Is that headline a bit critical of Band Hero? No. Is that headline very critical of Band Hero? Absolutely.

The demo for Band Hero hit the Xbox Live Marketplace a few hours ago, and though it’s getting rather mixed impressions, through and through, Band Hero is a family game, with family songs, targeted at a family market. Of course, with artists such as Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Jesse McCartney heading up the set list, you didn’t need me to tell you that.

But that’s not to say the setlist is a stinker; In fact, I really like it. Obvious mainstream appeal aside, songs like “Black Horse And Cherry Tree”, “Let’s Dance”, and “Kung-Fu Fighting” make me want to at least give the game a try, when it comes out Nov. 3rd. If this seems like your type of thing, or you’re just looking to quench your music game, button-mashing thirst, hit up XBLM and download the 3-song demo now.

Destructoid have noticed this post on NeoGaf detailing a leaked document from SEGA. The document was leaked and includes a lot of goodies. The biggest piece of gossip is that “SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN (GTA Vice City/Sonic/etc)”. Similarly, “If [SEGA] provide a list of DC (Dreamcast) titles SCEA will let us know which ones they’re interested in having exclusively.”

Yes, you may now say “wow, I hope this is real”. Journalist Jim Sterling notes that he “tried the download link and it certainly comes from Sega’s own PR site,” so this could be legit. I certainly hope so. Go to the links to see the full list, or hit the jump. Your choice.

SCEA Meeting Aug 5th Notes
Aug 6 2009 – DRAFT FOR COMMENTS

Objectives of Meeting
Dyer agreed to regular quarterly meetings with SOA

Sony PS3
SCEA reiterated plans to sell 13 million PS3s this year
Big announcement back half of year they can’t talk about (potentially price cut of PS3 to reach hardware goals)
SCEA commented on indexing between PS3 and 360 SKUs, should be around 2:1 to garner most favorable treatment.

Motion Controller
Spring 2010 launch (March in JP)
No bundle/pricing details yet, should come Sept 1
Plan on selling 4-5MM units WW
SCEA agreed to provide a list of Sega IP that would work well with the motion controller, Virtua Tennis was an example
Motion Controller support allows easy way to differentiate PS3 SKU
Other differentiation opportunities include PSP/PS3 interoperability – think of features that would make users want to buy both PS3 and PSP SKUs.

Alpha Protocol
Michael Foster, product evaluator, said AP felt barely RPG. Initial level too challenging for players. “Mass Effect felt more RPG.”
Review notes sent to John Merlino a few weeks prior. After meeting Gerald mentioned AP is a high priority for his team.

Planet 51
Sell in of PS3 SKU – SCEA noted that other movie titles on PS3 had underperformed as well (inc. Transformers) this cycle.
Dyer suggests contacting Susan at Walmart and asking what she wants in the pack to sell this SKU (movie tix etc)
Other possibilities are Hybrid movie disc (BD 25 or 50 with Game and Movie on same disc).

Bayonetta
Collectors edition with Bayonetta Action Figure
Novo recommended launching PSN demo around Xmas based off a Jan 5th Ship date with 2-3 week run out to launch.
3-4 weeks is usually ideal demo timing with fresh content every week leading up to launch (trailers, insider video about PG heritage, video blogs).

Vancouver 2010
HOME, Olympic destination would garner a lot of positive attention from SCEA
Should be doing same with Bayonetta, Marvel etc. Easy to launch in all territories.
HOME merchandizing opportunities (clothes etc).

Sonic Racing
Open to DLC to differentiate PS3 SKU – not ratchet and clank but other characters
maybe characters from Rare or Fable universes

Yakuza
Could put Japanese games directly on PSN for download in a special Japanese Import section (pricing $9.99 to $39.99 for full game).
Might need to localize menus at least with subtitles.
SCEA interested in helping on MKTG side if they can have period of exclusivity.

AVP
Another great HOME candidate
AVP avatars
Hybrid BD disc with movie

Iron Man 2
Great candidate for HOME space – explore Tony Stark’s lab etc.
Should have one for Marvel in general.

PSU2
Could do bundle at GameStop with PSP 30-35K units on UMD, Go, or both.

Valkyria 1937
Could bundle with PSP as well.

Vanquish and Aliens: CM
Opportunity for PS3/PSP interoperability (see Eidos Batman, Army of Two, Assassin’s Creed for good examples).
If we offer that SCEA would be really interested in having us at their booth next E3.

Thor
SCEA would like a look at the code soon.

