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JUNE 2007 NEWS

June 30, 2007

PS3 News
Well last night has probably seen the best Playstation Store update in Australia since the PS3 launched. First up is the stunning Super Stardust HD for $13.45. It is a superb title which should be a part of anyones collection. A new map pack for Resistance: Fall of Man which adds two new multi-player maps to the title for only $7.45. Two Blu-Ray trailers have been posted for Superman Returns and Full Metal Jacket and two cloassic games have been uploaded as well, Gauntlet II and Championship Sprint for $AU5.00 each. Finally there is a nice interview with Paul Hollywood about upcoming downloadable content for Motorstorm - its worth a look.

According to FileFront Lair will be released in America on August 14, well ahead of a September 26 launch in Europe (and presumably Australia). The best news though is that a demo is expect to be release in July and while that is only for America I'm sure that many of you fine folk will find means to access it from Australia ;)

June 28, 2007

PS3 News
If you fire up your PS3 online today you'll notice Firmware 1.82 is available for download. The big change, if you didn't read our site two days ago, is the inclusion for playback of AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) files.

Can't wait for Grand Theft Auto IV? Well, you're not alone and early tomorrow morning we'll be seeing the second trailer from the game titled 'Looking for that Special Someone'. It should be a blast so check it out. In more exciting news though Rockstar have confirmed that the Grand Theft Auto: Special Edition will be released in Australia for $AU149.95. It sounds expensive, but that's only $AU30 more then the game itself.
In the pack you will receive...

the Grand Theft Auto IV artbook
a Rockstar Games duffle bag
the Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack CD
and it all comes with the game inside a Grand Theft Auto IV security box

GTAIV: Special Edition in all its glory.

June 27, 2007

PS3 News
Eric Lempel, Director, PlayStation Network Operations has confirmed that PS3 Firmware 1.82 will be out in a matter of days. Speaking on Sony's official blog Eric has confirmed the update will enable the playback of AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) files. The other good news is that he mentions the developers are 'moving us closer to the audio playback features many of you commented about'. Let's hope this includes passing DTS-MA via Bitstream to a receiver!

According to Atari Australia's release schedule today the highly anticipated Ninja Gaiden Sigma has been pushed back from July 7 to July 13.

Namco has confirmed that Soul Calibur 4, which is due out in 2008, will include online gameplay. We suspect that the recently announced Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online will serve as the testbed for the online modes. Vivendi and Sierra have announced that Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy is currently in development for the PS3 for release in Winter 2008. The game will be based on the blockbuster book and movie and will include events from both media. The game is currently in development at High Moon Studios.

PSP News
In recent announcements Sony has confirmed that PSP Firmware 3.50 will include an option to fully unlock the 333Mhz CPU speed. Currently games are restricted to only 266Mhz. Most exciting though is the news that God of War: Chains of Olympus will be one of the first games to make use of this additional speed.

PS2 Review
Crusty Demons are a fantasic outfit of extreme motorbike riders. While the real-life Crusty Demons have a massive following this game shouldn't. There's certainly nothing special in this game, unlike the real thing. A review.

June 26, 2007

PS3 News
2K Games Australia has confirmed that The Darkness on PS3 has been pushed back from June 20 to July 29. No reason has been given for the delay and it makes it another agonising wait for what should be a standout title on the PS3 when it hits shelves.

PS3 Review
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is a game that generated some interst at the PS3 launch in March. Indeed Ubisoft's World War II flight sim is a nice addition to the PS3 library with several enhancements over the XBox 360 version. Is it actually a game worthy of your time? A review.

PS3 Preview
Assassin's Creed is a game we've been dying to play since E3 2006. With a release now confirmed for November 2007 we, like you, won't have too much longer to wait until we get our hands on it. We have an updated preview with the latest screens and info. Drool...

PSP Preview
Hot Brain continues the trend of educational games. Obviously taking some inspiration from Brain Training on the Nintendo DS this game from Midway also looks impressive. Here's a preview with some screens.

