Tuesday, February 26, 2008

PlayStation Home Beta 0.8.3 Changes in Video


A new video of the recently released PlayStation Home closed beta version has surfaced on YouTube tonight. A series of a few more videos are too come, so for now enjoy this one. Beware: bad music upon video start.

KOTOR III Artwork Surfaces from James Zhang

The homepage for LucasArts' concept artist James Zhang features a hidden folder which contains concept art from the unannounced Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III. These could either be current or a canceled game.

The concept arts show some of the names of the characters in KOTOR III. These are Dashaad (could be a faction or specie), Idriss, Naresha, Q10 (could be a droid model), and Vargas.

Information thanks to N4G (currently pending).

[Star Wars: KOTOR III Concept Arts]

Dark Sector: Multiplayer Online Revealed in Video


If your looking to check out Digital Extremes' Dark Sector's online modes, then you need to watch these videos. The big guy in-front of the camera and the running style immediately reminded me of Gears of War, but I can tell this game is gonna be incredibly fun. Enjoy the watch!





Patapon Game Coming to PLAYSTATION Network?

The latest Quartermann pages in Electronic Gaming Monthly feature some new rumors. One of the rumors is that Sony's Patapon will be seeing some sort of spin-off released on the PLAYSTATION Network. We'll have more if this rumor is true.

[Rumors: Crackdown Sequel Squashed, EA Entering the Octagon]

PLAYSTATION Store Getting an Overhaul in April

Other than the major announcements of the Metal Gear Solid 4 release and such we've heard from Destination PlayStation, there was also another interesting leak from the conference.

According to the sources at the conference, the PlayStation Store is going to get a graphical user interface overhaul, planned to arrive on April 15, 2008 alongside Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. The new store is said to look more in tune with SingStar.

Not much details were given, but it was said navigation would change to a series of icons running along the bottom of the interface.

[PlayStation Store Getting Overhauled In April
]

Sony Officially Announces Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle, Release, Beta, DualShock 3 & God of War Bundle

As of a few minutes ago, Sony Computer Entertainment has officially announced that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be released in the late second quarter of 2008. Along with that, SCEA will introduce a PLAYSTATION 3 bundle, which will include an 80GB PS3, the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for $499.

In more Metal Gear Solid news, Metal Gear Online will be available in Q2 2008 as well. The "Starter Pack" will be launched to support online gameplay with Metal Gear Solid 4. In Metal Gear Online, you can take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques. A beta is scheduled for late April 2008, and your guaranteed access if you pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4.

"Working closely with our retail and publishing partners and sharing our hardware and software roadmaps at Destination PlayStation gives us a great opportunity to outline some key milestones for the year. In response to incredible demand, we will be manufacturing more 80GB PS3s for North America and the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 80GB PS3 bundle is an ideal way to offer that continued value to our consumers," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "With Blu-ray having won the format war, our stellar software line-up and a broad product portfolio, we will continue to drive the incredible momentum we've been generating since last fall."

Sony will also be introducing the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller in North American in April 2008 for $54.95. As you know the controller features rumble.

Last but not least, SCEA announced that in June 2008, the availability of a God of War PSP Entertainment Pack for $199.99. The pack will will include a "Deep Red" PSP with God of War himself, Kratos, silk-screened on the back of the unit, a copy of the highly anticipated upcoming God of War: Chains of Olympus game for PSP, the hit comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, Superbad on UMD and a PLAYSTATION Network voucher to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops from the PLAYSTATION Store.

One hell of a press release. Period.

Red God of War Themed PSP Bundle Coming This Summer

Even more news comes in from Destination PlayStation. Along with the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle, Sony will be offereing a special red God of War themed PlayStation Portable bundle in June.

The God of War bundle will come with God of War: Chains of Olympus, a UMD version of one of the greatest comedy movies, Superbad, and a gift certificate for a PlayStation Store downloadable game. This will go for $199 and launch around the summer. Just a note, that image to the left isn't what it will actually look like.

[Red PSP Comes Stateside With God Of War Summer Bundle]

Update: We now have official screenshots of the new system, you can view them below.

HAZE: Nectar Trailer Confirms May 2008 Release


Well, in a fantastic-looking new HAZE trailer, we get confirmation that Free Radical will be releasing the game May 2008. We'll take a wild guess and say May 20, 2008. Enjoy the trailer.

DualShock 3 Releasing April 15, 2008 for US

The Destination PlayStation conference just brings in some more. The DualShock 3 we should of had at the PLAYSTATION 3's launch, has finally gotten a US release date.

The DualShock 3 is set to launch on April 15, 2008 for $54.99, which means rumble for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue the day you pick it up.

[DualShock 3 Dated For US]

Home v0.8.3: Nine New Screenshots


Thanks to FragCast, we have nine new screenshots of the recently released Home update for the closed beta. The screenshots show us mainly the new marketplace along with the new wardrobe closet. Enjoy!

WipEout HD Soundtrack or Your Own Soundtrack?

ThreeSpeech has unveiled the soundtrack for WipEout HD along with a bunch of other details for the game. The soundtrack list is below.

- MoveYa! & Steve Lavers: Chemical
- Stanton Warriors: Tokyo
- DJ Fresh: X-Project (100% Pure mix)
- Ed Rush, Optical & Matrix: Frontline
- Noisia: Seven Stitches
- MIST: Smart Systems
- Mason: Exceeder - Special mix
- Booka Shade: Steady Rush
- Kraftwerk: Aero Dynamik
If you don't really jam to any of this kind of music, you may want to put on your own. Well, just like it's PSP cousin, WipEout HD features full custom soundtrack support, meaning you can race to rap, rock, jazz, techno, or any other kind of music you like.

