"pure mayhem - 21/01/2009

Crash Commando's big blasting mayhem is one of the latest titles on PlayStation Network to bring spectacular arcade action to your screens. eu.playstation.com sat down with developer EPOS Game Studios to get closer to the platform shooter.

Can you explain what Crash Commando is about to those who may be unfamiliar with the game?

Jan Almqvist, Lead Art/Design: Crash Commando is all about straightforward, pick-up-and-play action. No plot, just pure mayhem!

Where did the original idea come from?

Olof Gustafsson, Music/SFX/CEO: The initial idea for Crash Commando was inspired by a lot of different titles from the last two decades. One game that springs to mind is Jetpac on the old Commodore VIC-20. The challenge was to create a fun online game that clearly flirts with the retro genre, giving players the opportunity to play in teams or against each other in real time.

What were the main aims in creating Crash Commando?

OG: We really wanted to create a game that wouldn't cost players a fortune and at the same time give them a game that was as addictive as any high budget title out there. We also wanted to make something original and special without losing the most important aspect of any game - highly addictive and fun gameplay.

Can you give us an idea of the process you went through in getting Crash Commando on PlayStation Network?

OG: At first we produced a solid prototype of the game for PC and then we contracted an agent to handle the initial contact with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc (SCEI), who liked the game.

What advantages has PSN afforded you in developing Crash Commando?

JA: Digital distribution in general has opened up a lot of opportunities and allows developers of various sizes to create software at different price points and to utilise non-traditional revenue models. We believe that we're still very early on in the development of this market and that PSN has a great advantage with its flexibility. Since it's also a free service it maximises the platform's potential, which is always a good thing. 

So basically, the advantage PSN has afforded us is a great, flexible channel to the consumer, which otherwise would have been difficult to attain.

Can you go into detail about the game's online and multiplayer modes?

JA: The game is primarily an online game and there are not a lot of games out there that can match the intensity that players of Crash Commando will experience. In terms of modes there are the self-explanatory Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes and also the exclusive multiplayer game mode, Map Objectives.

Map Objectives is a team based mode consists of Sabotage and Espionage objectives. In a Sabotage game the attacking team needs to find and destroy control panels scattered across the map. A control panel is destroyed by planting a bomb on it and the trick is to keep the defenders from defusing them. The round ends when all control panels are destroyed or the time runs out. 

In an espionage game, the attackers will have to find Data Terminals in the map and download data blocks. When a data block has been downloaded, it is time to run back to the base and upload it to headquarters. If a defender manages to kill an attacker carrying blocks, the data is automatically transferred back to the terminal. The round ends when all data from all terminals have been uploaded to headquarters.

Both varieties are played progressively across the entire map meaning that at the beginning of the game, only some control panels/data terminals are online.

What sort of downloadable content can we expect for Crash Commando in the future?

JA: All I can say is to expect the usual suspects and maybe a few surprises.

How important to you was it to include Artificial Intelligence controlled bots in the game?

JA: A lot of gamers appreciate the opportunity to get to know the game before heading out online so in that respect it was considered very important.

What would you say are the highlights of Crash Commando?

JA: At first glance, the game can seem simplistic and some might frown and assume there's no room for skill development since the movement and action is constrained to two dimensions. One definite highlight is when one realises how wrong that assumption is. Every game is filled with hilarious moments, many of which are down to how well the player times a shot or the ability to bank grenades off walls and platforms.

But aside from realising the depth of the core gameplay I would say the nerve wrecking intensity of a tight Map Objectives game. There is simply no time to breathe until the end!

What's the strangest or funniest thing to have happened while you've played Crash Commando?

JA: I don't know about the strangest thing and funny things happen all the time but one of the things that felt really good was a Map Objectives game on The Cave map. Our team had destroyed the first two sets of control panels quite quickly and had a lot of extra time but met a well organised defence on the last set of panels. We tried and tried and died and died.

Eventually, when the time had gone from almost ten minutes down to one and a half I changed strategy and decided to take the long road and bring a tank up with me for a final push. I also equipped the CAB weapon, which I could use to detonate the enemies' mines. I managed to get the tank up to the control panels and with a mixture of crazy luck and crazy skill wiped out the defence, allowing my team to destroy the last two panels.

To celebrate the launch of Activision’s Call Of Duty: World At War, you could be in with the chance of winning High Definition prizes.

It’s the final days of a blistering battle in a world at war in this, the latest entry in the groundbreaking and highly cinematic Call Of Duty series, viewed through the eyes of a US Marine or Russian conscript. Forcing you into a fight across a variety of European and Pacific missions, this is as gruelling and gritty as battles can get. Welcome to a World At War.

To celebrate the launch of Activision’s game you could be in with the chance of winning a stunning HD TV and PLAYSTATION 3. Simply guess the correct coordinates of the missing soldier in the Call Of Duty: World At War mini-game and submit your details for entry into the competition draw to be in with a chance of snagging this spectacular prize. PSN registration is required to enter the competition.  

Good luck, soldier! Click here to go the competition now. 

The closing date for the competition is Sunday 30 Nov at 23:59 GMT.

Trailers of each short film are now available on PlayStation Store.

Take a look at what Shoot! has in store with trailers of the six films for PLAYSTATION 3 and PSP. A short film competition, Shoot! aims to uncover the finest new storytellers, pairing up emerging directors with award-winning film makers.

