Another week and another update for the PlayStation Network Store. This time round there’s several expansion packs available for both the PS3 and PSP. Also on the PSP are five full games for download including Monster Hunter Freedom: Unite and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09.

Numblast is available on both systems for £3.99/€4.99. Move the cursor around the board to swap the numeric cell positions. Combos can be achieved by lining identical numbers up in 2×2 squares.

Read the full list of games added after the break.

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Left 4 Dead DLC announcement soon!

All the controveresy surrounding the rather quick release announcement of Left 4 Dead 2 at E3 has left a lot of L4D fans reeling in frustration and anger. Why?  They believe it is far too soon to be releasing a sequel to Left 4 Dead (PC/X360 only) in just under a year between releases. However, Valve, the developers of the series have stated that they will be supporting the 1st Left 4 Dead as planned with more DLC coming soon in an announcement today. The Valve plan is for both games to run concurrently alongside each other which rarely happens in the Video game industry as people/consumers usally move onto the sequel. According to Valve:

 At a recent press event that took place in London earlier today, Lombardi told us, “We plan to keep supporting Left 4 Dead 1. There will be some announcements coming before summer’s out about what’s coming there, and then we haven’t shown everything that’s in Left 4 Dead 2 yet.” Lombardi added, “I think 8, 9 months from now once everything’s been out for a while and everyone’s had time to see the complete product of Left 4 Dead 2 and see continued support for Left 4 Dead 1, they may sort of see what we were up to and what the method of our madness was there.”

The upcoming DLC will be for both PC and Xbox 360, he confirmed. As for Left 4 Dead 2, you’ll be able to try before you buy with a pre-release demo. “With Left 4 Dead in particular we’ve found that word of mouth really is the strongest thing,” Lombardi told OXM. “With Left 4 Dead 2 we plan do a demo before the game comes out that’ll have multiplayer in it and hopefully we can continue the free weekends with the full game post-launch.”

So, there you have it from the horse’s mouth ( or dead horse!). more L4D1 DLC is coming and it’s free before the sequel, L4D2 very soon, both games will run concurrently with each other. This may in fact work, it may be a dead loss……..(sic)

You read right Sega is giving us iPhone and iPod Touch users a free game. So get to your app store now and download it!

Details from SEGA:

“In honor of July 4, SEGA is offering the spectacular puzzler Columns for free to all iPhone/iPod Touch owners. For the whole July 4th weekend, gamers can grab this gaming gem for free and enjoy addictive puzzle fun! Players return to ancient Phoenicia and behold the jeweled Columns as they strategically align falling gems across, down or diagonally - racing against the clock or taking on the computer for hours of challenging gameplay. Easy to pick up, difficult to master and fiendishly addicting, Columns features Timed, Challenge and Endless modes, as well as three levels of difficulty.”

Thanks SEGA

Okay get off your couch and grab your copy of Gears 2, mine needs a good dusting off. It’s Double XP weekend!

Details from Epic:

“Gears of War 2 celebrates the Fourth of July holiday with an explosive Double XP Weekend! Starting Friday, July 3, and running through the weekend, Gearheads can expect double XP in all game types, as well as bonus XP for those teams emerging victorious from battle. And if you’re in the mood for fireworks, be sure to check out the special all-Ticker rounds in every tenth wave of Horde!”

Anyone wanting to team up I’m available.

Feel like you’re ready to make some of your own Xbox 360 games? Kodu Game Lab is now available for 400 Microsoft Points ($5).

Features of Kodu, from Microsoft:

“Kodu” lets anyone from age 7 to 70 harness the power and fun of Xbox 360 to bring their own unique game creations to life. With a simple image-based creator menu and potentially millions of creation options, game development has never been as intuitive for kids and adults of all ages. Players’ imagination is the only limit they’ll face with “Kodu.”

Create a one-of-a-kind game with only an Xbox 360 controller from the comfort of the couch, including the following:

- A bridge and path builder.
- A terrain editor.
- Co-op gameplay and create modes.
- 20 “Kodu” characters with different abilities.
- Breakthrough visual user menu that requires no experience.
- Almost 200 behavioral building blocks with potentially millions of ways to create and combine new actions for characters

You can queue up the demo here on your 360

Sony patents method to emulate PS2 games on PS3 (Rumour)

Rumour has it that Sony are currently involved in a new patent to emulate PS2 games on the PS3. It is already possible to play your PS1 discs on the PS3, and as we all know, when the high overpriced 60GB model PS3 was first introduced on the market, it could play PS2 games. However, since then, Sony removed that feature and a few other features, a few USB ports et al taken out to cut the price of the current now 8oGB model (although they replaced it with a 40GB model initially). Confused? Yes!

Sony have it rumoured to have patented the emulation software as the PS3 contains the PS2 chip! Remember the bitchin Sony gave MS for 360 non Backwards compatibility forcing MS to make emulation software downloadable to play xbox 1 games on the 360? Well, now, Sony are coming back with a vengenance on the PS3 and backwards compatibility. Acccording to Kotaku:

A patent discovered by Siliconera, however, suggests that Sony might be re-thinking this stance. Filed in December 2008, it’s basically a patent for a method that would allow the PS3’s Cell chip to translate code from the PS2’s Emotion Engine. Not half-assed software emulation (which in previous PS3 models couldn’t run some games), full, total replication of the functionality of the Emotion Engine.

