Joystiq [Playstation]

Five features you may have missed in Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time

by Alexander Sliwinski { 2 days ago }

Ratchet and Clank games usually have a little extra for true series fans who want to dig deeper, and A Crack in Time isn't looking to break that trend. Developer Insomniac wants to make sure that those who have played the game are getting out of it all that's in there, pointing out five things for fans not to miss:

Space Radio
Dynamo of Doom
Community Profile
Insomniac Museum
Return to the Great Clock

What does it all mean? Check out the video after the break for the full details.

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PSP Go isn't cannablizing PSP sales, House says

by Ben Gilbert { 2 days ago }

For those of you out there on your third or fourth sleepless night, unable to catch some Zs for worry that Sony is losing money on its physical-media PSP models to the PSP Go, it's time to rest easy. Sony Europe head Andrew House recently told GamesIndustry.biz that digitally distributed titles are "additive to the business." Better yet, newer PSPs aren't eating older ones. "I don't think there's been a huge amount of cannibalization." Okay, okay, he's talking about PSP Go sales proverbially "eating up" PSP-3000 sales.

He even goes as far as to state that "those sales [PSP Go sales] have come in and lifted overall PSP sales" – something we've heard stated before by execs at Sony Europe. We're not exactly sure what the strategy is behind using your new $250 PSP to sell your old (and arguably more feature-rich) PSP-3000, but we're still hopeful that Sony sees a long-term plan where we see a really expensive, download-only handheld.

Namco prepares a Raging Blast of Dragon Ball DLC

by Richard Mitchell { 2 days ago }

If there's one thing Dragon Ball has, it's a giant, sprawling cast of unique characters. Namco Bandai understands this, so it will be offering new downloadable characters for Dragon Ball: Raging Blast every two weeks from now until April of 2010. Best of all, the downloads will be free. Each pack will include "customized versions of popular characters, each with different powered-up abilities." In other words, if the initial lineup of characters just wasn't enough, soon you'll have remixed versions on top of the current cast.

Check out the full DLC schedule after the break. Unless otherwise noted, the DLC will release simultaneously on XBLM and PSN.

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All the great Rock Bands started at Old Navy

by Justin McElroy { 2 days ago }

We can't tell you the number of times we've been packed into the mall during holiday season like angry, sweater-draped sardines and thought "This is great, but what if four people could swing plastic instruments around and warble an off-key version of 'Thunderstruck' just a few feet from us?" Finally, a retailer has stepped up to cater to our needs as Old Navy has announced it'll be putting Rock Band kiosks in 700 of its stores beginning on Black Friday.

Also, on Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, those who spend more than $25 at the store will get a free Rock Band track to take home, though we can't imagine why you'd want to play Rock Band at home when you could be playing in Old Navy.

Check out Joystiq's Black Friday Game Deals Hub or jump to a retailer guide below:

For more Black Friday coverage, check out Black Friday Deals, Cyber Monday Sales,
And other Black Friday 2009 stories today from Walletpop.com

Red Bull Island Home space update coming Nov. 26

by David Hinkle { 2 days ago }

Tomorrow, you'll find some big additions coming to the Red Bull Island space in PlayStation Home. Don't worry, Sony isn't fiddling with your cherished Red Bull Air Race mini-game, but rather adding two new mini-games to the virtual tropical island. First is Red Bull Illume, an area for the sports and action photogs out there. Then there's the Redbull Flugtag mini-game, which will pretty much be a game adaptation of the real thing -- players can launch one of five pre-made flying contraptions off a 30-foot launch pad.

Starting on Monday, November 30 at 6pm PDT, you'll be able to see some real-life, behind-the-scenes footage of the Flugtag in the Home theater. There will also be trivia and, if you're one of the first five lucky individuals who send in a trivia answer here during the event, you could win yourself a PSP Go! How's that for incentive?

