If VG247's supposed PlayStation Network calendar is to be believed, Star Trek star and Priceline.com spokesperson William Shatner will be the next celebrity offered for download in PAIN. SCEE hasn't confirmed the validity of this information, only saying "the PSN roadmap is for internal purposes" and "it's all subject to change." VG247 notes the Shatner addon will be available on March 19th.
During the holiday break, we discovered a terrible bug in PAIN that rendered new purchases of the Abusement Park expansion completely unplayable. Looks like the bug has been identified and squashed. Scott Goryl from SCEA updated us saying the glitch is fixed. Those that experienced the bug will want to go back to the PlayStation Store and re-download the expansion pack.
With SCEA back in the full swing of things, we're hoping it won't be long until we see other eagerly awaited patches: SOCOM Confrontation's 1.3 patch, LittleBigPlanetsave data fix, and Penny Arcade Adventures Ep. 2save data fix.
There are many people that are new to PAIN and its various expansion packs. The "Abusement Park" add-on is corrupted for anyone that downloads it right now. Many are blaming the recent 2.53 patch, which adds a free character and YouTube support to the game. "If you did not have the Abusement park addon downloaded from PSN prior to the update the level is destroyed and unusable, Items fall through the landscape the background image is blank white and the level is unusable."
Direct-feed video of the glitch shows how the game is rendered unplayable ... because nothing gets rendered! Unfortunately, this glitch doesn't appear to be affecting a small group of people. A quick look at this thread shows a lynch mob asking for Idol Minds' head. Once again, this being the holiday season, it seems unlikely that affected individuals will get a patch in the immediate future.
The latest episode of Pulse reveals the top PSN game downloads of 2008. At the top of the list is Idol Minds' PAIN. This isn't too surprising, considering it was included for free with the Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle earlier this year. However, we're surprised to see how well High Velocity Bowling has done. Other surprises include Aquatopia and High Stakes Poker.
Do you think the top 10 list is missing any games? We certainly think so. Where's WipEout HD? Although it's a PSP remake, we think it's an incredible value.
Here's the list, for those of you unable to see the image above:
'Tis the season to be jolly ... and get free costumes. This week's free LittleBigPlanet costume is themed for the holidays. Everyone, meet Santa Sackboy. He'll be available for download on the PlayStation Store -- in two parts. But that's not the only free costume you'll be finding this holiday season.
PAIN players will discover a new character unlocked in the next game patch: Reindeer Ed (see him after the break). The next PAIN update will not only add a free character, but it will offer YouTube integration as well (something the game always needed!). No date on the PAIN patch, but we doubt it'll take too long.
Looks like the cause of the PAIN expansion pack delay has been resolved. If you looked carefully, you would've seen that there was a PSN Trophy involving a Street Fighter character. (Street Rider - Use any Street Fighter® character to travel 2 miles while grabbing a vehicle) Looks like licensing took longer than expected, and that feature has been removed from the upcoming Hollywood Studio expansion.
Travis from the PAIN blog explains that the expansion pack will be available in tomorrow's PSN update: "Everything is going well and we will get our approval form Format at the end of the day. Unless something blows up (which is highly unlikely) we WILL ship on Thursday @ 15:00 GMT." Considering this is PAIN, we wouldn't be surprised to have something blow up.
This shouldn't come as a surprise to the PAIN community. The next expansion pack, Hollywood Studio, has been delayed. The pack, which includes everyone's almost-favorite Baywatch star David Hasselhoff, was originally scheduled to release this Thursday. "We were trying to get all the content/ legal issues squared away so that we could release and we held out even until yesterday. Unfortunately, we couldn't clear all our issues in time to deploy worldwide on Thursday," PAIN's Travis Williams explains on the official blog.
The team is trying to make sure the delay is less than two weeks. To make up for the delay, the team is promising a special Christmas surprise which they will make free -- a rarity in the PAIN world.
To get a sneak peak at what could be the cause of the delay, look at PAIN's updated Trophy list.
Are you ready for some PAIN? PS Nation talks to yet another PSN developer: the guys at Idol Minds, who are bringing you the Hasselhoff-approved comedy game. Check it out.
