BURBANK, Calif. – (July 7, 2010) – Disney Interactive Studios today announced that after an explosive release for video game consoles, Windows PC and iPhone in May, Split/Second will be speeding onto the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and PSPGo. Split/Second, which was named Best Racing Game by Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2009, is expected to be available for these new handheld systems this holiday season.

In Split/Second, players don’t just race to the finish line to beat their opponents, they build up their power meter through deft driving and triggering “power plays,” explosive moments that take out opponents or alter the track. The game takes place within a hyper-competitive reality television show with city-sized sets rigged for destruction. Each track has numerous power plays that can be strategically triggered by skilled drivers. Competitors in Split/Second don’t just collide with other vehicles to knock them from the track — they can trigger blockbuster action film-like explosive events that drastically alter the dynamics of the race. Players must use strategy and pinpoint timing to derail opponents, tactically alter the track or create entirely new routes.

“Split/Second has become a hit with fans of racing and action games, and is the perfect fit for the PSP system,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “The explosive track altering features and fast arcade racing will have PSP system players worldwide playing it on-the-go or at home.”

Split/Second for the PSP system will include unique handling and controls designed specifically for Sony’s premier handheld game platform. The game will feature an exclusive new track and challenges not found on the current versions. In addition, the game also includes four-player local multiplayer.

For more information about Split/Second, go to http://www.splitsecondvideogame.com/

New York, NY – July 7, 2010 – 2K Sports today revealed the official cover art for NBA® 2K11 featuring Michael Jordan as the face of this year’s iteration of the top rated and top selling basketball simulation franchise*. The art style, featuring a highly-stylized, three-panel, iconic image of Jordan, represents a departure from previous NBA 2K titles to reflect the significance of having the greatest player of all time grace the cover.

“We knew as soon as we signed Jordan that we needed to do something special for the cover,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “This could possibly be the most highly anticipated cover art in the history of sports games and we think the image we came up with delivers on every front. I think fans will be pleasantly surprised at how Jordan is actually used in game, as NBA 2K11 will pay homage to ‘His Airness’ in many ways, but the cover art represented our first chance to stop and honor him along the way.”

“Its exciting to see it all come together,” said Michael Jordan, a recent Hall of Fame inductee. “I am looking forward to seeing the final product, but my kids might have to give me some lessons.”

NBA 2K11 is not yet rated by the ESRB and will be available October 5, 2010. To view the cover, please visit www.2ksports.com/nba2k11.

2K Sports is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

*According to 2008 – 2010 Gamerankings.com and The NPD Group estimates of U.S. retail video game sales through April 2010

Press Release:

“June 28, 2010 – Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) LLC today announced system software update (v3.40) for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system will be available soon, adding the PlayStation Plus subscription service package, enhancements to the connection between users’ PlayStation Network and Facebook accounts and other new features. Additionally, system software update (v6.30) for the PSP system will launch simultaneously with PS3 system software update (v3.40), adding PlayStation Plus compatibility as well as other minor features.

Main updated features from PS3 system software update (v3.40) include:

* PlayStation®Plus: A new subscription service package on PlayStation®Network, PlayStation Plus offers gamers exclusive services and content on June 29, 2010, worldwide. PlayStation Network users will be able to purchase membership* to PlayStation Plus, providing members with new options to enhance their gaming experience and enable them to gain a special set of features and content. All PlayStation Network users will continue to have free access to its unmatched and expanding suite of new and exclusive content, services and community focused tools – including online game play – while PlayStation Plus subscribers will gain access to an exclusive and expanding set of evolving features, content and functionality.

* Photo Gallery: A new network based photo sharing feature is now available on the Photo Gallery. The enhancement allows PS3 users to upload, browse and comment on photos on sites such as Facebook and Picasa Web Album. PS3 users can also opt to share their photos between their PlayStation Network friends.

* Video Editor & Uploader: Video Editor and Uploader is a new function found on the XrossMediaBar (XMB), which enables users to edit, save and upload video files stored on the PS3 system to sites such as Facebook or YouTube.*

* Five Star Rating Support: Users can rate PlayStation Store content they have purchased with one to five star ratings.

* Power Save Settings: The default setting for PS3 System Auto-Off will be set at two hours, providing users with additional power save options and further improving power save features on the PS3 system.

