Just posted on the Official Playstation.Blog site

Quote: This afternoon on stage at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, I shared some very exciting news that I know the PlayStation Nation has been anticipating since we unveiled PlayStation Vita back in January. For those looking to get their hands on the ultimate in handheld entertainment, I’m thrilled to let you know that starting on February 22, 2012, PS Vita will be available at major retailers in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

Time to start saving up!

From Engadget.com (Follow the link for more pictures)



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Quote: Originally Posted by Engadget.com It's hard to believe that what we're looking at is real -- but we assure you, the picture above is in fact the PlayStation Phone you've long been waiting for. As we reported back in August, the device you see is headed into the market soon, likely boasting Android 3.0 (aka Gingerbread), along with a custom Sony Marketplace which will allow you to purchase and download games designed for the new platform. The device snapped up top (and in our gallery below) is sporting a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 (a chip similar to the one found in the G2, but 200MHz faster), 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen is in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches. Looking almost identical to the mockup we hit you with this summer, the handset does indeed have a long touchpad in the center which is apparently multitouch,

...

From Next Nature (who also provide the amazing pic above), and sent in by several readers:

Quote: Hans Jørgen Olsen, a 12-year-old Norwegian boy, saved himself and his sister from a moose attack using skills he picked up playing the online role playing game World of Warcraft. Hans and his sister got into trouble after they had trespassed the territory of the moose during a walk in the forest near their home. When the moose attacked them, Hans knew the first thing he had to do was 'taunt' and provoke the animal so that it would leave his sister alone and she could run to safety. 'Taunting' is a move one uses in World of Warcraft to get monsters off of the less-well-armored team members. Once Hans was a target, he remembered another skill he had picked up at level 30 in 'World of Warcraft' - he feigned death. The moose lost interest in the inanimate boy and wandered off into the

...

A bit of irony that this highly entertaining post comes from Kotaku, given the discussion many of us have been having on the Blogs about them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9sXhYlIfRY

Quote: Originally Posted by kotaku.com Don't let the fact this is an ad for projector manufacturers Epson distract you. What is being done here is brilliant, regardless of the commercial undertones. This guy has a PS3 Slim and a projector strapped to his chest and back, like a Ghostbuster keeping himself busy on his day off, and proceeds to show that despite the bulk and inconvenience of the outfit, it actually works.

I'd do this in a heart beat especially the repelling from a building.

There have been some memorable "ZOMG AMAZING" purchases that happen when I'm absolutely not looking. One of my most recent endeavors was buying some $300 worth Schick Quattro Titanium razor blades for ~$100 when a local Krogers had them on clearance, plus a packed-in coupon.

But today's deal definitely tops the list of "Best Purchase Ever" because I am not the ultimate benefactor...

So my wife and I went to the mall today to renew her driver's license, and I noticed a $1 bill as we walked along. I decided to pick it up and donate it to a local charity box, but couldn't find one so I held onto it (literally, never putting it in my pocket or wallet) to make sure I didn't keep it. We walked around the mall some more aimlessly and I noticed a new "Toys R Us Express Store" had opened up. Curious to see what was inside, we headed in.

We spent ~15 minutes look at the action figures sections but I didn't see anything...

So I beat "Dead Space" a second time today and don't know if I have enough drive to do the Impossible Run for the Platinum trophy.

I've come to believe that I can play through a game two times at most. And this holds true for most of my Platinum trophy games:
1) Resident Evil 5
2) Uncharted
3) Bioshock
4) Batman: Arkham Asylum
(Burnout doesn't count for obvious reasons)

After two run through I get a feeling that the game is now a chore and I'm just grinding for the Platinum. Knowing all the ins-and-outs of the game will certainly make the run through faster but I feel so ... naked having a Level 1 suit and no upgrades.

Perhaps I wouldn't feel so "disheartend" if I didn't feel like Dead Space forces a 3rd play through for the Platinum but it's almost a requirement.
1) Initial Run Through
2) Follow-on Run Through to Upgrade All Weapons from first run through
3) Run Through...

"What? I ran out of underwear and had to borrow my wife's drawer."

I thought this was quite impressive, and never thought that Rag Doll Kung Fu could do this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5jNQq6ZFQQ

After watching the demos for Project Natal, my initial skepticism remains although it's not quite as significant as it once was. I honestly have no interest in the motion controller as a gamer -- I, like many, did the whole Wii thing and have become disenchanted with the whole "move around to play a game" experience.

