playstation

Russ Frushtick is truly the Steve Martin of The 404 co-hosts, but we keep asking him back because well, someone has to talk about video games with Jeff, and it's not me. Speaking of, don't forget to wish Mubakalar a happy 30th birthday tomorrow, because this one's going to hurt.

There's lots to talk about with Russ, and first in the rundown is the ending to Mass Effect 3 and the secrets revealed this week about who signed off on it.

We'll also get Russ's take on ethics in gaming journalism and the future of the industry with regard to the new Apple iPad.… Read more

Sackboy and friends put the pedal to the metal in a new racing adventure set to debut in 2012.

Media Molecule announced yesterday LittleBigPlanet Karting for PS3, a kart racing game made in collaboration with ModNation Racers co-creator United Front Games. The title retains the familiar "Play, Create, Share" motto used in previous LittleBigPlanet releases but offers large areas for driving instead of just side-scrolling adventures. … Read more

Those who adore a symphony of gunfire and explosions should pay close attention to the upcoming Battlefield 3 downloadable content pack Close Quarters.

Due this June, this four-level package seems slightly different than Battlefield expansions of old. Close Quarters (for PC, Xbox 360, and one week earlier on PS3) feels and looks like a scene you'd normally expect from a Call of Duty release.

The tight-knit, destruction-filled vertical maps in the explosive trailer below may leave you breathless at times. Players will undoubtedly find it tough to resist firing off salvos of rockets at one another in these settings. … Read more

From the makers of previous cult PSN classics like Flow and Flower, Thatgamecompany has provided gamers with totally original gaming experiences all while maintaining a somewhat mysterious persona.

The developer's latest gem is Journey, where players take control of a character made of wavy cloth through a desert world.

Jeff: It's unfortunate that originality has become such a rare commodity in gaming lately, but with developers like Thatgamecompany, gamers who wish to walk the path less traveled are rewarded kindly.

While some may have written off the studio's previous two games as "screensavers you can also play," Journey is by far the most "game-y" of the trifecta yet. … Read more

Color me unsurprised that Sony's PlayStation Vita just got its own app for the company's cloud-based Music Unlimited subscription service, since a similar offering for the PSP already exists.

Nonetheless, the first version of the app for Vita features excellent aesthetics with the complement of intuitive and thorough controls (see if you agree with me after watching the demo video below). Album art and channel listings clearly pop on the large OLED screen. I found it easy to scroll around, explore music, and save tracks "from the cloud" to a storage card.

Overall, the experience seems very mature for a service often left out of the music service conversation.

Speaking of saving tunes, the Vita Music Unlimited app supports offline playback through playlist/channel caching. Users of the Android version of the music service can now listen to music offline through Music Unlimited as well. … Read more

Time just keeps ticking for the aging PlayStation Portable, as Sony released a new color variant for the gaming handheld in Japan earlier this week.

A value pack containing the new two-tone sky and marine blue PSP doesn't offer anything different from the 3-year-old PSP-3000. We admire the stylish contrast between the two different shades of blue, and minor details like the yellow text on the front looks swell. … Read more

If Apple wants to go after the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 then Apple should make a home console. The iPad is not a home console. It's a portable tablet that can play casual games. The same way an automobile is not a cup holder. It can just hold your coffee while it gets you from point A to B.

It would be just as silly if Microsoft or Sony came out and said their controllers have 15 times the button-pressing capability than the new iPad. They wouldn't be wrong, but it would cause every eye in the house to roll. So here's why Apple's jab at the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 was misleading and cheap.… Read more

Hungry for more PlayStation Vita news?

A Friday Webcast hosted by Sony and titled "PlayStation Vita Game Heaven" will reveal "unannounced Vita titles, upcoming releases, Vita services, as well as new information about in-release titles," notes Andriasang.com.

A teaser video clearly hints at developer interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, but English-only speakers may have a hard time following.… Read more

While some think that Apple has run away with the mobile gaming market, Sony and Nintendo are boldly holding on to their gaming franchises with reinventions of their hardware.

The Nintendo 3DS, which debuted last year, is an improvement in terms of graphics from its Nintendo DS predecessor, but time has not been kind to Nintendo's hold of the casual games market--and, glasses-free 3D has been a gimmick, at best. Still, with Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart plus a price drop, the 3DS is on a rebound.

Meanwhile, the newly released PlayStation Vita has superior graphics and … Read more