If you need something to tide you over before the June 29 release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, this might be the ticket. Activision has announced that five song packs will be released throughout this month. Starting on yesterday, two of the five packs are from Motörhead and three headline acts from the 2007 Isle of Wight festival.

The Motörhead pack contains “We Are the Road Crew,” “Stay Clean” and the self-titled “Motörhead.” The Isle of Wight pack features master recordings of Kasabian’s “Shoot the Runner”, Kaiser Chief’s “I Predict a Riot”, and The Sex Pistols’ live rendition of “Problems”.

Both track packs are now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.

As seems to be the norm this console generation, not all games can hit that elusive 720p HD resolution.  First Halo 3, then GTA4 (PS3) and now the PS3 exclusive Haze.

As previously reported, a demo of Haze can be found on the Playstation Store, supporting 4 player co-op.  Graphically it’s solid, but what’s most impressive is that it runs silky smooth.  It runs at a locked 30fps, and even with a host of foliage and enemies on screen – it never dips.

Though there are more impressive looking games on the PS3, it’s with Haze’s gameplay and story that show off its true colours.  (More on this in our upcoming preview of both the four player co-op and multiplayer modes.)  Nonetheless, for Free Radical to achieve a solid PS3 engine with no loading throughout the game, they’ve had to make some concessions.

Qua51 of Beyond3d now confirms Haze’s resolution to be 1024by576 with no anti-aliasing.  That is, going by the demo, and there’s yet to be a difference in resolution from a game’s demo to its final release. At the end of the day, this is something we’re going to have to get used to.  If developers find they can put the saved power into a solid framerate, or better graphics – then should we really be complaining?

When we visited Free Radical at Sony’s 3 Rooms earlier this year, script writer Rob Yescombe had this to say about the game’s graphics::

We’ve got a 12 hour streaming experience and for someone to put that next to a game where they can spend 2 minutes loading a level every half an hour. Well good for them, but it’s a totally different game.  Just because it might be first person, just because it might be on the same platform, they’re totally different games, totally different things that we’ll be able to do.

So we want to give people variety of gameplay, and if that means you’ve got a texture that doesn’t look photo realistic, well guess what, you’re going to enjoy the game more than you would looking at a photo realistic texture.

And it’s hard to disagree with that.  Let us know what you think about the HAZE demo in the comments section and in our forums.

*Update* - Quaz51 of Beyond3d Forums has now confirmed that Haze uses 2xAA as opposed to the original 0xAA.

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After the successful launch of the new Playstation Store, there’s a feast of content to get your teeth into this week.

The Metal Gear Online Beta makes its presence known on the European Store, but will be hidden in the US for those that were lucky enough to acquire a Beta code.  Then again, don’t be too excited since many are having trouble setting up their Konami Game ID’s.

With Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and the Warhawk Pack to tide us over until the MGO Beta’s April 21st launch, it’ll be easy for us to forget about the content we might have been expecting. Yes, the Resistance 2 trailer won’t be gracing your PS3 this week, but we hope it jumps onto the Store in the near future.

US Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
- Gran Turismo 5: Prologue – $39.99
- Metal Gear Online beta (for those who have beta codes)
- UEFA EURO 2008 Demo

Downloadable Content:
- LAIR – Dragons and Control Pack – free
- Super Stardust HD – Solo Add-on Pack – $4.99
- WarHawk – Operation: Broken Mirror Add-on – $7.99
- Warhawk Booster Combo – $11.99 (Contains “Omega Dawn” and “Broken Mirror” Packs)
- Rock Band Songs:
* “Still Alive” – GLaDOS and Jonathan Coulton (free)
* “Sprode” – Freezepop ($0.99)
* “Shake” – Count Zero ($0.99)
* “Rock Rebellion” – Bang Camaro ($0.99)
* Harmonix Pack 1 ($2.99) – (Includes “Rock Rebellion”, “Shake”, and “Sprode”)
* “Call Me” – Blondie ($1.99)
* “Simple Man” – Lynyrd Skynyrd ($1.99)
* “Message In A Bottle” – The Police ($1.99)
* Classic Rock Pack 1 ($5.49) – (Includes “Call Me”, “Simple Man”, and “Message In A Bottle”)