June 25, 2007

PS3 Review
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me. I've looked at PSP and now I'll do PS3! The real question is if you like the movies will you like this game? The answer? Well read our review now to find out...

June 24, 2007

Site News
As you may be aware we have been reviewing Blu-Ray movies of late on the site - and we've received some pretty positive feedback. Keeping in line with this we have launched our Blu-Ray Release Schedule page. We're not going to list every single title coming out - we still want to concentrate on games after all - but we are going to list any 'key' movies that are due out. Did you know that the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies are coming to Blu-Ray? How about Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2? Or perhaps you weren't expecting 300, Starship Troopers, Shooter, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within or Rocky Balboa. They're all there. In case you are unaware you can also access our Blu-Ray disc reviews here.

Blu-Ray Review
Dreamgirls. While it may not be everybodys cup of tea this musical is a superb movie in its own right with fantastic actors, storyline and production values. This Blu-Ray release from Paramount is another top-notch release well worth purchasing.

June 23, 2007

PS2 News
Big trouble across the globe for Rockstar. Not only was Manhunt 2 refused a rating in the UK, but Ireland has also banned the game and America has slapped the title with an "Adults Only" rating. The problem is that neither Sony, nor Nintendo (with the Wii version), allow games rated "Adults Only" to be released for their systems. Rockstar has delayed the early July release. Options - appeal the decision and hope for it to be overturned (unlikely), edit the game for re-rating (likely) or cancel the game entirely which given it was only weeks from release would be a big financial hit for the company. Expect to hear more soon, what we can say though is that Rockstar is pretty pissed off right now!

PS3 News
Finally some great news for PS3 owners today with Calling All Cars released on the Playstation Store for $13.95. Not only that but three retro games have also been released for $8.45 each - Wipeout, Crash Bandicoot and Jumping Flash!. All four games are well worth the few dollars being charged. If you're in for a more retro experience Rampage: World Tour is also available for a meagre $AU5.00.

Another very cool update released on the American and Australian Playstation Stores today is the Time Attack mode for MotorStorm. Just remember to do the game update by connecting online with the game before you download the Time Attack mode through the Playstation Store. Having played the UK version over the last week all we can say is WOW!

PS3 Preview
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online is an upgraded version of the best downloadable title on the Playstation Store. This update includes not only more modes, but most excitingly, online gameplay. We don't have a date or price, but we do have details and some screenshots! We take an early look.

June 21, 2007

PS3 News
Well Sony Australia haven't confirmed the release date as yet however retailers have pushed the release date of SingStar on PS3 from July 26 to August 23. We are trying to reach Sony for confirmation.

Ubisoft Europe has confirmed some release dates for upcoming PS3 titles in Europe. Assassin's Creed is scheduled for November 9, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is set for November 16 and Haze is set for November 23. What a month!

Industry News
If you were thinking of getting Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End on any number of systems you may want to head down to Electronics Boutique this week. Starting today the stores have marked all the games down to half price. That's $AU49.95 for the PS3 version, $34.95 for the PS2 version and $39.95 for the PSP version.

PS2 Review
SingStar Pop Hits is yet another in Sony's long-running and entertaining karaoke series. In fact, it is available today. We've taken a look and put our voices to the test. Do we like the game though?

June 20, 2007

PS2 News
Reports out of the UK this morning have confirmed that the BBFC has banned Manhunt 2 from sale in that territory. Rockstar can appeal the decision which is the first time a game has been banned since Carmageddon in 1997! As for Australia - well to be honest we'll be shocked if the game is released here without severe edits, if at all. No word yet though when the game will go to the OFLC for classification.

PS3 Preview
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights looks like a pretty fantastic title through THQ on the PS3. The original Juiced was a flawed racing title on the PS2 but the developers look like fixing many problems and making this a next-gen game worth playing. Here's an early preview.

PS3 News
Big news today for SingStar fans today with details of the official tracklisting for the PS3 title. Sony are promising that there will be around 350 songs downloadable from the SingStore - unfortunately track listings and pricing for that are not yet available. As for the 30 songs, well, we're a bit pissed. Some of the songs such as Beep and Beautiful Day have appeared on previous PS2 SingStar packs.

