PS3 Music Peripheral Compatibility Update

Category: PSP News, PSP Updates, Playstation Portable Network

For the past several months, we have been working closely with Neversoft and Activision, Harmonix and Konami to ensure that PlayStation 3 guitars and drum sets will all feature a basic level of gameplay compatibility.

For the most part, this means that the titles with musical peripherals will work with the other’s software. A few specific examples include: Guitar Hero: World Tour’s guitars and drums will work with Rock Band 2 and Konami’s Rock Revolution software.

And yes, you guessed it, Rock Band 2’s guitar and drum set will work with Guitar Hero: World Tour and with Rock Revolution.

Conversely, Rock Revolution’s drum set will work with both Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2.

In addition, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2 will both support the SingStar microphones.

We’re still working hard to ensure compatibility between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles currently on the market, and we hope to have an announcement on that shortly.

Of course each of these great games have their own specific cool features that may not be compatible with the other controllers, but this is our first big step in bringing a level of compatibility to music games that is sure to benefit PlayStation 3 consumers.

Keep an eye out here for more information in the future.



 

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New Downloadable Games, Free Demos, Add-ons

Category: PSP Games, PSP Updates, Playstation Portable Network

New free demos, downloadable games, add-on content and goodies. To download these games to your PSP, goto http://store.playstation.com.

Downloadable Games

Bionic Commando: Rearmed ($9.99)
Featuring intense shooting and iconic grappling action, this amazing update gets a HD makeover and more! Discover a remixed musical score, enhanced gameplay, new weapons, online rankings and new unlockable content for the upcoming sequel. Team up in the new 2-player co-op mode and take your own path while still in view on the split screen! Download the game today!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 373 MB

PS1 Classics for PS3/PSP

Street Fighter Alpha ($5.99)
FIGHT! The classic Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors’ Dreams returns! With an improved Super Combo system based on Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the addition of the “Alpha Counter,” “Air Blocking,” and “Chain Combos,” Street Fighter Alpha set a new standard in arcade-style fighting gameplay. Download this PSone Classic today!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 80 MB

Add-on Game Content

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

* “Constant Motion” - Dream Theater ($0.99)
* “Aesthetics of Hate” - Machine Head ($0.99)
* “My Curse” - Killswitch Engage ($0.99)
* “Clouds Over California” - DevilDriver ($0.99)
* “Runnin’ Wild” - Airbourne ($0.99)
* “Sleepwalker” - Megadeth ($0.99)
* Roadrunner Records Pack 1 ($5.99) - includes “Runnin’ Wild” - Airbourne, “Clouds Over California” - DevilDriver, “Constant Motion” - Dream Theater, “My Curse” -Killswitch Engage, “Aesthetics of Hate” - Machine Head , and “Sleepwalker” - Megadeth.

File sizes: 22.5 MB - 48.8 MB (singles), 221 MB (track pack)

Price Promotion: these tracks will become to $1.99 on 8/21. The track pack will become $9.99 on 8/21.

Game Demos (free)

Bionic Commando: Rearmed Demo
Featuring intense shooting and iconic grappling action, this amazing update gets a HD makeover and more! Discover a remixed musical score, enhanced gameplay, new weapons, online rankings and new unlockable content for the upcoming sequel. Team up in the new 2-player co-op mode and take your own path while still in view on the split screen! Download the free trial today!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 373 MB

1942: Joint Strike Demo
Based on the popular arcade series, 1942: Joint Strike combines classic top-down shooting with amazing 3D HD graphics. Maneuver aircraft carriers to take on waves of enemy fire and face off with huge enemy bosses. Recruit a wing man locally or online to employ Joint Strike attacks, combining firepower into one explosive barrage. With a whole new arsenal, prepare to rejoin the battle!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 129 MB

