In addition to the release of Warhawk, the EU PlayStation store also got a few extra additions including the demo of Colin McRae DiRT which was released on the US PSN Store a few weeks back. The US on the other hand has a much biggere update (as usual) consisting of several new game demos, videos and more PS3 wallpaper. Check out the full list of additions for both Europe and North America below.

EU PlayStation Store Update:

• Games
  • Colin McRae DiRT (Playable Demo)
  • Warhawk (Full game, GBP 19.99)
• Videos
  • Jed Ashform Interview
  • All the Kings Men (Blu-Ray Disc Trailer)

US PlayStation Store Update:

• Games
  • Warhawk (Full Game)
  • Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online (Add-on)
  • Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (Full game and Playable Demo)
  • NASCAR 2008 (Playable Demo)
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008 (Playable Demo)
  • All-Pro Football 2008 (Playable Demo)
• Videos
  • Heavenly Sword Anime and “Making Of” No. 4
  • Folklore “Surviving the Netherworld” Trailer
  • Clive Baker’s Jericho Trailer
  • Bee Movie Trailer 3 (Movie)
  • Beowulf Trailer (Movie)
• Wallpaper
  • Heavenly Sword Anime No. 4
  • Super Puzzle Fighter II

The PlayStation Network version of Warhawk uses a different DRM policy compared to other games available to download. Most games on the PSN can be downloaded onto four other PlayStation 3 consoles, in addition to the original system allowing you to share a game with friends. With Warhawk, this isn’t the case. A Sony representative said Warhawk can still be downloaded to other PS3 units, but it will only run on the original purchaser’s account.

Furthermore, if the original account is used on multiple machines, then you will not be able to play on another machine for 24 hours. Future PSN titles will also be evaluated in terms of development costs, maintenance costs, server costs and other factors. These will be used to determine which DRM policy will be implemented for a particular game. The development costs for Warhawk, for example, is “no different than any other boxed game you might find from SCEA at retail”. That along with its free online gameplay environment were the major causes for the implementation of the new DRM.

In a press release today, SCEE has announced that Gran Turismo 5 will be available to purchase on both Blu-Ray Disc and from the PlayStation Network Store. The title is due for release later this year according to the press release. This new development means that the PlayStation Network version will not be free as reported earlier.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will give gamers a taste of Gran Turismo 5. Prologue will feature over 40 cars, a new physics engine and online play for upto 16 players. Thats right, for the first time ever in the history of Gran Turismo, you’ll now be able to race online. Up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on some of the world’s best race tracks on PSN. The full title will launch in 2008.

[Via: SCEE Press]

In a shocking development, PSP homebrew icon and pioneer Fanjita has announced his retirement over at his website Fanjita.org, citing trust issues as the main reason.
While no specifics were mentioned, the famed developer did say that “the betrayal of trust that preceded the Pandora release was extremely hurtful.” This, he says, left him to unable to fully trust the people he previously enjoyed working hard with.

“I’m tired of the continual pressure and idiocy of the PSP scene – long gone are the fun days of pioneering amongst like minds, in a mutually supportive and gentlemanly environment,” he says. “The Pandora Battery therefore marks my last major PSP project,” says Fanjita. “I expect that Team C+D and Noobz will continue to release stuff without me, and I still hope to finish up some of the non-exploit projects that I’d been working on.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will apparently be a free download on the PlayStation Network Store when it is released. According to Yamauchi in a Gamespot Hands-on, the game will be released as a free experience on the PSN later this year.
Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 5 promises to possibly be the most challenging and detailed racing video game ever.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will give players an online-enabled sampler of the GT5 experience. Prologue will feature dozens of different cars and a few variety of tracks to explore before the official game debuts.

The release date for the upcoming multiplayer game Warhawk has been delayed slightly in Europe, by 48 hours. According to Sony, the game will not appear on the PlayStation Network Store on the previously announced date of August 28th 2007, but will instead appear on August 30th 2007. The reason for the delay is so because “Thursday is the usual day for [Sony’s] PS Store refresh”.

“As you know, Thursday is the usual day for our PS Store refresh. We are sorry for any inconvenience that the extra 48 hours wait may cause,” said a Sony spokesperson.

Not much of an excuse, but it shouldn’t cause a lot of problems. At least Sony is trying to be consistent with the PSN Store updates.

[Via: CVG]

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has announced a lot of new stuff for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable owners yesterday, but those who are looking for a PS3 price cut are bound to be disappointed. SCEE President David Reeves said that there are currently no plans to cut the price on the PlayStation 3. Instead, SCEE will release new bundles that will come with different games to increase console sales.

“What we’re going to allow, and it doesn’t need an announcement, is simply that we’ll probably put out more hard bundles than the Starter Pack,” said Reeves. “We’re not making any pricing announcements at Games Convention at all. There’s none. And we don’t have any plans in that regard. We’re really happy with the way that things are going for the PAL business. We really are. It’s on track.”

The noobz team was working on a PSP unbricker that would restore any bricked PSP’s using the faulty M33 Custom Firmware, however, instead of releasing a unbricker program, they have released the ultimate unbricking tool. Dubbed Pandora’s Battery, the program lets you convert a normal PSP battery into a "jigstick", allowing you to unbrick any PSP.

The unbricker is the culmination of years of behind-the-scenes research and development by some of the top names in PSP hacking, under the name of the Prometheus project. This group of people, from various development teams, was dedicated to developing and releasing PSP hacks and exploits, with the aim of improving the status of PSP homebrew, and making sure that it was kept alive.

All the instructions needed to use the tool are included in the readme file, be sure to pay close attention to any instructions. Here is the process in brief:

• You run a program on a homebrew-enabled PSP that will convert a standard PSP battery into a jigkick battery. Note that you can’t then use that battery normally – so you should use a spare one.
• You run a program to generate the unbricker memory stick image, built from the v1.5 update EBOOT (note that this, and the custom IPL, means the release is completely free of Sony copyright materials).
• You run some programs on a PC to install the image to your memory stick.

[Download Pandora’s Battery]

Thanks to Sable for the tip.