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Even if you caught last night’s world premiere of the SOCOM 4 teaser video on Game Trailers TV, we still have a nice little treat for you. Zipper’s resident uber-scribe and Creative Director, Ed Byrne, sat down in front of a microphone yesterday to record a few tidbits of info to provide a little more background on what the first SOCOM video is showing off.

Though it’s just a smidge past the 60-second mark, the “Director’s Commentary” version of the SOCOM 4 teaser still has a few morsels of key information that make it worth watching – so be sure to invest a good minute of your time to check it out. Of course, if you’d rather just see the teaser video in its original form, or just want to watch both versions for the heck of it, we have the standard edition of the video ready to watch as well.

Either way, do yourself a favor and click the play button of your choice for the maximum amount of tactical video game candy. Enjoy!

Even if you caught last night’s world premiere of the SOCOM 4 teaser video on Game Trailers TV, we still have a nice little treat for you. Zipper’s resident uber-scribe and Creative Director, Ed Byrne, sat down in front of a microphone yesterday to record a few tidbits of info to provide a little more background on what the first SOCOM video is showing off.

Though it’s just a smidge past the 60-second mark, the “Director’s Commentary” version of the SOCOM 4 teaser still has a few morsels of key information that make it worth watching – so be sure to invest a good minute of your time to check it out. Of course, if you’d rather just see the teaser video in its original form, or just want to watch both versions for the heck of it, we have the standard edition of the video ready to watch as well.

Either way, do yourself a favor and click the play button of your choice for the maximum amount of tactical video game candy. Enjoy!

The last throes of youth.

View the entire 16-page document.

The PSN update this week is casual. You know, nothing big, but not bad. There are some deals, like the seriously reduced Penny Arcade Adventures bundle. It has a couple neat demos, like Just Cause 2. Oh, oh, and there's a new episode of The Tester. We know you're loving that, but not as much as you're loving Ru Paul's Drag Race (confess!). It's a T-shirt and jeans kind of update this week. Check out the full PSN update after the break.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:
(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

The week in Aussie news, reviews and opinions – in video form!

Suit details harsh relationship between companies.

Here's what we're hoping to see at next week's Game Developer's Conference.

In what it says is a reaction to Apple's growing footprint in portable gaming, the Wall Street Journal reports that Sony is prepping a 2010 launch of a smartphone and an iPad competitor -- said to be "a portable device that blurs distinctions among a netbook, an e-reader and a PlayStation Portable" -- both capable of running PS1 games. The paper cites "people familiar with the matter" as its sources, which have also told it that the devices will work with Sony's iTunes Store challenger, the Sony Online Service, that launches this month.

The WSJ also reports that the phone is being developed in conjunction with Sony Ericsson, with Sony proper being much more involved in the design of the device over past projects, due to the company's growing focus on smartphones and other mobile platforms. Development is said to be under the direction of Senior Vice President Kunimasa Suzuki, who acts as a deputy to PlayStation boss Kaz Hirai in Sony's gaming and Network Products & Services divisions.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've heard talk of a fabled "PlayStation Phone," and likely won't be the last -- hopefully the next time there's news, it will come in the form of an official product announcement by Sony.

[Via VG247]

Clements is lost, but that can't stop the news.

Hot off the release of MAG, Sony has revealed that the game's developer, Zipper Interactive, will be returning to the SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs franchise for the development of SOCOM 4 on PS3, slated for release this fall.

Unlike the Slant 6-developed, online-only SOCOM: Confrontation and Zipper's own MAG, this new SOCOM will include a full story-driven, single-player campaign comprised of 14 missions that the dev expects to offer around 12 hours of gameplay (according to IGN). Of course, the developer's experience on the excellent 256-player MAG will undoubtedly be carrying over (in as many ways as possible) to the announced 32-player online component of its new project. Only 32 players? (We kid.)

Hot off the release of MAG, Sony has revealed that the game's developer, Zipper Interactive, will be returning to the SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs franchise for the development of SOCOM 4 on PS3, slated for release this fall.

Unlike the Slant 6-developed, online-only SOCOM: Confrontation and Zipper's own MAG, this new SOCOM will include a full story-driven, single-player campaign comprised of 14 missions that the dev expects to offer around 12 hours of gameplay. Of course, the developer's experience on the excellent 256-player MAG will undoubtedly be carrying over (in as many ways as possible) to the announced 32-player online component of its new project. Only 32 players? (We kid.)

