Tropico 3 has been picked up by Kalypso Media from Take-Two Interactive (previous owners of the license) for worldwide release in the summer of 2009.

The game is the third iteration of the famous and admired PC strategy game series and will once again be released for the PC (no announcement on other possible platform releases).

“The Tropico series is a great IP which we are excited to continue. The game will be the biggest project Kalypso has realized so far in its short history and we are focusing on achieving a worldwide PC hit with this brand. The acquisition of Tropico along with other key licenses is fundamental to our future growth,” says Simon Hellwig, Managing Director of Kalypso Media.

Tropico 3 is based on the first Tropico game and will be developed by Bulgarian studio Haemimont Games, who are also responsible for the development of Kalypso’s Grand Ages: Rome.

The game will attract the fans of the Tropico series, as well as newcomers with state-of-the-art graphics, complex gameplay similar to the other titles in the series and a comprehensive multiplayer mode.

You may recall us covering the Prince of Persia Stories & Secrets Storybook when it was announced. If you haven’t heard of the online graphic novel, it is a collaboration between Penny Arcade’s Gabe & Tyco and Ubisoft as a really cool promotion for their upcoming hit game, Prince of Persia (which releases on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on December 2nd).

The storybook serves several purposes, not only does it add to the universe by giving us a prequel to the game’s main story revolving around Elika, but the book also is simply a great excuse to let Gabe and Tyco run wild with their own interpretations and artistic realizations of the Prince of Persia world. And last but not least, it’s a treat for fans of Penny Arcade who are some of the most rabid gamers around.

In this video we get to see behind-the-scenes speed drawing by Gabe (along with commentary on the collaboration between Ubisoft and Penny Arcade) of one of the pages of the online Prince of Persia storybook, which is getting new pages added leading up to Prince of Persia’s release on December 2nd (so far ten pages have been released, including the cover).

In addition, Ubisoft has posted an incredible artistic introduction to Prince of Persia which you can watch on the Official Prince of Persia web-site. The intro is AMAZING and is like a pop-up book coming to life. I am not sure either if it’s the actual game intro or just something put up for the web-site. So if you want to avoid all spoilers (although it’s nothing that hasn’t already been said) then you may want to hold off on watching it.

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) announced what new PlayStation Network downloadable games, expansions, demos and videos were released for PlayStation 3 and PSP today in America and Europe.

AMERICA:

PS3 Store

Downloadable Games
• MotoGP 08 Demo

Add-on Game Content
• BioShock PS3 Challenge Rooms - $9.99
• Dead Space downloadable content:
– Dead Space Astronaut Pack ($2.99)
– Dead Space Big Gun Pack ($0.99)
– Dead Space Heavy Damage Pack ($2.99)
– Dead Space Hot Rod Pack ($0.99)
– Dead Space Military Pack ($3.99)
– Dead Space Obsidian Pack ($1.49)
– Dead Space Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack ($1.49)
– Dead Space Pedestrian Pack ($1.49)
– Dead Space Scorpion Pack ($3.99)
– Dead Space Scorpion Weapon Pack ($2.25)
– Dead Space Speed Kills Pack ($2.25)
– Dead Space Tank Pack ($3.99)
• Guitar Hero: World Tour songs:
– “Consoler of the Lonely” by The Raconteurs ($1.99)
– “Hold Up” by The Raconteurs ($1.99)
– “Salute Your Solution” by The Raconteurs ($1.99)
– The Raconteurs Track Pack ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring “Consoler of the Lonely”, “Hold Up”, and “Salute Your Solution” by The Raconteurs.
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2 downloadable content:
– (I Just) Died In Your Arms ($1.49)
– All You Wanted ($1.49)
– Black Hole Sun ($1.49)
– It’s Not Unusual ($1.49)
– September ($1.49)
• LittleBigPlanet downloadable content:
– Sack in the Box Costume - free
– (5) LocoRoco Costumes - $2.99
• Rock Band songs:
– “That’s When I Reach for my Revolver” - Mission of Burma ($1.99)
– “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate” - Mission of Burma ($1.99)
– “Mica” - Mission of Burma ($1.99)
– Mission of Burma Pack 01 ($5.49) - this track pack includes all of the above Mission of Burma singles.
– “Police Truck” - Dead Kennedys ($1.99)
– “Holiday in Cambodia” - Dead Kennedys ($1.99)
– “California Über Alles” - Dead Kennedys ($1.99)
– Dead Kennedys Pack 01 ($5.49) - this track pack includes all of the above Dead Kennedys singles.
– “Gone” - Crooked X ($0.99)
– “Swamped” - Lacuna Coil ($1.99)
– “Forever” - In This Moment ($1.99)
– “Closer” - Lacuna Coil ($1.99)
– Century Media Girls of Metal Pack 01 ($5.49)

