Activision announced that on Jan 24th, Call of Duty Elite Members will have access to post-release content. This content will be released monthly for the next 9 months. Yup NINE MONTHS! Those with Xbox Live Accounts will get the first dibs with content for other consoles coming later.

The new content will include new multi-player maps including Central Park and the Italian seaside. I’m pretty excited about this new package as MW3 is, in my opinion, the best in the series to date. If you’re an Elite Member, you can go here for more info: http://www.callofduty.com/elite/go-premium

Read More at www.themanly-man.com

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In-Game Gun Customization

After missions, the game allows you to make customizations to weapons you have earned. This way, you can get to know your weapon more…intimately. This also helps taking out the enemy easier. In many shooters, I don’t really get the ability to customize until you get online so this is a welcome characteristic

Always Knowing Where to Go

So there is this diamond that is always onscreen. Its main purpose is to point you to areas of interest. Since the game is pretty linear, you end up following it to the end of the mission. Stay sharp though because it doesn’t alert you to ambushes.

In Depth Team Commands

As a guy who likes to play war-strategy games on the pc, I really liked the ability to command your fellow comrads. Socom 4: U.S. Navy Seals takes it a little further by giving you a little more than many other games in the same genre. You can delay attacks to coordinate kills as well as set way points so you can be a little bit more strategic with the way you play the game. Two thumbs up for tactics!

Dislikes:

Too Linear

As I mentioned before, the game is linear, and this can get to be a little annoying at times. You find yourself in one of two situations. Either being lulled into a pattern of game-play then someone suddenly shoots you or you being frustrated by not getting to explore and finish the level in your own way. It’s not very “sandboxy” so you pretty much have to do what the designers had in mind.

Environment Interaction Very Low

very little environment interaction. I took away from being brought into the Socom universe. The shrubbery doesn’t move when you’re hiding in it. You kind of phase right through the leaves. It’s small, but I thought that was a detail that adds to the ambiance of the the game as a whole. Also, you don’t seem to get burned by fire when its smoldering on the ground, and you can’t do a ton of exploring even though you can do some. Also on one of the early stealth missions, silent kills weren’t so stealthy but none of the guards seemed to notice the guy yelling or the splattered blood on the ground. Again, not a huge deal, but it detracts from the believability of the game scenarios.

Controls can be complicated

This is something that most will probably get over with trial and error. But if your new to the franchise get ready for a big learning curve. zooming in to kill the enemy literally takes three button presses and keeping track of your gear is simple but time consuming when in battle. Switching between first and third person views can be disconcerting as well. It’s doable ofcourse but very tough at first.

Wrapup:

Very good, but I’ve played better.  Got to say that the command system was one of the best I’ve played with so far. I’m a big fan of war strategy games and this power is definitely for those who like to control the action at a micro level. However, so many controls felt cumbersome at times especially when in the middle of a large fire fight. Oftentimes I had to die a couple times just trying to get my controls down. That said, it was quite enjoyable taking baddies down with precision and control and it’s definitely worth checking out and adding to the collection if you like shooters.

For more reviews check www.themanly-man.com

VIA DX:

Upon the success of his video game “Blood On the Sand,” 50 Cent [click here to read] says he’s interested in making a sequel.

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to do it,” said 50 to MTV News at the Manhattan Play ‘N Trade store, where he and fans enjoyed it together. “With the success of this actual project, we’ll try to do it again.”

“[Fans] said it’s a good video game,” added the G-Unit general. “They enjoyed it. I had the opportunity to play with some people online. That was exciting and another way to reach people that are aware of me.”

Did you play ‘Blood On The Sand’? Peep the full story here! Check out our ‘Hip-Hop Muppets’ gallery below:

Featuring Iron Mike Tyson. This could stave off the oncoming threat of the new UFC video game. Check out the trailer below.

