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PSN Update Stymies Class Action Lawsuits

Tina Pesterfield — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:30:32 +0000

On Thursday, Sony added another mandatory update for the PlayStation Network. It was the usual half-hour affair to download and install the update, preempted by the terms of service that no one ever reads. However, Scott Grill from the Examiner found it to be a very interesting read, pointing out this juicy tidbit:

“ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS, WHETHER IN ARBITRATION OR COURT, WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR AS A NAMED OR UNNAMED MEMBER IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, REPRESENTATIVE OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL LEGALACTION, UNLESS BOTH YOU AND THE SONY ENTITY WITH WHICH YOU HAVE A DISPUTE SPECIFICALLY AGREE TO DO SO IN WRITING FOLLOWING INITIATION OF THE ARBITRATION. THIS PROVISION DOES NOT PRECLUDE YOUR PARTICIPATION AS A MEMBER IN A CLASS ACTION FILED ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 20, 2011.”

Sony was subjected to multiple class action lawsuits this year when the PSN’s security was breached by hackers, and previously experienced a series of lawsuits when they removed Linux compatibility with a mandatory firmware update. Making it impossible to opt out of future lawsuits is not exactly allowed, so Sony added another section to the update:

“IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THE BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER IN THIS SECTION 15, YOU MUST NOTIFY SNEI IN WRITING WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE DATE THAT YOU ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT. YOUR WRITTEN NOTIFICATION MUST BE MAILED TO 6080 CENTER DRIVE, 10TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90045, ATTN: LEGAL DEPARTMENT/ARBITRATION AND MUST INCLUDE: (1) YOUR NAME, (2) YOUR ADDRESS, (3) YOUR PSN ACCOUNT NUMBER, IF YOU HAVE ONE, AND (4) A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO RESOLVE DISPUTES WITH ANY SONY ENTITY THROUGH ARBITRATION.”

Instead of making it impossible, they chose to make it difficult. You can mail a letter stating that you do not want to take part in the arbitration part of the new PSN update. If you already updated, you better send that letter now – your thirty days are passing by. (As a side note, I recommend you keep a copy, send it through registered mail, and have signature delivery confirmation; keep records of everything. You wouldn’t want Sony to lose your letter.)

Sony’s PR representative, Patrick Seybold, claims the update is “designed to benefit both the consumer and the company by ensuring that there is adequate time and procedures to resolve disputes.” Many gamers disagree, as evidenced on articles and forums, as the literature clearly leans towards preventing lawsuits against Sony and not towards helping users get the protection or justice they deserve.

Long. Live. Lawsuits.

Kaz Hirai Set to Brief Press and Consumers on PSN Breach

Bryce Wilson — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:14:03 +0000

Yes, another PSN article, although this one carries some significance, as Sony‘s power hitter Kaz Hirai is set to make an official statement on the ongoing security breach currently tearing the Playstation Network a new hole.

Hirai is set to discuss Sony’s ongoing investigation into the matter which has also seen US Homeland Security offer assistance towards the investigation. Also to be discussed is the security systems protecting the online network, and plans to restore the service.

Sony has also reneged on claims that they “never requested” users’ CVC codes from the back of every debit card, however they’re now saying they did request them, but they’re never stored in the online databases that were recently stolen by hackers.

Source: [MCV]

Homeland Security Helping Investigate PSN Data Theft

Bryce Wilson — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 02:42:05 +0000

Following the theft of personal details off of the Playstation Network, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly assisting in an investigation to find those responsible.

DHS spokesman Chris Ortman offered an official statement on the situation saying;

“The Department of Homeland Security is aware of the recent cyber intrusion to Sony‘s PlayStation Network and Qriocity music service, DHS U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team [CERT] is working with law enforcement, international partners and Sony to assess the situation.”

This is following the announcement that millions of users’ personal details had been leaked during the network security breach that occurred on Sony’s online gaming service.

The CERT is able to assist in helping companies restore control and security to their services, as well as sharing prior information about hacked systems with other companies to keep them safe, too.

Source: [Gamasutra]

This Official Sony F.A.Q About The PSN Situation Will Answer All Your Questions… Except One

Dave Oshry — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:31:10 +0000

I know, I know – you’ve had enough of all this PSN bullshit already. Well, just in case you’re looking for a nice definitive place to get answers to all your questions, Sony has taken the liberty of providing them for you.

Listed below are 17 questions you’ve likely already asked yourself or someone else. You know who you haven’t asked? Sony. And you know what they still haven’t told us? When we can expect the bloody PSN to be back online!!

Anyhow, here goes:

Q.1 When did you realise the system had been intruded?

We discovered between April 17 and April 19 there was an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network.

Q.2 How did you know that the system was intruded?

We watch for any issues that may be raised with respect to security and monitor for such issues both internally and externally.

Q.3 What is the main reason to this problem? Which parts of the system were vulnerable to the intrusion?

We are currently conducting a thorough investigation of the situation. Since this is an overall security related issue, we will not comment further on this case.

Q.4 What action did you take (are you taking)? Is there any possibility of further unauthorized access?

As soon as we learned of this issue, 1) we temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services in order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services, 2) we have also engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened, and 3) quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by re-building our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information.

Q.5 How many were affected? How many per each region? What is the latest status of PlayStation Network registered account/ operating countries.

