Aug 9, 2008




A certain jube808 has launched a quixotic quest to add a myriad of features to the PSP that he believes should've been there from the start, including beefed up battery life, a better control pad, and touchscreen support. Think what you will of his aims, he certainly seems to have some hardware chops, as he's got a touchscreen up and running on the handheld. So far he's just got a proof of concept keyboard, which works with a finger or a stylus, but the hope is to provide full touchscreen support for homebrew gaming. Let us know how that goes, jube. Videos are after the break.

ENGADGET


If there’s one thing games can teach us, it’s that games with a popular license are not to be trusted. This lesson dates back all the way to the days of the Atari 2600 with the E.T. game that nearly broke the industry. Sure, there are a few decent licensed games, but they’re too few and far between. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is the latest effort in a pedigree of so-so Spidey titles that can hopefully buck the trend of being merely passable.

Web of Shadows seems a bit darker than past Spider-Man games, and for good reason; the game is about the symbiotic infection of New York City courtesy of Spider-Man’s arch enemy, Venom and his symbiote suit. Spidey himself has even been infected which means players will get to experience the powers of the black suit firsthand. You can switch between the standard red-and-blue suit and the black suit whenever you want, but there’s a little more to it than that. It’s sort of like Fable; symbiote-suit Spider-Man is perceived as being more on the evil side, so using it more would cause civilians to fear you and other Marvel heroes in the game might not want to team up with you (of course this means the villains will like you). But the purpose of switching suits isn’t just for balancing good/evil points. The suits have their own attributes – the black suit is more about raw strength and power than the normal suit which favors speed, agility, and webslinging skills.

Combat appears to be fairly simple to wrap your head around and not unlike what you may have seen in other action games. You’ll be balancing melee and ranged (read: webbing) attacks to form combos between different enemies. Shadows features a lock-on system as well, so you won’t have to worry about losing track of who you were just smacking around. Once defeated, the fallen baddies will make with the spoils in the form of EXP orbs, just like in Crackdown (speaking of, keep your eyes on the rooftops for some collectables). To keep things interesting, there will also be segments where you’ll be fighting while scaling buildings or swinging through the air, in true Spidey fashion.

As we mentioned before, other Marvel heroes and villains will be making appearances in the game. Recently shown footage of the game reveals a fight against a Venom-ized Wolverine. Streetwise tough guy Luke Cage will also be making an appearance as you’ll be fighting along side him to help fend off enemies from a neighborhood under siege. Classic Spider-Man enemy, Vulture, is on the bill as well and one would probably be safe in the assumption that you’ll be going up against Venom at some point, too...

So it’s a Spider-Man game set in a sandbox-style playground of the big apple. Yeah, we’ve seen that before but Web of Shadows definitely seems promising nonetheless.

Visually, the game seems to take on a sort of comic-like vibe which makes a lot of sense. Webslinging – a big part of what makes a Spider-Man game fun to play - is supposed to be a lot friendlier here as well. Hopefully, this will all add up to a game that is worthy to join greats like Goldeneye 007 (N64) and The Chronicles of Riddick (Xbox) as one of the few superb examples of licensed titles done right.

Webheads and superhero fans can look forward to this holiday season, when Spider-Man: Web of Shadows hits pretty much every current console imaginable.

VideoGameMedia


Well, this sucks. According to SCEA's Al de Leon, the extended battery life kit for PSP is discontinued. The product nearly doubled the battery life on PSP-2000 systems, but came at a slight aesthetic price: a larger battery cover would be installed, creating a bulge in the system. However, with battery life as impressive as 12 hours or more, we were absolutely satisfied with the peripheral.

"Yes, we are discontinuing this product as we look for other opportunities to service the consumer," notes de Leon. Hopefully, we'll see something else that can augment the PSP's battery life."

PSPFANBOY


Monday morning, as part of my meet George Lucas trip to San Francisco, I was taken on a tour of the Letterman Digital Arts Center. No, that’s not where they shoot the Late Show, it’s another one of George Lucas’s massive compounds. Connected directly to places like Skywalker Ranch and Big Rock Ranch with a fat digital pipeline, it’s there that Lucas Arts is currently putting the finishing touches on their hotly anticipated new Star Wars game, Force Unleashed.

George Lucas’s gamers let us get up and personal with the game, showing us extended demos of just what it’s capable of and bragging about all the crazy force powers players will be gifted with. The story, follows another one of those “secret apprentice” storylines that George Lucas seems to have become so obsessed with recently. In the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie it’s all about Anakin Skywalker’s secret apprentice. In the Force Unleashed game, you’re playing Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. Basically, it’s just an excuse to shoe horn in a new character without having to explain why no one has bothered to mention him in any of the other Star Wars stuff you seen.

Darth Vader’s secret apprentice is of course, a Dark Jedi, and over the course of the game it looks like he slowly turns to the light. That lets you have the best of both worlds, creating crazy, wanton destruction early in the game when you’re evil and then I suppose behaving yourself more later on. You’re not just limited to playing this secret apprentice dud though, the game lets you control other force powered characters throughout as well. In fact, the whole thing starts with you playing Darth Vader, and I watched as they played through the opening level where Vader strides through an Imperials versus Wookie battle to find his secret apprentice.

Playing Vader is a lot of fun, and the game lets you use your force powers on literally anything. Vader can rip apart trees, choke out Wookies, or violently crush the life out of his own Imperial Stormtroopers. He’s Vader after all, killing is a reflex.

The Force Powers are the games real selling point though, and they’re bigger than ever. Force pushes throw people across the map, characters held suspended in the air by force grip realistically struggle and flail around trying to find their balance. The effects are bigger, the impact of everything you do is bigger. For perspective on just how powerful your force powers are in the game, at one point during the demo we watched the player use force grip to rip an Imperial Tie Fighter off its moorings in a docking bay, and throw it at a group of soldiers.

Standing there taking the game in though, I couldn’t help but think that for all the flash and story mumbo-jumbo about a secret apprentice, Force Unleashed still looks a lot like it’s just a jazzed up version of the Jedi Knight series. The force powers are huge, but it’s really the same force powers you’re already familiar with. Sure force push throws people further and some of the powers have more lightning and create these cool distortion effects, but at the end of the day it’s still the same powers and you’ll still use them the way you always have. If the game we toyed around with is the one they’re delivering, it’s going to be a lot of fun, just don’t expect it to be a big leap forward in gaming.

cinemablend


Recently announced at E3, the 80GB PlayStation 3 finally has a release date in the UK, 29th August 2008, and will presumably be the same date across Europe. The new 80GB model will phase out the now older 40GB model while sharing the same features (or lack of) at the same price.

The PlayStation 3 80GB model does NOT feature:

* Backwards Compatibility with PS2 Games
* Memory Stick Card Readers
* SACD Playback
* Ethernet Cable
* 4 USB Ports, (The PS3 80GB model features 2)


It is also being bundled with a DualShock 3 rather than a SIXAXIS too, so if you were considering buying a PS3 then hold out just a little longer and grab yourself a great deal, and with the new platinum range which has just been released you'll be able to pick up some get PS3 titles for a decent price.

PSBEYOND



Specifications:

-80gb SKU w/320gb HDD
- 17" 720p HDTV LCD Monitor
- Keyboard
- Built in speakers with headphone jack
- Custom cooling (SilenX fans)
- Size: 16 x 10.5 x 4 inches (when closed)
- Weight: 15 pounds



Old school is poised to make a triumphant return. After countless years of sequels to derivative Mega Man titles, the original Blue Bomber is set to steal the spotlight from his spin-off brethren. Set as a multiplatform release via PSN, Wiiware and Xbox Live, Mega Man 9 returns the series to retro brilliance and gamers all across the world will once again take on the role as one of the most recognizable characters in gaming history.

Gathering from the game’s introduction, the story is as follows: Having renounced his evil ways, the once maniacal scientist, Dr. Wily has decided to protect mankind. It seems that his former enemy, Dr. Light, has built 8 robots which have begun to wreak havoc around the world. But worry not. Dr. Wily has a solution. Through donations, Dr. Wily promises to build robots of his own to stop the threat which Dr. Light has unleashed upon the world. And though the public is easily led to believe such nonsense, what with Dr. Wily airing a video recording of Dr. Light asking for him to join his pursuit of world domination, Mega Man quickly sees through this farce sets off to put an end to the robots’ destruction.

