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PlayStation Network delivery service goes live

playstation video on demand.JPGThe PlayStation Network Delivery service goes live across Europe today, offering over 800 movies to rent or buy to PS3 and PSP owners.

Films ready to be downloaded at launch include Star Trek, Watchmen, Bruno, Angels and Demons and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Rentals will cost from £2.49, giving a user 14 days to watch the movie, but only 48 hours to finish the film once play has started. Buying a movie will cost from £6.99, allowing the movie to be used on up to five PS3 or PSP consoles, though not simultaneously on each. Movies cannot be transferred to a PC for viewing due to piracy restrictions. And movies cannot be transferred to an Xbox 360, for obvious reasons.

1080p high-def movies are also available to rent or buy, for a small bump-up in price.

As a limited launch offer, new PSN users will receive a free copy of the first Transformers, while returning PSN customers who buy Angels and Demons will receive a complimentary copy of The Da Vinci Code.

Sony are aiming to have as many as 50 new title available each week, so if your favourite flicks aren't up on the PSN yet, check back soon and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Posted by Gerald Lynch on November 19, 2009 11:32 AM in PlayStation Network| Videos
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Final Fantasy XIII trailer shows off combat system

XIII01_psd_jpgcopy.jpgAnother trailer for the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII has landed, featuring a much anticipated look at the game's combat system, which appears to be turn based. You can take a look at it here. The good news is that it's looking a lot more cinematic than previous fighting systems, with characters ducking and weaving past enemy blows as they strike. As you might expect, the game also continues the series' high production values and graphical standards. The cutscenes look fantastic and the game character models appear to be pleasingly detailed.

The fighting system *looks* very good. They can be a bit of a mixed bag, visually speaking, with impressive summon sequences offset by long periods where the characters just stand around, not doing much. I'm just hoping that the game does something interesting with turn-based combat. We've seen turn-based gameplay explored a lot, but few games really manage to innovate with it.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 30, 2009 12:29 AM in Games
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Prince of Persia Epilogue DLC coming late next month

po_pdlc_003.jpgA fresh bit of DLC has been announced for Prince of Persia, and it's been dubbed Prince of Persia Epilogue. As you might have guessed, it'll take place after the events of the main game, so beware that minor spoilers lie ahead. The content takes place just after the events of the main game, with the Prince and Elika tasked with escaping from an Underground Palace. Elika will get a new special power that will allow her to repair broken areas, and the Prince will get a new Sprinting Clash attack that'll let him charge up and stun enemies. The DLC will have a higher difficulty level and last about three hours. It's due to land on February the 26th.

Prince of Persia wasn't unflawed by any means, featuring frustratingly simplified acrobatics, repetitive levels, and a story that feels like a missed opportunity. Nevertheless, it retained a sense of undemanding fun and had some fantastic sequences and production values. I'm looking forward to seeing the DLC. Often, extra downloadable content seems to be released almost as an afterthought, but it sounds like a fairly substantial offering.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 30, 2009 12:24 AM in Games
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Latest Resident Evil 5 viral examines psychological burden of zombie killing

Zombie killing is a hazardous occupation and the full burden of the psychological trauma it brings is examined in this latest viral ad from Capcom. I rather like them. They're surprisingly well produced and manage to bring a lot of the cheese that's something of a series trademark. We'll get the opportunity to see if the game is as good as its campaign when it arrives on the 20th of March.

via Kotaku

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 27, 2009 11:06 PM in Games
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The latest UK sales charts are in...

waw.jpgWith only a few big titles dropping this January, the latest UK charts tell an unsurprising story. In terms of PS3 releases, Call of Duty: World at War has nabbed second place with Wii title Wii Fit taking first. New release Skate 2 scores a very respectable second place, with FIFA '09 hanging on at 4th and The Lord of the Rings: Conquest coming in at 3rd. Tomb Raider: Underworld is also just staying in the top ten, coming in at number nine.