June 19, 2007

PS3 News
Gametrailers has a great interview about the Playstation Network with Director of Playstation Network Operations Eric Lempel (available here) and there have been some interesting revelations. The first is that cross-game invites won't be in the next firmware update, but are being worked on. The second is that the XMB will be accessible from within a game, thirdly custom soundtracks are being developed. Finally, Sony are happy with the currently free Playstation Network access, with money derived from extra content.

Well rumours keep on growing, and it is becoming possible, although not certain mind you, that we may see an announcement of a new PS3 controller with rumble at the E3 show in July (we can only hope). In a somewhat amusing twist though, Microsoft has now filed a lawsuit against Immersion "based on certain business and IP licensing arrangements". Microsoft originally paid Immersion $US26 million to settle the same lawsuit which Sony eventually lost in the courts (and subsequently had to pay almost $US100 million). According to the original article (which you can read here) apparently this may be due to a clause which 'stood to get payments if Immersion and Sony settled'. I guess the heart of the matter will be if Sony and Immersion 'settled' or went to a court decision which made that clause null and void.

PSP News
Now this is bad news but according to PSP Fanboy Earthworm Jim is apparently 'on hold' according to Atari. This is a damn shame as it was one of our most wanted games on PSP this year. Expect to hear more news/confirmation soon.

PS3 Preview
Conan is a bloody, gore-ridden hack and slash title based on the original short stories. There is little doubt this will be a killer title when it is released in 2008. A look.

June 18, 2007

PS3 News
So how much would you pay for downloadable episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV. Well if you're Microsoft you'll be paying Take Two $US50 million for two download packs - the first of which is due in March 2008. Unfortunately this means that PS3 owners will likely be left out in the cold and won't be able to get the downloadable content.

Industry News
Konami has confirmed that Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will be released on pretty much every platform, including PS2, PSP and PS3 late this year.

American rental chain Blockbuster has put another nail in the Microsoft/Toshiba backed HD-DVD format by announcing that they will stock Blu-Ray discs for rental in all 1700 stores across America. Blu-Ray is, of course, the high-def video format playable on PS3.

Blu-Ray Review
Alien Vs Predator was one of the most contraversial movies of all time (in terms of should it, or should it not have ever been made). Fans of the movie though will be very happy to hear it is now available on Blu-Ray. Can Fox deliver us yet more HD goodness? Here's our review.

PSP Review
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is already one of the biggest games on multiple platforms - not a surpirse given the popularity of the movies. I had the fortune to play through this game, or should that be the misfortune? Well here's our review of the PSP version.

June 17, 2007

PS3 News
We've spent a bit of time this weekend and redone much of the PS3 Preview & Release Schedule. There have been a tonne of new additions and date changes for around 30 titles. Check it out.

PS3 Preview
Stuntman: Ignition sees a welcome return to a series which started some five years ago now. With the game now in the hands of new publishers THQ, and being developed at Paradigm Entertainment, this is a very exciting looking title - which has moved to next-gen systems. Here's a preview of the PS3 version with a couple of screenshots.

June 16, 2007

PS3 News
According to Gameswarehouse and DVD Crave The Darkness has been delayed from June 29th to July 20th. Unfortunately being the weekend 2K Games aren't available for comment.

Next Friday (22/6) is turning out to be a cracker of a day on the Playstation Store. Not only should we finally see Calling All Cars, but UK gamers (and we expect that to be Australia as well) will also see several PSOne games including Crash Bandicoot, Wipeout, Medievil, Jumping Flash and Syphon Filter.

