunglasses and the like. The game will support both the old EyeToy and the new PS3-only Eye cameras; you'll see little full-motion video windows by each player's name when you're playing online (where up to six players are supported).

High Stakes seems like a good, solid game of poker, with enough different kinds of the card game available here to provide some variety. The online features will naturally go a long way toward extending the lifespan of the game too. We didn't find out about specific release or pricing details yet, but presumably that information should emerge in the near future because the game's release date draws nigh.