Playstation Network Update

It's that time again, PSN Update. This week it looks like the PSN has a ton of DLC for small fee. Rock Band and Guitar Hero are cluttering the PSN with so many track packs, it’s really getting out of hand. I guess its okay to dream that maybe one day they will go back to demos. The pointless DLC is becoming so common that update Thursdays aren’t even a big deal anymore. Also, give the Metal Gear Online demo a try and judge for yourself why it never caught on.

Price Update
Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars (Price drop to $9.99)

Downloadable Games
Crash Commando ($9.99)
Crash Commando is a fast-paced, over-the-top action game that combines the thrill of multiplayer shooters with classic side-scrolling platform gameplay. Blast your way through expansive, multi-tiered stages on foot or behind the wheel of a tank, or use the all-important jetpack to rain down destruction from the skies. With a host of online and offline gameplay modes, it’s always time for action with Crash Commando!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 782 MB

Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rainslick Precipice Of Darkness: Episode 2 ($14.99)
The second installment in the RPG-adventure game series based on the web comic Penny Arcade. Create your character in the classic comic style, arm yourself with your trusty gardening tools and join Gabe and Tycho in the alternate 1920s universe of New Arcadia, where you’ll combat savage enemies, solve mysteries, meet bizarre new characters, and discover their distinctive adult humor for a 100% authentic Penny Arcade experience. What are you waiting for? Your hoe awaits!
ESRB Rated M
File Size: 330 MB

Add-on Game Content
LittleBigPlanet - Santa Hat & Beard (free)
No holiday outfit is complete without Sack-sized Santa Hat and Beard.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet - Festive Pack ($2.99)
Get your hands on a grab-bag full of holiday themed goodies for your Pop-it tool to create your holiday themed levels.
File size: 1.04 MB

High Velocity Bowling - Darryl ($0.99)
It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style! Add Darryl “Stringbean” Johnson to your High Velocity Bowling roster. Darryl hails from Memphis, Tennessee, and can put a real mean hook on the ball. Download includes Darryl’s special ball the Melonballer, plus his favorite alley, Loading Dock Lanes.
File size: 46 MB

High Velocity Bowling - Gage ($0.99)
It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style! Add Gage “cutter92″ Mason to your High Velocity Bowling roster. Gage hails from Washington, DC., and knocks the pins down with pinpoint accuracty on the lanes. Download includes Gage’s special ball, Pain Magnet, plus his favorite alley, Dark Carnvial.
File size: 46 MB

High Velocity Bowling - Beatrice Holiday Costume (free)
It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style! Beatrice the bowler is ready to bowl through the holidays in style with this festive sweater dress and cute reindeer antlers and ears. Download this free costume today.
File size: 5.92 MB

High Velocity Bowling - Carl Holiday Costume (free)
It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style! Carl the mailman is ready to bowl through the holidays in style with this Santa hat and beard, and festive shirt and pants. Download this free costume today.
File size: 5.79 MB

Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds Costume Pack #3 ($2.99)
Spruce up your Hot Shots Golf Fall wardrobe with a collection of playful and funky new outfits ideal for golf wherever you play. Five new costumes come your way with 6 variations for each new costume giving you a total of 30 new outfits to dress your favorite 5 players in Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds. So now matter where you play, you’ll certainly be the best dressed player on the course.
File size: 102 KB

Guitar Hero World Tour
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com

“Frail Grasp on the Big Picture” by The Eagles ($1.99)
“Life in the Fast Lane” by The Eagles ($1.99)
“One of These Nights” by The Eagles ($1.99)
The Eagles Track Pack ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring “Life In the Fast Lane”, “One of These Nights” and “Frail Grasp on the Big Picture” by The Eagles.
File sizes: 45 MB - 59 MB (singles), 151 MB (track pack)

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2
Expand your Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2 library by purchasing these tracks.

Holiday ($1.49)
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing ($1.49)
Lips of an Angel ($1.49)
Stand by Me ($1.49)
What is Love? ($1.49)
File sizes: 13 MB - 22 MB

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Pack 5 (free)
Download Storm Pack 5 and unleash legendary ninja Kurenai as your support character in battle. The Storm Pack 5 also contains new Ultimate Mission to engage!
File size: 100 KB

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

“Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” - Dierks Bentley ($1.99)
“Gunpowder & Lead” - Miranda Lambert ($1.99)
“Hillbilly Deluxe” - Brooks & Dunn ($1.99)
“Mud on the Tires” - Brad Paisley ($1.99)
“Sin Wagon” - Dixie Chicks ($1.99)
Going Country Pack 01 ($8.49) - Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Going Country Pack 01. This pack includes: “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” by Dierks Bentley, “Gunpowder & Lead” by Miranda Lambert, “Hillbilly Deluxe” by Brooks & Dunn, “Mud on the Tires” by Brad Paisley, and “Sin Wagon” by Dixie Chicks.
File sizes: 24 MB - 32 MB (singles) 134 MB (track pack)

Rock RevolutionFor music credits, visit the Rock Revolution section of www.konami.com.

