PS3 Fanboy

Rumor: Partial Rock Band 2 set list leaked

Majed Athab — 2008-07-01T23:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Sharp eyes from ScoreHero forum-goers have led to a possible set list leak for Rock Band 2. Spotted on a preview from X-Play, we now have a list of some songs that could either be: 1) new songs for Rock Band 2, or 2) future DLC. Here's a list of what you can see from the screenshot above:

"Panic Attack" - Dream Theater (or Finger Eleven)
"Chop Suey" - System of a Down
"Give It Away" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Everlong" - Foo Fighters
"Kids in America" - Kim Wilde
"Ace of Spades" - Motorhead
"Hello There" - Cheap Trick
"Anyway You Want It" - Journey
"Pinball Wizard" - The Who

Also note, songs that weren't mentioned on the list above were left out because they are currently available for purchase. If any of these songs prove to be true, whether DLC or on the next disc, then we're certainly happy with what the future of Rock Band holds.

[Via Kotaku, X3F]

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Rumor: PS2 games coming to the PSN?

Jem Alexander — 2008-06-30T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Here we go again. Just as one screenshot rumor is confirmed, dated and busted wide open, another comes to take its place. We were happy basking in the glow of firmware 2.40 when we stumbled upon this image on the N4G forum (which is where you can also check out a larger version). It shows PS2 games being made available on the PlayStation Store. Among the games listed we can see Metal Gear Solid 2, Red Faction and The Bouncer (which just so happened to be this particular blogger's first PS2 game). Three titles we'd gladly buy again as a digital copy.

Of course, just like last time, this is nothing more than a rumor right now. The N4G forumer says that his friend, who works at Sony London, sent this photo to him and that the service is due to be announced at E3, with a late Summer roll-out. Supposedly it will be coming to Europe first, which makes us think it might be more likely to be announced at Leipzig. If it's real, that is. Photoshop gurus can commence picking it apart ... now!

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PSN friends list now capped at 100? [Update]

Majed Athab — 2008-06-26T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors, Community

[Update: It's true. We've reached a maximum of 100. Thanks everyone who participated. Your effort is greatly appreciated!]

We put a question mark at the end of the headline because we're not entirely sure if this is true. We haven't heard anything officially confirmed. The thought nonetheless is intriguing, so we want to see if there is any truth to this.

To find out, we're going to put our PSN ID: PSFanboy out there and see how many friends we can hold in our list. Want to help out in our pursuit of truth and statistically counting our popularity? Then add us up! We'll update later in the day with our findings.

[Thanks Patrick F. and everyone who sent this in!]

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More potential gamer profile pages revealed

Jem Alexander — 2008-06-25T14:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Click for higher resolution

Our sources have got back to us with a couple more images today. These images show off the third page of the user profiles (seen above) which contain some basic information on the player. Much like the "profiles" we have right now, this includes an "about me" section and a list of the languages that you can speak. A second image, that we've placed after the break, shows what you you will see when you first look at someone else's profile.

From here you can see (presumably) when you last played against them, what game it was in and some extra information of some kind. That's all a bit vague at the moment. Buttons underneath the gamer card allow you to interact with that player by adding them as a friend, sending them a message, blocking them or comparing trophies against them. Our source says that comparing trophies currently doesn't work, so that could be the cause of the firmware's delay.

Again, we stress that these are unconfirmed screenshots and, as such, could turn out to be fake. We believe enough in what we see (and hear) to put these up for your consideration. Check out the second image after the jump.

Click for higher resolution

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Rumor: List of features accessible via in-game XMB

Jem Alexander — 2008-06-25T10:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

More 2.40 rumors today as CVG claims they have some new information from a very anonymous, very inside source. This information comes in the form of a list of accessible features for the in-game XMB. We know a lot of you are pining for some sort of in-game music and, if this list is true, your wishes may have come true. Additional details aren't available, unfortunately, so make of this list what you will. We've put it after the jump for your perusal.

CVG also claim their source reckons that 2.40 will drop in about three weeks, during E3. We've a couple of reasons to think it might come earlier than that, but nothing concrete. Regardless of when it appears, 2.40 is looking to be the greatest firmware update yet.
Features accessible via the in-game XMB will (if the rumor is correct) include:

Friend category
View, send, receive messages
Manage downloads
Set the vibration feature of the controller
Sign in to PlayStation Network
Register friends
Manage Bluetooth devices
Terminate the game
Music category
Use the system BGM
Work the system BGM operation panel
Settings category
Assign controllers
View profiles
Game category
Set audio devices
Use the voice changer

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Rumor: Kratos may be in Soulcalibur IV

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-24T23:42:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

If 1UP's mysterious Quartermann is to be believed, the PS3 version of Soulcalibur IV may be a rather dark, broody, angst-ridden fighter. Not only will the PS3 version exclusively feature Star Wars' Darth Vader, it may also feature God of War's always-angry Kratos. The character would make an excellent and logical addition to the Namco Bandai fighter, thanks to his over-the-top weapons-based moves. If he's not included in the upcoming fighter, we can only blame one thing: his chest is clearly not large enough.

