Continue reading CES 09: DC Universe Online developer walkthrough

CES 09: DC Universe Online developer walkthrough originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

David Jaffe is the focus of The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' weekly feature Ten Questions, where a member of the industry is subjected to ... well, ten questions. When asked about which title the acclaimed video game designer is "most jealous" of, he named Metal Gear Solid 4 as his choice, praising it as "an amazing achievement of both gameplay and mastering the process of game production. To make a game of that scale and at that level of quality clearly took a whole hell of a lot of tenacity and vision."

You know what we think? Jaffe states in the feature that if he wasn't a game developer, he would be a movie director or film editor -- and we gotta say, MGS4 is as film-like as they come.

[Via Joystiq]

Which game is David Jaffe 'most jealous' of? MGS4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Word on da street is that a Killzone 2 bundle is headed for Europe -- there's even a picture of the bundle to accompany the rumor. From the looks of it, the bundle will include an 80GB PS3, a single DualShock 3 controller and a copy of the PS3 exclusive first-person shooter. No release date was given, but we are assuming it will be around the same time as the release date for the game, February 25th.

If this proves to be true, we think US gamers can officially be jealous of gamers on the Old Continent.

Source -- Gamekyo
Source -- GOONL!NE

Rumor: Killzone 2 bundle headed for Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From Software just released a Japanese trailer for the PSP version of Tenchu 4 and it has everything one would expect from a game of the stealth-action franchise. Check it out after the jump -- badass ninjas sneaking around at night, check. Villain with a maniacal laugh, check. Blades piercing various people, check. Damsel in distress, check. The graphics also look like they haven't suffered a downgrade compared to the Wii version. Still no word yet on a US release.

And last but not least, the trailer confirms the inclusion of kittens in the game. Is it too early to crown Tenchu 4 GOTY?

[Via Siliconera]

Continue reading Tenchu 4 PSP trailer showcases plenty of ninja action

Tenchu 4 PSP trailer showcases plenty of ninja action originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's start things off with a Blu-ray special: Amazon is having a Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale on 247 different Blu-ray titles right now. Take advantage of this deal here. Now, let's take a look at this week's releases:

Theatrical releases:

• Appaloosa
• Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
  
• Mirrors
  
• My Best Friend's Girl
  
• Swing Vote
  
• Superhero Movie
  
• Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling

We had an excellent time with Appaloosa, an old-school Western helmed by Ed Harris that features stellar acting and solid writing. Mirrors starts out okay, but by the second half one couldn't wait for this dull excuse of a horror movie to end. Theatrical releases are above, everything else (including TV releases) are after the jump:

Continue reading Blu-ray releases for the week of January 11th

Blu-ray releases for the week of January 11th originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony: Home was probably announced too early originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SOCOM: Confrontation's highly-anticipated 1.30 update, which has been met with delay after delay, will finally be released on January 9th, at 5AM EST/2AM PST. Hey, that's in a couple of hours! The patch brings with it Trophies (a list of them can be viewed here), D-pad lean-in, a Quick Match/Party system, as well as key bug fixes and new features.

The update will take an hour or two to happen, so the game will be down until approximately 7AM EST/4AM PST. And ouch -- this patch will also wipe out all player statistics.

It's been a long time coming, Slant Six! Let's hope everything goes smoothly.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

SOCOM 1.30 patch brings Trophies and more tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Huh? Hilton Garden Inn made a training game for the PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Exploit that works on the PSP Brite found in GripShift

Exploit that works on the PSP Brite found in GripShift originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PSP software sales in the UK dropped dramatically during 2008 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• "Space Truckin'" -- Deep Purple
  
• "Funk #49" -- James Gang
  
• "Hymn 43" -- Jethro Tull
  
• "Take Back the City" -- Snow Patrol

• "Claudette"
• "In Dreams"
• "Mean Woman Blues"
• "Oh, Pretty Woman"
• "Ooby Dooby"
• "You Got It"

Rock Band DLC: Roy Orbison, Jethro Tull and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Already hailed by Empire magazine as one of the best TV shows of all time, Dexter's charming self arrives on Blu-ray this week:

Theatrical releases:

• Babylon A.D.
• Bangkok Dangerous
  
• Disaster Movie
  
• Friday Night Lights
  
• Hard Gun
  
• The Last Emperor
  
• Opium and the Kung Fu Master
  
• Pineapple Express
  
• Righteous Kill
  
• The Wackness

The Criterion Collection continues its peculiar (though certainly not unwelcome) practice of releasing their Blu-ray releases at prices lower than their DVD counterparts with The Last Emperor. Pineapple Express is a charming fast-paced comedy that even non-stoners can enjoy. Finally, a movie that truly lives up to its name: Disaster Movie. Theatrical releases are above, everything else (including TV releases) are after the jump:

