'Gravity Ends' in new WipEout HD trailer

The latest (final?) trailer for WipEout HD went flying onto the net just a few hours after we published our hands-on impressions of the finished game. In-between a bunch of jump cuts, you can get a good look at the venues we referred to in our post, along with barrel rolls and, of course, that blistering frame rate.

In case you didn't catch it earlier, WipEout HD is going to cost $19.99 when it debuts shortly on the PlayStation Store. Yes, we know the trailer just says "2008" at the end – but race day is actually a lot closer than you think.

Burnout Bikes Dated!

We’re finally able to announce that our latest free downloadable Burnout pack bikes will be out 18th September!!!

It’s tough to give specific dates on downloadable content, because we don’t know for certain until the last minute. But hey, we’re really excited about bringing bikes to Burnout, so we’re going to take a chance and tell you that we’re aiming for September 18 – that’s this coming Thursday!

If you missed our earlier posts, here’s what’s coming:

* Pick from 2 motorcycles featuring male or female characters and start on a whole new progression to earn your Bike License.
* 38 new against-the-clock race events – Burning Ride and Midnight Ride.
* A brand new in-game 24 hr day / night cycle that impacts traffic density and available events. (It’s fully customisable – you can make it day/night/change the clock speed – it’s up to you.)
* Dynamic weather brings an all-new look to Paradise City.
* And if that’s not enough, we’ve got 70 more Freeburn Challenges too.

Freeburn is Burnout’s uninterrupted drop-in / drop-out online play. It’s a cool collaborative experience, so it’s all about hanging out with your friends, messing around in vehicles while racing, pulling tricks and crashing in a massive open world city.

bike07

If 350 fun, co-operative challenges aren’t enough to keep you and your friends occupied, the Bike Pack throws a further 70 to the mix. These bike-exclusive challenges are split 50:50 between regular challenges and timed, against-the-clock challenges for those that enjoy a little more intensity.

bike20

We’ve got all the details on bikes at www.criteriongames.com and in our latest video podcast – Crash TV. You can see it now on iTunes.

Burnout Paradise is currently available for the Greatest Hits price of $29.99 on PLAYSTATION 3.

Agency Devs Exploring Cross-Platform Play

Sony Online Entertainment's working on massively multiplayer shooter The Agency for both PlayStation 3 and PC, which raises a lot of interesting questions about developing an online game for both platforms at once.

For example, with both versions underway for both PC and PlayStation 3, could players on both platforms interact in the same game world?

SOE is indeed considering it, says executive producer Matt Wilson -- "In fact, we're actually doing that at the office. Technology-wise, it's really not that complicated."

But there are three key barriers he says that stand in the way. First is game exploitability -- Wilson uses the example of the high quantity of hacks in a PC shooter like Counter-Strike to describe how it's significantly more difficult to secure a PC online title than it is on a console's closed platform, and maintaining the safety across platforms presents a challenge. "Being able to manage that is no simple task," he says.

The second problem is gameplay balance, as the difference between PC mouse-and-keyboard versus the PS3's controls gains particular weight with a shooter.

"We can do things to equalize them, whether that's aim assist on the console or other things on the PC, but when we've actually done focus group testing and so forth, you're always going to have the console players versus the PC players," Wilson says. "There's always a dynamic of 'It's not fair!' for whatever reason. So, it is important that we take those considerations on that."

But the third consideration is the biggest challenge, Wilson says, in terms of allowing PC and PS3 players to share the game world -- the update process.

"MMOs live and die by their updates, and we need to be able to update our product frequently," says Wilson. "The console requires a certification process, while the PC does not. And so it's going to be really difficult for us to maintain that synchronization across both platforms, and make that work really easily with the value of the MMO."

"As soon as there's an item that maybe we didn't think about and that's causing issues on the server, we need to be able to take care of that immediately, without compromising the other one. It's actually a pretty difficult proposition."

But at the very least, Wilson says game accounts will be global and cross-compatible, even if not necessarily simultaneous. "We're going to start simple," he says. "If you have a PC account, and I have a PS3, you should be able to come over to my house, and play on my PS3 game with your account. So, we want the ability for you to be able to move across worlds pretty easily."

"And then the other part is leaderboards and other things. And maybe in the future, we'll start connecting them up and doing that. Again, it's never been a technology problem; it's more game balance and update calls."

There are pros and cons, Wilson says, in dealing with a closed platform versus an open one. Most obviously, a closed platform is guaranteed compatibility for all users who own it, and it's a level playing field when improving issues like framerate and latency, key for a shooter.

"The negative is that because it's a closed platform, we have to go through a certification process," Wilson says. "I don't necessarily look at that as a negative, because in the end, I'm hoping that gives us a better quality. And if we happen to miss things, they'll catch it, and vice versa... It's just something new and different; it's not something we're used to."

On the other hand, changes to PC online games can be made immediately across servers in a way that can't happen on the PS3. "We have to actually look at designing the game differently, asking what data can we update without requiring a certification run, and what data can we not update without requiring a certification run? That's something we have to balance," Wilson says.

"The nice part about the PS3 is that it's a powerhouse console, and if we're designing it with the PS3 in mind, we're still going to have a high fidelity game on the PC. And so, from a content perspective, we're really not doing anything differently, whether it's the PC or the PS3."

Heavy Rain play target is “8-12 hours,” says Cage

Speaking to VG247 at Games Convention, Quantic Dream boss David Cage said a single walk through of top drawer PS3 thriller Heavy Rain is likely to take no more than 12 hours.

“We’re still in the middle of production, so I can’t really tell you the exact time of the game, but we’re targeting a game between eight and 12 hours in gameplay for one walk through,” he said.

Seen for the first time in Germany last month, the game showed what appeared to be unparalleled plot-branching, a fact, Cage said, likely to keep the hardcore coming back for much more.

“It’s impossible in one walk through to see everything there is to see,” he added.

“And that’s going to be OK. For most gamers, they’re going to play it once, and really enjoy it and have a great journey, but some hardcore gamers will want to come back and see everything, and all possible options.”

Heavy Rain has been branded PS3’s “most important title for next year” by SCEE boss David Reeves.

BioShock PS3 demo surfacing Oct. 2

As the most stubborn person alive, you've already dismissed BioShock's numerous awards and rapturous reception, chalking it up to a juvenile and easily swayed media. "They'll stick a ten on any old thing these days," you say, rolling your eyes at all the games-as-art debates arising in the first-person shooter's wake. The word-of-mouth may be exceedingly positive, but the word coming from your mouth is, "No."

"No, I'll play the demo first," you declare, "and then I'll make my decision." You flip your official and slightly unsavory Big Daddy calendar to the October page. "Ah, October 2nd. That's when the PlayStation 3 demo is due to arrive on the PlayStation Network!" You circle the date in one swift, confident stroke ... but suddenly feel a tinge of unease trickle down your spine.

