Section: Gaming News, Exclusives, Features, Lists, Previews, Consoles, PS3, Handhelds, PSP, Gear, Accessories, Comics-and-Graphic-Novels, Gear-Other, Ads & Media, Movies, TV, Other Media, Home Video, Updates, Playstation-Store

This week’s PlayStation Store is featuring the game Shatter for $7.99 for the PlayStation 3, this game is an interesting twist to the old school classic Super Breakout with each level more challenging than the one before. The game features multiple game play modes, a trophy system, more than 90 minutes of original music and a leader board system so players can challenge friends.

Calling all Final Fantasy fans! This is a must download demo of all time. Dissidia Final Fantasy free at the PSN store for the PSP. In this game you can assume the role of your favorite Final Fantasy hero or villain in this battle of ultimate destiny. Who wouldn’t want a second chance to kick Kefka’s butt or even wipe the smile off Kuja’s face again? Or relive the battle between Sephiroth and Cloud? Fight in various environments every Final Fantasy game deserves.

Also, with Comic-Con 2009 underway the PlayStation Store has created a special category for all things comic related from movies to games and an exclusive sneak peek of an upcoming animated film Green Lantern: First Flight available for download.

PSOne Classics:

• Spec Ops: Covert Assault (PS3/$5.99)
• Wild Arms 2 (PS3/$5.99)

Downloadable Games:
*Free themes are available now until July 31, 2009, with purchase of any of these Tomb Raider downloads.

• Tomb Raider: Legend (PSP/$12.99)
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PSP/$12.99)

Game Demos:

• Call of Duty: World at War Demo (PS3/Free)

Bonus Game Contents:

• Cross Edge Fluffy Synth Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Chicken Prediction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge No Sense of Direction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Fickle Woman Pack (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Additional Music Set 2 DLC (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce Pack 3 (PSP/Free)
• Overlord 2 Battle Rock Pack (PS3/$4.99)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack (PS3/$5.99)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 Banff Springs (PS3/$7.50)
• Wipeout HD? Fury Add-On (PS3/$9.99)
• Killzone 2 DLC Bundle Pack (PS3/$11.99)

Guitar Hero World Tour Music Packs:

• Vagrant Records Track Pack (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “All the World is Mad” by Thrice (PS3/$1.99)
• “The Martyr” by Senses Fail (PS3/$1.99)
• “Young Cardinal” by Alexisonfire (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Music Packs:

• Kings of Leon Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Crawl” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Molly’s Chambers” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leo (PS3/$1.99)

• Rancid Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Last One to Die” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Time Bomb” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Ruby SoHo” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)

• Rise Against Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Prayer of the Refugee” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Re-Education (Through Labor)” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Savior” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)

Single track:

• “Sweetness and Light” by Lush (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Unplugged bonus content:

• “The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy (PSP/$1.99)
• “Casey Jones” by Grateful Dead (PSP/$1.99)

Free Game Videos:

• Alpha Protocol CG trailer (E3 Trailer) (PS3/Free)
• Alpha Protocol Developer Diary #4 (PS3/Free
• Battlefield 1943 Launch Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Digger Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Gran Turismo B/W Trailer (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Boltgun 4400 (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack Video (PS3/PSP/Free)
• The King of Fighters XII Trailer 3 – Be the King (PS3/PSP/Free)

New Movies to Rent or Own:

• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)
• Coraline. Rated PG (SD Format/$14.99)
• Fast & Furious. Rated PG-13 (SD Format/$14.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/HD Format/$5.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)

Wallpapers and Themes:

• Overlord II Minions Theme (PS3/Free)
• Overlord II Overlord Theme (PS3/Free)
• College Football Theme: Miami (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: North Carolina (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Michigan (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Tennessee (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Utah (PS3/$1.99)

Read [PlayStation Store Blog] Site [PlayStation]

Full Story ? | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Gaming News, Exclusives, Features, Lists, Previews, Consoles, PS3, Handhelds, PSP, Gear, Accessories, Comics-and-Graphic-Novels, Gear-Other, Ads & Media, Movies, TV, Other Media, Home Video, Updates, Playstation-Store

This week’s PlayStation Store is featuring the game Shatter for $7.99 for the PlayStation 3, this game is an interesting twist to the old school classic Super Breakout with each level more challenging than the one before. The game features multiple game play modes, a trophy system, more than 90 minutes of original music and a leader board system so players can challenge friends.