With the revival of such a celebrated character, comes the reawakening of a dormant graphic style. In an era of specs and hardware capabilities, the sight of such artistic simplicity is a much needed breath of fresh air. The 8-bit style is a brilliant approach and returns the classic hero to true retro form. The music isn’t a slouch in the old school department either. From what little snippets we’ve heard through trailers and gameplay videos, the soundtrack sounds to be as memorable as its Nintendo era counterparts.

Gameplay is pure and classic Mega Man. And with the absence of the Slide maneuver and Charge Shot ability, series creator Keiji Inafune and his team are keeping mechanics as simple as possible. “A decade has passed since the last Mega Man, and on this occasion, we specifically chose to go back to our roots. The idea behind it is that we wanted to reintroduce “simple and fun” characteristics of Mega Man to the users.” Keeping with Mega Man tradition, 8 Robot Masters will await our 8-bit hero. And though the game looks to remain old school by design, the inclusion of a female boss character, Splash Woman, will help introduce new ideas to classic concepts.

Fans have long clamored for a true sequel to the original Mega Man series. Set for a September release, Mega Man 9 looks to be all the fans have hoped for. “The aura of excitement around the classic title is coming back. The result will certainly meet the expectations of the fans that have long waited for it. I hope their passion will spark a fire in new generations.”

GameAbyss


Paramount Home Entertainment has finally unwrapped the details to Iron Man's Blu-ray arrival previously confirmed for September 30.

Iron Man will be presented as an Ultimate Edition two-disc set on Blu-ray in widescreen 1080p video and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio.

Blu-ray owners will benefit from several supplemental features that won't be found on the single or two-disc DVD sets. "Hall of Armor" will let reviewers zoon in on and study the three Iron Man suits or Iron Monger, then activate a 3-D weapons schematic to see what each suit is packing in terms of firepower.

Also exclusive to Blu-ray is Iron Man IQ, a BD-Live feature allowing viewers to create their own custom multiple-choice questions based on clips from the film and then share them as a working test with friends online.

The full list of over four-hours of bonus features is as follows, most of which is presented in HD.

Disc 1:

Hall of Armor (Blu-ray exclusive)
The Invincible Iron Man (HD)
Origins
Friends & Foes
The Definitive Iron Man
Demon in a Bottle
Extremis and Beyond
Ultimate Iron Man
Deleted/Extended Scenes (HD)
BD Live: Iron Man IQ (Blu-ray exclusive)


Disc 2:

I Am Iron Man (HD)
The Journey Begins
The Suit that makes the Iron Man
The Walk of Destruction
Grounded In Reality
Beneath the Armor
It's All in the Details
A Good Story, Well Told
Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man (HD)
Robert Downey Jr. Screen Test (HD)
The Actor’s Process (scene rehearsal with cast) (HD)
The Onion "Wildly Popular Iron Man Trailer to be Adapted into Full Length Film" (HD)
Theatrical Trailers (HD)
Image Galleries


Note: Iron Man: Ultimate Edition will carry an SRP of $39.99.


Again, the PlayStation Blog has been updated to show what new content is available on the US video store. No movies this week, but there are some new episodes from a collection of TV shows. This includes X'amd, the exclusive-to-PSN anime series. Is it any good? Here's the full list of TV shows which received new episodes this week:

Combat Zone
Cops
Deadliest Catch
Intervention
Nip/Tuck
X'amd: Lost Memories


PS3Fanboy


When you consider the regular price of The Eye of Judgment is $65, this deal becomes readily apparent. This Eye-enabled card game used real cards and the PS3 to create an experience unlike any other -- Yu-Gi-Oh! cosplayers, this game's for you. Considering it includes the (rarely supported) PlayStation Eye, the price isn't too shabby. You can pick up it for $40 at Circuit City, but your local Wal-Mart may also have it for even cheaper: $30. Check your local store to see if you can get lucky.

PS3Fanboy


A LittleBigPlanet news site has just launched. With the game's release date of October approaching soon, the site aims to "keep you informed, educated and hopefully excited about" LittleBigPlanet. Two blog entries are the only real content on the site at the moment; one welcoming visitors and another listing the honors LittleBigPlanet has received so far, including an honor we bestowed upon it. You can even be creative and customize the website with 27 stickers by clicking on the sackboy in the upper right corner of the site. Check it out here.

PS3Fanboy


IGN has revealed the trophy list for Rock Band 2, but there's a problem. We have no idea how valuable each trophy is. Obviously we'll update this post as soon as we find out which are gold, silver and bronze. Rock Band 2 is a Blu-ray title, so there's a Platinum to be nabbed if you can get every single one on the list.

Skill based

Solid Gold, Baby! - Gold star any song
Flawless Fretwork - 100% a song on Expert guitar
Flawless Drumming - 100% a song on Expert drums
Flawless Singing - 100% a song on Expert vocals
Flawless Grrove - 100% a song on Expert bass only using up-strums
Flawless Guitar Solo - 100% a guitar solo using on the solo buttons
The Bachman-Turner Award - Maintain deployed overdrive for 90 seconds
Million Point Club - Earn more than 1,000,000 points in a single song
Bragging Rights - Defeat a player in either Score Duel or Tug Of War
Comeback Kid - Defeat the last player that beat you in either Score Duel or Tug Of War
Band Savior - Be a savior 3 times during one song
Hello Cleveland! - Deploy vocal overdrive 4 times in a single song


Band World Tour mode

Got Wheels - Won a van in World Tour
Open Road - Won a bus in World Tour
Jet Setter - Won a jet in World Tour
Worldwide Sensation - Gain the ability to play around the world
West Coast Performer - Played a set on the west coast of North America
God Save The Band - Played a set in the United Kingdom
Heartland Performer - Played a set in Middle America
Western Europe Performer - Played a set in Western Europe
East Coast Performer - Played a set on the east coast of North America
Eastern European Performer - Played a set in Eastern Europe
Road Dog - Played in every venue in the world
One Million Fans - Reached 1,000,000 fans in Band World Tour
Secret trophy
Secret trophy
Secret trophy
Secret trophy
Secret trophy


Exploration based

Clothes To The Edge - Buy over $100,000 worth of clothes
Needs More Umlauts! - Made a band logo
The San Dimas 4th Annual Award - Competed in a battle of the bands
You're Hired! - HVirtuoired a staff member
You Killed The Radio Star - Made a music video


Tour Challenge

Along For The Ride - Beat an instrument-specific challenge while playing another instrument
Challenge Novice - Complete 25 Challenges on Medium Difficulty, or 10 Challenges on Hard Difficulty, or 5 Challenges on Expert Difficulty
Challenge Master - Complete 25 Challenges on Hard Difficuly, or 10 Challenges on Expert Difficulty
Challenge Savant - Complete 25 Challenges on Expert Difficulty
The Final Countdown - Unlock an impossible challenge
Stage Igniters - Beat the impossible band challenge
Lord Of The Strings - Beat the impossible guitar challenge
AN-I-MAL!!! - Beat the impossible drum challenge
Virtuoso - Beat the impossible vocal challenge
Groove Assassin - Beat the impossible Bass challenge
Buy A Real Instrument Already! - Beat an impossible challenge on Expert difficulty


Drum Trainer

Beat It! - Complete all beats at 60BPM or higher, or half of the beats at 140BPM or higher
The Beat Goes On - Complete all beats at 100BPM or higher, or half of the beats at 180BPM or higher
Fill Me In - Complete all fills at 60BPM or higher, or half of the fills at 140BPM or higher
Fill Legend - Complete all fills at 100BPM or higher, or half of the fills at 180BPM or higher


PS3Fanboy


The upcoming SRPG, Disgaea 3 is coming exclusively to PS3 at the end of the month. Retailing for $50, NIS's upcoming sequel features the same over-the-top presentation that franchise veterans should be familiar with. Find out more about the game's premise, and the unique characters of this demon school in this video from GamersPlatform. Ten minutes will give you a good taste of how this game will feel when it finally comes out in America.

PS3Fanboy

Aug 8, 2008


2K Sports wasn't pleased with where its hockey franchise was headed following last year's disappointing reaction to NHL 2K8. According to the series' new executive producer, Jeff Thomas, the controls had become so complex that they began to compromise the enjoyment of the game. As a result, the development of 2K's latest hockey offering, NHL 2K9, was moved in-house to its Visual Concepts studio. Boasting more intuitive controls and six-on-six online play for the first time, 2K hopes to recapture a hockey audience enamored with the old-school hockey experience of the mid-'90s.