Our investigation indicates that all PlayStation Network/ Qriocity accounts may have been affected.

Q.6 Does that mean all users’ information was compromised? Tell us more in details of what personal information leaked.

In terms of possibility, yes. We believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state/province, zip or postal code), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password, login, password security answers, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data may have been obtained, including purchase history and billing address (city, state/province, zip or postal code). If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, it is possible that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may also have been obtained.

Q.7 Have you notified those users?

We are sending out e-mails directly to these users to their e-mail address registered on the PS Network accounts. Also, we have posted web notices, and additional necessary procedures have been followed by each region.

Q.8 Have you received reports or claims that their PSN ID information/ credit card had been used improperly?

Not at this point in time.

Q.9 I want to know if my account has been affected.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. Additionally, if you use the same user name or password for your PlayStation Network or Qriocity service account for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are back on line, we also strongly recommend that you log on to change your password.
For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, postal mail or other scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking.

Q.10 What should I do to prevent any unauthorized use of my (credit card) personal information?

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, postal mail or other scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. Additionally, if you use the same user name or password for your PlayStation Network or Qriocity service account for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are back on line, we also strongly recommend that you log on to change your password.
To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports.

Q.11 Since when have PSN/Qriocity become unavailable and in which region?

PSN/Qriocity services have not been available since April 20 (US time) in all regions.

Q.12 How come it is taking so much time to resume the service?

We are taking the investigation seriously. We decided to keep the service down to allow us to conduct a thorough investigation and verify smooth operation of our network services.

Q.13 How serious is this? Have the hackers broken the security on PSN/Qriocity? Are you taking necessary measures to prevent such outage happening in the future?

Since this is an overall security related issue, we will not comment further on this case but we are working to restore and maintain the services, including countermeasures against future intrusions.

Q.14 When will the service resume?

We are taking the investigation seriously. We will keep the service down to allow us to conduct a thorough investigation and verify smooth operation of our network services but are working hard to resume the services as soon as we can be reasonably assured security concerns are addressed.

Q.15 Seems like SOE service was also not available/ suffering outage. Is this true? Is this due to the same reason as the PSN/Qriocity outage?

SOE’s service is available although a service interruption due to an external attack did occur. A thorough investigation is ongoing.

Q.16 I want my money back (subscription fee, content) since the PSN/Qriocity was not available.

When the full services are restored and the length of the outage is known, we will assess the correct course of action.

Q.17 There seems to be some games that cannot be played even offline?

Depending on the game titles, but mainly PSN games, some may require access to PSN for trophy sync, security check, etc.

Well, that sure was thorough.

Do you want to ask Sony a question? Of course you do!! Feel free to do so HERE.

Stay tuned to RipTen as PSNightmare 2011 continues.

Super Stardust Devs Announcing New Game at PAX

Demi Adejuyigbe — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:44:25 +0000

While I haven’t yet been able to make my way to the west coast for the annual Penny Arcade Expo, I hear it’s quite the shindig for anyone that loves rubbing elbows with the developers that make our industry great. It’s only going to get more exciting this year as Housemarque, the developers behind Super Stardust and the upcoming Dead Nation, are announcing a new game for PSN and XBLA at the expo this year.

Their latest game, Dead Nation, isn’t even out yet, but they’re already hard at work on a new game that they plan to announce in early September. Unfortunately, they haven’t given us any hints as to what it is, so your guess is as good as mine. I’m excited to see what they do announce, as I’ve gotten more play time out of Super Stardust HD than any other PSN title. Are you gonna be in attendance at PAX? What do you hope they announce? Sound off in le comments!

Legends & Killers DLC Hits Red Dead Redemption Next Week

Demi Adejuyigbe — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:29:20 +0000

While I haven’t yet finished Red Dead Redemption, I never even touched Red Dead Revolver. I didn’t really hear anything about the game before Red Dead Redemption was announced, and I never went back to play the original. As of August 10th, I probably won’t feel the need to, as Rockstar is bringing eight characters from Red Dead Revolver to Red Dead Redemption on both Xbox Live and Playstation Network.

The Legends & Killers DLC will hit PSN for $9.99 and Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft space bucks next week, bringing a new projectile weapon, the Tomahawk, nine new map locations, and the eight aforementioned characters from Red Dead Revolver. I’d say that’s a pretty good deal for $10. I’ll certainly be dropping down the cash for it next week, but if you’re not convinced, you can check below for some screenshots from Legends & Killers.

[nggallery id=154]

Dead Space Ignition Coming to XBLA & PSN As A Dead Space 2 Prequel

Demi Adejuyigbe — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:26:00 +0000

Despite the fact that I jump whenever someone says “boo”, I’m really looking forward to Dead Space 2. Visceral’s third-person space shooter is looking like a great sequel to one of 2008′s most popular games, and for a shooter, it has a rather gripping story behind it. Visceral and EA are looking to extend this story with the downloadable prequel Dead Space Ignition.

Visceral hopes to make Ignition one of many extensions planned for Dead Space 2 in the coming launch next January, but despite the extension, Ignition won’t play in the same way Dead Space 2 will. Ignition is a choose-your-own-adventure comic style story with hacking mini-games, and it’s planned to fill in the backstory for the game prior to the game’s release. The best part about it all is that you can end the game with one of four endings, each of which will give you some in-game bonuses for Dead Space 2.

