[10.11.11] Xbox 360 slim gets 320 GB hard drive with free game

Microsoft

Microsoft announced today they will be selling the 360 GB hard drive as a stand-alone accessory later this month. It was previously only available in the Gears of War 3 Limited Edition Xbox 360. If you’re finally wanting to tack a hard drive onto that 4 GB model you bought or have simply run out of space on your 250 GB hard drive, you will be able to upgrade for $129.99 at any Xbox 360 retailer once it releases. As an added bonus, you’ll receive a download code for a free Games-On-Demand version of Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. That’s not really justifiable to spend the $129.99 on alone considering you can pick up a disc copy for as little as $19.99 now, but if you need to upgrade it’s definitely a welcomed freebie. This hard drive is only compatible with the newer slim 360’s.

If you're interested in picking one up, you can now preorder it from Amazon.com at a discounted $126.44 [+ shipping]

You can see the original press release here.

[09.14.11] ‘Breakneck’ brings 'Headlong' to 'Halo: Anniversary'

Screenshot of Breakneck, the upcoming remake of Headlong.

Microsoft

Turf, Hang ‘em High, Chill Out, Lockout, Sidewinder, Midship, The Pit, Zanzibar, Blood Gulch, Headlong… these are just some of the maps from the Halo series that people have been begging to be remade; and over the course of the last couple of Halo games, many of them have received one. Some of them were official remakes such as Last Resort or Blackout. The others received unofficial, yet perfect rebuilds done entirely through Halo’s wonderful forge feature thanks to the boisterous fan community. The only exception to this was poor ol’ Headlong.

Not even Forge could begin to do justice to a map like Headlong. There was too much to do, too much to build, and not enough to spur those great memories. Most people had given up hope, thinking those delightful moments were forever lost when Halo 2 was officially disconnected from Live. Only a few continued on with LAN parties fondly partaking in epic warthog jumps across unfinished bridges or base-jumping two stories through the middle of a skyscraper while fleeing with an enemy’s flag. At long last, Halo fans can rejoice though, as a whole new era of Headlong is arriving, thanks to Halo: Anniversary.

This November 15th is the official release date for Halo: Anniversary and that marks the day that players can finally get their hands on Breakneck. The construction site has now moved to New Mombasa, the same location of 2009’s Halo 3: ODST. The design of the map appears to hold true to the original minus the new graphics. Anyone who played through H3:ODST will feel right at home with the art style mimicking the game perfectly. All the billboards of Headlong have been transformed into the emergency-information bearing LCD screens of New Mombasa, screaming ‘Security Alert, Evacuate’ with the blank stares of the fan-favorite, Superintendent. The construction site is still there in all its bits and pieces complete with cranes and unfinished buildings, all of which was masterfully blended into the surrounding remains of the city of New Mombasa. This is the overhaul that Headlong deserved; and this is just what fans have been waiting for.

To get a good look at Breakneck now, check out the video to the left (courtesy of Kotaku) or click through the screenshots fresh from Halo Waypoint.

[09.13.11] 'Red Dead Redemption' gets 'Game of the Year Edition' this October

Available in North America October 11th

Rockstar

If you’re part of the very small group of people who haven’t played Red Dead Redemption yet and this week’s free DLC couldn’t get you there, you now have even more incentive to give it a go. For just $49.99, anyone can get a copy of the full Red Dead experience on October 11th in North America. Rockstar Games will be releasing a much warranted Game-of-the-Year edition for RDR on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Before you raise a stink about the ‘game-of-the-year’ branding, this one was earned, with over 160 game-of-the-year awards from various companies.

