Sony Patches PSP "Hole" with 3.51

To all you people out there who took advantage of the Lumines hack, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS UPDATE! The only known fix in this new firmware update 3.51 is a patch of the security hole in the Lumines game. If you're not going to take advantage of the security hole in Lumines, by all means go ahead and download.

[From Kotaku]

Today's PSN Update

Finally an update that you can really call an update. All you PS3 users can finally get some stuff. Available as of today is the Super Startdust HD game for $7.99, the GTA IV trailer, a game demo of Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, and a few movie trailers. Lets hope Sony can keep this up every week.

GTA IV Trailer 2 Now Up

Explore the world of Grand Theft Auto IV!

The Second Trailer to GTA IV was released today. Only thing is that Yahoo Games won't let anyone embed it so if you want to check it out you have to go there. With all the hype around the trailer it didn't satisfy enough for me, but you be the judge.

SingStar 90's and Tracks ANNOUNCED

Earlier reports were right on the money, SingStar 90s is indeed on the way, as Sony have just dropped by to confirm it. Expect it in August (at least in PAL territories), expect the usual bundle deals and expect it to linger odorously around the European and Australian charts for the next 2-3 months.

ALL SAINTS - Never Ever

AQUA - Barbie Girl

B-52's - Love Shack

BARENAKED LADIES - One Week

BILLY RAY CYRUS - Achey Breaky Heart

CRASH TEST DUMMIES - MMM MMM MMM MMM

DIVINYLS - I Touch Myself

EMF - Unbelievable

GIN BLOSSOMS - Hey Jealousy

LISA LOEB - Stay

MC HAMMER - U Can't Touch This

MEREDITH BROOKS - Bitch

M PEOPLE - Movin' On Up

NATALIE IMBRUGLIA - Torn

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - Step By Step

NICK CAVE & KYLIE MINOGUE - Where the Wild Roses Grow

POISON - Unskinny Bop

RADIOHEAD - Creep

REM - Everybody Hurts

ROACHFORD - Only to be with You

SAVAGE GARDEN - I Want You

SEAL - Kiss From A Rose

SIR MIX A LOT - Baby Got Back

SPICE GIRLS - Wannabe

SPIN DOCTORS - Two Princes

TECHNOTRONIC FEAT. FELLY - Pump Up The Jam

THE CARDIGANS - Lovefool

THE CRANBERRIES - Zombie

THE CURE - Friday I'm In Love

WET WET WET - Love Is All Around

[From Kotaku]

PlayStation Home Beta Updated

The Home Beta has received a decently sized update, its first since launch around two months ago.

This update provides several graphical enhancements, mainly noticeable during bowling and pool. However, characters look better as well and have multiple new customization options (weight, crazy hair colors, more clothes). Also, a few new items are available in your HomeSpace.

Another new development - it looks like our homies have gotten a bit of exercise as they can now run around Home after walking for a bit.

The Home Cinema has received several new trailers as well including the likes of Around the World and Reign Over Me. It also appears that new streaming methods have been implemented for videos in public spaces, as they play more smoothly the closer one stands to them.

Finally comes the most exciting feature of them all - the first true form of in-game XMB access. Anytime during and anywhere inside Home you can access your friends list (and therefore message people and read messages) by pressing select.

So while the promised Chess game and new arcade machines didn't pan out, we are more than satisfied by this newest update. Hopefully Home will continue to be improved over the coming months before its scheduled Fall launch.

[From PSU]

Madden '08 Gets "Weapons"

Taking a great deal of criticism (not all of it unwarranted) for Madden '07, EA Sports is adding a bunch of new features for its 2008 installment. One of them is inspired by a concept EA has used in its NBA Live series of games. Those games give players designations like Playmaker or Outside Shooter in addition to whatever individual player ratings they might have.

EA Sports is now instituting superstar archetypes into Madden, where it's arguably even more needed. Field generals like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have a completely different skill set from Michael Vick or Vince Young and this system hopes to show that accurately.

Manning, for example, will have the "Smart Quarterback" attribute. If an opponent keeps running the same defense out there, Manning will adapt and get stat bonuses that allow him to pick it apart. These weapons, of course, appear on both sides of the ball so it should be quite the chess match pitting say, a shutdown corner against a wideout with the spectacular catch ability.

Like in NBA Live, the true superstar players will fall into multiple categories. EA has revealed one player from each weapon category to get the discussion going. Remember folks, this is only a partial list and we didn't pick it, so no shooting the messenger.

