UK PSN Update 07/05/09

PS3 Games
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X – US Eagles Pack [£3.99]
Wheelman – Premium Street Showdown [£3.99]
Wheelman – Free Street Showdown [Free]
Little Big Planet – Norse Mythology [£2.39]
Trivia Pursuit – TV Pack [£3.99]

Demo's
Savage Moon [Trial]

Guitar Hero - World Tour
Ferret/Metal Blade Track Pack [£4.39]

Rock Band
Franz Ferdinand Pack 01 [£2.49]
“Do You Want To” by Franz Ferdinand [£0.99]
“Lucid Dreams” by Franz Ferdinand [£0.99]
“Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand [£0.99]
“Blue Sky” by The Allman Brothers Band [£0.99]
“Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers Band [£0.99]
“Drain The Blood” by The Distillers [£0.99]
“Idealistic Types” by Prong [£0.99]
“The Banishment” by Prong [£0.99]
“Naked Eye” by Luscious Jackson [£0.99]
“Smooth Crinimal” by Alien Ant Farm [£0.99]

Videos
Killzone.com Trailer
Burnout Paradise Cops and Robbers Trailer
Tekken 6 Editors Day Trailer

Wallpaper
None

Theme
FEAR 2: Project Origin

PS1 Classic
None

PSP
Key Of Heaven [£14.99]
Loco Roco [£14.99]
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 [£14.99]
Imagine Champion Rider [Demo]
World Tour Soccer 2 [£14.99]

Gears Of War 2 All Fronts Collection Screens Revealed.

Microsoft have released screens for Gears Of War 2 All Fronts Collection.

Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

Sorry for the delay, but my internet has been down for a while now.

• PS3: VidZone is confirmed for a summer release. http://tinyurl.com/ddy7tx

• Final Fantasy Advent Children will Not have a FF XIII demo for it's English release. maybe a downloadable demo. http://tinyurl.com/d4grfk

• Sony is publishing Ghostbusters PS2,PS3 And PSP versions. PS3 and PS2 set for June release. all others in Autumn. http://tinyurl.com/dh6xcf

• 360: Gears Of War 2 Dark Corners finally detialed. 7 new maps, £14.99/$19.99. is part of All Fronts Collection. http://tinyurl.com/crdszt

• PS3: Big Home Update this week. Siren Space and Siren Sale, Patapon 2 event, new apartments, clothes and more. http://tinyurl.com/c6nyvm

• Atari has confirmed that they are still publishing Ghostbusters in the USA, all versions will be out June 16th. http://tinyurl.com/dnb673

• 360: Epic have confirmed that Gears Of War 2 has sold 5 million world wide. Gears 1 and 2 has sold 11 million http://tinyurl.com/cqgftt

• Gamestop offer a Pre-order bonus for Brutal Legend. you can get a exclusive Tenacious D guitar in the game. http://tinyurl.com/c7opm5

• 360: Microsoft has continued lay offs with Massive rumourd to be the worst hit. http://tinyurl.com/dcwjyz

• PS3: E.U special edition of inFamous detailed. Poscards, Comic Book, in game power and game cover. http://tinyurl.com/dbnua8

• PSP: Motorstorm Artic Edge is aiming to be the best looking game on the PSP. http://tinyurl.com/cbtp7b

• EA announces that revenue from music games is down 36% from last year, expect to make a $400 million loss in 2009 http://tinyurl.com/cb9xzd

• PC: The Open Beta for Starcraft II starts soon and Blizzard are letting people Opt-in. hit link for details. http://tinyurl.com/c2fec8

• PS3: US Qore subscribers will get access to UNcharted 2 Multiplayer Beta. http://tinyurl.com/d9lzs6

• Star Trek D.A.C producer says there was not enough time to make full sized game for the new Star Trek movie. http://tinyurl.com/chgvlu

• Capcom have revealed their entire E3 line-up. Expect 2 currently unknown games and a Mobile Showing. http://tinyurl.com/c2xcpc

• PS3: THQ CEO doubts that there will be a price cut announcement at E3, but says there could be one later. http://tinyurl.com/dn59ev

• Sega Europe have agreed a licensing deal With Gameloft for Mobile Content. the first game is Sonic Unleashed. http://tinyurl.com/dajk2v

• Namco has trademarked God Eater in the US, a Japan trademark already existed, for PC, Mobile, and Consoles. http://tinyurl.com/ccjajn

• Microsoft layoffs at Massive ended up only being 28% and not the 75% reported earlier in the day. http://tinyurl.com/c3oxss

• the box art for Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen looks stunning! http://tinyurl.com/d88kc2

• PS3: NISA is going to announce a new PS3 RPG tomorrow. it may be called Last Rebellion. http://tinyurl.com/dn45pp

• PSP: attempts may be made to make Final Fantasy Dissidia 2 if it gets good sales in US and UK. http://tinyurl.com/cqur7p

• QTE Blog: Halo 3 First Week Sales Are Greater Than Killzone 2 First Week Sales in Japan! http://tinyurl.com/ce9app

• 3D Realms has been closed. Development on Duke Nukem, however, is still ongoing. http://tinyurl.com/ddtl6d

Halo 3 First Week Sales Are Greater Than Killzone 2 First Week Sales in Japan!