NHL 2K9 features three control schemes: classic, Pro Stick Evolution (last year's controls), and a hybrid scheme mixing elements of the first two. The classic control scheme, which is the default setting this year, removes much of the gameplay dependency on the right analog stick. While more experienced players will still have access to the advanced stick control and deke options mapped to the right analog stick, these are no longer necessary to play. Core controls for shooting, passing, changing players, and checking are all mapped to the face buttons and should make the game more accessible to players new to the series.

Along with the emphasis on improved controls, NHL 2K9 features the updated 2K Reelmaker, which allows you to create your own in-game highlight reels. Once a reel is produced, the game will convert it to a Web-conducive video format and automatically post it to your online profile for the world to view. Each reel can be up to one minute in length and should add a new element to online league (more on this below).

While the game's presentation has been tweaked to improve on the long load times in NHL 2K8, the gameplay graphics and animations remain unchanged. On-the-fly coaching options are still available via the D pad, with which you can change lines for your forwards and defensemen, call plays, and augment team strategy. Like last year, though, using these controls can be difficult considering the game's speed.

Available offline game modes remain unchanged from last year. These include standard quick games, franchise and season modes, four-on-four pond hockey, two-on-two minirink, shootouts, and practice. Franchise and season modes feature the same depth you've come to expect from a 2K title. And, as with last year's game, 2K will provide roster updates throughout the year to keep players and teams consistent with their real-life NHL counterparts. All of the online game modes from NHL 2K8 return for this year's game, including standard matches, 2v2 minirink games, and online leagues and tournaments. Records and stats from every game are tracked via 2K's online leaderboards, allowing you to gauge your skill against players around the world.

In addition to tracking stats over multiple seasons, online league functionality has been extended this year via greater synergy with the 2K Sports Web site. Online league participants can manage their rosters, conduct fantasy drafts, and propose trades directly from the Web site. In conjunction with the revamped 2K Reelmaker, the Web site will allow you to post in-game reels, images, and a textual recap to any game played for the rest of your league to view.

Also new this year is the introduction of six-on-six online play, named Team-Up. This game locks user control to a specific position that you select at the start of the game. When 12 human players aren't available, the remainder of the players will be computer controlled. In addition to tracking your stats in this mode, NHL 2K9 will assign you a teammate grade that dynamically updates during the game. You'll be able to view both player stats and this grade on a Team-Up leaderboard to help you decide who you want on your team.

While NHL 2K9 on the Xbox 360 doesn't feature groundbreaking changes over last year's game, nothing has been removed, and many issues have been fixed. The simplified controls do a good job of making the game fun for casual players, while advanced players have access to the extended stick options from last year's game. The new Reelmaker options, along with 2K's Web site options, make NHL 2K9's online league one of the most polished in sports gaming. That, and the addition of six-on-six gameplay, should add a new twist to the online hockey experience.

GameSpot


This week's Rock Band DLC consists entirely of the record label Roadrunner's bands. Each song will be $0.99 while the entire track pack will be $5.99 during the first month. Afterwards, the price rises to $1.99 and $9.99, respectively. We wish games were priced this way, don't you?

As usual, the tracks will be available for download Thursday, August 14th. Arguably the most well-known of these bands is Megadeth, but you can decide for yourself after you check out this week's selections:

"Runnin' Wild" -- Airbourne
"Clouds Over California" -- DevilDriver
"Constant Motion" -- Dream Theater
"My Curse" -- Killswitch Engage
"Aesthetics of Hate" -- Machine Head
"Sleepwalker" -- Megadeth


PS3Fanboy


G4 has five minutes of direct-feed footage of the upcoming PS3 exclusive from Sucker Punch, inFAMOUS. Needless to say, it looks pretty exciting even in this early state. All footage was captured during E3 -- undoubtedly, it's shaping up even better now. Visit G4 to see inFAMOUS for a full five minutes in glorious HD.

PS3Fanboy



It seems like almost every game is getting Trophy support these days. Pretty soon, it won't be long until Trophies become standard across all games (and they'll stop being special!). A sharp reader noticed an image on IGN for the upcoming Blitz game that features the now-familiar icon with the next: "You have earned a trophy." Considering it's a multiplatform title, it's likely that the Trophies in Blitz will be identical to the Xbox 360's Achievements.

PS3Fanboy



Final Fantasy, XIII- August 8, 2008Final Fantasy XIII on 360 not because of money
Marketing boss Albert Pennello assured gamers today that Final Fantasy XIII’s appearance on the Xbox 360 is not because of money.

Rumours have recently been circulating suggesting Microsoft “bought” the game to Xbox 360 despite previous confirmation from Square Enix claiming exclusivity to Sony. Pennello however suggests this is not the case.

“I think a lot of people assume a lot of things about why Square made that announcement,” he said, talking in MundoRare. “I think the most obvious reason that they made the announcement is just looking at the success of our console. I mean, we’re the leading console on a worldwide basis, we’re more than double the install base on the US.

“I actually think it’s a great partnership. Square has done games for us in the past, and I think there’s a point where Square just has to look at the Xbox 360, the install base and attach rates that we’re seeing and actually has to make a decision on their own that it’s the right thing to do for them.

“So, I think people make a lot of assumptions about what they read or the rumours that go around, but the reality of a lot of this is that we’re doing very well, we have a great install base, we have passionate gamers like you guys that buy a lot of games, and a publisher like Square can’t ignore that".

FinalFantasySeris



Japanese manga weekly Shonen Jump has some new screenshots of both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII for us to check out. Unfortunately, the screenshots are tiny but it does show the new locale of a crystallized lake. We also see Lighting, her blonde male companion and the girl with pigtails appear together in a screenshot for the very first time. Not much in terms of information here either, other than what we already know from DKΣ3713. Check out the scans here. PS3Hyper speculates the next issue of gaming bible Famitsu will reveal more about these Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII titles, so stay tuned.

PS3Fanboy



Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz at Comic Con, LittleBigPlanet's associate producer, Eric Fong, made it clear that Sony are expecting the game to shift consoles when it finally releases this October. When it does so, it will have been over a year and a half since we first heard about it at GDC 2007 and every time we've seen it since it has improved impressively.

"It's going to be a hardware seller. Not only do you have the platforming experience that a lot of other games will have, you have this creativity that really is exclusive to LittleBigPlanet," Fong told GI.biz. Though, the problem with the game is that it's quite difficult to describe. It really does take a short play session to understand the appeal of the title, so marketing it is going to be quite difficult. Especially when it's released during a time when plenty of mindless blow-em-up-athons are unleashed unto the masses. We're hoping LittleBigPlanet sells as well as it deserves to, and shifts some PS3s in the process.

PS3Fanboy



Bionic Commando Rearmed, the upcoming remake of the classic 2D sidescrolling game, will be available next week ... so long as you're not playing on a PS3 in Europe. In spite of worldwide launches on both Xbox 360 and PC, the European PS3 version of Bionic Commando has mysteriously lost its release date. Perhaps SCEE dropped it somewhere?

For the rest of you, expect the game in next Thursday's PSN update: $9.99 in the US, 1200yen in Japan.

PS3Fanboy



Here it is folks, the Trophy list for the PSN downloadable PAIN. Expect Trophies to be enabled on September 4th, the same day PAIN Amusement Park will be released. Unfortunately, in a rather distressing move, to get all the Trophies, you must buy extra characters. That's a real shame -- it's a practice we want to discourage.

Bronze Trophies

10 Mill Club: Get "PAIN in the Park" and "D-Town Destruction"
Harder Dick's Balls: Get all of Dick's Balls in the Block Party Dumpster without resetting
D-Town Destruction: Get 10,000,000 score in PAINdemonium and Aftermath
Combo Mambo: Get 20x Combo in PAINdemonium, Aftermath, Block Party and Demolition
Attention Spam: Get every type of PAIN (Groin, Head, Arm, Hand, Leg, Foot and Body) combo in PAINdemonium, Aftermath, Block Party and Demolition.

Silver Trophies
Dude Abides: Use "The Dude" to score 50 Strikes in Bowling

Gold Trophies

Affliction Addiction: Get one billion points
Add-on Character Trophies
Trill: Get PAINful Tosser Trophy with Scurv Dogg or Hung Lo
Grenade-A-Maid: Get Exploded 500 times with any female launchable character.