"Wait a minute ... how did I know that? It's like ... someone else is putting these thoughts directly into my mind, dictating my very character from afar. Oh crap, was that a hyperlink?"

August NPD figures released, 360 beats PS3

NPD's released its August figures. Everything below:

Hardware Unit Sales
Aug-08
PlayStation 3 185.4K
PlayStation Portable 253.0K
Playstation 2 144.1K
Xbox 360 195.2K
Wii 453.0K
Nintendo DS 518.3K

New Socom: Confrontation Beta Patch Coming Soon

As we all know the Socom: Confrontation beta can be quite the pain. Having to wait 10 minutes to get started is about as awesome as watching paint dry. The Socom team is aware of this problem and are working around the clock to get it fixed and bring us all a better beta experience

As of right now, The Socom Team is focusing in fixing these problems:

* Abnormally long network synchronization issues when some users in a game have a poor network connection. This issue causes 4-7 minute (or longer) load times when late joining a game.
* An issue where respawn game late joiners were sometimes stuck in spectator mode and could not respawn into the game.
* Remove the latency detection network test which is causing some users with poor network connections to receive the network latency icon (red X).

There is currently no announcement for the patch’s release date but we’re hoping next week!

Resistance 2 Is "Just About Finished"

Resistance 2 drops early this November. Good thing developer Insomniac is almost finished. Whew! Insomniac's Ted Price brings the good news:

The game is just about finished as I write this. Yet the three to four weeks before we deliver a final disc to the factory are always the most difficult. This is when we're fixing bugs, adding tons of polish, making tuning tweaks, and trying to keep our builds stable for the testing team. What's great is that all of our features are in, and the game is looking, sounding, and playing fantastic. Resistance 2 has become everything we hoped it would be.

Great news. Always nice to get things done on time. Fingers crossed its up to par.

Playstation teams up with design school for LittleBigPlanet design event

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) and the prestigious Parsons The New School For Design today announced its partnership in hosting a 24-hour LittleBigPlanet(TM) Game Jam. The event will take place September 21-22 in New York City at Parsons and will consist of a 24-hour video game design competition featuring more than 120 students from disciplines such as technology, music, fashion design, illustration and photography. Participants in the Game Jam will be tasked with creating the most inventive and challenging game levels within a 24-hour period for the highly anticipated PLAYSTATION(R)3 title, LittleBigPlanet.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with some of the most imaginative talents in the world at Parsons The New School For Design," said Scott Rohde, vice president of Product Development, Worldwide Studios America. "The LittleBigPlanet Game Jam is the perfect way to showcase the original and innovative aspects of LittleBigPlanet as well as the exceptional design abilities of the students at Parsons."

During the Game Jam, students will break off into teams of five. Each team will demonstrate their distinctive artistic talents by creating levels utilizing LittleBigPlanet's easy-to-use creation tools over the course of one day. At the end of the 24-hour period, teams will present their levels, which will be judged by a panel consisting of Media Molecule, the award-winning development team responsible for LittleBigPlanet, various Parsons faculty, and members of the media. The winning Game Jam levels will be featured in a specially branded Parsons section within LittleBigPlanet when it launches this October.

LittleBigPlanet is a community-based game for the PLAYSTATION(R)3 that allows players to play, create and share the levels they build with other users throughout the world via PLAYSTATION(R)Network. Playing as customizable SackBoy(TM) characters, players have the power to move anything in the game's glued and stitched-together 3D landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play. Once the level has been completed, players can invite anyone within the LittleBigPlanet community to come and explore their world - or can go and explore everybody else's. LittleBigPlanet was recently awarded several prominent accolades from its showing at the 2008 Electronic Entertainment Expo and is launching exclusively on the PLAYSTATION(R)3 in October.

What Does the PS3 Have This Holiday Season?

One of the things I remember from this year’s E3 is when Jack Tretton said that the year 2008 is the year where the Playstation 3 will rise up to its competitiors With the launching of the Playstation Video Store this year, and LittleBigPlanet finally approaching by the end of the year, is 2008 really the year of the Playstation 3?

The Playstation 3 has lost a lot of third party exclusive games this year such as Devil May Cry 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, Ace Combat 6, Tales of Vesperia, and Star Ocean 4, but this doesn’t stop Sony from going. Even though Sony has lost the faith of its third party developers, they have big studios all around the world to bring you first party exclusive titles that we await this year, such as Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet. Will these first party titles of Sony be enough to sustain the glory that the Playstation brand once had? Will this year’s Holiday titles be enough?

With 111 days left before year 2009 kicks in, let’s take a look of the exclusive games Sony has this fall:

NBA 09: The Inside
Release Date: 10/7/2008

For the first time on PS3, NBA 09 The Inside includes “The Life”, providing fans with a completely unique and inside experience of life in the league. This year The life starts fresh, allowing players to control the paths of three different characters while guiding them through all-new challenges and storylines in the quest to go from development league to the NBA. In addition to The Life, NBA 09 The Inside delivers a full featured Franchise Mode, allowing players to experience every facet of running their own NBA team.

Socom: Confontation
Release Date: 10/14/2008

With the power of the PS3, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will deliver the most intense and authentic high definition modern combat action. The title’s focus is on online play and the global community and clans that support it. With an emphasis on Tournaments, Clan Ladders, Leader Boards, the latest title in the multi-million unit selling franchise is exactly what SOCOM fans have been clamoring for.

LittleBigPlanet
Release Date: 10/21/2008

The LittleBigPlanet experience starts with players learning about their character’s powers to interact physically with the environment. There are obstacles to explore, bits and pieces to collect and puzzles to solve – requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. As players begin to explore, their creative skills will grow and they will be ready to start creating and modifying their surroundings – the first step to sharing them with the whole community.

Motorstorm Pacific Rift
Release Date: 10/28/2008

The most brutal offroad racing festival is back, with players once again descending on the wild and alternative MotorStorm Festival. However, this time the location has changed dramatically, with players attempting to tackle the diversity and unpredictability of a remote Pacific island environment. Developed by Evolution Studios exclusively for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift revisits the intense racing action introduced in last year’s MotorStorm™, this time allowing players to navigate a radically different tropical environment chock full of lush jungle, towering peaks, and crystal-clear water.

