Rockstar has unveiled its Social Club for Grand Theft Auto 4, coinciding with the highly anticipated title's release.

The service itself opened for pre-registration a couple of weeks ago but now GTA IV owners across the world will be able to track all sorts of juicy stats by linking their Social Club accounts with their Gamertags or PSN IDs.

The Liberty City marathon section sets targets such as walking/running distances (e.g. 400 miles!) and getting arrested a certain number of times. It lists the people who have done this quickest, and also how far away you are from achieving the goal.

LCPD Police Blotter monitors worldwide police call-outs, crime hotspots, stolen vehicles and more. The Story Gang and 100% Club are areas only accessible to those who have gone through the story missions and achieved 100% completion. There's a Hall of Fame listing completion times for each too.

And to finish off, there are multiplayer leaderboards too! Perhaps the most comprehensive tracking system we've ever seen. Check it out at www.rockstargames.com/socialclub.

After the chaos and excitement that was Grand Theft Auto 4’s midnight launch, those lucky enough to grab themselves a copy of what is probably the most wanted game on the planet were left in a somewhat annoyed and bewailed mood. Instead of the joy and excitement they expected when they inserted their GTA 4 discs into the Playstation 3, they were faced with freezing and other issues. A small number of Playstation 3 owners have reported problems running Grand Theft Auto 4, claiming the console keeps freezing up. Matt Griffin from Playstation Network Home wrote:“Alright, so I got home from the midnight release with my copy of GTA IV Collectors Edition unpacked it live on the feed installed and guess what, it froze! I tried a couple more times and it even have reinstalled 3 times, it still keeps freezing. I am not alone, from the looks of it, it is the 60 GB Launch PS3 that is having the problems and might be just the Collectors Edition of GTA IV. Jeffrey Tavares has the regular edition and a launch PS3 and is now running the Live Feed. I will keep everyone up to date as much as possible!”Similar complaints are popping up from other gaming websites, including the official US Playstation Forums. The issue was first reported to just be launch 60GB models, but it now seems to be 20GB and non 60GB models.TheGameReviews.com will keep you informed of the situation and update you as soon as we know anything. In the mean time, are you, our readers, experiencing any problems with GTA 4? Let us know in the forums.

Hi all! Welcome back to Metal Gear Mondays! It’s certainly been a busy week, and once again, we’d like to take a second to thank you for all the great compliments and feedback from our previous installments – and of course, your enthusiasm for all that is Metal Gear!

We’ll pick up where we left off … As many of you know, gameplay of the Metal Gear Online Beta for the PLAYSTATION 3 is well underway as of the time of this post – please see the last bunch of Metal Gear PS Blog posts for full details on the Metal Gear Online Beta program and content to date.

First, we’d like to clarify, once again, because we see people still asking about this - Metal Gear Online comes with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. It is not a separate product. Metal Gear Online is the online multiplayer component of MGS4. We will be expanding MGO over time through new downloadable content (DLC), such as, maps, weapons, skills, and much more.

MGO is not a paid subscription service, you can play online totally free right out of the box - we know some of you thought there might be some payment because of the last step of Konami ID registration, but that is to confirm your identity for future potential microtransaction content updates (you don’t have to register any payment info right now anyhow). There is no payment necessary to play, and - again - that is for future potential microtransaction content updates, when that content is available, should you want it.

Good news – for those of you who might not have yet received a Unique Product Voucher Code (UPVC) to download the MGO Beta client, there are still a few opportunities to obtain one from the very limited batch of UPVC’s being given away now through our promotional partners at IGN, Games Radar, and the Mad Gamer Network – and some of you PS GAP members should have a special surprise in your inbox too J. Please carefully follow the instructions on our partner’s sites for your chance to win! Again, this batch of MGO Beta UPVC’s are available in an EXTREMELY limited quantity, so don’t wait, hurry and register now!

Next, we are happy to announce NEW content for the MGO Beta is LIVE NOW!

We have included one new map Midtown Maelstrom



This is a part of the Middle East stage in MGS4. This consists of some main streets and alternate routes. Numerous alleys are in between buildings, and are dark, narrow, and very confusing.

Next, we have released a new gametype rule, Sneaking Mission.



In this rule, there will be one character and two teams in the game. Snake, Red team, and Blue team. Snake’s mission is to collect a certain number of dog tags, by having other players stunned or held up. Red and Blue teams’ mission is to defeat Snake certain times or defeat more players in the opposing team. If more than 10 people are in the game, another player may play as Snake’s mini robotic sidekick Mk. II, to assist the Snake player. If you are playing as Snake, you have many of his incredible abilities available to you – such as the camouflage!

There are some other random things about MGO and the MGO Beta that we’d like to address:

You may not have noticed, but in the MGO Main Menu, you can access the Community Site right from in game. You can also access it here http://mgo2web.konami.com/us/community/ from a PC/web browser at any time. You need to have created a character to access the site. Once inside, you can manage and view your friends, clan, profile, stats, blog, and there will be many other features introduced over time. Additionally, you can post feedback in the forum, and this is really the best place to get your MGO feedback to us (yes, we do also try to read all the comments here at the PS Blog and elsewhere – and, I’m sorry, I wish we had time to respond to each and every one – we try to address as much as possible in these posts).

Another issue is it seems some of you have had issues activating your mics – please make sure you have connected your USB/Bluetooth mic correctly via the PS3 system settings. If you have, then simply hold down the select button in-game, and you will see a message appear that your mic is on as well as a mic activity status message with your name (if you’re speaking), if you are in a lobby you will see a flashing mic indicator next to your name.

Please also try out the training modes in game thoroughly, as they can be helpful for newcomers and veterans alike. Here you can learn the intricacies of CQC, weapons, movement, and just about any other gameplay question you might have. There are also extensive options in game for tweaking your controls (e.g., inversion, camera speed, weapon shortcuts, etc), ui, and much more – please be sure to take some time to set up MGO exactly how you like!

Lastly on MGO, to add a friend, you want to do a player search by their character name (not Konami ID or Game ID), which are case sensitive (e.g., Hideo and hideo could be separate characters). Please note, your friend must be logged into MGO at that time to appear (otherwise you’ll get a “not found” error). To check up on your friends, just go to your Friend List inside the Personal menu. Your added friends will appear here, and if they are online, it will show what lobby they are in too (if its unranked and they’re in game, you can join them immediately, if there’s room in their game).