Business Sense: Yet from a business standpoint, I believe that Microsoft made a very aggressive and worthwhile move into the casual market with this item. Nintendo has shown that non-gamer consumers are absolutely interested in playing games -- beit for exercise (ala Wii Fit) or just casual play (Wii Sports and Wii Play). This camera will, theoretically, provide even greater accuracy and freedom than the Wiimote (this assessment, of course, does not factor the Wii Motion Plus).

Project Natals Other Benefit over the Wii: But one thing that Project Natal absolutely beats the Wii in is the lack of ing peripherals! I absolute hate having...

There is a lively debate raging regarding the new PSP Go details that have been leaked today (but not yet confirmed by Sony) from the June episode of Qore, Sony's Monthly subscription based news letter on Playstation Network (PSN) -- specially, the lack of UMD direct and thus complete reliance on the systems internal 16 GB storage (which can be expanded w/ additional memory cards).



Criticism:

Main Critisim -- Lack of Physical Ownership - I, too, am someone who much rather prefers to physically own objects rather than in some virtual nebulous space. It provides a sense of comfort and satisfaction that I can see, touch, and manipulate what I own. So I was definitely resistant to the idea of direct download only but am starting to come around to the idea.

Leaving People Without Broadband in the Cold - Obviously, this model of Direct Download doesn't...

WHOLLY ! There's rumors of a potential sequel to Valkyria Chronicles! I don't care if it's just a rumor, anything like this is enough to make me happy.



From PSXExtreme.com

Quote: Tim Schafer recently said that gamers often worry too much about sales, and that if you make a great game, publishers will still want to talk to you. In other words, quality doesn't go unnoticed. This somewhat idealistic sentiment applies to Sega's excellent RPG, Valkyria Chronicles. It may not have sold a trillion copies but its popularity is still gaining steam to this day, and next week, North American and European fans will be treated to the first three pieces of downloadable content. That being said, how's about more good news, VC lovers? According to a recent interview in the latest Famitsu edition, producer Nonaka Ryutaro said he was "ecstatic" about the game's

...

Great News: Ever since the Game Days deal went online for Valkyria Chronicles going on sale for $30, pretty much 75% of the post that details a person's purchase includes this game! Looks like all our cries of anguish for the game's lack of attention have gotten people's attention. w00T



Starting at around 12:30 AM, April 5th, a mild debate started to form at the Gamestop Game Days thread regarding multiple purchases of Valkyria Chronicles & the "morality" of buying the game with the expressed intent of selling it for profit (also known as flipping). The game could easily be resold for ~$20 profits at the going market rate.

Here are a few excerpts from this thread:

"I'm an admitted flipper and I don't lose sleep over it...[snip] I also take comfort knowing that my Ebay profits pretty much go supporting the gaming...

Disclaimer: This blog is to EVERYONE on CAG, even if you don't have a PS3. Buy the game and save it for when you eventually do buy a PS3 (maybe even solely for this title!). Kitten haters can redeem themselves by buying this game ASAP.



For those who read the Valkyria Chronicles thread, you may know that I am a fervent supporter of this game (having some 54 entries in this one thread ALONE!).

Gamestop Game Days: Gamestop has a yearly sale called "Game Days," which has many titles for up to 50% off. This year, it just so happens that Valkyria Chronicles is 50% off, making this absolute gem available for $30 -- which is an absolute steal. You can't find a copy on eBay for less than retail price. I easily put in some 35 hours into this game, and enjoyed the entire experience. From storyline, game play mechanics, and art style -- this title was my personal 2008...

Just beat the game on Survivor and unlocked the Platinum. So that's 3 Platinums in less than 1 month (Uncharted, Burnout, and Bioshock), all of which were quite easy to get.

Having completed two run-throughs on Normal and Survivor at maybe 25 hours total gameplay, enjoyable experience, and loads of trophy made the $20 well worth it. In comparison, I played Valkyria Chronicles for ~35 hours on my only run through so far. I'm ambivalent on whether or not to spend the extra $10 on the DLC and will most likely sell Bioshock on eBay for ~$30 and use the funds for something else.

Now I have to think of what game to get next, or bide my time until Killzone 2 comes out. Parts of me wants to get SFIV, another parts says to wait and see how well HAWX comes out, and the last part says to detox and get back to my other hobbies.

The weather is getting nice outside again -- perhaps I'll start looking for local Habitat for Humanity efforts like I've been...