PS3 Fanboy

Just like Europe, SingStar will be getting an expansion disc here in the States. The disc offers the same SingStar experience as the original, but offers a different track list featuring 30 new songs. For newcomers to the series, this is a different way of getting the full PS3 SingStar experience. However, series regulars will have to swap discs if they want to have all the songs from Volume 1 and Volume 2: there's no way of ripping content from one disc to another, a la Rock Band.

SingStar is meant to be a constantly evolving platform, and we're assuming any new features added to America's Volume 2 disc will be applied via patch across all other SingStar games. For example, the US version of SingStar received a patch that contained all the new features added to the European Volume 2 game. One of the most exciting features for the upcoming expansion is the addition of Trophies -- exactly how that will work in conjunction with the SingStore is anyone's guess.

For this week's SingStore update, and the full track listing for Volume 2, visit IGN.

[Thanks, Kspraydad!]

Update: Slight change of plans; according to MTV Multiplayer, Sony isn't allowing you to export the music. Rather, there is an option to swap discs -- by pressing select during a session of SingStar on the PS3 and exchanging the disc for any PS2 SingStar game, you will be allowed to choose the songs from the PS2 disc. This is not permanent and you will need to have the PS2 disc in the drive in order to sing these songs.

Moreover, as one of our readers asked, there were those of you who were concerned that PS3s without backwards compatibility would lack this feature. No need to worry; Sony has stated a free patch is coming for current SingStar game and this new disc-swapping feature will now be standard on all future incarnations of the title.

What's the next generation of SingStar? You guessed it: SingStar: Singalong with Disney will bring karaoke lovers the classic Disney songs we've all known and loved, with classic Disney movie footage in the background. The enthusiasm in the audience is quite noticeable, looking at Jem's Twitter entry.

Other additions to the SingStar franchise were also revealed in Europe. SingStar Vol.3 Party Edition will add classic pop hits from Barry Manilow, Lionel Ritchie and Kate Bush sit alongside recent chart hits from The Ting Tings, Timbaland, Sara Bareilles and Coldplay.

Two download packs from classic rock group Queen will also be added to the SingStore.

Does Microsoft's upcoming Lips (pictured above) scare the SingStar team? Doesn't seem to phase them a bit, it seems. Speaking at a E3 cocktail, SCEE rep David Reeves promised we'd see a "the next generation of SingStar" at the Leipzig Games Convention later this year.

What could that possibly mean? Are we seeing a brand new game in the SingStar franchise, or are we going to see a game-expanding patch? For those of us that have spent quite a bit of money in the SingStore, we'd like to see the latter.

Sorry this post is a bit late but SingStar has been, quite frankly, the last thing on our mind over the last day or say. Regardless, the SingStore has been updated with another eclectic collection of songs -- most of which we've never heard of. Business as usual, then. Again, Europe has bragging rights over the number of new tracks when compared to America. That's 25 versus 16 this week, for those keeping score at home. From the looks of things, Americans aren't missing out on much this week except, sadly, another Queen song. Check after the break for the full release list; tracks are available in Europe only, unless stated otherwise.

Plenty of new songs for you Singaholics today in the latest SingStar SingStore update. We're happy to finally see Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" on the list, not to mention our surprise at the inclusion of The Dandy Warhol's "We Used To Be Friends." There's plenty more to see after the break in the full list of releases. Unfortunately, it seems that the American SingStore has fewer new songs than are available in Europe. Unless stated otherwise all songs in the following list are on the European SingStore only. Which ones will you be buying today?

Sony has confirmed to us today that SingStar Vol 2 will be released in Europe on June 20th. Those lucky Australians will get it on June 19th -- technically almost two days earlier, thanks to the time difference. Vol 2 will feature a new pack of thirty songs, none of which are currently available on the SingStore. Sony is careful to tell us that licensing songs for a disc and licensing for the SingStore are two very different things, so don't expect to see these tunes available for download day and date with Vol 2's release. There's no reason why they won't be up eventually, however.

If you fancy seeing the really rather excellent tracklist for Vol 2 then take a peek after the jump. Sure, changing discs mid-party is a bit of a pain, but Sony has made is as painless as possible. We're particularly excited about the Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and Nirvana tracks. Good stuff, indeed.

If your vocal chords simply can't get enough exercise from singing stuff on SingStar, you might love to know what's new on their SingStore. We'll list the songs in English below, but if you're interested in other languages, we'll add those after the cut. This is a good update for those who love ... uh ... Avril Lavigne? It's a fairly varied batch of choices, so watch your wallets carefully.

