In-Game XMB - July 2nd

It's official. The much anticipated 2.40 firmware for the PS3 will be released on July 2nd (this Wednesday). Many of the features in this firmware are way overdue, but at least they are finally coming out. Some of these features include: in-game xmb, sending/receiving messages during a game, trophy support, clock, custom soundtracks, etc.

The PlayStation blog has a video walkthrough of some of the features of 2.40. Check it out!
In-Game XMB
Trophies

And now I leave you with a slew of images from 2.40:

GT5 Prologue in the background, XMB in the foreground


Compare Throphies

User Profile

Trophy Collection

Trophies

Custom Soundtrack Control

Google Internet Search

Trophy Completion

More "Gamer Card" Screenshots

Here are some more PSN "gamer card" screenshot. As you can see in the second screenshot, there are features that are similar to XBL's current setup such as the compare trophy feature. Good stuff!

Soulcalibur IV Character Select Screen

It's not completely finished yet, but here is the character select screen for Soulcalibur IV. This is the PS3 version since it has Darth Vader in it, but there are still 4 blank spots. One of them would probably be The Apprentice from The Force Unleashed (new Star Wars game). There's also a rumor that Kratos from the God of War series will be a PS3 exclusive character. Only time will tell.

On a side note, the character portraits look really nice since they are using the character concept art. Man I can't wait until this game come out! July 29th cannot come any faster.

Soulcalibur IV Character Select Screen

Rumor: PSN Trophy Screen?

As PS3's 2.40 firmware inches closer and closer to arrival, one has to wonder how the trophy system will work. There are two screenshots floating around on the internet showing the PS3 "gamer card."

Looking at these pictures, it seems that the "gamer card" system will work in levels. You get a trophy in a game and it'll give you "exp" to will increase your level. The higher the level, the more trophies you have. XBL watch out!

PS3 "Gamer Card" ???

Trophies?

In-Game XMB officially announced for PS3! Fanboys wet themselves!

In a post today on the Playstation blog, Eric Lempel (director of PSN Operations) confirmed that firmware update 2.40 will bring in-game XMB access and enable trophies, among other features being announced soon. The post has no news of a date for the update, only mentioning that update 2.36 will come soon and bring with it system stability for certain titles.

Until then, fanboys can go over their friends houses who have the Xbox 360 and check out the features coming to the PS3, that have been available since the 360's launch.

UPDATE: Firmware update 2.36 is now live! The wait is on for 2.40!

The reason to own a PS3!!!!!

Now I know what you're all thinking, "Ohh MGS4 came out this week, he must be talking about that." Well smarty pants guess what....WRONG!!! Unfortunately Gamefly seems to have run dry of copies of my top three games, so I'm currently game less (besides midnight games of Halo 3 or COD4) and have instead decided to start my Netflix account again. Man, am I glad I did that! For those of you that don't know Netflix carries Blu-Ray titles now, and the first thing I did was fill my Q with BR-D titles (Blu-Ray Disc). And what was at the top of my list and the first movie I received? The Ultimate Avengers!!!!!(*Bum Bum BUMMMMMM*)

O.K. first off when I received the disc, I found out that the BR-D copy also contained the sequel on it. After taking my first summer midterm, I came home sat down with my wife, child, and younger brother and popped it in. And for the next three hours (yes I watched them back to back) I was absorbed into the Marvel universe, and with the bright colors on my 40 inch HDTV, I loved every minute. Every Marvel fan should give them both a viewing, but the first one is better than the second. Why was it better? Because it gives The Hulk proper justice. The Hulk smashes and he smashes reaaaaaallllllllllllll goooooooooooooddddddddd!

Look let's be honest, the PS3's lineup is pretty weak (even with MGS4 coming out, chances are you've played everything else worth while) so put it to good use and pick up this Blu-Ray title! Ohh and after watching these, I'm spending my first father's day at the movies watching the new Incredible Hulk. Enjoy The Ultimate Avengers and thank me later!

Misheard lyrics

Probably the greatest idea ever. This is for those songs you have no clue what they are saying.