With 2008 coming to a close, it’s easy to forget about all of the excellent games that were released earlier in the year that you have yet to play. This holiday season is packed with games competing for your hard earned cash. Games like Resistance 2, Little Big Planet, Gears of War 2, Left 4 Dead, Dead Space, Valkyria Chronicles, and Prince of Persia are probably some of the latest games that are on gamer’s minds. This holiday rush of games is going to overshadow the majority of excellent games made in 2008, primarily because they are fresh in people’s minds. However, a lot of great games were made in 2008, and shouldn’t be overlooked. Many of the games listed below are on sale for a discounted price to compete with recent games.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Condemned 2 is the sequel to Condemned: Criminal Origins, which was an Xbox 360 exclusive. Condemned 2 is unlike many of the first person games released in 2008, because it’s not primarily a shooter. Although you acquire a few guns in the game, most of the combat is done with your fists, or melee weapons such as pipes, and bricks. The combat is rather enjoyable, as well as brutal, the graphics are very nice, the story is well told, and there is a strong horror vibe to the game, so fans of horror should enjoy this game.

Dark Sector (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
It’s a bit of a mystery as to why this game didn’t receive more attention from gamers. Dark Sector features a very similar control scheme to Gears of War, or Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. You press a button to run to cover, use the analog stick to pop around the corner, etc. The main difference between this game and Gears of War is the glaive. The main character in Dark Sector is a man named Hayden, and his primary weapon is the glaive, which you acquire early in the game. The glaive is like a three-sided boomerang with blades on it. You’re able to throw the glaive at your enemies, cutting off any limbs in your path. You’re even able to control the glaive itself in slow motion as you guide it towards the specific limb of your enemy that you would like to amputate. While the story in Dark Sector isn’t the best told in the world, neither is Gears of War. The action in Dark Sector is very fun, and if you’re a gore hound, Dark Sector certainly won’t disappoint. This is actually one of the cheapest games on this list. It’s being sold for an insulting $19.99 new in many video game stores.

Eternal Sonata (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Although Eternal Sonata has been out since 2007 on the Xbox 360, it has recently been ported to the Playstation 3, therefore it qualifies for this list. Eternal Sonata is an action-RPG set in the mind of Frederick Chopin. It features an enjoyable combat system, an interesting story for the most part, and an amazing art style. The graphics are technically well done, but the art style is absolutely gorgeous. If you absolutely despise anime as an art style, then you will hate looking at Eternal Sonata, but if you’re one of the many anime fans out there, there is no better game than Eternal Sonata when it comes to replicating the anime art style. The combat is relatively easy, and there aren’t many side quests to speak of, so it’s a rather short game. Despite this, Eternal Sonata is a worthwhile RPG, and can be found at a discount for the Xbox 360. The Playstation 3 version is still at full price, but it comes with many bonus features such as new characters available for your party.

Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
Lost Odyssey has to be one of the most under rated games of the year. It’s a classic turn based, Japanese RPG. The story of Lost Odyssey is a rather interesting one. It starts off great, and lulls a bit at the end, but overall it’s very engaging. The characters suffer from some RPG standards such as having a quiet tough guy, a comedian, the big breasted woman, the annoying kids, etc, but if you give the game time, the characters are actually well developed over the course of the journey. As stated above, the combat is strictly turn based. If you don’t like taking turns with your enemies in JRPGs, then you won’t like Lost Odyssey. However, if turn based combat is your thing, there isn’t much to dislike. Character, and enemy design is top notch, and the graphics as a whole are impressive. There are many side quests in this game, so if you’re the hardcore type, expect to play upwards of 80 hours. Lost Odyssey is an excellent JRPG, and it’s a pity that it didn’t get the attention it deserved.

Sega Superstars Tennis (Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Wii)
As the name bluntly points out, Sega Superstars Tennis is all about various Sega characters playing tennis, as well as participating in tennis themed mini games. It features a respectable amount of characters to choose from: ranging from the beloved Sonic to the lesser known Beat from Jet Grind Radio. While the tennis itself is enjoyable for a while, it’s the mini games that really make the game. All of the mini games are inspired by classic Sega games. For example, instead of killing zombies with a gun in the House of the Dead mini game, you repel them back to the grave with tennis balls. This may sound lame, but it’s not. It’s a good time. The Puyo Pop mini game is worth the purchase alone. In addition, there is a lot of multiplayer fun to have with this game.