Trailers:
- Gran Turismo 5: Prologue – “Beyond the Apex”
- Gran Turismo 5: Prologue – “Friendly Fires”
- Warhawk Broken Mirror Trailer
- Condemned 2: Bloodshot Making Of The TV Spot
- HAZE Mantel Corporate Vision
- This is Vegas Annoucement Trailer
- Pineapple Express Blu-ray Trailer

Other:
- Warhawk Theme (x2)
- Lair Mokai Theme

European Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
- Metal Gear Online beta (open to all of Europe/PAL, won’t work for non-PAL users due to IP restrictions)
- SEGA Superstars Tennis demo

Downloadable Content:
- Super Stardust HD – Solo Add-on Pack – £2.99
- Guitar Hero III – Dropkick Murphys pack – free
- WarHawk – Operation: Broken Mirror Add-on – £££/€7.99

Trailers:
- Bionic Commando Rearmed
- GTA IV Trailer 4
- Lost Planet Trailer 2
- SEGA Superstars Tennis

Oh, and if you’re clever enough to have a Hong Kong PSN account as opposed to a Japan one, you’ll be able to get your mits on a Lair demo. Yes, Lair.

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!

When we reported on the PSN Release Schedule leak story and the possible truth behind it, the dates and content listed were still only speculation. After recent revelations, it’s now clear that the schedule is in fact true.

The leaked European document was always potentially credible due to the correct date given to Warhawk: Operation Broken Mirror. Thanks to our very own Kelsey Hart’s digging into the Ratchet: Quest for Booty item on the list, further concrete reliability was added to the basket.

There were, however, some unlikely candidates – such as a Resistance 2 trailer, and a Lair Pack. These two have since been confirmed. The former was revealed to be making an appearance on GT:TV this Friday, and today Sony Japan provided the first details of the Lair update. The update will include the option to use much needed analogue controls, a new targeting icon, and rumble support. The release date for this update? April 17th.

(Click to Enlarge)

Even though the schedule lists the 15th as the date for these items, the April 17th relaunch of the Playstation Store accounts for the recalculation. Nonetheless, April 15th won’t be empty, since Playstation 3 firmware v2.30 will go live on that date – nicely slotting all the pieces together to create one hell of a Playstation Store relaunch next week.

Among other features, firmware v2.30 will include DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos, meaning the high-definition visuals of Blu-ray will now be matched with the highest quality audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio is literally bit-for-bit identical to the studio master recording and makes movie soundtracks and sound effects truly come to life. The technology delivers audio at the incredibly high rate of 24.5 mega-bits per second (Mbps) on Blu-ray disc, which is significantly higher than standard DVDs.

DTS-HD Master Audio also offers 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depths, so you’ll be totally immersed in the sound.

The firmware update will add DTS-HD High Resolution Audio as well, which is a similar output technology that requires less disc space. You can read more about both codecs here.

In regards to the new and improved Playstation Store, we can now present to you a video walk-through:

From Crackle: PlayStation Store video walkthrough

We can only hazard a guess as to what else is awaiting us next week, though we can provide a list of items when taking the validated release schedule into account: Super Stardust Pack, Lair Pack, Resistance 2 Trailer, Pain Add-on: Nigel, Dark Mist, Metal Gear Online Beta, Rock Band Song Packs, and Warhawk: Operation Broken Mirror. Oh and don’t forget, the US will be meeting Gran Turismo 5: Prologue!

Note: Although the leaked Release Schedule has been validated, all dates are subject to change. Let’s hope Playstation Home comes out before July.

*Update* -  Sony have since confirmed that the new Playstation Store will launch on April 15th, with content to follow on April 17th:

 To accompany the launch, the PLAYSTATION Store will see an exciting selection of content available from 17th April, consisting of the launch of the Metal Gear Online Premiere Beta, building up to the launch of the next chapter in one of PlayStation’s most loved franchises, Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots.

Also available will be Warhawk™: Operation Broken Mirror, a great new addition to the hugely popular Warhawk experience and Lair™: Diabolical Dragons Pack and Skyguard Upgrade pack, offering new and exciting features and functions. There will also be a collection of trailers including the latest for GTA IV, as well as a Sega Superstars tennis demo.

Geoff Keighley of Gametrailers promised “something special” from Insomniac and Sony in this Friday’s GT:TV episode, along with a number of other exclusives (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed being the stand-out.) Many hoped it would be the first trailer of Resistance 2, and those hopes have not been dashed.

