April 20th marks the one year anniversary of the malicious attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network that forced the service offline for several weeks. No PS3 owner in any part of the word can forget that day in history. In North America PSN was down for 23 days, much longer for Asian gamers. When it was all said and done the event cost Sony $171 million. Fortunately for the Japanese electronics conglomerate dedicated PlayStation 3 owners returned in full force once it was all over. However the days when players would nonchalantly purchase items and goods through the PlayStation Store with their credit cards became a thing of the past. Despite the fact there have been no confirmed reports of credit card fraud due to the infamous PSN outage of 2011 consumers have demonstrated discipline when it comes to using plastic on the service. As recently as November 2011 PlayStation Network cards reportedly experienced a boost in sales , six months after the event. As the one year anniversary draws near we’d like to know how have your buying habits been effected by the PSN outage of 2011? Are you confident in the measures taken by Sony after the hacking to use your credit cards again or are PSN cards your only means of making purchases?

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Nearly A Year After Hackers Forced PSN Offline How Have Your Online Spending Habits Changed?

Shienryu is a classic vertical-scrolling Arcade shoot’em-up that was faithfully translated to the Playstation with good flair and fun back in 1999. You’re captain of a sleek space craft out to defend the planet against a horrific enemy. The game can be flown alone or with a friend for added power (and laughs!). You’ll face off against towering alien mechs and endure a bedlam of bullets that will test your steel. Warashi developed the game with stunning arcade graphics and gave intricate detail, which makes this shooter a wonderful play even to this day. The amount of particles on the screen and their effects in the background as they fall to the ground is superbly displayed. The variety of power ups and weapons give the game much diversity and increase its longevity. Shienryu one of those great shooters you go to again and again cause its so much fun to shoot the living piss out of every mech coming at you. If you don’t laugh as you blast the Red Octopus boss in stage 3, then you really should have your humor bone honed. It’s a game that will surely keep your fingers tapping and your heart racing. A brilliant arcade classic. As has been the case with other PSOne Imports, all menus and text is in Japanese… which really isn’t much of a problem with Shienryu since we can all understand that we are good, every other ship/vessel/tank is bad, we move with the D-Pad, Shoot with Circle or Square, and we can use X to unleash a powerful Smart Bomb that changes depending on the weapon you have equipped at the moment. This shooter is part of the “one hit and you’re dead” genre, so you must be extremely careful when dodging all the bullets that will be flying towards you. Not as crazy as “bullet hell” shooters, but still a humbling experience. By now, you know the drill: Make your way to the end of the level, after shooting hundred of enemies while collecting power-ups that increase our your speed, your firepower and your Smart bombs, and hope that you can quickly understand the attack and movement pattern of the huge boss that is trying to stop you from making it to the next level. If you’re too slow, if you can’t understand the pattern and if you’re completely destroyed and run out of lives and continues, you make the most of what you’ve learned so far, and try again from the start. And this is just how I like my shooters. To make it even easier for everyone to understand how the game works, here is the list of all the Power-ups and Weapons you will run into during your experience: Power-ups Weapon Power (red square with a P in it) Increases your weapon power by one level. There are three levels of power for each weapon. Collecting a power increase while at maximum power will allow you to carry upgrade-levels over to your next life. Collecting one once your next ship reaches maximum power gives you 5000 points. Ship Speed (blue square with an S in it) Increases your ship’s speed by one level. There are three levels of speed. Collecting one once your ship reaches maximum speed gives you 5000 points. Super Power (moving, flashing square with a P in it) Upgrades your ship to full weapon power and speed, and gives you a shield that will protect you from a single hit. Bomb (shifts between a red B and a bomb icon) Increases your bomb stock by one. You gain a bonus for unused bombs at the end of a level. Bomb effect changes with current weapon. LEDs (look like little poles with a red or blue light on top) Cashed in for bonus points at the end of the level. 1 blue LED is worth 10 red LEDs. 1UP (1UP in text) An extra life. Weapon Panels (red, yellow or blue panels with a circular eye-design in the middle) Changes your weapon. Red swaps you to the Vulcan Guns, Blue swaps you to the Homing Lightning, Yellow swaps you to the Missiles. Collecting a Weapon Panel of the same sort as the one you’re currently using is worth 5000 points. Weapons Vulcan Guns Fires bullets forward in a wave pattern. Number of bullets and width of wave-pattern increases with power-level. At higher levels, also fires energy balls. Bomb Effect Wide-spread laser that gradually narrows. Lightning Fires homing lightning that deals continual damage before vanishing. Amount of damage dealt and number of bolts increases with power-level. At higher levels, lightning will arc from one target to another. Bomb Effect 5 large lasers firing directly forward from near the ship. Missiles Fires missiles in a forward formation. Number of missiles fired increases with power-level. At higher levels, homing-missiles are fired out to the sides. Bomb Effect short-range explosives surround the ship. Right from the start, you can decide to play the game on normal mode (Shienryu option on main menu), on Easy mode (second option), Hard mode (third option) OR you can select the last option in the main menu to have access to the extra modes menu. What does this special menu hold? Let’s mention some of them, as to not ruin the whole surprise! First up is Jienryu which answer the age old question: what would happen if I played a vertical shooter on something less powerful than a Dremcast VMU? And the answer is simple: You would have a lot of fun while playing a game that is even harder than the Shienryu itself. Without any powerups, a constant stream of enemies, and a huge boss at the end that can deplete your extra lives stock in 10 seconds, you will really need to focus while playing. Did I mention that after defeating the boss you start again but now all enemies shoot at you and the also move faster? Second extra mode is Stingy Mode, in which you only have the one ship and one bomb to complete the game, you cannot continue after you’re killed, and there are no power-ups. The enemies also only give you a single point when destroyed, so good luck with reaching a high score! Another option is playing Merciless Mode, a bullet hell version of Shienryu that puts other bullet hell games to shame. Enemies fire fast, homing bullets, they pack every single inch of the screen, and are out to get you. If you think that Hard mode was too easy, you can take this for a ride and see how good you really are. Shienryu is a great port of a Japan only arcade game that most of us had probably never heard of before. MonkeyPaw Games has made it possible for us to enjoy this game either on PS3 or PSP, and thanks to the fun gameplay, extensive levels and extra modes included in the release, I can completely recommend this to all shooter fans. Review Pros Cons Polished 2D Shooter Fun extra modes A bit of slowdown on PSP Rating 89% Cost – $5.99 Disclaimer Total amount of time played: 4 hours. Game was completed before writing this review. This review is based on a PS3/PSP copy of Shienryu provided by MonkeyPaw Games