Continue reading Blu-ray releases for the week of January 4th

Blu-ray releases for the week of January 4th originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Weekly Shonen anniversary ensemble fighter announced

Weekly Shonen anniversary ensemble fighter announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We already know Amazon is offering some exclusive skins for your avatar in Home if you pre-order Killzone 2 from the popular online retailer. Looks like Gamestop and Best Buy wants in on some of that pre-order action, too -- reserving your copy at Gamestop will grant you access to an exclusive demo of the game that begins on February 3rd while patronizing Best Buy will yield you an exclusive PS3 theme. Strangely, Best Buy's pre-order page makes no mention of the complimentary theme [Update: Actually, the free theme from Best Buy is mentioned here], but a promotional e-mail from Sony does.

So, which pre-order goody seems the most enticing to you?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Source -- Gamestop Killzone 2 pre-order
Source -- Best Buy Killzone 2 pre-order via PSN e-mail

Pre-order Killzone 2, get the demo or a theme for your PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Didn't get what you really wanted for holidays? Like Nazi zombies? Not to worry, Call of Duty: World at War is on sale for today only (or until supplies run out) for $34.98.

Did your girlfriend get you Sex and the City: The Movie on Blu-ray and claimed it was a present for you? Don't shed those manly tears, my friend -- there's a sale going on right now for all sorts of Blu-ray titles, some of which will surely resonate with your macho self. About 200 titles are on sale, including Band of Brothers for $37.49, so check out the selection here.

For those of you with children or are just simply young at heart, you can buy The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2-disc edition) and Wall-E (2-disc edition) together for $29.98, just click here and then scroll down to "Best Value" and click "Add both to Cart". This discount is also available here (again, just scroll down) for the 3-disc editions of both movies for $39.98. Finally, if you don't mind waiting for it to come back in stock, The Chronicles of Narnia Blu-ray Bundle, which includes both movies in the franchise, is on sale for $31.99.

Source -- Call of Duty: World at War for $34.98
Source -- Save Up to 50% on Blu-ray Discs [via Cinematical and Slickdeals]

Deals: Call of Duty: WaW $35, 50% off Blu-ray discs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Surprising no one, Dissidia was numero uno on last week's Media Create Japanese sales charts, selling an astonishing 489,126 copies. Did it have the best debut week ever for a PSP title in Japan? Of course not, not even close -- that honor belongs to Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, which managed to push 820,000 copies out the door in its first week, according to PSPHyper. However, it did beat out another Final Fantasy spinoff, Crisis Core, by 3,000 units.

On the hardware side, it was also a healthy week for the PSP: our beloved portable saw 145,957 units in sales, though it was still bested by the DS, which sold 204,144 units. Now the real question is, does Square Enix's fan-service brawler have the momentum it takes to be top dog again next week? Sales numbers and ranking for the top 10 Japanese games of the week are after the jump:

Continue reading Dissidia is #1 in Japan, sells nearly half a million copies

Dissidia is #1 in Japan, sells nearly half a million copies originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• An American Carol
  
• Days of Thunder
• Event Horizon
  
• Ghost
  
• Last Holiday (2006)
• Serenity
  
• Surfer, Dude
  
• The Truman Show
  
• Wedding Crashers

Blu-ray releases for the week of December 28th originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ah, so the rumors were true. Nippon Ichi has announced that Disgaea 2 will be headed for the PSP on March 26th in Japan. This upcoming portable version of the SRPG will feature a 30% longer story as well as new characters. A screenshot also suggests that the Magichange system found in Disgaea 3 will be added to the port, but this has not been officially announced. No word yet on a stateside release, but we see no reason why there wouldn't be one.

[Via Siliconera]

Yep, Disgaea 2 is coming to the PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Star Ocean: The Second Evolution

Continue reading PSP Fanboy hands-on: Star Ocean: Second Evolution

PSP Fanboy hands-on: Star Ocean: Second Evolution originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Engadget got their hands on the recently released PS3 wireless chatpad peripheral and they seem to have mixed feelings about it. They were generally happy with typing aspects of the keypad, although they felt the buttons were a bit small and they didn't provide enough tactile feedback. On the other hand, the touchpad functionality was said to be lacking precision and "just doesn't work very well." In summary, the peripheral is perfect for those of you who are typing away all day on your PS3, but the $50 price tag is simply too expensive in their opinion. Take a look their full review here.

