Sony responds to 'PlayStation Palm' diagnosis

MCV asked Sony about this PlayStation palmar hidradenitis thing and a spokesperson responded, stating, "We would not wish to belittle this research and we will study the findings with interest, but this is the first time we have ever heard of a complaint of this nature." Hey, that makes two of us!

The Sony spoksperson went on to say that "with any leisure pursuit there are possible consequences of not following common sense, health advice and guidelines, as can be found within our instruction manuals." We agree, but we also feel the need to play devil's advocate: Sony, it's not like you have anything in your instruction manual telling gamers they shouldn't lick their hands and then rub them non-stop on a PlayStation controller for an hour. Maybe if you included that, we wouldn't hear about people developing rashes on their hands from your game consoles.

Regardless, we're pretty sure we found the cure anyway.

Sony responds to 'PlayStation Palm' diagnosis originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

FFXIII still on track for '09 Japanese release

Final Fantasy XIII director and writer Motomu Toriyama wants to dispel recent delay concerns that have befallen the flagship title. There was worry that Dragon Quest IX's push back would affect FFXIII's schedule; however, that does not appear to be the case. Toriyama tells Famitsu that "development is going favorably for a 2009 launch."

While Japanese gamers can be comforted by this reprieve, worldwide audiences will still have to sit it out a bit longer. Didn't you know? A 2009 launch for FFXIII is only for Japan.

FFXIII still on track for '09 Japanese release originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Capcom loves money, plans more Monster Hunter for PSP

Shock! Capcom's Keiji Inafune discussed the future of the Monster Hunter series in the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu (translation via IGN). Inafune confirms PSP will be receiving yet another Monster Hunter game in the future, but failed to elaborate any further. It may be called Monster Hunter 3rd or it may be something entirely new. Regardless, he tells fans not to expect it any time soon -- the Monster Hunter Wii team has to finish its work, no?

Capcom loves money, plans more Monster Hunter for PSP originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Prince of Persia 'Epilogue' DLC delayed to March 5, priced $10 [Update]

If you're anything like us then you've been eagerly anticipating the release of the Prince of Persia "Epilogue" DLC, which was due to drop tomorrow. Unfortunately, you've got a little longer to wait, as Ubisoft's twitter feed has revealed a "new release date," otherwise known as a one week delay. The DLC will now be available on March 5, instead.

Clearly there was some sort of last minute problem -- though the tweet gives no indication as to what -- for the DLC to have been delayed only a day before release. A disappointing misstep, especially with no Elika around to rescue it from its week-long drop to the floor.

Update: IGN reveals that the Epilogue is priced at $10. [Thanks, Daniel C.!]

Prince of Persia 'Epilogue' DLC delayed to March 5, priced $10 [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Study finds unique gaming disease 'PlayStation palmar hidradenitis'

Based on a report from BBC, it would appear researchers have discovered a disease that has hitherto gone undiagnosed by modern medicine: PlayStation palmar hidradenitis. As one might imagine, it has something to do with "PlayStation" and the "palms of your hands." See, using that controller is not only killing your (virtual) enemies, it's also killing you.

According to the report, researchers emphasized the case of one 12-year-old girl who arrived at Geneva University Hospital in Switzerland with sores on her palms. She had recently struck up a fascination with a PlayStation game (sorry, the exact title isn't mentioned) and despite developing these sores, continued to play. That's when her folks brought her to the hospital. After 10 days of abstaining from the deadly activity, however, she was sore free! We're sorry, but we wouldn't call that "PlayStation palmar hidradenitis." We'd probably call it: Stop squeezing the controller like you want to break it!

Our favorite line in the entire piece has to be this: "For the disorder to only affect the hands is very unusual." So, wait, you're telling us it's unusual for this so-called disease, the one that comes from using a game controller, to only affect the hands? What other body parts are interacting with your controller?

[Thanks, RazorD!]

Study finds unique gaming disease 'PlayStation palmar hidradenitis' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Persona PSP remake coming to the US this fall

What, you want more PSP news? Very well, how about the announcement that Atlus will be bringing the Persona PSP remake over to the US this fall. After the success of Persona 3 and 4, it was a no-brainer that Atlus would decide to bring the game over to an RPG-hungry western audience. The remake includes "a completely redone localization and content never before seen in North America," along with "gameplay enhancements and additions new to the remake."

