Kotaku: psn

Call Of Duty 4 Double XP Weekend Imminent

Mike Fahey — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:40:00 MDT

Infinity Ward Director of Communications / Community Manager Robert Bowling reveals in his IAMfourzerotwo blog that he is currently readying promotional materials for a big Call of Duty 4 event taking place next weekend over Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. In his post he drops those two little words that CoD players (mainly those of us that suck) love to hear: Double XP.

I’m currently working on getting everything organized and together for an upcoming Xbox Live / PSN promotion we have coming up the weekend of Sept. 13th - 14th. Which isn’t this weekend, but next weekend. I will have exact details on what it is in the near future but I have a gut feeling it’ll have Double XP attached to it for all those hungry for some power-leveling on Call of Duty 4.

Bowling further explained that he is hoping to get the new playlists finished in time to make it one big promotion. Woot!

Double XP Is Imminent [IAMfourzerotwo]

Raptr - Social Gaming Network Enters Public Beta

Stuart Houghton — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:00:00 MDT

Sometimes Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, Orkut and OpenSocial just aren't enough. Too much real world stuff, not enough gamerscore bragging.

Enter Raptr - a new social network for gamers founded by Dennis 'Thresh' Fong (he had to do something with all that prize money) that offers a way of tracking your friends and sharing what you are in to on several popular games networks.

Once you have signed in and chosen a nick, you can enter your IDs on Xbox Live, PSN, World of Warcraft, Steam and others, then start entering the games in your collection.

Where it can, Raptr will pull data from your various networks and update your profile with a list of your current games, achievements and the like. There are plugins for displaying your data on Facebook et al too, of course.

A free client for PC or Mac will display and update data from you and your friends in real time as well as suck data from any games you play on your box — less of an issue for most Mac geeks, presumably.

Raptr [via 1UP]

PlayStation Store Update: Haze Lives

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:40:05 MDT

You want more Haze? You got it! Wait, you want more Haze? Really? OK, well, this week's PlayStation Store update for North America has it, with the "Destruction Pack" bringing seven new multiplayer maps and a new "Capture and Hold" game type. The Store also gets one of its biggest and most expensive titles to date in NFL Head Coach 09. Pricey! The full list of new goodies is after this.

Qore Episode 04: September, 2008 ($2.99 Issue, $24.99 Annual Subscription)

Games and Demos
NFL Head Coach 09 ($49.99)
PURE Demo

Add-ons and Expansions
Haze "Destruction Pack" ($9.99)
Rock Band tracks ($0.99 each)
* “Skullcrusher Mountain” by Jonathan Coulton
* “Shhh….” by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
* “Livin’ at the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe” - MC Frontalot

Rock Band PAX Pack 1 ($2.99) - includes “Shhh….” by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, “Livin’ at the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe” by MC Frontalot, and “Skullcrusher Mountain” by Jonathan Coulton.

Game Videos
Jeopardy! trailer
Super Stardust HD Tips video 1
Super Stardust HD Tips video 2
PAIN "Call Da Shot Mode" video
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway "Making Of #3: Counter Attack"
Legendary Behind the Scenes Episode 1
Midnight Club Los Angeles trailer 2
Midnight Club Los Angeles trailer 3
Red Baron Arcade trailer
Saints Row 2 "Uncle Gary Motorcycles" trailer
Saints Row 2 "Uncle Gary Taunting" trailer

Movie and Television Trailers
The Ultimates Featurette
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist Trailer
The Fall Trailer

Wallpapers and Themes
The Last Guy wallpaper

Prinnies Get A Chance To Shine

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:30:00 MDT

Witz! You there? Course you're not there. You're unconscious, lying dangerously face-down amidst a pool of your own fluids. As no doubt thousands of other Prinny fans are at the news that Disgaea's iconic penguin doods are set to star in their own game. Called Prinny: Ore ga Shujinko de Iinsuka?, it'll see you take control of a "1,000-Prinny squadron on their quest to help an extremely pissed-off Etna recover her stolen sweets", and is due for release on the PSN on November 20. That's in Japan, at least, as your guess is as good as ours as to whether this'll see a US release or not.

Disgaea's Prinnies Getting Their Own Game [1UP]

Lumines Goes Supernova On PSN

Mike Fahey — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:40:00 MDT

I'll say, it's about damn time Q-Entertainment's music-puzzle fusion title made it to the PlayStation 3! Lumines Supernova is an all-new installment of the game that has already graced the PSP and Xbox Live Arcade, and by all-new I mean mostly the same with a few new modes and skins! Along with the previously seen Skin Edit, Time Attack, and Puzzle Modes, Supernova also will also feature Dig Down Mode, which challenges you to reach the bottom of an already filled playfield, and Sequencer Mode, which allows players to create their own music using five different tracks with over 20 different sound loops each. The game is due out this fall, with the price yet to be determined. Enjoy the first screenshots from the game while I go try to get "Heavenly Star" out of my head.

The ultimate fusion of puzzle, lights and music arrives on the PLAYSTATION®Network this Fall

Indulge in the fusion of puzzle, lights and music! The latest installment to the blockbuster franchise from Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Q Entertainment comes packed with brand new skins and new modes, exclusive to the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Lumines Supernova combines puzzles, block-dropping beats and video entertainment to create an addictively-fun gameplay experience that will keep you playing day after day. The game offers 40 skins in the Challenge Mode alone, with several brand new skins keeping the Lumines experience fresh. Choose from several different single player modes, battle it out with a friend or create your own background music in the all-new Sequencer Mode.

LUMINES SUPERNOVA - GAME FEATURES / MODES:

* Skins, skins and more new skins: Enjoy unlimited gameplay and unlock up to 40 stylish skins in Challenge Mode, including brand new skins

* All-new Dig Down Mode: Using the falling blocks, erase squares from a playfield already filled with blocks as you dig down to the bottom. Show off your digging skills as your completion time is ranked based on clearing 20 consecutive stages

* All-new Sequencer Mode: Create your own background music using the sound loops provided in the "Sound Bank" – drums, bass, synthesizer 1, synthesizer 2 and effects each come with 20 different loops

* Skin Edit Mode: Customize your Lumines experience by creating your own playlist with your favorite skins

* Time Attack Mode: Test your skills and see how many blocks you can erase in a given amount of time and compete with your own record

* Puzzle / Mission Mode: Act quickly with the falling blocks to create shapes/designs and clear the playing field in just a few moves (100 puzzles and 50 missions)

Developer/Publisher: Q Entertainment
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 system (via PLAYSTATION Network)
Genre: Action Puzzle
Release date: Fall 2008
Price: TBA
# of Players: 1 – 2
Rating: RP

Bionic Commando Comparisons

Owen Good — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:00:00 MDT

Show of hands, how many of you got Bionic Commando: Rearmed and then went out and found the ROM for the original Bionic Commando and played it? Tooling around on the Bionic Commando blog I found a link to two videos Gametrailers put up last week, splicing gameplay from both titles and highlighting some things you might have missed.