If you checked out Antony Johnson’s 2008 Dead Space comic (and if you didn’t, why the hell didn’t you?) you’ll recognize the art style for ignition, as it looks like Johnson is at the helm of the art direction once more. Dead Space Ignition will be scaring the shit out of you this fall on PSN and XBLA.

New Trailer For XBLA & PSN’s Earthworm Jim HD

Demi Adejuyigbe — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:36:51 +0000

Earthworm Jim is probably one of the most famous (and best) Genesis series ever. As a platformer ahead of its time, I expected the series to fare much better over the years than it actually has. Sega recently passed the series’ license on to mobile developer Gameloft, who released an iPhone version last October and a DSiWare version last month. But those of you that want to get your Earthworm fix on your magic talking picture boxes, you can look forward to Earthworm Jim HD, coming to XBLA and PSN soon.

Luckily, Earthworm Jim HD isn’t just a good-looking remake of the original game — complete with 4-player co-op and “groovy” new levels, (their adjective, not mine, although can a level with Keyboard Cat be considered anything other than groovy?) the game might be just different enough to pique the interest of anyone who tired of playing this game long ago.

Sony’s PlayStation Network Secures Deal For HBO Original Content

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:54:33 +0000

If you’re a fan of shows like Entourage, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire, and countless other HBO Originals, you’ll soon be able to download various episodes from these shows via your PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable device thanks to a deal between Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) and Home Box Office (HBO).

The content will require purchase, though an exact transaction amount or range has yet to be announced. Immediately available seasons and episodes are listed below, and the press release states that new titles/seasons will be added on a weekly basis.

New release and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning series “True Blood®,” season two in addition to season one
Golden Globe®-winning drama series “Big Love®,” seasons one through three
Golden Globe®-winning comedy series Entourage®,” seasons one and two
Comedy hit “Eastbound and Down®,” season one
Multiple seasons from HBO signature shows such as “The Sopranos®,” “Sex and the City®,” “The Wire®,” “Rome®,” “Da Ali G Show®,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm®,” and “Flight of the Conchords®”

In commenting on the agreement, Sony’s Peter Dille, Sr. VP of Marketing and PlayStation Network, said the following:

“The HBO library of premium original content is a perfect example of how PS3 has become the most content rich entertainment platform in the living room … When you combine the iconic programming from HBO with the existing TV, film, live sports and original programming available on PlayStation Network, our customers have access to the content they want, when they want it, at home or on the go with the PSP.”

Ah, the old company line. And now, we sit and wait for the inevitable Microsoft response complete with their very own quotation pronouncing them king of the castle. It almost never gets old.

The full press release direct from Sony is available below.

Premium Programming From HBO® Debuts on PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®Portable

First Gaming System to Provide HBO Television Programming

FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 25 — Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced that programming from HBO, the premium cable television network, is available starting today on the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system, the first gaming system to offer HBO original television programming. PlayStation®Network’s video delivery service now features HBO content for purchase in the United States on the PlayStation®3 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) systems.

Beginning today, the following popular shows from the award-winning cable network are available on the HBO section of PlayStation®Store (navigate to the HBO section by selecting TV Shows> Networks> HBO), with more titles and additional seasons to be added each week:

New release and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning series “True Blood®,” season two in addition to season one

Golden Globe®-winning drama series “Big Love®,” seasons one through three

Golden Globe®-winning comedy series Entourage®,” seasons one and two

Comedy hit “Eastbound and Down®,” season one

Multiple seasons from HBO signature shows such as “The Sopranos®,” “Sex and the City®,” “The Wire®,” “Rome®,” “Da Ali G Show®,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm®,” and “Flight of the Conchords®”

“The HBO library of premium original content is a perfect example of how PS3 has become the most content rich entertainment platform in the living room,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA. “When you combine the iconic programming from HBO with the existing TV, film, live sports and original programming available on PlayStation Network, our customers have access to the content they want, when they want it, at home or on the go with the PSP.”

“We’re extremely pleased to offer our premium programming on Sony Computer Entertainment’s PS3 system,” said Henry McGee, president, HBO Home Entertainment. “This premier gaming system will offer an exciting new way for consumers to purchase HBO’s award-winning programming.”

“HBO’s innovative and popular programming rounds out Sony’s premium TV content offering and enables consumers to enjoy an even wider array of award-winning mini-series and episodic content,” said Michael Aragon, general manager, Global Digital Video Distribution and Operations for Sony Network Entertainment.

About HBO

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour pay television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 41 million U.S. subscribers. The services offer the most popular subscription video-on-demand products, HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand(SM) as well as HBO GO(SM), HD feeds and multiplex channels. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO Mobile®, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC.

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store. Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one, PlayStation 2, PSP and PS3 systems for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. serves as headquarters for all North American operations.

Visit us on the Web at www.us.playstation.com.

“PlayStation” and “PS3″ are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

© 2010 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. HBO and related service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PlayStation Network Plans To Implement Premium Content Subscription-Based Model

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:07:04 +0000

Sony talked about their future plans for the PlayStation Network in their latest investor meeting, with the biggest news undoubtedly being the company’s intention to put a “new revenue stream from subscription” into effect.

A subscription model. That sounds familiar now doesn’t it? Is it the end of the world for free loading PSN hippies? I don’t think so, but while I firmly believe that PlayStation Network users will still get more for free than Microsoft’s Xbox Live Silver members, I’m willing to bet that certain currently enjoyed free features will eventually phase themselves into the “premium” package right before our eyes.

