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FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: High Impact Games
Platform: PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system
Genre: 3rd Person Action/Adventure
Players: Single-player
Launch Date: June 17, 2008
Rating: E10+ for “Everyone 10 and older”

OVERVIEW

Ratchet, Clank, and Captain Qwark return to PSP this summer in Secret Agent Clank, an all new adventure where Clank takes the lead as the titular character. Developed by High Impact Games, the studio that brought Ratchet & Clank®: Size Matters to PSP, Secret Agent Clank brings the humor, quality gameplay and action that fans have come to expect from the franchise back to PSP.

Taking cues from spy classics of the past, Secret Agent Clank presents the Ratchet and Clank universe with a spy themed twist, including Clank as the Galaxy’s greatest undercover agent dressed in a tuxedo. With gadgets ranging from Cufflink Bombs to the Tie-arang and the introduction of Clank-Fu, Clank’s very own style of martial arts, Secret Agent Clank features action oriented moves and gadgets newly upgraded for the franchise. Also new to Clank’s move set are timing based puzzles enabling him to avoid laser fields, struggle to stay alive in a dance of death and subdue enemies with his bare hands. For the first time in the franchise, Clank masters snowboards, speed boats and other vehicles to take part in exciting chases, escape missions and to tail enemies.

In an all new story, players find Ratchet in a maximum security prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The player follows Clank as he dons his secret agent persona in order to prove Ratchet’s innocence. With a combination of stealth, puzzle solving, melee combat and spy weaponry, Clank gathers evidence and follows a trail of clues that takes him to the far reaches of the universe. Ratchet returns as a playable character, receiving weapons from Clank to help him stay alive in prison. Another first for the franchise, Captain Qwark appears as a three dimensional playable character, retelling the tales of Clanks exploits as if he were the champion with the exaggerated, over-the-top humor only Captain Qwark can provide.

KEY FEATURES

• Ratchet and Clank return to PSP in an all-new story that focuses on Clank and his Secret Agent persona as he attempts to rescue Ratchet from wrongful imprisonment.
• Clank-focused gameplay features new move-set offering stealth moves, more speed and power and the ability to subdue large enemies using Clank-Fu.
• State-of-the-art espionage weapons and gadgets, such as the deadly Tanglevine Carnation, explosive Cufflink Bombs, and the deadly Tie-A-Rang aid Clank in his pursuit.
• Travel from the ski resort of Glaciara to the intergalactic casino/resort world of Le Paradis De Tricheurs Casino.
• Contextual gameplay helps Clank avoid laser fields, dance with the mysterious Countessa Lottabolts and compete in high stakes galactic card games.
• Drive the latest in spy vehicles, ranging from sport cars, speedboats, and snowboards.
• Four playable characters: Clank, Ratchet, Captain Qwark, and all new Gadgebot gameplay.
• Ratchet returns as a playable character in arena based battles to earn new weapons and bolts.
• Captain Qwark appears as a three dimensional playable character for the first time in the franchise, retelling the tales of Clanks exploits as if he were the hero.
• Familiar characters from Ratchet & Clank franchise return in a humorous storyline that will satisfy all Ratchet & Clank fans.

BUZZ!^TM Quiz TV

FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: Relentless Software
Genre: Social Gaming/Trivia
Players: 1-8 Players
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system
Peripherals: BUZZ! wireless buzzers
Launch Date: Fall 2008

OVERVIEW

This fall BUZZ!™, the popular quiz show franchise, makes its way for the first time to the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system with BUZZ!™ Quiz TV. Developed by Relentless Software, BUZZ! Quiz TV comes packed with BUZZ! wireless buzzer peripherals for an easy, pick-up-and-play game show experience. Combining to deliver over 5,000 questions divided into five different genre channels (Music, Movies & TV, Sports, Brainiac and Lifestyle), the new Channel Hopper mode allows players to switch between the different categories of questions in order to play a variety of quizzes that lets all your friends get into the action.