Additional Facebook Enhancements

In addition to the latest features introduced in PS3 system software update (v3.40), a separate, new PlayStation Network application will be made available on Facebook Platform. This builds upon what was previously launched with Trophies and the ability to share purchases from the PlayStation Store. Users can further integrate their PlayStation Network and Facebook accounts with this new application. The application allows them to display their PlayStation Network profile on Facebook, find out which of their Facebook friends have a PlayStation Network account and send them a PlayStation Network friend request, view the PlayStation Network friends’ online status, and add the PlayStation Network application tab on their Facebook Profile. More information will be available at: http://apps.facebook.com/playstation/

Continued system software upgrades and the evolution of PlayStation Network ensure that the PS3 and PSP systems remain compelling offerings for years to come, with no additional investment from consumers. Further details and instructions on how to update the system software for the PS3 and PSP systems are available at http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Features/SystemUpdate and http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/psp/“

Title: Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip (PSP)
Format: UMD & PSN
Release Date: 6/29/2010
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Clap Hanz
Price: $19.99

Gameplay:
It’s Tennis! The End…

Sorry, couldn’t resist. HST plays quite well in fact, with easy to understand controls, and support for both the d-pad and analog nub (I use the d-pad.) X is a normal hit, Circle is a Slice, and Triangle is a flat shot. If you’ve played a Tennis game on a games console before, this will make you feel right at home.

First off, this is not a clone of the PS2 game, and in fact, there are a lot of differences. The PS2 game was pretty limited by only offering a Quick Match and a thin progression mode. The PSP version expands in almost every way, and is a much more robust experience than what was offered on the PS2 (I know, it’s kinda surprising.)

Instead of just offering a simple progression system, Clap Hanz has fleshed-out a full story mode, which breaks the monotony up a bit, but quite frankly can be cumbersome occasionally. It’s a linear story that you follow, as you wander the world to ring the happiness of Tennis to all that you come in contact with, or something like that. At each locale, you’ll talk to characters throughout the area, and challenge most of them to a game of Tennis. Your opponents will range from regular Tennis players to Football Players, to a thinly-veiled clone of the Tennis version of American Idol (complete with a Judge named Simon.) The story can be funny at times, especially with the obvious fact that the localization team added a bit of flair on their own.

Each time, you win a match, you’ll unlock new items such as costumes or accessories, and this is where the similarities with the Hot Shots Golf titles really becomes apparent and quite welcome. The progression through the story is actually really good, and never seems too tough. Each locale is basically setup like a standard “level,” so you’ll fight through some minions to get to the “boss” of each locale. Defeat that boss, and he/she will join your group and become a playable character, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. You’ll even be challenged to Doubles matches occasionally, so you’ll pick one of your friends to play with you (controlled by the CPU.)

Also included is an Exhibition mode, so that you can play through different opponents and locales in quick, single matches up to multiple sets. Like Hot Shots Golf’s caddies, you now get the choice of umpires, and many are actually from HSG. Everything about this game says “Hot Shots,” and the fact that they’ve made this feel like my favorite Golf series is incredibly welcome. Another piece of that similarity is the fact that you can dress your character(s) in some pretty wild costumes, and you’re afforded a couple of slots to save different configurations in.

Visuals:
Especially when compared to the PS2 game, this one has been changed somewhat, but obviously those changes were made for the smaller screen of the PSP. Framerate is solid throughout, and the color palette is bright and smooth. Texture are crisp (unless you play on your TV,) and the animation is good enough for Tennis. The different locales are pleasing to look at, and each court has a unique flair to set each one apart. They’ve also included indicators on the court as to where the ball may hit when you’re aiming, which can really help see that small Tennis ball on the PSP’s smaller screen (especially since I’m playing on the PSPGo.)

Audio:
If you ever played any of the Hot Shots Golf games, you’ll recognize everything in the audio suite in this game. One nice addition they’ve included is the option to turn the music off during matches, as it can get a bit repetitive after a few hours. Voices are well done when you hear them, and all of the requisite Tennis sounds are present and well done.

Online/Multiplayer
Hot Shots Tennis allows 4-player Ad-Hoc wireless play along with Game Sharing, so only one of you needs to own the game to play. When I played 4-player Ad-Hoc at the PlayStation Blog meetup at E3 this year, it played extremely well. The game not out at the time that I’m writing this, so I don’t know if it will work with the PS3′s Ad-Hoc Party app.

