This Week on the PSN (06.26.12)

Every Tuesday, Sony drops a bunch of new stuff onto the PlayStation Network. Those with a PlayStation 3, Vita or PSP can download these goodies, which include PSN games, movies, themes and more. While the Official PlayStation Blog outlines these updates in full each week, we thought we'd help truncate the good news into something more digestible.

PSN Games

There’s a lone new PSN game this week joined by a slew of retail-to-digital titles, including the first two Uncharted games and the Resident Evil light gun games that were originally only on Wii.

• Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad ($9.99)
• Order Up!! ($14.99)
• Resident Evil Chronicles: HD Collection ($26.99)
• The Amazing Spider-Man ($59.99)
• Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune ($29.99)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves ($29.99)

Vita Games

There aren’t any new Vita games.

PSP Games

There is, however, a new PSP game.

• Unchained Blades ($29.99)

PlayStation Minis

There’s a new Mini, too.

• Farm Frenzy Pizza Party ($4.99)

PlayStation Plus

This week’s PlayStation Plus update doesn’t have any new freebies, but it does have some new discounts worth noting. Keep in mind that previous weeks’ perks should still be in effect.

• FIFA 12 (Retail, Discount)
• Journey (PSN, Discount)
• Madden 12 (Retail, Discount)
• Resident Evil Chronicles: HD Collection (PSN, Discount)
• Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (Retail, Discount/Full Game Trial)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Retail, Discount/Full Game Trial)

PSone Classics

Behold! A new PSone Classic… though not one you were likely looking for.

• The little Mermaid II ($5.99)

PS2 Classics

There aren’t any new PS2 Classics.

DLC

As always, let’s examine this week’s new DLC offerings.
First, for PS3 and PSN…

• Birds of Steel – Map Pack 2 ($7.99)
• Dragon’s Dogma – Various DLC ($0.99-$2.99)
• Dust 514 – Guaranteed Beta Access/Gear ($19.99)
• Elevator Action HD – Additional Stages 6 ($1.99)
• Gran Turismo 5 – Various DLC ($5.00 each)
• LittleBigPlanet 2 – Summer Seasonal Creator Kit (Free)
• Mad Riders: Daredevil Map Pack ($2.99)
• Mass Effect 3 – Extended Cut DLC (Free)
• Record of Agarest War 2 – Various DLC ($4.99-$7.49)
• Ridge Racer: Unbounded – Various DLC ($2.99-$4.99)
• Rock Band 3 – Various Tracks ($1.99-$19.99)
• Rock Band Network – Various Tracks ($0.99-$1.99)
• Rocksmith – Various Tracks ($2.99 each)
• SingStar – New Song Pack ($6.99)
• The Pinball Arcade – Various DLC ($4.99 each)

And for Vita...

• Gravity Rush – Spy Costume Pack ($3.99)
• Table Soccer – Match Day Game Pack ($0.99)
• The Pinball Arcade – Various DLC ($4.99 each)

There’s no new DLC for PSP.

Demos

There’s a lone new demo.

• LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

Discounts

And finally, how about some new discounts?

• Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 (PSN)
• Enigmo (Mini)
• Flock (Mini)
• Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP)
• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (PSP)
• Treasures of Montezuma Blitz (DLC)

Source : ign[dot]com

This Week on PSN (05.22.12)

Every Tuesday, Sony drops a bunch of new stuff onto the PlayStation Network. Those with a PlayStataion 3, Vita or PSP can download these goodies, which include PSN games, movies, themes and more. While the Official PlayStation Blog outlines these updates in full each week, we thought we'd help truncate the good news into something more digestible.

PSN Games

I hope your PSN wallet is packed with cash, because PlayStation's bringing the pain this week when it comes to games...

• Alex Kidd Miracle World ($4.99)
• Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock ($19.99)
• Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale ($14.99)
• Monster World IV ($4.99)
• Sorcery Full Game ($39.99)
• Super Hang-On ($4.99)
• Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition ($29.99)
• The Revenge Of Shinobi ($4.99)
• Wonder Boy In Monster Land ($4.99)
• Wonder Boy In Monster World ($4.99)

Vita Games

The Vita even gets a game this week!

• Table Top Tanks ($1.99

PSP Games

The PSP gets nothing because it's dead.

PlayStation Minis

Nada.

PlayStation Plus

No free games this week for PlayStation Plus members, but there are a bunch of discounts.

• Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Full Game Trial
• Flow (PS Plus Price $3.91)
• Flow Bundle (PS Plus Price $4.40)
• Flower Music & Theme Bundle (PS Plus Price $1.25)
• ModNation Racers PS3 (PS Plus Price $15.00)
• Flow PSP (PS Plus Price $3.91)
• Flow Expansion Pack (PS Plus Price $1.46)

PSone Classics

Time to get scared...

• Alone In The Dark The New Nightmare ($5.99)

PS2 Classics

PlayStation has two hits from back in the day.

• Need for Speed Most Wanted ($9.99)
• Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain ($9.99)

DLC

First, PS3 add-ons!

• Dragon’s Dogma ($0.99 – $1.99)
• Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 – Skill Pack (free)
• MotorStorm RC (free – $0.49)
• Saints Row: The Third – Penthouse Pack ($2.99)
• Blur 2 Song Pack ($6.99)
• Soul Calibur V ($0.99 – $1.99)
• Warriors Orochi 3 – Stage Pack 2 ($2.99)
• Rock Band 3 Songs ($0.99-$1.99)

And on the Vita side...