NHL 2K9 Demo
NHL 2K9 brings fun back to hockey video games with a brand-new in-game presentation system, pick-up-and-play controls and hard-hitting action. The NHL 2K9 Demo consists of one 3 minute period with two teams to choose from, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Download now!
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 637 MB

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2009 Demo
Take on the world in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09. Save your most amazing - and unthinkable - performances and post on EA SPORTS GamerNet, a revolutionary interactive gaming hub that hosts user-created content online. Set the bar high by posting your top moments, and take on challenges set by others, to determine the world’s greatest golfer once and for all.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 1006 MB

Game Videos (free)

The Last Guy Gameplay Trailer 2
You are the chosen one, and it is up to you to rescue the last survivors on earth by leading them to safety through zombie-infested streets. With a classic arcade style overhead view, make your way through detailed real-world cities and use your heat vision to find people hiding in buildings. Then lead them to the Escape Zone before time runs out in this frantic, addictive game. Download the latest trailer today to see the game in action.
File size: 92 MB (HD)

Bionic Commando: Rearmed: The Making Of - Part 3
Explore the re-making of a classic side-scroller in part 3 of this 3-part documentary that looks at how Bionic Commando was brought back into action!!
File size: 290 MB (HD)

Bionic Commando: Rearmed Launch Trailer
Download the trailer today!
File size: 95 MB (HD)

Saints Row 2 – Gangs Trailer
Five years have passed since your crew betrayed you. Seek revenge and reclaim your throne as the rightful king of Stilwater.
File size: 192 MB (HD)

Vampire Rain Gameplay Trailer 1
Vampire Rain: Altered Species provides a whole new way to play action-stealth games. Save the human race from the Nightwalkers who have taken over. Experience a variety of characters and weapons, intense heart pounding battles, and online multi-player mode. It’s time to fight or die.
File size: 58 MB (HD)

Vampire Rain Running Alley Trailer
A quiet city street proves to be more deadly than it looks. Be careful at night—you’ll never know who (or what) is lurking in the shadows, waiting for its next meal. The Nightwalkers have been classified as highly dangerous and incredibly destructive. But how can you defeat such a strong and violent enemy? Keep your weapons close, move quickly, and always be the one to strike first.
File size: 50 MB (HD)

Legendary Behind the Scenes Teaser Trailer
When rogue art thief Charles Deckard is tasked to steal Pandora’s Box, he accidentally opens it, releasing mythological beasts into an unprepared world. Now, giant griffons rule the skies, ravenous werewolves stalk the streets and Deckard is left branded with a signet that is the secret to man’s salvation.
File size: 48 MB (HD)

Madden NFL 09 Buzz Video
Find out what the buzz is around the release of Madden NFL 09. Get a first look at the enhanced animations and the visual jump that Madden 09 possesses and see why this is the best Madden NFL ever produced!
File size: 69 MB (HD)

Madden NFL 09 Announcers Video
See why this is the best audio featured in any Madden NFL game to date. You will be able to experience the exciting new audio including John Madden delivering game analysis. Chris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond also provide detailed play-by-play and color commentary to the game. You don’t want to miss Madden NFL 09!
File size: 59 MB (HD)

Madden NFL 09 Presentation Video
From the exterior shots to the ticker, the second you turn on the game, you are going to notice the new look and feel of Madden NFL 09. The authentic visuals create a completely innovative view to the game.
File size: 108 MB (HD)

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 : Fusion
Reveal Trailer for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 - Fusion
File size: 53 MB (HD)

Mirror’s Edge Story Trailer 1
Faith and other couriers used to be ignored by the police. But things have changed. And now Faith is being hunted.
File size: 83 MB (HD)

AST Dew Tour - Cleveland FMX Jam Session
A compilation of the best moments from the FMX Jam Session at the second stop of the AST Dew Tour in Cleveland, Ohio.
File size: 90 MB (HD), 149 MB (1080)

