Playstation Store Launches Worldwide!

We’re extremely late on this news story, and I apologize (especially since we’ve only been covering the store for a gabillion months now, including in our Holiday Guide), but in case you haven’t heard, SONY has released its Playstation Store worldwide on PC, without any real release date. Though we appreciate it, we’re just a bit ticked off that SONY didn’t announce any release date–I’m sure more people will use it as we get further into the PSP’s life cycle, but right now, considering that only online junkies (like you and myself) know about it, there’s little chance the non-internet PSP owner will use it. There is no PSP-direct store yet, FYI, so you’re still forced to connect your computer, but you now have access to PS1-games, demos, and more: all in one place. Of course, this is not it. It’s a late-night here at BGL as I will soon be uploading some photos of my first experiences in downloading a freebie followed by an actual PSOne game. (First, I have to delete half of everything on my Memory Stick 🙂 ) Check the store out here.

DEMO: Warhammer 40,000 Squad Command

DEMO: At first sight of the name Warhammer, I found it familiar, but I kept saying, “What the hell is this?” After some good research, I found that it’s basically war in a futuristic setting–say the 41st millennium, with soldiers, weaponry, and more. The game is making an appearance on PSP this year as Warhammer 40,000 Squad Command, and a demo is finally available for you to check out. Seeing that no demos have come on the horizon since this past summer, you should definitely check this one out. I’ll have my first impressions sooner or later. Download it here. [Thanks, PSPFanboy]

Breaking/Developing: PSP Playstation Store Coming in 2008

More good news…SONY has announced that the Playstation Store will soon be compatible without the expensive PS3 as a requirement. This winter, SONY is set to unveil the PC version of the Playstation Store and next year, they’ll soon have a PSP-embedded store. Being that SONY has recently pledged to bringing more downloadable content rather than UMDs and Blu-Ray discs, there’s a high percentage that we’ll actually see it on time. And, according to Kotaku, at least eight games will be on the PSP by 2008 available via the PC-vert of the PSN. Unfortunately, we do have to wait for this one, but the chances are very high and it’s likely that SONY won’t dupe us out of this one. Stay tuned.

[Via Kotaku and PSPFanboy]

E307: SONY Press Conference [Breakdown]

SONY Press Conference
Keynotes & Impressions

This afternoon at 11:30AM PDT/2:30PM EDT, SONY held their annual press conference, hoping to spark interest in their two current-generation devices and keep interest in their last-generation device. Like Jack Tretton, SONY President of America, said, it was all about the games, but SONY had some nice surprises that surely didn’t disappoint. For one, an updated PSP hardware, the introduction of several high-profile PS3 games, and a very long (and clearly exciting) Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer that was near-simultaneously launched around big announcements from Hideo Kojima and Jack Tretton were breathtaking.

Here’s our breakdown of the big conference:

E307: SONY Press Conference

Today, I live-blogged the SONY press conference in parts; most of my comments are notes and complaints. I am going to break down the interview into smaller words for those who just don’t want to read all that much. Thanks so much for you time!

Part One: SONY is showing the different color backgrounds of their XMBs on the PS3 and PSP before the conference…and now SONY is showing a video montage with the PS3, PSP, and O, X, and triangle buttons. Jack Tretton is speaking from Home, the MMO that SONY has been hyping. “Looking good, ladies!” exclaims Tretton at the sight of three virtual women, and then Tretton comes out in real life. Now, he’s promising GAMES, GAMES, and more GAMES, along with “a few surprises”. Oooh, LOCOROCO 2, MUCH? Tretton is going over the PS3 price-cut stuff right before he reminds everyone that surprises are also coming. Check after the jump for more SONY press conference notes!

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 Demo Available

SOCOM’s headset support, online gameplay, and amazing graphics have made the game very popular. Though a sequel is on its way, it might be time to check out SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 because its finally at discount prices and still boasts the very important infrastructure capabilities. You can download the demo here.

[Via PSPFanboy]

MLB 07: The Show Demo Now Available

Baseball season might’ve arrived a month ago, but it isn’t too late to get into MLB 07: The Show. The critically acclaimed major league game offers some of the best baseball for SONY’s PS2 and PSP and it also includes some enticing bonuses. You’ll get a bit of gameplay here (like NBA 07’s demo; we’re supposing a game between the Yanks and Sox, but we haven’t downloaded yet), but don’t expect to see any 7 inning games. Talking about the Yankees, they’re sure doing great this year! </sarcasm> Download it here.

New LocoRoco Demo Available

Don’t be surprised to see another LocoRoco game (and another slew of demos), but for now, enjoy this latest level demo for download from the Japanese Playstation website. Like many other demo versions, it’s just one level, but one unique to the actual game. Thank you, SONY. Download it here.

Lumines 2 Demo Now Available

Perhaps one of the most unique games ever known to man is Lumines, the addictive puzzler that has dazzled pretty much every critic. The sequel brought little more to the game, but still brought a very good experience overall. Finally, Q? Entertainment has made a demo available for download. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy. You can download it here.

NBA 07 Demo Now Available

SONY has always made a big deal about its sports games claiming that they are simply the best. While we couldn’t agree more that NBA Live 07 simply sucked more than this game could ever, this game is still not all that great. For one, graphics are just as horrible as they look here and secondly, the game’s depth and uniqueness is terrible. Shooting a basket is complicated for the novice. It’s not the kind of “pick up and play right” sort of thing. Luckily, though, you will be able to try out a demo that SONY is offering to see how horrible it actually is! Download the demo here.