The GOTY Edition is set to include the full Red Dead Redemption game with an all-new ‘hardcore’ difficulty option for single-player. Also included on-disc will be every single piece of DLC, free or paid, that has been released for it so far. This includes the zombie filled Undead Nightmare, characters and maps from Legends and Killers and Myths and Mavericks, more multiplayer antics from Liars and Cheats and Outlaws to the End, the previously PlayStation 3 Exclusive Solomon’s Folly gang hideout and challenges, and all of the pre-release bonus content including the Deadly Assassin Outfit, War Horse, Golden Guns Weapon Pack, and the Hunting and Trading Outfits Pack. That’s an undoubtedly large amount of value there, considering each of the paid packs were $5 a pop and any Preorder bonuses you didn’t get but still wanted were $1 each. Throw in a copy of one of the few games that can justify the original $60 asking price, and you've got yourself quite the steal; assuming you don't already own the game that is.

[09.08.11] Free 'Red Dead Redemption Myths and Mavericks' DLC coming September 13th

Rockstar

This is quite the pack of content if you’re into the multiplayer scene on Red Dead Redemption. Ten brand spankin’ new maps [to multiplayer] are being added in, and four others are having additional game modes added to them. You can also strap on one of 8 new skins on your character. Rockstar finally confirmed all of them on their website today:

Maps/Modes (bolded locations are brand new to multiplayer)
Cochinay – Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang Shootout, Stronghold
Nekoti Rock – Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang Shootout
El Presidio – Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang Shootout
Plainview – Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang Shootout
Gaptooth Mine – Shootout, Gang Shootout
Pike’s Basin – Shootout, Gang Shootout
Perdido – Hold Your Own, Grab the Bag
Benedict Point – Hold Your Own, Grab the Bag
Beecher’s Hope - Stronghold
Torquemada - Stronghold
Armadillo - Stronghold
Chuparosa - Stronghold
Rio Bravo - Shootout, Gang Shootout
Tumbleweed - Stronghold

New Multiplayer Characters
Landon Ricketts
Vicente DeSanta
Drew MacFarlane
Deputy Eli
Deputy Jonah
Javier Esquella
Nastas
Uncle

[09.08.11] Gearbox wants your help shaping 'Borderlands 2'

Borderlands 2

Gearbox

The guys behind hits like the Brothers in Arms series, Duke Nukem Forever, and Borderlands love to get feedback from the community. Gearbox Software wants your opinion on what should be done with the upcoming Borderlands 2, and they’re pulling out all the stops to make it easier for you to let them know how you feel! They’re looking for input on everything from game design to what should be included in the imminent collector’s edition. If you were a fan of the first Borderlands game or already know you can’t wait to get your hands on the upcoming sequel, there are three ways you can make this game all you’ve wanted it to be.

The first step is to take this survey and answer a few questions about what you think were the highlights of the first game. Expect questions like ‘which of these was your favorite feature’ and ‘would you like to see _____ implemented into Borderlands 2’. It’s quick and painless; and it will also get you entered to win some prizes! If surveys aren’t really your thing, you can always hit them up on their official twitter feed @GearboxSoftware or head on down to their forums where they’ve opened up an official thread asking you what sort of things you’d like to see contained in the collector’s edition. Who wouldn’t like to open up their collector’s edition on release day and have their own little mechanical Claptrap running around? Odds are, we’ll probably get stuck with something more like an art-book though; but the power is now in your hands!

[09.07.11] 'RollerCoaster Tycoon' is back and coming to the Nintendo 3DS

Atari

Tycoon simulation games were huge in the early 2000’s. Everything from Prison Tycoon to Zoo Tycoon was available all with the same basic premise. Start with a small business and work your way up to the big time with a multi-million dollar franchise. None of these games did it better than Chris Sawyer’s RollerCoaster Tycoon series. In 2004, the Atari took the series for a drastic change when RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 was developed by Frontier Developments with Sawyer only acting as a consultant. Critic’s praised the overhaul, but many fans had mixed feelings and the design shift combined with a dying interest in the simulation genre proved to be too much for the series to hold on to. For years, the series lay dormant being supported only by a string of fan sites.

