Weekend Essentials - Issue 7

Escape the summer heat with PixelJunk Shooter, Fairytale Fights and a variety of top content from PlayStation Store, plus our festive season Gift Guides, Harry Potter BD-Live and more.

Downloadable delights

The newest game in the popular PixelJunk series is unleashed on PlayStation 3 - blast yourself into the arcade action of PixelJunk Shooter. Featuring stylised High Definition visuals, your job is to rescue survivors in a variety of cavernous environments by altering your surroundings and avoiding hazards. Are you up to the fiendishly addictive task? Download PixelJunk Shooter from PlayStation Store and find out.

Go behind the scenes as developer Naughty Dog lifts the curtain on one of 2009's biggest and best games, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Take a deeper look into this classic action adventure game with a selection of behind the scenes videos on PlayStation Store.

Dino-sized fun for all the family arrives on PlayStation 3 with Buzz! Junior: Dino Den. Take part in a selection of mini-games designed to bring out the party animal in you - download it from PlayStation Store and see for yourself.

Storybook favourites gain a new lease of life in the PS3 demo for hack and slash epic Fairytale Fights. Download it from PlayStation Store and go on an adventure with the likes of Red Riding Hood, Snow White and other popular characters.

Yakuza 3 and Dead Space 2 announced this week

SEGA announced this week that the Japanese smash hit Ryu ga Gotoku™ 3 will be officially localised for the west under the title Yakuza™ 3, exclusively for PlayStation®3. Selling over half-a-million copies in Japan, the game has established an ardent fan base in its native land whilst achieving cult status with videogame connoisseurs in the west. Take on the role of Kiryu Kazuma to explore rich and realistic environments, take part in a multitude of unique mini-games and experience the deepest combat experience yet.

EA studio Visceral Games also announced this week that the award-winning Dead Space franchise will continue to frighten gamers with its stunning sequel, Dead Space 2. Isaac Clarke returns for another heart-pounding adventure, taking the fight to the Necromorphs in this thrilling action-horror experience. Dead Space 2 is being developed for PlayStation®3.

Watch Harry Potter with Daniel Radcliffe

Warner Bros. have announced the world's first ever Live Community Screening using BD-Live*, exclusive to owners of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Blu-ray Disc™. Warner Bros. BD-Live is an interactive feature exclusive to the Blu-ray format that allows users to experience a variety of exclusive interactive features. The LCS will allow BD-Live capable Blu-ray users to simultaneously watch the movie together with Daniel Radcliffe and director David Yates and hear an interactive Q&A where fans can ask questions about the blockbuster film directly to Daniel and David, directly from their home. The worldwide LCS, which showcases the expansive capabilities and interactivity offered with Blu-ray and Warner Bros. BD-Live, will take place on 13th December 2009 at 7:00AM, live from London.

Gift Guides

We've tried to make things a bit easier for you by putting together a bunch of festive season gift guides for all different genres of gaming. Keep the little ones quiet over the festive season with a selection of great titles in our PlayStation gift ideas for kids. Take a look at the perfect gift guide for movie and videogame fans this festive season on PlayStation 3 in our Blockbuster Entertainment guide. Prove to your friends and family that you're a sporting winner this festive season with a selection of superb sports titles in our Get Sporty gift guide and turn the volume up and the lights down, and enjoy some of the best titles available for adults this festive season in our PlayStation gift ideas for over 18s. Planning on taking a trip this holiday season? Then take a look at our guide to the Essential PSP games, and we've even got PlayStation gifts to suit the tightest of budgets in our Stocking filler gift ideas.

PS3 system software update version 3.15

An update to the PS3 system software was released yesterday. The main features of this latest update include a data transfer utility which allows you to transfer data saved on one PS3 system's hard disk to another PS3 system's hard disk using an Ethernet cable. The other feature applies to minis - the smaller, snackable titles on PSP and PS3 that are perfect for any situation, time or place. Most games under the minis category of PlayStation Store are now supported and are available to download from 17th December 2009.

Sing for the season

Get into a festive mood with SingStar, the singing game which is guaranteed to get the family crooning to their favourite tunes. The Festive Fun 2009 SongPack is available to download from SingStore, meaning you'll be able to get the party season started with the following tracks:

Nat King Cole - A Cradle in Bethlehem
Doris Day - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Johnny Mathis - When a Child is Born
Cliff Richard - Saviour's Day
Elton John - Step Into Christmas

The fun with SingStar doesn't stop there. A festive party is opening in the SingStar VIP area of PlayStation Home, for a limited time. Take part in a special game there and you may be rewarded... just keep looking for the light in the SingStar VIP area and all will be revealed...

* BD-Live is only accessible through a BD-Live enabled Blu-ray Disc™ played on an Internet-connected Blu-ray player (including PlayStation®3) with BD-Live capabilities and sufficient data storage. Please consult your Player Manual or Player Support Website for more information.