• Avril Lavigne - Complicated
• Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack - Tonight I Celebrate My Love
• Good Charlotte - I Just Wanna Live
• The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
• Shocking Blue - Venus
• Golden Earring - Radar Love
• The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So
• Hard-Fi - Hard To Beat
• Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending
• Erik Faber - Not Over
• Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms
• R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts
• Wilson Phillips - Hold On
• Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You shouldn't've)?
• Alphabeat - Fantastic 6
• The Vines - Get Free
• Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)
• Westlife - Queen Of My Heart
• The Hoosiers - Cops N Robbers
• Coldplay - Shiver
• Coldplay - The Scientist
• Duran Duran - The Reflex
• Moloko - Sing It Back
• Aslan - This Is

As we said before, songs from other lands or in other languages are after the cut. It would probably be fun to try them out at least once ... of course, it would be an easier choice to make if they were free.

Speaking to Paulina Bozek, Producer of SingStar, at the PlayStation Day event we were able to gather a few details about the development team's plans for the year. High on their list is the integration of My SingStar Online, the game's online community service, with the official SingStar website. This will allow people who don't have a copy of the game to view the videos which have been uploaded by the community. Obviously this will be a huge boon, marketing-wise, as it will allow videos from the game to go viral, potentially scoring more customers.

Privacy is very important and with My SingStar Online being such a closed service right now (only accessible via the game) people see it as a safe place to put videos. When the integration with the we occurs later this year players will be given the choice to upload their videos only to the closed SingStar network or the internet. The details have yet to be ironed out, but this is a service we're very much looking forward to.

We also asked Bozek about region-specific content for Europe and the US. The SingStar team has "no interest" in exclusive content for any particular regions. Tracks will be made available worldwide as much as possible. The only thing that would prevent this is for licensing issues or censorship to get in the way. The team is committed to delivering at least 50 songs per month in Europe and America, with a SingStore update occurring every two weeks.

If you don't feel like downloading this 300+ MB trailer off the PSN, then you can alternatively watch it livestreaming here. There's some new SOCOM Confrontation footage to look at as well as other upcoming titles like Elefunk, LittleBigPlanet, SingStar, and Siren Blood Curse.

Also, check out the video after the break. It's Buzz from Buzz! Quiz TV showing us the all new features: choose a category, My Buzz connectivity, and other downloadable content.

Want to get your hands on SingStar (PS3) and Secret Agent Clank (PSP) before everyone else? Then you'll head off to the Bamboozle Festival this weekend. The two-day alternative music festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ. The festival features headliners, such as Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Eat World, and Panic at the Disco. The PlayStation Patrol Truck will be attending, and will showcase a number of PS3 games, such as SingStar, MLB 08: The Show and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Various PSP Zones will also be at the festival, and will feature titles like Secret Agent Clank and God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Playing well at the PlayStation Patrol Truck could net you the chance to meet Bamboozle artists. Top players will have the chance to challenge artists such as Armor For Sleep, Chiodos, Circa Survive, The Color Fred, The Audition and All Time Low. Winners will receive VIP access to the show.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit The Bamboozle Festival's official website. To see who else is attending, feel free to use the event's Facebook page.

As mentioned earlier, the US SingStore launch is something to get excited about. The Blu-ray disc (available alone for $40, or bundled with mics for $60), contains 30 tracks to get the party started. Afterwards, you can access the SingStore and download new tracks for only $1.49 each. Check out the entire song list, after the cut. And don't forget to enjoy our brand new screens from the game:

SingStar is finally coming to American PS3 systems next month. On May 20th, PS3 fans will be able to pick up the game in either a standalone SKU or one that includes two microphones. The microphone and game combo will be $59.99, while the standalone disc will be $39.99. PS2 SingStar microphones will work with the PS3 game. The disc will feature 30 different songs. As usual for the franchise, each song includes the music video (in HD, if available).

The American SingStore will feature over 200 songs for the US launch. However, it will be slightly different than the European Store."It's because of different broadcasting standards," a SCEA producer told us. Some content that's appropriate in Europe may not be accepted here in the States. The plan is to update each month with 25-50 new songs.

An exciting direction for the US SingStore is a new focus on independent music. Indie bands can create videos for distribution in the SingStore, with Sony taking care of rights and clearance. The SingStore will also expand to include support for song packs in the future. Like Rock Band, song packs may include discounts. Full albums are being considered as well.

Europe sure loves SingStar. In the first four months since the release of the SingStore, one million tracks have been downloaded across the PAL region. Other aspects of the SingStar community have become quite successful, as well. My SingStar Online has over 140,000 registered users. The official website has over 20,000 user-submitted videos, which have been watched over 2.5 million times. Wow.

The franchise has also sold over 12 million copies, over its multiple iterations (SingStar Bollywood, anyone?). The immense success of SingStar is great news for Sony -- will America be able to recreate that success when it launches on PS3 next month?

Sony let slip that their upcoming PS3 singing game, SingStar, will be striking American PS3 systems on May 20th. The game will be playable at this weekend's Coachella music festival, out in sunny California. Also playable at the Sony-sponsored event will be LittleBigPlanet and the already-released Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

We're still waiting for more details on the song list, and the US version of the SingStore. Hopefully, it won't be too long before all the details will be revealed.