Calling all Final Fantasy fans! This is a must download demo of all time. Dissidia Final Fantasy free at the PSN store for the PSP. In this game you can assume the role of your favorite Final Fantasy hero or villain in this battle of ultimate destiny. Who wouldn’t want a second chance to kick Kefka’s butt or even wipe the smile off Kuja’s face again? Or relive the battle between Sephiroth and Cloud? Fight in various environments every Final Fantasy game deserves.

Also, with Comic-Con 2009 underway the PlayStation Store has created a special category for all things comic related from movies to games and an exclusive sneak peek of an upcoming animated film Green Lantern: First Flight available for download.

PSOne Classics:

• Spec Ops: Covert Assault (PS3/$5.99)
• Wild Arms 2 (PS3/$5.99)

Downloadable Games:
*Free themes are available now until July 31, 2009, with purchase of any of these Tomb Raider downloads.

• Tomb Raider: Legend (PSP/$12.99)
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PSP/$12.99)

Game Demos:

• Call of Duty: World at War Demo (PS3/Free)

Bonus Game Contents:

• Cross Edge Fluffy Synth Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Chicken Prediction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge No Sense of Direction Pack (PS3/Free)
• Cross Edge Fickle Woman Pack (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires Additional Music Set 2 DLC (PS3/Free)
• Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce Pack 3 (PSP/Free)
• Overlord 2 Battle Rock Pack (PS3/$4.99)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack (PS3/$5.99)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 Banff Springs (PS3/$7.50)
• Wipeout HD? Fury Add-On (PS3/$9.99)
• Killzone 2 DLC Bundle Pack (PS3/$11.99)

Guitar Hero World Tour Music Packs:

• Vagrant Records Track Pack (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “All the World is Mad” by Thrice (PS3/$1.99)
• “The Martyr” by Senses Fail (PS3/$1.99)
• “Young Cardinal” by Alexisonfire (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Music Packs:

• Kings of Leon Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Crawl” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Molly’s Chambers” by Kings of Leon (PS3/$1.99)
• “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leo (PS3/$1.99)

• Rancid Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Last One to Die” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Time Bomb” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)
• “Ruby SoHo” by Rancid (PS3/$1.99)

• Rise Against Track Pack 01 (PS3/$5.49)

Individual Songs:

• “Prayer of the Refugee” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Re-Education (Through Labor)” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)
• “Savior” by Rise Against (PS3/$1.99)

Single track:

• “Sweetness and Light” by Lush (PS3/$1.99)

Rock Band Unplugged bonus content:

• “The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy (PSP/$1.99)
• “Casey Jones” by Grateful Dead (PSP/$1.99)

Free Game Videos:

• Alpha Protocol CG trailer (E3 Trailer) (PS3/Free)
• Alpha Protocol Developer Diary #4 (PS3/Free
• Battlefield 1943 Launch Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Digger Trailer (PS3/Free)
• Gran Turismo B/W Trailer (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Boltgun 4400 (PS3/PSP/Free)
• Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Pack Video (PS3/PSP/Free)
• The King of Fighters XII Trailer 3 – Be the King (PS3/PSP/Free)

New Movies to Rent or Own:

• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Confessions of a Shopaholic. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)
• Coraline. Rated PG (SD Format/$14.99)
• Fast & Furious. Rated PG-13 (SD Format/$14.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/SD Format/$3.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Rent/HD Format/$5.99)
• Dragonball: Evolution. Rated PG (Own/SD Format/$14.99)

Wallpapers and Themes:

• Overlord II Minions Theme (PS3/Free)
• Overlord II Overlord Theme (PS3/Free)
• College Football Theme: Miami (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: North Carolina (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Michigan (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Tennessee (PS3/$1.99)
• College Football Theme: Utah (PS3/$1.99)

Read [PlayStation Store Blog] Site [PlayStation]

Full Story ? | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Gaming News, Features, Lists, Mashups