Rumors constantly shot up about a RollerCoaster Tycoon 4being in development and even the possibility of a screen adaptation. Neither projects ever gained any weight though, so lingering fans were left with a deep craving for some more theme park building action. Finally, they’re going to have a chance with the upcoming RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D. Although they’re still going to have to hold off for over a year to get their hands on it, at least they can do it knowing the latest tease is finally the real deal!

Twelve years after the release of the original RollerCoaster Tycoon, the series is making a full-on comeback, this time in eye-popping 3D. They’re promising the deep coaster construction system that made the series a hit with a deep and immersive management simulation. They will also be implementing a new ‘Coaster Story Mode’ which blends the tutorials and classic park challenges into one fluent and entertaining narrative. Just like a typical career mode, you’ll create your own character and set off on a journey to start your own theme park empire. Progressing successfully through each park will unlock more unique attractions and themes. If that’s not really your style though, you’ll also have the option to jump straight into ‘Park Sandbox’ mode and play it just like you used to turning an already up-and-running park into a laughter-filled, stomach-wrenching, fun-filled cash cow of a theme park! If you were one of the fans who clung to the many fan run websites to share your creations, things will be much easier this time around as RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D will take full advantage of the 3DS’ networking capabilities so you can post your creations for others to see.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D is being developed by n-Space and published by Atari. It currently has a release date set for the fourth quarter of 2012.

[08.31.11] 3DS Ambassador games now available

Donkey Kong Jr.

Nintendo

Those who picked up a 3DS [and signed into the eShop] before the price drop officially hit were awarded a very special title, that of the ‘3DS Ambassador’. This title comes with more than just a shiny nameplate though. You get a huge reward of 20 – that’s right, count them, twenty – free games to play on your favorite handheld. They are all downloadable games you can play on your 3DS; and they’re also available now. Well… half of them anyway.

Ten virtual console classics are waiting for you to download next time you visit the eShop. Now since you’re an extra special ‘ambassador’, you’re getting these ten before they’re available to the public! This means you can’t just start searching for the games like you would other titles. In the 3DS eShop, click ‘menu’ in the top-left corner, hit ‘settings’, and select ‘your downloads’. After that, scroll down until you see the titles and ‘redownload’ them. Here’s a complete list of the games you can expect to find:

- Balloon Fight

- Donkey Kong Jr.

- Ice Climber

- Mario Open Golf

- Metroid

- Super Mario Bros.

- Wrecking Crew

- Yoshi’s Egg

- The Legend of Zelda

- Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

[08.26.11] 'Forza Motorsport 4' to include UNSC Warthog

Turn 10

Cover your eyes if you hate crossover promotions, because there’s about to be a huge one and this is definitely a salute to the Microsoft fans out there! This October with the release of the much anticipated Forza Motorsport 4, Turn 10 will be showing their appreciation to their former sister studio Bungie with the inclusion of a very special vehicle in their new Autovista feature.

The Warthog is arguably the most iconic vehicle to the Halo series, but with guns blazing in the heat of battle, there’s simply no time to admire it. If you’ve ever wished you could climb inside the cockpit, now’s your chance. With the help of a Kinect, an Xbox 360, and a copy of Forza 4, you can have the most life-like experience you’ll probably ever have with the United Nations Space Command’s primary land vehicle. With Autovista, you have the chance to walk around the vehicle, look closely at each intricate detail, and even get behind the wheel. Sadly, though, don’t expect to take it out for a few laps, because the Warthog will not be a drivable vehicle. If you can’t wait until October to gaze upon the Warthog, take a look at the screenshots in the slideshow to the left

[06.20.11] Star of 'Jackass' and 'Proving Ground' Ryan Dunn dies in car crash

G4

Jackass daredevil and beloved co-host of the G4 television show Proving Ground, Ryan Dunn, died in a fiery car crash early this morning in Pennsylvania at age 34. He was well known for his outrageous stunts performed on the Jackass television series, as well as in Jackass: The Movie, Jackass 2, and Jackass 3D. Often Dunn would appear as a guest on another MTV series, Viva La Bam. Later, he hosted an MTV reality series titled Homewrecker that was a twist on popular home renovation shows such as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or Trading Spaces. Instead of picking a room and drastically improving it, a person would submit a story of how they were victimized by one of their friends. Dunn would observe the offender, then grab the original participant and a team of helpers to redesign the room with a theme relevant to the evildoer’s erroneous ways.

