Hello everyone,

It’s somehow almost Christmas, even though it feels like about a week since I didn’t really get anything I wanted last year (“A whisk! Thanks, darling”) and I haven’t yet filled my amazon wishlist with expensive boxsets I’ll never have time to watch.

But it does mean that FirstPlay is experiencing its first ever December, with episode 35 hitting the store on Wednesday the 1st. The big news this week is that, to celebrate the release of the actually rather good Def Jam Rapstar, we sent Official PlayStation Magazine‘s foolishly game news editor Rachel Weber to become a real rapper under the tutelage of hip hop up-and-comer XO man. See how she got on in our exclusive feature.

We also do our square-jawed damnedest to catch up on all the games of 2010 we’ve not reviewed so far, including Rock Band 3, DJ Hero 2, PDC World Championship Darts (whoo!) and a big slice of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.

We also take a look at blockbusting marvel Inception on Blu-ray, show you how we got on with our first hour on Killzone 3‘s multiplayer, countdown our favourite local co-op games (that’s splitscreen and screensharing, rather than supermarket arcades) and talk to developer Ready At Dawn about the making of God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta. Plus we’ve got our regular screenshot galleries, which this week include the latest on inFamous 2 and No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise.

As always this comes for just 99p, or even less if you buy a 12 week subscription for £8.99. Go on…

We’re always super keen to hear your thoughts and feedback, so if you have anything to say please get in touch: on Twitter at @firstplay_uk, via email at FirstPlay@futurenet.com, or the official EU forums. And don’t forget you can sign up for the FirstPlay newsletter at http://www.firstplay.co.uk/register to have regular news and content updates delivered directly.

See the Future of PS3. First.

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More than 20 blog posts + two flights + one huge party = a tiring week, and that doesn’t even include the late nights I’ve been having thanks to Gran Turismo 5. In case you haven’t heard, it’s out now. However, there have also been some other games release this week and you can read about all of them in Weekend Essentials, written by my good friends at eu.playstation.com. Here’s your recap.

PlayStation.Blog.Europe Weekly Content Recap

• What’s Under The Bonnet of the Gran Turismo 5 Signature Edition? - I slip on a pair of white gloves to open the Gran Turismo 5 Signature Edition and open a floodgate of stick from my colleagues.
• Envisager Visits SingStar HQ - One of the biggest SingStars in the community visits our offices to meet the SingStar Team.
• New LORD Of ARCANA Trailer - A New trailer for the upcoming PSP RPG.
• 20% Discount On Dead Nation For PlayStation Plus Members - The zombie apocalypse is a little cheaper for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
• FirstPlay Episode 34 - The latest reviews and features from the FirstPlay team.
• Jamiroquai Rocks Take 40 Party In OZ, Courtesy Of SingStar - Our Aussie team reports from an exciting event in sunny down-under. They’re also going to lose in The Ashes.
• The Best Films Of… 2011? - The MUBI team provides an insight into what’s big in the world of film.
• TV Superstars: Behind The Scenes Videos - Go behind the scenes of the upcoming PlayStation Move party title.
• Gran Turismo 5 Is Here! - You know what this is.
• ‘Kung-Fu LIVE’ Gets An Official Launch Date And Trailer! - The energetic PlayStation Eye enabled Kung Fu game gets a release date.
• Kazunori Yamauchi Greets GT5 Fans In Madrid - The father of Gran Turismo meets his biggest Spanish fans at the game’s launch.
• ‘Heads-Up’ Game Store Update 24th November 2010 - Ross brings you up to speed with what’s happening in the Store.
• Digital Comics Store Update (24th November 2010) - A new batch of comics to curl up in front of the fire with.
• minis Round-up: 24 November 2010 - There’s a new bunch of snackable games available from PlayStation Store.
• Dead Nation – Turning Up The Heat - It’s nearly here…
• PlayStation Home: Modular Stage Set, Lake House, Zombie Companions, & More! - Check out the latest PlayStation Home content update.
• We’re At The Gran Turismo 5 Launch Event In Madrid - I bring you pictures live from the lavish GT5 launch event in Madrid.
• New LittleBigPlanet 2 Featurette – The Controlinator! - A new trailer for the the game that you’re going to make brilliant.
• VIDZONE UPDATE: Gorillaz Invade VidZone, Prizes To Be Won! - VidZone’s Ben talks music.
• Double VGA Nominations, Double XP And A MNR European Tournament! - ModNation Racers celebrates two award nominations with a double XP weekend.
• MUBI Content Update; Win A Free 30 Day Subscription! - See which classic films are being added to MUBI this week.
• PlayStation Official Magazine UK Issue 52 - See the GT5 cover gracing OPSM this month.
• The Friday Debate – Welcome To The Third Place - Did you know that PS2 turned 10 this week? