Early last year, Sony filed a mark for PS Cloud. Specifically, Sony Computer Entertainment did, the folks responsible for the PlayStation part of the business.

The recent Cloudsurf, however, applies to more than just video games, also applying for the mark against cell phones, digital cameras, televisions and more. Perhaps this is just a more marketable name for that broader PlayStation Network that Sony has been hinting at for some time. It's likely not portending the availability of echochrome levels anywhere and everywhere.

Sony also registered trademarks for video game related things under the name voyAgent, but we'll leave the speculation on that one up to you.

Cloudsurf [USPTO]

Judging by the comments posted in the PlayStation blog entry by Zipper's senior community manager Jeremy Dunham, many players have already had a chance to log in and go a few rounds in the Massive Action Game beta, but later commenters and some of our own tipsters report that they cannot connect to the game at all. Dunham addresses the issues in his replies to commenters, stating that they are working to fix a "server hiccup."

Dunham's most recent reply, posted a half-hour before this post went live, explains that, "Yes, we're having a server issue at the moment" and "We are in the midst of fixing it," urging players to "Hang in there."

In case his message is not clear, I've prepared a visual aid.

MAG Beta Starts Today [PlayStation Blog]

It was all a big mistake, of course, and one that was corrected in around five hours, but during that window it was available, people grabbed it, and people are now watching it on their PS3s and PSPs. For free.

Interesting that, mistake or not, the movie had already been processed and cleared for digital download, indicating its actual, intended release may not have been that far away.

Break into the PlayStation Store, get Armored for free [Joystiq]

Media Molecule has been passing out the Sackademy Awards left and right this month, with the winners for Best Machinima Video, Best Visuals and Use of Special Effects, Best Use of Story in a Level and more now available for your viewing pleasure over at the PlayStation Blog. The only award yet to be determined is the coveted Level of the Year, and that's all up to your vote.

As I said, MM has selected 10 finalist, and they want you to decide which should take home the award. Not only do I think this is a lovely way to get the fan community involved, playing through the ten levels is an excellent reason to dust off that copy of LittleBigPlanet you've played twice and then never went back to, not to mention a fine way to spend an hour or so while waiting for your time zone to warp into the future.

Hit up the link below for a list of the finalist, and remember to actually play the levels and not just pick LittleDeadSpace because the name is awesome.

The Sackies - Level of the Year [Media Molecule]

It's a pretty straightforward affair. You show up, you're of age, you play some MAG and socialized with the Zipper Interactive folks, peppering them with questions about the next SOCOM in between hands-on time with the "final beta."

Additional details are right here, but if you happen to miss out on the good natured festivities, the game will hit North American store shelves just a few weeks later.

Oh, here's some important information!

Who: You and 99 other diehard MAG fans
When: Thursday, January 7 from 4:00 to 7:00pm
Where: The Aria Hotel at CityCenter in Las Vegas, Nevada

Requirements:
· You must be 18 years-old or older – ID *will* be checked by burly men!
· You must RSVP via the Facebook event page.
· Don't hang out in the main lobby! Line up outside Juniper rooms 2 & 3.

Celebrate MAG Going Gold in Vegas – CES Meetup details [PlayStation.blog]

According to insider info (along with some speculation!), Japanese website PC Watch is reporting that Sony is looking to alternatives to the PS3's Cell architecture, which some developers have found to be challenging. One early alternative include Cell and Intel's Larrabee. Wanting a bit more horsepower, Sony has apparently abandoned this plan. Sony was also apparently considering a modified version of the Synergistic Processor Unit, but is now supposedly working on designs that include a mulit-core CPU.

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all believed to be exploring new system architecture. And with the exception of a possible Wii HD, PC Watch Impress states that it takes 24 months to produce new consoles, making 2011 difficult for new hardware and 2012 or even as late as 2013 more possible.

However, PC Watch Impress notes that new handhelds will pre-date new home console hardware — so by that assumption, the PSP2 will be released before the PS4.

【後藤弘茂のWeekly海外ニュース】 揺れるSCEの次世代ゲーム機「PlayStation 4」プラン　[PC Watch Impress]

Previously, Sony Computer Entertainment's distribution arm and that of the rest of the company were entirely separate operations. In 2010, though, they'll be rolled into the one unit.

You may ask why this hasn't always been the case, but remember, this is Sony. Units operating in blissful, counter-productive isolation is one of the main reasons the company is in such dire straits in the first place.