Resistance 2
Release Date: 11/4/2008

On the brink of annihilation, mankind resumes the fight against the unstoppable Chimera on the shores of the United States. And thus the stage is set for Resistance 2™, the highly anticipated follow-up to Insomniac Games’ best-selling PS3 launch title, developed exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 system. Players will once again step into the war-torn boots of Nathan Hale, who not only faces near impossible odds on the battlefield, but also constantly struggles with the Chimeran virus raging inside his own body. In addition to an epic single-player campaign, Resistance 2 will offer a truly unprecedented eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign with a separate, parallel storyline and 60-player online competitive multiplayer built upon a ‘massive battles, greater intimacy’ mantra. Players can also expect a re-designed MyResistance.net featuring social networking tools designed to enhance a user’s gameplay experience whether they’re engaged in single, co-op or competitive combat

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
Release Date: 11/4/2008

The No.1 Head-to-Head Fighting game franchise based on Naruto arrives on PS3 for the first time to reign supreme in the next generation of video gaming. Armed with gorgeous cinematic quality HD graphics, a revolutionary next-gen battle system, interactive multi-dimensional battle grounds and seamlessly explorable world of Naruto, Naruto Ultimate Ninja STORM will capture the heart of any Naruto fan! Your dream to LIVE AND BREATHE THE SHOW will come true!

Valkryia Chronicles
Release Date: 11/11/2008

Valkyria Chronicles is set in a fictitious continent reminiscent of 1930s, Europe divided in two and ruled by the Empire and the Federation. The Empire has set its sights on invading a small neutral country called Gallia, which is situated in the middle of the two great empires. The game follows a hero named Welkin and his fellow soldiers of the Federation’s 7th Platoon that are fighting against the Empire, who is intent on unifying the continent under its power. The Federation discovers that the Empire possesses a secret weapon, known as the “Valkyria”- an ancient race with special powers thought to exist only in legends. With this new discovery, the fate of the Federation’s ability to win the war and a hope for a better future hangs in the balance.

Starting October until the end of the year, 7 PS3 games worth owning for the Playstation 3 will be coming out. Due to games such as Resistance 2 and Naruto: Ninja Storm, the Playstation 3 will indeed have a great end-of-year sales, not to mention the other multiplatform games such as Fallout 3, Saints Row 2, Bioshock, and Far Cry 2. Don’t also forget the Playstation Network titles arriving every Thursday, such as Jeopardy and Fat Princess!

Even though with the recent price drop of the XBOX 360, the Playstation 3 should be able to do good this year with its blockbuster hits arriving this year. The only fanbase Playstation 3 will probably lose are RPG gamers, as AAA RPG titles such as Star Ocean 4 and Last Remnant are going to the XBOX 360.

Let’s hope 2009 will be another year for the Playstation 3… or will it?

PAIN patch adds trophies and more ... if you pay for it

The long-awaited PAIN trophy patch is now available to download. Simply load up the game and you will be prompted to download the 325MB patch. Don't forget, PAIN's trophies have been retooled, to make them a bit easier than originally intended. The patch also adds a bunch of content to the game -- but only if you pay for it. Three new characters are available to purchase, along with the new "Abusement Park" (though none of these are available on any region's PSN Store as of yet). There are also new game modes which, we assume, come with the Amusement Park expansion.

There is one free addition to the feature roster, however. Each week a new mini-level will be made available. Each of these "PAINlabs" will be an experimental concept that Idol Minds are playing with and are releasing for you, the players, to test out. An interesting idea -- and best of all? It's free. Though, having said that, we doubt anyone would pay any money for these, judging from the first one.

MK Vs. DC Character List Outed By Achievements

Up until now Midway has been revealing new characters in their upcoming unholy union, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, in a rather dramatic fashion. Flashing pictures on the screen after a press conference in Germany, in front of a room full of comic book fans at Comic Con, or through the old standard, magazine exclusives. How sad is it then that the entire 22 character roster should then be revealed by a list of Xbox 360 achievements? Xbox360Achievements.Org has just posted such a list, which includes 22 character-specific achievements, such as Shazam Expert: Complete Shazam's expert combos.

So who's on the full roster? Saving that for after the jump, just in case anyone wishes to be surprised. Surely some of you would like to preserve the dramatic tension? No? Okay, here we go...

Baraka
Batman
Catwoman
Darkseid
Deathstroke
Flash
Green Lantern
Jax
Joker
Kano
Kitana
Lex Luthor
Liu Kang
Raiden
Scorpion
Shang Tsung
Shao Khan
Shazam
Sonya
Sub Zero
Superman
Wonderwoman

No really big surprises here, aside from maybe the glaring omission of Johnny Cage, though creator Ed Boon did mention at Comic Con that DC Comic's Jimmy Palmiotti would be a hidden character with a rather cagey-looking character model, so don't rule out Goro's sack-smasher just yet.

LittleBigPlanet: SackBoys in the Wild

With little over a month until LittleBigPlanet hits store shelves, the SackBoys are “stuffed” with joy, because the fans have had so much fun the past few weeks. From Pre-order activity, LittleBigBillboards, LittleBigChallenge 003 (SackBoy costume contest) to tons of community activity on fansites everywhere, like Libipl.com & LittleBigPlanetGuide – it puts a big smile on SackBoys.

But how much do you really know about SackBoy? What type of environment do they live it? What can they do? What do they do? If these questions ever crossed your mind….”roll video”

Resistance 2 Public Beta Applications Now Available

The application process for the Resistance 2 Beta has officially begun. The application consists of standard online gaming related questions, pertaining to the shooter genre.

" Please fill out the following information to apply for the Resistance 2 Public Beta. Remember, to qualify, you must:

* Have access to a PLAYSTATON®3 system that is connected to the internet via a broadband connection.
* Have an active PLAYSTATON®3 Network Account.
* Be 18 years or older.

We'll notify you via e-mail if you are accepted into the Public Beta. Space is limited. So, if you want to get a chance to try out all the new multiplayer features in Resistance 2, such as the 8-player co-op and up to 60-player competitive multiplayer, apply now! Good luck!"

Dead Space dev diary: Zero-gravity gameplay

Battlefield: Bad Company Adding PS3 Trophies, Unlocking Bonus Weapons

EA's hopping on the PlayStation Trophy bandwagon, adding support for Sony's answer to Achievements after the fact in an upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company update. The game joins PSN release NovaStrike as the latest to pledge Trophy support, making it borderline newsworthy as one of the new cool kids on the block.

In addition to that change, the official Bad Company site writes that further tweaks are coming, including technical performance fixes and the availability of bonus weapons, previously only available to those who had pre-ordered or opted in to the newsletter. Boosh! Wait... that's not right.

Here's How You'll Get Your Kratos Sackboy, UK

While we found out recently how we'll get our hands on the Kratos Sackboy in LittleBigPlanet on this side of the pond, those in the UK have a more straightforward method to acquire him — one that thankfully doesn't require multiple pre-order nonsense. He'll be included in the next issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK via a unique code, ensuring that your Play.com pre-order is safe and sound.

We Americans are going to have to choose between a Nariko and Kratos, given the respective Best Buy and GameStop pre-order scheme. Here's to hoping Sony provides an alternate method that requires effort on par with downloading some PlayStation 3 wallpapers or making a post on Kotaku.