A Resistance 2 teaser trailer is on its way this Friday, as confirmed in the below ad for GT:TV. In it we hope to see the first in-game footage of Insomniac’s upcoming shooter, since this developer rarely releases CG footage.

The trailer reveal adds to the increasing reliability of this leaked release schedule, which penned the Resistance 2 trailer for April 15th – which we’ll re-pen onto the relaunch of the Playstation Store – the 17th.

Over the next couple of weeks things will function as usual on the PlayStation Store, but no new downloads will be made available as Sony is in the middle of updating the store’s interface.

Due to arrive in mid-April, the store’s new design is intended to make navigation of content easier by adding more categories and allowing more space per page to list items.

In addition, the store will lose its previous web interface, embedding itself into the Playstation 3 for faster loading. Noel Silvia lets us in on some other goodies on the Playstation Blog, telling us that the store will dynamically change each time you enter, though the background will currently remain the same.  Moreover, the mouse pointer is on its way out. Navigating the new store will now be more like scrolling through a menu.

The downside to new design is that no new content will be made available for the next two weeks while changes are being made.

When the store re-opens it will be accompanied by firmware update 2.30 that will allow users to access the new store, and the Thursday content releases will be resumed. 

What can we expect on the day the new store arrives?  Warhawk: Operation Broken Mirror, the Metal Gear Online Beta, and if this is to be believed, a new Lair pack and the first trailer of Resistance 2.

The PlayStation.Blog promises a closer look at the new design soon, including a video walkthrough.  For now we have these four images:

You’ll be able to buy the new Warhawk Pack very soon – in April actually (adding more evidence to the leaked release schedule) and we can provide you with some nouveaux screenshots.  Sadly importers of the game will once again find it hard to buy the pack. At least there’s a free patch.

Operation: Broken Mirror will reach the Playstation Store next month with the same price as the previous pack (£3.99/$7.99).  You’ll not only get a whole new map, including 10 different layouts, but a new vehicle: the Armoured Personnel Carrier.

Designed for rapid infiltration, the tough and swift APC allows six passengers to fire weapons through its side hatches and features a ‘speed boost’ to charge through enemy lines more effectively. Once the APC reaches its destination, it acts as a forward spawn point for swarms of reinforcements.

There’s also a driver-activated E-POD (Electrostatic Plasma Ordinance Disrupter) that emits a burst of energy that absorbs enemy fire to provide a temporary shield for your troops. It is also a hazard for enemies, who are damaged when they enter it.  The APC is a spiffing piece of equipment, that’s for sure!

The new icy map is an Eucadian stronghold, where snowy conditions blanket an intricate network of freeways and towns, the hub of which is the war torn Radial Village. What’s exciting is that it’s the biggest map so far, even bigger than the massive Omega Dawn.  Incognito’s Dylan Jobe lets a Playstation blogger know just how big it will be:

That is a very good question cause I know that we got a lot of feedback from Omega Dawn that its layouts were too big!

So first off, let me say that yes, the new battlefield is very large. In fact, it is bigger than Omega Dawn — But Wait !!! This was done very intentionally so that we could provide more variety with the layouts in this new Booster-Pack than any other previously released level.

There are way more small layouts and medium sized layouts — including some asymmetrical ones. There are 10 layouts in the new battlefield so you guys will have more control over the games your setting up.

We were very aware that we needed to give you smaller layouts with this booster pack so hopefully you’re happy with the increased variety of small to medium layouts.

It sounds splendid, but all this tempting might be putting some unfortunate people through agony.  Yes, those forgotten importers. There was a significant problem with the Omega Dawn Pack – those who imported Warhawk from the US couldn’t download the pack.  You see, Playstation 3 games are region free, but Playstaiton Downloadable Content is not.  An odd decision, but one that has left many burnt. 

Dylan Jobe finally answered our calls recentley, letting us know exactly what’s being done with the problem importers are having:

I have looked into this and there is unfortunately not a whole lot I can do for you or the other players that have contacted me.

Not sure what your specific circumstances are but I know that some players around the world have imported Warhawk from SCEA and they don’t have access to a PS Store in their region or in some cases, don’t have a credit card that will work on the US store.

Again, I wish there was something that I could do to directly help this but it is totally out of my control :-(

Oh well.  Of course we can all access any store we like, but not all of us have a US credit card to buy the content.  Furthermore, the Warhawk packs are tied to the country/region the disc was bought from. The only way a UK resident with the US disc can play Operation: Broken Mirror, is to get the pack off of an American friend.  If we’re lucky enough to have a friend who will share the US pack with us, Sony and Incognito will miss out on our monies.