“My Only Shining Star” ($1.49)
“Death Real” ($1.49)
“CHIMERA” ($1.49)
“Progressive Baby” ($1.49)
“MODEL DD 8″ ($1.49)
“NO PAIN, NO GAIN” ($1.49)
“She’s the Bug” ($1.49)
Bemani Pack Track Pack ($5.49) - The “Bemani Pack” includes “My Only Shining Star”, “Death Real”, “CHIMERA”, “Progressive Baby” and “MODEL DD 8″ from the Bemani Music Production team. Expand your Rock Revolution track library by purchasing this track pack.
File sizes: 24 MB - 30 MB (singles) 133 MB (track pack)

Game Demos (free)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Online Network Demo
With over 1 million registered users, Metal Gear Solid Online is the ultimate squad-based, tactical shooter included with the World Wide Mega Hit Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Now you can experience the excitement yourself and find out what the hype is all about with this free trial demo of Metal Gear Online in conjunction with the already available free demo of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. (NOTE: If you have ever played the retail version of Metal Gear Online on you PLAYSTATION 3 system, you will not be able to play the Metal Gear Online Demo.)
File size: 265 MB

Sonic Unleashed Demo
Sonic’s on a worldwide adventure! Powered by the Hedgehog Engine, Sonic Unleashed merges classic Sonic gameplay with next-gen innovation. Explore the first location of this all-new adventure in the Sonic Unleashed Demo, reaching speeds that you’ve never seen before!\
File size: 239 MB

Game Videos (free)
UNCHARTED 2 Spike TV VGA Tease
File size: 56 MB (HD)

Crash Commando Trailer
File size 51 MB (HD)

HVB: New Characters Trailer
File size 91 MB (HD)

GT5 Prologue - Tanner Foust: Drifting 101
File size: 239 MB (HD)

Gran Turismo Awards at SEMA 2008
File size: 237 MB (HD)

The Next Great Game Gods: Dylan Cuthbert Interview
File size: 147 MB (HD) 240 MB (1080)

The Next Great Game Gods: Pixeljunk Interstitial
File size: 38 MB (HD) 63 MB (1080)

Sonic Unleashed Launch Trailer
File size: 52 MB (HD)

The Punisher: No Mercy Game Trailer
File size: 25 MB (HD)

Mirror’s Edge DLC Trailer
File size: 51 MB (HD)

PS3 “Murals” TV Spot
File size: 23 MB (HD)

PSN “T-Shirts” TV Spot
File size: 23 MB (HD)

Blu-ray Disc Trailers (free)
Resident Evil: Degeneration Blu-ray Trailer
File size: 97 MB (HD) 132 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes
Savage Moon Theme (free)
File size: 3.56 MB

Crash Commando Theme (x2)(free)
File size: 5.45 MB - 7.22 MB

SingStar ABBA Theme (free)
File size: 1.45 MB

Rock & Roll Babe Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.52 MB

Ohio State University Theme ($1.99)
File size: 5.19 MB

Misty Dawn Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.75 MB

Ink and Saints Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.80 MB

Dancing Skies Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.68 MB

Azmodeus Dark Angels ($0.99)
File size: 1.33 MB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)
Tom Clancy’s EndWar Spetsnaz Guard Brigade Wallpaper (x4)
File sizes: 220 KB - 2.11 MB

Crash Commando Wallpaper (x2)
File sizes: 178 KB - 1.66 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP
Downloadable Games
* Castlevania Chronicles ($5.99) (also available from PS3 Storefront)
File size: 336 MB

* RAYMAN 2: The Great Escape ($5.99) (also available from PS3 Storefront)
File size: 381 MB

* Tokobot UMD Legacy ($9.99) (also available from PS3 Storefront)
File size: 194 MB

Add-on Game Content
* Super Stardust Portable Solo Pack Add-On ($4.99) (also available from PS3 Storefront)
File size: 2.87 MB

Game Videos (free)
* Uncharted 2 Spike TV VGA Tease
File size: 8.85 MB

* PSN “T-Shirts” TV Spot
File size: 3.70 MB (HD)

* PS3 “Murals” TV Spot
File size: 3.97 MB (HD)

Themes (free)
* Super Stardust Portable Theme (also available from PS3 Storefront)
File size: 520 KB

Sessler Is The Man

On Dec. 17 G4TV named Adam Sessler as Editor and Chief of games. Adam is most commonly known for his role as Co-Host on the gaming show X-Play. Adding to the good news is that he will continue to work with Morgan Webb on the show. He most likely will eventually replace himself on the show because the new position will be very demanding. Hopefully we will make some positive changes for the network.

