Hot on the heels of Sony’s announcement of a Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle for the US, reports of two new PS3 bundles heading Europe’s way have surfaced.

The Gran Turismo 5 Prologue bundle will include a 40GB PS3, a Sixaxis controller and a copy of GT5 Prologue. It is believed the bundle will become available next month, the 29th of March to be precise, and will retail for 399 Euros.

A movie bundle is also on the cards. It will include a 40GB PS3, a Sixaxis controller and three Blu-Ray movies, Spider-Man 3, Casino Royale and 300. The bundle will retail at 399 Euros and is due to hit shelves on the 19th of March.

Apparently the GT5 Prologue bundle will be released across Europe and the UK but so far it seems like the movie bundle will only be released in Europe. Sony has yet to confirm any of the above details.

Sources: Game-Class; GameKult.com

Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil: Zero will be coming to the Wii, but only in Japan. This confirmation comes from Chris Kramer via Capcom’s blog after rumours of the port started circulating following a scan of a Famitsu magazine.

Kramer confirmed that the “new-old game” was in production but that it would “probably not” be coming to North America or Europe. He commented “For various boring corporate reasons, Capcom Entertainment and Capcom Europe have both decided to take a pass on this particular Wii-make.”

“We are watching the progress on the game, and if it ends up blowing up huge like RE4 Wii did, we’ll evaluate the possibility of bringing it over here and flipping the lingo sos that y’all can read it. In the meantime, your old GC copies of RE: Zero run just fine in your Wii, sans wiggle-waggle action.”

New control system

Resident Evil: Zero is the fifth game in the popular Resident Evil series. It was the last of the series to use the original Resident Evil game play before Capcom changed to the over-the-shoulder perspective in Resident Evil 4. It is a prequel to the first Resident Evil and follows Rebecca Chamber’s ordeal a day prior to the ‘Mansion’ incident. The game also introduced a new character to gamers, Billy Coen, an escaped convict.

It was released in 2003 for the GameCube but now is being remade for the Wii by Capcom Japan to take advantage of the Wii’s controls by incorporating a new control system. Famitsu report that the game will be called BioHazard 0: Wii Edition in Japan (bear in mind that the Resident Evil series is known as BioHazard in Japan).

Konami has announced that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for the PS3 will be released across Europe on the 12th of June.

MGS4 will be released on a Blu-Ray disc which will contain both the game disc as well as Kojima Productions’ Metal Gear Online, an online title that makes use of game play elements as well as locations from the game.

The press release did not detail the MGS4 Online beta but did mention a public beta version of Metal Gear Online before the release of the game and promised that “full details” would be announced “shortly.” So it seems that the beta will be released across Europe as well.

MGS4 and Online beta detailed for the US

Earlier Konami confirmed that MGS4 would be released across the US on the 12th of June. However, it was uncertain whether Europe would get the game on the same date.

Konami also previously announced that the Online beta would begin in the US on the 21st of April and run for roughly two weeks. Details of the beta were given including pre-ordering the game being a prerequisite to sign up for the beta. Konami also revealed that the pre-order package of the game would include some extras such as a Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD, trailers and bios. It was also unclear at this stage whether the beta would just be available across North America.

Game play and story

The final chapter in Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series, MGS4 takes place in the future where hand-picked mercenaries are used by conglomerates in the fight for supremacy. Players will see this battle scarred world through the eyes of an older Solid Snake as he sets about infiltrating various locations including South America and the Middle East. MGS4 offers innovative combat elements as well as a refined control system and promises to tie up key plot lines and loose ends.

The stealth and combat features of the game have been combined in Metal Gear Online. Players will be dropped into various war zones and game options including Last Man Standing battles as well as rescue and protect missions. It supports online game play with up to 16 players.

Go!Messenger, the new wireless communication package from SCEE and BT, for the PSP launches today.

Go!Messenger means that PSP users can keep in touch with video chat (with Go!Cam attached), voice chat and instant messaging from anywhere in the world. The service allows PSP users to connect via any wireless internet connection, including over 2 500 BT Openzone hotspots in and around city centers. The service is for free apart from broadband connection costs.

Stephane Hareau, PSP European Marketing Manager commented “Enabling more than 8.5 Million PSP users across the SCEE region to communicate with each other, through Video or Voice chat, truly confirms the always evolving nature and potential of PSP.”