Sony to Combine International Distribution Operations [Business Week]

Accessories4Technology, the creator of the ad (and the accessories series mentioned in it) told Negative Gamer that it was all "a mistake on our part." License manager Angela Jones told the site that she wasn't sure how the error was made but, to her company's knowledge, Sony isn't working on a new version of the handheld.

Negative Gamer adds that Sony's response to the issue remains the standard no-comment for rumor and speculation, but I can't say that policy indicates anything other than what this is, an advertiser mistake.

PSP-4000 Advert was 'Mistake' [Negative Gamer]

While every console has measures in place to restrict content for minors, Sony are going one further with an active marketing campaign aimed at educating parents - and kids - on how to keep blood and boobs out of the sight of the little ones.

It's called playsafeonline, and details all the steps necessary to not only shield kids from content, but also to report objectionable stuff (say, offensive conduct in a multiplayer game) to the relevant people.

While parents will find the site helpful, it's smartly designed with kids in mind, jargon kept to a minimum while a creepy mascot points out how it all works.

I really wish Microsoft did this. Only for adults. "www.xboxliveforpeoplewhoarentassholes.com", or something.

[playsafeonline]

Not that it'll go away any time soon; indeed, as I've said, I think the humble d-pad-and-buttons-thing has a few years left as the dominant control method.

But when it does die out, as it inevitably will (everything must come to an end at some point), people will look back to 2009 - and particularly E3 - and say this was the year the rot set in. That the decline began.

Why do I say 2009 and not 2006, the year of the Wii's debut? Because until now, motion-control gaming has been confined not just to the Wii, but to select games on the Wii. Some, like Wii Sports, did it well. Others, like Red Steel, did not do it well, while for many more - from Twilight Princess to No More Heroes - it was an awkward addition, a bullet-point feature that fit the game like a square peg in a round hole.

But in 2009, both Microsoft and Sony revealed controllers and peripherals to support motion-sensing (in case you can't tell, I am ignoring completely, as most developers did, the Sixaxis). What had been a unique point about one of three consoles suddenly became a universal feature. A clear signal of intent that motion control was the future of the entire console industry.

Even Nintendo contributed to the movement in 2009, releasing Wii MotionPlus, an add-on for the existing Wii Remote that brought a finer degree of recognition to a device that had until then only partially delivered on its promise of 1:1 motion recognition.

Both Microsoft's peripheral (code-named "Project Natal") and Sony's controller (with one code-name among many being "Gem") are scheduled to hit the market in 2010, and what's most interesting about their respective launches is not their proximity to each other, but in the different approaches each is taking towards the technology.

Sony's controller is "traditional", if only in the sense that it's similar to the Wii Remote. A controller, with buttons on it, that you hold and wave around, the device replicating an on-screen object or movement. It differs from the Wii Remote, however, in a few key areas. For one, it's got a giant glowing orb on the top of it, which Sony claim allows for incredibly fine recognition of the user's movements.

Another difference is that it appears to be lacking a d-pad, something Nintendo's controller retains so that it can be used on older games. An interesting omission, particularly given Sony's penchant for re-selling you older games, and it lends credence to the rumours of additional peripherals being made available to "attach" the device, similar to the nunchuk available for the Wii Remote.

Microsoft's, meanwhile, is slightly more exciting. And a riskier proposition because of it.

"Project Natal" is essentially a camera that is plugged into the Xbox 360, which can detect a player's movements in three dimensions and replicate them on-screen. No controllers required. It was demoed to good effect at E3, but the sheer audacity of the tech has many suspecting that while it may work fine in tech demos, creating functioning games - for example with accurate movement recognition and no noticeable lag - with the tech may be more difficult.

But hey, it's not out yet. And neither is Sony's. With both devices not expected until late 2010, there's plenty of time to fine-tune them, ensure that they're ready to hit the ground running.

And when they do - entering a market already dominated by the Wii and it's now-improved Wii Remote - we'll be looking at a very exciting time for the video game industry. A time that kicked off in 2009.

[Sony image: T3]

Both the North American and PAL stores have been updating, but licensing the way it is, the update isn't universal. So we'll list both separately.

