Sony has told Bethesda that the PS3 version of Skyrim patch 1.04 will be released today.

Gamers have been somewhat perturbed that the PS3 version wouldn’t be seeing the light of day until next week, however it seems as if Sony’s sped up the process and it will go live today. At least that’s what Sony promised Bethesda.

Once it goes live, whenever that is, expect these issues to be fixed:

BUG FIXES

General optimizations for memory and performance
Fixed occasional issue with armor and clothing not displaying properly when placed on mannequin’s in player’s house. (PS3)
Improved compiler optimization settings (PC)
Long term play optimizations for memory and performance (PS3)
Memory optimizations related to scripting
Fixed crashes related to pathing and AI
Fixed crash in Haemar’s Shame if player had already completed “A Daedra’s Best Friend”
Fixed rare crash with loading saved games
Fixed issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line
Master Criminal achievement/trophy unlocks properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian
Fixed issue where dragon priest masks would not render correctly
Fixed issue where quests would incorrectly progress after reloading a save
Fixed issues with placing and removing books from bookshelves in the player’s home
Fixed issue where weapon racks and plaques would not work correctly in player’s house if player immediately visits their house before purchasing any furnishing.
Fixed issue where the player house in Windhelm would not clean up properly
Fixed crash related to giant attacks and absorb spells
Fixed issue with ash piles not cleaning up properly
Fixed occasional issue where overwriting an existing save would fail
Fixed memory crash with container menu
Fixed infinite loop with bookshelves
Fixed issue where traps in Shalidor’s Maze would not work properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian versions
Fixed issue where transforming back to human from werewolf would occasionally not fail
Bows and daggers will display properly when placed on weapon racks

QUEST FIXES

The Unusual Gem inside the Thalmor Embassy is now accessible after finishing “Diplomatic Immunity”
In “Breaching Security”, the quest token is no longer required to receive a fortune reading from Olava the Feeble
Fixed issue where Galmar would not complete Joining the Stormcloaks properly if “Season Unending” was an active quest
Fixed issue where starting “Season Unending” after finishing “Joining the Stormcloaks” would prevent “The Jagged Crown” from starting properly.
Fixed issue progressing through “Message to Whiterun” while “Season Unending” was still open would block progression for both quests.
In “Arniel’s Endeavor”, fixed issue where a quest journal would trigger multiple times
In “Forbidden Legend”, the amulet fragment can no longer disappear after player leaves a dungeon without taking it
Fixed rare issue in “Forbidden Legend” where killing Mikrul Gauldurson while sneaking would make his corpose unaccessible
In “The White Phial”, the phial can no longer disappear if player leaves dungeon without taking it
“The White Phial” will now start properly if player already has a briar heart in their inventory
Player can no longer get stuck in Misty Grove after completing “A Night to Remember”
Fixed issue where leaving Riften during “A Chance Arrangement” would prevent quest from progressing
In “Darkness Returns”, a door in Twilight Sepulcher will properly open if the player leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time before completing the quest
In “Under New Management”, if the player leaves the Oculory for an extended period of time after placing the focusing crystal and returns, the quest will proceed correctly
“Onmund’s Request” will now start properly if player has already found Enthir’s staff before receiving this quest
Fixed instance where Tonilia would stop buying stolen items and also would not give Guild Leader Armor
“Repairing the Phial” will start properly if player already has unmelting snow or mammoth tusk in their inventory
Finding Pantea’s Flute before speaking with Pantea no longer prevents her quest from updating
In “The Coming of the Dawn”, fixed rare instance where a quest object would spawn incorrectly on the Katariah during Hail Sithis
Fixed rare issue in “The Mind of Madness” where player is unable to equip the Wabbajack
Fixed issue in “Pieces of the Past” where Mehrunes Dagon’s Razor will not trigger properly if player leaves the cell for extended period of time before activating it
“Blood’s Honor” will start properly if you visited and completed Driftshade and an extended period of time passes before starting the quest.
Fixed rare issue where “Dampened Spirits” would not start properly
Fixed issue where player would be unable to become Thane of Riften if they purchased a home first
Fixed issue where killing guards in Cidhna Mine woud block progression for “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine”
Fixed numerous issues with “Blood on the Ice” not triggering properly
In “Blood on the Ice”, Calixto can now be killed if player owns a house in Windhelm
In “The Cure for Madness”, killing Cicero then resurrecting him no longer impedes quest progress
Fixed rare issue in “To Kill an Empire” where an NPC would fail to die properly
Clearing Knifepoint Ridge before starting “Boethiah’s Champion” no longer prevents quest from starting.