Things start to get interesting in a couple of weeks though. Street Fighter, one of the best fighting series ever created, is making a -hopefully- triumphant return to the console mainstream with Street Fighter IV on the 20th of February. Of course, less than two weeks after that, we get to find out if Killzone 2 will live up to the hype, with the exclusive sci-fi shooter landing on the 27th in the UK.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 27, 2009 11:01 PM in Games
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Metal Gear Online getting Bomb Mission mode

bombmode.jpgMetal Gear Online players will be able to try out a new mode tomorrow, dubbed Bomb Mission. Players will tasked with either destroying or protecting an area of the map. You can destroy areas using timed explosives, and you'll be able to defuse the explosives with a coolant solution. As you might expect, players will also have to contend with a time limit.

Building an online community around a game is all about keeping the online multiplayer experience fresh. It's something that Burnout Paradise is exceptionally good at, although Konami do deserve a special mention for their support for Metal Gear Online. From new modes like this to special events to attract newcomers, they're definitely making an effort to get as many people playing Metal Gear Online as possible.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 27, 2009 12:20 AM in Games| PlayStation Network
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Mortal Kombat vs DCU sells 1.8 million, new MK in the works

lexkit.jpgGood news for Mortal Kombat fans- the latest installment, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, has sold well and another Mortal Kombat title is in development. The crossover game managed to shift about 1.8 million copies according to Midway, with Mortal Kombat co-founder Tobias Boon stating that "We're already hard at work on our next version of Mortal Kombat, and look forward to being able to reveal more details in the future."

It's good news, although I'm a little surprised to hear it. The release schedule for the end of last year was pretty packed, and I thought that there was a good chance that the game could be lost in a season with plenty of triple A titles competing. I'm glad it's sold well though. It might not be the most intelligent fighting game ever devised, but it's hard to bear a grudge against it with a goofy story that always stays the write side of cheesy and gameplay that was fun, if not incredibly deep.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 27, 2009 12:14 AM in Games
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Latest Riddick trailer kicks ass

It's difficult to deny that this latest trailer for Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is pretty good. The original game was that rarest of things, a movie game that managed to translate the original property faithfully and make sense as a video game. The plot was unveiled using some fantastic, immersive in-game moments that never took you out of the moment. The few cutscenes present weren't obtrusive at all, and you really felt like you were playing ultimate badass Riddick. I'm looking forward to this new release on the strength of the previous property alone. It's almost enough to make you forget the rather awful second film.

Almost.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 23, 2009 12:23 AM in Games
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New Final Fantasy XIII trailer in five days?

ffwebscreen.jpgA Final Fantasy reveal is due to come in 5 days, according to that most trusted of internet marketing tools, the countdown clock. You can take a look at the clock yourself here. As for what the site contains, those clever bods over at FinalFantasy-XIII.net reckon that it's a flash movie. The clue's apparently found in the decompiled flash code on the site, which reveals references to "ff13-trailer-sd.flv" and "ff13-trailer-hd.flv," probably indicating that one of the trailers will be in high def.

Given that Squaresoft are behind the game, amazing FMV sequences are almost a certainty. The company is second to none in the cutscene department, showing scenes that are majestic, action packed, and emotionally charged. But what I really want to see is the gameplay. There's yet to be a definitive next-gen JRPG. Final Fantasy is something of a standard bearer for the genre, and I'm hoping that we'll see some gameplay innovation from the series.

via Kotaku

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 23, 2009 12:20 AM in Games
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Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition coming to PS3 in March

redalert3.jpgStrategy game Red Alert 3 will be coming out for the PS3 sometime in March. From the long-running Command and Conquer series, the game sees you playing as one of three fighting factions in an alternate version of the 1950s. As promised, the PS3 version, dubbed the Ultimate Edition, will come with all sorts of Blu-ray enabled extras, including five new multiplayer maps, behind the scenes and strategy videos, the official soundtrack, and a special PS3 episode of Battlecast, Westwood's online video show covering online Command and Conquer skirmishing.

