Looks like PlayStation Network is finally ready to compete with Xbox Live for real. Sony just announced a month-long “Only On PSN” initiative. Tell me if this sounds familiar: a selection of premium download-only titles, with new releases coming out every week over the next month. Details inside.

Starting today, the “Only On PlayStation Network” program will release a total of eight “big name” titles across the next five weeks. PlayStation Plus subscribers can get a 20% discount on each one. Sony also says that if you spend $60 or more from your PSN/SEN Wallet this month, you’ll receive a $10 in-store credit. Here’s the lineup:

October 4th

Eufloria

Eufloria

Omni Systems’ ambient relaxation game has you exploring space and conquering asteroids so you can grow semi-organic plants and have them do your bidding. If it sounds weird, that’s because it is. But it also looks very addictive.

Rochard

Rochard

This side-scrolling puzzle platformer defies the conventional rules of arcade action titles by giving its heroic space miner just one weapon — a gravity gun — and slow-paced adventures that revolve around puzzle solving, not run-and-gunning. From Recoil Games. (FG review coming soon!)

October 11th

Sideway: New York

Sideway: New York

A 2D side-scrolling platformer with 3D visuals, Playbrains Inc.’s adventure game is set in a “sideway” or alternate reality, where you battle a villainous graffiti artist who poses a threat to both Sideway and the real world.

October 13th

Sodium Collection

Sodium Collection

Not so much a game, as a PlayStation Home content package, this download unlocks lots of goodies and upgrades from both SodiumOne and Sodium 2, for the PSHome in-world racing game and your personal Home spaces.

October 18th

Okabu

Okabu

Developer Hand Circus has created a cartoonish action-slash-puzzle game that you can play solo or co-op. You’ll control flying heroes in their fight to save their idyllic world from the evils of industrialization. (Political message much?)

RocketBirds

RocketBirds

This quirky game from a developer with a quirky name (Ratloop Asia) sends you into battle against evil penguins. Full solo and co-op campaigns. Also the only title on this list that supports stereoscopic 3D play.

October 25th

inFamous: Festival of Blood

inFamous: Festival of Blood

What happens when Cole MacGrath is bitten by a vampire? He’s got one-night-only to keep from becoming one himself by hunting and killing the head vampire in New Marais. Loads of new features and content for inFamous players. From Suckerpunch.

PixelJunk Sidescroller

PixelJunk Sidescroller

Q-Games’ popular series gets a retro makeover in this side-scrolling shooter. But don’t worry: the series’ trademark, madcap shooting is fully intact.

Also available today: a collection of downloadable PlayStation classics that includes God Hand, GrimGrimoire, Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, Odin Sphere, and Ring of Red.

E3 is just two weeks away! Can you believe it?

What delicious (and what vaporware) delights will E3 2011 bring to gamers? What surprises do Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have in store for their pre-E3 media extravaganzas? What games will walk away from the week with the heaviest buzz? It’s impossible to predict what secrets all the major companies have up their sleeves, but here’s n early look at what we have to look forward to.

Microsoft

Spike is broadcasting the big Xbox event live (and commercial free!) on Monday, June 6th, at 9:30 AM Pacific. It’s expected to last 90 minutes. “Xbox 360: The Future Revealed” is the title of their event, which is a bold claim for a company that’s not expected to reveal any new gaming hardware. If you don’t get Spike, you can also watch it online at GameTrailers.com. Xbox Live will even have it available to stream in HD sometime after the event is held.

According to Microsoft, their event will give special emphasis to Gears of War 3 and Forza Motorsport 4, and a Halo announcement of some kind seems like a sure bet. Microsoft also claims that they’re going to “reveal the latest in innovation for Kinect,” which probably means a round of new game titles — which should be more impressive than last year’s, since developers have had more time to work with the hardware. Plus, there’s likely to be some firmware updates to Kinect in the works, so maybe we’ll learn about new capabilities the device will have in the near future.

As for what else they’ll have for gamers… who knows? Microsoft loves to surprise people, so anything could happen.

