Find out which snackable games the PlayStation community has been filling its spare minutes with.

As February was minis month, the community at the official PlayStation Forums discussed which minis they have most enjoyed. Here are their favourites, in order of popularity, with quotes explaining why their choice is the tastiest morsel in the minis category on PlayStation Store.

1. Hero of Sparta

“This game includes epic boss fights, a lot of monsters and very large levels. The controls are excellent and God of War fans will enjoy this game a lot; they really should give it a go.” (Twilight_Rico, Netherlands)

2. VectorTD

“I love tower defence games and this one in particular is great. Graphics are not the most important thing but what is important is that this game can last for hours. The number of available towers and their prices are perfectly matched and bonuses appearing from time to time can be used in different ways, depending on your strategy. It’s a must-have for any fan of tower defence.” (artur1982, Poland)

3. Tetris

“Once you start, you can’t stop!” (fashion23gta, Portugal)

4. Zombie Tycoon

“It’s impressive how many zombies can fit in one minis title!” (Low_K0, Germany)

5. Mahjongg Artifacts 2

“You want a campaign mode? There is one in the Conquest Mode! You want to play endlessly and you do not want to be bothered by finishing a level? The infinite mode is the one you need. You like Mahjongg in solo mode but you want some more? Bonus pieces will make you happy. In a word, if you like Mahjongg, you will love Mahjongg Artifacts 2!” (Sanzein, France)

6. Fieldrunners

“Fieldrunners makes you try again and again to find the best strategy against various types of enemies. Each level gives you new challenges and even when you have completed a level, you can try again with different weapons and strategies. Fieldrunners give you a lot of play time for the money and it is my favorite minis title for both PSP and PlayStation 3.” (The_Alp, UK)

Thanks to all those who got involved – you will be receiving a PlayStation Network Voucher Code to download a copy of Tetris – and look out for another installment of Obsession Confessions, coming soon.

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The glitch that nerfed my old-style “fat” PlayStation 3 and temporarily ‘bricked’ millions of others worldwide appears to have vanished as mysteriously as it appeared.

At approximately 3:45pm PT, reports began flooding gaming boards suggesting units were coming back to life after a time-date error that left them unable to connect to Sony’s PlayStation Network or play certain games offline. I’d been waiting for GMT +0:00 to pass, but risked powering up early based on the sudden deluge of anecdotal evidence.

For starters, the screen color was different at startup, a kind of deep green (hello March!) suggesting some internal mechanism had silently triggered and automatically switched the date setting (the PS3 draws its default color scheme from the system clock). A glance at the system date confirmed it was now sometime in April 2010. To paraphrase the guys on How I Met Your Mother, Future-PS3 had apparently solved Current-PS3’s problem.

Tapping over to the system’s time-date settings, I ran an auto-sync–a feature that wasn’t working during the glitch–and the system auto-righted itself to March 1, 2010. One last thing to check, and sure enough, my copies of Heavy Rain and White Knight Chronicles loaded without incident.

Just to be extra-sure, I powered up my debug PS3, and presto, it too was working again. Thank goodness, because I’m on the hook for a Final Fantasy XIII review–not the sort of game you want to fall even a single day behind on.

Sony has yet to update its international blogs or Twitter feeds, possibly because the company’s collectively collapsed from stress-exhaustion, but more likely because they want to be sure things really are back, not just bits and pieces. I can vouch for my own recovery–two units, one retail, one debug, but that’s it.

If you want to test yours safely, power up, then before doing anything else, run a time-date interent sync. If it works, you’re back in business, and if your trophies don’t seem entirely right, try performing a manual trophy sync.

One thing’s for sure: Sony has some ’splainin to do.

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April’s upcoming Splinter Cell: Conviction will, thanks to a deal with Microsoft, be exclusive to Xbox 360 – but don’t assume that the same can be said of its eventual successor.

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t,” Ubisoft Montreal’s Max Beland stated when asked by Edge Online if the next game could appear on PS3.

