via 1up


Valkyria Chronicles fans have one more downloadable content pack to look forward to before the portable sequel hits in the summer. Today the Sega America blog announced that the fourth pack will be releasing next week. We heard hints of this way back in September, but now we finally know when to expect the pack. It will hit next Thursday with the PlayStation Store update.

The pack is titled "Challenges of the Edy Detachment," and features the colorful cast of characters from the "Enter the Edy Detachment" DLC. Instead of playing as the mixed squad, however, Edy's cadre of soldiers will instruct players on how to become experts at the various classes. This means you can use your own preferred Squad 7 members for the challenges, even as Edy's friends are the ones barking orders. Challenges will include missions for the Scout, Shocktrooper, Lancer, Engineer, Sniper, and Tank. We've heard no mention of a price, but the other packs have all come in at $4.99 when they were first launched, so this one is likely to cost the same. ...

via Joystiq


Square Enix, apparently, is all about the cosplay. Just today, the publisher announced that it'll be rewarding the first 50 people dressed in "Final Fantasy costumes" who arrive at the March 9 launch event for Final Fantasy XIII with a free copy of the game's soundtrack. Oh, and also, Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo will be there, signing whatever you want.

The release further entices attendees with "high-profile DJ and TV presenter Alex Zane," who'll no doubt be spitting hot fire into a mic all evening. The event kicks off at 5:30PM at the Oxford Street HMV in London and runs until the sun comes up -- or 7:30PM, whichever comes first. ...

via Joystiq


Square Enix, apparently, is all about the cosplay. Just today, the publisher announced that it'll be rewarding the first 50 people dressed in "Final Fantasy costumes" who arrive at the March 9 launch event for Final Fantasy XIII with a free copy of the game's soundtrack. Oh, and also, Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo will be there, signing whatever you want.

The release further entices attendees with "high-profile DJ and TV presenter Alex Zane," who'll no doubt be spitting hot fire into a mic all evening. The event kicks off at 5:30PM at the Oxford Street HMV in London and runs until the sun comes up -- or 7:30PM, whichever comes first. ...

via IGN


According to a report from Japanese website LiveDoor.jp, and translated by IGN, game content in Capcom's upcoming alien shooter Lost Planet 2 was cut due to the limited DVD storage space for Xbox 360.

Producer Jun Takeuchi said in an interview the team struggled trying to determine what content to cut from the game.
When asked if there was any content the team didn't want to cut, Takeuchi acknowledge there was, adding the team hopes to offer the content in downloadable form in the future.

Update: Capcom has responded to Takeuchi's comments saying cutting content before the game's final release is common.
...

via Joystiq


Though we're pretty eager to explore the back stories of Heavy Rain's quartet of protagonists and even take control of the nimble fingers of the Origami Killer, it seems those of us in North America will have to wait an extra week to get started on the prologuing. GameStop, which, among other retailers, is offering a code for the first Heavy Rain Chronicles DLC episode as a pre-order bonus with the game, recently updated the title's listing on its site, stating, "due to a delay by the publisher, this content will not be available for download until Thursday, March 4, 2010."

SCEE confirmed to VG247 that the delay wouldn't affect the DLC's European availability on "day one," so it would appear that the delay is particular to North America. We've contacted Sony America to find out what we can about it -- we just can't wait to find out why Madison is such an exhibitionist. ...

via Eurogamer


WiiWare is updated with new episodes in the sagas of Phoenix Wright and Monkey Island today, while DSi receives a port of Firemint's touchscreen classic for the iPhone, Flight Control.

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All, the second in Capcom's beloved series of legal intrigues, appears on WiiWare for 1000 Wii Points (£7 / €10). So does the fifth and final chapter of Telltale's episodic Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God.

Also for 1000 Wii Points, you can pick up Rising Star Games' Brain Cadets, a party game featuring "mind-boggling, mind-strengthening training". A Big Brain Academy "homage", then.

DSiWare is graced with the superb Flight Control, an arcade game which asks you to draw flight paths for aircraft on to the screen to bring them home safely. It costs 500 DSi Points (£4.50 / €5), quite a lot more than its asking price on Apple's App Store but probably still worth it if you don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Also released at 500 DSi Points are the Flips interactive book for kids, Terror in Cubicle Four; Puzzle to Go Wildlife, a jigsaw puzzle compilation; and EA's Downtown Texas Hold 'Em poker game. ...

via Kotaku


There are universal TV remotes, so why not universal video game console controllers? Sony's recent patent filing indicates that could change.

The Sony patent, which was filed in August 2008 but appeared online on February 18 of this year, reads: "Just like remote controls, game consoles, and thus game controllers, are becoming widespread. It is not surprising to find more than one game consoles in a household, especially when competing game console manufacturers attempt to attract unconventional consumer groups in the gaming industry. As understood herein, it would be useful to have a universal controller that would be able to work with a variety of game consoles."

This controller would feature a touch sensitive liquid crystal display that would display various button layouts depending on the consoles. For example, a Nintendo console would pull up a Nintendo controller layout, a Microsoft console would pull up a Microsoft controller layout and a PlayStation console would pull up a PS controller layout.

The patent also notes that this controller will have a speaker and rumble. Though, this is interesting. From the patent: "This document describes an adaptable or universal game controller which can be used to emulate the controllers of popular game consoles, such as, without limitation, the PlayStation.TM. made by Sony, a controller made by Nintendo, X-box.TM. game controllers made by Microsoft, Amiga CD-32.TM. controllers, Atari Jaguar.TM. controllers, Gravis Gamepad.TM. controllers, Sega controllers, and Turbographics controllers, one or more of which terms may be subject to trademark protection. For ease of exposition trademark symbols will not be further used herein."

Those consoles are all old. Is the PS3 getting a proper virtual console and an actual universal controller to go with it? ...

via Computer and Video Games


According to a Sony US PR man, PS3 stand to benefit from the Wii publisher backlash.

Recent times have seen several publishers reconsider their support of Wii as mature / hardcore titles fail to make an impact, while Nintendo's own games rule the roost. Sony America's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, sees his chance to pounce.
The same probably goes for Xbox 360, but Dyer's hardly going to admit that. ...

via Eurogamer


The GAME website seems to indicate that the God of War III demo will be generally available as of 25th February.

The demo, which originated on the show floor at E3 last year and went out to US Qore subscribers earlier this month, is available today for people who pre-order the game via the UK retailer.

"Details of how to access the early demo will be emailed to you on 19th February," according to the small-print (thanks VG247). "Anyone who orders after this will be emailed on 24th February. As of the 25th February the demo will no longer be exclusive to Game.co.uk."

We've asked Sony whether this means the demo will be released on the PlayStation Store next Thursday, 25th February.

God of War III is due out for PlayStation 3 on 19th March. Check out our Eurogamer Expo hands-on for more on why it's kind of a big deal. ...