Yep. Part of Konami’s promotional efforts for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker include this new, free-to-play game called Metal Gear Solid: Piece Walker. It’s a puzzle game in the most literal sense, tasking players with guiding tiny men in painted cardboard boxes to the appropriate spot on a grid — eventually forming an image of something from the Metal Gear universe. Pearl Jam fans might find it a bit reminiscent of the tie-in that showed up around the rerelease of Ten last year.

The real kicker here is that there’s a full multiplayer mode, which allows up to four players to compete to solve the most pieces of the same puzzle. Victory earns the user points, and they can spend those on special items to help turn the tide of battle. There’s even stat tracking and a leaderboard.

Retailers were split over what the hottest title of the season was. Super Mario Bros. Wii won over Final Fantasy XIII in a close vote. Both titles, with 74 and 69 votes respectively, dominated the nearest competitor, Phantasy Star Portable 2, which only received 38 votes.

“After FFXIII was released, I saw sales of the PS3 triple,” said one retailer in Aichi prefecture.

“Since it is on PSP, I did not officially number it,” Kojima said in the latest issue of Official U.K. PlayStation Magazine (via The Gaming Liberty). “But the game design, story, number of staff and budget — you can say that this is a big project. It would’ve been number 5. It’s not a side story or a spin-off. It’s not like Portable Ops or Acid. I am deeply involved and this is the next Metal Gear.”

So deeply involved, evidently, that he’s even coming up with nearly every idea in the game. “Well it’s strange, but not so many ideas come from the other staff. Co-op Ring, Love Box — the names and the ideas come from myself,” he said (this via CVG). “I am taking charge of the overall game design.”

If there’s any anthropomorphic videogame critter mascot best suited to be turned into a rollercoaster, it has to be Sonic the Hedgehog. Actually we’re pretty sure that’s the only anthropomorphic videogame critter mascot suited to become a rollercoaster, which is why the Alton Towers amusement park in Staffordshire, England did well to choose him.

Yes folks, starting next month visitors to the park will be able to ride the “Sonic Spinball,” an updated version of the park’s “Spinball Whizzer” coaster inspired by Sega’s speedy hedgehog. “Partnering Sonic with one of the U.K.’s most popular destinations for a family day out is a fantastic opportunity for people to engage, and have fun, with the Sonic brand,” said Sega UK marketing director Amanda Farr (via MCV).

The ride officially kicks off on February 13, which seems an ominous date to launch a new amusement park attraction (not that we’re superstitious or anything, but come on). So if you’re in the area and think you can stomach it, why not give the Sonic Spinball a whirl? We just hope they eventually build a lamer, less popular sidekick coaster you’re forced to also ride, just to complete the Sonic experience.

New on the PS3 side is Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment ($14.99) and PS1 Classic Championship Bass ($5.99, also available on PSP). You can also find the new free SingStar Viewer that allows you to check out SingStar content directly from the XMB and a downloadable Stone Cold Steve Austin add-on ($0.99) for Smackdown vs. Raw 2010.

PSP has two new downloadable games, DJ Max Fever ($19.99) and Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance ($29.99), as well as a Metal Gear Solid PSP bundle ($29.99) that includes Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus, and Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel. New comics for the digital reader include the 2004 run of X-Men #157-168 ($1.99 each) and Wallace & Gromit #6 ($0.99).

The new PSP port adds a brand new player-controlled female protagonist, along with “numerous additional enhancements.” They include the ability to control the entire party during battle, and the addition of a “point-and-click” system when interacting with other characters.

“Persona 3 introduced a revolutionary social element to role-playing games,” said Atlus manager of public relations and sales.

Konami released the first details today behind the two special PSP packs they’ll be shipping in Japan alongside Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which is due out March 18 over there.

The “Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Premium Package” combines a copy of the game with a PSP (3000 model) done up in skull-pattern camouflage, inspired by the logo of Snake’s Militaires Sans Frontieres guerrilla group. You also get a carrying pouch and handy cleaning cloth in the deal, all for the price of 26,980 yen.

If that’s not hoitie-toitie enough for you, there’s a limited-edition version of the same set available for 36,980 yen exclusively on konamistyle.jp, Konami’s shopping site in Japan. That box, only 1,974 of which are being offered for sale, also includes a strap, an original PSP stand, dog tags, and other unspecified goodies.

“Our plan is to take more care of our high end franchises, we will leave less place for licensed games,” Guillemot said in an investor call, reports GamesIndustry.biz. “So the goal is to reuse the investment and licenses and put more emphasis on the making of our brands bigger and make sure they can come more often with high quality. So it doesn’t mean we will stop but we’re going to spend less in licenses in the future.”

Given the success that the movie has enjoyed, it’s surprising to discover that the videogame hasn’t done better — particularly when considering that it was released on six platforms. But given the quality of many licensed titles out there, it might be for the best that Ubisoft instead shifts some of its efforts towards it franchises, which include Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Prince of Persia, and Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft has released more than a few games based on licenses in recent years, including Surf’s Up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lost, King Kong, and Naruto.

