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.

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!

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:

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.

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?

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.

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.

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…

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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! ]]> http://www.psp-homepage.net/playstation-portable-network/madden-nfl-09-psp-entertainment-pack-now-available/feed http://www.psp-homepage.net/playstation-portable-network/new-playstation-store-downloads http://www.psp-homepage.net/playstation-portable-network/new-playstation-store-downloads#comments Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:50:31 +0000 admin http://www.psp-homepage.net/playstation-portable-network/new-playstation-store-downloads Hot Shots Golf Open Tee®2
Classic Gameplay Trailer

Step out of the clubhouse and onto the tee box with
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee®2. The classic, entertaining golf
franchise returns to the PSP™ system with new quirky
characters, beautiful courses and a huge variety of
customizable options that enable you to take your golf
game wherever you go.

View Trailer Details

Snakeball™ Team Mode

Snakeball™ is a funky, futuristic sport set in a vibrant arena where you glide across the dazzling disco floor on your hoversnake, collecting balls and scoring goals. Chaotic action and energetic music bring together up to 8 players in entertaining online matches for a fun, unique gameplay experience. Upgrade to Team Mode today to buddy up and play with friends online or off for team-based gameplay fun!

$1.99

View Add-On Details

PlayStation®Home Theme Customize your PS3™ with a new PlayStation®Home theme. Be sure to download this new theme for a chance to participate in the PlayStation®Home Beta. View Theme Details

The last trophy I ever “earned” was in ROTC. That was way back in High School (tragic I know). So, I have been really excited to see PlayStation 3 trophies make their way into games both old and new. It’s a new way to show your “ePump-a-tude”. PAIN already features internal trophies that make the modes challenging. That’s why it’s so awesome to get to make a whole new set of trophies. Here’s a list of some of the Trophies you will see next month. If the names seem sophomoric or juvenile to you, then you clearly haven’t been playing PAIN enough. That’s kinda “How We Do.”

To answer some questions before they come up…

Q: When will Trophies be available for PAIN?
A: When the Amusement Park ships on 9-4-2008 we will update PAIN to include trophies.

Q: When does Amusement Park ship?
A: Duh

Q: Are Trophies retroactive?
A: Most of the trophy requirements are new so we haven’t tracked your progress until now. Some work you will get credit for.

Q: Are you CRAZY?!
A: Yes… Yes I am.

So here they are…a “somewhat” complete list of PAIN Downtown Trophies. I say “somewhat” because PAIN keeps getting bigger and bigger. There are more trophies for the Amusement Park, but I’ll talk about them some other time.

PAIN Trophies

Gold Trophies

• Affliction Addiction: Get one billion points (Good Luck)

Silver Trophies

• Dude Abides: Use “The Dude” to score 50 Strikes in Bowling

Bronze Trophies

• 10 Mill Club: Get “PAIN in the Park” and “D-Town Destruction”
• Harder Dick’s Balls: Get all of Dick’s Balls in the Block Party Dumpster without resetting
  (Heh heh heh) I really need adult supervision.
• D-Town Destruction: Get 10,000,000 score in PAINdemonium and Aftermath
• Combo Mambo: Get 20x Combo in PAINdemonium, Aftermath, Block Party and Demolition
• Attention Spam: Get every type of PAIN (Groin, Head, Arm, Hand, Leg, Foot and Body) combo in PAINdemonium, Aftermath, Block Party and Demolition

PAIN Add-on Character Trophies

• Trill: Get PAINful Tosser Trophy with Scurv Dogg or Hung Lo
• Grenade-A-Maid: Get Exploded 500 times with any female launchable character.

That’s it for now… We’re going to be releasing a lot of information in the coming weeks about the Amusement Park. New modes, new launchable characters and the brand new PAINLabs. When you have some time mosey on over to www.painps3.com that’s where you’ll get more info on all the new content!

Peace!

Those of you who purchased Episode 1 of Qore (or subscribed) will join the fray Monday, September 8th. Those of you that pre-order the full game can get started a week earlier.

Pre-order from where? How long does the beta last? How many friends can you share your beta with? (Yes, I said “share!”) The good folks at SOCOM.com have the answers you’re looking for.