Please don’t forget to check out the latest KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS REPORT from Ryan Payton at Kojima Productions in Japan!

We’ll see you here next week on the PS Blog, for the next installment of Metal Gear Mondays!

Here's a video of the latest MGO Game Mode

Dear Mrs. Zelnick:
Your son, as you may know (or maybe you don’t know), is Chairman of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., whose most popular video games are the Grand Theft Auto murder simulator games banned in some countries but sold to children here.
Your son last week was reported to have said the following about Grand Theft Auto IV, due to be released Tuesday, April 29:
"We’ve already received numerous [GTA IV] reviews, and to a one, they are perfect scores. My mom couldn’t write better reviews…"
Taking your son’s thought, I would encourage you either to play this game or have an adroit video gamer play it for you. Some of the latter gamers are on death row, so try to find one out in the civilian population who hasn’t killed someone yet.
What you will see in your son’s game, if this iteration of GTA is anything like its predecessors, is incredible interactive violence aimed at police officers (whom you can shoot in the head and see the blood spray), innocent bystanders (whom you can run over with your car just for the heck of it), and of course the plentiful female prostitutes you can have sex with and then filet with a knife or stomp with your feet in order to get your money back. Experts note that the recent plethora of cop killings is caused in part by your darling son’s entrepreneurial energy. There are three policemen dead in Alabama because of Grand Theft Auto. I was on 60 Minutes about it. I hope Strauss has provided you with a flat screen tv to see the grief of the bereaved families that fills the screen.
The pornography and violence that your son trafficks in is the kind of stuff that most mothers would be ashamed to see their son putting into the hands of other mothers’ children, but, hey, your son Strauss has recently assured the world that he is "a Boy Scout, everybody knows that." I’d love to see the merit badges that Scout Troop handed out. Is there a Ted Bundy merit badge? If so, your loving son deserves one now. It should be red and green, for obvious reasons.
With Passover having just come and gone, it is appropriate to note the following from the Old Testament, Proverbs 22:6:
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Mrs. Zelnick, did you train up your son, Strauss, to make millions of dollars by pushing Mature-rated video games to children? Any kid can go right to little Strauss’ corporate web site and buy GTA IV with no age verification. Strauss is even marketing the new Grand Theft Auto IV on World Wrestling Entertainment tv shows seen by millions of kids. If you trained up Strauss to do this, then shame on you.
But maybe the explanation for your son’s corporate sociopathy is to be found in Old Testament Proverb 29:15:
"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."
Maybe you, Mrs. Zelnick, were so taken by your handsome son that you spared the rod and spoiled the child. That would explain why he has brought you, by the way he presently acts, "to shame."
There’s another mother you would do well to talk to. Mrs. Crump in Alabama had a son who was a police officer. He’s now dead because a teenaged boy unwittingly trained himself to kill him on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. She has a grief she carries every day that only a mother can know.There are other such mothers in the heartland of America whose inhabitants your son simply sees as commercial targets.
Your son, this very moment, is doing everything he possibly can to sell as many copies of GTA IV to teen boys in the United States, a country in which your son claims you raised him to be "a Boy Scout." More like the Hitler Youth, I would say.
Happy Mother’s day, Mrs. Zelnick, which this year is May 11, two weeks after your son unleashes porn and violence upon other mothers’ boys. I’m sure you’re very proud.
Sincerely, Jack Thompson"

The release is just days away; our collective mouths are watering, and I think we are all of us ready to play the newest Grand Theft Auto. But there’s much more importance to the release than discovering Niko’s tale in Liberty City – Microsoft and Sony are both relying heavily on the game to give their respective system a leg up on the other. Microsoft is hoping the promise of exclusive downloadable content and the convenience of Xbox Live will be enough to woo gamers into going the 360 route, while Sony is banking on GTA being associated with the PlayStation brand for its edge.
With predicted sales of $400 million in the first week, suffice it to say that this is going to be big.
Analysts are chiming in with their prediction of which of the two console manufacturers will come out the victor in this particular battle. My adversary, Michael Pachter, explained his prediction quite simply, telling Reuters, “I think PS3 ‘wins’ this battle.”
“So many people who owned the PS2 went into PlayStation family because of GTA. The release of GTA4 could expedite their decision to upgrade,” said BMO Capital Markets’ Edward Williams.
Analysts weren’t all in agreement, though, as IDC’s Billy Pidgeon proved. “Online is such a strong part of the game and Microsoft has done such a great job of developing the online community, so for people who own multiple consoles, they will buy it for the 360,” he said.
One way or another, there’s one thing that’s undeniable: no matter which system you play the game on, it’s going to rock.

We always hear a lot about attach rates or tie-in ratios, which are basically the average number of games sold per system. So, if you’ve got an attach rate of 1, that means you would have sold, say, 10 million systems and 10 million games. Microsoft constantly boasts its large attach rate, but how do the rest of the current generation of systems hold up by comparison? You might be surprised to find out.
After Nintendo announced its global attach rate, Joystiq inquired with the NPD Group to find out their attach rate for the five major platforms. Xbox 360 of course leads the way with 7.5 games, followed by the Wii at 5.3, DS at 4.7, PS3 at 4.6, and PSP at 4.2. Honestly, I’m not sure if I should be more surprised by the Wii’s being as large as it is, or the PSP being so close to the rest of the pack. It’s rare to see a PSP game crack into the top ten best selling games each month, while games like Call of Duty 4 and particularly Wii Play have taken up permanent residence on the list.
The last time we got these figures, the PS3 was in the threes, so you can see that PS3 owners are slowly expanding their game library. (Well, either that or Blu-ray owners can’t help but pick up a copy of Uncharted.) With Grand Theft Auto IV, Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii all releasing very soon, you can expect to see the consoles’ attach rates jump. The only thing guaranteed aside from that is the next Microsoft press release touting their historic attach rate.

We were already blown away by Johnny Lee's headtracking demo using a Wiimote, but it looks like Sony's trying to take it mainstream in a much slicker way. The company was demoing a PS3-based headtracking system at GDC that doesn't require any special IR glasses to function -- it just uses a bone-stock Playstation Eye camera to track your ugly mug around the room. Sony says it's not announcing the system for any games yet, but we can't imagine devs aren't clamoring for this to get official -- this would be amazing for all sorts of genres. Video after the break.