Conclusion
At first, I wrote this game off as a throwaway, then I realized that I killed the battery on my PSP by playing it that much. I’m having a blast in the story mode, and the fact that most matches only last 5-6 minutes makes it a great title for sneaking-in a couple of quick games during a break. For 20 bucks, there’s a lot of fun to be had, and especially if you’ve liked other Tennis titles on the SNES and Turbgrafx, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. I’m just wondering if “Tennis King” is the final boss in this one too

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Press Release:

Sony Computer Entertainment America Offers Unrivaled Entertainment and Value Through New Initiatives for the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) Platform

$9.99 PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) ‘Favorites,’ PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) go system ‘Digital Game Pack’ and New PSP ‘Greatest Hits’ Titles Available This June

FOSTER CITY, Calif., June 1 — Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced it will offer consumers incredible value with three new initiatives for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. Starting on June 1, a new PSP “Favorites” software line, which offers existing PSP titles for $9.99, will make its debut. Additionally, a PSP(PlayStation®Portable) go “Digital Game Pack” will be available to new purchasers, offering PlayStation®Network downloadable game vouchers for three premiere PSP titles. Furthermore, the PSP system’s “Greatest Hits” library will grow to more than 60 titles with four newly added games. With more than 17 million units sold in the U.S. to date and an extensive 2010 software lineup, PSP continues to showcase the best in portable gaming while offering a wide variety of affordable entertainment options to consumers.

“PSP is the premiere destination for full-scale, console quality gaming experiences on-the-go, and we’re very pleased to be able to bring our consumers such tremendous value,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. “These initiatives not only add value to the platform overall, but also complement the robust software lineup we’ll see from both first and third-party publishers in 2010. It is easier now more than ever for new and existing PSP owners to build up their gaming libraries with amazing content.”

At $9.99 (MSRP), the new PSP “Favorites” software line offers some of the PSP system’s most popular games at an incredible price. Available at participating retailers, PSP Favorites feature a wide variety of genres from family-friendly gaming to first-person shooters. Software titles included in the PSP Favorites line are:

· Ape Escape®: On the Loose
· Buzz! ™ Master Quiz
· Hot Shots Golf Open Tee®
· LocoRoco™ 2
· Patapon™ 2
· PixelJunk™ Monster Deluxe
· SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo
· Syphon Filter®: Logan’s Shadow
· Twisted Metal: Head On™

In addition, third-party software titles such as Justice League Heroes™ (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), Manhunt™ 2 (Rockstar Games), Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), Pinball Hall of Fame: Williams Collection (Crave Entertainment), Silent Hill ®: Origins (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.), Sims 2 (Electronic Arts), The Warriors™ (Rockstar Games) and many more will also be included in the new Favorites line.

For consumers eyeing the PSPgo system, the first all-digital, full-game handheld entertainment system on the market to date, the new PSPgo system’s “Digital Game Pack” will include PlayStation®Network downloadable game vouchers for three premiere PSP titles. When purchasing a PSPgo system at major retailers in North America between June 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011, consumers can download the following titles at no additional cost:

· LittleBigPlanet™ (PSP®)
· Ratchet and Clank®: Size Matters
· SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3

Similar to the “Greatest Hits” line available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the PSP system’s Greatest Hits have reached a significant sales threshold and represent the highest caliber of quality software titles available on the PSP system. Available for $19.99 (MSRP), the newest additions to the PSP system’s Greatest Hits library include:

· Gran Turismo™
· LittleBigPlanet™ (PSP system)
· Resistance: Retribution®
· Secret Agent Clank®

From the new $9.99 PSP Favorites, an expanding Greatest Hits library, a PSPGo Digital Game Pack, and exclusive Entertainment Packs, PSP continues to redefine the notion of portable entertainment and will see great momentum in 2010. With highly anticipated titles from Sony Computer Entertainment such as God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Hot Shots Tennis: Get A Grip, Invizimals™, upcoming third-party releases including KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep (Square Enix), METAL GEAR SOLID®: PEACE WALKER (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.) and many more arriving later this year, PSP continues to deliver unparalleled gaming experiences only possible on the PSP platform

Press Release:

FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 25 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced that programming from HBO, the premium cable television network, is available starting today on the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system, the first gaming system to offer HBO original television programming. PlayStation®Network’s video delivery service now features HBO content for purchase in the United States on the PlayStation®3 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) systems.

