If those promises of a sexy new screen and built-in mic in the PSP-3000 at the Leipzig Games Convention left you North Americans feeling left out, fear not: Sony has just let us know that the system will also be coming stateside, providing all of you the chance to buy the PSP ... again.
Sony has taken the opportunity of the Leipzig Games Convention to reveal the brand-spanking new PSP-3000, arriving Oct 15 in Europe for €199 (around $250), according to our main man Jem Alexander who's currently on site at the press conference.
Though it will look the same as the PSP-2000 (that's what the pic above is of, actually), you can expect an improved screen that's better outside with no glare and a built-in mic. This jibes with rumors we've heard previously, and but we don't know if the new "PS Button" is part of the package. We'll keep you posted.
[Update: We've got an actual pic now, as you can see, the PS Button is in there]
We don't really see the point in new footage of Mad World. Oh, don't get us wrong, we're grateful for it. It's just that we're so clearly going to buy the game the moment it's within the reach of our grubby mitts, we don't know why Sega is trying to convince us to buy it harder.
But for those of you that weren't convinced pre-trailer, we're just going to assume you've firmly aligned yourself with the believers. Did you see that dude throwing other dudes into a fan? Did you see those cyclones picking up cars? Did you see that dude rubbing that other dude on a moving train? Are they serious with this? Can we buy two, one to play and one to crush up and mainline?
Well, this should make the patented Joystiq Instrument Compatibility Matrix a bit easier to memorize. Straight from our special Leipzig correspondent Jem Alexander, Activision says that If you play Guitar Hero World Tour on PS2, PS3 or 360, your instrument is going to work. Whether it be from Rock Band, Rock Band 2 or whatever, it works with Guitar Hero World Tour.
Now, what does this mean for the Wii version of the game? We have absolutely no idea. But hey, what are you complaining about: It's got Miis in it! Isn't that enough?
Do us a favor, just for safety's sake: If you've recently been eating sugary foods (Blueberry Muffintop cereal springs to mind) do not watch this Leipzig Games Convention trailer for LocoRoco 2, which is so adorably, pinchably sweet that combining it with other glucose-rich product is a one way ticket to diabetes.
We don't learn much from the trailer, just that it looks like LocoRoco 2 will be sporting a lot more gameplay variety ... oh, and that we'll never ever get that song out of our heads.
We've just heard from our man at the Leipzig Games Convention Jem Alexander, and he's got some exciting news for fans of pint-sized rocking: Miis will be used in Guitar Hero World Tour's Wii version of the game. He didn't say how, so we're hoping that they'll play Oompa-Loompa-like minature roadies who rush onto stage and fix broken strings for the full size rockers. But we doubt it.
Oh, Jem also passed along that all versions of the game would include exclusive European tracks, which is secret code for "you'll have to buy them later through DLC."
With all the recent announcements and pick-ups, you'd think EA would be bursting at the seams with upcoming titles, but it's just crammed one more under its belt: A new tennis franchise that will debut on Wii (though it will later come to other platforms) and take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus accessory.
Besides the control gimmick innovation, its other claim to fame is being the only video game that includes the All England Lawn Tennis Club, where Wimbledon is played. So, with tennis added to the list, what's left for EA Sports? Curling? Cup stacking?
What's that? Oh, well, we've missed you too. But let's not waste time with nostalgia, we've got some new podcasts to talk about.
Console Gypsies: This is a brand-spanking new podcast, but it's already making an impressive showing. This week, we're most touched by the early discussion of Pepsiman, one of the absolute best PSone games that you've probably never played.
1UP Show: We're recommending this video podcast this week solely because of the bit about Dead Space, which starts at about 2:45. Watch, and become a believer, both in the game and in Nick Suttner's complete inability to judge a game's scientific radness.
MTV Multiplayer has been the host for a lively discussion of box art credits recently (as has the delightful David Jaffe), and a new post may add fuel to both sides' fires. The site has created some mock-ups of what your favorite game boxes may look like if the dev team got credit on the cover.
