Dead Nation has infected a seemingly random selection of PSN members with a surprise beta starting today.

The latest in zombie survival horror gaming is a dual-analog shooter developed by Housemarque, expected to launch this year over PSN.

An unannounced beta code was sent via email to a selection of PSN subscribers today, apparently regardless of PlayStation Plus membership.

The beta will run through September 3 and is hosting two “free play” scheduled events, one today at 12 p.m. US PT and the other August 26 at 2 p.m. US PT, one lucky writer for Destructoid detailed.

Dead Nation will support co-op, but the beta keeps it simple with a solo campaign and a choice between two characters, Jack McReady or Scarlett Blake. The beta is being tracked on global leaderboards, so if you have a code, get shooting and let us code-less wannabes know what you think of the game!

Everyone else, check out the trailer right here and whine about the lack of a good beta in your lives right below!

via Destructoid

The highly anticipated movie/comic tie-in game Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is set to be released on August 10^th on the PlayStation Network, just a few days before the movie of the same name. The price has now been revealed on the Ubisoft store to be a cool $9.99.

Also detailed on the Ubisoft store is a pre-order bonus for the “destined to be a cult classic” title. By pre-ordering the game for the PlayStation, you will get a “Sex Bob-omb” t-shirt for your PlayStation Home avatar. An odd bonus, to be sure, but you don’t see many pre-order bonus’ for PSN titles to begin with. So, if you want to dress up your PS Home avatar, well here ‘ya go.

The game is also set to be released on the XBLA on August 25th, but no word of a pre-order bonus or price for the Xbox just yet (though we would imagine in will be 800 MS Points).

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That’s right Xbox fans, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the game, will be coming to the Xbox LIVE Arcade just two weeks after it launches on the PSN! It seems that the PlaytStation exclusivity won’t be long lived as the highly anticipated side-scroller with an old-school art style is coming to the PlayStation Network on August 10th and then to the XBLA on August 25th. The movie version of the popular Bryan Lee O’Malley comic book series will release between the two game dates, hitting theaters on August 13th.

If you are not familiar with the game, check out the latest trailer above and let us now what you think. Do you like the old-school art style of the game? Are you dying for all the Pilgrim you can get come August? Let’s hear it below!

Source (via Joystiq)

If you’re like me, you might have a few questions relating to Sony’s recently revealed PlayStation Plus subscription service. How exactly will it impact the current PSN? What’s all this talk about free games? Where the HELL is my cross-game chat???

Fortunately, the PlayStation Blog has posted some answers to these questions (not all good answers BTW…) which you can check out right here. The new service is set to launch June 29, so read up on it and let your fellow Axeheads know if you plan on doing the Plus.

PlayStation 3 users will be able to download the new co-operative DLC for Bad Company 2, ‘Onslaught’, once this weeks PSN Store update occurs today. Unfortunately, this DLC has been delayed for the Xbox 360 until further notice (and still no word on a PC release), so stay tuned for details on that.

‘Onslaught’ will run you an even $10.  So will you tear it up tonight, co-operatively? Or is there another co-op DLC pack out today that piqued your interest? Hunker down below and tell us!

Check out the trailer for Onslaught right here!

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The feature that was announced only last week at E3 has now been given a release date. Canadian’s can expect to start downloading movies and television shows onto their PlayStation 3’s and PSP’s come July 1.

You excited yet? What will you watch first Canada? Let us know below, eh?

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It’s been a long time coming, but we will soon have a worthy follow up to the Contra franchise – even though it’s not an ‘official’ sequel. Hard Corps: Uprising is a classic style side scrolling shooter loosely following up the original Contra: Hard Corp title released on the Sega Genesis.

After playing the demo on the floor I have to say, the visuals are amazing. In full HD, the hand drawn artwork will satisfy the fans of Arc System Works’(http://www.aksysgames.com/) style (developer and publisher of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue).

Even though the ‘Contra’ title has been stripped, the gameplay is classic Contra. I was playing the XBLA version of the game in 2 player mode. After blasting my way through most of the level, I received a weapon upgrade that was reminiscent of the Spread gun (damnit, I used to get so pissed after losing this weapon in the original!), and later an enhanced ‘laser’ upgrade. We quickly blew through the first mission which ended with a very familiar mini-boss – a blockade which you had to blast your way through to continue the level (nearly identical to the mid level boss in the original Contra).

So visuals and play mechanic similarities aside from the Contra series, there are a couple very noticeable differences, which I feel are definitely bad ass. First off, you have a health bar!!! You will, however, lose your weapon if you are hit. The other difference is a type of player advancement system. You will gain experience and level attributes to your character, and there will also be a shop with which you can pay for upgrades. Although I didn’t see this feature hands on, it will make it’s way into the final release.

It may not have the Contra name on it, but this is the definitive next generation Contra title. I only left wishing I could play it once I left the E3 floor, but I’ll have to wait for the Winter release date.

Check out some of the gameplay footage HERE, courtesy of Gametrailers.com

Now it’s your time to sound off, fellow axeheads! Is it not Contra without Bill and Lance??! Will the title be the definitive reboot of a classic franchise?

At long last, Sony finally announced that Final Fantasy IX will be hitting PSN this coming Tuesday, June 15th for $9.99.

Sony says FFIX is a return to what makes true role-playing games appealing, with it’s characters, presentation and such. Do you agree or is Final Fantasy VII still your baby? Let us know below!

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Into the long boats and ready the battering ram, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s Skirmish, we ponder the news the Lord of the Rings Online is going free this fall, rally around the news that His Airness, Michael Jordan will be the cover athlete for NBA 2K11, try to keep up with the plethora (Yes Jefe, a plethora) of PSP promotions falling out of the sky, and discuss the ‘unique’ approach Call of Duty: Black Ops has taken with its Co-Op mode.

First up in the main course, we take a bite out of the Big Three. With Sony having already announced a slew of titles pre-show, what will they have left to surprise us with? Will Microsoft and Nintendo deliver the goods with some big announcements they’ve kept close to the vest? Can some well-placed booth babes turn things around for OnLive?

Next up, EA, Activision, Ubisoft, THQ, and more are bringing down the thunder next week and we’re putting together a hit list for our picks from the third party devs. What are the must-sees, what might surprise us, and what are going to watch drown in a bathtub?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to the possibility PSN might become a paid service, Star Wars: The Battle for Hoth, the downloadable games of E3 2010, and the need for motion controls and 3D gaming to get some backup from kick-ass games.
Read the rest of this entry…

Remember that post on MAG from last week that detailed the big v1.06 patch? Well, that patch was given a release date today, and Zipper Interactive says you can expect to download it Tuesday, June 8.

Popping in your MAG disc at 1am Pacific/ 4am Eastern/ 8am GMT will allow the PSN to automatically download the update, which includes new weapon performance, new med-kit abilities, and much more. If you need a reminder on what else the patch does, you can check that here, and then let us know if your wishes were granted with this patch below.

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