Team M33 has unexpectedly updated their custom firmware to version 4. The update is not a major one and includes mainly bug fixes to Custom Firmware 3.52 v3, released earlier this week. You can check out the changelog below.

Changes in M33-4 (mainly bugfix)

• Fixed the bug that caused CRC error when writing to flash usb in the XMB. Now writing is OK.
• Added the new speeds to vshmenu and core, because we forgot in recovery.

Also, a few notes from Team M33:

• As we didn’t want to release a new update without something new, we worked in making 3.10/3.11 to work with popsloader, and that’s it, the new popsloader plugins supports them.
• Instruction for 3.10 and 3.11 are same as 3.30: you need pops.prx, popsman.prx and pafmini.prx with the correct names in popsloader directory. And remember that savedata of 3.10-3.30 are incompatible with those of 3.40 . We’ll research if a solution for this is possible.

[Download Custom Firmware 3.52 v4]

During the Folklore presentation by the game’s designer Yoshiki Okamoto at Sony’s PR space, 3Rooms, some details on planned downloadable content were revealed. Six download packs, or “Quest Packs” as they are known, have been planned for the game. Each pack will contain the following a number of new quests, new costumes and new enemies.

Each Quest Pack will contain:

• 4 new quests
• 1 new costume
• 1 new monster

The first Quest Pack is already available from the Japanese PlayStation Network Store, it weighs in at about 24MB and is downloadable for free.

[Via: PS3FanBoy]

The release dates and pricing details for Tekken 5: DR Online have finally been revealed. According to SDTekken, the release dates and pricing information for US has been confirmed, but details for Europe are still to be confirmed. Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection can out in Japan earlier this month, and will head to the US this week. See the full details below.

Release Dates

• Japan August 1, 2007
• Honk Kong: August 1, 2007
• North America: August 23, 2007
• Europe: Summer 2007

Pricing

• Japan – JYN 2,800 (JYN 1,000 for upgrade).
• North America- $29.99 ($9.99 for upgrade).
• Europe – TBA

[Via: SDTekken]

It seems that one of the most anticipated titles for the PlayStation 3 will also be released on the PlayStation Portable. The news was revealed by Sony Game Producer Bill Ritch. While Ritch was reluctant to elaborate on Folklore PSP, he mentioned that video game creator Kouji Okada will be heading the development team in charge of the PSP build.

There is no mention if the game will be a ported version of the PlayStation 3 title. Also, could there be some sort of connectivity between the PSP and PS3 implemented in the game? Folklore for PlayStation 3 will be making an appearance at the Leipzig Game Convention this week.

The Metal Gear Online beta started today in Japan. The beta runs from August 20th 2007 to September 3rd 2007, with only 3000 players taking part. Beta registration closed on August 6th 2007, so if you didn’t get in then its too late. Only two maps are available to play in the beta. Look out for details on the beta throughtout the beta trial, for now, see below for some juicy details discovered so far.

Details:

• Different lobbies, each named after a MGS character; Snake, Otacon, Liquid etc.
• First-Person mode can be accessed by pressing L1 + Triangle
• There are only two maps in the beta. One looks like the arctic and the other is something like the middle east that we see in the trailers and gameplay footage.
• Voice chat is supported as well as typing. To bring up chat window, press left or right on the D-Pad.
• To change to the position on your back once laying down is triangle, tapping triangle and holding the analogue stick in whatever direction will allow you to roll in that direction.
• No slow down, solid frame rate.
• The camera control can be customized in the options menu. You can invert etc and if you so wish, have it player controlled entirely.
• The visuals are ‘nice’ but they seem to be a bit unpolished, character models are very detailed.
• Character customization options: you can alter how fast you run, skill with certain weapons and whatnot.
• No ‘hacking’ ability yet.
• Controls
  • X – Crouch > Crawl positions (while running: diving roll)
  • O – Reload
  • Triangle – Standing: salute, Crouching: point remote
  • Square – Toggle Auto-Aim
  • D-Pad:
    • Left and Right: Toggle chat window
  • Analogue Stick: Left – move character, Right – move camera
  • R3: Toggle over shoulder view in aim mode from left to right.
  • R1 – Rire
  • R2 – Secondary fire while in aim or toggle weapon menu
  • L1 – Aim
  • L2 – Toggle item mini menu

