Kotaku: only in north america

PlayStation Store Update: Games! Games!

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:00:00 MDT

Alright, no complaining. We don't wanna hear it. You're getting two brand new downloadable games for the PlayStation 3 this week, plus three potentially good demos, plus a free Guitar Hero III tune from God of War II. Sure, this week's Rock Band tracks may make you wish you could download a half-dozen MP3s of fingernails scraping across chalkboard, but some solid new game trailers should help wash away that Margaritaville film. Oh, I suppose you could also question why you'd want to pay three bucks a month for Qore, but it wouldn't do you any good.

Hit the jump for the full list of new additions to the North American PlayStation Store.

Games and Demos

Qore Digital Magazine ($2.99 per issue or $24.99 per year)
Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 ($9.99)
Novastrike ($9.99)
Civilization Revolution demo
Battlefield: Bad Company Multi-player demo
NASCAR 09 demo

Add-ons and Expansions

Guitar Hero III - “The End Begins (to Rock)” from God of War II (free)
Guitar Hero III: Motorhead Track Pack ($6.25) - “Stay Clean”, “(We Are) The Road Crew” and “Motorhead” by Motorhead
Rock Band tracks
* “Perfect Insanity” - Disturbed ($0.99)
* “Inside the Fire” - Disturbed ($0.99)
* “Indestructible” - Disturbed ($0.99)
* “Volcano” - Jimmy Buffett ($1.99)
* “Margaritaville” - Jimmy Buffett ($1.99)
* “Cheeseburger in Paradise” - Jimmy Buffett ($1.99)
Rock Band Jimmy Buffett Pack ($5.49) - “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and “Volcano” by Jimmy Buffett
Rock Band Disturbed Pack ($2.99) - “Indestructible,” “Perfect Insanity,” and “Inside the Fire” by Disturbed

Game Videos

Guitar Hero III - God Of War II music video
Resident Evil 5 "Spring" trailer
Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 trailer
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures trailer
Dead Space "Story" trailer
Fracture trailer
Fracture "Behind the Scenes Story” video
Hail to the Chimp: "3:00 AM" trailer

Wallpapers and Themes

Retro theme

PlayStation Store Update: DBZZZZ...

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:00:00 MDT

Anime fans? This one's for you! The PlayStation Store update kicks off with the PlayStation 3 version of Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, giving fans of convoluted cheeseball fighting dramas something to kill the time before the full game is released in June. The cel shading doesn't stop there, as a trailer for Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm keeps the anime-inspired fighting fun going. A pair of demos for the PS3 and PSP round out the playables, with new content for Rock Band, Hot Shots Golf Out of Bounds and Rocketmen keeping those titles fresh. There's new echochrome content, too, but that will be delivered in-game. The full list, and potential Dragon Ball Z discussion, is after the jump! Yay!

Games and Demos
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit demo
Overlord Raising Hell demo
Secret Agent Clank demo (for PSP)

Expansions and Add-Ons
Rock Band tracks ($1.99 each) - "Kool Thing" by Sonic Youth, "Train In Vain" by The Clash and "Hanging on the Telephone" by Blondie
Hot Shots Golf Out of Bounds characters ($0.99 each)
* Gloria - Expert Skill Level
* Alex - Intermediate Skill Level
Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus! expansion ($4.95)
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore songs ($1.49 each) - There are 21 of them!

Game Videos
NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja Storm trailer
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe "Gamer's Day" trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
Pineapple Express trailer
Saawariya trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
Haze theme
Overlord Raising Hell theme
Overlord Raising Hell wallpaper
echochrome themes (for PSP and PS3)

MS Still Thinks It Can Win The Console War, Xbox 360 Pushes Past 10 Million In U.S.

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:40:39 MDT

With a reported 9.9 million Xbox 360s sold through in the United States as of the end of March, something catastrophic would have had to happen to prevent Microsoft from reaching the 10 million mark first. Fortunately for the gang in Redmond, the company has avoided certain doom, announcing that it has reached the corporately coveted figure, beating NPD estimates by a day.

Don Mattrick, the *deep breath* Senior Vice President of the Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, said in a statement that "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle." Microsoft also points out that it leads worldwide, with a 19 million strong install base and 12 million Xbox Live users.

Impressive numbers? Absolutely. Expect to hear "But we got there fastest, not first!" and/or "Not my problem!" any second now.

Xbox 360 First Gaming System to Reach 10 Million in U.S. Console Sales This Generation

Xbox LIVE tops 12 million members globally as Xbox 360 console sales hit more than 19 million worldwide.

REDMOND, Wash., May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft Corp. today announced that the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system has sold over 10 million units in the U.S., making it the first current-generation gaming console to break the 10 million mark in the U.S. The U.S. install base contributes to global sales of over 19 million, more than any other current-generation console.

"This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U.S. and abroad," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry."

This announcement comes on the heels of one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, "Grand Theft Auto IV," on April 29, 2008. Gamers eager to experience "Grand Theft Auto IV" online helped boost Xbox LIVE global membership to over 12 million this month. Fueled by an unparalleled combination of access to friends and family, the best online gaming features, and the best entertainment content, the Xbox LIVE service has doubled in membership in only one year's time.

"Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the U.S. is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership," said Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC. "Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base — 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations."

Xbox 360 leads with the industry's highest software attach rate, more than any other console this generation, and is home to the best-selling games. With the launch of "Grand Theft Auto IV" in April, Xbox 360 is now the home to more than 16 platinum titles that have sold through 1 million units or more, including hits such as "Halo 3," "Madden NFL 07" and "Madden NFL 08," "Gears of War," "Guitar Hero II" and "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," and "Call of Duty® 2," Call of Duty 3" and "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," giving Xbox 360 two times more platinum-selling titles than the Wii and a 16:2 lead over the PlayStation 3 in game titles topping one million in sales. Games not only sell better on the Xbox 360, they play better, too: Xbox 360 has 91 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher, compared with just 22 titles for Wii and 50 titles for PlayStation 3.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming network that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a portfolio of nearly 400 games in 37 countries. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE is the first and most comprehensive unified online entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire console experience, making it easy for people to find the friends, games and entertainment they want from the moment they power on their Xbox 360 system. Xbox LIVE connects more than 12 million of members across 37 countries to enjoy hundreds of multiplayer games, downloadable games via Xbox LIVE Arcade, free and premium playable game demos, music videos, TV shows and movies in the United States as well as new game levels, characters and vehicles for all their favorite retail games. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Halo 3 Beta Details Announced

Brian Crecente — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:48:37 MST

Along with new details on the upcoming Halo 3 ad set to hit television next week, Microsoft announced new details for the upcoming public beta for the game.

Starting Dec. 4, gamers in North America (sorry the rest of the world) can visit the Halo 3 site and register for a chance to be a part of the public beta test.

The Xbox Live multiplayer public beta, scheduled for spring 2007, will give gamers a chance to playtest the game (duh) and perhaps influence its development. OK, here's the deal, everyone who makes the list needs to demand more pirates in the game. Let's get this done.

To register hit the link on Dec. 4, and then once it's back up submit your app. Brian Crecente

Halo 3 Beta Registration