» A new version of the PlayStation 3 firmware has been released, and do you know what? It’s quite good. Why? Because it enables upscaling of DVDs, PlayStation 2 and PSone games to HD resolutions. And that’s a sensible idea.
» If you own a copy of Pokémon Ranger, then be sure to visit a branch of Game on Saturday 2nd June, because you’ll get a free chocolate PokeBall. How excellent is that? Very excellent. It will contain a code to unlock Manaphy’s Egg in the game, which can then be transferred to Pokémon Diamond or Pearl – released 27th July. This is slightly less excellent. Even less excellent, you’ll also get an A3 poster. And to finish the freeness, pre-order Diamond or Pearl at Game, and you’ll get a ‘special’ stylus. But probably not made of diamond or pearl.
» Sticking with Game – who owe me a load of free stuff after all this plugging – they’re launching Mario Strikers: Charged Football on Friday at their Oxford Street store with Ian Wright! Wright! Wright! I only mention it because the game looks quite good.
» In other mediocre celebrity news, Scissor Sisters will be taking part in the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta next week. Has anyone taken part in one of these Game with Fame events? I’m intrigued by whether they’re entirely pointless or not.
» Special editions are par for the course now, but Grand Theft Auto IV is taking it to the extreme. Coming in a “customized Grand Theft Auto metal safety deposit box”, it contains a specially packaged copy of the game, an art book, a soundtrack CD, a Rockstar keychain for the deposit box keys, and a Rockstar duffel bag. The price? $89.99 in the US, $30 more than the standard edition.
» The Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena is something of a special edition too, albeit a high definition special edition with more single-player content and a multiplayer mode. Which is pretty bloody special.
» Finally, I was disappointed to briefly mistake a press release about MMORPG Knight Online for an announcement of ‘Knight Rider Online’. Wishful thinking.