All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

#screengrab No woman can resist the musky allure of Spartan armor. Spied at the filming of a commercial that's (probably) being filmed for Xbox 360 shooter Halo: Reach, as snapped by On Set LA. Thanks, Laird! More »

Like your lulz on the go? Then you'll be interested to know that Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge will be available on the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch. Even better: the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch versions of the game will be available tomorrow.

Looking to add a spark of new life to your old, rusty Xbox 360 games? First of all, how did your games manage to get rusty? Did you have them bronzed? More importantly, a slew of discounts on older DLC items on the Xbox Live Marketplace might just what your floundering classics need.

#bowlin A bit of confusion descended on Times Square today as Madden cover man Drew Brees (above) showed up with stacks of Madden NFL 11 cases and some mystery as to what exactly was inside. More »

#gamescom Germany's Gamescom convention drew nearly a quarter million attendees last year. This year, there will be at least one major absence in the form of Sega. The Sonic the Hedgehog publisher is sitting out the show, citing a "commercial decision." More »

Newly remasted, LucasArts' Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge has charted a course for Xbox Live Arcade, where it will arrive alongside Blacklight: Tango Down tomorrow, July 7. LeChuck's Revenge plan hasn't deviated since it was finalized a week ago, but the scheduled Blacklight drop zone was called into question last week when the game's publisher, Ignition Entertainment, could not confirm the date.

Today, Ignition formally announced the multiplayer shooter's deployment on XBLA for tomorrow, adding that the PSN and PC versions will arrive in "the coming weeks." BlackLight: Tango Down will be available for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge can be had for 800 MSP ($10).

Epic vice president Mark Rein talked to Rock, Paper, Shotgun recently and, when confronted with the allegation that the company has abandoned its PC roots, came out shooting. Rein says that a little console success with Gears of War doesn't mean that Epic has moved on from the platform that spawned Unreal and Unreal Tournament. "Don't confuse Gears of War with everything we do," he said. "Bulletstorm is PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and you'll see when it comes out, it will be a full-blown, oh-my-god amazing PC game."

Of course, Rein admits that the PC isn't all -- in the rest of the interview, he maintains that mobile platforms like Apple's iOS and Android are going to be very important for gaming in the future, and that getting the Unreal engine running on those is a big priority with Epic. While PC is still the foundation, Epic is "going to make a game for mobile and tablet," Rein says. "We haven't announced anything yet, but it's due."

#lucasarts LucasArts executive producer Haden Blackman wanted to talk about taking Star Wars in new directions on video games, but an aside comment about Super Star Wars on the Xbox 360 naturally keeps the discussion fixated on the past. More »

#hulu Streaming video service Hulu is coming to the PlayStation 3 this month in subscription form as Hulu Plus. And despite previous reports, you won't need a second subscription to Sony's PlayStation Plus service to enjoy it. More »

Craig Zinkievich, executive producer for Star Trek Online and certified lorekeeper for all things Roddenberrian, recently announced on the game's official blog that he's leaving Cryptic Studios after seven years. His shoes will be filled by producer Daniel Stahl, whom he promises shares his own enthusiasm for the Prime Directive.

So, what's the scandalous reason for Zinkievich's departure? Perhaps there was some inter-departmental drama? Maybe he's going to work for one of Cryptic's competitors? Actually, he explains he's going to "focus on other things, like hanging out with my kids over the summer, walking my goat more and taking care of my bees." Well, that's not all that shocking, but we wish Zinkievich the best all the same.

Looking for a way to play your old-school games without having 3 platforms hooked up to your TV? The latest edition of the RetroN, called the RetroN 3 is ready for your love and affection. I have to admit, I am pretty interested in picking one of these up. You can even [...]

A study conducted by EEDAR and SMU's Guildhall found trusted media outlets do affect consumers' perception of video games and their willingness to purchase. Joystiq received an advanced copy of the study (releasing publicly next week), that involved 165 qualified participants split into three groups, who were then exposed to high, low and no review scores for Plants vs. Zombies before playing the game. After the 20-minute session, the subjects were offered either a copy of the game or $10. A result of the study was that participants exposed to higher review scores were 100 percent more likely than those exposed to low scores to take a copy of Plants vs. Zombies over the $10 and "85 percent more likely to take the game than the control group." The study concludes that "because nearly twice as many participants in the high review group took the copy ... that the relationship between video game sales and professional review scores are not correlative but causal."

