Weekend Essentials - Issue 23

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City arrives on PlayStation®3, the latest store content and more in this edition of Weekend Essentials.

Have a Rockstar weekend

The eagerly awaited follow-up to Grand Theft Auto IV has arrived on PlayStation 3. Available both on PlayStation Store and Blu-ray Disc, Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is here to make sure you're glued to your screen for addictive open world gameplay and blistering set pieces.

Featuring two distinctive episodes strictly for adults, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, a slew of fresh vehicles and weapons await along with new activities including cage fighting and gang wars. There's even the chance to enjoy a wealth of multiplayer modes and see Liberty City in a new light with friends.

Check out the brand new Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City official launch trailer.

New to PlayStation Store

Join the large scale sci-fi blitz of Section 8 on PlayStation 3, where fast paced action meets military strategy in the far reaches of the galaxy. Downloadable from PlayStation Store, this first person blaster throws you into an epic battle between the 8th Armored Infantry and the Arm of Orion, where the dynamic battlefield means each game has the potential to be totally different from the last.

If boarding is a bit more of your thing than jet packs, then why not jump on to the skateboarding frenzy of the Skate 3 demo, which lets you get a tantalising taste of what it's like to tear up the streets in the brand new city of Port Carverton. Download it from PlayStation Store and get grinding, and also check out our comprehensive Skate 3 demo guide.

If last week's dose of Hustle Kings wasn't enough for you, there's more in the cue-sized shape of the Hustle Kings free Crazy Table Pack: Hex Crazy which gives you an additional futuristic looking pool table to try your skills on. PlayStation Store is the place to get your well earned break, so download the pack for free and show off your hustler tricks.

Dynamic themes are growing in popularity all the time, and there are two new ones to dazzle your eyes with. White Knight Chronicles and EyePet are the latest to get the dynamic theme treatment, which adds some brilliantly watchable animations to the XMB (XrossMediaBar) on PS3.

Also available to download from PlayStation Store are the Temples Theme - Level Kit and Costume for LittleBigPlanet on PSP, to give Sackboy a new playground and funky look to enjoy it with.

A PS one classic makes its PlayStation Store bow this week with Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee released for your platform adventure gaming pleasure. Now you can explore the realm of Abe, a disenchanted Mudokon slave working at the RuptureFarms meat processing factory on Oddworld. The quest for Abe's freedom starts here...

This week's announcements

Electronic Arts have announced that one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf, The Ryder Cup, will be featured in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 11. In addition, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 will support the PlayStation®Move Motion Controller when the game is released on 1st July 2010 to give gamers an authentic interactive swing experience.

Sam Mort of Sydney has won the Australian Live Qualifier Event and secured his place in the FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final 2010. As the champion of the Sydney Live Qualifier Event, Mort has won an all-expenses paid trip to join a total of 32 of the world's best virtual footballers at the Grand Final where they will compete for the title of FIFA Interactive World Player 2010 and a champion's prize of US$20,000.

The Belmont Clan, Def Jam Rapstar, new Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker trailer and more were unveiled at last week's Konami Gamers Night 2010.

Ubisoft has unveiled a brand new Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ PSP trailer giving you the first glimpse into the portable version of the Prince's latest adventure featuring classic Prince of Persia gameplay and all-new powers.

Meanwhile...

Don't miss the chance to pose your burning PlayStation related questions to the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Andrew House, through the official PlayStation Forums. The best questions will be selected for a special feature to be published at a later date.

Why not spare a few moments to explore the ever-evolving environment of PlayStation Home this weekend? Firstly there's the Siren: Blood Curse space to check out, where you can venture through the Ward of Despair, watch videos and play a mini-game for up to five players. Win and earn yourself costume rewards, but beware the terrifying Shibito.

Also in PlayStation Home is a selection of new costumes from sci-fi universe Star Wars and comedy classic Monty Python, where you can dress up as a Stormtrooper or Imperial Officer from the outer space saga, the Black Knight (complete with missing arms) from the comedy film, The Holy Grail, and gain even more goodies from these popular franchises.

The new series of Doctor Who launches on ABC iView and is freely available to all PlayStation®3 owners from today, 16th April 2010 - a whole two days prior to its broadcast on ABC1 - with the first three episodes The Eleventh Hour and The Beast Below by Steven Moffat, and Victory of the Daleks by Mark Gatiss.

In what is undoubtedly the biggest launch for the Blu-ray Disc™ movie format yet, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is now available to own on Blu-ray. See Peter Jackson's visual masterpieces as you've never seen them before, with all of the richness and detail of high-definition on PlayStation 3. This is one release to rule them all!

And don't forget to sign up for a FREE PlayStation®Network Master Account during the month of April to go in the draw to win one of fifty $30 PlayStation®Network Cards. Sign up to PSN now and start enjoying a world of online entertainment.

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 PlayStation Network 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.