This is also to say that on Thursday I spoke for about an hour with Grin's Simon Viklund, Rearmed's creative director and the composer of its soundtrack. You should see something in-depth about that conversation in the coming week.

The second video is on the jump. Also, I've been meaning to ask this — when you enter a birthday at the stupid age verification prompt which one to you put in? If it lets me, I always do the date of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. More importantly, why the hell do you have to put it in for this game? You're not seeing any of the content that got it an M rating. (Kudos to Grin and Capcom, btw, for sticking with an M-rated game instead of stripping out or watering down its finale. It hasn't hurt sales.)

Bionic Commando Rearmed: Classic Gameplay Comparison [Gametrailers, via BionicCommando.com

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest For Booty Review: Short Of Greatness

Mike Fahey — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:30:00 MDT

I'll go ahead and say it up front: Ratchet & Clank is right up at the top of my list of greatest video game franchises of all time. Since the very first installment back in 2002. the series has consistently delivered engaging stories, hilarious characters, beautiful graphics, and - most importantly - amazingly solid and intuitive gameplay. Having recently brought the series to PlayStation 3 with Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Insomniac decided to ease the pain of the cliffhanger ending of that title by giving us Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, a small, downloadable nugget of a game meant to bridge the gap between Tools and the upcoming 2009 sequel. A noble gesture, but can a series known for its epic scope be condensed into a four-hour experience without losing some of its polish? I spent an evening with everyone's favorite (and only) Lombax in order to find out.

Loved
Good Old Gameplay: As essentially an extension of Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty retains the same solid gameplay we've come to expect from the series, easy and intuitive from the get-go.

New Mechanics: The new tether ability of Ratchet's Omniwrench adds a fun new gameplay element to the mix, and the ability to pick things up and hurl them with the tool makes for some rather entertaining platforming puzzles.

Super Fuzzy Graphics: Quest for Booty uses the same graphics engine as Tools of Destruction, which means it is also one of the best looking games on the system, with graphics approaching CGI cartoon quality.

The Big Reveal: I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't already heard. I'll just say that the revelation at the end of the game regarding Ratchet's whereabouts may have elicited a tiny, girlish squeal. Don't go looking it up on the internet, just find out for yourself first hand.

Hated
A Little Short For A Lombax: Four hours just doesn't feel like enough time to spend in the Ratchet & Clank universe. I hate to say it, but I almost wish they'd just make me wait for the next game. I know the game is only $15, but for $15 I could go pick up a copy of one of the earlier, longer adventures and replay that instead.

Lack Of Variety: You won't find any side games in Quest for Booty. Just standard R&C gameplay with a few new mechanics thrown in and countless pirates to kill. There are a few monsters to kill and some entertaining bosses, but for the most part it's prates, pirates, and more pirates.

A good game should leave you wanting more, but it also needs to give you a sense of fulfillment to counterbalance that want. While I thoroughly enjoyed the four hours I spent playing Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, I feel like all I accomplished was trading one cliffhanger ending for another cliffhanger ending. Instead of being its own game, it feels more like a really long teaser trailer for the next title in the series.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is an enjoyable but far-too-brief look at what's next in one of gaming's greatest platform franchises.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, developed by Insomniac, published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released Aug. 21 on the PlayStation Network. Retails for $15.00. Played through entire game on normal difficulty.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

PlayStation Store Update: Zombie Jetpacks

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:20:00 MDT

While this week's North American PlayStation Store update isn't as rich in content as last week's, it's still an excellent offering. If only because, when you browse down the list of available items, you see the text "You are the chosen one, a zombie hero from the Himalayan mountains, and it is up to you to rescue the last survivors on Earth by leading them to safety through zombie-infested streets". You're on the right track with this whole Last Guy thing, Sony. Also available today is Warhawk's latest update - the one that brings the hot jetpack action - with the rest of the week's items after the jump.

Downloadable Games

The Last Guy ($9.99)

Add-on Game Content

Warhawk Fallen Star Pack ($7.99)

Warhawk Booster Combo ($15.99)

Rock Band

* “She Does” - Locksley ($0.99)
* “Don’t Make Me Wait” - Locksley ($0.99)
* “Don’t Make Me Wait” - Locksley ($0.99)
* “All Over Again” - Locksley ($0.99)
* Locksley Pack 1 ($2.99) - includes: “All Over Again,” “Don’t Make Me Wait,” and “She Does” by Locksley.

Game Demos

NHL 09 Demo

SOULCALIBUR IV Demo

Game Videos

SOCOM Confrontation Extraction trailer
LittleBigPlanet Leipzig “Sackzilla” Trailer
Motorstorm Pacific Rift Leipzig Trailer
PAIN Trauma Mode Trailer
GT5 Prologue Play the Pros with Tanner Foust!
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway Machine Gun & Bazooka Video
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway Squad Gameplay Video
Facebreaker Audition Video #1
Facebreaker Audition Video #2
Facebreaker Audition Video #3
Madden NFL 09 Gameplay Trailer
Madden NFL 09 Madden Moments Trailer
Madden NFL 09 Play Call Trailer
Top Spin 3 Player Creator Trailer

Movie and Blu-ray Trailers

Quantum Of Solace Trailer
Prom Night Trailer

PS3 Wallpaper

The Last Guy Wallpaper (x2)

PSP STORE

PSP Themes

Cake Mania: Baker’s Challenge theme

PSP Wallpaper

PSP Wallpapers Series 1 wallpaper (x3)
Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 wallpaper (x2)
Cake Mania: Baker’s Challenge wallpaper (x3)

Sony Like To Provide Services For Free

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:00:00 MDT

In case you didn't know (and why didn't you), the PlayStation Network is free. The console may cost money, but the online service doesn't. Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida explains to game site Games Industry Sony's view on free stuff:

We like to provide as many services as possible for free — we already provide our network access for gameplay for free — and the interesting thing about the network side and the Internet business is that there's a variety of revenue sources. Not necessarily getting people to pay, but with advertising and so on.

Those are things we're looking at, and learning how we can provide a service without people having to pay — but we still get our operation running with funding from somewhere so that we can maintain the level of quality we want.

While there's no such thing as the proverbial free lunch, it's nice to see Sony try.

Yoshida's Island - Part One [Games Industry]

Sony Dishes The PSN Pre-Paid Card Release Info

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:40:00 MDT

So those PSN pre-paid cards aren't hitting GameStop until 2009? Screw GameStop. Sony have announced that, in addition to the stores currently stocking the cards (Pamida, Meijer and Speedway), come September three more chains will be selling them. Those three are Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Riteaid. Which is all well and good, but I'm getting the feeling there are people outside the US - like me, for example - more interested in these cards than Americans. Mostly because it'll make buying stuff like Rock Band DLC that much easier.