The promised Skyrim patch 1.04 is now live on Xbox 360. It weighs in at 10 MB, and features tons of fixes you can see here. The PS3 version won’t be out until next week, as Bethesda only yesterday sent it in to be certified by Sony. Your Quenchable for the day.

When Insomniac Games announced that it was breaking away from making exclusive games for Sony platforms, and was instead moving into a partnership with EA Partners, many PS fans cried foul, but the firm’s founder, Ted Price, believes the age of exclusives has come to an end.

That’s what he believes, and speaking in an interview with VG247, explained his stance.

“It’s certainly possible. I mean, I can’t speak for first-party publishers. I believe that there are just more opportunities to get your IP out in front of a greater audience if you are on more platforms,” Price answered when asked if the age of exclusives was coming to a close. “So whether or not first-party exclusives continue is really up to those first-party publishers and whether or not they can find companies who are willing to restrict themselves to one platform.

However, if you look at the first-party publishers, it’s no longer about one platform. Sony has multiple platforms: PSP, Vita, PS3. And Microsoft has Xbox 360, Windows, and Windows Phone. So it used to be that, if you were working with a first-party, you really were on one console. Period. But that’s no longer the case either.”

What do you guys think? Will Sony ever make first-party games to be released on Nintendo and Microsoft’s platforms? I would think it would be a profitable move, but is it plausible? Share your thoughts.

“Let me put it this way: I’m really proud of the end result, but I’m not super satisfied. I want to have been able to have done more, but that’s always the feeling you get. Unless someone says, okay, enough, we need to ship it, development will go on and on forever more or less or until everyone gets bored with it. It’s been a long production: it’s good to finally ship it, but at the same time, you always think, if we could have had half a year more, we could have done even more.” – Starbreeze co-op programmer Lars Magnus speaking to CVG.

Capcom’s announced a Europe delay of Asura’s Wrath this morning, moving from late February to early March – just two weeks. It’ll be out for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

These are serious times.

In the early days, when the electronics industry’s innovation was happening, many Japanese companies were known for producing poor quality products. Sony decided that needed to change, so the firm set out to reshape the world’s perception of its nations main export by becoming the company to create high-quality electronics – it did just that and for a long time, dominated the market, and had become a topnotch brand. In essence, if you wanted quality, you wanted Sony.

Then the Walkman happened, and its success propelled the company to even greater heights. The portable music player had become a universal phenomenon, everybody had one, or so it seemed. For those who are too young to know what I’m talking about, the Walkman was what the iPod or iPhone is today. So Sony ruled electronics: from TVs to Stereos and everything in-between. The high, however, didn’t stop there.

PlayStation came on the scene, after Nintendo refused the technology from Sony, as the two firms couldn’t come to an agreement on how revenues would be shared. PSone was birthed, and long story short, it became one of the most successful consoles of all time, bested only by its younger, sibling PS2.

Then something happened. The company had become heady and arrogant. The big players in Japan had thought, and still do today, that their company was untouchable. They thought no one could replicate their successes and ignored, even up to this day, the daunting challenges ahead. The company failed to reorganize when competitors like Samsung started biting at its heels, it failed to innovate when Apple crashed its party, and failed to build on the success of PS2 when Microsoft released the Xbox 360.

You must realize that Sony dominated, at one point, the aforementioned three markets: TVs and Stereos, Portable Music Players and Video Games. You also must realize, nervously, that Sony’s lost its position in all three. But why? The firm believes, stubbornly, that it’s still king in these departments! Sony’s living a lie, and its arrogant Japanese executives are killing the beloved but failing company.

I read an article in Inc Magazine that shed some light on the difficulty Sir Howard Stringer faced when he became boss. He said he didn’t realize how deeply rooted Sony’s stubborn behaviors were – especially in Japan. There, he wasn’t boss at all, he had to work hard to change the company’s work ethic and its stupid culture of segregation. Sony had engineers working on new technology who weren’t allowed to communicate with other departments because of irrelevant, old reasons. Stringer succeeded to a certain extent in changing the culture, leading former PlayStation boss who now holds Stringer’s position, Kaz Hirai, to mesh the entire PlayStation team. Can you believe PlayStation used to be a segregated group?

Sony needs to let loose of its old glory and become a light, lean company. Its TV business is dying because its products are way more expensive than the likes of Samsung and LG. To become competitive the firm must find ways to lower cost while keeping quality at high levels. It could also employ a new advertising strategy and rebranding, just as it did when it changed the perception of Japanese products. The Make.Believe tagline isn’t being effective, if it was, the results would have shown in the firm’s bottom line. Try something new that would correspond with your new pricing, branding and structure. You’re light and lean now, let your advertising motto reflect that.