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[PSOne Review] Shienryu

“Wheels of Destruction pits players in an arena of demolish-or-be-demolished competition. Five distinct classes make for deadly cutthroat vehicle combat with a unique futuristic aesthetic – all powered by the Unreal Engine. Wheels of Destruction brings gamers together just to tear them apart in an addictive, easy-to-learn but hard-to-master battle behind the wheel. Just make sure you’re ready for chaos and carnage!” Wheels of Destruction will be available exclusively on the PSN March 27th. Above is the fourth revealed class, the Solider. Hit the jump to see videos of the previously revealed Assassin, Heavy, and Scout classes. “Get in. Get out. The competition doesn’t stand a chance. Unlike the rest, the Assassin is in a class of its own, sniping prey by the dozens before others can line up their shots. No class can compete with the blazingly fast firing rate of the Assassin. Obviously, this is quite an upper hand when taking quick pot shots at your friends online.” “Why take crap from the little guys when you can swat them off like the insects they are? Meet the Heavy, the newest class in Wheels of Destruction — a brick powerhouse with armor to spare. Heavy is for anyone looking to tank their way through the opposition. He’s the toughest, roughest vehicle around. He may be a bit slow to the punch, but don’t mind that; the punch packs some mad power.” “Does ripping a car into metal sinew and carnage sound like a blast to you? Direct your attention to the Scout in the PlayStation Network title, Wheels of Destruction. As one of five dynamic vehicle classes, the Scout stands as the fastest, most unforgiving infiltrator in the bunch. An absolute must for Capture the Flag, the Scout is the “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” class that knocks your opponents out and takes off before they know what just hit them.”