Game Videos
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift Features and Strategy Trailer
• Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe: Kreating the Comic Trailer
• Lord of the Rings: Conquest Trailer
• NBA 2K9 Momentous #1 & #2 Trailers
• Tom Clancy’s EndWar Launch Trailer
• FIFA 09 “In The Game” Part 8 - Online Team Play

Themes
• NBA 2K9 Theme (free)
• Hancock Theme (free)
• Timea Mojorova Theme ($1.99)
• University of California Theme ($1.99)
• Shadowy Graves Theme ($1.49)
• Darklight Fractais Theme ($1.49)
• Mrs. Claus Theme ($1.49)
• GunGirls Theme ($0.99)

PlayStation Store for PSP
Game Demo

EUROPE:

PS3 Store

Add-on Game Content
• BioShock PS3 Challenge Rooms, £6.29/€7.99
• Guitar Hero: World Tour songs:
– THE RACONTEURS TRACK PACK, £3.99/€5.99
– HOLD UP’ BY THE RACONTEURS, £1.49/€1.99
– CONSOLER OF THE LONELY’ BY THE RACONTEURS, £1.49/€1.99
– SALUTE YOUR SOLUTION’ BY THE RACONTEURS, £1.49/€1.99
• LittleBigPlanet downloadable content:
– Sack in the Box, FREE
– (5) LocoRoco Costumes Kit, £2.39/€2.99
• Need for Speed UnderCover downloadable content:
– AFTERMARKET BODY KIT PACKAGE, £1.49/€1.99
– AFTERMARKET HOODS, SPOILERS & EXHAUST PACKAGE, £1.49/€1.99
– AFTERMARKET WHEELS PACKAGE, £1.49/€1.99
– COLLECTOR’S EDITION UPGRADE, £6.99/€9.99
– EXOTIC CAR BUNDLE, £3.99/€5.99
– MUSCLE CAR BUNDLE, £3.49/€4.99
– PAINT & VINYLS PACKAGE, £1.49/€1.99
– TUNER CAR BUNDLE, £3.49/€4.99
– ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE BUNDLE, £6.99/€9.99
– ULTIMATE VISUAL BUNDLE, £3.49/€4.99
– PRO HANDLING BUNDLE, £1.99/€2.99
– PRO POWER BUNDLE, £2.99/€3.99
– RACE HANDLING BUNDLE, £1.99/€2.99
– RACE POWER BUNDLE, £1.99/€2.99
– STREET HANDLING BUNDLE, £1.49/€1.99
– STREET POWER BUNDLE, £1.99/€2.99
• Rock Band songs:
– CALIFORNIA ÜBER ALLES, £0.99/€1.49
– CLOSER, £0.99/€1.49
– FOREVER, £0.99/€1.49
– GONE, £0.59/€0.79
– HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA, £0.99/€1.49
– MICA, £0.99/€1.49
– POLICE TRUCK, £0.99/€1.49
– SWAMPED, £0.99/€1.49
– THAT’S HOW I ESCAPED MY CERTAIN FATE, £0.99/€1.49
– THAT’S WHEN I REACH FOR MY REVOLVER, £0.99/€1.49
– CENTURY MEDIA GIRLS OF METAL PACK 01, £2.99/€3.99
– Dead Kennedys Pack 01, £2.99/€3.99
– MISSION OF BURMA PACK 01, £2.99/€3.99

Game Videos
• Tomb Raider - BENEATH THE SURFACE 4, FREE
• INFANTRY STRATEGY VIDEO BRIEFING, FREE
• TOM CLANCY’S ENDWAR LAUNCH TRAILER, FREE
• BioShock Challenge Rooms Trailer, FREE
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift Behind the Scenes Ep 1, FREE
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift Behind the Scenes Ep 2, FREE
• Pain: David Hasselhoff Trailer, FREE
• Linger in Shadows Soundtrack, FREE
• NARUTO: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM TRAILER, FREE

Themes
• Saints Row 2 Movember Theme, FREE
• Tomb Raider Underworld - Black&White Theme, FREE
• Tomb Raider Underworld - Front of Box Theme, FREE

PlayStation Store for PSP

Downloadable Games
• Sim City 2000, £4.99/€7.99
• LocoRoco 2 Demo, FREE

ps3.qj.net - Trophies will be mandatory with all games starting in 2009. This doesn’t mean old games will get patched per say. But all new games will feature trophies.