AST Dew Tour - Cleveland Skate Thrills
A compilation of the best moments in Skateboard Park and Skateboard Vert from the second stop of the AST Dew Tour in Cleveland, Ohio.
File size: 91 MB (HD), 150 MB (1080)

AST Dew Tour - Cleveland BMX Highlights
A compilation of all the moments to remember in BMX Dirt, BMX Vert and BMX Park from the second stop of the AST Dew Tour in Cleveland, Ohio.
File size: 122 MB (HD), 202 MB (1080)

AST Dew Tour - Hear it from Nyquist
BMX Dirt athlete Ryan Nyquist talks about strategies across courses and how each dirt course on the Dew Tour brings something different to the competition. .
File size: 93 MB (HD), 154 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes (free)

BioShock Theme
Customize your PS3 system with a cool BioShock Theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 3.70 MB

Bionic Commando: Rearmed Theme (x2)
Customize your PS3 system with a cool Bionic Commando: Rearmed Theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 7.09 MB - 7.19 MB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)

Bionic Commando: Rearmed Wallpaper (x2)
Customize the background of your PS3 system with this new Bionic Commando: Rearmed Wallpaper
File size: 208 KB - 472 KB

PLAYSTATION Store for PC

Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com. There, you’ll find descriptions of the content and directions on how to get started. For more on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, please click here.

PS1 Classics for PS3/PSP
Street Fighter Alpha ($5.99)

PSP Themes (free)
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Theme (also downloadable via PS3)

PSP Wallpaper (free)
Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 Wallpaper (x2)
Madden NFL 09 Wallpaper (x2)

Hope you enjoy!



 

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Burnout Paradise - coming to PSN

Category: PSP Games, PSP News, Playstation Portable Network

Today we’re proud to announce another PlayStation exclusive for Burnout Paradise. This fall, we’ll be making the entire game available for download via the US PLAYSTATION Store. You’ll finally be able to join us in Paradise City without leaving the comfort of your home, and you won’t have to get up to put the disk in!

A big thanks to the folks at Sony for making the future of video games a reality now. We’ll announce a release date soon, but in the meantime, it’ll look something like this:

Mock-up of US Playstation Store with Burnout Paradise on it

The download will be $29.99, but it’s not the disk version of the game we originally released back in January. This is an all-singing, all-dancing version complete with all the free packs so far. Here are some of the highlights. All new game modes, like Online Marked Man and Online Road Rage. Awesome new vehicles, including the Hunter Olympus and Nakamura Rai-jin Turbo. 70 all-new challenges featuring against-the-clock gameplay and leaderboards plus the in-game calendar and news page. Check the details on our website.

And this is just the start. We’re all about supporting Burnout players through online this year.

We want to change the way you think about DLC. We’re bringing you much more than just a couple of cars or a new track – this is the complete transformation of Burnout. That means you’ll see new game modes, new vehicles including motorcycles, day / night gameplay, weather, a huge new island play area, stacks of new challenges and maybe even aircraft!

The next pack from us will be the free Bikes Pack that we outlined in our last post. We promised a little more detail on what to expect. So here it is.

The two bikes available from Day 1 will be the FV1100 street bike and the Nakamura Firehawk V4 racing bike. With bikes, we’re introducing characters for the first time in a Burnout game. Both bikes feature designs for male and female riders. Just make your choice in the Junkyard.

Motorcycles 1

The Nakamura FV1100 is a no nonsense street bike. The sweet 1100CC engine delivers high performance with easy handling making it the most versatile bike in Paradise. The exposed engine doesn’t leave much room for stylish paintwork, but when the engine looks this good, who needs bodywork?

Nakamura FV1100Nakamura FV1100b

The Nakamura Firehawk V4 is thoroughbred racing bike. It arrives on the streets of Paradise straight from the race track! The Kanji characters on the guys’ version mean “fire”, but we also have a version for our female rider, featuring an all-new Burnout cartoon character.