Qore Digital Magazine

Qore Episode 03: August, 2008 ($2.99 Issue, $24.99 Annual Subscription)
Episode 03 of Qore: Presented by the PLAYSTATION Network goes way deep into upcoming games featuring DC Super Heroes and includes an exclusive invitation to the Resistance 2 beta, some great artwork, mini-games and a few other surprises.
File size: 1.34 GB

- Qore Annual Subscribers will be invited to the beta under “Premiere” status and be given early access.
- Qore Ep 03 (single Episode) purchasers will be guaranteed access to the beta at a later date.
- All invitations will be made via email/voucher - the beta WILL NOT be accessed through the Qore download center.
- There will be multiple programs and methods to get access (or a chance to participate) in the Resistance 2 Online Beta. Details to follow.

Add-on Game Content

Snakeball Team Mode ($1.99)
Snakeball is a funky, futuristic sport set in a vibrant arena where you glide across the dazzling disco floor on your hoversnake, collecting balls and scoring goals. Chaotic action and energetic music bring together up to 8 players in entertaining online matches for a fun, unique gameplay experience.
Upgrade to Team Mode today to buddy up and play with friends online or off for team-based gameplay fun!

NASCAR 09 Montreal Track ($3.99)
The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal is the home of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in the Nationwide Series. This track is a long winding road course that will test the skills of even the most seasoned driver.
File size: 66.6 MB

NASCAR 09 Skin Pack 1 ($2.49)
A collection of Sprint and Nationwide alternate car skins from the 2008 NASCAR season featuring such paint schemes as Carl Edwards’ Aflac, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s National Guard Camouflage, Kyle Busch’s Snickers, and more.
File size: 12.5 MB

NASCAR 09 Skin Pack 2 ($2.49)
A collection of Sprint and Nationwide alternate car skins from the 2008 NASCAR season featuring such paint schemes as Jeff Gordon’s Pepsi, Kevin Harvick’s Platinum Pennzoil, Kyle Busch’s Pedigree, and more.
File size: 11.7 MB

NASCAR 09 Skin Pack 3 ($2.49)
A collection of Sprint and Nationwide alternate car skins from the 2008 NASCAR season featuring such paint schemes as Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Silver and Black National Guard, Tony Stewart’s Subway, Denny Hamlin’s FedEx Ground, and more.
File size: 12.5 MB

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Interscope Track Pack ($6.25)
“Carcinogen Crush” by AFI, “Tina” by Flyleaf, “Putting Holes in Happiness” by Marilyn Manson, remixed by Nick Zinner For all song credits please visit www.redoctane.com.
File size: 32.6 MB

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

• “Toxicity” - System of a Down ($1.99)
• “B.Y.O.B” - System of a Down ($1.99)
• “Rescue Me” - Buckcherry ($0.99)
• “Face Down in the Dirt”- Mötley Crüe ($0.99)
• “Life is Beautiful” – Sixx:A.M. ($0.99)
• Crüe Fest Pack 2 ($2.99) - includes “Rescue Me” - Buckcherry, “Face Down in the Dirt” - Mötley Crüe, and “Life is Beautiful” – Sixx:A.M.

File sizes: 26.2 MB - 32.2 MB (singles), 76.4 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)

PlayStation Home E3 Video
Take a look at PlayStation Home, the 3D social gaming community that allows PLAYSTATION 3 users to meet, chat, plan, and launch into games.
File size: x MB (SD), x MB (HD), x MB (1080)

The Last Guy Behind The Scenes
You are the chosen one, and it is up to you, a zombie from the Himalayas, the last survivors on earth by leading them to safety through zombie-infested streets in this frantic, addictive game. Go behind the scenes with this developer interview for an insight into the creative and quirky personalities behind the game, as well as a look at their unique studio in the Himalayas, complete with a company goat.
File size: 587 MB (HD)

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
The saga continues in the newest HD trailer for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed which casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice” and unveils new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy.
File size: 253 MB (HD)

Tomb Raider: Underworld Trailer
Face a new level of challenge and choice in this epic tomb raiding adventure. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail delivering a breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates a truly believable and absorbing world
File size: 152 MB (HD)

Madden NFL 09 E3 Trailer
The Madden NFL 09 E3 Trailer is cut to Rev Theory’s “Hey Yeah”, and touches on just a few of the over 85 new features and enhancements in Madden NFL 09.
File size: 94 MB (HD)