PS3Fanboy



What's better t han a cheap game? Two cheap games, obviously. Not only has Play.com cut all their platinum PS3 game prices by £5, but they're also offering two for £25. A saving of £15 off the RRP. Not bad at all, when you consider these games were the cream of the crop in 2007. You can choose between Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Heavenly Sword, MotorStorm, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Resistance: Fall of Man. So what are you waiting for? Go get some cheap games.


Oh yeah, there are also a few Blu-ray movies included in the deal, in case you already have the titles listed above.

PS3Fanboy

Aug 7, 2008


The European version of PS3 exclusive SOCOM: Confrontation is still lost in the bushes.

"We have yet to announce a release date and price for SOCOM in the UK," sergeant Sony told Eurogamer this afternoon.

That follows confirmation of an October 14th release in the US, and word there will be three ways to buy the war game.

Americans could get it on Blu-ray or PSN for USD 39.99, according to the SOCOM website, or pay USD 59.99 for the game plus a Bluetooth headset and behind the scenes video.

Sony also revealed plans to begin a public beta test for the game in September. Buy Episode 1 of Qore to join in. Cheeky.

SOCOM: Confrontation is an online tactical shooter with lots of realism and battles for up to 32 players.

Special forces from all around the world will be playable, including our own tea-drinking SAS, and plenty of improvements have been made in squad and clan departments. Recruits can be promoted and demoted on a whim, making whittling down your fighting force a little easier.

Pop over to our SOCOM: Confrontation gamepage to find out more.


She has called yet again and tells us to go to ProjectAbraham.com to vote for the next candidate.


Blu-ray players and recorders look set to get considerably cheaper after a breakthrough that squeezes all their processing components onto a single chip.

Japan's NEC has announced what it calls the EMMA 3PF, which is the world's first fully functional BD controller on just one chip with its own multi-core CPU.

HDMI on same chip

Those functions include analogue-to-digital data conversion, video and audio decoding and the ability to pump the resulting data out to a TV through an on-chip HDMI processor.

When the 3PF starts shipping to hardware builders next month, they'll also be getting full BD-ROM Profile 2.0 support, network connectivity and a graphics accelerator, meaning they'll be able to make players both smaller and far cheaper than they are now.


TechRadar


Qore, blimey. What a large update. Oh wait, it's not actually that big, there are just a large amount of videos. Nothing tremenously exciting in terms of playable content, but a subscription to Qore will let you into the Resistance 2 beta (single issue purchase will grant late access). Don't forget to download the Home theme to get access to the beta. Here's the full release list:

Playable Content
Qore Episode 3 ($2.99 or $24.99 for a year's subscription)

Add-on Content

Snakeball "Team Mode" add on ($1.99)
NASCAR 09 "Montreal" track ($3.99)
NASCAR 09 Skin packs 1 - 3 (free)
Guitar Hero III "Interscope" track pack ($6.25)
Rock Band DLC (listed after the break)

Videos

PlayStation Home E3 video
The Last Guy Behind the scenes video
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed trailer
Tomb Raider: Underworld trailer
Madden NFL 09 trailer
Madden NFL 20th Anniversary trailer
Madden NFL 09 "Adaptability" trailer
TNA iMPACT! Head to Head trailer
Dead Space Dev Diary 5 "Creating Horror"
Dead Space Animated Comic 4
AST Dew Tour "Greg Lutzka's Road to Finals"
AST Dew Tour "One on one with James Foster"
AST Dew Tour "PlayStation Pro Moments 2"
AST Dew Tour "Spinner looks to 08"

Themes and Wallpapers

PlayStation Home theme
3x Disgaea 3 wallpapers
Tomb Raider Underground "Shark Attack" wallpaper
Rock Band DLC
"Toxicity" - System of a Down ($1.99)
"B.Y.O.B" - System of a Down ($1.99)
"Rescue Me" - Buckcherry ($0.99)
"Face Down in the Dirt"- Mötley Crüe ($0.99)
"Life is Beautiful" – Sixx:A.M. ($0.99)
Crüe Fest Pack 2 ($2.99) - includes "Rescue Me" - Buckcherry, "Face Down in the Dirt" - Mötley Crüe, and "Life is Beautiful" – Sixx:A.M.


Want access to the Home beta? Download a free theme on PS Store later today and you'll be entered into a drawing for access. According to the PlayStation.blog, this won't be a random drawing. Instead, only the most active users of their PS3s will be granted access to the service. "By downloading the theme, users are submitting an application to join the PlayStation Home Beta test community. We will be using a variety of criteria including activity on the PLAYSTATION Network to determine eligibility for the Beta community."

Japan had a similar drawing last week, and Europe will be contacting eligible users via e-mail shortly. It's taken years, but Home is finally well ... coming home. If you make it into the beta, we'd love to find out -- maybe you'll find us running around the virtual world some time soon.

PS3Fanboy


Details regarding the upcoming SOCOM: Confrontation open beta have today been revealed on the official website. If you want to get involved, there are two ways to do so. Firstly, drop $5 on a pre-order at Gamestop. This not only rewards you with an access voucher, but also allows you to invite two friends into the game as well. The Gamestop beta will begin on September 1st and run until the end of the month.

The other way of getting into the beta is to purchase the first episode of Qore. Doing so will allow you to download the beta client directly and play from September 8th until the 30th. This entire post is only relevant to Americans, though the official site does state that other territories will get acces and that this will be be announced by their representative SCE offices.

PS3Fanboy


Boooooring! Oh well, you can't win them all. This week's Euro PSN update isn't particularly exciting. It's been a wee while since we've had as few as five items on the release list, but at least we're still kepy busy with PixelJunk Eden and all the other trophy-enabled games. Having said that, we'll definitely take the time to download the new Dead Space trailer. That game looks awesome. Here's the full release list:

Playable Content
Secret Agent Clank demo for PSP (free)

Add-on Content
Civilization Revolution "The Mythic" Wonders and Artefact pack (£0.69/€0.99)
Guitar Hero III "Interscope" Track pack (£3.99/€5.99)

Videos

Dead Space "Loved Ones" trailer
Movement Episode 3, part 2 "Milan" (8 videos)

Aug 6, 2008


With Super Stardust HD being the first title to support Trophies, I think it’s good to get the most out of it. So here are my (and others) tips to obtain all Trophies from Super Stardust HD.

Hero of Lave (Bronze) : Arcade - Complete planet Lave
Build up your Rock Crusher (Green) by collecting the green colored tokens. This planet is all Rock Asteroids, so the Rock Crusher will take care of any asteroids and enemies that may pose a threat. Conserve your bombs and boost unless you get surrounded, then there’s no reason not to use one of the two escape options. To defeat the boss simply destroy its 4 propulsion systems.

Hero of Conventina (Bronze) : Arcade - Complete planet Coventina
Your main weapon here will be the Gold Melter (Red), so try to wait until the weapon powerups change Red before picking them up. You’ll encounter mostly Gold Asteroids here but on the last couple phases you’ll start to see a few Rock Asteroids fall in. The Boss is a robotic snake like creature that shoots from its body. Aim your weapon at the red piece in the center of its body. When it stops shooting run around to the other side of it and try to clear any asteroids in front of it then get in close and keep attacking. It’ll squeeze around you but you’ll still have plenty or room to maneuver. It’ll shoot some lasers while you’re in there but these are easy to avoid and do not kill you in a single shot.

Hero of Memain (Bronze) : Arcade - Complete planet Nemain
You main weapon here will be the Ice Splitter (Blue), so you know the drill. Most asteroids and enemies here can be taken down easily with the Ice Splitter, switch to whatever you need if any other types drop down or if an enemy is being hard to hit. Your boss fight here is two UFOs like the one you fought in Lave.

Hero of Taranis (Bronze) : Arcade -Complete planet Taranis
By this point you should know the drill and what weapons to use. Your boss fight will be two snake creatures like the one you fought in Conventina.