I wanted to drop in and deliver some truly exciting news – on behalf of everyone here at Zipper Interactive, I’m pleased to announce that SOCOM 4 is indeed in development and is slated for release exclusively on PlayStation 3 this fall.

Of course, as with any new announcement, what you really want to know are the details: Who’s in your squad? Where have they been deployed? What kind of threat are they up against? Though we’ll be revealing the answers to all these questions and plenty more throughout 2010, we don’t want to leave you completely in the dark, so what we will tell you is that a militant revolutionary has unexpectedly seized control in an important South Asian country. As the Ops Com, your mission is to command an elite five-man squad charged with stopping his aggressive agenda before it’s too late. In only six days, you must lead your team through a hostile jungle and urban environments against an army of well-armed rebel insurgents that completely outnumber you.

If that setup doesn’t whet your appetite enough, you should also be pleased to know that in addition to the SOCOM’s single-player operation, players will also be able to enjoy a 32-person multiplayer mode that boasts more Special Forces units than ever before!

If you crave even more information, then the guys at IGN have you covered with their exclusive first-look preview at what we’ve shown so far. Editor and shooting game fanatic, Ryan Geddes, dropped by our studio earlier in the week to check out SOCOM 4 for himself, so be sure to read the full IGN article to find out what he thinks.

But wait! There’s more! As part of our continued announcement celebration, the folks at GameTrailers TV will air the world premiere trailer for SOCOM 4 tonight at 12:30 am EST/PST. All you have to do is tune in to Spike TV when the time is right and let your eyes and ears do the rest. Don’t miss it!

Oh, and before we let you go, we wanted to send a message to our SOCOM and MAG fans all over the world. First, if you play MAG and wonder what this means for the game’s future, wonder no more – we’re still fully committed to supporting MAG for a long, long time and the addition of another game in our lineup doesn’t change that. Second, it’s been great to hear from SOCOM fanatics located in every corner of the globe as we led into today’s announcement. We’re extremely excited to be attached to this beloved franchise again and knowing that so many people wanted us to return to something that already meant so much to us has been both inspiring and touching – so thank you to all of you who wanted it to happen! We look forward to living up to your expectations.

Publisher claims ownership of Call of Duty franchise.

The publisher takes two indie darlings under its wing.

Jason West and Vince Zampella sue over unpaid royalties.

Lara Croft goes download only for The Guardian of Light.

It’s almost here! On March 9 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco the Game Developer’s Conference officially kicks off and Naughty Dog plans to have a big presence. Many of our folks will be participating in numerous sessions, panels, and tutorials. For the full list, please see below, but first let’s talk about one session in particular.

On Thursday, March 11 from 4:30 – 5:30 PM PST, Naughty Dog’s co-lead Game Designer, Richard Lemarchand, will be participating in a session with Baiyon, graphic artist and composer of Q-Games’ PixelJunk Eden, and they want to take your questions to be answered during the panel!

The session will take form as a lively discussion on the inherent similarities of artistic endeavor and will encompass conversations on Richard’s and Baiyon’s games, and the nature of creativity and process in games. We’re hoping to use a number of questions submitted by the community to lead the conversation. If you have a question you’d like to have answered during this panel, please submit it in the comments below and we’ll do our best to get it answered at GDC. We welcome all kinds of questions, serious, fun, etc…we’re looking for variety! Get your questions in before Friday; we’ll close all submissions after that.

Finally, if you’re planning to attend GDC, we hope to see you in the audience or around Moscone!

