Play-Asia-Rulez

Harmonix still commited to Rock Band franchise

2011-05-03T12:05:00.002+01:00

While Guitar Hero may be no more and Harmonix was sold off for the price of a new game, the developer is reassuring fans of the Rock Band franchise that it's still alive and kicking. Greg LoPiccolo speaking to Industry Gamers said there's more Rockband to come with a big announcement at this years E3. "We think there's a lot of life left in the Rock Band franchise and there's a lot of creative directions to take that."

Whether the announcement is Rock Band related remains to be seen. With music game sales falling flat recently, Harmonix really need to step up their game to bring back the audience that is pretty much tired of the plastic instrument music games.

Nintendo not given up on the Wii

2011-04-28T10:27:00.002+01:00

The confirmation of the Wii 2 ('Project Cafe') by Nintendo to be shown at this years E3 and the drought of any first party Wii titles for the first quarter of 2011 has made some Wii owners quite unhappy with the feeling that the system is abandoned. Satoru Iwata claimed otherwise at a Japanese investor meeting, with apparently a bunch of titles coming out for the Wii later this year.

"We have not released any new Nintendo software titles for Wii, except for The Last Story (Japanese Title) in January, partly because we have focused on the launch of Nintendo 3DS since the beginning of this year. Therefore, some in Japan seem to have the misunderstanding that Nintendo has given up making efforts on Wii. We are actually ready to release new Wii software titles every month from May to the end of this year."

Duke Nukem Forever gameplay trailer

2011-04-23T11:04:00.002+01:00

Itching for more Duke Nukem Forever? Well, here's over ten minutes of gameplay footage in all its uncensored glory. Yes, that's right, you'll get to see topless women and more in this new trailer. It'll probably stir up more outrage from women's groups who are already petitioning for the game to be banned.

More publicity is no doubt what Gearbox is aiming for. Check it out below and get your copy on June 14th in North America and June 10 in other regions.

Wii 2 to launch with GTAV?

2011-04-19T11:14:00.002+01:00

Latest big rumors on the block is of course about the Wii 2. Notice the drought of Wii games for 2011? That's most likely because of the likely revelation of the Wii 2 at this years E3. Rumor has it the new console will attempt to capture more of the hardcore market and will be equal or exceed the power of the PS3 and Xbox 360, sport 1080p capability, backward compatible with Wii software and have 6" LCD touch screens on the controllers.

Other rumors claim that Nintendo sent a Wii 2 development kit to Rockstar with the intent of GTAV being a launch title on the system. GTAV is expected to be released in 2012.

Sony's 2011 E3 conference dated

2011-04-13T05:42:00.004+01:00

It's not too long now until E3 2011 starts and Sony has just revealed when they will be holding their conference on the day. The largest gaming expo in the world will run from June 7-9 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in California

Sony is scheduled to show their stuff on June 6 at 5pm PST, so make sure not to miss it via the live feed or the downloadable versions.

Disgaea 4 to be released in September

2011-04-11T10:50:00.002+01:00

It's been out in Japan for a while, but NIS has finally confirmed that Disgaea 4 is finally heading to North America in September. Europe will see the game sometime this fall.

The latest iteration of the tactical RPG series will contain a new class (Professor) and remove gender class differences. You'll also be able to share user generated content over PSN, such as maps, senators and character data.

Sequel to Sniper Elite Revealed

2011-04-07T00:45:00.002+01:00

The sequel to 2005's Sniper Elite, which had you take the role of a sniper during the final days of World War II has been confirmed. Titled Sniper Elite V2, developer Rebellion has now teamed up with 505 Games in hopes to improve on the existing and have greater success in the process. The game will be set in the WW2 setting once more.

Sniper Elite V2 is still a ways off, with the game scheduled to be released in 2012 for the current consoles.

New Burnout title revealed?

2011-04-04T10:55:00.003+01:00

Criterion put the Burnout series on hold to allow the studio to work on the Need for Speed reboot (Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit) and there hasn't been a new title in the series since Burnout Paradise, which was released in 2008. A listing on the Australian Classification Board for a Burnout title hints at a new multiplatform release knows as Burnout Crash.

Burnout Crash is likely to be in development for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and will hopefully be officially revealed soon. If the game is being rated already, it could be possible that it's a downloadable title and not a full sequel to Burnout Paradise.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City revealed with trailer

2011-03-31T10:54:00.005+01:00

Capcom has made a rather surprising announcement about the next game in the Resident Evil franchise. Intended to be released sometime near the end of the year, the new title, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will be developed by Slant Six games for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The developer is known for the mediocre online only game, Socom Confrontation on PS3, which had major issues and was patched more times than can be remembered. Why Capcom chose this studio for the development of one of their biggest franchises is anyone's guess.

The latest iteration in the franchise will take a new direction, with four player co-op multiplayer modes in third person and probably takes inspiration from the Left 4 Dead games. Story wise, the game will provide a reinterpretation of the events in Resident Evil 2 and 3. See the teaser trailer below:

Duke Nukem Forever delayed once again

2011-03-26T11:26:00.003Z

In a move that will have many skeptics rolling their eyes while muttering "I told you so" in our ears, Gearbox has announced a delay to Duke Nukem Forever. The game is still on track and the delay is short with just an extra month added to the wait. Gearbox didn't want to rush the final polishing process, even though they could (according to Gearbox head Randy Pitchford) have made the May release date after all.

Duke Nukem Forever will now be released on June 14 in North America and June 10 in other regions. You'll be able to get it for either PS3, PC or Xbox 360.

Homefront sales high despite lackluster reviews

2011-03-24T11:53:00.003Z

While short, the single player campaign in THQ's Homefront is good fun, even if it is just another modern warfare clone. The game has received mediocre reviews, but this hasn't stopped copies flying off the shelves. In fact, the game servers are having trouble coping with the amount of players logging on to play the game with 375,000 copies being sold on launch day alone.

After almost a week out on shelves, Homefront is on the way to reach a million units with 850,000 copies, with most of these, around 60% being for Xbox 360. The rest being made up of the PC and PS3 version.

Mortal Kombat not coming to Australia

2011-03-14T10:32:00.003Z

The decision is now final. Mortal Kombat will not be seeing the light of day in Australia. Warner Bros. submitted an identical copy of the game to the classification board for appeal and stated that the game is no more violent than anything else on the market. The appeal for the game to be classified was denied and the Refused Classification status still stands. Now the only way for Australians to play the game is to import a copy.

An official statement from Warner Bros. stated the following: "We're obviously extremely disappointed that the refused classification decision has been upheld by the Classification Review Board. We want to thank the thousands of Mortal Kombat fans in Australia and around the world who have voiced their support during the appeal process."

Diablo III Heading to Consoles

2011-03-09T04:13:00.003Z

Blizzard hasn't confirmed the matter via a press release or interview, but it's safe to say that Diablo III is indeed heading to consoles and likely for both the PS3 and Xbox 360. In the job listing section on the Blizzard website, the company is looking for people to work on the console version of the game.

The original Diablo was released for consoles, but the sequel was left as a PC exclusive. Blizzard has previously stated that they were seriously considering porting Diablo III to consoles and now it looks to be the case.

THQ's inSANE to be a Trilogy if Successful

2011-03-07T09:45:00.004Z

You may have heard of the upcoming THQ game known as inSANE, which is being masterminded by movie director Guillermo del Toro. Promising to try and get the perfect balance between a video gaming and Hollywood, inSANE is also planned to be a trilogy if the initial game is successful.

Before becoming too excited though, there's a long wait ahead with first game expected to be released in 2013 and the whole trilogy expected to be completed in 8 to 10 years. With such a long timespan, it's likely the first game will be released on the current generation of consoles (Xbox 360, PS3) and the sequels would follow on the next generation.

Serious Sam 3 to be Released in Summer

2011-03-01T10:36:00.002Z

It's been a longtime coming, but Croteam has revealed that Serious Sam 3 is on track to be released later this summer for both consoles and PC. The arcade-style shooter gameplay which the series is know for will return with plenty of new features to boot!

Serious Sam 3: BFE will take place in 22nd century Egypt. The last struggle against Mental's invasion of beasts, creatures and mercenaries and serves as a prequel to Serious Sam: The First Encounter. Expect new enemies, new weapons and plenty more mayhem.

Mortal Kombat Banned in Australia

2011-02-25T10:50:00.002Z

In a surprising announcement, Mortal Kombat publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Australia revealed that the game has been banned from being sold in Australia by the Australian Board. Main issues of concern were the numerous fatalities which were deemed unacceptable.

Warner Bros. is very disappointed with the decision and currently has no plans to cut any content. What happens next is yet to be decided. Gamers need not despair however, the game can of course be pre-ordered at Play-Asia without waiting for this problem to be resolved.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River - New Trailer & Release Date

2011-02-20T10:04:00.002Z

Known for their emphasis on realism, the Operation Flashpoint series of games play very differently to the mainstream war shooters such as Call of Duty. Codemasters plans yet again to deliver and authentic military experience with their latest iteration in the franchise, Red River. You'll play as one member of the U.S. Marine Corps fire team. Together with three other members, you'll engage in firefights throughout Tajikistan.

Built for co-op play, players will be able to join games and jump into the action at any time to replace fellow AI players. Red River will be released on the 21st of April in Europe and on the 26th in the US for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. See the new trailer below:

Bizarre Creations Gets Shut Down

2011-02-15T10:31:00.002Z

After Activision recommended the studio be shut down one month ago, it has now come into fruition. Bizarre Creations will be closed at the end of this week. After being in financial trouble for a while now, mainly to do with the commercial flop Blur, Activision sought to sell the studio, but no buyers were forthcoming.

Having created the Project Gotham Series and Formula 1 back on the original PlayStation, it's quite sad to see the studio go. It seems unlikely that any of the franchises will be picked up by another publisher.

Activision Pulls the Plug on Guitar Hero Franchise & True Crime

2011-02-10T03:13:00.002Z

In a surprise move, Activision have given the Guitar Hero Franchise and the upcoming True Crime: Hong Kong title a swift blow to the head and brought them to an early grave. Yep, Guitar Hero is no more. Can't say I care very much for the incredibly gimmicky, money grubbing and stale series of games, but I was very much looking forward to True Crime: Hong Kong.

Did you buy Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock? No? Well, the last iteration of the franchise not only received poor critical response, but also failed to move units. Seems gamers were tired of the whole Guitar music games in general, with Rock Band creators Harmonix being sold off to Viacom.

Activision said that "due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing's Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011. The company also will stop development on True Crime: Hong Kong. These decisions are based on the desire to focus on the greatest opportunities that the company currently has to create the world's best interactive entertainment experiences."

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Trailer Released

2011-02-07T09:00:00.003Z

Namco Bandai are bringing a new Ace Combat to the PS3 and Xbox 360 this year. Ace Combat: Assailt Horizon is being dubbed the rebirth of the series, the publisher hopes to reignite sales in the latest edition of the franchise.

NGP Revealed as the Successor to the PSP

2011-01-30T10:26:00.003Z

Sony finally unveiled the successor to the PSP in Tokyo at the PlayStation event. Working name "NGP", the Next Generation Portable features the latest cutting edge technology to create the most powerful handheld device ever made by a wide margin. Featuring a 5" OLED screen, dual analog sticks, a quad-core ARM Cortex processor and Power VR graphics processing unit, the NGP is according to Epic Games, four times more powerful than anything else on the market and boasts PS3 quality graphics.

The NGP also boasts front and rear cameras and touch pads, as well as 3G connectivity, three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass and a microphone. UMD has dissapeared in favor of flash memory cards with even higher capacities and faster loading times than the 1.8GB UMD format. All this comes with a question of how much and battery life? So far all we know is that it won't cost $599. A few games were shown, graphics impressing all. Check out the conference below:

L.A. Noire Release Date Leaked

2011-01-25T09:43:00.002Z

Rockstar was no doubt unhappy when a new trailer of L.A. Noire was leaked onto youtube and ended by showing the release date as May 17th for the US. Quick action resulted in said trailer being taken down quickly before most people had a chance to see it, but the release date is now confirmed. Europe will see the game three days later.

