Remember the Presentation Podium from E3 2009 in PlayStation Home? Well, its opening its doors again for GamesCom. GamesCom is being held next week in Cologne, Germany from August 18th, which is the same day as Sony’s Press Conference. Just like at E3, the conference and other footage will be streamed live into PlayStation Home.
Earlier today we received an email from Sony with instructions on how to enter the MAG Beta. The email contained a unique access code and a link to a website where you can register. The catch? You have to answer a few questions and tell Sony why you should be chosen for the Beta. Beta invites will be sent out in phases – but you only need to answer the questions once to be eligible for all phases.
GameWave, a weekly games magazine in Hong Kong, has features the PlayStation 3 Slim as cover story (click thumbnail to enlarge). The text near the PS3 Slim image reads something to the effect of “Slim PS3 appears at the end of the month.” The magazine seems pretty confident about publishing this story in their weekly mag, but we can’t vouch for the creditability of GameWave.
SCEE today announced that PSN Cards and a Video Store are definitely coming to Europe. Angela Madronero, European PlayStation Store Manager, has stated that more information on PSN Cards will be revealed ‘in the not too distant future’. Also, Sony “will be making an official announcement regarding [the] forthcoming Video Store, next week, at GamesCom.” Which is great news for games in Europe and PAL Territories.
Is the PS3 already with game developers? The making of video for Batman: Arkham Asylum seems to suggest so. The video, included below, shows two blurred out consoles at the 1:35 timestamp. If this is a normal PS3, why blur it out? It suggests that the PS3 is special, compared to the standard console. But is it actually the PS3 Slim? It is conveniently placed next to a monitor which gives it size away.
Didn’t get enough of the Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Multiplayer Beta first time around? Don’t worry, as a second beta will be commencing next month. The second beta will run from September 15th to October 12th 2009, and will feature more game modes and more maps for you to enjoy. The catch? You have to pre-order the game from Play.com in order to get your voucher code.
At GamesCom in Germany this month Sony will be holding a 3-hour press conference, which we speculate will result in an official announcement of the PS3 Slim. But it could also mean announcements of many other things. New rumors this week suggest that details of Firmware 3.00 will also be announced, though the firmware would not be released on the same day. Sources of PSInsider also speculate an announcement of a new PlayStation Network.
For those users who have been experiencing connection issues in Fat Princess, a patch is now available to download which addresses the issues. Titan Studios have also tweaked some of the point balances and classes based on fan feedback, the new ranking system can be found below. Titan Studios will continue to monitor the game and address any other major issues that copy up. You can report any issues on the PlayStation Forums.
This week on the US PlayStation Video Store you will find a huge selection of new movies and TV for download. The number of new movies and TV added this week will blow your mind. New TV includes House, Psych, Zoey 101, In Plain Sight and Burn Notice, and many more. As for this week’s top movie downloads, Miss March is in first place, Dragonball: Evolution moves to 2nd place (from 3rd place last week) and Watchmen drops to 3rd place (from 1st place last week).
The first PlayStation Store update for August is now live. This week, there is lots of new content available for download including four new playable demos for the US and two for Europe, which includes the Batman: Arkham Asylum demo. inFamous Costumes for LittleBigPlanet are also available to purchase from both stores. Other game add-on content includes new Rock Band and Guitar Hero tracks, a new Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack and more. Episode 15 of Qore is also available on the US store.