What has been interesting is the lack of comparison between Microsoft 360's stand alone shooter, Halo 3, and Sony's stand alone shooter, Killzone 2. what makes the Japanese market interesting is that the PS3 has, for the most part, been out selling the 360 continuously, however when i looked at the sales figures, it quickly became quite clear that despite the ps3 selling more consoles, Halo 3 actually performed better in it's first week.

first week sales figures for Halo 3 were around 60,000[1] ,at this time sales of the Xbox 360 had only hit around 1,008,683 [2] . day 1 sales for Halo 3 were around 45,000 [6]
first week sales figures for Killzone 2 were 42,660 [3] at this point, sales of the PS3 were around 3,161,440 [4] . day 1 sales for Killzone 2 were around 20,000 [5]

trying to think of an explanation for such disparity between them is not easy. one easy idea is that the Halo franchise is a tried and tested series, whereas Killzone on the PS2 was not released in Japan making Killzone 2, for many, the first game in the series that they have played.

[1] http://www.edge-online.com/features/japan-halo-3-bows-out
[2] http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?showtopic=177503
[3]http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.ps3hype.nl/nieuws/3317&sl=nl&tl=en&history_state0=&swap=1
[4] http://www.vgchartz.com/japweekly.php#hard
[5] http://www.ps3center.net/news/2815/killzone-2-sells-20k-its-first-day-in-japan/
[6] http://digg.com/xbox/Halo_3_Sells_45_000_in_Japan

New Zero Punctuation:The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Another week and another classic Zero Puncuation. this week he talks about The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.

Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

• Red Orchestra 2 will allow the player to play the single player campaign as the Nazis, and the Russians. http://tinyurl.com/d7suej

• It is rumored that Apple is Eying up EA for a takeover. all that is known so far is it's just "chatter" http://tinyurl.com/dxa54f

• Bioshock 3 could still be set in Rapture. could also allow more decision making in the game. http://tinyurl.com/cewpgc

• 360: Fallout 3 DLC Broken Steel has gone live. you can get it for 800 MS Points. http://tinyurl.com/dmxaao

• Days of Thunder and Top Gun are now also heading to XBLA and PSN (its on the iphone already.) http://tinyurl.com/cqtuug

• 360: Screens of the new Warriors XBLA game are out. hit the link to see them. (the game is not made by Rockstar) http://tinyurl.com/dcu8jt

• Final Fantasy XIII will be out in Europe within 12 Months of the Japanese release, Says XIII Producer Kitase. http://tinyurl.com/dg7md8

• It is rumored that Prototype's release may be pushed back to June 23rd to get better sales. http://tinyurl.com/dmj9qm

• PS3: it is rumored that Sony will use the Skype service to enable party chats, cross game chats and more. http://tinyurl.com/dmj9qm

• Those who play Gran Tourismo and/or watch Top Gear are more likely to break the speed limit says UK CIS survey. http://tinyurl.com/c5zewu

• PC: Fallout 3 DLC Broken Steel appears to have PC issues. 360 version appears fine this time round. http://tinyurl.com/c8rga6

• Marvel Vs Capcom 2 could come out the week of 29th June, says Marvel Entertainment financial results. http://tinyurl.com/cps7y6

• 360: 1 Vs 100 Beta now live in Canada. it runs from May 8th to May 24th. beta specific prizes are on offer. http://tinyurl.com/cl2bna

• The Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet Guitars will be available for £89.99 when Beatles Rock band is released. http://tinyurl.com/cyok3j

• A UK retailer had listed a Ghostbusters Demo with a Ghostbusters Blu-ray. A US PR person dismissed this though. http://tinyurl.com/cebfo3

• Fallout 3 Dev's Bethesda say the Broken Steel DLC error is a Games For Windows Problem. Microsoft working on fix. http://tinyurl.com/cdtenk

• Ex Free Radical, Now Crytek UK Devs now working "...on things that they have always dreamed to do..." http://tinyurl.com/dy23bh

• Empire Interactive has gone into administration. it's intellectual rights have been sold to US based New World IP http://tinyurl.com/cgfygj

• Marvel Vs Capcom 2 does not mean Marvel Vs Capcom 3 will be made. licensing issues the main stumbling block.http://tinyurl.com/d79g9p

• The Complete Alternative Costume pack for Street Fighter IV is now on XBL for 1000MS Points, PSN up later today. http://tinyurl.com/deavbw