“I’m not involved in the business deals. I joined Splinter Cell after the exclusivity deal with Microsoft had already been signed, but there’s no reason why Splinter Cell couldn’t be on the PS3. Conviction? No because of the exclusivity deal.

“But the next game is open to new deals. If Microsoft wants an exclusivity deal, they don’t call me, it’s Yves Guillemot dealing with the business people. But yeah, I guess we could even be a PS3 exclusive if there’s a deal that makes people happy there.”

Beland went on to add that while the wait for Conviction’s release has been a lengthy one, gamers shouldn’t expect the same to be true of Splinter Cell 6.

“This is a long-term vision, so I’m not telling you that yes, in a year you’ll have another Splinter Cell,” he added. “But right now the direction Yves gave us and where the company is going to go [means that] you’re going to be seeing Splinter Cell games, just like Assassin’s Creed games, just like anything else, released a little bit more often.”

Splinter Cell: Conviction was first mooted way back in May 2007 and was at one stage expected to be released in Christmas of that year, though it then slipped to 2008 and subsequently to April of this year.

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Unleash your vengeance in this action-packed demo for God of War III on PlayStation Store.

With God of War III arriving in stores in March 2010, the wait is almost finally over as the epic trilogy of Kratos’ fury draws to a bloody close. Now you can experience the awesome rage of the mighty Spartan with an exclusive God of War III demo – download it from PlayStation Store today to battles gods, monsters and Zeus’ minions. Remember, the only way to survive is through chaos, because in the end that is all there can be.

Setting the scene, God of War style

The demo is but a small section of God of War III and showcases the true size and scale of Santa Monica Studio’s latest entry in the smash hit series. The demo pitches you headlong onto battle on the cliffs of Mount Olympus as a giant fire Titan scales the mountain in the background and Helios, the Sun god, rides his chariot overhead trying to fend off its advances on Zeus’ temple.

Control your vengeance

PlayStation fans familiar with God of War and God of War II on PlayStation 2 will easily slip back into Kratos’ skin thanks to the intuitive control system. Light attacks can be performed with the Square button, while heavy attacks are dealt using the Triangle button. You can grab enemies too by pressing the Circle button, and once in your grasp you can either finish them off or use them as a battering ram – just one of the many new abilities in God of War III – by tapping the Square button.

Beast rider

Alongside the wealth of new moves in Kratos’ latest adventure you can now beat giant monsters into submission before leaping atop and riding them, using their hulking weaponry and physique as the ultimate tools of destruction. In the demo, you get the chance to take control of just one of these mythical monstrosities, the Cyclops, as you battle hordes of enemies to get to Helios and finish him off in typical, God of War fashion.

Tools of destruction

Alongside the now legendary Blades of Chaos, you’ll get a taste of some of the new weaponry you will be able to wield in God of War III including Apollo’s Bow, which lets you shoot flaming arrows at your enemies. Fire one at a group and they will catch alight allowing you to move in for a quick kill or follow through with another arrow attack. The second, and arguably most powerful weapons in the demo, are the Cestus, fist gauntlets shaped like lion heads that are controlled in much the same way as the Blades of Chaos, but inflict a lot more damage.

Wings of a warrior

In the final segment of the demo you experience an entirely new aspect of God of War as Kratos uses his Icarus Wings to soar through a vast shaft, dodging debris such as flaming rocks and huge beams of wood before finally shooting out of it, unleashing his Blades of Chaos and coming face to face with the giant fire Titan from the outset of the demo.

Start unleashing your vengeance on the gods and download the God of War III demo from PlayStation Store now!

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and God of War III blast the weekend off to an action heavy start.

The gods are with you

Looking forward to massive action adventure epic, God of War III? Then you can kill the time until its 19 March 2010 release like Kratos slays mythological Greek gods, in the God of War III demo. Available from PlayStation Store, this taste of high impact gameplay shows you why the adult themed PlayStation 3 title is on everyone’s lips.

