Sony Adjusts Playstation Store Pricing

With this week's Playstation Store update comes the news that Sony has announced that it is finally adjusting the prices for its online content to suit the higher Canadian Dollar. As of yesterday, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) adjusted the prices of the downloadable content available through the Playstation Store, for the Canadian market. According to SCEA “the adjustment comes as a result of the strengthening Canadian currency and SCEA's ability to localize pricing within the Playstation Store”. Why they could not localize the prices before is beyond us, however it is nice to see a company meeting consumer demands.

"We are continually looking for ways to enhance the player experience on the Playstation Network, and downloadable content through the Playstation Store is just one of our areas of focus," said Grace Chen, Senior Manager for the Playstation Store. “We anticipate that this price adjustment will meet the expectations of our Canadian consumers and provide them with a better Playstation Network experience."

The Canadian prices for downloadable content available through the Playstation Store are now equal to the American prices. To put that into perspective, instead of paying $2.99 CAD for extra Rock Band tracks which were priced at $1.99 USD, Playstation Store users will now only have to pay $1.99 CAD. While a single dollar may not seem like a much higher price to pay, consider this. The content is exactly the same, and comes from the same place, and each dollar adds up, especially if you want to purchase a lot of content. The only question that remains is “when will Microsoft finally adjust the pricing for the Xbox Live Subscription and Microsoft Points”?

Here is this week's Playstation Store update:

Downloadable Games

echochrome ($9.99 USD and CAD)

Featuring an elegant black and white art design, echochrome is a puzzle game unlike any other. With gameplay based on optical illusions, players must utilize 5 simple laws of perspective to join walkways, hide dangers, and create new paths to reach the goal. Once you’ve mastered the 5 laws, use them to create your own mind-bending levels to play and share with friends using the custom level editor. Available for PlayStation 3 and PSP systems.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 86.4 MB

Add-on Game Content

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore downloadable songs ($1.49 USD and CAD each)

Plug in the microphone and live out your dream as a singing sensation! Expand your Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore library by purchasing tracks from the in-game store. For music credits, visit the Karaoke Revolution section of www.konami.com.

Full list of tracks:

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - Aretha Franklin
Against All Odds - Phil Collins
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg - Temptations
Alone – Heart
Always Something There to Remind Me - Naked Eyes
American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf
Careless Whisper - Wham
Complicated - Avril Lavigne
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
Do I Make You Proud - Taylor Hicks
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me - Culture Club
Every Rose Has its Thorn – Poison
Flashdance…What a Feeling - Irene Cara
Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston
Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher
If I Ain’t Got You - Alicia Keys
I’m Coming Out - Diana Ross
It’s Your Love - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
Ladies Night - Kool & the Gang
Let’s Get it On - Marvin Gaye
Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille
My Girl – Temptations
New York New York - Frank Sinatra
On the Road Again - Willy Nelson
Photograph – Nickelback
Proud Mary - Creedance Clearwater
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
Straight Up - Paula Abdul
Sugar We’re Goin’ Down - Fall Out Boy
Taking Care of Business - Bachman Turner Overdrive
The First Cut is the Deepest - Sheryl Crow / Rod Stewart
The Real Thing - Bo Bice
When the Sun Goes Down - Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker
Who Can it be Now? - Men At Work
You and Me – Lifehouse
You’re My Best Friend – Queen

Rock Band

Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

Zero - Smashing Pumpkins ($1.99 USD and CAD)
Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear - The Mother Hips ($1.99 USD and CAD)
Red Tandy - The Mother Hips ($1.99 USD and CAD)
File sizes: 15.5 MB - 36 MB

Game Demos (free)

Dark Sector Demo

Dark Sector thrusts players into the role of Hayden Tenno, an operative sent on a dangerous assassination mission into Lasria – an Eastern European city on the brink of ruin that hides a deadly Cold War secret. Attacked by an unknown enemy, he awakens to find part of his body altered by an infection that has granted him inhuman abilities. Now, Hayden must learn to evolve along with his powers, to survive and to become a hero.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 483 MB

Game Videos (free)

echochrome Trailer

Featuring an elegant black and white art design, echochrome is a puzzle game unlike any other. With gameplay based on optical illusions, players must utilize 5 simple laws of perspective to join walkways, hide dangers, and create new paths to reach the goal. Once you’ve mastered the 5 laws, use them to create your own mind-bending levels to play and share with friends using the custom level editor.
File size: 37 MB (1080)

Battlefield Bad Company Redford Blog

Sergeant Redford has seen plenty of action while in B Company, maybe even too much, and having squad members like Sweetwater and Haggard in his crew doesn’t put his tensions to rest. With only a couple weeks left in the Army, Redford is on his last string and will let nothing come in his way of a peaceful retirement…or will he?
File size: 97 MB (HD)

Kung Fu Panda Trailer

Check out the trailer for the new action-packed Kung Fu Panda game, based on the DreamWorks Animation movie!
File size: 68 MB (HD)

Dead Space Announcement Trailer
Dead Space brings the terror to your PS3.
File size: 91 MB (HD)

Dead Space Ship Date Trailer
Dead Space brings the chills on Halloween 2008.
File size: 78 MB (HD)

Turok - “Kane” Gameplay Trailer

The “Kane” Gameplay Trailer highlights the struggle between Turok and his former mentor Roland Kane as Turok fights to survive on a mysterious planet controlled by Kane and overrun with ravenous dinosaurs.
File size: 5.5 MB (SD), 30 MB (HD)

Turok “Bring It” Trailer

The Turok CG Trailer showcases the overwhelming odds of Turok’s fight to survive on a mysterious planet overrun with ravenous dinosaurs.

Wyclef Jean talks about his experience with the PLAYSTATION 3 system.
File size: 5.72 MB (SD), 29 MB (HD)

NBA Ballers: Chosen One TV Spot
Live the Game. Play the Life.
File size: 23 MB (HD)

Wyclef’s Fast Car Music Video
Wyclef’s latest music video, Fast Car ! Visit PlayStation.com to view exclusive behind the scenes footage and interviews with Wyclef.
File size: 195 MB (HD), 323 MB (1080)

PS3 Wallpaper (free)

echochrome Wallpapers (x4)
Customize the background of your PS3 system with this new echochrome Wallpaper.
File size: 20 KB - 500 KB

Kung Fu Panda Wallpapers (x3)
Customize the background of your PS3 system with this new Kung Fu Panda Wallpaper.
File size: 334 KB - 4.76 MB

Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com. There, you’ll find descriptions of the content and directions on how to get started. For more on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, please click here.

Downloadable Games

* echochrome ($9.99) (also downloadable via PS3)

Game Videos (free)

* echochrome Trailer
* Wyclef’s “Fast Car” Music Video

PSP Wallpaper (free)

* echochrome Wallpapers (x4)