It's no secret that we've been drooling over all the hot limited-edition Metal Gear Solid 4 swag that Sony and Konami are dishing out in Japan, but it looks like a select few in this country will be able to score the baddest of them all: the gunmetal gray PS3 / MGS4 bundle with matching DualShock 3. Yep, it's coming Stateside on June 12th like the rest of the MGS4 editions and the standard 80GB PS3 / MGS4 bundle, but you'd better get in line now, because we're told it's going to be extremely limited in availability, and we're calling one. We can do that, right? Say yes.

Nikko Citigroup upgraded its rating on Sony this morning in anticipation of it breaking even on PS3 costs earlier than expected. At the moment, Sony sells the PS3 at a loss. The respected group of analysts is now earmarking August as the milestone month. Sony's CFO recently suggested that the move would occur in the second half of the year -- a date analysts then pegged at November. No details behind the new upbeat expectations were provided by Nikko CG. However, it's safe to assume that the PS3's break-even event will be realized by a switch to a sub-65nm cell processor, sub-90nm RSX graphics chip, or both, since the smaller chips are less-costly to manufacturer.P.S. It's worth noting that Sony has consistently stated that the PS3 will only break-even when both the Cell and RSX chips have shrunk.Update: Reader Yaddam205 just reminded us about the "Slim PS3" redesign rumored for release in Autumn. No guarantees but smaller, less power-hungry, and cooler running chips would certainly be at the foundation of such a rig.

Good news & Bad News

The good news is that Home is taking its beta from closed to open, which will give more gamers the chance to get in and test the much-hyped social networking system.

The bad news? The beta opens in the fall. This fall. The same time it was supposed to be released.

"We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today," said Kazuo Hirai, president and group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PlayStation Home. Spending more time on the development and on the closed beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition."



A message left with Sony Public Relations inquiring about what the announcement of the open beta meant for the release of Home, which is supposed to come out this year, was not immediately returned. We will update this article as that information becomes available.

A statement from Sony says that details from the closed beta, registration for the new test, and details for the start of the open beta will be announced at a later date.

Activision announced today that the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack will be available on the PS3 this Thursday in North America and Europe. The Variety Map Pack will be released through the PlayStation Network, and retail for $9.99.
To celebrate, Activision also announced that PS3 players will enjoy double XP this weekend on both continents from 12:01 AM GMT this Friday to 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday, April 27th. Players can also play with developers from Infinity Ward this Friday.

When Microsoft announced its multi-million deal with Rockstar for exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV, many predicted that this would provide a significant incentive for gamers to choose the 360 version of the game over the PlayStation 3 version. But Australian presale figures seem to be telling a different story, with major retailers contacted by GameSpot AU today saying the PS3 version was currently in the lead.
A spokeswoman for EB Games Australia--the largest specialty games retailer in the country--told GameSpot AU that the PS3 version of GTA IV was just ahead of the 360 in terms of presales. "We are happy to tell you it's neck and neck, but at the moment, PlayStation 3 is currently in the lead," EB Games Australia brand and public relations manager Debra McGrath said.
The PS3 version was even farther ahead with retailer Gametraders. The company's national marketing manager Chad Polley said "according to the figures we have at the moment, we're [pre-]selling two PS3 versions for every one 360 unit."
Last night, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia fired back at Microsoft's DLC incentive, finally confirming rumours that there is indeed PlayStation 3 GTA IV bundle on the way for Australia. The pack comes with a 40GB PS3, one SixAxis controller, and a copy of the game. If you haven't got a PS3 already, the bundle will be available on April 29, the same day as the game's release, for A$749.95 ($709.44).

Delayed but with a promise of quality; Closed beta available again in Summer.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. announced today that it will expand the Closed Beta testing for PLAYSTATION Home in Summer 2008, inviting a further number of registrants from the PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) users. Following completion of the Expanded Closed Beta test, the PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service will commence in Fall 2008.

"We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today," said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PLAYSTATION Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition."

The PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service that will become available in Fall 2008 will be built around providing new and fun community gaming experiences.

Details of the Closed Beta testing features, registration for the test and the opening of the service will be announced as they become available.

Metal Gear Solid fans will be well aware of the series' emphasis on sneaky stealth action. However, Konami followed the ethos of its game a little too closely last night when its Metal Gear Online Beta failed to emerge from the shadows at its allotted start time.

GameSpot users reported numerous errors yesterday when the beta was due to go live. Many bemoaned the amount of time it took to download an update to the previously released beta package, while others complained about the game's failure to recognise the two keys that they had registered on Konami's official Web site.

Today, Konami attempted to explain the problem with different statements from both the US and European offices. According to Konami US, the volume of traffic necessitated the temporary shutdown of servers until they were able to be stabilised. Konami's UK spokesperson recommends that users, "try the Game ID/Konami ID registration process over the following days...everyone who wishes to join the MGO experience will be able to register...in the next few days."

While the new start date for the beta has yet to be announced, Konami will be making another update on April 23 at 7 a.m. BST (April 22 at 11 p.m. PDT). The Japanese publisher also announced that the closing date has been pushed back from May 6 to May 11 to compensate for the late start.

There is a heck of a lot that we still don't know about the recently announced Singstar Volume 2. We don't know if the title will simply add songs onto the store, or if the game will need to be inserted into the PlayStation 3 to play the songs. We also don't know whether the songs on the pack will be released on the PlayStation Store either. We weren't sure whether Singstar Volume 2 would come with USB or wireless microphones, but a listing by retailer Top Shop seems to indicate that Singstar Volume 2 will come with USB microphones and not wireless microphones. When Singstar for the PlayStation 3 was first announced it was revealed that wireless microphones were on the way. Months and years later we are unfortunately still waiting for these microphones.