It’s likely that Sony’s Home model wasn’t the “hit” they expected, causing the company to come to terms with the fact that an additional revenue option was going to be needed — something closer to what Microsoft has been doing all along. I’m no expert on their inner business workings, but it makes perfect sense that the next logical step for them would be to create value in such a transition so that their free members make the jump.

Some customers will inevitably reject the change, while others will happily accept it as inevitable and move on. Which will you be? Are you willing to pay for a PSN subscription model or does this news have you cursing the video game Gods?

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mixtape and Video Premiere

Rangebar Merani — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:58:47 +0000

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 was finally released yesterday on Xbox Live and will be hitting the PS3 in just a few weeks. I know many of you are very excited about MvC2, so while you guys are enjoying the game and brawling with the likes of Spider-Man and Wolverine vs Ryu and Mega Man, take a look and listen at the upcoming Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mixtape coming out soon starring many well-known hip-hop rappers such as Talib Kweli, Raekwon and the Bay Area’s own, E-40.

Being a big fan of hip-hop/rap music, I was pleased to see a game publisher the likes of Capcom hook up and integrate the likes of one of their biggest games with a Mixtape featuring artists rapping about the game and it’s characters. Check out the first premiere video from the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mixtape dubbed “SuperHeroes” featuring Planet Asia and DJ Toure after the break.

Dope beat and badass lyrics fo sho! I’ve never really heard of Planet Asia nor DJ Toure, but I liked the song and the video was tight. Look at for the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mixtape coming soon, in which you’ll actually be able to download for free through Capcom-Unity. Word!

New Trailer for Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time

Demi Adejuyigbe — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 04:58:24 +0000

For those of you that played and completed Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty, you probably remember the sly message after the credits, saying “The Quest Continues Fall 2009.” Insomniac Games made good on their promise, announcing Ratchet and Clank: A Crack In Time, the last of the PS3 trilogy, at GDC this past week. At the time, all we received was a short description, a title, and a logo. As of now, we haven’t even seen any gameplay for it- but we do have this brand new teaser trailer, courtesy of GameTrailers.

The trailer, as you see above, has a mysterious voiceover explaining the concept of time, and the people that seek to control it, one of them probably being Dr. Nefarious from Quest for Booty. As you near the end of the monologue, a Lombax is revealed as the mysterious voice, which probably hints to their possibly pivotal part of A Crack in Time. This trailer also gives an official time frame for the game, so you can look forward to it hitting the Playstation Network in fall of this year.

Capcom “Diplomatically” Disses Xbox LIVE

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:55:37 +0000

Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE boasts an enormous user base, however, many of its users have been nothing short of vocal in criticizing the monthly subscription fee required to fully “jump in.”

Supporters of the service often cited the flexible in-game chat capability as its primary edge over the PlayStation Network, but recent updates on the part of Sony have bridged that gap.

The addition of online capabilities to consoles allowed gamers to remotely connect to each other, but more importantly, from a publishers perspective, it created a viable means for digital distribution of content. On that note, both the PS3 and 360 next-gen consoles have infrastructures capable of delivering digital content to consumers, but which format do publishers prefer?

In a recent interview, Capcom’s digital content product manager, John Diamonon, discussed the current digital distribution options available to publishers. Diamonon complimented the PSN service, and had the following to say about XBL:

“As far as Microsoft goes–how can I say this diplomatically–there are things I think they’d like to do to promote content in multiple ways, and I think they’ll get there eventually… but they’re not there yet.”

It should also be noted that Sony recently granted Capcom a branded PSN storefront (the first of its kind), allowing the publisher to pimp their wares and their brand.

Source: edge-online.com

Sony Rewards Capcom with First Branded PSN Storefront

Rangebar Merani — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:18:11 +0000

Mega Man and Resident Evil publisher Capcom has been rewarded for its success in the digital downloads market with its own branded PlayStation Network storefront.

Coming off the hot releases of Bionic Commando Rearmed and Mega Man 9 this fall, Capcom has easily become one of the most productive publishers in the downloadable content space. In recognition of the company’s hard work, Sony has created a page on the PSN store for the publisher, setting their titles apart from other third-party competitors.

Sony has confirmed talks with other third party publishers, and is hoping to have additional “publisher portals” established in the future.

The Capcom storefront will launch in November, coinciding with the release of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

Source: ps3fanboy

Rumor: Metal Gear Super Surprise in December

Dan Landis — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:17:36 +0000

Word on the street is that a super secret special surprise awaits players that have completed Metal Gear Solid 4. Rumor has it that something will unlock in the game come this December. If you’ve beaten the game, you’ll know the relevance of the six-month time frame (no spoilers here, sorry). Kojima has supposedly said that people who pirate the game will miss out on “something special” which further fuels the idea since pirated copies don’t necessarily sync well with PSN. So, what’s the surprise?

Speculation is that an update will occur via PSN that will unlock the mystery of what happens to Snake after the ending of MGS4. Because it’ll occur via PSN, you won’t be able to “cheat” and find out ahead of time what the secret is by changing your PS3′s internal clock. Now the question remains of whether this content will merely be an additional cutscene or if it will actually be playable.

