The $500 PlayStation television bundle revealed at E3 2011 was originally intended to ship with a fresh copy of Insomniac's upcoming shooter Resistance 3; however, Sony has since changed its mind on the pack-in game.

Rather than include a copy of Resistance 3, Sony has opted to swap the upcoming game MotorStorm Apocalypse, which launched in May.

Read More: Does the bundle price change? »

Resistance 3 is now a month away, and Insomniac has announced that the game has gone gold for manufacturing. The team can't rest on its laurels, though, since it's overseeing the beta test starting today for SOCOM 4 buyers, and planning a day-one patch to boot.

The patch will bring "updates and tweaks" to the game, most likely to fix any problems that crop up during the beta test.

Watch: Resistance 3 'Story' trailer »

[Update] This giveaway has ended.

[Original Story] You could wait until August 4 to play the Resistance 3 beta, or you could start today. Which would you prefer?

Shacknews has 20 codes for the Resistance 3 multiplayer beta to giveaway, enabling access to the test immediately. To get you on your way, the giveaway will run until 3pm PT today, so get those entries in!

Beta access will open for owners of "specially marked copies" of SOCOM 4 on August 4 and PlayStation Plus users on August 23. Resistance 3 from developer Insomniac launches for the PS3 on September 6.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: Join the Resistance 3 beta »

Sony recently gave vague details on the Resistance 3 beta, but now Insomniac has announced a hefty new set of details. The first wave (for SOCOM 4 purchasers) will start on August 4. Hope you kept that code handy.

Plus subscribers in the US get in on the act next, starting on August 23.

READ MORE: What's included in the beta? »

We finally have a release target for the Resistance 3 beta test. IGN reports that the company announced that the beta would begin the first week of August, just a month before the game hits on September 6.

READ MORE: Beta modes and a web tie-in game »

Sony has announced a new promotion called the World Game Project, which will highlight games with Western design sensibilities for event attendees in Japan. Mr. Murata, the project's faceless mascot clothed in Reservoir Dogs attire (shown above), was apparently seen wandering around this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo convention as well.

Read more »

Following rumors sparked by a German Resistance 3 bundle, Sony has confirmed that the game will include a one-time use code to access online features. We've seen Sony dip a toe in this pool before on the PSP, with online entitlements offered for games like ModNation Racers. This new statement seems like Sony is ramping up its efforts and bringing Online Passes to the PlayStation 3, where they've become commonplace in games from EA and THQ.

In a statement issued today, Sony said: Read more »

SCEA revealed the pre-order bonuses for Resistance 3 today on the PlayStation Blog. Unsurprisingly, they're retailer-specific.

GameStop gets a replica Chimeran-teeth necklace, perfect for convincing the ladies that you wrestled and defeated an alligator. You'll also get a multiplayer booster, letting you start the multiplayer mode at level 5, and all the character customization options that come with it. Read more »

Sony is encouraging purchases of SOCOM 4 with the promise of early access to the beta of another anticipated PlayStation 3-exclusive shooter, Resistance 3. The PlayStation Blog announced that if a SOCOM 4 box bears a Resistance 3 sticker, a voucher code is included. The blog didn't indicate what percentage of SOCOM 4 boxes will include the voucher.

Vouchers are also included in all Full Deployment Editions of SOCOM 4, which includes the Move controller, sub-controller, PlayStation Eye, and the Move sharp shooter. Throwing the voucher in as well makes sense, considering it's $149.99. Read more »

A group of three designers working on Resistance 3 described the game as a combination of the movies The Road and District 9 in response to a fan question at Insomniac's recent community day. That makes this third chapter in the series quite a departure from its predecessors. Both Resistance 1 and 2 focused on the large-scale military struggle as humanity sought to fend off the alien Chimeran conversion sweeping the globe. The hero of those games, Nathan Hale, met his demise at the end of Resistance 2.

Read more »

Sony announced a new contest today to place the face of one lucky (and photogenic) fan into Resistance 3. The "Get in the Game" contest lets players upload their picture to the contest site for a chance to have their face scanned for a cameo appearance.

Entrants will improve their chances of success by looking like they're in the middle of or just survived a battle in the Resistance universe. Props are encouraged, and the entry form includes a brief section on why you deserve to be the winner. Entries are due March 11, and the finalists will be shown off on the competition page. Read more »

Resistance 3, developer Insomniac's upcoming third chapter in its well-liked "aliens versus humans" series was on display at GDC in San Francisco this week, and I got to spend a bit of time banging away at a portion of the game's competitive multiplayer component.

The demo on-hand focused on a single team-deathmatch multiplayer level set in a dusty and decrepit prison located in the Republic of Chad. It was revealed that all of Resistance 3's multiplayer maps will be set in eclectic locales outside of the United States. Read more »

An extended cut of the Resistance 3 trailer we featured in yesterday's Daily Filter has been released, featuring a glimpse at some of the in-game action players will soon be introduced to.

In a series of lengthy firefights throughout dusty residential areas, the game's new hero Joseph Capelli battles against swarms of enemies and giant beasts all while managing to keep sand from getting in his eyes. Seriously, is this taking place outside of a dust factory? Also, why are people manufacturing dust in the alternate Resistance universe? Read more »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features Resistance 3, Anarchy Reigns, Armored Core 5, Gods Eater Burst, Swarm, Rift, We Sing Down Under, F.E.A.R. 3, Dynasty Warriors 7, and the newly announced XBLA-exclusive codenamed "Class3." Read more »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features new media for Batman: Arkham City, Resistance 3, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, Infamous 2, SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy Seals, Anarchy Reigns, Crysis 2, DC Universe Online, Trapped Dead, Gods Eater Burst, Jagged Alliance: Back in Action, Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, Dying For Daylight, and the first media for the newly announced Kinect-exclusive Michael Phelps - Push the Limit. Read more »