Plants vs. Zombies was chosen because it's "regarded by the gaming community and by critics as a high quality title of broad appeal." The mock reviews used in the study were from five well-known media outlets and participants were told that the aggregate review score they were given was "comprised of 51 professional" outlets. All participants "played the same game, on the same type of computer, in the same environment, for the same amount of time."

#northamerica New games, like Monkey Island Special Edition 2 and Family Feud, may lead the North American PlayStation Store this week, but it's the expansions to Modern Warfare 2, LittleBigPlanet and more that may drain your wallet. More »

#contest Scott Pilgrim vs. The World isn't just a comic book, movie and video game, for one brief night at E3 it was also a party. More »

Super Smash Bros. Brawl had so much hype, I think it took a lot of effort not to wet myself waiting for the next update every night at the Smash Dojo site, eagerly watching like an obedient little Nintendo lover, thinking to myself "*CRAG* YEAH SMASH BROS." This game had so much damn hype, I think everybody knew it couldn't possibly have met it, however much we might have hoped that it would. The game did not turn out to be the Second Coming of Santa Christ, but rather was ripe with some flaws that could have been more forgivable, but sadly drag the game down to where I consider it to be 'fair, but having had the potential to have been far better'. To me, the problems with this game are:

Subspace Emissary single-player. This was muchly hyped like any other part of the game. No dialogue except for some grunts and maybe some single words like "Yeah!" from Mario. Epic scenes with explosions, women, and Luigi. But it's clear that HAL Labs spilled Kirby on their Subspace. *crag* dem other guys, KIRBY is the real savior of the universe.  And the gameplay and design of  Single Player Mode shows it, too. But that would be just fine by me if the gameplay was more compelling. I actually enjoy Adventure Mode on Melee more than Subspace Emissary. Once you've beaten Subspace once, you probably don't want to play it again. I know I didn't. You watch the epic cutscenes, get through the game, and your experience is pretty much done. Well, at least it's an incredibly easy way to unlock new characters. I didn't care for that, but some may like that it was made so easy. We're an impatient species and want our lasar-robots and rock-hard Solid Snakes quickly. Playing Subspace with a friend can elevate the experience, but can also be annoying when you have to catch up with one another, and Player 2 keeps getting thrown around as a ball of blue light every minute or so. Personally, I would have liked a story or stories that changed more according to what character(s) you choose to play as.

The second big problem I have is the Online. A hugely important thing to me. A part of this game that I looked forward to probably more than anything. Clearly, they should have delayed this game even more, because myself and probably many others would be giving this game a far higher rating if they had taken whatever time they needed to perfect online playability. Being able to connect with your friends around the world and spam Kirby's taunt and/or actually fight was tantalizing. But it takes way too long to connect to a game with three other strangers in 'With Anyone', whether you're playing an all-out 'Brawl' or 'Team Brawl'. I could be waiting in a room for 20 minutes, if the game was kind. Online play is just not as smooth as it could have been. I point to Mario Kart Wii as an example of how smooth Brawl's online mode should have been. It's perfectly possible for this to have been better.

I'll end by defending the game, however. What I love the most is just how crazy it is. There's nothing funner to me than a crazy battle with some friends that has bananas, smart bombs, shells, and whatever else falling all over the place. Unlike most other games where characters kick each other around, Smash Bros. Brawl can have a funny story to just about any battle. Weird and amusing things can happen at any moment. This makes each game different to me, and just as fun and unpredictable as the last. I enjoy the large character roster. I thought Melee's was big, but Brawl has made it look rather small. The characters themselves are entertaining, and I actually like the Final Smash mechanic that was implemented. It gives the characters even more unique flavor and makes for even more amusing moments. This game is so crazy that is still manages to draw me back to it every so often despite its unfulfilled potential. It feels like they tried to stuff too much into it too quickly to make it as huge and epic as possible. If Super Smash Bros. Brawl was just now coming out, I can't help but think it would be a far better game.

 

#valve The Team Fortress 2 Engineer Update continues, building up to its end-of-week release, with the Wrangler. If you've ever wanted manual control for your sentries and a shield to protect 'em, this is the item for you. More »

We asked 100 people to name a new game worth purchasing on PSN this week. Top three answers are on the board. SURVEY SAYS!

