Kotaku: North America

PlayStation Store Update: Bad Company

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:20:29 MDT

If you're in the mood to spend your Independence Day with some Battlefield: Bad Company trailers, this update has your name written all over it. It's also got Top Gun and FREE written all over it, as Guitar Hero III owners get a track for nothin'. Rock Band owners, you get a freebie, too. There's little that's playable this week, but the PlayStation Store is just stuffed with trailers. Pity then that two of them are for the PlayStation 3 port of Vampire Rain. Move along for the full update.

Expansions and Add-Ons

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock bonus track - "Top Gun Anthem" (free)

Rock Band add-on tracks

* “Promised Land” by Vesuvius (free)

* “Who’s Going Home with You Tonight?” - Trapt ($0.99)

* “Time Is Running Out” - Papa Roach ($0.99)

* “Down at the Whisky” - Motley Crüe ($0.99)

* Crüe Fest Pack 1 ($2.99) - “Time Is Running Out” by Papa Roach, “Down at the Whisky” by Motley Crüe, and “Who’s Going Home with You Tonight?” by Trapt

Game Videos

Qore Episode 2 ($2.99 Issue, $24.99 Annual Subscription)

Killzone 2 trailer

Valkyria Chronicles teaser trailer

Battlefield: Bad Company "Bad World" trailer

Battlefield: Bad Company "Rainbow Sprinkles" trailer

Battlefield: Bad Company "Snake Eyes" trailer

Dead Space Animated Comic Issue #2

Dead Space Animated Comic Issue #3

Tiger Woods ‘09 "Course" video

Vampire Rain Altered Species trailers

Movie and Television Trailers

Lakeview Terrace

John Mayer Live In Los Angeles

Vantage Point

Persepolis

Wallpapers and Themes

Woodward theme

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution theme

Top Spin 3 Wallpaper

PlayStation Store Update: Gouge Away

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:00:48 MDT

PlayStation 3 owners, your update is ready. It's packed with Pixies and a triple shot of Weezer, a welcome kick in the pants for Rock Band owners. The Guitar Hero III clan hasn't been forgotten, as the World of Warcraft inspired "I Am Murloc" lets you rock gratis. Two sporty demos and video clips for seemingly every first-person shooter under the sun fill up the rest of the update, the full contents of which are after the jump.

Games and Demos
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds demo
Top Spin 3 demo

Expansions and Add-Ons
PAIN Nigel character ($0.99)
Guitar Hero III - "I Am Murloc" by Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain (free)
Rock Band Weezer Pack 1 ($5.49 or $1.99 per song) - “Dreamin’,” “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived,” and “Troublemaker” by Weezer
Rock Band The Pixies "Doolittle" album ($18.99 or $1.99 per song) - “Crackity Jones,” “Dead,” “Debaser,” “Gouge Away,” “Here Comes Your Man,” “Hey,” “I Bleed,” “La La Love You,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Mr. Grieves,” “No 13 Baby,” “Silver,” “Tame,” and “There Goes My Gun” by the Pixies

Game Videos
Battlefield: Bad Company "Accolades" TV spot
Battlefield: Bad Company "Preston's Blog" video
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway trailer
Call of Duty: World at War trailer
The Incredible Hulk trailer
Haze "Launch" trailer
Haze "Song" trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
The House Bunny trailer
So I Married An Axe Murderer Blu-ray trailer
Men In Black Blu-ray trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
PlayStation Network theme
PAIN "Nigel" theme

PlayStation Store Update: A Fairly Solid Database Of Content

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:20:00 MDT

Bring buckets. And duffel bags. And donkeys. There's a mountain of content on the North American PlayStation Store today, and the quicker you can cart it all off and start sampling it, the better off you'll be. What constitutes a mountain of content? 1 game, 5 pieces of DLC, 4 demos, 7 trailers, a theme and even an mp3 file. And that's just the PS3 stuff. The PSP a game and a demo as well. Hope you finished MGS4 and have some time on your hands.

Downloadable Games

Fatal Inertia EX ($29.99)

Add-on Game Content

Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds Oceania Course ($4.99)

Metal Gear Solid 4 Database (free)

The Incredible Hulk Downloadable Content (free)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Coldplay Track Pack ($6.25)

Rock Band

* “Rock ‘n’ Roll Dream” - Crooked X ($0.99)
* “Afterlife” - Avenged Sevenfold ($1.99)
* “Critical Acclaim” - Avenged Sevenfold ($1.99)
* “Hammerhead” - The Offspring ($1.99)

Game Demos (free)

Fatal Inertia EX Trial
File size: 542 MB

NCAA Football 09 Demo
File size: 1.50 GB

Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 Demo
File size: 112 MB

Hail to the Chimp Demo
File size: 374 MB

Game Videos (free)

Linger in Shadows Trailer
File size: 68 MB (HD)

PAIN: Character Intro Trailer
File size: 23 MB (SD), 83 MB (HD), 110 MB (1080)

Fatal Inertia EX Titan Trailer
File size: 178 MB (HD)

Golden Axe: Beast Rider Teaser Trailer
File size: 12 MB (SD), 44 MB (HD), 58 MB (1080)

Prince of Persia Debut Trailer
File size: 12 MB (SD), 45 MB (HD), 75 MB (1080)

Hail to the Chimp ‘Campaign Trail Madness’ Trailer
File size: 73 MB (HD)