“For the first time, the PSP community can stay constantly connected through voice and video chat and instant messaging both in and out of the home. We believe that this exciting development will only help SCEE to attract even more customers for the PSP” stated Warren Buckley, BT Group Director Mobility & Convergence.

Konami has confirmed that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be released in North America on the 12th of June.

Earlier in the week Sony announced that Metal Gear Solid 4 would be launched in late quarter 2 of 2008. They also took the wraps off a MGS4 PS3 bundle (including an 80GB PS3, a copy of the game as well as a rumbling DualShock controller) and revealed that the Metal Gear Online multiplayer beta test would begin in April.

Beta test begins 21 April, extra content if you pre-order

In a MGS4 FAQ posted on SCEA’s PlayStation blog, Konami Director of Public Relations, Michael Shelling, addressed numerous questions surrounding the release of the game.

Shelling confirmed that the Metal Gear Online Starter Pack, which is included with the game, is “a squad-based, online multiplayer tactical shooter that supports up to 16 players and takes place in the Metal Gear Solid universe.”

He also confirmed that the beta test will begin on the 21st of April and will run for “approximately two weeks.” You can qualify for the best test in the US by pre-ordering the game from all major retailers in April.

If you pre-order MGS4 you will also receive the Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD (with a Prologue recapping the Metal Gear franchise), a 20th Anniversary retrospective, character biographies for Big Boss, Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake and Solid Snake as well as a collection of international trailers of MGS4.

Details on how to join the beta test

In the pre-order package gamers will find an insert with a download code as well as special instructions as to how to access the Metal Gear Online beta test when it goes live in April. The special pre-order package will “only be available while supplies last.”

Should Konami find additional promotional partners, the beta access might be available for those who don’t pre-order the game, however, this has yet to be confirmed.

“Blockbuster events and premieres are a tradition of the summer,” said Kazumi Kitaue, Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. Chairman and CEO. “We anticipate that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots fits that bill perfectly, and consumers will be waiting in line to get their copy of the game just like it’s a hit Hollywood movie.”

MGS4 has yet to be dated for Europe.

[UPDATE] Konami has announced that MGS4 will also be launched across Europe on the 12th of June.

Activision has announced that a new downloadable track pack is now available for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. A three pack song pack from popular band No Doubt has joined the Guitar Hero III ranks.

The three songs are taken off No Doubt’s famous Tragic Kingdom album and include ‘Don’t Speak,’ ‘Excuse Me Mr’ and ‘Sunday Morning.’ The song pack is now available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.

SingStar fans will be delighted to know that the SingStar Store will be updated with 67 new songs on the 7th of March. This news is according to semi-official blog Threespeech which lists the songs, 46 of which are English and the remainder German (8), Italian (8), Norwegian (3) and Spanish (2).

The SingStar Store is an online database for the PS3 version of SingStar. It will be updated with songs from various genres and artists including Britney Spears, The Spice Girls, A-ha and Dawid Bowie.

Here is the full list of new songs:

English songs

Aha – “The Sun Always Shines on TV”

Alice Cooper – “Poison”

Big Brovaz – “Nu-Flow”

Bill Joel – “Uptown Girl”

Blu Cantrell – “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)”

Blur – “End of a Century”

Britney Spears – “Baby One More Time”

Coldplay – “Speed of Sound”

Crash Test Dummies – “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”

David Bowie – “Heroes”

Dragon – “April Sun in Cuba”

Elvira Nickolaisen – “Egypt Song”

End of Fashion – “Oh Yeah”

Fairground Attraction – “Perfect”

Feeder – “Buck Rogers”

Five – “Keep On Movin’”

Jamelia – “Superstar”

Jamelia – “Stop”

Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

Lemar – “It’s Not That Easy”

Lordi – “Hard Rock Hallelujah”

Maria Mena – “My Lullaby”

Maximo Park – “Graffiti”

Maximo Park – “Going Missing”

Natalie Imbruglia – “Torn”

Opus X – “Loving You Girl”

Paddy Casey – “Saints and Sinners”

Paddy Casey – “Whatever Gets You True”

Reamonn – “Supergirl”

Roachford – “Only to Be With You”

Rooster – “Come Get Some”

Roxy Music – “Love is the Drug”

Shannon Noll – “What About Me”

Spice Girls – “Wannabe”

Spice Girls – “Who Do You Think You Are?”

