Weekend Essentials - Issue 18

Final Fantasy XIII, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, PS3 exclusive Yakuza 3, plus PlayStation®Move motion controller and the latest downloadable content in this edition of Weekend Essentials.

All the biggest releases on PlayStation

There's a Japanese feel to two of this week's major releases on PlayStation®3.

Final Fantasy XIII is the latest instalment in a role-playing game series that needs little introduction. While that game is set in a futuristic world of magic and eccentric hairstyles, Yakuza 3 takes you to the gritty Japanese underworld for an action-packed tale of honour and violence through the eyes and fists of Kazuma Kiryu.

If modern-day gunplay in massive destructible environments is a bit more your style, then Electronic Arts' Battlefield: Bad Company 2 should scratch that particular itch. Blasting on to PS3™, Bad Company 2 is full of shooting action, vehicular combat and the return of everyone's favourite ragtag unit, the B Company squad. The stakes are even higher this time - are you bad enough to succeed?

What's in store?

If you're struggling to control your excitement for Kratos' imminent arrival on PlayStation®3, the God of War III demo on PlayStation®Store may tip you over the edge. You could keep yourself occupied by downloading Mega Man 10 on PS3™ or extra content for Resident Evil 5, Dragon Age: Origins and BioShock 2.

To keep you entertained on the go, there's the card collecting real time strategy game The Eye of Judgment: Legends for PSP™, while Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake marks the portable debut of the gluttonous royal that first appeared on PS3™ in 2009. Both PSP™ titles are available now via download from PlayStation®Store, with the UMD version of Fat Princess in stores next week.

To calm down, why not check out downloadable content for a more relaxing game. The Ocean Level pack and the Snow Level pack are new echoshift stages for you to download for free, and they both offer even more head-scratching wonderment to fans of the time manipulation puzzler on PSP™ - it's a great way to unwind, whether you're slashing your way to Mount Olympus or stuck in motorway traffic.

A new way around PlayStation Home

This week sees the launch of the PlayStation®Home Navigator, a completely new way of finding your friends and travelling through the world of PlayStation®Home, with better performance and reduced loading times. Use it to check out the many spaces, ranging from The SingStar Rooms to the Audi Space, and catch up with old friends or make new ones.

Also new this week is an exclusive Final Fantasy XIII themed apartment and furniture for you and your party of friends to hang out in and chat about the latest blockbuster role playing game, plus figurines and accessories, all inspired by the game. Items to collect include an Eden - Primarch's Vigilarium apartment; a Vigilarium sofa, table, chair, shelves, desk, planter set and Taxidermic Specimen; Cactuar, Flowering Cactuar and Tonberry figures; and a Carbuncle Plushie.

This week's announcements

On 9th March 2010 the season of games industry events kicked off in San Francisco with the Game Developers Conference, and Sony Computer Entertainment announced that the PlayStation®Move motion controller for PS3™ launches worldwide this Spring in Australia and New Zealand, offering a motion-based, high-definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market. Concurrently with its launch, SCE will also release PlayStation®Move sub-controller to be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects.

Following on from the motion controller announcement, Warner Bros. also announced that The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest videogame will utilise the upcoming PS3™ motion controller for precision through mastery. The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest engages players with intuitive motion-control gameplay where every controller gesture instantly and accurately translates to weapon strikes in the game. Two-player motion controlled co-op gameplay featuring Gandalf allows kids, families and friends to battle side-by-side in the heart of the action.

Sony Computer Entertainment Australia confirmed that an all new SOCOM is gunning its way exclusively to PlayStation®3. The team at Zipper Interactive have re-envisioned the military franchise while retaining the pillars of previous SOCOM games (team work, authenticity and innovative online play). This is an all new SOCOM experience created from the ground up for PS3™.

Ubisoft released a new gameplay trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™, giving fans a first-look at the next chapter in the Sands of Time universe before the game's release in May 2010. The game will expand the Prince of Persia universe with a new storyline, the introduction of new characters and new powers over nature and time.

New tracks in the SingStore

Download new tracks in the SingStore and take your SingStar playlist up a notch. From Franz Ferdinand's "Ulysses" and Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)", to Martha And The Muffins' "Echo Beach" and everyone's party favourite, Tone Loc's "Funky Cold Medina", these tracks are sure to add a bit more oomph to your party playlist. Stay tuned for the next SingStore update in a fortnight's time.

Community

Square-Enix in collaboration with Future Publishing put together an exclusive FINAL FANTASY® XIII event, giving fans the opportunity to get hands-on with the game before its release. Held at the Imax Theatre in Darling Harbour on Thursday, 25th February 2010, just under 400 members of the PlayStation® Community were treated to a big-screen presentation explaining some of the key features of the game, followed by the opportunity to get hands-on with the blockbuster game.

As February was minis month, the community at the official PlayStation Forums discussed which minis they have most enjoyed in the Obsession Confessions: minis feature. Check out some of their favourites, with quotes explaining why their choice is the tastiest morsel in the minis category on PlayStation®Store.

Be sure to opt in to receive PlayStation emails when you sign up for a PlayStation®Network account. If you already have an account, sign in to your PSN Account Settings at au.playstation.com/registration or via the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) and opt in. That way, you can keep bang up to date and receive the latest PlayStation news direct to your inbox.