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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has finally debuted the first batch of Blu-ray discs that take advantage of Digital Copy for PSP. With this feature, people that own both a PS3 and a PSP will be able to copy a portable version of a movie directly from a Blu-ray disc to Sony's handheld. Well, almost directly. There are a few steps you must take to activate the PSP copy. When you insert the Blu-ray disc into the PS3, you'll see two icons appear on the XMB, one that allows you to store a SD version of the movie to your PS3 hard drive. You must be logged on to the PlayStation Network and then enter a unique 12-digit code included with the disc. Once the activation process is complete, a 2GB file will transfer to your PS3. You can watch this movie on the hard drive (but why would you when you have the Blu-ray disc?), or you can copy it over to the PSP -- a process which takes about five minutes total. The video quality of the "Digital Copy" is fantastic, especially on the PSP's smaller screen. Unfortunately, the initial batch of movies leaves a lot to be desired: Godzilla (the 1998 American version), The Ugly Truth and Angels & Demons. Hopefully, SPHE will start implementing the feature on some. Y'know, good movies in the future.

Acquire has teamed up with the Playstation C.A.M.P. project once again to produce another quirky and unique PSP game idea -- the last collaboration produced Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This? In the new game, One Million Ton Barabara ("bara bara" being a Japanese word describing something breaking up or scattering), you play the leader of a town's protection force, charged with destroying the giant airships that loom over your city Independence Day-style. To do this, you and your squad grab onto the ship and tear pieces off. When enough of the ship lies in ruins on the ground, you've completed the level. It's kind of like tower defense meets Qix, or something. Last week, Sony launched a teaser site which provides a look at the game's aesthetic. One Million Ton Barabara will be out in February in Japan. [Image via Wii Everyday]

An insider recounts the last 48 hours of the developer's existence.

An insider recounts the final 48 hours of the developer's existence.

Report states Activision is also considering MMO possibilities.

Darth Blu-ray has a birthday.

iPhone-owning fans of twin stick shooters have probably gotten their hands on Chillingo's vampire-slaying app, iDracula. If you haven't gotten a chance to check out the title, you may want to wait for the developer's next, similarly vamp-based project: Dracula -- Undead Awakening, a PSP Mini that will land on the European PSN next Thursday, November 26. Much like the company's previous title, Undead Awakening is a top-down shooter with unlockable weapons, abilities and perks, all of which presumably make you better at turning fangfaces into small clumps of Transylvanian ash. We've contacted the folks at Chillingo to find out if the game will also come stateside next week, how much the game will cost, and how exactly we're supposed to pronounce their company's name. (Chill-in-go? Chill-ing-o? Chillin'-jo?) Update: A Chillingo representative responded to our query, telling us that the game would come to the U.S. PSN "ideally pre-Christmas," though they haven't settled on a price for the title quite yet. Also, he informed us that the company's name is phonetically pronounced "Chih-lingo." Now we know -- and knowing is half the battle!

iPhone-owning fans of twin stick shooters have probably gotten their hands on Chillingo's vampire-slaying app, iDracula. If you haven't gotten a chance to check out the title, you may want to wait for the developer's next, similarly vamp-based project: Dracula -- Undead Awakening, a PSP Mini that will land on the European PSN next Thursday, November 26. Much like the company's previous title, Undead Awakening is a top-down shooter with unlockable weapons, abilities and perks, all of which presumably make you better at turning fangfaces into small clumps of Transylvanian ash. We've contacted the folks at Chillingo to find out if the game will also come stateside next week, how much the game will cost, and how exactly we're supposed to pronounce their company's name. (Chill-in-go? Chill-ing-o? Chillin'-jo?)

You no longer need to go to Japan to play with your far away friends.

We've all seen reports about the PS3 version of Bayonetta's visual inferiority to the 360 iteration of the game, but according to a few forum posters on Platinum Games' site, the title is plagued by a bigger problem on Sony's home console: Lengthy load times. According to one forum post, it takes 25 seconds to load a level, 10 seconds to load a cutscene, five seconds to open the menu and three seconds to pick up an item. In the context of the game, that last one makes sense -- we imagine hair-clothes don't offer the flexibility required to collect an object from the ground. Fortunately, a Sega representative responded to one such complaint, saying "a patch to correct this issue is under consideration," later adding that there's no time frame as to when a decision about the update would take place. In the interest of universal cross-platform equality, we're sincerely hoping the answer is "before January 5." [Via 1UP]

Next firmware update (v3.10) enables PS3 gamers to share their experiences with friends on Facebook.