Silent Hill: Homecoming (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
When Silent Hill fans heard that Team Silent wasn`t developing Silent Hill: Homecoming, expectations for the game dropped dramatically. It was met with generally positive reviews from critics, with most scores ranging from a 6 out of 10, all the way up to a 9 out of 10. The main problem for fans of the series with Silent Hill: Homecoming is that it shares more in common with the theatrical film than the previous games in the series. For those that enjoyed the film, this may not be a problem. Much like the film, the game focuses on a cult. It`s obvious that Silent Hill: Homecoming was based off of the film in many ways, because many of the effects such as transitioning between the foggy Silent Hill, and the hellish Silent Hill look as though they were ripped straight from the film. The combat system is entirely different than it was in previous games. You are able to dodge, and perform finishers. This may be a bit of a turn off for long time fans, but others may find the new combat system to be a breath of fresh air. The graphics are above average, and the enemy and boss design, are particularly impressive. It may not be the best survivor horror ever made, but it’s certainly worth a play through for fans of the genre.

Click Here For more Best of Everything 2008

In a move ballsy enough to put Soulja Boy to shame, 50 Cent has issued a challenge to gamers to beat him at his own game…which isn’t even out yet.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand isn’t due to drop until January 19th next year, but Fiddy’s apparently already had enough experience with it to know that he can trounce all comers.

“I actually had the opportunity to play it, and I’m pretty good at it,” the hip-hop mogul said in an interview with MTV. Good enough, apparently, to back his claims with his cash. “If anybody out there wants to create a challenge or wants to bet some money online, we could play the game right now.”

50 also spoke on some of the influences on his game, which centers on an destructive escapade to recover a crystal-encrusted skull in a fictional Middle Eastern nation. “The actual aesthetics, the scenery, was inspired by “Blood Diamond” on some levels,” he said. “Blood Diamond“, a film about a war-torn African country and the rampant corruption therein, and the 50 Cent videogame? They both use precious gems as a central motif, I suppose.

Straight out of left field influences aside, 50 remarked that he was extremely pleased with the way the game is turning out. “I’m happy with the videogame,” he said. “I actually went to Los Angeles to meet with some of the programmers, and we sat down. They showed me some options and some things that they had already developed. I told them this idea that I thought would be cool and to merge the idea into what they already had, and it worked out.”

Let’s hope the “idea” wasn’t a built-in handicap for everyone who challenges him in an online match.

SOURCE: The Escapist

LittleBigPlanet is a massive game that only increases in size with every passing minute. Players can create just about anything they imagine with the extensive editors available in the game–crafting objects, new textures, even music machines or lush gardens to host tea parties in. The possibilities are absolutely endless. We’ve braved the wilds of LittleBigPlanet online to bring to you our Top 50 User-Created LittleBigPlanet Levels (at least, so far). Whether you’re looking for a new challenge or a little inspiration for your next stage, these are some of the best new levels that we could track down.

50. Super Mario Bros. Worlds 1-4

Name: Super Mario Bros – World 1-4

Author: eken_

This classic Mario remake is a perfect example of what we love to see in LBP but it is unfortunately a bit broken. The spinning rods of fire are largely ignorable, while the first platform caused us nearly endless frustration because most of it was on fire. To top things off, the jump over faux-Bowser at the end of the stage was made impossibly difficult due to a poorly implemented rising platform. We give it points for design and layout, but the actual gameplay that it supports needs some work.

To check out the rest, please head over to UGO.com.

Sony has granted the open beta of Home a firm release date, with the software going live to all PlayStation 3 users from December 11.

First revealed at last year’s GDC, and in development since 2005, Home has been heavily delayed and missed a succession of release windows – but from tomorrow onward it will be available to the general public.

Speaking of the launch of the open beta, Sony’s Kaz Hirai said, “PlayStation Home is truly a promising network community service on the PlayStation platform, made possible with the powerful combination of PS3′s overwhelming computational power and PlayStation Network that covers many countries around the globe. We are committed to providing PS3 users with exciting gaming experiences with PlayStation Home and together with our partners and users, expand the new world of interactive entertainment as we move forward.”