Yesterday, Standard & Poor’s lowered Sony’s credit rating from A- to BBB+, citing the likelihood of a strong recovery in Sony’s earnings as low, due to a massive erosion of prices, falling demand, and harsh competition in Sony’s mainstay businesses.

“We base the downgrade on our view that severe circumstances in Sony’s mainstay electronics businesses make a strong recovery in earnings unlikely. We base the negative outlook on the long-term corporate credit rating on our expectation that we could lower the ratings further if we see no meaningful sign of a recovery in Sony’s earnings within six to 12 months.”

Kaz Hirai said recently, “We really need to buckle down and be realistic. I don’t think everybody is on board, but I think people are coming around to the idea that if we don’t turn this around, we could be sitting in some serious trouble.”

Maybe Hirai’s the right man for the Job, then. Maybe with Stringer being American, it was hard for the Japanese founders and board members to understand the impact of what’s taking place. Maybe, just maybe, Sony will change. Because it’s either that, or die.

Yet another developer’s praising Xbox 360 for being significantly easier to developer games for than Sony’s PS3, and said as a player, he’s thrilled about next-gen but as a developer he’d rather stay on 360/PS3 just a bit longer.

“As a player, I’d love another generation of Xbox,” Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning lead designer Ian Frazier told OXM. “I feel like we’ve been pushing this technology for a really long time, and I’d love to jump to the next level, the Xbox 720 or whatever it ends up being.

As a developer? It’s really nice having a stabilised platform. Especially with the Xbox, it’s so solidified, people know it so well – it’s just really, really easy to develop for at this point.

Our team were coming from a PC background, we had Settlers of Cataan on Xbox Live Arcade but that’s it, that’s the only previous console experience we had. Going to Sony platforms was a little bit tricky, Xbox was significantly easier, but across the board it was really nice going to platforms that were mature and stabilised.

So as a player I say ‘Yeah, let’s bring on the next generation!’. But as a developer, I’m like ‘Oh god, no, please, let’s all stay the same.’”

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning is now available in the U.S., and sees a European release tomorrow.

Bethesda’s Pete Hines has tweeted that come tomorrow (in less than one hour), Skyrim patch 1.04 will go live on Xbox 360.

As for the PS3 Skyrim patch, the firm doesn’t have a solid date to announce, and said that it’s waiting on certification from Sony.

The patch promises to fix a lot of bugs, including all what’s listed below:

BUG FIXES

General optimizations for memory and performance
Fixed occasional issue with armor and clothing not displaying properly when placed on mannequin’s in player’s house. (PS3)
Improved compiler optimization settings (PC)
Long term play optimizations for memory and performance (PS3)
Memory optimizations related to scripting
Fixed crashes related to pathing and AI
Fixed crash in Haemar’s Shame if player had already completed “A Daedra’s Best Friend”
Fixed rare crash with loading saved games
Fixed issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line
Master Criminal achievement/trophy unlocks properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian
Fixed issue where dragon priest masks would not render correctly
Fixed issue where quests would incorrectly progress after reloading a save
Fixed issues with placing and removing books from bookshelves in the player’s home
Fixed issue where weapon racks and plaques would not work correctly in player’s house if player immediately visits their house before purchasing any furnishing.
Fixed issue where the player house in Windhelm would not clean up properly
Fixed crash related to giant attacks and absorb spells
Fixed issue with ash piles not cleaning up properly
Fixed occasional issue where overwriting an existing save would fail
Fixed memory crash with container menu
Fixed infinite loop with bookshelves
Fixed issue where traps in Shalidor’s Maze would not work properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian versions
Fixed issue where transforming back to human from werewolf would occasionally not fail
Bows and daggers will display properly when placed on weapon racks

