NEWS: Vietnam Pack for Battlefield 2: Bad Company Dated

EA have confirmed a pre christmas release date for their Vietnam multiplayer pack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The pack will be available on steam and the EA Store on December 22.

Included in the pack are four all new maps, a number of new weapons and vehicles aswell as a slew of trophies and achievements.

NEWS: LittleBigPlanet Creator Competition

Thursday 18th November, 2010: Fancy yourself as a bit of a creative genius? Ever wanted to try your hand at creating your very own game level? Are up for the challenge of creating a unique Irish themed level for LittleBigPlanet fans to play? Then the LittleBigPlanet Contraption Challenge is just for you. Show us how creative you can be and you could win some top prizes, as well as the opportunity to meet some of the team from Media Molecule, the developers of the game.

However, you first need to impress in the upcoming ‘Contraption Challenge’.  As part of the upcoming ‘Contraption Challenge’, all LittleBigPlanet fans throughout Europe are invited to create a unique ‘contraption’ for their own short LittleBigPlanet level. You are tasked with making a contraption that can exterminate all Sackpeople! Entry to this phase of the competition is simple. All you need is a copy of LittleBigPlanet and a PSN account. Create your ‘contraption’ and publish it via the Playstation®Network (PSN) using the special prefix ‘CC12′ in the level title so that the judges can find your entry. The best and quirkiest ‘contraptions’ as chosen by the judges will feature on the LittleBigPlanet YouTube channel for the community to view and vote on. The ‘Contraption’ which receives the most votes will win a stunning 46” Sony Bravia TV. Entries must be received by 11.59pm on Tuesday 23^rd November.

The Top 10 Irish entrants in the Contraption Challenge (i.e. those resident in Ireland and that have an Irish PSN account) will then be invited to create a unique Irish themed level and to attend an event in Dublin in January 2011, hosted by SCE Ireland and Media Molecule.  Their work will be showcased at this event and the best level will be selected and announced by a representative from the Media Molecule team.  As well as earning bragging rights within the Irish LittleBigPlanet community, the winner will receive exclusive LittleBigPlanet content and great Sony prizes.

VIDEO: Assassins Creed: Brotherhood Launch Trailer

With the game launching next week now is no better time than to sit back and watch the launch trailer for Assassins Creed: Brotherhood which is destined to be one of this years biggest titles.

NEWS: GT5 Release Date Confirmed

After numerous release changes Sony today announced that Gran Turismo 5 will be on shelves in time for Christmas. The game will hit European shelves on Wednesday 24th of November a damn site sooner than most expected especially considering tha not two weeks ago it wasnt due till after the New Year. After the release of Little Big Planet 2 was pushed back Sony needed one bona fide hit for the Christmas period and GT5 is sure to be one of the years biggest titles.

Read on for the official word from Sony.

Dublin, 12th November 2010: Sony Computer Entertainment today confirmed that Gran Turismo® 5 will go on sale across Europe from Wednesday 24th November.

“Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Programme!” commented Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. “When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with GT5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans. Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologise to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed.”

In Gran Turismo 5, you can tackle the world’s most famous racetracks, rendered in high definition that is as vivid as the real thing, and get behind the wheels of some of the most legendary cars in motor racing from past to cutting-edge present. Today, the impressive complete list of over 1,000 in-game cars was unveiled, including the Lamborghini  Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, the Lexus LFA and the McLaren MP4-12C. The full track list was also revealed, which will see players going head to head to on famous legacy tracks such as Autumn Ring, Deep Forest Raceway and the Grand Valley Speedway plus renowned real-life circuits such as Nurburgring and the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

For more information on Gran Turismo 5 visit: http://www.gran-turismo.com

NEWS: Playstation Hub to CLose it’s Doors

The Playstation Hub has been an unprecedented success with close to 10,000 eager gamers paying a visit since it opened. This Sunday will see the Hub open it’s doors for the last time so if you’ve been putting off visiting now is the time to get down there. Gamers will be able to get a hands on taste of two of the PS3 biggest titles from the coming year, GT5 and Killzone 3.

Thursday 11th November: The PlayStation Hub on Dublin’s South William Street, which opened in September, has entered its final week. The state-of-the-art gaming centre has proved hugely popular with the public since it first opened and there’s plenty to get excited about this week.

10,000 ^th Visitor
The PlayStation Hub offers gaming fans of all levels the chance to experience PlayStation®3’s exciting new PlayStation®Move motion controller and a range of other PS3 game releases including GT5 and Killzone 3. It’s all free of charge and will be open until Sunday 14 ^th November. To date, close to 10,000 visitors have enjoyed the gaming experience at the PlayStation Hub. Anyone who visits the PlayStation Hub will be entered into a draw to win a PlayStation 3 console and a PlayStation Move Starter Pack.

From Move to Mos
Visitors to the PlayStation Hub will notice it has now become a Mo Bro friendly zone. PlayStation®Move is doing its part to change the face of men’s health throughout November as official partner to Movember. Last weekend, Jonathan Kane, a Mo Bro from Donabate, won the inaugural Mo’lympic games by logging the highest score in the archery game on the Move title Sports Champions.

Support of Movember continues this week with the PlayStation Move Movember Wall of Fame and Mo Bros should visit the PlayStation Hub to have their picture taken. Mo Bro images will be displayed from now until Sunday 14 ^th November when the overall Mo Bro winner will be announced. The Wall of Fame winner will also win a PlayStation®3 console and a PlayStation®Move Starter Pack.

Make sure you visit the PlayStation Hub this week to be in with a chance to win”.