In some Bad Company

If modern-day gunplay in massive destructible environments is a bit more your style, then Electronic Arts’ Battlefield: Bad Company 2 should scratch that particular itch. Blasting on to PS3, Bad Company 2 is full of shooting action, vehicular combat, and the return of everyone’s favourite ragtag unit, the B Company squad. The stakes are even higher this time – are you bad enough to succeed?

Network gems

There are a great range of PlayStation Network titles ready to download from PlayStation Store to make sure there’s no chance of your weekend being dull. Jump on board the PSP demo of the wonderfully wacky Patchwork Heroes, where you have to defend a city from massive flying warships. Your task is to dismantle the giant vehicles of destruction before they can strike, while rescuing trapped comrades along the way. Can you stop the rival workers from repairing the ships and save the city from doom?

The wealth of entertainment on PlayStation Store doesn’t stop at great demos, as a variety of new levels are yours to download for PSP puzzler, echoshift. Now you can extend your brain-teasing fun by downloading the Cave, Desert and Pyramid Level Packs for free.

Taking you to PlayStation Home

Taking a trip into PlayStation Home can lead to many fantastic places, and there are two new areas which are worth checking out this weekend. The first is the already popular Loco Island personal space, which comes with a swing, slide and hammock, as well as a gaggle of LocoRoco characters and hidden features.

The second new area of PS Home transports you to a giant pool table for Hustle Kings Ball Dodge Challenge. There you’re challenged to dodge oncoming cue balls to stay in the game – the closer you stand to the balls without being hit, the more points you receive. Do well and you’ll be rewarded with a stylish Hustle Kings Cape for your character, while if you top the leaderboard you’re in with a chance of winning a bejewelled Hustle Kings Crown decorated with a number 8 black ball.

Keep your eyes on the prize

There is even more to be won if you roll over to eu.playstation.com/psn/competitions.

If you’re a football fan and a budding writer, then the UEFA Champions League: PlayStation Young Journalist competition is playing on your field of expertise. All you need to do is submit your PlayStation Network details to enter a prize draw, with the lucky winner getting two tickets for the Chelsea vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League match on 16 March 2010. After the game you’ll get to attend the press conference and write a match report to be published on PlayStation Blog.

The Award Nominated Movies Competition gives you the chance to win a brand new Bravia TV and a PlayStation 3 system by answering a few questions based on award nominated films. The red carpet is awaiting you at eu.playstation.com/psn/competitions, so make sure you don’t disappoint.

Be sure to opt in to receive PlayStation emails when you sign up for a PlayStation Network account. If you already have an account, sign in to your PlayStation Network Account Settings at eu.playstation.com/registration or via the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) and opt in. That way, you can keep bang up to date and receive the latest PlayStation news direct to your inbox.

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The gods have smiled upon us. Unlike Devil May Cry IV, or more recently, Heavy Rain, God of War III will require no hard drive installation. That’s right, you can stick the disc in your system and play God of War without having to a) wait, or b) worry about having 8 gigs free on your PS3 hard drive.
It gets even better. Christer Ericson, director of technology at Sony Santa Monica, has stated that the save game files will also only be a mere 5 megs. It’s almost like the old days, when you could play console games without hard drives, and all you needed was an megabyte memory card (or two).
God of War III is an amazing looking game, and it’s nice to know that Sony seems to care not only about Kratos, et al, but also our game experience. No install and fast loads means happy mortals.
[Source: Twitter, via Kotaku]
God of War III Requires No HDD Installation originally appeared on About.com PlayStation Games on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 18:14:51.

