Weekend Essentials - Issue 36

Spank death, update your avatar and drum to the beat in the latest PlayStation Store content, plus PSN Cards up for grabs and more in this edition of Weekend Essentials.

New to PlayStation Store

Dispenser of justice, vanquisher of evil and hero to the downtrodden - all hail DeathSpank, PlayStation Network's newest hero. In Hothead Games opus you play as DeathSpank, a wandering hero who travels through a weird and wonderful world filled with deadly enemies, wacky weapons, zany scenarios and lots of chickens. It's time to spank evil where it hurts!

Hear that? That's the pitter-patter of the Patapons heading your way this week on PlayStation Store. That can only mean one thing - the Patapon 3 demo is here. To get a taste of the brilliantly addictive new entry in the series, check out the multiplayer demo today.

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 fans - are you ready for a mighty arsenal update this week on PlayStation Store? Then fill your boots with four slick weapon packs guaranteed to up the ante. First up is the Australian SASR pack, followed by the Kommando Spezialkrafte KSK pack. Want more? You got it. The final two additions include the Special Air Services SAS and Korean 707 SMB packs.

Fancy spicing up your avatar collection this week? Then why not check out the fancy new line-up of Crash Commando and EyePet avatars available on PlayStation Store? There's a whole bunch to choose from including Army Chicks, Gangsta Rappers, Grunts, Bowling Pets, Angel Pets and even a Food Bowl! Go on, you know you want to.

Whip up a speedy storm with the Pinball Heroes High Speed Pack featuring new pinball tables based on WipEout HD Fury, MotorStorm, Fat Princess and those mad mods from ModNation Racers. Ding ding-da da-da-da-ding-ding!

Shell out for some minis fun this week with Piyotama, the zany new game from Sony Studio Japan that throws you into the thrills of a super fast puzzler where your goal is to help the chicken, Mother Piyo, hatch a new batch of eggs!

And don't forget, you've got one week left to make the most of the latest PlayStation Store special offers with reductions on a range of best-loved PlayStation games and downloadable content including After Burner Climax, Worms, Half-Minute Hero and heaps more - available now until 21st July 2010.

For the music lovers

The SingStore has been updated this week with new tracks to add to your SingStar collection including Alicia Bridges' I Love The Nightlife, Dusty Springfield's The Look Of Love, Mis-Teeq's Scandalous and a bunch of tracks by Lostprophets including Last Train Home, Last Summer, Rooftops and more.

VidZone update

The latest VidZone chart featuring Ke$ha and Adam Lambert, The Music Network Recommends channel featuring our very own Amy Meredith, plus John Butler Trio, Modest Mouse, Mogwai and more, a Foreign Beggars vs. Noisia Exclusive, Artist of the Week Eminem, and a VidZone Festival 'Anything As Long As It's Loud' stage featuring clips by Metallica, The Hold Steady, Kiss and heaps more. VidZone gives you a choice of more than 100 free pre-programmed music channels, specially selected and created to suit your mood and music taste.

Thanks a million!

Since their launch on PlayStation Store in October 2009, minis games have proved a hit with PSP and PS3 owners the world over. And in July 2010, bite-sized entertainment on PSP and PlayStation 3 hit the big time when the minis range of titles on PlayStation Store passed the one million downloads milestone.

Watch, pause and record TV

Check out our new educational piece on PlayTV - Australia's best selling PVR and find out what the fuss is all about. With PlayTV, you can watch, pause and record all of your favourite free-to-air HD television programming.

Sign up to PSN and win

Register a Master Account on PlayStation Network between July 14, 2010 and August 14, 2010 and you could score one of fifty PlayStation Network Cards. Simply sign in using your new PSN account and enter the competition. PlayStation Network cards are a great way to add funds to your PlayStation Network wallet without needing a credit card.

Also this week

Sign up for the chance to play MAG in the Zipper Interactive developer event tomorrow morning, 17th July 2010. All you have to do is download the brand new MAG download pack, Interdiction, from PlayStation Store and start honing your skills on the battlefield, then take the fight to Zipper Interactive bright and early from 06:00 until 08:00 (AEST).

Issue #46 of Official PlayStation Magazine Australia is on sale now and it's the only place you'll get the full scoop on the most anticipated PS3 game of the year: Gran Turismo 5. The guys chat to Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of the series, about his massively ambitious project and get his thoughts on Holden, Ford and the Bathurst 1000. And, as an exclusive offer to readers, subscribe to Official PlayStation Magazine Australia now for the special one-time only price of $78.85 for 12 issues. That's a saving of over 50%!

Ubisoft announced that Racket Sports, the multi-sport game that includes tennis, ping-pong, badminton, squash and beach tennis, is coming to PS3™ with PlayStation®Move support in September 2010.

The PlayStation community ask their hard-hitting Super Street Fighter IV questions to the game's producer, Yoshinori Ono in The People vs: Super Street Fighter IV.

Keep an eye on PlayStation Blog at blog.au.playstation.com for the latest PlayStation news as it happens.

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.