Cannon Arm (Brett Favre - Packers)
Hands (Marvin Harrison - Colts)
Spectacular Catch (Chris Chambers - Dolphins)
Power Back (Larry Johnson - Chiefs)
Press Coverage (Ty Law - Chiefs)
Pass Blocker (Walter Jones - Seahawks)
Finesse Move Defensive Lineman (Dwight Freeney - Colts)
Route Running (Torry Holt - Rams)
Power Move Defensive Lineman (Albert Haynesworth - Titans)
Possession Receiver (Muhsin Muhammad - Bears)
Shutdown Corner (Champ Bailey - Broncos)
Smart Quarterback (Peyton Manning - Colts)
Stiff Arm Ball Carrier (Lawrence Maroney - Patriots)
Smart Safety (John Lynch - Broncos)
Speed (Devin Hester - Bears)
Smart Corner (Ronde Barber - Buccaneers)
Smart Linebacker (Zach Thomas - Dolphins)
Big Foot Kicker (Sebastian Janikowski - Raiders)
Accurate Kicker (Adam Vinatieri - Colts)
Elusive Back (Reggie Bush - Saints)
Big Hitter (Sean Taylor - Redskins)
Accurate Quarterback (Drew Brees - Saints)
Brick Wall Defender (Ray Lewis - Ravens)
Crushing Run Blocker (Jonathan Ogden - Ravens)

[From GWN]

This Week's XBLA Release

Name: Carcassonne
Price: 800 Points
Availability: Not available in South Korea
Dash Details: Single Player, Xbox LIVE Multiplayer 2-5, Local Multiplayer 1-4, HD (High Definition). Buy Carcassonne today and become a master of medieval strategy. Own a fully featured version of the board game classic and fulfill the need for challenge any time you want, or play socially, with up to five players on Xbox LIVE, or up to four players on just one Xbox 360. Multiple levels of difficulty offer a challenging experience for players of all ages and levels of experience.
Size: 45.8 MB (approx.)

[From Major Nelson]

PS3 Firmware Update 1.82

Hey everyone, you told us you wanted to hear about updates a few days in advance, so here’s a quick heads up that we have a PS3 firmware update in the works. Scheduled for release in the next few days, firmware 1.82 is an update that enables the playback of AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) files. As most of you know, these are high quality files that you’ll now be able to play on your PS3. Hopefully this update is moving us closer to the audio playback features many of you commented about in my post the other week. We’re continuing to evaluate and improve things across the board, including PS2 software compatibility.

[From PlayStation Blog]

Soul Caliber IV WILL Feature Online Play

The latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly confirms that Soul Caliber IV will be online capable on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

What's changed this time round is that the next-gen platforms have network infrastructure already in place," says SoulCalibur IV drector Katsutoshi Sasaki. "We've heard from fans that they really want the game to be online, so we figured that, with the current environment, we really couldn't make SC4 without online play."

If the developers at Namco Bandai succeed, SoulCalibur IV's network infrastructure will allow fast-paced action without the lag issues that plague some other online-enabled brawlers.

Sasaki also mentioned that character customization from SoulCalibur III will be back for the sequel and that customizable characters will be available during online play. The team is unsure, however, whether or not to allow trading of customized characters.

[From GamePro]

Nintendo Announces WiiWare

WiiWare is Nintendo's Answer to XBLA and the PSN. The service will allow "independent developers" to create original game content for the Wii. Here's the official press release:

Nintendo's WiiWare Paves The Way For Fresh Games, Cool Consumer Experiences Nintendo Sets a New Paradigm: One Game Can Still Make a Difference

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The search for the next ingeniously ground-breaking video game has begun. At a private developers conference this week, Nintendo announced the introduction of WiiWare(TM), a game-creation service that will allow developers large and small to create new downloadable video game content for sale by Nintendo through the Wii Shop Channel of the hot Wii(TM) home video game system. WiiWare paves the way for smaller, more creative games to make their way to the public at lower prices, without any inventory risk to developers. The first WiiWare content will launch in early 2008.

"Independent developers armed with small budgets and big ideas will be able to get their original games into the marketplace to see if we can find the next smash hit," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "WiiWare brings new levels of creativity and value to the ever-growing population of Wii owners."

