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All you need to know about the latest edition of the Gran Turismo 5 competition that turns driving dreams into reality.

What is GT Academy?Now in its third season, GT Academy is a pan-European competition that unites the worlds of virtual and real-life racing to make the dreams of aspiring race drivers a reality. The competition finds the best Gran Turismo 5 players from participating countries, tests their skills at Race Camp and then trains one winner to become a professional racing driver.

Who can enter?Full terms and conditions of entry are available on gran-turismo.com and these should be read thoroughly by all entrants. The key points are:

You must be aged at least 18 years old.

You must be resident in Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy or the Netherlands. A separate GT Academy is also being run in the USA.

You must hold a valid driver’s licence.

You cannot enter if you have an existing competition driving contract, have previously held a National A or superior MSA racing licence or equivalent, or have competed in a national level Karting Championship for more than two full seasons.

You cannot progress past the Time Trial stage if you made it to Silverstone in either of the previous GT Academy competitions in 2008 or 2010. 

If you make it to the Territory Finals, you will be required to participate in a health screening, and so you must be in good general health in accordance with the Motor Sports Association medical requirements.

Finally, in order to attend Race Camp, which lasts approximately one week, you will need to have a valid passport and be able to travel within the European Union.

What are the various stages in the competition?Stage One: Once registered on gran-turismo.com, you record laps on a track which is accessed in-game from Gran Turismo 5. You can keep track of your progress by accessing the in-game leaderboard for your territory.Stage Two: The 20 eligible entrants who hold the fastest online lap times from each European territory group, along with up to four wild card entries, will qualify for their Territory Final event. Stage Three: Twelve finalists, two from each of the Territory Finals events, will attend the GT Academy Race Camp at the world-famous Silverstone circuit in the United Kingdom where they will be able to develop new driving skills in an array of Nissan cars, while also being judged on fitness and mental attitude.Stage Four: The overall winner will embark on a UK-based intensive driving and racing programme in preparation to qualify for an international racing licence.Stage Five: The winner may be able to race in the prestigious Dubai 24 Hour International race in a fully supported Nissan 370Z GT4 car.

What are the timings for GT Academy 2011?The online Time Trial phase starts on 4 March 2011 and continues until 23:59 on 17 April 2011. Territory Finals will follow shortly afterwards with the Race Camp scheduled for June 2011.

What are the technical requirements for entering the GT Academy 2011 Time Trial?You will need to have a PlayStation 3 system, broadband Internet access and a copy of Gran Turismo 5. The following steps are then required:

Set up a PlayStation Network account if you do not have one already.

Register your personal details at gran-turismo.com.

Start up your copy of Gran Turismo 5 and ensure all the latest game updates have been installed.

Go to the Special Events section in-game and select the GT Academy Time Trial.

How can I work out my ranking position?You can view your position on the leaderboard as well as the fastest laps either in-game or on the rankings page on the official Gran Turismo website at gran-turismo.com.

Can I pick my own car for the Time Trial event?The car and the track used for the Time Trial are pre-determined so that it is the same for everyone: the unique track has been developed specifically using the innovative Course Maker feature of Gran Turismo 5 by legendary creator Kazunori Yamauchi and the car is the stunning Nissan 370Z (Z34).

How many times can I enter?Once you have accessed the Time Trial event, you can complete as many laps as you want and only your best time will be posted to the rankings. If you beat your previous best, your new time will be posted, which may move you up the rankings.

How can I improve my lap times?The best way to improve is through practice. You can take advantage of the custom race lobbies in Gran Turismo 5, which allow you to practise with friends and other players you meet online, sharing driving tips and techniques via voice chat. Similarly, you can use the in-game community features to communicate and set up times to meet and share tips.

What happens next to the winner of GT Academy?The winner has to be prepared to make a major commitment to becoming a real racing driver. From the end of the Race Camp event in June 2011, the winner will be based in the UK for approximately seven months in order to undertake an intensive race training programme. He or she will be housed at Silverstone and will be racing in UK national and club level races most weekends.