Movie and Blu-ray Trailers (free)

Step Brothers (x2)
File size: 30-31 MB (SD), 110-114 MB (HD), 151-176 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes (free)

AST Dew Tour Theme

Game Music (free)

PAIN Theme Song

PLAYSTATION Store for PC

* Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure ($14.99) (also downloadable via PS3)

Game Demos (free)

* Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (also downloadable via PS3)

Game Videos (free)

* Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror behind the scenes
* Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror full trailer

PSP Themes (free)

* AST Dew Tour Theme

PlayStation Store Update: You Should Be Playing Metal Gear Anyway Edition

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:20:37 MDT

After last week's tardy PlayStation Store blow-out, it would be hard to go anywhere but down in the content department. At least there's a sweet Metal Gear Solid 4 theme! If you a craving a bit more action, perhaps the Enemy Territory: Quake Wars demo will suffice. Hit the jump for the full list, with requisite Guitar Hero III and Rock Band music downloads rounding out a light-on-anything-but-trailers week.

Games and Demos
Syphon Filter 3 ($5.99)
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars demo

Expansions and Add-Ons
Guitar Hero III "Isle of Wight Festival" Track Pack ($6.25) - “Shoot the Runner” by Kasabian, “Problems (Live at Brixton)” by The Sex Pistols and “I Predict a Riot” by Kaiser Chiefs
Army of Two: Veteran Map Pack (free)
Rock Band add-on tracks ($1.99 each) - "Girls Who Play Guitars" by Maximo Park, “Moving to Seattle” by The Material, “A Clean Shot” by The Myriad, and “Bullets & Guns” by Them Terribles.
Rock Band "MTV2 Pack" ($5.49) - “Moving to Seattle” by The Material, “A Clean Shot” by The Myriad, and “Bullets & Guns” by Them Terribles.

Game Videos
GameTrailers TV - Resistance 2 teaser
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots “Theatrical” trailer
Kung Fu Panda Launch trailer
Fatal Inertia EX Phoenix trailer
FIFA Interactive World Cup 2008 trailer
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Leader’s Quotes trailer
Hail to the Chimp: Inshellitron trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
Hancock trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
PixelJunk Monsters wallpaper
Metal Gear Solid 4 theme

The Last Remnant Getting Xbox 360 Release First, True Simultaneous Release

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:37:00 MDT

Upcoming Square Enix RPG The Last Remnant will be getting an Xbox 360 release before the PS3 one. The game was first announced in 2007, and Square Enix touted the fact that it would be getting a simultaneous PS3/Xbox 360 release in both Japan and North America this winter with Europe following later. Now, it looks like it will get a simultaneous Xbox 360 release and a PS3 one later. And get this, Square Enix now says the game will launch in Japan, North America and Europe at the same time this winter — on the Xbox 360.

The Last Remnant Release [Famitsu]

Infinite Undiscovery Dated For North America, Europe, Japan, Asia

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:16:00 MDT

Square Enix published, tri-Ace developed Xbox 360 title Infinite Undiscovery has been dated for North America (9/2), Europe (9/5), Japan (9/11) and Asia (9/11). The North America and Europe dates are ship dates, but presumably the other dates are actual in-store dates.

Infinite Undiscovery Dated [Famitsu]

This JRPG Voice Acting Is Not So Good

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:00:00 MDT

Voice acting sure seems easy, huh? You just read words and get paid. Simple! Well, no. Here's a masterclass in how not to do voice work. Above is the English VO for PS2 tactical role playing game Chaos Wars, which was released earlier this month in North America. The voice work is rather unmotivated — though Hayatemaru and Hyoma are somewhat trying. Does sound horribly fan-dubbish — though fan-dubs probably wouldn't mispronounce "Akihabara." Whoever voiced the monster, though, is a genius. Best keee, keee, keee we've heard in a while. Oh, Yoichi's voice is all kinds of awesome, too.

The good news that it's possible to play through the game with the original Japanese voices and English subtitles. Make that, recommended.

Horrifying Voice Acting In Chaos Wars [Insert Credit]

PlayStation Store Update: You’re All I’ve Got Tonight

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:20:00 MDT

Last week's dry spell runs right on into this week, because unless you own Rock Band and are a big Cars fan, you'll find nothing playable whatsoever. What you will find are seven videos (including the first Dead Space animated comic), two movie trailers - including No Country For Old Men - and...a couple of Prince of Persia wallpapers, which have the game labelled as "Prince of Persia Prodigy".

Games and Demos
- -

Expansions And Add-Ons
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each)
* “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” - The Cars
* “My Best Friend’s Girl” - The Cars
* “Moving in Stereo” - The Cars
* “Just What I Needed” - The Cars
* “I’m in Touch with Your World” - The Cars
* “Good Times Roll” - The Cars
* “Don’t Cha Stop” - The Cars
* “Bye Bye Love” - The Cars
* “All Mixed up” - The Cars

Rock Band album ($14.99)
* “The Cars” Album - “All Mixed Up,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Don’t Cha Stop,” “Good Times Roll,” “I’m in Touch with Your World,” “Just What I Needed,” “Moving in Stereo,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” by The Cars.