Most recently, Dunn co-hosted Proving Ground, a series on G4 with IGN’s Jessica Chobot in which they would try to recreate memorable moments from popular comics, television shows, movies, and video games to see if they actually could be replicated in the real world. The show premiered on June 14, 2011 to 31,000 viewers, however, due to Dunn’s death, G4 has pulled the series from their schedule. The fate of Proving Ground has yet to be determined.

It’s been confirmed that Dunn was driving his Porsche 911 GT3 with a currently unidentified passenger. The police reported hinted that “speed may have been a factor” which was later confirmed in NBC Philadelphia’s report. According to Officer Geiger of the West Goshen police, “The Porsche shot through about 40 yards of trees before it hit the last one and exploded into flames.” Dunn was last seen at Barnaby’s of America, a local sports bar in West Chester. He tweeted a photo of him and a couple friends enjoying a drink, which was later pulled from his Tumblr account. The image can be viewed in the slideshow to the left. Regardless of the impression the photo gives off, Barnaby’s manager told NBC Philadelphia that “Ryan didn’t appear drunk before he left.” Police have yet to confirm whether alcohol was involved.

Fellow Jackass star Johnny Knoxville publicly mourned the death of his co-star and friend on his twitter account. “Today I lost my brother Ryan Dunn. My Heart goes out to his family and his beloved Angie. RIP Ryan, I love you buddy.” Although Bam Margera has not publicly spoken of Dunn’s death, his parents Phil and April Margera had nice some nice words as well. “He’s just the sweetest guy you’d ever want to know and he would do anything for you, “April said fighting back tears.” I know the entire 'Jackass' family is devastated and all of West Chester is devastated." MTV also released a statement via Twitter soon after Ryan Dunn’s death was announced. "We're deeply saddened by the passing of a member of the MTV family, Ryan Dunn. Our hearts and thoughts are with his friends and family.”

[06.13.11] An inside look at 'Ms. ‘Splosion Man'

Twisted Pixel

Ms. ‘Splosion Man takes inspiration from other well-established platformers such as Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong Country. The most obvious of those is the ‘Splosion Cannons found in the second level of the single player demo. Despite looking significantly more high-tech, they operated exactly like the barrel cannons spread throughout Donkey Kong Country. Some automatically rotate and fire while others require perfect timing to launch yourself. None of this is a bad thing though, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Another addition to Ms. ‘Splosion Man is an all new top-down world map, allowing you to choose your path through the story mode. This is incredibly reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 3. Instead of being forced to progress through numerically, you can often jump around ever so slightly if you chose. There’s also a mall you can stop by to buy things with the coins you earn for completing levels. This includes concept art, movies, audio clips, photos, and a few exclusive items such as Twisted Pixel T-shirts or Ms. ‘Splosion Man gamer pictures. Again though, this has all been seen before in Twisted Pixel’s 2010 smash-hit Comic Jumper. Perhaps the most exciting part of that, however, is you may gain content for other Twisted Pixel games. Comic Jumper’s store featured additional levels for the original ‘Splosion Man, so it’s likely that Ms. ‘Splosion Man’s mall will do the same.

The most interesting addition is the new zip-lines placed throughout the levels. ‘Splosion Man has always been an incredibly fast-paced game, but these zip-lines speed things up to a Sonic like pace, forcing you to jump straight in and react as opposed to sitting back and figuring out precisely where you need to ‘splode. To help keep up the fast-paced action, all cinema’s now flow seamlessly with gameplay so there’s no down-time to bore you. The only downside is that occasionally you can’t tell when you should be watching Ms. ‘Splosion Man run, and when you should be making her run!