The game's not even out yet, but many assume that Rockstar will once again create another AAA title with L.A. Noire. After four years of development and various delays, Team Bondi and Rockstar have had a good amount of time to polish the title to the high standards set before.

Mortal Kombat Release Date Revealed

2011-01-22T10:37:00.003Z

The ninth entry in the Mortal Kombat series is a reboot set to bring the game back to its roots and please fans and newcomers alike. Going back to 2D fighting, the game follows in the footsteps of Street Fighter IV and aims for the same success. Initial trailers have been very promising and Warner Bros. has finally revealed the release date and cover art.

The impressive looking reboot will be available for purchase on April 18 in the UK and the following day in the US. Mark it on your kalender.

Yakuza 4 Release Date & New Trailer Released

2011-01-21T10:24:00.003Z

Yakuza 4 may have been released as far back as March 2010 in Japan, but the rest of us should be happy to know that Sega has announced the release dates for North America and Europe. Not only that, we also have a brand new trailer to enjoy!

Check out the new trailer and get ready for the release of the game on March 15 in North America and March 18 in Europe. The Europe release date being exactly one year since the game was released in Japan.

Boxart & Release Date for MotorStorm Apocalypse Revealed

2011-01-14T09:30:00.003Z

MotorStorm Apocalypse has finally been given a release date. Apart from driving through the post-apocalyptic terrain, you'll also be able to experience it in earth-shattering 3D, if you have a compatible TV set and glasses of course. Europe and North America are getting two different boxart covers and I think both look great, so it's really hard to choose which one is better. The image to the right belongs to the European boxart.

This one on the left belongs to the North American release. MotorStorm Apocalypse, the third game in the series is set to be released on April 12, 2011 for the PS3. If you pre-order, you might recieve a bonus of some kind depending on the retailer.

Rockstar announcement of new L.A. Noire release date imminent

2011-01-13T10:13:00.003Z

After plenty of delays, this could be the last one. Rockstar is set to announce the next release date for the highly anticipated title and while delays are common, Rockstar does churn out fairly polished titles with the extra time they give themselves. While for many the news of a release date being announced soon for the title is big news indeed, it was simply posted on Rockstar's twitter page.This is what they had to say: "L.A. Noire is coming to Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 this spring. The official release date will be announced soon..."

Shouldn't be long now until we have the (hopefully) final release date and don't encounter any more delays.

Splinter Cell Collection Gets Dated?

2011-01-03T08:08:00.004Z

Ubisoft confirmed the rumor of the Splinter Cell trilogy being released in HD for the PS3 late last year. It follows the recent release of the Prince of Persia trilogy in HD and will be followed by a Beyond Good & Evil Remake sometime this year.

No release date has been forthcoming, but if you think Amazon is pretty accurate with their release dates, you can expect the Splinter Cell Collection to be released on March 22nd this year for $39.99USD. The collection includes the original Splinter Cell as well as the sequels Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory.

The nightmare returns - Dead Space 2 Collector's and Regular Editions are coming in January!

2010-12-29T11:04:00.002Z

Issac Clarke returns to the nightmare in Dead Space 2, the problem is that he could no longer tell if the violence is just in his head or are all around him. Electronic Arts' thrilling survival horror action adventure comes in January, everybody, get your plasma cutters ready to battle the onslaught of the alien epidemic.

From the publisher: Engineer Isaac Clarke returns for another blood-curdling adventure in the sequel to the critically acclaimed Dead Space™. After waking from a coma on a massive space city known as "The Sprawl", the lone survivor of a horrific alien infestation finds himself confronting a catastrophic new nightmare.

Battling dementia, hunted by the government, and haunted by visions of his dead girlfriend, Isaac will do whatever it takes to save himself and dominate the gruesome onslaught. With an arsenal of tools to dismember Necromorphs and new determination, an engineer will bring the terror to space.

Information on items included in the Collector's Edition packages are revealed, dedicated gamers get the Plasma Cutter, an in-game Unitology Suit and Force Gun, an original soundtrack and the concept art lithograph.

Dead Space 2 comes in January 2011, you won't have long to wait.

Create your idol group - The Idolm@ster 2 [First Print Limited Edition] is announced and available for preorder!

2010-12-28T10:30:00.002Z

Some girls are born to become stars, and its up to you to make them shine. Come join 765 Production to create your own idol group, there are 9 girls to choose from, and many more producers to compete against. Your senpai in the same production company has her group and your rival company 961 production has Jupiter. But don't worry, you have the passion, the closet and the catchy tunes.

The girls are waiting for you to take them under your wing and turn them into super idols. In The Idolm@ster 2 you work with 3 girls, take them to classes, design their images and pit them against idols from other agencies. If you are successful, your trio grows into a five girl group, giving you more songs to perform and more fans.

The key to become a good producer is to take care of the girls, both in their professional lives and in their private lives, create sweet memories with the girls, and they'll perform better in auditions and mold better into the moods of their songs.

The First Print Limited Edition comes in a special package, the box contains 4 sets of photos and your producer ID card. The game comes in February as Japanese and Asian versions.

Nathan Drake returns in November 2011 - Uncharted 3 is announced and available for preorder today!

2010-12-23T10:58:00.005Z

In Uncharted 3 Nathan and his mentor Sully will follow the legendary archaeologist T.E. Lawrence's trail all the way to the vast, dangerous Arabian deserts. The Atlantis of the Sands is more real than anybody thought and clues about it are scattered across the globe. Travel around the world, visit the glamorous and exotic cities and find the land before the baddies get there first.

Thugs will stop at nothing to get their hands on the treasure, so this time Nathan gets new weapons, new moves and new skills. The stealth action and hand to hand combat are beefed up. Be ready to interact with the environment, learn to take advantage of what you have at hand to overcome the danger that may crop up any second.

Uncharted 3 offers exciting action, exotic locales and an exquisite plot. Currently we have the Asian and US regular editions in our database, more will be added once they are announced. Nathan Drake will return to his fans on the PlayStation3™ in November 2011.

Touch your dream car in Autumn 2011 - Forza Motorsport 4 is announced for preorder!

2010-12-23T10:44:00.005Z

It doesn't matter whether you are a die hard Forza-maniac or a novice racer, this game has something fabulous for you. The detailed simulation is still here, so veterans, grab the controllers and feel every bump, every crash and even the wind in your ear as you speed down the road and pass all the super cars.

Novices don't have to feel overwhelmed by all the details. Step inside your dream car and play, the game will take care of everything. Just sit tight before your Kinect sensor and hold the (imaginary) steering wheel. Hopefully you won't do too much damages to your car, because with the realistic simulation, you'll really feel a connection with the game car.

You can look at your car from the front, sides and back of course, and step into the drivers' seat to feel what it's really like drive one of those cars most people could only dream of. Touch the controls, play with the buttons and learn all the details about your dream car.

Currently we have the Asian and US regular versions in our database, more will be added once they are announced. Forza Motorsport 4 comes in Autumn 2011.

Conduit 2 Gets Actual Release Date

2010-12-20T10:46:00.004Z

The sequel to one of the better first person shooters on Wii now has a release date you can mark on your calender. Conduit 2 will be available for purchase on the 15th of February 2011 in North America.The game was originally planned to be released for the 2010 holiday season, but Developer High Voltage decided the game needed more work and was delayed to the first quarter 2011. Here's hoping it's an improvement on the solid first outing.

PlayStation App Heading to iphones & Android Phones

2010-12-17T09:45:00.004Z

Have to give Sony a little credit for acting quickly. Microsoft recently released their Windows Phone 7 cell phones with Xbox Live integration and Sony responds by announcing the imminent release of the PlayStation App for both iOS (iphone) and Android cell phones. Full credit is not given however, due to the App only being available in Europe initially and only a few countries at that. There's no word on a North American release.

The PlayStation App will allow you to:

* Check out your PlayStation Network trophies and keep up to date with your friends’ games and online status.
* Discover all the latest games, news and hardware for your PlayStation 3, PSP and PlayStation 2.
* Read all the announcements on the European PlayStation.Blog.
* Share your favourite products or news with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or via e-mail.

It will only be available for cell phones running iOS 4 or Android 1.6 and above

Mass Effect 2 PS3 Demo Imminent - Mass Effect 3 Simultaneous Multiplatform Release

2010-12-14T08:49:00.003Z

Mass Effect and its sequel are arguably the best sci-fi RPG's ever made, but were only available on PC and Xbox 360. Bioware has decided to go multiplatform with the trilogy, but in a strange move, the original Mass Effect will not be seeing the light of day on the PS3. Instead, Mass Effect 2 will be the first release on January 18, 2011, with the third game garnering a simultaneous release on all three platforms (PS3, PC, Xbox 360) late next year. That's right, PS3 owners will get two Mass Effect games within the same year.

Bioware intends to up the ante with the final chapter in the trilogy and many are sure to hope the ending doesn't disappointed. While the third game won't be released for a while yet, a demo of Mass Effect 2 will be up on PSN very soon and will be ready to be enjoyed by PS3 gamers on the 24th of December.

New Batman: Arkham City Teaser Trailer

2010-12-09T09:46:00.003Z

The sequel to one of my favorite games of last year has just received a brand spanking new trailer. Rocksteady studios is once again letting us play as the famous Dark Knight and no longer within the confines of the Arkham Asylum. A new story and the introduction of new classic characters from the Batman universe topped off with new gameplay features is sure to keep fans excited for the imminent fall release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Wii Speak to be Phased Out by Nintendo

2010-12-06T10:12:00.003Z

I'm not surprised about Nintendo's decision to slowly phaze out the Wii Speak accessory. I didn't even know about it until the announcement. The accessory is a microphone which allows you to chat online. Unless consumer demand increases, the plan is to slowly phaze it out completely.

It's now only available at a few limited retail locations and supply will not increase unless there is sufficient demand for the product. Nintendo suggest using the alternative accessory such as the Headbanger Headset which will continue to be available and supported by upcoming games.

There was no mention of what will happen with the Wii Speak channel.

2010-12-03T11:20:00.002Z

Did Deadspace scare the bejesus out of you? If you're a horror fan, you'll be glad to hear that according to EA CEO John Riccitiello, who's played the nearly completed game, it is indeed a scarier sequel. Not only that, it's supposedly better paced with plenty of action and superior boss battles that top the original.

There was also high-altitude space diving element mentioned for the sequel. Being the CEO obviously has its benefits, but don't worry, the release date is almost upon us with Dead Space 2 set to hit retail stores on January 25th 2011.

Sonic Team Responds to Sonic 4 Physics Complaints

2010-11-30T11:27:00.004Z

Unhappy with the physics in Sonic 4: Episode 1? Well, you're not alone. Fans are very unhappy that the physics don't match those of the Genesis classics and have caused an uproar which has garnered a response from Sonic Team itself. Sonic Team producer Takashi Iizuka however was quite adamant about the changes and believes they're for the better. "In this title, we have not done a straight port of the gameplay from the Genesis games, but rather updated it with actions which could not be done in the previous titles, like ceiling-running."

All is not lost however and if you complain loudly enough, the changes may be made, but it's doubtful there will be a patch for the first episode.

"These changes probably made for a different feel to the longtime Sonic fans. We're happy for feedback like this, and we'll make sure we can improve the quality even further in upcoming titles."

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 will be released sometime in 2011.

Nathan Drake to be Played by Mark Whalberg in Uncharted Movie

2010-11-25T09:44:00.003Z

We have a very strange decision here folks. Most will be disappointed to hear that Nathan Drake will be played by Mark Wahlberg in the upcoming Uncharted movie directed by David O. Russel. Sure Nolan North, the voice of Nate would have been a good choice, but Hollywood isn't willing to gamble on an relatively unknown voice actor to star in a big budget Hollywood movie. Still, Mark Wahlberg is nothing like Nate. The looks, personality and voice are all completely different as I'm sure 99.9% of fans would agree. He made a good Max Payne, but a wisecracking hero? I think not.According to Mark Wahlberg, Robert DeNiro has been contacted to play Nate's father, while Joe Pesci is confirmed to play his uncle. They don't exist in the video game, so you can count on additional liberties taken with the story.

