PlayWISE doesn’t always have time to report on every piece of game news throughout the week. Unfortunately, there are some weeks we may not have time to post at all. Fear not faithful readers; this week we’re introducing a digest of all the week’s gaming news we deem fit for consumption but were unable to cover throughout the week. Read onward to the first installment of our “Quick Skinny.”
May 15:
Mass Effect 3 same sex
- “Mass Effect 3” will have same-sex relationships for both male and female characters, director Casey Hudson announced via Twitter.
May 16:
Free PS3 Games
- Sony has detailed their welcome back package, which is meant as consolation for their month-long PSN outage. It includes, among other things, free games like “inFamous” and “Wipeout+HD Fury.”
May 17:
PSP Phone releases in US
- The Xperia Play, or PlayStation Phone, will be available on May 26 for $200 through Verizon Wireless.
May 18:
360 failures after firmware
- Some models of the Xbox 360 no longer properly read discs due to the most recent firmware upgrade. Microsoft plans on replacing all affected models with it’s newer Slim 250GB models.
Art games get Government funding
- The U.S. Government will begin funding “artistic” videogames with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Portal 2 makes orphans cry
- Portal 2 offends orphans. (For the lulz only)
May 19:
Modern Warfare 3 world premiere
- A “Modern Warfare 3” world premiere was announced on the game’s Facebook page. The trailer will air May 23 during game four of the Western Conference Finals on ESPN.
Minecraft’s new dimension
- Minecraft will receive a fully fleshed out sky dimension. This was confirmed by the game’s creator, Markus Persson, on Twitter.
Decent FPS in LBP2
- An impressive and playable FPS level has been created in “Little Big Planet 2.” The level features surprisingly robust game mechanics and impressive visuals.
Ocarina of Time 3DS release trailer
- Epic Italian trailer for “Ocarina of Time 3DS” has been released.
Free 360s
- Students with a “.edu” email address can receive a free Xbox 360 with the purchase of qualified Windows 7 PCs that cost more than $699, according to the Windows Experience Blog.
Yet another Sony hack
- Sony’s PSN password reset site contains an exploit that requires only the email address and date of birth to reset a user’s password. Meaning anyone with that information, including the people who stole all the information in the initial PSN hack, could have changed your password without you knowing it. The site is now being reworked to fix this exploit.
PS3s and L.A. Noire on the fritz
- Ps3s are overheating due to either 3.61 firmware or L.A. Noire. Issue seems unresolved as both Rockstar and Sony won’t accept blame. However, stability has been an issue for some playing L.A. Noire, and Rockstar has provided a few workarounds.
Double XP on PSN
- Players can receive double XP for both “Call of Duty Black Ops” and “Killzone 3” on PS3 this weekend.
May 20:
Yet ANOTHER Sony hack
- Sony-run internet provider So-Net was hacked, and $1,224 of virtual currency was stolen.
Witcher 2 troubles and fixes
- Many PC gamers have had trouble installing and running “The Witcher 2.” A patch will be arriving next week to fix these issues, but the developer has provided a few workarounds.
More Wii 2 controller rumors
- More details on the rumored forward facing camera of supposedly miraculous Wii 2 controller.
Picture of Wii 2 leaked
- There has been a possible image leak of the next Nintendo console.
Dragon Age 3 confirmed
- A Bioware employee confirmed “Dragon Age 3” on Twitter.
Just wondering-do I want a PSP phone?? What are the benefits??