With the video game market slipping further and further from Japanese developer’s grasps, one has to ask what must these developers do to get a foothold in the market again. Many of them are beginning to dip their toes into one of the most, if not the most, popular genre in the west: the shooter. Titles like Square-Enix’s Mindjack and Tecmo-Koei’s Quantum Theory are evidence of this. But instead of just saying “it’s a shooter,” each title seems to be getting its own unique twist to differentiate itself from the flood of other shooters. Platinum Game’s third person shooter, Vanquish, adds its own twist to the genre giving players an advanced armored suit equipped with thrusters for some high-speed action.

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North Americans are being left out when it comes to the Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep collectors edition. But those who still don’t have a PSP yet, and plan on picking up Birth by Sleep, should look at a Gamestop exclusive bundle Sony will be offering.

The bundle includes a Mystic Silver PSP-3000, Birth by Sleep, a 4 GB memory stick, 50 songs via SonyMusicPass, and… Madden 2011? Yeah I’m not sure that last one is supposed to be there… BUT maybe its a hint. Kingdom Hearts: FOOTBALL EDITION. Final Fantasy and Disney Characters duke it out on the field with the old pigskin. Throw in some real madden players in there too, instant moola.

Whether or not Madden 2011 is actually in it, the bundle costs $199.99. You can pick up at GameStop when the title launches September 7th.

(Source: PlayStationUS)
Thanks Brineboy!

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Time for some PlayStation Store goodness, North America.

This week, the previously Xbox Live Arcade exclusive, Castle Crashers ($14.99), hits PlayStation Network. The demo for Platinum Game’s Vanquish and Ubisoft’s R.U.S.E. was also added.

On the DLC side, there is BioShock 2′s Minvera’s Den ($9.99), and the preorder only Yakuza 3 content has been added for everyone ($3.99).

You can check out the full update after the jump.

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I wish Microsoft would do these updates monthly or something, rather than just randomly. But that’s enough complaining, its time for downloading!

September 15th Sonic Adventure is hitting Xbox Live Arcade at the price of 800 MS points along with Plants vs. Zombies on Semptember 8th for 1200 Microsoft points.

If you aren’t a Xbox Live Gold member yet, September 17th through September 20th will allow Silver Members to experience Xbox Live Gold content such as playing online with friends,  streaming your Netflix content, Facebook stuff, and more! If you find that the content is worth it, be sure to sign up quickly as the subscirption fees are increasing November 1st.

You can check out the full update after the jump.

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I never saw TRON, but I do know that many people are a fan of the Light Cycles in the movie. And whoever made TRON: Evolution’s Collector’s Edition on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 knew that too.

The Collector’s Edition for TRON: Evolution features the game on either Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 along with a miniature Light Cycle. The Light Cycle will also have a protective case. All for a whopping $129.99.

Wii, DS and PSP owners will be left out on this deal though and, as of right now, are without a Collector’s Edition. The title will be launching December 7th across all platforms.

(Source: Destructoid)

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Oh Xbox and Xbox 360 d-pad, why are you so terrible? Many will agree that the Xbox 360 d-pad isn’t exactly the best one out there. But after many years, Microsoft finally has a solution with an all new transforming d-pad controller.

The new controller allows players to switch the d-pad from a disc shape into the plus shape with a simple twist of the d-pad. The controller also has a new color design, dropping the previous controller’s colored buttons in favor of new multi-toned gray buttons.  You can check out the d-pad twisting action after the jump.

North Americans can start picking up the controller on November 9th exclusively in the Play & Charge kit and will be priced at $64.99. Europe can expect the controller sometime in February.

Also, in somewhat related news, Microsoft has announced that improved voice chat will becoming to Xbox Live. The company will be using a new codec and audio infrastructure to improve sound quality. This will be available this Fall with a new firmware update.

(D-pad Source: Major Nelson’s Blog)
(Improved Voice Chat Source: Eurogamer)

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