Nonetheless, the v1.3 patch can be downloaded with ease early next month. Among a bunch of new fixes, it’ll include two new troop weapons: the wrench and the Bio Field Generator.

The wrench pickup replaces the knife and can be used in the same way, but can also repair your team’s vehicles. The Bio Field Generator also replaces the knife and is deployed like a proximity mine, sticking to walls and vehicles. It generates a nanite cloud of your team’s colour – allied troops standing within the cloud experience rapid health regeneration with the opposite occurring to the enemy.

Bring it on!

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A PS3 and PSP demo for Echochrome is on the Japanese Playstation Store. Along with first impressions, I’m here to help you out with how to control the monochrome world that guides your elegant mannequin.

It must be said that the size of the PSP demo is so minuscule (3.7mb) that it’s hard to believe there are 5 tutorial levels, 3 full levels and music contained within. If Kojima-san could fit this much content into every 4mb’s of a 50gb Blu-ray, we’d be playing Metal Gear Solid 4 until…well, until my house was under the sea.

The PS3 demo is a more beefy 37mb, with the only discerning difference being that it’s in 1080p and has a saucy female voice-over.

The five rules of Echochrome are simple to understand, but their employment requires more concentration and a little bit of trial and error.

Controlling the canvas itself instead of the mannequin is at first an odd sensation, but with the ability to stop your lil’ fella in its tracks and enter a “contemplation mode” (press triangle) you can give yourself time to complete the puzzles in a more focused mindset.

You’ll begin to train your eye to Echochrome’s game world, placing paths above and below other paths, or hiding broken routes to allow your mannequin to continue. To read up on the five rules of Echochrome, please visit our previous coverage.

Using the right or left analogue stick to rotate the levels works well, if not a little twitchy. It feels like the game is trying to “click” you into the right perspective. This may be helpful, but it does make things a bit harder to feel in control. The alternative Sixaxis motion controls are well thought out–hold down L1 to use the motion controls, where you can rotate the world as you please, until you lift your finger off of L1.

The rules are suitably easy to implement as you attempt to create a safe path and pick up the echoes (little shadowy figures). The complexity increases towards the third and final level of the demo, where it’ll give you just enough difficulty to intrigue you; tilting the world 180 degrees to line up paths you never thought would join, taking your mannequin to the end of the demo.

Controls translated:

Left or Right Stick: Spins perspective.
Hold R1: Spins perspective faster.
Hold L1 : Activates motion sensor to spin perspective.
Press Triangle: Goes into “thinking mode” (You can still spin perspective while mannequin stops.)
Hold X: Puppet walks faster.
Square: Snap the edges together to get a clean path connection.
Select: Toggles timer/control instructions.
Start: Pause.

It’s hard to tell if Echochrome will be one of the great puzzle games, but the demo suggests that it’s going to be addictive and intriguing. Watching the title screens run through a much later level shows that the game has a lot more hidden up its sleeve.

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The sublimely simple, yet ingeniously enchanting indie game flOw is making its way to a PSP near you.

The game will be available for download from the PlayStation store tomorrow in the US, for an as of yet undisclosed price.

For those who missed it, flOw is a game about underwater… things. Critters, if you will, that swim around eating smaller critters and avoiding bigger ones. The more you eat, the bigger you get. It’s evolution in a nutshell, and it is surprisingly entertaining.

With soothing music and simple controls, fl0w is almost a zen experience – like watching your fishtank, but instead it’s fun.

And as of tomorrow, it’ll be on your PSP with 4 player online multiplayer. Lucky you.

The day of love brings love in the form of downloadables. A few demos and a few videos. What more could you ask for? How about Patapon on the PS3? If only…

Sadly not, but there is a demo of this beauty for the PSP.

US Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
-MLB 08: The Show demo – There is a reason why ESPN Magazine claims MLB 08 The Show is “the most realistic baseball game ever created” – because it is. But don’t take our word for it – get your own hands-on experience with the MLB 08 The Show. Nothing Gets You Closer. File size: 1.01 GB

-Patapon (PSP) demo

Downloadable Content:
Rock Band tracks – $1.99 each or $5.49 for all three:
-Clash – “Complete Control” (master)
-Police – “Truth Hits Everybody” (master)
-The Ramones – “Teenage Lobotomy” (master)

Trailers:
Little Big Planet Create-A-Level Trailer
MLB 08 RTTS Tutorial Video
Conflict: Denied Ops Diaries 2 and 3
Turok Creatures Trailer
Turok Weapons Trailer
Burnout Accolade Trailer
Tony Hawks Proving Ground Launch Trailer
The Ruins Trailer

Others:
Super Stardust HD Theme
Twisted Metal: Head On (UMD Legacy Game) - $14.99

European Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
-Riff: Everyday Shooter – £4.99/€7.99
-Everybody’s Golf 5 demo

Downloadble Content:
-Guitar Hero 3 – Classic Rock Pack – £3.99/€5.99

Trailers:
-Conflict: Denied Ops
-Conflict: Denied Ops – “Developer Interview 1″
-Conflict: Denied Ops – “Developer Interview 2″
-Spiderwick Chronicles

Other:
-Resident Evil 5 wallpaper
-Super Stardust HD theme

We’ll throw in the Japan store update in because we love you so much. Nice to see Polyphony Digital (of Gran Turismo fame) releasing their game Motor Toon GP. It’s a shame we don’t get this many Playstation 1 games across the water.

Games/Demos:
-Motor Toon GP USA EDITION (PS1) – ¥600
-Money Idol Exchanger (PS1) – ¥600
-Magical Dice Kids (PS1) – ¥600
-Wai Wai Kart (Major Wave) (PS1) – ¥600
-Mêrupurâna (PS1) – ¥600
-Nobunaga memoirs (PS1) – ¥600
-Blast Factor: Advanced Research – ¥500

Downloadable Content:
-Record of Agarest War (Valentine’s custom theme) – free

Trailers:
-Echochrome
-Minna No Golf 5
-My Stylist
-Uncharted “Final Trailer”

Enjoy.

What’s the best thing on the store? Other than the DMC4 demo I downloaded last week, we do get Theme Hospital and another swish PixelJunk Monster’s theme. Splendid.

United States/Canada Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
- Conflict: Denied Ops demo (989 Mb)
Conflict: Denied Ops is a highly accessible co-op FPS featuring massive, extremely explosive firefights across destructible environments. Work as a team to utilize the specific skills of each operative and experience the ultimate in destructive satisfaction with tons of exploding objects and an endless barrage of terrorists who are begging to be blown to hell.

Downloadable Content:

Folklore: (Last DLC)
- Add-On 5: “Nightmares” – $3.99
- Add-On 6: “Visions of the Tower” – $3.99
- Add-on Bundle 3: Includes Add-On 5 & 6 – $5.99

Rock Band - $1.99 each:
- “Siva” by Smashing Pumpkins
- “Working Man” by Rush
- “Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial)” by Coheed and Cambria

Game Videos:
- Go! Sports Skydiving Trailer
- Battlefield: Bad Company Haggard’s Blog

Movie Trailers:
- Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
- Prom Night- Across the Universe
- Daddy Day Camp

Other:
- PixelJunk Monsters Theme #2
- Two PixelJunk Monsters wallpapers

United Kingdom Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
- Devil May Cry 4 demo (640Mb)
- MX vs ATV Untamed demo (715Mb)

- Fade to Black (PS1 game) – £3.49 or 4,99€
- Motorhead (PS1 game) – £3.49 or 4,99€
- Theme Hospital (PS1 game) – £3.49 or 4,99€

Trailers:
-PixelJunk Monsters Trailer

Why don’t we throw in Japan’s Playstation Store Update for free:

Games/Demos:
- Block Kuzushi (PS1) – ¥600
- Dezaemon Plus (PS1) – ¥600
- Kuroi Hitomi no Noir: Cielgris Fantasm (PS1) – ¥600
- Pro Mahjong Kiwame Plus (PS1) – ¥600
- Wai Wai Kusayakyuu (PS1) – ¥600

Trailers:
- Sega Rally Revo trailer

Here is this weeks US and European Playstation Store Updates. Though the likes of me don’t get the DMC4 demo without jumping over to Japan or the US, we’re all treated to the hypnotising and addictive PixelJunk Monsters.

