Posted Nov 18th 2008 4:20PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Here's a curious incident in Willich, Germany that sounds suspiciously like something out of Metal Gear Solid: a 42-year old Turkish man that was serving a seven-year sentence climbed into a 150cm x 120cm (about 59" x 47") cardboard box and was successful in getting himself delivered out of jail. When an express courier came to the prison to pick up some inmate-produced merchandise, the box containing the prisoner was also loaded onto the truck. As soon as the truck passed through the prison gates, the prisoner made a run for it -- he is currently still at large.
While we are wondering why the price difference Wall-E two-disc edition and three-disc edition is a mere 4 cents, you guys can check out this week's Blu-ray releases:
Tropic Thunder maybe offensive to some, but that didn't stop it from being extremely funny. Southland Tales might not have been as critically acclaimed as Richard Kelly's previous flick, but you can't miss a movie that has Sarah Michelle Gellar in the role of an adult film star that sings a song called Teen Horniness is Not A Crime. Those of who enjoyed Labyrinth should check out MirrorMask, a children's film with some dark themes that should sit well with tweens and adults alike. Theatrical releases are above, everything else (including TV releases) are after the jump:
Posted Nov 16th 2008 4:00PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Voice chat is now available via a patch for Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, PlayStation.Blog reports. In addition to this often requested feature, developer Clap Hanz also added a number of costumes for the characters in the game. Check out all of them in the seven new screenshots below. So, dear readers ... are you going to use voice chat for some ol' fashioned trash talk, or will you be using it to compliment your fellow golfers?
Posted Nov 14th 2008 8:30PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Five bands and their ten songs are what's on the menu in this week's Rock Band DLC. Headlining them will be yet another band with a name that references presidents. The songs are as follows:
Dead Kennedys 3 Pack:
"California Uber Alles"
"Holiday In Cambodia"
"Police Truck"
Mission Of Burma 3 Pack:
"Mica"
"That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate"
"That's When I Reach For My Revolver"
Century Media Girls of Metal 3 Pack:
"Forever" -- In This Moment
"Closer" -- Lacuna Coil
"Swamped" -- Lacuna Coil
Other:
"Gone" -- Crooked X
Each of the track packs will be priced at $5.49 or each song can purchased individually for $1.99. Crooked X's Gone is the exception -- it will be priced at $0.99. All of them will be available on the PS Store beginning Thursday, November 20th.
Posted Nov 14th 2008 6:30PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Owners of Guitar Hero: World Tour that are fans of The Killers can rejoice. Day-to-day with the release of their new album Day & Age on November 25th, two singles off the album, Human and Losing Touch will become available as DLC. On top of that, fan-favorite Mr. Brightside will also be released as DLC that same day. All three tracks can be purchased as a track pack for $5.49 or individually for $1.99 each. So, those of you who are fans of The Killers but not GH:WT, will this convince you to pick the game up?
[UPDATE]Wired is stating that three tracks will also be heading to Rock Band on the same day. "Mr. Brightside," "Smile Like You Mean It," and "Spaceman" (the latter of which is from the new album) will be made available on the Rock Band store on November 25th. Those of you tempted to pick up Guitar Hero World Tour off the back of this news can put your wallets away.
We don't need to say much for this deal. You are getting six classic James Bond films on Blu-ray: Die Another Day, Live and Let Die, Dr. No, For Your Eyes Only, From Russia with Love and Thunderball for $64.95 with free shipping. The original price for them is $179.96. This Amazon Goldbox deal is today only or while supplies last. Interested parties should head here for this incredible bargain.
That cat from Mainichi Issho is showing up everywhere nowadays! In addition to making an appearance as a costume for the Japanese version of LittleBigPlanet, Sony's favorite kitty cat Toro is also getting a 600 yen (about $6 USD) game that crosses over with Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (Minna no Golf 5 in Japan). Titled Minnya no Putter Golf, the add-onstars Jasmine and Toro in a tee-off in a golf course within the Mainichi Issho game. This looks and sounds like something that will stay strictly Japan-only.
Wanna know how this crossover works out? Check out the video after the break:
Posted Nov 12th 2008 6:15PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
In Eurogamer's chat room style interview with inFamous game director Nate Fox, he states his belief that Sucker Punch will win audiences over with their "commitment - stupid, unfailing commitment -- to iterating on the gameplay until it is wicked fun." Furthermore, Fox tells us the team is striving for not just length in the upcoming superhero sandbox title, "but instead opt for the most fun they can pack onto the disc."
