Well, PS3 owners don't really have much to look forward to this week from the PSN update, but those with a PSP can try out the new Secret Agent Clank demo. Maybe we spoke too soon, some people might be interested in the Rocketmen expansion or the Dragon Ball Z demo. Don't forget that new echochrome levels are now available, although it isn't technically part of the PSN update, it seems worth mentioning here. Find the full NA update after the break.

The European PSN update is happily posted in the town square over at PS3 Fanboy.

The PlayStation Blog announced today that 20 new user-generated levels will be available in echochrome between May 15-21, and those new levels may be replaced with even more content the following week. Despite our mixed feelings on the idea that the puzzles are replaced rather than added to a mega-list, it's still great to see how quick the promise of free extra content for the $10 Escher-iffic puzzler was fulfilled.

The additional levels will appear randomly in freeform mode if the difficulty is set to level 2 or 3 and there's also been a Flickr page created to give some recognition to the level designers. Definitely check out the demo for the game if you haven't tried it,

While it may seem seem like just yesterday that we first played Sony's love note to console gear heads in Gran Turismo, it was actually ten years ago ... a realization that made us feel incredibly old as Sony and developer Polyphony Digital announced that the sim, that first got its license in December 1997, has shipped more than 50 million units across the globe.

This figure, of course, includes the recently released Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, which according to Sony has shipped out more than 2 million units. The company is playing coy, though, as to whether this number includes just physical products or digital downloads over PSN as well. We'd like to extend our hand and congratulate the series for making it this far, but unfortunately it didn't stop between the two yellow lines on the pavement so it's going to have to go back to the start and try again.

If you're not the type of noob to simply dial up your new pal "Multiplayer" and leap blindly into a hail of bullets and screaming 12-year-olds (er, "18, right?"), then you may find Rockstar's just published -- and carefully reproduced after the break! -- Grand Theft Auto IV multiplayer guide just the sort of literature you've been pining for. Want to know how to get the "Party" started? Unlock new threads? Flip someone the bird? It's all in the details that follow.

We're sure PS3 owners can carve out a little time today from all the GTA IV and echochrome playing to check out the demo for "exclusive" shooter Haze. Of course, what most are probably excited about is that PixelJunk Monsters' expansion is out today at a reasonable $6 price. There are also plenty of other little interesting things in the North Amercan update that might pique some of your interests, and it can all be found after the break.

The lists for this week's double dose of European PSN updates can be found over at PS3 Fanboy. Be sure to check out all their PlayStation Day coverage as well.

We probably shouldn't be telling you this, but updates on this site are very likely to cease tomorrow, what with the PSN update bringing us the expansion pack to Q-Games' addictive tower defense game, PixelJunk Monsters. Featuring a new island, 15 additional levels, five new music tracks and a $5.99 price tag, PixelJunk Monsters Encore will have us erecting towers for several days at least. Longer if we try to get all the rainbows.

Oh well, we suppose we'll just keep recycling all the posts about Grand Theft Auto IV.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Serialized spookiness news now, with Sony Computer Entertainment revealing that survival-horror franchise, Siren, will be coming to the PlayStation 3 this Summer in gruesomely severed chunks. Or "episodes," if you prefer. Documenting the inevitably harrowing experiences of an American TV crew in the cursed village of Hanuda, Siren: Blood Curse hopes to be "the most terrifying game in the Siren series to date." The game marks the return of the "Sight-Jack" system, which allows you to peer through the eyes of enemies and be right on the money every time you scream, "It's behind yooouuuuu!"

Following Blood Curse's debut this Summer, Sony promises to eek out the series with 11 more episodes via the PlayStation Network. Let's just hope the gaps between the gasps are small.

Kumi Yuasa, associate producer of echochrome, has revealed on the PlayStation Blog that future free updates of the title will add hand-picked user-generated content selected by the developers. The new levels will be available on a "regular basis" by signing in online with the game; however, these levels will only be available until the next group goes up. The PlayStation Blog details how players can create and submit levels for consideration.

It's too bad about the time limit on the content, but it all depends on the frequency of the updates. Of course, for some people it'll be too short, while for echochrome addicts aficionados even a weekly update would be too rare. We'll try to give warning about the new content in our PSN Thursday posts.

