qore posts (Subscribe to this feed)

Let's be honest: the second year of Qore hasn't been too great. The first year was filled with tons of bonus content, such as free downloads of Spyro, Linger in Shadows, High Velocity Bowling, Syphon Filter, and the Uncharted 2 beta. Tomorrow's issue, however, will finally end the freebie dry spell.

In addition to previews of Dark Void, White Knight Chronicles and The Saboteur, subscribers will be able to get free entry into the ModNation Racers beta. The deal will be available to all current and new subscribers, provided you join up before December 15th. Will this beta code push you to get the $25 annual subscription?

See a preview of the next episode after the break.

September's episode of Qore features a view from Skywalker Ranch, as the soundtrack to Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is mixed and mastered at George Lucas' famous estate. Qore also sits down with gear head Jay "Retired for 10 Seconds" Leno and talks about his involvement with PSP's long-in-development installment of Gran Turismo. But, the real meat of this month's episode is access to the upcoming MAG beta -- for gamers not lucky enough to have been invited already.

Users are automatically entered into the beta test -- set to begin later this month -- if they are Qore subscribers. If you're thirsty for large-scale online battles, users who subscribe to Qore on or before September 17 will also be invited. Sadly, purchasing September's episode alone will not net you the beta access. Even sadder, we're used to having to pay our way into these exciting bonuses.

Check out a preview for this month's episode after the break.

Qore's first year is coming to an end with Episode 13. The delayed anniversary issue will focus on inFamous, Fight Night Round 4 and the PSPgo. Wait! It looks like the leaked feature has been removed from this upcoming issue. Strange, considering the damage has already been done.

Digital bonuses included with this month's issue include a free Qore t-shirt for PlayStation Home, and a free download of the PSone classic, Spyro (playable on both PS3 and PSP). Episode 13 will be available on the PlayStation Store this Thursday. Check out a trailer after the break.

In a leaked interview in the June issue of Qore, Sony's John Koller revealed new game announcements Sony is set to make at its E3 2009 press briefing. Among the titles mentioned are (a previously revealed) Jak & Daxter PSP and a re-emergence of Gran Turismo for the handheld -- first revealed when the PSP was announced.

Koller also mentions a new Metal Gear Solid for PSP is in the works, which may be the subject of the current Kojima Productions countdown nonsense (seriously, stop). Also, around the 15 second mark of the leaked Qore video, footage appears that bares a striking resemblance to Warhawk -- but (as comments have pointed out) the ship appears apart of the Jak & Daxter footage reel. Other clips include footage of LittleBigPlanet and Jak & Daxter.

Let's hope, for Sony's sake, this video doesn't encapsulate the lion's share of announcements the company was planning for June 2. Incidentally, crack out those bingo cards and a big red marker ... you have a few things to cross off.

Here's another way to get into the upcoming Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta. If you're on the fence about inFamous and don't want to pick it up, all you have the option of becoming a Qore subscriber. New and existing subscribers will receive an e-mail voucher granting access to the multiplayer trial on June 3rd. However, you must subscribe by May 15th to receive the invitation.

Episode 12 of Sony's e-magazine features previews of Ghostbusters and Batman: Arkham Asylum. In addition, the episode will also include a bonus inFamous theme that "evolves over time." Check out a preview after the break.

Qore Episode 11 will be available tomorrow on the PlayStation Store. And guess what? It'll be FREE for everyone. The upcoming issue will feature a behind-the-scenes look at inFamous, Fat Princess and Red Faction: Guerrilla.

If you're a subscriber, don't feel too left out. You'll be getting free access to Linger in Shadows and you'll get early access to the Red Faction demo -- no need to pre-order. For a preview of tomorrow's episode, click past the break.

Update: The soundtrack will be available on iTunes, not the PlayStation Store, as previously reported.

Trash cans, water jugs and broken glass are just some of the instruments being used in the musical score of inFamous, the upcoming PS3-exclusive adventure. SCEA Music Manager Jonathan Mayer is using his experience with God of War II and Uncharted to overlook the game's distinct sound, one that "encapsulate[s] the gritty and decimated nature of Empire City." Not only are unconventional instruments being used, traditional orchestral instruments are being played in very non-traditional ways. "Bungie cords were stretched across a concert bass drum and strummed, wire brushes were beat on a suspended tuba and shakers were constructed of broken glass."

The score will be created by electronic musician Amon Tobin, composers James Dooley and Mel Wesson, and electric cellist Martin Tillman. The April issue of Qore will feature a further look into the creation of the game's soundtrack. Finally, fans will be able to download the complete soundtrack off iTunes on May 21st for $9.99.