NFL Blitz Remake Coming From EA Sports?

2010-11-21T09:52:00.002Z

It seems the NBA Jam license wasn't the only one EA acquired from Midway. Apparently EA bought a few sport licenses when Midway when bankrupt. Among them is NFL Blitz, which rumor has to be currently in development and the next game to follow this Christmas Holidays release of NBA Jam. Reviving classic games with modern graphics and updates seems to be going down well with consumers and if NFL Blitz can capture the addictive arcade gameplay of the original like NBA Jam has, it's sure to be a commercial success.

It will be a long wait though, don't expect to see NFL Blitz released before 2012. In the meantime, expect some more announcements in the future of past Midway sport titles getting a fresh release by EA.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Sets New Records

2010-11-18T10:15:00.002Z

So we know the Call of Duty brand is a license to print money, but did you know each release is more commercially successful than the last? Black Ops, the latest installment of the Call of Duty franchise by Treyarch, has broken the previous sales record of biggest launch in entertainment history held by last years Modern Warfare 2.

Black Ops sold 5.6 million copies in Europe and North America on launch day alone, raking in US$360 million. Modern Warfare 2 in comparison sold 4.7 million copies in the same time frame for a total of US$ 310 million. Activision needn't be worried about the mass of Infinity Ward employees(Modern Warfare 2 developer) jumping ship last year and joining the EA camp after all.

Ubisoft Announces Delays to Two Titles

2010-11-16T10:25:00.003Z

While Assassins Creed: Brotherhood is set to be released on time this holiday season, Ubisoft has pushed back the release of two titles meant to be released in the first quarter of 2011.

Driver: San Francisco was originally slated to be released on the 26th of November this year and was delayed until early 2011 back in June. The game along with Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Warrior, which had the same release date, have now been pushed back to sometime between April 2011 to March 2012.

The reason for the delay of Driver: San Francisco has been attributed to quality control and making sure the game is up to par with the competition. Most fans no doubt still remember the mess that was Driv3r and they're sure to appreciate any extra time given to polish up the game.

Trapped, and facing impossible foes: ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection for PlayStation3™ is announced and available for preorder today!

2010-11-15T09:36:00.002Z

Revisit the classics, Sony Computer Entertainment digitally remastered two award winning games on the PlayStation2™. What has been eerie in ICO's castle becomes downright creepy and the gigantic statues in Shadow of the Colossus look like deities on your HD screen. The games have PlayStation® Network Trophy Support, so collectors, think you have the gaming muscles to clear the stages and collect everything?

Become the sacrifice. ICO is a strange boy with horns. In the name of protecting the village, his people left him in a deserted castle where evil spirits dwell. Here, trapped within the cold stone walls of the impregnable fortress, the boy's sense of reality and fantasy blur, he begins dreaming about a girl whom he has to save, and the clues about his past and his fate.

If the castle in ICO is impregnable, the Colossi is right next to impossible. But they hold the key to revival, and unless all of them are defeated, your loved one will never wake. So set off on your horse, equip your sword and off you go on your adventures. All of the Colossi have but one weakness, find it in time before it crushes you like an ant.

ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection comes in April 2011. If you have not played them on the PlayStation2™, by all means, try them out on the PlayStation3™, for all veterans, get the game and be impressed once again.

Gran Turismo 5 Release Date?

2010-11-10T10:01:00.003Z

The release date for Gran Turismo 5 has been changed more times than I can remember, with repeated delays and even the officially confirmed October release date being pushed back once again. But no more! According to IGN UK, the game is set to be released on the 26th of November for the EU and the 27th for the US, with promises of no more delays. Strangely enough, Europe will be getting the game a day earlier, that doesn't happen very often.

However, that's not all. There's rumors of GT5 retail discs being spotted around Europe and even some online retail stores claiming to have the game in stock already! Sony is still keeping quiet about all this. Buyers beware and I recommend buying the game from a reputable online store. If the release date is accurate, you won't need to wait much longer.

Info Revealed About Two Games Cancelled by Team Ninja

2010-11-08T09:30:00.003Z

Team Ninja was working on two new games back when Tomonobu Itagaki, of Dead or Alive fame, was still part of the studio. His resignation more than two years ago over monetary disputes resulted in Dead or Alive Chronus and Project Progressive being canceled, but the information has only been revealed now by Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi. In a recent interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu, he revealed that both projects have been canceled.

Not much progress had been made at the time, with both games in early stages of development. The team is now focusing on Ninja Gaiden 3, Ni-oh and a Dead or Alive game for the 3DS.

Play-Asia.com presents: Kamikaze Gear by Pebble: Cool accessories for all systems and situations!

2010-11-05T10:08:00.003Z

A bombardment of pouches, cases, battery packs and all sorts of accessories have crashed into our warehouse like the Kamikaze. Previously selling under their company name, Germany's third party manufacturer Pebble Entertainment recently re-branded their extensive portfolio of accessories and introduced their new brand Kamikaze Gear. Kamikaze Gear provides all sorts of decoration options to make your gaming more hip and active. And with this new name, the company has come up with even more products for you at friendly prices.

Of course there are the standard things such as protection films and cases, but there are more specific equipments such as the Prince Tennis Racket for the Nintendo Wii™ gamers. There are quite a lot of tennis games on that console, and you can make your match even more exciting by turning the remote control into a real racket by slipping it into the handle. Produced in collaboration with the sports equipment company Prince, this racket gives you the most realistic feel as you show off your forehand and backhands in the court.

If you're in the mood for personalization and decoration, there is a range colorful products such as modding skins. Give your hand held consoles a layer of protection, these colorful stickers will prevent the minor scratches, and when they get old, you can just peel them off and replace them with new ones.

The color and style spread beyond the modding skins to the pouches and cases, of course there are black ones and camouflage ones which offer a lot of protection, and there are others that spot puppy dogs, swirly patterns and other fancy designs.

Get a pack if you have a new console, they provide the case, head phones and straps and the basic maintenance tools such as cleaning clothes. Again, some of them are basic while other have more glitter.

Most of the products are for Nintendo DS™ series (i.e, from DS™ Lite to the DSi™ LL), but if you own other gaming devices, there still are things that take care of your needs.

If you want to find the full list of Kamikaze Gear Products, come read our special news.

Medal of Honor Sells Enough to Gaurantee a Sequel

2010-11-03T09:50:00.003Z

EA made it clear they would only create a sequel to the new Medal of Honor if it sold well. Without a number, it was hard to guess just how many copies would need to be sold to guarantee said sequel. While we still don't know what the number was to satisfy the VIP's at EA, we do know that pretty much a green light has been given for the development of the next game in the franchise after having sold two million copies worldwide.

Eurogamer spoke with John Riccitiello from EA who said that "The game has exceeded our plan and expectations - sell-through and sell-in."

"It is an absolutely clear success on a business front. Consumer feedback has been strong, suggesting we've got a franchise now that we can successfully sequel in the future. I think it's the first step for this franchise back into the marketplace."

Looks like EA will now attempt to beat the Call of Duty franchise with their own modern warfare shooter.

Nintendo Posts First Half-Year Net Loss in Seven Years

2010-11-01T09:55:00.004Z

Nothing lasts forever, but Nintendo had an incredibly long and prosperous time in the gaming industry, with seven years of profits to their name. The last three years resulted in huge profits thanks to the popularity of the Wii, but dwindling sales have resulted in the first half-year net loss of JP¥ 2.01 billion (about US$25 million) for the company.

Nintendo believes this downturn may continue until next year. However with the profit same time last year reaching JP¥ 69.49 billion (US$865 million) and the 3DS just around the corner, I doubt they have much to worry about.

US Wiimote Sales Number 65 Million

2010-10-26T10:55:00.004+01:00

While the Wiimote gets phased out next month in favor of the new Wii Remote Plus, Nintendo has released the sales figures for the four year old controller in the US, and the numbers are staggering!

A total of 65 million Wiimotes have been sold in the US alone. Just over 30 million of those were bundled with Wii system. Another 12.92 million were bundled with Wii Play.Standalone White Wiimotes make up the majority of non bundled sales at 18.56 million, while the one year old black Wiimote has sold 2.44 million. Pink ones have sold 467,500 and blue ones stand at 462,500 units sold. Very impressive numbers all round.

NBA Jam HD Heading to a Retail Stores in November

2010-10-23T07:30:00.004+01:00

Boomshakalaka! Many gamers from the 16-bit days will remember the word being expressed by the enthusiastic commentator after a glorified dunk in the outrageously fun basketball game known as NBA Jam. While a HD remake was recently released on the Wii, there were rumors going round of an inferior downloadable version being released for the PS3 and Xbox 360, which would contain less modes and possible not have an online component. Those fears can be put to rest as EA has not only confirmed the game will indeed be playable online with all modes intact, but also be released in retail stores on November 17 for both the PS3 and 360 respectively.

It doesn't stop there. EA will also be releasing an online game update soon after launch, which will provide fans with additional game modes including Backboard Smash, Domination Free-for-All, Elimination and 21. It's disappointing the modes aren't available straight out of the box, but at least it will be provided at no extra charge. The update is scheduled for December.

Roster Patch for NBA Live 10 on the Way

2010-10-19T11:22:00.003+01:00

After losing the NBA crown overwhelmingly to 2K Sports, EA decided to sit out this year. Good thing too, as NBA 2K11 received rave reviews with many claiming it to be the best basketball game ever made and some as the best sports game ever made. EA will really need to get their game together to topple NBA 2K12 next year.

Do you still prefer NBA Live and need an update? EA, has you covered. There's an incoming patch which will update rosters for the 2010-2011 season as well as a few other bits to keep you occupied. The patch is expected to be released on the 20th of October.
The new:

* All rosters have been updated to reflect the 2010-2011 NBA season
* The 2010-2011 rookie class has been included in the update
* There will be DNA Updates throughout the NBA Regular season. Expect the first update to arrive two to three weeks after the NBA regular season begins
* All the player ratings have been updated

The lacking:

* The new rookie class will not have cyber faces included in the update
* Rosters may not be 100% accurate with the first update due to NBA teams not having their rosters locked to 15 players. The rosters will be updated again to reflect the final selections made before the regular season begins.
* Jerseys will not be updated to reflect the 2010-2011 NBA season
* Stadiums will not be updated
* Player shoes have not been updated and there will be no shoe updates coming with NBA LIVE 10 this year.
* There are no scheduled gameplay updates included with the roster update
* Dynamic Season will not be updated
* NBA ELITE commentary will not be incorporated into the update.

Dig up your Dreamcast: NG:DEV.TEAM's Fast Striker comes this December and is announced for preorder today

2010-10-15T11:51:00.004+01:00

Forget about the fancy, gimmicky graphics and the world building for a while to enjoy the old school shooting where speed, survival and bullets mean everything. Brought to you by NG:DEV.TEAM of Last Hope: Pink Bullets fame, Fast Striker will remind you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place.

From the publisher: FAST STRIKER is a 2D arcade shooting game with emphasis on scoring. You can choose between 3 game modes with different scoring systems.

This game features six stages of excellent 2D arcade game play with over 40 unique enemy types, super smooth 3D scrolling backgrounds, huge CGI bosses and it features the biggest Megabit count ever since the beginning of NEO·GEO™ games.

The Limited Edition contains an original sound track with full version themes, a special DVD case and a full color, 12 page art book.

Fast Striker run on your Dreamcast™, dig it out from your attic now. The games come this December.

ID Shows New Quake Arena Arcade Footage

2010-10-15T10:35:00.003+01:00

Quake Arena Arcade was expected to be released in 2009 for the Xbox 360 on Xbox Live and with the lack of news, many assumed the game had been canned. However, those fears can be put to rest as ID has posted new footage clocking in at 10 minutes to keep the naysayers at bay. Featuring 45 maps, 30 of which have been taken from Quake III: Arena and the remaining 15 made especially for the Xbox Live release.Enjoy the footage of Quake Arena Arcade Early Build 1v1 Cliffside below:

Heat up your winter - Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: 3 Yome! comes in December

2010-10-12T11:08:00.003+01:00

The Taikos are here to spend the winter with you. They heat the season up with a festive air. Come grab your drumsticks and pound to the beat. For the first time in the series history, a total of four gamers can play together, letting you perform more intricate patterns of beats.