It's difficult to dislike Red Alert 3. It's not the most sophisticated or revolutionary RTS out there, but it's just so over the top and out-and-out fun that you forget. From the horrendously cheesy cutscenes featuring such luminaries as Tim Curry and George Takei, to the over the top special powers that allow you to drop decommissioned satellites on hapless enemy units, there's a lot to enjoy.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 21, 2009 11:19 PM in Games
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Sony confirms UK Killzone 2 release date

kz2_box_art_-_final_-_s_tif_jpgcopy.jpgAlthough we'd already heard rumbles of this from retailers, Sony has now officially confirmed that Killzone 2 will be arriving on the 27th of February in the UK. Other PAL regions will apparently get the game a couple of days earlier. Not entirely surprisingly, there's a special PS3 bundle due to be released alongside the game. It'll feature an 80GB PS3, alongside a copy of the game. Still no news on when we'll get to see a demo, though.

If things go well, Killzone 2 could be that thing that the PS3 is conspicuously lacking- an exclusive slick, incredibly polished shooter with fantastic production values and oodles of fun. I'm just hoping that we'll get to see something a little original. Most of the big console flagship blockbuster games brought something a little new to the table in terms of gameplay, and I'm hoping that Killzone 2 will be among their number.

via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 21, 2009 11:16 PM in Games
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F.E.A.R. 2 demo out this Thursday

F2PO_115screens__22_.jpgA demo of horror shooter F.E.A.R. 2 will be landing on the PSN this Thursday. The sequel takes place shortly after freaky psychic monster girl Alma lays waste to the city in part one, and will feature the prequel's slo-mo gunplay. The full game's due for release on the 13th of February.

What little we've seen of the sequel looks promising, with pictures that show a world beyond the grimy corridors, office blocks, and abandoned buildings that seem to characterise the environments of the first game. F.E.A.R. 1 had some amazing AI which -mostly- saved the game from feeling overly repetitive. Even though you spent most of the game clashing against squads of identikit soldiers , the squad dynamics and the way that teams worked together to flush you out meant that encounters rarely played the same twice. Nevertheless, I'm hoping that they manage to update the formula at least a little.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 20, 2009 10:15 PM in Games
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IO Interactive announces Mini Ninjas

arrowminininja.jpgIn something of a departure from their previous title Kane and Lynch, IO Interactive has announced their latest game, Mini Ninjas, will be released sometime this Autumn. You'll play Hiro, a small Ninja, who is tasked with battling an army of evil Samurai with his ninja skills and magical powers.

To me, IO Interactive's gaming output seems to value stealth and strategy over all out action. The shooting mechanic in Hitman isn't especially deep, what makes it challenging is the stealth aspect. Likewise with Freedom Fighters, where most of the fun came from the light squad tactics and manoeuvring around the map, rather than running tank-like into the faces of your foes. I'll be curious to see if this comes across Mini Ninjas, that looks like more casual fare.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 20, 2009 10:05 PM in Games
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Flower gets release date

Flower will be coming to the PSN on the 12th of February. The beautiful looking title will see you playing through the dreams of flowers stuck in a city. Using the motion controls on your pad, you'll guide petals through fields in a search for other flowers. No, really. It all looks rather wonderful, and should be a good release for those weary of having to stomp through gritty environments shooting people with guns.

via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 20, 2009 9:58 PM in Games
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Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate box out on the 6th of February

Burnoutbikes.jpgThat Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box that we've heard talk of recently has been dated by Criterion, with the title scheduled for release on the 6th of February. Not only will it contain all of the DLC released for the open-world racer, it'll also pack in the party pack, a pack that's slated to include pass-the-pad multiplayer challenges.

The local multiplayer's definitely a big selling point for me. A lot of the fun of previous iterations was in the split-screen racing, and the pass-the-pad multiplayer could, in part, make up for its absence. It's also a good opportunity for players to give Burnout Paradise a spin, especially that the pack will include all of the previously released DLC. Burnout Paradise was a brave game, ditching the structure of previous titles for an open-world structure. To be honest, I didn't enjoy the racing as much as previous instalments and found myself taking wrong turns in races quite often. But it's worthy and interesting take on the racer genre.

via PS3Fanboy

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 16, 2009 5:53 PM in Games
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Final Fantasy XIII won't get international release until 2010

Final%20Fant%20XIII%202.jpgBad news- we're not going to see Final Fantasy XIII outside of Japan until 2010. Speaking to Reuters, Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada stated that the game wouldn't be released overseas until April of 2010 or later. Bummer.

