Yesterday's PlayStation Store update was a crowded one, bringing forth a rather varied assortment of downloads for PlayStation 3 and PSP owners, including adhocParty.

A free download, adhocParty enables the offline-only adhoc multiplayer of select PSP games to be played online through a PlayStation 3 with all the PlayStation Network trimmings, such as voice and chat text. However, the PlayStation 3 must be connected to the internet through wire, as the system's wireless connection is utilized to transmit data between PlayStation 3 and PSP.

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Other new additions to the Store include PopCap's joyous ball-bouncer Peggle ($9.99), the Peggle Nights expansion ($4.99), PSOne Classics Resident Evil 2 and Legacy of Kain ($5.99 each), and demos of LittleBigPlanet PSP and PixelJunk Monsters PSP along with the usual smattering of downloadable content for Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

Once again, Electronic Arts has exploited Christians to help promote its upcoming video game adaptation of Dante's Inferno.

The official website for Mass: We Pray now unsurprisingly reveals the Church-centric mini-game compilation to be a hoax.

"He who betrays the beliefs of the Church blackens his soul with the sin of Heresy. A Mass not celebrated by ordained priest or on consecrated soil is naught but false ritual condemned by clergy," declares the message that pops up when users click to either pre-order the game or send a "digital blessing" to a friend. From there, users are presented with the ability to watch "an Exclusive Dante's Inferno Trailer" and the option to "Damn thy Fellow Sinners to Hell" through a "Go To Hell" Facebook application.

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"After all, a family shouldn't have to wait until Sunday to worship the Lord," read the original press release for Mass: We Pray, which described the title... Read more

Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard is looking to further expand the blockbuster series by adding a third development studio to the mix, claims a Los Angeles Times report.

Recent years have seen the company release annual entries by alternating lead development duties between series creator Infinity Ward (Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2) and Treyarch (Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: World at War), with external studios n-Space and Rebellion having assisted with Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 editions.

Activision claims that this year's entry, Modern Warfare 2, represents "the biggest launch in history across all forms of entertainment," with indications that the inevitable next one is being handled by Treyarch and could be set in the Vietnam War era.

The publisher has also repeatedly spoken of a possible Call of Duty-branded massively multiplayer game, with CEO Bobby Kotick pondering how to monetize "the natural evolution of a property like Call of Duty into a massively multiplayer environment" and CFO Thomas Tippl noting "you should expect us to test and ultimately launch additional online monetization models of some our biggest franchises like Call of Duty."

As indicated by this trailer, Army of Two: The 40th Day's weapon customization options present some very difficult choices. For example, what to use as a suppressor on an AK-47--a DSS Silent Strike Silencer? K03 Bayonet? Kitchen Knife? Screwdriver?

And just what about the paint job? Pimp? Giraffe? Hearts? Fleur-de-Lys? Bubbles? Stars? It's a tough call, but fortunately, EA Montreal's buddy shooter sequel isn't slated to hit PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or PSP until January 12, so you've got some time.

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Sony has revealed that the PlayStation 3's "adhocParty" functionality will debut in North America later this month, allowing those that own both a PlayStation 3 and PSP to play portable games like Gran Turismo PSP and Monster Hunter Freedom online.

Supporting only certain titles, the adhocParty service essentially transforms the PlayStation 3 into an online access point, which then enables the ad hoc multiplayer of compatible PSP games to be played across the internet instead of locally.

Sony is billing adhocParty as a "new social gaming service," with Capcom North America and Europe's COO Mark Beaumont noting that "at last, Monster Hunter fans will be able to adventure together, regardless of where they are in North America."

This is it, folks. The week before Thanksgiving, the last big hurrah of the crowded holiday season. This week rivals the number of releases due before the year's end.

Go ahead and hit up the full list, or, if you're looking for a particular system, skip right to the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS or PSP section. Should you want to check out any past release lists, scope out our handy archive.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be on North America store shelves Sunday, November 15, with the rest of this week's retail offerings due by Wednesday. Gyromancer--Square and PopCap's Bejeweled RPG--will be downloadable Wednesday on PC and Xbox 360.

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"A breathtaking new vision of Dante Alighieri's medieval classic" is promised in this trailer for the animated companion to poem-inspired video game Dante's Inferno.

Packing "6 terrifying visions of Hell" from "6 acclaimed international directors" and said to "explore aspects of the poem that the game does not," the animated feature is due on Blu-ray and DVD at some point during the month of February. Visceral's sinful action game, meanwhile, arrives on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PSP come February 9.

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Konami Digital Entertainment issued a press release today, announcing that Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for the Nintendo Wii releases on December 8 of this year. Shattered Memories is a remake of the Playstation's original Silent Hill (1999), but shakes up the first game's formula in significant ways.

The original game's decidedly awkward combat elements have effectively been stripped from Shattered Memories. This time around, players are only equipped with a cell phone and flashlight to help them navigate the darkness and solve puzzles. Thankfully, both exploration and fleeing from demonic forces should be better experiences than before, due to an increased line of sight. One of the more interesting sounding improvements is a "psych-profiling feature," which reportedly analyzes players and "adjusts itself to their actions."

The PS2 and PSP release dates for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will be announced in the "near future." You can take a look our impressions of the game here.

Sony recorded one of the biggest wins yet for the PS3 with system exclusive Uncharted 2 capturing the top spot for October sales. And it was a resounding victory too, beating out second place Wii Fit Plus by nearly 18%. Basketball fans also made their presence known pushing NBA 2K10 to an overall win with combined sales between the 360 and PS3 version putting it ahead of Uncharted 2, 575,000 to 537,000.