PSN shooter has funny name, scrolls sideways

Killzone 2 Multiplayer Beta on PSN "Later This Year"

UK, September 1, 2008 - The first screenshot of the cloak suit from Killzone 2 has just plopped from Sony's loins and it's starting to get us excited about the forthcoming multiplayer beta. The pic shows a group of Helghast troops running along a darkened corridor – no surprise there – but the solider nearest the camera appears to be dissolving. It's the first time we've seen the game's active camo suit in action and players who choose the Scout class in the beta (and indeed the final game) have this cloak suit at their disposal, meaning they're incredibly difficult to spot in the middle of a firefight.

Here's how it works: with the camo suit equipped, players who remain motionless are practically impossible to see, appearing only as a visual glitch much like the Predator suit in the classic '80s movie. When you move the effect lessens somewhat depending on your speed, although you'll still be partially concealed if you walk slowly through the shadows, as displayed in the screen below.



The Scout also has a secondary ability that enables them to tag all on-screen enemies with a hidden marker, broadcasting their coordinates to team-mates.

Sony has also lifted the lid on the other classes that will appear in the Beta, which is currently in internal testing and is scheduled to go live over the PSN later this year. First up is the Rifleman, who's the default troop type in the game. They start with a variety of primary and secondary weapons, including grenades, and bigger and better guns can be unlocked as you progress through the ranks. Then there's the Engineer, whose primary skill is the ability to set up an automated turret that targets the enemy, plus they can repair ammunition dumps, mounted guns and turrets that have been damaged in battle.

Although not a natural first choice to Beta players, the Medic can revive downed team-mates if they get to their bloodied bodies quickly enough, plus they can throw health packs which can be collected by other players. The Assault trooper is the heavy weapons guy and it kitted out with thick armour that can take twice as much punishment as a regular Kevlar vest. His secondary ability is a temporary speed boost that enables him to get stuck into a firefight in double-quick time, or run in the opposite direction if you're low on health.

The Tactician is the captain of the group and can drop coloured smoke grenades throughout a level, which serve as spawn points for the rest of the team. This skill proves essential on the bigger maps in the Beta as it allows for a steady flow of friendly troops on the front line. Tacticians can request air support too, calling in a sentry bot that fly low and tear through the enemy.

Finally there's the Saboteur, who can infiltrate the opposition by assuming the guise of a random enemy player and is also equipped with sticky proximity-activated C4 charges – perfect for lobbing near the enemy spawn point once you've crept through their ranks!

Here's the really interesting bit though - the classes in Killzone 2 aren't as rigid as those in other games, so if you choose to play as a Scout you're not necessarily limited to just those skills. Instead you're free to mix and match to some extent, taking a class's primary ability and mixing it with another's secondary. So, for example, if you choose to be a Scout but take the engineer's secondary skill it's possible to slowly sneak over to the enemy base without being seen, thanks to the cloak suit, and then place a sentry gun that makes mincemeat of the bad guys as soon as they appear.

Since both ISA and Heghast factions will have the same class types and abilities available to them, albeit with slight variations in the specific weapons and gear set-ups, it's pretty much an even playing field. However, with so much scope for playing around with the skills there really is every incentive to be as creative as you can, to get that much-needed advantage over the enemy.

SOCOM: Confrontation Public Beta 1.10 Patch and Server update

We will be performing server maintenance and rolling out a new patch on September 9th at 5am PDT, 1200 GMT. The SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation game servers will be unavailable during the maintenance. The server maintenance is not expected to last longer than 1 1/2 hours.

SOCOM: Confrontation Public Beta 1.10 Patch

• Adds support for European EULAs.
• Adds support for dedicated servers located in Europe and Australia.
• Addresses a number of stability and late joining issues.
• Reduce the volume of the proximity chat by 50%.

The server maintenance and patch are not meant to address all issues. We will have more updates to both the server and client in the future.

Regards,
SOCOM Confrontation Online Team

D3 Says Bye-Bye To UMD, Hello To PSN For PSP Releases

D3Publisher is bringing its PSP library to the PlayStation Store, meaning that games like Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and WTF: work time fun will shed their UMD mortal coils, becoming glorious digital downloads at prices well below their real world retail predecessors. Over the next two months, the following PSP games will be added to the PlayStation Stores on both the PlayStation 3 and PC, giving you a chance to play some potentially missed gems without having to get up off your ass.

Cube – September 18, 2008 for $9.99.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords – September 18, 2008 for $14.99.
WTF: work time fun – October 2, 2008 for $9.99.
PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient – October 2, 2008 for $9.99.
PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 – October 16, 2008 for $14.99.
Dead Head Fred - October 16, 2008 for $14.99.

You know, for ten bucks, I could maybe see some PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient in my life.

Infamous Interview with IGN UK: "The moon's going to crack in two..."

IGN: We just saw the demo for the first time and we're seriously impressed. It's a really accomplished open world. Was that a big technical challenge?

Nate Fox: It's been difficult making an open world, mainly because the technology costs of getting the streaming working are really high. As you might imagine, it's really fun making an open world game, because when you put something new in the game it's all over the place. The whole city benefits from the addition of a traffic simulation. So everyday when I'm playing the game I'm seeing new things getting added in -- like pedestrians digging in trashcans for food -- and you're just constantly surprised. It's hard because it's so vast, but it's cool in that everybody gets to share in this thing. It's not like lots of little pieces. It's like one big cake.

IGN: Do you feel any pressure because it's a new IP?

Nate Fox: I think there is a certain pressure because you're defining what it is first time out, but it's really exciting too because you get to define what it is, you're not bound by the fiction you established in the first one. Say, for instance, we're working on a superpower and it's not much fun, we can cut it because it's not part of the canon, right? We've got the freedom to just focus on making the game as fun as possible.

IGN: The whole world seemed scalable from what we saw in the demo -- has that been difficult to implement?

Nate Fox: Our rule is that if you think you should be able to climb on it, we let you do it. It's a tough rule to stick to, but it's worth it because there's a sense of freedom. Because it's an open world game, it's freedom in all three dimensions, so it's very tactile. It has been really hard because we wanted to make our interface really easy and not a complex combination of button presses like playing the saxophone or anything. We have a full time employee, and all he does is make things be climbable, that's all he does.

IGN: How are the missions going to present themselves?

Nate Fox: Our mission structure is kind of similar to GTA in that you have this open world and then you become aware that a mission exists. Our missions are different in that they have very strong beginnings, middles and ends with a lot of scripted events along the way to make you feel like you're the star of the action. You're the big event in the city.

IGN: Are you happy that a lot of people are comparing it to Crackdown?

Nate Fox: I think it's up to journalists to decide. It's like saying 'Do you like Aliens? Do you like Star Wars?' They're both science fiction, so that's great. Fun games are fun games. I think Crackdown's a blast to play, but I don't think our game's like Crackdown. There's a city and a guy who can do a lot of spectacular things in a city.