Sad though it may be, it's not the greatest shock. Although the game's due out in Japan this year, previous European releases of Final Fantasy have often been almost a year behind their Japanese counterparts. You can probably thank the scads of text that the dialogue heavy series normally contains, text that's got to be painstakingly translated. We've not see an awful lot of Final Fantasy XIII yet, but I'm hoping that it plays as well as looks like a next-gen game and manages to introduce some new gameplay mechanics.

Reuters feed on the Guardian
via Kotaku

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 16, 2009 5:53 PM in
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Peter Molyneux likes LittleBigPlanet

podDecor1_png_jpgcopy.jpgMolyneux hasn't always had the nicest things to say about the PS3, but he does have a few nice things to say about platformer LittleBigPlanet. "LittleBigPlanet has outstanding creative vision," he said during a C&binet review of the British Creative Economy "It's from a British start-up studio and is one of the defining titles on Japan's Sony PS3."

LittleBigPlanet is a fantastic title. It's truly a next-gen game in terms of its gameplay and concept. While the graphics might not be the most technically impressive on the system, the scope of the game, the ways that players are able to share levels online, and the ease with which you can create your own compelling content, is fantastic. I don't think it has the system selling qualities that Sony was perhaps hoping, but it's hard to deny its charms.

C&binet via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 15, 2009 11:33 PM in Games
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New GTA title rumoured to come out this year

GTAIVimg.jpgThe latest issue of Game Informer features a rumour that's pretty difficult to believe, namely that we're going to see another full GTA title out before the end of the year. The magazine wrote that "We expect this title to follow the suit of previous GTAs and use a subtitle such as GTA: San Andreas, etc. Tokyo might be a possible setting for the game, but details are non-existent at this time."

It sounds like a pretty tall story. Although Rockstar could save time by using the already fantastic GTA IV engine, there's so much content that would have to be created to go into the title that I'd be genuinely shocked if we saw a finished product come out this year. Nevertheless, I'd love to see Rockstar do a game set in somewhere other than the USA or the UK.

PSU via CVG

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 15, 2009 11:26 PM in Games
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Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 dated

0003.jpgThe sequel to Dynasty Warriors: Gundam has been dated for March 27th in Europe. The mecha centric spinoff of the mass brawler series will once again allow players to step into the iron booted mobile suits and defeat unfeasible numbers of robots using an arsenal of futuristic weaponry.

Koei's Dynasty Warriors series has always put fun ahead of depth and innovation. Sometimes it's rewarding to play a game with multiple levels of innovative and strategic gameplay depth. On the other hand, sometimes it's fun to play a massive robot and defeat armies single-handedly. The first title in the Gundam spinoff wasn't the deepest title ever made, but it was difficult to hold much against its particular brand of over the top lunacy. If you're a fan of old school beat 'em ups, it might be worth a look.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 14, 2009 10:12 PM in Games
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First couple of console Street Fighter IV reviews hit web

akuma2.jpgThe first couple of reviews for the console version of Street Fighter IV are up on review aggregator site Metacritic, with the game getting a perfect five out of five from Official PlayStation Magazine and 95/100 from Official Xbox Magazine. Good scores so far, although it's worth waiting until a few more come in.

Nevertheless, as Street Fighter fans might know, part IV's been out in the arcades for some time now. The good news is that it the arcade version just right, featuring the trademark Street Fighter blend of intuitive and tactical and deep gameplay. It's also one of the prettiest fighters I've seen so far. Characters animate brilliantly, there's a fantastic, rich colour palette, and it's a real pleasure to look at. As long as the home console versions haven't suffered in the porting process, it should go down very well indeed. The game's due out on the 20th of February.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 14, 2009 10:06 PM in Games
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Resident Evil 5 demo coming to PSN in February

re5sack.jpgAlthough 360 users are due to get it a week earlier, PS3 owners will have a chance to try out a demo for Resident Evil 5 come the week of February 5th. The demo will include a couple of levels from the game and will allow players to try out the much vaunted co-op mechanic, both using on splitscreen on one console and online over the PSN.