Nintendo

Gamers can watch live streaming video of Nintendo’s media briefing at e3.nintendo.com, on Tuesday, June 7th at 9:00 AM Pacific. Nintendo is keeping its secrets close, but we know they’re unveiling their next-generation console at E3, so expect this to be the focus of their event. It’s even going to be playable after the event, on the show floor. No games have been announced for the new console, so some biggies — including titles that can match current-gen software on the 360 and PS3 — will go a long way towards winning back the hearts of hardcore gamers. And there will no doubt be lots of new 3DS games to show off.

Speculation is all over the map on what the new console will involve, but the most prevalent rumors refer to a wild new controller that includes a large touchscreen, motion control, and lots of other bells and whistles. Plus, it’s E3 and it’s Nintendo, so expect to hear something about Zelda. And it’ll probably be another case of postponing a game to make it a console release title — just like what happened with the last Zelda launching with the Wii.

Sony

Oh, Sony, Sony, Sony… Sure, you have your new NGP portable device to tout, but how will you ever be able to get the focus off of the PR disaster that was the PSN implosion? Some big game announcements would certainly help, and there are probably some nice ones in the cooker for NGP. But we already know quite a bit about most of the PS3′s forthcoming triple-A titles, such as Uncharted 3 and Resistance 3. So it’s going to take a lot to knock our socks off.

Sony‘s media briefing is scheduled for Monday the 6th at 5:00 PM Pacific. No plans have been announced yet for live broadcasting of the event.

Games, Games, Games

So what are the big titles of E3 2011? It’s a safe bet that Modern Warfare 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations will be big news all over the map, probably showcased at both the Sony and Xbox press events. There are an endless number of big titles in the works that will be competing for headlines at E3. These include Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, BioShock Infinite, Call of Juarez: The Cartel, Dead Island, Duke Nukem Forever, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Mass Effect 3, Prey 2, Prototype 2, Rage, Resident Evil: Raccoon City, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the Tomb Raider reboot, among countless others.

One thing’s for sure: it’s gonna be a good E3.

Sony has just announced that Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, the ninth game in the series (if you don’t count Secret Agent Clank), will be available on October 18th, 2011 in North America. The PS3 exclusive is getting several pre-order incentives in the form of extra playable characters, but you’ll have to choose carefully which one you want; Amazon, Best Buy, Gamestop, and Walmart are all getting a different extra character.

For the first time ever, up to four players will be able to enjoy the game together in co-op that works both online and off. The built-in playable characters are Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and cleverly, the villain Dr. Nefarious who must grudgingly help the heroes this time out. The playable incentive-buy characters are as follows:

• Pyro Blaster Unlock: Fry your enemies up with this Kerchu-engineered flamethrower that offers your enemies two choices: regular or extra crispy. Unlockable when you buy the game from Best Buy.
• Sheepinator Mod: The classic version of everyone’s favorite Ratchet & Clank weapon is back. Unlock the Sheepinator Morph Weapon Mod to transform even the fiercest aliens in the galaxy into harmless sheep. Unlockable when you buy the game from Walmart.
• T-Rex Morph Mod: Turning enemies into farmyard animals not your style? Want a more prehistoric take on the Morph-O-Ray? Use this T-Rex Morph Weapon Mod to transform your enemies from dangerous threats into a baby dinosaur. Unlockable when you buy the game from Amazon.
• Mr. Zurkon: A small, hovering synthenoid, Mr. Zurkon aids your team in battle by attacking enemies with his mounted laser while insulting and taunting them with his comedy-insult logic processor. Unlockable when you buy the game from Gamestop.

In Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, heroes Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark are teamed up with Dr. Nefarious when Dr. N’s latest evil plan goes horribly wrong, ensnaring all four characters within a powerful, mysterious machine.

The game will be the first in the series to support 3D gaming.

In case you hadn’t heard, PSN is back. At least for North America and Europe anyway, nearly one full month after the online system was compromised and Sony was forced to pull its plug, most of PSN’s services have returned. (We’re still waiting on the PlayStation Store, but nearly everything else is back.)

