Posted Sep 4th 2008 10:00PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Who would have thought? The quirky wild-animal-photography title Afrika is the runner-up for this week's Media Create Japanese sales charts, courtesy of Famitsu. It was beaten by a DS title called Rhythm Tengoku Gold, but Afrika still managed to sell a healthy 38,000 copies. The retail price for the title isn't cheap either, at 5,980 yen (about $56 USD), though many places are selling it for less.
Considering its niche nature, Afrika finishing #2 on the Japanese sales chart is a mightly impressive feat. We know there won't be a European release, but let's all cross our fingers for a US one, okay?
In an age of constant delays, it's refreshing to see Dead Space continue to get bumped sooner. Now, it'll be ready on October 14th -- but will it be able to compete against the likes of the other big games coming out on the same day? (Naruto, Saints Row 2, SOCOM Confrontation) And let's not forget that a week later, another slew of big name games are releasing. (BioShock, LittleBigPlanet)
Our interest in Dead Space is piqued by its recent bans in Japan, Germany and China. Clearly, the Dead Space team is doing something very right. However, we're afraid that October will leave our wallets shredded apart, much like the body parts of No Known Survivors.
Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions (via Jem) tomorrow.
Whoa, where did this come from? A new trailer, released on the PLAYSTATION Store today, unveiled the brand new PS3 Jeopardy! game. It does everything you'd expect from a game based on the popular TV show, but this trailer does an incredible job of selling the game, thanks to the catchy theme song.
The game teases Trophies, but unfortunately we're not sure if these are XMB Trophies or not. We'll have to wait for official details on that. We love some trivia, and so long as this downloadable title is priced right, we may want to find ourselves in Jeopardy. Now, can we have some more info on Wheel of Fortune?
Quite some time back, Harmonix announced that gamers would be able to import Rock Band tracks, save it on a hard-disk drive, and play these tracks in Rock Band 2 without having to get up and swap discs. Now, Harmonix is giving us the full details on this service.
Wannabe rockstars can transfer 55 of the original 58 on-disc tracks from Rock Band onto Rock Band 2. The missing three songs are: "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath (cover), and "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden (cover) with an additional DLC track, "Monsoon" by Tokio Hotel (a DLC song from the European disc). The service isn't free, however; gamers will be expected to fork over $5 for the reallocation of tunes.
Note: As of writing, the PS3 version of Rock Band does not have the export tool yet.
Sony's combating the distinct lack of decent TV programming recently by releasing a huge amount of video content for you today. Not just that, but a new episode of Qore (including a number of videos itself) and a couple of demos. Plus some DLC for Haze, if you're still interested. Anybody? Here's the full release list:
Playable content
Qore episode 4 ($2.99 each or $24.99 for 12) -- includes Motorstorm Pacific Rift demo
Developer Treyarch has been hard at work getting ready to churn out the next Call of Duty game, and though this new title is quite a contrast to last year's CoD4 -- which took the series to modern times -- diehard fans of series can appreciate the return-to-roots WWII setting. Answering the call to arms in CoD5Call of Duty: World at War is only a stone throw away as the game will hit retailers this November 11 for the PlayStation 3 and alongside other platforms.
While the HD format wars are over, Blu-ray still has a long way to go before it can tackle its main competitor: DVD. Many consumers still haven't converted to Sony's next-gen format, and Samsung UK director Andy Griffiths doesn't believe there's much time left for Sony's format. "I think it [Blu-ray] has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10", Griffiths told Pocket-lint in an interview.
The time to capitalize on Blu-ray is now, the Samsung head said. "It's going to be huge", he told Pocket-lint. "We are heavily back-ordered at the moment." The company is one of few that's heavily invested in the format, with numerous Blu-ray players available on the market.
There will always be new formats on the horizon, but we find it unlikely that Blu-ray will extinguish in so little time. With HD adoption still slowly growing, so too will Blu-ray's momentum. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see where home video stands in the next decade.
Posted Sep 4th 2008 2:30PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
What's better than a master recording for your favorite rhythm game? How about a re-recording? The three songs from Guitar Hero: World Tour have been rerecorded by the original artists, and they are:
"Overkill" -- Motorhead
"Pretty Vacant" -- The Sex Pistols
"Kick Out the Jams" -- MC5
The Sex Pistols rerecorded Pretty Vacant using the original analog sound board from 1969 while Kicking Out the Jams was rerecorded with Wayne Kramer, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains and Gilby Clark formerly of Guns 'N' Roses, but will retain the original 1968 vocals by Rob Tyner.
