While there was some confusion about just when Lair was actually going to be shipped out, we have gotten confirmation from multiple sources that it's actually in the stores right now. That's right, you can go out and get your dragon on immediately. It's a little odd that it was released on a Thursday since almost all retail games go on sale on Tuesday, but why look a gift horse in the mouth?
If you do go out and pick up a copy of Lair today, why not come back here and leave your impressions in the comments section? The reviews have been pretty controversial so far, so it would be nice hearing what the fans themselves think.
A good question and one that has been discussed over on the official PlayStation blog. Doling out remarkable insight, Shu Yoshida walks us through the creative steps taken in creating the games we love to play. Yoshida is the Senior VP of Product Development at SCEA, so if anyone knows what goes on in game creation, it's this guy. He starts off by telling us a little about Sony's policy on developers. They don't tell their developers "we need an action adventure game, so make one" rather, they take the ideas in and let the studios work on them until they show them off to Yoshida and Phil Harrison. At that point, they can red-light the project or let it continue, it is implied. That's good for keeping more quality games coming while filtering out the less-than-spectacular works, at least, for the internal studios.
After a concept is chosen, there's the whole budget deal. A Blu-ray project on the PS3 generally has costs from $2-5 million just for a prototype (which takes over a year to create). After the prototype is created, the game gets shown to people inside of Sony to let them see how it's progressed as well as to create some marketing segmentation: who's the audience, what's the competition, how can they get said audience interested, et cetera. They bring in their selected audience to preview the game in the next stage and get feedback before development gets too far along to change the more core bits of a game.
All in all, it's a really interesting read despite our attempts to shorten the explanation. Sometimes it's better to just check out the original article, since you can also see some early concept drawings of Calling All Cars! and leave your feedback and questions so Shu Yoshida can check them out.
What's that? An update on a Friday? But we thought that updates only happen on Thursdays. Isn't that the reason we didn't get Warhawk on the 28th? Oh well, it's out now and theres no point moaning about the late release. Let's see what's up on the EU PSN today.
DiRT demo (free)
Jed Ashforth interview video (free)
All the Kings Men Blu-ray trailer (free)
As far as updates go, this one really takes the biscuit. We're grateful for every demo that we receive, but when America gets their best update yet and [/i]they get Warhawk two days before us ... Well, today's update feels insulting. Where, for starters, is the next Heavenly Sword anime and making-of feature? We're so unimpressed. Sort it out, SCEE.
According to German website eXp, and recently re-affirmed by Gamespot, an announcement was made regarding Haze at Leipzig that caught our attention. It seems that the title, initially scheduled as a PS3 exclusive for this year and slated for a 360 release early next year, has become a permanent exclusive feather in Sony's cap. If you're looking for a console version of Haze, you've only got the PS3 to choose from. Yep -- the 360 version has dropped off the map along with the PC build. We don't know why.
To keep this from becoming a "ha, ha, take that 360 bots!" comment thread, we'd like to discuss a few of the reasonings for this announcement -- all speculative, of course. First, Sony doled out a hefty sum of money to grab the game's exclusivity forever. To do that, they must be confident in the game's ability to sell well and is getting incredibly positive reactions from gamers and game journalists, which it really is. A second possible reason is the difficulty Haze developers are having moving all the stuff from the PS3 to the 360 -- utlizing Blu-ray and standard hard drive space may have spoiled them. It's not to say they couldn't actually make the game for 360, it's just that they felt the quality of the experience would be severely hampered and scrapped it. We'd sooner give the nod to our first assumption, but we'll leave it up to you guys to discuss this. Either way, we know the PS3 will be getting a fantastic game built with its strengths in mind.
This is coming from a long line of "is it, is it not" scenarios for John Woo's action title Stranglehold. First it was held back, then region locked, then region free, then delayed for the PS3 indefinitely (but not really). So forgive us if another delay announcement doesn't exactly spark a very violent reaction with us -- we've run this course before. This time, though, both the PC and PS3 versions of the game get held back.
While the 360 gets their white dove action on September 5th (in Europe, 14th), the PS3 has to wait until the end of September, slated now for the 25th with a vague October listing for Europe. Still, we should be getting a demo of the title over the PS Store soon, right? With all these delays, it'd be silly not to have that demo up before the game hits. Otherwise, we just might lose interest. Probably not, though, since this game looks pretty slick.
While America has gotten a fantastic amount of new content in their PlayStation Store weekly update, Japan's update is no slouch either. Sporting fourteen new PlayStation titles that can be played on your PSP or PS3, they continue to get showered in retro love. Here's the full list of updates:
PlayStation titles:
Ape Escape
Athena –Awakening From The Ordinary Life-
ECHO NIGHT
Crash Bandicoot 2
Gakkou de Atta Kowai Hanashi S
King's Field 2
Major Wave Series : The Conveni 2
Major Wave Series Arcade Hits: Sonic Wings Special
Memorial * Series: Sunsoft Vol. 2: Route-16 Turbo & Atlantis no Nazo
The American audience may not be as familiar with Studio Canal as the European crowd and that's okay. Fact of the matter is, they were an HD DVD exclusive studio since the beginning of the format scuffle (calling it a war has become a bit disingenuous). Until now. They've listed for release a 3-disc Blu-ray box set of the "Les Bronzes" films. If you check out something that lists all the major motion picture rights and releases from Studio Canal, you'll see that this may just be the beginning of yet another extensive library of movies that Blu-ray consumers will have a choice to pick up.
Capcom has unveiled its line-up for the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, taking place from 20th to 23rd September.
The majority of games on show will be for Nintendo platforms, although the listings show three new titles yet to be announced. Hopefully one of these will be Resident Evil 5, which we are hoping to play at the event.
Wii offerings will include We Love Golf, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, and the hugely promising adventure Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. Mega Man Star Force 2 and Wantame Music Channel Doko Demo Style will be there for DS.
Elsewhere Devil May Cry 4 will be the headline act for PS3 and 360, with Sengoku Basara 2 HEROES aiming to prove there's still life in the ageing PS2.
We'll let you know as soon as the other games are named.
Nintendo's DS handheld scooped the top four positions in the Spanish chart, according to the most recent data available from GfK International.
There were no surprises in the top 10, with Pokemon, Brain Training, Ratatouille and some PlayStation 2 Platinum releases making up most of the places.
Only three of the ten were non-Nintendo platforms as the company continues to maintain its strong presence in European software sales, while the PC and Xbox 360 platforms were entirely unrepresented.
It's going to be a wee while before we claps eyes on games that squeeze every ounce of polygon-powering grunt out of PS3, according to Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai.
"The power that we've packed into PS3 will really manifest itself in software titles that come up four, five or six years down the line", Hirai has told Official PlayStation Magazine in its latest issue.
We can't wait that long. Can you?
During the interview Hirai also addressed the 'issue' of certain developers finding PS3 tough to develop for. He acknowledging that the console is a more complex animal for developers to work with compared to its rivals, but this appears to be a good thing.
"If you look back at the commentary we received when we launched PS2, there was a lot of talk to the effect that 'It's very difficult to program for' and 'It's easier on a Dreamcast'. It's happened before," Hirai said.
"If they came back and told me, 'PS3? We can do this in a heartbeat,' that would be worrying because what it is telling me is that we're not pushing the envelope from a technology standpoint."
The PC edition of BioShock has entered the German software chart at number one, with the Xbox 360 version also slipping into the top 10 at number six, according to the latest information from GfK International.
The 2K title managed to disrupt an otherwise Nintendo-centric chart, with DS and Wii titles taking up almost all of the other positions – prevented only by continued strong sales of the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion.
Japanese top 20 includes just four non-Nintendo platform titles
Another successful week last week of software sales in Japan for Nintendo saw PlayStation platforms represented by just four titles in the top 20.
According to data from Media Create, three of those came in the top 10, including new number one Sengoku Musou: Moushouden.
However, the rest of the top 20 was entirely made up of titles for the DS or Wii, and there was just one PlayStation 3 title in the entire top 50 – Hot Shots Golf 5, at number 17.
There were once again no titles for the Xbox 360 in the chart last week.
The top ten in full:
1. Sengoku Musou 2: Moushouden (PS2)
2. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate (DS)
3. Pheonix Wright 3 (DS)
4. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
5. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)
6. Dragoneer's Aria (PSP)
7. SD Gundam: G Generation Cross Drive (DS)
8. J-League Winning Eleven 2007: Club Championship (PS2)
Guerrilla managing director Herman Hulst and Killzone 2 producer Steven Ter Heide have had a good old fashioned pop at rival machines' capabilities in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine UK.
Speaking about working on a game for a single platform instead of going down that multi-platform route, Guerrilla managing director Merman Hulst, said, "It's a huge benefit. If you're developing a game on multiple platforms there are restrictions you always have to take into consideration.
"We are taking huge advantage of the architecture of PS3. I firmly believe that what we've shown we can get out of that machine would be difficult, if not impossible, to deliver on a competing machine." If that isn't intended as a a knockout blow to the chops of 360 we don't know what is.
Killzone 2 producer Steven Ter Heide added, "I would say impossible. We literally can't do this stuff on any machine other than the PS3. If you're developing a multiplatform game, and looking at your budgets, you have to find a common denominator between the systems and say: that's what I'm developing for. Whereas someone focused on a single platform can really take advantage of everything it has to offer.
"If you're not willing to make that investment then you're going to lose out on some options. To make it simple, the Xbox 360 doesn't have SixAxis or Blu-ray. PlayStation 3 does. And for us that's a really big thing. The level you've just seen is 2GB. We really need Blu-ray to make the game. I don't know how you could fit it on Xbox 360 without taking some shortcuts."
And that's not the first time 360's DVD format has been called into question.
Hulst continued, "Blu-ray isn't important for watching movies; we need it for making games." You can check out the full interview in the latest issues of Official PlayStation Magazine UK, on sale now.
features
Engage in a struggle on an epic scale as your civilization repels the onslaught of an unrelenting army.
A seamless combination of vast battles in air and on the ground, against other beasts, and armies of thousands.
Unleash your might through large-scale battles that span both the sky and ground.
Turn the tides of war with your ferocious dragon. Scorch the ground with flames and command the skies against vicious enemies.
Immerse yourself in a living, breathing world of voracious beasts, a deep storyline and visceral gameplay.
Fully supports PLAYSTATION®3 SIXAXIS™ wireless controller.
description
In a world ravaged by endless conflict and natural disaster, a call for peace turns into a bloodbath of betrayal and deceit. You are Rohn, a warrior riding a voracious dragon trained for deadly aerial and ground combat, and capable of scorching, clawing and smashing thousands of enemies. You must defeat countless armies to save a civilization and together, you and the beast will change the destiny of a world on the brink of extinction.
features
Platform: PlayStation 3
pages: 192
In-depth area maps pinpointing critical locations.
Expert boss strategies.
Coverage of combo strings and striking moves.
Game secrets uncovered!
A complete walkthrough of the entire game.
features
From the legendary creators of the Dynasty Warriors ® series, a new generation of Gundam legend is born. Experience the fast-paced excitement and epic, cinematic action of Dynasty Warriors on the futuristic battlegrounds of the rich Gundam universe!
Get in the cockpits of your favorite Mobile Suits, the ultimate weapons of war, and fight across a host of futuristic battlefields – both terrestrial and stellar – at lightning fast speed and rendered in high-definition graphics!
Live as a legendary hero: Play out the action of the rich Gundam universe spanning the Universal Century to the Future Century as any of your favorite heroes and villains!
Turn the tides of battle as you fight against impossible odds. Take on thousands of enemies attacking you at breakneck speed in signature Dynasty Warriors style gameplay.
Dive into a new epic mythology like never before: Explore and live adventures in the rich and detailed setting of the Gundam multi-verse from a myriad of perspectives.
Dynamic gameplay modes from proven franchises: Enjoy a variety of action-packed game modes: Official Mode; Original Mode; Versus Mode and more!
A galaxy of upgrade-able Mobiles Suits and characters! Choose your favorite characters and Mobile Suits from more than 6 different animated TV series based on the Gundam universe and strategically strengthen their power, skills, and abilities.
description
Powered by Omega Force, the legendary creators of Dynasty Warriors®, Dynasty Warriors:GUNDAM brings the fast-paced action-filled excitement and epic, cinematic gameplay experience of Dynasty Warriors to the futuristic battlegrounds of the rich Gundam universe.
Players can assume the roles of the legendary heroes and villains of their choice and get in the cockpits of their favorite Mobile Suits, the ultimate weapons of war, to fight across a host of battlefields of the future—both terrestrial and stellar–at a lightning fast speed! Put your ever-strengthening will and skill to the test to turn the tides of battles as you lead your army of Mobile Suits against impossible odds!
features
Platform: PC, Sony PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360
Pages: 144
Killer Combos - Kill enemies while swinging from chandeliers, slide down hand rails and dive onto dinner carts, live every exciting moment of action from your favorite John Woo films.
Maps - Maps of all the levels make it easy to navigate your way through the mayhem and carnage.
Boss Strategies - Don't get stopped in a single boss battle, turn to the Prima guide for all the strategies you need to keep the story moving.
Tequila Bomb - Master Tequila's special devastating moves.
features
Platform: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, WII and X-Box 360
Pages: 192
Environments: With fully intractable terrain, learn to leverage your environment to help give you the advantage or to take out troops in heavily fortified positions.
Secrets: Locations of all secrets, unlockables, & weapon/ammo locations.
Enemies: Tips and tricks to dismantling the most difficult troops while conserving ammo.
Equipment: Equipment tutorials to help you choose the right weapon for the right job.
Maps: Detailed maps will outline the best landing locations, objectives, sniper and ambush positions.
We're glad you've taken the time out from your busy Warhawk schedule to check out what's new on the PS3 this week. In short: there's nothing. Keep playing Warhawk and Lair for another week or so and before you know it Heavenly Sword and DiRT will be readily available. Here's the full release list for this week:
US Games
No new releases
EU Games
No new releases
Asian Games
Yamasa Digi World SP Pachislot Sengoku Musou
Like we said; just keep on playing with Warhawk and Lair and, after this week, the big games will start to come thick and fast.
The Wall Street Journal -- citing "people familiar with the situation" -- claims that Sony is poised to enter video-downloading services whole-hog. Think Go!PSP, only extended with new "products and services to let users download television shows and movies" to Sony's sweet, suite of PS3s, PSPs, and Bravia televisions "similar to the way" people use the Apple ecosystem. Go!PS3, Go!Bravia, Go!Rolly? Sure, why not. Unfortunately, the WSJ piece doesn't provide any dates or any real details to speak of. Regardless, none of this comes as a surprise what with PS3s doubling as DVRs in Europe, video-capable Walkmans finally released in the US, and the looming shutdown of Sony's ATRAC-based Connect music services. Hell, Stringer already ceded portable music dominance to Apple back at the June shareholders meeting in Tokyo where he noted that Sony has "worked very hard to catch up so that in the age of video we will not suffer as much as we did in audio." We'll see. Hey Howie (sorry, Sir Howie), we hear NBC could use a new on-line storefront soon. You know, quick-wins and all.
The simExchange predicts $100 drop to remain competitive in North America
The simExchange has released an analyst research report indicating that it believes Sony needs to drop the price of the PlayStation 3 in the coming weeks or months in order to remain competitive with the Xbox 360 in North America.
The report, by analyst Jesse Divinch, indicates that either a USD 100 price cut or an added-value bundle would help to reduce the apparently widening gap with the Microsoft console.
Divinch believes that although a price drop would incur a greater financial loss per console manufactured, he feels that such action is necessary as "Sony’s third party software support could be at serious risk if they allow Microsoft to continue to widen the sales gap."
If Sony does announce a price cut, the logical time to do that would be the Tokyo Game Show, taking place later this month – and such a move might have repercussions on the market share in its home territory as well.
Figures used in Divinch's analysis are taken from the virtual trading in the simExchange, a prediction market which allows gamers and developers to dabble in industry forecasting, and isn't based on actual share prices or financial exchanges.
Sony will sell around 34.5 per cent of its Financial Holdings company, raising around JPY 332 billion (USD 2.9 billion) in the process.
According to a report on Bloomberg, the proceeds could then be used to fund the production of more consumer electronics goods, such as Bravia televisions, as well as enabling a cash injection to the PlayStation division.
Mizuho Investors Securities analyst Mitsuhiro Osawa believes the move could also see its way directly to consumers: "A cut in the price of the PlayStation 3 is one option."
Pricing for the stock will be set on October 1, with trading commencing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on October 11.
On the heels of a recently announced Conservative Party mini-manifesto on violent videogames, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has outlined plans for a public review of violent and sexual imagery in games.
According to the Daily Mirror, Brown promised to look again at banning violent videogames.
"I know... that parents are concerned about whether children are too exposed to harmful violence and sexual imagery in video computer games and on the internet," said Brown, "so as we launch the court consultation on our children's plan we will be looking at all the evidence on the effects of this material, whether we need new rules for the advertising and sale of these products to children and young people."
Mr. Brown intends to put the plans to a "Citizens' Jury" this week, in which members of the public will have a direct influence on policymaking, airing their views and offering suggestions.
Another "Citizens' Jury" on crime and gang warfare will follow next week.
Mr. Brown said that "It will look at how we can empower people to work with police to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour."
Square Enix has wheeled out a list of the titles it will be showing at the Tokyo Game Show later this month.
Among the line-up are lots of playable versions of its games, although headline acts Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII are shrouded in uncertainty - listed simply as "undecided".
The ninth and DS-exclusive instalment in the Dragon Quest series will be there, however, as will The Last Remnant - but sadly both only in trailer form.
We're still waiting to hear back from the European arm of the publisher for final confirmation on the Famitsu-produced list. Cast your eyeballs down a bit for the full banana.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - Playable
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - Trailer and Playable
Final Fantasy IV (DS) - Trailer and Playable
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon - Trailer and Playable
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Trailer and Playable
Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road - Playable
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker- Playable
Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 2 - Playable
Dragon Quest IV - Playable and Trailer
The Last Remnant - Trailer
Dragon Quest IX - Trailer
Final Fantasy XI Online: Divine Soldiers of Atlanta - Trailer
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children: Complete - Trailer
Gamsasutra reports on analyst predictions of another PS3 price drop in time for the holidays. This time, the 80BG sku would take the place of the now fully-cleared-out 60GB unit.
"Jesse Divnich from fantasy video game prediction market simExchange has said much the same, adding that 'after examining more closely the hardware sales of the PS3 over the last 6 months we have come to the conclusion that the PS3 cannot remain competitive in the current North American environment at its current retail offering at $499 and $599 ... To remain competitive against the other consoles, the Sony PS3 would have to reduce its 80GB SKU by $100 down to $499. Other options, besides a price drop, could be the bundling of more free software titles, which has always been a popular option during the Holiday season.'"
Man, we were so worried! Over nothing!! 60GB PS3s are back in stock. Earlier, we brought news that SonyStyle.com has run plum out of 60GBs. Sony mouthpiece David Karraker previously confirmed that there was no more 60GB stock left and that all had been sent off to retailers. Maybe they sent them back? Who cares! 60GB PS3s are available at a hundred bucks off the original price. Make hay while you can.
Pro tip: If you are in the market for a PS3, don't buy now. Wait until they eventually knock a hundred bucks off the 80GB PS3 — or better yet the inevitable 100 or 120GB one. I've heard of screwing early adaptors, but this could get silly!
Sometimes news is better left untold. Or is it? We're in two minds as to whether the outcome of ThreeSpeech's PSN release date snooping is making us feel better or worse about the situation. They have managed to procure information regarding PSN releases for the upcoming month but we're sincerely hoping that the list is inexhaustive -- a fraction of the next month's PSN offerings. If not, then our hopes and dreams for the next 26 days are crushed. Crushed.
September 6th
Motorstorm Coyote Revenge update
Heavenly Sword Anime episode 4
Heavenly Sword Making-of episode 4
Lair trailer
September 13th
Motorstorm vehicle set 1
Loco Roco Cocoreccho trailer
inFamous trailer
September 27th
Motorstorm vehicle set 2
Overall, a good month for Motorstorm fans. Lots of new downloadable content. The lack of any information regarding the 20th makes us think that there's more to come this month. We hope.
Pictures surfaced today of the box for a new PlayStation 3 starter pack for Europe, with a changed line-up of games.
The picture suggests that the pack will replace the current included games (Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man) with two other SCEE titles: new release Heavenly Sword, and launch title F1 Championship Edition. As before, it will also include a 60GB PS3 and two Sixaxis controllers.
Sony has so far declined to comment on the authenticity of the image.
The source of the image suggests it will retail later this month, at the same price as the current starter pack: EUR 599 (GBP 425).
The current starter pack was launched in the UK on July 18 and the rest of Europe on August 1. There has confusion as to whether or not it is a limited offer, but if this image is genuine, it would suggest that Sony intends to continue the promotion.
Atari has told Eurogamer that the latest instalment in the Alone in the Dark series will not be released on all platforms simultaneously.
The Xbox 360 and PC versions are still on schedule to arrive before the end of the publisher's fiscal year in March 2008. However, the PS3 game will follow later on a date yet to be announced.
Atari gave no reason for the delay, but assured us that AitD is still very much in development for Sony's machine.
Alone in the Dark was originally announced for 360 and PC back in 2005, with the PS3 version confirmed a year later.
Earlier today, news wires were abuzz with the news that Dave Karraker, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Sony Computer Entertainment of America, would be leaving the company and the gaming industry. A figurehead for the past year at SCEA, Karraker was one of Sony's key spokesmen, and he oversaw much of the news and releases related to the PlayStation 3 console. Karraker also handled a number of press requests as to the direction of Sony with Home and its PS3 price cuts.
"I have enjoyed immensely my tenure at SCEA and think the company and its brands are very well positioned to have an exceptional holiday and a very bright future. I look forward to continuing to follow this industry as a gamer, rather than a spokesperson," Karraker said in a released statement earlier today. He will leave to take a position as the head of PR and events for Skyy Spirits.
A 5 in 1 video selector: 4 HDMI and 1 DVI input with 1 HDMI and 1 DVI output. Also features a unique extra audio plug and socket to connect to a loudspeaker.
A report released by casual gaming mecca PopCap Games indicates that white collar workers play games constantly throughout the day. The study indicates that as salaries and titles improve on the organizational chart, the amount of gameplaying in a given day increases substantially.
"Considering that the casual games market is around 200 million people, PopCap estimates that the executive crowd is very much into casual gaming, with about 80 million 'white collar' workers playing. 24 percent of the 'white collar' employees said they do play at work, and that number jumps up to 35 percent for CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives. 98 percent said that they play casual games at home too."
Digital media content delivery network Limelight Networks has announced that its technology has been adopted by Sony Computer Entertainment to deliver system software updates ranging in size up to 150 MB directly to PlayStation 3 and PSP users.
Limelight also recently announced a partnership with Microsoft to "help improve the reliability" of Microsoft's online services, such as Xbox Live, and to provide global media streaming and content delivery services to Microsoft, building on an agreement the two signed last year to designate Limelight as Xbox Live's content delivery network.
Sony has confirmed that the rumoured new PlayStation 3 starter pack is genuine - but the bundle is only intended for the French market.
An image surfaced yesterday of a starter pack that replaced Motorstorm and Resistance with Heavenly Sword and F1 Championship Edition. At the time, Sony declined to comment.
In a clarifying statement, a Sony spokesperson has now said: "The choice of which titles to include in the Starter Pack, and the freedom to change the titles is up to the individual markets based on their unique market conditions."
"The F1 and Heavenly sword pack is only being introduced in France for the time being, and will be available from the launch of Heavenly Sword in France on 19th September."
Sony has confirmed our suspicions by revealing that the recent firmware upgrade for PS3 had no effect on European consoles.
The version 1.92 patch was released to tinker with stability and compatibility issues with US and Japanese games only, we were told.
"All the changes in the firmware update were for the US and Japan, and actually had no effect for us in Europe," a spokesperson for Sony Europe told Eurogamer.
We now feel a little silly for staying up all night trying to work out what had changed.
Atari has told Eurogamer this afternoon that the PS3 version of Alone in the Dark hasn't been delayed after all, but will launch simultaneously with the PC and 360 games.
The PS3 version didn't appear on the publisher's most recent release schedule and a spokesperson told us in response to a follow-up query that "[the 360 and PC versions] are the first to be released".