Hero of Segomo (Bronze) : Arcade - Complete planet Segomo
This is where it can get fun. You’ll now start to encounter a lot more enemies along with the asteroids, but nothing you shouldn’t be able to handle. Just to remember to keep moving and use the 360 fire spin to keep most things at bay if it gets crowded. The final phase here will pit you against the planet, sort of. You’ll see a tower of sorts drop down, attack the four sides of it (it rotates on its own) to damage them enough and they will point toward the planet. A bomb works wonders on these and will take all four pieces at once. If you don’t take the tower down quickly it will shoot missiles at you like the ones the snake did. Rinse and repeat with the tower.

The Tokenizer (Bronze) : Arcade - Collect 5 tokens with a single boost
Find a group of tokens that are together and boost your way through them. You’ll need a total of 5 in all. Bonus Asteroids help greatly with this.

Scrooge MacBoom (Bronze) : Arcade - Get 10 bombs
Just hold onto your bombs and you’ll get this one. You can get two additional bombs on the 2nd-4th phases of each planet by destroying the green crates the carrier holds.

Token Hoarder (Silver) : Arcade - Collect 15 tokens with a single boost
It is essential to do this to a Bonus Asteroid. Boost through the center of the asteroid and you should be able to get it, if not then try to get a couple tokens to trail you then boost through them and the asteroid.

Well Prepared (Silver) : Arcade - Get 20 bombs
Just keep your trigger finger off those bombs. If you don’t use any bombs and start from the beginning you should get this in 3-4 if you picked up every bomb available.

Shield Blaster (Silver) : Arcade - Collect 5 shield tokens while already having a shield
This one comes to a bit of luck and skill. You’ll first have to find a purple token which will give you a shield, then you have to avoid getting hit long enough to find another 5 shields. When you pick up a second shield it’ll act like a bomb destroying just about everything near you. If you encounter a yellow token for a ship you can let it degrade into a shield after ~10-15 seconds. If you lose your shield all is not lost, if you had set off two shield bombs you’ll start at two when you pick up another shield.

Scenic Route (Silver) : Arcade - Complete a planet without using boost
Simple, don’t use boost on a whole planet. Lave is the simplest to do so on.

Multiplier Hero (Gold) : Arcade - Get 10x multiplyer
This is a bit of an endurance challenge. Destroy everything. Enemies and asteroids count toward the multiplier, so no matter how small that asteroid is take it out. The higher the multiplier the longer it will take to get to the next multiplier. Try to get a shield if you can to keep from loosing your multiplier if you get hit. Use bombs and boost freely.

– The following require the Solo Pack addon
Extra Ships Optional (Bronze) : Endless - Survive 7 minutes without dying
Take it nice and easy. Take your time destroying things and avoid using the Nukes unless the planet is getting filled.

Close Encounters (Bronze) : Survive 45 seconds without shooting or using bombs
Evade, evade, evade! There’s not a while lot of tips I can give you here as its all about maneuvering. Picking up the Time tokens doesn’t count toward your 45 seconds so don’t risk it. You should be able to boost but there are conflicting reports about this. I personally ended a run with a boost and then destroyed at 45.65 seconds and did not get this, so its possible you actually need 46 seconds or not use boost.

Late Boomer (Silver) : Bomber - Get 15 bombs
This tip comes via PS3 Fanboy, as I just can’t seem to quite get this one just yet.
“This is the hardest Trophy in the game. The point of this Trophy is not to collect 15 bombs, but to have 15 bombs total. There are many reasons why this is so difficult. Firstly, you must be frugal with your bombs. You can ONLY use them to get more bombs. You spend one bomb to earn two, which means you cannot use your bombs on enemies. The general strategy will be to trail bomb ships when you see them, and only explode them when you absolutely must. DO NOT use bombs against enemies and rocks. You will simply have to dodge them. You’ll want to follow bomb ships for as long as possible, because if you’re lucky, you’ll be fortunate enough to have another one spawn next to it. If you can destroy two ships with one bomb, you’ll be making this much easier on yourself. Just like in Close Encounters, you’ll want to make very small, deliberate movements.”

Shock and Awe (Silver) : Endless - Destroy 10 nukes
It is vital to take out the Nukes as soon as they drop, and the easiest way to do this is either to boost through it (most preferred) or to use a bomb in it’s vicinity. The more time you spend the quicker the asteroids/enemies will become, so you really want to destroy as much as possible as fast as possible. I would suggest conserving your bombs if you can as you’ll definitely need them later. The first few nukes are pretty easy, but if you see a bunch of asteroids getting ready to land on top of you quickly boost away to prevent being destroyed. On the later levels you’ll be bombarded by relentless amounts of asteroids that’s impossible to keep up with destroying, this is when you should boost then bomb and then do a 360 flame wheel. Bomb again if you need to then boost again when you can. Boosting will destroy a few asteroids but the bombing will take out quite a few. As soon as you see the nuke make a dash for it. It’s likely you’ll have to repeat this process for at least 2 levels.

– The following require the Team Pack addon
Brothers In Arms (Gold) : Split screen Co-Op - Segomo - Get 3 minutes of Continuous Co-Op weapon boost
This has to be the easiest one there is. Just sit near a friend on Segome for 3 straight minutes. You can actually accomplish this yourself if you have an extra controller and can handle moving two ships at once. Just overlap your ships and move them in conjunction avoiding the four large Ice Asteroids that appear in the 1st phase. You’ll know you’re getting the boost because you’ll se a line connecting your ships and your rate of fire will be increased significantly. Yes it really is that simple.


The fifth element of the series Call of Duty, called World at War, is not even out that the sixth is already announced! This is Robert "Bobby" Kotick, the boss of Activision, which released the information during a conference call, referring to an exit in 2009 and development back at Infinity Ward.We know already that it would be held in the near future. Finally, this announcement is not surprising when one knows that CoD 4: Modern Warfare is the game's best-selling 2007.If the publisher maintains this pace of one title per year, Call of Duty 50 released in 2053 and will put us in the shoes of a soldier of the Roman Empire during ancient times.

JeuxVideo


A funny thing happened with NBA Live 08; we liked it. For years, Electronic Arts' signature basketball series suffered from sluggish play, but the company slam-dunked its current edition with faster, more lifelike players and animations. It isn't the greatest hoops game ever made, but it gave EA a solid foundation to build upon. Debuting October 7, NBA Live 08adds even more features, starting with Dynamic DNA.

Previous basketball games attempted to capture player tendencies, but most of this data is from last season and out of date. Dynamic DNA tracks NBA players day to day and incorporates their play styles into the game. If Chris Paul's three-point shooting improves, for example, his video game alter ego will also start hitting more shots from downtown. If Shaq starts making free throws (unlikely but anything's possible), you can expect NBA Live Shaq to drill those shots from the foul line. No matter what happens (injuries, trades), EA insists that it'll show up in the game the day after, so in a sense, you'll be able to experience the NBA 08/09 season both realistically and virtually, an exciting concept that'll keep the game fresh throughout the year. In fact, you also have the option of replaying last night's games (dubbed NBA Rewind), allowing you to recreate victories or perhaps rewrite history. Finally, the New York Knicks can win some games.

We're also interested in Quickstrike AnkleBreakers, moves that let you leave your opponent flatfooted as you drive to the basket. To execute these moves, wait until the defender approaches you and press turbo in conjunction with the right analog stick to cross them over or do some other excellent maneuver. So long as EA pumped the game full of moves, there will be more than one way to shake someone.

In addition, the game has Pick and Roll Control that lets you work this signature play as both the ball carrier and the screener, and NBA Live will offer on screen prompts to help you execute; perhaps a basketball related quick time event. There's also a new practice facility, 24 FIBA international teams, online leagues (with draft, trades and playoffs) and true five-on-five online play for up to ten players.

So long as NBA Live 09 plays like last year's game but with subtle improvements, we'll snag it faster than Paul Pierce grabbed the NBA championship trophy. Dynamic DNA seems like a great concept, and with new moves and continuously updated rosters, this might tomahawk 2K Sports' NBA 2K9.


GameDaily



DC Universe Online
We go behind the scenes at SOE to give you all the latest on this MMO action game set in the DC universe. With Jim Lee’s involvement (he is the Executive Creative Director on the project), this is shaping up to be one of PS3’s biggest upcoming exclusives. Make sure you check out the concept art by Mr. Lee - it is really some amazing stuff.

NBA 09: The Inside
Our new “Qorespondent,” Audrey Cleo, travels to SCEA San Diego to get her game on with the development team behind NBA 09: The Inside. This year’s iteration introduces “The Life” mode to PS3, with developing stories for three different players and an all-new franchise mode.

