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?

Just one day after the Sony next-gen console celebrates it’s third birthday, the PlayStation 3 gets firmware update v3.10, a perfect compliment to half eaten ice cream cake.

The latest update contains the features we reported on just a few days ago, most notably the addition of Facebook and a new gamercard customization option. Feel free to examine the full press release below.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. to Offer Richer Online Social Experience to PlayStation(R)3 Computer Entertainment System Owners with Facebook Integration

Next Firmware Update (v3.10) Enables PlayStation 3 system Gamers to Share Their Experiences with Friends on Facebook, Including Trophies Won In-Game, PlayStation(R)Network Game Purchases, and Game Events

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Nov. 18 – Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (”SCEA”) today announced an integration with Facebook to deliver the first phase of a variety of new features to further connect and enhance the online social experiences of PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system owners. Starting on November 18, as part of the system software update, version 3.10, users can easily showcase their game accomplishments to friends and family, and post information about the PS3 games they purchase from PlayStation®Network to Facebook. With the new Facebook integration, PS3 system owners now have access to a truly social and seamless user experience.

With Firmware 3.10, PS3 system owners can now not only brag to friends about their domination as a gamer, but also back it up by sharing unlocked trophies with their friends on Facebook every time they sync their Trophies. Additionally, the system update enables PS3 system owners to share information on games they just purchased with a click of a button. The new system update also enables game developers to set up trigger points in their games that provide PS3 system users the option to quickly and easily publish game related information from their favorite titles to Facebook.

“Launching Facebook for the PlayStation community is a natural fit for our goal of delivering unparalleled connected experiences – from connecting our community to each other to connecting our customers to great entertainment downloaded from the PlayStation Store,” said Susan Panico, senior director, PlayStation Network, SCEA. “As we pass the third anniversary of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network, we’re excited to deepen the social experiences of PlayStation Network and kick-off the first phase of our integration with Facebook.”

“We’re excited to connect Facebook’s 300 million active users with the PlayStation 3, enabling players to connect and share their game experiences with friends,” said Ethan Beard, director, Facebook Developer Network.

Key Facebook Features:

Showcase Trophies: Instantly share trophies you earn in PS3 games in your Facebook stream. Simply sync your PS3 system and easily show off your accomplishments to friends and family.

PlayStation Store Purchase Log Publishing: Let friends and family on Facebook instantly know which PlayStation 3 games you’ve purchased. The PlayStation Store, available to PS3 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system owners through PlayStation Network, features over 200 downloadable games, many of which are exclusive to PS3 or PSP system owners, in addition to over 4,000 pieces of add-on game content.

Game Event: With a few quick clicks of the controller sharing select game events, progress and statistics is now easier than ever with the Facebook integration.

Additional New Firmware 3.10 Features (not related to Facebook):

Photos: Photos will now be displayed in a grid format for simplified access and viewing.
Friends List: The PlayStation Network Friends List has an enhanced design that enables users to customize the background color of their PlayStation Network Profile.

Several leaked interface images surfaced one the web a few days ago depicting new gamercard customization and Facebook integration for the PlayStation 3 console. Without official word from Sony, it was easy to believe that they were nothing more than well done Photoshop job. Well, that official word came today. As part of an announcement on their Official PlayStation blog, Sony confirmed that the features listed above will be a part of their upcoming v3.10 update.

Feature fanatics may be a tad upset to find that the Facebook integration won’t have all the bells and whistles out the gate, as the blog explains that its initial push will allow PlayStation owners to share trophy achievements as well as their recent PlayStation Network purchases with other Facebook friends, with future updates allowing for a more complete Facebook experience down the road.

No release date information has been announced for the v3.10 update, but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we know more. In the mean time, check out the walkthrough video below for a first look at these new features.

Some may knock the cartoony style of Madden NFL Arcade, but as a kid that grew up playing NBA Jam in the arcades, I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on Madden Arcade. The game looks fun as hell and I welcome a break from the “just how realistic can we make things look” next gen graphics conga line.

If you haven’t seen or heard much of the game, it is essentially 5 on 5 football with insanely unrealistic power ups that freeze opponents in place, send three footballs down field with one whip of the arm, and allow Brett Favre to play until he’s 80. Better yet, to paraphrase Kotaku’s Owen Good, it allows the Washington Redskins to score two touch downs on offense.

Madden NFL Arcade is due to hit the PlayStation Network on November 24th and Xbox LIVE on November 25th, with a price tag of $14.99 and 1200 MS Points respectively.