*ding*

Monkey Island Special Edition 2: Lechuck's Revenge received 80 votes. Family Feud received 17... and three people answered "Liquid Soap" -- your guess is as good as ours.

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 next generation of building your collegiate powerhouse has arrived.

Hi Everyone – It’s time for the weekly PlayStation Store Update.

PlayStation Plus

Qore Episode 26 (July Single episode Free to PlayStation Plus subscribers)
File Size: 1.74 GB

Field Runners (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)
File size: 29 MB

MAG Raven Character Avatar (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)
File size: 106 KB

MAG SVER Character Avatar (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)
File size: 109 KB

MAG Valor Character Avatar (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)
File size: 112 KB

King Zumo Theme (Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers)
File size: 5.88 MB

Super Stardust HD Sale
Super Stardust HD (PlayStation Plus price $5.00, original price $9.99)
Super Stardust HD Team add-on Pack (PlayStation Plus price $2.50, original price $4.99)
Super Stardust HD Solo add-on Pack (PlayStation Plus price $2.50, original price $4.99)

TikGames/Creat Studios PlayStation Plus Sale
Hamsterball (PlayStation Plus price $3.99, original price $9.99)

Updates

Hamsterball – Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Death Track: Resurrection – Sale (now $7.99, original price $14.99)
Worms – Sale (now $7.99, original price $9.99)
Hamster Ball Unleashed – Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Breakquest – Minis – Sale (now $2.99, original price $3.99)
Normaltanks – Minis – Permanent Price Change (now $2.99, original price $4.99)

Qore

Qore Episode 26: July 2010 ($2.99)
Episode 26 of Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network takes viewers back to the Helghan homeworld in Killzone 3, previews Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, chats with the creator of the PlayStation Move controller and explores Osaka, Japan.
File size: 1.74 GB

Qore Annual Subscription: July 2010 ($24.99)
Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network is a monthly interactive video production covering the world of PlayStation. Qore provides its audience with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to developers and their games, from both the SCE Worldwide Studios and the third-party community, where the audience member can freely navigate through the content.
File size: 1.74 GB

Downloadable Games

Monkey Island Special Edition 2: Lechuck’s Revenge ($9.99)
More Pirates! More Adventure! More Monkeys! Relive the second hilarious swashbuckling misadventure of the wannabe pirate Guybrush Threepwood in signature special edition detail. Overcome the wrath of the evil zombie pirate LeChuck with all new direct-character controls, an interactive object highlight system, behind the scenes art viewer and creator commentary featuring the original developers of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge!
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 1.14 GB

Family Feud ($9.99)
“SURVEY SAYS!” Family Feud is fun on your PlayStation 3 system! Just like on TV, the game pits 2 families against each other in a contest to name the most popular answers to survey questions posed to 100 people. The first family to get 300 points wins, and moves on to the Fast Money round for a chance to win $20,000! With a multiplayer mode played on one PS3 or online through PlayStation Network, Family Feud has never been so entertaining!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 251 MB

Game Demos (free)

Death Track: Resurrection Demo
The demo version of Death Track: Resurrection – a new action racing game developed by Gaijin. Players travel to a future in which the world has been plunged into chaos. Traditional sports have been replaced by more aggressive and violent types of entertainment. Powerful cars and spectacular road battles are performed by world-renown and feared drivers compete for glory and huge cash prizes.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 232 MB

Monkey Island Special Edition 2: LeChuck’s Revenge Demo
More Pirates! More Adventure! More Monkeys! Relive the second hilarious swashbuckling misadventure of the wannabe pirate Guybrush Threepwood in signature special edition detail. Overcome the wrath of the evil zombie pirate LeChuck with all new direct-character controls, an interactive object highlight system, behind the scenes art viewer and creator commentary featuring the original developers of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge!
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 1.14 GB

