Did you hear the news? Sony’s Ad-hoc Party feature for the PSP is coming to North America this month! This awesome new service allows you to play Monster Hunter Freedom Unite ONLINE by enabling your PSP to play through your PS3. This is HUGE news for Monster Hunter fans as now they can play MHFU with their Monster Hunter buddies around the country! The new feature also allows you to use text or voice chat to communicate with friends, which is critical for coordinating those 4 player hunts and taking out those tougher Monsters.

Granted that Adhoc Party will actually bring lots and lots of OLD PSP games online, going back literally years with no patching needed, but it’s also letting developers off the hook to a certain extent. Keep in mind that your PS3 will have to be dedicated to this to work — no DVD, Blu-ray or Netflix use by someone else in your household while you’re online with the PSP — and that you need a hard-line ethernet connection to it so the PSP can talk to it via the built-in Wi-Fi chipset. It’s a great deal for existing PS3 owners at zero dollars and zero cents and no ongoing online service fee.

All of that said, the technical triumphs of things like the two excellent Syphon Filter PSP games from the Sony Bend Studio that included not just online play for a first-person shooter but also had voice chat proved years ago that it could be done, and done well, without having to fall back to another service. Yes, this is just like having Xbox Live to fall back on if you think about it, and yes, this might help boost sales, but there are side benefits to running your own servers.

Take Sega and what they’re planning for Phantasy Star Portable 2. The first game was adhoc only, but the sequel is adding online play. Why is this a big deal? Why not just use Adhoc Party? Maybe because they might use it to reduce used game sales by requiring you enter a code from your manual into the game to register it with their servers before you can play it online.

In the end, though, I can’t help but think this is a net positive for the little handheld that is still alive and kicking up against Nintendo’s incredible DS juggernaut. What older games do you have that you want to play online?

Kenka Bancho follows the story of Sakamoto, a man that comes to town to bring order, while kicking ass and taking names from the local riff-raff.

Kenka Bancho allows players to roam through seven days in the city, while playing out as a cross between an adventure game and a flat out brawler. 

Hit the jump to read up the full press release from Atlus, USA.

KENKA BANCHO: BADASS RUMBLE™ FOR PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) SYSTEM IS IN STORES NOW AND AVAILABLE ON PlayStation®Network

You want to be a bancho? Let’s get physical! …Or download from PSN!

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — NOVEMBER 16, 2009 — Atlus U.S.A., Inc., publisher of badass games, today announced that Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble™ for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) System is now available in stores and on PlayStation®Network.

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is the simple story of a young man and his quest to reach the top of the ranks of high-school delinquents, preferably by climbing up a pile of his enemies’ mangled bodies. Take control of (Player Name Here) Sakamoto and guide him through the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way, you’ll learn about life, love, and laser eyes. The tourist-trap city of Kyouto becomes both your playground and your stomping grounds as you pummel your way through over 47 bancho rivals in this free-roaming brawling melee.

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is now available in stores and on PlayStation Network with an MSRP of $39.99. For more, visit the website www.atlus.com/bancho

About Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble

As a high school misfit on a class trip, your mission is clear: claim your territory, beat the crud out of anyone who says otherwise, and make a name for yourself as the most dangerous, most intimidating, most lethal teenage miscreant loose on the streets of an unfortunate Japanese city. Fights are mostly what you’d expect from such a premise, meaning they are filled with extreme, wanton violence and deft fist-foot-forehead management. Oh, and lasers shooting from your eyes.

Key Features

•How will you choose to spend your time? — You have 7 days to wander through the city of Kyouto and discover all it has to offer a teenage hoodlum like you; every minute counts! Travel around and interact with a diverse population. Pick a fight with virtually anyone, but beware the consequences… and the cops. With too much to see and do in a single playthrough, you’ll definitely need to plan on return visits.

•Badass gameplay — Becoming the one bancho to rule them all requires a wide repertoire of fighting moves, and you have an entire nation’s worth to learn and incorporate into your strategy. Fling insults and hurl punches as you try to take down Japan’s 47 banchos. Then, customize your fighting menu with their region’s special moves!