US Playstation Store Update:

Games & Demos:
- PixelJunk Monsters – $7.99
Inspired by the popular and addictive “tower defense” game genre, PixelJunk Monsters is a fun and intuitive game featuring a uniquely attractive art style. Defend your homebase against threatening monsters by building towers and casting lightning storms across the forest. Download the game today! File size: 59.3 MB

- Jet Moto (PS1) – $5.99
Intense futuristic all-terrain racing across 10 brutal tracks in extreme environments, with all new obstacles like corkscrews, waterfalls, and volcanoes. Choose one of 10 unique riders and hang on tight! File size: 115 MB

- Devil May Cry 4 demo
Is his power that of a demon, or of a god? New main character Nero and his demonic devil bringer add speed and style to the Devil May Cry series! This is true next-generation entertainment! File size: 639 MB

- The Club demo
Enter The Club as one of the eight gladiators in this underground blood-sport and compete both in single player and multiplayer in the Prison Cells arena. File size: 1.70 GB

Add-ons:
- Folklore™ Create-a-Creature Winner Add-On – Free
Enjoy this free Folklore add-on which features Quasarilli, the winning design of PlayStation Underground’s Folklore Create-a-Creature contest! Quasarilli is wind and earth Folk that summons the power of tornadoes and earthquakes to defeat its foes. Download him today! File size: 27.2 MB

- Stranglehold™ Map Pack Add-On – $14.99
Be sure to download the correct Map Pack for your version of Stranglehold (regular or Collector’s Edition). Available now, the downloadable map pack for the acclaimed John Woo directed 3rd person action adventure title Stranglehold. This expansion pack will add even more action and excitement to Stranglehold the experience. The Stranglehold Map Pack features:
• 10 additional multiplayer maps including Kowloon Market, Wong’s Estate Grounds and the Rooftops of Chicago.
• 21 all-new multiplayer character skins. File size: 445 MB

Rock Band:
Oasis Pack 1 – $5.49 or $1.99 each
- “Don’t Look Back in Anger”
- “Live Forever”
- “Wonderwall”

- Guitar Hero III Classic Rock Track Pack – $6.25 - “Peace of Mind” as performed by Boston; “Jukebox Hero” as performed by Foreigner; and “Any Way You Want It” as performed by Journey. File size: 50.4 MB 

- Need for Speed™ ProStreet Extender Pack Premium Car Bundle #1 – $5.99
This bundle includes the following cars, only available through the PlayStation Store: Aston Martin DBR9, Porsche Carrera GT, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Lancia Delta Integrale Evo, Dodge Challenger Concept.

- Need for Speed™ ProStreet Extender Pack Premium Car Bundle #2 – $5.99
This bundle includes the following cars, only available through the PlayStation Store: Koeniggsigg CCX, Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, Aston Martin DB9, Audi R8, Porsche 911 GT3, Honda S2000.

Trailers:
- Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground Stevie Williams’ Skater Profile
- PixelJunk™ Monsters Trailer
- The Streets Trailer
- Dragon Wars Trailer

Other:
- PixelJunk Monsters Theme
- Lemmings Theme

European PS Store Update:

Games/Demos:
- PixelJunk Monsters – £3.49
- Judge Dredd (PS1 game) – £3.49
- Syphon Filter: Combat Ops (PSP game) – £6.99

Trailers:
- Civilization Revolution

Other:
- CoD4 Theme
- 5 COD4 Wallpapers

And why not throw in Japan this week, since it’s wear I grabbed the DMC4 and PixelJunk Monsters demos, which are both in English nonetheless.

Japanese Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
- Devil May Cry 4 Demo
- Sega Rally Revo Demo
- PixelJunk Monsters Demo

DLC:
- Agarest Senki ero – 300 yen

Trailers:
- Bionic Commando

Look out for our impressions of the DMC4 demo, along with a review of Q-Games’ PixelJunk Monsters.

Can it be? Can the words I read be true? Is a Metal Gear Solid 4 demo coming to the Playstation Network next month? I do not believe it.

Ryan Payton, the game’s Assistant Producer, who we interviewed at E for All, gave us the impression that there would be no hope of a Metal Gear demo on the Playstation Network:

Considering how much we’ve changed since TGS/E for All, it would be a huge undertaking to create a new demo. Sorry guys.

To be honest, why would they need a demo for existing Playstaiton owners, when it’s almost certain that they are going to go out and buy the game anyway?

Nevertheless, perhaps Payton’s choice of words when he said a “new demo” wasn’t on the cards, should have been enough to place doubt in our minds. You would, however, expect Kojima to desire a demo that was representative of their final engine, so they might have taken that huge undertaking and updated the demo’s game engine.