Sony also announced a number of media partnerships, with Diesel set to supply designs for avatar’s clothing and Ligne Roset to provide in-game furniture. Red Bull has crafted a space dedicated to its Air Race series, and games publishers are expected to soon follow suit in creating areas themed around top titles.

The beta will be free of charge.

With November 2008 US sales figures from industry-research firm the NPD Group expected later this week, the top game-industry analysts have released their own estimates for the month. The consensus is that the traditionally frantic holiday season was subdued somewhat by the surging recession, with game sales enjoying only a modest year-over-year increase. Though he believes all three consoles sold in record numbers, Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter thinks that overall, domestic game revenue was $1.4 billion, up just 7 percent from $1.31 billion in 2007.

While cautiously optimistic about the industry as a whole, analysts gave unusually downbeat assessments of two pillars of the game industry. First, Pachter estimates that Electronic Arts will see a 16 percent year-over-year decline in revenue, thanks to poor showings of the new property Mirror’s Edge (300,000 units for the month) and Need for Speed Undercover (350,000 units). Though it enjoyed better reviews, Rock Band 2 also sold a disappointing 350,000 units during the month on two platforms–the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (PlayStation 2 and Wii versions are due out next week.)

Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Group, the firm helping Midway stave off bankruptcy, went one step further. He thinks the underperformance of Mirror’s Edge, Rock Band 2, and Need for Speed Undercover might lead to more layoffs and Tiberium-esque cancellations. “We believe EA is continuing to review its cost structure and franchise base, and it is possible that management will announce further cuts in headcount and the development pipeline (including existing franchises) over the coming quarters,” he summarized.

While EA’s woes are likely pure schadenfreude to Activision Blizzard executives’ ears, this week also saw Pachter predict its sales would slip 14 percent year on year. This slide is in large part due to one of the megapublisher’s top franchises hitting market saturation. “Probably the most talked about issue this month is the lack of sales for Guitar Hero: World Tour,” declared Jesse Divnich of Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR). “Currently, we expect unit sales to decline by more than 50 percent series-over-series for November. This is coming off the October month where series-over-series units declined by more than 60 percent.”

Divnich also pointed out that, rather than command a premium like Wii Fit, Guitar Hero World Tour is beginning to sell under its suggested retail price on the eBay auction service. “It is pretty clear that the series has already reached its peak among the mass-market audience,” he explained with the following caveat. “Of course, we are not suggesting that the Guitar Hero (or Rock Band) franchise will be disappearing anytime soon.”

SOURCE: Gamespot

Sony is to close 10% of its manufacturing sites, losing some 8,000 jobs in the process as the Japanese company feels the effects of the deepening economic crisis.

Sony is still believed to be incurring a loss on every PlayStation 3 that it sells, and financial expert Katsuhiko Mori told BBC that although “the number sounds big, this staff reduction won’t be enough. Sony doesn’t have any core businesses that generate stable profits – the next thing we want to see is what is going to be the business that will drive the company.”

The cutbacks come as Japan feels the impact of the global recession, with the country’s economy reportedly shrinking by some 0.5% in the past three months. Expected to be implemented by April 2010, there has been no confirmation where the cuts will take place, nor what impact they will have on Sony’s gaming division.

SOURCE: IGN.com

The long-awaited PlayStation Home may be getting ready to launch by December 17, according to a report from Times Online. The story, which was published on December 7, stated the application “is slated for release in the next 10 days.” This isn’t official word from Sony, of course, but the company itself isn’t exactly denying the claim.

VideoGaming247 reports that a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe representative said, “we’re not commenting on that story, I’m afraid.” The story certainly seems plausible enough. Sony has repeatedly insisted that Home is slated for 2008, and opening it to a wider audience with the November Qore certainly seemed to be laying the groundwork for a fully open beta.