On the hardware side of things Nintendo continued its domination of the raw sales figures selling 506,900 Wiis and another 457,600 DS handhelds. Despite selling a respectable 320,600 pieces to put it in third place, PS3 was unable to maintain the momentum from the September launch of the new Slim model with sales down when compared on an average per week basis. Xbox 360 likewise saw a similar decline but Wii, DS, and PSP all trended up from a month before.

Hardware and Software top ten details follow... Read more

Rebelling against the corporation that brought you to the exotic world of Pandora has to be a tough call, especially when it involves a blue-skinned surrogate body. On the plus side, you get a bow and blades and a flying-dragon thing (and more) and get to use all that to fight the RDA Corporation and smash its various hi-tech assets, like mechs.

Playable from either perspective, Ubisoft's interactive take on James Cameron's anticipated film Avatar is due on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP come December 1. The movie itself, meanwhile, hits theaters on December 18.

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"We definitely have had some people say this is something EA shouldn't be doing or, you know, we're desecrating the original poem. I just don't agree," Dante's Inferno creative director Jonathan Knight explains over footage of giant tentacles spilling forth from damned vulvas in a new developer diary. "We've taken it pretty seriously."

Up for discussion this time is the sixth circle of Hell--home to heretics--and the impact of the decision whether to take Dante down a path of unholy violence or of holy absolution.

Developer Visceral Games--formerly EA Redwood Shores--also announced today that a demo containing the God of War-style hackfest's entire first level will hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in December, ahead of the Febuary 9, 2010 release on 360, PS3 and PSP.

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It's been a tumultuous day for videogame publishing giant Electronic Arts. This morning we reported on their acquisition of social game developer Playfish in a $300 million deal that could climb to $400 million. This afternoon word comes in their fiscal second quarter results of a $100 million cost-reduction plan that the press release says, "will result in the closure of several facilities and a headcount reduction of approximately 1,500 positions, of which 1,300 are included in a restructuring plan."

More than just an ironic combination, these two moves point directly to the ongoing shift at the publisher to match the modern videogame market. The press release in fact says as much in its comments on the Playfish acquisition immediately above the section on cost-reduction: "The acquisition accelerates EA's growth in social entertainment and strengthens its focus on the transition to digital and social gaming."

Looking at the numbers it's hard to take issue with their approach from a financial standpoint. In the earnings call EA CEO John Riccitiello noted, "Industry packaged goods software sales [e.g., the usual $60 retail game] are down approximately 12% year-to-date." This comes despite their enjoying a slight 4% increase in share for the same in North America and Europe. At the same time EA sees the digital market, in which they include mobile, micro-transactions, subscriptions, and advertising, growing at a rate of 20% or better for the next several years.

Long seen as a bastion of the traditional videogame... Read more

EA has gone multiplayer mad with a wodge of new Army of Two: The 40th Day deathmatch screenshots as well as a trailer focused on the shooter sequel's special co-op moves.

Developed once again by EA Montreal and boasting a soundtrack by Watchmen and 300 composer Tyler Bates, Army of Two: The 40th Day is slated to arrive for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PSP on January 12, 2010.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is almost here. What more needs to be said?

Go ahead and hit up the full list, or, if you're looking for a particular system, skip right to the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS or PSP section. Should you want to check out any past release lists, scope out our handy archive.

Modern Warfare 2 will be on North American store shelves Tuesday, November 10. The rest of this week's retail releases should be available by Wednesday, November 11.

... Read more

A new trailer for James Cameron's Avatar: The Game arrived today. It showcases the alien world of Pandora and its colorful, yet aggressive denizens, the Na'vi. Players face them as RDA Corporation Soldiers and giant armored mechs in fights ranging through the jungles. Alien panther-like animals and large red rhinos are thrown into the mix, for good measure.

Players will be able to fight alongside RDA Corp, or side with the indigenous aliens when Avatar arrives on December 1 for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, PSP and Wii. You can check out our previous coverage of Avatar: The Game here.

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Relive a classic Raiders of the Last Ark moment in this new LEGO Indiana Jones 2 trailer, splicing footage from the film and its plasticised video game recreation.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues hits PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, DS and PSP on November 17 with revamped versions of the films recreated in the first LEGO Indiana Jones plus Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and now toting a level editor.

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It's been a long time coming, but BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins is almost upon us. And be sure not to overlook this week's other releases. The inevitable showdown between Imagine: Babyz Fashion and Jurassic: The Hunted should prove interesting.

Go ahead and hit up the full list, or, if you're looking for a particular system, skip right to the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS or PSP section. Should you want to check out any past release lists, scope out our handy archive.

Barring any unforseen delays, most of this week's games should hit by Wednesday.

... Read more

It's a demo-heavy week for the North American PlayStation Store, as this week's update delivered a variety of downloadable samples: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Fat Princess, LocoRoco Midnight Carnival PSP, Jak and Daxter PSP, and more.

A number of downloadable titles also arrived, including Inferno Pool and re-releases of Capcom's various PSP offerings, as did a new map for Fat Princess (it's included in the game's free automatic update) and the usual smattering of add-ons... Read more

If you ask me, Salem and Rios are a little old for trick or treating. Then again, were the virtual duo to suddenly apparate in front of me, I doubt I'd have much to say.

In case haven't looked at a calendar lately, Halloween is a mere two days away. Army of Two: The 40th Day, meanwhile, won't hit PS3, Xbox 360 and PSP until January 12.

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Avatar: The Game doesn't have any bad guys, so apparently you spend the game knitting and/or in a lot of awkward conversations.

You can also play Avatar: The Game as a trooper or as an Avatar. Of course, either way you're playing as an avatar. I'll let you ponder that one.

Avatar arrives November 24 on PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, PSP and Wii.

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