This time, the package comes with more than 70 songs, some of them are from famous J-pop artists such as EXILE and Kimura Kaela. People who enjoy anime music can play to the Studio Ghibli and Naruto theme songs. Even Monster Hunter and Hatsune Miku contribute their music to this game, so be sure to listen to the taiko versions.

Although you can play with your Wii Remote control and Nunchakus, its more fun, and realistic to play with the TataCon. For people who don't already own the accessory, be sure to grab the Bundle version. Taiko no Tatsujin Minna de Party * 3-Yome! comes this December.

Wii Remote Plus Priced

2010-10-10T11:25:00.006+01:00

After confirming that a Wii Remote Plus (which includes inbuilt Wii Motion Plus), was on its way to the public soon last month, Nintendo has now provided the details of the launch of the new product. So far only the Japanese launch has been revealed and the Wii Remote Plus will come in a variety of five different colors, retailing for ¥3,800 or around US $46. Alternatively, it will be available as a bundle with Wii Sports Resort for ¥5,800 or US $70.
Hopefully this will increase support for the Wii Motion Plus, which has been sorely lacking. Even a recent Nintendo published title like Metroid M did not support the add-on. Currently, having to hold the Wii Motion Plus together with a silicon case is inconvenient when needing to recharge the batteries, the Wii Motion Plus remote should alleviate this.

Medal of Honor Banned from Military Bases

2010-10-08T11:27:00.003+01:00

The new Medal of Honor game was banned from being sold on all U.S. military bases after receiving complaints from families and soldiers about the Taliban being a playable team in the multiplayer portion of the game.

EA caved in to the controversy and changed the name of the enemy to "Opposing Forces", likely in an attempt to have the game permitted to be sold on bases again and to alleviate some of the controversy. However, the name change did not result in the ban being lifted, with the military standing by their decision to keep the game from being sold on all bases.Small name change aside, Medal of Honor will be available on the 12th of October for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360...unless you're on a military base of course, than I recommend getting a copy from Play-Asia.com.

3D Call of Duty: Black Ops

2010-10-06T07:43:00.003+01:00

Looks like Treyarch and Activision have jumped on the 3D bandwagon now. The newest iteration in the biggest selling gaming franchise will support 3D right out of the box. I am of course referring to Call of Duty: Black Ops, the hotly anticipated title for this Christmas season.It's still not clear which platforms will support 3D, as "all" were mentioned, but I'm assuming the DS and Wii versions will of course miss out, while the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions will have the option. The only problem being the expensive 3D TV's and glasses holding the technology back, but it's good to see early support for the technology.

Yuji Naka wants a Dreamcast 2

2010-10-04T11:14:00.003+01:00

Unfortunately, it's never going to happen, but Dreamcast and Sega fans alike probably got their hopes up when Yuji Naka, in an interview with CVG, talked about wanting to work on Dreamcast 2. It's strange that the topic is being brought up so many years later. "I'm hoping to work on Dreamcast 2".

"Of course Dreamcast was my baby back at Sega and I want to carry on making good games for the European market and one day I'm hoping it gives me the opportunity to work on Dreamcast 2"

"If I have the opportunity in the future I want to be involved again with hardware making"

"It would be ideal if I could become some sort of advisor working with the platform makers in future. I think if I can work really well with the platform makers then it's good for everyone, because I can then come up with totally new games."

"I do miss those old days when I was heavily involved in hardware making at Sega. I was involved in most of the consoles and controllers that Sega came up with."

After being part of the creation of so many bad Sonic games and mass of crappy Sega hardware, such as the Mega CD, 32x, Game Gear, Nomad, Dreamcast VMU (just to name a few), I'm not sure if anyone is willing to take his advice on board.

Dominate the dance floor - DJ MAX Portable 3 comes is October and is available for preorder now!

2010-09-30T11:58:00.003+01:00

DJ MAX is building a steadily growing fan base both within Korea and overseas with their cute characters, hot dance beats and stylish graphics. Those who live in the Korea could go to the arcades to enjoy this touch screen phenomenon, but those who are overseas, as long as you have your Sony PSP consoles, you are part of the community.

Come sway to the rhythm and play out the tempo of the hottest Korean and Japanese pop songs - DJ MAX 3 will come this October. The best composers are back to contribute their work, look forward to more of: Planetboom, NieN, makou, myagi, DJ Keri, PIA and Vanilla Unity!

Besides new songs and sexy background dancers, the newest installment has the challenging Remix Mode where you get to feel the excitement of being behind the turntables, dominating the beat of the dance floor.

And instead of just pressing buttons, you'll have control of the analogue stick, give it a swing when you're given the cue to change gears.

Those who've mastered Black Square, come take up the challenge again.

Like all Limited Editions in the DJ MAX series, this box set comes with an ample amount of exclusive items: The twin disc Original Soundtrack album comes with all the music to sate your DJ MAX addiction, there's also a beautifully color printed art book and a special UMD package.

The First Print Regular Edition features a different cover from the usual Regular Editions that comes after this. If you want to set your game apart from the masses, this is the copy to get!

Experience Games in Three Dimensions right out of your pocket: Nintendo™ 3DS announced, available for reservations now!

2010-09-30T11:40:00.002+01:00

Here is a console that will win you all the bragging rights in the world: Nintendo™ 3DS. This little gadget opens a vast array of gaming possibilities and all the challenges you need to keep you captivated. Announced during the E3 conferences earlier, the console has finally scheduled for release in February 2011.

The lower touch screen is 3.02 inches wide with 320 x 240 pixels. With this new dimension comes new controls: a slide pad, a motion sensor and a gyro-sensor.

There is a game cartridge slot and an SD card slot, the 3DS cartridges are the same size as the previous cartridges and the console is backwards compatible. There are three cameras on this console, 2 on the outside and 1 within the clam shell. To accommodate people with large hands, the touch pen attached is stretchable.

Networking gets an upgrade in security, 3DS™ gamers can play together through the adhoc network mode and the access to the internet becomes even safer.

Please see this special news about the reservations system. And be sure to go to the Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black product pages to show your interest!

Games waiting for your preorders! Tales of Graces F & The 3rd Birthday!

2010-09-30T11:19:00.005+01:00

Two really hot games are announced and are waiting for preorders, they are are Tales of Graces F and The 3rd Birthday - a continuation in the Parasite Eve series.

Tales of Graces F is not a mere port of the original Nintendo™ Wii version, it expands the Efinea world and includes the epilogue of the game. This brand new branch of the plot takes place half a year after the great war, where Richard and Asbel become King and mayor respectively.

Everyone has found a place in the new system, yet, not all is good and well. A new mysterious force is threatening the world. Come again, even if you've saved the world once.

Monsters - the Twisted, that spawned in the far future devoured all the humans, and when they destroyed the whole earth, they spiral time backwards to the past to repeat the carnage. In 2012, the authorities created the Over Dive system, a weapon that could perhaps save the future and the past. However, there is only one person who's compatible with this technology - Aya Brea, the girl without a past.

Travel through time and eliminate the horde of Twisted. Take over the bodies of the people who inhabits the time frame to battle. The Over Dive system offers you one chance to turn the situation around when it reaches the full gauge, your attack power rises several times fold. But one mistake, you'll be gone, and the world will go with you.

Both Tales of Graces F and The 3rd Birthday come this December, you have a very busy holiday season before you indeed!

Here's a trailer of the 3rd Birthday, see if it matches your expectations of the game!

Japanese 3DS Price and Launch Date Revealed

2010-09-30T10:53:00.002+01:00

The price and release date of the 3DS for the Japanese launch was revealed today at the Nintendo 2010 conference. Nintendo 3DS consoles will be available for purchase in Japan on the 26th of February 2011, with the west getting their units in early March. Priced at 25,000 yen, or USD $300, it's not exactly cheap. However, it's possible the North American and European editions could be slightly cheaper as this is the pricing for the Japanese 3DS's only. It will ship in two colors, Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta Demo Imminent

2010-09-28T08:41:00.003+01:00

Can't get enough of God of War? Played the trilogy, the PSP game and even the cell phone game? You'll be glad to know that with Ghost of Sparta's November 2 release date looming closer, a free demo will be available tomorrow for download on the PlayStation Network. So dust off your PSP if you haven't already and prepare for some more God of War goodness. The sequel to Chains of Olympus is sure to impress.

Nintendo 3DS Specs Leaked?

2010-09-24T10:46:00.004+01:00

Apparently a source close to IGN has leaked the specs of the Nintendo 3DS handheld. While one can take a lot of rumors with a grain of salt, the fairly low specs seem very plausible and the hardware seems in line with what one would expect as the follow up to the DS.

266MHz ARM11 CPUs
133MHz GPU
4MBs dedicated VRAM
64MBs of RAM
1.5GBs of flash storage.

As expected, once again we see two ARM CPU's, although newer editions with a higher clock speed. It was rumored Nintendo would use the superior Nvidia Tegra chipset, but that was confirmed false even before E3. Apart from that, the other specs also seem fairly inline with the slightly better graphics than the PSP, if the Kid Icarus game shows us any indication.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Revealed at TGS

2010-09-21T06:06:00.002+01:00

Tekken fans rejoince, not only can you look forward to the Tekken X Street Fighter (and vice-versa) crossovers, you'll now also be able to play the long awaited sequel to Tekken Tag Tournament! Prepare to fight two-on-two with a huge roster of Tekken characters. Something that hasn't been done since the PlayStation 2 launch title many years ago.
Katsuhiro Harada made the announcement at TGS and will be working on both Tekken Tag and the Street Fighter crossover simultaneously. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will incorporate Tekken 6's gameplay and physics and is already slated for a 2011 Japan release. Must have been kept under wraps for a while now. Check out the teaser below:

2010-09-19T06:14:00.002+01:00

Think the Halo franchise is stagnant? Think again! Halo: Reach, Bungie's latest release (number 5 if you don't count Halo Wars) of the very successful series has managed to rake in a whopping US $200 million dollars in its first day on sale. Microsoft proudly made the announcement at TGS and apparently, it's more than any entertainment product this year. Considering it's an Xbox 360 exclusive, it's quite a feat. Can Call of Duty: Black Ops steal the show? It's got a multiplatform advantage on its side.

ICO & Shadow of the Colossus for PS3 Revealed at TGS 2010

2010-09-16T10:18:00.003+01:00

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus fans rejoice, Japanese gaming magazine first confirmed the long rumored Team Ico collection for the PS3 yesterday. Today we have the first footage from the Tokyo Game Show. Not sure why, but each game is being released separately in Japan, while leaked boxart from a European retailer (see right) thankfully shows that the game will be released as a collection just like the God of War collection. I'm sure plenty of people are eager to play the game with updated graphics and smooth 60fps gameplay. I know I am!

Nintendo's Next Console Will Surprise

2010-09-14T07:39:00.002+01:00

It's interesting to see someone from the Nintendo crew be the first one to talk about a new console. Metriod co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto spoke to 3DJuegos about a new console from Nintendo. The google translation gives us the following:

"At Nintendo we always have the obligation to surprise users with a new console. We have never done what others. We prefer to create something new that catches attention, and I think this will continue at this time. Surely the new Nintendo machine will leave you all with mouth open".
Some people speculated that a "Hi-res" Wii would be announced at E3, but that didn't happen. But was that due to not wanting to take the limelight asay from the 3DS? It's possible, but unlikely that the new console would be unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show. Not to mention the Wii is doing perfectly fine, even with the amount of shovelware that is being released. My bet is on E3 2011 and that this time Nintendo will be the first company to usher in the next generation of video game consoles.