Bitter by Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell
Executive Producer: Michael Winterbottom

Citizen Hero by Christophe Perie
Executive Producer: Jan Kounen

Prison Food by Uwe Flade
Executive Producer: Marc Rothemund

Hands by Xavi Jose
Executive Producer: Montxo Armendariz

8.3 Minutes by Klaus Thymann
Executive Producer: Thomas Vinterberg

The Dreaming by Anthony Green
Executive Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer

Each week a new film will be screened on PlayStation Store, allowing you to watch these cutting-edge films and follow the work of the up-and-coming directors behind them. Each film will also be screened across Europe on ShortsTV from January 2009.

Download the trailers directly on your PLAYSTATION 3 or PSP by signing into PlayStation Store.

To access PlayStation Store you will need a PlayStation Network account.

Find out more about ShortsTV at Shorts International.

A guide to the world’s craziest off-road racing events.

Since the 1960s, off-road racing has become a global phenomenon, pitching man against man, the environment and the elements. Today, events are held all over the world and the beaten track never ceases to become wilder, more dangerous or unpredictable. Vehicles big and small tear through rocky mountain ranges, harsh desert valleys and long beach stretches, doing whatever it takes to be the first across the finishing line.

From November 2008, you can experience this yourself in MotorStorm Pacific Rift exclusively available on PLAYSTATION 3 – and to get you in the mood and give you a taste of where playing the game might take you, here’s a run-down of the world’s five most daring off-road events.

Fink Desert Race (King of the Desert) – Australia
Held every June since 1976, this multi-terrain, two-day race runs straight through the middle of the Australian desert alongside an old railway track which snakes through red dirt, sand, spinifex, mulga and desert oaks and crosses the Finke River. Six hundred competitors race the 460km course, which was originally mapped out for motorbike riders.

The race’s increasing popularity has seen the inevitable introduction of cars and buggies, with a fierce rivalry to win the title of King of the Desert. For 11 consecutive years, the bikes were too quick for the cars; but in 1999, a buggy returned home first and claimed the prize. In 2005, the race was split into separate contests for two- and four-wheelers – although there is still healthy competition to see who completes the race fastest.

Weston Beach Race – United Kingdom
Now in its 24th year, the UK’s biggest off-road race attracts more than 800 vehicles including quads, sidecars and motorbikes to the English seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. Racers compete in a three-hour endurance race over a complicated, rugged course of sand embankments, water holes and jumps.

The track is filled with dunes, sea water and tight turns that lead into a long, flat beach stretch, putting riders and machines to the ultimate test of reckless off-road racing and speed. Past winners of the competition have included ten-time World Motocross Champion Stefan Everts. Whilst competition between two wheels and four wheels is present - there is no doubt that the glory of off-road beach racing belongs to the motorbike.

Enduropale du Touquet – France
The French town of Le Touquet has hosted the world’s largest off-road beach race since 1975. Today more than 1,000 motorbikes and quads take part, with 250,000 spectators filling the seaside town for the three-hour race. Held in February, the race provides serious competition and an important date on the French social calendar – attracting families, Motocross fans and plenty of partygoers, as the usually quiet, chic seaside resort is transformed into a roaring mass of bikes, quads and spectators. The race route stretches 16 kilometres along Le Touquet beach and onto the quieter beachfronts of Stella Plage and Merlimont, where crowds lessen as racers tear through the stunning seaside scenery of the French coast.

Laughlin Desert Challenge – United States
Run by SCORE International Off-Road Racing, this popular US event has attracted hoards of motorsports fans and racers from around the world since its launch in 1995. Held over two days in a desert resort town near the shores of the Colorado River, the race sees spectators cheer on 150 of the best off-road desert racers, including many successful competitors from the Baja 1000.

The biggest attraction of the event is the temporary stadium that surrounds the start and finish line area. A total of 16 different classes of cars and trucks are split into seven highly competitive groups – with races running two to five laps each over the 11-mile loop across rocky terrains and harsh desert.

Baja 1000 – Mexico
Now in its 46th year, the Baja 1000 began in 1962 when a two-driver motorcycle run was held from Tijuana to La Paz across 1,530 km of rocks, sand washes, dry lake beds, cattle crossings, mountain passes and paved road. The race was won in 39 hours 56 minutes, with both drivers boasting of close encounters with death.

In 1967, a four-wheel buggy beat the record by more than five hours - and the competition between four wheels and two was born. The next year, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) began to host the event, attracting entries from motorcycles and stock four-wheel vehicles such as cars, trucks, ATVs, dune buggies and more. The contest is now hosted by SCORE International Off-Road Racing and its triumphant wins, fierce collisions and near-death crashes continue to uphold its reputation as one of the world’s most merciless off-road racing competitions.

If these races grab your interest, you’ll want to either equip yourself with a vehicle or invest in a copy of MotorStorm Pacific Rift exclusively for PS3. It’s got 16 multi-route tracks to conquer, 8 vehicles classes to throttle competition with (including the brand new Monster Truck) and an incredible tropical island setting to tear up – it’s the closest you’ll get to the real thing

Download the Essentials SongPacks from the SingStore and get the most popular SingStar anthems at a special price.

