Quite possibly the next best thing to owning a cell phone.
 

Sony has announced a new firmware update for the PSP-2000 (it's the slimmer and lighter version that recently hit the market for those of you wondering), giving users the ability to make free calls over the Internet via Skype. This new capability is available as a free system software upgrade, giving the existing PSP-2000 userbase the ability to connect with the millions of Skype users around the world.

Today's announcement also revealed that PSP owners looking to contact non-Skype users can also purchase Skype Credit, available for purchase at http://www.skype.com. With Skype Out, calls can be made to any landline or mobile number around the world. 

There are two ways to pay for SkypeOut:

·         Pay As You Go: Place a pre-paid amount of Skype Credit in your account and then refill it as you need it. It’s just 2.1 cents per minute to Skype’s 30 most popular destinations around the world.

·         Pay Monthly: Sign up for the Skype Pro™ premium subscription for just $3.00/month. This gives you free calling to landlines and mobile phones within the U.S. and Canada (with no connection fee**); a discounted rate for a personal online number (SkypeIn) to receive calls; voicemail; and other features, such as the ability to pay nothing per minute for local calls when travelling to 29 other countries (connection fee** applies).

You can also purchase a personal online number so you can receive calls wherever you are in the world with a subscription to SkypeIn for $60.00/year or $18.00/three months (save $36 on this feature with a Skype Pro subscription).

For more details, visit the official Skype website.

A new digital interest has begun, and it's not developed by Hudson.

Our content updates are going to start picking up soon as we draw closer to the spring seasonn. Ok, well there's still well over a month to go, but you get the drift. The past few days has been very exciting on my 360, and it's from playing Bomberman Live. yeah, I said the unthinkable. I have not been playing Bomberman Live. What could have possibly dethroned my #1 cherished game of 2007?

Say hello to my newest addiction: Burnout Paradise. 

Now I know a lot of you were already planning to pick this up after getting a taste of the playable demo. Personally, that didn't do TOO much for me, but I was intending to pick it up anyways. Now that I own the full version, it's all I want to play. All I talk about, and it's the only game that any racing fan should be playing RIGHT NOW. I can't get into too much detail right now because a review is forthcoming from yours truly; plus, I'll be joined by a fellow Burnout fan. No, I am not going to reveal who that is — you'll just have to tune in later this week to find out.

In other news, I must apologize our blog updating hasn't been as consistent. Rest assured, once Rich, Aaron and I can actually find things we feel are relevant to discuss – we'll post more. We're also looking for some new talent to join the ranks. If you're interested, please send us some samples of your writing. Contributors are always welcome! Now if you'll excuse me, I have events to clear.

Best retro pack, evar! 

Could I get away with calling this the SNK Megat0n? No… well too bad because I think this is going to be on every diehard SNK fan's list this year. SNK Arcade Classics: Volume 1 offers a diverse range of action, sports, shooters and beat 'em ups; the perfect combination for retro enthusiasts, old-school vets or anyone who simply appreciates 2D gaming at its best. Check out what's packed in the first edition:

• Art of Fighting – The first game in SNK's second fighting-game franchise, set in the same universe as FATAL FURY.
• Baseball Stars 2 – The sequel to SNK's popular baseball arcade game.
• Burning Fight – New York detectives battle organized crime in this fighter.
• Fatal Fury – First released in 1991, FATAL FURY introduced the two-plane fighting system.
• King of Fighters '94 – The first game in the popular KING OF FIGHTERS series.
• King of the Monsters – In KING OF THE MONSTERS, giant monsters fight for power in epic battles.
• Last Resort – A challenging futuristic shooter.
• Magician Lord – Players help the wizard Elta save his homeworld in this platformer.
• Metal Slug – Known for its humor and fast- moving gameplay, this run-and-gun side-scroller was the first in the popular series.
• Neo Turf Masters – A golf game which debuted on the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1999.
• Samurai Showdown – Set in the 18th century, SAMURAI SHODOWN features bladed-weapon combat and an international cast of characters.
• Sengoku- In SENGOKU, players face off against undead feudal Japanese armies.
• Shock Troopers – In this run-and-gun adventure, players save a scientist and his granddaughter from the Bloody Scorpions.
• Super Sidekicks 3 – A soccer game featuring teams from all over the world.
• Top Hunter – Bounty hunters protect colonists from space pirates in this futuristic action game.
• World Heroes – This classic fighter pits players against historical figures in a tournament enabled by time travel.