Nakamura FirehawkaNakamura Firehawkb

We’ve got more on bikes from their Japanese creator – Yuta Nakamura – in our next video podcast, and of course our website – www.criteriongames.com

Burnout Paradise. Always changing.



 

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Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Street Fighter Alpha

Category: PSP Games, PSP News, Playstation Portable Network

 

Bionic Commando: Rearmed

Hey my friends, this is John D from Capcom. I’m pleased and honored to announce that Bionic Commando: Rearmed will become available on the PlayStation Store today for only $9.99! Ben Judd, producer extraordinaire, is so excited for this release that his head’s going to explode. And speaking of exploding heads (if you don’t get this reference, buy the game), here’s his very informative blog he prepared for all you PS fans:

Hello again fine folks of the PlayStation Blog. All good things must come to an end and with Rearmed arriving on the scene we need to finish out our all-too-short time here.

So by now you’ve seen the reviews and know EXACTLY what you are getting into. I would say that Bionic Commando Rearmed isn’t just an homage to a classic 2D game with a very innovative swing mechanic, but it’s a piece of where games started. For those who have never played a 2D game, for those who miss the classic “gamey” type games of old, for those just looking for an experience that is certainly worth your 10 dollars - Bionic Commando is it.

Even if you don’t have much interest in these types of games, I would ask you to try out the demo and decide for yourself. However, even if it’s a day one purchase for you, I would ask you to spend a little time to visit the Bionic Commando Community Site and introduce yourself. There are lots of fans of the game to share your grueling challenge room stories with, people in your area that you may be able to hook up with for a night of wild multiplayer action, and just an all around great community.

Bionic Commando is a game that I want as many people to play as possible, so it was very important to get a PSN version out the door for all of the Sony fans out there. And although I think it’s important to deliver the same experience to everyone, that doesn’t mean you can’t add in a few little things here and there to keep it interesting. So, one of the surprises is that the PSN version of Bionic Commando has an exclusive challenge room that you can only play on the PSN version of the game. It may not be the biggest of surprises, but we have tried to give a little something to the PSN users that they can keep to themselves. And with how hard this challenge stage is, it will certainly make for bragging rights!

PS Update #1: Generalissimo Killt
The charismatic leader of the Imperials, the self-styled “Generalissimo” Killt, is a former member of the FSA armed forces who became corrupted by the teachings of the long-dead dictator known as The Leader. Seeking to spread fascism across first the FSA, and then the world, Killt stumbled upon the blueprints for the ultimate doomsday weapon, known as Project Albatross, which had been created by a 20th century superpower that never survived to see it realized.

With the Albatross plans in his grasp, Killt sprung a surprise attack on the FSA, but the size of his forces compared to the might of the FSA means the conflict will be short-lived - unless the Imperials can activate the Albatross in time…

Bionic Commando

Medals
The FSA awards Medals to only the bravest soldiers for outstanding service above and beyond the call of duty. There are 12 medals to collect in total, with something to suit every type of soldier, from brawlers to thinkers.

Medal #4: Faster Than a Speeding Bullet
The Bionic Arm is a true utility device – not only does it provide many forms of attack and a nifty method of transportation, but thanks to the wonders of 2 dimensions it can also be used to defend yourself. Time your firing of the Bionic Arm’s grappling hook just right and you can stop the Imperials’ mysteriously slow-traveling bullets in mid-air! All you have to do get this Medal is to repeat that not once, not twice, but 100 times.

Bionic Commando: Rearmed

Super Joe’s Machine Gun
This legendary firearm is a prototype weapon developed by Super Joe himself. With all-round damage capability, a tremendous fire rate and seemingly unlimited ammo, this gun is perfect for clearing your way through the Imperial hordes. Only two things prevent Super Joe’s Machine Gun from being the perfect weapon – it requires a short reload period after each intense burst of fire, and nobody knows where Joe placed the prototype before he was captured by the Imperials. If you want to get your hands on this weaponry, your only option is to locate Joe.