Madden NFL 20th Anniversary Video
Find out all the details around the Madden NFL 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition.
File size: 102 MB (HD)

Madden NFL 09 Adaptability Trailer
Madden NFL 09 is the first sports game that adapts to you! Learn how John Madden tests your skill level. The game teaches you to become a better player if you are new to the game, or if you are a seasoned player the game will add challenges. It adapts to you!
File size: 70 MB (HD)

TNA iMPACT! Head to Head Trailer
“The Phenomenal” AJ Styles goes head to head against The “Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe in Midway’s TNA iMPACT! Wrestling game coming September.
File size: 166 MB (HD)

Dead Space Dev Diary #5: Creating Horror
The Dev team talks about the techniques they use to make Dead Space one of the scariest games of the year.
File size: 309 MB (HD)

Dead Space Animated Comic Issue #4 PG-13
The fourth issue of the six part Dead Space Animated Comic Series created by Ben Templesmith and Antony Johnston.
File size: 270 MB (HD)

AST Dew Tour - Greg Lutzka’s Road to Finals
Skate Park athlete Greg Lutzka takes you behind the scenes at the Skate Park prelims on the second stop of the AST Dew Tour, the Right Guard Open.
File size: 86 MB (HD), 142 MB (1080)

AST Dew Tour - One on one with James Foster
BMX Dirt competitor James Foster talks to us about his 2007 success, what its takes to have a BMX career and the key to winning at BMX Dirt on the AST Dew Tour.
File size: 97 MB (HD), 160 MB (1080)

AST Dew Tour - PlayStation Pro Moments - 2
A Compilation of the best tricks that were thrown down during the finals of BMX Vert, BMX Dirt, Skateboard Park, Skateboard Vert and BMX Park at the AST Dew Tour’s Right Guard Open in Cleveland, OH.
File size: 40 MB (HD), 67 MB (1080)

AST Dew Tour - Spinner looks to ‘08
BMX Park rider Mike Spinner talks about his plans for 2008 and his plans to continue to progress the sport.
File size: 119 MB (HD), 196 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes (free)

PlayStation Home Theme
Customize your PS3 with a new PlayStation Home theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Be sure to download this new theme for a chance to participate in the PlayStation Home Beta.
File size: 4.02 MB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)

Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice Wallpaper (x3)
Customize the background of your PS3 system with this new Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice Wallpaper.
File sizes: 251 KB - 1.59 MB

Tomb Raider: Underworld Mediterranean Shark Attack Wallpaper
Customize the background of your PS3 system with this new Tomb Raider: Underworld Mediterranean Shark Attack Wallpaper.
File sizes: 244 KB - 1.05 MB

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.

Downloadable Games
* Talkman Travel: Rome, Paris, Tokyo ($5.99 ea)

Game Videos (free)
* Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 Videos (x5)
* Home Video

Hope you enjoy!

The EOJ World Championships, the first official global THE EYE OF JUDGMENT PLAYSTATION Network tournament, will start on Thursday, August 14th, 12:00AM PST and run for one week until Thursday, August 21st, 12:00AM PST.

This time, there are no special rules. You can play with your favorite deck and take on the world!

You will still be able to play as many “Online Tournament” ranked matches as you like until the tournament closes.

The prize for the overall winner is something really special: the winning player will receive their own in-game card in ‘Deck Builder’ mode complete with their name, picture (if the player wishes) and comments. This will be viewable by all EOJ players for the ultimate champion’s prize!

The winner will also earn the right to play an online duel against the creator of THE EYE OF JUDGMENT, Watanabe-san from Japan Studio. (This duel may be made viewable by the public).

If you finish in the Top 10 players you can earn unique ranking titles for eternal glory!

Taking part is easy, just follow these simple steps:

• Log in to PLAYSTATION Network and go online with THE EYE OF JUDGMENT in the usual way from Thursday, August 14th, 12:00AM PST.
• Select ‘Online Tournament’ from the Online mode select screen.
• Players will be matched up with another player to battle just the same as the regular way of Ranked Match.
• That’s it – You’re entered into the tournament!