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Wheels of Destruction Exclusively on the PSN March 27th

Epic Mickey is the only game I have played on the Wii all the way through. It was a great game, and I am extremely excited to see part 2 coming to the PS3. Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, will allow drop-in, drop-out 2 player co-op, and be fully dualshock and PS Move compatible. You will play as Mickey, with his magical paint brush that wields paint and thinner, and for the first time ever, as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star, with his powerful remote control that allows him to command electricity. Mickey and Oswald will return to Wasteland, an alternate world filled with 80 years of forgotten Disney characters and theme park attractions, and work together this time around. “The new co-op play combined with enhanced in-game physics will further enhance the idea that “PlayStyle Matters” – a unique approach to gameplay pioneered by Warren Spector where players dynamically tackle different challenges in order to explore all possibilities and storylines, but with consequences for their chosen actions.” Hit the jump for the much more details, the full press release, and some great screenshots. Screen Shots Game Features Product Features •Available across multiple platforms including Wii, Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 system, players will enjoy HD graphics that showcase the vibrant game world. The game will also feature full support for the PlayStation Move. •Players can play as Oswald in drop-in, drop-out 2-player co-op mode. “The Power of Two” will be evident as Oswald participates in Mickey’s adventure every step of the way. •All in-game characters—most notably Oswald The Lucky Rabbit whose voice will be heard for the first time ever—are fully voiced by the official voice actors of those characters. •Players will experience Disney’s forgotten characters and attractions in all-new levels and further explore levels from the original “Disney Epic Mickey” game, but now changed, impacted by world-changing events that have shaken Wasteland apart. New 2D levels based on classic Disney animated films and shorts will offer compelling puzzle-based, platforming gameplay. •Players will enjoy an original game story co-written by award-winning American comic book writer, Marv Wolfman, and Junction Point. The storyline will feature a variety of new and returning characters that will further immerse players in Disney’s rich history while adversaries familiar and new will challenge players. •“Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” is the first video game that can be described as a “musical,” where at various points during the adventure characters will express themselves and advance the plot by bursting into song. All songs feature original Disney-inspired music and lyrics. Players will also hear tunes and instrumentation that change based on their personal choices, which will ultimately allow each individual to “conduct” their own unique soundtrack. Press Release BURBANK, Calif. – (March 23, 2012) – Disney Interactive Media Group today announced the development of “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two”, the sequel to the critically acclaimed and commercially successful “Disney Epic Mickey” video game. In “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two”, gamers will play as Mickey Mouse and for the first time ever, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star, in an all-new adventure of creativity and discovery. Created by video game industry luminary Warren Spector and Disney Interactive’s Junction Point game development studio, “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” returns the franchise to the Wii™ system from Nintendo, and expands it to new HD consoles including the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. “As a life-long Disney fan, working with Mickey Mouse in the original ‘Disney Epic Mickey’ was a truly humbling experience,” said Warren Spector, creative director and vice president, Junction Point. “Millions of fans fell in love with Mickey as a video game hero and I know they’ll experience similar emotions when they get to interact with and actually play as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in ‘Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.’” “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” returns Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to Wasteland, an alternate world filled with 80 years of forgotten Disney characters and theme park attractions. But for the first time, Mickey and Oswald will join forces as true partners – Mickey with his magical paint brush that allows him to wield paint and thinner, and Oswald with his powerful remote control that allows him to command electricity. This new co-op play further enhances the idea that “PlayStyle Matters” – a unique approach to gameplay pioneered by Warren Spector where players dynamically tackle different challenges in order to explore all possibilities and storylines, but with consequences for their chosen actions. Staying true to Disney’s rich musical heritage, “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” is the first video game that can be described as a “musical.” At many points throughout the adventure, characters will advance the plot by expressing themselves in song, with all-original music and lyrics. In addition to this distinctive musical approach to storytelling, players will hear tunes and instrumentation that change based on their personal choices, ultimately allowing each player to “conduct” their own unique soundtrack. Disney Interactive has enlisted the help of Emmy award-winning composer James Dooley and noted lyricist Mike Himelstein to create these musical gameplay elements. The magic of Disney will not only resonate through the game’s musical numbers, but also through the introduction of authentic Disney Character Voices talent who provide player direction through genuine character dialogue. In “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two,” all characters—most notably Oswald The Lucky Rabbit whose voice will be heard for the first time—will communicate by speaking to the player. “In the first ‘Disney Epic Mickey title,’ fans embraced Mickey as a true video game hero and welcomed Oswald back into the Disney family with open arms,” said John Pleasants, co-president, Disney Interactive Media Group. “Now, as the vision for the “Disney Epic Mickey’ franchise advances, fans and gamers across all platforms will experience completely new ways to embrace the immeasurable vault of Disney characters and attractions.” Development for “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” is being led by Disney Interactive’s Junction Point. Supporting the latest technology, the game will also feature full support for the PlayStation Move. The game currently is unrated by the ESRB. For more information, go to www.disney.com/disneyepicmickey.