John D again. I usually play and finish the games I work on. Not this one. I want to wait until the game launches, so I can enjoy every minute. I’ve played parts of this game and it really is that good.

So I’ve been hinting for quite some time that we have something in store for you PS Street Fighter fans. Well, I’m happy to announce that Street Fighter Alpha is available today in the PSone Classics section of the store for $5.99! Some of you may be asking, “Come on John D, was that’s it?” Um, if I say more, the PR team will kick my a$$, so I’ll leave it as a definitely, maybe. (Eh, my girlfriend made me watch that. It wasn’t that bad, shhh!)

As always, I’ll try my best to answer your questions and comments. I’ll be back to give you updates on Age of Booty, our strategic pirate party game, and Mega Man 9, the next installation of the classic series in 8-bit glory!

Till next time! Go-GO-Go-Bionic!



 

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Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack Now Available

Category: PSP Games, Playstation Portable Network

Coming off of one of the craziest NFL off-seasons in history, we’re proud to have the best sports franchise of all time, and the best portable football game ever created, available with today’s release of the Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack. This is the bundle for true NFL fans…and will be the only place that you’ll be able to purchase the limited edition metallic blue PSP system.

We’re often asked how we determine what is placed in PSP Entertainment Packs - and the answer is simple…sign the biggest game franchises, add an incredible amount of consumer value including videos, Memory Stick Duos, and even PLAYSTATION Network game download vouchers, and combine with the best portable entertainment system available.

Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack

The secret to the Entertainment Pack business is ultimately to give to the consumer what they’ve been demanding. With the limited edition Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack, we have - and NFL fans are going to love it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to grab my blue PSP and go back to the business of taking my 49ers to a Super Bowl title. And Frank Gore will be MVP. I love this game.

Warhawk v1.5 Update “Free Never Gets Old!”

Posted: 11 Aug 2008 02:00 PM CDT

In our ever-changing world, a world where Brett Favre is now a Jet, things can happen very quickly! So it should be expected that another FREE Warhawk Update be released with equal quickness! :-)

OMG…he’s a Jet…I still can’t get over it but, whatever.

We just released our v1.4 Update a month ago and we’re ready to upgrade our players to the latest version–Warhawk v1.5 which is tentatively scheduled for release on August 27th. We’re currently in the final phase of global Sony certification testing and all is looking good so far!

“Tell us Dylan…What’s in the latest Update???”

Custom In-Game Music

This feature was asked for by a bazillion players! Now players can use the XMB music player to play their own custom music. Warhawk will also detect if you are using the XMB player and automatically disable the in-game Warhawk music. Convenience for the win!

XMB Trophies

I have talked about this several times before so this is by no means new-news…especially with the recent leak of our full trophy list – gotta love the internets. BTW, the team and I are really flattered that someone would risk their job to leak confidential info about our game — Makes us feel good in a weird kinda way.

Anyhoo….

There are 56 trophies included in the Warhawk v1.5 Update. These also include trophies for the booster packs, some of the trophies are, or rather *were*, hidden and some are retroactive based on your server-side stats. Here are just a few of the trophies that are included.

Warhawh - XMB trophies

Training Tutorials

As more and more people join the Warhawk community, we are seeing an even greater difference between skill-levels than ever before. New Warhawk players had to go online in order to learn the game and, invariably, they would encounter enemy players that were, shall we say, not too kind to newbies :) This made it really hard for players to learn the ropes, get familiar with the controls, weapons, etc.

So…The new v1.5 Update includes 4 very simple tutorials that can be played off-line. Each one focuses on the core principals of each of the 3 modes of gameplay: Infantry, Ground Vehicles and Aircraft. Now these tutorials are very, very simple and It wouldn’t surprise me if some of our more hardcore players find them way too pedestrian. But we’re looking to help the *new* player, a player that may not be that familiar with Warhawk or the shooter genre. These tutorials are an invaluable help to a newbie!!!

