Hello there, it’s good to be back. I had expected to record a short episode this week since work has been hell, but it turns out we still managed to go for the usual time which was surprising. It’s FooBear and I this week talking about gaming news as well as sharing a few gaming stories. So sit back, relax and enjoy! Enter the secret word(s) mentioned in the PS3BlogCast to earn 75 points. The first 10 people to enter it correctly get double points! As always, we want to remind you that the PS3BlogCast is listed on iTunes! So please subscribe and rate/review us there. You can also leave a voicemail for us by calling PS3-888-BLOG or if you want to contact us via email for us you can do so here . We have a dedicated forum for the PS3BlogCast so you can leave your questions and feedback there as well. Here’s a list of some things (or everything) we discussed: Kaz promoted to CEO of Sony THQ cutting back Insomniac says “No More Resistance.” Simpson Arcade coming to PSN New Releases Two Vita Bundles Secret Word

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PS3BlogCast Episode 35

Robert Bowling has given Modern Warfare 3 fans an update on PlayStation 3 and PC patch 1.08. The patch was first released for Xbox 360, and has been delayed for PS3 users as there were additional updates added. According to Bowling, Modern Warfare 3 patch for PlayStation 3 has “been in certification at Sony this past week and should be released by them soon.” He added, ”we don’t control how long certification takes, thats out of our hands.” When asked for an estimated time of arrival, Bowling answered, “no way to know for sure, as its out of our hands once it enters certification. However, its typically a 2 week process (1 week down).” The update should be available on PlayStation 3 next week. No information on a PC release date. “I don’t have a date yet, but I’ve been asking them to start getting PC updates out in line with others platforms.”

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PS3 Users To See COD MW3 1.08 Patch Next Week

Modern Warfare 3′s creative strategist, Robert Bowling, discussed the original names for Liberation and his wish list for future Modern Warfare 3 maps. According to Bowling, Liberation was originally called Park. However, the name was changed due to fan feedback. The Call of Duty team then changed the name to Central Park, however “the lawyers freaked out” over legal ramifications. Bowling said he would like to see old maps CrossFire, Backlot, Favela, Overgrown and Crash make an appearance in future DLC drops.

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Original Liberation Names Revealed & Old COD Maps Making It To MW3