Savage Moon Is Starship Troopers Meets Tower Defence

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:30:00 MDT

Sony let us know today what that mysterious Savage Moon game is all about. Sadly, it isn't a game based on Cassie Edward's frontier romance novel. It is based on something though: Starship Troopers. Not officially, but come on. Look at it. It's basically a tower defence title, where you have to protect bases from hordes of alien bugs. Savage Moon is a PSN title, and will be released sometime in the Fall.

Savage Moon – Coming this Fall to PSN [PlayStation.Blog]

New Crash Commando Screens

Adam Barenblat — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:00:00 MDT

We haven't really had much time to talk about a new game coming to the PlayStation Network, but we do now. I'm talking about Crash Commando, a title that is going to mix side scrolling goodness with a new multiplayer twist. From looking at the screens the game looks, well, beautiful. Fact sheet and more images after the jump.

Crash Commando
Fact Sheet

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Developer: EPOS Game Studios
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) via PLAYSTATION®Network
Genre: Side Scrolling Multiplayer Shooter
Players: 1-12 players (2-12 players online simultaneously)
Release: TBA
Rating: “RP” for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW
Crash Commando, a PS3 title exclusively for download on PLAYSTATION Network, is a side scrolling multiplayer shooter game pitting two arch-enemy commando factions - the Grunts and the Jarheads - against each other in an all-out fight for world supremacy. Developed by EPOS Game Studios, Crash Commando is a fast-paced, humorous multiplayer game with over-the-top, slap-stick action that features exaggerated gore and effects. Combining the thrill of frenzied multiplayer combat with the straightforward nature of a classic side-scrolling platform title, Crash Commando is accessible to all players and it is the perfect combination of modern, sophisticated technology and traditional gameplay values.

The player controls a commando with a range of weapons and other equipment at his disposal, including a jetpack, C4, jeeps and tanks. Each map consists of two gameplay layers the player can seamlessly move between via portals in the environment. In Crash Commando, action, mayhem, frenzy and turmoil take center stage as particles, flames, explosions and bodies controlled by rag-doll physics insure there is never a dull moment. With a host of both multiplayer and single player modes included, players can enjoy Crash Commando either on or offline.

KEY FEATURES
Fun and Frenzied Multiplayer Action – The hilarious action never slows with up to 12 players battling on a map simultaneously, either online or offline with BOTs.
Weapons and Explosives Galore – Commandos have an array of weapons to choose from with machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, C4, mines and more. Players can jump into an array of controllable vehicles such as jeeps and tanks, to deal even more damage.
Single Player and Multiplayer Modes – Crash Commando features multiplayer modes like Death Match and team-based game modes as well as single player modes like Boot Camp and custom games versus AI-controlled BOTs.
Player Profiles – A Duty Records Award system, along with Player Rankings, Trophy Support and online Leaderboards, will track player stats and accomplishments.

Bionic Commando: Rearmed First Week Download Numbers

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:40:00 MDT

Bionic Commando: Rearmed is a proper downloadable game. It's meaty — like a real game! Reviewers and players seem to be picking up on that. And for a downloadable title, the game's doing pretty good across the platforms. But how good? Over at the official Bionic Commando site, producer Ben Judd writes:

While I have to admit, throwing out a number like 100,000 seemed pretty overzealous after seeing how hard digital titles are to sell, I still hoped we could reach that lofty goal. Boy, did I miss the mark.

7 days — over 130,000 units.

Holy fiddlesticks!

That may not seem impressive compared to package titles that sell in the millions but compared to other digital titles that is a friggin JUGGERNAUT!

...Consumers voted with their dollars. They basically have sent the message loud and clear:

We are tired of meta-emulated crap.
We want the titles of yesteryear to be paid the proper respect.
We want them done right.
And if the price is right, we'll buy.

That's a nice message, you know. Hopefully other developers are, you know, listening.

BC Weekly Field Report: #12 [Bionic Commando]

Kojima: Metal Gear Acid 'Possible' for PSN

Owen Good — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:00:00 MDT

Eurogamer caught up with Hideo Kojima at Games Convention '08 and asked out of the blue if Metal Gear Acid, the PSP-only, turn-based version of the series, would ever arrive on PlayStation Network. Kojima's answer was noncommittal, but not a brush-off either:

"I'll say yes to that idea, but not because it is already running or anything," Kojima told Eurogamer when asked about the possibility of porting the turn-based strategy titles to PSN.

"I'm just saying yes because it's possible, I think it is possible. Sorry to say we don't have specific plans at the moment, but it is possible, yes."

Wikipedia points out that the two games in the Metal Gear Acid series are non-canonical.

MG Acid for PSN "Possible" — Kojima [Eurogamer]

Qore Customers Get MotorStorm 2 Demo A Month Early

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:20:00 MDT

This won't go down well with the Qore-hating brigade. Especially if you're also a MotorStorm fan. It's been revealed that as part of the upcoming fourth episode of Sony's paid-for PS3 "editorial" program, both annual subscribers and individual purchasers of the episode will be given access to the MotorStorm 2 demo a month before anyone else. If you were ever worried that Qore would be Sony's way of easing the PSN into a premium service divide like that which separates Xbox Live, now's the time to start worrying a little more.

PAL PlayStation Store Update: Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:30:00 MDT

Good news, Europeans (and antipodeans)! Because it's the Leipzig Games Convention, and because Leipzig's in Europe, and because you've all been very, very good, this week's PlayStation Store update is almost exactly the same as the North American one. And the North American one was stacked. You get Ratchet & Clank, you get Kratos, you get DragonForce, you even get the PSP version of Pirates! as a downloadable title. So no complaining this week, OK?

PS3 store

Game
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
Buzz Quiz TV - National Geographic Safari Quiz
International Track & Field
Bionic Commando Rearmed Game

Demo
Bionic Commando Rearmed Trial
STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED

Packs
Everybody’s Golf World Tour: Extra Character – Kratos
Guitar Heros - DRAGONFORCE TRACK PACK
HAZE DOMINATION PACK

Videos
SCEA Press Conference at E3 2008
SCEA Press Conference at E3 2008 Part 2
SCEA Press Conference at E3 2008 Part 3
Far Cry 2 - Ubidays trailer
Play TV Trailer
Bionic Commando Rearmend Lunch Trailer
Fatal Inertia Ex Trailer 2

Leipzig Trailers
EyePet Leipzig 2008 Trailer
Heavy Rain Leipzig 2008 Trailer
inFamous Leipzig 2008 Trailer
Killzone® 2 Leipzig 2008 Trailer
LittleBigPlanet™ Leipzig 2008 Trailer
MotorStorm® Pacific Rift Trailer
Leipzig 2008 Sizzle
PLAYSTATION®Network Showcase – Leipzig 2008
Ratchet & Clank™: Quest for Booty Leipzig 2008 Trailer
Warhawk™ Operation Fallen Star Trailer
WipEout HD Trailer
VidZone on PLAYSTATION®3 Trailer
GTI CLUB+ RALLY COTE D’AZUR

PSP content available to download via PS3 Console store

Game
Medal of Honor Heros
SID MEIER’S PIRATES!