In case you're not up on your Blu-ray news, an upcoming feature called BD-Live will let movie fans with Internet-connected Blu-ray players gain access to exclusive content, such as the ability to download high-definition trailers for current theatrical releases or additional language packs for the film. Or you'll be able to take advantage of online community features such as chatting with friends in another city while watching the same movie, uploading user-generated content like commentary tracks or playing multiplayer games.
PlayStation 3 (PS3) owners, however, can now update the machine's firmware to take advantage of these BD-Live features.
Using a wired or wireless connection, you can go to the System Update tab on PS3's media bar to download the firmware upgrade version 2.2.
Other benefits of this firmware upgrade include:
• The ability to transfer PS3 music and photos to a PlayStation Portable (PSP).
• DivX and WMV format support for video files over 2 gigabytes.
• Resume play, so a Blu-ray disc or DVD will resume playing at the point it was paused.
• Using the PSP as a remote control to play music files on the PS3 without turning on the TV.
• Faster Internet browsing.

Sales for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 fell below 9,000 units in the latest Japan sales figures. The PS3 ranked No. 4 in overall hardware sales for the week.
NPD Group Inc. this week reported that the PS3 ranked No. 5 in U.S. Mar. sales. The hardware sold more than 257,000 units in the month.
Namco Bandai this week said that it will release Soulcalibur IV to the PS3 in July. The last entry was released on the PS2 in 2005.
Sony this week launched the revamped Playstation Store to PS3 owners. The new store is a native application rather than the previous web-based version.
Sony this week released Gran Turismo 5 Prologue to the PS3. The new entry includes 70 vehicles and online racing functionality.
Amazon.com this week price cut the Sixaxis controller following the release of the Dualshock 3 controller. Sony this month released the Dualshock one week early to U.S. retail.

It seems Sony has something they want to Announce...
On May 6th SCEE is going to have a close Press event, and what possibly might result in Europe getting Home and/or Little Big Planet beta. Get your European accounts ready!

"We're still waiting for our confirmation from Sony on what appears to be the day's most exciting news: that SCEE are planning a press-only event on May 6th, although Sony do appear to have already replied to some sites. Naturally, the contents of such an event will be under close wraps for the immediate future, but speculation is rife this afternoon about release dates for Home and Little Big Planet betas across Europe. We'll update as soon as we get more information.Update: OK, we can now confirm that the event, which is for the whole of Europe, is going ahead, although we don't know what's going to be announced."

According to Sony on January 8, 2008, December 2008 will see in-game XMB available on the Playstation 3, a feature similar to Xbox 360's in-game guide feature, a much wanted feature that consumers have demanded since launch. The demands stem from the fact that unlike the Xbox 360, music stored on the console's hard drive cannot be played while playing a game, and if a message or game invite is received during play, the game must be exited before they can be read. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and many other sources state that in-game XMB is the single most requested feature for the PS3 in the last year (2007).[6] Sony handed out "In-Shirt XMB" t-shirts on February 19, 2008 at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) held in San Francisco's Moscone Center.[7] Basic forms of In-game XMB friends lists can be found in many modern (August 07' or newer) PS3 games including; Resistance: Fall of Man (Since the 1.1 patch), Warhawk, Rockband, Call of Duty 4, Burnout Paradise (also includes In-game XMB headset accessory menu). In addition, custom soundtracks, taking on the user interface of the XMB has been implemented into a few games such as Super Stardust HD and High Velocity Bowling. These partial functions of XMB (friends lists and custom soundtracks) have been up to the developer to implement the function. The true in-game XMB won't be debuted until Summer.[

Iomega has announced the new Media Xporter drive, a game-oriented 2.5-inch portable hard drive that provides cross-platform media storage for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.Iomega says that their new offering makes it easier than ever to use game consoles and high definition televisions and other large screen TVs to share photos, videos, and music collections with family and friends.The wallet-sized USB-powered drive uses the USB 2.0 ports on the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3 to offer a PC-free, plug and play solution that gives users 160GB of storage. Designed for use the Xbox 360 and PS3, the Media Xporter is also compatible with Apple computers and Microsoft Windows and is bundled with software to convert media to console-friendly formats, where necessary. The Iomega Media Xporter Drive USB 2.0, 160GB is now available in the US for $119.95 and in Europe for 99

Take-Two Interactive has a few big days ahead of it. The publisher's annual shareholder meeting kicks off after the markets close tomorrow, and Electronic Arts' $26 per share offer to acquire the company is set to expire just before midnight on Friday.

With more than enough on its plate already, at least the publisher no longer has to worry about a shareholder revolt like the one that took place at last year's annual meeting. Take-Two today announced that the April 15 deadline for shareholders to nominate opposing candidates for the company's board of directors or propose other new business has passed without incident.

The publisher has been under pressure to sell to Electronic Arts since February, when EA went public with an offer to purchase all outstanding Take-Two shares at what was then a 64 percent premium. The offer totaled roughly $2 billion, which Take-Two execs insisted was undervalued and was an opportunistic attempt to piggyback on the success of Grand Theft Auto IV, which is set for an April 29 launch.

As of this writing, Take-Two's shares were trading down $.37 to $25.88.

French games publisher Ubisoft has announced it will release a playable demo for its eagerly-awaited PS3 exclusive Haze next month.The first-person shooter will take place in the year 2048 "in a world where governments have outsourced military operations to private military corporations (PMCs). You play as Shane Carpenter, a newly enlisted soldier seeking fulfillment and thrills by fighting for a good cause."The playable demo will give players a taste of the single-player campaign, as well as four-player drop-in, drop-out co-op play online.Developed by Free Radical, PS3 exclusive Haze promises to offer first-person shooter fans the Disparity Rendering System and also features the Conspire AI System, promising "entirely dynamic" enemy behaviour.Haze will be released for PlayStation 3 on May 23.

Several months after it appeared on the Xbox 360, Capcom has finally released the PlayStation 3 version of Lost Planet, a tale of one man's quest for revenge on a planet ravaged by snow, space pirates and giant bugs.
While the plot won't win any awards for originality: amnesia-suffering hero Wayne uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the existence of mankind. Oh, he also wants to avenge his father's death to a monstrous bug named Green Eye.
The game is not rubbish by any means, but it's a little disappointing that flaws that plagued the Xbox 360 version are still here and there is very little to differentiate the different versions.
In Lost Planet, thermal energy is king: every time you kill a bug or enemy, they drop thermal energy, which you need to keep your body temperature warm. If you run out of thermal energy, you freeze to death.
Weapons include staples such as shotguns, grenades and rocket launchers, and you can detach weapons from contraptions called Vital Suits and lug them around.
Apart from a new playable female character and having to install files onto your PS3's hard drive (it takes about 20 minutes), it's frustrating to find that the frame rate drops and less than intuitive controls remain here. The graphics, too, while looking nice, are hardly stellar.
None of the faults are game breakers, but surely the PS3 version, which has been released months after the other versions, was the perfect opportunity to fix some of those issues? I guess not.
Worth a rental if you love shooting alien bugs in the backside and watching them shatter while it snows

Ever since it first appeared at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Haze's release status has been a bit foggy. Originally announced for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, the first-person sci-fi shooter became PS3-exclusive last year as it suffered several delays. After being pushed back to the first quarter of 2008, the game was delayed again in January before finally being given a May release window.