Beginning today, the following popular shows from the award-winning cable network are available on the HBO section of PlayStation®Store (navigate to the HBO section by selecting TV Shows> Networks> HBO), with more titles and additional seasons to be added each week:

* New release and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning series “True Blood®,” season two in addition to season one
* Golden Globe®-winning drama series “Big Love®,” seasons one through three
* Golden Globe®-winning comedy series Entourage®,” seasons one and two
* Comedy hit “Eastbound and Down®,” season one
* Multiple seasons from HBO signature shows such as “The Sopranos®,” “Sex and the City®,” “The Wire®,” “Rome®,” “Da Ali G Show®,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm®,” and “Flight of the Conchords®”

“The HBO library of premium original content is a perfect example of how PS3 has become the most content rich entertainment platform in the living room,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA. “When you combine the iconic programming from HBO with the existing TV, film, live sports and original programming available on PlayStation Network, our customers have access to the content they want, when they want it, at home or on the go with the PSP.”

“We’re extremely pleased to offer our premium programming on Sony Computer Entertainment’s PS3 system,” said Henry McGee, president, HBO Home Entertainment. “This premier gaming system will offer an exciting new way for consumers to purchase HBO’s award-winning programming.”

“HBO’s innovative and popular programming rounds out Sony’s premium TV content offering and enables consumers to enjoy an even wider array of award-winning mini-series and episodic content,” said Michael Aragon, general manager, Global Digital Video Distribution and Operations for Sony Network Entertainment.

Title: ModNation Racers
Format: UMD / PSN Download
Release Date: May 26, 2010
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: United Front Games / SCE San Diego Studios
Price: $29.99

Gameplay:
ModNation Racers uses many of the kart racing standards like drifting, turbo boosts, shortcuts & weapons.  MNR introduces a few new twists which help increase the depth of gameplay considerably.

Performing drifts and other maneuvers fills an on-screen meter that represents up to three levels of power.  This power can then be used for turbo, weapons and/or a shield.  Deplete the meter and perform more drifts or tricks to refill it.

Want to go on an offensive and take out a couple opponents or would you prefer to boost your way to the head of the pack?  Maybe instead you plan to boost to the front but save enough power to activate a shield in case an opponent decides to attack.  These game decisions add a level of strategic depth never before seen in a kart racer.  Not to mention the fact that all are well balanced.  No longer will you race all the way to the end of a race just to get knocked out by an overpowered super weapon.  The cheap moves associated with so many kart racers aren’t present in ModNation Racers which puts a much greater emphasis on racing and strategy.  Also missing is what is commonly referred to as “rubber banding.”  Opponents aren’t provided extra speed and more powerful weapons in order to quickly catch up to your racing position.

ModNation’s weapons leverage the power meter and provide varying levels of  attacks.  A first level sonic attack emits a series of rings around the player knocking nearby opponents off the track while a third level lightning strike covers the sky and shoots down bolts of electricity.  If weapons aren’t available opponents can also be attacked by the use of takedowns.  You can stomp and side swipe opponents or of course be hit by one yourself.

Career mode walks players through a series of races while also providing a glimpse into some of the creation aspects of the game.  The associated story is humorous and offers a few smiles and a couple laugh out loud moments.  Each career race is broken into three main objectives; Advanced, Payoff and Bonus.  All three can be earned in one race or can be attained separately through multiple attempts.  Some of the Payoff objectives are quite challenging which helps to lengthen an otherwise short career mode.  Single player is broken into three different race types.  Action race allows weapons, Pure race turns the weapons off and Last Man Standing eliminates the last player within a user defined amount of time.  When it’s set to 30 seconds for example the last place driver is eliminated every 30 seconds.  Rinse and repeat until only 1 player remains or until your character is eliminated.

Career and Single player not enough for you?  Well then, do whatever you want.  Literally.  ModNation Racers has an easy to use and robust creation tool set that can be used to create and edit karts, drivers and tracks.  Create your own or download go online and download someone else’s.  Either way ModNation Racers will have new life breathed into it for years to come.  Not all creation elements are open and available immediately but all can be attained by completing the various stages of the game.