NORTH AMERICA

* 2000AD Prog #1660 ($1.99)
* Ghost Rider (2005) #1-6 ($1.99 each)
* G.I. Joe: Cobra #1 ($0.99)
* G.I. Joe Origins #1-2 ($0.99 each)
* Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft #1 ($0.99)
* Nanovor #1 ($0.99)
* The Fantastic Four (1961) #1-15 ($1.99 each)
* The Mighty Avengers (2007) #1-6 ($1.99 each)
* Transformers: All Hail Megatron #7 ($1.99)
* Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Birds, Bees, Blood & Beer #1-4 ($0.99 each)

EUROPE

* Ghost Rider (2005) #1 : The Road To Damnation #1- #6 – Marvel (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 15+
* The Fantastic Four (1961) #1 – #15 – Marvel (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 3+
* The Mighty Avengers (2007) #1 – #6 – Marvel (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 9+
* 2000AD Prog #1660 – 2000AD (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 15+
* Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft #1 – IDW (£0.79/€0.99) Ages 17+
* Nanovor: Game Day #1 – IDW (£0.79/€0.99) Ages 9+
* Transformers: All Hail Megatron #7 – IDW (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 12+
* Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse #1 : Birds, Bees, Blood & Beer #1 – #4 – ID (£0.79/€0.99) Ages 17+

While I prefer the feel of a new comic in my hands, it's nice seeing reasonable prices on a digital shopfront for once.

The God of War: Blood & Metal digital EP will feature exclusive, sometimes God of War inspired tracks from Killswitch Engage, Dream Theater, Trivium, Opeth and Taking Dawn. If you follow any or all of those bands, you're likely aware that they're Roadrunner Records acts, Sony's partner in giving God of War fans something heavier to rock to.

"This is the first time in 24 years that we've written and recorded a song for anything other than one of our own albums, so we're up for the challenge and excited to have been asked," said prog metal act Dream Theater's drummer Mike Portnoy.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm more than interested to hear just how God of War inspired any of these previously unreleased songs are.

Roadrunner Announces God of War EP [Roadrunner Records]

MAG has gone gold, and all is on course for its January 26th North American release. Now all Zipper Interactive and Sony have to do is make sure the game doesn't explode on launch day, so they're holding an open beta for the game between January 4th and January 10th. When they say open, they mean extremely open. If you are in a territory with the PlayStation Network, then you're in. Simply log into the PlayStation Network tomorrow, download the MAG open beta demo, start it up, and wait for it to download upwards of 2.3GB of data. You'll want to do this as early as possible, to make sure you aren't stuck waiting when the 4th rolls around.

Consider it Zipper Interactive's way of saying Happy Holidays, please buy our game next month.

MAG is Gold, Beta for Everyone Soon [PlayStation Blog]

Granted, many of the highlights of 2010 are either remakes, spin-offs or tinier versions of their higher-definition siblings bound for the PlayStation 3, but maybe you'd prefer to play them on the go to begin with. Although 2009 wasn't too shabby—Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Half-Minute Hero, Resistance: Retribution, etc.—we're going to go out on a limb and say that next year could be much stronger in the games department—but we'll not make any bets until Capcom releases a proper Resident Evil Portable screen shot.

Let's have a look see. And, of course, please suggest your own personal PSP highlights from the coming year

Note: We'll be looking at every platform's currently announced and estimated 2010 slate over the course of the rest of the week-and much much more.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Hideo Kojima takes us back in time for the next Metal Gear Solid for the PSP, a follow up to the PlayStation 2 classic Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and previous portable entry Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Expect lots of Snake on Snake action, with a major emphasis on cooperative gameplay.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
The PSP entry in Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series also takes us back in time, as Birth By Sleep is a prequel to the PS2 original. Expect all-new gameplay for the series, an epically long adventure and multiplayer for up to six Disney-Square Enix fans.
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Sega shifts its focus to the PSP in this sequel to the under-appreciated PlayStation 3 tactical action RPG. Despite the platform change, the younger crowd and a step down from the fantastic visuals of the PS3 original, the rock solid gameplay appears to be intact.
echoshift
The spin-off from the perspective shifting original echochrome keeps the same minimal graphical treatment, but offers all-new time shifting gameplay.
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake
The PSP port of the PlayStation Network real-time strategy action game looks to offer a portlier set of modes.
Hot Shots Tennis
You know how this works. Clap Hanz puts some big headed jocks into a game and make it good. Hot Shots Tennis offers one more reason to take your PSP to court.
Invizimals
This Pokemon-like monster hunting game uses the PSP's camera to find hidden Invizimals in the real world, similarly trapping them with a real-world tool.
Army of Two: The 40th Day
Total fistbump destruction on the go. The coop shooter is one of a handful of third party PSP games built on the foundation of now-generation console games, giving portable gamers all the Salem and Rios they crave in a smaller package.
Dante's Inferno
Go to Hell with the portable version of Dante's Inferno. Like Army of Two, EA is bringing what appears to be a capable port to the PSP. Perfect for the on-the-go gamer who wants something similar to God of War: Chains of Olympus.
Shadow of Destiny
Konami returns to the PlayStation 2 time-traveling adventure, bringing us a straight up port of the murder mystery in tinier form.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
This re-imagining of the original Silent Hill for the PlayStation has already been released on the Wii, but portable gamers with fond wishes of Silent Hill Origins may want to consider this. It's unlike any other Silent Hill, for better or worse.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3
Third-person shooting action. Ex-KGB agent killing. Lots of guns and an incredibly long title. If the acronym had never been invented, we'd call it Special Operations Command: United States Navy SEa, Air, and Land Forces Fireteam Bravo 3.
Eye of Judgment
Another PlayStation Portable game based on its bigger PS3 brother. This time, the camera gimmick has been done away with, giving card-based fantasy game fans something to do with their PSPs.
Duke Nukem Trilogy: Critical Mass
Not three games, but the start of a trilogy, a third-person shooter set in a world where Duke Nukem must shoot things or terrible things may happen. But there's a very very good chance it will actually come out.
Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! 2: Time To Tighten Up Security!
Protect Badman once again from a flood of hopeful heroes by taking up your pickaxe and sending loads of monsters at them! Looks like this one will ship on UMD and on the PlayStation Store.
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
Really, you can never have too many versions of Lunar, even if you've played the original Lunar: Silver Star on Saturn or any of the other enhanced remakes. This classic Japanese role-playing game even comes in a new deluxe package!