Rock Band sale ($0.99 each)
* “Gimme Three Steps” - Lyrnyrd Skynyrd
* “Dirty Little Secret” - All-American Rejects

Game Videos
Top Spin 3 Debut Trailer
Battlefield: Bad Company Dev Diary - Characters
Battlefield: Bad Company Sweetwater’s Blog
Dead Space Animated Comic Issue #1
Project Origin Teaser Trailer
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Projectile Dysfunction
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Human Juicer Video

Movie and Television Trailers
Enchanted
No Country for Old Men

Themes and Wallpapers
Prince of Persia Prodigy Arabesque Wallpaper
Prince of Persia Prodigy New Prince Wallpaper

PlayStation Store Update: We Already Miss DBZ

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:40:23 MDT

Egads! This week's North American PlayStation Store update is a bit on the lighter side, with nothing in the way of new and playable on the PlayStation 3 side, with only a few PSP titles making their way to downloadable format. Those PSP releases would be The Con, now a digitally distributed title, and demos for Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2. There's the standard Rock Band track update, which is all Euro, all the time, one game soundtrack, four new themes and a handful of new trailers. We highly recommend the trailer for the Blu-ray release of Untraceable for its unintentional humor. "He hacked my car's computer?!" gets me every time. Full list after the jump.

Games and Demos
The Con for PSP ($19.99)
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 Beginner demo for PSP
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 Intermediate demo for PSP

Expansions and Add-Ons
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each)
* “Beetlebum” - Blur
* “Countdown to Insanity” - H-BlockX
* “Hier Kommt Alex” - Die Toten Hosen
* “Hysteria” - Muse
* “Manu Chao” - Les Wampas
* “Monsoon” - Tokio Hotel
* “New Wave” - Pleymo
* “Perfekte Welle” - Juli
* “Rock ‘N’ Roll Star” - Oasis

Game Videos
Siren: Blood Curse "Debut" trailer
GRID "CGI" trailer
Battlefield: Bad Company "Find All Five – Recon Kit"
Battlefield: Bad Company "Find All Five – Support Kit"
Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway "Wasn’t Supposed to Happen"
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian trailer
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars "Launch" trailer
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars "Team Play Behind the Scenes" video

Game Music
PixelJunk Monsters Soundtrack ($2.99)

Movie and Television Trailers
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
Untraceable
First Sunday

Themes and Wallpapers
"Graffiti" theme
High Velocity Bowling themes

More Japan Only Games Coming To American Virtual Console

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:00:01 MDT

The ESRB spilled the beans on more than just ASH - Archaic Sealed Heat today, as a bunch of new Virtual Console candidates were given ratings for the Wii. A duo originally released only in Japan, Sega/NCS's side-scrolling, Mega Drive-era shooter Gley Lancer and Konami's Famicom platformer Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa have been cleared for North American release, nabbing E10+ and E ratings, respectively.

In addition to those Hanabi Festival-caliber releases, Sega's platformer Alex Kid in Miracle World for the Sega Master System and Jaleco's City Connection for the NES were also rated as Wii VC candidates. In other words, everything you've been asking for from day one!

PlayStation Store Update: Haze!

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:30:43 MDT

Remember the dark days? The PlayStation Store update Thursdays with nary a downloadable worth the background download? Long gone, we hope, forever! This week, there's plenty of stuff to slake your download thirst, with demos for Haze, GRID and The Bourne Conspiracy joining extra content for PixelJunk Monsters, Guitar Hero III and Rock Band. Some of the media released over the past couple weeks, including some from Sony's recent event in London can now be watched on The Big Screen, including that lovely looking Mirror's Edge trailer. The full list is post jump!

Games and Demos
Haze demo
The Bourne Conspiracy demo
GRID demo
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 demo for PSP

Add-ons and Expansions
PixelJunk Monsters Encore expansion ($5.99)
Guitar Hero III "Muse Track Pack" ($6.25) - "Exo-Politics", "Stockholm Syndrome" and "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "Date with the Night" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It Hurts" by Angels & Airwaves and "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy
Rock Band "Scene Pack" ($5.49)

Game Videos
WipEout HD trailer
Mirror's Edge trailer
Mercenaries 2 "Payback" trailer
Overlord: Raising Hell trailer
The Wheelman trailer
TNA Impact! "Gamer's Day" trailer
PlayStation 3 "What You Need" video

Movie and Television Trailers
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull teaser trailer
The Love Guru trailer
Iron Man trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
PixelJunk Monsters wallpapers
PixelJunk Monsters theme
Sports theme

PlayStation Store Update: echochrome Edition

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:20:58 MDT

This week's PlayStation Store store update doesn't shy away from a game release like some people did, bringing the mind-bending puzzler echochrome to North American PlayStation 3s and PSPs. It's the main draw this week, with a Dark Sector demo available for those with tightly shut virtual wallets and a taste for first-person throwing. It's low key, but a whole mess of Rock Band tracks, wallpapers and videos await you after the jump.

Games and Demos
echochrome ($9.99) for PS3
echochrome ($9.99) for PSP
Dark Sector demo (free)

Expansions and Add-ons
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "Zero" by Smashing Pumpkins, "Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear" and "Red Tandy" The Mother Hips
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore tracks ($1.49 each) - There are 42 of 'em!

