Ubisoft will be releasing three different “special” editions of Assassin Creed III. The Freedom Edition, The Join or Die Edition and the Special Edition itself, which so far have only been confirmed for Australia and Europe. A North America release is still pending. Assassin Creed III will be available on October 30, 2012 The Freedom Edition The Freedom Edition: Alex Ross’ SteelBook George Washington’s Notebook statue of “Connor” DLC content: two bonus single-player missions and the Sharpshooter multiplayer pack. Available in Australia & Europe Price: £80 The Join or Die Edition The Join or Die Edition: Medallion George Washington’s Notebook DLC content: two bonus single-player missions and the Sharpshooter multiplayer pack. Available in Europe Price: £65 Special Edition Special Edition: Standard game case with alternative cover art DLC Content: single player DLC Content “A Dangerous Secret”

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Assassin Creed III Special Editions

If you’re eagerly awaiting the first swathe of downloadable content for Modern Warfare 3, then rejoice – rumour has it that you’re looking at no less than five maps, with one of them a rehashed version of a map from MW2. Everyone enjoys getting to know maps like the back of their hand, but it’s important to see a new environment from time to time, to keep things fresh – and to keep the really talented players on their toes at all times. There’s nothing like getting complacent, right? No prices are confirmed as yet, but given the prices of the last map packs it’s not going to be anything that breaks the bank – and it’s not like you’re playing much outside MW3 anyway, right? Even if it is a little bit of partypoker while your match loads, five maps is a lot more than some people were expecting – around 66% more, if our math is correct. As for future map packs, our guess is four or five, at the least – given that MW3 is the latest iteration in a long-running series that will stand for some time (unless they get cracking on Black Ops 2 – who could blame them). It’s going to be interesting to see what maps they’ll bring back out of the past, as going back even further (potentially all the way back to some of the earlier games, permitting for realism – i.e. not setting a MW3 map in a location only around in 1937) would be great. So what are your thoughts? Do you think all five maps should have been new? Are you okay with the price? We want to hear your thoughts, and you can have ours for free – “new maps! SCORE! JOY!” and other such verbose, enthusiastic statements.

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First MW3 Map Pack to contain five maps

Here’s another HD collection to add to your PS3 library. Today Ted Price of Insomniac Games announced that the first three Ratchet and Clank games initially released on the PS2 all those years ago will be the next remastered trilogy coming soon to the PS3. The release of the Ratchet and Clank HD Collection will mark the 10th anniversary of the series. Look for it to feature all of the regular goodies we’ve come to expect from first party remastered titles-including 3D support-as well as a competitive multiplayer mode. The Ratchet and Clank HD Collection is dated for a May 16th outing in Europe but due to a “very special” surprise Lombax fans in North America will have to wait until the Fall. Source: US PlayStation Blog

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Ratchet And Clank HD Collection Announced