So what leads us to believe that an MGS4 demo is on the way to the Playstaiton Network? Well, we can read it in the Playstation World magazine:

Want more MGS4? Well you’ll get it very soon. The stage we played here will be on the PSN Store in the next month.

What a tasty little surprise if true. But don’t forget, magazines have been known to get things wrong. Still, PSW sound very confident after their play time with the game.

While you ogle at the photograph of these edible words, we’ll try to keep you informed.

Update:  The PSW Editor has been in contact with MGS4.net to let them know that a demo for the PSN Store is indeed planned, and they expect it to land in February.  Though they do say that’s if the game is coming in May…when I was expecting it in June anyway:

At the time of writing the article a Konami rep told us a demo, the demo we played in our office for the magazine article, would be on the PSN Store. It’s finished, we played it, so something should be appearing this month.

It could all depend on the game’s final on sale date, if it has moved to May then a demo could appear later, possibly February.

Sources: Gametrailers Forums and MGS4.net

US Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
Mesmerize: Trace (PS Eye Required) – $1.99
Tori-Emaki (PS Eye Required) – $1.99
Turok Demo
FIFA Street 3 Demo

Downloadable Content:
MotorStorm Double Track Pack – Eagle’s Nest and Diamondback Speedway track pack – $2.99

Rock Band:
Individual Songs – $1.99 each:
Sweet – “Action” (Cover)
The Monkees – “Last Train to Clarksville” (Cover)
Blink-182 – “All the Small Things” (Master)

Blast Factor Bundle – $12.99 (includes game, MP and AR expansions)

Trailers:
Borderlands – “Debut”
Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway
Dynasty Warriors 6
Lost Planet
PixelJunk Monsters
Syphon Filter: Combat Ops

Other:
Call of Duty 4 theme
Mesmerize theme
PAIN Ed T-Bone theme
PAIN Ice Tea theme
Tori-Emaki theme

European Playstation Store Update:

Games/Demos:
FIFA Street 3 Demo
NBA ‘08 Demo

Downloadable Content:
Folklore- Visions of the tower – £1.49/€1.99

Guitar Heros III:
Warner Track Pack – £3.99/€5.99 for the pack or £1.49/€1.99 each
-Die Fantastischen Vier – “Ernten Was Wir Saen”
-Extremoduro – “So Payaso”
-Trust – “Antisocial”

Trailers:
Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway
Borderlands
GT5 Prologue

Other:
Call of Duty 4 theme

Source: Playstation Store

Oh, and on your PS3 for that matter. We reported the listing of an ESRB rating for Warhawk on the PSP not long ago. Though we dreamt of an original PSP game, the reality was that the original PS1 Warhawk was released over the PSN network to be played on the PS3 and PSP.

Now the same ratings have been afforded by the ESRB for Street Fighter Alpha and Rayman for the PSP and PS3. From our experience this is a clear confirmation of both of these titles coming to the Playstation Store very soon.

So if you can’t wait for Street Fighetr IV, have a dabble with it’s big ole dad, and reminisce on the days when 2d graphics actually meant 2d.

Source: ESRB Ratings

What’s good news for foreigners who prefer content on the US store, is that US PSN cards are starting to appear, meaning gaining access to those goodies is all the more simple. Moreover, the indigenous children in the country can buy content without owning a Credit Card.

US Playstation Store Update

Games/Demos:
- Crash Bandicoot 2 (PS1) – $5.99
- Kane and Lynch Demo
- Super Stardust HD Demo and Update*

Downloadable Content:
Folklore DLC
- “The Alchemist” pack – $3.99
-”The Origin of Belgae” pack – $3.99

NFS: Prostreet DLC
- Bugatti Veyron 16.4 – $2.99
- McLaren F1 – $2.99

Rock Band – $1.99 each
- Interstate Love Song – Stone Temple Pilots
- Die, All Right! – The Hives
- Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden

Trailers:
- Burnout Paradise “Guns N’ Roses” Trailer
- First Sunday
- Spiderwick Chronicles (Trailer 2)

Other:
- PAIN – Jarvis Theme
- PAIN – The Dude Theme

*Super Stardust HD was updated to v2.0. Includes rumble, custom soundtracks and more. If you already own the game, redownload it from your download list to install the patch.

