We've got some good downloadable stuff on the PlayStation store, including the cross-play compatible The Pinball Arcade for both Vita and PS3, and Skullgirls for the PS3. Austin Wintory's amazing Journey soundtrack is available for download (it's also available on iTunes), and Persona 3: FES is now available as a PS2 classic. Which I'd be all over, if I wasn't in the middle of sinking 100 hours into Persona 3 Portable,

Read the full list below?

PS Vita Games

The Pinball Arcade (Cross Purchase W/ PS3) ($9.99)
Treasures Of Montezuma Blitz (free)

PS Vita Add-Ons

Ridge Racer: Music Pack 18 Variety #3 (free)
Ridge Racer: Music Pack 19 Variety 4 (free)
MotorStorm RC SPECIAL Monster Truck – Atlas Earthquake ($0.49)
MotorStorm RC SPECIAL Buggy – Atlas Excavator ($0.49)
MotorStorm RC BONUS Super Car – Ozutsu Blacksun J-GT ($0.49)

PS Vita Videos

PULSE 4/10 Edition (free)
MotorStorm RC Carnival Expansion Pack Trailer (free)
MotorStorm RC Pro-Am Expansion Pack Trailer (free)

PSN Games

World Gone Sour ($4.99)
Skullgirls ($14.99)
The Pinball Arcade (Cross Purchase W/ Vita) ($9.99)

PS3 Full Games

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City ($15.99)

Game Demos

Sniper Elite V2 Demo

Add-ons & Expansions

UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception Drake's Deception Map Pack ($9.99/Free for FHC Members)
MotorStorm RC SPECIAL Monster Truck – Atlas Earthquake ($0.49)
MotorStorm RC SPECIAL Buggy – Atlas Excavator ($0.49)
MotorStorm RC BONUS Super Car – Ozutsu Blacksun J-GT ($0.49)
Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City – Free Echo Six Prologue Mission (free)
Mass Effect 3 – Resurgence Multiplayer Expansion (free)
Tales Of Graces Add Ons (x10) ($3.99 – $4.49 each)
Disgaea 4 Add Ons (x4) ($0.99 – $2.99 each)
Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 DLC Add Ons (x7) (free – $1.99 each)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Add Ons (x4) (free – $3.99 each)
Dynasty Warriors 7 Add Ons (x4) ($1.99 – $3.99 each)
Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends Add Ons (x4) ($2.99 – $3.99 each)
Warriors Orochi 3 – Weapon Pack ($1.99)
Saints Row The Third: Special Ops Vehicle Pack ($2.99)
Saints Row: The Third – Nyte Blayde Pack ($2.99)
Dungeon Defenders: Quest For The Lost Eternia Shards Part II: Morrago ($3.99)
DC Universe Online Legendary Membership Various Passes (14.99 – 119.99)

Updates

Grand Theft Auto IV Episodes From Liberty City Ps3 Full Game (Sale) PS3) (now $15.99, original price $19.99)
Inferno Pool (Sale) PS3) (now $2.99, original price $9.99)
WipEout HD Bundle (now $12.99, original price $24.99)
WipEout HD (now $7.99, original price $19.99)
WipEout HD Fury (now $7.99, original price $9.99)

Rock Band 3 tracks

• "Bully" – Slayer ($1.99)
• "Raining Blood" – Slayer ($1.99)
• "Seasons in the Abyss" – Slayer ($1.99)
• "South of Heaven" – Slayer ($1.99)
• Slayer Pack 01 ($5.49) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: Slayer Pack 01. This pack includes "Raining Blood", "Seasons in the Abyss" and "South of Heaven". By Slayer.

File size: 23 – 30 MB (singles), 82 MB (track pack)

Rock Band Network v2.0

• "Good Morning Tucson" – Jonathan Coulton ($1.99)
• "Super Villian" – Powerman 5000 ($1.99)
• "Talisman" – Amberian Dawn ($1.99)
• "The Stache" – Jonathan Coulton ($1.99)
• "Time Bomb" – Powerman 5000 ($1.99)

