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Gran Turismo 5 November 24th Release Date Confirmed

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:51:54 +0000

The long awaited and recently delayed release of Gran Turismo 5 has finally been given a green light release date. According to the Official Sony PlayStation blog, GT5′s virtual rubber will hit the road just a few weeks from now on November 24, 2010.

Those who followed our E3 2010 coverage from the Sony Keynote know that original release date promised to us was November 2, 2010. In fact at the time of the announcement, Epic Games VP, Mark Rein (sitting directly behind me) yelled “really?” in disbelief. Turns out Mark’s skepticism was justified.

As it stands right now, we’ll all have to wait exactly 22 additional days. Of course, they could very well delay it again, but let’s cross our fingers and pray to the Sony Racing Gods that they don’t. Vroom! Vroooom!!

“Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program!” commented Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. “When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with Gran Turismo 5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans. Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed.”

Source: PlayStation Blog

Also be sure to check out:

Gran Turismo 5 Official Car List

Gran Turismo 5 Official Track List

LittleBigPlanet Beta Code Blowout!

Sam Naylor — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:35:09 +0000

The Playstation Blog reports that thousands of new LittleBigPlanet beta codes will be hitting the web soon. IGN, 1up, and GameTrailers will all be receiving the codes for their users, as well as The Official LBP Blog. If the fiasco with Eurogamer is anything to go by, expect it to be difficult to get hold of one, even with the thousands of them floating about.

The LBP Blog has a sneaky post referring to Monday, which likely means that if you’re looking for a code, you will need to be around then. If you’ve got a beta code already, or if you get one from one of these sites, let us know how it’s going in LBP land!

PlayStation Home Beta Out Today? Depends on Who You Ask

Chad Lakkis — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:23:45 +0000

A member of the Official Sony PlayStation message board got tired of waiting for his invite to the Home Beta (originally scheduled to go out yesterday) and decided to take matters into his own hands by calling up the all knowing customer support team for some answers.

The first rep he spoke to (call recording here) stated that if he applied via email, per the company’s instructions, that he would be finding out soon, and then adding that “it should be arriving today.”

While this news may sound good for those who genuinely want to believe, he tried back again, this time getting a different rep (call recording here) who responded by saying that the company doesn’t tell them those things and that he should check the site for answers. Give that girl a Klondike bar.

Source: boardsus.playstation.com (via: feedonps3.com)

Sony PS3 Customer Service FTW!

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:40:16 +0000

A few days ago, a long time friend of mine called to let me know that he had some positive video game related news for me, and I said “ok shoot.”

He told me that his brother had gotten his COD4 disk stuck in his recently purchased PS3, and that the system would not eject it. So he decided to give a ring to Sony’s customer service line. He explained the situation to a supervisor and was told that it would all be taken care of immediately. What Sony did next was pretty amazing.

Two days after his call in to the company, he received a package from FedEx. Upon opening the box he he was greeted with the following items; a brand new PS3 40gb console, two new controllers, a Sony Blu-ray remote control, a new copy of Call of Duty 4, and Formula One Championship Edition.

That’s a pretty nice package considering he never had a Blu-ray remote, an extra controller, or the Formula One racing game. Now that’s customer service.

Afterthought: Would you be willing to work your way up the chain of command in a company to get taken care of or is it just not worth your time and aggravation?

Sony Guarantees PS3 Home 2008 Availability

Rangebar Merani — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:42:13 +0000

The highly anticipated and long awaited PlayStation Home online virtual service has been delayed several times, but it seems that a launch date may finally be in sight.

Home producer, Martijn Van Der Meulen, commented at the Leipzig Games Convention about the release date of Home, guaranteeing that it would come out this year.

In an article published by IGN UK, Ryan Clements had the following to say:

“First and foremost, Meulen told me (without hesitation) that it is a 100 percent guarantee that Home will be released by the end of this calendar year. He has absolutely no doubt that this will be the case, so it looks like the long wait to come Home is finally reaching its conclusion.

Meulen also assured me, quite adamantly, that Home will always be a free service — only premium content will need to be purchased. I know some gamers were concerned that once Home reached a certain user base, a fee might be applied to the service, but this is not the case. Meulen says that there are no plans to charge for Home, even in the far future.”

That’s really good to know, but I’m still a bit skeptical. Let’s hope he’s referring to the actual full service and not the beta … that would just be a tease.

Source: uk.ps3.ign.com

GC 08: SOCOM Confrontation Booth Employs the Use of Sandbags

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:20:32 +0000

The Socom Confrontation booth at E3 consisted of — well, it didn’t exist. It was a single kiosk surrounded by several others running various Sony games.

At Liepzig however, those looking to play SOCOM won’t have the luxury of standing at a kiosk, in fact, they won’t be able to stand at all.

If you want to play the game, you will have to hit the ground, shimmy your way onto a sandbag, and duck under a low lying wooden structure covered in camouflage. Creative? Yes. Comfortable? Not so much.

Source: Kotaku

God of Golf: Download Kratos in Hot Shots Golf

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:09:52 +0000

Here’s another Kratos crossover for God of War fans. A few weeks ago, we found out that Kratos was being worked into LittleBigPlanet in SackBoy form, and now Sony’s Official PlayStation Blog confirms the rumors that he will be in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds as well.

Clap Hanz, the developers of the game, worked closely with the God of War team and T.C. Carson, the voice of Kratos, to bring the mythical character to life. One of the coolest details is that his golf club, the “Club of Chaos”, is a driver attached by chain links to a grip he holds in his hands.