The possibilities for WiiWare are limited only by the imaginations of developers. WiiWare provides game creators a simple method by which they can get their games to the public. This approach, combined with the remarkable motion controls of the Wii Remote(TM) and Nunchuk(TM), will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds. The reduced barriers to development provide developers the freedom to create and an inexpensive, clearly defined path to reach consumers who will ultimately determine which game will become the Next Big Thing.

WiiWare will be posted on the Wii Shop Channel. As with current Wii Shop Channel offerings, users will redeem Wii Points(TM) to download content. It will support a variety of pricing options. Details about that and upcoming projects will be announced at a later date. For more information about Wii, visit http://www.Wii.com.

[From Kotaku]

Sony Fanboys are Just as Arrogant as Sony

Some "Sony Fanboy" has made a video clip of how the PS3 is "beter" than the 360. Is this what all you Sony Fanboys do to justify your purchase of a PS3? By the looks of the over 5 min video I wouldn't be surprised if this was some internal video made at Sony. If so now I understand why Sony's attitude is the way it is. Just some highlights covered in the video: "PS3 sales was not a flop it sold better than the 360 and the Wii", the PSN network is better than Live, the 360 is more expensive than the PS3, and the PS3 hasn't copied. More is in the video so watch it if you can. The only thing this video proves to me is that Sony's brainwashing has worked because their fanboys are just as arrogant as them and they can't spell. Hilarious!!

New PSP Exploit Found in Lumines

Today a new exploit was found in the game Lumines for the PSP. This "exploit" allows the user to access homebrew applications on all current versions of the PSP firmware up to 3.50. With this exploit the sales of Lumines has jumped up over 5,900%. Well as I'm not a PSP owner I have no idea how to do this so I have a video that explains it.

[From Destructoid]

This Week's VC Update

Another Week, three more games for the Wii Virtual Console. Here they are:

F-Zero® X (Nintendo® 64, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Choose from 30 different hover-car racers, including updated versions of the Blue Falcon and other vehicles from the original F-Zero, and get ready to play one of the fastest racers ever. You'll speed to the finish line on tracks that twist and turn through the air, doing your best to avoid the other 29 cars on the track. If you're in a competitive mood, try to win a Grand Prix Cup, get the fastest lap time in a Time Trial or destroy the competition in a Death Race. You can also challenge three friends in the Versus mode. With five separate play modes, hidden vehicles and courses, and an excellent soundtrack, F-Zero X still represents one of the best racing titles to date.

Street Fighter® II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen -Violence, 800 Wii Points): Street Fighter II defined gaming in the 1990s by revolutionizing the fighting-game genre. Regarded as one of the greatest games of all time, Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting was the third and final release in the original series. Featuring the eight original World Warriors (including Ryu, Chun Li and Guile) along with playable boss characters (Balrog, Sagat and M. Bison), this classic title offered enhanced playing speed and improved character balancing.

China Warrior (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older -Violence, 600 Wii Points): China Warrior is a side-scrolling action game that was released around the same time as the TurboGrafx16 in Japan. It's up to the kung fu master Wang to defeat the Dark Emperor, who stands atop the kung fu world in China. Punch, kick and jump-kick enemies along the path that lies between you and the three bosses of each stage. Skillfully fight your way through all four stages, and be sure not to miss recovery items while dodging enemy attacks. China Warrior boasts character size and detail that rivaled all other games at the time of its release. Exciting one-on-one fights against the game's realistic bosses will make you feel like you're in the middle of a kung fu movie.

[From Kotaku]

