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PlayStation Underground members have been informed by way of email that they can expect the next downloadable episode of Qore to provide access into the Resistance 2 beta. This highly-anticipated sequel to the best-selling launch PlayStation 3 title is expected to revolve heavily around multiplaying action. With Insomniac Games pumping the online limit up to 60 players, it makes perfect sense to throw a beta the online portion of the game. This will not only help tide fans of the series over, but it’ll also give Insomniac a better impression of how well the servers will handle the massive amount of traffic they’re sure to receive.
The beta is expected to begin during the month of September, so Qore users will have to wait quite some time before their purchase pays off. For those of you interested on when you can pick up the next installment of the online magazine, it’s scheduled for release on August 7. So far Qore has allowed users to gain eventual access to SOCOM: Confrontation’s beta, have an early playthrough of the latest Naruto demo and now gain an invitation to check out Resistance 2’s online play.
All that is left to do is to figure out if this beta is worth the asking price of a mere $2.99.

UPDATE: If you don’t want to purchase Qore, Insomniac has assured the public that there will be additional ways to acquire the Resistance 2 beta, such as a pre-order program that should be unveiled soon. As for any worried Europeans, the beta will take place in all territories, so don’t fret. [PSU]

Square Enix has gone PC. On the first day of the show, the Japanese game publisher announced that Final Fantasy XIII is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (in Europe and North America only) and PC. During a press conference following the Microsoft event, Final Fantasy XIII Producer Yoshinori Kitase discussed the new development strategy that Square Enix has taken with its upcoming games.
Aside from the new The Last Remnant game, which is being created for Xbox 360 and PS3 using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 externally, all new internally-developed games from Square Enix, including Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Versus, and an untitled new massively multiplayer online game, utilize the new PC-based Crystal Tools development environment. These tools allow development teams to create cross-platform games.
“The content will be the same on all platforms,” said Kitase. “However, we have yet to determine how many discs will be required for the 360 version. We’ll have to consider the differences between formats. Currently the game is being built on PC, where it’s actually functional. We’re still focusing on making it work on PS3, so it’s difficult to know how long the process of taking it to 360 will take.”
Thanks to the new PC development platform, Kitase added, “Now that we’re developing on a PC base, the pace is going a bit faster,” Kitase said. “We haven’t introduced new footage of the game, but we should be able to show something new in the near future.”
Square Enix showed the beautiful pre-rendered trailer for Final Fantasy XIII at the end of the Microsoft press conference. The publisher has a big event scheduled for Tokyo next month where the first new information will be revealed on all Final Fantasy titles. Previously, the publisher released its online game, Final Fantasy XII, on Xbox 360 and PC. [Nzone]

Sony Computer Entertainment America’s Peter Dille has played down the significance of losing PlayStation 3 exclusivity of Final Fantasy XIII, suggesting that long time fans will still be drawn to the Sony platform release.
“What you have with Final Fantasy XIII is a lot like what they’ve paid for with GTA. It’s not an exclusive on their platform. It’s now a cross-platform game,” said Dille, during an interview with MTV’s Multiplayer Blog. [PSU]

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Insomniac’s recently revealed PSN version of Ratchet & Clank will be available on Blu-ray in Europe.
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty (notice the word ‘Future’ is missing from the PAL version) will release simultaneously with its US counterpart on the Store and on BD. Other titles including MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 “will all be appearing in our fiscal year, which is before March 31st 2009,” according to SCEE President David Reeves. Hopefully this isn’t implying that there will be a delay between the US and European versions.
“Coming in spring will be inFamous and MAG, and God of War [3] will be coming later in 2009. I can also confirm that we will support DC Universe online for PS3.” [PSU]

God of War 3 has been announced for the PS3 and the tag line is “In the end, there will be  Chaos!” They did not announce a release date, but we will have more information as it follows.

This fall the PS3 80GB version that is going to be dropped to $399.99. They will be removing the  40GB version and the 80GB will have the same functionality as the 40GB version. Thus meaning or what it meant by what they said is that the 40GB version is going to be made into a 80GB with no backwards compatibility. That means that if you want backwards compatibitliy on your PS3, you should get it right now with the 80GB MGS4 bundle!

More information as it is released.

Sony is launching a PSP version of the Resistance Fall of Man game from the PS3 called   Resistance Retributions. It has been announced today at E3 and should be releasing Q4 2008 or in 2009.

More information as it is given!

According to reports from website CVG, Sony customer support has divulged that the platform holder is planning on releasing an update to last week’s Firmware 2.40 on Wednesday.
Released last week, Firmware 2.40 contained the hotly anticipated in-game XMB and Trophy support, though it was soon pulled after Sony became aware of multiple problems associated with the update.
However, reports states that an update, Patch 2.41, will become available on July 9 in an effort to rectify the problem, though an official announcement has yet to be made.

In response to whether or not Sony is aware of such reports, a representative told VG247, “I saw them,” adding, “I can’t confirm anything at the moment, though.”
Stay tuned for further information as it becomes available. [MCVUK]

Buried under predictions that 2012 will bring dominance for Blu-ray over DVD and breaking news that the PS3 just may have had a hand in winning the format war the Entertainment Merchant’s Association 2008 Annual Report on the Home Entertainment Industry holds survey results  showing 87% of PS3 owners reported they watch Blu-ray movies on their console. That’s a stark contrast to last year’s NPD survey indicating 60% of owners didn’t even know it played them. We don’t know what’s behind the jump, be it better marketing/consumer education, or something wrong with how one the surveys were conducted. You can mull that one over during the fast money round while also peeping results that say 22% of HDTV owners think they’re watching HD programming, but in fact are not — not like we haven’t heard that before. [PS3 Fanboy]

Sony UK’s Mark Howsen has said that the company aims to deliver regular shipments of new stock for its DualShock 3 controller, despite conceding that it may not be able to meet day one demand for the hotly anticipated peripheral. 
Speaking with MCV UK, Howsen, Director of Sales for PlayStation UK, commented: It’s going to be a close call as to whether we can guarantee enough stock for everybody day one. However, we’ll be making regular shipments thereafter in order to satisfy demand.”
Howsen also revealed that the Sixaxis control pad would remain on sale for a while longer, adding, “We’ll continue to offer the Sixaxis controller for the time being, giving consumers a cost effective choice, based on their gaming needs.”
The DualShock 3 controller is now available for purchase in the UK for approximately GBP 39.99.
Stay tuned. [Videogamer]