Again, this is just a rumor, but one that is picking up some steam within the Metal Gear community. It could all just be bullshit to make you never want to get rid of your copy of the game, or there really might be some truth to it. After all, you know what they say about Internet rumors…

Source: GameBlog.fr (it’s French, so maybe this is all just a mistranslation)

Even PS3 Owners Rate Xbox Live Best

Dan Landis — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:19:34 +0000

In a recent opinion poll, 74.7% of the PlayStation 3 owners surveyed considered Xbox Live to be the online service with the best feature set when compared to PlayStation Network and WiiConnect24. In addition, 71.4% of the people that actually own an Xbox 360 feel as though Xbox Live is worth the subscription fee.

Possibly even more intriguing is the fact that of the people that owned all three consoles, meaning they had the option of playing multiplatform games online for free, 63% still found Xbox Live to be worth the price. Another statistic that I found particularly interesting is that an in-game XMB is the feature most wanted on PSN, even more so than Home, Trophies, and further PSP integration.

The survey was conducted by Game Informer and printed in their August 2008 issue.

Dylan Cuthbert Talks PixelJunk Eden and More

Patrick Steen — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:29:32 +0000

The PixelJunk series has taken the PlayStation Network by storm, with unique concepts feeding the addictive gaming need of the PlayStation massive.

I talk to Q-Games founder Dylan Cuthbert about their upcoming game PixelJunk Eden, in addition to Trophies, future projects and how they manage to pump out such great games at an astounding rate.

Patrick: Hello Dylan, thanks for answering some of our questions. Can you talk a little bit about the overall design philosophy for the Pixeljunk series?

Dylan: PixelJunk series 1 was created to let us go back and make the kind of games we wanted to make before 3d made it’s appearance, but at the same time to use modern technology to do things we couldn’t do back then. One technology is Full-HD and HDMI which might not seem it but is a huge enabler of PixelJunk – HDMI gives us proper colours at last, and Full-HD gives us no pixilation with extremely high clarity of image. All of our games have been designed to appeal to this – you might see a lot of games that run in 1080p but the graphics still look like flash games, this is because they aren’t taking 1080p and running with it properly. 1080p gives you *resolution* which is detail, so developers are going to have to learn to not be afraid of that.

Patrick: How would you classify Pixeljunk Eden? Is it a relaxing casual game, a challenging hardcore game, or a combination of both?

Dylan: PixelJunk Eden is a relaxing game which is challenging at the same time. I think we’ve somehow magically struck the perfect balance, but that of course is up to you all to decide.

Remember that Mario Bros. 1 was a “casual” game that probably billions of people have played and enjoyed, but at the same time it was incredibly challenging, but because of the amazing attention to detail in the controls for that game you can still play it now and have a ton of fun. This is what we’ve aimed for with Eden’s core dynamics. We think people will play this game over and over again, simply because it feels fun all the time. I’ve probably played it the most and I still boot up a different level each day and have a blast. There’s just something intrinsically “feel-good” about it.

Patrick: How do you balance the relaxing and challenging aspects of the game? Can you play entirely one way or the other (without a time limit, for example?)

Dylan: Early on we didn’t have the “oscillator” gauge that acts as your time limit, but that caused the game to lack tension (even slight tension). One important design decision was to limit the max of the oscillator so the player doesn’t just have to keep collecting the tuning crystals – ie. you collect a few to be safe for a few minutes, then you bound around, then you search out a few more crystals etc., it adds a really good rhythm to the play and gets the player to go to different areas of the stage he might not have gone to otherwise. The tuning crystals are kind of like the coins in a Mario game and the game is balanced so you don’t have to collect them all.

For people who just want to dope out without time they can play around on the title screen which is, of course, your garden of Eden, from which you tune into other gardens.

Patrick: How would you describe the visual style and audio design for Eden?

Dylan: Mmm… “minimalist avant-garde” perhaps? There’s probably a little art-deco in there too.

Patrick: How many levels are in the game? Are there any unlockable bonus modes?

Dylan: There are 10 gardens, each of which is fairly huge. You kind of expand each one with each play as the no. of Spectra you have to collect increases and your home garden (the title screens) grows and lets you get to other stages. For a good player there’s at least fifteen hours of gameplay I think. The difficulty slope is tuned pretty nicely and we’ve had several comments from online sites with preview copies reflecting this.

I can’t tell you about unlockable stuff, you’re going to have to find out for yourselves. ;)

Patrick: What are some of the ways you introduce new challenges to the player? We played one level where the gravity continually shifts– are there other surprises like that to be found?

Dylan: Yes, the gravity stage is my personal favourite, it’s something I’ve wanted to put in a game since I was about ten years old. Games are abstract so the current trend towards realism is frustrating, we need more games like Portal for example. Anyway, we have a no. of other cool gimmicks in there, and they are introduced to the player over the course of playing the game, so I shouldn’t reveal them too much as it is more fun to be surprised by them.

Patrick: Will Eden receive bonus levels, like Monsters did a few months back?

If it’s popular then yes, most definitely, we want to give fans what they want if we can (and it helps us fund future games.)

Patrick: Will Eden support custom soundtracks? Moreover, will PixelJunk Monsters support custom soundtracks as was shown in the Playstation.Blog demonstration of Firmware update 2.40?

Dylan: Custom soundtracks are a bit difficult to implement when we’ve gone out of our way to tie our design and music together to this extent. I’m not sure this whole custom soundtrack thing is good for the artistic integrity of a game, however the answer to this question is neither yes nor no.

