Promise, this is real. Sony have announced that, as of this Thursday, you'll be able to download Kratos as a playable character in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds. There he is above, rendered all cartoon-like, taking his one-under-par very, very seriously. Kratos' voice actor from the "proper" GoW games - T.C. Carson - provided the voice work for the cameo, and this cutesy God of War will even use the chain blades as a club. There's another pic after the jump, but no, this one won't make him look any less out of place.

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SCEA have just confirmed that they're bringing the PS3's Hot Shots Golf 5 (now re-branded Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds) to the US market in March. Anyone with a Japanese PSN account (or, you know, if you're Japanese) may already have tested this out, but if you haven't, all you need to know is that it's another Hot Shots golf game, it's looking very pretty, and this version will be in a language you'll be able to comprehend.

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Camelot developed We Love Golf! needs a spokesperson. We Love Golf! has one! That's bikini model Waka Inoue, who is noted for having the same bust/waist/hip measurements as Marilyn Monroe. She's slightly on the wain popularity-wise (she is 27), but still one of the more famous idols. Expect her (and her Monroe measurements) in a slew of We Love Golf! ads. If Hot Shots Golf-clone plus Nintendo Wii plus curvy idol isn't a sure fire Japan hit, we don't know what the hell is.

Capcom Presser [Game Watch Impress]

We may be in Germany, but that doesn't mean we're going to ignore Japan's weekly soap opera of software sales. Most shocking? Mario Party 8 reclaims its number one position in the Media Create sales list for the week of August 13th to the 19th in a bloodless sales coup. Amazingly, Hot Shots Golf 5 is still hanging tough in the top ten, kind of impressive for a PLAYSTATION 3 up against 2006's New Super Mario Bros.

Hit the jump for full sales sexiness.

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This Sunday saw a Hot Shots Golf 5 rally event in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara — a location prime for foot traffic. The series has traditionally been extremely popular in Japan, and the players in that day's rally would get Hot Shots goods. According to Akiba Blog, no one apparently came as staffers in white shirts stood out front waiting. All this is trivial! The Hot Shots Golf 5 PS3 bundle has moved some more machines for Sony. That's what really matters and not some game rally. Right? Right?!
Minna no Golf 5 Zero Customers [Akiba Blog]