•Extra game modes — Two-player co-op ad hoc mode lets you run around with a friend to gain additional experience. Night Out mode lets you sneak out of the hotel after curfew to challenge Yakuza roaming about the town.

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble has been rated “T” for Teen with Animated Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Violence by the ESRB.

About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.

Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is renowned for its proud tradition of publishing exceptional role-playing games with strong niche appeal. The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Odin Sphere, the Trauma Center series, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.atlus.com.

For breaking news, special promotions, insider info, and more, visit http://www.atlus.com/faithful to join the ranks of the Atlus Faithful!

©2009 SPIKE CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Licensed to and published by Atlus U.S.A., Inc.

There have been so many rumours flying about the place about Silent Hill Shattered Memories lately. Originally penciled in for a mid-October launch, the game got delayed, and then delayed again, all without a word of confirmation either way from publishers Konami.

The good news is that fans in the states finally have a date: 8 December 2009. The bad news is that this is only for the Wii release; if you were hoping to find the PS2 or PSP version in your Christmas stocking, you’re going to be disappointed as all Konami will confirm is that they’re ‘following shortly’ – suggesting Wii exclusivity until at least early 2010.

Worst of all, if – like me – you’re a massive Silent Hill fan cursed to live on the other side of the Atlantic, we don’t have a release on any platform scheduled yet. My pre-order on Amazon UK now lists the release date as 10 February but at this stage, that’s simply an estimate. Looks like us Europeans are forced to sit and wait it out until Konami put us out of our misery. Or, more accurately and if the game is anything as terrifying as it first appears, into it!

Source: Silenthillheaven.com

AFI fans will have a chance to rock out to such tunes as “Beautiful Thieves”, “End Transmission” and “Love Like Winter” to name a few.  If you are a Bangles fan, you will get your chance to rock out “Walk Like and Egyptian”.  And just for those paying attention, Susanna Hoffs was totally looking at me in that video.  “Walk Like an Egyption” will also be playable in Lego Rock Band.

If you have Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP, you will have a chance to grab “California uber Alles” by Dead Kennedys and “Your No Rock n’ Roll Fun” by Sleater-Kinney.

Check the jump for the full press release with pricing info.

ROCK BAND ADDS AFI FIVE-PACK AND THE BANGLES

Also, tracks from Dead Kennedys and Sleater-Kinney for Rock Band Unplugged!

Cambridge, Mass. – Nov. 13, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a five pack of tracks from AFI and a single from The Bangles will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™. Tracks from Dead Kennedys and Sleater-Kinney will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Rock Band is delivering more tracks from punk outfit AFI with a five pack of songs to join “Girl’s Not Grey” and “Miss Murder,” which are already available on the Rock Band platform. “AFI Pack 01” features three songs from the group’s eighth studio album, Crash Love, released Sept. 29, including “Beautiful Thieves,” “End Transmission” and “Medicate;” as well as “Love Like Winter,” from Decemberunderground, and “The Leaving Song, Pt II,” from Sing the Sorrow.

“Walk Like an Egyptian,” the 80s staple from The Bangles, will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 17) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 19):

· AFI – “Beautiful Thieves”

· AFI – “End Transmission”

· AFI – “Love Like Winter”

· AFI – “Medicate”

· AFI – “The Leaving Song, Pt II”

· The Bangles – “Walk Like an Egyptian”+

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “AFI Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks on Wii. Tracks marked with a “+” are also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

$8.49 £5.25 UK, €6.59 EU (680 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “AFI Pack 01”

$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

Rock Band Unplugged Tracks for PSP®System

Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of Dead Kennedys’ “California über Alles”and Sleater-Kinney’s “You’re No Rock’n’Roll Fun” to the 57 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP system.

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Nov. 19):

•Dead Kennedys – “California über Alles” •Sleater-Kinney – “You’re No Rock’n’Roll Fun”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

AFI Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

There are now 949 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo

Even with all the controversy that has followed Dante’s Inferno, I have to admit that I am still intrigued by the title.  That said, I am on the fence on whether the game is a purchase or a rental, and now players will get a chance to see if the game is to their liking with a demo next month.