It’s also worth noting that, though the window of 10 days seems broad, this coming Thursday (December 11) is the only remaining one in that time frame. If this report is accurate, and if Sony plans to release Home on a Thursday like its usual updates, then we may be seeing it in only a few days. Don’t bank on that knowledge, though, because it comes with plenty of “ifs.” We’ll let you know when we hear a firm — and official — release date for the social networking tool.

With well over a thousand votes, the first results for the 2008 Gamezine Awards are in. Your favourite PlayStation 3 game wooed you with a tragic and engaging collaboration of narrative and gameplay that resulted in one of the most memorable video games of all time.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is your winner, claiming victory in what can only be described as a landslide. The game attracted over 60% of the votes!

Solid Snake’s final mission beat out a whole host of high quality video games, including Grand Theft Auto IV, which came fourth on the table with only 4% of the votes.

Our Runner-Up is the charming LittleBigPlanet, still leading the rest of the field by a significant margin, with 17% of the votes.

Both Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and LittleBigPlanet will be entered into next week’s 2008 Gamezine Game of the Year user voting. The Xbox 360′s winners will be announced tomorrow.

French Gaming website JV247 reports that Sony Computer Entertainment shared some information regarding an upcoming PS2 Emulator for the PlayStation 3 with them.

Apparently, they were told that Sony would update the PlayStation 3′s firmware with the functionality to play PlayStation 2 games if they decided to sell PlayStation 2 games on the PlayStation Store.

We’ve been longing for a resurrection of the arcade sports games genre for a while now. With the digital distribution platforms on consoles today favoring quick, online-enabled titles, games like NBA Jam seem to be a perfect fit. And yet, for whatever reason, no one has stepped up to the plate… until now. By some sort of divine intervention, a brand new EA 3-on-3 hockey arcade game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 has been revealed.

IGN has word that my countrymen at EA Canada are preparing 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, a throw-back to the old-school arcade-style hockey games like NHL Hitz and Rock the Rink. The game is scheduled to land in February for $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points) and will be fully-licensed with real teams and real players. The “no rules” style of play will feature the huge hits, over-the-top special moves, and power-ups that define any good arcade-style sports game. A welcome return to a more simplistic, button-based control scheme and online multiplayer support round out the package.

This is extremely exciting. These kinds of games should be available in droves for the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network; I’m hoping that EA’s move will prompt other companies to react. The only thing that could top this would be a full HD revamp of NBA Jam with online multiplayer. Midway, you need money, right? Follow EA Canada’s lead here. My wallet is already open and anxiously awaiting February for this one.

A recent article from digital spy (via videogaming247) cites a study from The Diffusion Group (TDG) estimating that “190 million households worldwide will own a next-generation console by 2012.” Of those 190 million households, TDG believes 110 million next-generation consoles will be signed up for Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network, or Nintendo’s Wii Online. Of course, these figures could change if industry sales numbers surpass expectations in 2009, 2010, and/or 2011 like they did in 2006 and 2007.

SOURCE: 1Up.com

Don’t expect to see the heroine of Heavy Rain leaping through the air in some abominable mash-up of Cirque du Soleil and The Matrix. The game’s director tells 1UP it’s simply about “normal people.”

David Cage, who is also president of Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream says that we won’t see the French equivalent of a Dragon Ball-esque karate hover battle, a la Indigo Prophecy.

“I believe it’ll be much more emotionally involving, as gamers will easily relate to the situations and characters,” Cage said. “In Heavy Rain, you won’t be a superhero or a gangster. You’ll just be someone real.”

Given how good the game looked at Games Convention (and continues to look) we might be able to settle for normal, even if that sequence we saw won’t be more than a potential bonus feature in the final game.

Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system kicked off the holidays with record- breaking console sales on one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year in the U.S. Retailers reported Xbox 360 console sales over the Black Friday weekend were on pace to beat previous years, outselling the PlayStation 3 by a three-to-one ratio and estimating a 25 percent increase from Xbox 360 Black Friday sales figures from 2007.

Strong game sales rounded out a historic Black Friday for Xbox 360, with record-paced software sales continuing for key Microsoft titles, such as Gears of War 2, Fable II, and Lips. Xbox 360 continues to have the highest game attach rate of any console at 8.1 games per console.