PSP 3D viewer release appears slightly more distant

by JC Fletcher { 2 days ago }

If you've been waiting patiently to enhance your PSP experience with 3D effects, we've got some kind of disappointing news. The V-Screen peripheral, originally announced for a holiday release, will now be launched at CES, which takes place January 7-10. At least it's a specific release period.

Attendees will get to see:

what it would look like if someone made a Light Boy for PSP, and
"optical technology first developed for the medical world in order to enhance depth cues hidden in existing images."

It seems like the best way to sell technology like this is to show it off to a crowd ravenous for gadgets. We know we're actually quite curious about the promised depth-enhancement effects.
The press release says that the device works with the "PSP 1000, 2000, 3000 and Slim." Even more mysteriously, the official website says that it's "compatible with all currently available Sony PSP models, including the original PSP, the PSP 2000 and the PSP 4000." You might be able to get a Go in the case, if you keep it closed. Unless the screen part detaches from the case part, which would be convenient.

After Burner Climax rated by OFLC and Korean board, possibly coming to PSN

by Griffin McElroy { 2 days ago }

Though it might lose some of its magic without the full chair-and-tinted-window-equipped arcade cabinet, we're still pretty pumped about the possibility of getting our hands on a port of Sega's classic flight combat sim, After Burner. According to the OFLC and the Korean Game Rating Board, it's only a matter of time before our wish is fulfilled -- GamerBytes recently noticed that both groups have rated Sega's After Burner Climax for home console distribution.

According to the Korean board, the rating was applied for by Sony, leading some to believe the title's planned launch platform is the PSN. However, considering the multi-platform release of Outrun Online Arcade, we wouldn't be surprised if Sega decided to share the aerial dogfighting love with the 360 as well. We've contacted the hedgehog-loving developer to find out exactly what its plans are for the title.

So there's this squid in Assassin's Creed 2

by Justin McElroy { 2 days ago }

As if you needed another reason to love Assassin's Creed II, the video just below the break shows that it also contains our very favorite kind of squid: a secret squid. Apparently, staring into a pool in the last chamber of the Santa Maria Delle Visitazione for just under a minute will net you a visit from the sizable cephalopod you see in the image above.

Just as a warning, the video has a couple of instances of profanity. Why you'd want to sully such a beautiful moment is, frankly, beyond us.

[Thanks, Sean!]

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Rock Band Weekly: Nirvana, Night Ranger

by Alexander Sliwinski { 2 days ago }

Ummm ... "Smells Like Teen Spirit." That is all one needs to know about next week's Rock Band DLC. How many of us out there will finally learn the lyrics to the song we mumbled for years every time it popped up on the radio?

Remember radio? Wow, feels like forever ago. Check out the full update after the break.

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

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Uncharted 2 gets DLC fort free on Friday, Nov. 27

by Andrew Yoon { 2 days ago }

Click to doughnut-size.

PS3 owners will want to stay home on Black Friday. Why? Naughty Dog is releasing the first downloadable content for Uncharted 2's multiplayer mode this Friday, November 27. A title update will add "The Fort," a brand new multiplayer map supposedly based on the "Fortress" chapter of Drake's Fortune. According to the press release, "The Fort is a long rectangular map with wide open spaces and excellent flank routes." There's a shotgun in the center of the map and an RPG in the crypt (the inevitable resting place of people on the wrong end of that weapon). Best of all, this update will be free.

Once the patch goes live at 1PM ET, Naughty Dog will also initiate a Double Cash weekend. Teams will have special skins in competitive matches: Doughnut Drake for the Heroes (pictured above), and Doughnut Lazarevic for the Villains.

See a video after the break.

Gallery: Uncharted 2: Battle of the Doughnuts

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Black Friday Video Game Deals Hub

by James Ransom-Wiley { 2 days ago }

We wish it didn't have to be like this. But it is. Gorged, bloated and possessed by the lure of unbeatable savings, you will scratch and claw your way through masses of equally frenzied shoppers. There, in the dim light of dawn, you will forsake all that was sacred of the Thanksgiving, and take what's yours -- for an awfully good price. So then, let us be your guide.