Whether or not the title will head to Europe is slightly more nebulous, as Atlus doesn't have a publishing arm in the region. Hopefully sales of Persona 4 will be high enough to encourage Square Enix to go ahead and publish the PSP remake of the original, too.

Persona PSP remake coming to the US this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New Hannah Montana PSP bundle includes Lilac PSP

SCEA is showing a new initiative to cater to young girls at its Destination Playstation event today. The company has announced a new PSP bundle to be released in July, containing a PSP system in a new Lilac color. The bundle comes with a Hannah Montana rhythm game, a UMD of episodes from the series, a 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, and some stickers!

In addition, Ubisoft's Petz line is headed to PSP in North America later this year, allowing players to "create and care for cute, furry pets chosen from many different breeds of dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, dolphins, tigers and bunnies." The likely first release: GameStop shows Petz Saddle Club coming this September. This series may help enhance young players' impressions of the PSP, by reminding them of the Nintendo DS.

New Hannah Montana PSP bundle includes Lilac PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week's SingStore update: Blow Monkeys

ThreeSpeech has unveiled yet another update for PS3 singing game, SingStar. The song list is quite eclectic, covering a wide variety of genres.

The Divine Comedy - Becoming More Like Alfie
Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou
The Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene
The Blow Monkeys - It Doesn't Have To Be This Way
Suede - Europe Is Our Playground
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
Sunrise Ave - Romeo
Donots - Saccharine Smile
Donots - Stop The Clocks
Börni - Scream My Name
LFO - Summergirls
MGMT - The Youth
Mario Biondi - This Is What You Are

Continue reading This week's SingStore update: Blow Monkeys

This week's SingStore update: Blow Monkeys originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Little Caesars, Pepsi team up for PlayStation promos

Would you like to win a new PS3, PS2 or PSP along with a bunch of Buzz! games? Sure you do. Who doesn't like to win free stuff? Little Caesars pizza chain and Pepsi have teamed up with SCEA to give away up to 450 "PlayStation Trivia Packs" from today up until April 27. 50 packs will be given out each week. Those who participate could win one of the following:

• PS3 with Buzz! Quiz TV
• PS2 with Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz, Buzz! The Mega Quiz and Buzz! Jr. RoboJam
• PSP with Buzz! Master Quiz

But what's the catch, you ask? To enter, participants will need to grab a "Buzz in to Win" scratch-off card from any US Little Caesars restaurant after purchasing a "Hot-N-Ready" pizza with "any Pepsi beverage." Participants will then need to take the scratch-off code to this website, enter their code and see if they've won. If you enter and win, wonderful; if you don't win, you'll still get a $5 coupon (redeemable only at GameStop) for any Buzz! game.

Little Caesars, Pepsi team up for PlayStation promos originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Blow up Helghast (and us!) in Killzone 2 webgame

Can't wait until Friday to start shooting at Helghast? No doubt you've already played the demo to death, so your next stop should be the new Killzone 2 webgame. After signing up and downloading the browser add-on (yes, it's Mac compatible) you'll be randomly accosted by glowing red eyes as you go about your normal surfing. A simple 30-second game begins, with Helghast invading whatever website you're viewing at the time. Don't worry, if you're not in the mood you can decline to play, or disable the game completely for a short time.

Scores add up on the global leaderboard, which you can check at any time on the official website. Perhaps the coolest part of the webgame, however, is the ability to work in squads with other people. If you're in a squad and are attacked by Helghast, your squad members will be alerted (as long as they are online) and are given the chance to join you, building up a higher score for the squad leaderboard. The site indicates that there will competitions "coming soon." With Killzone 2 release for reals this Friday, though, we can't imagine too many people will keep playing after that.

Blow up Helghast (and us!) in Killzone 2 webgame originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cool Stuff for Sunday, Volume 3

Many PlayStation fans wish Sony would open up their pockets a bit and advertise the system a bit more. S1gfrid from VGChartz created this simple, but effective, ad campaign. These posters highlight the many unique exclusives available on the PS3. For example, the poster on the left shows games that mature gamers may be interested in: Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid 4 -- while the poster on the right shows the system's more family-friendly affair. It's a simple concept that we think would work very well in a mainstream magazine. Check out all the pics here.

