All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

The Sly Cooper Collection is a compilation of three separate games, so it's only fitting that the PS3 disc follow the standard of three separate release dates for PAL regions, where it's called The Sly Trilogy. The ported rodent caper collection will arrive first in PAL territories other than the UK and Australia on December 1. Its release in Australia will follow on Dec. 2, and then in comes to the UK and Ireland on Dec. 3.

If that's too long to wait, you could either import it from the U.S. right now -- or, you know, break out your copies of the PS2 versions.

The latest adventures of the MMO-loving duo are now available online.

Mana for Magic.

#hamonix Harmonix might be up on the selling block, but Rock Band 3 is stayin' alive, with a six pack of tunes dropping next week from the Bee Gees. You shall now overflow with joy. More »

Some days I like my job. Other days, I really like my job. But today? I love it. Why? Because we just got back from the printers a big box of the Holiday issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine — and it might be my favorite one yet.

For starters, there’s our spectacular cover story: inFamous 2. We spent a full day with the fine folks at Sucker Punch, seeing aspects of the game that no one outside of the studio has ever witnessed, and getting a chance to go hands-on with Cole MacGrath in new areas of the New Orleans-inspired setting. All the electrifying details are revealed inside our lavish 10-page feature, along with world-exclusive screens, juicy new tidbits about the story, and a guided tour of New Marais’ first island.

We’ve also scored a big scoop with the first hands-on with Mass Effect 2 on PS3, including details on how developer BioWare will ease us PlayStation gamers into their epic sci-fi RPG (since the original game wasn’t released on PS3). Nifty stuff.

And it wouldn’t be a holiday issue if there wasn’t a gift guide. Our whip-cracking managing editor rounded up 49 of the coolest games, gadgets, Blu-rays and more, then doled them out to the PTOM staff in order to prod us to finally hit our deadlines. Find out how you too can win allies and influence gamers with this totally unique gift guide.

As if that weren’t enough, we have our biggest reviews section ever, with most of the holiday hits covered; playtests of some of the biggest 2011 releases; and must-read interviews with everyone from Twisted Metal’s David Jaffe to My Chemical Romance. It’s all in our Holiday issue, on stands November 23, and hitting subscribers as you read this.

To keep up with the goings-on at PTOM, be sure to follow us on Twitter. Or you can follow me directly. Enjoy!

The impending PC release of Super Meat Boy continues to amass an all-star team of indie game heroes, as Team Meat has revealed the identity of the PC version's third "exclusive" character to Big Download: Josef, the charming robot lead from Amanita Design's Machinarium.

A martial artist joins the fray.

Get to the chopper.

Kinect isn't just a new way for you to interact with your Xbox, it could become a new way for Microsoft's advertising division to gather targeted data about your family. We're not talking about some tinfoil-hat conspiracy theory -- Microsoft's Dennis Durkin postulated such a future at the BMO Capital Markets conference yesterday.

"Over time," he said, the Kinect camera's ability to distinguish between different users, and therefore tailor content to each user, will "help us be more targeted about what content choices we present; what advertising we present; how we get better feedback and data; about how many people are in a room when an advertisement is shown; how many people are in a room when a game is being played." Theoretically, the camera could also be able to measure the level of interest in a particular game or program, explained Durkin, based on factors like which jerseys viewers are wearing (in the case of a sporting event).

It's important to note that this kind of data collecting is not actually happening yet. There's still plenty of time to order Joystiq Publishing's upcoming product: the Kinect Privacy Shroud. Simply drape the Kinect Privacy Shroud over the camera and go about your life as usual without fear of being targeted by invasive advertising. Oh, and learn sign language, because Kinect can hear you too.

#rumor Goodfellas Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro reuniting for the Uncharted: Drake's Fortune movie, with Mark Wahlberg potentially on board as well? A story about antiquities dealers in New York? That's just crazy talk. Isn't it? More »

#mobilephones Splatterhouse is getting a bloody, modern remake later this month, but that's a gamble. The classic 1988 arcade Splatterhouse? We all know that's a fantastic game, and now you can play it on your phone. More »

New additions to hit franchise include master tracks from chart topping artists and original music from the KONAMI Japan Team.