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We're not kidding folks. David Hasselhoff (of Baywatch, Knight Rider fame) will be a playable character in the upcoming PAIN expansion, PEOPLE.com discovered. "The idea of 'hurting The Hoff' or 'hassling The Hoff' was just hysterical to me," Hasselhoff, 56, tells PEOPLE. "I don't know why, I think it was from growing up watching the Three Stooges and the idea of hurting yourself was funny to me."
Not only will you be able to throw Hasselhoff around, you'll be able to listen to his cover of the classic song "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" Seriously.
Looks like the PAIN train is going strong. Just a few months after the release of the Amusement Park expansion pack, the team at Idol Minds is offering yet another level for the downloadable title. Movie Studio, scheduled for November, will add a brand new area to crash through and will offer a slew of additional modes, characters and Trophies. Some things that are promised in the next update:
More than one launcher location (There are three that you can dynamically switch to)
Single Player Fun with Explosives
New Cratetastic Mode
Unlockable FREE Character (Buzz, from the Buzz! games)
HORSE Mode
Bowling Mode (With all new distractions)
For more details on the next update, check out the PS.blog.
Even before PAINfirst came out there were mentions of bringing other Sony characters into the game, but we didn't expect the first one to be poor naive Sackboy. If Game Informer (via 1UP) is to believed, however, we'll be flinging him out of a giant slingshot "at some point in the future." That's pretty much all the info that's available on the subject. Could this be the first downloadable character for PAIN that's worth the money? Or would you rather Sackboy was a little more choosey about the games he visits? We've been conditioned to think that he's no bigger than a plush toy, so seeing him all human-sized is going to be a little weird.
Update: Headline has been changed, and article altered to emphasize which content is free and which is not. The patch is free, but Amusement Park (an expansion pack) is not. Sorry for any confusion.
The long-awaited PAIN Trophy patch is now available to download. Simply load up the game and you will be prompted to download the 325MB patch. Don't forget, PAIN's Trophies have been retooled, to make them a bit easier than originally intended.
There is one free addition to the feature roster, however. Each week a new mini-level will be made available. Each of these "PAINlabs" will be an experimental concept that Idol Minds are playing with and are releasing for you, the players, to test out. An interesting idea -- and best of all? It's free.
The patch coincides with the release of the Amusement Park expansion pack, which adds a bunch of content to the game -- but only if you pay for it. Three new characters are also available to purchase.
Trophy and PAIN addicts are going to have to wait a little bit longer. The Amusement Park expansion, originally due tomorrow, has been delayed to some time later this month. The reason behind the delay? Well, one part comes from the developers changing Trophy requirements. When the original Trophy list was unveiled, many complained that they were too challenging, and could only be accomplished by those that played the game constantly. "They began to resemble the tedious level grinds in MMOs and not the spoils for being good," the PAIN blog admits. "So we thought rather than making people play PAIN for the trophies, it might be a better idea to let people play PAIN because it's REALLY FUN and let the earned trophies come from that experience."
The revised Trophy list is available, after the cut.
Here it is folks, the Trophy list for the PSN downloadable PAIN. Expect Trophies to be enabled on September 4th, the same day PAIN Amusement Park will be released. Unfortunately, in a rather distressing move, to get all the Trophies, you must buy extra characters. That's a real shame -- it's a practice we want to discourage. Updated: Now features Trophies for Hollywood Studio.
A day late, but not necessarily a dollar short. The PAIN Amusement Park trailer is now up on the PlayStation Blog and can also be seen above. The expansion, which is due out next month, looks to be bigger and better than any other PAIN level that we've seen. Though, considering the game only shipped with a single level, that's not a particularly brave thing to say. We look forward to seeing more and picking up the Amusement Park, and not just because of trophies. Honest.
Enjoy the video and check out the GamesRadar preview for more information. PAIN fans should love this expansion, while those who are still on the fence might be convinced to finally pick it up. Let us know what you think in the comments.
We're not kidding folks. David Hasselhoff (of Baywatch, Knight Rider fame) will be a playable character in the upcoming PAIN expansion, PEOPLE.com discovered. "The idea of 'hurting The Hoff' or 'hassling The Hoff' was just hysterical to me," Hasselhoff, 56, tells PEOPLE. "I don't know why, I think it was from growing up watching the Three Stooges and the idea of hurting yourself was funny to me."