The three main characters in Trine 2 are icons in the gaming industry. They represent to us, gamers, the mysterious dungeons, the prized weapon at the end of a painful quest, and above all, the classic old school RPG that we all adore. However, Trine 2 is NOT an RPG. It’s best described as a side-scrolling action adventure/puzzler/platformer/ … OK, so Trine 2 might not have a definitive nature, or a remarkable story, but I’ll tell you what it does have: lots of charm, sharp controls, and some of the most beautiful visuals I’ve seen. Surprisingly, that combination works! The Story Regardless of the weak story, storytelling in Trine 2 is surprisingly satisfying! Trine 2 tells the story of 3 companions’ adventure through an ordinary tale to save a princess. The iconic trio (Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight), return to the magical forests to fight goblins and solve more puzzles, while discovering their path and unveiling the secrets of the Trine 2 universe. You will uncover more of the story through poems found in some of the treasure chests distributed evenly through-out the game. While I found the poems a bet helpful to storytelling, I was a bit disappointed after spending a good amount of time reaching my first chest. You see, the chests in the first Trine were more rewarding, as you can acquire some cool items (armors, weapons …etc) to aid you in your battles. While the story is fairly simple, it has nothing new to offer in general and I found it was merely put for the purpose of transitioning between levels. The Main Characters Despite his ongoing research for finally learning the Fireball spell, the Wizard’s talent is for conjuring peculiar boxes, and occasionally even planks. He can also levitate small inanimate objects. Amadeus is married to a lady by the name of Margaret. They have three children, all of whom know the Fireball spell. . . . The Knight is an eager champion of the kingdom, the protector of the common man with a great sense of justice. Armed with his sword, his shield and the powerful Storm Hammer, he’s a formidable fighter. Pontius’s great weakness is food. This shows around his waist. . . . . The Thief makes her way up to rooftops and over walls with her trusty grappling hook. Zoya is not so concerned about family or duty, but she is content to be a hero of the Trine, for she loves adventure. Zoya’s love for treasure, however, often leads her astray. . . . . The Gameplay Oh look! … a dragon!? While Trine 2 lacks in the story department, it still packs some of the most beautiful visuals and outstanding game mechanics ever created for a platformer. Each of the main characters has a set of unique abilities and you can switch between characters easily during the game by simply pressing the R1 , or R2 buttons on your Dualshock 3 controller. The wizard is the most important character when it comes down to solving puzzles especially if you are running solo. He can create boxes and planks (can be upgraded up to 4 boxes on screen), move certain objects around (including goblins), which was indeed useful and um .. fun, giving the fact that the wizard was proven completely useless during combat in the first game. The knight is the most useful character during combat, as you can use either your sword and shield or hammer to fight enemies, bash certain walls, and deflect incoming projectiles. As for the thief , well .. I found myself using the thief 50% of the time due to her unique ability of grappling onto wooden surfaces, which was proven useful both in combat and in solving puzzles. The thief can also strike with her icy bow (which can be upgraded to fire arrows), simply by using the right analog stick. Each of the characters have their own life meter. If a character runs out of life, he will die and you will be forced to switch to one of the other main characters. Life meters will refill instantly once a checkpoint is reached. Throughout your journey, you will also find magical vials. If you collect 50 of these, you will receive a skill point, which can be used to purchase a single upgrade for one of your characters, keeping in mind that some of the upgrades will require more than 1 skill point. The skill tree in Trine 2 Despite the small improvements made to combat, fighting scenes are barely challenging. The game keeps throwing enemies at you with the intention of slowing your puzzle solving process, which makes it feel a bit forceful, rather boring, and relatively unnecessary. Enemy AI should have been managed differently, with regards to quality over quantity. Although, I have to point out that I’ve enjoyed some of the combat scenery simply based on the smooth responsiveness of the controls. Trine 2 also offers a unique prospective on the way you approach puzzles, as you are given the complete freedom to use all the tools you have to reach treasure chests, get to higher ground, and/or move to the next stage. Each of the three main characters will offer a different approach. Sometimes you will find yourself using a combination of all three. I’ve also found that some areas are inaccessible without the help of a partner, which will force you to either get online, or call in a friend for help. This makes the whole cooperative experience worth checking and adds a bit of a replay value to the campaign. New Features Aside from the upgraded graphics engine, the most distinguished new feature in Trine 2 is the new online cooperative support. You can play with up to 2 other players both locally and/or online. I was able to test this new feature with 3 players online in a quick match. How this works is fairly simple: a player can host a game, keeping in mind that the skill tree (unlockable perks) is based on the hosting player’s progress and only the host can allocate skill points, you assume the role of one of the three main character and if you die, your friends can revive you at the next checkpoint. Having more than one friend helps A LOT in terms of solving some of the inaccessible puzzles in the singleplayer mode and defeating gigantic bosses. I found it rather entertaining to brainstorm some puzzle solving ideas with people I met online. The game will force you to communicate with your partners rather than just running around and killing stuff. As much as I’ve liked the idea of online co-op, I’ve also found it unequally satisfying, merely for the fact that only the host’s characters will gain experience, rather than you all achieve equal progress. Final Thoughts Regardless of the limited story, Trine 2 undeniable charm, soothing soundtrack and outstanding visual design will make for an unforgettable experience through the mind of developer Frozenbyte. The added feature of online co-op brings something extra to the table and defy the way you approach puzzles and fight enemies. If you are looking for a simple entertaining and casual co-op adventure, Trine 2 will deliver. Review Pros Cons Outstanding visual design Online cooperative support Smooth ControlsCharming appeal Limited story Unequally rewarding multiplayer experience Small replay value Rating 89% Trine 2 is developed by Frozenbyte and published by Atlus Price on PSN is $14.99 This review is based on a copy of the PS3 version of Trine 2 provided by Oly (thanks mate). Also, a demo is currently available on the PlayStation Network, so make sure you check that out.

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[Review] Trine 2

Activision released the first Modern Warfare 3 DLC for Call of Duty Elite users via Xbox Live. When Elite members start Modern Warfare 3, you will see a notice for a 5MB update. Select the store icon and then “Download Elite Content”. Liberation will download 100.43MB and Piazza 73.48MB. The two new Modern Warfare 3 maps will have exclusive playlists: Elite TDM Elite Kill Confirmed Elite Domination Elite Search and Destroy Elite Objectives Elite Hardcore Ricochet Mosh Pit As previously reported Activision is looking for feedback from this DLC content to help with the future direction of design decisions of future maps.