VIDEO: L.A. Noir First Trailer

After years of anticipation we finally have our very first look at Rockstar games upcoming L.A. noir. The game promises to be a dark and violent detective story set in the city of Angels in the late 1940s. A time which is recognised as being one of the most corrupt and violent periods in a city known for its dark underbelly.

VIDEO: Call of Duty: Black Ops “Soldier in all of Us”

With the release imminent the hype machine for Black Ops is in overdrive with some new tantalising glimpse of the action being released every second day. Unusually for a game, the latest Black Ops trailer doesnt include a second of footage from eh game instead it brings together a diverse group of characters to display how  given a copy of Black Ops anyone can kick serious ass.

NEWS: PlayStation Hub To Host Mo’lympics This Weekend

This weekend the PlayStation in association with Movember will play host to the worlds first Mo’lympic Games at the Playstation Hub located at 50 South William Street , Dublin.

The event will involve member of the gaming public playing the Archery game from the Playstation Move title Sports Champion with the over all winner winning a PS3 and Playstation Move Starter kit.

The event is open to all who are registered for Movember, a charity which raises awareness and funds for cancers which affect men.

It promises to be a fun-filled weekend and it’s all for a good cause so if you have the time, pop by and try you hand at being the next Robin Hood.

ON YOUR MARKS…GET SET…MO!

PLAYSTATION HUB ON SOUTH WILLIAM STREET TO HOST IRELAND’S FIRST EVER MO’LYMPIC GAMES

PLAYSTATION®MOVE SUPPORTS THE MO

Thursday 4th November, 2010: PlayStation®Move, official partner to Movember, is delighted to announce that Ireland’s first ever Mo’lympic Games will take place this Saturday 6^th and Sunday 7^th November. The Mo’lympics will take place in the PlayStation Hub at 50 South William Street and the competition is open to all Mo Bros and Mo Sistas who have registered for this year’s Movember campaign.

The PlayStation Hub has become a Mo Friendly Zone in support of Movember and will play host to this one-of-a-kind gaming sports event. You don’t need to worry about being the fastest around the track or a top field athlete to compete in the Mo’lympics. All you need to do is visit the PlayStation Hub and try your hand at the new PlayStation^®Move title ‘Sports Champions’ and try out the archery aspect of the game.

PlayStation^®Move offers users a gaming experience like no other. The Move controller works in conjunction with the PlayStation^®Eye USB Camera, picking up the users every move, no matter how small. Competing Mo’lympians will be using the Move controller as a bow and arrow on this occasion, as they complete 3 rounds of archery to be in with a chance to be crowned Mo’lympic Champion.

Our PlayStation Hub Mo Staff will be keeping tabs on the top scores and by 6pm on Sunday 7^th November, we will have our Irish Mo’lympic Games Champion! Our Mo’lympic winner will win a PlayStation®3 console and a PlayStation®Move Starter Pack so they can continue practising their Move skills at home!

We would also encourage all Mo Bros to visit the PlayStation Hub and have their picture taken for the PlayStation®Move Movember Wall of Fame. Images will be displayed from now until Sunday 14^th November when the overall Mo Bro winner will be announced. The Wall of Fame winner will also win a PlayStation®3 console and a PlayStation®Move Starter Pack.

What’s the catch?! There isn’t except you must have registered for Movember and are starting to grow your Mo! PlayStation®Move is doing its part to change the face of men’s health throughout Movember so why not join in and get involved. If you haven’t yet registered for Movember you can do so in the PlayStation Hub over the weekend or log onto www.movember.com.

For regular PlayStation®Move Movember updates and for information on PlayStation Hub opening hours visit www.facebook.com/sonyplaystationireland.

REVIEW: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole

Developer:  Krome Studios|Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive |Format: 360

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is as you no doubt guessed based on the film of the same name. With any licensed title there is no doubt a pressing urge in most gamers to simply ignore any title based on a major film but this is one of those rare cases where a licensed title is surprisingly entertaining and satisfying experience.

Given that the film is about owls it’s expected that the game will involve a lot of flying, which in the game is fantastically implemented. Flying feels smoot, it’s easy to get the hang on and most importantly it feels natural. The ability to fly opens up gameplay to whole new levels, simply free-falling before pulling up at  the very last moment is one of the most exciting and exhilarating gaming experiences around. Soaring across expansive environments is equally impressive with a feeling of freedom that is truly breathtaking.

Combat is also fantastic, it’s intuitive and the use of a simple targeting system makes for gameplay which is exciting and fun. THe ability to lock on to and literally fly rings around an enemy creates an interesting dynamic which when coupled with the ability to throw enemies into burning trees and water creates a truly cinematic cell.

unfortunately the missions and their objectives are where the game falls short. THe lack of any real variety and a overlty generic feel to the mission which generally involve escorting, racing or defending an area do grow tiresome. The difficulty level is also rather disheartening, you can easily complete the game in a matter of hours and theres little replayability offered.

Visually the game is quite nice to look at  though when compared to the film they are sadly lacking. While this isn’t bothersome during gameplay it does become an issue during in-game cut scenes which really aren’t a patch on the film. It’s a perfect example of a licensed product which would seriously benefit from utilising scenes from the actual film. Audio wise the game also suffers, the voice acting is dreadful and is certainly not helped by the repetition of dialogue. Again it’s an area which would certainly have benefited from utilising the voice cast from the film.

It’s a shame that the game falls down in these areas as it really is a fun game. While it’s hard to justify buying at full price it is certainly worth a rental and kids and those with an owl fetish will love it. At the end of the day it’s one of the better licensed titles around and come January is something to keep an eye out for in the bargian bins.