While awards like the Spike VGAs have come and gone for 2009, the Game Developers Choice awards are just getting warmed up. Gamasutra reports that the nominations were recently announced, and Uncharted 2 leads the pack with the most nominations. It gained seven nominations (out of 11 categories), with Flower following at five nominations and Assassin’s Creed 2 just behind it with four. Seeing as it holds the most nominations, Uncharted 2 seems like a lock for the biggest category, Game of the Year.

The nominations will be voted on by a group of 500 selected game creators, and the winners will be announced at the Game Developers Conference on March 11. Check below for a full list of the nominees:

Best Game Design:

• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady)
• Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)

Best Visual Art:

• Borderlands (Gearbox Software)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best Technology:

• Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
• Red Faction: Guerrilla (Volition)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Killzone 2 (Guerrilla Games)
• Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Best Writing:

• Brutal Legend (Double Fine)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Halo 3: ODST (Bungie)

Best Audio:

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Rock Band: The Beatles (Harmonix)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions)

Innovation:

• Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
• Demon’s Souls (From Software)

Best Debut:

• The Maw (Twisted Pixel)
• League Of Legends (Riot Games)
• Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
• Torchlight (Runic Games)
• Zeno Clash (ACE Team)

Best Downloadable Game:

• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
• Trials HD (RedLynx)
• PixelJunk Shooter (Q Games)
• Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best New Social/Online Game:

• Restaurant City (Playfish)
• Farmville (Zynga)
• Dungeon Fighter Online (Neople/Nexon)
• Free Realms (Sony Online Entertainment San Diego)
• Bejeweled Blitz (PopCap)

Best Handheld Game:

• Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
• Flight Control (Firemint)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North)
• Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
• Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo EAD)

Game of the Year:

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
• Demon’s Souls (From Software)
• Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Gouri Daisuke, the voice of Heihachi from Tekken, has passed away. According to reports from Chunichi Web (via Versus City), the Japanese voice actor was found in the streets of Nakano-ku yesterday, where he bled to death from a wound on his arm. A knife and written will were found near the body, leading the authorities to believe this was a suicide.

The 57-year-old actor was best known for his work on Tekken, as well as for several parts in the Kinnikuman and Dragon Ball television series. He’d been in the voice acting business for decades now, with credits in everything from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Our hearts go out to the friends and family of the deceased.

Fans of Kojima Productions’ work are probably accustomed to inexplicable weirdness by now. Case in point: Metal Gear Solid 4’s shaved monkey in a diaper, Little Gray. Now the Metal Gear developers have launched a new, browser-based, multiplayer… puzzle game?

Yep. Part of Konami’s promotional efforts for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker include this new, free-to-play game called Metal Gear Solid: Piece Walker. It’s a puzzle game in the most literal sense, tasking players with guiding tiny men in painted cardboard boxes to the appropriate spot on a grid — eventually forming an image of something from the Metal Gear universe. Pearl Jam fans might find it a bit reminiscent of the tie-in that showed up around the rerelease of Ten last year.

The real kicker here is that there’s a full multiplayer mode, which allows up to four players to compete to solve the most pieces of the same puzzle. Victory earns the user points, and they can spend those on special items to help turn the tide of battle. There’s even stat tracking and a leaderboard.

Retailers were split over what the hottest title of the season was. Super Mario Bros. Wii won over Final Fantasy XIII in a close vote. Both titles, with 74 and 69 votes respectively, dominated the nearest competitor, Phantasy Star Portable 2, which only received 38 votes.

“After FFXIII was released, I saw sales of the PS3 triple,” said one retailer in Aichi prefecture.

“Since it is on PSP, I did not officially number it,” Kojima said in the latest issue of Official U.K. PlayStation Magazine (via The Gaming Liberty). “But the game design, story, number of staff and budget — you can say that this is a big project. It would’ve been number 5. It’s not a side story or a spin-off. It’s not like Portable Ops or Acid. I am deeply involved and this is the next Metal Gear.”

So deeply involved, evidently, that he’s even coming up with nearly every idea in the game. “Well it’s strange, but not so many ideas come from the other staff. Co-op Ring, Love Box — the names and the ideas come from myself,” he said (this via CVG). “I am taking charge of the overall game design.”

If there’s any anthropomorphic videogame critter mascot best suited to be turned into a rollercoaster, it has to be Sonic the Hedgehog. Actually we’re pretty sure that’s the only anthropomorphic videogame critter mascot suited to become a rollercoaster, which is why the Alton Towers amusement park in Staffordshire, England did well to choose him.

Yes folks, starting next month visitors to the park will be able to ride the “Sonic Spinball,” an updated version of the park’s “Spinball Whizzer” coaster inspired by Sega’s speedy hedgehog. “Partnering Sonic with one of the U.K.’s most popular destinations for a family day out is a fantastic opportunity for people to engage, and have fun, with the Sonic brand,” said Sega UK marketing director Amanda Farr (via MCV).