I’m not a really big fan of golf, video game or the real thing, but if I could swing that ball and chain club of his at a few country club boys, it might be enough to get me to have a change of heart.

You can download Kratos via the PSN this Thursday. Check out the rest of the in-game screens after the jump.

Source: Official PlayStation Blog

Huge LittleBigPlanet Ads Adorn Germany Near Games Convention 2008 in Leipzig

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:51:53 +0000

The infamous SackBoy and his LittleBigPaintbrush have painted their way onto the German cityscape just in time for this years GC in Leipzig. While I’m sure that SB himself created the masterpiece, something tells me that Sony and Media Molecule sprung for the paint.

See the mural from a few different angles by visiting the Official GC 08 Blog.

Source: gc-blog.de

LittleBigPlanet Box Art Revealed

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:29:39 +0000

Now tell me, does that box art look like it was made using PowerPoint? Didn’t think so.

Colorful, creative, and pretty freaking cool. Also, notice that SackBoy graces the cover bearing gifts. That’s right people, the boy has got the “whole world … in his hands.” Anyone else think that Media Molecule is trying to tell us something.

Source: Three Speech

SOCOM: Confrontation Public Beta Info

Rangebar Merani — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:03:03 +0000

The SOCOM: Confrontation Public Beta will finally start up on September 1st and will last through the whole month of September.

There are two ways of getting into the SOCOM: Confrontation Public Beta. The first way is by pre-ordering SOCOM: Confrontation at GameStop and you’ll receive an access code to get into the Public Beta. You’ll also be able to share the code with two other friends to allow them access into the Public Beta. You can pre-order the game at GameStop either in-store or online to receive your voucher.

The second way to get into the Public Beta is by purchasing the June issue of QORE (which is the first issue) from the Playstation Network. You’ll be able to download the Public Beta from QORE but starting on September 8th, instead of the 1st.

These two ways of getting into the Public Beta are for North Americans only. The regional Sony Computer Entertainment offices will announce details of the Public Beta for other parts of the world.

For me it’s a no-brainer, the pre-order deal is the best option. I mean if you’re going to buy the game anyways, you might as well put $5 down on the game and be able to play a month before the game is actually released.

SOCOM: Confrontation is still set for an October 14th release date. Hopefully the Public Beta goes well and we don’t get any more delays.

See you suckers online!

Source: socom.us.playstation.com

Home Beta Expanded Access: Theme Download Required, PSN Activity Preferred

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:10:02 +0000

I had a frank conversation with one of the designers on the PlayStation Home at this year’s E3 convention. During that chat, he mentioned that the beta would be expanding “very soon” with a smile on his face.

He also added that the expansion could be based on PSN activity, meaning that the more time you spend online with your PS3, the more likely you would get in to the next round of the beta. He of course then quickly added that this was just one of the many ideas being thrown around and could not confirm it as definite.

Today, the official PlayStation blog announced that the closed Home beta would be expanding, and those wanting in were being asked to sign into their PSN account and download a PlayStation Home theme.

Downloading the theme is the equivalent of submitting an application for the expansion lottery, but the blog revealed that there would be other deciding factors:

We will be using a variety of criteria including activity on the PLAYSTATION Network to determine eligibility for the Beta community. Existing beta testers have automatically qualified to be part of the expanded beta.

So it appears that the smiling Home designer was right. If you haven’t been showing your PlayStation much online love lately, now is the time to rubberband your controller, sign onto PSN, and leave that bugger online morning, noon, and night.

Source: PlayStation Blog

SOCOM: Confrontation Release Plans Finalized, Three Options Available

Rangebar Merani — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:32:31 +0000

Starting the week October 14th, you will be able to pick up the following versions of SOCOM: Confrontation in North America: Bundle version at $59.99, stand alone version at $39.99 and the PSN version at $39.99.

Here’s a quick description of the bundles:

$59.99 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
(Bundle Version)
Includes SOCOM Confrontation, a newly designed Bluetooth® Headset for the PLAYSTATION®3 system and exclusive Behind the Scenes videos.

$39.99 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
(Stand Alone Version)
For all of the people who want SOCOM: Confrontation on a disc. Does not include the headset or the Behind the Scenes videos.

$39.99 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation on the PSN
SOCOM Confrontation downloadable from the PSN without ever leaving your couch. Does not include the headset or the Behind the Scenes videos.

The regional Sony Computer Entertainment offices will announce details for the rest of the world, but Sony’s goal is to have a simultaneous worldwide release.

You can bet your ass that I’m picking up the Bundle Version with the Bluetooth® headset. Get your pre-orders ready!

Source: socom.us.playstation.com

Kratos SackBoy with LittleBigPlanet Pre-Order

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:44:30 +0000

That’s right. According the official PlayStation blog, the exclusive Kratos SackBoy rumors were true — but that’s not all. Those who pre-order the game will have other options outside of Kratos.

The full list contains:

The Official “LittleBigPlanet Creator” MiniGuide by Brady Games
LittleBigStickerBook – because everyone loves stickers
LittleBigPouch – to protect your game
Exclusive Nariko SackGirl
Exclusive Kratos SackBoy

Kotaku is reporting the package as all inclusive, however my understanding, based on the statement below, is that you will be able to choose from the list, as opposed to getting one of everything on it.

“… we wanted to share early details of our pre-order campaign for you to decide which item you’d like.”

Regardless, the Kratos SackBoy gets my vote. Why you ask? Because the only thing better than shoving your buddies around a LBP map is shoving your buddies around a LBP map while screaming “I’m a GOD bitch, and don’t you forget it!”

More images available after the jump.

Source: blog.us.playstation.com (via Kotaku)