I actually don’t have Linux on my PS3 anymore, but next year I’d like to upgrade my hard drive again to a 300 GB or so and put Linux back on. While I had Linux (Ubuntu actually) I didn’t use it much. But lately I wish I did have it just for general web browsing and chatting when the wife is using the other PC. Because the PS3 web browser still needs work. Sony just put Firefox on it and call it good.

I’m not sure if I’ll go with Yellow Dog Linux or Ubuntu. Ubuntu offers more support than Yellow Dog Linux. But YDL is made specifically for the PS3. Anyway here are the primary updates to YDL, and it’s now available for download.

“For end users, Yellow Dog Linux v6.1 offers an updated Firefox and OpenOffice.org, a vastly improved graphical wireless configuration tool, and the introduction of ps3vram functionality which enables use of PS3 video RAM for temporary storage or swap.”

Yellow Dog Linux v6.1 Released

If you live in the U.S. and download the official Home theme or you purchased a annual Qore membership before October 29th. Check your e-mail for a invite they are being sent now. For details on the 1.0 update check out this link.

I like the updates, the clubhouse is a great idea. The virtual PSP being axed is fine, it didn’t need to be there really. I see the reason for it, but not the best way to navigate menus within home.

So let us know if you get into home and we’ll have to meet up in Home

First PlayStation Home beta 1.0 Invités been sent

The Polyphony guys hooked up 4 PS3s to display a quarter of a screen each to run Gran Turismo 5: Prologue at a resolution of 3840×2160 compared to its normal 1920 x 1080 display. They also had other units running the game 4 times as fast with a refresh rate of 240fps!

full write up can be found here;

http://www.gran-turismo.com/en/sp/d2788.html/ found via Kotaku

This week on Zero Punctuation: Yahtzee wanders the post-apocalyptic wasteland in Fallout 3 for a really short review… or is it? As always, coarse language ahead.

GameStop have launched this year’s Christmas commercials. The various videos urge you to share your gaming wishlist with your family this Christmas under the slogan “Hint or Else“. That website has a videogames hint generator for Christmas presents to tie in with the comedic commercials, which are conveniently placed below.

Hint or risk getting your room searched:

Hint or get a crafts kit:

Hint or get Gardenmaster 3:

Via Neogaf

Do you want to know how to perform all Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe fatalities, brutalities and unlock all characters? You can find out these secrets and more cheats in this guide to the Xbox 360 and PS3 fighting game.

Take the following steps to unlock the two secret characters and get a full roster in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.
1. To unlock Darkseid: Finish the DC Universe side of the story mode. Then hold down the RB button (on Xbox 360) / R1 button (on PS3) on the character select screen to play as Darkseid. (He has no Heroic Brutalities.)
2. To unlock Shao Kahn: Finish the Mortal Kombat side of the story mode. Then hold down the RB button (on Xbox 360) / R1 button (on PS3) on the character select screen to play as Shao Kahn. (He has no Fatalities.)

Press the following button combinations to perform their respective finishing moves for each of the 20 characters that have them (first displayed for Xbox 360 and then PS3). Depending on the character’s origin this will be called either a Fatality or Heroic Brutality. Skip to the bottom of this page to see them all in action.

* Baraka’s Fatalities:
1. Stab Slam (close): Press Back, Forward, Down, Forward, X / Press Back, Forward, Down, Forward, Square.
2. Chest Stab (close): Press Forward(2), Down(2), A / Press Forward(2), Down(2), X.

* Batman’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Bat Swarm (close): Press Down, Back, Forward(2), B / Press Down, Back, Forward(2), Circle.
2. Grappling Hook (sweep): Press Down(3), Up, A / Press Down(3), Up, X.

* Captain Marvel’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Slam & Stomp: Press Down, Forward, Back, Forward, X / Press Down, Forward, Back, Forward, Square.
2. Ground Slam: Press Down, Back, Down, Forward, Y / Press Down, Back, Down, Forward, Triangle.

* Catwoman’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Neck Breaker: Press Down, Back, Down, Forward, Y / Press Down, Back, Down, Forward, Triangle.
2. Claw Attack: Press Forward, Back, Forward, Back, B / Press Forward, Back, Forward, Back, Circle.