But now Atari has explained it's all been a misunderstanding - and AitD PS3 should have been listed on the schedule all along.
Alone in the Dark is yet to be given a solid launch date, and currently swims in the crocodile infested waters of "Coming Soon Financial Year 2007/08", which could mean any time between now and next March.
Heres this weeks list of releases from Import Store Play Asia
Xbox360™:
Blue Dragon US US$ 59.90
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam US US$ 59.90
Fatal Inertia ASIA US$ 59.90
Fatal Inertia JPN US$ 64.90
HORI Fighting Stick EX2 US US$ 79.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne ASIA US$ 44.90
MotoGP '07 ASIA US$ 44.90
MotoGP '07 US US$ 59.90
Stuntman: Ignition ASIA US$ 49.90
Stuntman: Ignition US US$ 59.90
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 US US$ 59.90
Two Worlds [Collector's Edition] US US$ 72.90
Xbox 360 Messenger Kit ASIA US$ 29.90
PlayStation3™:
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War ASIA US$ 64.90
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam US US$ 64.90
Lair US US$ 64.90
Warhawk (w/ Bluetooth Headset) US US$ 64.90
Yamasa Digi World SP Pachislot Sengoku Musou JPN US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Carnival Games US US$ 44.90
Shin Chuuka Taisen: Michael to Meimei no Bouken JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
A.C.E. Another Century's Episode 3 The Final JPN US$ 68.90
Dear My Sun JPN US$ 64.90
Dear My Sun [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
EA Sports Rugby 08 JPN US$ 64.90
Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System KOR US$ 59.90
God of War (Best Price) JPN US$ 19.90
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories JPN US$ 39.90
Wild Arms 5 10th Anniversary Edition US US$ 49.90
Will O' Wisp JPN US$ 64.90
Will O' Wisp [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Nintendo DS™:
ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders / Monster Truck Mayhem US US$ 24.90
Adventure Pouch DS Lite (blue) JPN US$ 14.90
Adventure Pouch DS Lite (yellow) JPN US$ 14.90
Garfield's Nightmare US US$ 24.90
Hard Pouch DS Lite (pink) US$ 9.90
Hard Pouch DS Lite (silver) US$ 9.90
Hoshigami Remix: Ruining Blue Earth KOR US$ 49.90
Imagine: Happy Cooking ASIA US$ 34.90
Kidou Gekidan Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjong + Z: Sara ni Deki Ruyouni Nattana! JPN US$ 48.90
Mondai na Nihongo JPN US$ 39.90
Pet Alien: An Intergalactic Puzzlepalooza US US$ 24.90
Professional Fisherman's Tour: Northern Hemisphere US US$ 24.90
The Legend of Zelda Fabric Case (blue) JPN US$ 8.90
The Legend of Zelda Fabric Case (green) JPN US$ 8.90
The Wild West US US$ 24.90
Theta JPN US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™:
Blood Diamond JPN US$ 14.90
Dead Head Fred US US$ 39.90
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 US US$ 39.90
NHRA: Countdown to the Championship US US$ 24.90
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes US US$ 39.90
PC Games:
Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Guide Books:
John Woo presents Stranglehold: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Lair Signature Series Guide US US$ 17.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Toys & More:
Aliens 1/12 Scale Power Loader (Limited Version) JPN US$ 139.90
Aliens 1/12 Scale Power Loader (normal version) JPN US$ 139.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Builder - Grapprap JPN US$ 25.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Calf - Vitulus JPN US$ 36.90
Busou Shinki Pre-Painted PVC Figure: MMS Type Tiger - Tigris JPN US$ 36.90
Darkstalkers Painted PVC Figure: Felicia JPN US$ 64.90
Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade P-3 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Elina JPN US$ 52.90
Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade P-3 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Tomoe JPN N/A
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Saber (High School Uniform Ver.) JPN US$ 72.90
G-Shock Watch Batman JPN US$ 139.00
G-Shock Watch Superman X JPN US$ 139.00
Garamon Monster Soft Vinyl Figure: Garamon (Green Version) JPN US$ 99.90
Garamon Monster Soft Vinyl Figure: Garamon (Regular Red Version) JPN US$ 99.90
Halo 3 - Master Chief ArtFX non scale prepainted statue JPN US$ 99.90
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure - Untyou Kanu (Adesugata Ver.) JPN N/A
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure - Untyou Kanu (Strawberry Milk Ver.) JPN US$ 64.90
Masterpiece of Shunya Yamashita No 1: Rudy 1/7 Scale Figure (HK Comic Fair Special Version) JPN US$ 54.90
Melty Blood Series II Painted PVC Figure: Ciel JPN US$ 54.90
Neon Genesis Evangelion Horror Summer Mini Display Figure JPN US$ 5.49
Nintendo DS Character Touch Pen Bomberman Version Gashapon JPN US$ 2.49
Rozen Maiden Non Scale Painted PVC Figure - Shinku JPN N/A
Shining Wind Trading Figure Collection JPN US$ 6.90
Street Fighter Action Figure: Gen (Blue) US$ 8.90
Street Fighter Action Figure: Gen (Green) US$ 8.90
The Art of Shunya Yamashita 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted Figure: Mirei San (HK Comic Fair 2007 Special) JPN US$ 64.90
Ultimate Action Neon Genesis Evangelion DX Figure (New Theater Version) JPN US$ 5.49
Whip X Nonoko - Nonoko: moon 1/6 Scale Figure JPN US$ 54.90
Video Game Soundtracks:
Etrian Odyssey Drama CD JPN US$ 31.90
Etrian Odyssey Super Arrange Version JPN US$ 29.90
Hiiro No Kakera Series Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Neoromance Trillion Aromatic Autumn JPN US$ 28.90
Que Character Image Mini Album Vol.7 JPN US$ 19.90
Star Drops (Hoshifull Seito Gakuen Tenmon Dokokai Intro Theme) JPN US$ 11.90
Super Eurobeat presents Initial D Battle Stage 2 JPN US$ 32.90
Super Robot Taisen OG: Original Generations Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 36.90
EA has tried to sign us up for its Rock Band this afternoon by releasing a fresh list of tracks for the game.
It coincides with frequent announcements from collaborators EA, MTV and Harmonix that either new bands or fresh brands have been roped in to appearing in the game.
Most recently rockers Grateful Dead were added to the roster, and will be lending 18 of their best licks to the title. They follow the likes of Metallica, The Who, David Bowie, as well as manufacturer legends Fender, Boss and Roland.
We also recently heard the hugely anticipated rhythm romp was delayed in Europe until Q1 2008, although a silver lining confirmed it would fully localised for each territory.
The confirmed track list so far looks like this:
Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper" (Master)
The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again" (Master)
David Bowie "Suffragette City" (Master)
Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (Cover)
The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Pop" (Master)
Mountain "Mississippi Queen" (Cover)
Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive" (Master)
Rush "Tom Sawyer" (Cover)
Nirvana "In Bloom" (Master)
Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline" (Master)
Weezer "Say It Ain't So" (Master)
The Hives "Main Offender" (Master)
The Strokes "Reptilla" (Master)
Queens of the Stone Age "Go with the Flow" (Master)
Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly" (Master)
Metallica "Enter Sandman" (Master)
Deep Purple "Highway Star" (Master)
Faith No More "Epic" (Master)
Jet "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" (Master)
OK Go! "Here It Goes Again (Master)
Radiohead "Creep" (Master)
Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter" (Master)
The Clash "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (Master)
Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock" (Master)
Beastie Boys "Sabotage" (Master)
Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds" (Master)
Garbage "I Think I'm Paranoid" (Master)
The Pixies "Wave of Mutilation" (Master)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps" (Master)
Hole "Celebrity Skin" (master)
Rock Band is due out on PS3, 360, and PS2 in the first quarter of next year.
Gordon Brown has pledged to work with the TV, advertising and games industries to reach a consensus on the issue of violence in the media and potentially introduce voluntary controls.
As reported by the Guardian, Brown was speaking at his monthly press conference. He stated, "Where there is pornographic or violent material, any parent is going to be concerned.
"This is not the Government telling people what they should do... This is society reaching a conclusion with all those people involved about what are the legitimate boundaries.
Brown continued, "I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I think you need to review this with a large number of representative groups, from parents, from the different industries itself and from other areas of public life."
The Prime Minister's comments come just days after he announced the launch of a Government review which will focus on the way violence in the media affects children. It will be conducted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The initial announcement raised concerns amongst gamers and the industry regarding potential censorship of videogames - but Brown's latest comments seem designed to allay these fears.
"I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the Internet and videos where children are involved," he stated.
"This is not an area where you can proceed, in my view, without trying to establish both what the boundaries are and what is the consensus you can build around these boundaries."
PS3 owners will be able to blast their way through one level of Stranghold in a demo hitting the PSN later today.
Just like the Xbox 360 demo which went live a month ago, you'll take control of Inspector Tequila (Chow Yun Fat) and his duel-wield guns and go on a killing spree in the massively destructible Hong Kong marketplace level.
It will give a fair taster of all the table-diving mechanics as you leap over market stools to dodge bullets, and slide down rails on staircases - Sonic the Hedgehog-style - while firing off rounds from your two pistols.
A PC is also on the way, but an exact date is yet to be set.
PRESS RELEASE - Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Sale of Joytech Video Game Accessories Subsidiary
New York, NY - September 7, 2007 - Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today announced that it has sold substantially all of the assets of its wholly owned Joytech video game accessories subsidiary to Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ). The Joytech sale reflects Take-Two's previously announced plans to divest its non-core businesses.
"The sale of the Joytech assets is consistent with one of the key goals we established in our 100 Day Plan: to develop strategic alternatives for any operations that we determined to be outside our core publishing business," said Ben Feder, Take-Two's Chief Executive Officer. "We are particularly pleased that we accomplished this goal in a manner that will allow substantially all of our Joytech employees in the U.S. and U.K. to join Mad Catz, which is a highly respected provider of video game peripherals."
The Joytech sale is not expected to be material to Take-Two's financial results.
I personally like Joytech products more than Mad Catz. But good thing about this, Joytech products will now be featured on shelves in retail stores. Usually its Mad Catz, Pelican and Nyko taking up all the pegs on the wall or shelf space.
Sony has dismissed claims that it issued a release schedule showing launch dates for key PSP, PS2 and PlayStation 3 titles, including online community service Home.
The dates first appeared on Kotaku.com and have since been picked up by other sites.
Key titles mentioned include Ratchet and Clank PS3, Uncharted: Drake's Progress and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. A "tentative" date of October 11 is given for PlayStation Home.
But a spokesperson for SCE UK told GamesIndustry.biz, "That's not an official release schedule. None of the dates on the list have been confirmed at this time.
"I don't know where Kotaku have taken them from or why they're claiming 'SCEE have clarified dates' as we haven't sent them anything, and neither have our Central office."
According to the spokesperson, the only confirmed release dates Sony currently has are for PS3 titles Heavenly Sword (September 14) and Warhawk (September 21).
Sony declined to comment specifically on the rumoured October 11 date for Home. But a spokesperson did state, "We will be making more announcements about Home at this year's Tokyo Game Show." TGS 2007 runs from September 20 - 23.
Chart-Track has released new statistics which show a 260 per cent week-on-week increase in UK sales for Microsoft's Xbox 360 in the UK - while the PSP has suffered its worst week of sales since launch.
As reported by MCV, the change in fortunes for both machines are down to hardware line-up changes.
In Xbox 360's case the sales spike coincided with the introduction of the new Elite model, and a price reduction for the existing Premium and Core versions.
Strong sales continued into a second week, falling by only 20 per cent.
The blame for the crash in PSP sales is attributed to retailers and consumers anticipating the imminent launch of the new Slim and Lite model of the handheld on September 14.
ChartTrack declined to supply specific sales figures for either Xbox 360 or PSP.
It seems like just yesterday when online functionality was a new, exotic feature that was far from required for most games. Now, it seems, online functionality is practically a must if a publisher wants to squeeze as much money as possible from a release. Reuters is reporting on a new study by research firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research that shows, so far in this generation, console games that allow online play bring in nearly twice as much revenue as games that don't.
This isn't that surprising, considering mega-sellers like Madden, Gears of War, and Resistance are weighing on the online side. Would these same exact games make half the money without an online component? It's hard to say, but it's definitely a possibility, and one that should worry online-shy Nintendo. According to the study, only two percent of Wii games included an online component as of June 1, compared to 23 percent of PS3 games and a whopping 77 percent of Xbox 360 titles. That could translate to a lot of early revenue left on the table for the big N. Look, just make the Super Smash Bros. Brawl's online functionality relatively painless and all will be forgiven, all right?
They were once human but were infected and consequently resurrected by the T-Virus. A zombie will continue its search for food even with severed limbs or when missing the lower half of its body. The Labcoat Zombie Action Figure features ball-jointed neck and shoulders, swivel wrists and waist, and Crow and Severed Limb accessory. Note: photo is of unapproved production sample. Final figure may be different from item shown. Available exclusively at Transworld stores in the U.S. and all retailers overseas.
Manufactured by NECA and licensed by Capcom, the Resident Evil 2nd Anniversary Edition 7" Action Figure: Labcoat Zombie is in stock today, shipping at US$ 19.90 only.
features
Platform: PlayStation 3
Pages: 144
Ribbons, Badges, and Medals: All the accolades and how to get each one.
Ranking System Revealed.
Scoring System Tables.
Weapon and Vehicle Damage Tables.
Map-specific Strategy.
Detailed Maps with Callouts for every Weapon, Pickup, and Vehicle. one.
Expert strategies for all modes of gameplay.
BradyGames is Official and Exclusive on this title.
description
The long-awaited remake to the PlayStation hit takes flight on the
PLAYSTATION3. In Warhawk , players will experience a true full-scale war in
an intense online multiplayer arena. Take to the skies and engage in high-speed
aerobatic dogfights or hover to provide crucial aerial support to surging ground
troops. Unleash an artillery assault with heavily armored tanks and all terrain
vehicles. Advance on-foot to frontline positions and key locations with an array
of devastating weapons, mounted guns and emplaced defense turrets.
Experience the online modes like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the
Flag and a brand new game type, Zone. Large scale battles and up to 32 players
will encourage teamwork and emphasize strategy for an invigorating combat
experience.
A nine-year-old boy who saved his father's life by taking the wheel of a speeding big rig when his dad suffered a seizure and blacked out has finally gotten his wish.
When asked last month what kind of reward he would like for his bravery, Matty Lovo said he would like a new PlayStation.
When readers of the story suggested pitching in and buying the boy a PlayStation, his father, Matthew Lovo, initially declined to accept the offer while thanking the community for its generosity.
Eventually, after Sony called to donate one, Lovo Sr. agreed to accept it.
"We've seen this topic talked about as far away as the UK and all over the U.S. People like the story a lot," Lovo Sr. said.
The company presented Matty with the gift Wednesday evening at KGW.
"I'm gonna let my dad play this one. He needs to have a spin,” Matty said.
Matty said his real reward is that his father recovered after the seizure.
The incident occurred in Saint Helens, Ore., in August. A Good Samaritan who noticed a child at the wheel of the huge truck jumped out of his own car to help stop the vehicle.
Joytech Fusion Charging Station
Manufacturer: Joytech
Site: Buy from ConsoleShop
Price: $24.95
Overview : Play in style with the Fusion Charging Station from JOYTECH. Compatible with the Sixaxis™ wireless controller, the Fusion Charging Station protects and stores your controller whilst charging the internal battery via the USB charge cable provided with your console. Features high gloss aerodynamic design and blue LED Charging Light.
Features :
Store and protect your Sixaxis™ wireless controller
Charge your controller via USB charge cable
Sleek aerodynamic design and blue LED Charging Light
Quality/Usability : There is nothing special about the Joytech Fusion Charging Station. It is just a charging dock for your PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS controller. Although, it kind of looks like a airplane...to me of course.
In order to charge the SIXAXIS, you will need a USB cable. It does not come with one. You plug the USB cable to the back of the charging station. The SIXAXIS controller goes plugs on top of the dock. On the front of the dock is a LED. This will light up blue when the SIXAXIS is being charged.
Conclusion : Overall, the Joytech Fusion Charging Station does its job by charging the SIXAXIS. The design is nice but its a bit heavy for a single charger. It would have been nice if it also came with a USB cable for those who have multiple controllers and want to charge them at the same time. The price tag is a bit hefty for a single charger.
Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has said that Sony needs to makes its marketing for PlayStation 3 more consistent if the machine is to be a success.
Reuters quotes the Japanese publishing boss saying the future for PS3 "would be tough if its marketing strategy is not straightened up".
Wada said he felt the change from promoting the PS3 as a home entertainment hub to a pure games console had confused the market and harmed the machine's fortunes.
"Sony first unveiled the PS3 as a mighty home electronics product. Then, after some badgering from game companies, it shifted the position of the console closer to a game machine," he observed.
Square Enix has been a staunch supporter of the PlayStation brand since its inception. Before and after their merger, both Square and Enix made their multi-million selling Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest
games exclusive to PlayStation consoles.
However, the publisher, an influential force in the Japanese market, has recently started to distance itself from Sony. In what may indicate a shift in strategy, the next Dragon Quest game will be exclusive to the Nintendo DS.
TV parenting expert Tanya Byron is to head the inquiry into violent and sexual content in video games and other media, the BBC is reporting. The review was announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown earlier this week.
Byron presented the BBC TV shows 'The House of Tiny Tearaways' and 'Little Angels', but decided to end her career as a TV presenter earlier this year.
Byron will talk to parents and the entertainment industry about how better to protect children from unsuitable material. The inquiry will study the availability and prevalence of violent games and internet pornography in particular, and look at the effectiveness of existing laws.
"It is essential that parents and anyone involved in the care and development of young people are familiar with the material they will access and view - and of the potential and actual risks therein," said Byron.
Byron will report to the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
"It is not about stopping children having fun," said Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. "It is about making sure they can do so safely."
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Brown said that the study would not lead to increased censorship.
The current hardware sales situation in Japan is listed below.
DS Lite: 94,339
Wii: 39,371
PSP: 22,196
PS3: 18,068
PS2: 14,280
Xbox 360: 1,635
Game Boy Micro: 263
Game Boy Advance SP: 195
Gamecube: 73
Game Boy Advance: 16
DS original: 0
Nintendo is on the top as usual but with reduced sales on all consoles compared to the last weeks' reading. PSP, PS2 and the Xbox 360 has also experienced a slight drop too. Only the PS3 has seen a slight increase roughly by some 1,600 units.
Sony is transforming the PlayStation 3 into a digital video recorder, bolstering the game console's credentials as a flexible multimedia hub for the living room.
PlayTV is little black box that connects to PS3 and contains twin high-definition digital television tuners. Users can watch one channel while recording another, and also pause live TV.
PlayTV also expands the capabilities of the PlayStation Portable game console. PSP owners with a PS3 connected online to the internet can now watch live or recorded programs on the handheld device whenever they're near a wi-fi hot spot.
Alternatively, users can transfer TV programs for viewing on the PSP wherever they go, saved onto a memory stick.
Sony says PlayTV will be released in Australia next year, but its implementation could be hamstrung by squabbling over access to the electronic program guides that form the heart of Personal Video Recorder (PVR) functionality.
The upside for Sony is that sales of PVRs in Australia are still relatively low, so there is a huge opportunity to capture a sizeable new market.
PS3's multimedia capabilities include playing high-definition Blu-ray films, DVDs and music CDs, streaming video, photos and music from PCs, and web browsing.
Early PS3 sales in Australia have been solid, with more than 60,000 sold in the first four months, but critics have bemoaned the console's high price and limited software range.
Instead of dropping the price, Sony last month added the console's two bestselling games and an additional controller to the $999 bundle.
More than 65 titles will be available on PS3 before Christmas, including Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Assassin's Creed, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, SingStar, Haze, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Next year's release schedule is stronger, with blockbusters including Rock Band, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo 5 and Killzone2.
The ability to play PlayStation 3 dragon-combat game Lair on the PSP has generatád plenty of headlines in recent days. What's gained much less attention, however, is the fact that the feature is potentially available for all PlayStation 3 games.
Indeed when checking up on the Lair situation with a Sony technical insider, we got the response: "It's a nice start. Over time, I'm sure we'll have more advanced features."
The core of this PS3-PSP interaction is the PlayStation 3's Remote Play functionality, which allows registered PSPs (you have to initially connect your PSP to your PS3 via USB to register it) to access media such as movies or TV programmes held on the PS3 hard drive, or which are being accessed in real-time on the PS3.
The ability to play PS3 games on your PSP is obviously a more complex technical step, but fundamentally, it can still be reduced to the ability of the PS3 to stream video footage across a wireless network.
So when you're 'playing' Lair on your PSP, the game's not actually running on the PSP's processors. In this case – just like when watching a film that's running on your PS3 – the PSP is merely being used as a display device, albeit one that enables the interactivity of button presses (whether that be to pause the video stream or rotate the in-game camera) with a small enough latency to make playing a game manageable.
That's the reason any PlayStation 3 game could enable the feature, as long as duties such as remapping the second analogue joystick or second shoulder buttons to the PSP's buttons are carried out.
Still, it seems unlikely it would be appropriate for all PS3 games, even if developers wanted to enable the ability (significantly, it is something that's officially supported within Sony's PS3 software development kit).
For example, the latency of most domestic wireless networks would struggle to provide the fluidity required for beat-'em-ups such as Virtua Fighter 5 or Tekken 6. Conversely, a more sedate 30 frames per second experience such as Lair is ideal.
Other examples of how the technology could be employed have already been skwcased by Sony (although yet to be fulfilled), and include the use of PSP as a rear view mirror in racing games such as Gran Turismo.
Expect to hear much more about PS3-PSP interoperability in the coming months as Sony starts to ramp up its Christmas marketing campaign for both platforms.
Experience a new level of graphical clarity on the PlayStation 3 with the HD-Link from Nyko. The HD-Link is designed to provide the best possible video and audio connection for the PlayStation 3. Featuring high end Y, Bp, Pr component connections, the HD-Link provides full 1080p resolution on your HDTV for both PlayStation 3 games and Blu-Ray™ movies. The shielded 8 foot cable allows for interference-free audio and video in any entertainment setup while providing high definition video and audio quality for the PS3. The HD-Link is ideal for those who demand the most out of their home electronics and want the best possible PlayStation 3 experience.
The Dual Charger AC’s patented design features two wall powered USB charging ports for charging two SIXAXIS™ controllers simultaneously. Plugging directly into a standard wall outlet, the Dual Charge AC charges the controllers by way of two included 4ft USB to Mini USB insulated charging cables that plug into the SIXAXIS™ controller. Featuring foldable power prongs and Velcro wraps for each cord, the Dual Charge AC is easy to pack away for travel. The Dual Charge AC is also compatible with other USB and Mini USB powered devices making the Dual Charge AC a must- have travel accessory for any gadget enthusiast.
Rapidly charge and stores 4 SIXAXIS™ controllers for the Playstation®3 with the Charge Base PS3. The Charge Base plugs into any standard wall outlet and is compact enough to fit in any home entertainment setup. Once plugged in, the Charge Base is able to store and charge up to 4 SIXAXIS™ controllers for the PlayStation 3. Utilizing Nyko’s patent pending technology, all 4 controllers will be charged simultaneously through the Mini USB ports, leaving all 4 of the console’s USB ports free while eliminating the need for cumbersome wires. The Charge Base is the ultimate charging and organizational accessory for the SIXAXIS™ controller.
Now for those not familiar the Iphone has already seen a mass of homebrew released for it including Nes Emulators, Frotz, Doom and MAME is being worked on.
With the worldwide popularity of the iPod and this much easier way to get homebrew on it coupled with the Touch Screen we could see a major homebrew scene in the making. Interesting times ahead.
Apple News will have all the latest news as it happens.
Easily control the next generation of home entertainment with the Blue-Wave Remote from Nyko. The Blu Wave allows you to easily control the playback of Blu-Ray movies, DVDs and CDs on the PlayStation 3 console. Utilizing infrared technology, the Blue Wave can navigate system and movie menus, skip chapters or tracks, pause and play a movie or music and replicate other PlayStation 3 controller functionality from up to 25 feet away. The compact USB IR receiver plugs into any open USB port for easy set up requiring no complicate software, pairing or programming. The Blue Wave is powered by 2 AA batteries (included).