Patrick: Is there a story to tie together the action in Eden?

Dylan: Your garden of Eden has been laid waste by the pollen prowlers and the Spectra energy you need for your garden has been scattered far and wide. Tune into these other garden’s dimensions and find your Spectra to grow your garden back to its former glory!

Patrick: What kind of natural environments inspired you while working on this game?

Dylan: Well truth be told, the first illustrative sketch Baiyon drew was of a very colourful jungle with little creatures everywhere. We slowly whittled that down into the solid gameplay that Eden has now, adding physics and pixel-perfect collision detection, and the whole plants growing thing on the way.

Patrick: We understand that Eden will support trophies. How many trophies will there be, and are there some incredibly tough Gold medals to grab?

Dylan: That info isn’t officially available yet, but if you look online you will see that someone has already leaked it and as far as I can see that info is correct. The total “exp” you will get from the trophies is the same as other PSN games but we haven’t any gold trophies, this is to let us have a few more bronze trophies. We wanted a few extra weird challenges for everyone. There is one silver trophy though.

For more information on Eden’s trophies, please visit Dylan’s entry on the Official Playstation Blog.

Patrick: Will you be rolling out a trophies patch for PixelJunk Monsters?

Dylan: We are looking into it, but there are a no. of technical problems to overcome. Hopefully we’ll overcome them and get trophies into Monsters as soon as we can.

Patrick: What’s next for PixelJunk? Is Dungeons on track for release in another 6 months?

Dylan: There are no dates set yet for future PixelJunk titles and I really want to start series 2 as soon as I can. That being said, we are definitely working on more! All I can say is visit pixeljunk.jp from time to time.

Patrick: Will Dungeons be in a similar 2D style as the previous games?

Dylan: Dungeons isn’t officially announced yet, and perhaps we will release a game before that one gets finished, who knows. We like to keep all our options open, and even something that seems as obvious as to what it is as “Dungeons” is, might not end up being what people expect it to be. ;-)

Whatever these games become though, you can rest-assured they will be as innovative and fun as we can possibly make them.

Patrick: You appear to be popping out PSN games very efficiently. You must be running a tight ship. How big is your team, and what advice would you give other PSN/XBL developers who might like to meet a release schedule as productive as yours?

Dylan: Why dilly-dally eh? Games used to be made at this rate back in the 1980s and with less people, so there must be ways to get back to that level of production and we are in the process of re-discovering them again.

It makes the whole game-making process addictive to developers again if they can make stuff and then see people playing it within the same year. If you make the process addictive again you are going to get better and more interesting games as a natural result. This is why indy games have become so good the past few years. That, and avenues such as PSN and XBLA are available to release the games on now. It lets us make smaller games with variable price points.

Patrick: Many people won’t know that Q-Games also created the Earth Music Visualizer and the wavy cloth background for the PS3, can you talk a little bit about how these came about?

Dylan: We have always had a close relationship with Sony, and we’ve developed lots of tech. for them over the years, a lot of which hasn’t seen the light of day. The Earth visualiser (and the main visualiser, as well as the cloth background) are the results of that collaboration. We also have tech examples in the PSP SDK (stained-glass and focus-blur) and our demos were showing off the PSP at its debut at E3 2004. (Harmonic City and Duck in a bath)

Talking of duck-in-a-bath, we had nothing to do with the PS3 demo or game but I originally made the PS2 duck-bath technical demonstration which was rendered with curved surfaces!

Patrick: Do you have any plans for similar visualisers, or an update to the current ones? Such as a more music reactive behaviour for the Earth visualiser. How about a PixelJunk Eden music visualiser?

Dylan: We have no plans at the moment – we are too busy on other stuff, and of course PixelJunk now, but you never know in the future something might come up.

Patrick: Thanks very much for your time. One last question: How much will PixelJunk Eden cost and when can we buy it!?

Dylan: It is out simultaneously worldwide on July 31st – in the US it will be under 10 bucks, and in the EU it will be under 8 euros I think. In Japan it will be 900 yen, so roughly the same price across all territories.

And there’s more good news. A PixelJunk Eden demo will be released on the US PlayStation Store tonight! Ooh, that made me feel like Jack Tretton at E3. If you’re a European who’s not savvy enough to create a US PSN account, a demo will release on the Euro PlayStation Store alongside the full game next week.

For our hands-on impressions of PixelJunk Eden please jump over to Andrew Podolsky’s Preview.

[album=33]

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Edition Announced – Free GH3 DLC Coming Soon

Roly Reyes — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:08:23 +0000

After being leaked by guitarist Joe Perry quite some time ago, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith has now been officially announced.

Think of it like this: Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s is to Guitar Hero II as Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is to Guitar Hero III. Neversoft will continue development and Activision is, of course, publishing.

The set list as a whole hasn’t been confirmed, and we don’t know how many songs there’ll be. What we do know is that ‘Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’, ‘Dream On’, and ‘Love in an Elevator’ are all shoe-ins. And for those of you that despise Aerosmith, you should be semi-comforted by the addition of “celebrated artists that the band has either performed with or has been inspired by in some way.”

Apparently as a peace offering, on February 16-18 Aerosmith’s ‘Dream On’ will be available for free download for use with Guitar Hero III. It’ll be obtainable on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network (Sorry Nintendo!) for those few days only.