Soulcalibur IV is coming out next month, so all will be revealed in due time.

[Via Joystiq]

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Rumor: God of War 3 to be shown at E3?

Alan Tsang — 2008-06-24T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

We are going to take this with a grain of salt, but the French website JeuxActu.com claims they have confirmation from Sony at IDEF (Interactive & Digital Entertainment Festival) over in Cannes that God of War 3 will make "an appearance in high-definition" at next month's E3. The site then speculates the chance of any sort of gameplay being shown is almost non-existent.

The first appearance of Kratos on the PS3 would be extremely exciting, even if it is just a teaser video. We'll find out when E3 rolls around next month!

[Thanks, Noshino, Kspraydad and everyone else who sent this in!]

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Rumor: Aquanaut's Holiday remake coming to PS3?

Nick Doerr — 2008-06-23T20:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Artdink was a developer way back with the original PlayStation who gave a lot of support to Sony. Their games were a little strange but were lauded by critics back in the day. However, they fell into obscurity due to their lack of "mainstream 'tude" or whatever PR spin you care to put on it.

Anyway, Sony might be publishing a remake of one of Artdink's games called Aquanaut's Holiday, a first-person ocean exploration title. Or releasing the game in some other fashion. Regardless, Play-Asia has the game listed as a PS3 title coming out September 25, 2009. Only time will tell.

[via SiliconEra]

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Rumor: Does this image show a PS3 trophy screen? [UPDATE]

Jem Alexander — 2008-06-23T19:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Click for high resolution

Seriously, we have no idea. This image just landed into our tips box with a short message stating that it is a leaked picture of 2.40's trophy support. Whether that's true or not is up for discussion. The tipster calls himself "The Patriots," so there's a chance that this is just the beginning of a new S3 Project which will end with us being transformed into some kind of sneaky government super soldiers. Here's hoping.

Things that make this image seem legit include a lack of blur (seriously, why does every "leaked" image or video have to be super blurry and hard to make out?), not to mention that this is clearly photographed from a monitor. We've checked and that Clank avatar is a real PS3 avatar. Not exactly conclusive evidence, but enough to keep us speculating, for now.

And speculating is all we can do, at this point. If the image is real, does it show a PS3 Gamercard? You'll notice that the trophy page is only one of three, so what's on the others? No doubt we'll see and hear more of this over the next few weeks in the run up to 2.40's release. Unless the image is fake, in which case we probably won't be hearing anymore about it for a long time. If ever.

[UPDATE] Take a look after the jump for more images, details on how trophies will work and some information on in-game XMB.

[Thanks, The Patriots]

Another tipster, calling himself "Gassy Snake," claims that he is a game developer who can vouch for The Patriots. He claims that the above image is real and, to prove it, proceeded to send us a picture of one of the other pages. These pages are called "gamer card" and "compare," though these are not the official titles. As you can see below, your gamer card/box/profile (whatever you want to call it) will feature a trophy total and a "level." There also seems to be some room for extra information of some kind.

Click for high resolution

Gassy Snake also tells us that each trophy type will be worth a different number of points, so there are limits to how many of each trophy are in a single game. In order to progress through levels you will need to gain a certain number of trophy points. This number will increase with each level, making it more difficult to reach higher levels.

Also, with regards to in-game XMB, we've been told that "you can do most things" in-game, including comparing trophies. Some things will require you to leave the game, however. Pressing the PS button once will bring up the XMB in-game, and holding the button down will show you the same menu you see pre-2.40. That means that no features are being removed. Tasty.

All this info? One pretty huge rumor. There are no facts in this article -- or, at least, none that we're certain about. Both of our tipsters might be pulling our leg. We'd like to think not, but there's always that chance. Make what you will of the info contained in this post, but don't come crying to us if it's wrong. We'll be busy crying to our new pals The Patriots and Gassy Snake. Enjoy speculation responsibly and in moderation.