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet: Marvel – Iron Man ($1.99)
Tony Stark isn’t the only person with an Iron Man costume, now Sackboy has his own version of the legendary home-made hero costume to use when the need arises! NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet: Marvel – Thing ($1.99)
Fortunately for Sackboy he doesn’t need to be exposed to dangerous quantities of cosmic radiation to become the Fantastic Four’s lead clobberer Thing, he can simply put on this awesome costume. NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet: Marvel – Dare Devil ($1.99)
There are plenty of times in LittleBigPlanet when you simply cannot believe your eyes! In the event of this happening, Sackboy need simply dress up as blind superhero Daredevil to overcome this problem. NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet: Marvel – Doctor Octopus ($1.99)
For those times when Sackboy feels the need to hatch yet another world domination plan and take on the heroic tendencies of any web-slingers out there, the Doctor Octopus costume is just the thing. NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet: Marvel – Mystique ($1.99)
While Sackboy may be the master of costume changing, rather than shape changing but that isn’t going to stop him dressing up as Mystique. NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet: Marvel Costume Pack ($5.99)
Look out “True Believers”, your favorite Marvel heroes and villains have landed on LittleBigPlanet! Grab this costume pack and you’ll be ready for action with 5 costumes of your favorite Marvel characters including Iron Man, Thing, Daredevil, Doctor Octopus, and Mystique! NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet: Marvel Level Kit ($4.99)
Look out “True Believers”, your favorite Marvel heroes and villains have landed on LittleBigPlanet! Grab this level kit to build your own “Marvel”-ous levels! This kit includes 4 new Levels, 1 Background, 3 Music files, 24 CREATE objects, and 156 Stickers! NOTE: To download this Costume Kit, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

ModNation Racers: Sweet Tooth Mod and Kart Bundle ($1.99)
Race as the iconic character Sweet Tooth, from the longest-running PlayStation-exclusive franchise, Twisted Metal. This ModNation Racers Sweet Tooth Mod AND Kart bundle pack will let you race as the dark clown inside of the sinister ice cream truck that’s perfectly suited for car combat. Download this pack today!
File size: 100 KB

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Package ($14.99) (Also available in French)
More epic new multiplayer content has arrived for Modern Warfare 2! The Resurgence Pack delivers five incredible new multiplayer maps. Take the action to exciting new locations, then battle across legendary landscapes from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
File size: 346 MB

Dragon Age: Origins – Leliana’s Song ($6.99)
Assume the role of Leliana, a young bard involved in a criminal ring that deals in political secrets. Accompanying her mentor Marjolaine on a high-risk mission, Leliana soon finds herself entangled in a game of intrigue that she cannot escape with just her beauty, charm, or stealth. The only way out of this game is to kill or be killed.
File size: 439 MB

Skate 3 – Danny Way’s Hawaiian Dream ($6.99)
Danny Way has been living the dream for years, now you can skate his Hawaiian dream…an enormous skater’s paradise loaded with everything from original street terrain to flowing skateparks and Danny’s signature Mega-madness. Drop in for a Hawaiian blast.
File size: 106 MB

Aliens Vs. Predator Bughunt Map Pack ($6.99)
Welcome to the killing grounds of BG-386. Prove your skills on four new multiplayer maps spanning jungle swamps, dropship crashsites, industrial complexes and ancient temples. Rainstoms batter you, fog hides your predators with only a flash of lightning to show the way through, and a fiery death awaits the unwary.
File size: 416 MB

MotoGP 09/10: GP Class Season 2010 Update (free)
The new 2010 season content update pack gives you the all new GP class bikes and riders for the new season, as well as the world famous Silverstone track not seen in MotoGP since 1986. The content is used in all game modes to extend the game-play.
File size: 777 MB

Trinity Universe – Gift for Everyone Pack ($0.99)
“A heart-warming gift from Mizuki! I gathered some good stuff for you.
You better treasure it! This should blast me into the stratosphere of stardom!
Well, um, can you prepare boxes for everyone?
…Um! This is perfect!”
File size: 100 KB

Trinity Universe – Low Income Prinny Pack (free)
“I got Clear Souls for “ATK,” “DEF,” “INT,” “RES,” “SPD,” “HIT,” “LUK,” and “”HP,”" dood.
Now we’re unstoppable, dood.
…Well, there’s no way we have enough to say that, dood. It’s not our problem if this imbalances your party, dood! ”
File size: 100 KB

Trinity Universe – Middle Ability Pack ($1.99)
“Keh, hehehe… Hahahahaha! I’ve entered many dungeons, found many hunting points, and crushed numerous monsters these past few months.
Finally… finally, I found this useful ability! As long as it exists, that violent Valkyrie is a mere wad of gum stuck to the bottom of my boot!”
File size: 100 KB