For those that own a PS3 or an Xbox 360, a Dante’s Inferno demo will give gamers a taste of the Divine Comedy in December.  The demo will include the first full level entitled, “Gates of Hell” and it should give people the final verdict on whether they need to order this game.  For those that are looking at the PSP version of the game, you will just have to play it by ear, as no demo is planned at this time for Dante’s Inferno.

Check the jump for the full press release from Visceral Games and Electronic Arts.

Visceral Games Invites Players to Tear Open the ‘Gates of Hell’ with Dante’s Inferno Demo

Experience One of the Most Anticipated Games of 2010… in 2009

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov 10, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Spend the holidays in hell! Visceral Games(TM), the award-winning developers behind the critically-acclaimed Dead Space(TM) franchise and a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced a demo for Dante’s Inferno(TM). Coming this December, the ‘Gates of Hell’ demo includes the entire opening level and gives gamers a taste of Visceral Games’ blockbuster adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy.

The ‘Gates of Hell’ demo will introduce players to the game’s hero, epic story and intense action gameplay, tracing Dante’s battles from the surface all the way to the Gates of Hell. Players will experience fast-paced hack-n-slash combat as they fend off waves of enemies before taking on the ultimate battle against Death. After defeating this boss, Dante will be armed with Death’s scythe, a powerful holy cross, and will be ready to tear open the Gates of Hell. The demo also features two stunning cinematic movies made by Blur, the award-winning visual effects, animation and design studio.

“Our main goal from the start of this project has been to create a journey that will make gamers truly feel like they are going through hell,” said executive producer Jonathan Knight. “The demo will give everyone some insight into how we are treating the story and a taste of the gameplay. And with nine more circles of hell to explore once the game comes out in February, we are literally just scratching the surface.”

EA’s Dante’s Inferno is an epic descent through Dante Alighieri’s nine circles of hell – limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. At a blazing-fast 60 frames per second, each circle features unique environments, all new creatures, terrifying demons, story elements and are scored distinctly to set a tone that fits each circle of sinners.

Gamers will get to go to hell in North America beginning February 9, 2010 and in Europe on February 12, 2010 for the PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system, and the PlayStation(R) Portable (PSP(R)). The Gates of Hell demo will be available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

Dante’s Inferno has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information on Dante’s Inferno, please follow the Dante’s Inferno team at Visceral Games on Twitter at www.twitter.com/danteteam and visit the game’s official web site at www.dantesinferno.com where the team explores a new circle of hell, with new content and updates on the ninth day of every month.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA(TM), EA SPORTS(TM), EA Mobile(TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, Visceral Games, Dead Space and Dante’s Inferno are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. “PlayStation” and “PSP” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

What is it?

The Powermat is an electronic appliance that you set on a surface and plug into the wall, then use to charge your small electronic devices. I spent a lot of time thinking about what to compare it to, and I think I’ve got it: it’s a power strip. Imagine a power strip that doesn’t have any holes in it, but is capable of charging up to four of your devices simultaneously without using their charging cables.

That’s right, it doesn’t use the charging cables. This sucker is wireless. Well, sort of. There’s the wire that plugs it into the wall, of course. And if you don’t pick up a custom receiver for each of your devices, you’re still going to need to connect the universal receiver (called a Powercube) that comes with the Mat to your non Powermat-enabled device, using one of the many adapter tips, to the device using a wire. The reasons you’d do it this way are pretty compelling, and I’ll get to that.

Powermat sent along two of their Powermat devices and three of their dedicated receivers for me to try out, so I’m going to take you through exactly what these are and why you might consider picking them up.

Powermat Home and Office Mat

This is the flagship Powermat device. It looks like a surfboard, really. Smaller than a surfboard, though, so maybe a Smurfboard. There’s a port on the back for the power cable and a USB port that you could use to charge devices that charge using a USB cable. I guess that’s another wire. There are three connection zones on top of the Powermat, each marked with a small circle in the center.

The Powermat comes with a universal receiver called a Powercube, which is a little white square with a wire on it with a mini USB port on the end. Also provided is a selection of adapter tips, which plug into that mini USB port and allow you to connect just about anything. The only things in my home I could find that wouldn’t connect was my DualShock 3 (despite its having a connection that fit) and my Game Boy Advance SP. I don’t know why the DualShock 3 won’t charge, but it’s hard to give them a hard time for not charging my GBA SP. I mean, my Sega Game Gear won’t connect either. No, I don’t have a Game Gear.