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Modern Warfare 3 DLC Now Available For Elite Members

Welcome to the abandoned and (reportedly) demolished halls of Heavenly Host Elementary School, where vengeful spirits dwell and the fires of corporeal existence are repeatedly and mercilessly snuffed. We hope you enjoy the tour, as it’s not about to end anytime soon. It may even last an eternity… At this accursed school, a series of incidents occurred in which, ultimately, four students were kidnapped… and murdered. And though this ocurred 30 years ago, the corpse party still continues to this very day. Now the site if a perfectly ordinary high school, one unlucky class representative with a penchant for telling ghost stories makes the mistake of invoking a forbidden charm know as “Sachiko Ever After”, a charm that unknowlingly serves as the invitation to another space — a shifting, almost sentient echo of the long-closed school wherein these horrific mutilations occurred so long ago. And once you’ve been invited to this party, you have no choice but to attend. Willingly or no, all who find themselves in the dilapidated halls of Heavenly Host must persevere, fort their only companions along the way are the mournful spirits of the dead and forgotten… along with a few who consider themselves the very arbiters of lie and death. Will you remain a guest here forevermore? Or will you have the power to defy the saddest and strongest fate of all? Corpse Party is not your average scary game. It does have some strong images, and the content is sure to make you feel a little woozy, but there are no cheap scares in some dark corridors here. Instead, the excellent story is what sets the tone for the whole thing. At the very start of the game, a tale is told with just a handful of images lit by candlelight and from there, things just get spookier. Just watching the first 30 minutes of the game will give you nightmares about those damned children. Yes my friends, even the bravest of us will squeal at the sight of this game. This game was actually created in RPG Maker several years ago, and it was later ported to the PSP last year. Here’s some insight into this, directly from XSEEED Games: Believe it or not, Corpse Party has actually existed since 1996! The very first appearance of Corpse Party was as an independently-developed freeware game for the popular Japanese NEC PC-9800 series of computers, created by a small software startup who call themselves “Team GrisGris.” The title was put together using the popular game creation software RPG Maker (specifically, a PC98 adaption of it called RPG Tsukuuru Dante98), and billed itself as a no-holds-barred horror adventure reminiscent of Japanese 8- and 16-bit classics such as Capcom’s Sweet Home and Human’s Clock Tower. In 2008, perhaps spurred by the runaway success of similarly-themed horror titles like Higurashi: When They Cry, Team GrisGris released a Windows-based reimagining of their original opus titled Corpse Party: BloodCovered. This was not a mere port, but an upgrade in every sense: the graphics, the music, the gameplay and even the story itself were all changed, improved and expanded upon (and the initially unnamed side characters who later starred in Corpse Party Zero had their names retroactively applied to them, as a nod to the dedicated fans who kept the series alive during Team GrisGris’ long hiatus). The title was split into five chapters which were sold episodically at conventions, fan events and through an online store. This updated remake was also ported to cell phones, allowing Japanese gamers to horrify themselves on the go. Corpse Party was officially a hit. Novels, drama CDs and soundtrack albums were released one after another. Then, in 2010, popular Japanese visual novel publisher 5pb took notice and Corpse Party: BloodCovered: …Repeated Fear was born. This PSP title is an enhanced remake of Corpse Party: BloodCovered featuring further updated graphics and music, additional story elements and full voice-acting recorded via binaural audio technology for simulated three-dimensional surround sound. XSEED Games fell in love with Corpse Party: BloodCovered: …Repeated Fear just after Halloween 2010, and negotiated a license with 5pb to release it in the English-speaking world. Since no other version of the game has ever been officially published outside of Japan, we felt it prudent to drop the dual subtitles and release this game under the name that started it all: Corpse Party. Short, simple and catchy! It is, after all, the beginning of the story. While it was a full PSP release in Japan, it’s a PSN-only release over here. Honestly though, I’m just glad we got the game at all. It has some pretty meaty content with 5 main chapters to play and up to 10 extra ones that can be unlocked depending on your actions (you gotta to love multiple endings!). Each extra chapter is a small insight into other characters and their journey from here to the other side, and take about 1-5 minutes each at most. Bringing new information and perspective to the whole story is what they’re all about. Some of them you don’t even play, since you just read about the interactions and conversations. In this unusual experience you’ll do a LOT of reading, but we embrace that change with open arms. It’s good to actually read something instead of button mashing my way across yet another action game. Every line of dialogue is voiced (in Japanese) with English subtitles added for those of us that can’t really tell one word from the other. The gameplay is simple, you use the D-Pad to move (analog doesn’t work), use the triangle button to open the menu, and use X to interact with everything else. Since it’s a digital release, loading times are down to a minimum and won’t break your experience. There is a lot of revisiting the same spaces over and over, which might sound boring, but since you’re actually trapped inside a school, but each group is in a different dimensions, and every time you revisit places they change! How you interact with the (dead) people is what defines your actions and the story outcome. It isn’t about surviving, but rather about choosing how you’ll die. No one is safe, and all will eventually meet their end in this macabre journey. Or is there still a small ray of hope in all this twisted and macabre darkness? You’ll find the decaying remains of those that were trapped before you, and that could never find their way home. You can collect their name tags to add their information to your list. You’ll be surprised to learn how many have already seen their flame disappear, suffocated by this crazy place that slowly eats away at your mind and your soul. Sound plays a huge part in this game. Be sure to use your headphones and set volume as high as possible. Playing at 12 am with the lights off will also get you in the right mindset, though nightmares may wake you up in the middle of the night. You see, imagination is a veeeeery powerful thing. Not being able to see what is going on, but being told about it and listening to screams, blood splatter, breaking glass… that is certain to mess with your head. Graphics are simple (16-bit goodness!) and the illustrative images that pop out every once in a while are horror manga at its prime. Corpse Party is a must buy for every PSP owner. Visual Novels are hard to find, and when we’re given one of such high quality as Corpse Party, it is our duty to support them by buying ASAP. You’ll play for 15+ hours in order to see everything the game has to offer which, for a $19.99, is really a great value. XSEED Games wants us to join the party, and the dead want to lead us into the afterlife… Review Pros Cons Visual Novel Gaming at its Finest Great story A release for the sequel hasn’t been confirmed yet Rating 95% Published by XSEED Games Cost – $19.99 (PSN-Only PSP Digital Release) Disclaimer Total amount of time played: 15 hours This review is based on a copy of Corpse Party provided by XSEED Games.