QUEST FIXES

The Unusual Gem inside the Thalmor Embassy is now accessible after finishing “Diplomatic Immunity”
In “Breaching Security”, the quest token is no longer required to receive a fortune reading from Olava the Feeble
Fixed issue where Galmar would not complete Joining the Stormcloaks properly if “Season Unending” was an active quest
Fixed issue where starting “Season Unending” after finishing “Joining the Stormcloaks” would prevent “The Jagged Crown” from starting properly.
Fixed issue progressing through “Message to Whiterun” while “Season Unending” was still open would block progression for both quests.
In “Arniel’s Endeavor”, fixed issue where a quest journal would trigger multiple times
In “Forbidden Legend”, the amulet fragment can no longer disappear after player leaves a dungeon without taking it
Fixed rare issue in “Forbidden Legend” where killing Mikrul Gauldurson while sneaking would make his corpose unaccessible
In “The White Phial”, the phial can no longer disappear if player leaves dungeon without taking it
“The White Phial” will now start properly if player already has a briar heart in their inventory
Player can no longer get stuck in Misty Grove after completing “A Night to Remember”
Fixed issue where leaving Riften during “A Chance Arrangement” would prevent quest from progressing
In “Darkness Returns”, a door in Twilight Sepulcher will properly open if the player leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time before completing the quest
In “Under New Management”, if the player leaves the Oculory for an extended period of time after placing the focusing crystal and returns, the quest will proceed correctly
“Onmund’s Request” will now start properly if player has already found Enthir’s staff before receiving this quest
Fixed instance where Tonilia would stop buying stolen items and also would not give Guild Leader Armor
“Repairing the Phial” will start properly if player already has unmelting snow or mammoth tusk in their inventory
Finding Pantea’s Flute before speaking with Pantea no longer prevents her quest from updating
In “The Coming of the Dawn”, fixed rare instance where a quest object would spawn incorrectly on the Katariah during Hail Sithis
Fixed rare issue in “The Mind of Madness” where player is unable to equip the Wabbajack
Fixed issue in “Pieces of the Past” where Mehrunes Dagon’s Razor will not trigger properly if player leaves the cell for extended period of time before activating it
“Blood’s Honor” will start properly if you visited and completed Driftshade and an extended period of time passes before starting the quest.
Fixed rare issue where “Dampened Spirits” would not start properly
Fixed issue where player would be unable to become Thane of Riften if they purchased a home first
Fixed issue where killing guards in Cidhna Mine woud block progression for “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine”
Fixed numerous issues with “Blood on the Ice” not triggering properly
In “Blood on the Ice”, Calixto can now be killed if player owns a house in Windhelm
In “The Cure for Madness”, killing Cicero then resurrecting him no longer impedes quest progress
Fixed rare issue in “To Kill an Empire” where an NPC would fail to die properly
Clearing Knifepoint Ridge before starting “Boethiah’s Champion” no longer prevents quest from starting.

Just like the US PS Store Update, Sony’s made sure that its European store boasts the same amount of swag. Catch the full thing below the break.

PlayStation Network New Content
Full Games (PS3)

The Simpsons Arcade Game (£9.99/€7.99) *100% Discount for PS Plus members*
Malicious (£6.49/€7.99) *PS Plus members receive 20% discount*
Mortal Kombat (£29.99/€39.99)
Availability: Not available in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg,

Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, Ukraine
Catherine (£39.99/€59.99)
Availability: Not available in Croatia, India, Israel, Kuwait, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine

Top Spin 4 (£19.99/€29.99)
Shank 2 (£7.99/€9.99)
Gotham City Impostors (£11.99/€14.99)
Availability: Not available in Germany, Portugal, Russian Federation, Ukraine

PSP
Persona 2: Innocent Sin/Persona 3 Portable (bundle) (£39.99/€49.99)
Availability: Not available in Australia, New Zealand

minis (PS3/PSP)
T.N.K. III (£1.99/€2.49)
Vanguard II (£1.99/€2.49)
Alien Havoc & Bubble Trubble (Bundle) (£3.49/€3.99)
Ace Armstrong/Stellar Attack (Bundle) (£3.99/€4.99)
Cubixx/Vibes (Bundle) (£3.99/€4.99)
Fight Fantasy: Talisman/Warlock (Bundle) (£4.99/€5.99)
Special Offer Selection
Mafia II (£17.49/€20.99)
Left to Die in Zombhai (£1.74/€1.99)
Hamilton’s Great Adventure (£3.99/€4.99)
Hyperballoid HD (£2.39/€2.99)
Hi-Tech World Campaign (£1.39/€ 1.69)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (£9.99/€12.99)
Worms Battle Islands (£5.49/€6.99)
Sid Meier’s Pirates! (£5.19/€6.49)
Beaterator (£5.19/€6.49)
GTA Vice City Stories (£6.99/€7.99)
GTA Chinatown Wars (£6.49/€7.99)
GTA Liberty City Stories (£6.49/€7.99)
Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition (£5.19/€6.49)
Midnight Club LA: Remix (£5.19/€6.49)
Add-On Game Content (PS3)
Dynasty Warriors 7 – Xtreme Stage Pack 2 (£2.39/€2.99)
Availability: Not available in New Zealand

Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Lightning and Amodar Coliseum Battle (£1.59/€1.99)
Availability: All Locales

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
-Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Online Pass (£7.99/€9.99)

-Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Finesse Pack (£2.39/€2.99)

-Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Might Pack (£2.39/€2.99)

-Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Sorcery Pack (£2.39/€2.99)