Today I got a look at two things I have yet to get my greasy gamer paws on: the Playstation Vita and the Vita game “Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack!”. While the Vita I immediately reached for was only a dev unit, it was rather weighty and much larger than its predecessors. That’s not the focus of this article though, Mutant Blobs is what I’m going to talk about. And talk about it we shall; in great detail. Let’s begin…shall we? A blustery, windy, chilly day in the city is no surprise. Conducting an interview with a calm, collected, zen-like master like Ryan MacLean … is. Plus he’s got a beard (I’m still rocking my SF Giants World Series beard) so i instantly feel at ease with the CEO of DrinkBox studios. MacLean greeted me warmly and I found myself a seat on the couch via the opposite corner of MacLean. Like a hyperactive 6 year old, I immediately grab the Vita. Not stopping and thinking, “Hey, I’m supposed to conduct an interview here..”. MacLean takes the reins and talks about DrinkBox Studios (a small Toronto based company) and tells me “a total of 8 people” worked on the game and followed it through to it’s completion. The main protagonist of this Vita downloadable game is a friendly looking green blob that can mold, attach, squish, roll, eat, enlarge and steamroll its way into your heart. Sackboy lovers prepare to make room in your heart for what I think is a shoe-in for the “new mascot” nomination for the Vita. The overall gameplay if I had to compare it to another Playstation title would be “Little Big Planet” meets “Uncharted”. Combined with multi-cultural references in the back and foreground of this highly addictive side-scrolling title, you’ll be sliming your way through levels and avoiding laser beam pitfalls. On top of all that, you have collectibles to go after. A set number of collectibles reside in each level and let me share a secret with you: they’re a little tricky to get. It takes patience and a slick understanding of each level to snag’em. The following is a true fact: I have never played the Vita…until now. Now with this in mind, Mutant Blobs is my first crack at any Vita game. After about 15 minutes in and on much higher levels that MacLean was kind enough to show/walk me though, I started learning the ropes. Although there came a puzzle part which I had no idea what to do, so I handed the Vita to MacLean and said “You do it!”. Not frustratingly mind you, but I didn’t want to make the man suffer and watch struggle with this like two pigs fighting over a milk dud. Gameplay in itself is fascinating and there’s so much to engage the gamer. There’s laser beams and giant pitfalls and even bigger cog wheels you can attach to and repel off of. Places in-game to perform smash moves to break through even bigger destructible barriers. What can you say to a game like this – other than: “Let’s shake it and break it!” I then dove in with Ryan MacLean, giving me pointers and the occasional bailout move. What’s even more cool about the game is it utilizes everything the Vita has to offer, including a nice little trophy list. Maybe not a jaw dropping fact in itself, but when you go through Mutant Blobs gameplay and all the gaming control, touch control, trigger controls, tilt control, graphics, smooth animation, jazzy music, smile-inducing cutscenes… that’s kind of a tall order. What’s even more fascinating is the price point being offered for Mutant Blobs: it’s a paltry $7.99 USD. Available on the Playstation Store starting February 21. I then concluded my guided tour of three levels hand-picked by MacLean himself, I then decided to ask some questions that came to mind. First up was my inquiry about the “Pass-N-Play” feature on most handheld gaming rigs? Not in this case would be the answer. Co-Op is also not going to be in this game reveled MacLean. Don’t fret true believer, MacLean was quick to deter any previous bad news with “anything is possible” and DLC for this Vita downloadable was hinted at, but certainly not confirmed. MacLean & the DrinkBox crew were quick to add bits of information like bonus levels that are included and unlock as you progress through the game, creating an even bigger and more expansive experience for the Vita gamer. I was then shown and allowed to play a bonus level. Now this is right up my alley! Using only tilt controls for this particular bonus level, I became a rolling ball of destruction. Swallowing and engulfing anything onscreen, people feared me, cars trembled at the sight of me and construction zone barriers became tasty little morsels. A chaotic and destructive pinball-like level, the blob gets bigger with every item/person/car you eat and the more you eat – the BIGGER you get – until you’re pretty much unstoppable. The bonus level has a quirky bezel design, that being of a GameBoy bezel (aptly renamed GameBro) and when I asked if PlayStation had said something to say to DrinkBox about the obvious nod to the Nintendo handheld? The official response was: “they didn’t seem to have a problem with it”, I joked back with “I’m sure they probably were a little sour grapes with it”. We all had a nice little chuckle together and I finished the bonus level with a respectable (noobish) score and was left seriously wanting more of this amazing downloadable title. The PlayStation Vita is still in its infancy stage with developers still working on games and figuring out way to make a game that truly works on the Vita. DrinkBox has done just that: they’ve made a game that works . It finds an odd and sometimes very odd balance to a gaming handheld that few Vita titles have been able to master. As far as being a Vita title, this is definitely a must own for any Vita owner. And if you plan on picking up a Vita make sure to pick this title and slime your way to the PSN store and grab this title for an amazingly affordable price point of $7.99 USD starting on February 21. I give these Vita title a solid 4 out of 5 blobs. (90/100 Title Score) This review is based on the PS Vita version of Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack! developed by DrinkBox Studios. Now. With that being said and mainly because yours truly is so awesome. Mr. MacLean was kind enough to extend a free version of the game included on this game voucher (see picture) he gave me at the end of the interview. Here’s what you got to do: What name would you give the blob in Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack? Leave a comment down below with your answer. And be sure to show DrinkBox some love via the official Mutant Blobs Attack blog at www.mutantblobsattack.com , @MutantBlob on Twitter, and DrinkBox Studios on Facebook. Having a Vita or planning to get a Vita will also help with this contest, as the game is only for the Vita. Contest will end on February 20, so it gives everyone enough time to enter. Good Luck!

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Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack! [Vita Game Review & Giveway!]