IGN: How much of the Sly games are in there -- is it identifiably a Sucker Punch game?

Nate Fox: There are certainly aspects of the Sly Racoon franchise in Infamous. There's a love of story and character development, as well as a sense of improvisational gameplay where you make up how you interact with the environment and enemies, which is something that we really like from Sly 2.

IGN: So it's exclusively a single-player game?

Nate Fox: We'll tell you in two months time. Right now we're showing the single-player stuff, which we're excited about and it's going to be fun. That's currently our schtick.

IGN: What exactly is going to happen in two months time?

Nate Fox: The moon's going to crack in two and out of it will come all knowledge of Infamous.

IGN: How's it working with Sony Worldwide Studios?

Nate Fox: I feel very, very lucky because our Sony producers are smart. They come in and they look at our product and they give us a lot of crisp critical feedback and it's great because they make our game a lot better. The game wouldn't be half as good without them being so honest and frank and then giving us the freedom to solve things how we see fit. They've also shown us the power of user testing, watching kids play the game, see where they get frustrated and internalise it, so when you make new content you're a better designer for it. I'm grateful.

IGN: We spoke to Richard Lemarchand of Naughty Dog recently, and he said it's like a big family. Is there a real sense of community?

Nate Fox: There's a fair amount of sharing with other studios, but the big one is that our producer Brady Hunt is also the producer for Insomniac and Naughty Dog, so it does feel like a family atmosphere. Everyone's really friendly and they're willing to tell you how they've solved technical problems or artistic problems. That's great, because we shouldn't all have to reinvent the wheel. The gamers benefit from us communicating with each other because they get better games, and we benefit because we can help each other.

Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 25 - Aug. 31: Supercollider edition

Got any exciting plans for this coming Thursday? Perhaps you've got front row tickets for a Black Eyed Peas concert. Maybe you're meeting your biological father for the first time in your life, a result of him faking his death to escape a hefty mob debt while you were a toddler. Perhaps you've enrolled in Afro-Cuban disco step funk classes at your local community college. Maybe you simply plan on tending to your piñata garden, reclining in the swaying shade of the monkeynut trees. All those sound great -- which is why it gives us a heavy heart to inform you that none of those things, not your estranged progenitor, your community college, your precious piñatas, or Will.i.am, will exist on Thursday.

The Large Hadron Collider, a sixteen-mile long, seven story tall ring of death which straddles the border of Germany and Switzerland, will see to that. We're not exactly sure what it does, but we are fairly certain of a few things -- for instance, we know that despite its colossal size, it runs almost entirely on car batteries and hubris. We also know that it's the world's biggest particle collider, and that trying to shoot one particle into another from miles away is pretty difficult. Oh, also, we know that during its inaugural run this Wednesday, it's going to create a sustainable black hole that's going to devour mankind, the Milky Way galaxy, and Will.i.am.

Sure, the eight-thousand physicists that have worked on the project have assured mankind that the odds of that last event occuring are approximately one-in-a-thrillion -- but of course they would say that. We know the truth, and have already begun selling our automobiles, gaming systems, and houses to afford a sturdy craft that will carry us far from the gravity well's sinister reach. Unfortunately, we're pretty certain we bought a 1974 Gremlin wrapped in duct tape with a jumbo-size roman candle tucked into the tailpipe. We'll let you know how it works out for us.

- DS Lite: 56,439 444 (0.79%)
- PSP: 41,664 5,940 (12.48%)
- Wii: 35,755 582 (1.65%)
- PS3: 9,775 755 (8.37%)
- PS2: 8,810 390 (4.63%)
- Xbox 360: 3,124 427 (12.02%)

Joystiq Presents PS3 Fanboy Sony admits more can be done to highlight PS3 value message

If you read this blog, chances are you're already familiar with Sony's "10 year mantra." PS3 is an incredible piece of tech with a lot of value built into the system. However, does your average Walmart shopper know about the things PS3 can offer? Probably not. With the $200 price difference between the cheapest Xbox 360 and PS3, Sony understands that it must do a better job at marketing its message. Julie Han, Sony corporate communications, told Gamasutra that "there's a lot we can do on the marketing front," especially about features, like PS3's video store, and its connectivity with PSP. Are these things that are spoken about beyond hardcore gaming circles? Unlikely.

"We don't talk enough" about Sony's "future-proofing" strategy, she admits. "With the recession, as people are ... on tighter budgets, they're going to be much more conscious of how they spend their money." Sony must now try and communicate to consumers directly why the PS3 is a better option for them, even if it is more expensive.

In spite of Microsoft's price drop, Sony has no plans to follow suit just yet. In fact, they're rather confident about the upcoming holiday season. "We're really confident that consumers are making choices driven by value," she says, "and we know PS3 offers that value across the board, with the built-in Blu-ray player the broadest and deepest software lineup in the industry, with LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, Motorstorm [Pacific Rift]... we're quite confident our holiday sales will be good."

Hydrophobia - one to watch out for. Pt1.

Keith Stuart has been looking at Hydrophobia - Blade Interactive’s watery adventure game. Part one of this feature fills you in on what the game is all about and why it’s looking so promising. Parts two and three will be an interview with Pete Jones, one of Blade Interactive’s MDs, and Rob Hewson, the game’s designer…

One of the cult stars of this year’s largely disappointing E3 was a futuristic adventure, created by a UK developer best know for, well, snooker sims. Hydrophobia is the latest project from Blade Interactive, previously responsible for the solid, if not exactly epoch-shattering likes of World Snooker Championship 2007. But anyone who saw the company’s brief yet scintillating E3 tech demo will know this game is about as far from Steve Davis as human comprehension can deal with. “We often say that Hydrophobia is Die Hard meets, Titanic, meets the Abyss, meets Deep Blue Sea, meets Under Siege,” says joint MD, Pete Jones. Which is a lengthy description, but by the looks of things, extremely accurate.

Set in a nightmarish near-future where rising water levels have sunk most of mankind, Hydrophobia is based aboard a lavish floating city, the last bastion of civilisation on a planet rapidly going to the dogfish. At the beginning of the game, the craft is bombed by a group of terrorists known as the Malthusians – named after political economist Thomas Malthus who predicted that population growth would one day outpace agricultural production, returning society to a subsistence level of existence. Yep, like Bioshock, this is a game with quiet socio-political pretensions. While 2K Boston‘s epic studied the barmy objectivism of Ayn Rand, Hydrophobia is a sort of philosophical eco-thriller, operating at the end of Earth’s ability to sustain human life. Which is a bit more interesting than Nazis and space monsters.

As security officer Kate Wilson, you must escape the stricken vessel while battling the vengeful eco warriors. But as the tech demo suggests, this isn’t just a standard corridor-based blast-‘em-up. Hydrophobia features a real-time fluid dynamics engine, pitching the player against a new enemy; water. The stuff is everywhere, flooding compartments, blowing out doors, submerging key items and providing a neat way to get rid of enemies. See that room full of bad guys? Chuck a floating grenade into the flooded chamber next door and boom, the wall collapses and they’re under 10,000 gallons of gushing brine.