My Thanksgiving agenda is bound to include eating way too much food, kicking my brother’s ass in some Madden Arcade, and passing out on the couch to a Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions match up sure to be a half time blowout.

Have a look at the trailer below and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Fans of Activision’s Action/RPG Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 will be happy to know that new DLC content is out today on both the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3. The download will unlock five new characters; Magneto, Carnage, Cable, Black Panther and Juggernaut (previously only available with pre-orders). It will also open up a new Civil War storyline with four challenge missions.

The cost of the update will run 800 MS points (about $10) on Xbox LIVE and $9.99 on the PlayStation Network. Full press release available below.

MARVEL: ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 2 DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT NOW AVAILABLE

Fuse Powers with Magneto, Carnage, Psylocke, Cable, Black Panther and Juggernaut in New Missions

Santa Monica, CA – November 5, 2009 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that the greatest Super Hero™ action/RPG team-up just got a super-powered upgrade with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 downloadable content, now available until December 31, 2009, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Players can now experience Marvel’s epic Civil War storyline with five all-new playable characters in their arsenal: Carnage, Psylocke and Cable make their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system debuts in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series alongside returning fan-favorites Magneto and Black Panther. The downloadable content also includes four new challenge missions, including all-new boss encounters, dangerous gauntlets and more, all downloadable from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points and from the PlayStation®Store for $9.99. Also joining the dream team will be Juggernaut, now available for download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for 160 Microsoft Points and from the PlayStation®Store for $1.99.

The official game demo will also be available to download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for free and allows players to play through the Washington, D.C. mission as either a pro-registration or anti-registration team.

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.

There have been rumors abound about some sort of Ghostbusters content in LittleBigPlanet ever since the jerks over at the Playstation.blog started tugging at our heart strings and teasing potential Ghostbusters content in the game. While I don’t actually own LittleBigPlanet (or for that matter, a Playstation 3) I’ve been waiting to see what Media Molecule and Sony have been holding back in the game. Today, the Playstation.blog finally revealed what we knew the entire time- that Ghostbusters costumes were indeed coming to LittleBigPlanet.

Some of you will be disappointed to learn that there aren’t any special levels or packs with this DLC, other than the costumes themselves. You can grab each costume individually for $1.99 off of the Playstation Network, or if bundlin’ makes you feel good, you can go for the full 4-pack of costumes for $5.99, and save yourself a Jefferson.

[via Destructoid]

DICE is currently performing maintenance on the soldier profiles in the recently released Battlefield 1943, so you may have noticed that your stats have been reset. Not to worry, my friends, as this is temporary.

Simon Dalziel (I presume of DICE) explains that the soldier profiles are actually being made “better than they already are” and that all of the kills will still count towards the Coral Sea challenge. After maintenance is over in the next few days, ranks and badges will be restored.

Game Stooge

Battlefield 1943 hit XBLA and PSN this past Wednesday with three maps – Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, and Wake Island. When the global kill count on one of the services reaches 43 million, a fourth map, Coral Sea, will be unlocked for that service. While 43 million is quite a bit of kills, it’s coming faster than you think.

Players on Xbox Live have already racked up almost 10 million kills, almost a fourth of the way there, while PSN kills are almost at 6 million. Blend Games seems to think that the kill count will slow after the weekend is over, but consider that the service has been riddled with bugs and they’re currently working on it, I think the kill count will remain steady as more people are allowed to actually play.

I’ll see you on the Battlefield!*

*As long as the servers allow us to play.

In an interview with Kombo, PopCap Games’ PR director Garth Chouteau has noted that the highly acclaimed Plants vs. Zombies will follow its cousin Peggle onto other platforms: XBLA, PSN- even the DS and iPhone. Chouteau is quoted by Kombo on the matter:

…Peggle for XBLA is a good example of a game that we took that was popular on the PC and we spent probably twice as long as anyone else would have figuring how to make that game really good for Xbox and Xbox Live Arcade, and I think you will see that with Plants Vs. Zombies–I don’t know the exact order in which that game will make its way onto other platforms, but it’s certainly been successful enough, quickly enough, that we’re looking at other platforms and deciding where we’ll take that game next…

Since PvZ was such a success, both commercially and critically, it can only be good news that it can come to a bigger audience. I only hope that they make a DS version as good as Peggle DS.