Trinity Universe – Mid-Level armor Pack ($1.99)
“(Take 32: 2 hours into the recording session.)
I… I will talk about this Mid-level Armor.
This product pack consists of “Byakko’s Kotodama,” “Seiryu’s Kotodama,” “Suzaku’s Kotodama,” and “Genbu’s Kotodama.” Plus, “α Code,” “β Code,” “γ Code,” “Ω Code,” “Dark Space,” “Shine Space,” “Aurora Space,” and “Heartful Space”… They are all hairy…”
File size: 100 KB

Trinity Universe – Miyu’s Managraphic Pack (free)
“I’ll do my best to draw your portrait! P-Please let me try. I promise it’ll be good!”
File size: 100 KB

Trinity Universe – My Secret Savings Pack ($0.99)
“Ugh… I’m tired.
But, I think we’ve collected quite a lot!
5 “Cure Herbs” for fatigued bodies, 5 “Relief Krauts” that’ll heal an entire family, 5 “Life Stones” for emergencies and 5 “Anchors” so your home won’t drift away. Plus, we still have 500,000G left over! I’m so fantastic at budgeting!”
File size: 100 KB

Trinity Universe – Phantom Dungeon Rumors Pack (free)
“What in tarnation is this dungeon? I reckon’ we’ll find some mighty fine treasure.”
File size: 100 KB

Trinity Universe – Technician’s Pack ($1.99)
“Oh! Our weapons got upgraded! They’re probably cool, and fierce, and badass now! Tsubaki, can you buy this for me? What? You will?! All right! Let’s go on another adventure right away!”
File size: 100 KB

Guitar Hero
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

• “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – Queen ($1.99)
• “Killer Queen” – Queen ($1.99)
• “Somebody To Love” – Queen ($1.99)
• Queen 2 Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Killer Queen”, and “Somebody To Love” by Queen. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File size: 29 MB – 51 MB (singles), 108 MB (track pack)

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

• “Bad Moon Rising” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Born On The Bayou” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Down On The Corner” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Fortunate Son (Original Version)” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Green River” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Proud Mary” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Run Through The Jungle” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Travelin’ Band” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Up Around The Bend” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• “Who’ll Stop The Rain” – Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival Pack 01 ($19.99) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Creedence Clearwater Revival Pack 01. This pack includes “Bad Moon Rising”, “Born On The Bayou”, “Down On The Corner”, “Fortunate Son (Original Version)”, “Green River”, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, “Proud Mary”, “Run Through The Jungle”, “Travelin’ Band”, “Up Around The Bend”, and “Who’ll Stop The Train” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Rock Band Network

• “1348″ by Umphrey’s McGee ($1.99)
• “Battles And Brotherhood” by 3 Inches of Blood ($1.99)
• “Henchmen Ride” by Testament ($1.99)
• “So Says I” by The Shins ($1.99)
• “The Funeral” by Band of Horses ($1.99)

File size: 13 MB – 74 MB (singles), 267 MB (track pack)

Avatars

Dark Stalkers Felicia Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 100 KB

Dark Stalkers Morrigan Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 100 KB

Flower Avatars (x4) ($0.49)
File size: 100 KB

Flower Avatar Bundle ($1.49)
File size: 500 KB

Game Videos (free)

Naughty Bear Trailer
File size: 62 MB (SD), 84 MB (HD)

Transformers: War For Cybertron Multiplayer Trailer
File size: 56 MB (HD)

Dragon Age: Origins Leliana’s Song Trailer
File size: 31 MB (HD)

Shank E3: Animatic Trailer
File size: 33 MB (HD)

Skate 3 Maloof Money Cup Trailer
File size: 54 MB (HD)

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II E3 Trailer
File size: 308 MB (1080)

Pulse 7/6 Edition
File size: 329 MB (HD)

PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap Trailer
File size: 52 MB (HD), 86 MB (1080)

PixelJunk Shooter 2 Trailer
File size: 45 MB (HD), 75 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes

Trinity Universe Custom Theme 09:Flonne ($1.99)
File size: 6.6 MB

Trinity Universe Custom Theme 10: Etna ($1.99)
File size: 6.2 MB

Trinity Universe Custom Theme 11: Prinny ($1.99)
File size: 5.5 MB

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Premium Theme ($2.49)
File size: 10 MB