To charge a PSP, you find the adapter tip marked “Sony” and connect it to the wire on the Powercube, then connect it to the PSP’s power connection, then place the receiver on one of the three connection zones. You need to put this together in that order, or it won’t activate, because the system “handshakes” with the receiver when the physical connection is made between the receiver and mat. When you bring the receiver near the mat, you can feel a magnetic tug which guides it into the right position. If you don’t feel the tug, you’re not in the right area. If you have your eyes open and the lights are on, it’s pretty easy to get it in the right place. It might take a few seconds if it’s 2am and you can’t see because you’ve been playing PSP for three hours straight. Why did I feel so strange saying those last few sentences?

In addition to this magnetic pull, you can get audio and visual feedback from the Powermat, or you can turn those off by pressing buttons on the back. A high-tech sounding chirp, ascending when it starts to charge and descending when it’s finished, can be set to low or high volume or off. A white light, which comes from under the mat’s forward edge, can also be enabled or disabled. When I first charged my phone using the Powermat, it kept chirping and flashing at me every couple of minutes. I found that the issue was caused by my phone, which has given me trouble with power management for months. By turning off the phone before charging, I was able to fix the problem, but if I didn’t want to do that I could have turned off the sound and lights.

The Powercube is what I use to charge my PSP and cell phone. The Samsung adapter in the kit fits my Samsung Gravity, and the Sony one fits my PSP 2000. There’s an Apple adapter for iPods and iPhones (but don’t set these directly on your magnetic Powermat, folks) as well as several other tips to cover DSi, DS Lite, LG, and Micro USB. Just about anything else should be covered by the USB port on the back, or even the MiniUSB port that’s on the Powercube when you don’t put a tip on. It’s not a bad range of compatibility. The kit even includes a little case to hold some of your tips in (though they won’t all fit, so I put the ones I didn’t need back in the original box), which looks like the Powercube, and it even clings magnetically to the surface of the Powermat, which is cute.

Now, the real advantages of the Powermat, considering that without a dedicated receiver, you are using a wire to connect everything anyway, may not be immediately clear, so let me cover a few of those. First of all, I went from a power strip with six plugs in it to a single plug going straight into the wall. I have a pile of chargers that are no longer sucking power from the wall 24 hours a day regardless of whether something’s plugged in. When the Powermat finishes charging a device, it turns off and the device stops drawing power. This makes it far more efficient than any of the cheap power adapters that came with your device. The documentation claims that there are devices that will charge faster with the Powermat because of its more efficient power management, and I believe that. Using the Samsung charger that came with my phone, I tend to find my battery nearly dead by the end of the day. The first time I charged it with the Powermat, it charged in less time and then stayed almost fully charged all day, which caught me completely by surprise. It did the same thing every day thereafter.

The rest of the advantages are completely cosmetic. There’s no arguing that a Powermat looks a hell of a lot cooler than a power strip, which makes you happy to move that task from the floor to the night stand. The Powermat for Home and Office retails for $99, and comes with the Mat, AC adapter, the Powercube with eight adapter tips and tip storage box. You can find it here.

Powermat Portable Mat

The portable model of the Powermat functions the same way the home and office model does, including all the same components, such as the Powercube universal receiver. They key difference is the form factor. Rather than being a Smurfboard, it’s built more like a chain. Broken into three segments with 180º hinges between, the portable Mat folds into a small space, and can even be used while folded up if you’re only charging one device. It comes with a carrying case, complete with magnetic clasp, which holds both the Mat and its AC adapter, which is really very cool. It’s clear these people are very fond of magnets, and who isn’t? This model doesn’t look as nice as the other, but its portability, and the fact that it comes with a case, is nothing to dismiss.

The Powermat Portable Mat comes with everything the Home and Office model does, plus the carrying case as shown, for $99. You can find it here.