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Disney’s Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is Coming to the PS3

As you might have suspected, the maintenance scheduled for last Thursday was postponed until further notice. The official PlayStation Blog announced today that this huge maintenance will be tomorrow, Sunday March 4th . The maintenance will run slightly after Noon (Pacific Time) on Sunday, for approximately 12 hours, until 2AM on Monday March 5th . As we mentioned in our earlier post , you won’t be able to sign in to the PlayStation Network during the scheduled maintenance hours.

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PlayStation Network Maintenance Update

SCE announced that the PlayStation Network in Europe and North America will undergo a scheduled maintenance this upcoming Thursday, March 1st . The EU PSN servers will be down from 16:00 until 07:00 UK time the following morning. As for North America it will be from 8:00 am Pacific and will last until 10pm . Aside from the likely unavailable services (the PS Store, account management and account registration), If you have signed in before maintenance for an online session, you will be booted out !

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PSN Down For Maintenance On Thursday

It hasn’t been a week and already we are seeing the first DLC content for Square-Enix’s bread and butter, Final Fantasy XIII-2. According to the press release, In this first Coliseum battle, “Lightning and her former superior officer stand in the way of Serah and Noel. When defeated, Lightning and Master Sergeant Amodar can be added to the player’s party.” Square-Enix also promises that “Additional episodes which enhance the experience and complement the narrative of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 with storyline branches for key characters in the story will be revealed at a later date.” Get it now on the PlayStation Network, I mean, the Sony Entertainment Network! Hit the jump for more screens from the DLC. Source: Press Release

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Final Fantasy XIII-2 ‘Opponent: Lightning & Amodar’ DLC Now Available

An invite today turned up in my inbox stating an event on March 6. Now March 6 happens to be during the middle of the Game Developers Convention, so there is no doubt this will be some kind of viral event for the game. Medal of Honor showcased a tight single player campaign not seen by today’s shooters. Very direct and straight to the point, not overly done. It looks like the elite members of the Tier One squad, members on Delta, DEVGRU (SEAL Team 6), and 24th Special Tactics, are coming back with Medal Of Honor 2. Are you excited about the next installment? What are your thoughts? Let us know!

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Medal of Honor 2 Details Coming March 6