The King of Fighters XIII – Unlock Gallery (£1.99/€2.49)
Lego Harry Potter (Years 5-7) – 5 spell pack (£1.59/€1.99)
LittleBigPlanet – Valentine’s Day – Level Kit (£2.39/€2.99) (1 Week Only)
MotorStorm Apocalypse – Valentine’s Day Livery Pack (Free)
Rock Band 3
-Bush Pack 01 (£2.49/€3.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

-Machinehead – Bush (£0.99/€1.49)

-Comedown – Bush (£0.99/€1.49)

-Everything Zen – Bush (£0.99/€1.49)

-Have You Ever Seen The Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival (£0.99/€1.49)

Availability: Not available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Kuwait, Luxemburg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates

Rock Band Network
-Heavy Weather – The Storm Ov The Undead – Rainbowdragoneyes (£0.59/€0.79)

-Real Wild Child – Jerry Naylor (£0.99/€1.49)

-Slaves To Substance – Suicide Silence (£0.99/€1.49)

-Diachylon – Chaotrope (£0.59/€0.79)

-Foundation – an Unkindness (£0.59/€0.79)

Availability: Not available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Kuwait, Luxemburg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates

UFC Undisputed 3 – Online Pass (£9.99/€12.99)
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – Weapon Expert Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
Uncharted 3
-Fort Co-op Adventure (£5.99/€4.79)

-Doughnut Skin Pack (£1.59/€1.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

-Salim Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Cutter Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Eddy Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Rameses Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Sully Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Rogues Skin Pack 1 (£1.59/€1.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

-Agent 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Agent 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Bedouin 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Bedouin 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Thug 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Thug 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Thug 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Rogues Skin Pack 2 (£1.59/€1.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

-Agent 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Bedouin 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Desert Agent 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Desert Agent 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Desert Agent 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Thug 4 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

-Thug 6 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

Warhammer 40000: Space Marine – Legion of the Damned Skin (£1.59/€1.99)
Yoostar – Beverly Hills Cop – You eat a lot of meat (£1.75/€1.39)
Availability: Belgium, Czech Republic, India, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation, Ukraine

Dynamic Themes
Nature
-Dynamic sunrise at beach theme (£1.59/€1.99)

-Dynamic vernal falls theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Places/Landmarks
-Dynamic sunrise over Manhattan theme (£1.59/€1.99)

-Dynamic vacation town theme (£1.59/€1.99)

-Dynamic yacht harbour theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Sci-Fi/Fantasy
-Dynamic Azmodeus Dark Angels Theme 2 (£1.59/€1.99)

Seasonal
-Happy Valentine’s Day (£1.59/€1.99)

-Valentine’s Day Hearts (£1.59/€1.99)Videos (PS3)

Grand Slam Tennis 2 Demo Trailer
SSX It’s Tricky Platform
SSX Survive It
This Is SSX
Binary Domain Multiplayer Trailer
Permanent Price Drops
Swarm (Was £6.29/€7.99 – Now £3.99/€4.99)
Blacklight Tango Down (Was £6.49/€7.99 – Now £3.99/€4.99)
Availability: Not available in Israel, Kuwait, Ukraine

This week’s US PS Store update is yet another good one, as excellent content’s been made available, including those in the thread title and others: Catherine, Jak And Daxter Collection which brings the PS2 classics in 720 PS3 glory. Lots more where that came from. The full quencher’s below.

PlayStation Plus

PSN Games:

The Simpsons Arcade Game

minis:

Hungry Giraffe

Gold Medalist

PS one Classics:

Final Fantasy V

Early Access Demo:

The House Of The Dead III Exclusive Playstation Plus Demo

Media:

Qore Episode 45 – February

Full Game Trial:

Catherine

PSN Games



Jak 3 ($14.99)
Jak 3 is the last game in the Jak trilogy. Jak 3 is fully remastered in HD, along with Trophy and 3D support. Relive the Jak and Daxter story on PS3!
ESRB rated T
File size 3 GB



Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ($14.99)
The original Naughty Dog PS2 classic game Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is remastered in HD, along with Trophy and 3D support! Relive the Jak and Daxter story on PS3 system!
ESRB rated E
File size 992 MB



Jak II ($14.99)
The original Naughty Dog game Jak II furthers the adventures of the heroes Jak and Daxter. Jak II is fully remastered in HD, along with Trophy and 3D support. Relive the Jak and Daxter story on PS3 system!
ESRB rated T
File size 3.35



Shank 2 ($9.99)
The ex-mob hitman is back in action with Shank 2. With the updated arsenal of weapons and combat system, Shank 2 raises the bar from its original.
ESRB rated M
File size 1.23 GB



