Bill Murray and I have something in common. We’re both excited about Ghostbusters. I may be more enthusiastic about the orphaned video game — which may have found a home at Atari — but Murray’s role in that game seems to have lead to helping spark excitement for a third Ghostbusters movie.
If you’re kicking yourself over having missed the “limited edition” Metal Gear Solid 4 PlayStation 3 bundle, the one with fancy matte grey finish, we’d advise you rest your kicking leg. You can still snatch one up, now at clearance prices. Importer Play-Asia is having a sale on stock of the “hagane” version, the Japanese release of the “gun metal” PS3, which includes a matching DualShock 3 and a copy of MGS4.
At $579.90 US, it’s cheaper than the Konami.com-exclusive domestic release of the “gun metal” edition of the PlayStation 3. But don’t gloss over the fact that it’s a Japanese game disc and console. Sure, the thing is region-free, but buyer beware.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots [Premium Pack] [Play-Asia via NineOverTen]
Can’t say I was much of a fan of the first “Live Your Moment” ad, the “casual” targeted slow-motion nightmare that kicks off Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 holiday ad blitz. Fortunately, the next two, shot in the same vein and focusing on LEGO Batman and Xbox Live Marketplace’s video download service, are simply more goofball than cringe-inducing. The kid in the second ad spot, fresh-faced though he may be, looks like he’s getting a hit of heroin off-screen, he’s so delighted.
The release of WipEout HD was a long time a-comin’ and, unfortunately, its launch on the PlayStation Store is not without its problems. PlayStation 3 owners are reporting that their copies of the SCEE developed hoverracer are locking up, with users pointing to larger friend lists as a potential source of the problem. We contacted Sony PR to find out more.
“Following the release of WipEout HD on PLAYSTATION Store yesterday, we’ve been following the reports by some members of the community regarding problems with game freezes,” SCEA reps confirmed. “We’d like to reassure you all that the WipEout team is working hard to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”
As far as the cause, SCEA tells us that anything we might have read about the source of the issue is, at this point, “rumour and speculation.” It is worth noting though, that some WipEout HD players are noting that they’re having better luck with a leaner friend list. Just sayin’.
Unfortunately, it’s the NEC SuperGrafx, a souped up version of the PC Engine (nee TurboGrafx-16) that was never released outside of Japan and has a meager seven titles in its library. Even less exciting is that the first SuperGrafx release is Daimakaimura, known as Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts on these shores. That particular title has been available on Japan’s Virtual Console service in its Genesis form since July of last year — and for 200 yen less!
But hey, at least things are expanding. Any chance we can start getting some Game Boy Advance games from the VC? Pretty please?
Virtual Console Line Up [Nintendo Japan via Wii Fanboy]
Warner Bros are quite convinced that releasing an episodic downloadable Watchmen tie-in game is not only innovative, but actually rather brave.
“We know it’s risky for us, and the safe move would have been to cram out a retail game alongside the film release,” Senior VP Samantha Ryan told MCV, “but we didn’t feel that was the right decision.”
Surely the risk with Watchmen isn’t the length of the game, the media it arrives in or how closely it aligns with the film’s release.. it is the fact that Watchmen is such a beloved comic that fans are convinced it is going to stink up the place before seeing even a few pixels and will hunt you down, vigilante style if it is worse than they fear?
The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ fifth studio album and breakthrough hit Blood Sugar Sex Magik will be hitting the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace next week, giving Rock Band — and Rock Band 2 — another full album to call their own. Cost is $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points) for the full LP or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) for each individual track. The track “Give It Away” is already currently available on the Rock Band 2 disc. The full tracklisting follows.
If you have been lucky enough to play with a LittleBigPlanet beta and have knocked up a good-looking level, make sure you sketch it on the back of an envelope or something.
Media Molecule’s Leo Cubbin confirmed to fan site LittleBigMadness that none of the lovingly crafted beta levels will be importable into the finished game, not even that amazing Shadow Of The Colossus one the other day.
Gone, finished, useless. Kaput. Like tears in rain, and all that.
LittleBigPlanet’s Beta Levels Are Doomed [LittleBigMadness]
Well, that took ‘em long enough. According to D3Publisher’s list of upcoming Tokyo Game Show wares, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords appears to officially be due for a bow on the PlayStation 3. We knew it was coming, but D3 has been unusually quiet on the game, especially considering its been whored around to just about every platform under the sun. The game’s release date is still listed as “TBA,” a condition we hope is cured by the time TGS rolls around.
Now about Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, D3….
Tokyo Game Show 2008 [D3P via PS3Fanboy
Need something to play this weekend? Need it on the cheap? If you’re on board with this whole digital distribution through Steam thing, some classic and not-so-classic Rockstar Games titles are being sold at bargain basement prices. Ten bucks for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas? Five for Manhunt? You could do a hell of a lot worse. The entire Rockstar Games Collection is just $29.99 in U.S. dollars, making corruption by video game violence a steal.
The whole thing is time limited and may very well not be offered in the country of your choosing. For the lucky bargain hunters, have at it.
Rockstar Games [Steam]