Gran Turismo 5 fans are treated with a new update for the PS3 exclusive racer. The new update will bring the game to version 2.03 and add a bunch of improvements to the experience. Along with the update, 2 DLC will be available for purchase as of today. Starting off with the all new Car Pack 3 , priced at $5.99 , which will include six cars: the astonishing Lamborghini Aventador, Jaguar XJR-9 LM, Ashton Martin V12 Vantage, 66′ Volkswagen 1200, Mini Cooper S Countryman, and the Nissan Leaf. A new test Course pack will also be available for the price of $3.99 . The course pack will feature Route X test course , best described by PlayStation blog as a “massive oval with giant banking corners”. Here is Update 2.03 full details: Improvements: – 12 new My Home theme colors and 12 new wallpapers for (GT Mode) have been added to the game. Please find these from the [My Home Settings]-[My Home Design] menu on the left side of the screen. – Tire wear speed prediction has been added to the pit stop decisions in B-Spec, to prevent tires from wearing out completely during long races. – Regenerative braking (which recovers energy by converting kinetic energy into electricity) in electric cars have been made stronger to extend driving distance. – Electric cars will now also creep forward (as in standard automatic cars) when the brake is released without pressing the accelerator. – Regarding the Chaparral 2J race car’s performance points, the increased performance factor due to the downforce produced by the fan is now calculated. Correction of Known Issues: – A issue has been corrected where the car would pit in unintentionally during the last lap of a B spec race. For more details on upcoming Gran Turismo 5 DLC stay tuned to PS3Blog.net

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Gran Turismo 5 Update [2.03] and New DLC detailed

Naughty Dog’s new DLC entitled Flashback (Available in the PlayStation store at the moment) will feature 4 new/old maps digitally remastered with dynamic lighting effects, new textures, weather effects and few technical changes from the 2010 game of the year winner Uncharted 2. The maps Cave, Fort, Lost City, and Sanctuary are available for the price of $9.99 . If you are a member of the Fortune Hunters’ Club then this DLC is completely free of charge. For more details on the Fortune Hunters’ Club (AKA Uncharted 3 season pass) check our previous post . Naughty Dog has also detailed 3 upcoming character packs including Rogues Pack 1 and 2 which will let you play as some of the major thugs and minor characters from Uncharted 3, and the Donut Pack 1 , which, if you guessed, will grant some of your favorite characters from Uncharted 3 a giant size. Donut Sully for the win! The developer has also teased an “online adventure” DLC to be announced later. This can be best described as a new campaign DLC *fingers crossed*. For more details on the upcoming DLC from Naughty Dog visit the official PlayStation Blog . Are you excited about the new DLC? Let us know in the comments below.

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Incoming Uncharted 3 DLC | Flashback

Loyal Minions! Anybody who has MW3 and would like to get their game on with a minor internet celebrity – yours truly – feel free to join in the hijinx this Friday. Join in and be privy to all sorts of craziness and random acts of tomfoolery. Be sure to join up so we can talk about Tosh behind his back and start nasty rumors about Jcmdaddy. And as always feel free to join up for the game night and tell me how much you love/hate/loathe our high quality podcast! At the end of the day it’s all about having fun, right? When I invite you to the XMB text chat room. PLEASE JOIN IT! If you have a headset, even better – but it’s no required… Makes it much easier to communicate quickly if we loose somebody. Plus this is where I share the secret word so you can get your game night points below. Enter the secret word sent to you on the PSN by the game host to get your 100 points! We will begin around 5 pm PST, 6 pm MST (UTC -7), 8 pm EST; I can play for at least 3 hours. If you’d like to join us, leave your PSN ID below. My PSN iD is FooBear408, but mention “PS3Blog.net Game Night” in your PSN friend request message or I will NOT add you. And if you happen to get a random survey from PS3BLOG.NET’s Management regarding my performance, can i count on you to give me 5 out of 5 stars? I’ll be there like shareware, ya’all!

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[Game Night] Modern Warfare 3 | Jan 20th

Amy is probably my most anticipated PSN game of all time. I got a chance to look at is closely at E3 last year, and wrote this preview . Unfortunately, we now have to wait another week to play it, however it is only going to cost $9.99 now. From what I’ve seen, the game is easily worth a full retail release, and $9.99 is going to be a steal! Hit the jump for the official press release, and three awesome looking screens. Lexis Numérique and VectorCell today announced that they will drop the PSN price of AMY in the US to $9.99, which will therefore push the release date back to January 17, 2012. The delay in release is because changing a price in the PlayStation™ Store system takes some time because of technical reasons linked to the servers. This price drop will not effect the release of AMY in the other territories, or on other platforms, as the release date for the XBLA version is still slated for January 11, 2012, for 800 MS points in the US. Following initial confusion over the price difference between both versions in the US, Lexis Numérique and VectorCell decided to organize a poll that ended today at 12:00pm PST, to let the community decide what was the best solution between an immediate release with the current pricing scheme and a postponed release with a reduced price. 70% of the community advocated for a price drop while 30% agreed with the current price. Honoring their commitment to the players, Lexis Numérique and VectorCell asked Sony to drop the price of the PSN version in the US to $9.99. Source: Press Release

