Limited Edition Final Fantasy VII PlayStation 3 coming in April

If you are a fan of the PlayStation title Final Fantasy VII, you may be happy to know that a limited edition PlayStation 3 will be hitting Japan in April. The Final Fantasy VII model, dubbed ‘Cloud Black’, will retail for ¥49,980 (approx $550) and will come with a 160GB hard drive, Final Fantasy XIII demo and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete. Currently, there are no plans for an oversea release so the US and Europe will need to wait. Square-Enix revealed the first image of the PS3 model, which we have included below.

PlayStation Store update for Jan 15th 2009

This week’s PlayStation Store update is a large one for the US and quite a large one for Europe too. The new episode of Pulse is now available to download from the US store and well as two new downloadable games. Europe also has a new downloadable game available to purchase and two new playable demos. Both stores have various new content for Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Shaun White Snowboarding, and other games. Check out the complete list below.

European Additions:

Playable Demos
- Dead Space Dismemberment Demo
- Skate 2 Demo
Downloadable Games
- Magic Ball (£7.99/?9.99)
Game Add-on Content
- Brain Challenge Game Pack (£2.39/?2.99)
- Far Cry2 Fortunes Pack (?9.99)
- Star Wars – The Force Unleashed Character Pack #1 (?4.99)
- Star Wars – Character Pack 2 (?4.99)
- Star Wars The Force Unleashed Jedi Temple Mission Pack, (?9.99)
- WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2009 Roster Update (?3.99)
- WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2009 Roster Update #2 (?3.99)
- Guitar Hero World Tour Tracks (from £1.59/?1.99 each)
- Rock Band Tracks (from £0.59/?0.79 each)
- High Velocity Bowling
  - High Velocity Bowling Beatrice Holiday Spirit (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Carls Season Greetings costume (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Darryl Pack (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Gage Pack (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Gearhead Balls Pack (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Trick Shot: Tiff’s Big Zero (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Chastity (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Foxy (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Horror Ball Pack (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Gutter Bird Ball Pack (£0.79/?0.99)
  - High Velocity Bowling Trick Shots Pack One (£0.79/?0.99)
- Shaun White Snowboarding
Videos
- Lord of the Rings Developer Diary
- Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom Trailer
XMB Themes
- Savage Moon Theme – Alien

US Additions:

Pulse Jan 15th Edition
Playable Demos
- Skate 2 Demo
- GTI Club+ Demo
Downloadable Games
- Magic Ball ($9.99)
- GTI Club+ ($9.99)
Game Add-on Content
- Brain Challenge Expansion Pack ($4.99)
- Disgaea 3 Makai Kingdom Main Character Package ($3.99)
- Disgaea 3 Pram ($1.99)
- Disgaea 3 Zetta ($1.99)
- Guitar Hero World Tour
  - "Hillbilly Deluxe" by Brooks & Dunn ($1.99)
  - "Me and My Gang" by Rascal Flatts ($1.99)
  - "Ticks" by Brad Paisley ($1.99)
  - Country Track Pack ($5.49)
  - "Low (Travis Barker Remix)" by Flo Rida (Feat. T-Pain) ($1.99)
  - "Lycanthrope" by +44 ($1.99)
  - "What’s My Age Again" by Blink 182 ($1.99)
  - Travis Barker Track Pack ($5.49)
- Rock Band
  - "You Got It" – Roy Orbison ($1.99)
  - "Ooby Dooby" – Roy Orbison ($1.99)
  - "Oh, Pretty Woman" – Roy Orbison ($1.99)
  - "Mean Woman Blues" – Roy Orbison ($1.99)
  - "In Dreams" – Roy Orbison ($1.99)
  - "Claudette" -Roy Orbison ($1.99)
  - Roy Orbison Pack 01 ($9.99)
  - "Mr. Cab Driver" – Lenny Kravitz ($1.99)
  - "Let Love Rule" – Lenny Kravitz ($1.99)
  - "Freedom Train" – Lenny Kravitz ($1.99)
  - "Are You Gonna Go My Way" – Lenny Kravitz ($1.99)
  - Lenny Kravitz Pack 01 ($6.99)
  - "Megasus" – Megasus ($0.99)
  - "Entangled" -Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives ($0.99)
- Shaun White Snowboarding Mile High Pack – Target Edition ($9.99)