If you pre-order the Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack from GameStop, you'll receive a Flaming Mark V Spartan Helmet for your Xbox Live Avatar.

Yay, free stuff -- but that's beside the point. The point is that GameStop is taking pre-orders on downloadable content. Isn't the point of pre-ordering to secure a copy in case the store runs out of stock? Not ... really a problem for DLC. It would seem that GameStop's strategy for dealing with a scarcity-free market is to hope nobody notices the lack of scarcity.

The best part: This offer is available in-store, but doesn't appear on GameStop's website. So you have to go to GameStop to pre-order the DLC, and then go to GameStop again so you can get the code to download your map pack from Xbox Live.

Some big news hit developer Harmonix this week as parent company Viacom revealed plans to sell the company, but that shouldn't affect the weekly Rock Band DLC releases for the time being -- they're stayin' alive, stayin' alive. Next week's DLC offerings deliver a six-pack from the Bee Gees that includes several of the band's best-known hits.

Accompanying the brothers as they deliver disco dreams are B.B. King and Procol Harum -- yeah, that's quite a combination. Now, jive talkin' turkeys, check out next week's full DLC track details after the break.

Much-delayed PS3 racer is coming at long last.

#freegaming Most of the very best games on the PC need you to cough up at least a little cash, but if you absolutely must game for nothing, then let us show you how it's done. More »

Have you ever heard of Narbacular Drop? It's a simple little proof-of-concept game created as a senior project by a group of kids at DigiPen. It's actually still available to download for free -- the graphics aren't much to see, the story is a cliche (you play a schlub trying to rescue a princess from a demon), and the FPS-style controls aren't all that well-tuned. The game is almost a mess, save for one amazing gameplay element: you can "shoot" door-like portals onto any wall in the game, and then move between those at will.

If you haven't already heard this story: Narbacular Drop was the student project that was later funded by Valve and turned into one of the best games of the past decade, Portal.

Hoard reminds me a lot of Narbacular Drop -- the graphics are kind of dull-looking, the controls are pretty basic and somewhat clumsy, and there's almost no story at all, just a few sets of game modes and maps. But there is a sparkling gem of gameplay to be found here.

Sony confirmed the release date for Gran Turismo 5 (again) today: November 24 is the date you can circle in your High Polygon Cars of 2010 novelty calendar. In a press release announcing the new date, Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi (pictured above hand-pressing each and every GT5 disc himself!) said, "Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed."

And just because we like (and, yes, feel a little sorry for) you, Gran Turismo superfan #1, we'll share Amazon's deal of the day: a third-party PS3 steering wheel, just the thing you need to get ready for GT5. With Amazon Prime, it'll be here well in time of November 24, or whatever future date Sony inevitably pushes Gran Turismo 5 back to.

#what OK, hold onto your hats and duct tape your socks on, Sony Computer Entertainment of America tells us that Gran Turismo 5 is going on sale in North America on Nov. 24. More »

We haven't spent much time with it ourselves, but everything we've heard from friends and other journalists points to the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops' multiplayer being -- in technical terms -- a poopie. Today, Activision pushes some anti-poopie fixes via Steam, including:

• Friends fix for join in progress and Friends tab in server browser
• Performance improvement for dual and quad core systems

We're hoping the patch will be enough to cure everyone's ills, but either way, we'd caution them to not fly off the handle. When you participate in a beta, these things happen. Until you actually pay for the product, you don't have much right to complain.

... Wait, what?

The date is locked in: Gran Turismo 5 will go on sale throughout North America on Wednesday, November 24th.

That means you’ll be experiencing over 1,000 cars, including karts and select NASCAR cars, scores of tracks, the all-new Course Maker, a dynamic weather system, a robust online community, and everything else Gran Turismo 5 has to offer in less than two weeks.

Along with confirming the November 24th date, Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. had this to say:

Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program! When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with Gran Turismo 5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans. Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed.