The immediate reaction as we perused boxes like God of War and Halo 3 was one of revulsion, but the more we think about it, it might be kind of cool to see boxes used to portray games as a team effort rather than just touting the IP within. What do you think?
We think the ESRB is, as a rule, pretty OK. They make it so the kids of good parents can't get adult games and the bad parents at least are forced to walk all the way into the store, which is just fine by us. But sometimes they can keep you from seeing perfectly good, perfectly surreal video game ads such as the one above made by our friends at Mega64 for an "unnamed DS guitar game" (spoiler alert, it's Jam Sessions).
The most heartbreaking thing, as revealed at the end of the ad, is why the video was rejected, which we can guarantee you won't guess. But, always obliging, the guys also made a "safe for the ESRB" version, which you can find just after the break.
[Update: Hey gang, the ESRB says they never saw the ad. We're not sure what the confusion is. The ESRB isn't specifically named in the ad, but we don't know who else they could have been referring to. We'll try to get to the bottom of it for you.]
We couldn't be more excited about this news, so brace yourself: Jellyvision, creators of the You Don't Know Jackseries, are coming back to the games business. As new head of Jellyvision Games Mike Bilder said in a recent release, the company's mission is now to "build huge new brands that run on every platform that makes sense -- the three consoles, PC, mobile, handheld, coin-op, Vegas. And, of course, we're going to start by truly reincarnating You Don't Know Jack."
We're giddy at the thought of games that, as company CEO Harry Gottlieb said, "combine the social dynamics created by great board games, with the thrill and story arc of great television game shows." But ... and we almost hate to say it out loud ... could this also mean that an English Seaman 2 might be just a little more plausible?
(P.S. If you want to warm up on some Jack right now, you totally can.)
When we get really frustrated by Geometry Wars 2 (and we do) we deal with our anger the only way we know how: We become physically abusive towards loved ones and pets. But not Matthew McCarthy. No, Matthew McCarthy just picks up a guitar and channels the rage into a song about why he hates all those stupid, cruel shapes.
We tried to ape McCarthy's far healthier anger management, but after picking up our guitar we just used that to be physically abusive to loved ones and pets, which really isn't much better, when you think about it.
No surprise to you, we watch a lot, a lot of trailers. Do you know how much better our lives would be if video game trailers were less "You're some guy who's got to do a thing. Buy it!" and a lot more like this new trailer for House of the Dead: Overkill, a funky homage to 70s B-grade action flicks? Well, we don't know either, but we bet it's a lot.
Now, the real question of course is will the game itself have this much style and panache? Jeez, greedy, they already gave you a cool trailer, what else do you want?
If you can't wait to get your hands on Warhammer Online, EA announced today that an open beta for the game will kick off Sept. 7, giving you a whole 11 days to play before the general populace sullies it on Sept. 18.
So, how do you get in? Just pre-order the game with one of EA's "select retail partners." (We don't know who they are yet, but even money says GameStop is one of them.) Also, those who are already in the closed beta will automagically be invited. So, are you getting in on the ground floor? Or have you been burned one too many times by start-up MMOs?
We're hopeful for some big announcements out of this week's Leipzig Games Convention, but we now know that a PS3 price cut won't be one of them. "It's not going to happen. If you're coming for that you'll be disappointed," Sony Computer Entertainment spokesman Nick Caplin told Reuters.
For all our complaining about it earlier in the PS3's life cycle, we actually think where the PS3's price is at now is pretty fair, though we're less confident in the no-back-compat 80GB model revealed at E3. For those of you who haven't picked one up: Is price still the main factor?
As new head of Jellyvision Games Mike Bilder said in a recent release, the company's mission is now to "build huge new brands that run on every platform that makes sense -- the three consoles, PC, mobile, handheld, coin-op, Vegas. And, of course, we're going to start by truly reincarnating You Don't Know Jack."
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