Oh, and the best part of the review? Their picture gallery which includes a comparison picture (as seen above) with the infamously complex Atari Jaguar controller.

Update: A tip from the PS Nation about calibration:
1. Go to Internet Browser
2. Activate Touch pad (the hand with index finger pointing)
3. Hold blue and orange shoulder buttons for 2 seconds until the light flashes
Now your touch pad should be calibrated. ENJOY!

Engadget reviews the PS3 wireless chatpad originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's start things off with a nice deal on the critically acclaimed Band of Brothers, yours for only $37.49. This week's Blu-ray release dates seem to be all over the place: a couple were released today, some will be released on Tuesday and the remainder will be released on Saturday:

• Burn After Reading
• Death Race
  
• The Duchess
  
• Eagle Eye
  
• Ghost Town
  
• The House Bunny
• Resident Evil: Degeneration
• The Women

• Patriot Games & Sum of All Fears
• Italian Job & Shooter
  
• Coming to America & Trading Places
  
• Next & Face Off
  
• Spiderwick Chronicles & Nacho Libre
• The Ruins & Tomb Raider
• Cloverfield & Sleepy Hollow
• Payback & We Were Soldiers
• Drillbit Taylor & Norbit

Continue reading Blu-ray releases for the week of December 21st

Blu-ray releases for the week of December 21st originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Speaking to RPGamer, an NIS America representative confirmed the rumors that the ensemble RPG Cross Edge will be headed for the US. That's great news for traditional JRPG fans everywhere -- the Compile Heart title features characters from the companies Capcom, Namco-Bandai, Gust, Idea Factory and Nippon Ichi. Mark your calendar, kids -- the game will be released in March 2009. To learn more, check out our coverage of the PS3 exclusive here.

[Thanks, Marcus N.!]

Confirmed: Cross Edge coming in March 09 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lumines Supernova priced and dated originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Harmonix has announced they will release a Rock Band track pack to help you celebrate the holidays. Unlike Sony's song pack for SingStar, this group of songs are a little more diverse. And by diverse, we mean one Hanukkah song:

Rockin' the Holidays 2008 pack

• "Hanukkah Blessings" -- Barenaked Ladies
  
• "Christmas is the Time To Say I Love You" -- Billy Squier
  
• "Blue Christmas" -- The Pretenders
  

These holiday tracks will land in your collective laps on Tuesday, December 23rd. Pricing is $0.99 per song or $2.99 for all three. Way to spread the holiday cheer, Harmonix -- the song pack is 2 cents more than buying them individually.

Celebrate the holidays with Rock Band DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The newest update to Sony's Japanese application that allows AdHoc play to now function over the internet via the PS3 is now available. adhocParty 1.04 add many titles to the mix, bringing the number of games supported by the service to over 100. In addition to bringing support to games that have co-op play, even games like Echochrome were included -- meaning you can now trade levels on the web. For details on how to access the service from US, check out the guide here.

For a list of games supported (most likely, only the Japanese versions of each title will be supported), check out the list after the jump (translated by Siliconera):

[Via Siliconera]

Continue reading Number of titles supported by adhocParty increased again

Number of titles supported by adhocParty increased again originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Why is Ryu showing us his pearly whites and giving us a thumbs up? That's because Capcom has just announced they have sold an impressive 250,000 copies of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A breakdown of the sales numbers between the two consoles was not released. The game was released on November 25th, so it hasn't even been a month since its debut. According to Capcom, it also broke both day one and week one sales records, and it will "most likely" go on to break the 30-days sales record as well. It might even become the highest grossing digital title ever.

What did you expect? Capcom took an old-school favorite, improved upon it, and unleashed it onto all the SF fanboys. Street Fighter forever!

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix sells 250k units originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the ESRB predicted, Castlevania Chronicles will make its debut on the US PSN later today. Wired got word that the PlayStation uno remake of the 1993 Sharp X68000 title will come in the form of a PS Store download. The remake features improved graphics, remixed music, level redesigns as well as a rendered introduction and ending. At one point, this rare game would have fetched a rather fabulous price on eBay, but now gamers won't have to pay big bucks to join in on the Dracula hunting fun -- instead, the price of admission will be a recession-friendly $5.99.

Way better than Castlevania Judgement, we'll give you that.