Following the success of the Queen SongPacks, the Essentials range is coming to the SingStore, offering five of the most downloaded SingStore tracks from a particular genre, at a special price. They're perfect if you're new to SingStore and want to boost your collection

Kicking things off are the songs everyone knows the words and dance moves to: the Essentials Pop Classics SongPack, which includes:

Duran Duran Rio
Tina Turner What's Love Got to Do with It?
a-ha Take on Me
Blondie Heart of Glass
Culture Club Karma Chameleon

With Essentials SongPacks, there's something to suit all tastes; you can also look forward to:

SingStar Essentials Party Starters
SingStar Essentials Rock Anthems
SingStar Essentials Pop Stars

Get your collection off to a flying start with some of the SingStar community's favourite anthems and save money at the same time, with SingStar Essentials SongPacks.

LittleBigPlanet online servers temporarily suspended for one day only.

Hello everyone. As LittleBigPlanet hits stores and prepares to redefine the world of PlayStation, please note that the LittleBigPlanet online servers are down for essential maintenance on Thursday November 6, 2008 between 8am and 5pm GMT.

During this period the offline game will be unaffected as we work to improve online performance.

So keep playing or creating and we'll have some shiny new servers ready for when we get back.

PlayStation Network gets a distinctly different flavour with a glimpse of Mirror's Edge, an appearance from Yoda and a dose of horror, Buzz! style. Download these and get a taste of PSN's delights.

Mirror mirror

Electronic Arts' first person action adventure puts in a long awaited playable appearance on PSN, with a demo that teaches you the basics of movement and combat before throwing you into Faith's heady rooftop world. Do you have the edge to survive the prologue to Mirror's Edge?

Warping your senses

Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped lets you join the mighty Crash and his sister Coco in a frantic race through history, exploring prehistoric swamps, medieval villages and Egyptian tombs in a bid to prevent global catastrophe at the hands of Dr. Neo Cortex. Can you spin this calamity into a win for the Bandicoot?

Oh what a lovely Warhawk

Having taken PlayStation Network by storm, the award winning Warhawk has built up a loyal following of combat enthusiasts and fans of full-on warfare. This heart-pounding Warhawk trial version is your chance to see what you have been missing - it showcases the unrelenting brutality of war, where both the sky and the land are yours to conquer. Take part in massive online battles for up to 32 players - where only those adept at survival will succeed.

Halloween horror with Buzz!

Are you ready for a spooky challenge to test your brain cells? Well hold on tight to your Buzz! Buzzers and try not to scream: the Horror Movies Quiz is here to put your knowledge and your nerves to the test. Download the Horror Movies Quiz to add it directly to Buzz!: Quiz TV's in-game carousel, then prepare to tackle tricky questions on some of the cinema's most frightening flicks. If you love your monster movies and gruesome film trivia, the Horror Movies Quiz will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Bring WipEout HD home

Need to add a little zip to your PLAYSTATION 3 Home Menu? Download this WipEout HD Colour theme and visually tailor the on-screen display, icons, background and colours to give your Home Menu a gold medal finish in true WipEout HD style.

Yoda gets some Soul

You've already felt the Force thanks to the ability to play as Star Wars villain Darth Vader in Namco's acclaimed weapons based 3D fighting game, Soulcalibur IV - and now you can unleash the full power of the light side by downloading Jedi Master Yoda. Can you wield the Force from a new perspective?

A Rift in the Pacific

Brutal off-road racing gets closer with this trailer to MotorStorm Pacific Rift, where you can witness searing lava, rugged cliffs, towering peaks, thick jungle, wild rivers and waterfalls. Gear up for high speed racing intensity that brings you right into the action.

Talkin' SmackDown

Slam your senses with this demo of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, where you can get a taste of World Wrestling Entertainment without leaving the comfort of your home. With the focus on tag team play, you can perform finishing moves, double teams and more, record matches and create highlight reels, and even create original and unique finishing moves for your own character.

Classic Prince

Prince of Persia Classic has come to PlayStation Network and gives you the chance to rescue the Princess from the clutches of the evil Jaffar in a remake of the original 1989 action adventure that redefined the platform genre. All set for the High Definition era, this enhanced and updated version features new character designs, animations, visuals, and lighting effects, all brought to you in glorious 1080p.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar is looking to revolutionise the way you play strategy games. Ubisoft's Michael de Plater, Creative Director of the game, reveals why voice command is the future of unit control.

Where did the original idea come from to use voice activation?

We knew we wanted to make the player a General so we watched lots of movies with sequences of Commanders controlling soldiers; for example the films Black Hawk Down, Aliens and We Were Soldiers were great inspirations. In all these cases what is that Commander doing? He's talking to the soldiers, so it was very natural to think of voice command.

What were the most important elements to take on board when considering voice activation controls?

Reliability. It has to work more than 90% of the time for players to trust it. Once you break this barrier it becomes totally natural.

How difficult was it to test the voice activated controls in terms of response time, getting the game to understand all the commands and so on?

Getting it to 80% was very easy; we just plugged in the software. Getting it to 90% was very hard and took a lot of iterations of testing, optimising the software and very carefully choosing the vocabulary we used in the game. For example we went through the words "cursor", "crosshair", "reticule" and "target" half a dozen times before finding the best term to use.

What challenges were there in terms of localisation, such as accents and dialect, and how did you overcome them?