Steps – “Deeper Shade of Blue”

Stereophonics – “Dakota”

Stereophonics – “The Bartender and The Thief”

The Darkness – “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”

The Hoosiers – “Goodbye Mr A”

The Screaming Jets – “Better”

The Thrills – “One Horse Town”

The Thrills – “Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far)”

The Undertones – “Teenage Kicks”

Trio Rio – “New York, Rio, Tokyo”

Whitney Houston – “I Want to Dance With Somebody”

German songs

Clueso-“Kein Bock Zu Geh’n”

Die Fantastischen Vier-“Geboren”

Laith Al-Deen-“Leb Den Tag”

Laith Al-Deen-“Bilder von Dir”

MIA-“Tanz Der Molekule”

Pur-“Abenteuerland”

Revolverheld-“Ich werd’ die Welt verandern”

Revolverheld-“Mit Dir Chilln”

Italian songs

Alexia – “Egoista”

Alexia – “Da Grande”

Daniele Silvestri – “Saliro”

Fiorello – “Viviere a Color”

Litfiba – “El Diablo”

Loredana Berte - “Il Mare D’Inverno”

Luca Di Risio – “Calma e sanguefreddo”

Paola and Chiara – “Blu”

Norwegian songs

Jan Eggum – “Paan igjen”

Kaptein Sabeltann – “Vi seiler var egen sjo”

Philip and Sandra – “Sommerflort

Spanish songs

Gloria Estefan – “Hoy”

Pereza – “Pienso en Aquella Tarde”

All hardware sales in Japan experienced a decline for the week ending the 24th of February.

According to the latest figures from Media Create, Nintendo’s Wii still leads the pack with 63 504 units sold. Last week the Wii sold 78 583 units but its current sales still place it firmly at the front of the next-gen consoles, roughly 49 000 units ahead of the PS3 and 61 000 units ahead of the Xbox 360 to be precise.

The handheld race has been contentious for the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago the PSP led by quite a margin, however, the Nintendo DS emerged as the victor last week, although the winning margin was slightly smaller. This week the PSP sells 53 373 units to take second place on the hardware chart and claim first prize in the handheld race. The Nintendo DS sold slightly less than the PSP with 50 151 units, so the competition is far from over. The PSP sold 59 654 units last week in comparison to the Nintendo DS which sold 62 362 units.

The PS3 sold 14 060 units this week, down from last week’s 17 637 units. These figures also mean that the Wii outsold the PS3 by over 3-to-1 in Japan this week. The PS2 dropped from 11 266 units last week to 9 634 units. The Xbox 360 sold 2 001 units in comparison to last week 2 198 units, meaning that the Wii outsold the Xbox 360 by nearly 29-to-1.

If you missed the software chart for the week ending the 24th of February, read Super Smash Bros still brawling.

Hardware Chart

Source: Media Create

NIS America, the local branch of Nippon Ichi Software, has revealed that Disgaea is headed to North American PS3s this August. This will be the series debut on a next-generation console. Disgaea is a turn-based, ‘hardcore’ strategy RPG which became popular on the PS2 and PSP.

New cast, story and game play

Developed by Nippon Ichi Software, Disgaea 3 is the third installment in the series and was released last month in Japan. The game features character units with limited moves and attack ranges based on levels and which weapons are equipped. Disgaea 3 features a new cast including a new main character, story and game system. It will feature 2D characters and 3D backgrounds as the previous games did.

The game will also be set in the Netherworld and players can also expect penguin helpers known as Prinnies. Players will again need to level up their equipment and characters in Item Worlds, a special randomly generated battle stage within each item that you can defeat to strengthen your items. The Geo Panel system also returns which allows for unit’s stats to be boosted or reduced when coloured panels emerge on the battle grid.

Players will be able to use a new game play mechanic called the Geo Block system which allows players to change battlefield terrain to a 3D battle instead of the traditional 2D as well as reach and attack enemies that would normally be out of reach.

A recent article by Reuters reports that the Nintendo Wii outsold Sony’s PS3 by nearly 4-to-1 in Japan in February.

Enterbrain figures show that the Wii sold 331 627 units in the four weeks ending the 24th of February. The PS3 sold just 89 131 units for the same period while Microsoft’s Xbox 360 sold 14 079 units.

The figures also show that the gap between the Wii and PS3 is widening, with the Wii outselling the PS3 by roughly 3-to-1 in January.

Turning to the software side of things, Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl sold 1.33 million units to become the best-selling software title for February in Japan. Nintendo’s Wii Fit sold 309 311 units in the same period.

Sega has announced a new Wii exclusive game mode for The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return.

Extreme Mode will be made available after players have beaten The House of the Dead 2 and The House of the Dead III. It is a special single player mode in The House of the Dead III, however, it features various game play changes. While the action will be more frenzied with quicker enemy attacks and the bullet blast radius much smaller, players will be able to reload the shotgun faster and take advantage of a new melee attack.

Simply press ‘A’ when the enemy is within melee range and the new melee attack will hit several enemies. You can also block enemy attacks, missile weapons and boss attacks with the new melee attack. After each melee attack you have to reload so don’t abuse it.

The House of the Dead 2 & 3 will be released on the Wii in March and supports the Wii Zapper.

Using the Wii Zapper or the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, players can look forward to experiencing branching storylines as well as more than 6 game modes including Arcade Mode and Time Attack Modes to test their shooting skills. The game features a single player campaign as well as a co-op multiplayer mode for up to two players.

Codemasters has announced that its popular action adventure Overlord series will debut on the PS3 this summer. Featuring “deliciously despotic Overlord and his horde of raucous minions”, Overlord: Raising Hell will include all expansion content in one exclusive edition.

Ruthless and despotic

Developed by Triumph Studios, the original Overlord for the Xbox 360 was well received last year, as was the Raising Hell expansion which later surfaced on Xbox Live Marketplace. Overlord: Raising Hell is set in a twisted fantasy world and sees players stepping into the shoes of a ruthless and despotic overlord as they pillage and conquer.

Little creatures known as Minions ensure that dark comedy is never far behind the raiding action! Minions are loyal and use their skills to fetch, fight and die for their overlord. Minions are opportunists and will rob opponents to arm and protect themselves. Get ready to build armies of up to 50 Minions as you explore and conquer the five domains.

Descend with your Minions

The game features a series of extra hellish levels, “each a supernatural abyss for the game’s five kingdoms.” The undead protect each abyss so players will have to descend into the underworld with their Minions to defeat their opponents.

Overlord: Raising Hell includes a complete collection of Overlord content plus online co-operative raiding and head-to-head carnage. The PS3 version will feature enhanced visuals, 7.1 surround sound and game play refinements such as a new on-screen mini-map.

Disney Interactive Studios has announced that it will be bringing a new music experience to the Wii and Nintendo DS. Ultimate Band is described as “the only all-inclusive music video game experience.”

Currently in development by Fall Line Studio in Salt Lake City, Ultimate Band is scheduled to be released during the 2008 holiday season. It is interesting to note that Ultimate Band was the first project the team began working on when Fall Line Studio was formed by Disney in November 2006.

Join in the jam session

Ultimate Band lets gamers of all ages jam alone or build their own band. The game does not require peripherals and gamers will use only the Wii controllers and the DS stylus to rock on the guitar, bass, drums or as the front man. It will feature an extensive selection of current hits, rock favourites and familiar classic, thanks largely to Disney working with “the very biggest names in rock, alternative, popular, emo and indie rock music” including Radial Music, London-based music consultants.

“Ultimate Band invites kids, tweens and teens to join in the jam session,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president, global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “And whether they choose guitar, drums, bass or front man, members don’t need to buy costly, single-function peripherals to play their way through Ultimate Band’s deep song list, dynamic venues, and customizable characters. The Wii Remote and DS stylus are the only tools they’ll need to reach rock stardom in Ultimate Band.”

“Radial worked closely with Disney to compile the perfect song list for Ultimate Band,” said David Hill of Radial Music. “With iconic songs from every decade since the 60s, these games feature music for everyone.”

The Wii and DS version unraveled

The Wii version will sees players starting their music careers in a garage as they endeavour to perform at a world famous venue before an international audience. Players will use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to play the drums, bass guitar, lead guitar or step into the shoes of the front man. The game also enables players to create and customize characters to reflect personal attributes and personalities. New songs, venues and accessories for band members can also be unlocked as players progress through the game.