The Simpsons Arcade Game ($9.99) Free for PlayStation Plus Subscribers 
The long-awaited home console port of the classic Simpsons arcade game is finally here! Join three of your friends as you chase down Smithers and Mr. Burns on the epic quest to save Maggie. Battle your way through 8 classic Springfield locations in this hilarious blast from the past!
ESRB rated E10+
File size 21 MB



Gotham City Impostors ($14.99)
A 6 vs. 6 first person shooter, Gotham City Impostors is a multiplayer game unlike any other, giving players the opportunity to rebel against conformity as they customize their own characters.
ESRB rated T
File size 1.64 GB

PS3 Full Games



Jak and Daxter Collection ($39.99)
The Dynamic Duo is back! The Jak and Daxter Collection features all three best-selling PlayStation 2 classic hits: Jax and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II and Jak 3 fully remastered in high definition, stereoscopic 3D and with Trophy support.
ESRB rated E-T
File size 7.35 GB



Top Spin 4 ($29.99)
Top Spin 4 redefines the way you experience tennis. With the deepest player roster to date featuring 2K’s Signature Style and an enhanced Player Creator with a new My Player career mode, do you have what it takes to become #1 in the world?
ESRB rated E
File size 4.8 GB



LEGOPirates Of The Caribbean ($39.99)
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game is an action adventure game bringing to life the Pirates of the Caribbean world and all its colorful characters in LEGO brick form. Players will experience all the memorable scenes from all four films in the humorous and quirky LEGO video games style.
ESRB rated E10+
File size 7.3 GB



Catherine ($39.99)
Explore the pleasures and horrors of love as Vincent, a man with a hard choice to make: marry his longtime girlfriend Katherine or move on to the incredible blonde he just woke up next to-named Catherine! But beware! Make the wrong choice, and you could end up dead.
ESRB rated M
File size 9.3 GB

Game Demos (Free)

JimmieJohnson’sAnythingWithAnEngineDemo
Kart Racing Where Everything and Anything Goes…Fast! Lead-footed bathers, dumpster drivers, lawn-mowers, bargain shoppers, sadistic caddies and many more race and battle their way toward glory in unique vehicles outfitted with custom weapon mods on fantastical stylized tracks strewn with themed hazards, traps and awesome jumps in a humor-packed race to the finish line. Demo includes 2 race modes, 2 tracks, and 2 player local split screen.
ESRB rated E10+
File size 173 MB

CubixxHDDemo
Cubixx HD is a fast paced action puzzle game which sends high scoring, combo chasing gameplay to the third dimension! Play through the epic 50 level arcade mode, challenge your skills to the limit in 50 challenges or take on the world in over 150 online leaderboards! If that isn’t enough you can join forces with friends in the 7 player co-op or destroy each other in the 7 player Deathmatch!
ESRB rated E
File size 164 MB

GothamCityImpostorsDemo
Download the Gotham City Impostors trial and play the game for free now!
ESRB rated T
File size 1.64 GB

Add-on Game Content

UNCHARTED3:Drake’sDeception Add ons (x23) ($0.49 – $5.99 each)
Various add ons including skins and packs.
File size 555 KB – 436 MB

UltimateMarvelVsCapcom3 -WeaponExpertPack ($3.99)
Get alternate costumes for Trish, Zero, Taskmaster, and Hawkeye! Always hit the mark with these stunning new outfits!
File size 100 KB

KingdomsOfAmalur:Reckoning -FinesseBonusPack ($2.99)
Equip your hero with a unique selection of Finesse-enhancing gear. This pack includes the unique armor set “Imminent Armor”, a unique shield, and three unique weapons to boost your critical attack damage, evasion, and stealth skills.
File size 15 MB

KingdomsOfAmalur:Reckoning -MightBonusPack ($2.99)
Equip your hero with a unique selection of Might-enhancing gear. Includes the unique armor set “Vigilant Mail”, a unique shield, and three unique weapons to boost your damage resistance, health, and attack damage.
File size 15 MB

KingdomsOfAmalur:Reckoning -SorceryBonusPack ($2.99)
Equip your hero with a unique selection of Sorcery-enhancing gear. Includes the unique armor set “Pensive Robes”, a unique talisman, and three unique weapons to boost your magic attack damage, magic resistance, and mana regeneration skills.
File size 13 MB

KingdomsOfAmalur:ReckoningHouseOfValor(OnlinePassPaid) ($9.99)
The Grand Champion Tyr Magnus challenges you to compete in the Valor Arena. Enter the tournament grounds of the House of Valor in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Overcome all obstacles to survive this barbaric tournament and seize control of the arena.
File size 35 MB

TheKingOfFightersXIIIUnlockGallery ($2.99)
The entire artwork in the Visual section of the Gallery is available to purchase. *These art pieces can also be unlocked by playing the game.With the triumphant return of fan favorite characters like Mai, K’, and Vice, extensive refinement of the core fighting engine based on community feedback, and vastly improved network functionality, THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII represents the HD entry in the series that fans have been waiting for.
File size 6 KB