PC store

Game
Medal of Honor Heros
International Track & Field (PS1)
SID MEIER’S PIRATES!

Videos
Play TV Trailer
LocoRoco™ 2 Leipzig 2008 Trailer

In Game
Bionic Commando Rearmed Full Unlock, £6.99

PSN Store Update [Three Speech]

New WipeOut HD Trailer

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:30:00 MDT

vvvvrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmm flash flash flash fast fast fast oh my god cannotwait.

PlayStation Store Update: Booty Calls

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:40:00 MDT

This week's North American PlayStation Store update isn't here to mess around. It's heavy on the good stuff. Most prominent amongst the week's offerings is the all-new, all-downloadable Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, but if you're not up for spending the $15, there's the Kratos Hot Shots Golf add-on ($2), DragonForce track pack for Guitar Hero III ($6.25) or a bunch of free stuff, including demos for The Last Guy, Force Unleashed and NFL Head Coach 09.

Downloadable Games

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty ($14.99)

EA SPORTS Live Score Tracker ($0.99)

Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds: Kratos Character ($1.99)

HAZE Domination Pack (free)

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

Rock Band

* “Through Being Cool” - Devo ($1.99)
* “Girl U Want” - Devo ($1.99)
* “Rio” - Duran Duran ($1.99)
* “Girls on Film” - Duran Duran
* “Get Your Rock On” 1 The Janitors ($0.99)

Game Demos

The Last Guy

STAR WARS The Force Unleashed

NFL Head Coach 09

Leipzig Game Videos

SCEE Leipzig Software Compilation

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty Launch Trailer

inFamous Leipzig Trailer

Warhawk Fallen Star Video

Game Videos

The Last Guy Cities Trailer

PAIN Clown Toss Mode Trailer

PAIN Hot n’ Cold Mode Trailer

Vampire Rain Altered Species Trailer 5

Vampire Rain Gameplay Trailer #2

BiA Hell’s Highway Making of #1: Operation

Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway Making of #2: Roll Call

Madden NFL 09 Backtrack Video

Madden NFL 09 Rewind Video

Madden NFL 09 Virtual Trainer Video

PS3 Themes

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty

inFamous

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty Wallpaper

Motorstorm Pacific Rift Leipzig Wallpaper

TNA iMPACT! Wrestling Wallpaper

PLAYSTATION Store for PC

Downloadable Games

* Jeanne D’Arc ($22.99) (also downloadable via PS3)

Game Videos

* Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty Launch Trailer
* Jeanne D’Arc trailer
* Yggdra Union official trailer

PSP Wallpaper

* Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 Wallpaper
* Yggdra Union Wallpaper

You Got Jet Packs in My Warhawk: A First Look

Brian Crecente — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:10:00 MDT

As we mentioned earlier, Warhawk's upcoming expansion pack Operation Fallen Star is being shown off this week at the Games Convention in Leipzig.

The pack comes with ten new battle maps set in the forested Tau Crater as well as the Icarus M. 1 Rocket Pack, which allows soldiers to fly about and take on both ground troops and Warhawks up close. Hit the jump for the full release and a fancy gallery.

The war between Eucadian and Chernovan forces has just got even bigger with the advent of a new expansion pack for Warhawk.

Warhawk has expanded again with Operation Fallen Star, a new pack that adds even more to the massive online vehicular combat title.

Available to download from PLAYSTATION Store (PS3), Operation Fallen Star gives you a new battlefield with ten fresh battle maps and a brand new "vehicle". This third addition to the Warhawk expansion pack family introduces the remote, forested Tau Crater – the site of a crashed Chernovan experimental warship containing invaluable experimental technology.

While the Chernovans try desperately to salvage their stricken ship, the Eucadians arrive to claim it for themselves. The landscape is littered with parts of the warship and the Chernovans have brought heavy duty salvaging equipment and a huge crane to lift large pieces of the wreckage – an ideal target for the Eucadians to capture, setting the scene for some epic battles for you to engage in.

This pack expands the player’s overall Warhawk experience with ten new Tau Crater battlefields – as well as the Icarus Mk. 1 Rocket Pack: a personal rocket pack that allows soldiers to soar above the fray, escape ground troops, enter the aerial realm of the Warhawks themselves and engage in radically new combat tactics. Use this new mode of transport for a fresh take on aerial combat in all new and existing Warhawk maps.

With thousands of online gamers playing Warhawk every day, Operation Fallen Star marks the perfect time to leave the comfort zone and join the battle in the air or on the ground.

Warhawk Jet Packs, Crash Commando, Savage Moon Invade Sony PSN

Brian Crecente — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:33:36 MDT

Riding high on the success of downloadable titles like PixelJunk Monsters, echochrome and Super Stardust HD, Sony packed their booth with a collection of upcoming digital goodies.

High on the list are such stand-outs from E3 as Flower, PixelJunk Eden and The Last Guy Standing, but there's also a nice selection of some newer titles like old-school side-scroller Crash Commando, tower strategy game Savage Moon and Warhawk's Operation Fallen Star expansion pack which includes, yes, jet packs.

Full list and descriptions on the jump.

PLAYSTATION®Network showcases major releases including Flower™, Fat Princess™, The Last Guy™, Rag Doll Kung Fu™ and Ratchet & Clank™: Quest For Booty – while Super Stardust™ HD goes portable

Leipzig Games Convention, 20th August 2008: PLAYSTATION®Network is the premier source of downloadable games content, with a huge offering of fun, innovative new games as well as classic PlayStation® titles. Already boasting huge successes with the likes of PixelJunk™ Monsters, Super Stardust HD™ and echochrome™, PLAYSTATION Network is ushering in a new generation of top titles from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) with the following on show at Games Convention 2008.

Flower™
A true escape from the modern world, Flower challenges traditional gaming conventions with a lush, vivid environment in which players control the wind, using petals to reshape and revive their game surroundings. Using simple SIXAXIS™ wireless controllers, play involves flight and exploration, as you guide a petal across the landscape. Collecting additional petals and feel the gameplay change from serene to chaotic as you collect more and more. With more than 200,000 individually animated blades of grass, Flower is a game only possible thanks to the power of PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™).

Fat Princess™
In modern life, obesity is a social concern but, in medieval times, it was a key battle tactic! The Fat Princess of the title is your own over-fed royal that you must rescue from your enemy’s dungeon – if you can carry the porky madam to safety, that is. Choose the role of a warrior, archer, mage, worker or priest; your most important weapon here is teamwork as you work alongside up to 15 other players online to defeat the enemy team across ten individual maps and over numerous gameplay modes. Bringing countless players together on PLAYSTATION Network, Fat Princess™ is a blast of hilarious, furious multiplayer fun.