Those who spent New Year's Eve, 1999 holed up in a bunker beneath their house, eating astronaut food while your superterranean contemporaries amused themselves with the ramblings of Dick Clark and the chonologically appropriate jams of Will Smith probably felt pretty silly when, you know, the world didn't end. Perhaps a technical snafu on Rockstar's website will slightly justify these worryworts' absence from the centennial shenanigans.

The snafu in question was an apparent countdown for Grand Theft Auto 2, leading many to believe the PS1 classic would soon be heading to XBLA and PSN Stores near you. Unfortunately, a quick check of the page's source code reveals that the timer was created in 1999, and that certain parameters have caused the countdown to malfunction in the 21st century. Rockstar confirmed that they have no plans to port the title, but reluctantly admitted that the countdown timer has become self-aware, and that today is, in fact, Judgment Day.

The European PSN will receive two updates next week due to the PlayStation Day press event being held in London. The two updates will occur on Tuesday and Thursday, and we've also placed what is known to be part of these updates after the break.

We contacted Sony America to find out if it had any special update plans for next week and we were told it would be business as usual. Check out PS3 Fanboy's coverage of PlayStation Day next week.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Our affection for SuperStardust HD just got a shot in the arm with news that Finnish dev Housemarque is putting the finishing touches on a multiplayer-focused update to the twin-stick PSN shooter. Following the already available "solo" add-on, this new "team pack" update will introduce several additions, from split-screen versus and co-op modes, to a skill balancer, ship editor, trophies, and a "true" 5.1 orchestral soundtrack.

MTV's Stephen Totilo recently grilled Housemarque co-founder Ilari Kuittinen on the update, who commented that "a majority" of the development time spent on the update was focused on the new versus mode, which will feature "our 'sub' game modes and plenty of options so each gamer can tune the mode to suite their tastes." Even more interesting, Kuittinen adds that the team has been "experimenting with a game mode we call "Twin gun" mode (not disclosing specifics at the moment, maybe you can guess?) and how to make music generated levels, etc." It sounds like someone has spending a lot of time with Audiosurf, an addiction to which we can certainly relate.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

It's time for North America to experience the full perception contorting reality of echochrome with this week's PSN update. For those not sure about putting down $10 for the 56 MC Escher-inspired levels, don't be afraid to try out the demo first.

Also, Happy PSN Canadian Equality Day! Today's the day that Canada begins getting charged the same price as the United States for PSN titles.

Europe has an update too ... we're sure they aren't happy, but there's an update. Check it out -- or not -- at PS3 Fanboy. This week's North American PSN update can be found after the break.

This is not a good week in games for anyone who has finals or works from home. The PlayStation Blog announced this afternoon the full version of echochrome will be available tomorrow from the PlayStation Store, which is just one glorious week after the demo release gave the general populace a taste of the game's MC Escher-inspired addictive madness.

The game is available on the PS3 and PSP for $10, and comes with 56 levels on PS3, along with 56 "completely different" levels for PSP. The game will also feature a "Canvas mode," allowing players to create their own levels and share them online. In the parlance of the internets, "Do want now!"

Sony just sent out a press release stating on May 1 there'll be a price adjustment for Canadian PlayStation Store customers in response to the strengthening Canadian dollar. The prices will be adjusted in phases prior to the regularly scheduled update.

Although it wasn't in the press release, we spoke with Sony and have been told that the adjustment will lead to "price parity" between the United States and Canada. Meaning that something which costs $5 USD in the US PSN will cost $5 CDN in Canada. Enjoy the equality, Canada.

[Update: It's working without a hiccup now, folks. Enjoy.]

While we've been playing Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox Live for hours now, our pals over at PS3 Fanboy have had less luck. The gang -- meta moment alert! -- grabbed a cell phone and snapped a photo of the game's cell phone, specifically, the "error" message pictured above, confirming reports that the online multiplayer component of the PlayStation 3 version of GTA IV has not been accessible today (though it was last night, apparently). To be clear, this does not appear to be a network-wide issue; PSN seems to be functioning properly otherwise. Someone go give those Rockstar servers a good hard kick, will ya?

We'll update the post once multiplayer is back online.