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LittleBigPlanet 2, RUSE, FIFA 11, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, 007 Blood Stone, Alice: The Madness Retrurns

FirstPlay: See the future of PS3. First.

Episode 22 of FirstPlay is up on the Store from Wednesday, and this week features an all-new hands-on with LittleBigPlanet 2, the second part of our big PlayStation Move playtest, and a preview of Ubisoft’s under-the-radar strategy contender, RUSE. We also have a chat with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president Andrew House, in which we (almost) get him to spill all on PSP 2.

On top of that we’ve got an online review of our surprise summer favourite Singularity, a round-up of PS one classics, and a look at the best fighting games available on the Store. And to round everything off we’ve got screenshot galleries of FIFA 11, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, new Bond title 007 Blood Stone and the twisted fairytale, Alice: The Madness Returns.

All of which gives you over half an hour’s worth of HD games coverage and info for just 99p, or as low as 75p if you take out a 90-day subscription for £8.99.

We’d also like to remind you that you can stay in touch with all things FirstPlay by following us on Twitter and on our Facebook page. We also have a YouTube channel up and running. And don’t forget you can sign up for the FirstPlay newsletter here to have regular news and content updates delivered directly to your inbox.

The FirstPlay team would love to hear from the PS3 community so if you’ve got anything to share, from videos and grabs to suggestions for content feel free to get in touch.

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Take a trip to gamescom 2010 without the hassle of travel, with PlayStation.

gamescom is one of the biggest videogame events in the year, where game developers and publishers show off their freshest and most exciting products to the world. Taking place at the Cologne Trade Fair Centre in Cologne, Germany, from 18 August 2010, gamescom 2010 promises to be a spectacular showcase of the newest titles you’ll be playing from this year into the next. And you can catch all the breaking PlayStation news right here.

eu.playstation.com will play host to a variety of news and in-depth interviews with the developers of the hottest new games on PlayStation 3 and PSP.

Over at blog.eu.playstation.com, you’ll be able to read updates from the show floor as well as watch video interviews. There will also be a live chat with special Sony Computer Entertainment Europe guests live from gamescom 2010 on 19 August which will let you pose your burning questions about stereoscopic 3D and PlayStation Move. Head over to community.eu.playstation.com and drop off your questions to make sure you don’t miss out on this tantalising opportunity.

PlayStation Home gets in on the act with the launch of the gamescom 2010 space on 19 August 2010. By jumping into this new space, you can immerse yourself in the gamescom experience without having to leave the comfort of your own home. Watch the latest trailers for games such as LittleBigPlanet 2 and Killzone 3, purchase funky gamescom 2010 related furniture and enjoy other activities.

Also launching in PlayStation Home a week earlier on 12 August 2010 is the PS Move space, allowing you to enjoy lots of PS Move related fun, including a unique PS Move costume to wear which lets you play as a PlayStation Move motion controller, the ability to play an addictive team game to win more costumes with coloured heads, the chance to purchase an extra special controller with special moves and a multicoloured sparkly head to use all around PlayStation Home, and other fun stuff to interact with for that perfect party atmosphere.

You can enjoy gamescom 2010 and all the PlayStation goodness it brings from 18 August 2010 – make sure you don’t miss a thing, right here.

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The man in charge of 3D games development at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe discusses this amazing new technology with eu.playstation.com.

Why is the team at Evolution Studios best suited to 3D development? We at Evolution have been messing around with 3D for about five years. What’s more, I employ two guys who were previously at British Aerospace, Ian Bickerstaff and Simon Benson, and they’ve been working on 3D for 16 years, building flight and F1 simulators. So we were pushing the technology before SCEE even started talking about making games in 3D. It was a nice coincidence that we were doing a bit of prototyping on a small scale and then we heard the company was actually interested in making 3D games, so it was very natural that we got all of our stuff converted first. And, because we had the knowledge, we were able to help educate everyone else about how to convert into 3D.

Having followed the technology for that many years why do you think it’s started to explode in the past year or so? What we have now is a convergence of very high quality displays at affordable prices that can show really high quality 3D combined with great content. What we’re seeing with the power and ability of PlayStation 3 is really high quality 3D stuff that’s going to make people want to go out there, buy the TVs, upgrade the console and enjoy the whole 3D experience. And I think that’s the first time we’ve ever been in that position.