In January 2012, the winner will fly to Dubai and may race in the Dubai International 24 Hours.

What if I’ve never raced a real car in my life?That’s not a problem. GT Academy is about finding the best Gran Turismo 5 player and turning him or her into a professional. As outlined in the terms and conditions, people with certain professional racing experience and qualifications are not eligible to participate.

As long as you can drive in Gran Turismo 5, know how to drive a real car and meet the other eligibility requirements, all you have to do is try your best.

Is GT Academy a realistic route into top flight motor sport?Sony Computer Entertainment and Nissan posed the question “Can the world of virtual racing unearth a real racing talent?” The success of the competition’s first two GT Academy winners demonstrated that this answer is a resounding “Yes”

Lucas Ordóñez, the Spanish winner of the first instalment in 2008, went on to finish second in the 2009 European GT4 Cup and fourth in 2010. Frenchman Jordan Tresson, the winner of 2010′s GT Academy competition, finished equal fourth with Ordóñez in the GT4 series.

So there you are – everything you need to know about GT Academy 2011. The clock is ticking, so fire up your copy of Gran Turismo 5 and turn your driving dreams into reality – only with PlayStation.

For more tips on how to be the best in GT Academy, check out the Top Tips: GT Academy 2011 article right here on eu.playstation.com or visit the GT Academy Facebook page at facebook.com/GTAcademy for regular posts from some of the fastest racers and GT Academy celebrities.

Slim-PS3.com is updated frequently per day with the latest Slim PS3 news and games reviews.

The latest PS3 news:

Turn driving dreams into reality thanks to Nissan and PlayStation in the third edition of GT Academy.

Nissan in Europe and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) have joined forces to run a third instalment of the popular GT Academy in 2011. The competition unites the worlds of virtual and real racing, offering one lucky winner the chance to realise their dream of becoming a certified racing driver.

The virtual stage of GT Academy will be played out on the ultra-realistic Gran Turismo 5 on PlayStation 3, which has sold over three million copies to date in Europe since launching in November 2010. The stakes are high with places at the GT Academy Race Camp to play for and a fully supported drive in a Nissan 370Z GT4 car in the prestigious Dubai 24 Hour International race as the ultimate prize (terms and conditions apply).

GT Academy’s global footprint is growing as 2011 marks the third season of GT Academy in Europe, as well as the inaugural year in the USA.

This year’s European competition will run across 10 countries with the online time trials starting on 4 March 2011 and continuing until 17 April 2011. Leaderboards for each participating territory will highlight the fastest 20 racers who will proceed to a live territory final. Only two from each final will make it to the intensive six-day driver training Race Camp to run at the world-famous Silverstone circuit in England. The winner of Race Camp will continue to be trained in high performance Nissan race cars and compete in a series of national level races in order to qualify for an international race licence and an entry into the Dubai race.

Since the first GT Academy in 2008, the innovative competition has established itself as a credible route into top-end motor sport for Gran Turismo players. Lucas Ordoñez, the Spanish winner of the first instalment in 2008, went on to finish second in the 2009 European GT4 Cup and fourth in 2010. Frenchman Jordan Tresson, the winner of 2010′s GT Academy competition, finished equal fourth with Ordoñez in the GT4 series. Both racers are expected to announce new programmes for 2011 soon.

“In Gran Turismo 5 we continue to bring the worlds of real and virtual racing closer together and the GT Academy programme, in partnership with our friends at Nissan, perfectly illustrates this ambition,” explained Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of the Gran Turismo series and president of developer Polyphony Digital. “GT Academy  is also a great showcase for the fact that GT5 will continue to offer players more than just the game they have bought. It fully utilises the online functionality of GT5 and highlights the community elements. I think that we shall see a lot of friends challenging each other to take part in GT Academy and seeing how good they are against others. I am sure that most people with an interest in motor sport have dreamt about having a go for real. The competition has already made that dream a reality for the previous two winners, so it is well worth entering – even if it is only your friends you want to beat!”