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Rumor: Italian mag says Dark Cloud 3 in development

Nick Doerr — 2008-06-19T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

If you're supposed to take rumors with "a grain of salt", this would probably require you to ingest so much salt you'll melt away like a slug. Not only does Italian magazine PSMania claim that Level 5 is working on White Knight Story in tandem with development on Dark Cloud 3, they claim it's being developed as a PlayStation 3 exclusive for release in March of 2009, using the new "Kumo Engine". While this is great news, we're skeptical Level 5 would be working on their new, ambitious IP while also hacking away at another beloved franchise. Take this how you want, but we hope it's got some truth to it. Dark Cloud is a pretty underrated franchise.

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Rumor mill round-up: Heavenly Sword 2 [Update]

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-18T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Yesterday, Kotaku posted a rumor saying Heavenly Sword 2 was in fact in development ... but that it had been canned by the Sony higher-ups. Details of a potential sequel to Heavenly Sword were leaked to the public from a focus group a few months ago. However, since then, developer Ninja Theory has moved on to a yet-unannounced multiplatform game.

According to the Kotaku report, the Heavenly Sword franchise is not seen as commercially viable, in spite of generally favorable reviews and respectable sales figures. Supposedly, Ninja Theory has "grown increasingly bitter about their treatment at Sony's hands." The bad blood between Ninja Theory and Sony has supposedly caused the developer to move offices, further away from Sony Cambridge.

If there is any truth to this rumor, it would be the third major game canceled by Sony's European arm in recent memory (The Getaway and Eight Days being the last two games canned). Today, SCEE responded saying "I think it is fair to say that we do not comment on rumor and speculation, especially about games that have never been announced." In addition, the rep wants to remind everyone that Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet and Motorstorm: Pacific Rift are all from Sony Europe, emphasizing that first-party development in Sony Europe is not in any kind of trouble.

Update: Speaking to Gamespot, Ninja Theory confirms that the relationship between Sony and Ninja Theory are good. "We are moving, but it's completely amicable," Ninja Theory cofounder and chief development ninja Nina Kristensen told GameSpot. "We move mid July and have been planning it for the best part of a year; there's nothing nefarious about it. We are excited about the move--our new premises are considerably bigger and in an excellent location near the town centre." According to the report, Heavenly Sword 2 was offered to Ninja Theory, but the team declined to work on it.

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Rumor: PS3 may see Wii Fit-esque balance board for Tony Hawk

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-16T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

It looks like game developers and publishers are trying to think up of new peripherals to put in our households. Surveys have revealed possible gameplay features, and the most recent comes from Activision. A marketing survey asked if users were interested in a new Tony Hawk game that will use a "new motion sensing board controller." The title, Tony Hawk's Adrenaline, will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. A motion sensing board reminds us quite a bit of NIntendo's Wii Fit board. Implementing such a design for a skateboarding game would certainly be interesting.

Surveys aren't necessarily indicative of products that are actually in development. Instead, Activision may simply be testing the waters to see if such ideas would do well in the marketplace. Considering how much fun Wii Fit is, we wouldn't say no to such a peripheral for PS3.

[Via Joystiq]

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Rumor: Sony's 'break apart' PS3 controller in the works

Nick Doerr — 2008-06-13T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors, Peripherals

A little while back, we heard inklings of a Wii-like controller for the PS3 making its rounds in focus group testing. It seems those rumblings have been moved into the next stage: working units of said new remote may have already been delivered to some developer partners, sources say.

The reasoning behind this controller is simple -- create similar games that made the Wii such a huge hit and perhaps the PS3 will gain a bigger audience as well. The system's got pretty much everything else under the sun as a feature (insert in-game XMB stab here), but is creating their own Wii-mote a bit too far for Sony to step?

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Survey asks for opinions on Rock Band 2 art

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-05T15:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Considering its success, Rock Band 2 shouldn't come as a surprise. An anonymous tipster sent Joystiq a few conceptual images used in a survey about a potential sequel to Harmonix's peripheral party game. Previous surveys revealed Rock Band 2 may feature an enhanced World Tour mode, with the ability to record music videos and hire staff members. Battle of the Bands and drum trainer modes are also rumored to be included in a sequel.

While nothing concrete has been confirmed by Harmonix, these early leaks seem quite plausible. We're hoping that, unlike Guitar Hero, DLC from the original Rock Band can be safely played in any future iterations of the franchise. If not, we're certain there's going to be a lot of angry rockers out there.

