In order to offset the cost of printing posting an alternative cover for (most versions of) Madden 09, it looks like EA had to raise the price of the new Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack to the tune of: $10,000! Graciously, Circuit City has elected to eat a full $9,800 of that cost, leaving pre-orderers with a much more manageable price tag. [Note: Circuit City has since removed the pricing error.]

Retailer bloopers aside, the Madden Entertainment Pack (MSRP $200) includes: a very blue PSP, 1GB Memory Stick, Madden 09 (game), download code for Beats ("game"), and -- what's this? -- a movie ... on UMD (they're collector's items you know).

[Via PSP Fanboy]

Are you itching to get your hands on the much anticipated (and highly controversial) Final Fantasy XIII, yet you're not hip enough to get invited to Square Enix's exclusive soirees? If you live in Japan, your first chance to overcome your wicked triskaidekaphobia will come in the form of a FFXIII demo, packaged with the Blu-ray directors cut of the CGI feature film, Final Fantasy: Advent Children. You know, the Buscemi-less CGI Final Fantasy movie.

Square Enix revealed both film (titled Advent Children Complete) and demo at their DKΣ3713 event, with a Japanese release date of March 2009. The demo will also include video previews of Final Fantasy Agito XIII and Versus XIII (which they took care to mention is still a PS3 exclusive). Squeenix also announced a new PS3 SKU that will include the Blu-ray directors cut. What they didn't announce, however, was the American release date of the film -- and whether the demo and bundle will even make it to American shores.

Midway plans to eviscerate PlayStation 2 owners this September, bundling together the previous three Mortal Kombat titles as a single $30 box set. The compilation, dubbed the Mortal Kombat: Kollection, will include 3D fighters Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, as well as the under appreciated action game, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.

According to Midway, the set is designed to let players "refine their skills" prior to getting to clobber the Man of Steel this holiday. However, considering that Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe plays more like Mortal Kombat 3 than any of the more recent 3D fighters, we're not exactly sure how many of those skills will actually make the transfer.

At their E3 press conference today, Sony announced a new hardware bundle for their still-running-strong PS2 system. The package will come with a copy of Lego Batman and a DVD of the Justice League animated movie, all for $149. Not a bad deal, especially considering the system alone costs $129 these days. Sony also stressed the strength of the still-growing PS2 library at the conference, mentioned 130 games coming to the system in 2008, including Yakuza 2, Force Unleashed, NCAA Football, Tiger Woods, Warriors Orochi 2, Singstar Pop vol. 2, Madden, and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.

Ahead of Guitar Hero: On Tour's release later this month, Nintendo has confirmed plans to release a new DS bundled with the portable rhythm game. First revealed in May by Activision publishing boss Mike Griffith last month, and later spotted where a kid can be a kid, the bundle is set for release on June 22 alongside the game, rather than a week later as previously reported.

An official price for the package, which will include a new black and silver DS Lite branded with the Guitar Hero logo, has not yet been announced. However, Toys 'R' Us earlier listed the bundle for $179.99 (a listing that has since been removed), giving rockers on the go an idea of how much to scrape together before going on tour.

Square Enix is releasing a Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII PSP bundle for Europe to coincide with its June 20 release. The bundle includes a PSP Slim with the above art and a copy of the game for 189,90 Euros (US $293.43). According to Amazon France, if you bought a PSP Slim (169,20 Euros) and Crisis Core (36,99 Euros) separately, it'd cost you 20,70 Euros (US $32) more, so it's definitely a good deal to pick up the bundle (assuming, of course, you don't already have a PSP).

Fun fact: When the title finally reaches Europe, it will have been over 9 months since the Japanese launch and 3 months since the North American debut.

We all enjoy value and convenience, and a new report suggests that Sony will offer both sometime down the line by bundling the earlier released Warhawk expansions, Omega Dawn and Operation Broken Mirror, together as a single download over PSN.

A release date for the descriptively titled Warhawk Combo Pack has not been announced. However, while we're left guessing what price the twofer will carry in North America, CVG reports that players in Europe can expect to pay just £4.99 for the bundle, a paltry sum considering each alone sold for £3.99 originally. We expect North American pricing to be announced soon, giving those players who have held off reason to dive in whenever the combo eventually comes in for a landing.

Sony has just confirmed to Joystiq that the 80GB PlayStation 3 SKU, bundled with Motorstorm, is no longer being supplied to retailers. "Retailers aren't getting any new inventory of the 80GB Motorstorm bundle," said a carefully worded statement issued by Sony.

This doesn't mean the 80GB model is out of production, merely that the focus is switching to the forthcoming 80GB bundle that features a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 and a DualShock 3 (not be confused with the limited-edition "Gun Metal Gray" bundle available exclusively through Konami's website). We've sent a follow-up request to Sony asking for the official street date for the 80GB MGS4 bundle and will update if and when we hear back. Update: The 80GB MGS4 bundle is conveniently scheduled for release on June 12.