On the other side of the world, during a New Zealand press event, Activision Blizzard gave Aussies a release date for Guitar Hero: World Tour: November 12th for A$329.95. A bundle that includes only the guitar and the game will be A$169.95 while the game by itself will be A$89.95. Four songs were also unveiled:
We were getting worried about White Knight Story. The yummy PS3-exclusive RPG from Level-5 looked incredible ... but then it disappeared off everyone's radars since its last showing at TGS 2007. Looks like it's a lot farther along than any of us could've imagined, with the RPG getting a Japanese release later this year. Famitsu reports that White Knight Story will be available in Japan on December 11th, just in time for the holiday season.
We're eagerly awaiting TGS next month so we can get our grimey Western hands on the upcoming game. With the game nearing completion, we're hoping to be very impressed by what we see.
Some of us are gifted with incredible skill in Super Stardust HD. The dazzling array of falling rocks and deadly enemies does little to shock these players -- they are able to boost, shoot and bomb without ever having to blink. Unfortunately, not all of us are so capable. Thankfully, the PlayStation.blog has a new set of videos to with a few pointers on how to get the most out of this popular PSN game. Perhaps with these tips, you too will be able to get all of those elusive Trophies ...
Short and sweet update this week, but nothing to be sniffed at. Two demos and two add-on packs mean there's something for pretty much everyone. If you're into driving, hockey or Haze (yeah, we thought not), that is. Warhawk fans have probably already grabbed last week's booster pack, but those new to the game might be tempted by the low-price triple combo pack. Here's the full release list:
Playable content
Pure demo (free)
NHL 2K8 demo (free)
Add-on content
Warhawk "Triple Combo" pack (£7.99/€11.99 -- contains all three booster packs)
Haze "Destruction" pack (£3.49/€4.99)
Videos
Movement episode 5, part 2 -- "London" (includes 8 videos)
Quite possibly the biggest feature for this year's NBA game from SCEA's San Diego Studios is the addition of The Life, a story a mode which chronicles the player's journey from the streets to the NBA. This first trailer highlighting the single player campaign looks pretty epic -- will this be able to differentiate itself from the other NBA games coming out this year?
Resident Evil fans know how bad the RE movies are. Hopefully Resident Evil: Degeneration -- the CG movie featuring a seven-year Claire and Leon reunion -- will pick up the pieces and make everything good again. It won't be too long before we find out the answer to that as the Sony Pictures film is set to hit stores this winter.
If you're just dying to know more about this direct-to-Blu-ray film release, Blu-ray.com scored some skin-crawling details regarding the zombie flick. Video will be presented in "1.78:1 1080p AVC" which is complemented by a "5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack." With specs like that, stepping into the world of survival horror won't ever be the same. In addition to that info, a full list of Blu-ray Extras can be found after the break.
It appears that speculation has become truth: the official PS3 Bluetooth headset will be available in North America with a MSRP of $49.99. For only $10 more, players will be able to get the SOCOM Confrontation bundle, which includes the headset and a copy of the upcoming shooter on Blu-ray disc. Although PS3 is compatible with most Bluetooth headsets, a new firmware update will enhance the experience when using the official headset. A new High-Quality (HQ) mode will use "advanced wireless technologies and the Headset's dual-microphone design to enable clear and wide-band wireless voice communication with the PS3 system."
Sony is promising future titles will support HQ mode. For example, future games may have voice animation where the in-game character will mimic your speech. Proximity chat will offer voice playback in full surround sound, to match the sound effects featured in the game.
The $50 headset will also be compatible with most cell phones. In addition, it will also work as a desktop microphone when docked with the supplied charging cradle. However, note that HQ mode is only available on the PS3, for titles that support HQ mode.
Posted Sep 3rd 2008 6:00PM by Alan Tsang Filed under: News
Some of you are happy with your Kratos and Narikovirtual sackpersons, but those of you who are looking to a physical Sackboy companion can rejoice. Taito has announced preorders for Japanese consumers who want to get their hands on a plush version of LittleBigPlanet's main character.
You have two sizes to choose from: a mini Sackboy that is about 4 inches in height for about $12 USD or a larger 10 inch one for $23. The mini version will be released in November in Japan and come in the 4 varieties: normal, solider, pirate and smile. The larger version only comes in the normal or pirate versions and will be released in December. Each Sackboy is made of a soft material, so Sackboy doesn't actually feel like a sack when you try to cuddle with him.
Fortunately, we know Sackboy plushes are headed to the US as well. Hopefully we'll hear something soon.
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