Game Videos
Battlefield: Bad Company "Redford Blog" video
echochrome trailer
Dead Space "Announcement" trailer
Dead Space "Ship Date" trailer
Kung Fu Panda trailer
NBA Ballers: Chosen One TV spot
Turok "Kane Gameplay" trailer
Turok "Bring It" trailer

Themes and Wallpapers
echochrome wallpapers (x4)
Kung Fu Panda wallpapers (x3)

Metal Gear Online Beta Is Go

Mike Fahey — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:40:00 MDT

The Metal Gear Online beta test is now live and ready to play in North America, Europe, and Japan. We've gotten reports from various Kotakuites that they are already connected and playing the long-awaited and slightly delayed game. How is it so far? Well reader JP just played a team death match and had this to say:

It's great.

So there you have it. Great. Keep in mind that you'll have to download the 1.2 update before playing, on top of the ridiculously large 1.1 update from earlier. Those of you never got around to downloading that first update (like me) might want to get on that right now, as the download might finish before the beta is over...if we're lucky.

PlayStation Store Update: Echoes Of Loco

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:20:23 MDT

The second PlayStation Store update to hit for the recently relaunched service is certainly not lacking in style or substance. The weekly batch of new additions kicks off with a pair of promised echochrome demos along with the return of some PSP "classics." The first full album for Rock Band, Judas Priests "Screaming For Vengeance" also debuts. The competition from Activision answers with a misfire of a Def Leppard track pack, begging the questions "Photograph? Live? Why?" We're sticklers for studio recordings!

For the rest of the goodies, including new add-on content for Call of Duty 4 and Eye of Judgment, please continue.

Games and Demos
R-Types for PS3 and PSP ($5.99)
Loco Roco for PSP ($21.99)
Kingdom of Paradise for PSP ($10.99)
Iron Man demo for PS3
echochrome demo for PS3
echochrome demo for PSP

Expansions and Add-Ons
Army of Two SSC Challenge map pack ($7.49)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety map pack ($9.99)
The Eye of Judgment Biolith Rebellion 2 expansion set ($14.99)
Guitar Hero III Def Leppard Track Pack ($6.25) - "Nine Lives", "Photograph (Live)" and "Rock of Ages (Live)" by Def Leppard
Rock Band tracks

"Saints of Los Angeles" - Mötley Crüe ($0.99)
"Screaming for Vengeance" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"(Take These) Chains" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"The Hellion/Electric Eye" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"Riding on the Wind" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"Pain and Pleasure" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"Fever" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"Devil's Child" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
"Bloodstone" - Judas Priest ($1.99)
Judas Priest - "Screaming For Vengeance" Album ($14.99)

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore downloadable songs ($1.49 each)

Game Videos
Resistance 2 teaser trailer
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue "Techno" video
Army of Two "SSC Challenge" trailer
FIFA 08 "Features" video
Iron Man "Action" trailer
Prototype "Discover Evolution" trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
88 Minutes trailer
The Water Horse trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
The Eye of Judgment theme
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue wallpapers (x4)

PlayStation Store Update: Quantity!

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:20:54 MDT

Dozens upon dozens of items have been added to the North American PlayStation Store today, making it the biggest update we've seen yet. Unfortunately, 42 of those items are Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore add-on tracks, but that doesn't take away from the fact that we're swimming in new content. In addition to a limited time price break on Warhawk, now just $29.99, a demo for R-Type Command arrives for PSP owners, as does the awesome Boston track pack for Rock Band rockers. See the full list right after this.

Games and Demos
flOw bundle ($8.99)
R-Type Command demo for PSP

Expansions and Add-ons
Turok multiplayer map pack ($4.99)
High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition camera add-on (free)
Unreal Tournament 3 map pack (free) - Features three new maps.
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "More Than A Feeling", "Hitch A Ride", "Peace of Mind", "Rock and Roll Band", "Smokin'", and "Something About You" by Boston
Rock Band Boston Pack ($9.99)
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore tracks ($1.50 each) - There are a ridiculous amount of these.

Game Videos
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Mars Volta Video
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Thin Lizzy Video
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Weezer Video
Warhawk Update v1.3 trailer
Grand Theft Auto IV "Everyone's A Rat" trailer
Winter X Games '08 Play the Pros
God of War: Chains of Olympus TV spot
Wyclef's "Fast Car" video
PURE Gameplay Trailer
PURE CG Trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Fall 2007 TV Spot

Wallpapers and Themes
The Eye of Judgment theme
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots "Sneak Out" wallpapers

PlayStation Store Update: Superstars!

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:00:02 MDT

Two of this week's PlayStation 3 releases lead the playable demo charge on the North American PlayStation Store, with Condemned 2: Bloodshot and Sega Superstars Tennis joining the line-up. There are plenty of nearly new and rather old game trailers available in high-def as well, plus an EA freebie. The full list is after this!

Games and Demos
Condemned 2: Bloodshot single player demo
SEGA Superstars Tennis demo

Add-ons and Expansions
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "Blinded by Fear" by At the Gates, "D.O.A." by The Haunted and "Thrasher" by Evile
Rock Band Earache Thrashpack ($5.49)
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08 -Doral Golf Resort - Blue Monster Course ($4.99)
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08 - Maxed out Player ($2.49)
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08 - Turnberry Golf Resort (free)

Game Videos
MotorStorm 2 teaser
The Eye of Judgment "Set 2" trailer
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Japan intro trailer
Ape Quest PS3 spec trailer
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty trailer
Soulcalibur IV Star Wars reveal trailer
Condemned 2: Bloodshot launch trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
Gattaca Special Edition Blu-Ray trailer
Sleuth Blu-Ray trailer

Square Enix Gets Around To Another Virtual Console Release

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:40:32 MDT

Square Enix's output on Wii's Virtual Console has been pretty light. It's been ActRaiser, specifically. Based on new ESRB ratings, it would appear that the publisher is doubling its efforts, bringing a second North American VC title out, the NES classic that... I'd actually never heard of until today, King's Knight. And I thought I knew my Square shooters! King's Knight is the publisher's first North American release, a vertical shooter with a Nobuo Uematsu score with a fantasy bent from 1986.