Sony recently updated their US backwards compatibility search website now that the States gets to join in Europe's pain. As we learned during E3, the new 80 GB PS3 does have backwards compatibility issues. All future PS3 models will also have similar BC issues as they'll use the less expensive software emulation program instead of the PS2 native hardware which is currently in the 60GB model. If you're even considering a future purchase of a PS3 and are at all concerned about your consoles' backwards compatibility, it may be well worth it to get the 60GB model while it still exists -- it truly is your best option in case Sony gets lackadaisical about updating their software backwards compatibility like Microsoft was.
A quick search in the database shows cracks in the foundation already:
God of War -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title." 80GB: "During various FMV sequences throughout the title, the audio plays overlapped by static audio distortion."
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title." 80GB: "During various FMV sequences throughout the title, the audio plays overlapped by static audio distortion." & "Throughout gameplay, the title performs at a significantly slower than normal performance speed."
Final Fantasy X -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title." 80GB: "At various points throughout the Opening FMA sequence, the graphics jitter."
Destroy All Humans -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title." 80GB: "At specific points during gameplay, character weapons do not function as intended."
Go look up some of your favorite games, these were just the first four we checked. There is no master list either, every game must be specifically selected by title. If backwards compatibility is something you care about, it's worth taking the 60GB model under consideration.
It must be a year since i found out about a new project from CraigIX (Owner of the former GBAX.com Shop - Best one in Europe for DS etc) and now owner of GP2X UK.
Now because sites like Engadget have made the news public and got it wrong a tad too then i thought it was about time i posted what i know about the handheld that has been told to me will be more powerful than the PSP.
The handheld is not being made by Gamepark so thats one rumour dead. Craigix and some others are behind it and most likely it will be made in China (not 100% confirmed). The Console will be Linux Based again (like the GP2X). It will have a decent 2D and 3D Graphics Chip. I gather it will have a very nice 128MB of Ram, it will use SD Cards. It will have a touchscreen. TV Out will also be an option. The screen is rumoured to be 800x400 resolution, i understand that Sony/Sharp have the deets on the 480 screen. Wifi is also on the cards.
The console at this time doesnt have a Public name but sometime in October we will know for sure. It promises to be an exceptional console for homebrew and other items not 100% confirmed are some kind of keyboard too.
The price im told will be around the £150.
Like everything things change but it sounds a mouthwatering console, taking the ideas for the GP2X and features from the PSP/DS and making what could be a Dream Homebrew Handheld that doubles as a Console too.
Ian Bogost writes at Gamasutra about the (now quiet) controversy between Sony and the Church of England. You may recall the religious organization's objection to the use of the Manchester cathedral in Insomniac's alternate history WWII shooter Resistance. The result of this objection was a weak-kneed apology from Sony, and an attempt to push the whole thing under a rug. Bogost notes that never once did the company try to defend itself on artistic merit, simply capitulating to the objections of the church. That, he has decided, leaves the job up to him:
"For my part, I think the cathedral creates one of the only significant experiences in the whole game, one steeped in reverence for the cathedral and the church, rather than desecration. Resistance is not a game richly imbued with wisdom. It's a first-person shooter, and it is a pretty good one. It's beautifully rendered, taking apparent advantage of the advanced graphical capabilities of the PlayStation 3. The game is very linear, both in its plot and the paths through each level, but that linearity allows it to focus the player on a smaller, more tightly crafted environment. Resistance takes up a common theme in science fiction: an ultimate test of humankind against the Other."
Only PS3 sees modest growth following Bladestorm release
Sales of Nintendo hardware have fallen in Japan, where the DS handheld has shifted less than 100,000 units for the first time this year.
Despite the drop in sales, the DS still leads the market with 94,339 consoles sold for the week ended September 2. Nintendo's Wii sold 39,371 for the same period, according to recent data from Media Create.
Sony's PlayStation 3 was the only console in the region to record improved sales, with 18,068 consoles sold – in the same week that Koei's PS3 title Bladestorm entered the all-formats charts at number two by selling 58,996 copies.
Sales of the PlayStation Portable fell to 22,196, compared to 26,089 the previous week, while the PS2 sold 14,280 units, down from 15,139 the week before.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold just 1635 units, while the GBA sold 474 and the GameCube 73 units in the region.
As well as Bladestorm, there were two other new entries in the Japanese software charts last week. Bandai Namco's One Piece: Gear Spirit for the Wii sold 41,207 copies and entered the charts at number 5, while Banpresto's DS game Summonight: Twin Age took the number seven spot with 27,692 sales.
The full Japanese software top ten follows:
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Bladestorm
Gintama: Together with Gin-san! My Kabuki-cho Diary
Ars Technica has a mole that's had a few hits in the past that's now whispering about something big . The mole says that Sony's console pricing for the holiday season will be the 80GB PlayStation 3 at $499.99 and a 40GB PlayStation 3 at $399.99. Yep, 40GB. We hope there's some other sort of pot sweetening here, otherwise, the only consumer for the 80GB SKU is the one who doesn't realize that you can hook whatever hard drive you want up to the system. The mole also claims that Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray will be packed in with one or both of the consoles and that the PlayStation 2 will be dropping to $99.99.
The PS2 and PS3 price cuts would make sense going into a tough holiday fight. Even the 40GB rings true in the sense that it's PlayStation 3 plus baffling pricing, the Sony and Cher of the industry at the moment. With Tokyo Game Show just around the corner, we're hopeful we'll get some official word soon.
Platform: PC, Sony PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360
pages: 512
Covers ALL Elder Scrolls IV content - The Game of the Year guide covers Oblivion, Knights of the Nine, Shivering Isles, and all downloadable content.
Covers EVERY Platform - The guide is usable for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC versions of the game.
Written by Bethesda - The developers of the game wrote all the strategy in the guide.
Next-gen consoles have been banned from UK jails following concerns they could be used to coordinate terror attacks
The Sun reports that games consoles that can be used by inmates to send and receive radio signals have been deemed too much of a threat to the peace. Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's DS consoles have reportedly been banned from jails as a result.
As reported previously, UK home secretary John Reid said in March, "Advice was issued to all prisons in December 2005 that the Sony PlayStation 3 was barred from the prison estate because of the equipment's ability to send and receive radio signals." The banning of games consoles in UK prisons has now seemingly been extended to Microsoft and Nintendo systems.
A source told the UK tabloid, "The technology in the new generation of computer games makes them a security risk.
"There is concern that top terror suspects have been using systems already in jails. Radio software is an integral part of the equipment."
A secret security report obtained by the paper suggests that fears extend beyond the communication capabilities offered by next-gen consoles, with the banning of all games consoles in prisons still a possibility.
Gamasutra is reporting on information from a new research firm called Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, which has recently released a number of papers looking into trends in the gaming industry. One (perhaps surprising) finding: M-rated titles sell better than any other rating group.
"The study, titled 'Console Intelligence Brief 2007' examines the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 since each consoles' release through June 1, 2007, and comprises some 219 retail and 187 downloadable games made available on the new platforms, examined by genre, ESRB rating, gross sales in the United States, MetaCritic scores, online functionalities, multiplayer capability and other core game features. Among the sample results made available, the study found that critics' favorite list and the blockbuster charts have a lot in common, with highly-rated titles selling up to five times better than titles with lower scoring reviews. Despite online connectivity being a marketing cornerstone for all new consoles, the study concluded that 45 percent of retail games are not utilizing it in any way -- 98 percent of Nintendo Wii games have no online functionality at all."
Wedbush expects Rockstar title to generate $400m in full-price sales
While Take Two has remained quiet on the release of exclusive episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes it won't appear on the Xbox 360 until at least the fourth quarter of 2008.
The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Grand Theft Auto IV were originally due for release this October, with chief financial officer Laine Goldstein previously revealing that the first of two exclusive packages for Microsoft would follow in March next year.
However, since the release of the highly-anticipated crime sim was pushed back until at least April 2008, any release date for the downloadable episodes – which Microsoft reportedly paid USD 25 million each for – has been up in the air.
"We note that the USD 50 million deferred revenue for GTA episodic content was reclassified as 'long term,' implying a release date no earlier than Q4 2008," commented Pachter in a note to investors following publisher Take Two's latest financial results.
Wedbush Morgan predicts that Grand Theft Auto IV will sell around 8 million units at full-price, generating revenues of USD 400 million. And despite the the fact that future titles in the series could sell even more units, the analyst remain sceptical of the franchises profitability.
"We do believe that the GTA franchise has a great deal of potential, and think that future versions will sell more than the 8 million units we expect from GTA IV.
"However, we remain sceptical that future versions will be as profitable as past versions, as the Rockstar team has apparently taken its studio name to heart," commented Pachter.
EA takes first and second spots with leading franchises
Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor franchise has made a triumphant return to the the UK charts, with the latest title crashing into the number one spot.
Medal of Honor Airborne takes the coveted position on its first week of release, backed by the publisher's market-leading sports series Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 at number two.
Sales of 2K Games' critically acclaimed BioShock for the Xbox 360 and PC dropped by 59 per cent, leaving it at number three this week, while South Peak Games' Two Worlds enters the charts at number four.
Nintendo's Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for the DS continues its top ten run at number five, and THQ's Stuntman: Ignition climbs up the charts from number nine to number six.
More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima is at seven this week, and there's another new entry for EA at eight with the latest The Sims expansion pack, The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.
Activision's Transformers: The Game falls to number nine and Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree is at ten.
The only other new entry in the top 40 is Capcom's Monster Hunter: Freedom 2 at number 39.
Sweden and Iceland are leading the uptake of online services for the PlayStation 3 in Europe, with eight out of ten PS3 consumers signing up for Sony's service, according to data from Dataspelsbranschen.
At Game Convention in Germany last month, David Reeves said that the average uptake of the PlayStation Network was just under 5 out of every 10 users, with 645,000 of the 1.3 million consoles sold in Europe registered for the service.
And according to Nordisk Film Interactive, the official distributor of PlayStation products in the Nordic region, sales of the console have been "incredible" since the recent introduction of Starter Pack bundles.
"Since we launched the Starter pack with a PlayStation 3, two games and two controllers in the middle of June the sales have been incredible," offered Jens Alex, MD of Nordisk Film.
"Another force is online which Sony has been criticised for, but we managed to overcome the expectations. Sweden has the highest number of PlayStation 3's online in Europe in comparison to the size of the country," he said.
Dataspelsbranschen has also revealed software sales figures for Sweden for the first six months of the year, showing that the PC is still the most popular platform, with 1.3 million games sold accounting for EUR 21.1 million.
The PlayStation 2 is still the most popular console, generating EUR 18.2 million in software sales for the first six months of 2007, or 530,819 units.
Software for Microsoft's Xbox 360 is still selling strong in the region, with 146,273 units generating sales of EUR 6.2 million.
PlayStation 3 software has sold just over 93,000 units or EUR 5.4 million, while Wii titles have moved over 82,000 units or EUR 4.1 million.
In the battle of the handhelds, 173,103 games have been sold for the Nintendo DS, generating EUR 5.7 million, and 76,113 titles have been sold for the PSP, making EUR 1.5 million.
Total software sales on all formats in Sweden during the first six months reached EUR 64.3 million, with the market expected to grow 20 per cent during 2007.
Epic's Mark Rein has clarified rumours regarding Unreal Tournament 3's release date on PlayStation 3.
"The PS3 console exclusivity is not in doubt. We are shipping the game on the PS3 well before the Xbox 360 version ships," Rein told GamesIndustry.biz "That's the version we are working on right now. We do not have a date for the Xbox 360 version."
"Nothing has changed at this point," Rein said. "We're working toward a November release."
Addressing forum comments which were reported on earlier, Rein said the point was "not to cast doubt on our plans but rather to debunk the countdown timer on a German fan site that listed a specific release date."
"We don't know the specific release date yet and I think it is always prudent to remind our fans that we value quality over release date. They've come to expect that from UT and we don't want them to think we're handling UT3 any differently."
Last week, Midway invited the consumer press to play UT3 multiplayer on PS3 at a New York event, and Rein reports that thousands of gamers played the game on two 16-player PC LANs at Leipzig. Rein said that he will also be at the Tokyo Game Show to demonstrate UT3 at a Sony press reception.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune will be released on 20th November in the US and is still down for release this Christmas in Europe.
That's according to game director Amy Hennig, addressing the world (well, Ellie) earlier today in Croatia, and confirms the date carried by US retailers.
Uncharted, which is developed by the Jak & Daxter scribes at Naughty Dog, puts players on the path of the fabled treasure of El Dorado, and is seen as one of Sony's key PS3 exclusives in the run-up to Christmas.
Hennig also told journalists that the game is "about a week" away from going beta internally, which bodes well for its prospect of getting out the door in two months' time.
The crazy rolling world of Beautiful Katamari is heading to PS3 and Wii, it appears.
Bandai Namco's website now lists both platforms as being on the Beautiful Katamari roll call, although neither version has a release date - they're both down as "TBD".
And in related news, the site's also listing Xbox 360 RPG Eternal Sonata as destined for PS3 now too. Again, a release date for the PS3 version is down as "TBD".
All things being well in the world of PlayStation Store, you should now be able to download a demo of the PS3 version of Midway's Woo-'em-up Stranglehold.
In Stranglehold, in case you didn't know, you step into the shoes of Chow Yun-Fat as Inspector Tequila and shoot shit up while doing lots of slow-mo diving. And shooting. And diving. And shooting. And divi...
Midway says the demo "will allow players to get a taste of the intense, non-stop action, cinematic gunplay and massively destructible environments that their itchy trigger fingers have been waiting for."
Codemasters is gearing up to unleash its gorgeous-looking rally racer on Sony's gaming beast at the end of the week, and this video features Chief games designer, Matt Horsman showing off the multi-car off road races in the game.
He gives you a look at the cross over, motocross and C.O.R.E events that Xbox 360 owners are already blasting through, considering the game launched on MS' console on June 15.
Both versions look pretty much identical, although we're expecting people will nit pick differences in screenshot comparisons once the game's released.
L.A.-based Faramix Enterprises LLC is the latest developer to license Epic's Unreal Engine 3 tech, which it's using to power a first-person shooter called End.
Details are a bit scant, but End will be developed for PC and console, with Faramix expecting it to release in 2009.
The developer's spoken of how its goal with the FPS is to "raise the standard for FPS everywhere" and Epic's engine is allowing it to "produce the ground breaking quality we've always envisioned".
"It brings me great joy to say that in the coming months we'll be developing a title that gamers around the world will enjoy for years to come", Brian Aloisi, VP/COO of Faramix Enterprises LLC, has added.
We're not saying anything...
Finally, here's a plot summary: "Miles Caden is haunted by his past. Once a proud military officer and happy family man, he now lives in a perpetual state of regret. Not long after the fateful accident that left him and his best friend dishonorably discharged, he lost his wife to a tragic car accident.
"Depressed and desolate, he slips into a life of alcoholism. Only his cousin, Chaz, took him in, as he was forsaken by the rest of his family. Nothing seemed to be going right, until one day Chaz offered Miles the chance to get back his dignity. A chance to pull his life together. But nothing comes for free, and Miles has to decide how much he's willing to lose in order to regain his former self."
We know that the PS3 is relatively expensive for a game console, but how much cheaper would it have to get to change that perception? In other words, is there a specific cut-off where a piece of consumer electronics goes from "unfathomable" to suddenly "affordable"?
Creative Strategies Analyst Tim Bajarin has a theory about that. In a USA Today article yesterday, he says that the average consumer won't pay more than $399 for a piece of electronics, no matter how awesome and must-have it may be. While consumers will make exceptions for high-end items like TVs and computers, smaller items have trouble reaching mass appeal until they drop below $400. "That is pretty much the highest you can get and still have large volumes," Bajarin said.
The article specifically cites the PS3 as a cutting-edge device that has had problems selling above this ceiling. They might not have a problem for long, though, if analyst predictions of a $399 PS3 by April pan out. Hey, if you're going to listen to one random analyst, why not go all the way?
The good news for Sony: The PlayStation 3 has won another prestigious award for hardware design. The bad news: It has little to nothing to do with it's capabilities as a video game system.
The European Imaging and Sound Association's convergence panel has named the PS3 the best European media center for 2007/2008. The award description cites the systems audio/video/photo playback capabilities, included 60GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, ethernet, bluetooth and surround sound support and, most importantly, the Blu-ray disc player. Oh, and they also mention, almost as an afterthought, that the system is "of course a very advanced game console and a worthy heir to the grand PlayStation heritage."
We have to wonder how well Sony's convergent set top box would have done without its game-playing capabilities. Would consumers have been interested in an all-in-one TV entertainment center on its own merits, or are all these multimedia features just nice additions to a unit that's primarily meant for games. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
GameDaily reports on analyst research indicating that online games will be a huge part of the games market in a few years. The online portion of games sales hit roughly $3.8 billion in 2006, and is expected to grow at a rapid rate in the next few years, with Massively Multiplayer Online Games leading the way. By 2011 analysts expect that number to hit $11.8 billion, which would be about a third of all game sales.
"'The main driver for sustained growth in the online games market will be the continued uptake of broadband services around the world,' said David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics. 'Additionally, the very lucrative revenue opportunity in both the massively multiplayer segment and the electronic sell through market will continue to attract new entrants into the online games market.' While digital distribution is making more and more full games available for download for PC gamers (through services such as Steam, Direct2Drive, etc.), console makers have been much slower to offer entire games for download - although Sony is starting to do this on its PlayStation Network, with Warhawk being a primary example since it's available for download or on Blu-ray disc."
The Guardian Gamesblog has up a post noting that Gamestop will be rearranging stores to meet casual gamer needs. For example, they'll be creating a section just for music games (karaoke, guitar games, etc). They'll also be putting together a 'family-friendly' area, with a focus on titles like Nintendogs, Lego Star Wars, and the like. The post is based off of an interview in The New York Times with Daniel A. DeMatteo, Gamestop's vice chairman and chief operating officer. In his mind casual games are now so important to sales that the company is having to do some 'radical retail re-thinking':
"There is a real breadth of properties now appealing to a much broader audience than we've seen before. Honestly, we are having to retool the way we think of things in our stores in terms of merchandising, layout and also customer service because it is no longer only the hardcore gamer walking in who knows exactly what he wants."
Via Kotaku, IGN had the chance to play both the AO- and M-rated versions of Manhunt 2, and they now have a piece up pointing out the differences in the re-rated game. If you've been curious about what is in that warez copy floating around online, they'll piece it together for you. Be forewarned: the stuff that got cut out is pretty gross.
"The content may be too much for some to stomach, but the presentation is well done regardless. Manhunt 2's storyline is made more believable with realistic voice acting, atmospheric camera angles and pans, and moody transitional effects. There's even some comedy thrown in for good measure. Take, for example, a scene in which Danny decapitates a hunter and then uses his severed head to gain entry through a security door. A guard on the other side opens a peephole and sees the decapitated head staring back at him. 'Georgie Boy!' he exclaims. 'Come on in.'"
Online gaming is leading the digital entertainment market, outselling both the video and music business, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.
The firm calculates the online gaming market generated USD 3.8 billion in 2006 and it's expected to grow to USD 11.8 billion by 2011, with online sales accounting for one third of all software revenue in the industry.
"The rapid growth of the addressable market for digital distribution of both PC and console games will clear the way for distribution of mainstream hit titles which has up to now been restricted to the physical retail channel," said Martin Olausson, director of digital media research.
The continued uptake of broadband and opportunities in the MMO genre will help attract new business to online gaming, says the report.
"The main driver for sustained growth in the online games market will be the continued uptake of broadband services around the world," added David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics.
"Additionally, the very lucrative revenue opportunity in both the massively multiplayer segment and the electronic sell through market will continue to attract new entrants into the online games market."
You know what we say? Lair-Shmair. Who cares if there's a killer-app on PS3 if they're going to keep updating the firmware all the time? It's like getting a new console every couple of weeks! (Sure, 360 owners can say the same, but that just because they have to keep mailing them off for repair.) Take, for instance, firmware 1.93 coming in the "next few days" that ... well, it fixes a network disconnect problem created by 1.92. Hmm. ... Let's move on.
On PSP, you've got the upcoming 3.71, which adds "many features that readers [of the Sony blog] have requested." No, they're not talking about any at the moment except for themes, which was actually in 3.70. Either way it's a "must-download," if only to protect ourselves from the ever-approaching homebrew menace.
NCsoft North America CEO Robert Garriott has released more details on the reasoning behind the company's deal with Sony, and what gamers might expect from the union.
In a statement on the PlayNC.com web site Garriott stated that the first PS3 title from the company could be released as early as Q4 2008, and that the company "won't just be porting our games over."
He also hinted that there may be more to come from the relationship, and specifically that it allows NCsoft to develop "across all of Sony's console hardware platforms…perhaps the PSP."
The company may also choose to set up a new office outside of the Austin, Texas, base, and future titles could branch out from the traditional subscription model, and add "micropayment systems and free-to-play games with membership options."
On working with the Japanese console giant, Garriott was unsurprisingly complimentary.
"We like their vision of where they are going and we believe Sony complements our strategy moving forward."
features
All-New Read and React System: New player skill icons identify on-field strengths and weaknesses, providing an immediate read on what your opponent is giving you. Quickly react, create mismatches, and exploit opponent weaknesses before every play.
All-New Skill Drills: Take on an army of tackling dummies in an all-new skill drills mini-game designed to teach you the game of football. A progressive learning system teaches you how to use game controls under pressure, while advanced and multiplayer modes allow you to fine-tune your skills or challenge a friend to a head-to-head competition.
New Fantasy Challenge Mode: Leverage your fantasy football knowledge by drafting the ultimate NFL dream team. Play through four competition levels with your fantasy squad in hope of winning challenges, increasing your salary cap, and adding new superstars to your team.
Madden Unmatched: All-new player moves, including auto-motion and low-hitting tackles, plus ultra-smooth gameplay provide the most realistic NFL gaming experience ever.
description
Feel what it's like to be a field general making key personnel decisions on both sides of the ball during the game's biggest moments in Madden NFL 08. Quickly identify your strongest players on the field before every snap then move them into position to make game-changing momentum-altering plays. Play to your team's strengths by immediately reading your opponent's schemes and reacting to the action as soon as the ball is snapped. Create mismatches and exploit weaknesses as you read and react with Madden NFL 08.
With Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 08, featuring the breakthrough new EA SPORTS™ GamerNet and Photo Game Face features, gamers can put themselves into the middle of the action, test their nerves and skills against the best, and then share and compare their shots with other players from around the world in the most innovative iteration ever created.
Sony has rolled down our news hill and sung confirmation that LocoRoco Cocoreccho will be available next Thursday on the PlayStation Network.
It's the one that's an interactive screensaver rather than a fully-fledged game, remember - and will cost GBP 1.99 (EUR 2.92) to download.
So when you sit there not doing anything for a little while, your not-a-game will start - maybe you were looking out of the window at a passing squirrel or a talking hedgehog.
The idea is to wake up the LocoRoco using a little butterfly, then guide them around the map by titling scenery using the Sixaxis controller. See, it is used for something.
All-in-all we're told there will be more than 200 singing blobs to play around with, as well as baddies to stop you getting to the end of the level in one piece.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction will be released in the US on 23rd October and in Europe this November, Insomniac's Ryan Schneider told Eurogamer today.
Separately, the game's product manager confirmed that a demo of the game will be released on PlayStation Network in the US and Europe on 4th October.
Although it's about the 78th game in the series, Tools of Destruction is something of an origins tale, which sees the popular PS2 heroes taking over Emperor Percival Tachyon's ship and journeying around the galaxy for their first PS3 adventure.
We'll be bringing you impressions of the latest builds and more details from the development team in the Ratchet & Clank Future.
Sony Europe has told us this morning that the Blast Factor: Advanced Research add-on will be available sometime in October - not 20th September as ThreeSpeech suggests.
The expansion will revamp the visuals and audio of the PlayStation Network game, as well as add new bosses, enemies, specimens and special powers. There will be a monthly online high score table, too, and a practice mode so you won't look silly when your friends come round and watch.
Advanced Research was released in August in the US for USD 4.99. But unfortunately there's no word on what it will cost here.