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Sony Home Update: New spaces, new stores, more items galore
  “The PlayStation Home has been updated with three new spaces to new stores at the mall and more stuff than you can shake a stick at. And like a 3-year-old in the candy isle at WalMart, I’m hopped…” MORE ?
• Open Plea: Sony, please drop the PS3’s price, the industry needs it
  “Contrary to what we were reporting this time a year or so ago, the game industry is not recession proof.? Video games just took their biggest monthly sales drop in nearly a decade. Even GameStop,…” MORE ?
• Comic Con 2009: Kotobukiya’s lineup and schedule (with frickin’ lightsaber chopsticks)
  ” Statue, figure maker and cool stuff creator Kotobukiya has released its full schedule and lineup of offerings for the 2009 San Diego Comic Con taking place July 23 through 26, 2009 (with a…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince the movie
  “Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince Release Date: July 15, 2009 Company: Warner Bros. Rating: “PG” Length: 153 min (2 hours, 33 minutes) Pros: All of the actors…” MORE ?
• Apple App Store gaming update for the week of July 13 to July 19, 2009
  “The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all – good and not so good – in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em,…” MORE ?
• iTunes offers free download of Inuyasha’s first episode
  ” I know there were a lot of Inuyasha fans and gamers disappointed by the lackluster DS RPG Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel. Hopefully, today’s news will make up for it. Apple has a habit of trying to…” MORE ?
• Sam Raimi to direct World of Warcraft film
  ” Ain’t It Cool News let the Corrupted Cat out of the bag and now Blizzard has confirmed it with a release: Sam Raimi will direct the World of Warcraft movie. Raimi is world famous for directing…” MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: Namco Essentials, PSN Game Sale (July 19 to July 25, 2009)
  ” This week’s the PlayStation Store is featuring the Namco Museum Essentials collection for $9.99 bringing…” MORE ?
• See Jake Gyllenhaal run, backflip and spin kick as the Prince of Persia
  ” There’s been a bit of controversy about Jake Gyllenhaal playing The Prince of Persia in the upcoming movie, so the above pic from Entertainment Weekly may or may not sway your opinion. Nonetheless,…” MORE ?
• Japanese Imports: Big fat list of J-List updates for July 2009
  “It’s been way too long since I posted an update of the game-related and generally interesting items being offered at Japanese import site J-List and under-18 site J-Box. To help bring everyone back up to speed,…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

FROM APPLETELL – More free apps? Yes, yes, I know. Free apps are the best, or at least it’s fun to get something for free that isn’t complete crap. I hope you find something you like.
MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Gaming News, Exclusives, Originals, PCs, Mac, Windows, Game-Companies, Developers, Distributors, Publishers, Genres, 2D, Adventure, Casual, Puzzle, Sim, Strategy

This week there weren’t as many casual game releases as last week, but there was still a fairly adequate amount. It almost seemed like this week’s motto should be “Quality over quantity,” as quite a few anticipated and intriguing games were released.

The two most expected games were undoubtedly Alawar’s Farm Frenzy 3 and Ouat’s Pure Hidden. Which means, naturally, that they’re named as this week’s best bets. One’s your standard time management game, where you manage all sorts of farming tasks and animals. The other is a zen approach to the hidden object and casual genre, with a New Age feel and artsy design.

This week, time management games are the way to go. They dominate this update, so simulation and strategy fans should take note and see if there’s something they’d like.

This week’s best bets are: Pure Hidden (PC, Mac) and Farm Frenzy 3 (PC).

Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allen Poe Conspiracy
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Ghosts guide you through hidden object puzzles as you attempt to not only find important information to help you finish your novel, but also discover the truth behind Edgar Allen Poe’s murder.
Demo Available: Yes

Paradise
Genre: Adventure
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: A young woman named Ann Smith was flying across Africa when an unknown assailant shot down her plane, leaving her stranded with amnesia. If she can reach her father, she can find out the truth, but she faces a long journey before she reaches him.
Demo Available: No

Megaplex Madness: Summer Blockbuster
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: You are the brand new owner and manager of a multiplex. Your goal is to create a successful theature by taking good care of five theaters and making sure your customers are happy. There are also arcade mini-games included.
Demo Available: Yes

Megaplex Madness: Now Playing
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Mac 10.4 and 10.5 (also for PCs)
Premise: Get ready to restore classic movie theaters! Do what ever it takes to get the theaters running and keep customers happy. Arcade mini-games also are accessible in the game.
Demo Available: Yes

Pure Hidden
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $9.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 and 10.5
Premise: There’s no story in Pure Hidden, just artistic little puzzles to solve. There are 66 cream boxes. You choose to open them, playing one of the assorted puzzles within. When you do well, you unlock wallpapers for your desktop relating to the game.
Demo Available: Yes, a web-based trial is available at the Pure Hidden site http://www.purehidden.com/.