The other factor is that many cinemas have been upgraded to digital in the past few years and that’s very good for the publishers as they can control the distribution of film now. Good quality 3D is compelling, it’s amazing to watch, people want more of it and we’re following it up with good quality gaming.

What was the “eureka” moment for you in terms of seeing this technology in games?The first time we got a driving simulator running in 3D, about five years ago, we came away absolutely amazed. Driving is one of those experiences where you need depth to really do it well; you’re perceiving speed, you’re trying to plan your breaking point, trying to find where to put your car in a corner. It’s no coincidence that all the F1 teams now train their drivers on 3D simulators.

What’s really amazing is that we are now starting to understand 3D in a creative as well as a technical sense. The games that you will see coming out in 3D are mind-blowing; we are really starting to exploit 3D and understand how to use it as a medium in the games and I find that really exciting.

What hurdles do developers face when creating a game in 3D?The main consideration is that we are already pushing PlayStation 3 to the maximum in terms of processor power and so a lot of optimisation has to be done on the games running in 3D. It’s not a significant amount of cost in terms of the rest of the development budget which is great for us because we can add 3D content to games and we don’t have to adjust the price to do that. Some games that have got a lot of pre-rendered content are more tricky in that they’ve got to have a 2D as well as a 3D version of the rendered content. So in that case, there probably will be a bit more of an impact on the development cost although we still don’t think it will be that significant.

What do you think of the possibilities of combining PlayStation Move with 3D?I think it’s very, very exciting. What we’ve done with PlayStation Move is to take that spatial control of gaming into a very accurate and very dynamic realm; it’s really taking it to a new level. You can just imagine the possibilities of controlling something in 3D outside of the screen and looking at it being controlled in 3D within the TV screen. What’s fantastic for us is that this is the first time this has ever been done. The games we’ve already converted are great fun and we’re still only dipping our toe in the water. Once we educate all of our teams on how to create 3D content and how they can use PlayStation Move in 3D, you can just imagine what they’re going to start producing.

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Get yourself a cup of tea, sit back and risk office disciplinary procedures by enjoying these game snippets!

I’ve got a backlog of trailers that I wanted to get up on Gamesblog, so here are five of them at once – all interesting in different ways. If you want to see some cowboys, Stan Lee’s favourite Spider-Man villain, a Brazilian footballer, a Windows Phone 7 game and a cross between Lemmings and Line Rider, then saunter this way…

Red Red Redemption: Legends and Killers(Rockstar, PS3, Xbox 360)Here’s a look at the latest Red Dead Redemption DLC pack offering nine new multiplayer map locations, as well as a new projectile weapon, the tomahawk. Could be messy. The pack also includes eight characters from Redemption’s predecessor, Red Dead Revolver. Released on August 10, the pack is selling for £7.99 on PSN and 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions(Activision, DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)Due out in September, Shattered Dimensions is the latest third-person action adventure to feature Marvel’s iconic webslinger. The game takes place in four different Spidey universes – Noir, Amazing, Ultimate and 2099 – and each gets its own graphical style. The big draw with this video, though, is an interview with Marvel founder Stan Lee.

FIFA 2011(EA, PC, PS3, Xbox 360)EA has announced its new FIFA 2011 cover star – Brazilliant midfield maestro, Kaka. He’ll snuggle up beside Wayne Rooney on boxed copies of the world-beating footy sim. To celebrate, the publisher has released this little teaser. The game is out on October 1 in Europe.

Mush(Angry Mango, Windows Phone 7)A few months ago, I reported on the X48 indie game development competition for Tech Weekly. One of the student teams I met there has now entered the University of Abertay’s Dare to be Digital contest with this stylish little puzzler. According to artist Henry Hoffman, “The game revolves around a little character called Mush. He decides that his village is too mundane and goes off on an adventure into his world to discover the missing emotions. Using the Windows Phone 7 touchscreen you draw a smile to make Mush happy, making him light and able to float upwards. Drawing a sad face saddens Mush and makes him sink in water and weigh down objects. Shaking the phone angers Mush, allowing you to break obstacles and run faster.” Take a look and you’ll see the influence of Loco Roco and Rolando. Catchy music, too!