• Crysis user mod takes on Killzone
  
• Infamous: "I Am Scared" trailer
  
• Weekly Trophy Portal update
• PS Nation podcast - Episode 101 "We Have a LOT to Say"

Continue reading Cool Stuff for Sunday, Volume 3

Cool Stuff for Sunday, Volume 3 originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Do you take this Sackboy? The LittleBigPlanet marriage

The Escapist reports that Jed, a smitten Little Big Planet gamer, created a level last October in order to propose to his girlfriend, Andrea. She said yes, and now the couple have sent out a wedding invitation in the form of another custom level, which invites players to join them for their wedding on April 11. The catch, is that the couple plans to get married in Little Big Planet. As the escapist points out, with a maximum of four players, the logistics of such a wedding are a bit of a mystery. Regardless, we have to admire Jed's creativity and look forward to their special (digital) day.

Check out videos of both the proposal and wedding invitation levels after the break.

Continue reading Do you take this Sackboy? The LittleBigPlanet marriage

Do you take this Sackboy? The LittleBigPlanet marriage originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yakuza 3 to get free post-release DLC

Looks like Sega is following Criterion's footsteps with its upcoming Yakuza 3. Siliconera reports that Sega is planning eight weeks of free post-release DLC for the game. 29 downloads will be added, ranging from special missions to new items. Supposedly the DLC will work much like Burnout Paradise's free content: simply boot up the game and new content will be added automatically -- no need to visit the PlayStation Store at all!

Sega of America has not announced a US release for Yakuza 3. We're sure that if Sega does decide to localize the game, this additional content will also be available to non-Japanese players.

Yakuza 3 to get free post-release DLC originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rock Band Weekly: Alt Country and Jimmy Eat World

Some alternative-country (yes, that's actually a sub-genre of music) and three songs from Jimmy Eat World will be making their way to the Rock Band Music Store next week.

As much as we'd love to discuss the music that's included in the Alt Country Pack, we decided to focus our attention on the Jimmy Eat World tracks since we already googled some interesting facts about the songs. Were you aware that "Lucky Denver Mint" was in the flick Never Been Kissed? Or that "Sweetness" was a song included in NHL 2003? We bet you didn't know that "Futures" was used in First Decent -- now you do.

Alt Country Pack (680 / $8.49)

• "3 Dimes Down" by Drive By Truckers (160 / $2)
• "Can't Let Go" by Lucinda Williams (160 / $2)
• "People Got a Lot of Nerve" by Neko Case (160 / $2)
• "Time Bomb (LIVE)" by Old 97s (160 / $2)
• "Satellite Radio" by Steve Earle (160 / $2)

Jimmy Eat World Pack (440 / $5.49)

• "Futures" by Jimmy Eat World (160 / $2)
• "Lucky Denver Mint" by Jimmy Eat World (160 / $2)
• "Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World (160 / $2)

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Alt Country and Jimmy Eat World

Rock Band Weekly: Alt Country and Jimmy Eat World originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony of America expands into other half of America [update]

In an attempt to finally give some attention to an entire continent traditionally devoid of official involvement from video game companies in general, Sony today announced its intentions to expand into South Latin America. This expansion brings with it access to the Playstation Network (though we're not sure how extensively just yet) as well as licensed retail versions of Sony's three major pieces of hardware -- the PS3, PSP and PS2. The company announced it'll be launching in "13 different countries in the region" through a partnership with Sony Latin America.

Sony Argentina has said in the past that any retailers selling the Playstation 3 in the region are doing so illegally, specifically because, " [Sony] must certify it for compliance with the local RF spectrum regulations," said Federico Augspach, marketing manager at Sony Argentina, when he spoke with The Examiner. At the time, the system was running nearly $2000 USD at certain retailers (for imported versions, mind you). And now, Sony's making the system significantly more affordable in the region. Well, moderately more affordable ... if you're rich. We've put in word to Sony for more info on regions and pricing.