Now, two days after getting a European launch date of May 23, Haze has seen its North American release date nailed down. It will arrive in US and Canadian stores on May 20, just three weeks before the launch of another anticipated PS3 exclusive, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Haze is rated M for Mature for blood, intense violence, strong language, and drug use, and will retail for $59.99.

Developed by Free Radical, the studio behind TimeSplitters and an as yet unnamed LucasArts game, Haze is set in a not-so-nice near future where the world is dominated by Private Military Corporations (PMCs). One such multinational, MantelCorp, is fighting against an international rebellion with an army of supersoldiers in bright yellow armor. Players begin as one such soldier, who, like his comrades, sees his combat abilities enhanced--and his mind controlled--by a powerful chemical called Nectar that Mantel exclusively dispenses.

Though Haze won't hit stores until the latter half of May, the early part of the month will see a demo for the game appear exclusively on the PlayStation Store. Unlike many thin game demos, Ubisoft is offering players a taste of one of the game's most compelling features--online four-person co-op--in the demo.

There's no question that Grand Theft Auto IV will have a massive debut. How massive, exactly? Today, Variety predicted the Rockstar Games title could see biggest entertainment property launch of all time when it goes on sale worldwide on April 29 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The Hollywood trade claims that "sources close to publisher Take-Two Interactive," which owns Rockstar Games, have been tracking how many units of GTAIV they have pre-sold to retailers. According to said sources, the publisher believes 6 million units of the Rockstar North-developed game will sell during its first week on the market, generating over $400 million in revenue.

If that figure holds out, GTAIV will come close to exceeding the $404 million Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End grossed internationally during its first six days in theaters. It will soundly best the current record-holder for a game premiere, Halo 3, which earned $300 million by selling 5 million copies in its first week on the worldwide market last year.

Some analysts are predicting GTAIV to do even bigger business when it arrives. Last October, Janco Partners' Mike Hickey says Rockstar's latest could "conceivably" ship 9.5 million units in one week--5.8 million in the US alone. The most popular GTA game to date is 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which has sold nearly 22 million units worldwide to date on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.

Variety correctly notes that Take-Two will need GTAIV to be a hit of outsized proportions to stave off Electronic Arts' takeover bid, which became hostile on March 13. Thursday afternoon, Take-Two stockholders will meet to discuss EA's $2 billion, $26-per-share offer, which is a 64 percent mark-up over the publisher's previous stock price. Late last month, Take-Two management led by chairman Strauss Zelnick asked shareholders to decline EA's offer, which some analysts believe could lead to a GTAIV delay if it is successful.

Soulcalibur IV represents a number of new frontiers for the venerable Namco Bandai fighting franchise. Fans are no doubt eagerly awaiting the chance to try out the first proper entry on the current generation of systems and see how it has been changed by the inclusion of online multiplayer, finishing moves, and high-profile cast additions like Darth Vader (for the PlayStation 3 edition) and Yoda (for the Xbox 360).

Now gamers as obsessed with Soulcalibur IV as the game's protagonists are with the titular sword can finally mark their calendars. Namco Bandai today confirmed a July 29 North American release date for the game, which will launch in regular and limited Premium Edition packages.

Customers who pick up the Premium Edition will get an art book/comic that serves as a prequel leading into the story of Soulcalibur IV, a tournament kit, and exclusive access to "extra customization content." Exactly what the tournament kit entails is unknown, but Namco Bandai said it would "give fans the opportunity to document the battle amongst friends." The Premium Edition will come in metal packaging and retail for $79.99.

Last week, a guerrilla faction of gamers successfully challenged publishing powerhouse Electronic Arts over the inclusion of for-purchase downloadable weapons in EA DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company. Having decided to take a different tack, EA told GameSpot that all weapons will now be included in the game's purchase price, but standard-edition buyers will need to unlock them by playing the game.

With the volatile situation resolved, EA today made a far less controversial announcement when it officially confirmed that Battlefield: Bad Company will ship out June 23 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Bad Company will face unseasonably heavy resistance when it hits the streets, with Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4, Atari's Alone in the Dark, Sierra's Bourne Conspiracy, and Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden II, among others, all confirmed for June releases.

As detailed in GameSpot's previous coverage, Battlefield: Bad Company aims to bring DICE's signature brand of large-scale multiplayer battlefields to consoles. Multiplayer combat accommodates 24 players across a variety of modes and play settings, and DICE promises that up to 90 percent of the objects within the game's world can be destroyed. Bad Company also packs a full single-player campaign, in which gamers will grapple with their responsibilities as a soldier and their desire for lots and lots of cash a la David O. Russell's Three Kings.

The Battlefield: Bad Company standard edition will retail for $59.99, whereas the controversy-laden Gold Edition will clock in at $10 more. In addition to immediate access to five special weapons, collector's-edition purchasers will receive a behind-the-scenes featurette as well as strategy videos for the game.

Sony Corp.'s U.S. game division on Tues. said that a revamped Playstation Store for the Playstation 3 is now available for download in the new system software 2.30 release.
The new store is a native application to the PS3 rather than the web-based store front used in the previous version.
The Playstation Store features new browsing categories, including "New Releases", "Downloadable Games", "View All By Title", "Add-Ons", "Demos", "Videos", "Themes & Wallpapers", and "Featured Items".
Nearly 900 pieces of content are currently available, including PS3 games, PSone titles, game demos and videos, Blu-ray disc movie trailers, game themes, wallpapers, and more.
Additionally, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the latest entry in the racing franchise, will be available for download at the Playstation Store on Apr. 17.
Sony this month released the Dualshock 3 controller to U.S. retail. The device features rumble functionality not found in the Sixaxis controller.
In June it will retail a new 80GB PS3 SKU that includes Konami Corp.'s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Haze demo; 4-player co-op both announced

Ubisoft has announced that you can finally expect a full playable demo of Haze to show up on the Playstation Network during early May. While many gamers are tired of the delays and constant pushbacks, this serves as a nice reminder that Haze is just around the corner. Ubisoft is expectedly giving gamers a chance to satisfy their thumbs and fingertips with a demo prior to release in order to reinitiate the hype around the title.