Once the core system worked the localisation was very easy and efficient. Of course we had to repeat the testing and optimise and polish the vocabulary slightly but overall it was straightforward.

How do you think traditional real time strategy players will manage the change from conventional controls into voice activated ones?

The only hard thing is just getting people to try it for the first time. Once they've used it for five minutes they realise it's not a gimmick, it's just a very natural and effective way to play the game. What's great is that players simply forget they are using it because it becomes totally natural. My favourite forum post was a guy saying how the voice command had become so natural so quickly that he now finds himself shouting orders at other games when he plays them.

What other genres do you think voice-over could be used effectively for or would benefit from?

Any game which simulates something you would do in the real world using your voice, and that's a lot of stuff. Some obvious examples where voice would be the natural input method could be play calling for a sports game or spell casting in a role playing game. And of course conversation in role playing games, which you currently navigate as menu options. Why not speak them?

Can you tell us more about the function of weapons of mass destruction in the game?

The WMDs are there to make sure that matches are exciting and climatic right to the end. Often in real time strategy games the end of the match is the boring bit, someone actually won the game 60% of the way through and the last ten minutes are basically just mopping up. WMDs are a last chance for the player who is behind to turn the battle around.

How does EndWar take advantage of the PLAYSTATION 3 system's capabilities?

I think that EndWar is a genuine next generation game. The gameplay itself would not have been possible on [previous generation systems], so it's not just a prettier version of something you played five years ago, it's really a new experience on console. You need hundreds and hundreds of characters rendered at a high level of detail to bring these epic battles to life.

What were the essential elements you wanted to capture in EndWar in terms of visuals, presentation and gameplay?

We wanted to immerse the player into the middle of epic battles. For 15 years RTS games have shown you computer generated movies of epic 3D battles and then you start a mission and you're looking top down at a 2D environment with little cartoon soldiers in it. We wanted to create an experience closer to the trailers. Also, we wanted it to feel like a real war game.

How does the novel tie in to the game?

The novel does a great job of introducing the themes of the game, the rivalry between the superpowers, the new arms race in space, the effects of the missile shield and how the end of nuclear war ironically makes the world a dangerous place. And it's got lots of great battle scenes with good attention to detail featuring the 21st century military tech that we use in EndWar.

How do you feel the RTS genre has evolved into the next generation and where do you think it can go next?

I think that the RTS genre has split in two. There are games which focus on resource management and building and there is a growing genre of RTT or Real Time Tactical Games which focus more on the tactics and action of the battlefield. For example EndWar, [is something I] would describe as RTT. I think that RTT will be a great direction for the genre to grow as it shares so much in common with the tactical and strategic features of shooters, but on a massive scale.

With more space to store games, music, TV, photography and film on the Limited Edition PLAYSTATION 3 160GB, your friends will be clamouring to come over and take a look.

PS3 brings you the best in gaming, with a huge array of stellar software titles available. In addition to the ultimate gaming experience you can watch movies, TV, video, photos and surf the web.

You might well have an enormous amount of media on your PS3 already – in which case you need to know about the new limited edition model capable of keeping a massive 160GB of your favourite media inside it.

With all this memory, PS3 can store thousands upon thousands of songs, hours of TV and film and photos to catalogue a lifetime of travel snaps. When it goes on sale on 31 October, the only space that owners will be short of is the living room space to accommodate all the friends who want to check it out. 

The 160GB PS3 comes with a DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless controller and a voucher that allows you to download four full great games from PlayStation Network: Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue, Ratchet and Clank™: Quest For Booty, The Last Guy and Super Stardust HD.

Besides the extra hard drive space, buyers can look forward to all of the other features PS3 has to offer: free online play with other gamers across PlayStation Network and a stunning and ever-growing range of next generation games including the forthcoming Resistance™ 2, LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift, inFamous™ and more; High Definition Blu-ray Disc movies with amazing sound and images, Internet access including free online web and video chat with friends,

PlayStation Network on PS3 has something for everyone – bright young stars can share their talent worldwide by uploading their SingStar performances to MySingStarOnline, racing fans can find motorsport on Gran Turismo TV, quiz experts can test their skills against contestants from around the world with Buzz!™: Quiz TV, and music lovers can view Europe’s hottest new bands with exclusive PlayStation Network programme Movement.

With all of these as well as a whopping 160GB of space, PS3 gives you even more entertainment options.

source - http://www.computerandvideogames.com

games that go bump in the night - 30/10/08

If you’re planning a night in this Halloween, here are some games that will have you cowering behind the sofa

update features - version 2.50 - 28/10/08

Find out what features are included in PS3 system software update 2.50.

An update to the PS3 system software was released on October 15, 2008. If you update your PS3 system, the system software version will be 2.50 and the following features will be updated. In order to download PS3 system software version 2.50, you will need a minimum 140Mb of free space on either the PS3 Hard Disk Drive (System Update) or on removable storage media (PC Update).

Main features in system software update version 2.50

• PlayStation®Network

The account creation screens under [Sign Up for PlayStation®Network] and the menus under [Account Management] have been redesigned.

Other new or revised features in version 2.50

Users

• You now have an option to set the PS3 system to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content has been completed. This option is available when you are turning off the system under [Users] > [Turn Off System] while content is being downloaded or installed.

Settings

• [BD/DVD Settings] has been renamed as [Video Settings].
  