Still no cross-game chat for PlayStation Plus

2010-09-12T03:24:00.005+01:00

A lot of PS3 owners envy the cross-game chat available on Xbox Live. Many thought the feature would be included on the PS3 once the PlayStation Plus service became available. But the PlayStation Plus service launch has passed and no cross-game chat function was revealed to many online gamers dismay. PlayStation Plus subscribers want this heavily requested feature to be implemented in the service.So we have another Q&A response, posted on the PlayStation blog as follows:

"We are constantly working on new services and features to enhance your PlayStation experience; however, Cross-Game Chat was not announced as a part of PlayStation Plus’ features. We know that Cross-Game Chat is a functionality our fans are extremely interested in and we are always striving to improve the PlayStation Network experience and services."

Sounds like there is either an issue that needs to be worked out or cross-game chat is not possible on the PS3. I'm sure they've tried to start implementing it after all this time, but if looks like we won't be seeing it for a while yet.

Move Patches Might Cost You

2010-09-10T22:21:00.004+01:00

Remember when the Dual Shock 3 came out? Quite a few patches were released, although most of them from Sony titles enabling you to enjoy rumble in games that had already been released before the controller was out in the wild. All those patches were free. With the PlayStation Move controller though, it will be up to the publishers to decide if there is a fee for the patch. We can assume the Sony published titles will have free Move patches, but other companies like Capcom and EA, could very well charge money just for a patch to enable Move support.
From the US PlayStation blog:

Q: Will I need to update my games to enable PlayStation Move support? If yes, will it be free?

A: Most PlayStation Move games you'll play will be designed specifically for the motion controller, though some game publishers have chosen to add PlayStation Move support to their existing PS3 games. Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition and Heavy Rain are two well-known examples of existing games being adapted for PlayStation Move. In these cases, you will download an update over the PlayStation Network to add PlayStation Move support. Whether these updates are free or will require a fee will depend on the game and publisher.

Duke Nukem Forever Coming 2011 - I kid you not!

2010-09-04T11:45:00.000+01:00

Last year 3D Realms finally went bust and closed its doors, bringing the never ending development of Duke Nukem Forever to a close after 12 years. Having been a longtime source of jokes about its vapourware status, it seemed like an act of mercy to finally put it to rest. Nothing was really expected, as 3D Realms and publisher Take 2 went to court over who owned what. However, the sudden showing of the game at PAX along with a playable demo has clearly surprised many. Myself included.

Gearbox Software persuaded Take 2 to let them finish the game and have continued developing the game in the last year or so, hence the quick release date of 2011. It seems that Take 2 managed to wrangle the rights to the game from 3D realms after all, but bankruptcy will do that to you. Anyway, Duke Nukem Forever is coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 and no it's really real this time and will definitely be completed and released this time. I'm serious. The jokes will finally stop...oh, who am I kidding?

Classics HD Collections - PS2 Remastered Games

2010-09-01T05:53:00.004+01:00

It was really disappointing to see Sony drop PlayStation 2 backward compatibility support on the PS3. The PS2 had an incredible library of great games, but not everyone had the chance to play a lot of them and backwards compatibility would have allowed anyone with a PS3 to play or relive some PS2 classics. The high cost of putting in the PS2 hardware into the PS3 along with the already high cost of the PS3 hardware created a system which was just not commercially viable. But at least now we have some sort of compromise.

Although the idea of backward compatibility coming back is an impossibility, the success of the God of War collection showed that there was a viable market for Blu-Ray disc collection of PS2 classics, upscaled in HD. Apart from the higher resolution and widescreen support, the collection also featured 60fps gameplay, anti-aliasing and trophy support.

The next collection to be released will be the Sly Racoon trilogy. Three PS2 games on one disc in HD with also some 3D and Move support for $39.99. I think that's great value, especially if, like me, you've never played the games before. You may also notice in the picture that there is a new "Classics HD" tag on the box. Hopefully, this will mean many more collections will be released. Here are just some of the collections I would like to see:

Devil May Cry Collection - Dante's trilogy needs a collection asap.

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus - The most requested PS2 collection. Need I say more?

Jak & Daxter Collection - Naughty Dog may have moved onto Uncharted, but this fantastic platform series needs a place on the PS3.

Metal Gear Solid Collection - This one would require some extra work, but Konami could port the updated Metal Gear Solid from the Gamecube to go along with MGS2 and MGS3. I'm sure it would sell plenty of copies.

Onimusha Collection - Another bunch of games by Capcom, which would be great to have on one disc.

Ratchet & Clank Collection - A no-brainer really, Ratchet & Clank are some of the best platform games around.

Lucky Play-Asia.com BBQ Sale

2010-08-30T11:08:00.003+01:00

Are you a bargain hunter? Do you want to be in the chance to win prizes while buying stuff from Play-Asia at a fraction of the original cost? If you answered yes to one or both - and I'm sure you did - then head over to Play-Asia.com to find thousands of items at discounted prices!

Purchasing any of the eligible products puts you in the chance to win some great prizes. Check it out:

Prizes

* 1st Place:US$ 250 store credit
* 2nd & 3rd Place: US$ 150 store credit
* 4th to 10th Place: US$ 75 store credit
* 11th to 25th Place: US$ 50 store credit
* 26th to 50th Place: US$ 20 store credit

What are you waiting for? There are thousands of bargains to choose from!

This is Vegas cancelled, money wasted

2010-08-26T10:28:00.003+01:00

Midway announced This is Vegas way back in 2008. After three years in development and a whopping $43 million spent making the game, it's finally been put to rest. With this kind of wasteful management, it's not surprising Midway was going out of business. Warner Bros. has done the right thing in canning the project.Apparently the game was almost ready to be released last year, but then needed an extra eight months to a year to finally complete it. The problem? The studio was burning through $250,000 per month and Midway just couldn't keep it going.

For such a low profile game (I'm sure many of you have never heard of it!), it's surprising that so much money was handed out to complete it. Still, if it really was near completion, it seems like a waste to not finish the product and release it, but Warner Bros. probably deemed it not worth the money or risk. Check out the trailer and see what you think.

Mortal Kombat 9 - So far, so good

2010-08-22T10:12:00.003+01:00

For me the ultimate Mortal Kombat game (no pun intended), was Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Throwing in a mass of characters from the first three games to create one massive brawl fest. I remember never getting tired of the game back in the PlayStation days. But then the crappy Mortal Kombat 4 came out, followed by the supposedly improved sequels, which I thought were nothing like the first three games and just a dull fighter.But that all changes with the ninth iteration of Mortal Kombat. While it's still in 3D, the game is distinctly on a 2D plane like Street Fighter 4 and seems to be much closer gameplay wise to Mortal Kombat 3 then any of the previous attempts. The graphics also remind me of the original trilogy. All the old favorite characters will return I'm sure, with the game sporting a large roster and a cool looking four player tag-team mode as well. With series creator Ed Boon on board and a stellar trailer, maybe it wasn't so bad that Midway went out of business after all? Coming 2011 on PS3 and Xbox 360. Check out the trailer below!

Making Starcraft 2 for consoles

2010-08-20T11:48:00.003+01:00

When Blizzard releases a game, it's pretty much a guaranteed license to print money. Starcraft 2 was a long time coming, but honestly, I was not interested, at all. I had stopped playing the real time strategy genre many years ago. I think Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War was the last RTS I had played, which was great by the way. Dawn of War removed the need for the micromanagement of resources, but the formula was getting stale.
However, when Starcraft 2 was released, I couldn't resist. Having such fond memories of playing Starcraft with a bunch of friends in a LAN, finally made me take the plunge into the sequel. Was it worth it? Indeed it was! Even though not much has changed, Starcraft was one of the best RTS games ever made. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? The campaign is great fun and only starts to get a little stale near the end.

I think the game could benefit from being ported to consoles. You might remember the first Starcraft was ported to the Nintendo 64? That was an odd choice. While the PlayStation had seen the likes of Warcraft II, Command & Conquer, Z and Red Alert to name a few, someone made the decision to release Starcraft on the N64. It didn't sell very well, obviously.

The biggest complaint for RTS games on consoles has always been the lack of a mouse and keyboard setup. On the PS3 this could be rectified with a USB mouse and keyboard, but the lack of USB ports on the console makes this a bit of a hassle. Both are used up in this setup and it's not much fun using a keyboard (let alone a mouse) on the ground or on your lap. But with the Kinect and Move being released, we have new controller opportunities. Would these controllers provide the ultimate precision for commanding your troops, or would it all be a futile attempt of frustration from lack of accuracy and tired limbs from flailing your arms around? We'll know more when the hardware is released.

FunGP, Caanoo & Wiz App Store Now Open

2010-08-18T14:47:00.005+01:00

FunGP, the app store for purchasing and downloading games and applications for your GPH Wiz and Caanoo is now open. You can go there, set up an account, and browse through all that they have to offer. There's even a "Developer Center" section for people, like me, that are into homebrew coding for consoles like this. And for those of you that are development-minded, I heard that they're going to have some sort of competition coming soon, so start thinking. If you do create something, I believe that you can add it to the FunGP app store yourself.

So, go check it out. There's not much more for me to say here other than that it has now just officially launched. If you want to know more, just head over to FunGP.

And don't forget that this means that the Caanoo's official release is imminent. Please check out the white Caanoo and the black Caanoo (which is actually a blue Caanoo even though it looks black in most pictures) and see which one is best for you.

Street Fighter X Tekken or Tekken X Street Fighter

2010-08-15T09:52:00.003+01:00

The news of the Tekken /Street Fighter crossover games sure has pleasantly surprised fighting game fans. For the uninitiated, Capcom and Namco Bandai are each creating their own crossover fighting game titled Street Fighter X Tekken and Tekken X Street Fighter respectively. They are not joining forces to create one game. It's pretty much the same as Capcom did with Capcom VS SNK, except SNK did not create their own version of the crossover. You may remember that while SNK characters were present, the characters were changed to fit the Street Fighter gameplay and it still felt like a Street Fighter game.
Still, at least both games were 2D fighters and shared some similarity. On the other hand, Tekken and Street Fighter are two very different fighting games, even if you put Street Fighter IV into the equation. So while it's a cool announcement, I was definitely surprised and wonder how each game will turn out. While Street Fighter IV is great, I think that Tekken X Street Fighter might turn out better of the two games.

Another interesting factor is the commercial viability of both games. Fans will see them as separate games, but are they willing to buy both? Will the average consumer know the games are any different? Going by the slight change in the title name, I don't think they will. Releasing two games might bring down sales for both. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Two fighters which would be a perfect crossover, in my humble opinion, would be a Tekken/Virtua Fighter game. Dead or Alive would also be a good fit with either, but is still Xbox exclusive. Still, if these games sell well, another crossover could happen.

Caanoo Review (With Gamepark GP32, GPH GP2X, Wiz)

2010-08-03T15:52:00.010+01:00

This Caanoo review is also going to be a bit of a GP32, GP2X, and Wiz historical review. Some of you guys, like myself, may have been following along for years now. This unknown Korean company came out of nowhere and built a handheld gaming console. It was named GP32 after the company's name "Game Park." To the masses, it wasn't anything special, but it was revolutionary.

The GP32 was a new paradigm in portable console gaming. Not only was it able to play commercial games, but it was also meant as a video player, a music player, and an e-book reader. It used standard off-the-shelf SmartMedia cards which allowed anyone that had the desire to create games and applications for the system.

GamePark had problems and ultimately fell apart, but a core group of brains from the company went on to create GPH (Game Park Holdings). While similar to the original GamePark, GPH was a new company, and their flagship product was the GP2X.

The GP2X was unlike it's predecessor (GP32) in hardware. It was faster, used SD cards for storage, included USB support, had TV output, etc. In vision though, it was quite similar, and it expanded on the open-source focus by employing Linux as its operating system. This was another revolutionary move in the right direction, and homebrew developers loved it. The GP2X had a good life going through a few revisions and ultimately adding touch screen support.

About 2 years ago, GPH let it out that there was a new generation coming in their open-source handheld gaming console line. The GP2X Wiz was taking things to the next level.

