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Square Enix reveals European Dissidia collector's edition

by Jem Alexander { Jul 3rd 2009 at 6:30PM }

Sure, Europe still has some slight delay when getting Square Enix PSP titles, when compared to the US, but at least when they arrive, they come with extra goodies. Crisis Core had a bonus art book and now Dissidia will be getting the collector's edition treatment.

This special edition will include a regular boxed copy of the game inside clamshell packaging, as shown in the image to the right. Also in the box will be a "Best Selection Soundtrack Mini-CD," with specially chosen tracks from the game and liner notes by the composer.

There will also be a 48-page hardback artbook, similar to the Crisis Core one, and a Brady Games Official Miniguide and two lithograph prints. Not a bad package, overall, but we're still waiting for the announcement of the European release of the limited edition Dissidia PSP-3000. It is coming, right Square Enix?

God Eater website opens, reveals dark debut trailer

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 3rd 2009 at 5:00PM }

It looks like God Eater may be much more than a simple Monster Hunter clone. While the gameplay is focused on multiplayer monster slayin', we're digging the game's dark anime look. The music is particularly exciting to listen to. Check out the official website for another soothing piano ballad. We have to admit -- we're really getting pumped for this one.

Weekly Monster Hunter DLC begins today

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 3rd 2009 at 11:45AM }

Just like its Japanese counterpart, the English language version of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite will feature weekly downloadable content. Best of all, it'll be free! Expect updates every Friday for the next few months. The first content update, available today, is a new "Epic Hunting Quest" called "The Triumvirate of the Sands." This quest will feature the monsters Daimyo Hermitaur, Tigrex, Plesioth, and will take place in the desert (hence the "Sands" part, you see?). Survive and you'll be able to net 12300z.

In order to download the DLC, all you need to do is boot up the game in your PSP and click Download from the start menu. No need to log on to the PlayStation Network or download anything from the PlayStation Store. Not bad, huh?

PSP Go processor more than 40% faster than original

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 2nd 2009 at 6:40PM }

The PSP Go isn't just smaller than the original PSP series -- it's more powerful. In fact, it features a processor that's more than 40% faster than the original. The original PSP (1000-3000) series include a processor capable of reaching 333MHz speeds. FCC documents reveal that the PSP Go (N1001) includes a processor that can go up to 480MHz.

It's unclear what the added processor power will be used for. It may be necessary for PSP Go-specific features, like in-game XMB. But will it be used in more traditional gaming applications? If so, could we possibly see PSP Go-exclusive games? Perhaps. Nintendo has released a very small number of applications exclusively for the upgraded DSi, which also features a much beefier processor than its predecessor so there's portable precedence.

[Via Sony Insider]

Watch cougars and spoiled brats for free on the PlayStation Store

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 2nd 2009 at 6:00PM }

For a limited time, you'll be able to download free episodes of two Bravo reality shows from the PlayStation Store. The first episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey and NYC Prep are available to download for free. These reality shows will lift your spirits, making you thankful for not being these people. Watch comedy ensue as cameras follow a series of desperate New Jersey housewives banter about their hair, and a group of spoiled rich kids complain about how rich they are.

Ain't television grand?

PSN Thursday: The Punisher will shock you to your Qore

by Jem Alexander { Jul 2nd 2009 at 5:00PM }

The American PSN update today isn't quite as interesting as the European one, but it's still got an okay amount of content. Punisher: No Mercy has been released, alongside the latest episode of Qore and the normal amount of DLC. PSP fans can choose from a selection of new games, including Capcom Classics Collection Remixed. There are also some more PS3 and PSP themes and some Rock Band Unplugged DLC.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continued →

Final Fantasy, Street Fighter and Castlevania top the PSone sales charts

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 2nd 2009 at 4:15PM }

Sony is printing money with its slowly expanding library of PSone classics on the PlayStation Store. Playable on both PSP and PS3, these downloadable titles have been an easy way to prey upon gamer nostalgia. Unsurprisingly, the most iconic games of the PS1 era take the top of the PSone downloads chart in the month of June:

Final Fantasy VII
Street Fighter Alpha
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Crash Bandicoot
Twisted Metal 2
Spyro the Dragon
Crash Bandicoot: WARPED
Crash Bandicoot 2
Wild Arms
Tekken 2

It shouldn't be too surprising to see multiple Crash Bandicoot games take positions in the top 10. He was, after all, PlayStation's official mascot back in the day. Let's remember him with some classic PS1 ads after the break.

Continued →

New Games This Month: July 2009

by Justin McElroy { Jul 2nd 2009 at 3:30PM }

We're just gonna come right out and say it: July 2009 may be the worst month for new retail releases ever. Unless you like 2D fighters that is, because in that case, it's awesome. Or games about movies about hamsters, those two groups are being really well serviced.

If you haven't fully prepared yourself for the horror, we'd suggest you gird your mind with all the reason and clarity you can muster before continuing on.

Gallery: New Games This Month: July 2009

European PSN releases for July 2

by Jem Alexander { Jul 2nd 2009 at 3:00PM }

Okay Sony, we forgive you for the last couple of weeks. Today's PSN update is chock full of content, with particular emphasis on downloadable games. Punisher and Topatoi are joined by James Pond 2 and Numblast, plus a demo for Red Baron. There's also the usual amount of DLC for those rhythm games you kids love so much, along with a new MotorStorm Pacific Rift expansion.