• MotorStorm RC (free – $0.49)
• Reality Fighters Ghostbusters Pack ($2.99)

Demos

Haven't played Journey? Well, you're crazy. There's a demo this week to show you your insanity.

• Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale
• Journey

Discounts

Save some cash, son.

• flOw (PSN)
• flOw Bundle (PSN, DLC)
• flOw Expansion Pack (PSN, DLC)
• flOw PSP (PSP)
• Flower (PSN)
• Sky Fighters (PSN)
• Young Thor (Mini)
• Zombie Tycoon (Mini)

Source : http://www.ign.com

What To Do If You’ve Been Hacked in Diablo 3

As someone who's been hacked in an online game (World of Warcraft) and lost all my stuff, I know it can be distressing. It feels like a violation, as if someone forcibly taken something you deeply care about.  But it's important to remember that it's reversible, especially if you follow this advice.

The first thing to do is stay calm.  If you've been hacked, accept the situation and get to work reporting it.  If you can, log into your Battle.net account and change your password, as this will stop the hackers coming back and interfering with the restoration process or, even worse, accessing your billing details.

Occasionally, you won't be able to do this straight away.  You'll try to log in after being hacked and be greeted by the news that an authenticator has been placed on your account.  It's a despicable thing to do, but many hackers activate authenticators as they get to work so they can redistribute your stuff undisturbed.

“If you're especially impatient, you can phone customer support, but be prepared to have identification to hand.

If this is the case, contact Blizzard.  As we reported earlier, there's apparently been a spate of hackings recently which may mean it takes a while to sort your issue.  But it will be sorted.  If you're especially impatient, you can phone customer support, but be prepared to have identification to hand.  I had to scan in a copy of my passport and email it to them to prove it was me, but after that I had my WoW character and gear back within the hour.

As a caveat, while your character may be restored, there's no guarantee it'll be in quite the state you left it.  Often a 'rollback' is performed, returning your character to the state it was in a short while ago, and this can result in a loss of progress and items.

Once you've got your account and possessions back, you need to make sure you don't get hacked again.  One of the best things you can do is add your own authenticator, which can be downloaded free for iPhones or Android or bought in physical form from Blizzard.  It's pretty much a given that you will at some stage be the recipient of phishing emails from dubious characters purporting to be Blizzard needing your password; delete them, and always go to Battle.net to log in manually and check all is well.

Finally, it may seem like overkill, but some people recommend using Firefox to browse the web with the 'NoScript' add-on running.  A few years ago an advert embedded in a popular Warcraft database site contained a keylogger virus that was downloaded when vulnerable players moused over it.  It hasn't happened since, but if you've been hacked you're probably willing to go to extremes for a bit to make sure it doesn't happen again.

It’s not pleasant to be hacked, but if you know what to do, it shouldn’t inconvenience you for too long. Keep an eye on Blizzard’s forums to see how the Diablo situation develops.

Source : http://www.ign.com

Speedy Skaters and Smart Goalies Redefine NHL 13

Looking back at my real-life hockey career, it's not the moments of specific games I remember -- it's all the stuff I learned from the coaches screaming like banshees from the bench. Not just "keep your stick on the ice," which was common. I remember being told when and how to pick up the pace, and when to dial it back. I learned I didn't need to skate straight at something to make goals happen, I could drift around it instead.

NHL 13 is the living representation of everything my coaches ever taught me to do, and the next representation of hockey's complexity makes even EA Sports' recent on-ice success seem primitive.

NHL 13 is all about the chase. Character speed finally matters, which lends a new sense of realism to the franchise I didn't realize was missing. In hindsight, I'm frustrated by the way defensemen could close in on an attacker without working for it, and that the offensive player in question could shake off an ineffective check so easily.

Skaters in NHL 13 are quicker than ever. They take stronger strides down the ice and consequently take wider turns. They can ease off the gas and glide, which works wonders for luring defenseman for a bait-and-switch. EA uses the word "explosiveness" to emphasize how powerful these guys are, and it fits fairly well. Skaters can blow by each other, but not so much so that they always escape. A winger might be able to pick up his pace as an opponent gets close, but that opponent can turn around if he's smart.

This doesn't create the stalemate you might assume. The left stick gives you a greater control of the way your player skates, and it does it to such a strong degree you can dance around defensemen in their own zone if you're daring enough. EA's marketing mantra with NHL 13 is that it'll change the way we play hockey. It probably will.

When you finally take the backhand shot skating backward through the slot, goalies will react more intelligently than ever. Save animations aren't canned anymore, instead relying on the natural AI of a goaltender to move his limbs and joints on his own.

This allows for some phenomenal saves. Goalies react using everything they have -- they'll dive, lift their sticks, and go to acrobatic lengths to keep the puck out, just like Luongo would. It looks spectacular, and it'll make each goal all the sweeter knowing you got past these intelligent 'tenders.

The perpetual problem with annual sports games is that the sports themselves never change. NHL 13 attacks this with some of the smartest, most readily apparent authenticity in the series' history.

NHL 13 releases September 11, 2012.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/21/speedy-skaters-and-smart-goalies-redefine-nhl-13