• PS3: it is rumored that there will be Ton's of God Of War III footage at E3 and also Motion Controls coming soon. http://tinyurl.com/c7c8v9

• RT @GarnettLee: "Headed to SFO for the hop to LA. Can't wait to see, wait, that's right. We have twitter embargoes now" lol

• Sega has announced some of its E3 games. Alpha Protocol, Bayonetta, Planet 51, The Conduit, Vancouver 2010 + more http://tinyurl.com/czplnc

• 360: Konami is working on a 360 Exclusive set for a Japan release. no more is known as yet. http://tinyurl.com/cwo8s7

• Call Of Duty World At War Map Pack 1 has sold 2 million world wide. http://tinyurl.com/c6rmxc

• PS3: Puzzle Quest Galactrix is hitting the PSN on Thursday. no word yet if it's UK PSN or price. http://tinyurl.com/d6ubvk

• PS3: Killzone 2 has sold 1.5 Million copies world wide. First week Japan sales were 42,600. http://tinyurl.com/df3v5c

• 360: Motion sensing add-on is thought to be a result of the purchase of 3DV, who worked on something similar. http://tinyurl.com/dzp2h4

• Capcom have said that they will fix some of the game breaking bugs in Marvel Vs Capom 2. http://tinyurl.com/cgjfhw

• QTE Blog: Updated the Monster Hunter Freedom Unite PSP Bundle to have correct PSP Bundle Picture. http://tinyurl.com/cn5rk4

• PSP: Q&A Vid for SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 now live. hit the link to watch the vid. http://tinyurl.com/cdfhe8

• Red Steel 2 trailer was pre-production and internal only. Ubisoft won't talk about Playstation at end of the vid. http://tinyurl.com/c3aebt

• Bayonetta Dev releases Prototype footage of the game after only 1 month development. http://tinyurl.com/d9os7u

FIFA 09 Interactive World Champion 2009 Is Bruce Grannec from France - SCEE Press Release

Bruce Grannec from France today (Saturday, 2 May) won the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009 Grand Final in Barcelona and thus became the FIFA Interactive World Champion 2009. The world’s 32 best virtual footballers came face to face at Port Olympic in Barcelona, Spain to compete in the Grand Final as another incredibly exciting virtual football season came to an end.

Following a day of extreme skill and tactics on EA SPORTS™ FIFA09 on PLAYSTATION®3, Bruce Grannec beat the charismatic Mexican Ruben Zerecero 3:1 in a typically enthralling final in front of a packed crowd next to the beach at Port Olympic. In addition to being crowned FIWC09 Champion, the 22 year old Frenchman also received USD 20,000 and an all new KIA Soul car. He will also receive his FIFA Diploma at the next FIFA World Player Gala, where he will rub shoulders with the best real-life footballers in the world. "I am very proud of this victory", said a delighted Bruce Grannec after the final he deservedly won. "It pays back hours and hours of practice which prepared me to compete on such a big stage. It proves that, if you work hard, you will have success."

"FIFA recognises the best in football, today we are recognising the best virtual football players", said FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer. "I was pleased to see the passion and the outstanding technical skills shown by the 32 competitors, who made their way to the final out of an incredible number of more than 500.000 online participants. The sun, the side events and the beautiful location made this Grand Final a fantastic FIFA football event."

The Grand Final provided players with the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage of their lives in front of 8,000 spectators, who enjoyed the entertainment that the world’s largest football gaming tournament provides.

"Congratulations to Bruce who managed to become the FIWC 09 World Champion out of over 500,000 qualifiers which is amazing ," said Matt Bilbey, Vice President International Marketing, EA SPORTS. "With the fantastic increase in the number of participants, the FIWC 09 was a great success for everybody involved. We’re looking forward to expanding the tournament in the upcoming years, especially with the FIFA World Cup 2010 happening next year in South Africa."

"The finals in Barcelona have been a fitting finale, for what has been a truly remarkable competition", said Darren Carter, Vice President Consumer Marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "We offer our warmest congratulations to this year’s winner Bruce Grannec, who by coming out on top over half a million competitors, showed great skill and an unbreakable determination along the way. These are the characteristics that make the FIFA Interactive World Cup so special and we look forward to continuing our association with this wonderful competition next year."

Other entertainment on display included an exclusive performance by football trickster John Farnworth and a demonstration of komball (a freestyle football show), while spectators were also able to take part in the mini beach soccer tournament that was being run by Spain’s beach soccer star and FIFA Beach Soccer World Player 2008 Ramiro Amarelle. The gaming and entertainment lounges remained busy throughout the day as the public enjoyed experiencing EA SPORTS’s latest gaming titles and PlayStation’s latest next-generation entertainment products.

After seven months of qualification with over 500,000 players having competed in the online qualification and with 19 live qualifier events having been held at locations around the globe, including New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, Brazil and India, the Grand Final marked the end of the fifth and most successful FIFA Interactive World Cup to date.