We've scoured the Black Friday circulars of nationwide retailers and singled out the video game deals in the guides below. Just click on a retailer to view:

Head past the break for additional tips!

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Yes, more Ys is coming to PSP

by JC Fletcher { 2 days ago }

The Ys series gets around. Primarily a PC-based franchise, Falcom's action-RPG series is ported to everything that can play games in Japan. It appears on the PSP in the form of Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim, Ys I&II Chronicles, and (soon) Ys VII.

Yet another Ys game is migrating over to PSP, as Falcom announced that Oath in Felghana, a port of the PC game of the same name (pictured), will be released in Japan on April 22, with upgraded controls, voiced "events," and the ability to switch between versions of the soundtrack.

Oath in Felghana is a remake of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, swapping out that game's unusual side-scrolling gameplay for the traditional Zelda-esque Ys style.

Rock Band platform now has over 1,000 songs

by Griffin McElroy { 2 days ago }

A recent press release has informed us that with the release of today's Rock Band 2 DLC pack, Harmonix has met its goal of having over 1,000 songs on the platform before the holidays. According to the presser, these tracks represent the work of 390 musical artists. The rhythm gaming community has downloaded over 60 million songs from the Rock Band Music Store, which Harmonix has kept alive and kicking with new musical additions for 105 consecutive weeks.

To put this achievement in chronological terms, we'd estimate that the average length of these songs is, oh, about four minutes. By our calculations, a full playthrough of the Rock Band catalog would take you two days, 18 hours and 40 minutes. Not accounting for the number of times you'll inevitably fail out on "Painkiller," of course.

Congratulations, Harmonix, on this rocking accomplishment! Now, get back to work. That Paul Simon track pack isn't going to program itself.

Metareview: Tony Hawk Ride

by Griffin McElroy { 2 days ago }

We're so proud of the individuals who managed to play through the pain radiating from their twisted, throbbing ankle, and craft a review for the latest (peripheral-infused) installment in the Hawkman's gaming franchise, Tony Hawk: Ride. Here's what these brave, persistent critics had to say about the experience.

Game Informer (5.75/10): "As a skateboarder and as a gamer, Tony Hawk: Ride is a curious idea but a letdown in practice. The huge level of frustration is not worth the time it takes to master the awkward gameplay idiosyncrasies."
IGN (5/10): "The idea? A more immersive skateboarding game that would ride the recent wave of hit games featuring their own custom controllers. The result? An expensive proposition that neither casual nor hardcore gamers will get much out of."
GameSpy (2.5/5 Stars): "As expected, Tony Hawk Ride is an experiment -- an interesting and ambitious experiment, but one that doesn't come together as a fully functional experience. I love the basic feel of the board, and had occasional bouts of fun amidst frequent frustration, but THR's gargantuan buy-in price is an awful lot to ask of an effective guinea pig audience."
Giant Bomb (1/5 Stars): "While the Tony Hawk franchise has been down on its luck lately, and was probably in need of a reboot as dramatic as this, the execution is such a miserable failure that it manages to splash even more mud on Tony Hawk's legacy. I'm left with a firm belief that whichever side of the Tony Hawk/Activision partnership has the out clause in the contract should just exercise it and part ways for good. Enough is enough. "

Gravitate to Halfbrick's newest PSP Mini, Blast Off

by Griffin McElroy { 2 days ago }

Listen, you're going to need a solid handheld game if you're going to survive tomorrow's family-fueled Thanksgiving festivities. You know, something discreet you can hide under the table, or perhaps behind a towering pile of yams. Indie developer Halfbrick has you covered -- the studio released its second PSP Mini onto the PSN yesterday: An "interstellar arcade game" titled Blast Off.

The game, which arrived on the PSN storefront for the bargain price of $2.99, places you behind the controls of a rocket ship. Whilst piloting said spacecraft, you must navigate through the gravitational fields of planets, asteroids and black holes to rescue lost astronauts. It sounds like an neat little diversion to help you get through the post-pumpkin pie family bonding time.

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