FinalFantasyXIII-‐2 – Noel’sOutfit:BattleAttire ($2.99)
A new outfit for Noel. This gold and crimson battle attire is crafted from durable leather, and worn only by chosen warriors.
File size 2.6 MB

FinalFantasyXIII-‐2 -Opponent:Lightning&Amodar ($2.99)
Face Lightning and Lieutenant Amodar in the Coliseum! Use the crystals of defeated foes to summon them as allies in battle.
File size 18 MB

UFCUndisputed3 -‐UltimateFightsRivalsPack (Free)
The Rivals Pack highlights the matchups that fans continue to talk about! Download this Ultimate Fights package to get the Rivals Pack!
File size 2.5 MB

UFCUndisputed3 -‐UltimateFights:SubmissionPack (Free)
Download the UFC 3 Submissions Pack to relive some of the best matches that ended with a tapout!
File size 2.5 MB

UFCUndisputed3AlistairOvereem ($0.99)
Download this pack to play as Alistair Overeem in UFC Undisputed 3!
File size 2.5 MB

UFCUndisputed3SeasonPass ($16.99)

Purchase the UFC Undisputed 3 Season Pass today to save over 25% on future downloadable packs! The Season Pass includes Alistair Overeem, the Early Access Pack, and two future Ultimate Fights and Fighter Pack Bundles! Please note the Season Pass does not include the Contenders Pack.
File size 7.5 MB

Rocksmith – BlackByPearlJam ($2.99)
File size 3.97 MB

Rocksmith – JeremyByPearlJam ($2.99)
File size 3.79 MB

LegoHarryPotter:Years5-‐7 -5SpellPack ($1.99)
File size 27 MB

Rock Band 3 
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Comedown” – Bush ($1.99)

“Diachylon” – Chaotrope ($1.99)

“Everything Zen” – Bush ($1.99)

“Foundation” – Unkindness ($1.99)

“Heavy Weather – The Storm ov The Undead” – Rainbowdragoneyes ($1.99)

“Machinehead” – Bush ($1.99)

“Real Wild Child” – Jerry Naylor ($1.99)

“Slaves to Substance” – Suicide Silence ($1.99)

Artist pack ($5.49) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: Bush Pack 01. This pack includes “Comedown”, “Everything Zen” and “Machinehead”. By Bush.

File size: 16 MB – 34 MB (singles), 89 MB (track pack)

Updates

Blacklight: Tango Down (Price Change) (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $14.99)
Swarm (Price Change) (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $14.99)
Bloodrayne: Betrayal (Price Change) Sale (PS3) (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
Ys: I & II Chronicles (Price Change) (PSP) (now $14.99, original price $24.99)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (Price Change) (PSP) (now $19.99, original price $29.99)

Avatars

CarnivalIslandAvatarBundle2 ($1.49)

KingdomsOfAmalur:ReckoningAvatarsBundle ($2.99)

KingdomsOfAmalurAvatars (x10) ($0.49)

Game Videos (free)

HotShotsGolf:WorldInvitationalGameVideo

TheTesterSeason3Episode1

StarhawkPressReactionsTrailer

StarhawkPublicBetaWelcomeTrailer

ModNationRacers:RoadTripFeaturesVideo

JourneyMusicTrailer

Warlords:How To PlayTrailer Part1

Warlords:How To PlayTrailerPart2

NeedForSpeed:TheRunItalianPackTrailer

SSX:ThisIsSSXTrailer

SSX:It’STrickyTrailer

SSX:SurviveItTrailer

BinaryDomainBiggerThanYouThinkTrailer

YakuzaDeadSouls:NpcTrailer

UFCUndisputed3 CareerTrailer

UFCUndisputed3 ContendersPackGameplayTrailer

RaymanOriginsMeetTheNewCrazyTrailer

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational Game Video

ModNation Racers: Road Trip Features Video

Wipeout 2048 Game Trailer

PS3 Themes

HitmanAbsolution- Crossed – HandDynamicTheme ($2.99)

KingdomsOfAmalur:ReckoningPremiumTheme ($2.99)

SilentHill3Premium Theme ($1.99)

SilentHill2PremiumTheme ($1.99)

Amazing Earth: Starry Night Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Abstract Color Swirls Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

In The Ring With Candice Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Theme (Free)

PS3 Wallpapers (free)

AmyWallpaper

PS2 Classics

SpongeBobSquarePants:TheMovie ($9.99)
File size 1.19 GB

PlayStation Store for PSP

Videos

The Tester Season 3 Episode 1

Remember the True Crime: Hong Kong title that Activision dropped? Well, Square-Enix picked up the game and revived it with a new name: Sleeping Dogs. The Full Quencher, including reveal trailer and some screens are below the break.