Any points you earn from playing “Online Tournament” ranked matches before the close of the tournament will contribute to your position on the tournament leaderboard. The tournament scoring system is exactly the same as that used for regular online ranked matches. Please note that tournament matches do not contribute towards your regular ranking.

Good luck to you all and please remember, play fair, have fun and may the best player win!

Talkman Travel serves as an interactive pocket tour guide for tourists traveling to Tokyo, Paris or Rome. This will really help you “break the ice” with the locals in each of the destinations, with accurate linguistic support in Japanese, French or Italian.

So how does Talkman Travel help you in these world cities?

How do you say???

For those of you who didn’t take your foreign language classes seriously, Talkman Travel comes to your rescue.

For each of the titles, Talkman Travel provides you a list of roughly 150 pre-selected phrases tourists are likely to use on their vacations. Sentences such as “Where is the tourist information desk?” or “Where is this restaurant?” or even “Where is the restroom?” All sentences can be translated into the respective languages at the push of a button. Push the button again, and the PSP will provide the audio for you as well. Suggested sentences are provided for likely situations involving dining, sightseeing and shopping.

Pictures

Along with the linguistic support, Talkman Travel contains pre-selected photo archives targeted at the likely interests for tourists traveling to Tokyo, Paris or Rome. Each of the photos are also accompanied by detailed descriptions of their significance.

Pick-up lines

Okay, maybe this sounds a little bit cheesy, but you never know.

We have kept the phrases to a reasonable level (to keep you out of trouble) with suggested phrases such as “May I sit next to you?” or “Let’s take a picture together!” Use of these phrases along with the mini-games included in Talkman Travel, could possibly bring you closer to that cute girl or guy you just saw at the cafe in Paris, the gardens in Tokyo, or near that pizzeria in Rome.

Mini-games

There are a total of three mini-games that can be played with yourself and with a local you just met. Use them in conjunction with the pick-up lines explained above!

In a nutshell, Talkman Travel is an interactive pocket tour guide and an awesome communication tool for the jet set traveller. This is an experience you just can’t get from a standard tourist guide book!

Talkman Travel comes to the PSN this Thursday, August 7th at $5.99 per city.

Later today, the PLAYSTATION Store will be updated with a PlayStation Home theme. By downloading the theme, users are submitting an application to join the PlayStation Home Beta test community. We will be using a variety of criteria including activity on the PLAYSTATION Network to determine eligibility for the Beta community. Existing beta testers have automatically qualified to be part of the expanded beta.

We’re really excited about this milestone and want our most loyal fans to be a part of the evolution of PlayStation Home.

In Europe, SCEE is also beginning their expanded closed beta, directly targeting consumers who have been most active on PLAYSTATION Network and PLAYSTATION Store. SCEE will be in email contact with their PSN audience very shortly.

Let us know what you think.

As BioShock for the PLAYSTATION 3 continues its ascent from the depths we have assembled new information regarding the trophies that will be available to players. Specifically, we have new intelligence on the trophies which are unique to BioShock for the PLAYSTATION 3.

“A Man Chooses” is the first of these golden trophies and is reserved for those with the courage to complete Survivor difficulty. Its name is meant, in the words of Andrew Ryan, father of Rapture, to remind you that a man chooses because in Survivor mode every choice could mean the difference between life and death.

The final trial for any committed BioShock player is “I Chose The Impossible”. This trophy is named appropriately as attaining it will make even the most self-assured gamesman into a shaking leaf. To make this your own, you must complete BioShock on Survivor difficulty with the Vita-Chambers turned off.

Each of these shining treasures can only be found on the PLAYSTATION 3. So tense up your trigger finger and polish your diving helmet, you will need them at the ready.

Want to read everything about Resistance 2’s 300-foot tall, skyscraper-smashing Leviathan? Then you’ll want to pick-up of the August issue of GamePro Magazine! In the 10-page Resistance 2 cover story, you’ll see the first details and images of one of our boss Chimera, which we call the Leviathan. In addition, GamePro got the chance to play through a lengthy segment of our Chicago single-player level, and checked out our 8-player online co-op and competitive multiplayer. The issue is hitting subscribers now and goes on newsstands early next week, but if you really can’t wait, here’s a sneak peak at a couple of the new screenshots below.