[Via: Gamers Creed]

The EU PlayStation Network Store will get an update this coming Wednesday night, instead of the usual Thursday afternoon update. Why you ask? Because that is when Sony is having their Press Conference at the Leipzig Games Convention. The update will contain a number of new trailers from the Games Convention, as well as the Folklore Demo, however, the demo will only be available for a limited time only.

The Folklore demo will only be available on the PSN Store for a limited time only, so be quick about downloading it. We are not entirely sure why it’s limited, but you have been warned. If you haven’t got a EU PlayStation Network account set up, then now is the time to do it.

[Via: PS3FanBoy]

According to PlayFrance, Sony is planning to release a second starter pack for the PlayStation 3 in Europe. The original starter pack comes with the PlayStation 3 Console, two SIXAXIS controllers, Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm. The new starter pack will contain the same content, however, the two free games will be replaced with Heavenly Sword and Formular 1. The second starter pack is scheduled for launch on September 19th 2007, retailing for EUR 599 (GBP 407).

Althought the news has not been confirmed by Sony, we antisipate more details to be revealed at next weeks Leipzig Games Convention in Germany.

[Via: PlayFrance]

The Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction demo has been completed for some time now, however, it will not see the light of day until closer to the launch of the game, which is on October 27th 2007. According to Jennifer Clark, Senior PR Manager, the demo will be available to download from the PlayStation Network Store just before the game launches. This is despite many complaints about the lack of content and playable demos on the PSN Store.

The release date for the demo has not been confirmed, but more details should be available soon.

[Via: PlayStation.Blog]

Three Speech has managed to get a hold of the UK release dates for Heavenly Sword, Folklore, Warhawk and Lair. The European release dates were announced earlier during the week, but do not reflect the new dates by Three Speech. According to Three Speech, the PlayStation Network version of Warhawk will be released on August 28th 2007, while the retail version will hit shops a month later on September 21st 2007.

Heavenly Sword will launch on September 14th 2007, while Lair will launch on October 26th 2007. The release date for Lair is not yet official to expect some changes. The same goes for Folklore, which is expected to launch on October 12th 2007. The PSN version of Warhawk will cost GBP 19.99, while the retail version together with the bluetooth headset will retail for GBP 39.99.

[Via: Three Speech]

Team M33 have updated their Custom Firmware to version 3. This time, a significant number of features have been added to the firmware including access to flash2 and flash3, as well as the use of popsloader from firmware 3.30. Check out the full change log below.

Changes:

• Added more speeds: 75 and 133.
• Added flash2 and flash3 access via USB to recovery
• Added a setting in recovery to change the USB device to which XMB will connect.
• Added "vshmenu", which is a menu that will appear when HOME is pressed in the XMB.
• Added UMD video ISO support.

Changes in popsloader:

• Support for 3.30 firmware. Instructions are same as in previous release, except 3.30
  firmware did not have libpspvmc.prx, so just ignore that file.
  • Warning: There is an incompatibility between 3.30 savedata and later ones. If a savedata exists from 3.40+, the emulator will freeze.

Some notes about the usage of vshmenu, and umd video isos:

• vshmenu cannot be loaded when the browser is active. If you exit the browser, the firmware will
  still keep it in memory until you enter other area of xmb, until you do so, you will not be able
  to access vshmenu again either.
• video isos and the game isos show in xmb use the same core. Due to this, when you enter in game
  menu and there is some iso, if a video iso was currently mounted, it will automatically be unmounted.
• CSO format is not supported for video ISOS.
• UMD audio ISOs are theoretically supported, but not tested.

[Download Custom Firmware 3.53 M33 v3]