Godfather II: More Visceral, Strategic, Open in Feb.

As we mentioned earlier this week, the wraps have been taken off of Godfather II, in fact we'll be playing a bit of it next week.

Today, though, Electronic Arts officially unveiled the game which will go beyond the second film's story and have gamers take on the world of organized crime in 1960's Florida, Cuba and New York. After taking over New York in the first game, players will work to expand their organization to other cities through extortion, crime rings and wars with other crime families.

As Luke mentioned, the game will include an strategy-heavy Don's View:

To help players manage their empire, The Godfather II introduces “The Don’s View” – an innovative strategy meta-game that allows players to oversee the entire world as they grow the family business. Using the Don’s View, players will be able to build, defend and expand their crime rings, while keeping an eye on the movements and plans of the rival families. Players will also learn to master the business of organized crime by building a family of Made Men, hiring crew, handing out orders, and promoting their best men up the ranks.

The lengthy and detailed release is on the jump.

Pain Trophies Detailed, The Dude Abides

Pain producer Travis Williams has once again dropped in over at the official PlayStation Blog, this time revealing some of the trophies being added to the game in the upcoming Amusement Park expansion, due out on the 4th of September. There's a nice little selection of trophies, ranging from the impossible Gold "Affliction Addiction" - Get one billion points - to the more modest (in a way) Bronze trophy "Harder Dick's Balls, which challenges you to get all of Dick's Balls in the Block Party dumpster without resetting.

My personal favorite would have to be the Silver Trophy for scoring 50 strikes in Bowling with The Dude, which they have named "The Dude Abides". Indeed he does.

PAIN Trophies [Official PlayStation Blog]

TV Ad Focuses Only On PS3 As Blu-ray Player

The above ad shows a father and Sony with a PS3 either buying or renting (can't tell) a bunch of Blu-ray discs. Haven't really seen the PS3 promoted solely as a Blu-ray player on TV here, but yeah, why not? It makes sense — the machine plays Blu-ray discs and help win the format war. I use my PS3 to watch tons of Blu-ray discs. You?

Third Time Lucky For Okami?

Despite being one of the best damn games we've ever played, Okami bombed (at the register, relative to its quality) on the PS2. Bombed on the Wii, too. So maybe, uh, third time's a charm? Let's hope so (because this isn't official confirmation)! A listing for a Greatest Hits version of the game - on PS2 - has turned up on retailer Play-Asia, with a ship date of later this month. Who knows, maybe a cheap, cheap price will look great to the 3-4 people who somehow missed it first time around. And don't own a Wii.

Okami (Greatest Hits) [Play-Asia, via Siliconera]

Yakuza 3 Features Seven Young Fashion Models As Hostesses

Once again, the Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza in the West) series add real-life females to its cast of charaters. While Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 featured adult video actress Nana Natsume and Ryu Ga Gotoku KENZAN! featured the talents of pin-up model Yinling. The upcoming Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 will feature seven models from fashion mag Koakuma Ageha in-game as night club hostesses. Included in those seven is Osaka gal Rina Sakurai, whom I interviewed earlier this spring for the arcade book I wrote. Smart kid — we talked about sticker pictures.

“小悪魔ageha”のカリスマモデルたちが『龍が如く3』にキャバクラ嬢役で出演 [Famitsu]

LittleBigPlanet Launches Little Big News Site

LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule has announced it's launched a LittleBigPlanet.com News Site. Think of it as LBP Dojo!! According to the announcement:

With October right around the corner, we wanted to let you know we've launched the LittleBigPlanet News Site on LittleBigPlanet.com.

Bookmark us and get the latest word on LittleBigPlanet goodness direct from Media Molecule, Sony Computer Entertainment, or the fans. If you're in the mood to join the discussion, register and make yourself heard and be the first to hear what lies ahead with daily updates including announcements, developer interviews, video trailers, and artwork exclusive only on LittleBigPlanet.com.

Click over to the game's official site for more details.

LittleBigPlanet News [Official Site Thanks, Gene!]

New Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII And Final Fantasy Agito XIII Screens

Here are some new (and small) Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII screens from the latest issue of Shonen Jump. Not must new info here, save for the FFXIII demo will be in the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete Blu-ray. But we already knew that.