Which means, theoretically at least, you could play any PS2 game on any PS3, regardless of the model or year of release.

Whether this would allow you to play actual PS2 discs, or would just be the advance party for the sale of PS2 downloads on the PlayStation Store is unclear. We’d like the former, but with Sony being a business and all, would expect the latter.

Lets hope this move is due to Sony’s 10 year lifecycle theory of the PS2 ending next year and therefore dropping the PS2 form the market finally, and concentrating on the PS3 fully. It would make more sense as PS1 games aree already playable, and many PS2 games would be welcome to be played on the PS3 instead of digging out that PS2 to finish off that God Of War game or FFX game etc.

About Trine:

“In Trine™, players work together to create and use objects to solve challenging physics-based puzzles and defeat dangerous enemies. Set in a kingdom on the verge of chaos, a warrior, a wizard, and a thief are bound by a powerful artifact known as “the Trine”. Together, they must battle the forces of space, energy, and motion to put an end to the reign of the dark sorcerer that rules the kingdom.

Featuring three-player cooperative play, each character has specific talents to invent new solutions to puzzles and original ways to defeat enemies. The Wizard can use magic to create objects and new paths, the Thief can use her agility and accuracy to quickly deal with enemies, and the Warrior unleashes pure destruction everywhere he travels.”

Trine will be coming to PCs in summer 2009. A PlayStation Network (PS3) release is also planned.

Download the demo here

It’s coming up to the 7th of the 7th and that can only mean one thing in the world of Halo 3 - Bungie Day is on the way!

Bungie Day 2009 will take place on the 7th of July and will include community map playlists, 4 vs 4 playlists, the chance to beat the Bungie developers at literally their own game and to top it all off players have the chance to win Halo 3 recon armor to top off what promises to be a great event for Halo 3 fans.

There’s gonna be tons of community maps on display (your maps!), dozens of Bungie employees rocking flames and stomping mud-holes in your soon to be thoroughly stomped and mud-holed faces, and of course, ridonkulous amounts of Recon armor on offer. We’re (as the kids are wont to say) gonna make it rain.



Square Enix Sued for $5 million.

Some news that does put an extremely good games publisher in a good light. Square Enix are currently being sued by an ‘Esther Leong’, a San Farncisco Resident, according to Kotaku, claims that ’lied about or concealed its monthly fees, penalties for late payments, interest, restrictions and other things that should have been fully disclosed at points of purchase” — basically, Square Enix has been “deceptive”.

The court filing reads:

The deceptive advertising, unfair and undisclosed business practices, and concealment concern, among others:

i. Licensing of the online games software disguised as a sale;
ii. Monthly fees (”fees”) to play the online games;
iii. Penalties for late payment of the fees;
iv. Interest charges for late payment of the fees;
v. Charges while the online game account is suspended;
vi. Termination of the right to use the online games for late payment of the fees;
vii. User restrictions and conditions related to the online games;
viii. Termination of game data for payment of the fees.

honestly, I dont know whether this is true or not, having not played FFXI online or that Square Enix were being deceptive but it does appear odd that these regulations were not specified. We only tell from the outcome expecially if its someone aftedr cool million bucks!

Shawn Cenac has created a PSP theme for custom firmware 5.00M33.

Download: Blueslide CTF XMB Theme for 5.00M33

GTA: Chinatown Wars coming to PSP/PSPGO! and PSN!

GTA: Chinatown Wars was rated has the highest age rated game on the NDS and sold only 89,000 copies worldwide! maybe this shows that the DS is really just a family handheld console after all, as sales figures like that are pitiful for a GTA title on any platform. Take Two Interactive announced this morning that GTA: Chinatown Wars will be coming to PSP (2000/3000), PSP GO! and PSN Store! According to Kotaku and Take Two:

“We’re proud to extend this truly unique handheld Grand Theft Auto experience to PSP and offer a downloadable version of Chinatown Wars for PSPgo,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Rockstar Leeds has shown incredible talent in creating games that raise the bar in terms of depth and innovation on portables, and with Chinatown Wars we have a rich, fast-paced, and incredibly addictive entry into the series.”

Of Course our old favourite mouthpiece from Sony - Jack Tretton states -

“Rockstar’s work with the GTA series has been an enormous part of the success of PlayStation platforms,” said Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. “We’re excited to welcome the critically acclaimed Chinatown Wars to the outstanding line-up of great games headed to the PSP platform this fall.”

Besides a UMD release for PSP 2000/3000 and a digital download release for PSP GO! it will also be available for download on the PSN Store and playable on the PS3 (we hope!)