Shaun White Snowboarding Mile High Pack ? Regular Edition ($9.99)
Shaun White Snowboarding The Freebie Pack ? Target Edition
Shaun White Snowboarding The Freebie Pack ? Regular Edition

Videos
- Mahjong Tales Trailer
- Tekken 6 PSN Announcement Trailer January 2009
- Magic Ball Trailer
- Mafia II: Holiday Confession
- FIFA09 – PSN Exclusive: Inside FIWC 2009
- Cuboid Trailer
- BUZZ! Quiz TV Trailer
- PlayStation Network "Movie Download Machine" TV Spot
Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers (free)

Why I Love Monty Python
Pineapple Express Blu-ray Trailer
The Wackness Blu-ray Trailer
The House Bunny Blu-ray Trailer

PS3 Themes

Disgaea 3 Pram Theme ($0.99, or free w/Makai Kingdom DLC)
Savage Moon Theme ($0.99)

PS3 Wallpaper (free)

Pineapple Express Wallpaper
Tom Clancy’s EndWar Wallpaper (x4)
Savage Moon Wallpaper (x2)

YouTube on PlayStation 3 in Full-Screen

If you have ever wanted to watch YouTube on your large TV screen, you will be happy to hear that YouTube for Television is now available on the PlayStation 3. Currently in beta, the TV website provides a streamlined interface that enables you to discover, watch and share YouTube videos on any TV screen through your PS3. How? Simply go to http://www.youtube.com/tv on your PS3 (this link will not work on a PC/Mac). The YouTube TV website uses a new interface to watch videos in full-screen, as well as using enlarged text and simplified navigation.

Video:

Sony is working with the YouTube team to make a more PlayStation-centric version of the YouTube TV Website page accessible from the lefthand menu bar (the YouTube button currently takes you to our branded channel on YouTube). So stay tuned for that and in the meantime grab a cold one and sit back to enjoy your favorite videos on the big screen!

[Via: PlayStation.Blog]

PlayStation Network statistics revealed

Over the last two years, the PlayStation Network has gained ground, and with the release of PlayStation Home and the US Video Store, thing will only get better. Sony has been impressed with the numbers and they were kind enough to share them with the world. According to the numbers released by Sony, over 17 million uses have registered to the PlayStation Network, and 3.4 million users are using PlayStation Home. Check out some other interesting stats below.

PlayStation Network registered users worldwide: 17 million
Number of community-created LittleBigPlanet levels: Nearly 300,000
Times those LBP levels have been played: 68 million
Number of movies on the Video Store: 1,200
Number of TV shows on the Video Store: 3,000
Purchase or Rental?: More than 70 percent of video transactions are purchases
Number of PlayStation Home users: 3.4 million
Number of downloads made in Home: 900,000
Number of downloadable games for North America: 153
Number of those games release during the last quarter of 2008: 75
Number of games with DLC in North America: 70

SCE Asia announces new PSP-3000 colors

In a press release, Sony Computer Entertainment Asia has announced that there will be two new colors available for the third-generation PSP (PSP-3000). It’s not clear whether the new colors will be available outside of Asia, but one can only hope. The two new colors, Vibrant Blue and Vibrant Red, will be part of the ‘Carnival Colors’ series. Check out the images below.

The colors look very bright and eye-catching. The new colors will be available to purchase in Hong Kong from January 15th and in Taiwan from January 17th.

PlayStation Store update for Jan 8th 2009

The first PlayStation Store update for 2009 is now live, though its quite a small one for both the European and US Stores. Europe has a new playable demo, a bunch of new game add-on content and some new videos. As for the US, Qore Episode 8 is now available for purchase and two new full games are out: Cuboid and Mahjong Tales. The US Store also has game add-on content for various titles. Check out the complete list below.