My Kingdom for the Princess
Genre: Puzzle
Availability: PlayFirst, Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow, RealArcade
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP and Vista
Premise: The sick King Sigmund wants to see his daughter, so it’s up to you to travel across the kingdom to bring her home to the castle. It won’t be an easy task though, since the kingdom’s been assault by natural disasters lately, not to mention a dragon, and you’ll have to use puzzle solving skills to find paths that will lead her home.
Demo Available: Yes

Farm Frenzy 3
Genre: Strategy (Time Management)
Availability: Alawar Games
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows
Premise: Scarlett wants to be president of the Farmers’ Union, and the best way to do so is show what a fantastic farmer she is. In an effort to win votes, she does a massive campaign tour across five countries where she helps farmers in order to gain their respect and their vote.
Demo Available: Yes

Passport to Perfume
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: PlayFirst, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows XP and Vista, Mac 10.4 and 10.5
Premise: Following along the lines of Chocolatier and Wine Maker Extraordinaire, Passport to Perfume lets players see what it’s like to become a perfume mogul in the 1940’s. You follow Sophia, who starts out a beginner and is working her way towards becoming a premier perfume artisan. The ultimate goal is to recreate Marie Antoinette’s perfume.
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade]

Full Story ? | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Features, Columns, Opinions, Consoles, PS3, Wii, Xbox-360, Consoles-Other

Contrary to what we were reporting this time a year or so ago, the game industry is not recession proof.? Video games just took their biggest monthly sales drop in nearly a decade. Even GameStop, a company that has been able to do no wrong financially, is feeling it.

In an economy where folks are losing their houses, cars and 401Ks, there is no bigger albatross in the gaming industry than the PlayStation 3. Launching with a hefty $600 price tag, the PS3 has more in common with GMC’s Hummer vehicle than it does with the PS2. Both the gas-guzzling SUV and the overpriced game machine are symbols of an excess most of society can’t afford right now. Looking back, it’s easy to understand Sony’s thought process. Their last generation competitors – weren’t competitors. If it weren’t for the Halo series, the Xbox would have been the Nintendo GameCube. And the Nintendo GameCube was the Nintendo GameCube. I want to make more fun of Nintendo for its effort last gen. But since they re-released the GameCube with a fancy new motion controller and are now the biggest success story in gaming, it looks as if the joke is on the rest of us.

Sony was in the driver’s seat. It had decisively won the last two console wars and there was no reason to expect it wouldn’t do it again. Then the company gave us 600 reasons it wouldn’t. Once the price of the new console was announced, it was akin to a huge disfiguring mole. As much as you try not to look at, talk about or acknowledge it, it’s really the only thing you can see. Thus, it was the focus of every mainstream media article about the PS3 and most of the gaming articles. Sony may as well have called it The Sony This-Machine-and-a-Game-Will-Set-You-Back-700-Big-Ones System.

My first car didn’t cost me $700 and my first apartment didn’t cost $700 a month. With the exception of my house and current vehicle, nothing I own cost me $700. And I’m the target market for the PlayStation 3. The guy that can drop $700 on a game console and not miss the money can afford numerous other diversions such as trips to the Bahamas with surgically-enhanced female companions. Us common working folk are having it rough and now even “escapist” hobbies such as movies and video games are feeling it.

Who am I in the grand scheme of things? Nobody whose words will echo in industry halls. But I’m not the only one saying this. Activision’s Bobby Kotick fired a huge salvo threatening to pull support for the PS3 if it didn’t cut the price. Sony CEO Howard Stringer fired back that Kotick likes to make “a lot of noise.” True, and Amy Winehouse has impulse control issues, what’s your point, Howard? These gross understatements don’t have anything to do with the core issue here: the PlayStation 3, even at $400, costs too much to sell in current economy.

The bottom line is that Sony is nearly as responsible for the current state of game sales as General Motors and its Big Three comrades is for the nosedive in the automotive industry. When the company that was winning in spectacular fashion starts losing in equally spectacular fashion, there are ripple – scratch that – there are tidal wave effects throughout the industry.

And before the responses come, I don’t hate Sony or the PS3. It would be ludicrous for me to wish ill will on any console maker since I make my living in the game writing industry. I want Sony to get it right so we can have the true three-way slugfest this console war should be. I also want an Xbox 360 that doesn’t crap out and I want mature content on my Nintendo Wii.

I complain because I care.

Since Sony had a large part in creating the current mess, they should pitch in and help out. It is true that in the short term, they will lose a lot more money on each console. But no Sony executive and their talk of 10-year console cycles can convince me the company won’t lose even more money long term if it finishes a distant third in the console race.

I don’t know a single gamer who wouldn’t like to be able to play more games and they can’t do that without buying more games. The industry model has long been to take the short-term loss on the hardware to sell customers on the software. This isn’t 2007. The games Sony predicted would sell this system, including Metal Gear Solid 4, are here now. Another system seller in God of War 3 is coming.

It would be a crying shame if no one could afford to play them without selling an organ.

Read [Bloomberg] Also Read [Edge Online]

Full Story ? | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?