PS3 Fanboy

Last week we reported on the contents of the first expansion pack for Metal Gear Online, titled Gene Expansion -- new maps, new characters, new game mode, and a new reward system. Now we have a solid release date and price for the pack for Europe: July 17th and €9.99. Unfortunately, there isn't any mention of the Plus version of the expansion pack which includes an extra character slot. Read all about the contents of the Gene Expansion at the official website.

[Via press release]

Whether you played the Metal Gear Online beta or you thought you'd give it at try after completing Metal Gear Solid 4, you've probably fallen in love with the game by now. Don't get complacent though, the surface of Metal Gear Online hasn't been scratched yet, as evidenced by the first expansion pack for the title, which has been detailed on the official website.

There's no sign of a price for the upcoming "Gene Expansion Pack," but its contents have been laid bare for us to drool over. Included are three new maps ("City of Sorrow," "Underground Waterway" and "South American Power Station"), two new playable characters (Meryl and Johnny), each with their own special abilities, a new game mode (Survival) and a new reward system. Phew. That's a lot of content.

Playing in Survival mode allows you to earn Reward Points, which can then be spent to kit out your characters in new gear. Speaking of characters -- females enter the fray with this expansion pack and for those of you who don't have any more character slots available to make one, there's a "Gene Expansion Plus" package which includes everything mentioned above plus another character slot.

Nestled deep in the comments section of the official PAIN Blog, Producer Travis Williams has been busy responding to the community. There's plenty of back-and-forth banter, but there are also some hidden gems of info which we thought you might be interested in. PAIN's expansion pack, the Amusement Park, will be available this Summer for "less than $6.99" and a video of it in action will be shown on the official PlayStation Blog at some point tomorrow. A European release will happen simultaneously.

With regards to trophies, this will be included in the expansion pack and won't end there. Travis says that "new trophies for PAIN will come out as long as we continue to add content." Hopefully this is a common occurrence, with future game expansions for existing titles bringing more trophies. Could this mean more Super Stardust HD trophies are coming at some point in the future? Considering there's no Platinum trophy, we're guessing so.

PAIN was generally well received when it released in America last year (and a little later in Europe), but one of the main criticisms of the game was that there isn't enough variety. Many people called for another level because, let's face it, sometimes one just isn't enough. Thankfully, the latest blog post over at the official PAIN website discusses the first expansion pack for the game, as well as a screenshot of the new level that will be included. Apparently the new expansion will feature more content than the original release. Nice.

Reading through the rather rambley blog post reveals a "wish list" of sorts, pulled directly from the comments and stats from PAIN players. This wish list includes more moving parts in levels, a different character launcher, a multi leveled environment and multiplayer. Supposedly all these, and more, will be included in the next expansion pack. When that will be and whether it will include trophies, is anyone's guess.

We've given the new Warhawk expansion quite a lot of exposure because, to be frank, we're excited about it. Now we know exactly when the update will arrive on the European PSN Store and how much it costs, thanks to ThreeSpeech. At only £3.99 the expansion, which includes a new level and a new vehicle, is incredibly affordable and will make a nice Christmas present to the Warhawk community when it releases on December 20th.

[Update: America will also receive the expansion on the 20th as well. It will be priced $7.99.]

[Thanks, Albert M.!]

InsideGamer has somehow unearthed images from the upcoming Warhawk expansion, Operation: Omega Dawn. The screenshots reveal a brand new vehicle: the KT-424 Combat Dropship transports 1 pilot, 6 soldiers and 1 ground vehicle and includes a new weapon, the MBEC-3 Heavy Support Cannon. A new level, the Omega Battlefield, will include 5 map layouts.

Screenshots also reveal new lighting for the older levels, and new nighttime missions sound too good to pass up. Hopefully, we'll get more details of this upcoming expansion soon.

[Via NeoGAF]

There's a lot to like about Supervillian's expansion to the PSN "classic," fl0w. The expansion pack, which costs under $3, adds one new creature, the ability to play as different creatures in multiplayer, and a nifty new screenshot capture mode. Fans of the original fl0w will find these additions to be worth a purchase, as it has reinvigorated our love of this surreal and unique title.

After the initial install, you'll see a brand new background appear for the game in the XMB. The soft blue that covers the XMB waves is much appreciated: it gives the game that much more character, even before the game actually launches. Once you get to the character select screen, you'll see a brand new addition -- it's our favorite creature yet, in fact.

The new creature has some of the most "gameplay" of all the creatures in the game so far. It can retract its circular body in, and then spin rapidly out. Anything it hits will be stunned for a few seconds, leaving it vulnerable for consumption. The brief amount of time one has after the attack makes this one of the most timing-focused creatures in the game. It's beautiful, it's fast and deadly -- we love it.

The new campaign is great, but our favorite addition is the ability to have multiple creatures in multiplayer. It really adds a whole new dynamic to the experience. In this mode, you'll see each of the creature's strengths and weaknesses, as you compete for food in unique ways. Taking screenshots during this mode will make the framerate stutter, but you can behold some of the game's most beautiful visuals during these sessions. Fans of fl0w owe it to themselves to check out this expansion.

Sony has announced that an expansion for the addictive online war-a-thon Warhawk will be released in the run up to Christmas. This extensive add on, known as Operation: Omega Dawn, will feature an entirely new map as well as a new vehicle. The new map, Omega Factory, is promised to be the largest yet and will be "an industrial night-time setting where players will fight through five new layouts of advanced building complexes and huge industrial towers."

The old levels will all be augmented to include the new vehicle - the KT-424 Combat Dropship. This flying behemoth will be able to carry up to six footsoldiers and one ground-based vehicle. It will also feature a new weapon - the MBEC-3 Heavy Support Cannon. There's no word on how much this expansion will cost, nor an exact release date. Regardless, we're definitely looking forward to seeing our favourite online experience further improved.