PS3 Themes

Abstract Color Cubes Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Attack Of The Zombies Dynamic Theme 1 ($2.99)
Attack Of The Zombies Dynamic Theme 2 ($2.99)
Dynamic Ebunnies Theme 1 ($2.99)
Dynamic Ebunnies Theme 2 ($2.99)
Wendy Premium Theme 7 ($2.99)
Wendy Premium Theme 8 ($2.99)
Devil Queen Theme ($1.49)
Drinkin' Sakura Theme ($1.49)

Game Videos

MotorStorm RC Carnival Expansion Pack Trailer
MotorStorm RC Pro-Am Expansion Pack Trailer
UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception Drake's Deception Map Pack Trailer
PULSE 4/10 Edition
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II Reunited Trailer
UFC Undisputed 3 – Fight Of The Night Pack Trailer

Themes

Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 Custom Theme (free)
Abstract Ocean Flight Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Abstract Firework Symphony Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Ups and Downs by Jody Barton Theme ($1.49)
Elements by On Repeat Theme ($1.99)

Avatars

Unit 13 High Value Target Avatar Pack 1 ($1.49)
Unit 13 High Value Target Avatar Pack 2 ($1.25)

PS Home

PlayStation Home Accessories Pack ($1.99)
PlayStation Home Casual Wear Pack 2 ($1.99)

PS2 Classics

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES ($9.99)

Music

Journey – Original Soundtrack from the Video Game ($4.99)

PlayStation Store for PSP

PSP Minis

Defenders Of The Mystic Garden – Minis (PSN Exclusive) ($3.49)

Game Videos (Free)
PULSE 4/10 Edition

PSP Themes
Attack of The Zombies PSP Theme 1 ($1.99)
Attack of The Zombies PSP Theme 2 ($1.99)

PlayStation Plus

Exclusives:	The House of the Dead 4 Demo
Minis:	Canabalt Defenders Of The Mystic Garden
Full Game Trials:	Grand Theft Auto IV Episodes From Liberty City
Media:	Qore Episode 47 – April
Discounts:	GRAND THEFT AUTO IV EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY (PS Plus Price: $11.99)
Theme:	Cuckoo Clock Dynamic Theme
Avatars:	Green Hamster Avatar Pink Hamster Avatar Street Fighter X Tekken Avatar Bundle Street Fighter X Tekken Kuma Avatar

Cards Against Humanity was a popular late-night diversion at PAX East last weekend, making appearances at gaming tables after midnight and after a few adult beverages. The game, it seems, is indeed as antagonistic as advertised, and can be dangerous to a player's health under the wrong circumstances.

A group of friends in River Falls, Wisconsin, were playing the game late one night last week when one particular off-color remark caused a man to go "bonkers" and sending the rest of the players into hiding in the bedroom, the River Falls Journal reports.

Specifically:

Someone apparently joked about child molestation. A 38-year-old Plum City man erupted angrily, allegedly scattering the cards, breaking a beer bottle, a lamp, throwing a chair and later smashing a wine bottle. Some of the card players raced to a bedroom, locked the door and called 911. River Falls police responded.

The suspect, described as drunk, was found alone in the kitchen. He was persuaded to come outside.

After the police intervened, the man became uncooperative and drunkenly used a phone in the police station to call a county judge, before making his way back to the house where the game had taken place to retrieve his belongings.

It's certainly not the first time in history someone has had a few too many and ruined game night, but it does seem surprising that it hasn't happened with this particular game sooner.

Cards Against Humanity bills itself as a "party game for horrible people." Played like Apples to Apples, each hand one player draws a black card with a question or an adjective. Players put down white cards from their hands that have nouns, ranging from single words to celebrities to full paragraphs. The catch with Cards Against Humanity is that all of the options are, shall we say, decidedly family-unfriendly. From choice bits of human anatomy, to acts that can't be described in polite company, to human tragedies that should not feature in a joke, every play is an opportunity to think, "I'm going to hell for thinking this is funny."

It's a game best avoided in uncertain company. Not only is every hand likely to cause offense, but apparently one never knows which player will find a joke to be one joke too many and snap.

After pedophile remark, River Falls man goes bonkers [River Falls Journal]

We've been subjected to some bad Kinect games this past year and a half. Maybe it's time for a really good one? I'm stepping on board the fully-mechanized Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor bandwagon, because here is a Kinect game that looks fun and—this is key—appears to use the Kinect sensor sparingly.

Have From Software and Capcom figured it out?