Tecmo And Koei In Talks To Merge

On the heels of rejecting Square Enix's "friendly" takeover, Tecmo announced a merger with Japanese game maker Koei is in the works. Today, talks between both companies commenced for a tentative merger, and an "Integrated Management Committee" was created. Both companies hope to balance each other's portfolios — Tecmo is popular in the West with its fighting franchise Dead or Alive and action series Ninja Gaiden while Koei is popular in Japan (and Asia) for its historical hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors. From the statement issued by Tecmo today.


Kotaku.com

Tecmo Rejects Square Enix's Takeover Offer

On August 28th, Kotaku first broke the news that Square Enix made an offer to Tecmo for a "friendly" takeover. Squar Enix's plan included offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium. The Tecmo Board of Directors had until today, September 4, to approve or reject this offer. Square Enix stated it would withdraw it's offer if Tecmo rejected it.

Tecmo has just released a statement regarding this offering. That translated, after the jump.

http://kotaku.com/5045253/tecmo-rejects-square-enixs-takeover-offer

PS3 Fanboy Trophy Portal

With the introduction of Trophies via firmware 2.40, Sony has turned many of us into rabid Trophy collectors. We're contacting as many publishers and developers as we can and keeping our ears to the ground in order to find out which games will be supporting them in the future. This page will list all the games we know to be supporting trophies at one time or another, as well as those games which, sadly, never will.

We'll also have links to our trophy lists for each game as they become available, as well as trophy guides, to help with any tasks you may be having trouble with. Keep up to date with all the trophy news with our ever-evolving list:

Supported Now

* Buzz! Quiz TV (Trophy List)
* PixelJunk Eden (Trophy List) (Trophy Guide coming soon!)
* Super Stardust HD (Trophy List) (Trophy Guide)
* Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Trophy List)
* Warhawk (Trophy List) New!

To Be Supported At Release

* Aliens: Colonial Marines
* Alpha Protocol
* Bayonetta
* BioShock
* Blitz: The League II
* Borderlands
* Call of Duty: World at War
* Crash Commando
* Dead Space
* EndWar
* FarCry 2
* Godfather II
* HAWX
* Heroes Over Europe
* Killzone 2
* Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
* LittleBigPlanet
* Mirror's Edge
* Mortal Kombat vs. DC
* MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
* NBA 09 (Trophy List)
* Penny Arcade Adventures
* Prince of Persia
* Project Origin
* Quantum of Solace
* Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic
* Red Faction: Guerrilla
* Resistance 2
* Rock Band 2 (Trophy List)
* Saints Row 2
* Shaun White's Snowboard
* SOCOM: Confrontation
* Sonic Unleashed
* Stormrise
* Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars
* This is Vegas
* Two Worlds: The Temptation
* Wheelman
* WipEout HD
* X-Blades

To Be Patched

* Bionic Commando: Rearmed (link)
* Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
* Burnout Paradise (link)
* Ferrari Challenge
* Flock
* NovaStrike
* PAIN (link) (Trophy List)
* PixelJunk Monsters
* SingStar

Will Not Be Patched

* 1942 (link)
* Call of Duty 4 (link)
* Civilization Revolution (link)
* Devil May Cry 4 (link)
* GRID (link)
* Mercenaries 2
* Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
* Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (link)
* Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
* Resistance: Fall of Man (link)

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/trophies

In addition to Sony announcing a PS3-specific Bluetooth Headset today, the PlayStation 3 manufacturer divulged that an upcoming firmware update for the PS3 would be designed specifically with the Headset in mind.

Below is the full roster of updates that the firmware upgrade will address.

* High-Quality (HQ) mode -- This delivers high quality online voice chat and high bandwidth voice recording and playback, which is currently not available with any other Bluetooth Headset. For future PS3 games, HQ Mode also can enable or enhance advanced in-game features:
o Voice command (the ability to direct AI characters using voice)
o Voice animation (your in-game character mimics you during voice chat)
o Proximity chat (high quality voice playback in full surround sound to match all of the sound effects and voiceovers in the game)
* When docked in the supplied charging cradle, the Headset works as a desktop microphone while charging
* Automatic pairing of the Headset with PS3 system via a USB cable
* Exclusive PS3 on-screen indicator displays connection status, battery charge level, speaker volume level and microphone mute status at a push of a button

http://www.dailygame.net/news/archives/008217.php

Confirmed titles showing at TGS 2008 - Part 1

Like every other year, the titles that will be on show at TGS get revealed in segments. The first segment of publishers have announced their titles today.

http://www.inside-games.jp/news/310/31010.html

Of interest:

- Acquire will be showing a new unannounced title.

- Ryu ga Gotoku 3 and Infinite Line will be at Sega's booth.

- MMV is showing a shitload of titles (see earlier thread).

- Level 5 will be showing off Layton 3 as well as the new Inazuma Eleven title (console).

Total titles to be on show: 462 titles

Wii - 27 titles
PS3 - 12 titles
Xbox360 - 14 titles
DS - 78 titles
PSP - 13 titles
PS2 - 8 titles
Mobile - 76 titles
PC - 98 titles
Others - 136 titles


Arc System Works
- Lair Land Story (PSP)
- Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus (PSP)
- Guilty Gear 2 Overture (Xbox360)

Acquire
- New title
- Ken to Mahou to Gakuen Mono (PSP)
- Tenchu 4 (Wii)
- Samurai 3 (PS3)

Interchannel
- 2 new titles

SNK Playmore
- KoF 2002 Unlimited Match (PS2)
- KoF '98 Ultimate Match (Xbox360)
- ADK Spirits (PS2)
- Samurai Spirits Rokuban (PSP)
- Kimi no Yuusha (DS)

EA
- Boku to Sim no Machi Kingdom (Wii/DS)
- Fifa 09 World Class Soccer (PS3/PSP/Xbox360)
- Fifa 09 All Play (Wii)
- Mercenaries 2 (PS3/Xbox360)
- Mirror's Edge (PS3/Xbox360)

Koei
- Saihai no Yukue (DS)
- Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special (PS2)
- G1 Jockey Wii 2008 (Wii)
- Neo Angelique Special (PSP)
- Nobunaga's Ambition Online (PS2)

Silverstar Japan
- 6 different WiiWare cheapo board games
- 2 DS cheapo board games

Sega
- Ryu ga Gotoku 3 (PS3)
- 428 (Wii)
- Sonic World Adventure (Wii/PS3/Xbox360)
- Culdcept DS (DS)
- Infinite Line (DS)
- Blazer Drive (DS)
- Shiren DS2 (DS)