Your Doodles Are Bugged(Spyn Doctor/Blitz 1up, PC)Originally released onto Xbox Live Indie Games, Your Doodles Are Bugged is a neat cross between Line Rider and Lemmings. Your aim is to rescue a group of cute bug characters by drawing lines across the screen, thereby creating platforms, stairs and bridges. Each stage has a variety of obstacles, so neat careful drawing is a must. The new version, complete with lots of extra content, is out later this year on various PC digital download services. It’s developed by one-man indie studio Spyn Doctor, but the PC release is being co-handled by Blitz, through the veteran developer’s 1up programme.

Games

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Keith Stuart

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The latest Slim PS3 news: As the Cannes film festival gets into its second week, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is preparing to launch a new highbrow film service for the PlayStation 3.
Called MUBI, and already available for PCs, the online service will be bringing a collection of over 300 films to the home console ranging from Jacques Audiard (director of Read My Lips and The Beat My Heart Skipped) to Franco Zeffirelli (Brother Sun, Sister Moon; Jesus of Nazareth).

The auteur output of Pedro Almodóvar, the Coen brothers, Jean Luc Godard, Takeshi ‘Beat Takeshi’ Kitano, and Gus Van Sant are also being touted as likely candidates for the service’s console debut.

MUBI also has a strong community aspect, encouraging viewers to discuss the films they’ve seen with each other and recommend new cinematic experiences to friends and MUBI members.

The company have also managed to tie up online distribution rights for various pieces of world cinema which have not yet been released on DVD, including Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation that specializes in restoring neglected films.

The MUBI service is tabled for an autumn launch, expected to coincide with the availability of new Wii-like motion controllers for the PlayStation 3, and helps to associate the machine with an aspirational lifestyle – as does Sony’s links with 3D TV.

CEO Efe Cakarel confirmed to PlayStation Europe that launch territories will be the UK and Ireland; France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar and Andorra; Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg; and Australia and New Zealand. Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark are also expected to be brought onboard before the service goes live.

Efe also revealed that short films are to cost £1 and feature length works £3 for UK users. The MUBI website currently prices shorts at €2 and features at €4.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is also preparing a marketing effort to promote and expand the multimedia and social capabilities of the Xbox 360, which has been able to link up with Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm since November 2009.

In North America, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii can all be used in conjunction with a Netflix subscription in order to stream a wide range of films. For European users, the MUBI deal works to bolster the existing PlayStation Video Store which provides more mainstream movies to North America, Oceania, and some European countries.

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“I’m the best in the world,” says the man from the USA as he emerges from a strong field as the world’s top virtual footballer.

There was a nip in the air as the doors swung open on the FIFA Interactive Word Cup Grand Final in Barcelona’s Port Olimpic.

The field of 32 players looking to stake their claim for glory included former champions Alfonso Ramos from Spain and Bruce Grannec from France.

Both previous winners had a slow start, losing their opening matches 3-1 and 4-1 respectively. Following that early setback, Grannec hit his stride, winning his subsequent group matches 3-1 and 6-1 to progress to the knock-out stage of the tournament.

The first knock-out round saw the first real shock of the day as Sudan’s Abdulaziz Shiddo beat England’s Chris Bullard, one of the favourites, 3-1.

The man from Africa faced Grannec in the quarter-finals and they were joined by the England duo of Danny Taylor and Robert Brewster, Colombia’s Javier Munoz, France’s Adrien’s Makhloufi, Germany’s Ayhan Altundag and, of course, Nenad Stojkovic.

With the competition down to the last eight, the tension was palpable, especially in the game that saw Taylor defeat Munoz by the narrowest of margins, scoring with seconds remaining in extra time to secure his place in the semis. In the other matches, the reigning champion Grannec was hitting his stride, comfortably seeing off Shiddo 4-1.

With the sun now bathing the arena, the crowd was swelling, lapping up the entertainment on offer in the form of Samba drumming band Batacuda, freestylers John Farnworth and Spain’s Jesus, a beach soccer demo from Spain’s Amarelle and areas featuring the latest PlayStation 3 titles and games from EA.

The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for the arrival of Patrick Kluivert and the former Dutch star gamely faced off against Amarelle in a FIFA 10 exhibition match before shooting signed footballs into the crowd for people to claim.