Take a look above at five minutes of June's Xbox 360-exclusive Steel Battalion , shot by me at PAX East in Boston this past weekend. The graphics on the TV may be hard to see, but I wanted people to be able to observe what the players do to control the game. They mostly use the Xbox controller. From time to time, they use Kinect-tracked gestures to literally reach beyond those controls.

My favorite touch: When you stand up from your chair, you are basically standing in your Steel Battalion mech, popping your head out of the hatch above to survey the landscape beyond the tank.

My second-favorite touch: The thing that happens around 1:50 into this video, though that's not part of the game. It's just a perk of shooting Steel Battalion on Easter Sunday.

Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo sat down with Michael "Brainy Gamer" Abbott the other day to give out all of our trade secrets talk about the past, present, and future of the site you're reading now.

It's a really interesting conversation that is worth a listen if you're at all interested in games writing or the inside workings of Kotaku.

Brainy Gamer Podcast - Episode 36
[Brainy Gamer]

The research group Nielsen has released a poll under the headline "Video Gamers Eager for New Titles from Familiar Franchises this Year." They combined "eight key consumer metrics, including awareness and purchase interest" into one score for each game, ranked out of 100.

Here are the full (weird) findings, in order:

Xbox 360

• Halo 4
• Assassin's Creed III
• Max Payne 3
• Madden NFL 13
• Resident Evil 6
• Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
• Fable: The Journey
• Kinect: Star Wars
• NCAA Football 13
• Bioshock: Infinite
• Tomb Raider

PlayStation 3

• Assassin's Creed III
• Max Payne 3
• Madden NFL 13
• Resident Evil 6
• Medal of Honor: Warfighter
• NCAA Football 13
• Prototype 2
• Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
• Bioshock: Infinite
• Tomb Raider
• NBA Live 13

Wii

• Madden NFL 13
• Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
• Battleship
• LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• Men In Black
• The Last Story
• Xenoblade Chronicles

As you can see, no non-sequels made their way onto either the PS3 or 360 lists (well, technically Kinect Star Wars qualifies. Ha.). But is "gamers sure do love sequels" really the main takeaway here?

The sequel aspect is one of the least strange things about these lists. Who were the "video gamers" polled for this? Why is Medal of Honor: Warfighter on the PS3 list but not 360? Who is (or was) anticipating Kinect Star Wars more than Bioshock Infinite? Can most Wii owners even list eight games that are coming out this year off the top of their head? Was this multiple choice? Was "Actually, I'm mostly just waiting for the Wii U" not an option?

The list also only includes games announced before March 23rd, so it exists in a universe in which there's no Call of Duty game coming out in 2012. This list of most anticipated games of 2012 leaves off the game that will be one of the biggest releases of the year. Well then.

For my part, I still just can't believe that Men In Black isn't higher on the Wii list. I am outraged!

Video Gamers Eager for New Titles from Familiar Franchises this Year [Nielsen Wire via Gamasutra]

Here's Gilgamesh, the newest piece of downloadable content for Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII-2.

You might recognize Gilgamesh from his appearances in Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VIII, among other games in the longrunning RPG series. You might also recognize his ridiculous, fourth-wall-breaking sense of humor.

Gilgamesh is out now for 320 Microsoft Points (or $4). Buy him and he'll pop up as an opponent in the game's coliseum.

I found this guy on the show floor at PAX East, dressed up like Altair from Assassin's Creed and boasting his very own homemade hidden blade. I shot this video of the weapon in action, then ran away as quickly as possible. You never know at these conference things.

Today's new Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack expansion is supposed to be free, so don't accidentally buy the 320 Microsoft Point version. The official BioWare Twitter feed delivered that warning this afternoon:

Please DO NOT purchase the 320 pt. 'Resurgence Pack' consumable on XBL dash. This was erronously uploaded & we are working to take it down!

Stick with the free version, people. The Resurgence Pack is supposed to improve your multiplayer experience with two new maps, new characters, new weapons and more.

Some fine folks from BioWare held a Dragon Age panel at PAX East this weekend in which they emphatically did not talk about still-unannounced Dragon Age 3.

Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, Executive Producer Mike Darrah, Lead Writer David Gaider, and Assistant Art Director Shane Hawco presented an array of slides, displaying and responding to fan feedback they'd received from previous Dragon Age games, most particularly Dragon Age II.