The DS version is described as a “rhythm-based music game with a built-in recording studio.” Players will be able to jam to songs using the drums, lead guitar, bass guitar or rhythm guitar. You will be able to create original songs using the DS touchscreen and stylus by selecting tracks for each instrument before using creative mixing effects. Thanks to the DGamer functionality players will be able to engage with other jammers via their DS (Wi-Fi or ad hoc) or computer.

Nintendo has announced that Wii Fit will retail for £69.99 in the UK and 89.99 Euros across Europe.

Out on 25 April with Wii Balance Board

Last week Nintendo revealed that Wii Fit would be released across Europe on the 25th of April, nearly a month ahead of the game’s 19th of May release in North America. Wii Fit will reportedly retail for less, just $100 (about £50), in the US but this price has yet to be confirmed.

However, bear in mind that Wii Fit will come packaged with the Wii Balance Board which will be compatible with other titles in the future including Namco Bandai’s Family Ski.

Track your fitness and train

Wii Fit sees players exercising using the weight and motion sensing Wii Balance Board. Players will also be able to access the Wii Fit Channel which they can use to track their fitness progress. Wii Fit was released in Japan on the 1st of December last year and has sold over 1.4 million copies to date.

The game includes four training categories: aerobic exercises, muscle workouts, yoga and balance games. These categories are aimed to develop your bodily balance control ability, help tone and condition muscles, burn fat in the body and help increase aerobic stamina. In addition there are more than 40 different activities within the training categories including Hula Hoop, Ski Jump, Press-Up Challenge, Rhythm Boxing, Rowing Squat and Lunge. There are even classic Yoga poses such as Half Moon, Tree and Crocodile Twist.

Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl topped the Japanese software chart for another week. Media Create figures show that the Wii brawler sold 78 000 copies for the week ending the 24th of February.

Five new entries

The top ten is fresh this week with no fewer than five new titles so expect a bit of moving and shaking further down the chart. Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey II: The Royal Grail for the Nintendo DS debuted in second place with 69 000 copies, pushing last week’s number 2, Nintendo’s Wii Fit into number 3 with 62 000 copies.

Koei’s Musou Orochi for the PSP entered the chart in fourth place with 47 000 copies while Marvelous Entertainment’s Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness for the Nintendo DS debuted at number 5 with 45 000 copies. Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 from Konami for the Wii enters at number 6 with 36 000 copies and Capcom’s PS3 version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition debuts in seventh place with 23 000 copies. Spike’s Bioshock for the Xbox 360 is new at number 8 with 18 000 copies.

Nintendo’s Wii Sports drops four places to number 9 with 17 000 copies. The title is just shy of the 3 million sales mark, boasting life-to-date sales of 2.8 million. Nintendo’s DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games drops two places to round off the top ten with 15 000 copies. Mario & Sonic’s adventure is also selling well in the UK where it has topped the All Formats Chart for two consecutive weeks.

Last week’s winners

Konami’s Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side 2nd Season for the Nintendo DS plummets ten places to number 3 while Banpresto’s Poison Pink for the PS2 drops from last week’s number 4 to number 15. Capcom’s PS3 version of Devil May Cry 4 also takes a dive from number 9 to number 21 this week and Namco Bandai’s Mobile Suit Gundam: Gihren’s Ambition, The Axis Threat for the PSP follows suit by dropping from number 7 to number 22. Takara-Tomy’s Naruto: Shippuuden Dairansen! Kage Bunshin Emaki for the Nintendo DS drops fifteen spots to number 25.

Namco Bandai’s Family Ski moves up from last week’s number 16 to number 11 and Wii Play remains in twelfth place.

Predictions

If we breakdown the platforms featured in the top ten software titles, it looks something like this: Nintendo dominates with the Wii boasting four titles, the Nintendo DS with three and the PSP, PS3 and Xbox 360 with one title each. Taking this into account, the Wii is likely to be the top-selling console in Japan for another week. The Nintendo DS will probably beat the PSP to second place again, although the gap between the two from last week will in all probability be narrowed. The PS3 and Xbox 360 may experience a slight increase in their sales but it certainly won’t be anything to write home about. Make sure you check back tomorrow for the hardware chart.

Brush up on last week’s hardware chart, Wii tops, DS pips PSP and software chart, Super Smash Bros. Brawl still topping software chart.

Hardware Chart

Source: Media Create