King's Knight isn't the only new addition, as Hudson's Final Soldier, a more traditional vertically scrolling shooter has also appeared as a potential Virtual Console candidate. It was originally released on the TurboGrafx-16 in 1991.

PlayStation Store Update: Themes!

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:40:06 MDT

If you're looking for freebies, look no further than this week's North American PlayStation Store update. Free tracks from the Dropkick Murphys for Guitar Hero III and five new themes make it worth the firmware upgrade to browse the store. Sports fans get a new demo and a pair of PlayStation Network titles get some add-on content. Make the jump for the full list of new virtual goodies.

Games and Demos
Major League Baseball 2K8 demo

Add-ons and Expansions
Rock Band add-on tracks ($0.99 each) - "Shockwave" by Black Tide, "Beethoven's C***" by Serg Tankian and "CrushCrushCrush" by Paramore
Guitar Hero III Dropkick Murphys track pack (free) - "Famous for Nothing", "Flannigans Ball", "Johnny", and "I Hardly Knew Ya" by Dropkick Murphys
Toy Home expansion pack ($6.99)
PAIN character Nurse Ginger ($0.99)
PAIN character - Cheerleader Muffy ($0.99)

Game Videos
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds "Characters & Courses" video
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds "New Shot System" video
Viking: Battle for Asgard teaser trailer
Viking: Battle for Asgard "Skarin's Calling" trailer
Viking: Battle for Asgard "Siege of Caldburg" trailer

Themes and Wallpapers
God of War: Chains of Olympus PS3 theme
God of War: Chains of Olympus PSP theme
PAIN Ginger theme
PAIN Muffy theme
Condemned 2: Bloodshot themes

PlayStation Store Update: Dead!

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:40:15 MST

The Grateful Dead, that is. PlayStation 3 Rock Band owners get their dose of Dead today, alongside a noticeably more aggro pack for its competition, Guitar Hero III, courtesy of the PlayStation Store. On the playable side, Rocketmen appears, as expected, as does the PSP version of flOw. This week's wallpapers and themes are on me. The full list of new additions to the North American PlayStation Store is after this.

Games and Demos
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil ($9.99)
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil demo (free)
flOw for PSP ($7.99)

Add-ons and Expansions
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "Casey Jones", "China Cat Sunflower", "Franklin's Tower", "I Need A Miracle", "Sugar Magnolia" and "Truckin'" by The Grateful Dead
Rock Band The Grateful Dead Track Pack ($9.99)
Guitar Hero III Modern Metal Track Pack ($6.25) - "Almost Easy" by Avenged Sevenfold, "The Arsonist" by Thrice and "Hole In The Earth" by Deftones

Game Videos
NBA Ballers: Chosen One trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
21 trailer
Hancock trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
Condemned 2: Bloodshot wallpapers
Lost Planet theme

PlayStation Store Update: Track Pack Attack

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:40:09 MST

Looking for something new to play on your PlayStation 3 today? Then don't visit the PlayStation Store, because it's severely lacking in updated playable content. Today would've been the perfect time for someone to strike with a PSN title, because it would've been all by its lonesome. This Thursday's North American PlayStation Store update is packed with music to download (and re-download) plus a bunch of new video content. A few freebies round it out this week, but we'd have certainly liked to see at least one PSone classic to spend our hard earned money on. The full list of updates is right after this.

Games and Demos
Umm...

Add-ons and Expansions
PAIN Scurv Dogg character ($0.99)
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "March of the Pigs", "The Collector" and "The Perfect Drug" by Nine Inch Nails
Rock Band Nine Inch Nails Track Pack ($5.49)
Guitar Hero III No Doubt Track Pack ($6.25) - "Don't Speak", "Excuse Me Mr" and "Sunday Morning" by No Doubt

Game Videos
MLB 08 The Show My MLB Music Video
MLB 08 The Show Blog Video
NBA 08 Amare Stoudemire Bio
Condemned 2: Bloodshot trailer 1
Lost Planet trailer 2

Movie and Television Trailers
Star Trek teaser

Wallpapers and Themes
PAIN "Scurv Dogg" theme
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil wallpapers

PlayStation Store Update: Demo Man

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:20:00 MST

Yyyyeah. Outside of the PixelJunk Monsters demo, PlayStation 3 owners may have some difficulty mustering up too much excitement about this week's PlayStation Store additions. There's only one other playable, an original PlayStation title, but maybe you'll find this week's light dusting of gameplay trailers enough to keep you busy between F5ing the site. There is that Bionic Commando: Rearmed trailer available, the kind of thing you may want to watch and rewatch and rewatch. And rewatch.

Continue for the full list of new goodies coming your way courtesy of the PlayStation Network.