To encourage players to return and apologize for the extended downtime, Sony has put together a “Welcome Back” package that’s like a free goody bag, which will be given to all users (for now just in North America, but similar packages are being made for other regions). Here are the details.

All PSN members will get a free 30-day PlayStation Plus membership; existing PSPlus members will get 60 days of free subscription time. There are similar rewards being given to Music Unlimited Premium and Basic subscribers, too. And then there’s the 100 virtual items that you can download for free in PlayStation Home. Plus, there’s going to be a selection of movie titles that will be free to rent over a single weekend; these movies haven’t yet been announced.

But let’s get real. The most exciting stuff will be the free games for all users.

PS3 owners can pick two of the following classic games for free download-and-own: Dead Nation, inFAMOUS, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, and Wipeout HD + Fury addon. PSP owners can select two free games from LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, Pursuit Force, and Killzone Liberation. Those are darn good lists, though I wouldn’t have minded seeing ModNation Racers on the PS3 list. The free game selections will be available soon, and you’ll have 30 days to make your picks. Once they’re downloaded, you get to keep them forever.

Which games are you going to pick?

In a situation that for gamers is quickly growing to “Who shot JFK?” proportions, the PlayStation Network (PSN) — Sony’s answer to Xbox Live — was effectively killed by an external source sometime last Thursday, forcing Sony to completely rebuild the entire system. That’s five long days without the PlayStation Store and PS3-exclusive MMOs, which may as well be five months as far as PS3 gamers are concerned.

The question on everybody’s minds: who toppled PSN? Who could have perpetrated such an all-encompassing crime, catching Sony completely off guard and dismantling such a high-profile network so effectively? How in the world could Sony even allow their network to be open to an attack of this magnitude?

PlayStation’s launch of Portal 2 (not a PS3 exclusive, but still a big deal) was meant to be a high-profile affair, after Valve’s Gabe Newell made a surprise appearance on stage at E3 last year to announce that a much-anticipated Valve title would be coming to the PS3 for the first time. Portal 2 is also playable on PC and Xbox 360, so at least gamers have other means of playing through the game on other services. But for PS3 gamers, it just plain sucks.

And that’s just one title. Any number of others, particularly MMOs like DC Universe Online or PS3 exclusives with a big multiplayer component, like Killzone 3, are completely offline until Sony can resolve things. Which has to really suck for game developers, who are losing out on revenues from the outage, but have zero control over the situation.

Can you imagine something like this happening to Xbox Live, which boasts considerably more users than PSN? I can’t.

At this time, Sony has no estimates, and says it could still be quite a while, though they’re working as fast at rebuilding the system as humanly possible. Any bets on how long it will be before PSN is back up and running? I’m gonna guess at least three or four more days. If it’s any longer than that, some Sony heads are going to roll.

Today Sony upgraded PlayStation Home — the HD online virtual space where you can interact with other gamers and play casual games — to version 1.5, with some big enhancements. This news got me thinking… What’s the point of PlayStation Home?

As a PS3 owner, I’ve fired up Home a few times and poked around. It’s an interesting place, and I always liked how major PS3 franchise titles like Uncharted had their own levels where you could play mini-games to unlock goodies that your avatar can collect or even wear. I was put off by how most of the collectibles and customizations actually cost real-world money.

As online virtual worlds goes, the graphical quality is very high. The options available for customizing your avatar’s look are impressive, and there’s no shortage of things to do. New spaces are being added all the time — most of them themed around popular games like Little Big Planet or Assassin’s Creed — with stuff to do there. Downloading and exploring these spaces costs nothing, and you’ll always find plenty of other real-world players wandering around, playing mini games, and interacting with one another.

But again, I’m forced to wonder… What’s the point? Most online worlds have missions, rewards, and specific goals to accomplish. Everything in Home is casual and optional. There are no clear goals, just ads for Sony properties everywhere you look — games, movies, TV shows, etc. And at their most basic level, most of the downloadable spaces are little more than interactive ads for PS3 games.

A lot of people use Home and enjoy its casual, breezy atmosphere, but those who like more structure and purpose behind their play time will get bored fast. This has typically been my experience. The technology is impressive, but the experience is hollow.