Sony announced that the next iteration of the PlayStation 3's firmware will be available for download starting today. Version 3.10 adds Facebook functionality to the PS3, including automatic Trophy and purchase updates. It also allows developers to include "trigger points" for Facebook integration in their PS3 games. Sony calls this Facebook service "the first phase of a variety of new features to further connect and enhance the online social experiences of PlayStation(R)3 (PS3[TM]) computer entertainment system owner." Other, less marquee features, include a new grid layout for photos and an updated friends list with the ability for users to change the background color of profiles. You can see the update in action on video here.

Europe's totally awesome (and totally exclusive) VidZone service is finally expanding its reach. Sorry Americans, but this free music video streaming service isn't coming our way. Instead, eleven new European countries will be able to join the party by year's end. Here's the roll-out schedule: Thursday 26th November: Netherlands, Portugal, Austria Thursday 3rd December: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland Thursday 10th December: Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, New Zealand According to PlayStation.Blog, new users will have to wait upwards of 15 minutes when initially launching the service. Why? Apparently, there's so just that much content to load when the application is launched for the first time. Each subsequent visit will only take seconds -- good, because we're confident you'll be coming back for more.

If you were planning on picking up a PSP Go for that special physical-media-phobic someone in your life, you might want to hurry over to Amazon where (today only) the purchase of a PSP Go will net you a bonus $50 to spend in Amazon's PlayStation Network store however you like. Just make sure that the recipient spends their new loot the right way: on the Andy Dick PAIN DLC -- twenty five times! No, we don't care if they have a PS3 or not, they're missing the point.

Every major Square Enix release comes with a limited edition hardware bundle in Japan. The upcoming PSP-exclusive Kingdom Hearts prequel is no different. This Birth by Sleep silver PSP-3000 will be available on January 9, 2010 for ¥22,000 (about $250). Unlike other LE bundles, this package only contains the branded PSP system you see above and a copy of the game. We're a little disappointed that Square and Sony didn't make a special edition PSP Go bundle, as that's something we'd love to see. Perhaps that's being set aside for when Square Enix finishes its other big PSP games: The 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy Agito XIII.

In the spirit of such programs as Cash for Guns and, more recently, Cash for Clunkers, Warner Bros. has begun its "DVD2BLU" program, offering owners of its films in the antiquated DVD (a.k.a. drink coaster) format to exchange them for their proper Blu-ray Disc equivalents for a charge of $7.95 to $9.95 per film. The program's site currently lists 50 titles, with a limit of 25 disc swaps per household. You may recall that, earlier this year, Warner Bros. launched a similar program -- RED2BLU -- to let consumers exchange their HD-DVD copies of the studio's films for Blu-ray Disc versions. That's still going, and currently offers a catalog of 125 flicks to choose from with an "upgrade fee" of $4.95 per title. Yes, Warner Bros. really released (at least) 125 movies on HD-DVD. And no, we don't know what it was thinking. [Via Blu-ray.com]

200 employees laid off, rest of staff absorbed into company.

Rumours say EA to shut studio today.

We've heard the horror stories about the conditions under which famous Square translator Ted Woolsey had to work -- strictly constrained time and space limits and no feedback from the games' creators, which led to sometimes odd translations. Alexander O. Smith, who localized games for Square including Vagrant Story, shared some anecdotes about his tenure (and subsequent freelance work on games like Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions) that revealed that it wasn't much better for a translator in the PlayStation era. "We would get a copy of the game," Smith told Gamasutra about working on Final Fantasy VIII, "and we would say, 'Well, what about files?' And they would say, 'Oh, I don't think you need those.' So we all bought Game Sharks." Smith called the situation "very sad." He compared it to Final Fantasy XII, for which the team got full gameplay footage. The interview covers not just work for Square, but Smith's subsequent move into freelance with Joseph Reeder, and a lot of inside information about the localization work (and surprise musical careers) of both.

Update 3.10 to add spiffy connectivity between Facebook and your console.