Unfortunately at the time of this review online was not functioning, so I can’t include those aspects of the game in my review.  I will return to and amend my review if the online components affect the review score either positively or negatively.  Online modes include multiplayer and content sharing.

Button layouts are completely customizable and allow for steering both on the directional pad and the analog stick.  I play mostly using the directional.

Visuals:
The entire game including tracks and characters uses similar if not the same set of creation elements available to the player.  To illustrate the insane amount of depth in the creation tools all characters, karts and tracks are crafted with lots of bright colors and pizazz.  Graphically the game looks very sharp and ranks up there as one of the best looking titles available on the PSP.  Has a style all it’s own.  The cut scenes in career mode look as good as it’s PS3 counterpart.  Framerate is smooth and consistent even when there are many opponents on screen.

Audio:
Voiceovers in career mode are well acted and humorous.  Same with the narrator who announces each race with little quips like “All those colors make you forget about your weapon?  Fire at ‘em.”  Game music both in menus and during race events is all instrumental and has a pop/dance sound.  Fortunately it’s never annoying or repetitive  There is no custom soundtrack option available in the PSP version of MNR.

Conclusion:
Take the best elements of Mario Kart, refine the gameplay to a tight balance while also including the most accessible set of creation tools currently available; ModNation Racers redefines the genre and sets a new standard for kart racers on a handheld.

Beyond the refined gameplay and tremendous replayability, the game is a blast to play!  Finally a kart racer that rewards players for good driving and smart strategy rather than who escapes the end without being hit by a last minute blue turtle shell (cheap shot).

Grade:

Title: What Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord!? 2
Format: UMD / PSN Download
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment / NIS America
Developer: Acquire
Price: $29.99 / $19.99

The release of Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! in July 2009 introduced us to the quirky world of the Overlord and his trusty God of Destruction as dungeons were constructed to keep the pesky Heroes at bay. One lawsuit and just under a year later sees the release of the sequel, now titled What Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord!? 2. Is this oddball puzzler right for you? Read on to find out.

Here we go.....

Gameplay:
On the surface WDIDTDTML2 appears to be a simplistic puzzle game though it’s anything but. As the God of Destruction, it’s your job to protect the Overlord by digging out paths in his dungeon, releasing and growing an army of monsters who will fight those jerkface ‘Heroes’ when they come to invade. This is basic premise of the game and it’s where the complexity comes in.

Cool! A Dragon!

You’re represented on screen as a pick axe and as you dig blocks out your dungeon, basic creatures called Slimemosses are formed.  They’ll begin to wander around sucking nutrients out of the soil and depositing them into other blocks. As the blocks absorb nutrients, they change color and digging those out will get you new monsters (starting with Omnoms and Lizardmen). Each set of monsters feeds on the group below them in the food chain and when conditions are right, they can even breed. This sets up a complex balancing act as you attempt to create the right conditions to release a good number of each monster making sure each group has enough to eat and thrive so you’ll have a strong, healthy army when the Heroes arrive. If it sounds complicated, it is. You really have to work hard to get that balancing act down to protect the Overlord.

On top of all this, you have a very limited amount of time to dig out the dungeon and build your army before the heroes arrive.

This is gonna get ugly.....

When the timer hits zero, the Heroes arrival is imminent. The Overlord will ask you to place him in the safest part of the dungeon. After doing so, the Heroes will make their way into your lair and automatically fight any monsters they encounter. At this point, you can sit back and watch, or continue to dig out monsters if necessary. You’ll want to keep the digging to a minimum though because you’ll get a bigger bonus at the end of the level for using less digs along the way. You can then use that bonus to upgrade your monsters into tougher versions and then the next level starts.

If the Heroes successfully navigate your dungeon, find the Overlord and get him back to the surface without dying, the game is over and you’ll have he opportunity to retry the last level.

Prepare to see this a lot.....

You will fail in this game… a lot. It’s old school hard. The original was knocked for it’s relentless difficulty and really, the sequel hasn’t toned it down all that much. Fortunately, along with a series of Tutorials and Challenges, a welcome addition to the game comes in the form of The Overlord’s Chamber. Here, you can take your time in creating a dungeon, growing monsters, getting a feel for the mechanics and balancing in the game without worrying about Heroes attacking.

Training is a VERY good idea.....