69 boys - let me see that tootise roll (old but hilarious)
rihana and sean paul - break if off
sean paul - shake dat ting
sean paul - temperature
sean paul - we be burnin'
another take of sean paul's - we be burnin'
sean paul - gimme the light
sean paul - like glue
the clash - rock the casbah
red hot chili peppers - otherside
rammsteing - du hast
and just for fun...

the juggernaut

enjoy.

props to my boy jon tadross for showing me these

A WHOLE NEW WORLD!!!

Work sucks. School sucks. This weather sucks.

It's 10,000 degrees outside and you get swamp butt walking from your car to your class or work and hate your life. You work for 2 hours looking at a computer screen or working with incompetent individuals who ask you how to use the copier. You go to the bathroom for your break only to realize after the fact that there is no toilet paper. You finish your day after zoning out 3 times and day dreaming about the random hottie that walked in to your office and go back into your car where it smells like something died in it (maybe that was a little piece of your water stained pants from this morning). Traffic (shaking head). Then finally home.

You sit around and look around your room. Roof is leaking brown water. Toilet is always running. Your heater shoots out cooler air then your air condition. The milk in your fridge turned to yogurt. It sucks just like work. You want a new home, a new life, a new look. You want (in the words of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, a whole new world).

Well look no further. Phantasy Star Online Universe is offering a free downloadable demo that is fairly nice. It could be a lot better, but if you want my personal opinion leave a comment and I'll reply. You can choose four different classes (and two genders per class) that you view yourself as and also can change how you look and what you wear.

Now you can run around dancing with random people, or stare at them and contemplate what they must be thinking about as they sit down and glare out of a window. Talk about deep. Sitting down in a video game and waiting to see who runs up to you to dance with their butt cheeks in your face (shaking head).

Anyway, if you want a free demo for a long game, and to have fun this is a nice change of pace and reality. By the way, to have more fun, create your own preset comments to make some of those deep philosophical squatters what you really think of their pose.

phantasy star online image taken from
http://consoles.gwn.com/previews/gamepreview.php/id/155/title/Phantasy_Star_Universe.html

BCG's Weekend Pick!

On the lineup for this weekend are sports, movies and games! This weekend's sports kick off with UFC 85: Bedlam, which the main event being Matt Hughes against Thiago Alves. The card isn't the most star studded line up we've seen but quality fighters like Bisping, Vera and Swick are fighting on the main card. Either chip in with some buddies for the pay per view or head over to Hooters and watch it for the cost of some wings. On Sunday is game 2 of the NBA finals with the Boston Celtics leading the L.A. Lakers 1-0 in the series. The game's free and is looks to be a better series than first thought, and it seems as though the Lakers won't be steamrolling anybody to their 15th title.

On the movies front are Kung Fu Panda and Don't Mess with the Zohan. Critics have been high on KFP and not so excited about Zohan but hey if you like Sandler than you know what to expect and should enjoy this also.

Finally we come to the games. Some pretty good releases this week, with Lego Indiana Jones, The Bourne Conspiracy and of coarse Ninja Gaiden II. You really can't go wrong with any of these titles. NG II is as bloody as a game can get, Bourne looks like a solid rent, and if you've never played any of the Lego games, don't over look this one because their kiddie appearance hides a really fun game.

This weekend is tough to pick, if I could I'd do it all but since I can't I'll make a pick. This weekend's pick is... the Movies! I picked sports and MMA last weekend and like I said this weekend's card isn't the strongest. The games are great but with none of them having online multiplayer and the rest of the months game releases are a bit weak, you can take your time with these. Plus who doesn't love funny animated animal movies, especially ones about kung fu!(Look I like Jack Black and I've been to the movies once since my son was born 5 months ago, so I could use a night out!) But honestly, you really can't go wrong with whatever you pick, so enjoy and thank me on Monday!

Take Two announces even more "Rapture" in our future!

In a financial call to investors, Take Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnik confirmed that the company intends to release a third BioShock game. When asked whether or not the upcoming movie would co-inside with the release of BioShock 2, Zelnik answered saying, "Its unlikely the picture would be released coincident with BioShock 2. It's more likely it would be released coincident with BioShock 3."

Of course details are essentially no-existent as of right now considering that the sequel is still quiet a ways off, but anyone who played the first knows that there can never be too much BioShock.