Then it was back to the serious business as first Grannec and Stojkovic returned under the spotlight for the first semi-final. In a tense game which saw Chelsea take on Chelsea, neither player was able to pull clear of the other and, with the score at 3-3, extra time beckoned.

With penalties looming, the man from the United States finished off the champion with three quick goals in the last six minutes, including two exquisite lobs. In the other semi-final, 18-year-old Altundag playing as France saw off 17-year-old Taylor playing as Real Madrid; the 3-1 scoreline included a sweet lob from Thierry Henry in the 63rd minute and although the Englishman came back strongly, hitting the post in the final minutes, Altundag hung on to secure his place in the final.

Grannec then overcame Taylor 3-0 to secure third place; it was an even game in terms of possession and the Frenchman’s experience and cool head in front of goal made the difference as he took the 1,000 USD prize.

And so to the final. From over 775,000 players the world over, it had come to this: two young men appearing in their very first FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final tournament took their seat for 12 of the most important minutes of their life yet. Both players had met at the start of the day, drawing 2-2 when they had faced each other in their first group game and, second time around, it proved to be an equally tense affair.

Altundag playing as France held the upper hand to begin with, only for Stojkovic playing as Chelsea to take first blood on 35 minutes with a sweet goal against the run of play.

The German struck back minutes later and it was 1-1 going into the break. With chances few and far between after the restart, extra time seemed to be beckoning until Drogba turned smartly in the box for Stojkovic and shot across the goalkeeper to make it 2-1. Despite failing to add to his lead minutes later, the ball looping tantalisingly wide, Stojkovic held on to claim the title.

After handing out the prizes to the top three, Kerry Lee from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said: “It’s been a brilliant day. It was a hard fought competition with some incredible football being played and everyone seemed to have a great time.”

“Today has been a fitting end to months of intense competition across the world and I’m really pleased for Nenad. I am looking forward to next year’s competition already.”

With the sun shining down on him and Groove Armada’s Andy Cato taking to the stage to keep the crowds entertained, let’s leave the last word to Nenad Stojkovic, the FIFA Interactive World Champion 2010: “I’m ecstatic. You try to be the best in whatever you do and to actually say that you’re the best is such an accomplishment. You can’t beat that feeling.”

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Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City arrives on PlayStation 3 to steal away your weekend…

Have a Rockstar weekend

The eagerly awaited follow-up to Grand Theft Auto 4 has arrived on PlayStation 3. Available both on PlayStation Store and Blu-ray Disc, Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is here to make sure you’re glued to your screen for addictive open world gameplay and blistering set pieces.

Featuring two distinctive episodes strictly for adults, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, a slew of fresh vehicles and weapons await along with new activities including cage fighting and gang wars. There’s even the chance to enjoy a wealth of multiplayer modes and see Liberty City in a new light with friends.

Dare you enter Section 8?

Join the large scale sci-fi blitz of Section 8 on PlayStation 3, where fast paced action meets military strategy in the far reaches of the galaxy. Downloadable from PlayStation Store, this first person blaster throws you into an epic battle between the 8th Armored Infantry and the Arm of Orion, where the dynamic battlefield means each game has the potential to be totally different from the last.

Skate away for the weekend

If ‘boarding is a bit more of your thing than jet packs, then why not jump on to the skateboarding frenzy of the Skate 3 demo, which lets you get a tantalising taste of what it’s like to tear up the streets in the brand new city of Port Carverton. Download it from PlayStation Store and get grinding.

Hustle hustle

If last week’s dose of Hustle Kings wasn’t enough for you, there’s more in the cue-sized shape of the Hustle Kings free Crazy Table Pack: Hex Crazy which gives you an additional futuristic looking pool table to try your skills on. PlayStation Store is the place to get your well earned break, so download the pack for free and show off your hustler tricks.

A growing theme

Dynamic themes are growing in popularity all the time, and there are two new ones to dazzle your eyes with. White Knight Chronicles and EyePet are the latest to get the dynamic theme treatment, which adds some brilliantly watchable animations to the XMB (XrossMediaBar) on PS3.

Also available to download from PlayStation Store are the Temples Theme – Level Kit and Costume for LittleBigPlanet on PSP, to give Sackboy a new playground and funky look to enjoy it with.