The Wiz was smaller than anything that came before it. It still included the standard SD card support, ran Linux, and borrowed the touch-screen from its recent predecessor. However, the Wiz now boasted a 533MHz CPU, 3D hardware, and an AMOLED screen (among other things).

Things have gone rather well for the GP2X and the Wiz. GPH has been releasing commercial games, there are tons of homebrew games/apps/emulators, and GPH is opening their app store soon. In fact, the massive GP32Spain coding contest just closed their submission period. Among them are notable entries such as a PSX (PlayStation) emulator, Wonderswan emulator, SNES Emulator, a full remake of Sqrxz by the Giana's Return team, and the original title Polarity by TJ Hooka. Check out screenshots of the GP32Spain competition entries at NewsWeez for more info. Keep in mind that that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as Wiz homebrew goes.

The culmination of the GP32Spain contest coincides very nicely with the release of GPH's latest addition to this long line of unique open-source-minded handheld game consoles. Their new Caanoo handheld and its FunGP app store are already causing a stir.

The Caanoo isn't a large departure from the Wiz. It borrows features such as stylus touch-screen input, expands on things like USB support by adding a full-sized USB port (allowing such things as movie playback from a USB stick), changes it up a bit by replacing the digital dpad with an analog joystick, and adds features like rumble vibration feedback and tilt sensor. The way I look at it, it's more like the Wiz's more grown up and cooler big brother.

I have seen 3 of the Caanoo's original commercial titles: Rhythmos, Propis, and Asura Cross. Rhythmos is an addictive rhythm game set to Korean music. It boasts 2 gameplay modes. One is more Guitar Heroish while the other is more Elite Beat Agentsish. Propis is a puzzle game somewhat in the vein of Bejeweled but with cute anime characters. Asura Cross is a 2D SNK-ish fighting style game. Rumor has it that the Caanoo launch may also see titles such as Rotate Patissier, PGM2010, Redemption Liar, Deicide 3, and an arcade game pack featuring 16 classic licensed arcade titles.

In my first impressions article, I asked for input as to what people wanted to know about the GPH Caanoo. Other than battery life (which you can read about in my Caanoo Battery Life article), there were really two main things. People want to see how certain games run, and people want to see how well the analog stick works.

I have been making videos of these things, so let's take a look.
We started with some real classic games to test the dpad. Zaxxon and Mx. Pacman both played well. The main issue here, though, is with games like Pacman, the original game did not physically allow the player to push two directions (like up and left) at the same time. Modern joysticks do, and often the player will inadvertently press a little in an adjacent direction whenever he means to press true up/dn/l/r.

Some may believe that the analog stick exacerbates this problem, but I (from a developer standpoint) believe that the analog stick gives us a perfect solution to the issue. Now, game/emulator developers can tell if you are pushing a direction just slightly. In the past, all they could tell was if you pushed that way or not. If you mean to push up, you will be pushing it 100%. If you accidentally push to the side a bit, it will register something like 100% up and 10% left. In games like Pacman, it would then be obvious that you meant to go up, not left.

Also shown in the above video is a test of the tilt sensor. I was fairly amazed that Ms. Pacman just worked right away. It takes some getting used to playing a game like that using the tilt controls, but it works. This really opens the doors for new innovative gameplay even on old classic games as shown.

Here's another video showing classic emulated games. As you can see, Mario Brothers, Moon Patrol, Domino Man, Lode Runner, and Missile Command all play well.

Maybe you're getting tired of the videos, but there are several just so you can pick and choose what sorts of things you're interested in. Requests for old-school games seemed to be topping the list, so that was my main focus. I still have some video footage to obtain and upload, so please watch here and at my cfc2ngpc YouTube channel for updates.

I guess there's not much more to say. This review is already much longer than I intended. Basically, if you're here, you are probably interested in one of the following things.

Homebrew Coding and Development
Obscure and/or Rare Handheld Gaming Consoles
Korean Videogames
Linux-Based Consoles
Not Being a Slave to "The Man" (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, etc.)
Classic Gaming
Emulation

If any of those items resonate with you, then the GPH Caanoo is a great investment. It builds on the already solid foundations that GPH has laid. The GP32, GP2X, and Wiz have all been successful open-source handheld game consoles. The Caanoo simply adds to this long legacy of portable gaming by upgrading to features like increased screen size, full-sized USB port, tilt sensor, vibration feedback, and analog stick. If you've made it this far through my review, then you're obviously interested in this stuff, and I think you'll be pleased with the the GPH Caanoo.

Play-Asia.com presents DS-10 Dominator! Album 'Dance if you can't dance' now available for preorder! Official YouTube channel launched!

2010-07-27T10:24:00.002+01:00

After setting up an (unofficial) blog, an official facebook and twitter account, we now also have an official youtube channel. Our first videos are featuring the DS-10 Dominator, a European underground electronic project, bringing together two things that we like: music and video games.

Come hear some music in DS-10 Dominator first show, come visit Play-Asia.com Official Channel:

For more information on DS-10 Dominator's upcoming release Dance if you can't dance, please see this special news.

To preorder his CD, come visit the product page.

GPH Caanoo Vs. MVS, GP2X Wiz, NGPC, etc

2010-07-24T19:18:00.010+01:00

I had this crazy idea to show off the Caanoo and some of my other systems, so I conned some of my family to help me with my plan to make a couple videos. The first one compares the Caanoo to the NeoGeo MVS, and my 2-year-old had the main speaking role. The second features Ava showing us some of the differences between the Caanoo and several other handhelds. I don't think I need to say much more. The videos should speak for themselves.

GPH Caanoo - Battery Test

2010-07-24T05:00:00.008+01:00

Here's a quick post for those of you following the GP2X Caanoo. One commenter asked about the battery life, so I came up with a "real world" test to gauge the battery life. Note that I did not change the system's clock rate which would impact the battery life, but that could go either way. For some things, you could clock it down to save life, and for other things (like emulating certain systems), you may clock it up to increase performance.

My "real world" test consisted of me watching a movie and then playing some emulated games on the GPH Caanoo. This was a bit simulated, though, because I didn't actually watch the movie or play the games. The movie just played while I did some other things. The games I chose were all emulated arcade games. I chose them, because arcade games have demo modes that sit there and show off the gameplay until someone inserts a quarter. That way my tests were always stressing the CPU even though I wasn't actually hitting buttons.

At time zero, I started "Howl's Moving Castle." You can see, from the screenshots, that the battery was full when the movie started. Then, at the end of the movie (1-hour and 56 minutes in), I took another screenshot showing that the battery indicator still shows full battery. Oh, and I set the movie player to half brightness. It looked fine at that setting, and I figured it was a good average.

After 2 hours of movie playing, I shut the machine down, so I could switch SD cards (to the one with the games). I booted the Caanoo back up and started MAME running Shock Troopers 2nd Squad (and the clock set to 533MHz). I let Shock Troopers run for 22 minutes. After that, the battery was down to 2/3 full.

I switched to Out Run, and let that play all through my commute and dinner. It was almost 2 hours of Out Run, and by the time I was finished eating, the battery was at about 1/3.

I ran Tetris for about a half hour, and then I switched to Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. 12 minutes into Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, I found the machine dead.

The final conclusion is that I got 5 hours of real-world playtime out of the Caanoo's battery. I think that's pretty nice, because I was doing some intensive stuff. I'm sure that if you were just listening to MP3s or reading e-books, you'd get way more time out of it. Perhaps you could even double it, especially if you clocked it down.

Caanoo

2010-07-22T16:06:00.008+01:00

The new GP2X Caanoo has made its way into my loving arms. It just arrived, and I've made a video of my first run through the menu and some of the games. Bear with me. It was my first time using the machine AND I was trying to record it for you with my other hand. I was excited to get a chance to try the Caanoo and share with you guys, so I didn't really have a plan as to what I might talk about or show (since I didn't even know what was available, myself). After checking the video out, there were some parts that were a waste of time, so I cut them out. Also, I didn't have macro mode turned on when I started recording, so the video quality gets better part way through.

Like I said, I was excited to share this with you. I'm not a professional videographer or spokesperson. That should be clear.

As far as my first impressions go, I really like the form factor. Compared to the GP2X Wiz, it feels more like a handheld gaming system. The Wiz seems like a cool pocket gadget. It's small and sleek. The GPH Caanoo seems like a system meant for gaming and watching video on the go. I'm sure I'm not explaining the difference well, so I'll try to elaborate.

You know the Game Boy Micro? It would fit in your pocket, and it would do everything you wanted it to do (at the time, play GBA games). It was awesome, because it was so small and sleek and still did what you bought it for. That's the Wiz. It can play your movies, games, emulators, etc. and you'll never have a tough time carrying it with you anywhere.

Now the Caanoo comes along. Sure, it can do what the Wiz does, but it's just better. You can tell by looking at it. It's the Wiz's big brother. The specs are similar to the Wiz's, but it has features the Wiz doesn't. The screen is larger, it has an analog joystick instead of a dpad, it has a g-sensor (motion sensor), it includes haptic technology in the form of vibration force feedback, and it has a full-sized USB port that will accept a WiFi adapter. On first impression, the Caanoo comes off as a man's version of the Wiz.

As I get more into the machine, I'll be writing more. If you want more videos, let me know. I'm not sure if people prefer that format or the blog format. I'm no expert at the vids, though, so don't be afraid to say that you'd rather me stick with typing.

Also, let me know if you are curious about any specific aspect of the Caanoo. You've seen what I have loaded on the machine. If you want me to go in depth about anything, leave a comment. I'd be glad to address it.

I really am impressed with the Caanoo so far. I wondered what GPH would come up with, and I think they're on the right track. When the FunGP website takes off, I think we'll be in for a fun new handheld gaming paradigm. Even without it, though, the Caanoo is a big step forward for the surprise contender, GPH.

Jump up and get moving - PlayStation3™ Move and related games are available fore preorder now!

2010-07-16T03:26:00.003+01:00

Jump up and get moving. The new PlayStation3™ Move is a new gadget that lets you fall straight into the game environment. Couple this new play style with the ultra realistic blu-ray disc graphics, and you'll have fantasy and bullet rains at your finger tips. The controllers will come this autumn, so preorder to get the experience early.

Move right and left, up and down, throw a punch and pull back. The camera can sense all your movements with needle point accuracy. Aim at any minute point on the screen and shoot, or draw sketches to see all the delicate lines.

To give you a taste of the extra dimensions that this device could provide to your gaming experience, a couple of new releases and hot existing games will come in September. The jocks and fitness maniacs can start getting things moving through games such as Sports Champion and the artistic people can play with Beat Sketch!!.

Families with young children can get a pet through the PlayStation3™ system. You can now interact physically with your monkey in Eye Pet, pat him and get him new toys. Gather friends together and play party games such as Move de Party. You can also test the accuracy of these controllers through shooting games such as Big Gun 3 Shooting.

You can also see how intensive the already exciting games become with the Move System with hot titles such as Biohazard 5 and Mugen Kairo. The US versions will come this September and the Japanese versions will come in October.

Destroy Aizen and the Espada once and for all - Bleach: Heat the Soul 7 - Available for preorder today!

2010-07-14T10:55:00.002+01:00

Aizen have put you and your friends through numerous dangers ever since he schemed to have Rukia executed. After facing all the trials he threw at you, you finally have a chance to finish off the team of Espada and the big boss himself in Heat the Soul 7.

Be ready to battle Aizen and his Espada troops. Train up your fighting abilities in the Tutorial Mode. If you've never picked up a Zanpakuto before in your life, you can start with Easy and when you are more confident, you can go to the more difficult settings.

Heat the Soul 7 features a new fight mode - the Battle Royale. Ask some friends to join and see who could stay fighting till the very end. Besides seeing the end of Aizen, you'd also meet the original character Muramasa and play missions from the original story- Zanpakuto Ibunroku.

Bleach: Heat the Soul 7 will come in early September and you can preorder your copy today.

The paint brush and the sword: Okamiden: Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou sequel to the award winning Okami!

