New Playstation Store Unveiled

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced the official unveiling of the new, more dynamic, faster and easier to navigate Playstation Store today. Designed to live as a native application on the Playstation 3, the new Playstation Store lets users shop for Playstation Network games, demos, game videos, Blu-ray Disc movie trailers and more, faster and more seamlessly than ever before. The freshly revamped Playstation Store is available to all Playstation 3 users after they have updated their console with the latest firmware version (V2.30), which released today.

The new Playstation Store features twice as many primary shopping categories, which makes it faster to browse through content. Included in these categories are “New Releases”, Downloadable Games”, “View All By Title”, “Add-Ons”, “Demos”, “Videos”, “Themes & Wallpapers”, and “Featured Items”. Other improvements to the Playstation Store include a new “Preview” feature that enables customers to stream trailers and view screenshots of Playstation Network games before they purchase them, and the addition of a “shopping bag” icon displayed next to purchased items, so users can keep track of content they've already got. The Playstation Store is accessible through the XrossMediaBar.

Microsoft announced the release of the new Legendary Map Pack for Halo 3 today. Available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace, this new multiplayer map pack brings back two fan-favourite maps from previous Halo titles, Avalanche and Blackout, one brand new map, Ghost Town, and fresh Forge options. Here are the map descriptions:

Avalanche is a throwback all the way to Halo: Combat Evolved . This snowy battlefield was inspired by the original Sidewinder, but the massive, vehicle-oriented objective map adds a twist to its classic predecessor with all new interiors, dramatically reshaped exteriors and brand new vehicle variants. Admire the view from above, as Avalanche also marks the arrival of the Hornet to Halo 3 multiplayer.

In keeping with the theme of “fan-favourites,” Blackout will fill the void left by fans of Halo 2 ’s Lockout. Although fully re-visualized, this map adheres very faithfully to the tightly wound perfection of the original, but eschews Forerunner architecture in favour of industrial human design. Blackout is perfect for fans of small battleground Slayer matches.

The Legendary Map Pack also packs a brand new punch, in addition to the two classics, with Ghost Town – a battle-scarred maze of narrow passages and dangerous ruins. Collapsed ceilings and shell-battered buildings provide both valuable cover and deadly traps, as catwalks and stairways take the fight from claustrophobic ground combat to dizzying rooftop battles. Ghost Town is a mid-sized map ideal for Team Slayer games and smaller, objective types.

Also, for a limited time, gamers who purchase the Legendary Map Pack will get a four month subscription to Bungie PRO, via Xbox Live. Bungie PRO greatly expands the Halo 3 experience by increasing the maximum number of file share storage slots from six to twenty-four while also increasing the total file storage size to 250MB. This will allow players to upload and share more films, maps, screenshots and game-types than ever before. In other words, if you were planning on getting this Pack anyway, and you like to share your own content, now is a good time to get it.

Today's game releases

Sony's Gran Turismo 5 Prologue for Playstation 3 - $39.99 USD and CAD

THQ's Dancing with the Stars for PC – Check local retailer for pricing