Fox goes on to talk about various mechanics in the game; game decisions related to morality, the way the protagonist Cole gained his powers in a tragic accident, his "hot" girlfriend and more. None of the information will be truly new if you've been following our coverage of the game, but he does promise Trophy support ("We'd be complete and total jackasses not to support Trophies") and hints at a demo ("You can expect to see some downloads from PSN closer to our release date"). Head over to Eurogamer for the entire interview.
Posted Nov 12th 2008 4:00PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Famitsu (translation via IGN) has unveiled in its latest issue details regarding the battle system of Yakuza 3. One of the major improvements is seamless transitions into fights. Another note-worthy addition is the foes you encounter may decide to run away from you (and vice versa, if you are chicken) -- you now have to option to engage in a "chase battle" to pursuit the enemy. This "chase battle" involves keeping your enemy in sight with your mini map and avoiding any obstacles that may appear in your path.
A "tag tournament mode" was also shown in the gaming magazine's pages. Your character enters a fighting arena where you must team up with a partner (whether this is a CPU partner or something else isn't clear) to unleash some co-op attacks on your enemies.
The last iteration of the Yakuza franchise on the PS3 sold fairly well over in Japan. Unfortunately, it hasn't received a stateside release (yet) -- here's to hoping Sega will bring both Yakuza games over to the Western market.
Posted Nov 12th 2008 3:00PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Ubisoft has disclosed its sales numbers for Far Cry 2 -- in less than three weeks, the game has sold an impressive one million copies all across all platforms worldwide. The FPS has received a fair amount of praise from gamers and the press alike, so this doesn't come as a complete surprise. We are also glad to see a title with developers who have voiced support for the PS3 have such success -- Far Cry 2's technical director Dominic Guay has praised the Blu-ray format and its hard drive as ideal for their game. Congratulations Ubisoft!
As we guessed when we saw a similar set of LittleBigPlanet DLC offered to Japan two days ago, the costume of Toro, the main character of Mainich Isshyo, has been left out in the US release. Replacing the feline will be a MotorStormer costume, as seen above. On the left of the MotorStormer is a freebie based on the winning design of the SCEE costume contest, a Sack-Eating Plant.
The remaining costumes are the same wildlife ones from the Japanese release, and now they have names: Lilly Pad (chameleon frog), Hugo (gorilla), Great Blue (shark) and Frost-E (penguin). The animals can be purchased individually for $0.99 each or as a 4-pack for $2.99. The MotorStormer will be $1.99. All of them will make their US debuts tomorrow, November 13th, on the PS Store. Head over to the official LBP blog to check out the rest of the costumes.
Whether you consider him a marketing genius or just a sellout, Gene Simmons has managed to slap the logo of his band KISS onto everything from lip balm to a singing toothbrush. Now he's after your money, music game fans. Mr. Simmons also appears to be specifically targeting Sony fans, as the Gene Simmons AXE Game Controller is available exclusively (for now -- the Wii version will be released next year while the Xbox 360 version's release date is TBA) for the PS2 or PS3. The wireless controller is a 3/4 size replica of the original Gene Simmons Axe Guitar and it will work with both Rock Band and Guitar Hero via an included dongle. Place you order here now for $79.99.
Red Octane is having a sale on the Guitar Hero III Wireless Les Paul Bundle for only $39.99. Shipping will vary but it shouldn't be more than $10. The sale is today only and will end at 6PM PT / 9 PM ET. As Gamestooge noted, even if you just want an extra guitar, you can always just sell the game. You can find this limited-time offer here.
In other bargain hunting related news, Amazon has put up their stock of official DualShock 3 controllers on sale. Originally retailing for $54.99, these are now on sale for $40.96 with free shipping. Take advantage of the deal here.
Posted Nov 11th 2008 1:30PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Koei, best known for their Dynasty Warriors franchise as well as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, is bringing their previously Windows exclusive MMORPG, Uncharted Waters Online, to the PS3 in Japan sometime during 2009. The game is based off the Uncharted Waters series of games, the first of which was released on the Super NES in 1992. The MMO is set in the Age of Exploration, where the player picks one of six nationalities and one of the three basic classes in order to engage in trading, exploration and battles.
No information regarding pricing or subscription fees have been released at this time. Sadly, Uncharted Waters Online and its expansions are currently available only in Asia, so it seems unlikely this PS3 version would make it into the Western market.
We've uncovered some money-saving deals for our readers this fine Sunday. Call of Duty: World at War is $59.99 but comes with a $15 gift card over at Toys "R" Us. Valkyria Chronicles is $44.99 at Circuit City. Both offers are in-store only and valid till November 15th. Furthermore, both games were selected in our November Buyer's Guide -- you won't regret picking them up.
