FIFA Interactive 2008 World Player Crowned

FIFA, EA AND PLAYSTATION CROWN FIFA INTERACTIVE WORLD PLAYER 2008
Spain’s Alfonso Ramos Triumphs In FIFA’s Global Football Videogame Tournament

Geneva, Switzerland and London, UK, 24 May 2008 – Berlin played host to intense football action, as the virtual football season came to an explosive end at today’s FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) Final at the Sony Centre. 32 of the world’s best interactive footballers met face to face to compete for the ultimate title of FIFA Interactive World Player 2008. Following an incredible display of tactics and skill on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 08 on PLAYSTATION®3, Alfonso Ramos beat Michael Ribeiro from the United States 3:1 in front of a cheering crowd, securing the title and the $20,000 USD prize money. Alfonso also received an invitation to attend the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich on 12 January 2009 where he will rub shoulders with real life football heroes.

A fantastic day’s football culminated in the two best players facing off for what turned out to be a nail biting final full of world class skill and great emotion. The game got off to an electric start as Alfonso’s Barcelona side took the lead with a beautiful header and he solidified his dominance with a decisive finish by Eto’o early in the second half. Michael, also playing as Barcelona, responded emphatically with a classy goal to bring the score back to 2:1, but Alfonso showed his determination and with less than ten minutes to go restored his 2-goal lead. Michael came back strongly but in the end Alfonso’s defense proved too strong and the game finished with a convincing 3:1 scoreline.

The third and fourth play-off was contested between Brazil’s Andre Casagrande Buffo and Austria’s Dominik Posch. In a closely fought encounter, the Austrian came out on top with a 2:1 victory.

“I came here to do my best but really didn’t believe I would make it this far. It’s been an absolutely fantastic day – to test myself against the world’s best virtual football gamers is what this tournament is all about,” said Alfonso Ramos. ” I’m really proud to be the first Spaniard to be crowned FIFA Interactive World Player and look forward to defending my title next year.”

As the sun was setting over Berlin, 20,500 spectators shared the excitement of the biggest virtual football event which provided the very best in real and virtual sporting action. Adding to the buzz were appearances by German hip-hop artist Das Bo. Anthony Baffoe, a former Ghanaian international and the first African player in the German Bundesliga co-hosted the event.

"The FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final was a marvelous event. It featured everything that a FIFA World Cup event should have: fair-play, excitement, a sense of fun social happening mixed with world-class football action. In my opinion, all the gamers who participated in Berlin have many things in common with those who display their skills at any other FIFA World Cup. They obviously were dedicated in training for the event, they were focused and determined individuals and their skills have made them the best in the world. I offer my congratulations to everyone who took part”, said Thierry Weil, FIFA’s Marketing Director.

“Congratulations to Alfonso Ramos, the fourth ever FIFA Interactive World Player of the year, who impressed us all with his skills today,” said Romain Rossi, Marketing Director, EA SPORTS. “This tournament is a fantastic demonstration of the passion we all hold as football fans and has really managed to bring the emotion of the real game to the virtual world. It’s been a great season and together FIFA and PlayStation we cannot wait to see the kick-off of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009 later this year.”

”This year has been the first year PlayStation has been involved in the FIFA Interactive World Cup and it has very much lived up to all of our expectations,” said Darren Carter, Vice President of Consumer Marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “This tournament has truly highlighted the wonderful technology of PS3, where real football and virtual football are closer than ever before, as well as the fantastic connectivity provided by the PLAYSTATION®Network. We look forward to continuing our partnership with EA and FIFA in the years to come and heartily congratulate Alfonso on his tremendous win.”

This year’s Grand Final marks the end of the fourth annual FIFA Interactive World Cup, which saw seven months of intense competition on the virtual football pitches of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 08 on PLAYSTATION®3. Players spanning the globe from Australia to South Africa, Brazil to Korea to the USA and Italy dribbled and scored their way through the tournament’s 20 live qualifiers, while over 25,000 players competed in the online leg. Only the 32 best players were invited to the Grand Final, to take part in the ultimate battle for interactive football supremacy.