Pics Courtesy Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5299516/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-coming-to-psp

Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees
Available for Xbox 360, PC
Publisher: Xbox LIVE Arcade
Developer: Telltale Games
Release date: 5/27/09
Rated E for Everyone

Summary from Telltale Games:

“Join Wallace & Gromit in Fright of the Bumblebees, the first of four grand adventures! The inventor and his loyal pooch are faced with a big problem. They need 50 gallons of honey by tonight – far more than their bees can handle! When Wallace’s plans to step up production go horribly awry, it falls to Gromit to fight off the angry swarm. Featuring a brand new story with the same slapstick humour, cinematic visuals, and charm fans of the Wallace & Gromit films have come to love, Fright of the Bumblebees kicks off this four-episode series in cracking style!”

Supposedly a great first introduction to the series but there are reported glitches, I guess there will be updates though.

The world’s largest third-party video game publisher says it may stop supporting Sony’s consoles.

In an interview with The Times (London), Activision CEO Bobby Kotick expressed concern for the PlayStation 3 software sales and the cost of development:

The PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation. … If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.

While I would love a price cut on the PS3, I think this is a bit premature on Activision’s part. I mean we just had E3 and there are a slew of games coming out people are buying the PS3 just not at the rate Sony and game producers want. I say stick in there Activision and the rewards will come.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has created the official God of War III website. Thereis plenty of screen shots and updates for those of you who are counting down the days.

Make sure to take a minute to sign up for the “God of War III Spartan Army” which grants you access to some exclusive content on the game. God of War III will be available on March 2010 for the Playstation 3.

Maybe not the most tasteful topic for a PC web browser game, Swine Flu has started infecting the PC gaming community. Games are split between those where you try to infect as many people as possible and those where you try to stop the spread of infections. It is certainly not right to laugh at other peoples suffering, but as gamers, we do seem to enjoy games themed around bloody violence and human tradegy.

The game Sneeze was commissioned by the Wellcome Trust to educate the public on the dangers of spreading infections by sneezing. You have to move yourself to a position and then press the space bar to sneeze, the objective being to infect as many people as possible, to show how easy airborne viruses can be spread.

Swinefighter, on the other hand is a bash the mole rip off game, where you have to immunize a pigs head somewhere on the world map with a giant syringe.

The game Aporkalypse Now is a First Person Shooter, where you need to roam around and bash pigs with a frying pan. Maybe a First Person Panner is a more appropriate name, although you can pick up a gun and blast them too.

Finally Swine Flu:Hamdemic, where the aim of the game is to catapult the pigs out of Mexico and across the border into the US. This is hardly a game at all and is probably more of a political statement, although the images of the pig sailing through the air and bouncing are funny.

Bacon sandwich anyone?

Nintendo is releasing a unique DS Lite bundle in the UK. The Nintendo DS Lite Professor Layton and the Curious Village bundle will be available on June 19th for £119.99. The bundle includes a Black DS Lite system and Professor Layton and the Curious Village. The bundle may be to commemorate Professor Layton and the Curious Village for its BAFTA for “Best Handheld Game” or for Father’s Day.

We people across the pond will not be getting according to my sources, I do have a DS and I may have to dust it off now as it was deemed “Best Handheld Game”. Has anyone played it, is it really that good?

Apparently the folks at EA who created Dante’s Inferno held a fake protest over their own game and now the Christian’s are in a tizzy.

Inside Catholic says on its website, “It’s been clear for a while now that the entertainment industry views Christians on the whole as priggish, thin-skinned fun-killers,” further wondering if “anyone at EA even read the Inferno.”

Catholic Video Gamers fires an even more direct shot at EA’s Dante’s Inferno, saying, “Instead of engaging in a shamelessly anti-Christian stunt to promote your poor excuse of a product, maybe you ought to work on making this game, you know, something better than a blatant God of War rip-off.”

What do you think?

Oh yes there are screen shots and the game looks beautiful. I want it and I want it now. I haven’t played a Final Fantasy games since, well I can’t remember to be honest.

I hope you enjoy the shots as much as I do.

Final Fantasy VII was released on the Playstation Store last week for $9.99. As expected, the popular RPG is currently the most downloaded content on the digital store for both the PSP and the Playstation 3. Resident Evil: Director’s Cut is second on both storefronts as well.

Hopefully there will be more games released on the PSN, the fact that you don’t have backwards compatibility will probably make it possible for more releases and that this game is still popular after all these years.

The European Capcom website has announced that it will be bundling Monster Hunter Freedom Unite with the Mystic Silver PSP-3000. The main features of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite are:

• The biggest Monster Hunter title to date, with over 500 hours of gameplay
• Huge variety of character customizations, including 1500 weapons and 2000 armor sets
• Players can form a team of up to 4 players through wireless Ad-Hoc play and experience the multiplayer social gaming phenomenon
• “Media Install” option where players can save the game to a memory stick, allowing the game to load from the memory stick and UMD simultaneously for faster loading times
• AI “Felyne” companion who will accompany players on quests and gather extra resources. With the ‘felyne casting’ feature players can share their companions with other players, transferring data using the PSP’s sleep mode.
• Fans of the series can transfer their character data from Monster Hunter Freedom 2 to continue their adventures

Expect this beauty to be released on June 26th across most European territories and will come with a Monster Hunter PSP carry-pouch, screen wipe and Monster Hunter skin which fits right over the PSP, along with the copy of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.