Extending the quiz show network beyond the disc, up to four players from anywhere in the U.S. can team up for trivia showdowns in the online multiplayer mode, Sofa vs. Sofa. New quiz packs will be available to download from the PLAYSTATION®Network, so players will never run out of fresh questions. Also, for trivia fans wanting to see if they can trump others with their own vast library of knowledge, MyBUZZquiz.com will provide a global community for players to create and share their own custom quizzes online and then make available to download onto PS3.

KEY FEATURES

• Features over 5,000 questions divided into five different genre channels (Music, Movies & TV, Sports, Brainiac and Lifestyle).
• New Channel Hopper mode allows players to switch between question genres.
• Includes all-new characters and round types, as well as an all-new studio in high-def.
• Play with up to eight friends and family members live in your living room.
• Four-player Sofa vs. Sofa mode allows for online multiplayer gaming anywhere in the United States.
• Downloadable quiz packs containing 500 questions available on the PLAYSTATION®Network to extend the gameplay experience. Quiz Packs will focus on specialized genres such as Sports, Music, Pop Culture, etc. Once packs have been downloaded, the new content will be integrated into the Channel mix.
• MyBUZZquiz.com extends the trivia experience even further as players can create their own mini-quizzes with up to eight questions, upload them and share with other quiz fans. Players also can download other Buzz fans mini-quizzes, or create personal quizzes to share with family and friends
• Utilizes fun and easy-to-use BUZZ! wireless buzzer peripherals to create an immersive quiz show experience.

FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: Relentless Software
Platform: PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system
Genre: Social Gaming/Trivia
Players: Single-player, Multi-player up to six players
Launch Date: Fall 2008
Rating: “RP” for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW

This summer, get ready to take the popular game show host BUZZ! on the road with the release of BUZZ!™ Master Quiz for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), the handheld entertainment system that offers gaming, web access, movies, music, photos and more.

Packing over 3000 questions on topics including music, celebrities, TV, sport, science, nature, movies and more, BUZZ! Master Quiz puts gamer’s knowledge to the test at home or on the move. With six new round types specifically designed for PSP including the speed-is-of-the-essence ‘Quickfire Challenge’, the picture-puzzler ‘Picture This’ and the mind-boggling ‘Virus Challenge’, each round also comes complete with pictures and videos .

The focus of BUZZ! has always been on social gaming and the PSP version is no different, with three exciting multiplayer modes ideal to play with friends and family. Pass Around is a mode that enables players to use one PSP and pass the system from player to player. Pass Around is a mode that enables players to use one PSP and pass the system from player to player. In this mode, gamers can quiz their friends’ general knowledge wit and choose who to pass the PSP, adding a new tactical edge to gameplay.

Game sharing is also supported; where up to four players can connect multiple PSP’s and share just one copy of the game in an effort to determine who can succeed in frenzied ‘Fastest Finger’ play. Additionally, Quiz Host mode enables up to six players to play against each other, with one taking control of the game to select and ask the questions. The Quiz Host runs the whole game, with the power to award (or even deduct) points however they see fit.

Not only does BUZZ! Master Quiz offer innovative multiplayer handheld quiz action; it also has more robust single player mode than previous BUZZ! games. This mode presents players with a series of 15 different quiz challenges designed to test all aspects of general knowledge. In each round, players can earn bronze, silver and gold medals for performance according to how many points they collect from correct answers. There is also a variety of special trophies to collect according to how many correct questions the players has answered in a row, or how fast the players react.

