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#PS3 New Releases
- Disney Sing It: Family Hits $39.99
- Superstars V8 Racing $39.99

#News
- Socom 4 is moved to 2011
http://www.socom.com/en-us/Blog/Post?id=340
- Firmware 3.41 added store recommendations but not yet http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/07/26/next-ps3-firmware-update-adds-playstation-store-recommendations/
- PSP firmware 6.31 improves “software stability”
- LBP2 release 11/16 with lots of retail goodies http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/07/23/littlebigplanet-2-updates-official-date-and-retail-goodness/
- Critter Crunch free to PS+ users
- MAG’s August update making Supression mode faction neutral http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/27/mag-update-deploying-in-august-making-suppression-mode-faction/

#What We’re Playing
#Review of Trinity Universe
#Review of NieR
#Review of Hexyz Force
#Impressions of BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
#Impressions of Madden 11 Demo
#Impressions of the PSP Digital Comics

#Emails
#Comedian is Eugene Mirman

#Theme Music provided by ‘It Is Written’
http://www.myspace.com/itiswrittenband
http://www.facebook.com/pages/It-Is-Written/44757816299

LONDON, ENGLAND: PlayStation 3 owners! Hide your treasured possessions and cover your pets in bubble wrap, because Explodemon! will be hitting PlayStation Network with a bang this Q4.

Explodemon! is a 2.5D platform action game brought kicking and screaming into the HD era. Influenced by classic Japanese games from the golden era of the SNES, players use Explodemon’s self-destructive nature to combat enemies and fly through the air, all the while solving a huge variety of physics-based puzzles (and, naturally, causing incalculable collateral damage).

When the peaceful planet of Nibia is attacked by the malicious Vortex forces, the fate of the star system is thrust into the one pair of hands it shouldn’t be: the malfunctioning Guardian robot Explodemon. His comic quest to repel the onslaught and restore peace will take him across three distinct planets over twelve levels, with new abilities and gameplay mechanics introduced throughout.

“We’re really excited to finally be able to reveal Explodemon! to the world,” explains design director Jonathan Biddle, from a blast-proof bunker somewhere below the surface of Nibia. “The game is chock full of gameplay nuggets carefully mined from the greatest titles ever to grace our joysticks. Whether you’re experiencing its intense combat, head-scratching puzzles, or classic platforming, you’ll find we’ve combined all of these elements into an addictive and elegantly balanced package.”

Explodemon! is unrelenting, hard-core brain-tickling action for those who grew up playing platformers, as well as those who’ll discover just how awesome they were.

THE SKINNY (OR TL;DR)

Explodemon! is a 2.5D-styled platform game with a physics-puzzle twist
It’s out Q4 2010
It’s influenced by the classic Japanese games of old
It’s more than a little bit funny, or so our mums said
It’s really rather special and you want to write nice things about it
Follow us on Twitter! Exclusive things! News! Codes! @curvestudios

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Madden 11 Demo Impressions (PS3)
Publisher: EA Sports
Release Date: August 10, 2010

The demo clocks-in at just around 1.7GB, and allows you to play a full game (5 minute quarters) using the Jets and the Colts. The venue this year is Jets Stadium, in East Rutherford, NJ, and so far I haven’t seen anything but a single weather condition, sunny and nice with very little wind. All 4 skill levels are available, and a couple of the other options (like run-off time) are selectable, but of course with almost any demo, options are pretty limited. One other option that is quite welcome for a demo is the ability to custom-build both an offensive and defensive gameplan, so there’s actually quite a lot of depth for a demo. If you use this feature in the demo, it will actually unlock a trophy in the full game, which kind-of a neat incentive to try new features like this out.

The biggest addition for features this year is the ‘Gameflow’ system, which allows you to let your virtual coach call your plays for you. It’s selectable in real-time throughout the game, so you can actually switch back-and-forth depending on the play. I’ve played 3 full games using this mode only, and so far it seems to be very well done. The coach will talk to you after the play is called to explain his intentions, and even though he can get pretty wordy, the explanations actually help quite a bit. The great part is that if you don’t like the play that’s called, you can still audible out or even hit the playbook if there’s enough time on the clock. Also available is selectable coverage options, all accessible via the d-pad. Again, very streamlined this year and very easy to use once you learn where things are.

The other change this year is in the announcing team, which this year consists of Chris Collinsworth for commentary and play-by-play from Gus Johnson. Even though the audio seems a bit glitchy in the demo, the announcing is great this year (if you like Collinsworth.) They seem to be a more cohesive team this time around, but who knows how everyone will feel after playing through a season or ten.

Gameplay seems much more streamlined this year, as a lot of the functions have been moved from button presses to the right stick. The controls feel very natural, and especially the running game seems a lot more realistic. Tackling this year is better for the most part, but I had a couple of instances on kickoffs when I barreled straight at the guy returning the ball, and when I dove at him, I merely bounced off. Other than that though, the game feels a lot tighter than last year, and the new kicking mechanic is a very welcome change.

The presentation overall is very similar to what we’ve seen the last few years, but one improvement that really stands-out to me is that the random hitches that we were getting in Madden 10 seem to have been eliminated, at least in the demo. The flow of the game is great, and the fact that you get to play a full game in the demo is pretty sweet.