When the virtual racing stage of the game ends, the emphasis will shift to Nissan’s stunning sports cars with the 370Z and GT-R playing starring roles at the Silverstone Race Camp. “It has been a great pleasure for us to see so many of our cars recreated in stunning detail in Gran Turismo 5,” said Nissan International’s Vice President of Marketing, Vincent Wijnen. “But GT Academy is even more special as we watch the incredible progression of somebody racing our cars in the game to enjoying great success racing them at full speed on international race circuits. GT Academy has become a great grass roots mainstay of our international race programme and we enjoy the partnership with PlayStation very much.”

GT Academy in 2010 enjoyed enormous success with 1.2 million gamers taking part. The competition found a very high profile fan in judge, and former Formula One team boss, Eddie Jordan, who commented at the Silverstone event: “This has been extraordinary, I have been absolutely blown away. I could not believe that these gamers, with no experience of racing cars, could do this. They really are great drivers, all of them, and they can be rightly proud of what they have achieved. I know that they have all had an amazing experience that will stay with them forever.”

Residents from 10 European countries, combined into the following six regional groups, are eligible to take part in GT Academy 2011: Germany and Austria; France and Switzerland; UK and Ireland; Spain and Portugal; Italy; and, the Netherlands.

More details of the time trial phase of the European GT Academy will be released shortly, and players can register their interest and keep up to date with the latest developments by signing up to the GT Academy Facebook page at facebook.com/GTAcademy.

Slim-PS3.com is updated frequently every day with the very latest Free PlayStation news.

Dana Jan, game director at Ready at Dawn Studios, answers questions from the PlayStation community about the sequel to the 2008 award-winning smash hit PSP game, God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Where does God of War: Ghost of Sparta sit in the God of War series timeline on PlayStation? (Blink2662, United Kingdom)

The story is set after God of War and before God of War II on PlayStation 2.

In God of War on PlayStation 2 there is a cutscene called The Birth of the Beast that focuses on Kratos´ younger brother. Some people thought that this new character would appear in God of War II. If God of War: Ghost of Sparta takes place before God of War II could it be possible we’ll see him? (victoruzumaki, United Kingdom)

Yes. We’ve released some information, including a recent Origins trailer for the game that shows Kratos’ younger brother, Deimos. Fans that unlocked and watched that movie from God of War on PlayStation 2 will finally learn what happened to Kratos’ brother.

Do you plan on integrating the game with God of War III on PlayStation 3? (addyjones1234, United Kingdom)

We recently announced a Deimos costume [Kratos' brother featured in God of War: Ghost of Sparta] for God of War III when you pre-order the PSP game.

What inspired you as an individual developer to return to the God of War series on PSP? (balpares, France)

For me it was Kratos first and foremost. His ability to destroy anything and everything in his path to get to a singular goal is inspiring. The saga as a whole has great characters and a powerful story of revenge that was set in motion even before the events of God of War on PlayStation 2. We knew that there was one more important piece of Kratos’ story that was left untold.

With God of War: Chains of Olympus you set new standards for PSP games. I once read in an interview that Ready at Dawn Studios didn’t plan on making another PSP game in the God of War series canon, regardless of success. What made the team change its mind? (CaptainCortez, United Kingdom)

We did a lot of work to make God of War: Chains of Olympus for PSP. We also thought that we had it in us to improve upon it if given the chance. So, it made sense for us to leverage that work and make another God of War game. You, the fans, also wanted more Kratos on PSP, so we were very pleased to get the opportunity to create God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

How did you find it developing on PSP? Were there any difficulties and did you manage to achieve what you wanted to? (Chepunator, Russia)

We have enjoyed our time with PSP. It’s certainly challenging to make big games like God of War on a handheld. But, we like a challenge. With God of War: Ghost of Sparta, we’ve been able to achieve what we wanted to in the God of War universe, and we feel confident to say that we’ve realized the full potential of the hardware.

How did you manage to create a game with such truly amazing graphics for PSP? (reinaldo90, Portugal)

A ton of hard work from the team is required to make a game shine this bright on PSP. I think that’s the secret. Having a series that puts the main character in fantastic settings helps, and having a team of individuals dedicated to delivering the most amazing looking handheld game doesn’t hurt either.