Super Stardust HD Going Online with Clan Support?

Patrick Steen — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:20:21 +0000

This is strange. A member of the gaming forum Neogaf has spotted an Online Expansion for the Playstation Network game Super Stardust HD, costing £2.49. It includes some interesting and potentially exciting additions.

So this Multiplayer/Community Expansion is on the store but says “Coming Soon”. Thus, it isn’t in the weekly PSN update list and is not yet usable. There is, however, a list of the expansion’s features:

There will be new game modes, split-screen cooperative, split-screen versus, an editor for the battling ships, remastered music and sound effects, enhanced visual effects, a music attack mode and clan support.

So there we go, exciting stuff. There has always been online leader-boards for Super Stardust HD, but clan support sounds – interesting. A Super Stardust Clan? Hard to get your head around that one, but it sounds cunning.

Oh and just a little warning – this add-on is purchasable now, but it’s an empty purchase, so do not buy it or you shall be out of pocket. Quite a few people have fallen for this “trap”, since the “Coming Soon” is only in the picture, which doesn’t load immediately. Some strange mistake by Sony there. It also doesn’t seem to be viewable by everybody.

Below is the rest of the US Playstation Store Update, followed by a screenshot of this new Super Stardust HD add-on.

Note the Need For Speed add-on file sizes – only 100KB. They are already in the game, but EA is giving you the opportunity to buy them instead of earning them through completing the Career mode for those of you who are lazy. Strange. You’re just buying very expensive cheat codes. Nice one E.A.

Demos

- Burnout Paradise Demo (free) - Welcome to the Burnout Paradise Demo. Explore Motor City, Big Surf Beach and Ocean View. Find the Burning Route junction in Motor City. Discover Jumps, Stunts and Smashes all over the map and if you’re online, invite friends to join you for some challenges. Remember, this is just a small part of Paradise City.
File size: 764 MB

Add-on Game Content

- High Velocity Bowling Bowler 1 ($0.99) – Add Amber Vorhees, a semipro softball player turned bowler, to your High Velocity Bowling roster. A San Francisco native, Amber’s prowess on the softball mound has translated into her unique bowling style: straight and fast with no fancy spin. File size: 40.6 MB

– High Velocity Bowling Bowler 2 ($0.99) - Add Mike “The Strike” Diaz, a well-rounded, ableit short, bowler to your High Velocity Bowling roster. Originally from East Los Angeles, Mike has a fiery attitude and unorthodox bowling style that is sure to spice up the game. File size: 40.8 MB

- Rock Band – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing “I Fought the Law” by The Clash, “Rockaway Beach” by the Ramones, and “Ever Fallen in Love” which is a cover of a song made famous by Buzzcocks. Rock Band Punk Pack 1 includes all three songs. Please note: you need to actually own Rock Band in order to play these tracks:

* “I Fought the Law” – The Clash ($1.99)

* “Rockaway Beach” – The Ramones ($1.99)

* “Ever Fallen in Love” – Buzzcocks ($1.99)

* Rock Band Punk Pack 1 ($5.49)
File sizes: 13 MB – 22.3 MB (singles), 56.5 MB (Track Pack).

- Need for Speed ProStreet – Unlock vehicles for immediate use. These cars can be achieved without purchase by progressing through Career.

* Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 ($2.49) File size: 100 KB

* Pagini Zonda F ($2.99) File size: 100 KB

* Nissan GT-R (R35) ($2.99) File size: 100 KB

* Muscle Car Bundle ($4.99) – This bundle includes the following cars: Chevrolet Camaro SS, Ford Mustang GT ‘03, Chevrolet Corvette ‘67, Plymouth Hemi Cuda, Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang GT. Note: all cars in this bundle can be achieved without purchase by progressing through Career. File size: 100 KB

* Tuner Car Bundle ($4.99) – This bundle includes the following cars: Nissan 350Z (Z33), Ford Focus ST, Volkswagen R32, Audi S3, Lancer Evolution IX, Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Note: all cars in this bundle can be achieved without purchase by progressing through Career. File size: 100 KB

* Sport Car Bundle ($4.99) – This bundle includes the following cars: Audi S4, Audi TT 3.2 Quattro, Lotus Elise, BMW M3 E46, Porsche Cayman S, BMW Z4 M Coupe. Note: all cars in this bundle can be achieved without purchase by progressing through Career. File size: 100 KB

* Ultimate Performance Bundle ($9.99) -Don’t leave anything to chance. This ultimate performance bundle immediately unlocks EVERY performance package in the game. After you get the parts, the rest is up to you! Note: all parts can be achieved without purchase by progressing through Career. File size: 100 KB

Game Videos

- GT Awards at SEMA Video (free) – Go behind the scenes at the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas to get an exclusive look at the Fifth Annual Gran Turismo Awards and see Gran Turismo 5 Prologue unveiled for the first time in North America. See which vehicle Gran Turismo™ creator Kazunori Yamauchi picked from among the finalists as the 2007 Best of Show vehicle that will soon be forever immortalized as a drivable car in the Gran Turismo™ franchise, available only on the PLAYSTATION 3 system. File size: 457 MB (HD)

- Burnout “Stunt Run” Trailer (free) – Take to the air to pull off boost-earning 360s, barrel rolls, and super jumps with Burnout Paradise’s most ambitious, high-flying cars. File size: 65 MB (HD)