2010-07-14T10:48:00.002+01:00

See the unique blend of bold and delicate brush paintings in Okamiden: Chisana Taiyou, the sequel of the award winning fantasy action adventure Okami. The game picks up immediately at the end of the first game and introduces two new protagonists: Chibiterasu, the fluffy wolf pup and the cute Kuninushi.

Just when Issun, the new ruler of the country thinks that Amaterasu and Susanou have restored peace over Nakatsunokuni, new monsters start popping up. More numerous, and powerful than ever, these monsters are turning humans into boulders or dinner.

But hope is not lost, for the new wolf Chibiterasu is here to save the day. Pick up your stylus and start drawing. The touch screen on the Nintendo DS makes painting even more handy. And this time, you're not going alone, Kuninushi, the self-proclaimed son of Susanou will accompany you with his big sword.

The delicate brush paintings and Sakura blossoms are back. Come with the super cute Chibiterasu and his partner Kuninushi to a brand new action adventure. Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou is coming in September.

Live on Sony PSP™ - K-On! Houkago Live!! and the Accessory Pack available for preorder today!

2010-07-14T10:39:00.002+01:00

The K-On! girls get their big break, and you'll share their excitement with them. The After School Tea Time is open for all music lovers and gamers to join and jam together. Maybe you'll be the next Hirasawa Yui to find where your dreams and talents lie.

After bringing the Vocaloid idol Miku and her friends to the Sony PSP, Sega decides to bring the K-ON! girls to your wide screen. See the girls interact in the event scenes, listen to their cute and energetic voices and watch them play around in Chibi forms.

The rules of the game are simple, just press the right button when the note hits the bar. Jam songs with your favorite girl band After School Tea Time and play their songs, such as Cagayake Girls and Don't Say Lazy. You'll win items and costumes when you clear stages. So dress the girls up and decorate the room as you go along.

Turn on your adhoc network function to call your friends to jam song. The complicated music become easy jobs if you play together. A total of five people can join a session, so step into the shoes of your dream girl and play.

K-On! Houkago Live!! will come in September.

To celebrate the event and show your affection for the girls, dress your Sony PSP up the K-ON! way. The accessory pack comes with a pouch to protect your console from falls, a silicon cover which bears Yui's silhouette and music notes, and 5 UMD cases that feature all 5 girls. The set is also coming in September.

Demons, masks and Persona - The US versions of Persona 3 FES, Digital Devil Saga 1+2 and Nocturne are back for a limited time at great prices!

2010-07-05T10:23:00.004+01:00

Challenging, punishing, but most of all, captivating- the Shin Megami Tensei (Megaten)/ Persona series have caught fans in a whirlwind when they were out. Now elevated to classic games status, four of the most unique in the series are back, for a very limited time period:
Persona 3 FES, Digital Devil Saga 1, Digital Devil 2 and Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne.

Persona 3 FES is essentially a collection of two games. If you've never played Persona 3, be sure to start from the beginning. In this first chapter, you become the MC- a teenage boy moving to a new, posh boarding school and ended up being assigned to a hall with the most popular students in school.

Although things are confusing at first, you managed to make new friends and lead a reasonably happy school life, that is, until you meet the shadows that lurk in the city and awaken your Persona- Orpheus. As one of the special people who could call forth their Personas, you get recruited into the S.E.E.S team.

The FES Episode continues where the first game left off. You become Aigis, the android maiden and face off with the your "sister" Metis. You will solve the puzzle behind the tragic events that happened to the MC and break out of the time loop that locks everyone into the day before the graduation.

Digital Devil Saga drops you into the Junkyard, a dog eat dog world where only the fittest could survive. You are Serph, one of the tribe leaders with the Demon Virus. Whenever the Demon takes over, you become a cannibal that seeks to devour everything in your path.

Yet, the cannibalistic urges are not the scariest things; the emotions that come with them are. Meeting Sera, the mysterious girl whose song could calm your inner demon is your first step to redemption, you think, and taking her to the Karma Temple is your ticket to escape the increasingly bleak Junkyard.

But be careful of what you wish for. In the direct sequel, Digital Devil Saga 2, it's revealed that the Junkyard is in fact an utopia created by Sera to escape the confines of her own world and Serph is not the savior he has been playing....

In Nocturne, you are no longer the human but the Demon Fiend who could choose the fate of the world. Arguably the darkest and most punishing in the Megaten series, Nocturne gives you the ability to talk to demons and recruit them to your army, as well as the potential to become Lucifer's successor.

Merge your demons together to form more powerful beings and venture into the labyrinths and networks to take down some even more powerful enemies. It's through battles and bloodbath that you learn which Law fits you best.

Breathing fire and electricity - Meet Reshiram and Zekrom in Pokemon Black and White! - Available for preorder today!

2010-07-05T10:20:00.003+01:00

Visit the Isshu Region and venture onto the center island where new and legendary Pokemon wait for their new masters. The two powerful Pokemon you can tame in these latest versions are the white, fire breathing Reshiram in Pokemon Black and the black electric user Zekrom in Pokemon White.

Pokemon Black and White connects all the games in the series and brings you even more fun. Aside from Reshiram and Zekrom, you can meet Pokemon with new associations such as the dream controller Muna and the earthquake making Meguroko. Be sure to catch'em all and build your dream team.

Hiyun City is trendy and ultra-modern, explore it as the smart and cool protagonist. Get new Pokemon balls and tools in the Pokemon Centers. You can also get drinks from the handy vending machines around the corner of every street.

There are more 3D graphics and dynamic camera movements to give you the full view of the city, your Pokemon and your enemies. Invite your friends into the game and show off your collection. If you want to connect to the players from other areas, you can upload your game data onto the internet and see if anyone could beat your records.

Pokemon Black and White will come on 18th September, preorder yours to ensure that you get to play it before everyone else does.

E3: Sony Conference

2010-06-22T04:02:00.003+01:00

Killzone 3 in 3D was the first game trailer to take the spotlight. The audience put on their 3D glasses to enjoy the arctic theme of the new game, along with jetpacks for some first-person platforming. Killzone fans won't be dissapointed.

The PlayStation Move was demoed with a new game called Sorcery. A third-person magic game basically. You cast spells with your Move and the Wand ingame follows your movements. One of the cool aspects of the game is the ability to combine your spells to create some real havok. The Move seemed to work really well. Another game shown had various characters from popular Sony games such as Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank and Sly Racoon in one game called Heroes on the Move. Use the Move as your weapon in this platformer. Looking good. The Move controller will cost $49.99, but that's if you already own the PlayStation Eye. So no, it's not cheap. Other Move titles announced include Time Crises: Raging Storm (yay!), SingStar Dance and Echochrome 2. All these titles will be $39.99 when launched.
EA came on stage to show off Medal of Honor. The trailer certainly doesn't dissapoint and the PS3 limited edition version will include a bonus game of Medal of Honor: Frontline. EA also showed off the new Tiger Woods game with the Move, again it seems to work really well. A patch update off PSN will add the Move functionality. Finally, with Dead Space 2, the PS3 version will also include a PS3 port of the Wii game, Dead Space Extraction.

This time their was no new hardware unveiled on the PSP front. Though with the 3DS being shown this year, you can bet Sony will be showing the PSP2 at E3 2011. A trailer with new games was shown, such as the exclusive God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Gravity Crash Portable, 3rd Birthday, EyePet and Invizimals. 70 new games for the PSP are coming this year.

LittleBigPlanet 2 gameplay was shown. It pretty much lets you create any kind of game you want instead of just a platformer. Very impressive showing.

A subscription based model for PSN known as PlayStation Plus was unveiled. for a $50USD a year fee, gamers can access exclusive content for the PS3, download some games for free that would normally incur a charge and get a discount on downloads. Apparently you can only keep the content as long as you are subscribed to the service. Not sure how this works.

Having bashed the PS3 console for a long time, it was a surprise to see Gabe Newell show up and announce that Portal 2 is coming to PS3 as well as Steam. Not only that, it's also going to be the best version apparently. For someone who once said the PS3 is a "waste of time", I found it quite amusing.

Next up was Final Fantasy XIV, the only MMO. The trailer didn't show much, it looks pretty sure and there will be exclusive content for the PS3. Speaking of exclusive content, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, will also have content for the PS3 only.

Gran Turismo 5...again. Yes, another trailer. But this time, finally, we get a release date. Set your calenders for November 2.

Now we have Infamous 2, Cole will have more powers, not just lightning and will be in a new city. More of the same, should be great.

After many denials David Jaffe shamelessly unveiled a new Twisted Metal game for PS3. A Sweet Tooth van rolled on the stage with Sweet Tooth himself leering at the crowd to much applause. Only a bit of the multiplayer game was shown, but it's looking to be quite a blast with 16 players battling it out. Graphics were still pretty rough for a PS3 game, but this should improve by them time the game is released in 2011. A nice way to end Sony's E3 showing and certainly made Microsoft's show the worst by far in comparison.

E3: Nintendo Conference

2010-06-22T03:45:00.003+01:00

After a few years of lackluster showings, Nintendo came out all guns blazing with the best show at E3 2010. Something to make everyone happy was shown, with plenty of new games in everyone's favorite franchises.

Shigeru Miyamoto showed off Zelda Skyward Sword. The game looks really fun and requires you to use the Wiimote as your sword and shield. However, it was quite embarassing I'm sure, as the motion controls did not work on stage properly, apparently from interference. We were assured that the controls work perfectly fine when playing the game.Mario Sports Mix looks to continue the tradition of Wii Sports with Nintendo characters. Play a whole heap of different sports that Mario has not starred in before. These include Volleyball, Hockey, Dodgeball and Basketball. It looks okay and will surely appeal to the Wii Sports fans.

Next up was Wii Party. Basically a party game with over 70 mini-games using Mii characters. Another casual game.

Did you enjoy Just Dance? Well, you'll be happy to know the sequel was shown with more of the same. It contains over 40 songs and now 8 players can play the game.

After two Golden Sun games on the GBA, we're finally treated to a Golden Sun game on the DS. The trailer showed more of what Golden Sun fans know and love, except now with full 3D graphics. It's called Golden Sun: Dark Dawn and comes out this holiday season.

A sequel to an exclusive Goldeneye 007 game for the Wii was a surprising announcement. The style and gameplay of the game very much seems to mimic the N64 predecessor.

Disney showed off an interesting platformer starring Mickey Mouse. Epic Mickey allows you to paint or erase the game world to solve the puzzles and move forward in the game. It's exclusive to the Wii and looking great already.

Kirby is being brought back to life on the Wii console after being absent so many years. Kirby Epic Yarn looked like an interesting and unique 2D style platformer.

After being out a while in Japan and selling millions of copies, Dragon Quest IX is finally coming to the West on July 11th.

Another big surprise was the announcement of the return of Donkey Kong Country. Even though a 3D Donkey Kong game was released way back on the N64, this game retains the 2D gameplay of the SNES generation, but with 3D graphics of course. It's being developed by the same team that did the Metriod Trilogy on Gamecube and Wii and looks very promising.

Metroid M by Team Ninja was one of the coolest games shown. The view is no longer in first-person, but more traditional 2D and third-person style. This is one to look out for in August 31st.

The 3DS was shown and looks like an incredible piece of hardware. A 3.5" stereoscopic widescreen LCD handles the 3D without the need for glasses. The 3D effect can be controlled with a slider. How much depth you want is up to you. Nintendo claims that the screen did not work well as a touch screen, especially with the 3D. Therefore only the bottom screen will be touch sensitive, just like on the original DS. A cool feature is the two cameras on case which can take 3D photos. Unfortunately these are still only 0.3MP. There's also a camera on the front for DSi compatibility.

The system has improved Wi-Fi and communication with other 3DS devices and can also be used to watch 3D movies. An analog stick has been added to the controls and the system is compatible with all DS and DSi games. Not much more information was given. Battery life is still unknown, as is release date and price.

Many were pleased to hear the next announcment of Kid Icarus' return and to the newly unveiled 3DS, no less! The trailer showed a great looking action game with sword and shooting elements both on the ground and in flight. Graphics wise, the game was about Wii standards, but considering it's an early launch title, it may improve. Kid Icarus Uprising is coming soon.