Sonic Anniversary
Could put out collectors edition with all old sonic games on one BD disc.
“Best of Sonic” for around $99.
SCEA would love PSN exclusive power ups/different game modes (like Castlevania’s flip it over/backwards)

PS2 emulator for PS3 (confidential)
SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN (GTA Vice City/Sonic/etc)
For co Marketing money show PS3 controller on TV ads – similar to EA Madden Spots, NCAA, etc…

London Olympics
Perfect opportunity for Motion Controller integration.

DC Digital Titles
If we provide a list of DC titles SCEA will let us know which ones they’re interested in having exclusively.
If we give them a long period of exclusivity they’ll give us more marketing support.

PSP Titles
For SKU differentiation it’s best to offer features that are slightly different from PS3 version.
Titles that are coming up on PSP are Assassin’s Creed II, GTA China Wars, Resident Evil, Little Big Planet – all massive franchises.
SCEA has a specific PSP deck which they can send up with their hardware director for a chat.

It has transpired that Uncharted 2 will include support for Twitter updates. Players can input their account details and have the game automatically update their feed when the player connects to multiplayer, completes a chapter, earns a Trophy, or reaches a level milestone.

Of course, this will be a complete annoyance for everyone involved, except perhaps the PR department at Naughty Dog. Not to mention that in about a year when Twitter stops being the popular thing to do, this feature will look even more ridiculous. Hey, why not have a feature to write a Livejournal or update your MySpace page?

Via ConsoleMonster

According to the Google translation of a Belgian gaming website 9 Lives, the king of pop (should that be capitalized?) has a new game coming out in the near future.

It seems that Michael Jackson is gearing up for a comeback and a new video game for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 is part of that comeback. No details are known at this point, but let’s hope it’s a sequel to Michael Jackson’s Moon Walker. I loved that game.

Go Nintendo

Harmonix and PDP have announced that they will be shipping a kick pedal and double bass pedal adaptor pack for $24.99. The pedal is compatible with all iterations of Rock Band (every console), as well as Guitar Hero: Metallica and Guitar Hero: World Tour.

This is great for those who are either really good at the drums, or those who like to be frustrated by even greater difficulty. It’s a good deal considering that you might have had to shell out for a new drum kit to play the Expert+ mode in GH:Metallica. Oh, and don’t forget, folks, Guitar Hero:Metallica has the Zungre Seal of Approval™.

Sure, we already knew it was coming thanks to the leaked cover of May’s Nintendo Power, but today Konami sent out the press release for the newest Silent Hill game- the first for the Wii- Shattered Memories.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories seems to be more centered on puzzles this time around, as according to Destructoid, it has absolutely no combat. Nope- you just run away from enemies. On the plus side, it won’t have any load times. On the “I don’t know if this is good, bad, or just really stupid” side, the Wiimote will act as a cell phone anytime you get a call.

I’m sure this will excite many fans of the horror genre, or even just the Silent Hill franchise, but as Ripten’s resident scaredy cat (I still jump whenever I find the flashlight in the Highlights magazine search) I will staying far away from this game. Have fun with that game guys, I’ll be over here in the corner watching Noddy’s Toyland Adventure reruns. Hit the jump for the press release.

Konami Announces Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for Wii™, PlayStation®2 System and PSP® System

Popular Survival Horror Series Resurrects True Terror With
Debut on Wii

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – April 6, 2009 - Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. today unveiled the latest iteration in the popular Silent Hill franchise scheduled to launch this fall on Wii™,  PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. Featuring an interactive user interface, improved puzzle system, and a psych profile that changes the experience based on the players’ gameplay choices, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories conveys the most fluid and realistic gameplay of the series to date.

“Silent Hill: Shattered Memories returns to its roots in this re-imagining of the original Silent Hill with the most interactive and frightening installment of the decade-old series,” said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “With a deep storyline, eerie music and a psych profile that watches its players and evolves to expose their innermost fears throughout the game, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is sure to evoke fear in both franchise newcomers and longtime survival horror fans.”

In this terrifying survival horror experience with an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka, players follow Harry Mason, the maladroit protagonist who is searching for his missing daughter, Cheryl. While Harry wanders the snowy streets of Silent Hill searching for clues of her disappearance, he must face twisted creatures from the depths of his frozen nightmares.

In the Wii™ version, players will be drawn into the mysterious town using the Wii Remote™ as a flashlight and cell phone as they search for clues. The cell phone can also be used by players as a user interface which acts as a story telling device, map, camera and much more, providing seamless flow with no interruption in gameplay. Additionally, through a very unique feature in the game, an advanced psych profile watches and adapts to players’ actions to acclimatize Harry and the people he meets, the places he visits, and the enemies he encounters to create an intense and gripping experience like never before.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is scheduled to launch this fall for the Wii™ video game system from Nintendo, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

The Playstation blog announced today that High Impact Games are in the process of developing a brand new Jak and Daxter game for the PS2 and PSP. Called ‘Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier’, the game takes the player to “the edge of the world.” There you’ll fight “air pirates and sinister creatures in [your] quest to find a cure for the world’s eco shortage”. The game will release later this year.