Warhawk - Drone_1

After completing each of the 3 core tutorials a trophy is unlocked – a nice incentive for new players and, well…all you avid Warhawk players can think of them as “easy-money”.

The forth training tutorial, “Flight Practice” is intended to be replayed over and over again, and help players get familiar with the most rewarding, and most challenging of the 3 gameplay modes: Piloting Aircraft!

In this one, you are tasked with destroying as many attack drones as possible in 3 minutes. These simple, hovering turrets fire swarm missiles at you as you practice flying and “scrubbing” missiles. This tutorial is a huge help for new players by giving them a safe, offline way to practice their piloting skills.

Now I know that there are many players out there that often engage in 1v1 dogfights for fun and bragging rights. And while these tutorials are way, way below your skill-level, you may find it fun to do “speed-runs” and compare kill counts.

Warhwak - Drone_2

Retract Clan Invites

Another feature that players, or more specifically, clan-leaders have asked for, is the ability to retract a clan invite that they have sent to a player. For whatever reason, that player maybe never responded to the invite, was being a…a…what’s a blog-safe term that I won’t get in trouble for using??? How about “tool”, yes I’ll use the term tool. So if a player is being a tool and just camping on your invite…you can pull it back. This is important to clan admins because there is a fixed number of clan invites (64) that an admin can have pending at any one time.

New Paint Schemes & Insignias

Awhile ago you all may recall that we held a competition in the USA where players could submit their own Warhawk and Nemesis paint schemes. We selected the 20 best ones and integrated them with the v1.3 update. Well, we held another competition but this time for our players in Europe. We got some great submissions for paint schemes and insignias, and we’re glad to show you all the winners! All of these, the 20 new paint schemes and 50 new insignias are included in the v1.5 update and of course they are free as are all of our updates.

Warhawk - SCEE PaintSchemeWinners_Small

Warhawk - SCEE InsigniaWinners

GGL Ceremonial Blades

The GGL recently held a Warhawk tournament and you probably saw the post from our Sr. Producer at SCEA, Harvard Bonin. Below is an image of the new GGL-Ceremonial Knife that participants in the GGL tournament will receive automatically when the v1.5 update is released. You don’t have to do anything to enable it…the global Warhawk server knows if you were in the tournament and will auto-grant you the award.

Warhawk - GGL_01

Warhawk - GGL_02

For you members ARMED^ASSASSIN’s, the next time you player after the v1.5 update is released, your infantry combat blade will be replaced by the Champion’s Blade (seen below) and you’ll be the only players on the planet with this item!

What’s more fun than a Trophy that you can beat someone with? – I submit…NOTHING :)

“Rookie” Server Color-Coding

We also have added an attractive green color to all official “rookie” server names in the server list. Players that are eligible to play on rookie servers will find these servers sorted to the top of the list automagically for easy selection.

To recap the color coding, Blue servers are official Sony hosted servers, Yellow servers are games launched from HOME, and Green servers are reserved for “rookies”.

We have also fixed the exploit that allowed some players to host unlimited flag capture games, get underneath and into the battlefield and act like….like tools. We also fixed the issue with Quick Join that required you to have stats previously posted in order for it to work properly, and a few other items…ohh yeah, and the 1-minute farming of the Winning Team Ribbon has been fixed. Oh…and one more thing, we are going to be rolling-out version checking on the EULA and announcements so if you have already seen them and they haven’t changed, Warhawk will automatically bypass those screens for you.

Some of you may have read some rumors about our next Booster Pack…I can neither confirm nor deny anything…at least for right now :) Keep your eyes peeled for an update here on the blog and the media coverage at Leipzig which is right around the corner!!!

Last hint…and this is an easy one:

With one of these equipped, a soldier can escape quickly…even bail out if needed!



 

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