I give both Powermats, the Home and Office and Portable models, a four out of five. These are really fun, cool, fascinating technology. They work very well and it’s remarkable how much attention to detail went into not only their design, but even their packaging. The manuals go into great detail, quantifying the advantages of the efficient tech, particularly to the environment. Despite all this, The Powermat by itself, without any of the receivers that are sold separately, lacks the hook that the Powermat promises on in its ads. You can’t charge devices simply by setting them on the Mat, and you won’t be able to unless the manufacturers start including the receiver tech in their devices.

Powermat Receiver Back for Nintendo DSi and DS Lite

Now, you’re probably thinking the same thing I was thinking when I saw the first Powermat commercial on TV. It’s something along the lines of, “how the heck is this thing even possible?” Well, the way it works is with magnetism. I don’t understand the nuts and bolts of the technology, but the pad and the receiver communicate, determining the proper way to charge the attached device, and then do so.

Powermat will only work with Powermat enabled devices. That means they either need to be connected to the Powercube (which would be a Powermat enabled device) or you need to buy an additional receiver that is custom made for your device. Powermat makes these receivers for four flavors of Blackberry (with more on the way), two kinds of Nintendo DS, and three options for Apple iPod and iPhone, with a 3GS on the way. The Blackberry receivers are battery doors, while the DS receivers slide unobtrusively onto the back of your DS. Your Apple choices vary as well, as there’s a dock as well as cases that fit over an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Having a dedicated receiver on your device lets the Powermat reach its full potential. Leave it on your device all the time, and all you need to do is set it down on the Powermat to charge. Your device doesn’t need to be turned on, but if you want it to be, you can do that, which is great for those of us who tend to suspend our games by closing our DS. Of course, I expect if you did this, the battery would eventually fail, because once it reaches full charge, it won’t start charging again unless you lift it up and set it back down again.

The Receiver Back for DSi is great. It’s large enough to get a solid grip on the DSi without dramatically increasing the weight. If you have a soft case with some give to it, as I do, the system will still fit inside with the receiver on it. The receiver back doesn’t get in your way while you’re playing, either. Unfortunately, the wrap-around design on both the DS Lite and DSi receivers tends to obstruct some things. On the DS Lite, it makes it hard to get at the power switch for turning on and off. The DSi’s power button in on the face, but the volume control buttons become a little bit of a challenge to get at. It’s not really a problem as much as something to get used to, but the receiver is right up against the power switch on the DS Lite, which makes operating the switch a pain.

Powermat’s Receiver Backs for DSi and DS Lite are $29 each. I’ll give the DSi and DS Lite Receiver Backs a 4.5 out of 5. Combined with a Powermat, this is really neat technology that it genuinely convenient and, perhaps as important, it looks great doing it. Unfortunately, that obstruction to the power switch on the Lite model is really bothersome. You can find the Lite model here, and the DSi model here.

Powermat Receiver Dock for iPod and iPhone

Powermat’s Dock for iPod and iPhone is a small white square with the familiar iPod connector on top and an adjustable support to keep the device standing upright. This support is necessary because iPods have come in all shapes and sizes over the years, so one size certainly wouldn’t fit all. Be aware that this won’t work with iPod Shuffle. This effectively futureproofs the dock as well, unless of course Apple suddenly decides to discard their connector style as they did years ago when they abandoned the firewire port on iPods. It’s a very simple, lightweight design. As with other receivers, you connect your device to the dock and then set the dock onto the Powermat.

Powermat’s Receiver Dock for iPod and iPhone is $39. I rate the Receiver Dock a 4 out of 5. It works well and the sliding support is a very smart idea, but the price point of $39 seems a bit high when compared to the value of the DS Receivers, which seem physically like much more solid peripherals. You can find it here.

For those of you that have Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP will have two new tracks to add to their library.  The first is “Excuse Me Mr.” from No Doubt and “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys.

All tracks are 160 Microsoft points, 200 Wii points or $1.99 on PS3.  The three White Strips tracks can be had in a package on the PS3 and 360 for $5.49 and 440 Microsoft points depending on platform.

THE WHITE STRIPES MAKE THEIR ROCK BAND DEBUT

Also, tracks from No Doubt and Dropkick Murphys for Rock Band Unplugged!