Castlevania Chronicles will appear on the PS Store today originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square Enix has just officially announced Dissidia: Final Fantasy for North America. Not much new information was provided, other than what we already know -- the story involves Cosmos and Chaos, who are locked in an eternal conflict, the characters will span from different Final Fantasy titles in the past 20 years, the battle system will be action-based and you will have the ability to trade Friend Cards. Unfortunately, no word on the fancy-schmancy limited edition.

The release window is said to be "mid-year 2009," so it is still at least several months away. We can't wait! And while you do that, check out our hands-on with the brawler.

Dissidia: Final Fantasy officially announced for the US originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• It's over!

PS3 Amazon Gold Box event kicks off today originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mirror's Edge demo now includes Time Trial Mode originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Buy Guitar Hero: World Tour, get five free songs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu has reviewed the upcoming Level-5 RPG White Knight Chronicles and they weren't too impressed it, giving the PS3 exclusive a score of 29/40 (7,8,7,7). The reviewers didn't care for a number of elements in the game, such as the in-game menus, battle controls, chatting (apparently it was difficult to chat while moving around) and overly simplistic battle system. However, they did praise the game's customizable combos, epic battles and gorgeous looking world. Finally, the game length is said to clock in at about 30 hours.

This doesn't bode well for White Knight Chronicles -- but do keep in mind that Famitsu has had rather strange opinions in the past -- they gave the universally panned Haze a 34/40 (9,8,9,8).

[Via PS3Hyper]

White Knight Chronicles receives a 29/40 from Famitsu originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Check out Joystiq's Killzone 2 FAQ originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

That certainly didn't take long -- if this rumor proves to be true, Sony's social service Home has already been hacked. A hacker going by the name of StreetskaterFU has made the claim that he has breached Sony's servers for Home and successfully downloaded, uploaded and deleted files. The poster also provided instructions on how you can do this yourself, and a member of the PS3hax forum has supposedly done just that -- he was able to change the posters and trailers in the Home theater, though it appears the effect is only local. A video of the hack in action is available after the jump. We haven't witnessed any of this in action ourselves during our experiences in Home, but do tell us in the comments if you've seen otherwise.

[Via Engadget]

Read - HOME vulnerabilities disclosure
Read - How to mod Home with your own posters and movies

Continue reading Rumor: Home hacked?

Rumor: Home hacked? originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MTV Games has announced yet another band's seminal album as Rock Band DLC. Pearl Jam's debut record, Ten, will be re-issued on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009. The press release states the 1991 album will also be downloadable on Rock Band that day, but we are assuming this only applies to the Xbox 360 version of the game. Most likely, the album will be made available to PS3 owners on March 26th, a Thursday, the day PS Store is usually updated.

• "Once"
• "Even Flow"
• "Why Go"
• "Black"
• "Jeremy"
• "Oceans"
• "Porch"
• "Garden"
• "Deep"
• "Release"

Alive is missing because it is already on the Rock Band 2 disc. Pricing information hasn't been announced, but our crystal ball past experience tells us it will be $1.99 per track.

[Via press release]

Pearl Jam debut album Ten coming to Rock Band originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PS3 Gold Box event on Amazon this Thursday originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nothing in the foreseeable future will beat last week's big release in terms of sales, but we've got a feeling film buffs are still very much looking forward to this week's Blu-rays:

• Bottle Rocket - Criterion Collection
• Chungking Express - Criterion Collection
• Coach Carter
• Death Proof
  
• The Heartbreak Kid
• Hot Rod
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
• Into the Wild
• Mamma Mia! The Movie
• The Man Who Fell to Earth - Criterion Collection
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
• Mummy Trilogy (The Mummy | The Mummy Returns | The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor)
• Old School
• Planet Terror
• The Third Man - Criterion Collection
• Tommy Boy
• Traitor

Continue reading Blu-ray releases for the week of December 14th

Blu-ray releases for the week of December 14th originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

System 3 has just announced a sequel to the largely-overlooked racing game Ferrari Challenge for the PS3. Titled SuperCar Challenge, the new game will feature 40 vehicles, three difficulty settings (Assist, Arcade and Simulation), a tweaked career mode that's supposedly "more engaging," a retooled A.I. that will be more "adaptive," improved graphics and better sound effects. IGN's impressions indicate a "solid foundation" and they look forward to when the game is released "this Spring." The question is, are you willing to give Eutechnyx another chance?

Ferrari Challenge sequel SuperCar Challenge announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stylish CLOT x PSP jacket will show everyone your gaming allegiance originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Uncharted 2 preview in Game Informer reveals juicy details originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.