Crash Commando™
Old school gameplay meets next generation technology in Crash Commando™, mixing classic side-scrolling action with intense multiplayer fun in the ultimate slapstick shooter. Up to 12 players slug it out online or offline in frenzied death-matches, taking control of jetpacks, jeeps and tanks on two gameplay layers which can be moved between seamlessly via portals. Sign up with either the Jarheads or the Grunts in all-out warfare for world supremacy on a battlefield strewn with exaggerated gore and special effects. Track your victories with online leaderboards, rankings and trophy support.

Rachet & Clank™: Quest For Booty
Ratchet and Clank make their return in a bite-sized mini-adventure filled with their trademark crazy weaponry, side-splitting comedy and dazzling 3D animation in this treasure-hunting adventure. Help Ratchet sail solo into a world of galleons, parrots and cutlasses in his quest to uncover booty and his missing mate Clank. Journey through the dark caves of Hoolefar Island, navigate the treacherous Viper Caverns and take on foul-tempered buccaneer and new nemesis Captain Darkwater. Beware: danger lurks around every corner.

The Last Guy™
Set in the aftermath of a strange event that has caused many people to turn into fierce monsters, this fast-paced and fun game challenges players to save humanity by leading everybody else through the streets of world cities to safety. With a focus on gameplay rather than gore, The Last Guy is a game that’ll keep you coming back for more monster mayhem every time. Gather the survivors into lines and lead them through the streets of 14 world cities - all recreated with stunning aerial photography. Each city has an escape zone which you must lead your lines of people into while avoiding the enemy at all costs...

Savage Moon™
Classic tower strategy gameplay heads into outer space in Savage Moon™, as players attempt to protect an isolated planetary outpost from rampaging hordes of gigantic, ravenous space bugs. Position your towers in the best position possible to beat the bugs and convert your victory points into weapons that suit your preferred tactics. Classic strategy gaming meets interstellar gameplay with endless strategic possibilities – can you beat the bugs and save the moon?

PixelJunk Eden™
Prepare to be stunned by PixelJunk Eden™, the game that challenges you to help alien plants flower and bloom in a psychedelic, hypnotic Garden of Eden. Smash into enemies to release batches of pollen, making your flowers grow. Swing higher and higher through your growing paradise, climbing up iridescent stems, swinging from twirling branches, swaying on psychedelic flowers and searching the undergrowth for hidden treasures – with mesmerising graphics and electronic soundtrack created by Japanese artist Baiyon.

Rag Doll Kung Fu™
Rag Doll Kung Fu is a party fighting game based on the ancient principles of kung fu and rag-doll physics. Fast-paced combat, exaggerated action and unique visuals come together in a game that is easy for beginners but has enough depth in its combat system to keep hardcore fighters coming back for more. Using simple SIXAXIS motions to pull off special moves and combat sequences, players compete in matches with up to four other players either online or offline. The perfect party game for experts and beginners alike.

Warhawk™: Operation: Fallen Star expansion pack
The third expansion pack for mighty online warfare title Warhawk, Operation: Fallen Star introduces the remote, forested Tau Crater – the site of a crashed Chernovan warship containing invaluable experimental technology. With the Chernovans trying desperately to salvage the ship, the Eucadians have arrived with a view to stealing it for themselves. This pack brings ten new battlefields to the Warhawk experience – as well as the Infantry Jetpack – a personal rocket pack that allows soldiers to soar above the fray of battle into the aerial realm of the Warhawks themselves.

WipEout™HD
The arrival of WipEout® HD on PLAYSTATION®3 marks the dawning of a new era for the iconic racer, so strap yourself in for anti-gravity combat racing in full 1080p High Definition. Choose a futuristic craft then speed into the thick of the action in adrenaline-fuelled races across eight reversible tracks full of smooth loops, sharp bends and sheer drops. Master the ultra-realistic motion sensitive controls; unleash high-tech weapons to blast your opponents off the track. Take part in global online racing for up to eight players, compete for trophies and test your skills against the best pilots on the planet.

Super Stardust™ Portable for PSP™
One of the most popular PLAYSTATION Network titles arrives on PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), making outer-space action mobile, so wherever you go, a blast of furious intergalactic shooter fun is close at hand. Retaining all the aspects that made Super Stardust a hit on PS3, Super Stardust Portable is sure to follow in the successful footsteps of its home system counterpart.

All of these titles will be on show at Leipzig 2008, so make you check out the future of PLAYSTATION Network gaming with these incredible, inventive downloadable titles.

DragonForce Debuts New Single on Guitar Hero III This Week

Brian Crecente — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:20:00 MDT

As noted last month on Roadrunnner Record's website, Activision has confirmed that English speed metal band DragonForce is debuting a new single on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as part of a downloadable track pack.

Heroes of Our Time, the debut single off their new album Ultra Beatdown, will come with Revolution Deathsquad and Operation Ground and Pound, both from DragonForce's third album Inhuman Rampage.

The three-song DragonForce Pack will the Playstation Store and Xbox Live on Aug. 21.

Bionic Commando Rearmed: Launch Trailer

Owen Good — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:00:00 MDT

Swedish techno music and the Wilhelm Scream! (at 0:50). Are either of those the reason for the "mature audiences" flag on this trailer? Or is it because they show quasi-Nazis? (Quazis?) Bionic Command Rearmed is out on PSN, XBLA and PC in all regions. Anyone pick it up yet?

Capcom Still Has "Ace Up Its Sleeve" For Bionic Commando

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:00:00 MDT

And not any ace, says Bionic Commando producer Ben Judd in his ear wax shirt, but a "fucking ace". At a small event for the launch of Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Judd said that the downloadable title was doing way better than it had been targeted. "There were people at Capcom who told me not to make this game," Judd said. While BC:R is doing well, Judd says that it won't do nearly as well as the upcoming 3D version, which has apparently gotten a recent control tweak to make the game less frustrating. "Store retail games always do better than downloadable games," he added. As Judd goes off to Sweden to oversee developer GRIN's finishing of Bionic Commando, he stated:

We still have a fucking ace up our sleeve. It's an ace, a fucking ace... At TGS (Tokyo Game Show), the Capcom booth stage is going to make people's balls pucker up. It's going to be big.

When questioned further, Judd would not reveal what this ace was. Wonder what Capcom still has left to announce for Bionic Commando...

Thanks Jon for the iPhone pic!

PlayStation Store Update: Rearmed

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:40:15 MDT

This week's North American PlayStation Store update is led (and dominated) by Bionic Commando: Rearmed. The high-def remake of the NES classic is now available for PlayStation 3 owners, bringing with it a demo, gameplay trailers, wallpapers and themes. The Store also got a kick in the pants in the game video section, with new (aka "new") trailers for Madden, Mirror's Edge and, unfortunately, Vampire Rain. For the full list, hit the jump. Or attach your bionic arm to the nearest hyperlink and swing past it.