Resident Evil 5 is looking like one of the most graphically stunning games to hit consoles so far, continuing Capcom's usually high production values when it comes to their big franchises. From what we've seen, I'm still a little worried that it'll play a little too closely to Resident Evil 4, and although a new co-op mode is a nice addition, it's hardly a massive innovation. Let's hope that Capcom's got a few tricks up its sleeves that we haven't seen yet.

via PS3Fanboy

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 14, 2009 10:01 PM in Games
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Eternal Sonata PS3 gets release date

Eternal_Sonata_-_Atari_Live-PS3Screenshots22396img0022.JPGEternal Sonata has been given a European release date, with the Japanese RPG slated to arrive on the 13th of February. The title sees you wondering through composer's Chopin's dreams as he lies on his death bed. It was released on the 360 last year and was given a solid critical reception. The PS3 version will feature new quests, battles, and multiple endings not included in the 360 version.

It sounds like it could be a fun little release, but to be honest, I don't know how much appeal it's going to have for people who aren't already fans of the JRPG genre. Especially given the weak performance of Valkyria Chronicles, a JRPG console exclusive, I don't think this will sell in great numbers. Still, it's releasing at a good time. There aren't a lot of big releases coming out at the moment and this gaming drought might persuade more gamers to give it a shot.

via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 13, 2009 6:18 PM in Games
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Call of Juarez prequel headed to PS3

cojbib_all_render_corporate.jpgUbisoft has just announced that it'll publish a prequel to the 2007 Wild West FPS Call of Juarez. Dubbed Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, the game's developed by original developers Techland, and is due for release sometime in 2009. It'll apparently take in a variety of locations, from a "ravaged Civil War-era Georgia to the Aztec ruins of Mexico." The press release mentions that you'll play as the two McCall brothers so I'm guessing we'll get to play the Reverend Ray before the events of Call of Juarez.

The first game was a little gem with a smart setup. You played as both the young Billy, accused of murdering his father, and his pursuer, Reverend Ray. This normally boiled down to sneaking through towns as the stealthy Billy, then blasting your way through them when you switched to playing Ray. It wasn't perfect, with some slightly shaky stealth sections, but it was fun and featured a strong plot. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the sequel.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 13, 2009 6:13 PM in Games
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Mirror's Edge DLC dated

mirrorsedgedlc.jpgThat Mirror's Edge we heard talk of last month has been dated by EA, who say that we can expect to see it on January 29th in North America. It's priced at 10 US dollars, and will feature nine races across seven completely new Time Trial maps. No confirmation yet as to whether it'll get released in the UK at the same time.

Mirror's Edge wasn't a perfect game by a long shot, with a confused single-player campaign that seemed a little too keen to smite players with instant death and dull shooting and fighting sections. The Time Trial mode was a lot more coherent, bring a Tony Hawks vibe to the game by challenging players to devise intricate stunts to traverse courses in the shortest possible times. For me, it was the strongest part of a likeable but flawed title, and I'm looking forward to the DLC.

via Kotaku

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 13, 2009 6:09 PM in Games
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Resistance 2/Resistance Retribution connectivity shown off at CES

We've heard of the extras that you'll be able to unlock on the PS3 and PSP copies of Resistance 2 and Resistance Retribution before, but here's a good chance to take a look at the feature firsthand. Simply plug in your PSP via USB to your PS3 and you'll be able to "infect" the PSP, infecting the main character you play with the Chimera virus and giving him new weapons, access to new areas, and a new skin. In a nice little touch, people you meet will react to your newly infected state. It's not a feature that'll make or break the game, but it looks like it could be a spot of fun for Resistance buffs. Oh, and if you really hate using the analogue nub on the PSP, you can choose to use your PS3 pads instead.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 12, 2009 11:20 PM in Games
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Neversoft parting ways with Tony Hawks series

tony_hawk_s_proving_ground_-_demo_big_air.jpgNeversoft has announced that it's leaving the Tony Hawks series. It's the end of an era, with the first Tony Hawks game coming out for PS1 way back in 1999. Speaking to local newspaper the Great Falls Tribune, Neversoft head Joel Jewett said that "It's probably best for the franchise."