Cambridge, Mass. – Nov. 6, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of tracks from The White Stripes and singles from The Damned and Kasabian will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™. Tracks from No Doubt and Dropkick Murphys will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Brother/sister duo The White Stripes will release a three pack of some of their most loved songs on Rock Band next week. The band, composed of Jack White (of The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, both featured in Rock Band) and Meg White, has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards, including three for Best Alternative Music Album. “The White Stripes Pack 01” will feature “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” from the 2001 album, White Blood Cells; “Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine,” from the 2003 album, Elephant; and “Icky Thump” from the 2007 album of the same name. A tour documentary titled “The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights” debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this September and is currently making the festival rounds to rave reviews. The film, directed by Emmett Malloy, is a visual and emotional documentation of The White Stripes making their way through Canada where they played every province and territory, culminating with their 10th anniversary show in Nova Scotia. “The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights” is scheduled to be released in early 2010.

English punk rockers The Damned make their Rock Band debut next week with “Smash It Up,” and English rockers Kasabian add to their Rock Band catalog, with “Club Foot.”

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 10) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 12):

· The Damned – “Smash It Up (Part II)” +

· Kasabian – “Club Foot” +

· The White Stripes – “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” +

· The White Stripes – “Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine” +

· The White Stripes – “Icky Thump”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “The White Stripes Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks on Wii. Tracks marked with a “+” are also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “The White Stripes Pack 01”

$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

Rock Band Unplugged Tracks for PSP®System

Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of No Doubt’s “Excuse Me Mr.” and Dropkick Murphy’s “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” to the 55 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP system.

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Nov. 12):

•No Doubt – “Excuse Me Mr.” •Dropkick Murphys – “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

The White Stripes Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

There are now 938 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo

Ok here’s the thing: I don’t care about the huge military-themed, cross-platform shooter coming to the PS3 this month. It’ll get its spot of ink below, don’t worry, but I’m highlighting the three exclusive franchises returning to PlayStation platforms this month first.

The God of War Collection lands on November 17th as a new experiment: a reissue of two PlayStation 2 games in high definition on a single Blu-ray PlayStation 3 disc. The remastering of the top-selling God Of War and God Of War II includes the addition of Trophy support. Sales of this collection will be watched closely – it takes quite a bit of work to remaster games like this, but if it sells well we might see other Sony PS2 franchises reappear like this on the PS3. I’m a huge fan of the franchise, partly because of the brutally satisfying gameplay, partly because of the mostly-consistent mythological backdrop, so this is a must-buy for me. Of note: this is a $40 game.

The PlayStation Portable gets the PS3’s most recognizable mascot this month with its very own version of LittleBigPlanet. While you’ll be able to make and share your own levels in LBP on the PSP, you’re going to be playing them alone since multiplayer didn’t make it into this game. I’m being cheeky by mentioning this would be a $40 game as well since PSP games tend to debut at this price.

Also hitting the PlayStation 3 this month is Buzz! Quiz World on the 10th. I’ve become a fan of the original Buzz! Quiz TV on the PlayStation 3 and it’s just about the only game my non-gamer wife will play with me on the system. Of note: this also is a $40 game if you already have the buzzers from the first game, or $60 if you need the buzzers too. And in case you’re wondering the buzzers aren’t Bluetooth devices. They need a USB dongle to work.

What else is hitting the systems this month?

PlayStation 3

EA and Bioware are bringing a new fantasy franchise to market this month with Dragon Age: Origins on the 3rd, something some have theorized might have been a D&D game that never quite got the license. As a fully single player adventure it’s already got DLC lined up for it. As someone who’s still thoroughly enjoying Sacred 2 on the PS3 I might be interested in this game at one point, but not quite yet.

LEGO Rock Band also comes in on the 3rd, taking what should have been a filter in Rock Band 2 – the option for kid-friendly songs only – and putting it in a whole different game. Still, LEGOs are LEGOs and it could sell a few copies this holiday season. It’ll also add a whole different submenu to the already large set of PlayStation Store weekly update music game DLC menus.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed — Ultimate Sith Edition comes in on November 4th, and having spent some time with the original I’m not interested in this one. The controls and camera just felt too complex in this one, and since this only adds some additional missions as far as I can tell it’s not something I’ll be going after anytime soon.