On top of the demo, players will be given full control of 4-player co-op as well. This is something that will be a warm welcoming from all gamers wanting to check out Haze. Ubisoft has said that the co-op play will be fully functional in allowing users to simply drop-in and drop-out of play as they like.

Haze is set to release near the end of May and we'll have you covered with a complete review of the upcoming title.

In light of the North American release of the Dual Shock 3 controller next week, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has issued a full list of titles that will be compatible with the new hardware on launch day.In addition, the company also announced plans to launch a dedicated section on the official PlayStation website which will be updated as soon as more titles are made compatible with the pad.See below for a full list of titles compatible so far. Note that games with an asterisk marked next to them require the aid of a patch to work (downloaded automatically if your console is connected to the Internet)· SCEA - Formula One Championship Edition* (PS3)· SCEA - MotorStorm* (PS3)· SCEA - PAIN (PSN)· SCEA - High Velocity Bowling (PSN)· SCEA - MLB 08: The Show (PS3)· SCEA - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)· SCEA - Resistance: Fall of Man* (PS3)· SCEA - Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)· SCEA - Go! Sports Ski* (PSN)· SCEA - Folklore* (PS3)· SCEA - Heavenly Sword* (PS3)· SCEA - Warhawk* (PSN / PS3)· SCEA - Super Stardust HD* (PSN)· SCEA - Snakeball (PSN)· SCEA - Toy Home (PSN)· SCEA - PSOne Emulation (PSN)· SCEA - Piyotama (PSN)· SCEA - PixelJunk Monsters (PSN)· SCEA - Blast Factor* (PSN)· Sega - Condemned 2: Bloodshot (PS3)· Ubisoft - Lost: Via Domus (PS3)· Ubisoft - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2* (PS3)· EA - Burnout Paradise (PS3)· KOEI - Dynasty Warriors 6 (PS3)· Capcom - Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)· Atari - Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (PS3)· Disney Interactive - Turok (PS3)

Are you ready for an online Turf War?

Recently, IGN played four of the more than a dozen multiplayer modes GTA Race, Cops N Crooks, Team Deathmatch, and Hangman's NOOSE. On the official GTA IV Website, Rockstar has unveiled four more modes. There will be five total team modes, all of which allow up to 16 players to go at it online. There are only two racing modes. The number of cooperative modes and competitive free-for-all modes are still a mystery.

Here are Rockstar's descriptions of the newly revealed modes:

Team Mafiya Work (2-8 teams)
You're a member of a crew doing contract work for the mafiya -- including such plum gigs as escorting wanted men, picking up MacGuffins and stealing cars. Work as a team to complete contracts before the time period ends and get the rewards. You'll probably want to do your best to scupper the other crew's work as well. Each contract you complete gives your team cash, and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins.












Team Car Jack City (2-8 teams)
Cars spawn parked around the map and the teams must steal them and take them to a drop off point. The cash teams get for dropping off stolen vehicles depends on their condition -- teams get less cash the more damaged they are. The exception to this are special bonus cars, stuffed with drugs, which give a set amount of cash on delivery no matter how damaged they are. Your crew has to get hold of whatever vehicles the boss wants. Whichever crew makes the most money wins. Simple.

Turf War (2 teams)
A timed capture-the-base mode. There are a number of bases around the map that you have to take by standing on them for a short period of time. The more players that are on a base, the faster it can be captured. The more bases that your team owns, the faster your team's cash score increases. If the rival gang is on or near a base, you won't be able to take control of it -- so do what you can to try and... displace them. The team with the most cash at the end of the round wins.











Race (no teams)
Race to the finish through each checkpoint in order. If you take a wrong turn or mess up in some way, you can respawn your vehicle on the last checkpoint you passed. There is a large section of races for cars, boats, and helicopters -- you can choose laps and vehicle class/type. This mode has two sub-modes: Free Race and Cannonball Run.

Free Race are point-to-point races. First one to reach the end point wins. Cannonball Run are races where you have to traverse several checkpoints any way you can.

Click for original link

While some of us may have spent the last year and a half gaming, getting an education, working a dull 9-5 job or even just relaxing unemployed, Ben Heck was spending his off-and-on time developing one of the greatest console modifications known to man. You may recognize his name from his past creations that do involve a laptop created from the XBOX 360 and the Nintendo Wii; so it shouldn't come as any shock to know that he's been working hard on delivering to the world a portable version of our beloved PlayStation 3.

That's right, Heck has finally delivered with his polished version of the PlayStation 3 Laptop Edition. We've included a photo of this modification below for you to enjoy:

The official specs for the laptop are as follows:

* Original backwards compatible 60GB model
* 17-inch LCD HDTV screen: 720p
* HDMI-DVI connection (same as last Xbox 360 laptop)
* Built-in keyboard, USB ports, stereo speakers, headphone jack
* Size: 17 x 13.75 x 3-inches
* Weight: 16 pounds

We're well aware that you're probably looking to get your hands on this bad boy and fortunately, if you're willing to pay a hefty price for it, you can. The laptop will be auctioned off on eBay for charity and we'll let you know when the auction becomes available. Until then, we can't wait to see what else Ben Heck has in store for the gaming world.