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Amy Will Release on Jan 17th for $9.99 and some New Screens

The end is coming to an end… everyone better run and renew their Playstation Plus subscriptions or subscribe for the first time since in December Sony is ending the year with a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! We get a FULL PS3 game for free AND a PSN release as well as a new minis as well as content from PS+ releases from the past that has passed us in passing. The image gives you a preview, but for a list of all the content AND the discounts we’ll enjoy during december, you need to read along and sing along and hop along and… read along some more? PS3 Full Game: Tomb Raider: Underworld (PS3 Full Game) – 12/6 Free PSN Game: Marvel Pinball (PSN Game) – 12/13 Free minis: Orbit (Early Access, Exclusive) – 12/6 Mad Blocker Alpha (mini) – 12/6 A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks! (mini) – 12/20 Free PS one Classics: Spyro the Dragon – 12/6 Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage – 12/6 Spyro Year of the Dragon – 12/6 Full Game Trials: Dragon Age II – 12/6 Need for Speed Hot Pursuit – 12/6 Alice: Madness Returns – 12/13 Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood – 12/13 Red Faction: Armageddon – 12/13 Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway – 12/20 Carnival Island – 12/20 Motorstorm Apocalypse – 12/20 NCAA Football 12 – 12/20 Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands – 12/20 Sports Champions – 12/20 Media: Qore Episode 43 – December – 12/6 Discounted PSN Games: Penny Arcade Adventures: Episode 1 and 2 (Bundle) – 80% off – 12/6 Beat Hazard Ultra – 50% off – 12/13 Renegade Ops – 25% off – 12/20 SEGA Bass Fishing – 30% off – 12/20 Sonic Adventure (Game + Add-On) – 30% off – 12/20 Sonic 4: Episode 1 – 30% off – 12/20 SONIC’S HOLIDAY BUNDLE– 25% off – 12/20 Space Channel 5 Part 2 – 30% off – 12/20 Tales of Monkey Island Bundle – 75% off – 12/20 Discounted PS3 Full Games: Assassins Creed 2 Bundle – 30% off – 12/13 Assassins Creed Brotherhood Bundle – 30% off – 12/13 Borderlands Bundle– 25% off – 12/13 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Bundle – 25% off – 12/13 Homefront Bundle – 30% off – 12/13 Red Dead Redemption Bundle – 30% off – 12/13 Red Faction Armageddon Bundle – 30% off – 12/13 Split Second Bundle – 30% off – 12/13 Warhawk Bundle – 25% off – 12/13 LA NOIRE Bundle/Complete Edition – 30% off – 12/20 Discounted minis: Snowy – 75% off – 12/6 Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road – 20% off – 12/13 Psycho Soldier – 20% off – 12/13 Prehistoric Isle – 20% off – 12/20 P.O.W. – Prisoners Of War- 20% off – 12/20 Discounted Add-Ons: Marvel Pinball: Captain America (Add-on) – 50% off – 12/13 Marvel Pinball: Fantastic Four (Add-on) – 50% off – 12/13 Exclusive Themes and Avatars: I am Alive Dynamic Theme – 12/6 Exclusive Games: Orbit (Early Access, Exclusive) – 12/6 I like the discount (50% off!) on the extra Marvel Pinball tables. When we got Elemental Monster for free we had a chance to buy booster boxes at 50%… and that got me to spend $10 on the game so I was happy and the publisher (Hudson) was happy! I’ll be buying both pinball tables, Prehistoric Isle and I MIGHT get the LA Noire Complete Bundle if the price is right. Oh, and Beat Hazard Ultra! So, is the december content for PS+ a good enough deal for you to renew or subscribe?

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Playstation Plus Subscribers: Your December Content is Almost Here!

I had a chance to play the original side-scrolling fantasy action-adventure “Trine” recently and I loved it. It pushes some of the most dynamic and beautiful graphics ever made for a PSN title. Come December 20th , developer Frozenbyte and publisher Atlus will deliver the next installment in the series, entitled Trine 2 , on the PlayStation Network for North America . The European release date hasn’t been announced, the price hasn’t been confirmed either. But I would suspect a $14.99 tag. Hopefully a PlayStation Plus members’ discount will follow. If you haven’t seen Trine 2, check out the co-op video after the jump … Trine 2 will have enhanced features, graphical updates and (what I am personally excited about) online co-op . Mark your calenders for December 20th, as this Christmas’ magical adventure shouldn’t be missed.

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Trine 2