The original Blast Factor game appeared here earlier this year, and impressed us with its tactical blast-'em-up action. Hopefully these new additions can turn it into a solid and positive recommendation.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue's price is still to be decided, Sony said today, following a report on Dutch website Fok! which claimed the Blu-Ray edition would cost EUR 45.
In addition, Sony was also unable to narrow a date down for Polyphony's eagerly awaited PS3 sequel. Current expectations are that both the PSN and Blu-Ray versions will be available before the end of 2007.
GT5 Prologue is a demo version of what to expect when the full Gran Turismo 5 is released. It will feature more than 40 (incredibly shiny) cars, and tracks including the Eiger Nordwand course, the London City Track, and Suzuka. You can either race these the right way around, reverse them, or try alternative routes.
But perhaps the most exciting feature will be the ability to face-off against up to 15 others over the PlayStation Network, complete with global online rankings.
EA has confirmed that the demo for FIFA 08 will go live on 360 and PS3 tomorrow.
It'll give you a chance to try out what the publisher is calling its most coherent football game to date. There's the new skill system to try out, the opportunity to play as just one member of the team and not mess it up, plus the usual better graphics, physics, and all that malarkey.
EA is also offering much more in the way of online support this time around. Following a post-release update you'll be able to play five against five, for instance, where you each control your player of choice on either side. The ultimate goal is to have 11 versus 11, although we're not sure who would really want to be centre-back or the goalie.
Interactive Leagues are back, too, so you and your chums can help your favourite team to victory, plus lots of other knick knacks. Sprint your way over to our first impressions of FIFA 08 for a closer look.
FIFA 08 is coming out on PC, PS3, 360, PS2, PSP, Wii and DS on 28th September. Look out for our thoughts soon.
The PSN seems to be gathering pace, not a bad update at all. Lets hope it continues.
Sep
13
PlayStation Store Update
+ Posted by Grace Chen // Senior Manager, PLAYSTATION Store
Hey everyone, time for another fantastic PLAYSTATION Store update. First off, you’ll notice that we’ve updated some of the thumbnails in the Store. There are new genres for the Game Demos category. Hopefully, this makes it easier to get to the content you want. Oh, and speaking of content, we’ve heard a lot of folks asking about the NHL Demo and Poker and yes, we’ve got them both this week — and a whole lot more. Check it out.
New downloadable games:
• PixelJunk Racers ($6.99) - A single and multi-player slot car racing game, with 32 modes, 10 tracks and online rankings.
• High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition ($9.99) Ante up! Play limit or no-limit poker in five different game types. There’s single player mode or you can play up to five others online.
Demos, demos and more demos:
• PixelJunk Racers
• Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground
• NHL 08
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• FIFA 08
Of course, more movie trailers and videos and wallpapers for your favorite new and upcoming games:
• Everyday Shooter trailer
• Warhawk trailer
• Lair Behind the Scenes video
• Feel the Noise trailer
• Juiced 2 trailer
• High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition trailer
• Soul Calibur IV trailer
• High Stakes: Poker wallpaper
• 2 PixelJunk Racer wallpapers
• Folklore wallpaper
And finally, we also have a free music track from our favorite dragon game, Lair.
Hope you enjoy this week’s update. Stay tuned for more…
SCEE has been recognised by the European Imaging and Sound Association, with the PS3 receiving an award for home entertainment.
"To receive an EISA Award is a very high honor in the electronics industry and therefore to receive one for a product that is usually thought of as simply a games machine, truly highlights the versatility and quality of PS3," said SCEE president David Reeves.
"We firmly believe that PlayStation 3 has the capabilities to sit at the heart of the living room and very much belongs there. This award highlights that claim."
The EISA has a membership comprised of nearly 50 audio, mobile electronics, video, and photo magazines spread throughout 19 countries. A judging panel consisting of journalists and independent technical experts selected the award winners.
Sony's Jamie MacDonald has told GamesIndustry.biz that the release of PS3 social networking service Home will be a low key affair, following an invite only public beta.
Home may have a profile similar to the biggest blockbuster games, but Sony is opting for a soft launch as it gradually rolls out the 3D user community for the PlayStation 3.
"One of the challenges that we have is to get over the mentality of Home being your typical product launch," said MacDonald, speaking in an exclusive interview published today.
"In the past we'd make a game, put it on a disc and launch it in the shops. But this is so different.
"It's a constantly evolving thing. Week by week and month by month it evolves. There isn't going to be this 'big bang' launch. That's how you do it in the Web 2.0 world, if you're familiar with the launch of Gmail or something like that," detailed MacDonald.
Home is central to Sony's network initiatives, with it initially acting as 3D community for like-minded PS3 users, bringing together multiple online services for the PlayStation 3.
The free service will launch from the PS3's Cross Media Bar, allowing users to interact, communicate, play online games, shop and build their own customised spaces.
But more than a first-party initiative, Home will open up to offer third-party partners space to conduct business, advertising and services in a controlled environment.
Although no definite date has been set, when unveiling the service at GDC earlier this year Sony pencilled in an autumn release.
"It's already out there in a closed beta and we're going to an open beta in the next couple of months and then it will be available on the Cross Media Bar soon after," said MacDonald, vice president of SCE worldwide studios.
When the beta does go public shortly, it's likely to be by invite only.
"At the moment the closed beta is employees, trusted third-parties and people like that. An open beta will be a wider audience but it won't be open to everybody.
"We haven't worked out the exact way of doing it but it will be invites to people to ask if they want to be part of it, and then depending on what the response is, we'll have to have some way of deciding who can and who can't take part," said MacDonald.
The full interview with Jamie MacDonald, where he discusses the challenges of creating Home, can be read here.
PC titles are dominating the multiformat charts in Sweden, with EA's latest Sims title taking the number one spot, according to data from Dataspelsbranschen.
The Sims 2 Bon Voyage is one of eight PC titles in the top ten, with Blizzard's World of Warcraft, it's expansion pack The Burning Crusade and new Guild Wars add-on Eye of the North clogging up the charts.
Sony's first-party titles MotorStorm and Resistance: Fall of Man are at one and two in the PS3 charts, while 2K Games' BioShock is the best seller on Xbox 360.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess tops the Wii charts, as Nintendo's first-party Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl games lead DS sales.
The full Swedish charts follow:
Multiformat
1. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt (PC)
2. World of Warcraft (PC)
3. Medieval II Total War Kingdoms (PC)
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
5. Bioshock (360)
6. Guild Wars Eye of the North (PC)
7. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology (PC)
8. Warcraft III Reign Of Chaos (PC)
9. Warcraft III Frozen Throne (PC)
10. Motorstorm (PS3)
11. Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)
12. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s (PS2)
13. Battlefield 2 (PC)
14. Singstar Svenska hits (PS2)
15. Counter-Strike Source (PC)
16. The Sims 2 (PC)
17. The Sims 2 H&M Fashion (PC)
18. Bioshock (PC)
19. Pokémon Diamond (DS)
20. Singstar 90's (PS2)
PC
1. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt
2. World of Warcraft
3. Medieval II Total War Kingdoms
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
5. Guild Wars Eye of the North
6. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology
7. Warcraft III Reign Of Chaos
8. Warcraft III Frozen Throne
9. Battlefield 2
10. Counter-Strike Source
Playstation 2
1. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s
2. Singstar Svenska hits
3. Singstar 90's
4. Shrek 3
5. MX vs ATV Unleashed
6. FIFA 07
7. Guitar Hero 2
8. Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria
9. Rogue Galaxy
10. Singstar Pop Hits skandinavisk
Playstation 3
1. Motorstorm
2. Resistance: Fall of Man
3. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
4. Virtua Tennis 3
5. Ninja Gaiden Sigma
6. The Darkness
7. Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
8. Formula One Championship Edition
9. Rainbow Six Vegas
10. Tony Hawk Project 8
Xbox 360
1. Bioshock
2. Guitar Hero 2
3. Forza Motorsport 2
4. Gears of War
5. Perfect Dark Zero
6. Kameo
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
8. Blue Dragon
9. Dead Rising
10. Call of Duty 3
Wii
1. Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess
2. Boogie
3. Rayman Raving Rabbids
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
5. Wii Play
6. Mario Party 8
7. Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
8. Mario Strikers Charged Football
9. Harry Potter och Fenixorden
10. Shrek 3
Nintendo DS
1. Pokémon Diamond
2. Pokémon Pearl
3. New Super Mario Bros
4. Shrek 3
5. Mario Kart DS
6. The Sims 2 Pets
7. Hotel Dusk: Room 215
8. Worms Open Warfare 2
9. Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City
10. Super Mario 64 DS
PSP
1. Need for Speed Underground Rivals
2. Daxter
3. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
4. GTA Vice City Stories
5. Tekken Dark Resurrection
6. Tales Of the World: Radiant Mythology
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 6
8. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
9. Burnout Dominator
10. FIFA 07
According to the latest information from Media Create for software sales in Japan last week, nearly twice as many units were sold for Sony consoles in the top ten as for Nintendo platforms.
This was largely due to robot fest Another Century's Episode 3: The Final moving straight into the top slot and shifting 186,000 copies alone, although Sony platform titles did make up four of the top ten, balancing the chart a little more than it has been in the recent past.
Other new entries last week included Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjongg for the DS at number six, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories on the PlayStation 2 in at number seven.
The rest of the chart is as follows:
1. Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (PS2)
2. Final Fantasy Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS)
3. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
4. Sengoku Musuo 2: Moushouden (PS2)
5. Bladestorm (PS3)
6. Haro Ichiza: Gundam Mahjonng (DS)
7. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2)
8. My Housekeeping Diary (DS)
9. Wii Play (Wii)
10. Wii Sports (Wii)
SEGA has confirmed to Eurogamer that Yakuza 3 is in development for PS3.
It's due for a Spring release next year in Japan, but is currently unconfirmed for Europe.
Details on the new offering are still scarce, but we expect to be plunged once more into the criminal underbelly of Japan to explore, investigate and fight our way to victory and respect.
Yakuza is an action adventure series about the gangster movement of the same name, featuring lots of tattoos and fancy samurai swords. The first game on PS2 reviewed very positively here, but unfortunately failed to drum-up significant sales figures. This lead to the sequel being a Japan-only release.
While the PS3 version isn't an impossibility for Europe, it would have to undergo lengthy translation work, and probably wouldn't appear here until much later.
Listings for Eternal Sonata on PS3 and Beautiful Katamari on Wii and PS3 have been removed from the Namco Bandai America website. Once again, both are now Xbox 360 exclusives.
The offending words were posted up earlier this week, listing all new versions of the games with "TBA" dates.
Namco Bandai has been cagey in the past about confirming that all of its Katamari eggs were in Microsoft's basket, having originally announced Beautiful as a multi-platform title.
The game later emerged as a Live Arcade exclusive thanks to lethargic sales of the PS3, although rumours it would appear on Wii remained constant. We expect the relative size and resource requirements of the game would make it relatively straight forward to port.
Eternal Sonata, too, has been mentioned on PS3 before now. Back in April the ESRB website produced a listing for the game on Sony's console, but all parties involved shut-up shop and refused to comment at the time.
Namco Bandai Europe was unable to comment on the US website happenings this morning, unfortunately, so we'll have to wait until that side of the world wakes up for comment.
Both games are awaited with huge anticipation. Pop over to our Eternal Sonata and Beautiful Katamari gamepages to find out more.
There was a time that console owners looked forward to home ports of Ridge Racer arcade games. Now, the reverse is true. Bandai Namco is taking a home-based Ridge Racer game and turning it into an arcade attraction.
Ridge Racer 7 is being reborn as Ridge Racer 7 3D Version. The arcade attraction makes use of a special television that uses filters to make the images come out at players. You have to wear special glasses to see the effect, although different from classic 3D glasses, these look like standard single-colored shades. For bystanders, the game screen looks blurry, like two slightly displaced images overlain.
Technologically, the game makes use of a technique called Xpol. Developed in conjunction with NHK Technical Service, this technology promises 3D visuals without player fatigue. The technology works at 1080p and 60 frames per second.
Japanese site Impress Watch was on hand at a location test of the game at the Namco Wonder Park amusement center in Kanagawa Prefecture, just to the south of Tokyo. According to the site, the visuals produced by the game really do offer a 3D feel. HUD readouts, including your speedometer and positional information, appear to be right in front of the player, with the course appearing beyond.
Surprisingly, the PS3 version of the game was converted to the new 3D format in just one week. To make the 3D effect, the game moves the standard viewpoint a bit to the left or to the right, alternating with each frame. The only trade off, apparently, is that the game's framerate appears lower.
It's unclear if Bandai Namco will be giving this attraction a full arcade release. But there will be other chances to get a glimpse, at least if you're in Japan. Following the location test, the company plans on showing the game off at the CEATEC Japan event in early October, then at the Asiagraph shortly after that.
News from Play Asia of all the releases this week from the import store.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a preview of next week's hits.
Xbox360™:
BioShock ASIA US$ 49.90
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII ASIA US$ 49.90
HORI Fighting Stick EX2: Virtua Fighter 5 Limited Edition US US$ 79.90
Medal of Honor: Airborne US US$ 59.90
Musou Orochi ASIA US$ 59.90
Musou Orochi JPN US$ 64.90
Stranglehold US US$ 59.90
Stranglehold [Collector's Edition] US US$ 72.90
Nintendo DS™:
Biz Nouryoku DS Series: Wagokoro no Moto JPN US$ 48.90
Eiken DS Training JPN US$ 39.90
Gakken DS: Shin Toeic Test Kanzen Kouryoku JPN US$ 39.90
I Love Dolphin JPN US$ 39.90
Mahjong Haoh DS: Dankyuu Battle JPN US$ 48.90
Mainichi Suteki! Hello Kitty no Life Kit JPN US$ 29.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (lime) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (mint) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (mocha) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (orange) US$ 19.90
Pocket Book DS Lite (strawberry) US$ 19.90
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai JPN US$ 48.90
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai JPN US$ 48.90
SimCity DS KOR US$ 49.90
Worms: Open Warfare 2 US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™:
Capcom Classics Collection (Best Price) JPN US$ 24.90
Coded Arms Contagion (English language Version) ASIA US$ 29.90
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII JPN US$ 58.90
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ASIA US$ 49.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum JPN US$ 48.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum ASIA US$ 39.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum Accessories Set JPN N/A
Fate/Tiger Colosseum [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 69.90
Fish Eyes Portable (Best Collection) JPN US$ 29.90
Liquid Crystal Filter Portable JPN US$ 5.99
PSP PlayStation Portable AV Cable JPN US$ 24.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Component AV Cable JPN US$ 29.90
PSP PlayStation Portable D-Terminal Cable JPN US$ 29.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Headphone with remote control (white) JPN US$ 29.90
PSP PlayStation Portable S-Video Cable JPN US$ 24.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Bundle JPN US$ 399.90
Slide Case Portable 3 Colors US$ 4.99
USB Cable Portable JPN US$ 5.99
Worms: Open Warfare 2 US US$ 34.90
PC Games:
Football Manager 2007 (Japanese revised price Edition) JPN US$ 39.90
Kaseki Play JPN US$ 39.90
Two Worlds US US$ 49.90
Guide Books:
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 24.90
Warhawk Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Wild Arms 5: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Toys & More:
Berserk Figure: Judeau Hawk Soldier JPN US$ 8.90
Bomberman Phone Strap Gashapon JPN US$ 2.49
C3xHobby 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Hobby Angel JPN US$ 83.90
Dancing Girl 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Nile (Limited Edition) JPN US$ 98.90
Fullani Princess 1/8 Scale Painted PVC Figure JPN N/A
Mario Kart DS Racing Collection EX JPN US$ 2.90
Mon-Sieur Bome Collection Vol.25: Positive Penguin Life - Mitsumi Misatos Lucia JPN US$ 44.90
Naruto Shippuuden Collection Candy Toy Part 2 JPN N/A
Nohohon Broccoli Type US$ 9.90
Nohohon Carrot Orange Type US$ 9.90
Nohohon Tomato Red Type US$ 9.90
Nohohon Turnip White Type US$ 9.90
Queen's Blade 1/6 Scale Painted Resin and Cold Cast Statue Figure - Menace JPN US$ 204.90
Range Murata PSE Solid Painted Figure: 02 Trinode JPN US$ 9.90
Resident Evil 2nd Anniversary Edition 7" Action Figure: Labcoat Zombie US US$ 19.90
Serial Experiments Lain 1/8 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Lain JPN US$ 19.90
Shining Tears: Blanc Neige 1/8 Scale JPN US$ 52.90
Solty Rei 1/20 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Rose and Bike (Black Version) JPN US$ 14.90
Solty Rei 1/20 Scale Painted PVC Figure - Rose and Bike (Blue Version) JPN US$ 14.90
Street Fighter 1/4 Scale Polystone Mixed Media Statue: Akuma (with autographed poster) US US$ 249.90
USB Stress Button US$ 11.90
Water Game DS Lite Candy Toy JPN US$ 4.90
Video Game Soundtracks:
Shooting Love 2007 JPN US$ 29.90
VitaminX DramaCD - Ultra Vitamin 2 (~Tatsuo Suzuki, Daisuke Ono, Kosuke Toriumi) JPN US$ 29.90
Im sure many people will remember the CD Drive add on for the Snes that Nintendo eventually turned down and what was released later as the PSX(PSOne) well on our Dreamcast site theres a post about a prototype Disc drive for the Dreamcast. If only it had been mass produced then we could have had a fantastic option for what remains one of the very best homebrew scenes.
In Japan, the state of play on hardware sales is shown below as follows:
DS Lite: 77,488
Wii: 29,088
PSP: 15,564
PS2: 13,360
PS3: 13,248
Xbox 360: 1,286
Game Boy Micro: 428
Game Boy Advance SP: 122
Gamecube: 82
Game Boy Advance: 0
DS Original: 0
All consoles except 2 have experienced another drop in sales, especially the DS Lite (down by 16,851) and the Wii (10,283) which have seen a very sharp drop from last weeks' reading. The only ones that have risen would happen to be the Game Boy Micro (up by 165) and Gamecube (up by 9).
Developer Irem has puffed out its chest and confirmed that Steambot Chronicles is in development for PS3.
It's fantastically called Bumpy Trot 2 over in Japan. We'll be treated to the first trailer for it at the Tokyo Game Show later this month according to the official website.
Steambot Chronicles was released on PS2 here at the end of last year, and is described as a non-linear action-adventure game. Or more accurately as a cross between GTA and Harvest moon, according to Eurogamer reviewer Simon Parkin.
There's a weird mix of mini-games, Zelda-like action, mechanoids, harmonicas, good and evil choices and even though none of it particularly stands out, the sum of the parts made it a solid recommendation.
We'll at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show next week, so hopefully we can bring you more information then.
Blitz Games will be using Kynogon's AI middleware for its next PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 project.
The UK developer continues to use its internally developed BlitzWare engine, but needed to ramp up production using Kynogon's solution on the as-yet unannounced title.
"Since the game is very AI intensive and with several of our other development teams in the middle of their own next-gen games, we decided to turn to a third-party solution on this occasion, to guarantee success to our client," commented Andrew Oliver, CTO of Blitz.
"We therefore took a detailed look at the architecture and tool-chain used by a number of AI middleware solutions and found that Kynapse provided the best fit with our own methods of production."
Kynogon's AI technology is currently employed by a number of high-profile development studios including RealTime Worlds, Spark Unlimited, Lionhead and Turbine.
"Blitz has an unrivalled reputation within the industry for the quality of its technology, and we are honoured to be providing middleware to the company," added Pierre Pontevia, CEO of Kynogon.
SouthPeak has moaned and groaned that Monster Madness: EX will be available on PS3 next year.
It's a polished-up version of the 360 and PC game from earlier in the year, featuring new mini-games, better graphics, a more intuitive camera and general gameplay tweaks.
Monster Madness is a four-player co-operative shooter reminiscent of games like Zombies Ate My Neighbours. You play as one of a quartet of teenagers whose sleepy suburb has been invaded by the shambling undead, and use all sorts of weapons at hand to take off limbs and generally destroy the baddies.
Hopefully this new version can address previous problems and put this on the right track to realising its potential
Tri-Crescendo's sought-after role-playing game Eternal Sonata has finally been confirmed for PS3.
That's according to the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu (pointed out by Kotaku), which claims to have been given the go-ahead to report on it from publisher Namco Bandai. Go ahead, it probably said.
It follows musical news from yesterday that Namco Bandai had listed a PS3 version of the game on its website, before it removed it to stop us all phoning up and asking what was going on.
Eternal Sonata is loosely based around the final hours of famous composer Frederic Chopin's life, in which he is said to have entered a dream world filled with other people suffering from incurable diseases (his was tuberculosis).
Atari will be publishing the 360 version here in October, while Famitsu believes the PS3 offering will be available sometime next year (in Japan first, then Europe).
A firmware update for the Playstation 3 came along yesterday and like 1.92, it's nothing major. This is what Sony said on their website for version 1.93:
Network
The stability of the network connection has been improved.
Let's all wonder what 2.00 will have when it reaches that number.
The new Colin McRae title goes beyond the series' point-to-point rallying to deliver the most diverse selection of extreme off-road competitions. Sensational gravel, mud and dirt racing events from the world over include perilous Hill Climb and collision-packed Rally Cross events. International rallying competitions are also featured, with official cars on tracks based on real roads and locations around the globe. The title also expands on beat-the-clock racing and includes events with multiple cars on track to satisfy anyone who wants to push their on-the-edge driving just that bit further.
The top rated NHL franchise returns with an entirely NEW NHL EXPERIENCE featuring revolutionary right stick controls, all-new goaltending, a ground breaking face-off system, and stunning, next-gen visuals highlighting redesigned player models and animations.
features
Embroidered WCG-logo on the chest
Printed sponsor-logos (Samsung, Play-Asia.com...) on the back
Unisex
Size: L (Asian Size)
Limited availability
Only available at Play-Asia.com
description
"Beyond the game" is the slogan of the World Cyber Games (WCG), the "Olympic Games" for videogamers.
This years Hong Kong preliminaries for the main events in Dallas and Singapore just took place. Play-Asia is proud to be one of the local sponsors, along with the global sponsor Samsung.
Become part of the event now and get the official Sweatshirt, as long as stock lasts.
Apparently, Sony is offering a pretty sweet deal overseas, in Sweden at the very least. Anyone who purchases a full-HD TV from Sony, will get either a free Playstation 3 unit or a 200EU rebate on the TV. On top of that, with every HD Ready TV purchased, buyers will receive a free Sony PSP. NO word on if this deal is coming to the US, or what model PS3 or PSP is being given away. This should boost the PS3 numbers a ton, though. The ad says the deal runs from October 1 to November 31, 2007, so start saving up!
NPD has release the American sales for August. An other month and Nintendo are still on top with the Wii and DS. But the interesting story is that the Xbox 360 has Finally beaten the PS2 with 276.7K units sold (up over 100k from last month), Spurred on no doubt by the recent price cut and the release of Bioshock and soon Halo 3. Bad news for Sony as the PS3 was the lowest selling console, 130k, down 30k from last month.
* Nintendo Wii: 403.6K (4 million total)
* Nintendo DS: 383.3K (12.7 million total)
* Microsoft Xbox 360: 276.7K (6.3 million)
* Sony PlayStation 2: 202K (39.1 million total)
* Sony PSP: 151.2K (8.3 million total)
* Sony PlayStation 3: 130.6K (1.75 million total)
Software wise, its more good news for MS with the 360 taking 1st and 3rd place, while the PS3 only has the one game at 4th with the Wii and PS2 filling out the rest of the places.
Top 10 games:
1:Madden NFL 08—360—EA—896.6K
2:Madden NFL 08—PS2—EA—643.6K
3:BioShock—360—Take-TwoEA—490.9K
4:Madden NFL 08—PS3—EA—336.2K
5:Wii Play/ w remote—Wii—Nintendo—256.8K
6:Metroid Prime 3: Corruption—Wii—Nintendo—218.1K
7:Mario Strikers Charged—Wii—Nintendo—147.4K
8:Guitar Hero 2 w/guitar—PS2—Activision—145.4K
9:Mario Party 8—Wii—Nintendo—138.3K
10: Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s—PS2—Activision—127.1K
"Final Fantasy VII: Voices of the Lifestream is an OverClocked ReMix Album featuring free fan arrangements from the soundtrack to Square's legendary Final Fantasy VII for the Sony Playstation.
