To help boost their market share, Microsoft Corporation will reportedly lower the price for its famed game console Xbox 360, hoping that the move can place them in better footing with Nintendo Co. Microsoft, locked in a three-way game console battle with Nintendo’s popular Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3, has been struggling to stir up demand for its Xbox 360 in Japan.

Microsoft will lower the price of the Xbox 360 Arcade model by 8,000 yen ($73.92) to 19,800 yen. The Arcade does not come equipped with a hard drive and is the least expensive of the three Xbox 360 models, the Nikkei said.

The new price will make the machine cheaper than Nintendo’s Wii, which sells for about 25,000 yen, and the PlayStation 3, which sells for 39,800 yen.

(Source) Canada.com

If you have been playing EA’s The Godfather, then you are sure to love this news that new premium upgrade packs have been released for use. The Godfather II videogame will be releasing premium upgrade packs to provide players with level-four weapons, an additional crew member equipped with four unique specialties, and two new multiplayer maps that will make their family stronger as they fight to become the most powerful mob syndicate in America.

In addition, these upgrades will help as players take their advanced crew members online and compete to be the Don of Dons on the leader boards. Players can experience all the premium upgrades for The Godfather II two weeks after launch worldwide on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PLAYSTATION Store on April 23, 2009.

The complete list of upgrade packs includes:

• The Pentangeli Map Pack: Download for the all-new Cuba multiplayer map and the Junkyard multiplayer map. $6.75 / 540 points
• Level 4 Weapons Bundle: Download this collection to receive the Modern Dillinger, the .700 Magnum Impact, the Herzstopper, the MG-S1 Sniper Wolfe, and the Street Sweeper. $4.00 / 320 points
• Jack of All Trades: Download Jimmy Lira – the Jack of All Trades to have this character in your family. Jimmy Lira starts out with the arsonist, engineer, medic, and safecracker specialties and comes equipped with a level 2 machine gun – the MP38. $4.00 / 320 points
• The Corleone Bundle (All of the above): Download the multiplayer map pack, the level 4 Weapons Bundle, and the Jack of All Trades (Jimmy Lira) crew member. $10.00 / 800 points

(Source) Press

Players will fight through the burning streets of Berlin in “Nightfire,” take position in the deadly jungles of “Knee Deep” and carefully traverse the bombed out underground of “Station.” The Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1 will also add another heart-pounding chapter to the four-player co-op Nazi Zombie mode with “Verruckt”

The map pack is available on Xbox LIVE(R) Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation(R)Store for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system for $9.99. The Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1 will be made available for Windows(R) PC at a future date to be announced.

(Source) Press

Contrary to speculations that Grant Theft Auto may be jumping to the Nintendo DS side, Sony has made it clear that is has no plans to remove the popular franchise from their sleek portable unit.

According to what SCEA head of PSP marketing John Koller told MTV Multiplayer, GTA is “a tremendous franchise for PlayStation in general,” which means PSP owners will once again see a handheld installment on the PSP in the near future.

“No one should sleep on that franchise. That’s a tremendous franchise for PlayStation in general. We’ve had two that are the top two sellers on PSP right now. So, there’s definitely continued conversations with ['GTA' development studio] Rockstar on all their brands. That’s nothing that’s left the PlayStation family.”

All of these rumors started to come about when Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was ready to go for the Nintendo DS. But then again, it only makes sense to bring one of the most popular video game franchises in history to as many different platforms as humanly possible, and of course, that does include the PlayStation brand.

(Source) PSXtreme

What you see above, you will probably never see in real life. However, for some, it could be a sought after product.

It’s only a concept but basically what it is, is a Playstation 3 controller that has the ability to twist. Twist? Yeah, I can’t really think of any examples what it would be used for but yeah, twist!

Coming soon, Guitar Hero: Twist.

Read (Coroflot)

For the many PSP owners and enthusiasts, brace yourselves for a storm of new applications heading your way as Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced a huge and colourful year for its PSP handheld entertainment system.

The arrival of some big-name titles in 2009 for PAL territories include

These new games will be coming to PSP this year, joining the ranks of popular PlayStation franchises such as the ever entertaining Buzz!

“There are a lot of big claims in the gaming industry but we’re confident when we say that 2009 is going to be an exciting year for PSP,” said Mark Hardy, European Marketing Director, SCEE. “Our fans have demanded big PSP titles and this year, we’re going to deliver again and again. With Resistance: Retribution™, already on its way to stores, PSP gamers are going to get one big franchise after another.”

(Source) Three Speech

If you’ve been watching the Winter X Games that have recently been showing on ESPN, you’ve probably noticed what seems like an over abundance of Playstation ads.

Well, that’s because among the event’s sponsors Playstation was one of the only ones to remain faithful. Having lost sponsors like Zune, Olevia, and 20th Century Fox ESPN Exec Rick Alessandri issued the following statement:

Given the economic environment out there, obviously we’re being impacted, like everyone else

While this is bad news for the event, the same probably can’t be said for gamers. Because Playstation was one of the only sponsors to stay on board they received a tent at the event that housed PS3 stations with LittleBigPlanet levels created by some of the pros like Tanner Hall, Sarah Burke, and Louie Vito.

Read (Kotaku)

Like any other Home games you will be able to unlock items for your avatar which should be really fun to do in a game like that racing game here. If you happen to be close to CES 2009 go take a look. It’s currently the only game of the three that EA has made available.

The EA Sports Complex will be launched at the end of March and it will grow more in the future. EA will bring interactivity between EA Sports Complex and EA’s Sportsworld in the future. Players will be able to interact and EA will be using Home for various timed events. Anxious to get EA Sports Complex?

via kotaku

A poster called StreetskaterFU says he knows how to hack the servers in order to download, upload and delete files. It seems that some people have followed the directions in order to change movie posters and trailers locally. Check out the video above. But kids, don’t do this at home! Any official news from Sony?

via PS3hax