Don’t forget to pre-order Gran Turismo 5 if you haven’t already to ensure your copy day one and receive a voucher for one of five free downloadable cars with a custom Stealth Model skin.

We’ll have much more on Gran Turismo between now and launch, so please stay tuned to the PlayStation Blog and the official Gran Turismo site.

#stache This month, grow a Mario stache. C'mon on. Do it. More »

As one of the few MMOs headed for consoles, DC Universe Online presents the challenge of satisfying both long-term PC MMO fans and lifelong console players experiencing the genre for the first time. Developer Sony Online Entertainment also has to feature the DC pantheon of heroes and villains, while simultaneously making room in the DC Universe for millions of new heroes and villains -- and it has to let people build their own unique mixture of powers without sacrificing game balance or allowing everyone to be Superman.

Of course, judging from history (hello, True Fantasy Live Online) just releasing an MMO on consoles is enough of a challenge. SOE Creative Director Chris Cao told Joystiq that this was one of the major reasons for the recent delay of DCUO from this month into early 2011. "An MMO is already a complex thing to launch," he said, "let alone on two platforms, with two kinds of audiences, and so we've been running closed beta and internal beta for a long time, most of this year." As the team found more to work on through these betas, they asked for, and received, permission to delay the game.

Hi everyone, it’s time for this week’s video store update!

This week, celebrate the release of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on the video store with Heroes vs. Villains collection featuring an assortment of films based on your favorite comic-book characters. Next, check out Get Ready for UFC 123 with the best fights featuring Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, BJ Penn and Matt Hughes. Then, be sure to catch the newest episode of one of the most highly acclaimed zombie drama, The Walking Dead: Season 1, available now on PSN.

TV junkies rejoice! Hulu Plus is now available to all PlayStation 3 System owners! Subscribe now and enjoy exclusive access to the full current season of House, Family Guy, The Office and dozens of other popular shows. Catch up on back seasons of 30 Rock, Grey’s Anatomy, Arrested Development and other shows. Learn more at ps3.com/hulu.

Get excited for other great offers like incredible discounts on film and TV show adaptations such as Charlie’s Angels, Godzilla, Clueless, Star Trek, Addams Family and more in Deal of the Week: Movie/TV Adaptations! Looking for ways to personalize your XMB? Then deck out your PS3 systems with Aqua Teen Dynamic theme available this week for US users. Last but not least, check out British comedy Nativity! plus other great flicks like The Angel Doll, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, and more by visiting Movie > Studios > FreeStyle to get the entire FreeStyle library.

Before you head to the video store, check out the hilarious trailer for Grown Ups, now available for RENT for both US and Canada users!

New TV shows and movies arrive every week. Here’s a taste of what’s in store:

Just in TV
US Store: Family Guy: Season 9, Sons of Anarchy: Season 3, South Park: Season 14, The Office: Season 7, Sanctuary: Season 3, Smallville: Season 10, School Pride: Season 1, The Walking Dead: Season 1, Supernatural: Season 6, The Good Guys: Season 1, American Dad: Season 6, Bleach: Season 11, Paranormal State: Season 5, The Simpsons: Season 22, How I Met Your Mother: Season 6, High School of the Dead: Season 1, Blue Mountain State: Season 2A, Lie To Me: Season 3, and more.

Canada Store: The Walking Dead: Season 1, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 3, Caprica: The Series: Season 1, Mad Men: Season 3, The Tester: Season 2, Weeds: Season 5, 30 Rock: Season 5, The Biggest Loser: Season 10, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Season 12, The Event: Season 1, and more.

New Release Movies
US Store: Grown Ups, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Ramona and Beezus, Charlie St. Cloud, Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics, Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black, The Eclipse, The Trial, Held Up and more.

Canada Store: Grown Ups, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Ramona and Beezus, Charlie St. Cloud, The Trial, Multiple Sarcasms, Nativity!, Freeway Killer, and more.

Top TV Downloads

US:

The Walking Dead | Season 1 – Guts The Walking Dead | Season 1 – Days Gone Bye Smallville | Season 10 – Ambush Supernatural | Season 6 – Family Matters South Park | Season 14 – Mysterion Rises Family Guy | Season 9 – Halloween on Spooner Street Sons of Anarchy | Season 3 – Turas Sons of Anarchy | Season 3 – Firinne It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Season 6 – The Gang Gets a New Member South Park | Season 14 – Coon 2: Hindsight

Canada:

The Walking Dead | Season 1 – Guts The Walking Dead | Season 1 – Days Gone Bye Astonishing X-Men | Season 1 – Gifted, Episode 1 Ancient Aliens | Season 1 – Closer Encounters Ancient Aliens | Season 1 – The Evidence Ancient Aliens | Season 1 – The Mission American Dad | Season 5 – Brains Brains & Automobiles American Dad | Season 5 – In Country… Club Ancient Aliens | Season 1 – The Return Ancient Aliens | Season 1 – The Visitors

Top Movie Downloads

US:

Predators The Karate Kid Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Toy Story 3 How To Train Your Dragon Get Him to the Greek (Unrated) Jonah Hex Grown Ups Iron Man 2 Sex and the City 2

Canada:

Grown Ups Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Charlie St. Cloud Get Him to the Greek (Unrated) How To Train Your Dragon Predators Toy Story 3 Iron Man 2 Prince Of Persia – The Sands Of Time Ramona and Beezus

#iphone There is a flood of content in the Apple App Store. It's hard for games to stand out and find an audience. Why do that when you can ski in the wake of others? More »

The problem with reality is that you can't take a PitGirl or Assassin with you everywhere you go. Actually, you probably could, but that'd technically be kidnapping. Let's try that again: The problem with reality is that you can't lock your own PitGirl or Assassin in a room for you to ogle at your convenience. Okay, we're really bad at this.

Clean slate: Uber Entertainment is finally offering figurines based on characters in its XBLA game, Monday Night Combat. $69.99 will net you a nine inch tall statue of either PitGirl, Assault or Assasin. The Tank is a bit taller at 10 inches and a bit pricier at $89.99.

Sackboys and Sackgirls – gather ’round! New week, new LittleBigPlanet 2 featurette…this time we feature the new Grabinator! Now you can grab things, carry things and even throw things…

“What kind of things?” Small things, big things and even Sack-things. That’s right — you can carry Sackbots and other Sackboys.

And in case you missed these, here are links to the other featurettes we’ve unveiled:

• Grappling Hook
• Bounce Pads
• Sackbots
• Creatinator

From our "It's Fun to Dream" file comes a story from the latest issue of PSM3, in which Double Fine's Tim Schafer says he's ready to do a sequel to his classic action platformer Psychonauts. So ... Psychonauts 2: Revenge of the Milkman coming fall of 2012, pre-order now to get your commemorative goggles. Right?

Not so fast, bucko. Schafer wants to make a new Psychonauts, but he still needs to find someone to help foot the bill. "It's really a question of getting a publisher who's interested in doing it," he told the magazine. "Over the years it's gotten into the hands of a lot of people ... so if all these people were going to buy the sequel it would be a big hit."

So, any of you have a few spare millions kicking around? Maybe if everybody pooled together? Let's see, we have ... $7.12, a piece of Bazooka and a marble. That's ... that's not going to cut it, is it?

Closer still draws the slavering beast that is Black Friday. Now Target's deals have come to light, bringing good news for anyone out to snag some new games. The store is offering $10 gift cards with Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and several other titles. Many others will be discounted to $35, including Halo: Reach, Fable 3, Medal of Honor, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and more. Meanwhile, titles like Shaun White Snowboarding, the Wii version of NBA Jam and more will be knocked down to $27. A range of other titles will also be available for $17 or $7.

Target will also be offering the PSP LittleBigPlanet / Karate Kid bundle for $127, slightly less than the $130 at RadioShack and Sears. Console bundle deals include a 4GB Xbox 360 with $50 gift card for $199 and a 160GB PS3 bundled with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 and Prince of Persia on Blu-Ray for $299. Check out the full gamut of deals after the break.

#screengrab We can only hope it would have looked this good. By Jesse Griffin, as seen on Herochan. More »