UPDATE: Liz Archibald from Sony America updated us on the specific regions, saying, "These countries include Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. Additional services such as PlayStation Network, will be introduced in a phased roll-out to select countries." As far as pricing goes, things get a little more complex, "SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment of America] offers three different PlayStation gaming systems at various price points, and each offers a varying degree of technology and functionality, which ultimately speaks to more consumers in a region such as Latin America, which has many segmented economic classes."

Sony of America expands into other half of America [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

LittleBigPlanet sacks AIAA, wins 8 awards

Last night at the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards in Las Vegas, Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet walked away with 8 awards. Not only did it win both game of the year awards (overall and console), but it also snagged awards for visual engineering, art direction, character performance (gotta love the Sackboy!), and innovation. Basically, the AIAA just repeated all of the reasons we loved the game.

Other games that scooped up some AIAA awards include Left 4 Dead, Braid, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and God of War: Chains of Olympus.

The full list of winners is presented after the break.

Continue reading LittleBigPlanet sacks AIAA, wins 8 awards

LittleBigPlanet sacks AIAA, wins 8 awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Killzone developer mentions co-op DLC

Yes, Killzone 2 is a great game. But you know what would make it even greater? Co-op. Those that play the single-player adventure soon realize that the computer AI partners aren't up to snuff -- a "human" squad-mate would be a much better ally in the fight against the Helghast ... or is it: the Helghast's fight against you ...

Producer Angie Smets talked about post-release DLC on the European PlayStation site. She notes that split-screen co-op had to be axed due to the overwhelming graphical demands of the game. However, the team at Guerrilla Games is looking into what they can do once the game is out to the public. "We're investigating [co-op] now for downloadable content," she says. "We're looking at what would be the nicest possible things for downloadable content. We've already started on maps ... we're not allowed to talk about anything else unfortunately!"

Additional maps for the multiplayer mode are a must, given today's necessity for multiplayer DLC. However, we're most hoping for some kind of co-op mode. Guerilla Games offered some game-changing updates to its PSP game, Killzone Liberation -- we're hopinng the team will be able to follow suit for Killzone 2.

[Via Co-Optimus]

Killzone developer mentions co-op DLC originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Watch the prologue to Prince of Persia's 'Epilogue' DLC

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

We've told you about it -- now see the new downloadable chapter of Prince of Persia, "Epilogue." As its title suggests, this new challenge is set after the game's controversial ending. It also sees the Prince gaining a new Sprint ability and his girlfriend, uh, "companion," Elika, given the power to (temporarily) restore patches of the level to their uncorrupted state.

Hitting XBLM and PSN on February 26, this adventure through the Underground Palace -- and confrontation with a new boss, the Shapeshifter -- promises to be more challenging than anything pre-Epilogue. Just watch and you'll see what we mean.

Watch the prologue to Prince of Persia's 'Epilogue' DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wireless SingStar Mics coming to Europe March 20

Wireless microphones? Yes, they've been a long time coming, but -- at last -- they're almost here. Europe, you'll be able to get your hands on them March 20, though there's no word on price. The mics are compatible with both PS2 and PS3 versions of SingStar and their launch supposedly "coincides with the release of SingStar Pop Edition" -- the same press release says Pop Edition won't be out until April. Go figure.

There's also mention of a new control system which will be introduced with Pop Edition. You can now select songs by simply speaking the name into the microphone. You'll never need to touch your Sixaxis again. Check after the break for the full track list.

Continue reading Wireless SingStar Mics coming to Europe March 20

Wireless SingStar Mics coming to Europe March 20 originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

No Gravity hits PSN next week worldwide

The space shooter No Gravity: The Plague of Mind is lining up its guns and aiming for a simultaneous worldwide release in North America, Europe and Asia next week. On Thursday, February 26, the downloadable PSP title will be available on the PlayStation Store for $9.99 (NA), £9.99 (UK) and €9.99 (Continental Europe).

No Gravity boasts 31 levels of "hazardous" combat, along with unlockable goodies, five playable characters and five different ships to pilot. So, who's suiting up and ready to blast some aliens?

[Update: added in some fresh new screen shots and a brand new trailer. Enjoy!]

Gallery: No Gravity (2-19-09)

No Gravity hits PSN next week worldwide originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.