How long will it take for someone to play through God of War: Ghost of Sparta from start to finish? (Spurvugle, Norway)

It varies from person to person based on playing style and skill. Overall, we can assure you that the game is longer than God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Will there be more boss battles compared to God of War: Chains of Olympus? (Xx-Beno57-xX, France)

There are more, and better, bosses than God of War: Chains of Olympus. The fights are bigger, some of them are physically bigger, and the way Kratos finishes off each of them is much bigger than anything we did in Chains of Olympus.

Are you able to give us any hints as to which Greek legends we’ll meet over the course of the story? (Tobi1989, Poland)

I think listing them out here would spoil the experience, so I’d prefer to let people meet the characters while they’re playing the game.

Will the game include additional challenges, such as the Challenge of Hades in God of War: Chains of Olympus? (Uncharted90, Poland)

Yes. There are a lot more challenges in this game than our last offering. We also enjoy them. Beat the game to start your path to unlocking all the treasures we’ve packed into God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

This site is updated several times per day with the very latest Slim PS3 news.

Will Treyarch’s return to the blockbuster series be a glorious one?

If I could pick one word to describe what I was shown of the Call of Duty: Black Ops single-player campaign, it would be ‘intense’. The action is intense, the atmosphere is intense, the violence is intense. Hell, even the weather is intense.

There’s probably just enough space in the internet left for me to use a few more words than that, but it’s a term Treyarch community manager Josh Olin used a fair few times as he guided me through two stages of what is undoubtedly one of this year’s most anticipated releases.

Not that 2009′s Call of Duty (COD) release Modern Warfare 2 lacked intensity, of course. But it was the glory, rather than the horrors of war that was the focus. The notable shift in tone is a clear attempt by the World at War developer to take the flagship FPS series and stamp their name all over it.

Given Infinity Ward’s offering last year was often described as “the biggest entertainment launch ever” (well biggest since the launch of the cup and ball in sixteenth-century France at least) a new development team had some pretty big expectations to live up to. And, so far, it looks like they’ve more than risen to the challenge.

Black Ops’ story mode focuses on the exploits of elite commando squads working behind enemy lines during the cold war. It’s a setting that’s been visited a few times in the gaming world, and the historical significance of the period, along with a new, unique arsenal of weapons to gets to grips with means its a great choice for a COD game.

For the first time for Treyarch, the single and multiplayer modes had individual, dedicated teams – while many gamers see the franchise as primarily an online experience, what’s on offer here is by no means an afterthought.

First impressions

Unsurprisingly, it’s the differences between Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 which stand out most on first viewing.

Firstly, a new motion-capture technique means in-game interactions are superbly lifelike. Character development is often overlooked in these sorts of games but this, coupled with the fact that, for the first time, you’ll hear your own voice throughout the game, means you could at last feel some emotional involvement for the man behind the big gun pointing into your TV.

While you’ll once again control a number of characters, Olin insists characterisation and plot have been put at a premium during development – an area in which last year’s effort clearly was lacking.

Warm, fuzzy feelings for your squad aren’t what sells a COD game, however. Thankfully, the game looks more action-packed than ever.

A swimming section early on in the game sees you escape a sinking helicopter, then navigate your way through a murky river, surfacing only to spring up, disable a Vietnamese soldier and use his body as a shield as you take out the rest of his team.

Find a dozing guard in a small hut and the command prompt triggers a grisly throat-stabbing, pull off a headshot on his patrolling companion and a bullet-time sequence shows blood spurt out of his skull – Treyarch have ramped up the gore, and Black Ops cleary isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Later on there’s the chance to pilot a helicopter for the first time in a COD game. The colossal amount of firepower at your disposal in this stage means you can simply tear through the destructible Vietnamese camps – towers topple, supply boats explode – it’s heavy-duty action on a scale not yet seen in the series.

It’s not all gun battles and rocket launchers, however. The latter part of the first level I was shown featured a breathless sequence where you followed a comrade, lit by torchlight, down a series of Viet Cong-infested tunnels. Rats scurry around your feet and you can almost taste the dank air.