True Crime: Hong Kong was actually a finished product before Activision canned it, and because the publisher still own the rights to the name, hence the new title Sleeping Dogs. It’s being developed by United Front Games, a studio that’s done work on Batman: Arkham Asylum and Just Cause 2.

“From the moment you pick up the controller and experience the blend of driving, close combat and shooting you know you’re playing something fresh and a bit special,” said Lee Singleton, GM of Square Enix London Studios.

“Sleeping Dogs has one of the best melee combat systems out there – it’s super brutal with devastating takedown moves, and when added to UFG’s proven heritage in driving games, a first class story and the vibrant backdrop of the Hong Kong underworld we get a fiery recipe with fun written all over it.”

Stephen Van Der Mescht, executive producer at United Front Games, added: “Working on Sleeping Dogs has been such a huge passion for the team at United Front Games and we’re really pleased to be working with Square Enix London Studios.

The extensive experience both our studios have in creating compelling openworld gameplay and rich and rewarding combat makes for a perfect partnership. Working together we can make sure that Sleeping Dogs is the most intense and immersive experience it can be.”

Video Thirst: Reveal Trailer

Sleeping Dogs will release in “the second half of 2012″ on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Right on the heels of headlines claiming David Jaffe had left the core games industry to work in the casual space, the colorful developer announced his new “core games” studio.

“I am still with ESP and have not left, and will not leave until we get Twisted Metal launched (probably another 1.5-3 months),” Jaffe said on twitter.

“But I will be leaving to start new game studio. Talking to people about some big, huge next-gen game ideas I’d love for us to make, as well as cool stuff in the browser space (action-oriented, gamer-centric).

Once DICE wraps and the game launches, it’s company-building time!” he continued.

Concerning yesterday’s announcement, some thought Jaffe was laid off. He took to his favorite spot (twitter) to once again clarify:

“If I may clear this up: I was not laid off. I co-own the company. There were a few lay-offs and they were very painful to do for all involved,” he said. “I’m leaving because – again – games are just getting too big to direct from 300 miles away, and I miss the day-to-day of working direct with a team.”

Twisted Metal goes on sale exclusively for PS3 next week.

The developer of Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings soon to be released exclusively on Xbox 360, has weighed in on the hot topic of whether Microsoft’s next console should feature used game-blocking technology, however unlike the THQ developer, CD Projekt MD Adam Badowski believes it could be a “bad thing”.

“It can be a bad thing,” Badowski told Eurogamer. “We are losing money not because of pirates; we are losing money because people decided not to buy our game.”

He continued: “We should invest more power to upgrade and polish our products and convince players to keep our products, to be with us, to understand our needs – because we are an independent developer, we have to prevent lay-offs, we need to grow up and have the power to create new games.

Most hardcore and hardware solutions will be OK for short periods, but a strong relationship with players, with customers, can change the situation. And for us, this is a better way.”

CD Projekt Red’s Michał Platkow-Gilewski also weighed in, stressing the importance of developer-player relationship, arguing that such a feature would be damaging to it.

“We want to do as much as possible for our players, our gamers. We don’t want to force anyone. It’s like we did with DRM-free: we give them freedom and we believe they will stay with us.”

But there’s another issue: “There is a problem, because you know that Microsoft policy prevents us from giving people content for free,” added Badowski, which is something he says “we need to think about”.

Thanks, CVG.

Future Shop, the retailer that’s so far leaked Media Molecule’s new game, even sending along its first image, has hinted at a God Of War IV announcement incoming today at Destination PlayStation. We’ll be on the lookout.

Sony and Naughty have released Uncharted 3 DLC that turns gamers into villains. More details after the break.

The DLC can be downloaded individually, or as part of the Fortune Hunter’s Club program. According to the PS Blog, the DLC will “blow out the co-op storyline and expand the UNCHARTED series in ways that have never been done before.”

It’s called the “Fort Co-Op adventure DLC”, and went live last night with the US PS Store update. In Fort Co-Op, gamers get the chance to play, for the first time as UNCHARTED villains with Zoran Lazarević, Eddy Raja, Harry Flynn “joining forces in a tale that further explores the mystery behind the Janus head statue from the on-disc co-op adventure.”

Fort Co-Op Adventure will set you back $5.99 as a standalone item, however as part of the Fortune Hunters Club, the DLC, all the skins, and yet to be released content is yours free of charge. The price of entry to FHC is $24.99.

More over at the US PS Blog.