Do you agree? Disagree? Why?

Sony’s 1.5 upgrade was implemented with the purpose of making higher-quality games possible within Home. Game developers are getting a host of new physics tools, animation tools, enhanced graphics capabilities, and more. Essentially, they hope to provide players with a more robust experience, such as actual first-person shooters and racing games; genres Home has only dabbled with in the past will now become a real option. And as always, Home will remain free-to-play for all PS3 owners.

The question is: will this be enough to bring in hardcore players who have been avoiding Home due to its “casual” nature? Here are some new screens showing off some of what Home is now able to do.

PlayStation 3 owners: here’s a little title you probably haven’t heard of but need to know about. It’s called Red Johnson’s Chronicles, and it’s a downloadable title coming to PSN on Tuesday, April 19th.

From French developer Lexis Numérique comes this story-driven noire adventure, a wicked tale of murder in a corrupt Metropolis. You play as the title character, a private detective named Red Johnson who’s trying to solve the case, with a new twist on the classic “point and click” adventure mechanic, which combines exploration, puzzle solving, and action.

The crux of the game is built on interaction with the colorful NPC citizens of Metropolis (yep, they’re really using that name), every last one of which is as morally grey as you can imagine. Lexis Numérique claims the game will take eight to ten hours to properly complete, and the new trailer — just released today — looks promising. Check out these screenshots for a look at its stylistic visuals.

You can’t have a great hero without a great villain, or so goes the adage. The hotly-anticipated third entry in the Uncharted series has just unveiled its dastardly mustache-twirler. But in this case, the creative team at Naughty Dog has given hero Nathan Drake a nemesis with two X chromosomes and some refined sophistication.

Meet Katherine Marlowe, who’s reportedly the head of a secret society that dates back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I. (That’s four hundred years, for those without a history book handy.) Naughty Dog describes Marlowe as a “coldly calculating” woman that you don’t want to get in the way of.

As you can see in the cutscene above, she’s a longtime rival of Drake’s over a ring that’s central to the story because it belonged to his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake. This ring is the key to unlocking “an ancient mystery” that I assume is related to finding Iram of the Pillars (aka “Atlantis of the Sands”), which we already know is the ultimate goal of the game.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception arrives on the annoyingly clever date of 11-11-11. Sony sent over some screenshots, character concept art, a render for Katherine Marlowe, and the aforementioned cutscene, all of which I now present for your consumption. You’re welcome.

Sony Online Entertainment has finally made it official: the much-anticipated massively-multiplayer online game DC Universe Online launches in the U.S. on January 11th. U.K. players join in a few days later on January 14th. This marks the first time ever that a MMO title has launched simultaneously for both PC and for the PlayStation 3 console.

SOE also announced the final pricing plan for the MMO’s subscription plan. Initial purchase will be $59.99 for PS3 players or $49.99 for PC players, with subscriptions running $14.99 a month. SOE is also offering a one-time “lifetime subscription” fee of $199.99.

DC Universe Online will allow players to join in the battle over control of the universe by fighting alongside the major characters from the DCU such as Superman, Batman, or even villains like the Joker. Players will pick one of these legacy heroes to serve as their “mentor,” guiding and leading the new hero the player will create. The story finds the DCU pitted in a war to save the Earth from a dark future, as revealed in the game’s incredible opening cinematic, which you can watch below.

Follow @FGgamer on Twitter for the latest gaming news.

Long known to be in the pipeline but under intense secrecy until today, Sony has finally taken the wraps off of the third Uncharted game, which finds Nathan Drake on an adventure in the desert. The title? Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. And it’s coming late next year.

As the title implies, deception is the game’s theme, so look for lots of double-crosses and even some kind of deception involving hero Nathan Drake’s identity. The story brings finds Nathan teaming up with his mentor Victor “Sully” Sullivan to search the globe for a real-life legendary lost city called Iram of the Pillars (aka “Atlantis of the Sands”), leading them to the Arabian Peninsula and the Rub’ al Khali Desert.