Lego Batman: The Video Game
Veronica Belmont heads to Hollywood and the Warner Brothers’ back lot to see if she can find the Batcave and get TT Games to tell her all about the Dark Knight’s adventures in the land o’ Legos. Or, is she simply looking for Christian Bale?

Baja: Edge of Control
What happens when a 98 pound woman takes on an 800 HP Trophy Truck with someone named “Pistola?” Check out our feature on THQ’s Baja: Edge of Control.

New Downloadable Content
If you purchase Qore Episode 03, or an annual subscription, you are in for a real treat - with premier access to the Resistance 2 Public Beta. In addition, we’ve got an all-new PS3 Qore theme and new annual subscribers will also get Calling All Cars, the full game, for free!

BLogUSPlaystation


Mmmm, we can't get enough trophies! User DevilsFear has submitted a list of all the trophies for Warhawk over at GameFAQs. There are a total of 57 trophies according to this list, with the breakdown being 36 Bronze, 13 Silver, 7 Gold and 1 Platinum trophy. With this list in your hands and custom music tracks coming our way, we'll bet every Warhawk fan is quivering with anticipation. Look for patch 1.5 on August 27th. Full list of trophies, after the jump.

Bronze Trophies

Secret Anti-Camper -- Kill an enemy in a Missile or Flak Turret after that enemy has achieved at least five kills in that type of turret.
Secret Daredevil -- Get 100 feet off the ground in a ground vehicle. Does not count if the vehicle is being carried by a Dropship.
Secret Hit List -- Kill every member of the opposing team at least once during a round.
Secret Minesweeper -- Get killed by Proximity Mines five times in a single round.
Secret Reckless -- Pilot Commit suicide in a Warhawk by running into your own Aerial Mine.
Secret Vengeance -- Kill an enemy within 60 seconds of that enemy killing you.
Secret What's That Green Line? -- Get killed by a Binoculars strike while piloting an aircraft.
Anti-Air Ninja -- Shoot down a Warhawk with any infantry weapon other than a Rocket Launcher.
Bandit Award -- Earn all in-game badges at Bandit level.
Chief Sergeant -- Achieve a rank of Chief Sergeant.
Collector -- Capture four cores at once in Collection mode.
Combat Driver -- Complete Vehicle Combat Training.
Cowboy -- Play a perfect Team Deathmatch (top player, no deaths).
Dead-Eye -- Achieve a sniper kill from more than 2,500 feet away.
Dumbfire -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a dumbfired Swarm or Homing Missile.
Emergency Evasion -- Break at least 6 simultaneous missile locks using Chaff.
Enlistee -- Join a clan.
Ground Pounder -- Complete Ground Combat Training.
Hat Trick -- Get three flag captures in a single round of CTF.
How Did You Do That? -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a Cluster Bomb.
Invincible -- While on foot, take at least 250 damage within 10 seconds without dying.
Irony -- Kill an enemy with his own Proximity Mine.
Lone Wolf -- Play a perfect Deathmatch (top player, no deaths).
One In A Million -- Shoot down an enemy aircraft using the tank's main cannon.
Overkill -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a volley of 8 Swarm Missiles.
Pilot's License -- Complete Warhawk Combat Training.
Recognition of Merit -- Earn any five in-game medals
Remote Pilot -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with a TOW Missile.
Resourceful Driver -- Achieve a road kill and a .50 cal kill using the same 4x4, without dismounting.
Rivalry -- Win a clan match (red server) as either clan leader or a regular member.
Saboteur -- Destroy an enemy vehicle with the Field Wrench.
Survivalist -- Survive for one minute as the hero in Hero mode.
Tail Shaker -- Destroy an enemy aircraft with an Aerial Mine within 5 seconds of deploying it.
Taxi Driver -- Help a teammate capture the flag (in CTF) or cogs (in Collection) by transporting him back to the base, using any vehicle.
Warlord -- Create a clan and get nine other members to join. (Awarded at ten members while you are the clan leader.)
World Victory -- Control all capturable bases in a Zones match, and reduce the enemy's home base to level 1.


Silver Trophies

Secret Canyon -- Run Using a Warhawk, shoot down an enemy Warhawk in the central gorge in Vaporfield Glacier.
Secret King of the Jungle Gym -- Retrieve the Proximity Mines from the top of the dome on the Omega Factory Rumble Dome layout.
Secret Safety Violation -- Kill a distant enemy from on top of the salvage crane in Tau Crater.
Aerial Ballet -- While flying a jetpack, kill an enemy (who is also flying a jetpack) with any weapon other than the Rocket Launcher.
Are You Aim-Botting? -- Snipe an enemy who is flying a jetpack.
Behind Enemy Lines -- Drive an APC into the enemy's home base, then have at least one teammate spawn into that APC.
Commander -- Achieve a rank of Commander.
Decorated Soldier -- Earn any 15 in-game medals.
Flying Fortress -- Awarded to the driver and all six passengers of a fully-loaded Dropship.
Giant Killer -- Shoot down an enemy Dropship while using a Warhawk.
Lt. Colonel -- Achieve a rank of Lt. Colonel.
Master Award -- Earn all in-game badges at Master level.
Shield Breaker -- Break an enemy E-POD shield using the Lightning Shell.


Gold Trophies

Bandwidth Donor -- Host a ranked dedicated server for four consecutive hours.
Executive Honor -- Earn all in-game medals.
General -- Achieve a rank of General.
Porcupine -- Destroy an enemy Warhawk with the APC's E-POD shield.
Surgical Strike -- Shoot down a Dropship with a Binoculars strike.
That Was Some Bug -- Kill an enemy who is flying a jetpack by hitting him with any vehicle or aircraft.
Warhawk Award -- Earn all in-game badges at Warhawk level.


Platinum Trophy

Warhawk Supreme Achievement -- All your base trophies are belong to platinum.

PS3Fanboy


After a minor delay, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation is heading over to store shelves and the PS Store on October 14th. The pricing scheme was also unveiled today, and it looks very similar to another PSN title, Warhawk:

$59.99 Bundle Version -- Includes the game on Blu-ray, along with the newly designed Bluetooth headset, and some exclusive Behind the Scenes videos.

$39.99 Stand Alone Version -- Includes the game on Blu-ray and nothing else.

$39.99 via PlayStation Network -- Includes the game downloadable from the PSN and nothing else.

No information on a release date outside of the US at this time, however, Sony's goal is to have a simultaneous worldwide release.

PS3Fanboy


No injection took place on the Resistance 2 viral site, Project Abraham, this week. We are guessing the man who claimed he knew no fear met his match. Though no injection took place, Oster's video still contains violence and should be considered NSFW. Oster's dossier has also been updated to reflect his new status -- including a file number, which you can type into SrpaNet as "GET 938Stockmeyer773" to view a confrontation he had with our protagonist from the previous game. Dr. Alkin's inbox update included a Rorshchach inkblot test, along with a recommendation that Glenn Khaner be the next test subject.

America First America Only apparently received some tips from those of us who "hacked" into SrpaNet and published pictures of Chimeras and Cloven in their news weekly. The second page suggests that these "aliens" are from a watery planet; can that planet possibly be Earth itself?

Lastly, those of you who left your number with Project Abraham last week received a call. We missed ours, but thanks to NeoGAF, we have a partial recording of the phone call for you to listen to right here.

PS3Fanboy


Our friends across the Atlantic are going to have an edge when it comes to Trophies, with the release of the new Buzz! Quiz TV Trophy patch. The multiplayer quiz game encourages you to play all the game modes to unlock the Trophies. Over time, it should be easy -- but what about those secret Trophies? Hmm.