Within five minutes you’ve killed a couple of Great Whites, then within hours you’ve moved on to black panthers, by way of spiders, bats, skeleton dogs, giant monitors and tigers. Tigers for god’s sake! It just wouldn’t be Tomb Raider if you weren’t indiscriminately killing things that are on the verge of extinction.

Bravo Crystal Dynamics!

The question is, however – is there a correlation between the number of nearly-extinct (or extinct –T-Rex’s haven’t been brought back yet, right?) creatures you get to kill in a Tomb Raider game and its quality? Angel of Darkness, after all, featured close to [MEMORY NOT FOUND]. Oh, bugger, that’s right. Sorry folks, I forgot (ha!) that I had all memories of that game surgically removed from my brain. All I have is a vague recollection of eating chocolate bars off the ground in the sewers of Paris. Shame, because if Angel of Darkness didn’t let Lara drain the bile from Asiatic black bears or club snow leopards to death, then we could have established a correlation. Guess you’ll have to let me know in the comments.

To read more about Tomb Raider: Underworld, please click here.

Wanna know what’s good and what’s not? Quibian Salazar-Moreno has what you need to get by for the holiday season:

Prince of Persia (Xbox 360, PS3) – The long-awaited much-hyped Prince of Persia game for the new generation of consoles is finally here. The game has an entire new look, new gameplay, and new characters and so far the results have been pretty good. This is a must have game for this year.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (PS2) – The original Chain of Memories, a direct sequel to Kingdom of Hearts, was released in 2004 for Gameboy Advance. This PS2 version was updated with 3D battles using the same graphics as the original Kingdom Hearts game. There’s also new cut scenes, new battles, voice acting and the “Reaction Command” function.

My Fitness Coach h (Wii) – Capitalizing on the popularity of Wii Fit, My Fitness Coach is a personal virtual trainer that offers more than 500 exercises for flexibility, cardio fitness, strength training and more. You also get to create an exercise calendar with goals along with picking out your favorite kind of music.

Destroy All Humans! Path of The Furon (Xbox 360) – This is the fourth game in the Destroy All Humans! Series and takes place in the 1970’s. You play as an alien named Crypto who is trying to harvest DNA from the humans. There’s five new open worlds to explore plus new weapons and new alien powers.

Wanna know what else is hot? Check out the rest of the releases by clicking here.

At the SEMA show in Las Vegas, EA announced the first-ever Need for Speed Live festival, which will both act as a international competition and a chance to celebrate car culture. The event will be hosted next summer at the Brands Hatch Circuit near London, England.

The event will run a full weekend, and will include various types of entertainment, music, car shows and video games – assumed to be EA specific titles.

“For over 14 years, Need for Speed has been at the forefront of automotive culture and this Live race event brings the spirit of Need for Speed games to life with all of the energy, adrenaline and sexiness that the franchise represents,” said Rod Chong, Creative Director for Need for Speed Live. “Need for Speed Live will definitely push each driver and their cars to the limit as they contend with dramatic elevation changes and harrowing fourth-gear 100 mph drifts.”

The competition will draw some of the world’s top drifters and time-attack drivers to compete live. At this point competitors from Europe, North America and Japan are expected.

So, if you are a car enthusiast, and are thinking that forking out the dough for a trip over the pond is warranted, check out the official site for more event information.

“The playback quality of some PS3 format software has been improved.” Also addressed in the firmware is the “text entry issue that occurs when using the on-screen keyboard, USB keyboard or Bluetooth keyboard with some PS3 format software.”

For more information or to learn how to update your PlayStation 3, visit the official PlayStation Blog.

CBC News is reporting that Rudder, whose credits include Splinter Cell, Jagged Alliance 2 and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, was having dinner when his hotel came under attack. Rudder was hit by three bullets.

According to Synchronicity Foundation vice president Bobbie Garvey, “Rudder was taken to the hospital. He did have surgery [that was] very successful. He was in intensive care for a little while, but he is very stable and he is healing at the moment.”