European Addtions:

Playable Demos
- Lord of the Rings: Conquest Demo
Game Add-on Content
- Tom Clancy’s EndWar Faction Elite Pack (£3.19)
- Guitar Hero World
  - Various Tracks – £1.59
  - Regga Pack
  - Country Pack – £4.39
  - European Track Pack 2 – £4.39
- Naruto Ultimate Ninja / Storm Pack 4
- Rock Band Content
  - Various Tracks – £0.99
Videos
- Brain Challenge Trailer
- Good to Be Bad (LOTR: Conquest) Trailer
- PS Store Exclusive – Tekken 6 Trailer

US Additions:

Qore Episode 8 ($2.99)
Downloadable Games
- Cuboid ($9.99)
- Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom ($9.99)
Game Add-on Content
- NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Pack 6
- Tom Clancy’s EndWar Faction Elite Pack ($3.75)
- WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Roster Update ($4.99)
- Guitar Hero World Tour
- Rock Band
  - "Hymn 43" – Jethro Tull ($1.99)
  - "Space Truckin’? – Deep Purple ($1.99)
  - "Funk #49" – James Gang ($1.99)
  - "Take Back the City? – Snow Patrol ($1.99)
- Rock Revolution
  - "Cemetery Gates? ($1.50)
  - "Mouth For War? ($1.50)
  - "This Love? ($1.50)
  - "5 Minutes Alone? ($1.50)
  - "I’m Broken" ($1.50)
  - Pantera Pack Track Pack ($5.50)

EA announces support for PlayStation Home

EA has announced that it will be supporting PlayStation Home and will begin with the EA SPORTS Complex, which is currently in development. “We’re proud to support the PlayStation Home Beta with a very robust offering from EA SPORTS,” said Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. EA worked closely together with Sony Computer Entertainment to ensure that the EA SPORTS Complex space within PlayStation Home would be a compelling experience for all EA SPORTS fans, with a space designed for both casual and hardcore gamers. EA is also working with Sony Computer Entertainment on further label support of PlayStation Home Beta, and will announce plans in the near future.

Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS:

“As part of our continued commitment to the connected experience and the digitization of our business, the EA SPORTS Complex is a rich new online environment that presents a compelling and immersive social gaming experience for the global sports audience.”

Video:

Can I use old PSP accessories with the PSPgo?

Your old PSP headphones can be used with the PSPgo, but any other accessory is not directly compatible with the PSPgo. The PSPgo Converter allows you to use accessories like the Go!Cam, GPS device and Talkman Mic with the PSPgo. The converter makes the PSPgo less portable and also makes it look uglier, but its the only way you can make use of your old stuff.

CES ’09: PlayStation Games in 3D

3D technology something that the games industry is lacking, but this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sony demonstrated 3D gaming on the PlayStation 3. "Don’t get caught up with specs,"said a Sony representative. "We’re not going to talk about specifications. This is just a look at what 3D could look like if Sony decided to move in this direction." Sony showed off Wipeout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue running in true 3D, but didn’t give information away on how the 3D effects were achieved or if they would work on existing television sets.

In order to view the 3D effects, black glasses needs to be warn – which could put off some people. As a proof of concept, this is certainly something we will be keeping out eye on. Expect more information on 3D gaming from Sony in the next few days.

[Via: ars technica]

Qore Episode 8 out today

The January issue of Qore will be available later today after the US PlayStation Store update. Episode 8 begins with a trip to Amsterdam for a inside look at one of this year’s most anticipated titles: Killzone 2. Veronica Belmont heads to Paris to bring us information on Heavy Rain as well as trying out a mo-cap suit. In Seattle, Monolith share the tricks used to create spooky sounds in FEAR 2. Episode 8 also features Street Fighter II HD and exclusive content for subscribers.

Customers of Episode 8 will be able to download the Killzone 2 XMB Theme and get exclusive access to the FEAR 2 demo (which will be live mid-January). Episode 8 will be available to purchase for $2.99 or you can get an annual subscription for $24.99.

«‹688 689 690 691 692 ›»