PSP owners can grab Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, a PSP version of Numblast and some other games, but if none take your fancy at least there's some new Rock Band Unplugged DLC.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continued →

We can't stop buying this PS1 iPhone case

by Justin McElroy { Jul 2nd 2009 at 2:45PM }

Our problem isn't that we're waffling on whether or not to buy one of these gorgeous, felt, PlayStation One-shaped iPhone cases. Our problem is that we can't stop buying them. Every time we confirm our order we think of yet another reason we need one. What if we lose the first one in a house fire? What if the second one goes through the wash? What if we want our iPhone to have a different yet identical outfit for every day of the week like Doug Funnie?

We hope you understand our predicament. We also hope you understand why they seem to be temporarily sold out.

[Via Gizmodo]

Sony: PSP without UMD 'always the plan'

by David Hinkle { Jul 2nd 2009 at 11:45AM }

During an interview with GameBusiness.jp, Sony's product planning division head honcho, Naoya Matsui, commented that Sony always had plans to go UMD-less, and that the PSP Go is the fruition of all that planning. "We'd planned to release a PSP model without a UMD drive since the very beginning," Matsui said. He further makes his case by stating, "But if we'd simply released the hardware, there wouldn't have been much for everyone to enjoy. We needed to prepare the right environment for it first - things like the transferral [sic] of content with the PS3 and PSN, and PC software to manage content like music and movies such as Media Go."

Matsui explains that part of the progression of the PSP to the PSP Go is that Sony had to wait until digital content was on par with physical media, and that the timing now is right. That's one of the reasons Sony is still selling the existing PSP alongside the Go. Well, that, and it's probably not a good idea to have a single handheld that costs as much as a Wii.

[Via Edge]

U-Wars: it's like Gears of War, but underwater

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 2nd 2009 at 11:00AM }

Here's a rather interesting game from a small Russian developer. Currently without a publisher, U-Wars is a third-person shooter that takes place primarily underwater. Players will still be able to duck behind cover, but the mechanic gets an interesting twist in the absence of gravity. With supposedly destructible environments, there's a lot of potential in the game's combat: imagine ducking behind cover, thrusting up, and shooting some harpoons at enemies below. If done properly, the underwater setting offers the potential for a lot of fun.

Underwater combat isn't entirely new, as it's been seen in games like Tomb Raider Underworld and Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow. It'll be interesting to see how U-Wars fares once it finds a publisher and makes its way to PC, Xbox 360 and PSP.

Check out a video after the break.

Gallery: U-Wars

[Via MobileTechReview]

Continued →

Hot Shots 'Refresh' revealed as a minigame collection

by Randy Nelson { Jul 1st 2009 at 6:00PM }

First teased by developer Clap Hanz a couple days back, IGN reports that the latest casual sporting game in the Hot Shots franchise is actually a collection of 12 disparate minigames. Minna no Sukkiri ("sukirri" is Japanese for "refresh") does feature some sports -- karate, baseball, soccer, boxing, racing -- but only in bite-sized servings. The remaining seven games are ... well, they're odd, comprised of book-organizing, vegetable fighting and vacuuming, to name just a few.

We can see this minigame jumble getting a strong push for PSP Go in the States -- under a completely different name, of course. The Japanese version is slated for release this fall and a demo will be made available on Japan's PlayStation Store this Friday, July 3.

Capcom reveals list of PSP and PS1 games coming to PSN

by Jem Alexander { Jul 1st 2009 at 5:30PM }

Capcom is making good on its promise to release a ridiculous amount of PSP and PS1 titles on the PSN and has announced, via the PS Blog, the next batch of games that will be available to (re)purchase. Resident Evil fans won't be disappointed with the rest of the PS1 franchise entries making their way to the PSN, alongside Dino Crisis. PSP fans will also get their hands on seven titles, including two Mega Man games, two Capcom Classics collections, Darkstalkers and Power Stone Collection.

It's a pretty good bunch of games and you can see the full list after the break. Other than Capcom Classics Remixed, which releases in America this week, none of the other games have been dated for any territory, nor even confirmed for European release. We've contacted Capcom Europe to ask, but release dates for the US will be revealed on the PlayStation Blog over time.

Continued →

Citroen concept car gets driven around UK, impresses Londoners

by Ben Gilbert { Jul 1st 2009 at 5:00PM }

French car maker Citroën drove its "GTbyCitroën" concept car from the perpetually "coming soon" Gran Turismo 5 around London streets recently. It toured the the real-life version of a street track from the game and, wouldn't you know it, people everywhere were going nuts. Busting out cameras, mouths agape staring while the car rumbled past -- it's as if they'd never seen such a purty car before.

Oh right! That's because they haven't ever seen the car before, because it's still a concept, unveiled at last year's Paris Auto Show as a collaboration between Polyphony Digital and Citroën. We have the full video after the break, but as you might imagine, it's not exactly nailing apexes and drafting opponents so much as slowly winding around pedestrian-filled British streets. With any luck, we'll have a more ... erm ... action-oriented video of the car soon for your viewing pleasure, as it'll be making an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this coming weekend.