While Nintendo maintains its stranglehold on Japan in terms of overall sales of their Wii and DS platforms, they should probably be aware of the Sony surge, which doesn't appear to be slowing down. Ever since the start of 2008, sales have been on the upswing for both the PS3 and PSP in all territories, and now, the past week has provided more good news for Sony.According to GamesIndustry.biz and Media Create, the PS3 has passed the 2 million sales mark in Japan, while the PSP sold 121,000 units the week ending April 6. The sleek handheld benefited from the continued success of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, a title that wouldn't make nearly as big a splash in the US. Nevertheless, the Japanese gamers love it, and in turn, they're lovin' the PSP right along with it. In comparison, the DS managed to sell only about 55,000 units while the Wii fell to third at 44,600. We told you all about this in our sales update a few days ago, but we're just now hearing that the PS3 has reached the significant 2 million plateau. The PS3 continues to labor without any titles that would force Japanese gamers into a purchase, but with Metal Gear Solid 4 in June, those days will soon be over.While the PS3 has enjoyed greater success in the US and Europe, one must always remember that Japanese gamers have different tastes when it comes to this industry. In other words, games like MGS4 will likely be more popular in Japan than GTAIV, which is reflected in sales figures. Hence, it may take a while for Sony to really start selling loads of systems in Japan.

Following the announcement of iPlayer support in Nintendo's Wii video games home console, and the subsequent revelation that the lack of support for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3) was due mainly to Microsoft and Sony, PS3 users have decided to go ahead and enjoy BBC's iPlayer anyway. A coder called "Ixalon" has created an unofficial site for the PS3 which spoofs the Wii's user agent and makes the Javascript and CSS of iPlayer's site "PS3-friendly". So that means by pointing the PS3's browser toward the unofficial site, UK PS3 owners can enjoy content from BBC's iPlayer now. The iPlayer offers TV programming in the UK and is designed specifically for those who want a second look at an episode they watched on TV, of those who simply missed a certain episode while it aired. The video content that is delivered to PS3 users through this method is the same Flash 7 video that the BBC provides for Wii users. The Flash 7 video has a higher bitrate than normal to attempt to match the iPlayer quality. While it was possible to view the iPlayer site from the PS3 console before, it wasn't as easy as just visiting a URL, which is... URL: http://www.ps3iplayer.com/problem/browser.html This is unlikely to cause any kind of stir, except maybe at Nintendo, which arguably only enjoyed a single day's exclusivity of iPlayer. "It only took a day to produce, so come on BBC - how about implementing this properly?," the developer, Ixalon, asks.

"Well here’s some great news for the often forgotten Europeans. Although North American’s must pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4 to access the Metal Gear Online Beta, Europeans will be able to download the Beta for free, and with no need for a code. Follow the jump for more information.In reporting new information on the Playstation Store relaunch and its included content, there was a nugget of information that would be easily overlooked if it wasn’t spelled out. Sony Europe confirmed that the Metal Gear Online Beta would be available on April 17th, but we presumed this would only be for thos who pre-ordered. We then realised that, as of yet, there were no reports of Beta Codes in Europe. Konami thus made things all the clearer today, saying that the “Metal Gear Online Premiere Beta will be available as a free download on the Playstation Store from April 17th until May 6th.” The Beta itself will begin on April 21st (plenty of time to get hold of this presumably very popular download) and end on May 6th.The beta phase features two maps, four gameplay modes, the SOP System that encourages up to 16 players to team up and share information, and deep skill-customization. Also equipped with auto-matching and training modes, the game offers players a sneak peak of this totally new approach to console-based competitive gaming.Bring on the Metal Gear Online Beta for all Europeans (and hopefully others in the Pal region, including Australia) and those North Americans who were clever enough to pre-order"

The new teaser for Resistance 2 is online now. Check it out and post your thoughts!

"The error in question is mainly seen within the first month of use, or to put it bluntly, it has the error right out of the box, however, we have seen this occur at almost a year into service as well. Our particular error occurred shortly after installing a new game we had purchased off the PlayStation Store. The Error reads as follows: "An error occurred during the start operation. 80010514" Since this error occurred, we obviously contacted Sony Support. We were informed that the code is not common, and a simple reset of the system, and restoral of factory settings should do the trick. Unfortunately, after the restoral, the error still occurred. So, we dug a bit further, and this is what we found."

Swedish retailer Webhallen has today revealed the first image of a new PlayStation 3 bundle which will be launching in Europe alongside Grand Theft Auto IV. The bundle includes the standard 40GB PlayStation 3 console and a copy of the game. The price listed is 4499kr, which is the same as the Gran Turismo 5 bundle which launched just over a week ago. While availability in other countries has not been announced, this indicates that the GTA bundle should sell for £299.99 in the United Kingdom and ?399.99 elsewhere.

The NeoGAF moderator that confirmed the rumors surrounding the GTAIV bundle has just posted another confirmation that, the bundle is 150% Exclusive to the PS3 and that, there are currently no plans for a 360 bundle. He wrote: "I literally heard this morning, again, that the "official" bundle will not be available on launch day (more like weeks later). So I'd still say it isn't confirmed, but still possible. One thing is for sure... the bundle itself is 150% confirmed, along with it being exclusive to the PS3. Absolutely 0 information about a U.S. bundle either way."

The Capcom blog?s posted a new version of the Resident Evil 5 Famitsu interview, this time with English subtitles. The movie shows the first ever in-game footage, so it?s worth a look again, and at least this time you know what producer Jun Takeuchi is talking about now.

Image Metrics shows how their new facial capture technology works on GTA 4 and other game productions. "Image Metrics has bridged the Uncanny Valley, developing a superior facial capture and animation system that creates facial animation with far greater accuracy, as much as seven times faster than key framing, and they only need video files and a facial rig and 3D model to get started."

Scott Steinberg seems to be in a PR overhaul lately, popping up in several interviews.

Every console seems to have something 'extra' to offer. But how many of these bonuses do you really use? Here are 20 console features past and present that no-one values, or maybe tried once then never used again.

Eric Lempel, Director of PlayStation Network Operations, writes on the PlayStation.Blog: "We know you?re all patiently waiting for the next PS3 firmware update, ver. 2.30, which includes the revamped PLAYSTATION Store. The good news is that it?s coming soon, and you can now see how the new user interface will look in this video demo featuring Grace Chen. I have more good news to report today ? the system software update will also add DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos, which means the high-definition visuals of Blu-ray will now be matched with the highest quality audio for the ultimate movie-watching experience on PS3."

The launch of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue propelled PS3 sales to over 150,000 this week in Europe - more than even DS and Wii.

Swedish retailer Webhallen has today revealed the first image of a new PlayStation 3 bundle which will be launching in Europe alongside Grand Theft Auto IV. The bundle includes the standard 40GB PlayStation 3 console and a copy of the game. The price listed is 4499kr, which is the same as the Gran Turismo 5 bundle which launched just over a week ago. While availability in other countries has not been announced, this indicates that the GTA bundle should sell for £299.99 in the United Kingdom and ?399.99 elsewhere.