Destructoid reports that the full XBLA release of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will happen on none other than July 29, 2009. The PSN release is not known at this point, although it is likely to be a very similar date. The game is also set to be sold at a price of 1200 MS Funbux™, and likely a similar price on the PSN but in actual Dollars/Pounds/Euros/Yen/Your currency.

I remember seeing this game in the shops when I was a kid. At the time, I wanted to buy it because it had Marvel characters in it. Now, I want to buy MvC2 because it has Capcom characters in it. Time changes things, especially the relative coolness of Ryu in my mind.

The Punisher: No Mercy will be available on the PlayStation Store on July 2nd for $10. I really hope there’s a demo. I’m interested because of my love for The Punisher, but I also have a love/hate relationship with first-person shooters. When done right, it’s one of my favorite genres, but more often than not it’s done wrong.

*gasp* Man, that title is a mouthful.

The second Call of Duty: World at War (seriously, I refuse to call it Call of Duty 5.) map pack just hit, and while presumably thousands of people are having fun with it right now, you might’ve just hoped it would hit the proverbial online bargain bin soon enough, even though it’s a measly $10. Well, now you don’t have to, because we at Ripten are giving away 5 PS3 codes and 5 Xbox 360 codes for the map pack.

Of course, we can’t just give them to you. That would be crazy! No siree- but you can hit the jump to see what you can do to win a code.

(header image by AgentMOO. Play his game, yo!)

To win one of these codes, all you have to do is make a drawing in MS Paint (or Paintbrush for Mac, Tuxpaint for Linux, or whatever) and leave a link to the picture in the comments below, but don’t forget to tell us which console you want the code for. The drawing can be of anything- as long as it’s gaming related, and the Ripten staff will choose the 5 best PS3 artist drawings and the 5 best Xbox 360 artist drawings. The main point of the contest is that you absolutely cannot use anything other than a rudimentary paint program. You can even use an iPhone paint program if you want to, but if we see any hints of Photoshopping, GIMPing, Paint.NET-ing, or A.viary-ing, your painting will not count.

Keep in mind though- best doesn’t necessarily mean most skillfull. If your drawing is though provoking, or funny, or artsy, or even just totally outrageous enough to make us like it, then you’ll probably win. That’s not to say that skillful artists won’t win- you can make a drawing of anything, as long as the drawing is related to video games. It doesn’t have to look like a Monet, though- Pollacks and Picassos are just as welcome.

You can submit as many masterpieces as you want, but make sure you leave a link to them before midnight (between Tues. & Wed.), Tuesday June 23rd, one week from now. Get to it, guys!

Joystiq reports that the classic PS1 title Metal Gear Solid is coming to the PlayStation Network as a downloadable title. The game will be coming to the North American PSN on June 18 for just $9.99, but there’s no word on the European release just yet. Since Metal Gear Solid is pretty much the best game that was ever released for the PS1, this is a great chance for those of us who foolishly sold their MGS1 disc in their naive youth. Of course, that doesn’t apply to me. I live in Europe.

After news that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was being released on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, resale values of the original game for PS2, Dreamcast, and Xbox plummeted. The original release is one of the most expensive and sought-after games for collectors and is hailed by many to be one of the best fighting games ever released.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 prices dropped across the board, the PS2 version reaching its lowest value since December 2006, which is still a surprise at over $60 used. The assumption is that the original games will now only be desirable to collectors, while the average gamer that merely wants to play the excellent fighting game will instead opt for the downloadable version with its enhanced graphics and online gameplay — not to mention the significantly lower price.

Good news for buyers, bad news for sellers. That’s the risk you run in the collectibles business, but at least gamers will no longer have to pay current-gen prices for a used game from the turn of the century.

For a couple of years now, we’ve been hearing rumors of Capcom and Marvel rereleasing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 online, but had never heard anything substantial, due to Capcom keeping a tight leash on any info they had. Well too bad, Capcom- an hour ago, in one fell swoop, Marvel announced Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes for XBLA and PSN, and even post a trailer to go with it.

While the original Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for the Xbox and Dreamcast are considered rare because of their extremely limited print- even used copies in stores can run you upwards of $80- fans have been waiting for a reprint of the game for five years. As one of the most popular crossover fighting series of all time, people have even been holding their breath for a MvC3 announcement, even though Capcom has promptly shot down those dreams. Well they can’t shoot down this one- Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is back this summer, with the same menus, characters, fighting styles, that so many of us maybe a few of us know and love.