Obviously, you’ll have to go buy the magazine to see more of Resistance 2, which also features an exclusive three-page fold-out cover showing some art our team created of Nathan Hale in Chicago and a few other surprises. Check out a preview here

If you are a Resistance fan, this issue is a must-have.

One patent outlines a strange type of screen that contains “tactile pixels”,
capable of being both stimulated by touch and providing physical feedback to
the player. The highly-technical patent seems to describe a touch screen
that touches you back!

“The device may comprise a case having one or more major surfaces; a touch
screen disposed on one of the major surfaces, the touch screen; a processor
operably coupled to the touch screen; and one or more tactile pixels
disposed proximate the touch screen. Each of the tactile pixels includes an
actuatable portion coupled to an actuator and a sensor. The actuator and
sensor are coupled to the processor. The actuator is configured to actuate
in response to instructions from the processor and the sensor is configured
to generate signals as inputs to one or more programs executed by the
processor when pressure is applied to the actuatable portion.”
The patent states that this technology could be used in a “game device,
phone, portable media player, email device, web browser device or navigation
device”. Since the current PSP is all of these things, it makes sense that
this patent could provide clues about what the successor to the PSP will
look and feel like.

The second patent of interest is for a handheld device that “recognizes
gestures”. This could describe a component of a device that will include the
tactile touch function covered in the first patent.

Both patents seem to point toward a multi-featured handheld device that
takes input via touch screen, feeds tactile information back to the user,
and recognizes motion as a form of input. In other words, this is what you
would get if you crossed the three most popular electronic consume products:
the Wii, the DS and the iPhone.

By Kris Erickson

Super Stardust HD, a PLAYSTATION Network-exclusive released in June 2007, will be the first game to leverage Trophies and will offer a variety of trophies. Trophy support in Super Stardust HD will be available for first-time users who purchase the game soon after firmware v2.40 is released, while those who previously purchased and downloaded the title will be prompted to install a free patch.

PS3 users can expect to see additional games bringing Trophies support to their feature sets through 2008 and beyond, providing even greater opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and compete with friends. The following first-party games are also slated to offer Trophy support:

• BUZZ! Quiz TV
• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• NBA 09 - PS3
• PAIN
• PixelJunk Eden
• Resistance 2
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
• Warhawk

To further emphasize the community aspects of this system software update, the amount of people you can add to your PSN friends list has been doubled, to 100.

The update also adds a mini-control panel that you can use while playing music and an internet search feature powered by Google that allows you to initiate search directly from the XMB (similar to what we added to the PSP recently). In addition, when you’re using the XMB or accessing the XMB from in-game, the current time and date will be displayed in the upper right hand corner. There are a few more minor enhancements included in this update, once the update is live you’ll be able to read about them here.

Firmware v2.40 will become available for download on July 2nd. We hope you enjoy these much-requested features, and look forward to your feedback.

Shortly, we’ll be posting another video here on the PlayStation.Blog that shows the Trophy feature in action for the first time. At that time we’ll provide even more details on how firmware v2.40 will enhance your PLAYSTATION 3 experience.

The truth is – we simply haven’t stopped.

We’re into our “Year of Paradise” – 12 months where the Burnout Team keeps on developing exciting new stuff to expand and change Burnout Paradise (and in the process, we aim to radically change what everyone expects of downloadable content).

We’ve so far released our 1.1 update, and our second update, codenamed: “Bogart,” packed with fixes and game-enhancing features.

Now, we’re expecting our third FREE update codenamed: “Cagney” that’s coming on 10th July (yes, that’s FREE – just put your Burnout Paradise disk into your PLAYSTATION 3 and it’ll download automatically), and we’re really excited about it as we count down to its release.

We’re talking:

3 new Online Game Modes

• Online Stunt Run – you and up to 7 others compete for the highest stunt score
• Online Road Rage – where you team up and try to stop the other team from reaching their destination
• Online Marked Man – someone gets called out and everyone else tries to hunt them down

70 new Online Timed Challenges

• Everyone teams up to pull off stunts and other feats in the world, against the clock

New Vehicles (including the Hunter Olympus)

Major improvements to our Ranked Racing system

Plus heaps more, including:

• 1080i support for PlayStation 3 owners with “almost HD” sets
• Improved Standard Definition rendering for PlayStation 3
• Support for Custom Soundtracks on PlayStation 3

Outside of the game, our website, www.criteriongames.com is changing too – we’re posting up to 4 stories daily direct from the team and we now have an audio and video podcast from the team that goes out on a weekly basis. This week’s podcast released on Friday, we’re talking in detail about what to expect in “Cagney” and the other game-changing updates beyond that.