KEY FEATURES

• Three new multiplayer modes, all requiring either just one PSP or one copy of the game to enjoy: Pass Around, Game Share and Quiz Host
• Enhanced single-payer mode with 15 different quiz challenges designed to test the limits of a player’s knowledge.
• Six all-new single and multiplayer round types specially created for PSP.
• Over 3000 unique questions alongside hundreds of licensed picture assets and videos
• Eight question categories: Music, TV, Science, Celebrities, Nature, Sport, Movies and General Knowledge

Fact Sheet

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Studio: SCE Japan Studio
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™)
Distribution: 12 downloadable episodes via PLAYSTATION®Network
Genre: Survival Horror, Adventure
Rating: RP for “Rating Pending”
Release: Summer 2008

OVERVIEW
Released in twelve downloadable episodes, SIREN: Blood Curse™ delivers a haunting and horrifying story exclusively to PS3. In SIREN: Blood Curse, players are pulled into an epic tale with realistic gameplay and graphics complemented by chilling cut scenes. The unique “sight jack” system allows the player to see from the point of view of the Shibito, or living dead, to avoid their detection or anxiously watch as they close in. Intense graphics, realistic character animation, and a gritty film-like graphical presentation add to the horror of SIREN: Blood Curse.

STORYLINE
Set in the Japanese village of Hanuda, an American TV crew has arrived to research and film an exposé on the legend of a “vanished village.” Controlling seven different playable characters, the player must discover the mystery behind the curse that grips the eerie village of Hanuda.

KEY FEATURES

• Epic Story – spread across 12 dramatic episodes, SIREN: Blood Curse will feature interactive scenarios and gripping cut scenes in each episode to keep players on the edge of their seats.
• Enhanced ‘Sight Jack’ System – the automatic and seamless sight jack system allows players to see exactly what their enemies see
• Playable Characters – players will control seven playable characters throughout the haunting story
• Fatal Moves – Sneak past the deadly Shibito or take them head on with over 50 kinds of weapons, each with unique fatal finishing move animations
• Archive System – lets player unlock a variety of story clues and important background information

Fact Sheet

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Developer: Q-Games Ltd.
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) via PLAYSTATION®Network
Genre: Organic Platformer
Release: Summer 2008
Rating: TBD

OVERVIEW
Welcome to the garden of PixelJunk™ Eden, a refreshingly different platform game wrapped in a vibrant world exclusively on PS3. In PixelJunk Eden, the latest downloadable entry to the PixelJunk™ series from developer Q-Games, living and luminous plant-life grows in real-time to form a lively stage. In this constantly evolving environment, players control a small creature called a “Grimp” (from “grip” and “jump”) to explore a dynamic setting alive with color and sound. By smashing into enemies, the player releases batches of pollen that can help the lush alien plants change and grow. As they develop, players can leap, swing and soar between them to get further through the undergrowth and gather all the bundles of energy and light from the level before the time available runs out.

PixelJunk™ Eden is the third game in Q-Games’ PixelJunk series, which blends simple, addictive gameplay with crisp and attractive graphics designed for optimal viewing in full 1080p High Definition (HD)*.

KEY FEATURES

• Distinctive Visuals and Music – Features 10 unique stages with stylishly designed graphics and original music from award-winning Japanese artist Baiyon.
• Dynamic Animations and Effects – Organic growth animations for each plant, plus environmental and particle effects bring the setting to life and keep it constantly evolving.
• Rumble Support – Feel the thrilling effects of clinging, attacking and falling from plants.
• Trophy and Online Support – Players can compete for trophies and track single player and co-op high scores on the online leaderboards.
• Remote Play – Supports Remote Play for PSP® system.

Fact Sheet

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Developer: Q-Games Ltd.
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) via PLAYSTATION®Network
Genre: Organic Platformer
Release: Summer 2008
Rating: TBD

OVERVIEW
Welcome to the garden of PixelJunk™ Eden, a refreshingly different platform game wrapped in a vibrant world exclusively on PS3. In PixelJunk Eden, the latest downloadable entry to the PixelJunk™ series from developer Q-Games, living and luminous plant-life grows in real-time to form a lively stage. In this constantly evolving environment, players control a small creature called a “Grimp” (from “grip” and “jump”) to explore a dynamic setting alive with color and sound. By smashing into enemies, the player releases batches of pollen that can help the lush alien plants change and grow. As they develop, players can leap, swing and soar between them to get further through the undergrowth and gather all the bundles of energy and light from the level before the time available runs out.