This sequence was particularly impressive, and felt more like survival horror than your traditionally brainless guns and glory FPS fare. The immersion here realises itself fully when, in a jump-out-of-your-seat moment, a teammate is ambushed and gruesomely dispatched before your eyes. As mentioned previously, this isn’t a game that flinches away from the dark side of war.

Of course, it’s likely Treyarch are showcasing the less conventional levels first, but aside from these highlights, the more typical run and gun sections look as solidly enjoyable as ever.

After all, there was little wrong with the mechanics of last year’s release. But if the furious pace and variety of what I saw is even vaguely indicative of what the rest of the game has to offer, Black Ops could well take the blockbuster series to a whole new level.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops will be released on 9 November for Xbox 360, PC, PS3 and Wii

Games

Jack Arnott

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Slim-PS3.com is updated frequently every day with all latest video game news and games reviews.

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.

]]> Slim-PS3.com is updated regularly per day with the very latest Free PlayStation news and reviews.

The Rockstar development team behind Red Dead Revolver answers questions from the PlayStation community.

Considering that an open world Wild West game is not really mainstream, how did you come up with the idea for it? (hgtred, Germany)

The initial idea came during the completion of Red Dead Revolver. While Rockstar San Diego was working to finish that game, we started to see the potential for an open world game set in the West.

Then we decided to focus not on the classic Western period of Revolver but to base the story in the fascinating times around the death of the West, in the early 1900s, when America was going through a difficult time of great change. That gave us the greatest scope to fit in all the different story elements that we wanted in the game, from the classic American frontier to the iconic Mexican landscapes of the spaghetti westerns and a more modern town like Blackwater.

We never choose to make our games based on what’s popular at any given time -we try to do the opposite. We try to make the kinds of games we want to play and hope enough other people feel the same way.

Is there any connection between Red Dead Revolver and Redemption? (CaptainCortez, UK)

Red Dead Redemption isn’t a direct sequel to Red Dead Revolver, more a spiritual successor. That said, we strongly encourage you to explore the world for yourself and discover everything there is to learn about it. It may yield a few secrets and surprises.

From what I saw in the released videos, the horses are very realistic. How much time did you spend capturing their movements? (corpocannibal, Portugal)

Making the horses look and move believably was a long, arduous and messy process that included shooting our own motion capture of horses in action, right down to sticking the little white balls all over the horse in order to get the most accurate capture data and picking them all up and sticking them back on when they would fall off.

We had a famous stunt horse called Blanco and a very accomplished rider to put him through his paces. Capturing the horse’s real, natural movements, as well as the way the horse and rider worked together, was an amazing experience. Once we had the capture data, it was a case of choosing the right breeds, watching films and videos of them in motion and even using some of our facial animation technology to recreate the muscle movements. We’re immensely proud of the horses in Red Dead Redemption – they’re like nothing ever seen in a game before.

How extensive is the story and, more specifically, how many hours of gameplay can we expect? (Fischli, Germany; bubbez, Scandi)

Pretty long, we hope – the game is huge and the story itself is an epic in which John Marston meets many old faces and journeys across three huge regions, but how long it takes depends on how much time the player spends exploring. Given the huge amount of mini-games, including horseshoes, poker and liar’s dice; the stranger missions and other activities including hunting, treasure hunting and bounty hunting; and all the other surprises scattered across the world, the amount of time you spend in the game world is completely up to you.

Will we be able to capture fellow players with our lasso in the multiplayer? (Son_of_Bane, Netherlands)

No, lassos aren’t available in multiplayer – trying to get a curving, fluid-like piece of rope to work in single player was a massive technical challenge in itself, but the potential for 16 lassos attempting to interact with each other to cause knotty technical problems meant we had to confine the lasso to single player.