• Under [Video Settings], the [Cinema Conversion] and [Upscale] options have been renamed as [BD/DVD Cinema Conversion] and [BD/DVD Upscaler], respectively.
• [Sequential Playback] and [50 Hz Video Output] have been added as options under [Video Settings].
  
• [DivX® VOD Registration Code] has been added under [System Settings]. You must use this registration code to authenticate and register the PS3 system to be able to play video files that are compatible with the DivX® VOD (Video On Demand) service on your system. For details, visit divx.com/vod/
• [Power Save Settings] has been added as an option under Settings. To save power, the PS3 system and Wireless controllers can be set to turn off automatically after a certain period of inactivity.
• Under [Accessory Settings] > [Audio Device Settings], the method for reconnecting Bluetooth® devices has been changed.
• Under [Accessory Settings] > [Keyboard Type], you can now choose the following keyboard types: [German Keyboard (Switzerland)], [French Keyboard (Canada)] and [French Keyboard (Switzerland)].
  
• In the keyboard layout for [German Keyboard], the "Y" and "Z" keys have been switched and the "Q" and "A" keys have been switched.
  
• Under [Printer Settings] > [Printer Selection], you can now select printers that support network connectivity. You can also select HP printers using the [HP] option.

Music

• You can now select one of nine volume output levels using the [Volume Control] setting on the control panel (or the mini-size control panel).
  
• [Pause] has been added as an icon on the mini-size control panel.

Video

• You can now select one of nine volume output levels using the [Volume Control] setting on the control panel.
  
• [Scene Search] has been added as an option on the control panel.
• You can now use the [Mosquito Noise Reduction] setting for video content that is saved on the hard disk or storage media. Use this setting to reduce mosquito noise that appears on the edges of visual images.
• During BD (BDAV) and DVD playback, a technique known as “chroma upsampling” is now automatically selected based on the movement of objects within the video content and then applied to enhance images in the content.

Game

• [Sync with Server] has been added as an option under [Trophy Collection].
  
• By pressing the PS button while playing PLAYSTATION 3 format software, you can now view information from the [Settings and Connection Status List] option under [Network Settings].*

* This feature is not available for use with some PLAYSTATION 3 format software.

Network

• Support for Adobe® Flash® Player 9 has been added to [Internet Browser].*

* “Adobe” and “Flash” are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

PlayStation®Network

• The way to disable the automatic sign-in option and the way to sign out from PlayStation®Network have been changed.
• In PlayStation®Store, the design of the [View Downloads] and [View Cart] buttons has been changed, and a [Redeem Codes] button has been added.

• This system software update includes all features contained in previous versions.
• The new system software will preserve any settings previously made to the PLAYSTATION 3.
• Depending on the software title, you may not be able to play without first updating the PS3 system software.
• Do not perform updates using any data other than the official update data provided by Sony Computer Entertainment over a network or on disc media, and do not perform updates by methods other than those described in the product documentation or in this site. If an update is performed using data from another source, by another method, or with a PS3 system that has been altered or modified in any way, the PS3 system may not operate properly and may not be able to install the official update data. Any of these actions may void the PS3 system warranty and affect your ability to obtain warranty services and repair services from Sony Computer Entertainment.

welcome to paradise city - 15/10/2008

Download Burnout Paradise at PLAYSTATION Network and experience the ultimate driving playground on PS3.

From September 25, 2008, visit PLAYSTATION Store with your PS3 to download the full version of Burnout Paradise. Set in a vast open-world, filled with events and challenges that will push your driving and riding skills to the limit, you decide where the action kicks off.

Head into a Race or Road Rage, attempt a Road Rule, land a Super Jump or take your fun to the next level by joining up to 7 friends online; from there the opportunities are endless.

So grab your first set of wheels and head on out into the city; what happens next is completely up to you

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, ABBA and Universal Music announce collaboration on SingStar.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced a collaboration with ABBA to bring the band’s best loved tracks to SingStar for both PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3. Owners of either system will now be able to sing along with some of the most iconic pop tracks of all time including Mamma Mia, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Waterloo and Dancing Queen.

SingStar ABBA is being developed in full collaboration with ABBA and Universal Music Group in Sweden, which manages the rights to the ABBA brand. The terms of the agreement include a window of exclusivity for disc-based PlayStation titles until December 2009.

ABBA’s recordings have sold an estimated 370 million units worldwide. Their 1992 album Gold is one of the most popular albums of all time, and the SingStar agreement comes as the music of ABBA enjoys a renewed surge of popularity worldwide, sparked by the huge success of the film Mamma Mia!

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with ABBA to bring their tracks to SingStar this Christmas,” said David Reeves, President, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “The popularity of this iconic band continues year after year, and we know SingStar fans will be delighted to add this selection of classics tracks to their SingStar collection.”

Lucian Grainge, Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group International, commented:  “ABBA have joined that elite club of musicians and artists whose popularity only grows with time, as new generations enjoy some of the most memorable music ever made. SingStar ABBA will have the world singing along again.”

SingStar ABBA is the perfect soundtrack to any party, guaranteed to get pop lovers of all ages on their feet when it is released this winter in PAL territories and the US.

It may be set in space, but everyone will be able to hear you scream. Chuck Beaver, Producer of Electronic Arts’ chilling survival horror, Dead Space, explains why...