Games and Demos
PixelJunk Monsters demo (free)
Jet Moto 3 for PSone ($5.99)

Add-ons and Expansions
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "El Scorcho" by Weezer, "Why Do You Love Me" by Garbage, and "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots

Game Videos
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Trailer
Conflict: Denied Ops Developer Diary 4
MLB 08 The Show Stolen Base Video
MLB 08 The Show Replay Vault Tutorial
MLB 08 The Show Pitcher/Batter Analysis Tutorial

Movie and Television Trailers
We Own The Night (Blu-ray)
Kung Fu Panda

Wallpapers and Themes
Lair "Asylian" theme

PlayStation Store Update: Patapon

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:00:00 MST

As promised the demo for PSP rhythmic battle game Patapon lands on the PlayStation Store, saving it from having a single new playable demo in MLB 08 The Show this week. Trailers round out the majority of the content, including one for LittleBigPlanet, and the regular Rock Band updates arrive. That the pack is titled the "(Arguably) Punk Pack" pretty much ensures I'll drop the $5.49 ASAP.

The full list of downloadable goodies is just after this.

Games and Demos
MLB 08 The Show demo (free)
Patapon demo (free) for PSP

Expansions and Add-ons
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "Complete Control" by The Clash, "Teenage Lobotomy" by The Ramones and "Truth Hits Everybody" by The Police
Rock Band Arguably Punk Pack ($5.49)

Game Videos
LittleBigPlanet Create-A-Level trailer
MLB 08 The Show "Road to the Show" tutorial
Conflict: Denied Ops diary 2
Conflict: Denied Ops diary 3
Turok "Creatures" trailer
Turok "Weapons" trailer
Burnout Paradise "Accolades" trailer
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground "Launch" trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
The Ruins

Wallpapers and Themes
Super Stardust HD theme

PlayStation Store Update: Motorin' Monkees

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:00:00 MST

There's no shortage of content in this week's update to the North American PlayStation Store. New add-ons for Rock Band and MotorStorm debut as does the ability to purchase PSP games through the PlayStation 3 version of the store. Yes, you can enjoy Beats through the purchasing power of your PS3. A pair of new demos in the form of Turok and FIFA Street 3, plus a pair of new EyeToy games round out the playable goods.

Plenty of other freebies await you, so check the full list of goodies after the break.

Games
Blast Factor Bundle ($12.99) - The game and its two expansions for one low price.
Mesmerize: Trace ($1.99) - This PlayStation Eye title features a number of packed-in tech demos that respond to body movements and sound.
Tori-Emaki ($1.99) - Another PlayStation Eye game, this one an "interactive art experience."
FIFA Street 3 Demo (free - 310 MB)
Turok Demo (free - 1.13 GB)

Syphon Filter: Combat Ops for PSP ($9.99)
Beats for PSP ($4.99)
Wipeout Pure for PSP ($14.99)
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo for PSP ($14.99)
Gangs of London for PSP ($19.99)
Ape Quest for PSP ($19.99)
Ape Quest Starter Pack for PSP (free)

Expansions and Add-Ons
MotorStorm Tracks ($2.99) - Adds "Diamondback Speedway" and "Eagle's Nest" tracks
Rock Band ($1.99 each) - "Action" as made famous by Sweet, "All the Small Things" by Blink 182 and "Last Train To Clarksville" as made famous by the Monkees.

Game Videos
PixelJunk Monsters trailer
Lost Planet trailer
Syphon Filter: Combat Ops trailer
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway trailer
Borderlands "Debut" trailer
Dynasty Warriors 6 trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
Call of Duty 4 theme
PAIN: Ice Tea theme
Tori-Emaki theme

Square Enix Calls Japanese Core Market "Weak"

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:00:06 MST

Square Enix could always depend on Japan to snap up its seemingly endless RPG flow. Company president Yoichi Wada (on the left) has noticed a dip in core Japanese gamers. He points out about Japanese market growth:

...when it comes to games for core gamers, it's quite weak. Sooner or later core gamers will become impatient, and there'll be a point where 'real' games will resume growth, but it's not happening at the moment. However, for core games, the European and American markets are growing at enormous speed.

To capitalize on this expanding market, Square Enix is actively starting to look West, hoping to "develop a strategy to equal the moves made by Sega and Capcom, or maybe exceed them." Our advice: Mix up the genres, put out new IPs and go multi-platform. That means for everything.
Wada Interview [Games Industry]

PSP GPS Peripheral Coming to North America?

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:03 MST

That Japan only GPS add-on for the PSP doesn't look so Japan only anymore. Sony's CES page lists the GPS system, leading most to believe the peripheral, already out in Japan, will get a Western release. Here's how the Sony site describes it:

Explore the world with GPS on your PSP. Utlizing the GPS peripheral and the latest mapping software on UMD, your PSP will provide 2D/3D locations, driving directions, POI's, and even downloadable city guides. With an easy search feature and customizable settings, GPS on PSP is the easiest way to navigate new areas and cities.

Nice that Sony seems to be bringing its Japan only stuff to everyone else. Who's interested in picking this up?
Sony's CES Page [Sony via PSP Fanboy]

More than One DS Sold Every Five Seconds in U.S.

Brian Crecente — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:01:58 MST

Nintendo hit us, and likely the rest of the gaming planet, with a release today pointing out that the DS does indeed print money. But just how much money Nintendo?