Nintendo did an excellent job this year and many will agree they had the best show this year.

E3: Microsoft Conference

2010-06-15T12:08:00.005+01:00

Microsoft started off the biggest gaming event on the planet for this year. The event is sure to bring some nice surprises and Microsoft had a few of their own. While, their conference wasn't bad, it was much to Kinect (Natal) focused. In a way it was a bit disappointing and I thought more exclusive titles would be revealed, but there was nothing really new on offer.
The opening game shown was Call of Duty: Black Ops. The trailer which we've seen before E3 was shown. Followed by actual gameplay, with a cool looking helicopter scene. Hopefully the single player experience is more fun than Modern Warfare 2's lackluster campaign. Microsoft announced an exclusive deal with Activision which gaurantees all Call of Duty downloadble content to be available on Xbox Live first for the next three years.

Hideo Kojima took the stage to show off Metal Gear Rising. It looked excellent, I have to admit. Being able to choose the trajectory of your sword swing in slow-motion to cut up your enemies or even cars in any way you see fit seems like a fun concept indeed. All exclusive were shown after this.

Cliff Bleszinski showed off 4-player co-op in Gears of War 3. Apart from the addition of two extra players in co-op, two female soldiers, new melee moves and some mutating Locust, it looks like more of the same. Hopefully it won't become repetitive as quickly as the second game.

Peter Molyneux showed a trailer of Fable III. Looked good, no ingame footage though.

A live-action trailer with a bloody gladiator was shown. Not much info except the name, Codename: Kingdoms and the Crytek logo at the end. It's piqued my curiosity.

Halo: Reach was shown next. A trailer of the campaign ingame and also included space combat. Looks good, but nothing really new.

Kinect received a lot of conference time. The camera which allows you to control your Xbox with your voice or gestures is a fairly cool idea. The games look extremely casual though. You can watch a movie or video chat using just your voice and hand movements, no controller required.

ESPN is coming to Xbox Live and it's free for gold members. Sports fans will be happy as long as they have a decent connection.

A girl played with a Tiger on screen using Kinect in a game called Kinectimals. Microsoft is definitely trying to gain the children and family market. Kinect Sports, a direct ripoff of Wii Sports was presented, followed by Kinect Adventures which has a whole host of mini games.

The Microsft equivelent of Wii Fit was up next, with Your Shape: Fitness Evolved by Ubisoft. Fitness fanatics will love it, gamers will probably avoid it.

Harmonix showed off a dancing game called Dance Central. The demo was impressive and it looks like a viable way of learning how to dance without the embarrassment of onlookers.

A Star Wars Kinect game trailer which may finally allow you to swing that imaginary light saber and see it on screen. Let's hope it plays as good as it looks.

A Forza type game was shown, again using Kinect, and allows you to drive with an imaginary steering wheel and move the ingame camera view by tilting your head. Interesting, but no substitute for a real steering wheel I say.

Finally, something really cool. A new black slim Xbox 360! It looks to be about 33% smaller and is whisper quiet. It comes with five USB ports. Comes with a 250GB HDD and the latest Wi-Fi built in, all for the same price of the current console at $299. The new power supply will be tiny in comparison to the old. Will be available as soon as next week!

A competent, but slightly lacking display. Hopefully Nintendo and Sony will drop some serious bombshells!

Söldner-X 2: Final Prototype has arrived - IGN Score 8.5

2010-05-26T04:43:00.003+01:00

Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype has just been released yesterday, those of you who were dying to try the game must have already downloaded it off the PlayStation3 network. And one of these impatient gamers happened to be an IGN editor. He gave the game a score of 8.5 and this is one of his compliments "Perhaps the most notable aspect of Soldner-X 2 is that it's gorgeous." [See the whole IGN review here]

Take a look at the gameplay footage and see what he means.

Shoot'em ups are about excitement, exhilaration and adrenaline. While some of the 2D shooters in the arcades have punishing difficulty settings, Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype provides you with a smoother learning curve. With a dynamic play rank system, both beginners and veteran shooters can enjoy the fun of raining bullets over opponents.

Move through the ranks, from beginners to the veteran and get more scores. The higher ranks you move to, the greater the score multipliers, so the more challenges you take, the more rewards.

Beside scores, you can unlock stages and win trophies, ships and other goodies as you play through the game. There are all sorts of challenges modes that will test your reflexes and skills. Are you ready to take them.

Let's have a look at what you'll be up against:

So, turn on your PlayStation3 and start downloading. If you don't have a credit card, you can use the PlayStation3 prepaid network cards.

Those of you who want to crop a taste of the series on your PCs, the Limited Edition of the first Soldner X is still available at Play-Asia.com.

If you have grown to love the music, please take a look at the soundtracks for the two games.

Soldner-X 2: Final Soundtrack

Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer

For more information, please look at the Soldner X Official Site and the Blog.

Kill a god - Redemption: Liar Plus Memorial 5 Arcade Games is available to all GP2X Wiz gamers today!

2010-05-14T03:30:00.002+01:00

Owned a GP2X Wiz but have yet to see the full power of the console? Here is Redemption: Liar, an action RPG designed by Game Park Holdings, the developers of the Wiz itself, venture into the dark Gothic world and face monsters that exists only in your imagination.

Form a party of knights and travel to the dark, deep caverns of the underworld. Destroy monsters, level up your characters until you can take down a god.

This is an epic RPG filled with magical items and seemingly impossible tasks. There are more than 200 characters you can recruit into your party and some of the most breathtaking scenarios.

Besides the Redemption: Liar, the SD card contains 5 other arcade games such as the shooters Truxton, TigerHeli, Slap Fight and Hellfire, and the arcade action Warder. Those who have not had the chance to play these games in the arcade, you can now play then on your GP2X Wiz.

Your loyal Rocky Warrior - Darunia statue from First4Figures available for preorder now!

2010-05-14T03:27:00.002+01:00

You have Link, and you have princess Zelda in disguise, now you get another strong ally - Darunia. Rocky, muscular and strong, with him by your Link's side, you know that your hero could take care of anything. Admire the details in his spiky hair and and the texture of their bodies.

Hand polished and hand painted, the Darunia statue is realistic and lifelike, you can almost expect him to jump into action. The careful crafting of his face brings out the upright warrior aspect of the rock soldier, but under the hard surface, he is a merry, joyful creature who enjoys music and dancing.

Only 2500 Darunia statues will be released worldwide, to exemplify their exalted status in the collectible toy world, each of the figures carry a card of authenticity and all of them have a unique hand painted number.

Darunia is sculpted completely to scale, put your Link statue next to him to see how truly impressive this rocky giant is. The statues are coming in September, reserve your figure early to avoid disappointment.

Kat-Tun's spring release - Going! Limited Editions + Regular Edition

2010-05-13T03:45:00.003+01:00

Kat-Tun comes back completely recharged after the golden week holidays. Going! is a techno dance beat that portrays a futuristic world. Those who love D-motion will surely enjoy this single. The energetic song is a cheer to everybody who is starting new challenges this season.

Kat-Tun themselves are facing a bit of a challenge at the moment, with Jin busy preparing his own show in Los Angeles, the group will be without their leader for a while, as you can see, Jin is absent in this single and their national tour. Still, just feel the power of the song, fans of the group will know that Kat-Tun has not lost their appeal.

The Limited Edition Type A carries a DVD with the music video and making-of footage of Going! and Limited Edition Type B carries a the solo songs by Tanaka Kouki and Nakamaru Yuuichi. The Regular Edition has the C/W song Fall Down.

Welcome Hatsune Miku - Project Diva 2nd is available for preorder!

2010-05-13T03:42:00.002+01:00

Miku debuted on the Sony PSP last year and her first gig on the game console was a huge hit, this year, she will do her second Project Diva show in July, preorder the second game to have it shipped to you as soon as its out.

Everybody's idol, Miku and her Vocaloid friends are back for their second game on the Sony PSP. There are more game modes and more fun.

Compose your own songs and test your reflexes. A new challenging mode with eight buttons, long presses and simultaneous presses is available, those who complained that the first game is too easy, try this one out.

The song list is updated with recent hits and the edit mode is easier to use. There are more options for you to customize the characters or their stages.

You can have the Vocaloids perform duets, but of course, before sending them on stage, you might want to play with their outfits, every Vocaloid has more costumes and accessories in this game.

The Vocaloid is for you to make into a star, preorder your Project Diva 2nd game today.

DJ Max Technica 2 Signature Collection - Available for preorder now!

2010-05-04T11:10:00.003+01:00

Hip and pop, colorful and cool, the Korean touch screen rhythm game is going global. Come sway along to the beat even if you're not in the mood to play. Famous game music composers from Korea and Japan contributed works to make this franchise magical, come see for yourself.

As the very desired Signature Collection version for the upcoming DJ Max Technica 2 arcade game, this Soundtrack is only available in extremely limited numbers - a total of 3000 are released worldwide, and we are very lucky to be able to locate a source of this product. The special designed box set contains an Exclusive Premium IC card (1 out of 4 designs), an IC card case, a key ring and a sheet of stickers.

The DJ MAX Technica 2 Soundtrack Box Set will come any time in May, make up your mind quick, or others might beat you to it.

Play-Asia.com Spring Classic Game Frenzy

2010-04-30T08:22:00.004+01:00

Get ready to have some fun with us this spring! Another event is coming up, but before reading on, perhaps you'd like to dig up your Dreamcast, or PlayStation2 or whatever you have up your attic, and dust it off a bit - because here is our latest offer! All instock classic games at Play-Asia will be discounted by a whooping 20% between 30. April and 7. May.

Let's go back in time to enjoy the pure fun of classic gaming. Most of the challenging games are found in the older systems, if you find the current releases too beginner-friendly, come try these earlier games for some hard core grinding experience.

Having missed something when you were a child or are you feeling nostalgic and are dying to relive your childhood? Here we provide you with a time portal, just skip on to browse our pages under: PlayStation2™, Gamecube™, Gameboy™, Xbox™, Dreamcast™, PlayStation™ and Classics.

Here a small list of recommendations:

Advanced Daisenryaku: Storm over Europe - German Blitzkrieg [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 15.92
Akumajo Dracula Mokushi Hashumi [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 18.88
Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 119.92
Bare Knuckle II [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 23.92
Beatmania for WonderSwan [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 31.92
BioHazard 4 [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 37.92
Bomberman Wars	JPN	US$ 15.92
Bubble Bobble: Old & New [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 47.92
Final Fight 2	JPN	US$ 15.92
Fire Emblem: Trachia 776 [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 98.72
Grandia [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 7.92
Inuyasha [Limited Edition] [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 23.92
Mario Kart Advance [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 22.72
Metal Slug (w/ 1MB RAM Cart) [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 63.92
Mezase! Kanji Ou [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 39.92
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Z-Gundam [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 39.92
Mobile Suit Gundam: Megurial Sora [Limited Edition]	JPN	US$ 47.92
Neon Genesis Evangelion 64 [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 55.92
Princess Maker 2	JPN	US$ 11.92
Samba de Amigo Ver. 2000 [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 19.92
Siren 2 [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 23.92
Super Street Fighter II X (for Matching Service) [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 55.92
The Tower of Druaga [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 23.92
Ultraman Fighting Evolution 2 [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 23.92
Y's I & II Eternal Story [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 31.92
beatmania IIDX 6th Style: New Songs Collection [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 23.92
beatmania IIDX 8th Style [pre-owned]	JPN	US$ 31.92

Shipments to Europe delayed due to volcanic eruptions in Iceland

2010-04-16T12:02:00.000+01:00

Due to the volcanic eruptions in Iceland and the spreading ash cloud that covers the continent, airports around Europe have closed down for the weekend. Both mail and courier shipping services will be delayed. We apologize in advance for any inconveniences caused.

Scientists say that the volcano is still erupting but is producing less ash. Hopefully the situation will stabilize soon. We will have our European customers' parcels delivered as soon as the circumstances allowed, please keep yourself posted by visiting our site.