Sony has revealed that PlayStation 3 firmware 3.10, due "soon," will allow the PlayStation 3 to communicate with social media site Facebook. The news comes on the eve of Microsoft's latest Xbox 360 Dashboard update roll-out -- which, among other features, introduces Facebook functionality to that platform.Once firmware 3.10 is installed, the PS3 will be able to send updates to a user's Facebook wall indicating which Trophies they've just unlocked in games and what they've recently purchased from the PSN's PlayStation Store. Developers will have the ability to access Facebook functionality to send more detailed updates to the site from their games, and these options can (as was the case with Trophies) be patched into titles currently on shelves.As foreshadowed by screenshots leaked last week, firmware 3.10 brings with it a handful of other user interface tweaks -- demoed by PlayStation Network director of operations, Eric Lempel, in a video after the break -- but, alas, still no cross-game voice chat.

Federal officials taking a liking to Sony's number cruncher.

Capcom spills the beans.

Snake's first "solid" adventure is finally making its way to Europe's PSN. Eurogamer reports Konami's announcement that the tactical espionage action title will arrive this Thursday, November 19, for £8. We've followed up with Sony Europe and a representative confirmed the release. The PSN version of MGS is the original game released on PlayStation and not the Twin Snakes update released in 2004. For those living the States, the title has been available since this summer. The release of the first Metal Gear Solid on PSN will be followed by MGS: Portable Ops, MGS: Portable: Ops+ and MGS: Digital Graphic Novel. Of course, this is all in preparation for Peace Walker sometime next year.

You can tell the recession is dramatically affecting folks all over the United States when stories about kidnappers forcing their detainee to buy them gaming consoles arise. That's exactly what Kyle Yarkosky is alleging that David Daniels and another unnamed suspect did to him, after forcing him at gunpoint into their vehicle, having him steal his stepfather's credit card, and then drive to the local Walmart where they made him buy them a PlayStation 3. Naples News reports that the suspected assailants entered the Pebblebrooke Lakes gated community in a white truck, with Yarkosky following behind on foot, said to be headed to "meet a friend." Instead, the truck allegedly stopped, with Daniels and "an Asian-looking man" exiting and ordering Yarkosky into their vehicle. The two suspects are said to have forced Yarkosky to steal his stepfather's credit card and drive to a local Walmart, where Daniels intended on having a gun purchased. When the gun counter was closed, he then requested Yarkosky purchase a PlayStation 3. According to reports, Daniels then told Yarkosky he was "free to go," thus ending the ordeal. (Thanks Kreyg!)

Japanese shmup/strategy fans may already have a bitter taste in their mouths as a result of R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate missing its October 29 release date. However, that taste should be replaced by the much more pleasant (but still bitter) flavor they desire on December 10, when the game launches for real. Okay, we'll stop making jokes about the title from now until the end of the post. The UMD release will sell for ¥5,040 ($50.60) and will be accompanied by a soundtrack disc as a pre-order bonus, while the digital release will cost ¥3,800 ($42). You can hear samples of the soundtrack, which features selections from various R-Type games and Image Fight, on the official site. No announcements have been made for a release outside of Japan, but the nice thing about digital releases is that you can always just sign into a Japanese PSN account and download the thing! Gallery: R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate [Via Andriasang]

Created with the capability to launch a nuclear slug, halfway across the world -- undetected -- Metal Gear Rex is anything but cute. That is, until you shrink it down to toy size, at which point it becomes positively adorable. The killer collectible was initially spotted by a Toyark forum member, who noted it was coming from threeA. The forum dweller further noted that Rex appears to be 15 to 17 inches tall. We're not sure if the railgun is functional but, if push comes to shove, you could definitely launch some rubber bands off of that thing. Pricing and release information have not yet been revealed. [Via TomoPop. Thanks, Gusto]

Over at the PlayStation Blog, details for the competitive multiplayer modes for SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 have spilled out revealing the game will feature 16-player competitive multiplayer games across eight maps and seven new modes. The modes -- which are available both locally and over the Internet -- include a "Leader Mode" allowing players to designate team captains and a "Tug-of-War" mode, where teams fight for tickets similar to the Battlefield franchise.Playing SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 online also allows worldwide players to experience tournaments, clan modes, character customization and voice chat. Voice chat, you say? Finally our dream of bringing hateful language on the go can be realized.

Sony tops the software and hardware chart.

New online mode coming to Sony's portable.