Game studio Naughty Dog says that they cooked up this story out of their eternal desire to challenge themselves creatively, and they figured designing game levels in a desert would be extremely challenging. They’re also adding enhanced backward climbing and the ability to fight multiple enemies at a time. The game is also getting a special focus on the multiplayer stuff this go ’round as the studio hopes to beef it up until it’s good enough to compete with the likes of Call of Duty and Halo.

Uncharted 3 will utilize motion-capture even more than past entries have, to make the game an “interactive cinematic experience.” This will also mark the first chapter of the franchise that will be playable in high-def 3D.

I’ll be keeping a very close eye on this one. In the meantime, check out the first images from the game, below. There’s also a teensy little teaser trailer that does nothing except announce the title.

Follow @FGgamer on Twitter for the latest gaming news.

With Robin’s recent posts about TRON action figures, though, my curiosity has reached its peak. I am getting my hands on a copy of the movie and I will watch it as soon as I do. That being said, another reason I found myself drawn to TRON is the fact that I stumbled onto some hot looking TRON-themed peripherals.

Performance Design Products has announced a series of TRON-themed controllers for the Wii, the PS3, and the Xbox 360. They were actually shown off at the E3 conference this year by Disney.

This one’s obviously for the PS3.

And this is for the 360.

This is the bad-a*# looking controller for the Wii.

It may not match my not-so-pristine white Wii but I am sure I will play better if I had this controller.

For someone who hasn’t seen TRON, I have to say that I find these accessories quite attractive. They should be out in the fall, for $50 each. Rumor has it that the supply of the controllers might be limited, so if you really want to get your hands on one, make sure that you keep track of the release dates when they are finalized.

(Video is mildly NSFW)

I’m not sure when I first discovered it, but someone introduced me to Zero Punctuation and I’ve been following it ever since. Every Wednesday, Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw posts up a new animated short reviewing a video game. These fall under the “NSFW” category most of the time, but it’s the way Yahtzee picks apart these games that makes it so enjoyable.

First, there’s the accent and speed of the clips. He’s from Australia, but his accent isn’t very heavy so it’s still pretty understandable all the way through. Then he speeds up his voice when recording – hence the name Zero Punctuation – which gives the video a sense of urgency. Ultimately though, Yahtzee touches on the main problems with games in general, and really gets to the source of the matter. He doesn’t just play these games for 5 minutes and write a review, he plays them for hours – sometimes until he beats them – and then passes judgement.

Take the review above for example, for Batman: Arkham Asylum (mildly NSFW). He says very clearly that he loves the game, but he’s not just going to kiss butt like everyone else. Instead, he takes the things that he takes issues with, and makes fun of them. But it’s all done very constructively in a manner that not only makes you laugh, but also is done to make games better as a whole.

See, Yahtzee is a game developer himself, and he just wants to play good video games. By pointing out the good ones and slamming the bad ones, he’s working towards making a better gaming industry for all of us. Plus he does it with colorful cartoon characters and wit. Fact is, this is one site I visit every Wednesday, and every time I do, I never leave disappointed. Give it a shot.

When I was younger, I was all about Tecmo Bowl. Like any good geek, I wasn’t good at sports. Sure I tried, but it just never happened, no matter how many different sports I suited up for. Because of that, Games such as NHL 95, NBA Jam and  Tecmo Bowl ruled my afternoons. There, in the comfort of my home, I could be a winner just like everyone else.

At this point, Madden has the lock on NFL properties, so you’re not going to get much in the way of competition. In fact, you’re not going to get anything but lame imitation teams, so most people don’t even try. That’s why when I hear about a competitor to the turducken-maker’s franchise, it perks up my ear.

Tecmo Bowl is back with Tecmo Bowl: Throwback. The crew at Game Trailers put up a trailer on Monday, and after discovering it then, I knew my life would never be the same. It’s coming out soon on the PlayStation Network and XBox Live Arcade. No work on a price, but who cares – I’m buying it. But what makes this new version so great?

