With E3 fast approaching, we’ve decided to put this video up to demonstrate the awesomeness that we will never see there.  The following should be considered “not safe for work,” but it might be worth the risk to watch it right now anyways.

This video is from last year’s Games Convention in Germany.  I have no idea what the game is they are promoting, but we are officially giving it a 10.  E3 and it’s booth babe-itude has drastically reduced over the past few years, but at least the Europeans still have their heads on straight.  Okay, I’ll stop writing now and let the video speak for itself.

Well here’s some great news for the often forgotten Europeans.  Although North American’s must pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4 to access the Metal Gear Online Beta, Europeans will be able to download the Beta for free, and with no need for a code. Follow the jump for more information.

In reporting new information on the Playstation Store relaunch and its included content, there was a nugget of information that would be easily overlooked if it wasn’t spelled out.  Sony Europe confirmed that the Metal Gear Online Beta would be available on April 17th, but we presumed this would only be for thos who pre-ordered. 

We then realised that, as of yet, there were no reports of Beta Codes in Europe. Konami thus made things all the clearer today, saying that the “Metal Gear Online Premiere Beta will be available as a free download on the Playstation Store from April 17th until May 6th.”  The Beta itself will begin on April 21st (plenty of time to get hold of this presumably very popular download) and end on May 6th.

The beta phase features two maps, four gameplay modes, the SOP System that encourages up to 16 players to team up and share information, and deep skill-customization. Also equipped with auto-matching and training modes, the game offers players a sneak peak of this totally new approach to console-based competitive gaming.

Bring on the Metal Gear Online Beta for all Europeans (and hopefully others in the Pal region, including Australia) and those North Americans who were clever enough to pre-order.  Take that Chad!

Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe has confirmed that two different PS3 bundles are going to making their way into Europe. Both are going to be the 40GB SKU with a Sixaxis One. One contains Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and the other (initially only available to the French) packs 3 Blu-Rays: 300, Casino Royale, and Spiderman 3.

The Blu-Ray bundle may later expand to Spain/Italy. Both sets are due for a March 28th release.

I say Europeans are only semi-lucky because both bundles are priced at €399. What do you have to show for this price? No backwards compatibility and a Sixaxis (instead of a DualShock 3).

Although I applaud Sony for trying to add value, they could’ve at least included software backwards compatibility and a DualShock 3, which will more or less render the Sixaxis obsolete. Unless you enjoy a lack of rumble, that is.

At least some good comes of this. For you car-heads across the pond, this confirms a March 28th release of GT5: P, if not sooner.

Although, given the choice. I’d still go for that just announced snazzy MGS4PS3, partly because I love acronyms.

Source: Next-Gen.biz

In a reply to the question “Will the downloadable content be region coded?”on the Official Playstation Blog, Dylan Jobe of Incognito responded with:

More or less yes…it’s not based on hardware region code, but based on the region where you purchased the game Warhawk. USA, Europe, Japan, etc.

This presumably means that Warhawk importers need to buy the US Omega Dawn Pack, which isn’t possible since foreigners can’t buy content from the US Playstation Store.

There may be a get around, since there is an online Warhawk store which will prompt you to buy the pack. The store might recognise that you have a US copy of Warhawk and thus forward the US pack to you. However, this would make the region-coding slightly pointless.

I for one am not willing to buy the pack with my hard earned monies to discover if this does indeed work, even though the pack appears to be up early. I should have grabbed it when it was free.

Leave us a comment if you’re in the same situation.

Along with the v1.2 update released today came an in-game store, where the new Omega Dawn Booster pack could be bought from. However, Europeans were treated to the pack for 0.00 Euro’s – that’s right it was free and now some lucky buggers are flying in the new map right now.

This news was unfortunately posted on the Official Playstation forums and is now unavailable. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to buy the pack for $7.99 or £3.99.

Dylan Jobe also revealed yesterday that new booster packs will likely follow if the demand is there.

*Update 1* – Some are reporting that The Booster Pack is available for download right now, but you’ll have to pay.

*Update 2* - Dylan Jobe has confirmed the Booster pack is on the US Store and that they are working on bringing it back to Europe (it was taken down after some lucky peeps were getting it for free.)