From jazz to techno to rock to classical, it features over forty five tracks from over forty artists, each interpreting composer Nobuo Uematsu's works in their own unique style."
Great news for all Final Fantasy VII fans!
Get it HERE through torrent.
Better set aside some time. You're looking at a 2 GB download ahead.
Sony may be planning to sell its chip production facilities to Toshiba for $865 million, if reports by the AP and Reuters are to be believed. The production facilities will include the lines that manufacture the PlayStation 3's Cell chip, and may or may not include the manufacturing of image sensors, depending on whether you believe Reuters or the AP's report. After the sale, Sony will probably continue to purchase chips from the facilities, with the company's game unit possibly also taking a stake in exchange for some kind of operational control. The deal isn't expected to go down for a few months yet, so even if there any problems in the handover, the PS3's production shouldn't see any short term issues. Sony and Toshiba have already responded to these reports, but managed to neither confirm nor deny their veracity to Japanese publication ITMedia.
The story's in the search results with this one -- after continually delaying its Total HD hybrid Blu-ray / HD DVD discs, Warner president Ron Sanders told TWICE that the format is "on hold for now," because the company fears being the only publisher of such discs could "be hard to make it go." Furthermore, while the studio is still planning on putting out both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, but its talking to both sides about exclusives and "it's kind of crazy right now." Indeed. Too bad all that craziness is terrible for the consumer, eh, Ron?
Sony is in negotiations to sell its microchip production facilities to Toshiba, and an agreement is likely within a few months.
According to a Reuter's article, the sale is part of Sony's strategy to shed costly semiconductor assets and focus on the production of products such as image sensor chips used in digital cameras and camcorders.
The sale, worth approximately USD 869.7 million, includes production lines for the Cell microchip used in the PlayStation 3.
Neither Sony nor Toshiba responded to the report in the business daily Nikkei, but earlier this year Sony had said that it planned to cut back on future chip spending and may not produce next-generation microchips in-house.
Sources reported that Sony is considering setting up a join venture with Toshiba after the sale, to secure a stable supply of chips for its game machines.
Elite Beat Agents developer Keiichi Yano has warned that a glut of titles in the music genre could lead to over saturation and poor quality.
As titles such as Activision's Guitar Hero and Sony's SingStar strike a chord with the gaming audience, the designer and co-founder of iNiS said that he expects the genre to continue to grow, but hopes it won't be at the cost of good quality titles.
"With regards to the US – as well as Europe, actually – music games will probably continue to be very big and will probably outgrow their current market status right now," said Yano, in an interview with Gamasutra.
"Everybody's really looking forward to titles like Rock Band, and SingStar for PlayStation 3, and there are other titles in the works I'm sure that are probably fairly massive compared to what's been available for music games up until now," he commented.
Yano believes that it's not just understanding game development, but understanding music, that's key to creating quality titles in the music genre.
"I'm very concerned about the quality of the music games that are coming out and will come out, because again, I do feel as though it's kind of a special genre that requires specific knowledge of music and what makes music fun," he said.
"Hopefully, the games that come out that are in that genre can take advantage of all that and do those things right, and make sure that it's a really fun experience so that the genre itself can stay strong and not have a lot of bad clutter in it."
Q Entertainment has said its mysterious PS3 project will be a port of PC title Angel Love Online.
The news came from Japan, translated by IGN, where the publisher said we'd be able to play the cartoon-inspired MMORPG this December. Unfortunately Sony Europe was unable to elaborate on that, though, so you should pencil it in as a Japanese date for now.
Angel Love Online is based in the Garden of Eden, where you'll play as a protector of the feathery angels. There are four different realms for you to rid of evil and claim as your own, as you complete quests, hoard equipment and meet new friends as you go.
Like the PC version it will be free to play, and will fashion an income from you lot buying new bits and pieces using your hard-earned real-life money.
There's much more information over on the official website, as well as the option to download the demo to give it a quick spin.
We'll keep you updated if and when a date gets the nod.
SEGA Japan has finally whisked the velvety blanket off its line-up for Tokyo Game Show 2007.
Among the tray of delights will be playable versions of Valkyrie of the Battlefield and Imabi Kisou for PlayStation 3.
The first of these is an action-strategy game with a sort painted canvas aesthetic from the developers of the Sakura Taisen series, while the latter is an impressive-looking spooky survival-horror game you might not want to play in the dark. There's blood and stuff.
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will also be playable, as well as traditional JRPG Fuurai no Shiren 3 on Wii.
SEGA plans to show many more games at the conference in trailer form, denoted below with an asterisk by the name.
PlayStation 3
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (Yakuza 3)*
Valkyrie of the Battlefield
Imabi Kisou
Sega Rally *
The Golden Compass *
Wii
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
Fuurai no Shiren 3
Ghost Squad
Miburi & Teburi *
The Golden Compass *
Doraemon Wii: Himitsu Doguo Kettei Sen
Xbox 360
Sega Rally *
PlayStation 2
Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Hokuto no Ken 2
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus *
Seaman 2 *
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 31: Dennou Senki Virtual On *
Jissen Pachinko Hisshouhou! CR Sakura Taisen
Nintendo DS
Sonic Rush Adventure
Sakura Taisen: Kimi Arugatame
BLEACH The 3rd Phantom
Picto Image DS
Mainichi Shinbun 1000 Dai-News *
Touch de Zuno DS *
The Golden Compass *
Kodai Ouja: Kyouryuu King - 7-tsu no Kakera
Dream Cat Smile DS
PSP
SEGA Rally *
The Golden Compass *
PC
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus *
All eyes are on Sony whipping out the rumble-enabled version of the SixAxis controller at the Tokyo Game Show this weekend, as rumours reach a climax on the net.
Word is that Sony will showcase the new controller, along with a new version of PS3 firmware that enables XBM browsing during gameplay.
It wouldn't surprise us. Developers reportedly received rumble-enabled controllers themselves at the beginning of August, and despite Sony denying it, strong evidence suggests those controllers to have been in developers hands for around six weeks now.
CVG contacted Sony UK, who knew nothing of Sony Japan's plans for TGS. Expect more from Kaz Hirai's keynote speech this Thursday.
EA has released a handful of new screens for the 360 and PS3 versions of kick-'em-up FIFA 08. But they're not actual screens, they're fancy ones that give you no idea of how the game is played. One day they'll learn...
So the playable demo's been doing the rounds now on both 360 and PS3 but what did you think? Here are a few comments from the forum taken word for word.
DaRockwilder1: The PS3 version looks awful compared to the 360. Colours look blander and the graphics look far too jagged, whereas the 360 version is smooth.
Gaz Vonhammer: first impressions go a long way, my first impression fifa not all that.
Wakey: well it took ages to download but now i got it its bloody brilliant
shellster2: Slow and it didn't feel like football to me. I must be too used to playing Pro Evo.
bigboss50: quick impressions - Nice and fluid football all good but the game really shines when you change the camera to pro and then you play it like the new "be a pro mode" cant wait to play 5v5 online.
When Sony's Dave Karraker left the company for the greener, more distilled pastures of vodka marketing, the company was temporarily left without a mouthpiece for PlayStation 3 and PSP issues. That gap has now been filled by Scott A. Steinberg. Steinberg seems to have the right sort of resume for the job, after working with Sega during the Genesis days. Since then, he's worked with Crystal Dynamics, Eidos and at the (legitimate, but less cool) Napster. He'll take over as Vice President of Product Marketing for SCEA on October 1.
Though not quite the maelstrom that Karraker walked into, we doubt Steinberg's in for anything close to a cakewalk. That said, this is a man who probably, at some point, had to justify the existence of the 32X ("The polygons are gouraud shaded!"), so it's not exactly his first time at the rodeo.
features
The Heavenly Sword – The Heavenly Sword itself can transform into three distinct weapons, each with its own accompanying fighting stance used by Nariko to vary combat styles.
The Combat Engine – The combat engine can scale up from sophisticated one-on-one encounters to one-on-many, where enemies employ intelligent squad-based dynamics, right up to combat against battalions pushing real-time gameplay and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to unprecedented new levels.
Physics-Based Combat – The physics-based combat allows players to sweep debris against opponents, kick tables to halt an oncoming surge of fighters, smash the enemy into the scenery, or throw bodies into other enemies using “aftertouch” controls.
Wide range of Objects & Weaponry – Heavenly Sword provides a wide range of objects & weaponry including rapid fire crossbows and massively damaging bazookas.
Creative in-game Cinematography – Coupled with real-time story evolvement and amazing set-pieces, Heavenly Sword feels like a blockbuster action movie that takes combat gameplay to new heights.
PLAYSTATION®3 – Greater processing power on the PS3 enables more immersive visuals and sound effects in Heavenly Sword, heightening the character performance and combat within the stunningly beautiful environments.
description
Emotionally charged, stunningly beautiful, and delivering unprecedented dramatic character performance, Heavenly Sword™ showcases the power of PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system. A dramatic tale of revenge sees Nariko, a fiery red-haired heroine, embark on a quest for vengeance against an invading King and his army. The story builds around the ancient Heavenly Sword, which once belonged to a powerful deity. It can never be wielded by a mortal without it slowly but inevitably draining their life-force.
When the invading King (played by Andy Serkis) destroys the warrior clan that guards the Heavenly Sword, the clan leader’s daughter, Nariko, takes up the sword in a desperate fight for survival. Nariko must now pay the ultimate price as she embarks on one last mission of vengeance against the King and his army before her life is finally and irreparably overtaken by the omnipotent Heavenly Sword…
features
Platform: Sony PlayStation 3
Pages: 160
Earn every glyph to unlock all special combos and bonus feature moves.
The complete story mode walkthrough gives you the tools to dominate every enemy and master every puzzle.
Beautiful art section with some of the most spectacular art available.
Master the tricks to building "super style" points to unleash devastating level-three attacks.
Labeled maps detailing key locations.
Lace up your skates and grab your stick, NHL® 08 brings you back to the ice for another season of hard-hitting, lightning-quick action.
The revolutionary Skill Stick System evolves in NHL 08 and delivers an unparalleled level of control. Like its next generation counterpart, snap the right stick forward for a quick wrister, pull it back to wind up for a slapper, move it left and right to deke defenders and goalies. New Skill Stick moments now give you greater freedom to beat your opponent one on one, bury the puck in the back of the net or lay your opponent to the ice with a crushing bodycheck,.
Brakken has put up his Scene website but sadly not his forums or downloads etc, but what is there is a blog like no other. Always one not to mince his words he has singled out those websites that do immense harm to the homebrew community.
Some of the stories are actually quite informative if you dont know some of the ins and outs of the scene. Click the link above for full info, some of the more interesting stories have also been copied to our Blog site for more discussion on our forums
Outspoken anti-games lawyer Jack Thompson has decided that a representation of a 2nd amendment lawyer in GTA IV is a mocking version of him. He has declared that if the representation is not removed he will attempt to block the release of the game. Excerpt from GamePolitics: 'The showcasing play of the game to Game Informer revealed that the first killing mission of the hero of the game, Niko, is to kill a certain lawyer. When Niko comes into this lawyer's office, having used subterfuge to do so, Niko pulls a gun on the lawyer who says, that the firm supports the second amendment and that 'Guns don't kill people. Video games do
The UK government has finally responded to an online petition filed after Manhunt 2 was banned by the BBFC.
"The Government is satisfied with the BBFC's procedure and with the provisions for appeal, and will not be intervening in this process," said a statement on the Prime Minister's website.
The government statement referenced the BBFC's guidelines and noted that it "uses its powers to reject works extremely rarely." It also noted that there is an appeals procedure "which the game's producers are apparently pursuing."
Shortly after the Manhunt 2 game was banned by the BBFC, a petition appeared on the Prime Minister's site which simply read:
"The BBFC have recently refused to rate the videogame Manhunt 2. As such, adults in this country will never be allowed to play this game. Adults should be allowed to make their own decisions with regard to what videogames they want to play. We all understand that this game is extremely violent and unsuitable for children. As such an 18 rating should have been applied."
Heavenly Sword, Super Paper Mario and Stranglehold all debut
Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor: Airborne remains at the top of the UK all-formats charts this week fending off serious competition from high-profile titles from Midway, Nintendo and Sony.
Midway's John Woo Presents Stranglehold debuts at number two despite only being released on Microsoft's Xbox 360 – the PlayStation 3 version is due in October.
Electronic Arts' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is at three this week, with Nintendo's new entry, Super Paper Mario for Wii, at number four.
Wii Play is at five and DS title More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima is at number six.
SCEE's new IP Heavenly Sword enters the top ten at seven, EA's the Sims 2: Bon Voyage is at eight, Dr Kawashima's Brain Training is at nine and 2K Games' BioShock at ten.
Codemasters' Colin McRae: Dirt re-enters the top 40 at 11 following its release on PS3 and Microsoft's Forza Motorsport 2 also breaks back into the charts due to a promotional bundle pack.
features
Official Harry Potter Figures, licenced by Warner Brothers
Harry Potter with Hedwig
Hermione Granger with Chrookshanks
Ron Weasley with Pigwidgeon
All three figures come with a base and a magic stick
SuccessHK has today put online the new 80GB Playstation 3, the 80GB PS3 is retailing at a price of USD 549.03 (£275)
For us in ripoff Britain thats a saving of at least £130 ($260) off the price of the console here. (and thats for the 60GB Version)
Also i always recommend that you ship using airmail, it will cost around $70 or £35 and you should avoid nasty import taxes (especially if the company put sample on the box )
Remember that all PS3 Games are worldwide region free so no worries on that score and that the consoles can have the language changed to any language you want. (A jap or asian PS3 will sacrifice PS1/PS2 region compatability but when the deals sweet do you really care)
Import Consoles will only play Region A Blueray films but you will find that even in the UK the majority of films are Region Free too. The quality of Blue Ray films played at 1080 resolution is something to marvel at.
CVG has just had a go on Burnout Paradise using a fully operational rumbling SixAxis PlayStation pad. Yes, we're just as surprised as you are...
Seeing as though Sony has yet to officially announce that the rumbling Dual Shock 3 pad even exists, you'd think EA's party organisers would have ordered in regular SixAxis pads for the event. But it seems they didn't.
From our quick hands-on it was everything you'd expect really. It felt heavier compared to the feather weight SixAxis, looked exactly the same, and rumbled. But what did you expect? Pressure sensitive buttons?
We're hearing whispers from Tokyo that the new SixAxis will be officially unveiled by Sony boss, Kaz Harai, during his keynote speech sometime in the next 24 hours, give or take a time zone. It kicks off at 2:30am in the morning (GMT) for those who work in security.
When we contacted SCEE it expectedly wouldn't offer a comment.
The latest trailer of EA's military shooter Army of Two, which will be released for PS3 and 360 on 16 November, opens with footage taken from the 9/11 terror attack, showing smoke bellowing from one of the World Trade Centre towers.
A 2006 press release stated that Army of Two "will throw gamers into hot spots ripped from current day headlines" and having the opening cinematic begin with the events of 9/11, it certainly seems intent on living up to that premise.
Considering that there have already been a number of films about the events of 9/11, it's not really a surprise that games would eventually use the sensitive subject matter as a basis for plot. However, with this being the first game to do so, it'll be interesting to see how gamers and the public react.
Metal Gear Online, the multiplayer spin-off of the Metal Gear Series, will come bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4, according Famitsu.
The online game lets 16 players enter an online battlefield and battle using all the stealth tactics of Snake's main quests to outwit opponents.
Kojima Productions said Metal Gear Online is "the ultimate online companion to MGS4", although Konami is yet to put a price on the package, or if we'll see the bundle on this side of the planet.
New details on some of the new characters in the game were also revealed. You'll apparently meet a female named Sunny, who "escaped the grasp of the Patriots", and the weapon laundering skills of a bloke called Trevin will be of use when Snake needs to erase IDs from weapons before further use.
We tend to hear about new cars when looking at Gran Turismo, but the focus of Famitsu's latest update is on a new course. The Daytona International Speedway will be making its first appearance in the Gran Turismo series through Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the magazine reports. Players will be able to select from the oval course and road course variations of the track.
Also revealed in this week's Famitsu are first details on a demo download for Prologue. The demo will be available in Japan on 10/20. It will include the GT-R car and and the Suzuka Circuit.
As for the final release for the game, Famitsu lists 12/13 as the big date in Japan. Sony will make the title available both as a PlayStation Network download and as a packaged Blu-ray product. The Blu-ray version will cost 4,980 yen, up slightly from the 4,500 yen of the download.
That may seem a little steep for what is ultimately a sampler for next year's Gran Turismo 5, but Polyphony really is packing in the features here. The latest update from Famitsu reveals that Prologue will include a new GT.TV mode. This gallery lets you view car television programs from throughout the world, including BBC's Top Gear and Japan's Car Graphic TV. To view these programs, you'll have to pay about 200 yen per episode. Each program will have individual settings for viewing period.
Online play is going to be one of the big selling points for GT5 Prologue. As previously announced, the game will support 16 player online races, although producer Kazunori Yamauchi admitted to the magazine that he expects difficulties when reaching that maximum amount unless all players have speedy connections.
Unfortunately, Prologue will initially have some limitations to its online mode. On launch day, the game will support Arcade Free Battle mode only, where your opponents are chosen at random. Chat and friend list functionality will be added to the game via download at a later date. Yamauchi was unwilling to give a specific date.
We should be getting our latest look at GT5 Prologue at the Tokyo Game Show tomorrow. Stay tuned for a full report.
Rumor has it that if you keep a close eye on the trailers being shown off during the Sony Keynote tomorrow you'll get a glimpse of the next title coming from That Game Company to the Playstation Network.
That Game Company signed a multi-game deal with Sony after their college creation, flow, caught the publisher's eye. No word on what the game will be specifically, but I hear it will be instantly recognizable as something by the people behind the ambient, motion-controlled game.
Game-industry analyst firm predicts Microsoft's console to be a "distant third" to the Wii and a resurgent PS3; DS on track to be best-selling platform ever.
This week, market research and analyst firm DFC Intelligence released its latest report, titled "DFC Intelligence Forecasts Video Game Market to Reach $47 Billion by 2009." As the title suggests, the San Diego-based research firm thinks the worldwide game industry's worth will increase by $14 billion in the next two years from its estimated $33 billion 2007 worth.
In addition to its pan-platform market predictions, DFC also handicapped the three-way race between the most recent crop of consoles. It predicts that sales of all three systems--the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360--will total between 180 and 210 million units by 2012. In the shorter term, DFC believes the Wii will continue its winning streak until at least the end of 2008, at which point the PS3 could start taking over.
"We could have a situation where the Wii sells more hardware units, but by 2012 the PlayStation 3 is generating more software revenue," said DFC analyst David Cole.
Cole also believes that although the battle is far from over, the Xbox 360 will likely be relegated to third place when the dust finally settles. He says Microsoft's dependence on the US and Canadian markets are hampering its efforts to make the console a worldwide phenomenon. "The Xbox 360 will need to build a strong base outside North America to avoid being in a fairly distant third," forecast Cole.
DFC analysts also looked at the portable market, predicting that handhelds generally and the DS in particular will continue to see strong growth. "Revenue from portable game software has more than doubled in recent years," said Cole. "We think that the Nintendo DS could eventually become the best-selling game system ever in five years."
The company also augured that the worldwide PC gaming market will be worth more than $13 billion by the year 2012.
Sony breaks out a large lineup of key first party titles
September 19, 2007 - With Kaz Hirai presenting the opening keynote at this year's TGS, all eyes are on Sony to see what titles the company will present for its high powered console. At a pre-TGS press reception, Sony showed off a number of their key titles for the rest of 2007 as well as 2008. No announcements were made, which gave the impression that a larger statement would be made by Hirai to open the show, but most of the titles shown featured new content of some kind. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction on the PS3 was paired with a new and previously unknown entry in the Ratchet universe for the PSP, Secret Agent Clank. There weren't many other PSP titles featured, although the redesigned PSP Slim was on hand, all showcasing the system's Remote Play functionality.
New levels of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune were placed next to stations of Little Big Planet, Wipeout HD, Lair and Gran Turismo HD Concept. While White Knight Story wasn't present at the event, Folklore held down the RPG side of things, while NBA 08 and Hot Shots Golf 5 covered the sports side of the games. Shooter fans were allowed to take on competition with Unreal Tournament III, while puzzle fans were able to check out LocoRoco Cocoreccho! on the PS3.
The PSN wasn't left out in the cold either, with titles such as Go! Sports Ski, Everyday Shooter and Pain highlighting what PS3 owners will be able to download and experience sometime in the future. These were supported by pre-existing titles such as PixelJunk Racers and the expansion to Flow. EyeToy functionality was also showcased, with the most prominent title being Operation Creature Feature, which had players sweeping blobby monsters into exits.
We'll have more detailed information on the various titles shown at the Sony press reception shortly.
Two strangers are drawn to the mysterious town of Doolin, where it is said that the living can speak to the dead. They soon learn the town serves as a gateway to fantastic worlds that exist beyond our own, realms full of creatures, fairies, spirits, and monsters. In order to solve the mystery of the town, the pair must journey through these worlds to discover their secrets.
Will they have the courage to survive the adventure that awaits them?
President of Sony Worldwide Studios talks up the new PSP, discusses the PS3 press furore, and ponders the future of the PlayStation brand.
TOKYO--On the fourth floor of Sony's Japanese offices in the posh district of Minato-ku, the PlayStation 3 maker held a party Wednesday night to show off 30 of the PS3's upcoming games to an audience of international journalists.
Phil Harrison, briefly not praising MotorStorm.
The company remained tight-lipped about what to expect in tomorrow's Sony Computer Entertainment keynote address, which starts at 10:30 a.m. Tokyo time on Thursday (2:30 a.m. BST Thursday, 6:30 p.m. PDT Wednesday). However, speculation is widespread that SCEI CEO Kaz Hirai will use his presentation to unveil a rumble-enabled Dual Shock 3 for the PS3, amongst other announcements.
At tonight's event, though, the atmosphere was informal. Informal enough, in fact, for GameSpot to corner Sony Worldwide Studios president and World's number one MotorStorm fan Phil Harrison over a cold drink. He politely discussed the constant comparisons of the PS3 and Wii, and how Sony plans to move on from the negative press the company has attracted over its latest console's bumpy ride at retail.
GameSpot UK: So can you talk to us about what's going to be announced during Kaz Hirai's keynote tomorrow?
Phil Harrison: No. And I wouldn't remember anyway. [Laughs.]
GS UK: We keep seeing stories from Japan about the Wii outselling the PlayStation 3 here 3-to-1 or 5-to-1 or whatever. Does that worry you?
PH: I'm not worried about it, no. Obviously I would like it to be the other way round, but it's not really fair to compare two products that serve different markets and are at different price points. So, it's not something that concerns me when you look around at a place like this and see the depth and quality of talent in games we've got coming through, so I'm pretty happy, actually.
GS UK: So you think it's unfair that people keep comparing the Wii and the PS3 when the Wii is so much cheaper?
PH: Yes. I don't know what the analogy is. If I make an analogy I'll probably make an unreasonable analogy, so I won't bother.
GS UK: Let's talk about the new PlayStation Portable. Why was this launched this summer?
PH: Constant improvement and innovation in design is what drives us, so why wouldn't we pass on to the gamer the advantages we can have in terms of making something smaller and lighter. In a handheld device, something that is smaller and lighter is a pretty highly regarded feature, and people seem to like it, so I think it's cool. Have you actually held one?
GS UK: Yes.
PH: People at E3 were going, "Is there anything in this? Is this just a mock-up or is this the final one?" Yep, it's the real one.
GS UK: Nintendo's strategy right now seems to be to widen the gaming audience and bring more widely appealing things to the market like educational games, and even non-game software. Any plans to do something similar?
PH: Since you are UK-based, you will know how influential games like EyeToy and SingStar and Buzz are, not just [to] the PlayStation 2 format, but growing the market generally cross-category. So, we're continuing to work on those for the PlayStation 2, we're bringing them all to PlayStation 3 in new, networked, innovative ways, which you saw at [the Leipzig] Games Convention with SingStar on the PlayStation 3 and Buzz! TV--which is going to be phenomenal with the ability of user-generated content for quizzes.
GS UK: I've been wondering about that. What if someone puts the wrong answer in?