You’ve probably already seen the Killzone 2 commercial, whether it’s on the internet or on TV, where the course of a bullet is followed closely throughout a warzone. If you haven’t, you can see it after the jump. Guerilla Games released a brand new trailer for the game on the PSN that allows you to move the camera around as the bullet moves, allowing you to see new angles of the trailer in gorgeous high-def.

This is all done easily because the trailer was made in 3D using the Killzone 2 engine. The “4D” trailer is also much longer than the normal Behind The Bullet trailer that airs on television, and it allows you to actually unlock audio commentary from the Killzone 2 team and screw around with visual filters that affect the way the video plays. You can see the brand new 4D commercial on the Playstation Network now.

I often lay awake at night, wishing that some independent developer would make a HD 3D platformer with a main character that looks like a mix between Mega Man, Astroboy, and Viewtiful Joe, and also explodes.True story. Thanks to Curve Studios’s Explodemon!, I’ll be able to get those 8 hours of sleep a day I so desperately need.

Explodemon! is a platformer by the guys that made the Buzz! Quiz series, and from the looks of it, there is definitely some Mega Man inspiration going on here. Though the game looks like another 3D platformer, it clearly has some boss fights, which are set up in the same way that the Mega Man X series’s fights are. It seems weird that this game is releasing on WiiWare, PC, and PSN, but not XBLA. If I can recall, this is the first time XBLA has been shunned in favor of both WiiWare and PSN.

Explodemon! is definately a game I’m going to be following, because it looks really interesting, in a retro, Japanese homage kind of way. The game has no set date, but Curve Studios has assured us it will be released this year.

Source: Joystiq

Killzone 2 has a wonderful online multiplayer experience and like most popular online shooters, there are always going to be those who want to cheat and glitch. Well, according to Official Killzone 2 Twitter page, developer Guerrilla Games is fed up with all the cheating.

The following warning was “tweeted” on the Killzone 2 Twitter page:

Glitchers risk losing their PSN ID altogether. We’ve been quite lenient so far but that’s going to change.

Looks like Guerrilla has noticed the cheating and glitching going on in Killzone 2 but have been hesitant to take action until now. Mind you PSN ID’s don’t cost money, unlike Xbox Live accounts, but if you’re that motivated to cheat and glitch, you’ll probably care enough not to lose your trophies and shit. SO DON’T CHEAT ASSHOLES!

Source: Killzone 2 Twitter Via Destructoid

Shacknews reports that Insomniac have announced a new addition to the Ratchet and Clank series on the PS3, entitled “A Crack in Time”. The title will pick up where Quest for Booty left off. There are no further details at the moment, but assume that it will launch on the PSN for about $15 in the US, and that it will answer some questions you might have been left with at the end of the previous game.

Likely to be another outstanding game, but if it follows the PS3 original closely enough, it might be ruined for me by a spawn-point famine. It’s increasingly frustrating getting three-quarters of the way through a level, only to die, and have to do the whole thing again. It might have been acceptable back in the day, but it’s just archaic now. Let’s hope they fix it, eh?

Keita Takahashi, Noby Noby Boy’s proud father, has posted an update on the PlayStation Blog today to let the world know that Noby Noby Boy will be receiving an update “in the hopes that more people can enjoy the game”. The update will include an offline multiplayer mode, Takahashi says, adding “it’ll still be fun”. Oh and regarding the long journey to Mars? “Please be patient.” Offline multiplayer sounds great to me, since Noby Noby Boy is best played with a friend in the room. What I really want from this mode is that each person controls each end of Boy, resulting in madness.

EDGE reports that the wait for the PS3 version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is finally over- the game will release tomorrow, Thursday the 19th of February. The game will cost £11.99. The reasons for the delay were never properly revealed, and since the game is actually coming out now, I expect they never will be.

With Street Fighter IV and this releasing in the same week, and Noby Noby Boy as well, this is looking like an expensive week- that’s not even counting Killzone 2 next week and the GTA IV DLC. It’s like October all over again.

Joystiq reports that a demo of the much anticipated (by some) Killzone 2 will be hitting the European PSN on February 5. In the US, PS3 owners will have to pre-order the game at GameStop to get the demo on the same day, or wait until 27 February. Of course, cunning PS3 owners will find a way of downloading the European demo on their Euro accounts, I’m sure. Hugo Bustillos, a UK Sony representative, has noted that we’ll see the first two areas of the game’s first level, ‘Corinth River,’ with a beach landing and a warehouse. Also, the demo will include a tutorial, although I doubt it can match a certain game’s tutorial.