This past week Kotaku put a comprehensive look into its crystal ball, breaking down what's ahead for the major platforms, while also looking at the agendas and priorities of games' top influencers and constituencies over the 365 days to come.

This is our equivalent of baseball's hot stove league, when the season's done but there's still fun in pulling up a chair to opine and speculate. Please rejoin us and your fellow readers in the following features and discussions of 2010, the year to come in games.

2010: The Year Of Better PSP Games?</
2010: The Year Of Better PlayStation 3 Games?
2010: The Year of Better Xbox 360 Games?
2010: The Year of Better PC Games?
2010: The Year Of Better Wii Games?
2010: The Year of Better Nintendo DS Games?

What Won't Be Coming To Video Gaming In 2010

You're A Gamer In 2010 ... What Will You Do?
You're A Game Developer in 2010...What Will You Do?
You Run A Big Game Publisher In 2010...What Will You Do?
You're A Video Game Retailer In 2010...What Will You Do?

From the company that brought you "Qore" and "Xross Media Bar," that one is pronounced "curiosity." It's important to note this was registered by Sony, not Sony Computer Entertainment. But the trademark covers "portable video game machines," and "game services provided on-line from a computer network," as well as "operating an on-line shopping mall." This is especially interesting in light of the recent survey Sony sent out, indicating it's considering pricing some subscription levels to the PlayStation Network. Might this "Qriocity" be one of them? Accessed by the PSP?

Siliconera, which found the trademark, also notes that Sony registered the domain name "qriocity" a few months before this filing (dated Dec. 15.)

Since a lot of what's written up here ends up turning the comments into Question Time in parliament, only more brutal, I now put this to you, my fellow MPs. Should you wish to huzzah, please spell that correctly. If you find this to be ridiqulis or a bunch of xrap, please misspell creatively.

Qriocity, The Name Of A New Sony Handheld Or Online Service? [Siliconera via Destructoid]

See, in the US, it was released in convenient, standalone form. But the only way PAL customers will be able to get their hands on a copy is if they grab the European version of the God of War III Ultimate Edition, as it'll be included within, along with a ton of other stuff.

Who knows, there might still be a chance the collection will be released individually early next year, but with the God of War franchise not as big in Europe as it is in the US (hence the fact the collection hasn't yet been released), I wouldn't hold my breath.

Yes, Sony are going all-out in the game's home market, offering the game in a "specially embossed" box (to make it look like it's been rained on) that includes episode 1 of the Heavy Rain Chronicles, the game's soundtrack and a dynamic XMB theme for your PS3.

By 2009 standards (well, 2010's), that's pretty thin for a special edition. What, no collectible vinyl of that woman sobbing in her kitchen, gun in her mouth?

See for yourself in these pics. It goes a little beyond "typo", since they actually created a little bubble logo for the console. So it's either an elaborate, embarrassing mistake (which, to be honest, seems more likely), or accessory manufacturers 4gamers figured that nobody outside the "industry" would bother reading MCV's mag, so they could slip mention of a fourth iteration of the original PSP in there and hope nobody noticed.

Whichever it is, you can see the original ad below.

[MCV DIGITAL EDITION]