D3 Publisher
- Simple DS Vol44 The Gal Mahjong (DS)
- Magical Brain Power!! DS (DS)
- Shinsengumi DS (DS)
- Unknown Soldier (DS)
- RIZ-ZOAWD (DS)
- Simple DS Vol43 The Host Shouze! (DS)
- Detroit Metal City DS (DS)
- VitaminY (DS)

The Behemoth
- Castle Crashers (Xbox360)
- Alien Hominid HD (Xbox360)

From Software
- Tenchu 4 (Wii)
- Ninja Blade (Xbox360)

Marvelous Entertainment
- Arc Rise Fantasia (Wii)
- Avalon Code (DS)
- Rune Factory Frontier (Wii)
- Oboro (Wii)
- Little King Story (Wii)
- Hitman Reborn! (Wii/PS2)
- Romantica (PS2)
- Zero no Tsukaima (PS2)
- Ikkitousen (PSP)
- ToLoveRu (PSP)
- ToLoveRu (DS)
- Yasoukyoku (DS)
- Harvest Moon Wakuwaku Animal March (Wii)

Yuudoo
- Aero Guitar (Wii)

Level 5
- Layton 3 (DS)
- Inazuma Eleven new title

LittleBigPlanet Beta Coming This Month

While playing LittleBigPlanet may be old hat to some of us, you, the commoner, may be getting your hands on a Sackboy as soon as September. That's this month! According to a post from the official PlayStation forums, a public beta test for the PlayStation 3 is planned for sometime this month, the details of which are unfortunately largely detail-free.

There will be a limited public beta test for LittleBigPlanet in September. If it will be possible to "sign up" for this test, full information on how to do so will be made public in advance of the test. Similarly if the test is going to be conducted in an invitation-only we will let you know ahead of time.

That means it could be as simple as downloading a PS3 theme, as Sony did with the Home beta. However, should the powers that be decide that an early look at LittleBigPlanet will require sending in your severed pinky, we suspect the turnout would still be pretty darn good.

http://kotaku.com/5044576/littlebigplanet-beta-coming-this-month

Check your email: Home beta invites sent

You may have downloaded the PlayStation Home theme from the PSN Store thinking, "How can this possibly work? How will I know I've ... won?" The answer to that question arrived today for the Selected Ones, the latest batch of Home beta recruits who were informed via email that they'd won out over the presumably thousands of others who'd downloaded the theme. That's right: Sony knows where you live your email address.

Sony isn't saying how many invites are going out, but has confirmed that it's happening in waves over the next 24 hours, so keep checking your email if you haven't received one yet – you might still get lucky. We're told by Sony that another "beta wave" will hit in the next few weeks, so look for more news on that as we get it. Did you land an invite? Lets us know in comments, and have fun Home-ing.

resistance 2 releasing nov 4 co-op beta starting early oct

Gun-toting xenophobes, rejoice! Sony has confirmed that Resistance 2, much like all games ever, will have its North American release in the alarmingly crowded month of November -- the 4th, to be exact. Insomniac's ambitious first-person shooter will also arrive in the company of a fancy, $79.99 collector's edition, complete with the usual making-of videos, art books and snarling statuettes.

If you're the impatient type who simply can't wait to take some shots with at a digital Chimera, you'll be pleased to note that Sony has a multiplayer and co-operative public beta planned for early October. To gain "guaranteed access," you'll either have to pre-order Resistance 2 at Gamestop, purchase an annual subscription to the PSN's interactive magazine Qore, or simply purchase Qore Episode 3. There's a free option too -- register here -- but it does not guarantee entry to the beta.

New PSP Finally Dated for Japan, Bundles Announced

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan also announced today that the revamped PSP (PSP-3000) has a Japan release date: October 16th. According to the press release, the new PSP will be priced at ¥19,800 (US$183). What's more, Sony announced that the upcoming PSP bundles for titles Gundam vs. Gundam, Patapon 2 and DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY will of course be packaged with the PSP-3000. Those bundles will hit later this year and be priced at ¥24,840 ($230), ¥23,800 ($220) and ¥25,890 ($240) respectively.

Sony Unveils PS3 Wireless Bluetooth Headset

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has just announced a Bluetooth wireless headset for the PS3 — which we previously covered. The headset is priced at ¥5,000 (US$46) and will be released in Japan on October 30th. It is bundled with a cradle that can be used to charge the headset, and the headset offers up to 8 hours of talk time and up to 300 hours of standby. It has an operating range of up to approximately 10 meters — or roughly 33 feet.

Hit the jump for the press release.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN TO RELEASE
NEW WIRELESS HEADSET FOR PLAYSTATION®3
Bluetooth® Supported Wireless Headset to Enjoy Voice Chat on PS3®

Tokyo, September 2, 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. responsible for business operations in Japan, today announced that it would release Bluetooth® installed Wireless Headset for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3®) on October 30th, 2008, in Japan at a recommended retail price of 5,000 yen (including tax). With this new Wireless Headset, users will be able to enjoy the most immersive on-line communication on new software titles supporting on-line chat feature, such as SOCOM: CONFRONTATION*1 available on October 30th, Resistance™ 2 available on November 13th, and MotorStorm™: Pacific Rift available this autumn, all from Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios.

Offering simple operation and accessible voice chat on PS3, this sleek and compact Wireless Headset is an ear hook type headset, designed to fit either ear. Installed with Bluetooth, it pairs automatically with PS3 by simply using the bundled USB cable. The inner ear phone speaker of the new Headset along with the noise cancelling feature when in High Quality mode delivers stable, superior sound.

Additionally, the bundled cradle can be used to charge the battery which will allow maximum of eight hours of voice chat when fully charged. While the Headset is connected to PS3, it will support on-screen indicator showing the headset connection status, battery charge level, and other things like speaker volume level and microphone mute status at a push of a button.

SCEJ will continue to further expand the PS3 platform to create a new world of computer entertainment with enhanced line-up of PS3 platform and accessories, along with up coming exciting new titles.

*1 SOCOM: CONFRONTATION will be available in three versions: Blu-Ray Disc version (3,800 yen including tax), Blu-Ray Disc version bundled with Wireless Headset (limited edition for 8,000yen including tax), and PLAYSTATION®Store Downloadable version (3,500 yen including tax). This product is on-line action game and users will need broadband network connection in order to enjoy the game.

* Users will need to install the latest system software update to use the Wireless Headset.

LittleBigPlanet Bundle in Europe CONFIRMED

A European LittleBigPlanet bundle has just been confirmed for 399 Euros. It should be reminded that the pack will contain a DUALSHOCK3 controller and 80GB of HDD. Full details after the jump.