Ms. ‘Splosion Man features 50 new single-player levels and another 50 new multiplayer levels. If you’re suffering from poor internet or are just down-right anti-social, fear not, for Twisted Pixel has added a “2 Girls 1 Controller” mode, allowing you to play through the multiplayer levels using the left analog stick and left bumper to control once character while using the right analog stick and right bumper to control the other. Bogh also said “I think this mode is really unique, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it in any game before. It will also be great for anyone who was really good at ‘Splosion Man, because it will give them something different to get good at.” There’s no doubt this new game mode will take a little time to master, so it’s also a great challenge for anyone looking for something a little bit different from the norm. No matter how you decide to play, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be on your way to saving Mr. ‘Splosion Man when Ms. ‘Splosion Man releases this fall. If you can’t wait until then to get your first taste, check out the slideshow to the left for some screenshots.

[06.03.11] Sony’s PlayStation Network ‘Welcome Back’ program now in full swing

Welcome Back Program Begins!

Sony Corporation

That’s right, all of those wonderful freebies you’ve been dying to get your hands on are finally all yours! Yesterday, the PlayStation Network was fully restored, almost two weeks after the PlayStation Store was rumored to (and did successfully) return. It took nearly a month and a half, but after a few setbacks, the PlayStation Network is finally running at 100%. As a reminder, those of you who have a Station Account for Sony Online Entertainment can also pick up your rewards there. There’s tons of free playing time, free games, and free bonus content for you to round up, so have at it! Just remember, everyone else is trying to do the same things you’re doing right now, so if you run into issues, don’t cry foul play. Just be patient and try again soon.

[05.19.11] PlayStation Store rumored to return May 24

According to Gamasutra, PlayStation Network users are now one step closer to claiming that “Welcome Back” package they’ve been promised. Assuming Sony doesn’t run into any more problems, they’re expected to launch the PlayStation Store on May 24th. Being that the storefront has been down for almost a month, Sony has a lot of catching up to do; and they’ve got an ambitious schedule to get things back on track.

To get everything back in order, Sony plans on pushing out new content twice a week for the next two weeks following the return. That may sound appealing, but what it really means is that gamers will have to wait even longer for content that should have already been available. All content that was originally set to release on April 26th will now be the first batch of releases available opening day, May 24th. Just three days later, Sony will make another large push releasing everything that had an original set date of May 3rd. After that, the next batch will be saved for the following week with releases scheduled May 31st and June 1st, in order to release everything else that was spread over the three-week downtime. Nothing is set in stone though, and content that is deemed more “urgent” may be pushed up. It’s likely this will be content that has been available on other platforms and was delayed for the PS3 because of the PSN downtime; however, any developer has the chance to argue their case.

There was no mention, though, if Sony was going to be offering any assistance to developers. After all, users are getting free content and subscriptions for their ‘troubles’, but when you think about it, the users were really the ones who were affected the least. Although it may have been tough, all you were really missing out on was game time, let’s be honest. To game developers though, you’re messing with their pay checks. These people are trying to make a living off their work, and if their content isn’t available to be purchased, they can’t make any money. Capcom corporate officer and SVP Christian Svensson estimated that their companies lost revenue could be in the “hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars”. That’s some pretty substantial cash flow. With that in mind, you might want to consider finding ways to support your favorite local developer if at all possible. Times are hard for everyone, especially the smaller studios, as can be seen by local Iowa City based studio BudCat Games which was recently closed by Activision in the Guitar Hero fiasco. So with that in mind, buy one of their games to tide you over, since you’re not getting your free games quite yet. Sony has stated that the “Welcome Back” package will not be available until the network has been ‘fully restored’.

[05.16.11] These are the Sony freebies you’ve been waiting for!

Yes Kevin Butler, they get two!