This is good news for people like me, who haven’t really seen much about the game, but want to know why people are talking about it so much. If the game is anything like the mediocre last game, even if it does look pretty, it won’t be getting a free pass from me. That said, pretty graphics!

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

Sony has told Eurogamer that the Killzone 2 demo will likely be hitting the PlayStation Network before the game’s release. This contrasts to the American PSN, on which the demo will not launch until after the game releases. Here’s some more salt on America’s wound: Europe seems to be getting the game 2 days earlier than the US.

Anyone looking forward to Killzone 2? I wasn’t, and then I played the game at the Eurogamer Expo. Now, I’m… still not looking forward to it. Have you ever played a first-person shooter? Then you’ve played Killzone 2. Yeah, it looks nice, and it’ll likely be an example of how to do an FPS right, but what I saw just had nothing to excite. I guess the early demo will have to prove me wrong, eh?

Via GameZine.

The PlayStation Blog has revealed a new set of downloadable content for LittleBigPlanet today: a “level pack”. The pack, the first of many, will include costumes, objects, decorative items and stickers, and will cost $2.99. The two costumes above will be in this pack, along with a host of other stuff- but only until Jan 8!. Hit the jump to see what you’ll be getting.

- Two new Costumes – Christmas Tree headpiece and a Wrapped Sackboy.
- One new Create Material = Wrapping Paper (cardboard w/ giftwrap texture).
- Two new Objects = A Festive Sleigh and holiday themed light.
- Six new Decorations = A Festive Bauble, Bell, Wrapping Bow, Candy Cane, Card and Stocking.
- A ton of new Stickers = holiday themed of course, including a Red Nose Reindeer, Elves, Turkey images and many more.

Pretty nice selection of stuff. Worth $2.99, though? I suppose if you’re a big fan of Christmas and/or the game, it’s not too bad. Look out for the free Santa costume being released soon, too!

Edge reports that the PSN version of Capcom’s Super Street Fighter II HD Remix has been delayed “and has no official release date” in the UK. The Xbox Live Marketplace version’s release remains unchanged in the UK, and releases today along with the US versions of the game. No reason was given by Capcom as to why this is the case. Any ideas why the Xbox and US versions remain unchanged but the UK PSN version has been delayed? I’d hazard a guess at a licensing issue, but perhaps there is a more… sinister explanation. Probably not. Anyway, let us know what you think in the comments.

For our readers in the US, rejoice! The demo for Dead Space, EA’s recent horror shooter, will hit the Playstation Marketplace and the Xbox Live Marketplace service on the 25th of November. For our European readers, rejoice slightly less! The demo for Dead Space is heading to Xbox Live Marketplace on the 25th as well, but the PSN release is set for the 27th. Still, it’s better than nothing, eh? Speaking of which, our readers in Asia may now begin not rejoicing- there is no date set for the demo on either marketplace, at least as far as Shacknews reports. PC gamers should also note that there hasn’t been any word of a demo for said platform.

Dead Space is a game that tends to garner mixed reactions; a demo is the perfect way to have a go at the game before you decide to buy. Roly’s review is another safe bet for those of you who need even more persueding. In any case, how do you feel about the game, or even the demo? Worth full price, or not?

Capcom has confirmed that Backone’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD will hit the PlayStation 3 next Tuesday, November 25, and Xbox 360 next Wednesday, November 26. The PlayStation Network usually updates on Thursdays, but the update will occur on Tuesday next week because of Thanksgiving.

Capcom hasn’t set a price for the downloadable fighter yet, but the announcement is sure to come within the next few days.  With Street Fighter IV just around the corner, Super Street Fighter 2 HD is the perfect appetizer for you Street Fighter fanatics.

Source: ShackNews

It seems right that Sony would give Capcom a dedicated storefront on their network. After all, Capcom has been doing the most creative things with the downloadable market with ventures like Bionic Commando Rearmed and Mega Man 9. And Sony has been the most expiremental with downloadable distribution by virtue of having PSN play home to WipEout HD, Burnout Paradise, and more.

The marriage will be official come November 13, 2008.

All of Capcom’s released downloadable titles will be found in one compact convenient space. If you haven’t supported Capcom’s download titles, it’s not only in your best interest to do so, but the industry’s too. Is single-handedly dooming Capcom a burden you’re willing to handle?

Okay, so maybe that was a bit faux-dramatic but seriously, buy some stuff. Jerk.