[Check out WipEout HD's soundtrack - don't like it? Use your own!]

Metal Gear Solid 4 Release Date: June 12, 2008

Destination PlayStation, a retailers-only conference for everything PlayStation related, says that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be arriving on Thursday, June 12, 2008. Whats more interesting is that word has it an 80GB PLAYSTATION 3 bundle featuring Metal Gear Solid 4, and a DualShock 3 is on the way.

[Metal Gear Solid 4 Finally Has A Release Date]

Update: Since it's been confirmed, here is the cardboard box for the Metal Gear Solid 4 80GB PLAYSTATION 3 bundle.


EA Sports Announces NFL Head Coach 09

Electronic Arts and EA Sports today announced NFL Head Coach 09 for the PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, and PC. In this title, you pave your road to the Super Bowl. It offers you offering a variety of different ways to control an NFL franchise, on and off the field, in-season and off-season. The full press release below.

EA ANNOUNCES THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF NFL HEAD COACH

Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy Will Grace the Cover of NFL Head Coach 09

Chertsey, UK. - February 26, 2008 – Put on your headset, grab your clipboard and see if you have what it takes to be a head coach in the National Football League. Today, Electronic Arts Inc, (NASDAQ: ERTS) announces NFL Head Coach 09, featuring Indianapolis Colts’ head coach Tony Dungy on the game’s cover. Released under the EA SPORTS™ brand, NFL Head Coach 09 is a unique NFL experience that gives gamers the power to make decisions that define their career and ultimately the fate of their franchise as a head coach in the NFL.

“In NFL Head Coach 09, the gamer has complete control of their franchise’s destiny,” says NFL Head Coach 09 Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser. “From draft day to game day, the gamers’ decisions impact their team’s success and make or break a team’s road to the Super Bowl.”

In 2007, Dungy became the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI. Since Dungy’s arrival to Indianapolis in 2001, the Colts have earned six playoff berths and have won more than 70 regular-season games. Dungy has an impressive .661 winning percentage as a head coach over the past 12 seasons.

NFL Head Coach 09 provides a complete NFL experience, offering a variety of different ways to control an NFL franchise, on and off the field, in-season and off-season. With strategic game planning features, NFL Head Coach 09 places gamers in the coach’s seat by allowing gamers to comprehensively scout the opponent, build playbooks, and develop a team that will adapt to the philosophy and system of an NFL franchise.

The sideline is your playing field in NFL Head Coach 09 - gamers can make adjustments to plays and game strategies in an instant. The outcome of every game depends on game-time decisions made on the sideline. Success depends on proper preparation and knowledge of the opposing teams’ strategies, as well as expert and timely play calling.

Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, NFL Head Coach 09 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA, NHL hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAAFootball, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and NASCAR racing.

HARDAXIS: Hardwear Controller Gear Coming April 19, 2008

For those of you wanting some good controller armor, along with better triggers, this is for you. The Hardwear Controller Amror enhances the look of your SIXAXIS or DUALSHOCK 3 controller, and keeps it in good condition. Included with this are Trigger Grips, which snap on to the L2/R2 buttons nand provide better control accuracy. The Hardwear is shipping April 19, 2008 for the low price of $9.99.

[Hardwear™ Controller Armor]

GDC 2008: The Agency's Kevin O'Hara Interview


IncGamers were lucky enough to get an interview with Sony Online Entertainment's Kevin O'Hara. O'Hara is the Game Designer for SOE's upcoming PLAYSTATION 3 & PC MMORPG, The Agency. Enjoy the watch!

[The Agency GDC Video Interview]

Home Beta Note: v0.8.3 Out Now

For all those Home Closed Beta testers, go on and log-in to your Home space. You'll probably be prompted with a new update. You may want to download that because thats Home Beta v0.8.3.

This new version features a marketplace where you can purchase clothes, furniture, etc. It features a new summer home to test out, live streaming from Crackle, and more. Tell us how it is.

[Thanks Ronnie!]

Activision Announces Guitar Hero III Batteries

Activision announced today batteries for the Gibson Les Paul guitar controllers for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Whats so special about these batteries is that they are rechargable by USB so you'll never have to buy new ones.

The batteries work with the PLAYSTATION 3, PS2, and Xbox 360 guitars and cost about $15.00 USD each. They are set to release in stores on February 29, 2008. Look out for them if you don't want to spend anymore money buying new batteries every week.

[Guitar Hero III: finally the battery]

Overlord: Raising Hell: First Six Screenshots & Packshot


Well, Overlord: Raising Hell is coming to the PLAYSTATION 3, as announced by Codemasters yesterday. Here we have for you the first six screenshots of the PLAYSTATION 3 version along with the packshot. The PLAYSTATION 3 system edition will also be enhanced with detailed visuals, a top-spec audio system with 7.1 surround sound and gameplay refinements, such as the addition of an on-screen mini-map. Is it just me, or does every game look sexier in a PLAYSTATION 3 box? Enjoy!


Dead Space Coming to North America October 31st

Electronic Arts announced today that their upcoming sci-fi horror title, Dead Space, will be launching in North America on an obvious date of October 31, 2008 (Halloween).

“Survival horror is about experiencing a terrifying, and deeply personal fiction,” said Executive Producer Glen Schofield. “Dead Space is being developed as a single-player thriller that delivers the chilling, claustrophobic feeling of being isolated in a dark environment, while being stalked by some truly horrific enemies. Halloween is the perfect time for EA to deliver the fear and anxiety that will keep survival horror fans up playing all night.”

If you want to get all you can about Dead Space, you can visit the official website here.