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Rumor: PS3 Eternal Sonata for Japan only

Majed Athab — 2008-06-02T20:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Speaking with Videogaming247, the US branch of Namco Bandai said that the PS3 version of Eternal Sonata will most likely not be released outside Japan. "I can't speak for any other territories, but I believe Eternal Sonata is only announced for the PS3 in Japan right now," said the Namco rep. "We have no plans to release the game on the PS3 in the US at this moment."

We haven't heard much about the RPG and Xbox 360 timed exclusive since the announcement of a PS3 port last year. We guess this explains why.

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Rumor: Wii-like PS3 controller used in focus test

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-02T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

PlayStation LifeStyle is claiming that a Wii-like PS3 controller was the subject of a secret PSU focus test. An e-mail sent back in January invited a few members of Sony's invite-only group to join them for a paid focus test in ****** ****, California. (We're assuming it's Foster City, home of SCEA.)

The PS3 controllers were motion-sensitive and required use of a "mini-tripod that stood about 12 inches high." Mini-games, such as fencing, paintball and tennis were supposedly demonstrated. The devices were said to be "incredibly responsive and accurate."

While Sony does regularly conduct paid focus tests throughout the country, there simply isn't enough tangible evidence to verify the authenticity of this rumor. If true, we wonder if PS3 fans really want more motion control in their lives ... or does the SIXAXIS suffice?

[Via Joystiq]

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Resurfaced: the mysterious in-game XMB video

Andrew Yoon — 2008-06-02T10:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

There are rumblings of what might be in the upcoming firmware 2.40. The rumors were solidified when a supposedly leaked video of the upcoming PS3 version of Bioshock was released on the web. Unfortunately, the original source of the video had been removed quickly and quietly ... and we were unable to show you something. The ninja-like death of this video has us believing it has even more credibility, but we're going to have to wait until Sony confirms details officially. Let's hope this hosted video doesn't meet the same quick (and mysterious) death as the original. Update: Another video after the cut.

[Thanks, Mads K.!]

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Rumor: Konami asking reviewers to omit things from Metal Gear reviews?

Nick Doerr — 2008-05-30T20:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

It's just a rumor, but we thought it would be interesting to see if anyone else had noticed what MTV Multiplayer has been made aware of. Sure, initial Metal Gear Solid 4 reviews are glowing, but did Konami have a hand in limiting what could be said about the game?

Apparently, Konami has asked initial reviews to neglect mentioning install times and cut scene length when grading the title. Probably out of fear they would be seen as negatives and detract from the game's score. But some reviews mentioned them anyway. An install time would probably detract from the score slightly, but cut scene length is really more of the reviewer's opinion anyway.

If we could sit through the Xenosaga titles, we're sure MGS4 will be easy enough to handle. Then again, if you're used to Counterstrike, it might be rather irritating. Who knows if this is true or not, but when you're reading reviews for the game over the next few weeks, keep your eyes peeled for mentions of install times and cut scene lengths.

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Rumor: Firmware 2.40 will include in-game XMB and trophies

Jem Alexander — 2008-05-30T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

A rumor? Really? Let's be honest, here; this is all but confirmed. The general gist is that a document was sent out to developers yesterday detailing the next firmware update. Some sites, such as VideoGaming247 and Gaming Age, have seemingly been told a few of the details by inside sources and the word is spreading like wildwire. Even Insomniac's James Stevenson popped up in the NeoGAF thread to lend credence to the rumor and Jason Dobson over at Joystiq has also confirmed the news via his sources. There's no official word, obviously, so you're going to have to take their word for it.

Firmware 2.40 will apparently include in-game XMB and 2D XMB trophies. If true, this may be the firmware update that shuts the fanboys up. As for when it's coming, no-one really knows. Though there is a rumor that it will be out pre-MGS4 in order for the game to take advantage of the trophy system. Now that one is a rumor, so don't be surprised to see MGS4's release come and go without any word on 2.40. We're hoping to see an announcement soon. If we find out anything more, we'll be sure to let you know.

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New Metal Gear game hinted at

Majed Athab — 2008-05-13T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors

Did you really think the flood of Metal Gear news had already ended for today? Well, it hasn't. As the MGS4 Completion Ceremony came to a close in Japan, one final audio clip of Ocelot on the phone suggests that plans for a new Metal Gear game are already underway. 1Up translated Ocelot's phone call monologue and wrote down the Russian triple-spy's exact lines: "By the way, what should we do about The Project?" and "It's about the sequel."

1Up suggests that the new title may be MGS5; however, we think that with Solid Snake out of the picture, the Metal Gear series will continue with a whole new moniker. Metal Gear Raiden anyone? Perhaps Metal Gear La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo?

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