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New Line Cinema has bought the rights for the “interactive fiction” game Heavy Rain… quite some time ago actually.
According to a link provided via Joystiq, it looks like the game’s movie rights were sold all the way back in 2006, just after the early Heavy Rain “casting” trailer was shown at E3 that year.
Now, this doesn’t mean that there is going to be a Heavy Rain movie, only that if there is that either New Line Cinema will produce it, or that another company will have to purchase the rights from them.
The dark detective game is so good, one has to wonder if a film could do it justice, or if we’d end up with another Max Payne movie.
[Source: Joystiq]
Heavy Rain Movie Rights Already Optioned, In 2006? originally appeared on About.com PlayStation Games on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 19:05:06.

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4A Game’s Hew Beynon has commented on the reason Metro 2033 is not coming to the Playstation 3. In an interview with VG247 he cites “business reasons” for the decision, but explains that there is no reason why the game couldn’t come to PS3.

He said:

“That’s probably more of a business decision, and one that I wasn’t part of when I was at THQ.

“The studio architect of the 4A engine did a lot of the initial work on the PS3 first, just to get to grips with the architecture.

“A lot of the early prototypes you saw were of the PC version… You’d probably have to ask someone up in senior THQ finance to find out why we didn’t greenlight a PS3 version at the time, but there’s no reason why the engine wouldn’t work on PS3.”

Baynon later added that 4A Games now have the PS3 architecture in place, so any future titles developed by them will see release on the Playstation 3 too. Which is nice to know. Whether we get a port of Metro 2033 down the line will probably depend on how well the game is received on PC and XBOX 360.

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Honestly, we can categorically state we played through Heavy Rain without any noticeable glitches. Sadly, that doesn’t appear to be the case for everyone though, as it appears some people are having technical issues with the game. From freezing, to out-of-sync audio, you can guarantee there’s someone complaining about it right now – most likely on the official Playstation boards where the community are being pretty darn vocal.

Sony’s responded to the community, stating:

“Hi folks, this is just to let you know that the issues reported in this thread and elsewhere are being looked into. We’re currently trying to establish any common factors for people who are experiencing game freezing so if you are having trouble please be as thorough as possible with regards to your PS3 setup – are you using a launch version of the console or a brand new slim, playing in standard or high definition (I’m not suggesting that these are potential causes, just making the point)… any information you can give may help to find where the issue lies.

One word of advice we’ve had already is to avoid switching off your PlayStation while the game is in black screen as this may be affecting your save game. There have been a few reports of incidents where game saves have taken longer than would normally be expected – and with a black screen present it may leave the assumption that the game has crashed. In these circumstances we recommend you wait at least 5 minutes before rebooting – while it’s highly unlikely a save will take this long, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

While incidents of problems with the game are very low we’re working to ensure that everyone gets the Heavy Rain experience they expect. As soon as there is any further information we’ll update further.”

In other disheartening news, those in Europe who ordered the Heavy Rain Special Edition are being advised not to claim their PSN special edition bonuses just yet. Indeed, there is a problem with the soundtrack that should come as part of the PSN redemption code included in the box. Those in the UK who ordered the Special Edition online will be sent a replacement code for the soundtrack, everyone else is advised not to claim the bonuses until next week.

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Or at least improbable.
In an interview largely about Final Fantasy XIII, Yoshinori Kitase, the game’s producer stated that it was “unrealistic” to remake Final Fantasy VII with the glorious HD graphics of FFXIII.
Kitase explained that Final Fantasy XIII took three plus years to make, and due to the scope, Final Fantasy VII would take three to four times as long to create. That means in order to recreate a version of FFVII with the production values of FFXIII would be a decade, or so, long process. Unrealistic, seems to be an appropriate word.
It’s not that the interest isn’t there. Kitase mentioned that if the facilities and team existed that could crank out FFVII HD in a year, they’d certainly be into doing it.
So here’s hoping for a shift in the way animation is done, or some other magical tech falls from the sky that would make productions of a Final Fantasy game faster. Until such time, keep watching Advent Children… it’s as close as we are going to get to seeing Cloud and Co. in 1080p anytime soon.
[Source: Techdigest]
Final Fantasy VII HD Remake? Impossible originally appeared on About.com PlayStation Games on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 15:47:32.

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