First off, it’s new but it’s old. Same layout, same overhead view, same basic principles. But this time, the characters are HD cartoon versions of themselves and there’s a 3-D version as well. Not that it matters to me though, because I’ll be playing it full time on OG mode.

Want to see more? There are two videos after the break.

The news is that Sony is releasing a patch that will remove the option to install another OS (LINUX!) on the PlayStation 3. If you bought your console prior to the age of the PS3 Slim, you would remember this option. If you’re relatively new to the world of PS3, then the news will not matter to you.

Anyhow, it is not surprising at all that negative reactions are cropping up all over the place. For those leaning towards the geek side of things, that install other OS option is a BIG thing. Why is Sony making this move?

I couldn’t find the reason behind it, but what’s going to happen is this (courtesy of the PlayStation blog):

The next system software update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system will be released on April 1, 2010 (JST), and will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, Sony Computer Entertainment will remove the functionality through the 3.21 system software update.

In addition, disabling the “Other OS” feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system.

I know what you’re thinking: let’s not upgrade! After all, no one’s putting a gun to our head to upgrade, right? Think again. If you don’t upgrade, you’ll lose theses features:

• Ability to sign in to PlayStation Network and use network features that require signing in to PlayStation Network, such as online features of PS3 games and chat
• Playback of PS3 software titles or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3 system software version 3.21 or later
• Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under Settings)
• Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21 or later

Oh Sony, what are you doing???

My wife and I are pretty avid video game fans. We own every Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft console produced in the past 20 years, with a few handhelds and a Genesis in there for good measure. Up until recently though, we didn’t own a PS3, and there was a pretty big reason for that.

The first reason was the price. I wasn’t down with paying half a grand for a console, no matter how awesome or cutting edge the technology was. I resisted purchasing almost out of principle, because it just wasn’t worth the extra cash. The second reason was the games. I love platformers, and the Ratchet & Clank series seemed like a pretty cool group of games for the PS3 – but not enough to justify the price tag. There really wasn’t any other PS3 game that made me really want the system. Little Big Planet was close, and I considered Batman: Arkham Asylum for the Joker download, but there was still nothing that made me pull the trigger. Besides, I could get almost any PS3 game for my 360, so why spend the money? When the price dropped to $299 though, I was all over it. I was just about to pull the trigger when I received a PS3 Slim as a gift, as well as a copy of Little Big Planet and Ratchet and Clank. Times were good.

So after the Blu-Ray haze had worn off and the games were played, I put the PS3 controller down for a little bit to focus on some family stuff. This weekend I decided to treat myself to a game, but now I had a choice: PS3 or XBox 360?

I was looking at 2 games: MLB2K10 (pictured) and MLB10 The Show. I had played demos of both in the store, and MLB2K10 was looking like the stronger game. As I stood there, holding a PS3 and 360 version of the game in each hand, my wife said to me, “Well, if the PS3 has the better graphics, go with the PS3 version.” So I did.

I get home and I’m playing the game. Almost instantly I’m having controller issues, where the PS3 isn’t responding to my frantic button jabs. Then the cursor starts freaking out when I’m trying to place a pitch, then I have problems stealing second. 30 minutes later I’m cursing my decision. Four hours later I give it another shot, and I find that everything is working great and now it’s all good. No problems at all, like it never happened. So what was it? Hell if I know.

This experience shook my faith in the console. I’ve got an old NES that fires up every time I need it, and never complains. Although I understand that newer consoles are substantially more complex that the NES, that doesn’t mean that they should suffer from problems. Consoles should be reliable electronics, not requiring random updates and constant syncing. That goes for my 360 too, because even though it’s working fine now, I have had two units red ring out on me.

So now, when I go to the store and try to decide what to buy, I think my decision may be a bit easier. If it’s exclusive, I’ll go with that console. Otherwise, I’m getting it for the 360.

We already know that a number of consumer electronics companies and broadcasters are pushing full steam ahead with plans to launch hardware and programming in 3D, and now Sony and CBS have partnered to open up a 3D Consumer Research Centre.

Located in the CBS Television City research facility at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, it’s designed to be “a dedicated resource devoted to studying 3D in all its forms”. That’s according to Sony Electronics’ executive VP and CMO, Mike Fasulo.