European Update

Games/Demos:
- Hardcore 4×4 (PS1) – £3.49
- N20 (PS1) – £3.49

Downloadable Content:
- Folklore – Pigly Pack – free
- MotorStorm – Eagle’s Nest and Diamondback Speedway track pack – £3.49

Trailers:
- Bionic Commando
- DMC4 – “TGS 2007 2″
- PixelJunk Monters

Other:
- Four DMC4 wallpapers

Source: Playstation Store

The US Store is taking a break this week and a well deserved one, since last weeks update was bursting. But to keep us impatient folks happy SCEE have provided three gifts on the European Playstation Store:

Snakeball Demo (free)
The Club demo (free)
Super Stardust HD demo (and free Upgrade)

It’s about time we saw a Super Stardust HD demo. Being one of the best PSN games, it’ll now have a chance to sell itself. In addition, if you already have the full game, then downloading the demo will upgrade it to join the rumbling ranks and Custom Soundtrack supporters. Hopefully this is a sign that the clan support update that we spied a couple of weeks ago will be on its way soon.

Seeing The Club was a surprise, especially since it’s landed in Europe and on the Playstation 3 first. Weighing in at 1.7GB, it’s quite beefy. How juicy it is, we’ll let you know.

With the US Playstation Store update, which can be found here, came the 1995 original and classic Warhawk. Nice to see it joining the Warhawk Omega Dawn Booster pack that some of us can’t yet download sadly.

The original game has a Gamesranking.com average of 88%, which is a tad spectacular considering it was born in an era when games weren’t given out 10’s left, right and centre. It can now be yours to play upscaled on your PS3 and on your PSP for $5.99

Unsure of whether you want to fly back to the past? Have a look at the trailer:

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However, when you go to download Snakeball, the purchase will be confirmed but the store will not prompt you to download.

What’s going on Sony, you’ve gone a bit ga ga. These sorts of mistakes sometimes happen early on in a store update, and I don’t think any of us should be complaining if we might get some freebies.

*Update* – Snakeball was only on the Australian store, and the “offer” was soon solved with a price of AU$12.95. It has since disappeared, and whether it will return is unknown. It hasn’t made the UK update, but there is still a chance that it might appear.

Here’s the full European update:

Games/Demos:
- Toy Home (£4.99)
- Populous: The Beginning (£3.49) (An EA PS1 Game)
- Timeshift MP demo

DLC:
Warhawk
- Omega Dawn Expansion Pack (£3.99)
Guitar Hero III
- Boss Battle Pack (free)
Motorstorm
- Holiday Paint Job (free)

Trailers:
- Sky Diving trailer
- Devil May Cry 4 TGS 2007 trailer
- Sega Rally trailers (Canyon trailer, Arctic trailer)
- Kane and Lynch trailers x5
- Assassin’s Creed TV Spot trailer
- Grand Theft Auto IV trailer

Movie trailers:
- CJ7

Others
- High Stakes Poker wallpaper
- Uncharted wallpaper
- Pain wallpapers x4
- Retro theme
- Nature theme
- Manga theme
- Pixels theme

And here is the full US Playstation Store update:

Games
- Toy Home ($9.99)
- Warhawk PS1 ($5.99)
- Trials of Topoq ($4.99)
- Mesmerize: Distort ($1.99)
-Snakeball ($9.99) (Full game can be bought in the demo)

Demos
- Snakeball
- Blacksite: Area 51

DLC
Warhawk
- Omega Dawn Booster Pack: ($7.99)
Folklore
- Holiday Add-On (free)
Motorstorm
- Holiday skin (free)
High Stakes Poker
- Add-on 1 (free)
- Add-on 2 (free)
Guitar Hero III
- “We Three Kings” – Steve Ouimette (free)
Rock Band
- “My Iron Lung” by Radiohead: ($1.99)
- “Buddy Holly” by Weezer: ($1.99)
- “Brass in Pocket” a cover of The Pretenders: ($1.99)

Videos
- GT5 Prologue – “Sizzle Trailer”
- DMC4 – “Final Trailer”
- Warhawk – “Omega Dawn Trailer”
- PS3 TV spots – “Only On”; “Universe”
- THPG – “Mike V’s Skater Story”
- Turok – “Dino Mauling”
- PSP Feature video
- Uncharted – Animation video
- Strange Wilderness Trailer
- Oral Fixation Tour Trailer

Other
- Warhawk theme
- PAIN: Santa theme
- PAIN: Cookie theme