Bronze Trophies

Sofa Subjugator Bronze - Win 5 Sofa vs Sofa games
The Barnard Award Bronze - Score over 1500 points in Single player
Lonesome and Loving it Bronze - Play 5 single player games
MyBuzz Enthusiast Bronze - Play 1 MyBuzz game
Sofa Surfer Bronze - Play 1 Sofa vs Sofa game
Socialite Bronze - Play 5 Multiplayer games


Silver Trophies

Sofa Subjugator Silver - Win 20 Sofa vs Sofa games
The Barnard Award Silver - Score over 3000 points on single player
Lonesome and Loving it Silver - Play 20 single player games
MyBuzz Enthusiast Silver - Play 20 MyBuzz games
Sofa Surfer Silver - Play 15 Sofa vs Sofa games
Socialite Silver - Play 20 multiplayer games
He's on Fire! - Correctly answer 10 questions in a row. (Hidden)


Gold Trophies
Sofa Subjugator Gold - Win 50 sofa vs sofa games
The Barnard Award Gold - Score 5000 points in single player
Lonesome and Loving it Gold - Play 50 single player games
MyBuzz Enthusiast Gold - play 50 MyBuzz games
Sofa Surfer Gold - Play 40 Sofa vs Sofa games
Socialite Gold - Play 50 multiplayer games
Lightning Reactions - Correctly answer 3 questions in a row in under 0.5 seconds (Hidden)


Platinum Trophies

Buzz's New Best Friend

The game also features six hidden Trophies, two of which are known. (Post will be updated when all hidden Trophies are discovered.)


PS3Fanboy

Aug 5, 2008


We can't in good conscience recommend trying this one at home for sake of your own sanity, but one enterprising PS3 enthusiast has thankfully gone the extra mile and installed Windows Vista on the console so you don't have to. As you might have guessed, however, it's not a pretty sight, with the OS running under emulation and requiring nearly 25 minutes to fully boot up. You can also add an extra five minutes and thirty seconds on top of that to load the start menu, and about twelve minutes to load up that most demanding of applications: Notepad.

Note: Click here if you would like to try this
Engadget


Richard Lemarchandm, Co-Lead Game Designer at Naughty Dog, sat down with Three Speech in a lengthy interview to talk about their latest developments. He goes on extensively about how Uncharted: Drake's Fortune's trophies were implemented, Cell architecture, and then a tidbit of detail about rooms in Home, but it is nothing you haven't heard already if you've been keeping up. If you want the man's own words, Three Speech has your interview right here.

Unfortunately, Lemarchand is rather reticent about Naughty Dog's next project, offering no information other than they are "we're quite a way into our next production cycle now. " He does, however, gives his two cents about the future of multiplatform games: with a set of tools "developed on the Naughty Dog premises, actually, by a group of very, very senior games programmer, some from Naughty Dog and some from elsewhere" called Edge, he believes third-party developers "are going to be able to use them in their own ways, to get more and more and more out of the PS3 over the years." In fact, Lemarchand thinks even Naughty Dog is only using 30 to 40 percent of the PS3's power right now.

The video game designer concludes the interview with by speaking well of the relationships between PS3 developers: "We have this culture of open communication ... we're always trading war-stories with Insomniac and Evolution and Sucker Punch. We're just one block away from Sony Santa Monica -- the guys who made God Of War -- and we get our designers together ... and I think it makes everybody stronger and smarter." Sounds about right to us.

PS3Fanboy


Konami is in a good mood. Well, you would too if you were touting number spikes like a 116 percent jump in net revenues. Konami is reporting massive positive growth in its first quarter earnings and no doubt a huge chunk of that is due to the success of Metal Gear Solid 4 -- which has shipped three million units worldwide on its first week. Konami stated that sales for the PS3 exclusive Solid Snake adventure were "sensational" with sales still "steadily increasing."

As for all the final numbers for Konami's first quarter earnings for the period ended June 30, here they are: ¥70.8 billion ($654 million) in net revenues, operating income climbed over 165 percent to ¥11.6 billion, and net income grew about 47 percent to ¥5.66 billion ($52.3 million). Konami expects these numbers to rise to ¥330 billion, ¥45 billion, and ¥26 billion respectively for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009.


PS3Fanboy


It may not be an official "Greatest Hits" game quite yet, but Criterion's PS3 racing game, Burnout Paradise, is now available at many major retailers for only $30 -- that's half off its original price. PS3 owners are undoubtedly looking even more closely at the game, ever since the announcement of extensive free DLC for the game (which adds motorcycles, planes) and the addition of PS3 Trophies.

PS3Fanboy


With a new art style, a modified version of the Assassin's Creed engine powering it, and an emphasis on one-on-one combat over en masse attacks from waves of enemies, Prince of Persia represents a reboot of the series and after seeing it up close at E3 I'd have to say it's definitely a solid step forward for the series even if it harkens back to the original Prince of Persia.

The demonstration area was set in a large rocky crater. The visual style really grabs attention but it's not until the Prince is in motion that the game starts to shine. The acrobatics have been heightened to the point where the Prince caninteract with the environment and really play around in it. Like Assassin's Creed, the navigation is left up to the player in many respects. There are still "magic bumpers" that will fire the Prince off to an otherwise unreachable area to progress the story or reveal some secret area, but for much of the demo I was unable to recognize any parts of the level that made it obvious as to where you were to go next. Typically there would be areas of differing color or texture to indicate an area could somehow be navigated but I didn't see any of that. There are still conveniently placed flagpoles to vault from though and you do have a "helper" character that'll point you in the right direction should you become totally disorientated. Besides being a guide of sorts, this helper character - Elika - will also save you from plummeting to your death, much like the Sands of Time did in previous games but this time it will happen automatically, and help you leap large gaps. From the demo, this character doesn't appear to need much, if any, babysitting; there were no instances of the Prince having to backtrack to get Elika to follow him. She is also key to the plot of the game since she's the one that "cleanses" the corruption being caused by Ahriman - the bad guy - after the Tree of Life is destroyed. Throughout the demo, there was only one fight. It looks like the development team wants to dole out of the combat in a regulated fashion. As a result the combat looks deeper (looks, because I wasn't allowed to play it) than previous Prince games. There's a definite "fighting game" feel to the combat, especially since the encounter took place in an arena type setting. It's a good thing that Prince of Persia was looking so well put together at this point. The wait for this action platformer will be a short one. It's expected to hit retail in November.


ArmChairEmpire


24 As many Gamers are anticipating this release whether it be the full version or just a taste of the beta. New or Veteran players of the Socom series are sure in for a treat as new information has surfaced.
As some of this info is already known or new to some.

Please be aware that the original web site source is in Japanese.
I will translate the important details only.

Translation:(If you scroll towards the middle of the Page.)
Customization: This will allow players to customize their soldier from different clothing, color suits, tactical equipment and even face paint camouflage. There are also preset variations from Light, Medium and Heavy gear soldier equipment.

Weapons will also have customization features where players will be able to add suppressors or Scopes amongst other attachments. There are 30+ weapons in the game so far. Some are M16A2, P226, M67, C4, L96AW, IW-80 A2, DE.50, Mark23, M14, RPG-7, SFCR-LW and USAS-12 to name a few.

From the Screen shots posted:
- There seems to be a Reputation System in play as the other basic info.

- Game seems to be in an "Alpha Build" Stage.

- Localization is in Japanese.

- Before Re-spawning You are able to re select your weapons and customize again.

- 3 maps are shown "Crossroads", "Quarantine" and "Kasbah".

Note: To View Japanese Site Click Here

N4G


A rumour published in the latest Official PlayStation Magazine stating that zombie-laden shooter Left 4 Dead is being ported to the PS3 has been brutally beheaded by Valve’s Doug Lombardi today.

When cornered by IGN, Lombardi stated:

“There is no PS3 version of Left 4 Dead currently in production.”

Of course, there may still be a chance that development of a PS3 port could begin sometime in the future, but for now the hordes of Infected only plan to bring apocalyptic ruin to PCs and Xbox 360s across the globe.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the game when it launches this November, and whatever you do, don’t even think of running off to go on some crazy self-absorbed solo crusade against the legions of undead - you will die a horrible and grizzly death!

DPadMagazine


Did you hear that? That's the sound of you unlocking another Trophy. With PixelJunk Eden and Uncharted's recent patch, Trophies have been on the minds of PlayStation fans everywhere. Well, here's some more good news: popular online multiplayer game, Warhawk, will be sporting Trophies by the end of this month. SCEE reports that patch 1.5 will release on August 27th (we're assuming a global release, a la Uncharted).

There will be over 50 Trophies to collect, depending on the number of expansion packs you have installed with the game. Hopefully, Dylan Jobe is keeping his word about the Platinum Trophy: you should be able to get it without having any of the expansions.

Also, SCEE reports that the game will get in-game music support with this update as well. That's an impressive patch, no? See details on the various Trophies and features here.