I’m going to go ahead and assume the screenshots given are from the PSP version- even the first Jak and Daxter game looked better than that on the PS2. The developers are the ones behind the well-recieved Secret Agent Clank, so I expect this to at least be a decent PSP platformer, and probably a mediocre PS2 one.

Video Games Blogger reports that Sony Computer Entertainment Benelux (In case you don’t know, that’s Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) have put put a release list for the first quarter of 2009. The list shows that Wipeout Pulse (originally a PSP game) is being released on PS2, and that Flower and Fat Princess are releasing in February and March respectively.

For PSP fans, Patapon 2 is releasing on the 13th of February, and Resistance Retribution is set for a March release. Personally, I’m most looking forward to Fat Princess. It looks like a cross between Team Fortress 2 and Animal Crossing. See the full release list after the jump.

FEBRUARY 2009

PlayStation 2:
Wipeout Pulse
PSP:
(13th) Patapon 2
PlayStation Network:
SOCOM Confrontation
Ragdoll KungFu
(19th) Flower
PlayStation 3:
SOCOM Confrontation bundle (+ headset)
(27th) Killzone 2

MARCH 2009

PlayStation 2:
Buzz! The Smartest of (insert your country)
SingStar Queen
PSP:
Buzz! The Smartest of (insert your country)
Resistance Retribution
PlayStation Network:
Fat princess
PlayStation 3:
Buzz! The Smartest of (insert your country)
SingStar Queen

Today, Eidos Interactive revealed the first gameplay footage, as well as some screenshots for the PS3/Xbox 360 versions of Tomb Raider: Underworld. They also announced a release date of November 18th of this year for the Xbox 360, PC, PS3, and PS2 versions of the game.

While the trailer is done as if for a movie, it’s great to see some footage of the game in action. I haven’t played a Tomb Raider title in a while, so I’m definitely going to be checking this one out. Plus, she encounters a giant freaking squid. Hit the jump for the gallery of screenshots.

12►

It was released in Japan last November; now the fourth version of PS2 is coming to Europe and India. That’s according to SCE India country manager Atindriya Bose, who claims it will launch simultaneously in the two regions at some point before this year’s Diwali festival on 28 October.

This may be why Sony has appeared hitherto incapable of putting PS2 titles – hell even PSOne titles – on PSN, let alone provide backward compatibility. In an interview with India’s Economic Times, Bose described this fourth iteration as being sleeker and slimmer than ever, even though the previously external AC adapter is now going to be built into the main unit. But you have to wonder what the point is.

PS2 is already a cheap, reliable console with a large selection of good and readily available titles – perfect for anyone looking for something entry-level, on a budget, or wanting to indulge in a few of gaming’s past treasures. The gains from remodeling the PS2 for no new functionality at this stage will be few, especially if price remains the same as the third model as planned – something already confirmed in India.

Source: Economic Times

User NiTiz over on the N4G forums has posted a very intriguing image showing PS2 titles available from the PSN store. According to NiTiz, his friend at Sony London sent him the image and also told him that the PS2 store will be announced at E3.

The titles shown in this image are Fantavision, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, The Bouncer, Ridge Racer V, Red Fraction, SSX, and Smugglers Run. This is a very nice feature for the owners of 40GB PS3s who currently have no PS2 backwards compatibility.

However, this is still only a rumor, but if it turns out to be legit Sony would have a very strong summer lined up; movie rentals, firmware 2.4, and a now new PS2 store.

Source: N4G

Update: Sony Denies Rumor: “No plans for PS2 Downloadable Titles On PS3″
Sony’s Patrick Seybold, Director of Corporate Communications & Social Media, responded to the screenshot that had many (including us) believing in the possibility of PS2 downloads on the PS3, stating that it “must have been mocked up by an excited consumer”. He went on to add that “at this point, we haven’t made any announcements, and there are no plans for PS2 downloadable titles on PS3.”

While this sure sounds like an open and shut case, I vaguely remember a certain Sony official denying a price cut only for it to happen a few days later. In a world of corporate double talk, this could mean everything, or it could mean nothing. Regardless, the unnamed source associated with the original image stated that Sony would announce the PS2 download capability at this years E3 — so we will find out the truth soon enough.

Update Source: GamePro