Naughty Dog at GDC

Thursday (March 11, 2010) 1:30pm — 2:30pm
Among Friends – An UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Post-Mortem
Richard Lemarchand (Game Designer, Naughty Dog)
Room 134, North Hall

Thursday (March 11, 2010) 3:00pm — 4:00pm
Behind the Scenes: UNCHARTED 2’s Unique Cinematic Production Process
Josh Scherr (Cinematics Animation Lead, Naughty Dog), Amy Hennig (Creative Director, Naughty Dog, Inc.)
Room 303, South Hall

Thursday (March 11, 2010) 4:30pm — 5:30pm
Micro or Massive: It’s Fricking Tough to Achieve a Vision
Baiyon Tomohisa Kuramitsu (Graphic Artist/Composer, PixelJunk/Eden), Richard Lemarchand (Game Designer, Naughty Dog)
Room 135, North Hall

Friday (March 12, 2010) 9:00am — 10:00am
GDC Microtalks 2010: Ten Speakers, 200 Slides, Limitless Ideas!
Richard Lemarchand (Game Designer, Naughty Dog), Ian Bogost (Associate Professor, The Georgia Institute of Technology), Chaim Gingold (levity lab), Gary Penn (Guru, Denki), Sam Roberts (Festival Director, indiecade.com), Margaret Robertson (Consultant and writer, Lookspring), Kellee Santiago (President and Co Founder, thatgamecompany), Suzanne Seggerman (President, Games for Change), Jesse Schell (ETC Carnegie Mellon, Schell Games), Jane Pinckard (Business Development, Foundation 9 Entertainment)
Room 134, North Hall

Friday (March 12, 2010) 1:30pm — 2:30pm
Creating the Active Cinematic Experience of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves
Bruce Straley (Game Director, Naughty Dog), Neil Druckmann (Co-Lead Designer, Naughty Dog)
Room 305, South Hall

Friday (March 12, 2010) 4:30pm — 5:30pm
UNCHARTED 2 Art Direction
Erick Pangilinan (Art Director, Naughty Dog), Robh Ruppel (Art Director, Naughty Dog)
Room 306, South Hall

Saturday (March 13, 2010) 10:30am — 11:30am
UNCHARTED 2 Character Pipeline: An In-depth Look at the Creation of U2’s Characters
Richard Diamant (Lead Character Artist, Naughty Dog Inc.), Judd Simantov (Lead Character Technical Director, Naughty Dog Inc)
Room 135, North Hall

Saturday (March 13, 2010) 1:30pm — 2:30pm
Animation and Player Control in UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune and UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves
Travis McIntosh (Lead Programmer, Naughty Dog Inc.)
Room 135, North Hall

Saturday (March 13, 2010) 1:30pm — 2:30pm
Getting Noticed: Why You Need an Online Portfolio and How to Make One
Jacob Minkoff (Game Designer, Naughty Dog Inc)
Room 306, South Hall

Saturday (March 13, 2010) 3:00pm — 4:00pm
UNCHARTED 2: HDR Lighting
John Hable (Programmer, Naughty Dog)
Room 305, South Hall

Our first entry covering the PSP's advanced features. Copy music, enable WMA playback and change video output.

Known as Million Ton Barabara in Japan and the work of Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?! dev Acquire, Patchwork Heroes is hands-down the coolest-looking PSP game about sawing up giant airships we're ever seen. Okay, so it's the only game of the type we've ever seen -- viva la originality! Sony has announced that we'll all get to experience the (we hope) joys of dismantling flying war machines tomorrow, Thursday March 4, when a demo of Patchwork Heroes hits PlayStation Network as part of the service's usual weekly update. It all goes well, it should fulfill our weird 'n wacky gameplay needs through the entire weekend.

Sgt. Frog RPG, .hack//Link and Bioshokku Tsu lead the way in Japan this week.

There may be a disappointing lack of beer and laser-shooting owls in this new set of screenshots from The Flying Hamster. But don't worry, the game still looks absolutely insane. The upcoming side-scrolling shooter for the PSP stars -- what else? -- an adorable flying hamster, as he makes his way through levels clearly designed by a Mad Libs book. Seriously, what's going on in this image? We have no idea.

Check out the rest of the images in our gallery below. The Flying Hamster should be available for download via the PlayStation Network later this year.

We’re always looking for ways to extend the PlayStation experience by creating new opportunities for you, our PlayStation fans, to interact with our products whether you’re in the comfort of your own home or on-the-go. It’s because of this that we’re happy to share our latest “magical” installment with you.

This weekend, Disney celebrated the re-launch of the re-imagined ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in suburban Orlando, Florida. As part of the newly revamped, state-of-the-art facility, we’ve teamed up with Disney to create an exclusive game pavilion for all things PlayStation.