Final Fantasy XIII / Versus XIII 스크린샷 [VideogamerX via PS3Hyper]

US Version Of The Last Guy Will Kick Off In Frisco

As we already expected, the various international releases of The Last Guy will feature "appropriate" cities for each region. London for the UK, LA for the US, etc etc. We can add one more city to that list, as following a playthrough of the game, MTV found that the American release of the title will start in San Francisco. Specifically, in Fisherman's Wharf, which will be the game's first level. Never been there myself, but it really brings home how great an idea this is: saving people from some other city might be fun, but saving your own kin (should the game feature your hometown) is funner.

In America, ‘The Last Guy’ Starts In San Francisco [MTV] [Pic]

How To Apply To The U.S. Home Beta

The U.S. PlayStation Home beta test is expanding at the end of this month, and the Official PlayStation Blog has the super-complicated details on how you can apply to join it. Later today a PlayStation Home theme will appear on the PlayStation network. Here's the tricky part - download that theme. You have now applied for a spot in the expanded U.S. PlayStation Home beta.

Meanwhile, in Europe somewhere, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is expanding their beta test by hand-picking users who are the most active on PSN, so you folks might want to start spending several hours a day going from menu to menu. You can download a theme too, if you wish, but don't expect it to do anything other than change the look of your desktop.

Want into the PlayStation Home Closed Beta test? Here’s How to Apply [PlayStation Blog]

Frankenreview: PixelJunk Eden

Some of the best games on the PlayStation 3 have never seen a Blu-ray disc, all thanks to the folks at Q-Games. The first two games in their PixelJunk series - Racers and Monsters - proved that you didn't need photo realistic graphics to make video games that truly belong to the next generation. Now they've released PixelJunk Eden, a game about jumping, grabbing, and pollinating. Looking at the graphics alone you'd have absolutely no clue what was going on. Watching a video sheds a little light, but doesn't quite make things clear. No, to experience PixelJunk Eden you need to get your hands on it, just like the reviewers did in our latest Frankenreview.

Damnation Trailer Urges You To Stay Calm

SOCOM Beta Kicks Off in Sept, How You Can Get In

The SOCOM Confrontation public beta is set to run for the entire month of September, the developers announced today, and there are two ways you can get into it.

Gamers can land entry to the public beta by preodering a copy of the game at GameStop, which will also give them two keys to the beta to share. They can also get in by downloading the June issue of Playstation Network video show QORE. GameStop beta keys go live on September 1, while the Qore when start on September 8.

Unfortunately, this is only for North American gamers. Other regions will have to wait to see what their local Sony tells them.

Public Beta Info No Really! [SOCOM]

Driver Coming To PSN Next Week

Ubisoft has announced that the PlayStation classic Driver will be hitting the PlayStation Network next Thursday, August 14th. The game puts you in the role of an undercover cop infiltrating a crime syndicate using his driving skills, something that happens on a regular basis these days.

"Step inside the world of the original wheelman in this revived classic from Ubisoft Reflections," says the publisher. "Driver for the original PlayStation was a huge hit on the original PlayStation and remains a classic. Soon you can relive those gaming memories, or enjoy it for the first time, on PSN for PlayStation 3."

"The original wheelman"? Ouch. Yours might be the original, but does it have Vin Diesel? Is that even a selling point anymore?

Driver skids onto PSN Aug. 14 [CVG]

The BioShock PS3 Trailer

[Via NeoGAF]

BioShock PS3 Looks Better, Plays Harder (Say IGN)

Tons of New MotorStorm 2 Screens, Concept Art

Sony's released a buncha new MotorStorm 2 screens and concept artwork. While the previous game was set in Monument Valley, the sequel's gone all tropical with a jungle beach backdrop. Online it's possible for up to 16 players to go head-to-head, while up to four players can race each other offline. MotorStorm 2 also rolls out the monster trucks. Wasn't that into the first MotorStorm, but this is looking attractive. Check out the gallery below, game's out this fall.

対戦機能を強化したシリーズ最新作!SCEJ、PS3「モーターストーム2」 [Game Watch Impress]