PixelJunk™ Eden is the third game in Q-Games’ PixelJunk series, which blends simple, addictive gameplay with crisp and attractive graphics designed for optimal viewing in full 1080p High Definition (HD)*.

KEY FEATURES

• Distinctive Visuals and Music – Features 10 unique stages with stylishly designed graphics and original music from award-winning Japanese artist Baiyon.
• Dynamic Animations and Effects – Organic growth animations for each plant, plus environmental and particle effects bring the setting to life and keep it constantly evolving.
• Rumble Support – Feel the thrilling effects of clinging, attacking and falling from plants.
• Trophy and Online Support – Players can compete for trophies and track single player and co-op high scores on the online leaderboards.
• Remote Play – Supports Remote Play for PSP® system.

FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 system
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Rating: “RP” for “Rating Pending”

OVERVIEW

Developed by Guerilla Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Killzone™ 2 is the highly anticipated first-person shooter created exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 system. Following events and action from the original Killzone for PlayStation®2, Killzone 2 brings players into a highly detailed, ultra-realistic “theater of war” that truly leverages the processing power of the PS3.

Throughout the campaign, players will encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Additionally, players will be tasked with utilizing a host of new weapons and vehicles in the war to stop the Helghast. Featuring an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new gameplay elements and an intense storyline that will once again drive gamers to join the ranks of the ISA and fight the Helghast…this time on the enemy’s home planet.

STORYLINE

Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is taking the fight to the enemy’s home world of Helghan. The ISA goal is direct: capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. Assuming the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will lead a group of highly trained soldiers on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet’s hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power they can now use against the ISA. Sev discovers his squad isn’t just fighting enemy forces – their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself.

KEY FEATURES

• Experience realistic, highly atmospheric environments that respond dynamically to the violent conditions on the planet Helghan.
• Witness the devastating effects of Helghan’s climate as it forces you and your enemies to adapt to new tactics.
• Control an arsenal of new and unique weapons and vehicles, in addition to trusty Killzone classics like the M82-G and the StA-52 LA.
• Face off against fearsome enemies who have learned to wield the hostility of Helghan itself against their opponents.
• Between Killzone 2’s unique visual style, the power of PS3, the use of EDGE tools, and the proprietary technology developed by Guerrilla, the game promises to impress players with its benchmark visuals, smooth character animation, detailed, effect-laden environments, and realtime cutscenes.
• Experience a beautifully lit world brought to life by deferred rendering technology. Multiple shadows casting light sources bring out the highly detailed environments and character animations.
• With true next-gen audio the player is further immersed in the world, supporting 7.1 surround and location-specific audio with wave tracing. Players will not only notice the difference between indoor and outdoor but also experience sound and music that are dynamic and contextual.
• Studio grade special effects will provide unprecedented visual fidelity. With full screen anti-aliasing, motion blur, internal lens reflections, and depth-based color grading, players will experience a picture that is sharp, smooth, and full of detail.

sorry guys, i haven’t seen a US retailer with this kind of offer yet…..

May 15, 2008

Wii™ emerged as the top-selling console in April, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks U.S. video game sales. Wii sold more than 714,000 units in April alone, bringing its lifetime sales in the United States to more than 9.5 million.

“Wii sales were buoyed in part by the strong launch of Mario Kart Wii, which sold more than 1.1 million units,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Our belief in appealing to a broad, diverse audience of players continues to resonate with consumers, and we look forward to continuing our outreach to an expanded audience with the launch of Wii Fit next week.”

Other Nintendo highlights from April’s NPD report include:

• Mario Kart® Wii finished as the No. 2 game of the month.

• Six of the top 10 games of the month are for Nintendo systems: Mario Kart Wii (No. 2), Wii Play™ (No. 4), Super Smash Bros.® Brawl (No. 5), Pokémon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (No. 7), Pokémon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (No. 8) and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (No. 9).

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl crossed the 3 million sales mark in the United States.

• Wii and Nintendo DS™ again finished as the two top-selling hardware systems.