EA giving Battlefield 1943 vouchers to PS3 Battlefield 3 owners

"There have been some misunderstandings around Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield 3." That's according to a rather diplomatic missive posted on EA's support website. If it was your understanding, shall we say, that PlayStation 3 copies of Battlefield 3 would include a free download of DICE's downloadable skirmish, you may have been disappointed to find that freebie ... slightly amiss.

After deflecting the deal with a lame DLC consolation -- and hearing about a class-action lawsuit -- EA has decided to dole out vouchers for the MIABattlefield 1943. The process requires you to log in to EA's redemption portal,1943redemption.battlefield.com, with your Origin ID and request a download code for your region. Codes will be available for European customers as of November 26th, and for Americans on December 10th.

With all that done, you'd better find some time to play it!

Sony doesn't want to drop PS4 too long after Wii U and next Xbox

Showing up late to a party is just the pits. All the good bits of the Chex Mix have been picked out, everybody already watched The Room and you're often the only one sober enough to go right back out and buy more alcohol. In much the same way, Sony says it learned its lesson after letting a year go by after the start of the current generation before launching the PS3.

Speaking to Eurogamer, SCEE chief Jim Ryan, said: "I think we would consider it undesirable to be significantly later than the competition [with the next PlayStation]."

With Wii U slated for next year and the next Xbox possibly in 2012 (that is, if you believe the rumors), it looks like we could be in for a very interesting 12 months. Well, a very interesting 12 months capped off on Dec. 21 with the return of Quetzalcoatl, and ensuing end of human civilization.

But you can't start thinking that way. Yet.

Rumor: Kinect 2 to read lips, make french fries, soak up nasty spills

If sources close to Eurogamer are to be believed, Microsoft has some pretty lofty plans for the next iteration of Kinect. According to said sources, the "Kinect 2" will not only offer improved motion tracking and voice recognition, but will also be capable of all kinds of technical wizardry. Apparently, the as yet unannounced device will be able to read lips, detect the direction a player is facing and recognize his or her emotional state. If your current emotional state is "a little freaked out," we're right there with you.

According to the source, the new device will not utilize USB and thus won't be hampered by its relatively antiquated data speeds – a limitation of the currentKinect model. This will allow for the "phenomenally high res data" needed for the previously mentioned features (and perhaps others, presumably). In other words, Dance Central 3 may be able to objectively determine whether players are, in fact, too legit to quit.

'Whore of the Orient' is next game by LA Noire studio head

Team Bondi founder Brendan McNamara's next game will be titled Whore of the Orient, according to Australia's Financial Review. Little to nothing is known beyond the title -- which has already sent FOX News segment producers into a Bengay-rubbing tingly fervor -- with McNamara previously stating it is "one of the great untold stories of the twentieth century."

The game will be produced by KMM Interactive, the studio that picked up the broken pieces of McNamara's Team Bondi after it imploded this summer despite the success of LA Noire.

Designer imagines the next Xbox

Designer Joseph Dumary dreamed up this interpretation of the next Xbox console, which he calls the "Xbox Prestige." It's slightly curvier than the Xbox 360 Slim, suggesting it's from the future. It also includes a built-in "KinectIn" sensor for menu navigation and to scan cards for purchased games -- buy the card, put it in front of the system, and either download it or play it streaming.

Inside the hypothetical console is a 2TB hard drive for storing those games, and a tuner for live TV. It is, in general, much nicer than the real system will be.

Ezio's costume coming to Final Fantasy XIII-2 as DLC

Not content to sequester himself to his own game and Soulcalibur V's stage of history, Ezio Auditore is making an appearance inFinal Fantasy XIII-2 ... or at least his outfit is.

Ezio's Assassin's Creed Revelations get-up will be offered as a DLC outfit for Noel --Noel Kreiss. "Release details for this downloadable content will be announced at a later date," the press release notes.

If you're concerned about Ezio's Italian finery looking too incongruous in the world of FFXIII-2 ... you haven't looked at the other characters in FFXIII-2 in a while. Congruity is a limited resource in Final Fantasy.

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The Drop: Week of November 21st 2011 New Releases

As you hibernate next to your towering stack of games this week, make sure to finish off with a delicious slice of pumpkin-pie topped off with the wispy cream delight of this week’s new releases this Thanksgiving.

Returning to the spotlight, WWE ‘12, Tekken Hybrid and The King of Fighters XIII headline this week’s title bout, each franchise known to bring countless hours of combos, take-downs and finishers in their individual brawling arenas. Speaking of epic franchises, Final Fantasy returns to PSone classics and Ratchet and Clank (including Dr Nefarious and Qwark) arrive on PSN as a full digital download in Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One.

Gobble gobble, The Drop.

PlayStation 3

WWE ‘12 – The WWE experience you’ve been demanding has arrived! THQ’s flagship franchise in the WWE video game portfolio is reborn, delivering a completely rebuilt evolution of every aspect of the wrestling superstar experience. With new Predator Technology, an overhauled gameplay experience and new broadcast TV presentation that promises the most fluid, dynamic, authentic and action-packed WWE simulation experience to date, WWE ’12 gives you more control over WWE than ever before.

Tekken Hybrid – A massive combination of Tekken action, Tekken Hybrid includes the full-length 3D compatible feature film Tekken Blood Vengeance 3D on Blu-Ray disc as well as two games playable on PlayStation 3: Tekken Tag Tournament HD and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue.

• TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT HD – This is a high-definition remake of the classic from the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Boasting a 20-fighter plus cast of characters, Tekken Tag Tournament offered a major revolution in the Tekken fighting style by adding a tag battle system with two characters for each team. And if that’s not enough, TTT HD retains the minigame Tekken Bowl, which brings Tekken fans action-packed bowling excitement with a punch!
• TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 PROLOGUE – Offering gamers a sampler of the arcade game, TTT 2 Prologue features four playable characters that appear in the Tekken Blood Vengeance movie. Each character will have a costume directly from the movie that will be exclusive to Tekken Hybrid, plus a costume from how the characters appear in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
• TEKKEN BLOOD VENGEANCE 3D – Set in the rich Tekken universe, this 3D CGI movie follows Xiaoyu Ling, seasoned martial artist and high school student, tasked by the G Corporation to infiltrate an international school in Kyoto to gather information on the mysterious student Shin Kamiya. Before she can make any progress in the investigation, Shin is kidnapped by an unknown assailant. Digging deeper into Shin’s background in an attempt to rescue him, Xiaoyu learns about the frightening underbelly of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima … and the late Heihachi Mishima’s conspiracy that’s stained with blood.

The King of Fighters XIII – With the triumphant return of fan favorite characters like Mai, K’, and Vice, extensive refinement of the core fighting engine based on community feedback, and vastly improved network functionality, The King of Fighters XIII represents the HD entry in the series that fans have been waiting for.

Painstaking effort has been made to address every last concern following the last entry: fights play faster; the addition of over a half dozen play modes offers variety and replayability; the game’s beautifully rendered and animated character sprites are better distinguished from the backgrounds–which happen to be richer and more detailed; the camera perspective is less restricted; fighters have more moves, including new supers and the all-new Neomax supers; and much, much more.

PlayStation Network

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (3D Compatible) – In Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, we find our heroes in the midst of a dilemma of intergalactic proportions when Dr. Nefarious’ latest evil plan goes awry leaving Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Nefarious himself caught in the snare of a powerful and mysterious machine. Begrudgingly, the Galaxy’s biggest do-gooders and its most sinister criminal must work together to discover a means of escape in this action-packed installment of the Ratchet & Clank series.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – War rages on in the fourth edition of Activision’s acclaimed war game. For the first time in the series, Call of Duty moves away from WWII to the modern battlefield. Armed with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern day firepower, players are transported to treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world. As both a U.S Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns, players use sophisticated technology, superior firepower and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy and communication are essential to victory. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay.

Learning With The Pooyoos: Episode 2 (PS Move Compatible) – With the PooYoos, a merry band of adorable baby animals, children will have fun while learning the basics: numbers, letters, lateralization, shapes, colors and more. Children get to dance with their new friends and earn lovely interactive rewards.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – You take the hot seat in the all new Who Wants To Be A Millionaire game. Win $1,000,000 by correctly answering 15 multiple choice question, each worth an increasing amount of money. Just like on TV, players can seek help for the super stumper questions via lifelines like “Ask the Audience”, “Double Dip”, or “Phone a Friend”. Can you stand the pressure, or will you walk away?

Corpse Party (For PSP) – A unique twist on horror action and a cult favorite in its native Japan when it was released, Corpse Party promises to deliver a tense and bone-chilling experience for all who dare step foot into situations they may not be prepared to survive.

PSone Classics

Final Fantasy V – Centered around a group of four strangers brought together by circumstance to save the Crystals that have mysteriously begun shattering one by one. Eventually it is revealed the one behind the phenomenon is the villain Exdeath, as part of a plan to release himself from his imprisonment and to gain the power of the Void, a realm of nothingness, which could bestow absolute power on one able to resist being absorbed by it. The four thus turn their attentions to defeating Exdeath and stopping the Void’s unstable energies from consuming their world.

minis

• Where Is My Heart
• Ikari Warrior II: Victory Road
• Psycho Soldier

Jak and Daxter Collection Coming to PS3 with HD, 3D, Trophies

Greetings all, hopefully you’ve been getting to spend some quality time withUNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception these past few weeks. We are grateful for all the positive fan feedback and thank you for the support! I’m not here today to talk about U3, though. We’ve been getting many, many requests asking about Jak and Daxter coming to PS3, and I’m happy to announce that the series will make its PS3 debut this February with the launch of the Jak and Daxter Collection.

The Jak and Daxter Collection features three of our favorite Jak and Daxter titles – Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3 – all remastered by Mass Media, working closely with our team at Naughty Dog. With the launch of Jak and Daxter Collection, you’ll be able to experience the adventures of Jak and his Daxter in 720p high definition with crisper visuals, smoother gameplay animation, and in full stereoscopic 3D. And, I’m sure all of you hardcore collectors will be happy to hear that each game in the trilogy features full PS3 trophy support.

Kevin Butler Honors The Die-Hard PlayStation Fans

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PlayStation is looking to honor its fans, and Kevin Butler is on hand to single out a few of the most impressive die-hards.
A slew of new ads featuring Kevin Butler honoring the most ardent PlayStation fans has surfaced; check 'em out over atAListDaily. KB talks about various feats in gaming and pays homage; it's freakin' cool.
If you don't feel like clicking through the link, here are two of the videos. The first is a nod to a gamer who managed to get all 400 Riddler trophies in Batman: Arkham City in only three days. Yeah, it doesn't sound possible to us, either.

The second is in honor of a couple college gamers who wanted to meet girls, so they decided to pick up Everybody Dance and throw a nine-hour dance party. ...yeah, that sounds a little excessive to us, too, but apparently, it worked. Got the hookup.

You gotta see all the vids, though. They're all just fantastic; we all love KB. Now, what do you think Mr. Butler will do when Sony announces the PlayStation 4? They're going to retain him as their spokesperson for the next generation, right? I mean, wouldn't they have to?