Outside of videogames, what horror media provided the inspiration for Dead Space?

We're just huge horror and sci-fi fans. We're influenced by so many of them, but we don't want to be exactly like any of them. Our goal was to create something new and fresh that could live in the sci-fi universe without being identified and compared.  

We aspired to have a frame of Dead Space to be as uniquely identifiable as a frame of Blade Runner, where when you looked at it, you knew immediately where it came from. Isaac Asimov and Arthur Clarke were influential in that they think on huge scales, such as not just mining on a planet, but mining a whole planet.  We were inspired by all these, and maybe subconsciously some of their stuff made it into our game, but we wanted to be unique.  We've also got some Japanese horror influences in our looks and approach to horror, as in our fascination with tentacles.

What made you decide to create the Dead Space online comics, paper-based comics and animated movie, and what sort of work did it take to co-ordinate?

Glen Schofield, our Executive Producer, saw that as we were creating our backstory, it was so big and rich that it ended up bigger than the game, and we wanted to tell all this story, so we decided to go with different extended media. As the projects got going, Producer Cate Latchford insisted it was critical to avoid even the hint of cheese in these executions, as the hardcore fanbase of both sci-fi and horror can sniff that out a mile away. It was a collaborative effort with some of the top talent in the world, such as Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith for the comic series, and the Starz team from Film Roman with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray as writers for the animated feature (Dead Space: Downfall). By engaging them, we were able to improve the quality of the overall story and the product.

Co-ordinating them all wasn't too insane - Glen had separated the story into three chunks, which overlapped at their ends. Comic first, animated feature second, game third. This way, each was able to writhe and contort as needed to fit into their delivery schedules without wrecking the other two, except at the end points. That actually worked out quite well.

Were there specific rules in the creation of Dead Space that you had to follow? For example, the player has to feel this particular emotion, or must never have to backtrack, and so on?

This game needed to be scary all the time, both tense and intense. Everything had to be immersive, to keep you grounded in the experience so the scares and tension could get to you - this drove the Heads Up Display-less design and no cutscenes decisions. Also, this meant high realism. The art style, physics, plot points, ship design, everything had to be as realistic as possible to keep you in a state of belief. Since we wanted to put two great genres together and have sci-fi in our horror, it presented an interesting challenge. Sci-fi settings tend to conflict with relatable objects and environments, which are required for horror to be effective.

We also wanted a few mechanics that went really deep, and when you combined them, they worked together to give you tactical choices. It's very rewarding to figure out a new trick on your own from combining tactics. Providing the player a chance to feel clever is always a good Plan A.

How did the element of telekinesis come up in the creation of the game?

Well, we first thought we wouldn't need it. Then Paul Mathus, our lead Level Designer for pre-production, kept saying, "Isaac Clarke has to be able to move things." And we were all, nah, he can just use the knock-back from his various weapon's fire to knock things around. That of course proved to be too sledgehammery, so we gave Isaac the Kinesis module and called it the forklift of the future. It fit in the fiction as well, because as a miner you'd need the ability to actually do these things - lifting great weight from a safe distance while rooted to the hull in your gravity boots, etc. Once we coded it to let you grab severed enemy body parts and throw them back as weapons, it was clear we'd made a good choice here.

Just how far can you take the dismemberment of enemies?

Since it's a core mechanic in the game, there's not any body part you can't shoot off. And there's a huge variety of states in which they can still come after you. So you pretty much have to take it to completion on each enemy before they are really dead. And even then, maybe not. You can even take it so far as to pick up their own body parts and throw them back at them as weapons.

How many different death scenarios are there for the player?

Actually, I don't know. The physics and dismemberment system on Isaac and zero-g make for new death scenes literally every time he dies, and I see new ones every day I play.  He meets as many gruesome fates as he has limbs to get chopped off, and his waist counts as a limb. Of course, that's just the regular combat variety of death. There are tons of special death scenes where a unique fate meets Isaac for each specific enemy. Once you have an 18+ rating, the twisted minds of your animators tend to go wild, and they dream up stuff that makes you wonder if they're feeling well. There's one death scene in particular that is the team's favourite. You'll know it when you see it.

What kind of experience do you want players to have with Dead Space on a whole?

First off, we want there to be moments when the player jumps and screams. Literally. Second, we want you to feel "I just had a great experience" whenever you finish the game. In the end, we want you to feel that this was a game that scared you, entertained you, and told a great story.

This island paradise evokes memories of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, but recently it has attracted a different kind of visitor…

Like Joseph Conrad's Congo, The Island is a cauldron of idyll and mystery, where beauty juxtaposes violence. The first time you wade through the soft, white sand that frames this awe-inspiring land mass, it's difficult not to feel dizzy as you gaze up at the midriff of a brooding volcano, its peak obscured by clouds and its base clothed in dense jungle.

The few explorers brave enough to trek into the thick, humid vegetation do so in pursuit of the deep lagoons and untamed waterfalls that represent the harmonious marriage between the exquisite and the treacherous that The Island represents.

Evidence of a once booming economy of tourism and sugar production is evident for those who look hard enough. The entire population was driven away in the late sixties as The Island's crowning volcano stamped its claim over the land, inundating idyllic resorts like Paradise Beach, now an eerie ghost town of half-entombed buildings and rusting fairgrounds.

