Kotaku

Do you finish every game you buy?

This guy has the face of a criminal. If there's no console underneath my TV, I'm blaming him.

In a rare move from a product marketing executive, Sony Computer Entertainment America's Scott Steinberg has downplayed the commercial viability of the his competitor's exclusive content for Grand Theft Auto IV. Surprisingly, Steinberg doesn't think it's exactly the bee's knees. He tells GameDaily that "I personally don't think there's going to be a huge percentage of folks who jump into downloadable content for another price when they're still playing through the core product." I guess with a reported 100-hour playtime, he might have an argument.

But Scott goes on to pitch Sony's own exclusives, saying that "not only do you get Grand Theft Auto, but you'll get [Metal Gear Solid 4], you'll get Gran Turismo and these are also brands that have moved hardware units." Calling those three games "the elite of the elite products that actually enable hardware to be sold with software." Oh... snap?

We expect even more beef when the full interview hits.

Sony Downplays GTA IV Episodic Content [GameDaily]

Got at least 2500 bones to drop on the centerpiece of a lifetime? If Resistance: Fall of Man is your thing, you'll definitely want this authentic Chimera skull prop—used in the filming of the Resistance TV spot—to help complete your collection of things that will scare the bejeezus out of visitors and house guests. It's super pricey, with the auction house expecting it to sell in the $3000 range, and will most likely be snapped up by Ted Price from Insomniac Games anyway, but it's still fun to imagine this resting menacingly by your PlayStation 3.

Chimera Skull from Playstation 3 game TV ad [eBay - thanks, Benj!]

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that might actually be a Mercenaries 2 screen, based on the explosions and helicopters and palette and such. Sorry, but it's Prototype. There's no lack of things exploding in this updated look at Sierra's superhuman action game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. They even throw in some bluish skies to mix it up! Blue skies, punching, blood, 'splosions and helicopters?! Fabulous!

Capcom's recent Digital Day was merely a taste of what it has planned for the year. Heavy hitters are still planned for the publisher's upcoming Gamers Day, now known as CAPTIVATE 08. It's happening at the end of May, with news dripping out at the start of June, news that's sure to create a torrent of drool. The best part? John Q. Gamer can go. But only five of you.

The publisher isn't limiting attendance to its Las Vegas media event to those who went to video game journalism trade school or have blog certification, it's opening up some slots for community members. That means a handful of lucky folks will bask in NDAs and beta builds for the latest Capcom offerings. If you think that you should be one of the lucky five, you better make your way to the Capcom Unity and state your case.

Gamers Day is dead, long live CAPTIVATE08. Plus: How do you score a golden ticket? [Capcom BBS]

When we first saw screens of Sonic Unleashed, it was pretty clear that we were looking at something that was only feasible on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. No offense intended to the GameCube Turbo, but Sonic and the Secret Rings didn't look this good. Chatter about a sensible Wii version has been making the rounds since first screens and video sneaked out, but it would appear that Sega is planning to unleash more Sonic love on every viable platform.

Retailer GameStop is currently listing Sonic Unleashed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as the Wii and PlayStation 2. All listings are labeled with November 4 ship dates, along with platform appropriate pricing.

Thanks for the heads up, Daniel!

It's funny how much I have written about Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The Wii fighter has stolen a few hours of my life, but you might be shocked to learn how little I've played of the final retail copy. Pre-release? Hours! The full-fledged game? Embarrassingly little. It's just that the Wii is quite frequently powered down or *gasp* not hooked up at all. In my defense, I have eight consoles fighting for receiver hook ups.

Perhaps I should squeeze some Brawl time in this weekend, get some of those unlockable stages I hear the kids are into. This week at the Smash Bros. Dojo, Sakurai and crew talk about a few more precious hidden characters, plus talk about post-completion goodies. It's all in the Dump!

Obligation gaming isn't as much fun as elective gaming. Sure, it's still better than digging ditches, but being genuinely interested in playing Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword but having to speed through it to meet a deadline takes some of the (ninja) magic out of it. Thank the Magician Lord for freed up weekends! Like this one! I'll be enjoying some new Boston tracks in Rock Band as well as doing some research with Jet Set Radio Future. Might even squeeze in a little Phantom Hourglass. And I'll be doing it on my own time. Yay!

I've also got a sweet new US Postal Service approved digital scale to enjoy. Jealous? Try to disprove that you are by letting us know what you'll be playing this weekend. To the comments!

Usually we opt to pitch you funny blankets from Etsy, but today we thought we'd present a product for the perusal of our readership with, how shall we say this politely, a job more expendable income. By Danish manufacturer Kvadrat, the Pixel Couch (the name should be self-explanatory) is a sort of gaming room dream seat. Sure, the lack of full back pillow coverage could become irksome, but you've got to learn to sacrifice for your art. We couldn't spot the price online, but assume you have to sacrifice a bit for your purchases, too.

Pixel Couch [thecoolhunter]

You think the Army of Two demo is coming April 1st? Hahahaha. Fooled you!

But seriously, the Army of Two demo really is coming April 1st to Xbox 360 (sorry PS3 owners) and it will include both the training tutorial and the entire first level of the game. DLC will follow soon after, including 1 new multiplayer map, 2 new campaign maps and the SSC Challenge obstacle course. (Given that single player only features 6 levels, 2 new maps for single player is quite a bit).

Of course, given that the demo is slated for April 1st, EA could be lying to us in what would be the lamest April Fools' prank of all time. You know, almost as lame as the opening to this post.

DEMO Coming Out & New DLC Info! [EA Forums via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

While we already pretty much know that a new, prettier PlayStation Store is coming in April, it's always refreshing to see some acknowledgment on the old PS3 itself. Here's a shot of a banner captured on the current European PlayStation store. Apparently it's not clickable so it can't transport the Sony fanboy into some sort of preview of the Utopian shopping future for which we are all extremely* excited.

*In full disclosure, the author of said blog post cannot decide if he is moderately or extremely excited about the news, but he opted to go with the more sensational diction to promote a merry, festive atmosphere on the site.

New look PS Store advertised on PS Store [Darkzero via Maxconsole]

If you've been looking for Nintendo DS accessories, Meritline has an excellent sale going on right now, taking 50% off their stock of merchandise. You can score a wall or car charger for $9, an extra battery for $7 and silicon skins for $6.50. Plus there's free shipping. Just make sure to use the coupon code "NDS50POFF" at checkout to see the savings. Oh, and remember that lithium ion batteries are an iffy purchase when on sale, since they lose capacity from the time they are produced and have probably been sitting around for a while.

Accessories for Nintendo DS Lite [Meritline via BargainJack]