Some great news for Motorstorm fans in Europe with news that update 1.2 (which weighs in at just over 30Mb) is now available. Unfortunately for American's it looks like the delay announced yesterday remains for your territory. You must be careful when updating as you must first update the game after booting up the disc, and then, after that update is complete you can download the Time Attack mode from the Playstation Store. If you do the store update first you will need to delete your game data and start again. The update includes a slew of fixes and changes but in terms of game modes a "Ghost" car is the big addition and the ability to upload and download to and from other people. The Time Attack is another key change.
Note: It doesn't appear the Australian/NZ servers have the patch as yet, however it is available if you select EU Servers. This patch appears to work on our system - however the Time Attack and Ghost mode is not be available on the Australian Playstation Store as yet! If you have a European store account you'll be good to go though ;)

Valve has confirmed that Half-Life 2: Orange Box will be released in America on October 7, 2007. The PS3 version includes Team Fortress 2 and Half Life Episode 2 which will be release on the PC on the same day. No word on the Australian release date yet.

PSP Preview
Dungeon & Dragons Tactics is a game we have previously previewed. It's been a while since we've had a look at this game and indeed there have been a lot of changes and improvements to the title since May last year. Here's a much updated preview which D&D fans must check out with a release set for August.

June 15, 2007

PS3 News
Well those of you looking forward to the Motorstorm update 1.2 tonight will be quite disappointed to learn that it has been postponed again. Apparently last minute testing revealed a bug that resulted in people not being able to establish a network connection. Obviously it needs to be fixed and tested before release. No word yet on a new date - hopefully the delay will only be a week or so. More news when we get it.

PS3 owners getting online in the next day or so will notice that there is a new firmware version out for the PS3 - 1.81. Apparently the new firmware fixes some issues with Full RGB settings not being retained and may also improve backwards compatability.

June 14, 2007

PS3 News
There's some good news for Sony with the Japanese arm confirming that Minna no Golf 5 (or Hot Shots Golf 5 as it is known outside Japan) has already achieved over 300,000 pre-orders. The game is due for release in Japan on July 26. The previous game on PS2 Hot Shots Golf 4 shifted a massive 1.7 million units.

Digital Eclipse have confirmed that they have pushed back the release date of Dark Sector from late 2007 to January 2008 to allow some more time for tweaking.

Namco has confirmed that Soul Calibur IV will be heading to the Playstation 3 in 2008. As yet gameplay hasn't been shown however a teaser trailer shows off some returning characters including Ivy (with bigger boobs and less clothing!), Mitsurugi and Nightmare.

PS3 Preview
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is going to shoot straight to the top of many gamers "Most Wanted" lists - and deservedly so. Activision's big FPS series is returning for a fourth outing, but this time we're in modern warfare. We bring you the first stunning screens and plenty of info about the game.

June 13, 2007

PS3 News
Looking forward to Grand Theft Auto IV? Well you're not the only ones and just to make us that little bit more excited Rockstar have confirmed that a new trailer will be released on June 28th. Keep an eye on the internet to the required download (we don't have too much hope that Sony will put it on the Playstation Store in Australia in any sort of decent time!).

According to the latest issue of Famitsu a new version of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection will be released on the Playstation Store in future. What will be new about this game? Well how about online gameplay! Not only that but we can expect a new Survival mode, practice mode and leader boards will be included. The game will cost a little more then the previous one, but those who bought the original will be able to upgrade for a small fee (believed to be around $US8). As yet a release date has not been announced.

PSP News
Well we have a preview of the PS3 version below but Sega have just confirmed that a PSP version of Sega Rally is also in the works! We can't wait.

PS3 Preview
Sega Rally is one of the all time greatest racing titles but it is one which hasn't seen a true update for around a decade now. Realising how hot this property is, and just how many people want to see it return, Sega's new studio, Sega Racing Studios, are developing a next-gen version - talk about hot!

June 12, 2007

Industry News
Well we think this was Sony's big announcement due today - and in one sense it is quite big. Today the company has officially launched their blog site upon which we are likely to see many announcements and news items in the coming years. It's still early, and even Sony admit they're still sorting out how best to run it, but you would do well to bookmark this site.

PSP Preview
Alien Syndrome is a name which is likely to be familiar to gamers from the 8-bit era (yes, the 1980's!). Indeed this is yet another classic Sega game that is being updated for todays systems and with only weeks until release this game looks mighty impressive. This third person action RPG should be a fantastic title in late July.