The ride officially kicks off on February 13, which seems an ominous date to launch a new amusement park attraction (not that we’re superstitious or anything, but come on). So if you’re in the area and think you can stomach it, why not give the Sonic Spinball a whirl? We just hope they eventually build a lamer, less popular sidekick coaster you’re forced to also ride, just to complete the Sonic experience.

New on the PS3 side is Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment ($14.99) and PS1 Classic Championship Bass ($5.99, also available on PSP). You can also find the new free SingStar Viewer that allows you to check out SingStar content directly from the XMB and a downloadable Stone Cold Steve Austin add-on ($0.99) for Smackdown vs. Raw 2010.

PSP has two new downloadable games, DJ Max Fever ($19.99) and Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance ($29.99), as well as a Metal Gear Solid PSP bundle ($29.99) that includes Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus, and Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel. New comics for the digital reader include the 2004 run of X-Men #157-168 ($1.99 each) and Wallace & Gromit #6 ($0.99).

The new PSP port adds a brand new player-controlled female protagonist, along with “numerous additional enhancements.” They include the ability to control the entire party during battle, and the addition of a “point-and-click” system when interacting with other characters.

“Persona 3 introduced a revolutionary social element to role-playing games,” said Atlus manager of public relations and sales.

Konami released the first details today behind the two special PSP packs they’ll be shipping in Japan alongside Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which is due out March 18 over there.

The “Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Premium Package” combines a copy of the game with a PSP (3000 model) done up in skull-pattern camouflage, inspired by the logo of Snake’s Militaires Sans Frontieres guerrilla group. You also get a carrying pouch and handy cleaning cloth in the deal, all for the price of 26,980 yen.

If that’s not hoitie-toitie enough for you, there’s a limited-edition version of the same set available for 36,980 yen exclusively on konamistyle.jp, Konami’s shopping site in Japan. That box, only 1,974 of which are being offered for sale, also includes a strap, an original PSP stand, dog tags, and other unspecified goodies.

“Our plan is to take more care of our high end franchises, we will leave less place for licensed games,” Guillemot said in an investor call, reports GamesIndustry.biz. “So the goal is to reuse the investment and licenses and put more emphasis on the making of our brands bigger and make sure they can come more often with high quality. So it doesn’t mean we will stop but we’re going to spend less in licenses in the future.”

Given the success that the movie has enjoyed, it’s surprising to discover that the videogame hasn’t done better — particularly when considering that it was released on six platforms. But given the quality of many licensed titles out there, it might be for the best that Ubisoft instead shifts some of its efforts towards it franchises, which include Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Prince of Persia, and Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft has released more than a few games based on licenses in recent years, including Surf’s Up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lost, King Kong, and Naruto.

While awards like the Spike VGAs have come and gone for 2009, the Game Developers Choice awards are just getting warmed up. Gamasutra reports that the nominations were recently announced, and Uncharted 2 leads the pack with the most nominations. It gained seven nominations (out of 11 categories), with Flower following at five nominations and Assassin’s Creed 2 just behind it with four. Seeing as it holds the most nominations, Uncharted 2 seems like a lock for the biggest category, Game of the Year.

The nominations will be voted on by a group of 500 selected game creators, and the winners will be announced at the Game Developers Conference on March 11. Check below for a full list of the nominees:

Best Game Design:

• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady)
• Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)

Best Visual Art:

• Borderlands (Gearbox Software)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best Technology:

• Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
• Red Faction: Guerrilla (Volition)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Killzone 2 (Guerrilla Games)
• Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Best Writing:

• Brutal Legend (Double Fine)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Halo 3: ODST (Bungie)

Best Audio:

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Rock Band: The Beatles (Harmonix)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions)

Innovation:

• Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
• Demon’s Souls (From Software)

Best Debut:

• The Maw (Twisted Pixel)
• League Of Legends (Riot Games)
• Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
• Torchlight (Runic Games)
• Zeno Clash (ACE Team)

Best Downloadable Game:

• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
• Trials HD (RedLynx)
• PixelJunk Shooter (Q Games)
• Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best New Social/Online Game:

• Restaurant City (Playfish)
• Farmville (Zynga)
• Dungeon Fighter Online (Neople/Nexon)
• Free Realms (Sony Online Entertainment San Diego)
• Bejeweled Blitz (PopCap)

Best Handheld Game:

• Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
• Flight Control (Firemint)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North)
• Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
• Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo EAD)

Game of the Year:

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
• Demon’s Souls (From Software)
• Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Gouri Daisuke, the voice of Heihachi from Tekken, has passed away. According to reports from Chunichi Web (via Versus City), the Japanese voice actor was found in the streets of Nakano-ku yesterday, where he bled to death from a wound on his arm. A knife and written will were found near the body, leading the authorities to believe this was a suicide.

The 57-year-old actor was best known for his work on Tekken, as well as for several parts in the Kinnikuman and Dragon Ball television series. He’d been in the voice acting business for decades now, with credits in everything from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Our hearts go out to the friends and family of the deceased.