Yet this year, visitors are gathering in their thousands; a swarm of ships settles on the shore and releases a vast sheet of fire as the pilgrims disembark, flaming torches in hand. Within hours, the pristine sand is buried beneath a sea of tents. The piercing screech of cicadas is drowned out by hard rock, drum and bass and the roar of a thousand engines.

This congregation are here for the MotorStorm Festival; a competition where the skilled and the fearless race ATVs, motorbikes, rally cars, trucks, buggies and monster trucks across the planet's most unforgiving terrain. Previously held in Monument Valley - an arid scar in the landscape between Arizona and Utah, USA - the festival's organisers are unknown, yet the masses flock to the intoxicating blend of music, speed and danger.

Most seem unperturbed by the legends surrounding The Island. "I don't go in for that hocus pocus," sneers one woman, with her head and hands deep in the bowels of a monster truck. But walk around the camp site and you're sure to hear whispers of trucks consumed by bottomless pools of lava, and of motorcyclists smashed from their saddles by trees with minds of their own.

The 16 courses that have been etched onto The Island take in the exquisite and the lethal in equal doses, winding through fast-flowing streams; along sharp cliff faces; and into yawning caves, buried deep inside the volcanic rock. Competitors arrive with their choice of vehicle and regale their rivals with boasts of its unique suitability, when in truth, nothing is safe.

Motorbikes may be quick and agile, but it only takes one rogue log to send the rider flying towards the canopy; trucks can plough through the thick undergrowth, yet they are one slippery corner away from a tumble down the unrepentant mountainside.

And in the face of such danger, the spirit of the competitors is admirable. This international community is as diverse as the music that pumps from each vehicle, chosen from the driver's personal collection. Friends are forthcoming and rivalries are forged in the spirit of healthy competition as each racer strives to see their name on top of the leaderboard.

Visiting The Island alone is unsettling; the inescapable gaze of the volcano and the opaque jungle give a constant sense of foreboding, like Lord of the Flies or a modern Paradise Lost. It is unclear why the pilgrims have chosen a location so shrouded in mystery and danger for a racing event, but then the MotorStorm Festival is no stranger to the mysterious and the dangerous itself, so perhaps the two are a perfect marriage.

We’re hoping you can help Sackboy look his best when he appears in LittleBigPlanet this October, by designing a brand new costume for him or his more lady-like equivalent, Sackgirl.

LittleBigPlanet is a unique game, exclusive to PLAYSTATION 3, combining an amazing platform adventure with a huge social community that will enable you to play, create and share your adventures with friends.

And like all great platform games, LittleBigPlanet has a hero. Meet Sackboy, the cool little character that explores the world with you. One of the things that makes Sackboy unique is that you can decide how he looks by changing his colour, costume and style.

We’re hoping you can help Sackboy look his best, for when he appears in LittleBigPlanet this October, by designing a brand new costume for him or his more lady-like equivalent, Sackgirl.

Send us your inspired outfit ideas for Sackboy or Sackgirl, and Media Molecule will pick out the best ones and transform them into new attire. The winning design will be available to download FOR FREE from the PLAYSTATION Store for use in LittleBigPlanet.

Interested? Wonderful! Read on for more information on how to take part…

How to take part

All you have to do is download the Sackboy template, open it in an image editor - such as Paint, Photoshop or Paintshop Pro - and draw on your costume design.

We’re looking for imaginative and interesting ideas with a splash of Sackboy’s endearing charm that suit the look and feel of LittleBigPlanet. So it doesn’t matter if you’re not the Leonardo Da Vinci of Photoshop, if your clothing concept is just a great idea, it will still be in with a good chance of winning!

Once your costume design is ready, just attach it to an email and send it to competitions@community.eu.playstation.com, with My Sackboy Costume as the subject line.

Hold on! Don’t send it just yet!

Make sure you include the following information in your email too:

• Your full name
• Your date of birth
• Your country of residence
• Your PSN Online ID (if you have one)

The closing date for all entries is Tuesday, 30 September 2008 at 23:59 GMT. Further important contest rules are at the end of this post – please make sure you read them otherwise your entry might be disqualified! And we wouldn’t want that!

We can’t wait to see what fantastic costumes you create… Good luck!

For more information about LittleBigPlanet, head over to the official website at LittleBigPlanet.com

Contest Rules

• Your Sackboy costume should be all your own work; don’t use existing logos or designs, content or imagery created by someone else. So that means no Spidey or Mr T costumes, you crazy fool!
• Only one costume design can be submitted per person.
• Do not resize the template – 1200x840 pixels is just perfect the way it is.
• Only JPEGs will be accepted for your design submissions.
• No questionable content; by that we mean stuff that’s illegal, gross or otherwise likely to give us nightmares.
• Further contest terms and conditions can be found here.

Important Information for Under 14s

Unfortunately, we cannot accept contest entries from anyone under the age of 7. If you are aged 7 to 13 you will need to ask a parent or guardian to send your costume design to us on your behalf. This is just so that we can be sure that you have their permission to take part in this design contest and for us to process your information.