Games and Demos
Bionic Commando Rearmed ($9.99)
Street Fighter Alpha ($5.99)
Bionic Commando: Rearmed demo
1942: Joint Strike demo
NHL 2K9 demo
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2009 demo

Expansions and Add-ons
Rock Band downloadable tracks
* “Constant Motion" by Dream Theater ($0.99)
* “Aesthetics of Hate" by Machine Head ($0.99)
* “My Curse" by Killswitch Engage ($0.99)
* “Clouds Over California" by DevilDriver ($0.99)
* “Runnin’ Wild" by Airbourne ($0.99)
* “Sleepwalker" by Megadeth ($0.99)

Roadrunner Records Pack 1 ($5.99) - includes “Runnin’ Wild" by Airbourne, “Clouds Over California" by DevilDriver, “Constant Motion" by Dream Theater, “My Curse” -Killswitch Engage, “Aesthetics of Hate" by Machine Head , and “Sleepwalker" by Megadeth.

Game Videos
The Last Guy "Gameplay" trailer
Bionic Commando: Rearmed: The Making Of Part 3
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Launch trailer
Saints Row 2 – Gangs trailer
Vampire Rain Gameplay trailer 1
Vampire Rain Running Alley trailer
Legendary Behind the Scenes Teaser trailer
Madden NFL 09 Buzz Video
Madden NFL 09 Announcers Video
Madden NFL 09 Presentation Video
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 : Fusion
Mirror’s Edge Story trailer 1
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland FMX Jam Session
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland Skate Thrills
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland BMX Highlights
AST Dew Tour - Hear it from Nyquist

Wallpapers and Themes
Bioshock theme
Bionic Commando: Rearmed themes
Bionic Commando: Rearmed wallpapers

Burnout Paradise Vrooming On To PSN

Stuart Houghton — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:00:00 MDT

If you missed Burnout Paradise on PS3 back in January, now is the time to get your open-world speed on as the racer hits the PlayStation Network.

The PSN edition — downloadable from the PlayStation Store — will come with all the recent patches and updates and will be able to download the 'Year Of Paradise' DLC that adds new vehicles (including motorcycles) and game modes.

The DLC will also bring a live news page containing updates about new content and multiplayer events.

Burnout Paradise should arrive this Autumn for $29.99.

Burnout Paradise [Criterion Games]

Mega-Man vs. Concrete Man, Tornado Man, Magma Man

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:00:00 MDT

The Mega-Man franchise has cool bosses, and Mega-Man 9 is no exception. Bosses include concrete shootin' Concrete Man, twister spinnin' Tornado Man, fireball blastin' Magma Man. Run down of the bosses, screenshots and art after the j-u-m-p!

Concrete Man:
Created to construct a dam, Concrete man can actually design a dam and supervise its entire construction. He has stubborn a stubborn personality and will tell off any lazy robots.

Weapon: Concrete Shot
Concrete shot creates a temporary foothold as soon as it touches the ground. It can also be used to stop enemies in their tracks.

Tornado Man:
Works for the Weather Manipulation Office to help control and stop the formation of large storms all over the world.

Weapon: Tornado Blow
Tornado Blow launches a huge tornado that covers the entire game area. Heavy enemies will take damage, but lighter ones will be blown entirely off-screen.

Magma Man:
Magma Man serves as the safety control robot at a large geothermal power plant. He is able to work in incredibly hot environments and loves to visit hot spas.

Weapon: Magma Bazooka
Magma Bazooka shoots a cluster of fireballs that spread out after launching. It can also be charged by holding down the shot button.

Still No Plans For A Siren Blu-Ray Rlease In The US

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:30:00 MDT

Hope this story from last week didn't get your hopes up. Turns out that information - about a Blu-Ray release for Siren: Blood Curse in the Fall - was for European eyes only. You Americans, you're still in limbo, left only with the option of downloading the game and these helpful words from SCEA:

At this time, there is no Blu-ray Disc version planned for the North American market. Please note, however, that you are able to delete and then re-download episodes since the purchase is linked to your PSN account. The developers kept this functionality in mind knowing that the episodes were fairly beefy.

Hah. "No plans". Already, our favourite catchphrase of 2008! Of course, being a PS3 game it's not too hard to import it, so long as you don't mind the characters telling you to stick to the footpath, mind the grey-skinned chaps and use only aluminium weapons. Side note to publishers: more press statements need the word "beefy".

Still No U.S. Plans For Disc-Based ‘Siren: Blood Curse’ [MTV]

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest For Booty a Chunky Standalone Game

Brian Crecente — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:00:00 MDT

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty hits next week when the nearly 2.4 Gig downloadable game hits the Playstation Network.

Quest for Booty will take about four hours to play through, we're told, and doesn't require that you own the retail game Ratchet & Clank Future, although it does continue the storyline.

The game will include new wrench mechanics, light and dark illumination and pirate-themed puzzles. The game will also include four locations: Planet Merdegraw: Pirate Fleet, Hoolefar Island, Morrow Caverns and Darkwater Cove and a bunch of pirate enemies including Skull Walkers, Hot Heads, Giant Vipers (Pythors) and Undead Robotic Pirates.

I'm not sure what to make of this stand-alone download for $15, but it's an interesting way to release a smallish game and I kind of like the idea that they're not forcing gamers to go buy the original title to play it.

Street Fighter Alpha Coming To PSN

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:20:00 MDT

So The Street Fighter HD beta didn't hit the PSN. Cry me a river, PS3 owners. It's not like you're not being adequately compensated, what with Capcom just announcing that the original PS1 version of Street Fighter Alpha/Zero is to be released as part of this Thursday's PlayStation Network update. Yes, a decent PS1 game. Close your mouth, dear, you'll attract flies. Sure, it won't boast meticulously redrawn sprites or fan-created soundtracks, but you know what? It'll be out, and you'll be able to buy it, which is more than we can say for the never-going-to-actually-be-released SFIIHD.

STREET FIGHTER - SURPRISE! [Capcom]

PixelJunk Monsters And Eden Too Hard? Help Is On The Way!

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:00:00 MDT

There have been complaints that Pixel Junk's Monsters and Eden are too damn hard. The games aren't forgiving for less skilled players. But fret not! PixelJunk dude Dylan Cuthbert is here, bringing news of easier settings — or "a more namby pamby mode". Writes Cuthbert:

You’ll be pleased to know that one thing we will add to Monsters in an upcoming patch is a difficulty setting menu - you won’t be able to use the online ranking (that wouldn’t be fair) but you can advance on any difficulty you like… even expert (which yes, is harder than the default setting). The patch will be free.
As for Eden, well… that’s way too easy a game to make it any easier, surely???!
At least in co-op you can reach out and catch your betrothed if she falls, the veritable juliet to your romeo so to speak.