Oddly enough

A PS one classic makes its PlayStation Store bow this week with Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee released for your platform adventure gaming pleasure. Now you can explore the realm of Abe, a disenchanted Mudokon slave working at the RuptureFarms meat processing factory on Oddworld. The quest for Abe’s freedom starts here…

Meanwhile at eu.playstation.com…

Don’t miss the chance to pose your burning PlayStation related questions to the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Andrew House, through the official PlayStation Forums at community.eu.playstation.com. The best questions will be selected for a special feature to be published at a later date.

And if you’re starting to feel the 2010 FIFA World Cup fever then there’s the perfect chance to indulge it with a superb competition that could win you tickets to the massive sporting event. At eu.playstation.com/2010fifaworldcup there are tickets to be won, including a pair for the final. There are only six weeks left to join in after the massive response to week one’s round, so enter now before it’s too late.

New in PlayStation Home

Why not spare a few moments to explore the ever-evolving environment of PlayStation Home this weekend? Firstly there’s the Siren: Blood Curse space to check out, where you can venture through the Ward of Despair, watch videos and play a mini-game for up to five players. Win and earn yourself costume rewards, but beware the terrifying Shibito…

Also in PlayStation Home is a selection of new costumes from sci-fi universe Star Wars and comedy classic Monty Python, where you can dress up as a Stormtrooper or Imperial Officer from the outer space saga, the Black Knight (complete with missing arms) from the comedy film, The Holy Grail, and gain even more goodies from these popular franchises.

Note: PlayStation Home supports the following languages: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

A Blog perspective

Over at PlayStation Blog at blog.eu.playstation.com there is a Q&A with MAG’s producer Alan Van Slyke, designer Jason Olander, and designer and senior community manager Jeremy Dunham, giving you a peek behind the scenes of the massive first person shooter on PS3.

Keep an eye on PlayStation Blog for the latest PlayStation news as it happens.

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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After months of rumors, weeks of leaked retail flyers and days of Japanese news, the Xbox 360 price drop is now officially happening in North America. As of 5 September, the 120GB Elite will be $399 (224), the new-ish 60GB 360 — successor to the 20GB Pro — will be $299 (168), and the hard-drive-less Arcade will be $199 (112).

The new price point makes the bottom-end model of Microsoft’s console the cheapest current-generation console on the US market, undercutting the $249 (140) Nintendo Wii by $50 (28).

“I’m not at a point where I can say we’re going to beat Nintendo,” Don Mattrick, senior vice-president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment division, told BusinessWeek. “[But] We will sell more consoles this generation than Sony.” His sentiments were shared by IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon, who told the magazine, “I expect the 360 to remain in second place this generation. But it’s going to be close.”

IDC predicts 2008 will end with the Xbox 360 beating the Sony PlayStation 3 in lifetime-to-date international sales, 27.7 million to 24.2 million, respectively. That feat is made less impressive, though, by the fact the Xbox 360 launched in November 2005 — a year ahead of the PS3, which has been beating the 360 in monthly NPD sales. IDC has both consoles being drubbed by the Wii, which it predicts will have sold a staggering 44.5 million units by year’s end.

Microsoft has not yet announced a price drop for the Xbox 360 in the UK or Europe.

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Find out what’s in store for PlayStation in 2010 and beyond.

It’s been a great year for PlayStation already hasn’t it? As well as huge software releases on PlayStation 3 in the form of MAG, Heavy Rain and God of War III, not to mention SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 on PSP and a host of great downloads from PlayStation Store, March 2010 saw the unveiling of the PlayStation Move motion controller.

Due in stores towards the end of the year, PS Move will change the way you play games on PS3 and, with 3D gaming coming down the track soon after, who knows how entertainment on PlayStation will continue to develop in the coming months?

Well, one man who’s got a better idea than most is Andrew House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and the man responsible for driving the PlayStation business forward in Europe. Starting on 12 April 2010 and running for a week, you can visit the official PlayStation Forums at community.eu.playstation.com and leave your question for Andrew House.

We will then pick the top questions for him to answer and post the results back here on eu.playstation.com. So don’t delay, head over to the Forums now and grab your chance to put your question to the man at the top of the PlayStation tree.

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