Sony Corporation

Now that the PlayStation Network is making some serious progress getting back online, Sony Entertainment of America is announcing its “Welcome Back” program that should have many owners delighted. Sorry, the Black Ops map packs you were hoping for weren’t delivered, however they’re offering up plenty of other free content for any PlayStation Network or Qriocity users who were already registered at the time the networks went down. Once the service is fully restored, users will have 30 days to pick and choose content as they please, and it’ theirs to keep forever.

Any PlayStation 3 owners can select any two of the following:

·       Dead Nation

·       inFAMOUS

·       LittleBigPlanet

·       Super Stardust HD

·       Wipeout HD + Fury

Any PlayStation Portable owners can select any two of the following:

·       LittleBigPlanet (PSP)

·       ModNation Racers

·       Pursuit Force

·       Killzone Liberation

That’s a grand total of four possible free games for PlayStation Network users, assuming you have the applicable devices! The fun doesn’t stop there, though, as all of the following will also be offered up for a limited time:

·       A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.

·       30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.

·       Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.

·       Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.

·       Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.

·       To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

This is definitely good news for Sony as many people were upset with their offerings up until this point, as can be seen in the comments on the announcement for their Sony Online Entertainment freebies. Users in Europe have a similar selection to choose from as well; however no other countries have been announced yet. For more information, head over to the PlayStation Blog.

[05.14.11] PlayStation Network restoration underway in US!

Shortly after the announcement of the new firmware update for the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation blog has confirmed that the restoration process has begun in the United States. It's being done is small segments, so be patient and keep checking back. If you don't want to keep trying to sign in, you can also monitor their blog which has a map that will illuminate states as they come back online. Keep in mind, this isn't a full restoration though. Online multiplayer is being restored now, and all other features will be restored incrementally following this update.

Original Post, PlayStation Blog

[05.14.11] Sony releases promised firmware update, ‘critical step’ for PlayStation Network

Sony’s PlayStation Blog just announced the release of a new firmware update (v3.61) for the PlayStation 3. This mandatory update is available now and requires all PlayStation Network users to update their account password. The catch is that this must be done on the PS3 the account was originally activated on. If you no longer have that PS3 or simply never activated it on one, you’re not left hanging high and dry – check your email account registered as your sign-in ID after your first sign-in attempt and you’ll find a link enabling you to change your password. After either of these steps are finished, you’re free to sign in and out wherever you please!

Sony strongly recommends you do this as soon as possible for security reasons and just to be ready for when the network does come back online. They also stated that this was a “critical step” on making the PlayStation Network more secure and getting it back online. All of this is a breath of fresh air for PlayStation 3 owners as it’s the first real promise that Sony has successfully followed through on after their failure to get the network online by last week. Their new goal is the end of the month and there are plenty of rewards that should be waiting for you. 

Original Post, PlayStation Blog.

[05.13.11] Sony Online Entertainment announces more compensation plans

Anthony Ortale

Yet another week has passed and the PlayStation Network is still offline. That hasn’t stopped Sony Online Entertainment from making more promises to gamers though. Yesterday on their website, they announced more plans for compensation to all gamers affected by the downtime. Every single player will receive 30 days free plus one additional day for each day the system is down added to their next billing cycle. To go with that, most games are offering free in-game content or bonus events to help make up for lost time. If you have either the PlayStation 3 or PC copy of any of the following games, these are your rewards that you’ll get as soon as everything is fully restored:

·       DC Universe™ Online: Batman™ and Two-Face™ Inspired Masks and 30 Marks of Distinction

·       Free Realms®: Free daily items (7 to collect)

·       Clone Wars Adventures™: Count Dooku v2 Outfit

·       EverQuest®: A series of events, including Double XP, Double Rare Mob Spawns and Double Faction Gains

·       EverQuest II and EverQuest II Extended: A series of events, including Double XP, Double Guild XP, Loot Bonanza, and City Festivals

·       Vanguard: Saga of Heroes®: A series of Double XP events

·       Star Wars Galaxies™: Bounty Hunter Statue, a miniature model of Boba Fett's ship, theSlave I™