SNK Arcade Classics is currently in development for the PS2 and PSP. What? No love for the 360? Well don't act too surprised, we all know Microsoft's stance on 2D gaming. Or do we? Either way, someone needs to sign some checks, petition or just do a lot of yelling to bring this over to the 360.

No official date has been penciled in at this time, however the press release hints at a "first quarter of 2008" which suggests it should arrive in the next two or three months. 

Those figures are just movin' on up.

That's right… double-platinum status. I remember years ago, that type of jargon only got tossed around with records; shows you how old-school I am. Anyways, Harmonix's music rhythm sensation is progressively growing by the week it seems. The latest news reports that the Rock Band downlodable content has been a huge success, as gamers purchased more than 2.5 million game levels based on songs since its launch on November 27.

One of the recent DLC releases includes a trifecta of Metallica classic tracks: Ride the Lightning, Blackened and "And Justice for All", currently the game's top selling music downlaod to date. Close behind are the respective three-packs from the Police, Queens of the Stong Age, David Bowie and a swath of Black Sabbath covers (I'll pass on the latter).

"Our goal with Rock Band was to create an entirely new way for people to interact with the music they love," stated Van Toffler, president, MTVN Music Group/Logo/Films.  "The incredible response to the downloadable content we've released to date motivates us even more to establish this platform as a way for people to discover new, up and coming artists through the game – in addition to delivering great game play experiences set to the music of mega-artists."

Rock Band's DLC success sends a clear message that people WANT as much as Harmonix/EA can deliver. It's the perfect platform to introduce existing and developing artists. Fans can look forward to selections from artists like 30 Seconds to Mars, All-American Rejects and The Sounds. Plus, MORE music (yes… more) is on the way every week through 2008 featuring a robust variety of song packs, albums, and individual tracks which will vary in price from 80 to 240 MS points (which is the equivalent of .99 to $2.99). The average song sells for 160 points ($1.99).

Hm… I wonder if I can somehow convince Aaron to give up the review copy so that I can appreciate all Rock Band's heavenly glory. (Yeah, he's probably reading this right now saying: Dude, get your own!) :p

The popular game artist takes a crack at comics.

Here at GotNext, we don't normally talk much about manga and comics, but when a game industry great like Yasushi Suzuki takes a stab at his own book, you take notice. Purgatory Kabuki is the first full-length manga for the prolific artist and he assumes the role of both author and illustrator, allowing us our some insight into Suzuki as a storyteller.

In an interesting turn for an artist that usually departs from Japanese artistic convention, Suzuki seems to revel in his heritage for this Western-market original. Perhaps because he knows he is creating for the American audience, Purgatory Kabuki revels in Japanese culture and tradition, with influences of ukiyoe painting, Japanese mythology, and, of course, kabuki theater.

Using Yomi, the Japanese underworld, as a backdrop, Purgatory Kabuki tells the story of a nameless swordsman, fighting without reason, and collecting the swords of his slain opponents. When he meets his match in the form of a young demon spawn named Enishi, he accepts her as his better, and swears his allegiance. In exchange for a powerful new body, he will assume the name of Imanotsurugi and help Enishi to collect a thousand swords, needed to escape the underworld and ascend to heaven.

Suffice it to say that the grim storyline and hellish setting mean the pages are packed with action. The bloody and intense sword fights are a perfect match for Suzuki's distinctive art style. In a departure from the digital paintings he's known for, the panels of Purgatory Kabuki feature a more minimalist pen and ink approach, with bold, kinetic strokes of the pen that wonderfully convey the energy of each stroke of the sword.

Dialog is quite minimal at times. The plot is at turns a thin vehicle for the action, and at others quite surprising. Suzuki's video game industry roots seem to show here, with a series of "boss" fights against an eclectic cast of foes. But just when you think you've gotten used to the rhythm of the story, some unusual turns save the story from repetition.

Lamentably, there are a few areas where Suzuki's inexperience becomes apparent. While the art is all quite lovely, the continuity is not always easy to figure out. The lack of dialog, stark backgrounds, and very few establishing shots for each scene make it somewhat difficult to follow the action at times. These more subtle aspects of communicating important information to the reader are the things Suzuki most needs to learn.

Despite this, Purgatory Kabuki is an impressive first effort, and there is little doubt that Yasushi Suzuki has the talent and creativity to make a wonderful manga-ka. His art is absolutely one-of-a-kind, and his unique interpretation of Yomi will not soon be forgotten. Fans will not be disappointed, and those just looking for something different in the world of action comics would do well to pay attention.