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fjeux-video.fnac.com%2Fa2474527%2FConsole-de-jeux-Console-de-jeux-de-salon-Console-Sony-PlayStation-3-PS3-80-Go-Little-Big-Planet%3FPID%3D31514%26Mn%3D-1%26Ra%3D-5000%26To%3D0%26Nu%3D8%26Fr%3D10&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=fr&tl=en

Short SOCOM Public Beta Delay

Hi folks,

Well, I've got some good and not so good news. The good news is that we are still on track to delivering a kick-ass experience come October. The bad news is that because we are working so hard to ensure the final product is fantastic, we've decided to push back the Public Beta date just a few days in order to bump up the experience even more. So, the new launch date for the Public Beta is now Friday, September 5th (QORE members will start the following Friday, September 12).

The other good news is that we are not cutting down the length of the Public Beta one bit. It will still run for a full month - from 9/5 to 10/5 - so you and your clanmates can still practice as long as you want and then be ready to go for the full game later in October.

Myself, my team and Slant Six are burning the midnight oil to ensure this game is the best it can possibly be for you guys. We completely understand it’s hard to wait when you haven't had a chance to play it yet but, rest assured, the wait will be worth it. If you haven't done it already, you can pre-order the game from GameStop® in the US to get into the Public Beta (EB Games™ for our brethren to the North). Make sure to bring along 2 extra friends once you register and get the email promo code from us; that code will let them in too. You're not going to get another Public Beta out there that will give you and your squad-mates so much access.

Best,
Seth

Credit to http://socom.us.playstation.com/post/2008/08/Public-Beta.aspx#comment

The Penny Arcade Expo 2008 (PAX 2008) is about to begin and will be running all weekend, from August 29th to August 31st.

The PAX expo has really grown by leaps and bounds the past few years and this year promises to be even bigger than last. In some ways the show is on track to become as important an annual convention as E3 was.

And that means that lots and lots of games will be on display and playable to anyone at the show, which is open to the public. And many of those games will be making their first public appearance.

Here is the list of what Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are showing at PAX 2008.

Microsoft

1. Gears of War 2

2. Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

3. Project Origin

4. Castle Crashers (XBLA)

5. LEGO Batman

6. Fable 2

7. Infinite Undiscovery

8. Little Gamers (XBLA)

9. JellyCar (XBLA)

Sony

1. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)

2. Resistance 2 (PS3)

3. Resistance: Retribution (PSP)

4. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation (PS3)

5. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (PS3)

6. The Last Guy (PSN)

7. Wipeout HD (PSN)

8. Crash Commando (PSN)

9. Savage Moon (PSN)

10. Rag Doll Kungfu: Fists of Plastic (PSN)

Nintendo

1. Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS)

2. Rhythm Heaven (DS)

3. Wii Music (Wii)

4. Shaun White Snowboarding (Wii)

5. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood(DS)

6. Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (DS)

7.Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels (Wii)

8. Star Wars The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance (DS)

9. Chrono Trigger (DS)

10. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)

11. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (DS)

12. Skate it (Wii)

13. WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009

14. The Conduit (Wii)

15. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii)

Thirty four titles total. Not bad. Not bad at all. It’s interesting to see Nintendo with the largest line-up of games. Quite surprising if you ask me but definitely kudos to them for taking advantage of Penny Arcade to show their wares.

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2008/08/30/pax-2008-line-up-from-the-big-3-sony-microsoft-and-nintendo.htm

No Gears Of War 2 For You, PC Gamers

Gears 1 on PC looked cleaner! Now with added Brumak! It was a flagship title for the Games For Windows Live push! So Gears of War 2 will be bigger, more badass, right? Wrong. So wrong. Dude Huge has told IGN that Epic have "decided we're not going to do a PC version this time around". Could mean just that, there won't be a Gears of War 2 on PC. Or it could just mean that when it does come to PC, Epic won't be the team behind it. Who knows, maybe Gearbox will have a spare team lying around, we hear they're open to that kind of wet work.

The Official Vault Dweller's Survival Guide In Pictures

I know I've been going on and on and on about the Fallout 3 presence at Penny Arcade Expo, but seriously, they really deserve it. Take, for instance, this handy-dandy Vault Dweller's Survival Guide they've been handing out to everyone who stops by. Not only does the 47-page book explain how to adapt to the outside world and warn you about radiation: the silent killer, it also explains "The Unappetizing Truth", aka the reality of cannibalism.







http://kotaku.com/5043825/the-official-vault-dwellers-survival-guide-in-pictures

Square Enix Aiming For Majority Stake In Tecmo

The turmoil continues for beleagured Tecmo, which has been rocked by lawsuits from Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki and the resignation of its president. Now Square Enix is moving in to buy Tecmo in what they're calling a "friendly deal."

Kotaku and Reuters are reporting that SE aims to buy more than half of Tecmo's shares at 920 yen each, 30 percent more than the studio's previous closing price. SE called the it a "friendly deal," and said that they would not pursue the bid if Tecmo didn't respond by September 4 or rejected the proposal outright.

SE will be giving a briefing on the proposal at 1 PM Japan time, so check back for more details around midnight eastern time. Until then, feel free to take bets on a Cloud Strife cameo in the next Dead or Alive game.

Tekken 6 to be delayed to 2009?

It looks like fighting fans may have to wait just a bit longer for Tekken 6 to hit the PS3. Earlier today, the Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion upgrade was announced for the arcade version of Tekken 6. Like Dark Resurrection, Bloodline Rebellion should add new stages, sound tracks, costumes, characters, and bug fixes to the existing version of Tekken 6. Bloodline Rebellion will hit arcades in December of this year.

Originally slated for a 2008 release, the console version of Namco Bandai's fighter was sidelined in order to get its other fighting franchise, Soul Calibur IV, out on the market. The console version of Tekken 6 will be most likely be delayed to incorporate these new updates, possibly even into 2009.

American PSN update for August 28th

This week's update in America is rather unsurprising. In fact, it looks like our European update earlier today: The Last Guy and the Warhawk expansion are what we're sure everyone is eyeing. That free Soulcalibur demo is a nice perk too.

Downloadable Games

* The Last Guy ($9.99)

Add-on Content:

* Rock Band DLC
* Warhawk Fallen Star Pack ($7.99)
* Warhawk Booster Combo ($15.99)

Game Demos

* NHL 09
* Soulcalibur IV


Game Videos:

* LittleBigPlanet Leipzig "Sackzilla" Trailer
* Motorstorm Pacific Rift Leipzig Trailer
* PAIN Trauma Mode Trailer
* GT5 Prologue Play the Pros with Tanner Foust!
* Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Machine Gun & Bazooka Video
* Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Squad Gameplay Video
* Facebreaker Audition Video #1
* Facebreaker Audition Video #2
* Facebreaker Audition Video #3
* Madden NFL 09 Gameplay Trailer
* Madden NFL 09 Play Call Trailer
* Top Spin 3 Player Creator Trailer

Movie and Blu-ray Trailers:

* Quantum Of Solace
* Prom Night

PS3 Wallpaper:

* The Last Guy

EXTRACTION