·       Magic: The Gathering - Tactics™: Four of each of these spells: "Ivory Mask", "Duress" and "Angelheart Vial", plus 500 Station Cash

·       PoxNora®: Limited edition Carrionling, Welcome Back 5K Gold Award Tournaments and two Draft Tournaments, plus 500 Station Cash

Some of you may be saying “But I’m a lifetime subscriber! What do I get?” No worries, Sony’s got you covered there too. Each of you will be granted in-game currency in addition to any rewards mentioned above.

·       Free Realms players will receive 20,000 coins

·       Clone Wars Adventures players will receive 7,500 Galactic Credits

·       DC Universe Online players will receive 10 Marks of Distinction

Last, any Station Access subscribers will receive 500 Station Cash in addition to any of the above that’s applicable.

As promised before, Sony is also going to offer free enrolment in identity theft protection through Debix for anyone interested who lives within the US [more information]. Anyone outside the US will also receive similar protection, just from different companies depending on where you live. According to the announcement, Sony is hoping to have the network back up and running within just a few more days. They again apologized for the prolonged downtime and wanted to assure you that they are “working around the clock to restore SOE services.”

Apparently this isn’t enough for some PlayStation 3 owners, as many stores both locally and internationally have reported a tremendous increase in PS3 returns. Video Games Etc. in Cedar Rapids is offering up to $180 store credit for a PS3. They’re also offering two specials on games: Buy two new games and get one pre-owned free, or buy three pre-owned games and get one pre-owned free. That, combined with the new updates coming to the Xbox 360 just might be enough to convince more local gamers to make the switch.

Original Post – Sony Online Entertainment’s website

[05.09.11] PlayStation Network return 'uncertain'

Anthony Ortale

Well, the weekend has come and gone, and for those of you with PS3's, you more than likely have noticed you still can't get online despite what was previously promised, Sony now is saying that it could be weeks before the PlayStation Network is back up and running, let alone fully functional. Shigenori Yoshida still insists that their final deadline for having the network fully restored is May 31st; however, you have to wonder just how set in stone that deadline is after this first goal was missed completely. Also notable is the fact that, even if the deadline is met, that's still six weeks that service has been down, as Sony turned off the servers on April 20th.

Yoshida also told Bloomberg that Sony is "uncertain" as to when the PlayStation Network will actually be back online, meaning there may be no service period until the May 31st deadline. This completely contradicts their plan to start enabling various parts of the PlayStation Network as they become available. Both the PS3 and PSP were supposed to have online gameplay, downloadable movies, movie rentals, PlayStation Home, and Game Chat functions available this weekend, with everything else following incrementally until it's full return on May 31st. Odds of this happening now seem pretty slim, given the lack of progress seen so far. Until it's operational, looks like you'll have to spend your time "aggressively monitoring your credit card statements".

[05.09.11] 2011 Spring Dashboard update brings new disks and added security to Xbox 360

Amidst all the problems the PlayStation 3 is currently having, Microsoft seems to be taking advantage of the PSN's downtime to boost their security. Sony plans to reward gamers for their lost game time, but with an indefinite return for PlayStation Network there seems to be more reasons to switch consoles if you haven't already. The Xbox has been generous with a "Free Gold Weekend", free trial for the newly added Hulu Plus, and with the upcoming dashboard update, Xbox 360 gamers will have increased security with the option to pay for things through PayPal.

According to a report on Joystiq, the new update is set to release starting May 19th. If you don't receive it that day, you could be in one of the latter groups to receive it as it's being dispersed through 6 upgrade groups for the first time. The only thing directly visible to gamers will be the PayPal feature which will allow you to purchase items from the Xbox Live Marketplace using a secure PayPal account instead of directly entering credit card information. The spring update will also add support for the new XGD3 disk format that will be used on games released later in 2011. These disks will add extra on-disc storage space for developers and will also have additional layers of copy protection.