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[Review] Corpse Party (PSP)

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the podcast. This week we have a special guest from the site joining us, you might know him, a little fella that goes by the name of Isli. Tune in to catch Isli, FooBear, Tosh, and I discuss a few things in the news as well as some more Skyrim talk, and a few other stories about our gaming experiences. If you’d like to be a guest on the podcast feel free to join us! You also get points for being on the podcast, so don’t worry about missing out on the secret word you point fanatics! Just send me a message on the site and I’ll let you know when we start, and I’ll add you on Skype. Also a bit of warning for those of you who didn’t beat Heavy Rain, but we talk about it at the end of the podcast quite a bit. So if you want to stay away from spoilers, you can just stop the podcast there. I made sure to put the secret word before that. We also talk/spoil Uncharted 3 again, as well as a little bit of Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol, but it’s all after I give you the spoiler warning for Heavy Rain. Enter the secret word(s) mentioned in the PS3BlogCast to earn 75 points. The first 10 people to enter it correctly get double points! As always, we want to remind you that the PS3BlogCast is listed on iTunes! So please subscribe and rate/review us there. You can also leave a voicemail for us by calling PS3-888-BLOG or if you want to contact us via email for us you can do so here . We have a dedicated forum for the PS3BlogCast so you can leave your questions and feedback there as well. Here’s a list of some things (or everything) we discussed: New on PSN Nohopeleft.com Infinity Ward Hiring for Next-Gen Games Dead Island DLC ’12 in ’12′ SOPA Secret Word Heavy Rain Discussions

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PS3BlogCast Episode 33

UFC Undisputed 3 features over 150 fighters across 7 weight classes , including PRIDE. It is the largest roster in MMA gaming history and may very well be the largest fighting game roster ever assembled. Check out the entire roster here !

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UFC Undisputed 3 – The Epic Roster Trailer

Modern Warfare 3 patch 1.098 will include a fix for the damage proficiency exploit. Bowling revealed that “the ‘damage’ proficiency exploit is already fixed in the next patch. We’re now tracking anyone abusing it and will ban offenders.” He later explained how people have used the exploit, “the exploit allowed you to assign Damage proficiency to primary weapon classes that didn’t have it available. No way to do it by accident.” The patch will be available later this month.

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New Modern Warfare 3 Patch To Fix Damage Proficiency Exploit

Activision released a teaser video for the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC. The new DLC will feature two maps, Liberation which is based in NYC and Piazza that is located in an Italian Rivera town.

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Modern Warfare 3 DLC Teaser Trailer Released