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Gran Turismo purists should know better than to get your hopes up about GT5's release date, but then, you're a Gran Turismo purist. You can't control yourself.
If you're a PlayStation Underground member, you'll likely be sending your membership in the program off in style this weekend as it appears everyone in good standing is now a PlayStation Home beta tester. Sony is conducting a load test of Home's servers this afternoon (1 PM to 3 PM AEDT) to celebrate the release of the service's graduation to version 1.0. Yes, do check you inboxes now to see if you got in. The rest of the Kotaku readership has, it seems, and has lovingly tipped us off already.
While Microsoft Europe seem intent on releasing a bundle to coincide with every single game released on the console over the next two months, Sony Europe are playing things a little more casual. Not so many bundles from them. Here's one they are releasing, though, and it's one that takes a slightly different approach to the standard throw-in-a-free-game deal. Seemingly destined for the Scandinavian market - having turned up unannounced on Norwegian online store Komplett, and having only Scandinavian languages on the box - this pack includes a 160GB PS3, a DualShock 3 and vouchers for four PSN games (GT5: Prologue, Quest for Booty, Last Guy & Super Stardust HD). You get all that for 4500 Krone, which is around $937.
Sony Computer Entertainment UK director Ray Maguire gives fans of Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3 and Tomb Raider: Underworld hope for the future of "exclusive" downloadable content on the PlayStation 3 platform. Each has promised DLC only for Microsoft's Xbox 360, but Maguire tells VideoGamer that "One thing to remember, nothing is ever exclusive."
Like we told you last month, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe are putting together their own version of Qore. Presumably because European PlayStation owners haven't suffered enough. The program will be called Official PlayStation Magazine HD, will of course be a premium (ie you pay for it) service, and will be distributed weekly over the various European PlayStation stores. A job listing for the program says that the show will feature "hi-def video, game demos and other content", so basically, expect Qore, but with a much longer name.
Content Producer - Official PlayStation Magazine HD - Bath [Future, thanks Matt!]
SCEE just sent out a statement in response to the you-may-have-heard-of-it-by-now LittleBigPlanet delay. In short: if you're a PAL user, don't panic. The game will be out "no later than the week commencing Monday 3rd November", with the title rolling out across Europe, Australasia and the Middle East throughout that week. The wording seems to rule out any hope of a firm release date for any of the regions, so feel free to badger the shit out of your local game store until their stock turns up.
While Sony's eagerly anticipated PS3 title LittleBigPlanet is seeing a rash of unofficial early releases here in North America, European retailers are experiencing the exact opposite. While the game was originally set for an October 24th release, retailers are now expecting delays of up to three weeks. UK retailer Game's website now lists the title's release date as simply 10/2008, while Gamestation's release date simply TBC.
For the sake of our European friends we certainly hope the three weeks estimate is overblown. GamesIndustry.biz seems to think the delay won't be nearly as bad, and expects that Sony will issue an official updated release date shortly. We'll keep an eye out.
LittleBigPlanet release delayed in Europe [GamesIndustry.biz]
It doesn't look like we'll ever see Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's Eight Days. The project was apparently scrapped, with SCE Worldwide Studios bossman Shuhei Yoshida instead dedicating resources to projects like the recently announced EyePet. Fiscally, probably not a horrible idea, as Eight Days may have ultimately been a big-budget third-person shooter, something we're not exactly lacking in these days.
Still, this recently uploaded look at Eight Days' animation tests, via our good friends at NeoGAF make us a little misty-eyed. Poor thing never had a chance... and it was so nicely animated, too. Here's to hoping this cover system tech can be put to use elsewhere.
Sony Compunter Entertainment is looking to India. Makes sense as the country has established itself in the animation industry, so gaming seems like a logical next stop. Says SCEE country manager for India Atindriya Bose:
The competence and the state of readiness of the Indian developers makes it imperative that India soon will emerge as a key development hub for many international games companies.
Sony has already signed 13 developers, including Indian devs, up to produce local and international content for the PlayStation platform.
SCEE: 'India will emerge as key development hub for international companies' [develop]