However, we do have lots of ideas for the expansion pack as the controls are too much fun to waste on just one set of game rules. I’m sure we will try and add a more namby pamby mode for the “lighter” people out there.

It's nice to see PixelJunk listens to the namby pamby players. That so should be the brand's new slogan or something. Cuthbert better copyright that and pronto! Otherwise, he'll be sorry.

Dylan Responds [citizengame via The BBPS]

Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars

Mike Fahey — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:20:00 MDT

Sorry about the headline containing only the game title, but developer Psyonix Studios didn't leave me much room for anything else. Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars is a game that combines automotive acrobatics with soccer, coming to the PlayStation Network early this Fall. While there'll be mini-games and single player matches for the loners out there, the game will feature extensive multiplayer community support, with team and league play, stat-tracking, trophies, and the ability to upload game videos directly to YouTube. This will probably be the last time I refer to this game by its full name. I hereby dub this game Battle-Cars. Hit the jump for the first Battle-Cars screens and the full, lengthy press release!

"Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars" Announced for the PLAYSTATION(r) Network
Psyonix Studios Creates One of the Longest Named Games Ever Online
El Segundo, Calif.- Aug. 8, 2008 Psyonix Studios today announced Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, an arena-based online vehicle sports game for PLAYSTATION(r) Network that brings together animated vehicles in sports-like gameplay.

The game features vehicles with incredible physics-based maneuverability, including boosters for launching high into the air or accelerating at break-neck speed on the ground. In the air, cars can roll, flip, jump, dodge or spin. In this team-based soccer-inspired game, the vehicles maneuver to perform breathtaking saves, awe-inspiring shots on goal, and gruesome demolishes of opponent cars. These abilities, combined with the players' own creativity, create a unique and thrilling experience every time.

Wide-ranging community involvement is supported through team and league play, as well as extensive statistical tracking, rankings, and rewards for individuals and teams. The game features mini-games and single player matches as well as team and league matches and scrimmage matches online. Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars will also feature PLAYSTATION(r)3 computer entertainment system trophies and players will be able to upload videos of their most exciting games to YouTube.

"It takes a pretty special game to carry such a lengthy title and be able to hold its head high amongst games with much shorter names," commented Dave Hagewood, Director of Development at Psyonix Studios. "Thankfully, we don't have to worry about fitting this title on a package."

Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars is expected to be available in early fall 2008.

Pain Trophies Detailed, The Dude Abides

Mike Fahey — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:40:00 MDT

Pain producer Travis Williams has once again dropped in over at the official PlayStation Blog, this time revealing some of the trophies being added to the game in the upcoming Amusement Park expansion, due out on the 4th of September. There's a nice little selection of trophies, ranging from the impossible Gold "Affliction Addiction" - Get one billion points - to the more modest (in a way) Bronze trophy "Harder Dick's Balls, which challenges you to get all of Dick's Balls in the Block Party dumpster without resetting.

My personal favorite would have to be the Silver Trophy for scoring 50 strikes in Bowling with The Dude, which they have named "The Dude Abides". Indeed he does.

PAIN Trophies [Official PlayStation Blog]

PAL PlayStation Store Update: Squat. SQUAT!

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:30:00 MDT

Well would you get a load of this. A PAL PlayStation Store update with nothing in it? Incredible. Insulting. Disappointing. Predictable. Take your pick of any of those. There are five items available today, Europe. Five. And that's across both stores, PS3 and PSP. Surely this is the lowest moment yet for a weekly ritual that prides itself on low moments.

PS3 store

Guitar Hero III: Interscope Track Pack

Civilization Revolution - Wonders & Artefact Pack #1: The Mythic

Dead Space - Loved Ones Trailer

PSP Store

Secret Agent Clank Demo

Secret Agent Clank Trailer

Don't download it all at once, Europe, or you'll have nothing left to do until...Saturday.

US Version Of The Last Guy Will Kick Off In Frisco

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:20:00 MDT

As we already expected, the various international releases of The Last Guy will feature "appropriate" cities for each region. London for the UK, LA for the US, etc etc. We can add one more city to that list, as following a playthrough of the game, MTV found that the American release of the title will start in San Francisco. Specifically, in Fisherman's Wharf, which will be the game's first level. Never been there myself, but it really brings home how great an idea this is: saving people from some other city might be fun, but saving your own kin (should the game feature your hometown) is funner.

In America, ‘The Last Guy’ Starts In San Francisco [MTV] [Pic]

PlayStation Store Update: Loot The Qore

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:40:21 MDT

This week's PlayStation Store update brings with it one of the many ways to get access to the Resistance 2 beta program. If you're a Qore annual subscriber, you're in. If you're a non-committal single issue buyer type, you're in (later). If none of that interests you, there's still a whopping amount of stuff in this week's North American PSN update, with a trio of Talkman Travel downloads for the PSP, a bunch of extra things to buy for NASCAR 09, as well as some nice Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice wallpaper. The full list is after the jump.

Qore Episode 3 ($2.99 Issue, $24.99 Annual Subscription)

Games and Demos
Talkman Travel: Rome ($5.99) for PSP
Talkman Travel: Tokyo ($5.99) for PSP
Talkman Travel: Paris ($5.99) for PSP

Expansions and Add-ons
Snakeball Team Mode ($1.99)
NASCAR 09 Montreal Track ($3.99)
NASCAR 09 Skin Pack 1 ($2.49)
NASCAR 09 Skin Pack 2 ($2.49)
NASCAR 09 Skin Pack 3 ($2.49)
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock "Interscope Track Pack" ($6.25)
Rock Band tracks
* “Toxicity” by System of a Down ($1.99)
* “B.Y.O.B” by System of a Down ($1.99)
* Crüe Fest Pack 2 ($2.99) - includes “Rescue Me” by Buckcherry, “Face Down in the Dirt” by Mötley Crüe, and “Life is Beautiful” by Sixx:A.M.
* “Rescue Me” by Buckcherry ($0.99)
* “Face Down in the Dirt” by Mötley Crüe ($0.99)
* “Life is Beautiful” by Sixx:A.M. ($0.99)

Game Videos
PlayStation Home "E3" Video
The Last Guy "Behind The Scenes"
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed trailer
Tomb Raider: Underworld trailer
Madden NFL 09 "E3" trailer
Madden NFL 20th Anniversary video
Madden NFL 09 "Adaptability" trailer
TNA iMPACT! "Head to Head" trailer
Dead Space "Dev Diary #5: Creating Horror"
Dead Space Animated Comic Issue #4
AST Dew Tour - Greg Lutzka’s Road to Finals
AST Dew Tour - One on one with James Foster
AST Dew Tour - PlayStation Pro Moments - 2
AST Dew Tour - Spinner looks to ‘08

Themes and Wallpapers
PlayStation Home theme
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice wallpapers
Tomb Raider: Underworld wallpaper

Frankenreview: PixelJunk Eden

Mike Fahey — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:30:00 MDT

Some of the best games on the PlayStation 3 have never seen a Blu-ray disc, all thanks to the folks at Q-Games. The first two games in their PixelJunk series - Racers and Monsters - proved that you didn't need photo realistic graphics to make video games that truly belong to the next generation. Now they've released PixelJunk Eden, a game about jumping, grabbing, and pollinating. Looking at the graphics alone you'd have absolutely no clue what was going on. Watching a video sheds a little light, but doesn't quite make things clear. No, to experience PixelJunk Eden you need to get your hands on it, just like the reviewers did in our latest Frankenreview.