PH: Then there will be a way to complain about that and rank it lower, which will then push it down in the recommendation engine to a lower ranking. It's all about the community. And I think there's going to be a button where you can actually challenge an answer.
GS UK: For the PS3, would you say it makes more sense to you to just focus on the hardcore gaming market?
PH: I think if you look back at the history of our platforms, they will all follow very similar trends where your initial audience is very different to the audience you have buying into the console seven, eight, or nine years later. So, we try to make software which is slightly ahead of that trend, software that enables younger users or new users to come in. I think what characterises PlayStation 3 is there's actually more variety and [a] more diverse genre mix that's available on the PS3 earlier in the life cycle than we saw on PS2 or PSone. So I think we're pushing into new areas more quickly than we've done before.
GS UK: Peripherals seem to be increasingly important. Have you guys got any plans to make any innovative new peripherals for the PS3?
PH: We have a research and development group that looks at new human interface designs as part of our core group, so there's a few interesting things that are lying around--literally--but there's a lot of innovation that doesn't ever make it to retail shelves, because of either creative or commercial or other considerations, so we'll continue to invest in that, and hopefully something along the lines of Buzz! or Eye Toy will come along. But I have nothing to share with you today.
GS UK: There seem to have been quite a lot of negative PS3 stories and criticism of Sony in general in the media. How do you intend to get past this?
PH: I think you're surrounded by the answer to that question, which is a tremendous lineup of really great games. We'll let the games do the talking.
Kaz Hirai's opening keynote for Tokyo Game Show featured plenty of announcements, but one that should interest PSP owners is that Sony has announced a version of the PlayStation Store accessible by PCs. The store is now live for Japanese gamers, featuring downloads like original PlayStation One games for the PSP, bypassing the need for a PLAYSTATION 3 with which to download content.
While the PlayStation Store is already live in Japan, it's restricted to that region only, so navigating it will be a challenge or impossibility for those in Europe and North America.
now im not totally anti sony, i own a psp a ps2 and a ps1 and some of their other stuff, but this was inevitable rly.
"IGN was hanging out at Electronic Art's pre-Tokyo Game Show press event playing Burnout Paradise when they felt something funny. The PS3 controller in their hands started to shake, thus fulfilling the prophecy set forth by Ashcraft back in July at E3."
After our news post about Sony confirming Dual Shock 3, images are now surfacing on the interweb. Nothing different about the look about the Dual Shock 3 and the SIXAXIS. Only difference is that its heavier. More images can be seen via source link below.
PRESS RELEASE: DUALSHOCK®3 Wireless Controller With Rumble Feature To be Introduced For PLAYSTATION®3
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) Sony today announced that it would release DUALSHOCK®3 Wireless Controller, a new controller for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) incorporating a rumble feature, in Japan in November as a separately sold accessory. It inherits the basic design and functionality of the popular PlayStation® controller, while keeping the high-precision, high response motion sensitive six-axis sensing system. Introduction to North American and European markets is expected in spring 2008.
The added rumble feature, combined with the highly realistic motion sensitive six-axis sensing system, takes gamers deeper into the world of interactivity, delivering a more intuitive, realistic and immersive game play experience. The new controller will also benefit PS3 content creators, by giving them the ability to further expand their creative imagination. PS3 titles that are already in the market may become compatible with the rumble feature through software update.
With DUALSHOCK 3 and the attractive lineup of PS3 titles incorporating the rumble feature, SCEI will introduce more new ways of enjoyment that can only be found on PS3, and will further redefine the world of entertainment.
LIST OF PLAYSTATION®3 TITLES COMPATIBLE WITH DUALSHOCK®3 IN JAPAN
As of September 20th, 2007
(in alphabetical order of company name)
Title Name Developer/Publisher
Vampire Rain -Altered Species- AQ INTERACTIVE Inc.
BIOHAZARD® 5 CAPCOM CO.,LTD.
Devil May Cry® 4 CAPCOM CO.,LTD.
Dark Sector D3 PUBLISHER Inc.
Burnout Paradise ELECTRONIC ARTS K.K.
FIFA franchise (title name TBD) ELECTRONIC ARTS K.K.
BUMPY TROT2 IREM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INC.
Dynasty Warriors 6 KOEI Co., Ltd.
Fatal Inertia KOEI Co., Ltd.
GI JOCKEY 4 2007 KOEI Co., Ltd.
METAL GEAR ONLINE Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
METAL GEAR SOLID 4 GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
IMABIKISOU SEGA CORPORATION
Blast Factor (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
echochrome Sony Computer Entertainment
Folklore (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Go! Sports Ski (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Heavenly Sword (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
MotorStorm (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Sony Computer Entertainment
Resistance: Fall of Men (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Super Stardust HD (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
TOY HOME Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Sony Computer Entertainment
Warhawk (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
LIST OF PLAYSTATION®3 TITLES COMPATIBLE WITH DUALSHOCK®3 IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE *2
As of September 20th, 2007
(in alphabetical order of company name)
Title Name Developer/Publisher
The Darkness 2K Games
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Activision
Soldier of Fortune Activision
BIOHAZARD® 5 CAPCOM
Devil May Cry® 4 CAPCOM
N-Cube Creat Studios
Warbit Creat Studios
Dark Sector D3 PUBLISHER
Turok Disney Interactive
Highlander Eidos
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Eidos
Burnout Paradise ELECTRONIC ARTS
FIFA franchise (title name TBD) ELECTRONIC ARTS
Legendary: The Box Gamecock
To End All Wars Ghostlight
RAGE id Software
WarDevil – Unleash the Beast Within Ignition Entertainment
Dynasty Warriors 6 KOEI
Fatal Inertia KOEI
METAL GEAR SOLID 4 GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS Konami
Blacksite: Area 51 Midway
TNA Wrestling Midway
Unreal Tournament 3 Midway
Wheelman Midway
Cops (codename, title name TBD) Pyro
Planet One (codename, title name TBD) Pyro
Heroes over Europe Red Mile Entertainment
Condemned 2 SEGA
Iron Man SEGA
The Club SEGA
The Crucible SEGA
The Incredible Hulk SEGA
Blast Factor (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
echochrome Sony Computer Entertainment
Elefunk Sony Computer Entertainment
Folklore (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Go! Sports Ski (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Heavenly Sword (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
High Velocity Bowling Sony Computer Entertainment
MLB 08: The Show Sony Computer Entertainment
MotorStorm (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
NBA 08 (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
PAIN Sony Computer Entertainment
Rat Race Sony Computer Entertainment
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Sony Computer Entertainment
Resistance: Fall of Man (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
Snakeball Sony Computer Entertainment
SOCOM: Confrontation Sony Computer Entertainment
Super Stardust HD (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
TOY HOME Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Sony Computer Entertainment
Warhawk (*1) Sony Computer Entertainment
WipEout HD Sony Computer Entertainment
GirpShift® Sony Online Entertainment
NBA 2K8 Take Two Sports
Destroy All Humans 3 THQ
Stuntman Ignition THQ
Assassin’s Creed UbiSoft
BEOWULF UbiSoft
HAZE UbiSoft
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (*1) UbiSoft
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas (*1) UbiSoft
Prototype Vivendi Games
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena Vivendi Games
*1 Users will be able to enjoy the rumble feature through software update.
*2 Actual titles to be released may vary among
As mentioned by Kaz in his TGS keynote, the power of the PS3 has carried the Folding@home project to a milestone never before reached on a distributed computing network - the petaflop...one quadrillion floating point operations per second. It would take everyone in the world doing 75,000 calculations in a second to achieve similar results, so the milestone is pretty massive.
"The recent inclusion of PS3 as part of the Folding@home program has afforded our research group with computing power that goes far beyond what we initially hoped," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "Thanks to PS3, we are now essentially able to fast-forward several aspects of our research by a decade, which will greatly help us make more discoveries and advancements in our studies of several different diseases."
The PlayStation Store will be getting a few new items this week to take a look at, since today is, of course, Thursday. Four new demos will be available in today's update, including ones for Skate, NBA 08, Sega Rally Revo and Stuntman: Ignition. There will also be a brand new downloadable game for purchase: LocoRoco Cocoreccho! for $6.99.
In addition to these bigger updates, there will also be a few new wallpapers to peruse through, as well as new trailers for GT5 Prologue, Ratchet & Clank Future and Devil May Cry 4.
Head on over to the PlayStation Store soon to check them out.
Codemasters has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz it has pulled a major advertising campaign for the PlayStation 3 version of Colin McRae: DIRT.
The publisher has cancelled the TV campaign as a sign of respect following McRae's death last weekend.
"With consideration to and in agreement with McRae's family, there was a stop put on the TV ads that were planned to run on Sky channels at the weekend and through this week," said a spokesperson for Codemasters.
"All media owners contacted were understanding and cooperative," said the company
Codemasters released a statement earlier in the week, paying tribute to the "inspirational" McRae, who has worked closely with the firm on multiple racing games.
Japan's Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association has announced Wii Sports and Monster Hunter 2: Portable 2nd have won its yearly Grand Awards.
The Best Sales Award has gone to Nintendo's Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, for racking up over 4.9 million sales in Japan, with total worldwide sales as of July 2007 at over 10 million units.
The Global Award for Japanese Product goes to Capcom's Dead Rising, and Epic's Gears of War picked up the Global Award for Foreign Product.
Microsoft's Blue Dragon picked up the Award for Excellence and the Special Award went to two titles – Namco Bandai's 360 title The Idolm@ster and Sega's Love and Berry: Dress Up and Dance for the DS.
Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
A large number of interesting new titles were published this week. Leading next gen console sellers have been Heavenly Sword, Folklore (English language support) and Colin McRae DiRT for PS3™, the Asia versions of BioShock and Stranglehold for Xbox360™ and Sengoku Musou Katana for Wii™.
The most popular PlayStation2™ sellers this week have been the US release versions of .hack//G.U. vol. 3//Redemption and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core.
Top handheld sellers have been Drawn to Life and Jam Sessions for Nintendo DS™ as well as R-Type Tactics (Japanese / Asia), Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + (Japanese / Asia / Deluxe Pack) for PSP™ along with the Japanese Slim & Lite PSP™ console release.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week
Xbox360™:
BioShock ASIA US$ 49.90
Fatal Inertia US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 Covenant Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Limited Edition US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 Spartan Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Limited Edition US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 Xbox 360 Wireless Headset Limited Edition US US$ 59.90
Kengo: Legend of the 9 US US$ 44.90
Madden NFL 08 JPN US$ 64.90
NHL 08 US US$ 59.90
NHL 2K8 US US$ 59.90
SKATE US US$ 59.90
SKATE ASIA US$ 44.90
Stranglehold ASIA US$ 49.90
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition) US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™:
Colin McRae DiRT US US$ 64.90
FolksSoul: Ushinawareta Denshou / Folklore (English & Chinese language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Heavenly Sword US US$ 64.90
NHL 08 US US$ 64.90
NHL 2K8 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Anubis II US US$ 24.90
Mario Strikers Charged JPN US$ 59.90
Sengoku Musou Katana JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
.hack//G.U. vol. 3//Redemption US US$ 49.90
Ayaka Shibito (Best Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Burnout Dominator JPN US$ 64.90
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core US US$ 39.90
Jojo no Kimyouna Bouken: Ougon no Kaze (Best Price) JPN US$ 19.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 & Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor [Twin Pack] JPN US$ 89.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor JPN US$ 49.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor [Premium Box] JPN US$ 64.90
Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor [Super Premium Box] JPN US$ 89.90
Madden NFL 08 JPN US$ 64.90
NHL 08 US US$ 34.90
NHL 2K8 US US$ 24.90
Nanatsu Iro * Drops Pure!! JPN US$ 64.90
Nanatsu Iro * Drops Pure!! [First Print Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Princess Concerto JPN US$ 64.90
Princess Concerto [DX Pack] JPN US$ 99.90
Resident Evil: The Essentials US US$ 39.90
Saint Beast: Rasen no Shou JPN US$ 64.90
Saint Beast: Rasen no Shou [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Nintendo DS™:
Balls of Fury US US$ 24.90
DK: Jungle Climber US US$ 39.90
Deltora Quest: 7-tsu no Houseki JPN US$ 48.90
Drawn to Life US US$ 34.90
Elemental Monster JPN US$ 49.90
Gachapin Nikki DS JPN US$ 29.90
Jam Sessions US US$ 39.90
Jewel Quest: Expeditions US US$ 34.90
Katekyoo Hitman Reborn!! DS Flame Rumble Kaien Ring Soudatsuen! JPN US$ 48.90
Kyouryuu Ikusei Battle RPG: Kyouryuu Monster JPN US$ 48.90
My Sims KOR US$ 49.90
Original Frisbee Disc Sports: Ultimate & Golf US US$ 24.90
Sankei Sports Kanshuu: Keiba Ryoku Nintei Shiken: Baken DS JPN US$ 39.90
Scrabble 2007 Edition ASIA US$ 34.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 22: The Zero-Yon * Shinya JPN US$ 28.90
Tanoshii Youchien: Kotoba to Asobo! JPN US$ 48.90
Uwasa no Misu-Kun!! Natsuiro Striker JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 24.90
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 24.90
Burnout Dominator JPN US$ 48.90
Hard Pouch Portable (Black) JPN US$ 9.99
Hard Pouch Portable (Blue) JPN US$ 9.99
Hard Pouch Portable (Pink) JPN US$ 9.99
Hard Pouch Portable (White) JPN US$ 9.99
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + ASIA US$ 19.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + JPN US$ 24.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + [Deluxe Pack] JPN US$ 44.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Felicia Blue) JPN US$ 19.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Lavender Purple) JPN US$ 19.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Monotone) JPN US$ 19.90
New Style PSP Pouch (Rose Pink) JPN US$ 19.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Battery Pack JPN US$ 48.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Ceramic White (PSP-2000CW) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Felicia Blue (PSP-2000FB) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Ice Silver (PSP-2000IS) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Lavender Purple (PSP-2000LP) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Piano Black (PSP-2000PB) JPN US$ 199.90
PSP PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite - Rose Pink (PSP-2000RP) JPN US$ 199.90
R-Type Tactics ASIA US$ 42.90
R-Type Tactics JPN US$ 48.90
Super Collapse! 3 US US$ 24.90
PC Games:
Hearts Of Iron Anthology (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
Loki (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 33.90
Pretty Soldier Wars A.D. 2048 US US$ 21.90
Star Wars: Empire at War Gold Pack (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 27.90
World in Conflict Collector's Edition (DVD-ROM) US N/A
Guide Books:
Eternal Sonata Official Strategy Guide US US$ 17.90
Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Potion JPN N/A
Heavenly Sword: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
My Sims: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion, Volume 2 US US$ 24.90
Toys & More:
Halo 3 - Master Chief ArtFX non scale prepainted statue JPN US$ 99.90
Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix Figure Set: 3 Kids with pets US US$ 29.90
Masterpiece of Shunya Yamashita: Shoko-san 1/7 Scale Figure JPN N/A
Official World Cyber Games Hong Kong Sweater Navy Green (Size L) US$ 29.90
Official World Cyber Games Hong Kong Sweater Navy Green (Size M) US$ 29.90
One-Coin Figures: Lamento - Beyond the Void JPN N/A
Real Action Heroes Death Note - L 1/6 Scale Figure JPN N/A
Real Action Heroes Death Note - Yagami 1/6 Scale Figure JPN N/A
Revoltech Black Getter OVA Version - Change! Getter-Robo Series No. 035 JPN N/A
Sengoku Basara 2: Date Masamune Prepainted PVC Figure with voice JPN US$ 39.90
Trinity Blood: Esther Branche 1/8 Scale Prepainted PVC Figure JPN N/A
Video Game Soundtracks:
Bladestorm Hyakunen Senso Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 34.90
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle Ring of Fate Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Korochan Pack Dragon Ball Best JPN US$ 14.90
Korochan Pack Dragon Ball Z Best JPN US$ 14.90
Nanoka to Suteki Na Nakama Tachi? Aoi Series Shudaika Shu JPN US$ 29.90
Oshare Majo Love And Berry 2007 Autun & Winter Song Collection JPN US$ 9.90
Princess Maker 5 JPN US$ 27.90
Radio DJCD Bleach B Station Second Season Vol.4 JPN US$ 24.90
The Idolm@ster Master Artist 10 Ritsuko Akizuki JPN US$ 21.90
With the success of DCEmu Reviews a site that has its content showing up on our PSP, DS, Wii, PS3 and Xbox360 and the main DCEmu Portal site. I Wanted to create a new Guide/Tutorials site where new guides and tutorials will show up on any of our network sites.
Just like our news where any coders can upload their releases and post releases and WIP News this will be extended to our Guides and Tutorials Site.
We will be accepting Guides and Tutorials for any Console Scene We Cover and the beauty of it is because the creators will be you the DCEmu Members which means that if you please you can update as you want. What this will mean that if all goes well then this new site could be a great help base for the whole Homebrew scene.
So if you have any guides and tutorials for PS3, Wii, Xbox360, PSP, Nintendo DS, GP2X, GBA, Gamecube, PS2, Xbox, Gizmondo, Iphone, iPod, Tapwave Zodiac, GP32, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn and others, then we want them
The critically acclaim new Final Fantasy titles have been kept for PS3 only. Over at the TGS, taking action from 20 - 23 of September in... Tokyo of course, two new trailers of the title were shown. Both ending with bold letters reading "For Playstation 3 ONLY".
Very sad news for the 360 owners and Final Fantasy lovers out there, and very good news for PS3 owners.
For those of you whose salivary glands have been working overtime when thinking about Sony's new Playstation Eye PS3 camera accessory (and we're sure there's at least one or two of you), you better go get a napkin. According to reports, the interactive, VGA cam will be heading out to stores bundled with Hasrbo's RPG / card game The Eye of Judgment on October 23rd, for the shockingly low price of $69.99. No word on whether that bundle will include the EyeCreate editing software, or when / if the Eye will be available on its own. Hey -- you'll probably want the game anyhow.
The official PlayStation blog is reporting that the petaflop barrier has been crossed by the nodes participating in the Folding @ Home project. The article talks about what this means for computer science, and why this awesome amount of computational power was reachable.
"Just six months after we launched the program, nearly 600,000 PS3 users have registered. Second, we made several improvements to the application (v 1.2) that helped make the computations more accurate and enabled us to squeeze even more work out of each and every PS3 console -- we went from 450 teraflops to 800 teraflops. These factors, combined with the contribution from all the other platforms, helped us cross the barrier, which happened sometime over the weekend."
Sales of the PlayStation Portable have increased by over six times on the previous week's figure, according to the latest data available from Media Create.
The handheld sold 95,487 units in the week ending September 16, up from 15,564 the week before. Sales of other consoles remained stable from the previous week, with the Nintendo DS in second place with 79,974, and the Wii in third shifting 26,181 units.
One of the reasons for the PSP's sudden jump in popularity could be the release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII on that format - the title sold 487,000 copies in its debut week.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was released in Japan last week and sold 487,000 copies in the seven-day period.
It was a bumper week for software sales in the territory, with two new Pokemon titles taking second and third spots yielding a top three sales figure of over 1 million units sold.
Elsewhere Mario Party 8 was the sole Wii entrant in seventh, with Wii Sports and Wii Play both dropping out of the top ten last week.
The full sales top ten is as follows:
1. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
2. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (DS)
3. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (DS)
4. Fate/Tiger Colosseum (PSP)
5. Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (PS2)
6. Taiko no Tatsujin DS (DS)
7. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
8. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates (DS)
Expect more content before any price cut, says Hirai
Sony is to increase its marketing push for the PlayStation 3 this Christmas by putting particular emphasis on the console's capacity as a Blu-ray movie player.
Working closely with Sony Pictures and Sony Entertainment, SCE president Kaz Hirai admitted it was a "balancing act" to market the GBP 425 machine as both a games player and a home entertainment system.
"The PS3 is first and foremost a videogames machine but we want to say – by the way, it's a great Blu-ray player as well," said Hirai, speaking to the FT.com.
And reiterating his comments in yesterday's keynote speech at the Tokyo Game Show, Hirai said that there are no further price cuts planned for the console until it has the right content to back up sales.
"Going aggressive only on price without being able to back it up with content doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me," he said.
features
Platform: Sony PlayStation 3
Pages: 160
Earn every glyph to unlock all special combos and bonus feature moves.
The complete story mode walkthrough gives you the tools to dominate every enemy and master every puzzle.
Beautiful art section with some of the most spectacular art available.
Master the tricks to building "super style" points to unleash devastating level-three attacks.
Labeled maps detailing key locations.
Microsoft's Neil Thompson has told GamesIndustry.biz in an exclusive interview that he feels Sony's delay to the Home project is down to the company underestimating the challenges of the platform.
Thompson, senior regional director for the UK and Ireland at Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, said he was disappointed in the delay, but dismissed the idea that a lack of price cut had played into Microsoft's hands in the run-up to Christmas.
"Well, what they announce at TGS and what they decide to do in any given market in time are not necessarily directly aligned, I think. But Sony will be doing things between now and Christmas I'm sure, they can't afford not to really, given the way that that particular business is going for them at the moment."
"But I think one of the disappointing/interesting things I heard from them at the Tokyo Game Show was that they just delayed the [Home] online service delivery again. That's more interesting, because I think they underestimated how challenging it is to deliver this sort of service, and to deliver the elements of the service that consumers really want."
He went on to question whether or not the final product would be quite what Sony had hoped for originally.
"It would be good to see the reality versus what they had on the blueprints - what they wanted to deliver against what they can actually deliver, because I know they generated a lot of interest based on what they said last year."
When asked about the new rumble-enabled Sixaxis controller, Thompson felt that Sony was forced to release products early in order to try and counter the progress of the Xbox 360.
"I think when I went to E3 two years ago, and they were showing a lot of their first PS3 stuff there, it felt to me like they'd rushed a lot of things out because they felt the momentum on 360 was growing at a rapid rate, and they felt they had to come out with something early."
"I think it's fair to say that over the last 12 months or so, it's becoming more and more apparent probably to the market, and Sony are a bright bunch so they'll understand this, but there are certain aspects in the way that they're offering the product out that aren't resonating enough, or perhaps they've inbuilt too much cost in things."
He pointed to Nintendo's work in the area of the original Sixaxis' main selling point, motion-sensing, and praised the way in which the Wii design approached the market.
"Perhaps where Nintendo really did a very clever thing, they went for quite simple innovation, but it was aligned to where certain broad-range consumers' demand was. That's always the tricky thing with technology - not finding out what's technically possible, but what technology consumers will actually want and desire."
In the full interview, Thompson also discussed the success of Xbox Live, the challenges of Japan and other Asian markets, and the forthcoming launch of Marketplace. Part one of the exclusive interview will be available on GamesIndustry.biz from Monday.
In case you hadn't noticed, yesterday saw the release of LocoRoco Cocoreccho on the PlayStation Network.
Although bullied by other games because of its screensaver heritage, Cocoreccho lets you enjoy rolling 200 different blobs around minimalist but artistic levels. It's an interactive screensaver, you see, one that uses the motion-sensing abilities of Sixaxis.
So, if that sounds like your cup of tea, then simply pop GBP 1.99 in the slot and get going.
Or, of course, you could enjoy the other Playstation Store offerings in the shape of two PSone games: MediEvil and Syphon Filter, both GBP 3.49.
Or. No, wait, there's nothing else apart from a Jericho trailer. Well that's OK, at least until you look over to the US where PS3 owners are enjoying nine trailers, four demos, and LocoRoco Cocoreccho.
Dynasty Warriors 6 developer Takashi Morinaka today joined the chorus of developers welcoming the introduction of rumble to PS3.
"I prefer rumble [to tilt]," he told Eurogamer when we asked for his reaction to the announcement of DualShock 3.
Morinaka, KOEI's software department manager, was demoing the PS3 version of Dynasty Warriors 6. In addition to a new, next-generation graphics engine, DW6 adds to its predecessors by introducing stronger AI for individual units and collectively.
Players will be able to drive forward into enemy strongholds by a variety of paths, but will be met with more distinctive enemy forces rather than a sea of like-minded adversaries.
What's more, while enemies will lose morale if you surprise them from behind once, they may soon adapt to expect that approach if you fall into an easily read pattern.
Going back to DualShock 3, Morinaka also expressed surprise that Sony had chosen to begin with the Sixaxis concept rather than opting for rumble from day one. "I guess there is some reason Sony did it this way around, but I don't know what it is," he confessed.