Sony's 3D technology impressed gamers that attended CES earlier this year. Games like WipEout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue were used to demonstrate the PS3's ability to render 3D images that pop out of the screen -- provided you don special 3D glasses. The latest episode of Qore suggests Burnout Paradise might also implement this feature. The end of their Burnout video special shows the host, 3D glasses equipped, staring an oddly distorted image on the screen. Really, there's no other conclusion to be made: she was certainly playing Burnout Paradise in 3D.

The tech is currently implemented in the PC version of the game and can only operate on special TVs and computer monitors with a speed of 100Hz or higher. To check out what hardware works for the PC version, check out Nvidia's website.

[Thanks, Jason!]

Are you a Qore subscriber? Well, you can stop playing Calling All Cars! as you'll be receiving a brand new downloadable game from Sony. New and old subscribers to Qore will receive a voucher, granting free access to High Velocity Bowling, a SIXAXIS-controlled bowling game.

Episode 10 of the PSN video magazine, available today, will include previews of Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, and Alpha Protocol. In addition to the standard overview of Blu-ray releases, this episode will also highlight some user-generated levels from LittleBigPlanet. To see a video preview, click past the break.

Flower is now available to download from the US PSN Store. What are you still doing here? Fine, there is some other stuff, but you should really look into fixing your priorities. Disgaea 3 gets even more DLC today, along with all the normal rhythm games. There's no LittleBigPlanet DLC, despite Europe getting some, but there is a new episode of Qore, which includes a free copy of PS1 classic Syphon Filter, playable on both PS3 and PSP.

The next issue of Qore offers video features on Resident Evil 5, Godfather II and MLB 09 The Show. However, the included download for this month's episode has nothing to do with any of these games. In fact, the download for this month's Qore is a legacy PS1 title, Syphon Filter. The classic PS1 title will be bundled with the next episode, and it'll be playable on both your PS3 and PSP. * Download will be provided through e-mail vouchers, to be mailed on or before March 31.

Check out a video preview after the break.

If you listened carefully, you might have heard the PSN update this week. It was really small and didn't make much noise, but we assure you ... it happened. It added a new episode of Qore and two new DLC games, including Cuboid. Beyond that, there's new tracks for everyone's favorite plastic instrument games. The complete North American PSN update can be found after the break.

PS3 Fanboy has the European PSN update, but it isn't much better over there either.

Ready for another episode of Qore? This one is not to be missed as it will have footage and info from two of 2009's biggest PS3 exclusives, Killzone 2 and Heavy Rain. Veronica does some globetrotting as she visits the developers from these games (situated in Amsterdam and Paris, respectively). There's also some info on FEAR 2 and a look at what Street Fighter fans do to each other behind closed doors.

If you enjoyed your free Christmas episode last month you can pick up the latest episode on Thursday when it releases on the American PSN Store. It will cost you $2.99 for a single episode or $24.99 for an annual subscription (13 episodes). Check out the trailer for episode 8 above for some more footage of Veronica Belmont in a motion capture suit.

If you find yourself wishing there was a dedicated news source to keep you abreast of the latest releases on the PlayStation Network, then you're probably not the most attentive person in the world. Seriously, between Sony's pay-per-view "interactive magazine" Qore, and our very own Blu-ray-lovin' sister site, you should know about these things before they cross Kaz Hirai's desk.

If you find yourself with a profound, unquenchable thirst for PSN info, Sony recently unveiled yet another news source from which to drink -- a biweekly (see: every other week), five-minute program titled Pulse. These updates, which are hosted by Christina Lee, will only air on PlayStation.com -- which makes sense, we guess. If it aired on the PlayStation Network, it would have to report about itself, creating an infinite feedback loop which would effectively turn your PS3 into a sentient killing machine.

Another episode of Qore this week, but this one's a little different -- everyone can enjoy it because it's absolutely free. If you'd rather spend a bit of money, there's plenty to choose from here, including co-op side-scrolling shmup Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer. Other than that, there's a whole load of DLC for all your favorite games, along with a load of trailers. Here's the full release list:

Playable Content

• Qore episode 7 (free!)
• Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer ($9.99)

Add-on Content

• LittleBigPlanet "Kabuki Actor" costume (free)
• 3x Age of Booty map packs (free)
• Far Cry 2 "Fortunes pack" ($9.99)
• GRID "8-ball" pack ($9.99)
• Karaoke Revolution: American Idol 2 DLC (listed after the break)
• Rock Band 2 DLC (listed after the break)
• Guitar Hero World Tour DLC (listed after the break)
• SoulCalibur IV "character customization pack 3" ($1.99)

You fight like a maniac! Keep it up!