"We're going to talk about some stuff today," Laidlaw explained, "And this stuff is not tied to a specific product. Now, I think you can all do some mental math, maybe a bit of gymnastics, and figure out what we're really saying — but let's be clear, we're not making graven promises this year, but we're talking about some ideas and some feedback we got from you guys."

Having established that the presentation was just as much totally not about Dragon Age 3 as Law and Order has totally never been about Michael Jackson (at least three times), what did they then promise to do in their not-upcoming non-game?

A great deal of fan feedback themes flashed on the screen, but ultimately three remained as major points:

• Stop reusing levels
• Decisions that matter
• Equipment for followers

• Laidlaw then broke down in some depth how the Dragon Age dev team plans to address each of those concerns going forward in the franchise.

  
  

  Flashing "WILL DO!" on the screen under "stop reusing levels," Laidlaw acknowledged that gamers were tired of "cheese wheels in caves," and spoke about space and scope while displaying some gorgeous, sweeping concept art. He also promised that should they "need to go somewhere more urban," it would not be DA2's Kirkwall, but rather "somewhere more... French," hinting strongly at at least one city or town in Orlais.

  
  

  Laidlaw then moved on to "decisions that matter" (on screen: YES!), breaking that down into the areas of both character agency and player agency. Character agency was taken to mean, "My character has an active effect on his or her world, determined by my choices," where player agency encompasses, "I have control over my gameplay experience." Laidlaw promised more of the former but cautioned that the latter is always strongly limited, simply by the nature of game design. He also promised that players could carry forward choices made in Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II, presumably through save imports, and find that they have repercussions down the line.

  
  

  Finally, discussing gear customization for companion characters (also "YES!," on screen), Laidlaw paused a moment to point to the large number of DA2 cosplayers in the front of the room, all of whom were dressed in instantly recognizable ways. He explained that creating a signature look was important to the development team, saying, "This is what a signature look can provide. A good chance for people to really identify with them, from a tactical sense you can look at them on the battlefield and they have their own silhouette, their own shape."

  
  

  He then demonstrated, with concept art for both a Grey Warden companion and for a Seeker companion, how the team hopes to include interchangeable gear and armor customization — up to and including materials and dyes — while still maintaining a unique and distinct look for each character in the party. A chestplate may change shapes, depending on which character the player equips it, but it can still provide the same bonuses and stats.

  
  

  For all that I completely adored playing Dragon Age II and inadvertently became one of its loudest defenders for a time, I agree with the majority opinion that some of the core mechanics were lacking. I personally didn't care about the map recycling, because I've never particularly loved dungeon-delving, but the varied, hugely expansive locations in Dragon Age: Origins were a hallmark of the game and I don't blame any fan who was disappointed over their absence in the sequel. Bringing back a greater variety of locations can only help the next game.

  
  

  But what I hope more than anything that they keep for the next Dragon Age game is the depth of character that developed so richly among companions in DA2. Having a dialogue wheel that indicated tone, along with a voiced protagonist, let DA2 avoid the dissonance I constantly felt in Origins, where what I thought was an innocent question would immediately offend the companion of whom I asked it. The interplay of companions outside of Hawke's sphere, and the richness of their banter as the game went on, brought Kirkwall to life for me with a sense of place and life that I've felt in very few other games.

  
  

  If BioWare can keep the richness of characters and relationships that set Dragon Age II apart, while bringing back the hallmark exploratory attitude and piles of RPG inventory that made Dragon Age: Origins a hit, then Dragon Age 3 — should, of course, anyone ever acknowledge it exists — could be a phenomenal game indeed.

  
  

  BioWare and Dragon Age at PAX East [BioWare Blog]

  
  

Sure, most of the time we do beat them, but sometimes we're so busy loving them we never get around to it. Games, we mean. Commenter GiantBoyDetective wants to know if you've got a game you adore but never quite got around to finishing. It's okay, it happens to all of us.

Ever realize you've never beaten a game you love?

I love Mega Man X, but I realized I've never actually beaten it. So I'm going to try and do just that!

Playing Mega Man X is one of the first gaming memories I have. I was 5 when my brother got it and the only boss I could ever consistently beat was Chill Penguin.

I've already defeated four of those rascally bosses and I'm on my way. What a great game.