New Releases: Week of 6/24

Title	Platform	Genre	Release Date
911: First Responders	PC	Action	Jun 27, 2007
Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs	MAC	Strategy	Jun 25, 2007
Black Hawk	PC	Simulation	Jun 29, 2007
Bomberman Live	X360	Action	June 2007
Call for Heroes: Pompolic Wars	PC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Carcassonne	X360	Puzzle	June 2007
Chicken Shoot	WII	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Deer Drive	PC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Defender of the Crown: Heroes Live Forever	PC	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
Driver: Parallel Lines	WII	Driving	Jun 26, 2007
Driver: Parallel Lines	PC	Driving	Jun 26, 2007
Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition	PSP	Role-Playing	Jun 26, 2007
GrimGrimoire	PS2	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	PS3	Adventure	Jun 25, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	PC	Adventure	Jun 25, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	X360	Adventure	Jun 25, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	WII	Adventure	Jun 25, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	PSP	Adventure	Jun 25, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	PS2	Adventure	Jun 25, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	DS	Adventure	Jun 25, 2007
High Velocity Bowling	PS3	Sports	June 2007
Hitman Trilogy	PS2	Action	Jun 30, 2007
Hitman Trilogy	PC	Action	Jun 30, 2007
Horsez	GBA	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth Remix	DS	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
Hour of Victory	X360	Action	Jun 25, 2007
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition	PC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Marvel Trading Card Game	PC	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
Metin2	PC	Role-Playing	Jun 29, 2007
Nervous Brickdown	DS	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Overlord	PC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Overlord	X360	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Pokemon Battle Revolution	WII	Strategy	Jun 25, 2007
Professor Brainium's Games	DS	Puzzle	Jun 30, 2007
Rafa Nadal Tennis	DS	Sports	Jun 30, 2007
Ratatouille	PSP	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	GBA	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	WII	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	DS	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	MOBILE	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	PS2	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	XBOX	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	PC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	X360	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	GC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ratatouille	MAC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Ride! Carnival Tycoon	PC	Strategy	Jun 29, 2007
Seven Kingdoms: Conquest	PC	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
Some Great Game	PC	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Steel Horizon	PSP	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
Super Collapse 3	PSP	Puzzle	Jun 26, 2007
Super Stardust HD	PS3	Action	June 2007
The Adventures of Darwin	PS2	Strategy	Jun 26, 2007
The BIGS	PSP	Sports	Jun 25, 2007
The BIGS	WII	Sports	Jun 25, 2007
The BIGS	PS3	Sports	Jun 25, 2007
The BIGS	PS2	Sports	Jun 25, 2007
The BIGS	X360	Sports	Jun 25, 2007
The Darkness	X360	Action	Jun 25, 2007
The Darkness	PS3	Action	Jun 25, 2007
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas	PS3	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Touchmaster DS	DS	Puzzle	Jun 25, 2007
Transformers: The Game	PS2	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Transformers: The Game	PS3	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Transformers: The Game	X360	Action	Jun 25, 2007
Transformers: The Game	WII	Action	Jun 26, 2007
Traxxpad	PSP	Puzzle	Jun 26, 2007
Vegas Casino High 5!	DS	Puzzle	Jun 29, 2007
Warlords	X360	Strategy	Q2 2007
Zendoku	DS	Puzzle	Jun 26, 2007

[From Gamespot]

Yeah Baby Yeah!! Austin Powers FREE in XBLM

From now until June 28th you can download Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery for free from the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Why you ask? McDonalds' new campaign of BurgerCon on the video marketplace is to blame. Can't get it now? No worries the movie will also be available for download on July 19th to the 23rd. Just keep in mind this is considered a "rental", which means you have 24 hrs from the second you push play to watch the movie then it's all gone, and 14 days to watch the movie after download. What? You didn't actually think they would let you have it did you? Shame on you!

[From Kotaku]

Jaffe Wants Out?

Multiple sources have reported that David Jaffe, the outspoken creative director for Sony's Santa Monica Studios, is leaving the company in order to form an independent video game development studio. According to a recent piece by 1UP, Jaffe may be forming this studio with help from Scott Campbell, the head of Incognito Entertainment. This new company will be based out of Utah, which means Jaffe might have to leave his current Southern California digs.

Jaffe, perhaps best known as the primary force behind the God of War franchise, has worked with Incognito previously on Twisted Metal: Black and his most recent game, Calling All Cars. The typically brash Jaffe had been hinting at such a move on his blog, where he recently posted pictures of an abandoned warehouse space.

SCEA has so far remained reticent regarding these recent developments. The company said in a recent statement, "We have made no announcements regarding any change in David Jaffe's relationship with Sony Computer Entertainment". Jaffe himself has also been unavailable for comment about the departure or his future plans.

[UPDATE: Since the story broke, Jaffe has made an effort to respond to the allegations via the NeoGAF forums. "I can promise you guys I am still part of SCEA...I just got a paycheck from them!" he writes. "I am still 100% a Sony employee and unless I got fired today and they didn't tell me, I'm still working for them. Also, I love working with the guys at Incog and hope to work with them for a long, long time but I sure as **** ain't moving to Utah...nice as it is, I don't think I could live there long term and I don't think the good people of Utah would want me to."]

[From GamePro]