Azmodeus Dark Angels Premium Theme 4 ($1.49)
File size: 7.6 MB

Wallpapers (free)

Blue Toad Murder Files Wallpaper
File size: 940 KB

PlayStation Store for PSP

Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable ($39.99)
Terrible creatures lurk in the dark, preying on those who wander into the hidden hour between one day and the next. As a member of a secret school club, you must wield your inner power—Persona—and protect humanity from impending doom. Will you live to see the light of day?
The award-winning RPG is now in the palm of your hand! Greatly enhanced and featuring a new female protagonist with another perspective on the story, no RPG fan should miss this.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.07 GB

Despicable Me ($29.99)
Be Despicable! (It’s fun!) Despicable Me: The Game lets players of all ages experience the thrill of being Gru, one of the world’s greatest supervillains who is planning the biggest heist in history – stealing the moon.

• Assemble an army of minions
• Use new gadgets and weapons
• Master air combat
• Build an awesome rocket ship
• Play as Gru or as his nemesis, Vector, in multiplayer air combat (PS2)
• Based on Universal Pictures’ new 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me, in theatres July 9, 2010.

ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 324 MB

Chameleon Legacy ($4.99)
Chameleon offers players simple controls that are easy to get into along with competitive play as you attempt to match colors on your playfield. The game features several playable characters along with a bonus character. A variety of different modes and rule sets bring great replay-ability to this addictive game.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 27 MB

Game Demos (also available from PS3 Storefront) (free)

Patapon 3 – Multiplayer Demo
Download the Patapon 3 Multiplayer Demo today and send us your feedback to make the best Patapon game yet! For more information, please visit http://www.pataponpsp.com.
ESRB Rated RP
File size: 110 MB

PSP Minis (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Widget’s Odyssey – Minis ($1.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 51 MB

The Mystery Of The Crystal Portal – Minis ($4.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 85 MB

5-in-1 Arcade Hits – Minis ($3.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 17 MB

4X4 Jam Minis ($6.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 51 MB

Add-on Game Content (also available from PS3 Storefront)

LittleBigPlanet PSP – Heroes in Uniform Costume (free)
With this fabulous free Cop costume your Sackboy will really look the part whilst he lays down the law! NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 1.29 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP – Heroes in Uniform Pack ($2.99)
Is your Sackboy a bold firefighter, a courageous cop or an intrepid paramedic? This emergency services themed pack is absolutely bursting at the seams with new costumes and stickers for any crisis. NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 1.43 MB

Game Videos (free)

Pulse 7/6 Edition
File size: 55 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Azmodeus Dark Angels PSP Theme 13 ($1.49)
File size: 565 KB

The second most important holiday in July is upon us.

Review Diary

• Day 1: Welcome to San Paro
• Day 2: Coming tomorrow
• Day 3: Coming Thursday
• Day 4: Coming Friday

Reviewing an MMO is a famously tough thing to do. The things that make a good massively multiplayer game (a strong update schedule, a solid community, and a mechanic that supports gameplay across a wide audience) are tough to quantify in a one-shot writeup. Many outlets avoid the task completely, leaving the judgment of newly-released MMOs to their own communities. If an online game floats, it's good, goes the conventional wisdom. If it sinks, it wasn't any good anyway.

But reviewing a game can shine a harsh light on its weaknesses, put a spotlight on its best features and help bring attention to lesser-known yet still deserving titles. Despite its differences from more traditional boxed products, don't MMOs deserve the same treatment?

So, in that spirit, we're presenting a review for All Points Bulletin, the latest game and first MMO from developer Dave Jones and his Realtime Worlds. MMOs are an evolving investment in both time and money, so rather than a simple writeup, I'll have a few posts over this week to look at all of the different aspects of the game critically. Today, I'll install the game and create my character. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the actual grind and how it works. Thursday will cover the game's community and customization options, and Friday will feature APB's current state and Realtime Worlds' future plans for the title, along with final impressions and the overall review score.

#jesuschrist Rob Donald called it back in May: "I am totally expecting to see ... a perfect recreation of The Last Supper in someone's end zone." The Backbreaker producer hasn't been proven right yet, but one artist is hard at work. More »