The official PlayStation Blog revealed the limited edition of the upcoming PS3 exclusive third person shooter: Starhawk. The game is developed by LightBox Interactive and Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It will feature 2-4 split screen multiplayer and 32 players online. You can acquire the limited edition for no additional costs by pre-ordering the game from Gamestop. The limited edition will include 2 DLC, the original soundtrack and a code to download Warhawk from the PlayStation store. Here is the full list of Starhawk Limited Edition Contents: – Maw of Despair Outcast Pack: Includes the Maw of Despair Co-op Map and Shade Warrior MP Skin This challenging co-op mission takes place deep beneath the planet’s surface in a particularly dangerous Rift mine. The Maw of Despair is home to the oldest Outcast tribe, the Shade Warriors. The heart of each Shade Warrior blazes with pure Rift energy, granting them extra toughness and combat ability. The firefights you’ll encounter in the Maw of Despair co-op mission will push your shooting skills to the edge! – Echo Scrapyard Rifter Pack: Includes the Scrapyard Homeworld and Huxley Ardin MP Skin An exclusive player Homeworld, the Echo Scrapyard features Huxley’s mechanics shop and junkyard — known throughout the Frontier as the best place in the Frontier for Rifters to get spare parts for their Razorbacks and Sidewinders. And in the canyon basin below, Huxley’s shop is a network of roads and trails for players to hone their own Razorback 4×4 and Sidewinder Jetbike driving skills. – Starhawk Concept Art PS3 Theme: Decorate your PS3 with the amazing concept art that help bring the Starhawk Universe to life. Only available through the Starhawk Limited Edition. – Copy of the Original Warhawk (PSone): Download and play the title that started it all! – Official Starhawk Soundtrack: Christopher Lennertz’s sweeping original score available as a PSN download. Starhawk will be available on May 8th . You can download the multiplayer beta from PSN right now !

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Starhawk: Limited Edition Announced

Sony confirmed in a press release, as well as in emails to PSN users, that this Tuesday, February 7th, the PSN name will be no more. The PSN will be changing into the SEN (Sony Entertainment Network). The email assures us that this is “a change in name only.” Your username and password will remain the same, and anything you purchased for your PSN account will now belong to your SEN account. The email notes a software update will coincide with the name change, however, “this change will not be applied to the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system at this time,” probably because the new features will not be available on the PSP. Privacy Policy and Terms of Service will also be updated with this change, and, of coures, “you will be asked to agree to ‘them’ if you wish to continue using your Sony Entertainment Network account.” So what do you think? Sad day for us long time PSN fans, or a step in the right direction for Home Entertainment? If you haven’t read it yet, you can read the entire email after the jump. On February 7, 2012, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (“SNEI”) will update its Terms of Service and User Agreement and its Privacy Policy. As a part of this update, your “PlayStation®Network account” will be renamed a “Sony Entertainment Network account” The first time you sign in to your Sony Entertainment Network account on or after February 7, 2012, you will be asked to agree to the new Terms of Service and User Agreement and Privacy Policy with SNEI if you wish to continue using your Sony Entertainment Network account. Please review all changes to the Terms of Service and User Agreement and Privacy Policy carefully before indicating your agreement. In particular, these are some of the additions and changes we have to these agreements: New terms for parents of minor, subaccount holders regarding the limitations of chat parental controls. Your reacceptance of the Terms of Service and User Agreement and Privacy Policy affirms your consent to the sharing of your child’s data that may occur if your child utilizes certain communication functionalities on PlayStation devices such as PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems. New terms that explain the location-based services offered through the PlayStation Vita system. For parents of minor, subaccount holders your reacceptance of the Terms of Service and User Agreement and Privacy Policy affirms your consent to your subaccount holder’s user of these services on the PlayStation Vita system. A description of our “What’s New” section, which provides topical information about our services and advertisements. Information about pre-ordering content. The name of your “PlayStation Network account” is changing to a “Sony Entertainment Network account.” You may click here to review the changes to the Terms of Service and User Agreement and you may click here to review the changes to the Privacy Policy. The rebranding of PlayStation Network accounts to Sony Entertainment Network accounts is a change in name only. Your username or password will not change, nor are we asking you to change them. On Sony Computer Entertainment’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems, this rebranding will occur in connection with software updates for these devices. (Note, this change will not be applied to the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system at this time.) This transition is based on Sony’s goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering. As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation Network will be aligned with “Sony Entertainment Network.” This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account. The Sony Entertainment Network account also enables use of Sony’s compelling non-game services such as Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited and PlayMemories Online (currently called Personal Space) across a variety of network-connected devices. If you do not agree with the new Terms of Service and User Agreement or Privacy Policy, you may decline to accept them, and you will no longer be able to access your account. If you wish to close your account or request a refund of your wallet balance, or have any questions, please contact Customer Service by clicking here. For more information, please click here. Thank you very much for being a customer!

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PSN is changing to the SEN this Tuesday