BioShock Bound for PS3 - Confirmed!

May 22, 2008 - From IGN

"We can officially confirm that BioShock is in development for the Plastation 3," a representative for 2K Games told IGN this morning.

See the full story here Click Here

Playstation Store Update 05/22/2008

PS3 Playstation Store Updated Today 05/22/2008

Add-on Game Content
Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Beetlebum” - Blur ($1.99)
“Countdown to Insanity” - H-BlockX ($1.99)
“Hier Kommt Alex” - Die Toten Hosen ($1.99)
“Hysteria” - Muse ($1.99)
“Manu Chao” - Les Wampas ($1.99)
“Monsoon” - Tokio Hotel ($1.99)
“New Wave” - Pleymo ($1.99)
“Perfekte Welle” - Juli ($1.99)
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Star” - Oasis ($1.99)
File sizes: 16.8 MB - 45.4 MB (singles)

Rock Band price promotion: “We Care a Lot” - Epic and “All the Small Things” - Blink 182 are reduced to $0.99 until May 29th.

Game Music
PixelJunk Monsters Album ($2.99)
The PixelJunk Monsters Album is the original game soundtrack to the popular and addictive tower defense game, PixelJunk Monsters. This charming and distinctive soundtrack includes 24 music tracks by Japanese ambient techno group Otograph. Download the album today!
File size: 62.2 MB

Game Videos (free)
Siren: Blood Curse Debut Trailer
An American TV crew has arrived in Japan to film an expose on the legend of the “vanished village.” Controlling seven different playable characters, the player must uncover the mystery behind the curse that grips the eerie village of Hanuda. Intense graphics, realistic character animation, and a gritty film-like graphical presentation add to the horror of Siren: Blood Curse.
File size: 44 MB (HD)

GRID CGI Trailer
Experience a new world of racing as Codemasters releases the CGI trailer for GRID.
File size: 79 MB (HD)

Battlefield: Bad Company: Find All Five – Recon Kit
Put down an enemy squad with an additional recon kit unlock by pre-ordering Battlefield: Bad Company on Playstation 3 at participating retailers.
File size: 38 MB (HD)

Battlefield: Bad Company: Find All Five – Support Kit
Keep your team kicking on the Battlefield with an additional support kit unlock by signing up for the Battlefield newsletter.
File size: 39 MB (HD)

Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway - Wasn’t Supposed to Happen
Delivering on the franchise’s compelling story, unrivalled authenticity and intense squad-based action, Hell’s Highway drops you into the largest WWII airborne operation: Operation Market-Garden.
File size: 57 MB (SD), 117 MB (HD), 169 MB (1080)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian The Video Game Trailer
Enter Narnia once again in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian to help restore Prince Caspian to the throne and return freedom and magic to Narnia!
File size: 47 MB (HD)

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Launch Trailer r
File size: 176 MB (HD)

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Team Play Behind the Scenes Video
Experience the ultimate team-and mission-based multiplayer warfare, defined by award winning Return to Castle Wolfenstein Multiplayer, now set in the legendary QUAKE universe.
File size: 168 MB (HD)

Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers (free)
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben Gate’s (Nicolas Cage) Great-Great Grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s death.
File size: 125 MB (1080)

Untraceable
There has never been a cyber criminal they couldn’t catch…until now…The more people who watch…the faster the victims die.
File size: 119 MB (HD), 153 MB (1080)

First Sunday
Two bumbling criminals discover they haven’t got a prayer when they attempt to steal from the local church.
File size: 116 MB (HD), 158 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes (free)
Graffiti Theme
Customize your PS3 system with a cool Graffiti theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 7.61 KB

High Velocity Bowling Theme (x3)
Customize your PS3 system with a cool High Velocity Bowling theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 1.79 MB - 1.86 MB