* Deathstroke’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Gunshot (close): Press Forward(2), Down, Forward, Y / Press Forward(2), Down, Forward, Triangle.
2. Neck Breaker (close): Press Forward, Down, Back, Forward, A / Press Forward, Down, Back, Forward, X.

* Green Lantern’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Orb Squeeze: Press Forward, Back, Down, Back, A / Press Forward, Back, Down, Back, X.
2. Hammer Smash: Press Back, Forward, Down(2), B / Press Back, Forward, Down(2), Circle.

* Jax’s Fatalities:
1. Head Smash (close): Press Back, Forward(2), Back, Y / Press Back, Forward(2), Back, Triangle.
2. Machine Gun (close): ? / Press Forward(2), Back(2), X / Press Forward(2), Back(2), A.

* Kano’s Fatalities:
1. Knife Throw (close): Press Back, Down, Back, Forward, X / Press Back, Down, Back, Forward, Square.
2. Flip Stomp (one step away): Press Down(2), Forward, Back, B / Press Down(2), Forward, Back, Circle.

* Kitana’s Fatalities:
1. Fan Throw to The Head (sweep): Press Back(2), Forward, X / Press Back(2), Forward, Square.
2. Kiss of Death (sweep): Press Forward, Down(2), Back, A / Press Forward, Down(2), Back, X.

* Lex Luthor’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Body Twist (close): Press Down, Forward, Down, Back, Y / Press Down, Forward, Down, Back, Triangle.
2. Missile Attack (one step away): Press Up(3), X / Press Up(3), Square.

* Liu Kang’s Fatalities:
1. Mortal Kombat 1 Arcade Drop (sweep): Press Forward, Back, Down(2), A / Press Forward, Back, Down(2), X.
2. Head Stomp (one step away): Press Down(2), Forward, Down, B / Press Down(2), Forward, Down, Circle.

* Raiden’s Fatalities:
1. Ground Slam (close): Press Down, Forward, Down, Up, Y / Press Down, Forward, Down, Up, Triangle.
2. Electrocution (close): Press Back, Forward(2), Down, B / Press Back, Forward(2), Down, Circle.

* Scorpion’s Fatalities:
1. Toasty! (sweep): Press Down(3), B / Press Down(3), Circle.
2. Lava Pool (close): Press Forward(2), Back, Down, A / Press Forward(2), Back, Down, X.

* Shang Tsung’s Fatalities:
1. Back Breaker (close): Press Back, Down, Forward, A / Press Back, Down, Forward, X.
2. Morph (close): Press Down(2), Forward(2), Y / Press Down(2), Forward(2), Triangle.

* Sonya Blade’s Fatalities:
1. Kiss of Death (sweep): Press Down(2), Back, Forward, X / Press Down(2), Back, Forward, Square.
2. Neck Breaker (one step away): Press Down, Back, Forward(2), B / Press Down, Back, Forward(2), Circle.

* Sub-Zero’s Fatalities:
1. Freeze Kick (close): Press Back(2), Down, Back, B / Press Back(2), Down, Back, Circle.
2. Freeze Slam (close): Press Back, Forward, Down, Forward, Y / Press Back, Forward, Down, Forward, Triangle.

* Superman’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Ground Pound (close): Press Down(2), Forward(2), X / Press Down(2), Forward(2), Square.
2. Freeze Slam (close): Press Forward(2), Down, Back, B / Press Forward(2), Down, Back, Circle.

* The Flash’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Flashy Beatdown: Press Back(2), Forward(2), B / Press Back(2), Forward(2), Circle.
2. Whirlwind Slam: Press Down, Forward, Down, Back, Down, Forward, A / Press Down, Forward, Down, Back, Down, Forward, X.

* The Joker’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Gunshot (close): Press Forward, Back, Forward, X / Press Forward, Back, Forward, Square.
2. Playing Cards (close): Press Back, Down, Back, Forward, Y / Press Back, Down, Back, Forward, Triangle.

* Wonder Woman’s Heroic Brutalities:
1. Lasso Slam: Press Up, Back, Down, Forward, X / Press Up, Back, Down, Forward, Square.
2. Lasso Spin: Press Forward, Back(2), Forward, B / Press Forward, Back(2), Forward, Circle.

Watch all 40 Fatalities and Heroic Brutalities from Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe compliled into one 8-minute-long video.

Note: The Joker’s uncensored fatality is not in the American version of the game.

For special and pro moves visit Cheatcc.