• Your parent or guardian will need to send an email from their own email account to competitions@community.eu.playstation.com with your design attached, as a JPEG, and include the following information:
• Full name of the parent/guardian and their relationship to you
• Your full name
• Your age
• The name of the country where you and your parent/guardian live
• Confirmation from your parent or guardian that they are happy for you to participate in this contest, and that they understand that the information we’ve requested will only be used for the administration of the competition, which may include (if your design has been selected as a winning entry) the publication of a winner announcement on the competition web page stating your name and country of residence.

After ten weeks and twenty bands, Movement comes to an end in London.

To mark the occasion, Spencer and Martin decide to put on punk costumes and visit Camden's coolest pub, The Hawley Arms... But didn't that pub burn down a few months ago? And why is Martin dressed like a Franciscan friar?

With its catchy guitar riffs and thumping bass line, Dead Monroe's first exclusive performance for PlayStation, You're No Good For Me, is pure rock 'n' roll. The melody may be fun and upbeat, but the lyrics to this tune tell a darker story. Their second piece, Sweetheart, is a super-fast and super-sweet track dedicated to honey, syrup and sugar. But this tune doesn't celebrate having a sweet tooth: it warns against rotten teeth and a potential heart attack!

Missing Andy is a band with something to say and the talent to make people sit up and listen. Under Pressure is moving tale of domestic violence, all stomping rhythms and hard-edged urban storytelling, which will not disappoint. Also on PLAYSTATION Store is Dance, a cheeky cockney tune designed to get people off their seats and bouncing around in the mosh pit to some truly inspired London lyrics.

Download these exclusive band performances, interviews and road trip episodes by signing into PLAYSTATION Store on your PLAYSTATION 3 or, for PSP owners, by downloading the videos at PLAYSTATION Store (PC).

To access both PS3 and PSP versions of PLAYSTATION Store you will need a PLAYSTATION Network account.

To find out more about Dead Monroe and Missing Andy, or any of the bands featured in Movement, visit psmovement.com.

Dead Monroe talk about the future of the music industry and going that extra mile for a gig.

Meet Dead Monroe, a trio of London lads who first met at school and went on to form their very own rock 'n' roll band. With just a bass guitar, a lead guitar and a set of drums, these maverick musicians love to create a rough, raw sound of their very own.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard it before?

Dead Monroe is a rock'n'roll band.

So, how did you get together?

We all met while providing relief after the Asian Tsunami. We came up with the idea of touring the world's disaster zones, trying to lift spirits through music. We played them all, earthquakes, tornados, floods. Eventually we found the place that needed us most... London.

Who are your musical influences?

People who rabble-rouse like Elvis; people who hell-raise like The Rolling Stones; people who provoke like Tom Waits; people who sing their heart out like Steve Marriott; people who excite like T-Rex; and people who question everything like The Clash.

What subjects do you tackle in your lyrics?

Generally, home improvement and health advice. For example, Sweetheart is about the dangers of sugar, or indeed any form of glucose, and its effect on well-being and appearance.

Your music is available through Movement (available on PLAYSTATION Store); how are the Internet and downloads changing the face of the music industry?

In the beginning there were folk songs passed around from person to person, because they couldn't record them. There were no famous artists because there was no mass media. When records were invented, the music industry began. Record companies started because it took money to record, manufacture and release albums, money which artists didn't have. Record companies used the mass media to promote their product, and pop stars were born.

Now songs can be recorded and released online very cheaply, which takes away the original point of record companies. But they still control access to the mass media, and now all the big companies have merged together so there are only a few organisations controlling the whole industry.

What this means for artists, despite all the clichés about how the internet is empowering bands, is that it's actually harder than ever to break through. Record companies aren't investing in new bands. The Internet has scared the hell out of them, and they don't know how to deal with it. It's true that a band can write a song and release it online tomorrow, but without promotion who is going to hear it? Internet promotion through online profiles isn't enough to enable a band to fund a tour. It can't compete with radio and TV. Maybe this will change in the future, but at the moment the whole music industry is in a transition bigger than anything since the record was invented, and it's not clear how it will pan out.

What do you think of the general perception of music from your country?

A lot of the bands that hit the mainstream from the UK are hype bands that have a couple of singles or an album and then vanish because they weren't that good in the first place. The UK music industry should concentrate on finding proper bands with good songs, who just might be able to appeal in other countries too, rather than being attracted to bands that sound like the Ting Tings or whatever, like moths to the flame.

Are you touring this year or will you be doing any festivals?

We are always playing out and about in London Town.

We recently played a gig in a forest. Not some fancy festival gig or anything like that, we played IN A FOREST, on the mud, in the rain. We had to walk a mile with guitars and drums across a boggy common past horses just to get there, and then our drummer had to walk all the way back again because he'd forgotten his drum stool. He was wearing his best shoes.

When we played at about midnight, it turned out the generator wasn't big enough to power the amplifiers and the lights at the same time, so we had to play in the dark. For anyone who hasn't tried playing in the dark it's like driving a car blindfolded, except more dangerous. All we could see were the glow-stick bracelets the crowd were wearing darting around to the beat.

Afterwards we had to cross the deadly common again, this time in pitch-black darkness. It was around this time that our drummer shot us.

Luckily it was nothing... Oh, just a scratch, and we recovered in time for the next gig.

Dead Monroe's Movement videos can be downloaded from PLAYSTATION Store. More about Dead Monroe can be found on their MySpace page, myspace.com/deadmonroe.

News courtesy of the Official Playstation Website