PS3Fanboy

Aug 4, 2008


Our ears are so close to the ground they’re all mossy. Highly placed sources told VG247 today that the real reason for Phil Harrison’s departure from Sony was that work is now starting on PS4 and deja vu was setting in.

“He could see he was about to get involved in another PlayStation cycle, and obviously wanted something new,” we were told. “The same thing was happening again and he’d been through it enough times to want to move on.”

The timing of Harrison’s decision to leave Sony confused many, given that PS3 was finally starting to bloom after a troubled seedling period. The PlayStation front-man announced he was to quit in February, giving no reason for the move.

He immediately joined Infogrames as president, saying he was finding the company’s focus on casual gaming and an increased influence on internet business models “very exciting”.

Bet PS4 doesn’t have two HDMI ports either

VideoGaming247


A prequel to Dead Space in the form of an animated direct-to-video movie is heading our way October 28th, one week after the game's debut. Available on both Blu-ray and DVD, the 85-minute movie will detail how the spaceship USG Ishimura transformed into a surreal and hellish nightmare when the crew brought an alien artifact aboard the ship. The Blu-ray version will feature 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and a DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround soundtrack. Extras unique to the Blu-ray include cheat codes for the game and a digital copy. No information yet as to what the cheat codes do exactly.

After looking at the trailer, we think this movie might actually be worthy of our money. You can pre-order the Blu-ray version here and the DVD version here. Watch the violent and slightly NSFW trailer after the jump.

PS3Fanboy


So by now you probably know that the Uncharted trophy patch has dropped and are itching to get your hands on some more glittering prizes. We've listed out every trophy in the game, including those with the mysterious "???" title. There's a strange lack of any golds here, but some are probably included with the batch of unknowns. Here's the full trophy list:

Bronze Trophies

First Treasure - Find one treasure
Beginner Fortune Hunter - Find 5 treasures
Novice Fortune Hunter - Find 10 treasures
Enthusiast Fortune Hunter - Find 15 treasures
Intermediate Fortune Hunter - Find 20 treasures
Skilled Fortune Hunter - Find 25 treasures
Proficient Fortune Hunter - Find 30 treasures
Advanced Fortune Hunter - Find 35 treasures
Professional Fortune Hunter - Find 40 treasures
Senior Fortune Hunter - Find 45 treasures
Expert Fortune Hunter - Find 50 treasures
Crack Fortune Hunter - Find 55 treasures
Relic Finder - Find the Strange Relic
Brutal Brawler - Kill 5 enemies with a brutal combo
Steel Fist - Kill 5 enemies with a single punch after softening them up with gunfire
Headshot Expert - Kill 5 enemies in a row with headshots
10 Headshots - Kill 10 enemies with headshots
30 Headshots - Kill 30 enemies with headshots
Dyno-might! - Kill 3 enemies with one explosion
Run-And-Gunner - Kill 20 enemies by shooting from the hip (without aiming with the L1 button)
Hangman - Kill 10 enemies while hanging from a ledge

Grenade Hangman - Kill 10 enemies with grenades by aiming while hanging from a ledge


Silver

Master Fortune Hunter - Find all 60 treasures

Brutal Slugger - Kill 20 enemies with a brutal combo

Brutal Expert - Kill 5 enemies in a row with a brutal combo

Stealth Attacker - Kill 20 enemies melee attacking from behind

Steel Fist Expert - Kill 5 enemies in a row with a single punch after softening them up with gunfire

100 Headshots - Kill 100 enemies with headshots

Survivor - Kill 50 enemies in a row without dying
Platinum

Platinum! - Obtain all other trophies

Unknown

Expert Dyno-might! - Kill 3 enemies with one explosion, five times
50 Kills: PM - 9mm - Kill 50 enemies with the PM - 9mm
50 Kills: 92FS - 9mm - Kill 50 enemies with the 92FS - 9mm
50 Kills: Micro - 9mm - Kill 50 enemies with the Micro - 9mm
20 Kills: Wes - 44 - Kill 20 enemies with the Wes - 44
20 Kills: Desert - 5 - Kill 20 enemies with the Desert - 5
30 Kills: MP40 - Kill 30 enemies with the MP40
50 Kills: AK-47 - Kill 50 enemies with the AK-47
50 Kills: M4 - Kill 50 enemies with the M4
30 Kills: Dragon Sniper - Kill 30 enemies with the Dragon Sniper
50 Kills: Moss - 12 - Kill 50 enemies with the Moss - 12
50 Kills: SAS - 12 - Kill 50 enemies with the SAS - 12
30 Kills: M79 - Kill 30 enemies with the M79
20 Kills: Mk-NDI - Kill 20 enemies with the Mk-NDI
Charted! - Easy - Complete the game on Easy Level
Charted! - Normal - Complete the game on Normal Level
Charted! - Hard - Complete the game on Hard Level
Charted! - Crushing - Complete the game on Crushing Level


PS3Fanboy

Aug 3, 2008



Today Sam “152” Becker & Simon “Sim152” Win were sent down to Australia’s G03 Gaming conference, to get an exclusive look at Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Keep reading to hear our thoughts on the game and we also have Photos & Videos of the game which can be found at the bottom of the article, Enjoy!

The Build we played only had one playable car, a Shelby Mustang, which seemed a little sluggish and cornered like a concreted hippo, which isn’t helped by the fact that your NOS does not regenerate, unlike the Need for Speed series. This often leaves you cruising around corners at snail’s pace, especially in low powered cars. For a first time “Midnight Clubber” like me, high speeds were extremely difficult to maintain, the e-brake does help you out a lot with cornering, however in this build if you misused it your car would spin out and most likely send you flying into an invincible tree.

It’s hard to see what type of driving style Rockstar are trying to incorporate into Midnight Club Los Angeles, as it seems to currently be a Hybrid of Simulation & Arcade racing, offering both the best of both worlds. Rockstar are of course going to be including an “Unrivaled” customization system in with the final build of the game, which coupled with the gameplay really will entice Petrol Heads & Newcomers alike to visit their nearest game retailer in October.

The few flaws this game has (Specifically badly placed Indestructible trees and non-replenishing NOS) are vastly overshadowed by the breathtaking graphics and environments, which for a game based in one city has a lot of variation. While cruising around a very accurate representation of Los Angeles (or so I’m told by the Rockstar Rep that accompanied us during our Demo) you can simply ‘flash your lights’ at someone to challenge them to a race, which instantly setting the race up and throwing you and your opponent onto the Grid.

While driving around LA there are the usual obstacles you would expect to get in your way in a Midnight Club Game; the odd trash can, streetlights, indestructible trees and the biggest annoyance in a street racing game: People. While there is a dense population of people on the streets, driving into them will cause your car to pass straight through them, however I would imagine in the final Build pedestrians will dive out of your way like in the previous Midnight Club titles. After enquiring about this little peeve I was told by a Rockstar Rep that it’s because they’re “Aiming for a G rating”.

We’ve been told that Online Multiplayer will be a huge part of Midnight Club. Unfortunately we were told by our Rockstar Rep that there will be “no splitscreen included in the game”, so it looks as if online multiplayer will be the main focus, opposed to the Local Multiplayer we’ve become accustomed to with the Midnight Club series.

Midnight Club Los Angeles sports a checkpoint style race system, letting you pick your route to the next checkpoint which really is a hell of a lot of fun, giving a great sense of freedom. There’s nothing stopping you from heading to the other side of the map and just chilling on the beach while your opponent completes a race, the game is really that open. The 3 AI drivers we raced against were nothing short of aggressive, trying to shunt us off the road and at times even trying to spin out our back end, which really adds a bit more of a challenge to the gameplay. You can also use their aggressiveness against them, by E-Braking before they shunt (making them miss you and go flying off the road) or even timing a counter-shunt to send them hurtling off course.

The Limited build we played of Midnight Club: Los Angeles was great fun, offering a fresh hybrid type of driving and some extremely promising gameplay mechanics. Unfortunately our Rockstar Rep confirmed that “There won’t be a Midnight Club Demo, just because it’s such a huge game that a 2-3gb Demo just wouldn’t do justice”. The full game is releasing on October 7th in North America & October 10th in Europe, so don’t forget to pre-order a copy at your local retailer to be sure you get a copy on release day.

Our first 3 minute Gamplay Video can be found Here, or Here

AddictGaming

 
Playstation Access Diseñado por Wpdesigner y adaptado por Zona Cerebral