June 10, 2007

PS3 News
Sony has announced that they have sold 1 million PS3's in PAL territories. This has been accomplished in record time - taking around 9 weeks less then Sony's previous systems. Not only that but 600,000 copies of Resistance: Fall of Man have been sold, as well as 500,000 copies of Motorstorm.

Finally we have some great news about (worthwhile) downloadable games on the Playstation Store. David "God of War" Jaffe's Calling All Cars will be released on June 22, while June 29 will see the release of Super Stardust HD. Both games will sell in Europe for £4.99 - so we expect them to be just over $10 in Australia.

PSP Preview
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars sees a return of one of Sega's biggest franchises. This PSP version includes some new content as well as the classic yellow cabs and whacky gameplay. We give you the latest screens and info. Check it out.

June 8, 2007

PS3 News
Those looking online today for the Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man will need to wait a bit longer both have been delayed. While the former is now apparently scheduled for June 15, those wanting some more FPS action will be waiting quite a bit longer with no date in Europe or Australia as yet.

In case you missed it the big update on the Playstation Store today has been Mortal Kombat II. The game is available now for a pretty impressive price of only $AU5.00! Time for some retro fun me thinks...

June 7, 2007

PS3 News
According to rumours doing the rounds Sony are set to announce something very big on June 11th. What it is no one knows as yet as if the rumour is true everyone is remaining tight lipped. Would you like to take a guess? Hell, I'll have a shot.. How about LocoRoco Screensaver on Playstation Store - either free, or very close to it. Now where did I get that idea? Or could it be the increasingly strong rumour about a PS3 price cut?

Bethesda has confirmed that Fallout 3 will be coming to the PS3 as well as PC and XBox 360. The game is due out sometime in 2008.

PS2 News
Funtastic has confirmed that Impossible Mission will not be released in Australia on the PS2. No reason was given for the cancelation.

PS3 Preview
Need for Speed ProStreet is the first time we've been excited about this series for quite some time. Electronic Arts have unveiled their latest Need for Speed title and it certainly looks impressive. We have the first details and screenshots from the game.

June 5, 2007

Blu-Ray Review
Night at the Museum was a blockbuster movie when it hit cinemas in December 2006. Ben Stiller headlines this comedy which sees his new job as night watchman at a museum turn into something extraordinary. This Blu-Ray release is one for the family.

June 4, 2007

PSP News
Vivendi has confirmed a new game is heading to the PSP later this year. The game is SWAT: Target Liberty. While we don't have any details besides the fact the game is in development at 3G Studios, the game is obviously a part of the SWAT series of games. More news as we get it.

Just a quick note to let you know we've done up a bit of an update on the PSP Preview & Release Schedule Page. Check it out as there are some new titles, and some new dates.

PSP Review
Smash Court Tennis 3 is a welcome addition to the PSP's library. Namco is bringing its impressive PS2 tennis series to the PSP, but have the developers managed a decent port of a solid franchise to Sony's handheld? Here's our full verdict.

June 3, 2007

PS2 Review
Buzz! Junior Robojam is a fun title - make no mistake about it. The second Buzz! game to be released in May was this mini-game based title aimed at a younger market. While it is aimed at youngsters we still had plenty of fun. Here's our full review.

June 2, 2007

PS3 News
Well another Saturday and another update for the Playstation Network. This week we get video promoting the Playstation Store (by god, next they'll have ads telling us were to buy the system!) but at least we also get a game. Go! Puzzle is basically three mini-games bundled together for $AU9.95. If that's a bit rich for you then you can also check out the free demo version which givens you 2 minutes play in each of the three games.

PS3 Review
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is possibly the biggest RPG of all time and it's out now on PS3. Michael, who has played through the game several times on various platforms, gives us his full review of this stunner. This could even be the game worth picking up a PS3 just to play!

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Previews & Release Schedule

JUNE 2007 NEWS