Created in two zones, one section will focus on 3D theatrical entertainment while the other concentrates on 3D home entertainment.

Visitors will be able to see the latest 3D cinema releases coming up, as well as explore the latest hardware such as HDTVs, PS3 and 3D Blu-ray and learning about new launches such as ESPN 3D.

Obviously, you’d expect the facility to be highly Sony focused, though there’s also support from RealD, a company providing advanced 3D filters and eyewear.

Once you’ve decided on the tree itself, you’ll need to work out what to hang off it.

Yes, you could stay fairly traditional and use baubles and candies, but how about decorating the tree with miniature replicas of your favourite games console?

Bear Duck Designs has five different console ornaments to choose from: Nintendo Wii, PS3, PS3 Slim, Xbox 360 Arcade and Xbox 360 Elite.

Choose a selection or pledge allegiance to just one, it’s up to you.

$30 each, the ornaments come in a metal box for protection the rest of the year.

Product page

So is this scenario a familiar one?

Partner A: Honey, it’s time to go do the groceries.

Partner B: Yeah. Just let me finish this level.

Partner A: You said that an hour ago. You said we’d go in an hour.

Partner B: Yeah. Well I am not done with the level yet. Just a sec….

Partner A: What’s this button do? (Finger hovering over the power button…)

Partner B: Don’t you dare!

Yeah, this has actually happened to me – and continues to happen on a more or less regular basis. That got me thinking, maybe there’s a way to limit playing time when there are other things to be done?

I found a very interesting solution in John Morrissey’s Game Dr Video Game Timer. This gadget cuts off the power to the console after a specified number of hours. Obviously, someone has to input the number of hours. Once the power shuts off, the timer has to be re-programmed and a password is needed to do this. The good thing is that before it cuts the power off, it gives you several warnings so that you can save your game.

True, it is meant for parents who want to instill discipline in their children but who says adults can’t use it too? What do you think?

Microsoft has insisted that the DLCs will only be available for its console but timed exclusivity was never mentioned or even discussed. And this gray area may have been the reason for the recent reports that the GTAIV DLCs will come to the PS3 this coming August. According to various European sites, Microsoft only has a six month exclusivity deal for the DLC, and this will expire in August — which means PS3 gamers will get their hands on the DLC soon after the exclusivity agreement lapses.

Although Sony and Take-Two Interactive (publisher of the game) declined to comment Microsoft, uncharacteristically enough for the company, issued a statement that the GTAIV DLCs “are exclusive to Xbox 360.” It may sound like a firm statement but there are still people who interpret this statement as Microsoft skirting the actual issue of exclusivity, which in fairness, the company did not address conclusively.

I guess we’ll see in August if there really is an exclusivity agreement that will lapse.

Thanks to this cool little gadget, I just might have an alternative, however poor it might be. Enter the Pocket Guitar Hero Electronic Game.

I discovered it at Gadgets.co.uk, and while I am pretty sure it will not measure up to the experience of playing the game on the PS3, I really have no choice right now do I? This tiny little thing has 3 levels of difficulty, 5 levels of volume, and it can actually give you a cool experience. The idea is to beat all the levels. If you think that with only 3 levels, it should be pretty easy to do, think again. Before you can advance to the next level, you have to beat 3 riffs in each level.

As for the songs, there are 10 songs from the first two Guitar Hero games. Some of the most popular include Cherry Pie by Warrant and Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana. This portable Guitar Hero game will set you back by 14.95GBP.

Fortunately enough for GG, Killzone 2 has indeed delivered. There’s a near unanimous vote that the game has presented a great gameplay experience with top notch graphics and sound design. Even the multiplayer component of the game is getting rave reviews.

