"Following the release of WipEout HD on PLAYSTATION Store yesterday, we’ve been following the reports by some members of the community regarding problems with game freezes," SCEA reps confirmed. "We’d like to reassure you all that the WipEout team is working hard to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."

As far as the cause, SCEA tells us that anything we might have read about the source of the issue is, at this point, "rumor and speculation." It is worth noting though, that some WipEout HD players are noting that they're having better luck with a leaner friend list. Just sayin'.

Serious epilepsy warning for WipEout HD [CVG]

WipEout HD Officially Dated, Priced [PlayStation.Blog]

WipEout HD priced £11.99 [CVG]

So, happy anniversary Wipeout HD! We got you the traditional gift — hands-on impressions!

The presentation has received a noticeable amount of polish over the past year, with a more informative heads up display, slick new menus, a feature rich photo mode and additional graphical effects. Lighting and shadows look softer and more realistic, with ships more layered in sci-fi eye-candy than before.

When we played Wipeout HD at the previous Games Convention, we were limited to just a few racing teams and tracks. This year, we had access to the first portion of the campaign mode, with a broader selection of vehicles and paint jobs.

The campaign is stuffed with opportunities to win medals, with challenges based on lonely time trials — full race or a single lap — and competitive races against a line-up of CPU opponents.

Splitscreen is also in, with both horizontal and vertical layouts that should make every Wipeout fan happy.

Gameplay was largely the same, given that the Wipeout HD is a remake. That said, the game feels like more of a full-fledged release, now that it's been given additional time in the incubator. It's looking like it's going to be worth the wait.

The reason for the delay of WipEout HD on PS3 has been due to the many improvements we have been making and the numerous features we've added to the game. These include: 8 reverse tracks, 4 extra ships, 2 alternative HUDS, 2 Player offline split screen and XMB Trophy support. We look forward to sharing WipEout HD with you very soon.

Regarding the speculation about health issues, we can assure you that we take consumer safety very seriously and monitor it very carefully.

That last line doesn’t entirely rule out the epilepsy stuff, but that first paragraph is making the wait sound worth it regardless.

Wipeout HD Delay Response Confirms Trophies & Splitscreen News [TVG]

WipEout HD delayed due to technical issue [Eurogamer]

The dates MTV provides for the next four PSN showpieces match up pretty well with the leaked release schedule from a few weeks ago.

According to the report, it would appear that Echochrome may very well be bypassing a UMD release, opting for a download from the PC and PlayStation Stores. The hard copy release in Japan didn't exactly light a fire under the PSP community.

Quickie previews for the uninitiated await.

PSN Next Wave Revealed — WipEout HD, Echochrome, Elefunk, PixelJunk Monsters Encore [MTV Multiplayer]

It's been a while since we've had our hands on WipEout HD, but if we ever had a bad thought about it, I wish we could take them all back. It's looking better and better every time the gang in Liverpool dishes out new media. A bit of a WipEout XL junkie back in the day, I simply cannot wait until this shows up on the PlayStation Store for a proper online race. The HD version at GameTrailers certainly does the whole more justice than the one above.

Wipeout HD in HD [GameTrailers]

Vineta K - On the southern shores of Makana Island, the circuit at Vineta K snakes in and out of the ocean and across the beaches. The highlights of this 4.4 km track include spectacular underwater tunnels and cutting-edge architecture along the waterfront.

Chenghou Project -The feature-packed circuit at Chenghou Project weaves its way around the offices and corporate buildings of Makana Island's business district. The 4.8 km track contains a tricky inverse-cambered spiral and culminates in a long jump into the tunnelled entry of the final chicane.

Sebenco Climb - The 4.8 km Sebenco Climb track is cut into the hillsides of Makana's Sebenco mountain range. It features a steep traverse up the snowy mountainside, followed by a breathtaking plunge into an icy tunnel carved through the very heart of the mountain. The final section takes pilots through a challengingly tight chicane before they swing back onto the grid.

Sol 2 - The 4.4 km Sol 2 circuit hangs suspended in the clouds high above Makana Island. Consisting of a series of fast-flowing, occasionally open-sided corners linked by sweeping straights, the combination of harsh sunlight and blind summits ensure that Sol 2 is a test of nerve for every speed class.

Ubermall - In the heart of Makana Island's commercial zone is Ubermall, a 4.6 km circuit built into a vast shopping centre. The latter half of the track contains a brief split which rejoins into a narrow hill, followed by an outdoor park section that leads swiftly to the finish.

Anulpha Pass - The 5 km Anulpha Pass track is located in a custom-built entertainment arena on the east side of Makana Island. Although the track looks deceptively simple from above, the undulations of the track surface and narrow skill-cut are enough to keep any racer on their toes.

Moa Therma - The immense man-made complex of Moa Therma is located just off the northern coast of Sicily, with around a third of the track surface built using mag-strip technology. The centrepiece of this 5.3 km circuit is the gigantic horizontal loop which sits just above sea level.

Metropia - The 4.7 km Metropia circuit weaves its way between the skyscrapers and traffic control towers that dominate the Kyoto skyline. Glass-bottomed track surfaces and a stunning vertical mag-strip drop into the depths of the city are just two of the highlights of this popular track.

Two teams were available, Feisar and AG Systems, but a number of other cars from different organizations, all familiar to WipEout vets. Only a pair of tracks were available in the demo, the Chenghou Project from and Anulpha Pass, both from WipEout Pure. Each track could be raced in either Venom class or the more challenging Flash class, with increased speed and extra laps.

WipEout HD simply takes the futuristic racing series' greatest hits and brings them into high definition. Environments look crisp and clear, moving at a super smooth clip. There were no drops in frame rate in my eight or nine racing attempts. Yes, it's high def, but this looks more like a PlayStation Network remake than a "next-gen" WipEout—and there's certainly nothing wrong with that.

Loads of new graphical tricks, including improved lighting, a gorgeous new honeycomb-like shield, and little touches like well modeled turbines viewable through exhaust ports. Video screens and lighted billboards feature soft, respectable amounts of bloom lighting. All these touches make it far better looking that WipEout Fusion on the PlayStation 2, but we still look forward to SCEE's build from the ground up future WipEouts. Weapon effects are less impressive but now we're venturing into nitpicking.

WipEout HD's heads-up display benefits from its high resolution, allowing screen real estate to be less obscured and giving players better data about power ups. You'll be able to easily and quickly look at your current item, determine how much energy you'll receive from absorbing it or how much damage you'll do to a rival. There's also a pair of proximity indicators, showing not only who's coming up behind you, but also giving your early warning about mines ahead of you on the track and impending attacks from the rear. Very handy.

In short, it looks like a fine remedy to WipEout fans looking for something to tide them over until the next official sequel hits the PS3. Even though the code at Games Convention was pre-alpha, I know I'll be adding digital funds to my wallet and securing it on day one.

Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle

This is, of course, a separate product from the "real" Wipeout sequel for the PS3, which is said to be announced in August. I'm guessing probably August 23rd. Possibly in the Leipzig region.

While I'm personally a casual fan of the Wipeout series and would look forward to the online multiplayer-ready futuristic racer, I'm starting to see a trend here. Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Wipeout HD, SOCOM Confrontation—all stopgap releases while we wait for the real new-gen iterations. Shit, there I go, complaining about PS3 releases again. Really need to put a cork in that. Michael McWhertor

Wipeout HD Coming Soon to a PS3 Near You [1UP]