The sequel also includes 4 times more stages than the original, 2.2 times more monsters and 2.3 times more heroes. A new mechanic is also added in the form of ‘mutation’ allowing your monsters to get stronger through deformity, obesity and gigantism.

The game’s dialogue is very well written and funny, sometimes laugh out loud funny. They poke fun at typical gaming conventions and pop culture references abound.

It's Fezzik!

The game also includes an almanac of all the creatures and characters found in the game with plenty of information on their strengths and weaknesses all written in the same witty style as the dialogue.

One of my favorite features is the ability to take screenshots during gameplay simply by pressing the Select button. It’s such a simple implementation and it works brilliantly. All screenshots used in this review were taken directly from my game using this feature.

Visuals:
The game oozes 8-bit charm. There are some cool graphical effects here and there but for the most part, you’ll get colorful, crisp 8-bit stylized graphics. Nothing too fancy but it all suits the game very well. The monsters and heroes all have distinct looks especially between classes and upgrades. You’ll never have a problem distinguishing one from another.

Dig, dig, dig

Audio:
The audio is also really well designed. Eschewing a lush, orchestral score, the music is simplistic yet charming and it fits beautifully with the 8-bit, old school vibe going on in the rest of the game.

As the dialogue appears on screen, you’ll hear a goofy mumbling sort of noise similar to the adults in Peanuts cartoons but in a style unique and fitting with the graphics. The sounds heard as you dig, as the monsters move and grow, as the heroes attack, it’s all spot on and really helps to immerse you into the flow of the game.

Conclusion:
At first glance, there’s not much to this game, but don’t let the looks fool you. This is a deep, complex and very hard game. The UMD version also includes the complete original Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! on the disc as a bonus. To access it, all you have to do is toggle the Left and Right shoulder buttons 5 times while in the main menu. If you like your games a little more portable or only have the PSPGo, fear not! The PSN version of the game is $10 cheaper than the UMD and on top of that, the original game is currently selling for $7.99 on the PlayStation Store making this a cheaper option. Take that digital distribution haters!

If you’re looking for a puzzler/real time strategy game with a ton of challenge, this may very well be the game for you. If, however you’re easily frustrated, you may want to skip it. It really is punishingly hard at times, but it can also be very rewarding.

Grade:

From the Press Release:

Strategic Deal Reflects Bringing the Popular Ys and The Legend of Heroes series to North America

XSEED Games today announced a wide-ranging partnership with developer and publisher Nihon Falcom, one of Japan’s most well-respected development studios, to bring the three latest installments in the long-running Ys franchise: Ys SEVEN, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, and Ys I & II Chronicles, to the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system in North America. In addition, the deal will allow XSEED Games to release the next three chapters in Falcom’s popular The Legend of Heroes series, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky trilogy (known as the Sora no Kiseki trilogy in Japan), to the North American market on the PSP system. All six titles were developed by one of Japan’s most well-admired and longest-running independent-minded studios, Falcom, which has been a pioneer of the RPG genre since their first release in 1983.

“We are ecstatic to partner with XSEED Games on multiple new releases,” said Toshihiro Kondo, President of Falcom. “Their passion and reputation for working on outstanding RPGs is in line with our own development philosophy and assures me that our fans in North America will be getting the best English versions of our games possible.”

Under the terms of the partnership, XSEED Games retains exclusive North American publishing and distribution rights to multiple upcoming iterations of the Ys and The Legend of Heroes series, starting with Ys SEVEN, exclusively for the PSP system.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to announce a partnership with a development studio as renown by gamers for consistently putting out quality titles as Falcom,” said Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games. “Their titles have always been some of the most requested titles so it is going to be our pleasure to oblige the North American fans by delivering an amazing line up of in-depth and gripping RPGs.”

Ys SEVEN is the latest installment in the long-running Ys series which first debuted on PC in 1987. This is the first iteration to be built specifically for the PSP system, taking full advantage of the widescreen format and hardware for beautiful graphics and virtually no loadtimes. The battle system consists of a three-member battle party with enemies engaged on the field map in real-time for fast-paced combat. Old fans of the series and new players alike will be immersed into the rich vibrant world containing over 30 hours of gameplay.

Currently in production, Ys SEVEN will be the first Falcom project from the announced line up released in North America by XSEED Games for the PSP system in late summer 2010. XSEED Games will release more product information and plans on each title in the coming months.