Ever since the game servers for Killzone 2 opened up today, the servers have been flooded with gamers wanting to experience Killzone’s 2 multiplayer component. I still haven’t received my own copy of Killzone 2 but my friends who have tried it are raving about the whole thing. One other thing that impressed gamers is Guerrilla Games’ fast response in addressing glitches in the game. When servers opened there was a glitch in scrolling down when there are too many games going on in the servers. According to my friends, GG immediately fixed the problem and issued a statement that they have identified the glitch and had fixed it. GG knows that any kind of bad comments at this point could tarnish an otherwise stellar debut. Good job GG guys, and I hope you continue with this great service to the gamers.

Little Big Planet fans can now bring their own little Sackboy or Sackgirl home.

At the recently concluded Toy Fair in New York, Sony Computer Entertainment and Mezco Toyz the production of four inch action figures based on the iconic character/mascot of Little Big Planet will be made available in many selected store in North America. The Little Big Planet toys will be available this spring. Collectors will also have to prepare as Mezco said that that it will have retailer exclusive and limited edition versions of the LBP figures. These special versions will range in size from between two to eighteen inches and will be available throughout 2009.

For those who want actual Sackboys or Sackgirls to cuddle with, plush toys of the LBP characters will be made available in the latter part of 2009.

There’s no secret around the fact that the PS3 is destined to have a firmware update coming fairly soon. What is perhaps more of a mystery is exactly what this update will bring, the benefits, and sometimes of course, the disadvantages. Over at Game Trailers, a forum user has given details from his ‘friend who works in R&D at Sony‘ that includes a range of features that the forthcoming 2.7 firmware update will bring. Here’s the list:

Friends List:
- Voice Messaging is now available as an alternative to text after selecting a user on the friends list. Voice message recordings are capped at 30 seconds.
- Home Integration: Saved PlayStation Home avatar photos can be selected as photo ID for Gamer Card/Friends List.
- Trophy number and Gamer Level are listed under Friend names for quick reference.

Gamer Card & Trophies:
- Gamer Card layout has been changed to more closely resemble the PlayStation Store aesthetic.
- Past Trophy information can be viewed in detail by selecting “Recent Trophy History” option.
- Newly acquired trophies auto-sync in the background
- Server infrastructure for Trophies has been optimized. Resulting in faster retrieval time for Gamer Card and Trophy information.

In-Game XMB:
- Loading time for In-Game XMB has been drastically reduced, resulting in a more seamless in-game experience.
- “Theme settings” options while in-game is now available, allowing custom themes to be applied to the In-Game XMB.
- Internet Browser can now be accessed while in-game.
- Voice messaging and voice chat options can be used while in-game.
- Options that cannot be used in the XMB during game sessions are grayed out (but still selectable) to eliminate user accessibility confusion.

The biggest benefits? I think people will naturally flock to the voice messaging (something the Xbox 360 has had for a long time now), the “Recent Trophy History” sounds quite interesting and the “Theme settings” could be good. The improved game integration will be a boon to all. Overall, I think if this leak is true, then PS3 owners are in for a treat of new options when the firmware update, 2.7, arrives.

It was bound to happen.

With Sony now enjoying the fact that blu-ray won the format wars and with the sales of the Playstation 3 and the PSP beginning to plateau, it was a natural progression for the company to find ways help synergize all of its products to help one another.

So it comes as no surprise that Sony has announced that it will be exploiting the large capacity of Blu-ray discs to produce hybrid content BDs that contain not only a movie but also a game version of the said movie. We all know that movies are increasingly being licensed for game versions (just don’t expect a Revolutionary Road game), and selling both on one disc is a stroke of genius in my opinion.

Although Sony said that the exact details on how the whole thing will be implemented is still being worked on, I think the company has taken a great step. With the Playstation 3′s sales plateauing, this is a great marketing strategy to entice people to buy it given that the PS3 is still the cheapest full-featured BD player in the market. There are even plans to follow the current practice today of putting a digital copy of the movie on the disc, which means that the movie can be copied to a Playstation Portable, which could also increase the sales of Sony’s handheld console.

The Resident Evil 5 demo will feature two parts of the game that will not only have the crazy shooting segments but also the puzzles that have been a staple of the Resident Evil franchise. Players can decide to play split screen multiplayer, online, and of course single player mode.

I’ll have some first impressions ready the moment I finish downloading the game.