The PlayStation Pavilion at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex showcases an evolving line-up of the latest PlayStation games including favorites from our publishing partners and our first party studios. The PlayStation Pavilion will play host to some of our biggest titles and PlayStation exclusives such as UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, MLB 10: The Show, inFAMOUS, Buzz! Quiz World, LittleBigPlanet, and MAG all on 40” TVs in glorious HD. The Pavilion is also outfitted with its own stage where you can grab the mic and jam to your favorite tunes.

We’ll also be working with Disney to host on-site tournaments and “gamer nights,” where leader boards positioned throughout ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will keep you apprised of the latest standings and give others a chance to challenge your high score.

Disney says it best, sometimes you really do have to see to believe. Fortunately, we were on-site for the Hollywood-style red carpet re-launch event and managed to sneak in a few shots of what awaits you just outside the Magic Kingdom. Hope to see your name on the leader board soon!

[Hobby Search] Konami has filed a Japanese trademark for something called "Gradius Arc." The "Gradius" part is easy enough to parse -- Konami's long-running series of horizontal shooters, last seen in the form of WiiWare's Gradius ReBirth -- but the "Arc" leads us to one particularly fanciful hypothesis.

"Arc" happens to be the frontrunner among rumored names for the PlayStation Motion Controller, having been mentioned by several developers and even trademarked by Sony. Could this be the first evidence of a motion-controlled Gradius game?

However, we shouldn't jump to (horrifying) conclusions based on the presence of a common word that happens to coincide with what a controller might be called. "Arc" could just be a subtitle for a Gradius game that you play with a controller like a sensible person.

Jason West and Vince Zampella replaced.

Latest all-in-one multi-platform development solution to be shown in stereoscopic 3D at GDC 2010.

It looks like the PlayStation "Virtual Console" is expanding beyond PSone and TurboGrafx-16 games. Siliconera spotted updates to a number of classic NeoGeo titles, including Metal Slug, The King of Fighters '94 and Fatal Fury. All of these titles have been re-rated to include the PS3 and PSP.

Other NeoGeo games to appear on the ESRB database include Alpha Mission II and Baseball Stars 2. Like the listings above, these games also support both the PS3 and PSP. Hopefully, these downloadable NeoGeo games will feature the same functionality as PSone classics, specifically the ability to download to both the PS3 and PSP for no additional charge.

There’s this PS3 game. It’s called Final Fantasy XIII. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Yeah, well if so, you’ll definitely be interested to know that we’ve worked with Square Enix to secure 100 very exclusive invites to the Final Fantasy XIII Launch Event in San Francisco. That’s right, 50 of you (plus a guest) will have the chance to mingle it up and play Final Fantasy XIII the day before it hits stores on March 9. It’ll be an afternoon of Final Fantasy where you’ll also get special fan treatment, browse a gallery of stunning artwork, check out some cool videos and meet the development staff. There are also some fantastic raffle prizes up for grabs.

WHEN: This coming Monday, March 8, 2010 (one of two afternoon sessions)
WHERE: San Francisco

Of course, we want genuine FF fans to attend, so we’re not going to simply give these tix away. But if you’re free and can be in the city of San Francisco this coming Monday afternoon and you are 18 years of age or older, take our quiz! If you’re one of the first to answer the questions correctly, we’ll send you your will-call tickets and all the info you’ll need to get to the complete Final Fantasy XIII Experience. And if you’re really quick and over 21 years old, then 5 of you (plus one guest) will be granted access to a super exclusive Final Fantasy XIII VIP event that night! Ready?

TAKE THE QUIZ NOW!

SCEA apologizes for inconvenience.

We've apparently made it through the worst of the storm, friends. We've received a number of tips informing us that the internal clock bug that was affecting non-Slim PS3s for the past 24 hours has been fixed, rendering all games playable once more. We tempted fate shortly after receiving these reports by testing out a few of our PS3 Phat units and can confirm that they're running games just fine. Additionally, our "lost" Trophies appear to be properly re-synced to our PSN accounts.

The extent of the damage incurred during the bug-out is unknown, but will likely surface in the next few hours. No Joystiq staffers lost any of their hard-earned Trophy data, but we're an awfully small sample group for a problem that affected every living being on Earth.

Update: PlayStation Blog confirms that PSN service has been restored and all PS3 systems should be operating normally.

Click past the jump for additional information.