Rudder was in India with two dozen other people as part of a Synchonicity spiritual retreat. Best wishes to him and his family on a speedy recovery.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) is delivering a star-studded holiday line-up of downloadable, high-definition blockbusters ready to be viewed and enjoyed through the PlayStation Network. The Dark Knight, Hancock and Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull are a few of the highly-anticipated titles joining the more than 1,000 movies and 2,500 top television shows available from PlayStation Network’s video delivery service this holiday.

“The consumer demand we’ve seen for our PlayStation Network video delivery service is phenomenal, and we expect continued momentum this holiday season with a line-up of blockbuster movies that offer something for everyone,” said Susan Panico, Senior Director of PlayStation Network. “Complementing this demand for high-definition downloadable content, the new 160GB PS3 bundle enables customers to download and store even more movies, TV shows, games, music and photos, making the PS3 the ultimate entertainment center and holiday gift.”

A few of the top titles and expected PlayStation Network video delivery service release dates for rental and/or purchase this holiday season include:

• The Dark Knight (12/9)
• Fred Claus (11/25)
• Hancock – rated and unrated(11/25)
• Horton Hears a Who (12/9)
• Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (11/26)
• Step Brothers – unrated(12/2)
• X-Files: I Want To Believe (12/2)

For those looking to gift digital movies this holiday season, the PlayStation Network Card is available at top retailers like Blockbuster, Pamida, Meijer Superstores, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, select Sam’s Club outlets and Barnes & Noble College Bookstores to name a few, in $20 or $50 increments.

For more information on PlayStation Network, the video delivery service or PlayStation Network Cards visit www.us.playstation.com/psn.

Prince of Persia will be in stores on December 2nd.

The anticipated fighter revival was confirmed for release this week, with the PlayStation Network version hitting today and Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow. But Capcom has told Edge that the game now has no official release date in the U.K. There wasn’t a reason mentioned behind the push, nor does the report make it clear if this includes all of Europe. On the subject of game approval, Capcom’s Christian Svensson did remark recently that approval from Sony in Europe can sometimes take “closer to two weeks,” so this could simply be a product of a longer approvals process. The game will still be available for the Xbox 360 in the U.K. starting tomorrow, making the console of choice obvious for those with itchy Hadouken fingers.

Previously: ‘Playstation Launches Their Own Credit Card,’ ‘Sony’s 2009 Plans Leaked On The Net’

Details supposedly leaked from an annual staff meeting held last week in London alleged that the PS3′s price would be ‘more competitive’ from March 2009. Sony Computer Entertainment America has since told Edge “There are no plans for a price reduction on PS3 in March 09, and anything reported on or discussed otherwise is purely rumor or speculation.”

No further light has been shed on other rumours emerging from yesterday’s reports, although Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s David Reeves is said to have emailed staff yesterday in the wake of the leak and reminded them that a non-disclosure agreement is part of their contracts.

Released in conjunction with VISA, those who sign up for the card before December 31 can save $150 on a new PlayStation 3 bought through the official site.

Full details on how to apply are up on the US PlayStation blog.

Brought to court by a Kansas resident by the name of Monte Morgan, the plaintiff accuses the drum kit’s manufacturers of purposely shipped last year’s game with flimsy pedals in order to encourage upgrades to Rock Band 2‘s improved drum kit.

A spokesperson from the Cambridge-based developer finally responded to these claims in an email to 1UP this afternoon. Understandably, they are less than pleased with the Morgan’s allegations:

“Harmonix and MTV Games are dedicated to consumers having an outstanding experience with our products. When used as directed, our drum pedals are designed to provide years of enjoyment. In addition, at the launch of Rock Band we offered consumers an extended opportunity return defective or broken hardware for any reason whatsoever — no questions asked. This litigation is opportunistic and baseless.”

We’ve used the old kits around the office “as directed” and still ran into a few problems here and there. Either way, we have to give props to Harmonix and MTV for extending the warranty as long as they did. They certainly could’ve just pocketed drummers’ money and charged full price for repairs instead of doing it for free for almost a year after release. We’ll let the courts decide if that’s deliberately cheating consumers, as Morgan alleges, but the safe bet is on “Nope.”