• a computer that runs Windows
• a digital image editing program
• the “PSP Theme Toolbox”
• a little bit of time

First thing you need to do is download the “PSP Theme Toolbox” zipped file. You can unzip it anywhere, but if you’ll be doing a lot of Themes or want to use the pre-made default while going through this walkthrough, you’ll have to extract it directly to your C:\ drive (C:\PSP Theme Toolbox\).

_____________________

In the “Toolbox”, you’ll find:

• Icons and Wallpaper templates
• “PSP Custom Theme Converter” program
• Default Project saved as a “.txt” file
• “How To” Basics and Advanced Walkthroughs
• Layered PhotoShop template of icons
• Unlike for PS3 Themes, there is an actual program so you won’t have to be worrying about XML code or funky compiler programs.
• Open the program (PSPCustomThemeConverter.exe) and we’ll go though it, tab-by-tab.

NOTE: If you’d like to see a working example of each item, go to “File\Open” and select “PSPTheme_default.txt”. This will only work if you’ve extracted the Toolbox to your C:\ drive because of the way the project file links to the associated images.

The first tab is the “Information” Tab.

• Put the name of your Theme or its description in the “Title” space.
• The “Product ID” is where you assign what the Theme is associated to, e.g. Game, Anime, Movie, etc.
• The “Version” is helpful if you want to do keep track of multiple versions of a Theme, but isn’t necessary either.

The second tab is the “Wallpaper” Tab.

• Wallpapers have to be:
  * 480 x 272 pixels
  * 24-bit Color Image
  * BMP files
• Click on the “Folder” button to browse and select any image that matches the required size and format.
• If the image you select is not useable, an “Error” window will pop-up letting you know what needs to change.
• You can click the “Preview” button to preview your wallpaper once you’ve selected one that is workable.

Next tab is called “Category Icons”, and is for the main XMB Icons.

• These icons need to be:
  * either 64 x 48 pixels or 48 x 48 pixels
  * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color)
  * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files

The “First Level Icons” Tab is for the icons that appear within a category on the XMB.

• These are the sub-icons that appear below the category XMB icons.
• Double click on the icon line or click the “Edit” button.
• You’ll see a request for two files: the “Icon Body” and the “Icon Focus”. The “Body” is the actual icon.
• The “Focus” is the glow that pulses around the icon when you highlight that icon. If you’d like to keep things simple, or not worry about having a pulsing glow around your selection, you can either use the default focus image or leave that space blank.
• The icons need to be:
  * 32 x 32 pixels (Body)
  * 48 x 48 pixels (Focus)
  * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color)
  * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files

The “Second Level Icons” tab is for the “Settings” Icon. That’s right; the “Settings” wrench gets its very own tab!

• Just like the First Level Icons, these need to be:
  * 32 x 32 pixels
  * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color)
  * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files
• Its focus needs to be:
  * 48 x 48 pixels
  * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color)
  * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files

The last tab is “Others”.

• The “Preview Icon” is the tiny thumbnail that appears when you choose your Theme, and needs to be:
  * 16 x 16 pixels
  * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color)
  * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files
• The “Preview Image” is the preview for the Theme, and needs to be:
  * 300 x 170
  * 24-bit Color Image
  * BMP
• The final option is “Theme Color”. Here, you can assign a particular highlight colour to your Theme, or have it change monthly automatically.

_____________________

Once you’ve assigned all of the Icons to your images, go to “FILE” and select “EXPORT”.

• Name your file, click “SAVE”, and the program will create your PSP Theme File (.PTF).
• With your PSP connected to your computer in USB Mode or with a compatible Memory Stick connected, place the file into the proper “Theme” folder ( \PSP\THEME ).
• Disconnect your PSP or insert the Memory Stick in to your PSP.
• Under “Settings”, select “Theme Settings”, and then “Theme”.

Your new Theme should appear in the selectable list.