If this sounds like enough to get you to switch systems, the local video game stores are offering up to $180 store credit or $160 cash for a PS3. That knocks a little more than half off the price of a new 250GB Xbox 360, and that's not counting any additional trade in value from spare controllers, accessories, or games. If you're interested in a Kinect as well, the Coral Ridge Mall Target Store is offering $25 off the purchase of a Kinect and one eligible game. If the 250GB Xbox is more than you think you'll need, you could also pick up a 4GB model while you're there and get a $50 Target Gift card to put towards anything in the store. If you're looking to build your game library, any of the Cedar Rapids or Iowa City area Video Games Etc. stores are running a few specials for you: Buy two new games and get one pre-owned free, or buy three pre-owned games and get one pre-owned free. No matter where you look, it seems like everyone is trying to take advantage of the debilitated PlayStation Network.

[05.06.11] So... did Anonymous attack the PlayStation Network?

Anonymous Operations (AnonOps) Logo

Anonymous Operations

Sony can’t seem to keep anything consistent in regards to the recent attack on the PlayStation Network. First it was going to be up in a few days, then a few weeks, and now, it’s not going to be fully restored for a month. The other thing that can’t make up their mind on: just who attacked PSN. They’re not entirely at fault though, as the ones apparently responsible for the attack, the notorious hacker group that goes by the name Anonymous, can’t seem to make up their mind either.

At the press conference early Sunday morning, Sony originally stated that there was “no evidence linking earlier attacks on their server to the current data leak.” However just a few days later Sony stated that they found a file planted on one of their servers named “Anonymous” containing the phrase “We are legion.” Oddly enough though, they never directly blamed the group. Instead, they just called themselves victims of “cyber-terrorists.”

Now this would all be fine and dandy, however Anonymous took a very unusual step. On their official news site, they posted a press release stating “For once, we didn’t do it”. They go on to say that in the very least, it wasn’t an “organized attack” but that it’s certainly possible that other members of the group may have acted independently. Anonymous even attempts to make themselves look like victims! “A more likely explanation is that Sony is taking advantage of Anonymous’ previous ill-will towards the company to distract users from the fact that the outage is actually an internal problem with the company’s servers.” This is obviously not true though, as everyone’s personal information has been stolen.

Today, two veterans of the group Anonymous have publicly stated that they believe Anonymous is responsible for the attacks.

"If you say you are Anonymous, and do something as Anonymous, then Anonymous did it. Just because the rest of Anonymous might not agree with it, doesn't mean Anonymous didn't do it."

The FBI does have an ongoing investigation, so hopefully soon we’ll figure out who is responsible; although it seems pretty evident that Anonymous is to blame

[05.04.11] Wii gets a refresher

As much expected, the Nintendo's Wii has finally taken an official price drop to $149.99 USD. Although the local Target store has had them at that price for the last few weeks, you should now start seeing it drop at other local retailers and nation-wide. Nintendo still plans to offer both the white and black versions of their console; however the systems are getting a new package. Their ever-popular Wii Sports title will no longer be offered as a freebie; instead, taking its place, is the also popular (and currently $49.99 USD) Mario Kart Wii, wheel accessory included.

The fun doesn't stop there though, as Nintendo also announced a new "Nintendo Select" line, similar to its competitors "Greatest Hits" and "Platinum Hits" lines. Nintendo Select won't feature any new games, but will instead have long-standing favorites reintroduced with a sleek new case sporting red trim and a gold "Nintendo Select" approval badge in its top left corner. It also has a wallet friendly price point of just $19.99 USD. The line-up is set to include hits like Super Smash Brothers Brawl, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Warioware, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Wii Sports, and Mario Super Sluggers, among others. Selection does vary by region though, so don't cry foul at your local retailer if they don't have your title on hand. All of the aforementioned titles stuck to their release price until this point, so those of you who have been holding out for years can finally go crazy!