Eurogamer
What's confusing is the game's wild and carefree disdain for consistency, and the way it throws its head back and laughs in the face of the laws of physics. Many jumps are hard to judge, because the game seems to decide whether your character will make them based on how it's feeling at precisely that moment in time. A plant that looks impossibly far away might be easily reachable, and vice versa. So you're left confused about what your character's capable of, which routes through the level are feasible and why these two aspects appear to change on a moment-to-moment basis.

Boomtown
Remote play on PSP makes a welcome appearance, and works very well, in no small part due to the simplicity of the controls and visuals. Then there is the ‘revolutionary’ trophy addition which will certainly sell a few more copies of the game for those hoping to ‘level up’ their PSN accounts. Thankfully, adding more value than just having to complete each level, the trophies vary between a completist’s dream, opening all of the seeds in each level to a rather crazy trapeze based three player achievement.

1UP
Eden's heart lies as much in its audiovisual detail as it does in any structural or gameplay elements. Strikingly colorful and abstract, the mesmerizing backdrops complement the sparse game perfectly. Even when the levels start flipping gravity and tweaking the relationship between the enemies and environments, it's easy to appreciate the visuals acting as the motivating force behind the action. The music isn't quite as interesting and doesn't evolve much throughout the journey, but the beats are still an essential part of the experience (the louder, the better).

UGO
PixelJunk Racer was cool and PixelJunk Monsters sucked away a good few months, but PixelJunk Eden is straight-up digital crack. The ever-increasing difficulty challenges without ever becoming overly frustrating, probably because the sights and sounds are so damn calming and the controls, so charmingly simple and intuitive. If it sounds too abstract, do yourself a favor try the demo on PSN. PixelJunk Eden is a wholly unique gaming experience, one which is difficult to accurately describe. Like the best things in life, it must be sampled to be truly understood.

I spent the better part of Tuesday playing PixelJunk Eden, leading to me having to stay up until 6AM to finish Eternity's Child for my review. 'Nuff said.

SOCOM Beta Kicks Off in Sept, How You Can Get In

Brian Crecente — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:00:00 MDT

The SOCOM Confrontation public beta is set to run for the entire month of September, the developers announced today, and there are two ways you can get into it.

Gamers can land entry to the public beta by preodering a copy of the game at GameStop, which will also give them two keys to the beta to share. They can also get in by downloading the June issue of Playstation Network video show QORE. GameStop beta keys go live on September 1, while the Qore when start on September 8.

Unfortunately, this is only for North American gamers. Other regions will have to wait to see what their local Sony tells them.

Public Beta Info No Really! [SOCOM]

Driver Coming To PSN Next Week

Mike Fahey — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:40:00 MDT

Ubisoft has announced that the PlayStation classic Driver will be hitting the PlayStation Network next Thursday, August 14th. The game puts you in the role of an undercover cop infiltrating a crime syndicate using his driving skills, something that happens on a regular basis these days.

"Step inside the world of the original wheelman in this revived classic from Ubisoft Reflections," says the publisher. "Driver for the original PlayStation was a huge hit on the original PlayStation and remains a classic. Soon you can relive those gaming memories, or enjoy it for the first time, on PSN for PlayStation 3."

"The original wheelman"? Ouch. Yours might be the original, but does it have Vin Diesel? Is that even a selling point anymore?

Driver skids onto PSN Aug. 14 [CVG]

Talkman Travel Helps PSP Owners Pick Up Foreigners This Thursday

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:40:38 MDT

Japanese gamers have had access to the Talkman translation software on their PSPs for close to three years now. Even the Euros got their fix of Talkman! North Americans are finally getting it this Thursday via the PlayStation Store in the form of Talkman Travel, three language-based downloads that feature built-in translated phrases, photos of popular international destinations and even... wait for it... mini-games!

You'll be able to (attempt to) pick up chicks (or dudes) in Japanese, French or Italian using Talkman Travel, as well as find places to eat, relieve yourself legally, and haggle for chintzy souvenirs. At only $6 a pop, I don't think I can heed Crecente's advice that Talkman's "sorta shit."

Parlez-vous Talkman Travel? Interactive Travel Guide Coming to PSP [PlayStation.blog]

R&C: Quest for Booty Is For Everybody

Jim Reilly — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:20:00 MDT

Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty will be hitting PSN pretty soon. By now, you’re all familiar with the details since its E3 announcement. A short but sweet extended expansion for Tools of Destruction for a low, low price of $15. I got a demo of it today, and while it’s a PSN-only download game, don’t expect the graphics to take a hit, in fact, expect to see some improvements.

It’s a wonder how Insomniac finds the time to make Resistance 2 and sprinkle on a little Ratchet and Clank in the same year. But they did, and boy you really have to hand it to them. Sure Quest for Booty is a short game, around 4 to 5 hours, but it still looks as good as any other game out there. It uses the same engine as Tools of Destruction, which Insomniac knows like the back of their hand, and that allowed the team to add some new lighting and environmental effects for new areas of the game.

Something I didn’t really love about the later Ratchet titles was the focus on weapons. I like more platform-y games. So I was excited to find out there is less emphasis on weapons this time and more placed on platforming and puzzle solving. Ratchet doesn’t even start with a weapon; you have to wack stuff with your wrench early on until you find one.

The level I saw didn’t showcase it, but the theme of the game is about pirates and swashbuckling, so that’s pretty exciting. I mean, pirates are awesome, right?

The gameplay itself is straight-up Ratchet, though. If you know the series, you’ll feel right at home. I was told Insomniac wanted to release this to get people to try Ratchet who didn’t before and who are new to the series. How that translates into the overall difficulty of the game remains to be seen.

Also, there are no trophies in this game, at the time of launch anyway. There’s nothing stopping them from adding them in down the road, however. No saved data info from Tools of Destruction will carry over into Quest for Booty, either. They wanted to make this a completely separate experience.

One little hint was dropped to me about the ending. I had asked if the storyline for Quest for Booty would carry over into the next Ratchet game. I was told you’re going to have to beat the game and find out and that there may be something interesting. Don’t take that as any kind of confirmation, though.