"There's no letup in sight," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Nintendo DS appeals strongly to both core and casual gamers, and its momentum is set to propel us into 2008."

To be fair, while Harrison did say that, he wasn't talking about how much money the DS prints. Instead he was talking about the fact that, according to Nintendo internal numbers, more than 6 million DS were sold in the U.S. in 2007 through Nov. 30. Taken another way, that's about one every five seconds... and remember it doesn't include December.

Release, and probably deserved crowing, after the jump.

Nintendo DS Will Finish 2007 as the Year's Top-Selling Video Game System

Appeal to Core and Casual Gamers Keeps Portable System Going Strong

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ — While many eyes are focused on home video game consoles, Nintendo projects Nintendo DS(TM) to be the top-selling system of the year. More than 6 million Nintendo DS portable video game systems have sold in the United States in 2007 through Nov. 30, according to internal Nintendo of America Inc. sales numbers. That's a rate of about one sold every five seconds of 2007, enough to project Nintendo DS will be the top-selling video game system of any kind for the year. Nintendo DS has increased its sales in the United States every year since it launched in November 2004.

"There's no letup in sight," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Nintendo DS appeals strongly to both core and casual gamers, and its momentum is set to propel us into 2008."

Nintendo DS began 2007 strong, but its momentum only increased as the year progressed. Before 2007, Game Boy(R) Advance held the all-time U.S. Thanksgiving week sales record, with 600,000 systems sold in 2005. But
Nintendo DS beat that Thanksgiving week record with more than 650,000 sold.

The huge appeal of Nintendo DS stems from the diversity of software available for the system. Four Nintendo DS games have sold more than 2 million in the United States alone, including New Super Mario Bros.(R), Mario Kart(R)
DS, Pokemon(R) Diamond and Super Mario(R) 64 DS. Another eight games have sold more than 1 million each in the United States, including Brain Age(TM): Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Pokemon(R) Pearl, Animal Crossing(R): Wild World, Big Brain Academy(TM) and four separate versions of Nintendogs(TM).

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.5 billion video games and more than 430 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario(TM), Donkey Kong(R), Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at http://www.nintendo.com.

Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition Ships a Million

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 05:00:34 MDT

Capcom announced today that Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition has shipped one million copies worldwide. The game went on sale in Japan back in May, while getting a June release in both North America and Europe. The Wii Edition offers a new take on RE4 with Wii-mote and Nunchuk compatible controls. Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition joins Dead Rising and Lost Planet as million shipped Capcom console games. The company's on a roll, no?

I've played the GameCube version of RE 4, so didn't pick up the Wii Edition. Do the new controls really justify a purchase?
RE4 Shipped Numbers [Famitsu]

Read The 40GB PS3 Press Release

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:15:57 MDT

For those who enjoy reading press releases, we've got *gasp* a press release! Make that the full release about the non-BC 40GB PLAYSTATION 3 that is slated for North America. It's out November 2nd. Alright, who's buying?

Release after the jump.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Announces New 40GB Playstation(R)3 (PS3(TM)) Configuration and Price Reduction Of Current 80GB Model

New 40GB Model to be Available in North America on November 2nd for $399; Effective Immediately, 80GB PS3 to be Priced at $499

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announced plans to introduce a new 40GB model of its PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system. Beginning November 2nd, to further enhance the HD entertainment experience,
the new 40GB PS3 model will come bundled with the blockbuster movie Spider-Man(TM) 3 Blu-ray Disc(TM) (BD) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and will be available in North America for a suggested retail price of $399 (USD/CND). The company also announced that effective immediately, the current
80GB PS3 model will be available in North America for $499 (USD/CND), $100 below the original launch price.

"We're pleased to offer the consumer a lower price point without sacrificing the core technology components that make PS3 the most advanced high-definition entertainment system available. Every PS3 comes with a Blu-ray drive, HDMI output, an integrated Wi-Fi connection, Cell Broadband
Engine and a built-in hard-drive," said Jack Tretton, President and CEO, SCEA. "This holiday season we'll be able to offer attractive retail pricing with a broad portfolio of outstanding games including Ratchet & Clank(R) Future: Tools of Destruction(TM), THE EYE OF JUDGMENT(TM), Uncharted: Drake's Fortune(TM), Heavenly Sword(TM), Call of Duty(R) 4: Modern Warfare, Assassin's Creed(TM), Haze(TM) and RockBand(TM)."

The new 40GB PS3 will no longer play PlayStation(R)2 titles, reflecting the availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific titles. Consumers looking for backwards compatibility can take advantage of the limited PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility of the 80GB PS3.

PLAYSTATION(R)3 40GB Specification

Product name PLAYSTATION(R)3
CPU Cell Broadband Engine(TM) (Cell/B.E.)
GPU RSX(TM)
Sound Dolby 5.1ch, DTS 5.1ch , LPCM 7.1ch, AAC, others *1 *2
Memory 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
HDD 2.5" Serial ATA 40GB
I/O USB 2.0 x2
Communication Ethernet X1 (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
IEEE 802.11 b/g Included
Bluetooth 2.0 Included (EDR)
Wireless controller (Bluetooth) Included
AV Output
Screen size 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI OUT x1 *3
AV MULTI OUT x1
DIGITAL OUT x1 (OPTICAL)
BD/DVD/CD Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM)
Drive DVD 8x (DVD-ROM) (Read Only)
CD 24x (CD-ROM)
Dimensions Approximately 12.75in(W) x 3.86in (H) x 10.8in (D)
Weight Approximately 11 lbs

*1 A device compatible with Linear PCM 7.1 Ch. is required to output 7.1 Ch. audio, supported by Dolby TrueHD or a similar format, from the HDMI OUT connector.
*2 This system does not support output from the DTS-HD 7.1 Ch. DTS-HD 7.1 Ch. audio is output from a 5.1 or lower channel.
*3 "Deep Color" and "x.v.Color (xvYCC)" defined by HDMI ver1.3a are supported.