In order to remain competitive with Harmonix's pre-existing multi-instrument rockstar simulator, Activision's upcoming entry in their insanely lucrative franchise, Guitar Hero: World Tour, needs to match the price of the game it so closely resembles, Rock Band. According to a recent listing on Gamestop, it'll do just that -- the game alone will cost $59.99 on PS3 and 360 ($49.99 on Wii and PS2), a "guitar kit" bundle will run you $99.99, and the full band kit (which we assume will contain a guitar, a mic, and a drum kit) will run you $189.99 on 360, Wii and PS3, and $179.99 on PS2.

If these prices are accurate, you'll be paying $20 more for Activision's bundle than Harmonix's -- perhaps their five-piece drum kit costs more to produce than Rock Band's four-head. We don't mind shelling out the extra Jackson to get our hands on Activision's new skins -- the thousands of dollars we'll spend expanding our living room to contain two fake drum kits and four fake guitars, however, may have a noticeable impact on our finances.

[Thanks, Hashbrown Hunter.]

Konami has confirmed to Eurogamer that the UK will not be receiving the limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 PlayStation 3 bundle. Not that many other people will be getting it either, mind you, as the Gun Metal Gray system is only available to Americans purchasing it through Konami's website. This is especially true considering the $599 asking price and the limited internet access provided within most asylums.

All European residents should be pleased to note that the "plain" Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle -- the one with the game, a black 40 gigger and a Sixaxis controller -- is still on track for a June 12th release at €439. It's not quite as fancy as the 80GB / Dual Shock 3 bundle in the US, but at least they all come with a pretty good game.

[Update: Several tipsters point to Play.com's "exclusive" listing of this very bundle. We're going to go with the publisher's word over a retailer listing, but we'll check with Konami again, just to be sure. Update 2: Konami has confirmed with us that the bundle will not be heading to the UK, calling the Play.com listing a "mistake."]

Not one to sit back and let the Sixaxis suffer into extinction, Sony Japan will carefully package the feathery gamepad into a trifecta of new Metal Gear Solid 4 bundles. Dubbed the "Welcome Box," the new limited edition bundle will be offered in three standard flavors (Clear Black, Ceramic White and Satin Silver) and will include a 40GB console, rumblin' DualShock 3 and copy of MGS4 -- oh, and yes, one's very own Sixaxis. The Welcome Box (shouldn't it be "Goodriddance Box?") will be made available in concurrence with the worldwide release of MGS4 on June 12 for a reasonable ¥49,800 (roughly $470). Comparatively, the "Hagane" Grey MGS4 bundle will retail for ¥51,800; and so essentially, Sony's offering a savings of ¥2,000 (about $20) to folks who adopt a Sixaxis. Too bad no Welcome Box's been announced for North America. We'd so love to join the cause: Save the Sixaxis!

We knew it was coming, but now we have a fancy press release in our inbox confirming it. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has officially announced a Grand Theft Auto IV bundle "exclusively" for the PlayStation 3. As you might expect, the bundle's release will coincide with that of the carjacking, city-wrecking romp on April 29th. The €439 (RRP) package will contain a 40GB PlayStation 3, a Sixaxis controller and ... we forget what the other thing was.

Metal Gear?! Such an exclamation will no doubt emanate from a friend's mouth as he steps into your extravagant living room and gazes upon a "Gunmetal Grey" PlayStation 3. Konami's Brandon Laurino has confirmed on the official PlayStation Blog that this "VERY, VERY Limited Edition" system will be available in North America as part of a special Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle. You may recall caressing its steel-colored curves (in your mind) back when it was unveiled as the 40GB 'Hagane' model in Japan.

Expect this Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle (not the only one) to arrive on the game's June 12th release date. Oh, and do invite us over so we can exclaim.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Swedish retailer Webhallen.com is listing a PS3 bundle for GTA IV at 4,499 SEK ($755). Engadget notes that there doesn't appear to be anything special about the bundle, unlike the not-sold-in-stores Xbox 360 GTA IV special edition.

We contacted Sony America who said that while it can't speak for Europe, "SCEA hasn't announced any GTA PS3 bundle." We've contacted Sony Europe to confirm the legitimacy of the listing and asked if there's anything special inside the box. We'll update when if we hear anything.

Update: UK retailer Shopto has confirmed to GI.biz that the bundle will go on sale the same day as the release of GTA IV, April 29th.

[Via Engadget]

That Famitsu scan failed to capture the true aesthetic of the gun-metal grey finish lathered atop Japan's limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 PlayStation 3, so we're posting some proper porn here. Officially, the color is 'Hagane,' steel used for making Japanese blades and other tools. The bundle, which includes the 40GB console, a like-minded DualShock 3, and a special edition of MGS4, is scheduled to arrive June 12th for ¥51,800 ($520). A similar bundle has also been announced for the US market, though it will include an 80GB PS3, which we hereby dub the 'Pittsburgh.'

[Via Engadget]