The show is not as interesting as it used to be. They often fall into what's popular instead of being creditable reviewers. Both hosts appear to be hardcore 360 fans but they gave Resistance 2 a good score because it would have been bad for business. X-Play also made one of the biggest mistakes of the year that was also made by most gaming outlets which was giving GTAIV a perfect score. Of course, the recent game of the year award for Fable 2 caused a lot of controversy as well. Fable 2 looks like a great game as far as content. Not sure Fable 2 can compete with the likes of Fallout 3 or MGS4, just to name a few.

Congrats Adam, help make the network less biased. Help make X-Play credible as a review show.

Liberated From Fanboydom

About a week ago I joined the millions of Xbox 360 owners that are on the market. It's sad to go from a Sony Fanboy since PSX to Neutral. I gotta admit, it's was fun being a Fanboy for so long. It was also fun to go at it on the forums with the other 360 Fanboys on who has the superior system. Systems starting at $199 can change ones mind. I look back on and wonder how I became neutral.

There are numerous reasons why I joined the 360 club. You would think that my first reason was XBL but not really. Many 360 Fanboys think that the Sony fan is jeolous of XBL but the truth is that most hardcore Sony fans never really experienced superiror internet service. Many Sony fans are just happy to able to play games online for free. The only online overing of XBL during XBox 1 days were the fact that they offered downloadable (DLC) content. DLC is pretty normal today but it was a big deal back then. DLC and superior ports are the number 1 and 2 reason why I jumped the Sony Fanboy wagon.

Since launch 360 games have often looked better. The visuals were a little more sharp. Anti-Aliasing was always an issue as well. As a Sony fan I often had to settle for inferior versions of games that I really liked. DLC was a huge factor as well. 360 may have been trying to win over the wii owners with the 360 arcade but they may have a silent goal of stealing Sony owners with exclusive DLC. Early exsclusive DLC like GTA IV was not a big deal to me. Microsoft recently announced that they have exclusive DLC for Tomb Raider was well, which I can also care less. During E3 2008 when Microsoft announced exsclusive DLC for Fallout I was as if someone ripped my heart out. Oblivion was one of the best games ever made. I was sure that Fallout, which is also made by Bethesda was going to be just as good. The E3 announcement let me know that the exclusive DLC would not end anytime soon. Sony looks like they are going to continue to let DLC slip between their fingers. I belive that Sony may look at buying exclusive DLC as a principle. I once joined Sony in the belief that exclusive DLC was going to ruin the game industry. However, as a gamer I saw a future of missed opportunities of not being able to expand on future experiences. I noticed many pros of joining the 360 but I still had to deal with my anti-360 arguments that I had for two years.

Anyone that calls themself a gamer must be aware of the dreaded RROD for 360. Last year Microsoft expended the standard warrenty by two years to give potential buyers comfort with buying the system. The fact that the issue has not been fixed completly is of course debatable. Another issue that was always uesed against the 360 are accessories needed to equate to Sony's machine. With the 360 being a secondary system a lot of the needed accessories were not needed for me. I needed the wi-fi adapter (huge rip off) and a play and charge kit for my controller. I also needed a hard drive for my arcade, which are selling for $30 with the addition of Gold membership on XBL for three months. Overall, the additions were not that bad. I can now have the best of both worlds. One issue to mention is that the 360 came out when standard tv's were a lot more abundent then high definition. The end result is that the system is not completely HD. What I mean is that for audio whores like myself the 360 highest offering is Dolby Digital. The PS3 has a least 12 different audio offerings including DTS and 7.1 surround sound. All of the videos that I have expereinced for download are standard definition as well.

I will always be partial to Sony. However, I am pretty pissed at Sony for 2008. Sony is just doesn't want it as bad as Microsoft. Sony, show some more ads. A free Quore offering would help Sony as well. Sony, make home come out and be entertaining instead of hanging out in the virtual world. Sony announced home at least two years ago. Since, Sony's announcement Microsoft has created announced and realsed avatars within the time that Sony is still working on home. I know have to deal with friends and family in disbelief that the biggest Sony fan is now a 360 owner. The best way to deal with fellow gamers in the family is to just not let them know that you have one. Without the fanboy vision is easy to see pros of both systems.