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.