Of course, speculation has it that it was all down to Sony's combative attitude to Immersion, the company that owns the "haptic" (rumble) technology.
The new, rumble-enabled DualShock 3 PS3 controller is due to launch in Japan this November and in the US and Europe in spring.
Dynasty Warriors 6, meanwhile, is expected in early 2008, with a 360 version also in development. Needless to say, that one has rumble too.
Morinaka also went on to express interest in working with PlayStation Network and Xbox Live in future for Dynasty Warriors, although for now players will have to make do with online leaderboards for Challenge mode.
Yesterday, we mentioned that the floor demo at this year's TGS for Devil May Cry 4 isn't particularly new by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it's the exact same build that we've been playing for months at various press events. What we didn't know is that Capcom was showcasing a new trailer with footage that hadn't been released before of the title, which also divulges a number of secrets.
For the most part, the cuts between cutscenes and in-game play were rather rapid, but it was cohesive enough to get a general sense of major elements of the title. Apart from a battle between Nero and Dante, which takes place in the meeting hall of the Order of the Sword, the three minute trailer showed Nero taking on a gigantic flying worm and a massive plant creature that appeared to swallow him whole. Nero also battled his way through a pack of glowing wolves, apparently in the same general vicinity as the Fortuna stage from the demo. The mysterious character known as Gloria also manages to get in on the action, defeating creatures with a combination of acrobatic kicks and maneuvers.
One thing that we'd never seen with Nero was the ability for the hero to grab and toss weapons back at their original owner, which is demonstrated a couple of times, including a group of armored knights that appear to descend and strike at Nero from the sky. But Nero isn't the only one that's received new attacks. Dante appears to have a brand new set of metallic gauntlets that project spikes from his arms, implying that there is a brand new melee weapon in store for the demon hunter in the title.
Dante isn't the only older character that appears to be included in DMC4. Trish and Lady make a very distinct appearance at a location which appears to be the Devil May Cry Shop. The trailer also implies that a love story plays a role within DMC4, particularly between Nero and the new character Kyrie, who has been shown to sing throughout various game events. Nero appears to be genuinely concerned for Kyrie's well-being throughout the trailer, and the climax of the video footage has him fighting through enemies as he tries to save her from being kidnapped.
We'll have more on Devil May Cry 4 as it becomes available.
Tucked away, quietly, within the pages of Sony's TGS press catalog, is the final pricing for the Japanese release of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Now scheduled for December 13 (as indicated by Famitsu earlier this week) the game is listed as ¥4,980 ($43.10) on Blu-ray and ¥4,500 ($38.95) for the downloadable variant. Though the game features many of the functions of the full product – scheduled for a 2008 release – it's still considered to be a sampling, in part intended to "keep people aware [Polyphony Digital is] still around" (as told to us by the game's designer, Kazunori Yamauchi). We're not sure if this price will extend to the European and North American releases of GT5 Prologue, but we've asked Sony for clarification.
We're on Sony's home turf when visiting their enormous booth at Tokyo Game Show 2007. We won't mince words about how it might (and effectively did) house a small nation state of PlayStation booth attendants, just be sure to take a quick look at the elaborate setups on the Eye of Judgment tables, the Little Big Planet grotto, and the Gran Tourismo 5 Prologue raceway. Also appreciated by us nerdy Engadget editors: the PS3 firmware timeline Sony posted near the rest of its highlights of PS3 home networking.
Todays the day we finally open our DCEmu Guides and Tutorials site
We will be accepting Guides and Tutorials for any Console Scene We Cover and the beauty of it is because the creators will be you the DCEmu Members which means that if you please you can update as you want. What this will mean that if all goes well then this new site could be a great help base for the whole Homebrew scene.
The url for the site is http://tutorials.dcemu.co.uk/ and already tutorials/guides are automatically showing up on some right hand columns on sites
So if you have any guides and tutorials for PS3, Wii, Xbox360, PSP, Nintendo DS, GP2X, GBA, Gamecube, PS2, Xbox, Gizmondo, Iphone, iPod, Tapwave Zodiac, GP32, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn and others, then we want them
Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet could be a driving force in improving PlayStation 3 sales early next year, according to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.
Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz from the Tokyo Game Show, Pachter said the highly-anticipated game from the makers of Rag Doll Kung Fu should appeal to a family audience - something that Sony and rival Microsoft have so far failed to capture with their next-generation machines.
"After seeing LittleBigPlanet at TGS, I believe it could be a console mover," commented Pachter.
"The game is really innovative, and I think it adds a family element that is so far missing from both the Xbox 360 and the PS3. If they can accompany that game's launch with a price cut (or a lower priced SKU), I think we'll see a spike in sales," he added.
Although Sony stated there are no immediate plans for a price cut of the PlayStation 3 at last week's event, Pachter believes the company needs to drop the RRP of the console if it's to meet its 11 million shipment targets by March 2008.
"If Sony doesn't cut price at all during its fiscal year, they will probably miss their 11 million shipment target," he said. "However, a price cut early in 2008 should spark sales, and their line-up of LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Grand Theft Auto 4 should help move consoles."
"If they don't cut price, they'll probably sell through around 7 million for the fiscal year, and will probably ship no more than 8 - 9 million," he added.
Sony unveiled LittleBigPlanet earlier this year at the Game Developers Conference and it has quickly become one of the PS3's most anticipated titles, along with the 3D social networking service Home and the latest iteration of SingStar.
Ubisoft has announced its holiday 2007 line-up, with Hell's Highway missing its previously announced release window.
Assassin's Creed will be released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in November, followed by a PC version in 2008. Beowulf, a tie-in with the upcoming film, will also be released in November for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PSP.
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway has now slipped into Q4, although the Wii port of Road to Hill 30 is still set for December.
Blazing Angels 2 for the 360 and PS3, CSI for the 360 and Wii, Heroes of Might and Magic V for PC, and Haze for the PS3 were also announced as holiday releases.
Other holiday titles include Nitrobike for the Wii, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja for the 360, and Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii and the DS.
Ubisoft also announced that it has signed an agreement to publish No More Heroes, a Wii exclusive developed by Grasshopper Manufacture (Killer 7), in North America. The game is currently scheduled for a February 2008 release.
THQ has officially de-cloaked gangster sequel Saints Row 2.
It's due on PS3 and 360 in 2008, and brings with it significant improvements on the 2006 free-roaming original.
Chief among these are co-operative online gang-banging for you and a chum, plus lots more customisation options like gender, age, voice, crib and gang bits and bobs.
The world has also swollen to include lots more locations, and you will be able to enjoy riding around in things like boats, helicopters, planes and the all important m070rb1k3s. We love them, the way they have two wheels and go very fast. Ooh, pretty motorbikes.
Saints Row 2 will also look better thanks to a beefed up engine from developer Volition, with the environments looking not too dissimilar to Crackdown's. You should find there's much more depth of choice across the board, too, intertwined into a much darker and more sinister storyline - albeit underpinned with a sense of humour.
"The team at Volition is leveraging invaluable experience gained on Saints Row to build Saints Row 2 into a game that sets the standard for combat, player freedom, customization, vehicle game-play, team-based co-op and the most compelling online open world experience to date," boasted Scott Guthrie, marketing boss at THQ.
Saints Row was released in 2006 and was surprisingly good - especially given it was Volition's first open-world effort, as you can see for yourself in our review.
However, it launched in a period without any real competition, and filled a GTA-style gap for many of us. Next year, of course, it will go head-to-head with the mega franchise itself.
CVG has learnt from several sources that PS3 is about to step up to the console war in a big way.
Speaking off the record (which means we can't name names), we've been told by sources in both the publishing and retail sectors that PS3 is on the verge of receiving a massive price cut - to £299.
But this won't be for the 60GB system that's currently on the shelves. It'll be a stripped down version, which Sky News reports will ship without backwards compatibility or USB ports. How you'll sync your controllers without them, we don't know.
Sony has been tipped to make an announcement regarding the stripped-down PS3 this week - right on time to combat Microsoft's massive Halo 3 launch.
An author on left-leaning AlterNet.org not only jumps on the controversy of Resident Evil 5's alleged racism, but calls it a "racist video game series." The article is such a mess that you really have to enjoy it for its absurdity. The piece starts by saying those who go to see the "blockbuster Resident Evil: Extinction" in the theaters may want to play the game, but those who do "will likely enter a world little-known beyond the expensive and expansive universe of gaming, a world increasingly populated with very dangerous depictions of nonwhites."
The author only covers RE4 and RE5 in declaring the series racist. For RE4 he says its Spaniards have "stereotypical Mexican accents" and that RE5 "could be a training video for a white supremacist race war or another U.S. military adventure in one of the increasing numbers of deserts on the planet." Beyond the Resident Evil series there is a rehash of the Haitian controversy from GTA: Vice City -- although the author is way off in his timeline calling GTA: VC "this year's most popular video game."
There's a lot more "racist" issues brought up, but the article really stands as great piece to highlight how even when you introduce diversity to gaming, it's not just the extreme exclusionists who get upset and don't understand why there are women, gays, non-whites in games, but the extreme inclusionists too. Although in the inclusionist's case they want a rosy picture painted of the non-majority group; however, that's boring for narrative, unrealistic and in the end racism really depends on context. There are more moderate views on race issues in video games and that really shouldn't be forgotten. The AlterNet article is just so weird in its "one step forward, two steps back" presentation, we can't help but share.
A man charged in a case separate from the much-publicized anti-modder raids last month has been sentenced to ninety days in prison, another nine months of work furlough, and five years of probation.
"Police seized over 1,000 pirated game discs during the raid on Brown's home, along with 'numerous' mod chips. Ric Hirsch, Vice-President of Intellectual Property Enforcement at the ESA, said, 'Sentences that include jail time send a clear message that violating intellectual property rights is a serious crime with significant consequences and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'"
Datel PS3 Bluetooth Wireless Headset
Manufacturer: Datel
Site: Buy from ConsoleShop
Price: $39.95
Overview : Now’s your chance to talk, strategise and control. Stay one step ahead of the opposition in online games with Bluetooth Wireless Headset for PS3, a great mic and earpiece unit that also works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. At last, you can chat to your pals in online games without any cables to get in the way!
It’s the ideal accessory for PlayStation 3 gamers who like to play online with gamers from all over the world. With your Bluetooth-enabled games console, you can trash-talk with your opponents, make new friends in the games lobby and organise your party in co-operative games. It’s great for making hands-free calls with your Bluetooth mobile too!
Bluetooth Wireless Headset uses the Bluetooth 2.0 protocol for fast, reliable data transfer. It boasts a comfortable, over-the-ear design, crystal-clear sound and it charges in under an hour. A single charge is good for six hours talktime or 250 hours on standby.
Features :
Comfortable, stylish design.
Crystal clear sound.
Up to six hours talktime.
Up to 250 hours standby.
For gamers and phone users alike.
Bluetooth 2.0.
Quality/Usability : Datel released two versions of their Communicator headset for the PS3. One is the bluetooth version which you are reading the review on and the wired version which we also reviewed.
The Datel PS3 Bluetooth Wireless Headset is fairly about the same size of your average cellphone bluetooth headset. However, it is thicker. The bluetooth headset fits over your ear. It can go over either your left or right ear simply by turning the ear loop. On the headset itself, you have the ANSWER/END button on the face of the headset as well as a volume UP/DOWN buttons. The back of the headset has the jack to insert the USB charge cable.
To charge the Datel PS3 Bluetooth Wireless Headset, simply connect the USB charge cable (included) into a USB port whether it be your PS3 console or PC and plug the other end of the USB charge into the headset. It took approximately 1 hour to fully charge the headset. Depending on the usage amount, you can get about 5-6 hours of use out of the headset. This is better than some of the bluetooth headsets on the market for cellphones in terms of talk-time.
To use the bluetooth headset with your PS3 console, you'll have to register it with your console and then select it as an Audio Device.
The following steps will show you how to register the bluetooth headset with your PS3
On your PS3's browser menu, go to 'Settings' then 'Accessory Settings' and finally 'Register Bluetooth Device'.
Select 'Register Headset/Microphone/Headphones'. If prompted you will need to choose 'Yes' to registering a new Bluetooth device.
To put your headset in registration mode press and hold the multifunction button on the front of the device for around 10 seconds until 2 blue lights illuminate continuously.
Press 'X' on your controller to start scanning. Your PS3 should find a device called 'PS3 MAX'. Click 'X' again to select this device.
When prompted for a Pass Key, enter "0000" and choose 'OK'.
Selecting the Headset as an Audio Device
On your PS3's browser menu go to 'Settings' then 'Accessory Settings'.
Under 'Input Device' select the device 'PS3 MAX' as Input and Output Device and choose OK. You should see the microphone level displayed on screen confirming the headset is working correctly.
Once the bluetooth is registered and connected to your PS3, it is ready to be used. Using the bluetooth wireless headset, it was fairly good for the most part. There were times where the headset disconnected and I heard static. Regarding the headset disconnecting, I dont know if it was because it was low on battery or because I walked away from the PS3 (probably the latter).
You can also use the Datel PS3 Bluetooth Wireless Headset as a bluetooth headset for your cellphone as well. Connecting the headset to your cellphone is the same procedure as if you would with any other bluetooth headset. According to the package, it also supports multiple call management, call waiting, voice dialing and last number re-dial when used with Bluetooth enabled mobile phone.
Regarding comfortability, I was disappointed. The earpiece on the headset did not line up with my ear. When the headset was placed, it felt like it was falling off. Depending on how noisy your surrounding environment may be, you may need to push the headset closer to your ear.
Conclusion : Overall, the Datel PS3 Bluetooth Wireless Headset worked great, battery and charging times were better than most cellphone bluetooth headsets but the comfortability and layout of the headset was a big turn off. It didnt fit properly into the ear and felt loose.
That wonderful tradition of honoring games that have the mere potential for quality continued at this year's Tokyo Game Show, as show organizer Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association (CESA) held its annual Future Game Awards ceremony at the Makuhari Messe on the 23rd.
The Future Game Awards are initially selected by attendees of the show's first public day. Show goers picked 286 games out of the 702 titles on display. This list was then cut down to eleven finalists.
And the winners are:
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (aka Yakuza 3, Sega, PS3)
Ace Combat 6 (Bandai Namco, X360)
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (aka Dynasty Warriors 6, Koei, PS3/X360)
Super Robot Taisen OG Gaiden (Banpresto, PS2)
Haruhi no Yakusoku (Bandai Namco Games, PSP)
Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (Capcom, PS2/Wii)
Takarajima Z (aka Zack & Wiki, Capcom, Wii)
Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom, PS3/X360/PC)
Dragon Quest IX (Square Enix, DS)
Professor Layton and the Devil's Box (Level 5, DS)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (Konami, PS3)
Japanese publishers often make a big deal out of these awards, going so far as to put special commemorative stickers on a game's packaging indicating that it was selected the previous year based on its potential quality.
While there's no indication that they got the game to test it with, the folks at the FCC did at least get to spend a bit of time with the new wireless guitar for the PS3 version of Rock Band, which is more than enough to make us a tad envious. Somewhat interestingly, the guitar looks to come bundled with a fairly unassuming-looking dongle, which would seem to be unnecessary if the guitar used Bluetooth, as some had previously speculated. Otherwise, the FCC filing looks to be about as standard as they come, complete with a snippet of the manual, a slew of test reports, and a few shots of the guitar's innards thrown in for good measure (click on through for a glimpse of that).
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has told GamesIndustry.biz that recent chatter about an entry level 40 GB PlayStation 3 is just "rumour and speculation".
Numerous websites and blogs have suggested that Sony is due to unveil a scaled-down console for around GBP 299 in the UK, with USB ports and backwards compatibility functions removed.
Although the US and Japan has seen PlayStation 3 price cuts this year, the console currently retails in the UK for GBP 425, complete with an extra controller and two first-party games.
Electronic Arts' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 has climbed the charts to become the number one selling game in the UK thanks to its release on the PlayStation 3.
The sports game has jumped from number three to number one, knocking the publishers' own Medal of Honor: Airborne off the top.
MySims, another EA property for Nintendo consoles, has entered the charts at number two, with the game seeing 58 per cent of sales on the Wii and 42 per cent on the DS.
Super Paper Mario climbs the charts to number three, with Midway's John Woo Presents Stranglehold at number four.
Elsewhere in the charts, Codemasters' Colin McRae: Dirt enters the top ten at number eight and the second highest new entry is VU Games' World in Conflict at 15.
Sony's SingStar Rock Ballads has entered the charts at 25 and Sega's Sonic Rush Adventure breaks into the top 40 at 26 on its second week of release.
The only other new entry is Sony's PS3 title Warhawk at number 38.
Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai has stated that the PS3 is on track to hit Sony’s sales expectations of 11 million units sold by the end of the company’s financial year next March, Tech.co.uk reports.
In the first quarter of its financial year Sony managed to sell 710,000 PS3 consoles.
Hirai stated that he expects demand to drastically increase once the machine’s software catalogue begins to pick up pace. Repeated rumours of a price cut are still yet to be confirmed.
The PlayStation 3 version of Skate, the new skateboarding game from Electronic Arts, is rolling toward North American retail stores today.
The game features new "Flickit" controls that use the dual analog sticks and a recording feature that allows gamers to capture video footage of their session at any time during the game and share the footage online.
The Xbox 360 version of the game shipped to North American retailers on Sept. 13. The PS3 edition of Skate will ship to European retailers Oct. 5.
A video projector including Wii connection cable but also compatible with any video source (any console, DVD player etc.) to play or watch movie in sharp definition on any wall/screen. Compatible with PAL/NSTC format, universal power adapter to use anywhere, high resolution... it includes all the features you expected, and comes with a low price tag!
- Projection size: 12 to 80 inches
- Projection distance: 1.1 to 5.5 yards (1 to 5 meters)
- Compatible with PAL/NTSC
- Universal 100/240V adapter with power plug adapter (Europe/USA)
- Resolution 960 * 234
- 8-120 ANSI Lumens
- Lamp type: 50W, 1000 hours
- Compatible with iPod Video
- Smart design and compact size
- Special for Wii console use (AV cable included)
- Sharp picture, low lux, high resolution
- Compatible with any A/V (Audio/Video) signal output port
- Mega power amplifier and stereo speakers built-in
- Built-in contrast, color, brightness and volume adjust function
- Compatible with various systems like Playstation 3, Playstation 2, Xbox 360,
Xbox, Gamecube, DVD player, MP4 player etc.
features
Epic next-gen multi-modal design immerses you in a deep 3rd person gameplay experience.
Fly or hover in the Warhawk to engage in intense dogfights with dozens of fighters and ground forces aimed your way.
Take control of armored tanks or utility vehicles to defend your base or launch a ground assault.
Continue the battle on-foot and choose from a powerful arsenal of weapons, including rocket launchers, flame throwers, and proximity mines.
Select one of four online game modes including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and an all-new Zone Mode.
Customize your soldier with an unlimited combination of armor and squad markings.
Team up with friends and create competitive clans and stay organized with user friendly communication tools.
Complex stat tracking records and rewards your accomplishments on the battlefield.
Bluetooth and USB headset compatibility for strategic communications and excessive online chatter.
Expansion and vehicle and character customization packs scheduled for download through 2008.
description
The long-awaited remake to the PlayStation® hit takes flight on the PLAYSTATION®3. In Warhawk™, players will experience a true full-scale war in an intense online multiplayer arena. Take to the skies and engage in high-speed aerobatic dogfights or hover to provide crucial aerial support to surging ground troops. Unleash an artillery assault with heavily armored tanks and all terrain vehicles. Advance on-foot to frontline positions and key locations with an array of devastating weapons, mounted guns and emplaced defense turrets.
Experience the online modes like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and a brand new game type, Zone. Large scale battles and up to 32 players will encourage teamwork and emphasize strategy for an invigorating combat experience.
Ubisoft has swooped past our news control tower this morning to unveil its new Tom Clancy's Air Combat brand.
Yes, the army man who no-one-really-knows-it-could-be-Ray-Mears has provided the inspiration for a jet fighter game on PC, PS3 and 360.
You see, the big problem in Clancy land is that a private military force has saved up its pennies and built up enough power to take on the US. This has forced America to respond in kind, by suiting you up and popping you in the cockpit of a futuristic air flying machine.
Air Combat is boasting stabilisers to gently ease you into the idea: advanced piloting assistance you can turn off when you get used to it all. And once you do, the whole world is your lobster, and Ubisoft reckons it will become an instant online multiplayer hit.
"We are confident that this new brand will become the new benchmark for flight combat games and will be, like other Tom Clancy based games, an instant online multiplayer hit," said Sebastien Delen, big cheese at developer Ubisoft Bucharest.
"The player will experience all the action and excitement of modern air combat, from intense dog fighting to tactical strikes."
Tom Clancy's Air Combat is due for release next year. We'll let you know more when it arrives.
Bioshock could make its way to Wii, PS3, PS2 and handhelds, according to an analyst in a recent Take-Two report.
In a company update, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey banked on Take-Two extracting more from the success of the critically acclaimed Bioshock, as well as the continued anticipation of GTA IV.
"We expect management could choose to raise capital now, leveraging a higher share price, investor enthusiasm over the GTA IV release, the franchise potential of Bioshock and their strong fiscal '08 guidance," said Hickey.
Don't put your life on hold though - if Bioshock should make it to other formats, Hickey (via GameDaily) doesn't expect it to happen before fiscal year 2009.
GP2 racer Bruno Senna is helping developer System 3 nail the physics in its upcoming racer, Ferrari Challenge, and here's Bruno himself showing you how it's done.
Despite actually being able to thrash around in real Ferraris for a living, Bruno is an avid gamer. In this video Bruno grabs a PS3 pad and takes you for a lap around the Monza circuit in a Ferrari 430, pointing out the subtleties in the game's physics system, and some pro driving techniques, too.
It seems that the DualShock 3 came equipped with more than just last-gen tech. Also found within its molded plastic curves? Secrets. PS3 Fanboy spotted some unfamiliar titles in the controller's recently distributed compatability list, titles that we'll now pass along to you for your rampant speculation pleasure.
N-Cube -- Creat Studios
Warbit -- Creat Studios
To End all Wars -- Ghostlight
TNA Wrestling -- Midway
Cops (codename) -- Pyro
Planet One (codename) -- Pyro
The Crucible -- Sega
Rat Race -- SCEA
What do they mean? We just don't know. Will that stop us from making wild, unfounded guesses? Let's put it this way: Judging from the last title, we've confirmed that the PS3 will soon get a visit from digi-Whoopi. Con-firmed.
In a bizarre move Aurora Technology the owners of the King of the World MMORPG has taken the unusual step of banning men who play women characters but the ban itself does not stretch to women playing men. If you want to play as a woman now in game you have to prove you are a women via web cam. This is something that people ask for in many mmorpgs I myself have seen people say people who play women in EVE online as being some kind of degenerate but how long can a policy of verification by web cam last since its so easy to get around it doesn't seem to solve much and is an insult to many."
Amidst all the usual banter about release dates, transition periods and approaches for the company, Eidos stated today that it believes a PlayStation 3 price cut is paramount to growth in the console's installed base.
"The Board continues to believe in the long-term commercial success of PlayStation 3 but believes this may take more time than originally forecast by Sony," chairman Tim Ryan wrote at the top of mother-company SCi's financials.
"The Board is of the opinion that the key driver to the acceleration of the installed base of PlayStation 3 will be a further hardware price cut."
Eidos has often taken a softly-softly approach with new console hardware, happy to feel it out before bowling a dozen SKUs into orbit, and so it has proven with PS3.
The publisher dipped its toe with a distribution agreement for Ninja Gaiden Sigma earlier this year, but its first big simultaneous PC/PS3/360 release is Kane & Lynch, due out on 23rd November.
Beyond that though, things get a bit more multicultural, with the new Conflict game and indeed the next Tomb Raider down for release on PS3, and - as with the Wii and DS - we should expect to see more Eidos games on Sony's format from there on out.
Dutch outfit Playlogic has now become an official PlayStation 3 publisher.
The news follows Playlogic's recent accreditation by Sony US as an official PS2 and PSP partner.
"It's an industry given that SCEA is representative of the highest standard in game publishing," offered Rogier Smit, executive VP of Playlogic.