Will the main character be able to develop physically like CJ in GTA: San Andreas? (II-GRATOR-II, Spain)

Marston won’t become any stronger, or gain or lose weight, but you can affect the way the world responds to him by changing his outfit. By collecting scraps of outfits scattered across the world, you can gain access to full outfits that will have special benefits. For example, collecting a particular gang outfit will allow Marston to sneak into that gang’s territory without attracting attention. Or if you attain the Elegant suit, for example, you will gain the ability to cheat at poker. You can change into a different outfit at any of your in-game save points, either in a town or at your campsite.

Will the soundtrack be in the same style as a real western movie? (MechAArmA, France; Loganer94, Italy)

Music plays a huge part in Red Dead Redemption and it is used in unexpected ways. The soundtrack is actually a dynamic score, where what you hear is determined by what’s going on in the world around you and by the territory that you find yourself in.

The score and soundtrack itself is amazing and was put together by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, two musicians critically acclaimed for their evocative and cinematic soundscapes. Early in the game you will hear music that’s reminiscent of the classic spaghetti westerns that were such a big influence on the soundtrack of Red Dead Revolver. However, Red Dead Redemption is set in a much later period, during the death of the West itself, so the music evolves to feature newer, more modern instrumentation.

Certain instruments in the soundtrack are linked to specific territories, to give each territory its own unique atmosphere. There are also guest vocal performances by Jose Gonzales, William Ellis Whitmore and Jamie Lidell that add extra atmosphere to certain crucial moments in the game’s story.

Slim-PS3.com is updated regularly every day with the very latest Slim PS3 news and reviews.

Take part in our fun competition and you could book yourself a seat at the biggest football match of 2010.

Since April 2010, we’ve been giving you the chance to win tickets to a number of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa group matches in association with upcoming PlayStation 3 and PSP title ModNation Racers.

We’ve already had several lucky winners, including Terry from England who bagged a pair of tickets to Uruguay v France in Group A on the opening day of the tournament.

“I had to read the congratulatory email three times before believing I had won the competition,” said Terry. “I’m looking forward to enjoying the build up to the start of the tournament and watching the South Africa v Mexico opening match before heading to the brand new Green Point Stadium for Uruguay v France, wearing my Ireland shirt! As a Liverpool fan I then look forward to enjoying a Stevie Gerrard inspired 4-0 opening victory for England before heading home. Thanks Sony.”

Terry will be joined in South Africa by Chris, also from England, who won a pair of tickets to watch England take on the USA in their opening Group C match. Surrounded by his collection of England shirts past and present, Chris said: “I’ve never been to South Africa before and can’t wait to get there to experience something really special. This is the greatest competition in the world – the 2010 FIFA World Cup!”

Visit playstation2010fifaworldcup.com and win more tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are also giving away tickets to the final in our final week, starting on 21 May 2010.

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Recent PS3 news:

“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.”

Our blog is updated frequently each day with the latest Free PS3 news and reviews.

Become our PlayStation reporter at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa.

The FIFA World Cup™ Finals kick off in Africa for the first time when South Africa take on Mexico in Johannesburg on 11 June 2010. A few hours later in Cape Town, Uruguay face up to 1998 winners France and you could be there, savouring the atmosphere of the greatest football tournament on the planet.

Starting in April 2010, and over a period of seven weeks, PlayStation in association with the upcoming ModNation Racers on PS3 and PSP is giving you the chance to win 2 pairs of tickets each week to selected Group Stage matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa. Best of all, in the seventh week of our competition, there is a pair of tickets to the FIFA World Cup™ Final itself up for grabs.

As well as a pair of tickets, flights and accommodation, each winner will also receive a Sony Digital Video Camera to record their stay and report back to the PlayStation community with their take on this historic event. Full details of the prize can be found below:

Flights to and from South Africa.

Two tickets for the match.

Accommodation for three nights, with the match taking place on the second night.

Transport to and from airport, hotel and stadium.

Stadium hospitality, including food and beverages.

Security.

Sony corporate insurance.

PSPgo system.

Sony Digital Video Camera.

For more details and to enter, head over to eu.playstation.com/2010fifaworldcup – don’t miss your chance to feel like a World Cup winner.

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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.

Slim PS3 is updated frequently each day with the very latest Free Sony Slim PS3 news and games reviews.