The demo hits the PSN on Tuesday, July 27th, and I encourage everyone to give it a try. It’s pretty solid overall, and after seeing the full game at E3, I’d say that it’s a good representation of the full game. It would have been nice to try online, but other than that, if the sound issues are fixed in the full game, Madden 11 is looking like it’ll be a winner.

ps I’ll try to post some video tonight

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#PS3 New Releases
- BlazBlue: Continuum Shift $39.99
- Clash of the Titans $59.99

#News
- Sony reports PS3 shortages resolved http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/16/sony-ps3-retail-shortages-have-been-resolved/
- Red Faction Movie Coming to SyFy, Bridges the gap between games
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/19/red-faction-origins-movie-to-debut-on-syfy-in-march-2011/
- New Sony Patent Suggests Another Use for Stereoscopic 3D
http://www.destructoid.com/new-sony-patents-suggest-another-use-for-stereoscopic-3d-179115.phtml (this could be bad ass if someone really takes advantage of it)
- Monkey Paw Games Bringing Over a Bunch of PSOne Classics to the US
http://www.gamerbytes.com/2010/07/monkeypaw_games_bringing_over.php
- Social games coming to Home http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/07/19/new-social-games-coming-to-playstation-home.aspx
- New Zen Pinball Table
http://www.gamerbytes.com/2010/07/mars_table_for_zen_pinball_inb.php

#What We’re Playing

#Writers Update
#Winner of the Dragon Age DLC contest

#Review of Landit Bandit
#Review of Young Thor
#Review of Gravity Crash PSP
#Emails
#Comedian is Patton Oswalt

#It Is Written
http://www.myspace.com/itiswrittenband
http://www.facebook.com/pages/It-Is-Written/44757816299

Email us at Podcast@PSNation.org

Voicemail line is: 715-502-9773
Or if you have Skype, use wdt-torgo
http://furiousgamer.com/
http://twitter.com/PS3Nation

**Playstation Nation Merch! http://zazzle.com/psnation

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#PS3 New Releases
- LIttle League World Series 2010 $39.99

#Interview with Stewart Gilray of Just Add Water for Gravity Crash PSP (and he reveals a new Oddworld project)

#News
- 3D Blu-ray update dated for September http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/12/3d-blu-ray-ps3-update-dated-for-september-youtube-3d-support-pl/
- WipeOut Museum in Home in honor of franchise’s 15th birthday http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/playstation-home-wipeout-museum-preserves-futuristic-racing-hi/
- Quantic Dream Working on Two New Projects
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29406/Heavy_Rain_Dev_Quantic_Dream_Working_On_Two_New_Projects.php
- PS3 Exclusive Mafia II Content is “Jimmy’s Vendetta”
http://www.destructoid.com/ps3-exclusive-mafia-ii-content-is-jimmy-s-vendetta–178877.phtml

#What We’re Playing

#Contest for the new Add-on for Dragon Age: Origins – Leliana’s Song
What’s your favorite movie about Dragons and why?

#Winners of the E3 Items in Home
-Question 1:
Q: What personal space did Home users get in Closed Beta?
A: Summer House

-Question 2:
Q: What color is the Staff jacket that officials wear?
A: Red

#Review of Transformers: War for Cybertron
#Review of Joe Danger
#Emails

#It Is Written
http://www.myspace.com/itiswrittenband
http://www.facebook.com/pages/It-Is-Written/44757816299

Comments?

These will be archived right here on our site in the Videos section that was just added to the navigation bar at the top of the page. Enjoy yourselves and please, if your retinas begin to burn, do like everyone else and Look Away!

Email us at Podcast@PSNation.org

Voicemail line is: 715-502-9773
Or if you have Skype, use wdt-torgo
http://furiousgamer.com/
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Check out our SPONSOR! Sign-up for the free trial and get a FREE Audio book (Only valid in the US and Canada)-
http://AudiblePodcast.com/PSNation

#PS3 New Releases
- NCAA Football 11 $59.99
- Little League World Series Baseball 2010 $39.99

#PS2 New Releases
- NCAA Football 11 $39.99

#News
- inFAMOUS 2 gameplay video
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/03/video-infamous-2-gameplay-now-with-more-cyclones/
- PlayStation Plus not needed for Hulu Plus “only a requirement during preview period”
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29295/Hulu_Says_PS3_Service_Wont_Require_Paid_PlayStation_Plus_Subscription.php
- Eye of Judgement online servers done 9/30
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/02/eye-of-judgment-online-servers-closing-in-september/
- PS3 hardware finally “breaking even”
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29167/Yoshida_After_Three_Years_PS3_Hardware_Breaking_Even.php
- Sony to consult Devs on Future Playstation Hardware
http://www.develop-online.net/news/35289/Sony-Developers-will-help-build-the-next-PlayStation

#What We’re Playing

#Contest for some exclusive items in Home. 2 trivia questions. (SCEA Territories only)
#Impressions of the Medal of Honor beta
#Emails
#Comedian is Greg Proops

#It Is Written
http://www.myspace.com/itiswrittenband
http://www.facebook.com/pages/It-Is-Written/44757816299