"To be able to develop and publish for this incredibly powerful and versatile machine will give us the opportunity to deliver the best in videogame entertainment."
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, the lead designer of Habbo Hotel has expressed his doubts about the viability of online communities on current generation consoles.
Despite the fact that consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have USB ports, allowing users to plug in a keyboard, people don't take advantage of that, Sulka Haro noted. Typing messages is central to the social aspect of online communities.
"Habbo is really all about the role-playing. If you can't chat, you can't role play," he said.
While it is certainly possible to port Habbo Hotel to home consoles from a technological standpoint, the company currently has no plans to move into that market.
"Also, one thing you have to remember is that we are targeting young people," said Haro, noting Habbo Hotel's popularity with teenagers. "Typically, those are not the people who have the latest consoles."
"PlayStation 3, Xbox 360...those are for people who are seriously into gaming. I don't know how many 13 year-olds have a PS3, but I bet it's not too many."
As for Sony's Home, Haro echoed Daniel James' comment that it is "a world with a USD 600 entry ticket." He isn't sure how many PlayStation 3 owners are the type of people who will be interested in this virtual community and, personally, it didn't appeal to him.
"At least in the demo I saw, it was this pretty clean Sony world," Haro remarked. "You're able to buy a virtual Bravia television that does not break. That's kind of funny, in some sense, but a bit too clean."
"It was too polished, somehow. I don't know. It didn't feel like I'd really call that place my home."
The complete interview with Sulka Haro can be read here.
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men will be released on 23rd November in Europe following a 20th November launch across the pond.
That's the word in Eidos' mother-company SCi's latest financial results, which also state that Tomb Raider: Anniversary for Wii and Xbox 360 is now down for a "pre-Christmas launch".
The publisher also reiterated that sequels to Just Cause and Battlestations: Midway are in development, and to no one's surprise confirmed that Tomb Raider and Hitman sequels are also planned.
And, for those of you with a thing for DS title Pony Friends, it'll be clopping its hooves all over the Wii at some point in the future - as part of a line-up of DS and Wii titles for calendar-2008 that's 20 games strong.
Watch out for more on Eidos' upcoming games in the coming days!
Such a fuss hasn't been made out of a rumbling controller since Nintendo pioneered the whole idea with the N64 Rumble Pak back in 1997, but the shaking SixAxis, or DualShock 3 as it will be known, flew in straight from TGS.
Sony strolled into the CVG office this week with one of the new pads for us to put under a magnifying glass for an in-depth look. We even got to play with it.
Much has been made of the DualShock 3 featuring some form of ultra-advanced rumbling technology superior to that of existing pads: location-specific rumbling, 'touch-sense' analogue sticks and all sorts.
We're surprised someone hasn't claimed the pad gets hot and cold, or emits smells from games. If it does, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction did a bad job of showing it.
No, boys and girls, there's no alien-like rumble tech here; it just shakes, most likely using a small metal weight attached to the spinning pin of a little electrical motor, just like all other rumbling controllers (Sony wouldn't let us break out the screwdrivers to confirm that, however).
The newly-added motor inside must be quite small though because the pad really isn't as heavy as we expected. It's only slightly heavier than the original SixAxis; not as weighty as the 360 wireless controller, but just enough to abolish that cheap hollow-feeling of the SixAxis 'pauper's edition' (as we'll now think of the old pad).
As you'll know the DualShock 3 is shaped identically to the original pad, although press shots reveal one visual difference: the word 'DualShock 3' written in blue on the top of the pad's central bridge, opposite the word 'SixAxis'.
After a quick inspection we noticed the sample unit handed to us lacked the 'DualShock 3' branding. We mention this because pre-production versions (and press shots) of the original SixAxis featured a red light that illuminated the PS button, whereas retail versions don't.
There is one other subtle, unmentioned change on the new pad, too: the analogue sticks have been made slightly more resistant (emphasis on the word 'slightly'). It's barely noticeable but they definitely feel a little tighter. It's not 360-controller-perfect, but it's good to see Sony making small tweaks wherever it can, even if the pad has hardly changed shape since the first DualShock pad was released ages ago for PSone.
So there you have it; no mysteries - it's a SixAxis that shakes, but it just goes to show that you don't realise how much of a difference something makes until you lose it, and we're pleased Sony has its rumble back.
It really will make all the difference in games like Motorstorm and Heavenly Sword when they're updated with rumble support.
It's just a shame we'll have to wait until spring next year to get our hands on them. What is Sony doing, waiting for Father Christmas to deliver them?
A few shots of the Dualshock 3 Sixaxis controller, if one has not seen them, viewable here
Several weeks ago we reported on the rumor that Sony would release a new model of the PS3 in time for the holidays, with a smaller, 40GB hard drive and a price point of $399.99 [£197]. Now an FCC filing has been discovered for a new PlayStation model number, the CECHG01.
While technical details and pictures are not present, the FCC report shows a diagram on pages 8 and 9, showing what had been tested on the system. As DailyTech has pointed out, the unit shows only two USB ports instead of the normal form, and no card reader is present, which could certainly indicate a trimmed down system for a trimmed down price point. We still don't have a hard disk size, though 40GB sounds like a reasonable bet. Personally I liked it better back when you bought a console and it was the same one everyone else had, but that's just me.
The latest update to the Japanese side of Sony's Game Archives download service has a bunch of games you've probably never heard of, but a couple any seasoned PlayStation veteran should recognize.
Nine new games made the cut for this latest update. Of those, one game is PS3 only. In addition to these, Sony has updated one current title to make it playable on the PS3.
Here's what the full update list looks like.
Playable on PSP/PS3 starting 9/27
Ganbare Goemon Uchuu Kaizou (Konami)
Memorial Series Sunsoft Vol.3 (Sun Denshi)
Crash Bandicoot 3 (Sony)
Popolocrois Monogatari (Sony)
Blue Breaker (Hamster)
Ajito (Hamster
Michi no Hisou Koi Monogatari Kai (Fog)
Shadow Tower (From Software)
Playable on PS3 only starting 9/27
Armored Core Project Phantasma (From Software)
Already released title now playable on the PS3
JumpingFlash! (Sony)
Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has announced plans to gradually phase out services for registered users of its PlayStation.com website. The operation will begin this December with an end to the site's e-commerce services. Its mail news service will come to a halt in February 2008.
Don't take this to be doom and gloom for the PlayStation brand. The PlayStation.com service was originally started with the goal of providing downloadable content for the PS2. This mission has since been transferred to the PlayStation Network, which you can access from your PS3 and, now, PC.
Those who amassed "PlayStation Points" at the site will be able to transfer these to either the PlayStation Network, where they'll be charged to your wallet, or switch them to Sony Points, which are used by Sony as a whole.
The Japanese PlayStation.com site will continue to exist as Sony's official source for Japanese PlayStation news and information.
Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
No doubt, this week has been all about the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360™ flagship release Halo 3. The game is in stock as Asian, Japanese and Asian Limited Edition; while US release versions are expected to arrive at Play-Asia.com early of next week.
Further hot sellers this week have been Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (Xbox 360™), Agarest Senki (PS3™), Kekkaishi: Kokubourou no Kage (Wii™) and Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd for PlayStation2™.
Most popular handheld releases this week have been Sonic Rush Adventure, Namco Museum DS and KanKen DS 2 + Jouyou Kanji Jiten for Nintendo DS™ and Wangan Midnight Portable (Asia / Japanese for PSP™). Last but not least, Sega's Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (also available for PS2™) has been leading the PC game sales this week.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week,
Xbox360™:
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII US US$ 59.90
Cabela's Trophy Bucks US US$ 44.90
Eternal Sonata US US$ 59.90
Halo 3 JPN US$ 64.90
Halo 3 (Chinese Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
Halo 3 (Chinese Version) [Limited Edition] ASIA US$ 59.90
Halo 3 [First Print Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights ASIA US$ 44.90
Warriors Orochi US US$ 59.90
Xbox 360 Console (Halo 3 Special Edition) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 HDMI AV Cable JPN US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit (Black) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Black) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Halo 3 Edition) JPN N/A
Xbox 360 Wireless Headset (Halo 3 Edition) JPN
PlayStation3™:
Agarest Senki JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation Network Card / Ticket -LOCOROCO- (100 HKD / for Hong Kong network only) Hong Kong US$ 15.90
Stuntman: Ignition US US$ 64.90
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion JPN US$ 69.90
Warhawk (w/ Bluetooth Headset) ASIA US$ 59.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Bass Fishing Wii: Rokumaru Densetsu JPN US$ 49.90
Boku to Sim no Machi / MySims JPN US$ 59.90
Cosmic Family US US$ 49.90
Fishing Master US US$ 44.90
Kekkaishi: Kokubourou no Kage JPN US$ 59.90
My Sims US US$ 49.90
Pool Party US US$ 34.90
PlayStation2™:
Angel Profile JPN US$ 64.90
Atelier Iris: Grand Phantasm (Gust Best Price) JPN US$ 39.90
Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd JPN US$ 64.90
Digimon World: Data Squad US US$ 39.90
Fantastic Fortune 2: Triple Star (Best Hit Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Generations of Chaos Desire JPN US$ 64.90
Growlanser: Heritage of War [Limited Edition] US US$ 59.90
Hisshou Pachinko * Pachi-Slot Kouryoku Series Vol. 11: Shinseiki Evangelion - Magokoro o, Kimi ni JPN US$ 58.90
Kyou Kara Maou! Shin Ma-Kuni no Kyuujitsu JPN US$ 129.90
Nizu no Senritsu 2 (Best Hit Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus JPN US$ 49.90
Saishu Shiken Kujira: Alive JPN US$ 64.90
Saishu Shiken Kujira: Alive [Konamistyle Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Saishu Shiken Kujira: Alive [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
SingStar 80's US US$ 34.90
SingStar 80's with 2 Microphones US US$ 59.90
SingStar Amped US US$ 34.90
SingStar Amped with 2 Microphones US US$ 59.90
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror US US$ 39.90
Warriors Orochi US US$ 44.90
We Are* (Best Hit Selection) JPN US$ 34.90
Yuukyuu no Sakura JPN US$ 64.90
Yuukyuu no Sakura [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Nintendo DS™:
7 Wonders US US$ 34.90
Bartender DS JPN US$ 29.90
Digimon World: Dawn US US$ 34.90
Digimon World: Dusk US US$ 34.90
Eiken DS JPN US$ 39.90
Itsudemo Doko Demo: Onita Atsushi no Seiji Quiz DS JPN US$ 39.90
Jigoku Shoujo: Akekazura JPN US$ 48.90
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights US US$ 34.90
KanKen DS 2 + Jouyou Kanji Jiten JPN US$ 29.90
Mitsukete! Keroro Gunsou JPN US$ 48.90
My Sims US US$ 34.90
Namco Museum DS US US$ 24.90
Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park US US$ 34.90
Picto Image DS JPN US$ 39.90
Prism: Light the Way ASIA US$ 34.90
Sonic Rush Adventure US US$ 34.90
Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi: Mina San Kyu JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
300 JPN US$ 14.90
Chronicle of Dungeon Maker (Eternal Hits) JPN US$ 25.90
Chronicle of Dungeon Maker (Eternal Hits) ASIA US$ 22.90
Coded Arms Contagion JPN US$ 48.90
Coded Arms Contagion US US$ 34.90
EXIT (Eternal Hits) JPN US$ 25.90
EXIT (Eternal Hits) ASIA US$ 22.90
Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki SC JPN US$ 48.90
Jet de Go! Pocket (Eternal Hits) ASIA US$ 22.90
Jet de Go! Pocket (Eternal Hits) JPN US$ 25.90
Nugase ! Yakyuuken Polorigurabia Tengoku JPN US$ 37.90
Pilot ni Narou! Flying All-Stars (Best Collection) JPN US$ 29.90
Simple 2500 Series Vol. 11: The Puzzle Quest: Agaria no Kishi JPN US$ 28.90
Wangan Midnight Portable JPN US$ 48.90
Wangan Midnight Portable ASIA US$ 42.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX Tagforce 2 ASIA US$ 39.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX Tagforce 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2 US US$ 34.90
PC Games:
Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII ASIA US$ 39.90
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (DVD-ROM) JPN US$ 49.90
Two Worlds ASIA US$ 39.90
World in Conflict (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
Guide Books:
Halo 3 Official Strategy Guide US US$ 19.90
Heavenly Sword: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Soul Nomad & the World Eaters The Official Strategy Guide [Limited Edition] US US$ 29.90
Toys & More:
Fate/Hollow Ataraxia 1/7 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Karen Hortensia JPN US$ 59.90
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children Play Arts Vol. 2: Kadaj JPN US$ 34.90
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children Play Arts Vol. 2: Reno JPN N/A
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children Play Arts Vol. 2: Yuffie JPN N/A
Oh! My Goddess - 1/7 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure Urd (White Bikini Vers.) JPN US$ 52.90
Pia Carrot G.O. 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Ayano Kunugi (Maid Type) JPN US$ 59.90
SIF Ex - Rumble Roses: Dixie Clemets 1/8 Scale Prepainted Figure JPN N/A
Video Game Soundtracks:
Fate / Tiger Colosseum Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Fate / Tiger Colosseum Original Soundtrack [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 29.90
Gold Disc - Koji Otori & Sho Nikaido & Taro Konokage (VitaminX Character CD) JPN US$ 19.90
Harukanaru Toki No Naka De 1 & 2 & 3 Hanazakari JPN US$ 37.90
Hoshizora No Sakamichi JPN US$ 11.90
Onnanoko Fantasy / Yumeiro Hanabi (Ne Pon? X Rai Pon! Theme Song) JPN US$ 11.90
Clear Vocal Album JPN US$ 22.90
While the release of the PSP Slim and Lite in Japan has reignited hardware sales of the console, numbers for other platforms dropped further, according to the latest retail data from Media Create.
Sales of the PSP, which in the figures isn't divided into individual SKU, hit nearly 280,000 in the week ending September 23 - that's up from 95,000 the previous week, and far more than normal chart-topper, Nintendo DS, on just over 70,000.
In fact most of the other platforms dipped once again as, with the PSP aside, hardware numbers continued to tail off.
The PlayStation 3 dropped by 18 per cent on the previous week, while sales for the PlayStation 2 dipped by 13 per cent, the DS by 12 per cent, and the Wii 5 per cent.
The only console to buck the trend, other than the PSP, was the Xbox 360, which saw sales jump by over a third - although that only represented a increase of about 400 additional consoles, to a total of 1687.
The hardware sales list in full:
1. PlayStation Portable: 277,794
2. Nintendo DS: 70,523
3. Nintendo Wii: 24,992
4. PlayStation 2: 11,373
5. PlayStation 3: 10,732
6. Xbox 360: 1687
7. Game Boy Advance: 382
8. Nintendo GameCube: 15
The PlayStation 3's new flagship title, Heavenly Sword, was top of the Spanish software chart for sales in the week ending September 23.
The data, compiled by Media-Control GfK Interational demonstrated a far wider variety of platforms represented than we've seen in the past, with each of the top five games on a different system.
The full chart is as follows:
1. Heavenly Sword (PS3)
2. WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007 Platinum (PS2)
3. Super Paper Mario (Wii)
4. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage (PC)
5. Dr Kawashima's More Brain Training (DS)
6. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Platinum (PS2)
7. Pokemon Diamond (DS)
8. Colin McRae: Dirt (PS3)
9. WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007 Platinum (PSP)
10. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII has remained at the top of the Japanese software sales chart for a second consecutive week, despite pressure from new entries which include a new Metal Gear Solid title.
Portable Ops Plus, an expansion to the original PlayStation Portable title sold 93,000 units in its first week of release, according to data from Media Create, while Crisis Core racked up another 109,000 in the week ending September 23.
Pokemon titles took third and fourth places, while four other new entries, including Super Mario Strikers and Samurai Warriors: Katana also made the new top ten, with Nintendo platforms accounting for seven titles, and Sony platforms for three.
The full top ten is as follows:
01. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
02. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP)
03. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (DS)
04. Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (DS)
05. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn!! DS Flame Rumble Kaien Ring Soudatsuen! (DS)
06. Super Mario Strikers (Wii)
07. Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor (PS2)
08. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
09. Samurai Warriors: Katana (Wii)
10. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates (DS)
The Sims 2: Bon Voyage has taken the top spot in the latest German software chart, compiled using data from Media-Control GfK International.
While Nintendo platform titles remained popular, taking up six of the top ten titles, neither of top two were Wii or DS titles, as Sierra's World in Conflict took second spot.
Pokemon and Brain Training titles still sold well, while Super Paper Mario, Pony Friends, Heavenly Sword and Medal of Honor filled out the rest of the chart.
The full chart:
1. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage (PC)
2. World in Conflict: Uncut Edition (PC)
3. Pokemon Diamond (DS)
4. Super Paper Mario (Wii)
5. Medal of Honor Airborne (PC)
6. Dr Kawashima's More Brain Training (DS)
7. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
8. Pokemon Pearl (DS)
9. Heavenly Sword (PS3)
10. Pony Friends
Sony has declined to comment on rumours that its recent FCC filing was for a new 40GB PS3.
The code number for this phantom model is listed on the official Federal Communications Commission as CECHG01. Detectives among you will realise this is not the same as the existing numbers for the 60GB (CECHA01) and 80GB (CECH01) units. How very cunning.
Hardware has to be legally checked over by the FCC before it can manufactured and sold in shops - it is a US legal requirement covering all sorts of bits and bobs that use the radio spectrum, including things like Wi-Fi.
However, the listing is far from confirmation that this is the 40GB PS3 model rumours pointed to earlier this week, which arose from a story on Sky's website that a Taiwanese company called FoxConn was making a new GBP 299 SKU.
And on closer inspection, the FCC listing unveils a subsidiary company of China-based AsusTek as the maker, the hand behind the current 80GB model.
It is a fishy conundrum, not unlike the sort of thing Sharky & George use to unravel. So speculate away.
Sony has revealed plans to pull Gran Turismo HD Concept from the Japanese Store, in preparation for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue next month.
This means PS3 owners in Japan have until Sunday to download GT HD, before seeing it disappear forever.
Sony Europe currently has nothing to announced regarding the future of the PSN game here, echoing silence in the US [echoing silence? - Ed].
Gran Turismo HD Concept was released alongside the PS3 here in March. It gives you a feel for what the full fifth instalment in the series will be like when it appears sometime in the future.
We had a great time with it, and thoroughly recommended it to anyone listening. We'd also recommend you get your hands on it while you still can. Better safe than sorry.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is yet to be dated for Europe, but we still carry a torch for the PSN version turning up here before Christmas and Blu-Ray offering to follow next year.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has told Eurogamer that Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction has been delayed - and won't now be released until November.
The game was originally supposed to be out on 23rd October in both the US and Europe, as announced recently.
But now a post on the PlayStation blog has revealed a new North American release date of 30th October, with the demo arriving on PlayStation Network "by October 11th" over there.
A Sony spokesperson told Eurogamer a specific date for the European release of R&C has yet to be confirmed. However, he did say it will hit the shops some time in "early November", with the demo due out in "mid-October".
According to SCEA's Greg Phillips "the extra wait will be worth it". He said Insomiac "has been hard at work squeezing every last detail, dance move and tool of destruction" into the game.
It certainly looked spanky when we got the chance to go hands-on earlier this month - check out the preview for more info.
In case you hadn't noticed, the European PlayStation Store was updated with a handful of bits and bobs yesterday.
Among its biggest treats were new demos for the excellent SEGA Rally and not-so-good Folklore, as well as fresh content for MotorStorm, Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Spider-Man 3.
MotorStorm fans will now be able to race a new truck and mud plugger around some dirty land in the Capitano & Varjack vehicle pack for GBP 1.49 (EUR 2.12); Ninja Gaiden Sigma owners will be able to master a series of challenges based around alacrity in the Speed Master pack for GBP 2.99 (EUR 4.27); and Spider-Man 3 fans will be treated to a new Goblin character in the functionally named Goblin pack for GBP 3.99 (EUR 5.69).
But if you want to sit back and relax, you can always take in new videos for InFamous, PES 2008 and Feel Ski, or just decorate your background with new Heavenly Sword and WarHawk wallpapers.
That's a little more content than the US Store was treated to, with Jericho and NBA 2K8 demos (the Jericho demo will be here next week), MotorStorm and Ninja Gaiden Sigma content, plus a spattering of game trailers making up their arrangement.
Last week Sony released LocoRoco Cocoreccho in the PlayStation Store for a meagre GBP 1.99. We've just published our thoughts on it, which come in the form of a solid recommendation for one of the best PSN additions to date.
The latest issue of Famitsu has nine pages on Kingdom Hearts, two pages on Parasite Eve, and a teeny-tiny column on Final Fantasy XIII. There's a saying about beggars and choosers that seems to apply here.
The magazine got FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama, art director Iasmu Kamikokuryo, Versus XIII director Tetsuya Nomura and Agito XIII director Hajime Tabata to share some brief commentary on the new trailer set.
On the main FFXIII trailer, Toriyama noted that a new "strange" female character was revealed for the first time, along with a look at a city inside the Cocoon. Commenting specifically on art design, Kamikokuryo noted that balance is difficult because some areas of the game, particularly related to that strange female character, are a bit odd for the Final Fantasy universe.
Nomura addressed the Versus XIII trailer, noting that the staff has at last managed to reach the image they were originally seeking. The trailer has two new characters, but he expects them to undergo some changes in later trailers. He does feel, however, that the main character design is representative of what we'll be seeing when the game shows its true colors next year.
Nomura also spoke about the setting of the new trailer. The city and fields of the trailer are inspired by Italy. In fact, he noted, the words that appear throughout the trailer are in Italian. He pointed out that a few characters in the trailer have a mafia feel about them.
Finally, Tabata discussed the mobile entry in the FFXIII series, Final Fantasy Agito XIII. He described the game as a casual online game. Don't hold your breath for a release any time soon, though, as Tabata admitted that Square Enix is currently waiting for hardware and wireless specifications to be finalized. Previously, Tabata has said that the game will appear on next generation 4G phones.
All the FFXIII games appear to be gearing up for a proper unveiling in 2008. With any luck, and a bit of begging, we'll get a few more details before then.
If you live in Europe or the UK and have a knack for creating fantastical creatures of joy and wonder, then Sony wants your designs for Folklore. Simply create a creature that looks like it would be at home in one of those goofy fairies books you find in the hardcover fantasy section of your local bookseller, name it, and describe what special attack you would grant your creation by October 22nd.
After that a panel of judges from Game Republic that includes Resident Evil and Devil May Cry executive producer Yoshiki Okamoto will determine whether or not your little monster thing has what it takes to be included in the game. Download the demo on PSN today to see what sort of things they find interesting. Just don't pause it and trace. I'm sure they're watching for that. Visit PlayStation Europe here for more details.
The Dual Shock 3 announcement at Tokyo Game Show 2007 was hardly shocking, but when Sony Computer Entertainment President and Group COO Kaz Hirai revealed North American and European gamers wouldn't receive the peripheral until Spring 2008, eyebrows raised. Folks in Japan will experience PlayStation 3 rumbling before the year is out and Hirai's reveal seemed to gloss over this anomaly.
It's just a controller, right?
1UP contacted Sony Computer Entertainment America for more, but the company was vague on their rationale for leaving a large chunk of their market waiting several months longer. "Given our production/manufacturing timeline we plan to introduce the new controller in Japan first and then release it in NA/Europe," said SCEA Corporate Communications spokesperson Kimberly Otzman.
That said, there doesn't seem to be any reason anxious gamers couldn't just purchase an imported controller. Otzman said she isn't "aware of anything that would prevent the hardware from being locked out," but warned that there could be software issues on a title-to-title basis and games that require retroactive patches (i.e. Warhawk, Resistance: Fall of Man) to enable rumble support will not necessarily be delivered prior to the official US launch next year.
Fair warning, but if you'd like to get your rumble on ahead of time, it seems you're in the clear.
Craig, the owner of GBAX.com/GP2X.co.uk is running the Great North Run tomorrow for charity and is asking the community if they would like to sponsor him. All donations go straight towards Leukaemia Research and if you live in UK an extra 28% in tax will be added at no cost to you. Leukaemia Research is a great cause so if you would like to donate even a few $ or £ you can do so via his sponsorship page at http://www.justgiving.com/craigix. Good luck Craig for the run tomorrow!
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