"It's time for someone else to add fresh ideas to it."

The Tony Hawks series helped to usher a new style of highly addictive arena based gameplay. Learning levels and experimenting to chain together high-scoring tricks remains an incredibly accessible and addictive experience. The series didn't quite manage to make a successful leap to next-gen, experimenting with open-world gameplay and Jackass style cutscenes, but -for me- never quite topped the elegant simplicity of the originals. I'm looking forward to finding out who's going to take over.

via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 12, 2009 11:07 PM in Games
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More to Killzone 2 than grey, says director

ShotPS3_0042.jpgKillzone 2 will feature more colours than just grey, according to the game's director, Mathijs de Jonge. "The first images that we released were just from one level that was still in early production, and I can assure you that the final game has a very rich and varied colour palette - and still manages to maintain that gritty and realistic look and feel."

We've seen the whole marines in space genre explored to death over the last few years, with a plethora of games featuring grit-filled, wartorn futures. Techically, Killzone 2 is difficult to fault, but it's going to have to do something new in the art direction department if it wants to be accepted as the next must-have PS3 release. We'll get to find out exactly how much of Helghan is grey when the game comes out on the 27th of February, according to various retailers.

via CVG

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 12, 2009 11:00 PM in Games
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EA moving into Home

ea.jpgEA's planning on launching the EA Sports Complex in Home this Spring, according to a recent press release. Apparently, you'll be able meet up with other fans of the EA sports series, as well as play exclusive games, and view leaderboards and trailers for new titles. EA's planning on further support for Home as well, although details are still under wraps.

One of the main criticisms of Home so far is that there isn't much to do and it must be encouraging for Sony to see their virtual world get a little support from a third-party. I'm still skeptical about how successfully Home works -to me to it seems to add an unnecessary extra level of interface between you and the content- but I'm keen to see if any developers manage to create compelling environments that will really justify Home's existence. More on this as we get it.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 9, 2009 9:49 PM in Games
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Ghostbusters gets a release date

Ghostbusters__The_Video_Game_-_Atari_Live-Xbox_360__Wii__PC__PS2__DSScreenshots22433SS_Lair02.jpgAtari has announced that we can expect to see the Ghostbusters video game on the 16th of June in North America and on the 18th of June elsewhere. The title's penned by original writers Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis and will have all four of the original Ghostbusters returning to reprise their roles. It's developed by Terminal Reality, the people behind the patchy-but-fun Bloodrayne games.

Judging by what we've seen so far, Ghostbusters looks to have some pretty impressive production values. Especially with the original voice cast returning, this should hopefully feel like an authentic Ghostbusters experience. To be honest, if the plot's good enough, gamers might be willing to forgive unoriginal gameplay, as long as it's reasonably playable. Of course, having brilliant, innovative gameplay would be best of all.

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LittleBigPlanet sells 1.3 million

Create10b_png_jpgcopy.jpgLittleBigPlanet has managed to sell 1.3 million units globally, according to Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai. Not only that, but gamers have created an impressive 300,000 levels since launch.

These are solid numbers, especially for a game that's as unusual as LittleBigPlanet. It's a little odd that it was billed as a system seller to be honest- it's a fantastic little niche title, but it's a difficult concept to market. Given how unique the game is, 1.3 million globally is a really decent performance. OK, if you compare it to the likes of Call of Duty or Metal Gear Solid 4 it might not seem so impressive, but taken on its own merits, it's a solid showing. The first game was always going to be the toughest sell. Hopefully now that the IP has been established, the sequel should find it a little easier going at retail.