- Tony’s Skater Story Trailer (free) – File size: 21 MB (HD)

- Ratchet BTS – Art (free) – Get a behind the scenes look at the art style and graphics of Ratchet and Clank® Future: Tools of Destruction™. File size: 223 MB (HD)

Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers

- Cloverfield Trailer (free) – Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives. File size: 25 MB (SD), 93 MB (HD), 130 MB (1080)

- Untraceable Trailer (free) - Within the FBI, there exists a division dedicated to investigating and prosecuting criminals on the internet. Welcome to the front lines of the war on cybercrime, where Special Agent Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) has seen it all……until now. File size: 109 MB (HD), 145 MB (1080)

Review: High Velocity Bowling

Cavin Smith — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:58:38 +0000

Don’t laugh. This is probably going to be you in thirty years.

I didn’t think last week’s Pain was worth a Hamilton, so what about Sony San Diego’s second attempt on the PSN, High Velocity Bowling? Coming from Team Ramrod (hi, Super Troopers reference), this game of ten-pin features waggle, online leaderboards, and, wait a tic… custom soundtracks using an in-game XMB! Sure, it all sounds a lot like Wii Sports, but will it make Grandma Bessie want a Playstation 3 for Christmas?

If she still remembers growing up in the 50s, she might. High Velocity’s got the retro chic down pat. Right from the moment you boot it up, you’re confronted with a neon-lit marquee soaring high into the twilight sky, its star-like beacons summoning small-town soccer moms and over-the-hill bachelors from the countryside. I half expected to see a cameo by Walter Sobchak, but the sublime odor of cigarette ash mixed with disinfectant was all too real. Okay, maybe that was just my feet. Moving on.

Said marquee also functions as your main menu, giving you the options of solo bowling, competing in several different challenges, or scoping out what trophies you’ve earned. There’s also an option called “My Balls” (tee hee). If you want to take a look at your ball selection, head there.

“Let’s Bowl” is your basic pick-up-and-play mode. You can have up to four players rotating turns locally (sorry, no online except for leaderboards). Multiplayer’s a key component to a game like this (who wants to bowl by themselves?), so it’s good to know that setting it up is easy as pie — just hit square to add extra people on the character select screen. Pick one of several alley-cat stereotypes and then its off to the lanes!

I don’t think High Velocity is about to kick Wiis out of the retirement home (and where else would they go if they’ve ~~already outlived their usefulness to society~~ led a long and fulfilling life?), but the motion controls are both slightly more complex and more satisfying. You grip the Sixaxis underhand, which feels a whole lot more like holding a bowling ball than it does when clutching an oblong Wiimote. Proper positioning puts your thumb over the X button to select options and your pointer/pinky over the R2 and L2 buttons for spin.

Character positioning and aim are selected by twisting the Sixaxis left or right (the dead zone in this case is where the controller’s left side points towards the ground). Once you’ve got your shot set up, your avatar will shuffle towards the foul line. Rear your hand back and then quickly follow through. The speed at which you do this determines how fast your ball travels down the lane, though slipping into the red part of the meter will overpower your throw. The game also accounts for spin (determined, in analog, by how hard you hold down either of the back shoulder buttons), the type of ball you’re using, and any quirks your character might possess.

Admittedly, it feels a little strange at first, but you get used to it quickly and it makes a whole lot of sense when you consider how one might toss an actual ball.

It’s honestly more intuitive than Wii Bowling’s cheat-prone controls, but because of the shape of the Sixaxis, it may not be compatible for people with small hands. Just as well, this is one of the few games on the Playstation 3 that actually justifies its motion-only controls. And before you ask: yes, options for southpaws are included.

If you don’t have any friends around, it might be best to head for the Challenges first. Here you can knock pins with CPU rivals, compete in tournaments, or complete special trick shots. The last of the three is probably the most interesting part of the game, as the developers have set up ramps, chairs, and other obstacles on the lane for you to overcome. You’ll have to complete each of the three Challenge categories once to move onto the next level, but you’ll unlock new balls and bowlers along the way.

One of High Velocity’s most baffling (though undeniably welcome) features is its use of Custom Soundtracks. Hitting select at any time will pop up a stripped-down version of the XMB with all of the mp3s that you have stored on your system. It doesn’t seem to support the system’s more esoteric music-playing features (such as album art or playlists), but you’re free to set repeat and shuffle options.

Considering the only music I have on my PS3 is that one Lair track they put up for download a couple of months ago, I set it to play that. Needless to say, EPIC BOWLING (and lulz) AHEAD! I’d recommend putting this feature to good use; otherwise, you’ll be stuck listening to kitschy lounge music the whole time.

Overall, it’s a good little package. High Velocity Bowling isn’t brimming with content, and its micro-transaction posturing is only a tad less annoying than it is in Pain (there’s an option on the main menu to “Buy Characters”), but the core game itself is infinitely replayable. Leaderboards are certainly a nice touch, but features similar to Wii Sports’ stat tracking are sorely missed. Likewise, character choices are dull and samey; some customization would’ve gone a long way to making the experience more enjoyable.

In terms of capturing the pedigree and mechanics of the original game, High Velocity arguably works a lot better, but it’s little touches like these that makes Nintendo’s “clean slate” approach to casual sports so compelling in the first place.