What Are You Playing This Weekend?

This weekend I’m going to decide between my DS Lite and PSP. You see, I’m going to Asia on Sunday for another super secret project. I only want to bring one system. I can fill a lot of time with excellent DS RPGs like Glory of Heracles, Pokemon SoulSilver, and Dragon Quest IX. Then again the PSP’s power adapter will definitely work in the various countries I’m hitting (DS is 11o only) and I can download lots of great games for my trip (carrying physical media is stupid). Hmmmm, Final Fantasy IX on a trans-Pacific flight sounds like a great idea….

Anyway, what’s on your weekend playlist?

iPhone 4 No Longer Available Without a Contract in America?

If you want an iPhone 4 but don’t want to be a slave to AT&T for two years then you’re SOL. 9to5Mac noticed that Apple has updated its iPhone 4 FAQ to state, ” iPhone requires a two-year AT&T wireless service contract.” (I wonder if unlocked models from Canada and Mexico still require a contract….)

Some people are thinking that this is another sign of AT&T losing iPhone exclusivity in the near future. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. It certainly sucks that American consumers don’t have the option to buy the phone outright and pay for month-to-month service.

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PlayStation 3 Jailbreak Available via USB?

As RPadholic smartguy pointed out, OzModChips is selling a product called PS3 Jailbreak that allegedly…wait for it…jailbreaks your PlayStation 3 console. In addition to playing copied games, an open PS3 would support custom firmware, homebrew gaming, and more. Sony can’t be thrilled with this development and I’m sure its lawyers will do everything in its power to shut it down, similar to how Nintendo is waging war against the R4 “backup” cartridge for Nintendo DS.

That said, there are several useful applications for PS3 Jailbreak (if it works as promised). Developers that can’t afford extra debug units to play early builds of games get a cheaper solution with this product. Journalists (and verbal entertainers) that can’t get debug kits from Sony have a way to play early builds and earn preview money. While I’m sure that this product will be demonized by console manufacturers and game publishers, it’s not inherently bad.

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PSP 2 Has Touch Controls on its Butt?

According to three of Eurogamer’s sources, the next PlayStation Portable console has touch-sensitive controls…that are placed behind the screen. If you’ve ever played with the Motorola Backflip then you know what I’m talking about. If not, picture an electronics slab that’s mostly screen on the front, controlled by motions on the back of the device. Here’s the deal:

According to three separate development sources who have seen and used the new PSP, the screen is rich and detailed but the headline feature is the way games are controlled — by a touch-sensitive area on the back of the unit behind the screen.

One source told us he expects it to launch by the end of 2011, although another was less convinced, believing we won’t see anything for at least a couple of years. Sony has not specified when it will release a successor to the current platform.

It’s thought that Sony considered a disc-based storage solution for the new PSP, but has since decided against it following developer feedback. Flash media support, similar to the PSPgo, seems most likely.

Eurogamer has even more details on the system. The article is definitely worth supporting and checking out.

Are any of you down with controlling a handheld console by fingering it?!? *snicker*

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DanceMasters Gamescom 2010 Screens Are Frickin’ Hilarious!

Considering that most of you weren’t nearly as excited as I was with Dance Central at E3 2010, I’m guessing that most of you will not care about DanceMasters for Xbox 360. Stay with me though. This Kinect game is being made by the Dance Dance Revolution people and those peeps know rhythm games. More importantly (for the purposes of this post), the screens are awesomely hilarious! I might have to ironically like this game similar to how I loved Britney’s Dance Beat for PlayStation 2.

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Darkspore Gamescom 2010 Screens

One of EA’s more recent and curious announcements was Darkspore for PC. Loosely — and I mean loosely — based on the Spore universe, the action-RPG looks like a sci-fi version of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance or Marvel Ultimate Alliance. I absolutely love these kinds of games, so even though I didn’t care for Spore, I might give this one a go. What say you?!?

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Dead Space 2 Gamescom 2010 Screens

I was very impressed with Dead Space 2 when I saw it at E3 2010 for Shacknews. The game appears to retain the creepy atmosphere and sense of helplessness that made the original so cool while adding new features that round out the gameplay. Check out the latest screens and let me know if you’re interested in this thriller from Visceral.

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T-Mobile’s First HSPA+ Phone is…the G2!

Remember when T-Mobile launched a teaser site for its upcoming HSPA+ Android phone? The site has been updated to reveal that the phone is the T-Mobile G2. The rumor is that this phone is the HTC Blaze with an HSPA+ radio — 3.7-inch screen, slide-out keyboard, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, etc. I’m hoping it’s more than that; 3.7-inch screens are so 2009 and the miracle of Swype means that I no longer a physical keyboard. While this phone will almost definitely have a keyboard, I’m hoping that the G2 comes with a 4.3-inch screen.

Any of you interested in the G2? What features do you want it to have? On a side note, Amazon has the Samsung Vibranton sale for $0.01!!! Looks like inventory is being cleared to make way for T-Mo’s September and November models.

Mortal Kombat Gamescom 2010 Screens

Mortal Kombat was on my list of games I wish I played at E3 2010, but didn’t have time to check out. The latest screens have me wishing I was in Germany, hanging out with other game writers, drinking large steins of beer, and playing this game. It looks old-school cool! These latest screens feature Cyrax, Sektor, Reptile, Kung Lao, Kitana, and more. Check ’em out!

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