Gamespot via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 9, 2009 8:14 PM in Games
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Killzone 2 dated for Feb 27th, according to retailers

killzone2_3.jpgUK retailers have been told to expect a February 27th release date for upcoming PS3 FPS Killzone 2. It's not official, but given that the game was slated for release sometime in February, it's incredibly plausible. Killzone 2 sees you playing a marine attacking the planet Helghan in an unsurprisingly bleak and gritty vision of the future.

There's a lot riding on this one and I'm hoping that we don't get a repeat of what happened with the original Killzone. The game released to mixed reviews after having been hyped up as the PS2's answer to Halo. Given the fantastic graphics, as well as the increasingly rare platform exclusive status, it's not altogether surprising that Killzone 2's turned a lot of heads. Early signs have been positive, but I'm going to remain cautiously optimistic until we see more of it.

via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 8, 2009 5:53 PM in Games
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The Godfather II dated for March 6th in UK

The Godfather II has been dated for release in the UK on the 6th of March. The thrid-person open-world title purports to let you both strategise and build your crew as a Don and get your hands dirty as a mobster. The game's being developed by EA's Redwood Shores studios, the people behind the surprisingly decent Dead Space.

I have to confess that the first game in the series passed me by, but it scored some solid - if not outstanding -reviews, nabbing a score of 75 on review aggregator Metacritic. EA's definitely up its game a notch recently, with a focus on higher quality games and new IPs. We've seen some impressive titles released, such as Mirror's Edge and Burnout Paradise, and I'm hoping that The Godfather II will fall into this camp.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 8, 2009 5:49 PM in Games
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Aliens: Colonial Marines slated for relase before July

Gearboxlogo.jpgGearbox's squad based xenomorph FPS Aliens: Colonial Marines has been dated for the first quarter of 2009, according to a press statement sent out by Sega. I hasten to add that this probably means financial first quarter, which translates to sometime before this July. The game's set after the events of Alien 3, and sees you boarding the USS Sulaco searching for Ripley and her marine pals. Going by the title, things will not go according to plan.

I'm looking forward to seeing this one. Alien's a rare movie franchise in that it's actually spawned a fairly respectable gaming lineup. The AvP series remains one of the finest moments in PC horror shoot 'em ups and I'm hoping that Colonial Marines manages to capture the uniquely oppressive, scary atmosphere in the same way.

Videogamer via Kotaku

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 8, 2009 5:44 PM in Games
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Midway staves off bankruptcy

wheelman2.jpgTroubled publisher Midway's gotten a bit of breathing space, with a deal just reached that means the company has until the 19th of February to pay back the 150 million US dollars it owes to its bondholders. With a bit of luck, this should give time for the company to release Vin Diesel fronted title The Wheelman, currently scheduled for release on the 16th of February. The company most recently released beat 'em up Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.

I'm hoping that Midway manages to stay afloat. Hopefully, The Wheelman will benefit from starring recognizable Hollywood talent and from releasing at a slightly quieter time in the year. MK vs. DCU was a fun game that really managed to squeeze a lot of fun from its constituent licenses, but probably didn't sell as well as it could have done due to unusually strong competition at the end of last year.

via Eurogamer

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 7, 2009 9:25 PM in Games
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FIFA '09 tops UK sales charts

fifa09.jpgFIFA '09 is reigning supreme on the UK sales charts for the week ending January 3rd. Unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: World at War continues to do well, dropping a single place to 2nd. Need for Speed: Undercover is in 3rd place, a somewhat depressing spot for a game that's received a fairly unenthusiastic critical reception. Other PS3 releases continue to do well, with Guitar Hero World Tour taking fifth place, Far Cry 2 taking seventh, and Quantum of Solace managing a respectable 9th. In a really surprising spot of news, Sonic Unleashed has scored a spot in the top ten, taking tenth place.

Last Christmas saw a real embarrassment of good titles. Mirror's Edge was flawed but compelling, Dead Space was a solid play, and Far Cry 2 and Resistance 2 provided some excellent FPS thrills. Unfortunately, from here on in it gets a bit quieter as we enter the slower Spring weeks. Still, on the plus side we've got Killzone 2 slated for some time in February.

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Posted by Chris Cornwell on January 6, 2009 5:29 PM in Games
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