Gamesradar wrote: "With GTA IV due out on April 29 a few of our esteemed magazine friends in the GamesRadar network have been granted access to review the game already. That's right - one of the perks of being permanently slagged off on forums and two-bit blogs is that games writers get the opportunity to play games before they're in the shops. The first of our colleagues to actaully finish the game is Rob Taylor, deputy editor of Xbox World 360 magazine, and below he tells us (as best he can) what it feels like to be the first person to finish GTA in the world. Lucky bastard. If you had to pick a favourite out of all the games in the series now which one would it be? GTA IV. By a country mile. It craps on all the others ? even the mighty Vice City ? from a height equivalent to the Statue of Happiness. Believe me, GTA IV is even better than the hype suggests!" No spoilers in interview

Joystiq writes: Mr. Michael Pachter ? everyone's favorite clairvoyant video game analyst ? has a knack for making headlines. Whether it's "Pachter snubs pal Lohan in Viper Club debacle" or "EA could delay GTA IV's April 29 release" we tend to take notice. On the latest episode of Bonus Round, Pachter told host Geoff Keighley, "I think if EA takes over Take-Two, they have an economic incentive to delay [Grand Theft Auto IV]." What economic incentive might that be? Why, to hold the release until the far more lucrative fourth quarter. As for why Take-Two isn't simply doing that itself, the Pach explains, "Take-Two, financially, has to get that game out ... they need the money. They need to get it out."

MGO is included with MGS4, but it will be the bare bones to be added to and upgraded in time. The opening credits (of MGS4) were designed by Logan, the people that did the hugely successful ipod ads. The story visits more locations and embraces more styles than any MGS to date. A 'virtual range' will be included from the main menu. Here you can test the huge amount of weapons in MGS4 as well as the various advanced CQC techniques in the game. The game will feature various details to play around with such as highly detailed and fashionable consumer gadgets. MGS4 has been 4 years in development. There will be one hell of a big bang of a final to the game. Not a whimper. This will blow you away. Snake is a slave to injections that keep him alive. The sneaking play of the originals with it's air ducts and cameras has now become a fast pace living battlefield of traps and innovations. The control system is 'revised and improved' The Gekkou (the mechs with organic legs that make mooing sounds) will work in packs to hunt you down. They can sense past your optic camo if they think something is amiss. Snake will have two new energy bars that makes Snakes advanced age impossible to ignore: Stress: This rises in response to fight conditions. This can work with him, giving him hightened senses such as accuracy and sustained damage being halved. But if in this condition for too long, snake will crash causing him to become exposed to his illness. a drag on a cig will help him calm down however. Psyche: This affects your general state of mind in the field.The balancing of these two bars will affect your progress. You can use a camera to sneak away from your mission objectives and record incidents happening on the battlefield in secret. Some can be 'unpredictable and dangerous' There is something special about the camera this time around but EDGE were not allowed to say what. There is a "surprising degree of explorative freedom" in the game. You can choose to engage in battles if you wish, or just ignore them. Friends and enemies can be gain this way if you do choose to help one side out. Drebin (the arms dealer with the small monkey) will be important to the story and will also act as Snakes weapons dealer. Productions values transcend modern video games: A Hollywood grade surround sound and moving track score by Harry Gregson Williams. Electrifying cut scenes and a sense of closure "more suited to Return of the King than Halo 3". There is so much tucked away in the game that some things won't be discovered until months or even years after your first play. Kojima says: As for future MGS I would love to produce rather than direct. But as far as Snake is concerned, this is it. It's over".

The launch of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue propelled PS3 sales to over 150,000 this week in Europe - more than even DS and Wii.

Following the posting of what claimed to be the world?s first GTA IV review yesterday, all that?s now left of the piece is a smoking hole and the rather curt message, "This site has been removed at the advice of legal council," VG247 reports.

Sony's marketing VP tells GamePro that Microsoft may have "already leveraged all of their big assets" for the Xbox 360 in 2007, leaving 2008 wide open for the PlayStation 3. GamePro spoke with Sony marketing VP Scott Steinberg at the Game Developers Conference in February. This is a condensed form of that discussion; Steinberg spoke at length about the Blu-ray victory, Microsoft's 2008 game line-up, and possibilities for new PS3 downloads (including the possibility of movies, music, and PS2 games).

Ripten: "It almost sounds too good to be true. Almost? It is too good to be true. Could Cry Engine 2 on consoles really look any where near as good as Crysis on the PC? Crytek?s Engine Business Manager, Harald Seeley, states that they expect the console versions to ?look like they?re running at high settings, or nearly high settings, on a PC.? *Shock.*"

It may have taken more than a little time for Polyphony to warm to the idea, but Gran Turismo head Kazunori Yamauchi has confirmed that the series is finally going to be implementing damage, saying it could be included as a downloadable feature for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue as early as this Autumn.

Rumble is back with the DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for PLAYSTATION 3. These are shipping to store shelves as we speak, so be on the lookout for them next week. Now I know that the list of compatible games is the most important thing to you, so we?re including that at the bottom of this post. The titles with an asterisk in the list below will require a patch in order to activate the rumble feature. The patch will automatically download to your PS3 if your console is connected online.

It seems that Playstation 3 owners playing Call of Duty 4 will have to wait an extra 3 weeks for the new maps on COD4. The maps were released on 4/4/08 for the XBOX 360 as downloadable content. The map pack is 10$ USD. Below is a video containing game-play of the new maps.

Grace Chen: Senior Manager of the PLAYSTATION Store speaks on the new store design.
You can read more on the update coming for the Playstation Store by clicking the link below:
Click to read more on the Playstation Store Update!

Yes, that is right, you can now register for the Japanese Metal Gear Online Beta by following the tutorial at the link to the right: Click here to check out the tutorial at NGB



The beta will be available on the Japanese Playstation Store April 17th!

Hey guys, eXo Outsider here, and Welcome to my new blog for NextGenBoards as well as my Youtube! So you may ask, what is this blog for. The blog is here for you guys to discuss anything related with NextGenBoards or my Youtube Channel and Videos.