The State of Russian Gaming

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:40:07 MDT

Think the Japanese market is hard to crack? Try breaking into the American one. Game site Cosmos Gaming has a nice piece up on the state of Russian game development. It contains an interview with four different companies: 1C Company, IT Territory, Step Creative Group and Lesta Studio. They discuss tops like titles they are working on and offer criticism on Russian games localized into English. So why do Russian games go largely unnoticed abroad? Says company rep Anatoly Subbotin:

First of all some of the games developed and produced in Russia by our developers are based on local franchises which are not that popular to say the least outside of the ex-USSR counties. Some of them are still published outside the CIS market, but this is rather rare.
Russian games do not always find their way to American or European markets due to publishers' policy and I guess it is better to ask them why they decide to sign or not to sign a particular game.

Because in ex-Soviet Russia the games sign you! (Apologies. I couldn't resist.)
State of Russian Gaming [Cosmos Gaming]

Pokemon Sells Ten Million World Wide

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 07:00:33 MDT

Own Pokémon Diamond/Pearl? Over ten million copies of the game have been sold since the title hit last September, making it the series' biggest smash. When the game went on sale in Japan, it caused frenzy. The U.S. launch saw sales in the millions! Now, European versions in German, French, Spanish and Italian are driving those numbers up, up, up. Ten million plus sold? Talk about monster hit.
Poke Hit [Dengeki Online, Thanks Witzbold!]

Blue Dragon Toys Coming To North America

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:00:17 MDT

Know: Blue Dragon is fantastic. It's a true return to form for Hironobu "The Gooch" Sakaguchi (above). Good news is, of course, that the game is getting release a multi-lingual international release. And for North Americans, all those Blue Dragon toys will also be getting proper release. At the International Licensing Show, Shodo Omatsu, President & COO, Bandai America Incorporated stated:

Bandai America will bring its extensive design and manufacturing resources to bear to develop an exciting and must-have line of toys and products to support Blue Dragon. This property extends the most exciting attributes of video gaming and anime and represents a wide range of possibilities for the development of products designed for fans of all ages.

A "line of toys" sounds like more than a few rinky-dink figurines. Fingers gently crossed that Bandai delivers. Brian Ashcraft

Blue Dragon Toys Coming [Siliconera]

Ace Attorney Five Announced

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 22 May 2007 22:00:22 MDT

Big hit in Japan DS title Gyakuten Saiban 4 (AKA "Ace Attorney 4") moved 250,000 copies during its first week on sale. This fall, Gyakuten Saiban 3 will be retitled as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations for North America, and the previous Phoenix Wright game was so popular that it sold out — Like you couldn't get a new copy for a while. So, you think Capcom would make another Ace Attorney? Do you really? According to Bloomberg, the third party developer recently announced Gyakuten Saiban 5. How risky! I bet one day they'll do a Gyakuten Saiban 6, a Gyakuten Saiban 7 and maybe even a Gyakuten Saiban 8. Brian Ashcraft

Gyakuten Saiban 5 Announced [British Gaming Blog]

Capcom Entices Koreans With Costume Jewelry

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:00:56 MDT

Figure giveaways are great, sure, but jewelry giveaways are pure class. The first first 10,000 customers who pick up Monster Hunter Portable 2nd in Korea will get limited figurines as well as a bracelet. It even comes in a box! The game was a massive hit in Japan, selling over a gazillion copies in an hour or something. (Actually, it has moved over a mil to date.) The game is getting retitled as Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for its Western release. Hope Capcom's bringing bracelets. Brian Ashcraft

MH Stuff For Korea [Ruliweb via QJ.Net]

Clip: Virtua Fighter 5 Commercial

fdemarco — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 10:00:00 MST

Here we have a first look at the Virtua Fighter 5 commercial being released in North America. You'd think if they were going to spend that much time and money making a game look so good, they would have dropped a few more bucks to make a decent commercial. I long for the days when video game commercials were filled with the kind of spastic energy we all possessed after eating three bowls of Count Chocula and attempting to sit still while watching Saturday morning cartoons. Flynn De Marco

Like the Model T Ford, The PS3 Comes Only In Black

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 04:22:05 MDT

A last year's E3, Sony rolled out the PLAYSTATION 3 in three colors: Black, white and silver. Two of those console colors have since vanished, and we've been flowed with pics of the black PS3. But, what about the others? I want silver!

Tough tits, Ashcraft. Sony Europe has apparently announced that only the black PLAYSTATION 3 will launch in Europe. Moreover, Sony's North American PlayStation site only lists a black PS3. It would've been way cooler if Sony first showed us the black machine and then a while down the road, unveiled these "new" colors. Then we'd have something to get excited, and not annoyed, about. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [I4U]