That elephant in the room I mentioned is, of course, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The game’s going to have midnight retailer openings and throngs of fans waiting to ventilate each other online, and as I said I couldn’t care less. I’m all in favor of stimulating the retail and game development economy, though, don’t get me wrong, so go ahead and buy it with abandon!

I found the story and feel of the original Assassin’s Creed game to be slow and unwieldy, and it gave me a very strong Half-Life 2 vibe which made me think I knew where the story was going very early on. I quickly lost interest, so its sequel coming on the 17th doesn’t have my interest.

A former Xbox 360 exclusive, the Scene It franchise also comes to the PS3 this month (making me wonder if it did ok over there) with Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!. More party games are always welcome on the console but I haven’t been following this one.

PlayStation Portable

The PSP gets some new blood this month with its first proper Jak and Daxter game, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. High Impact Games’ take on the franchise Naughty Dog previously took 3 runs at on the PlayStation 2 already has a demo on the PlayStation Store, so feel free to scoop that up and give it a look. It lands on November 3rd on both the PSP and the PS2, of all things.

Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines takes the first game’s storyline in a new direction, apparently, and does it portably. We’ll have to see how it fares alongside its sequel bigger brother on the 17th.

Lastly, about a month later than its PS3 and Xbox 360 older brother, the PSP version of Tekken 6 comes in on November 24th. Tekken’s got a very good track record with Dark Resurrection on the PSP, so this could be a really stellar fighter.

That covers it for the big deals hitting PlayStation platforms this month. Did I miss anything you’re after? Let me know what and why in the comments below.

To see the tracks for each band, along with pricing info, click the jump.

ROCK BAND ADDS TO ITS CATALOG OF TOP ARTISTS WITH MORE NIRVANA AND FOO FIGHTERS

Also, tracks from Bullet for My Valentine and System of a Down for Rock Band Unplugged!

Cambridge, Mass. – Oct. 30, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of tracks from Nirvana, a four pack of tracks from Foo Fighters and a single from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store and the LEGO Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™. Tracks from Bullet for My Valentine and System of a Down will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Nirvana released their debut album, Bleach, in 1989 on Sub Pop Records, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this platinum-selling album, Sub Pop will release a special edition of the album, featuring a complete and previously unreleased live concert recorded in 1990 in Portland, Oregon. The anniversary edition of Bleach will be released the same day and date as “Nirvana Bleach Pack,” which includes “About a Girl,” “Blew” and “School.”

American rockers Foo Fighters, will release Greatest Hits Nov. 3, the same day the third DLC pack from the band will be available in the Rock Band Music Store. Greatest Hits will feature 14 of the three-time Grammy Award-winning band’s most-loved songs, as well as two new songs, “Wheels” and “Word Forward,” both of which are featured in “Foo Fighters Pack 03,” along with “Best of You” and “The Pretender.”

American rockers Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ “Fake Friends” from the 1984 album, Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth, will also be added to the Rock Band Music Store and LEGO Rock Band Music Store Nov. 3.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 3) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 5):

· Foo Fighters – “Best of You”

· Foo Fighters – “The Pretender”

· Foo Fighters – “Wheels”

· Foo Fighters – “Word Forward”

· Nirvana – “About a Girl”

· Nirvana – “Blew”

· Nirvana – “School”

· Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “Fake Friends”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Nirvana Bleach Pack,” “Foo Fighters Pack 03” and as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system and as individual tracks on Wii. 

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Nirvana Bleach Pack”

$6.99, £3.49 UK, €5.29 EU (560 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Foo Fighters Pack 03”

$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

Rock Band Unplugged Tracks for PSP®System

Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of Bullet for My Valentine’s “Waking the Demon” and System of a Down’s “Toxicity” to the 53 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP system.

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Nov. 5):

•Bullet For My Valentine – “Waking the Demon” •System of a Down – “Toxicity”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Foo Fighters Website

Nirvana Website

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

There are now 930 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo

That’s a great deal for a whopping amount of storage. I’ve had a 4GB stick in my PSP for probably three years now and think that as more and more PSP games go download-only an 8GB will only be more useful.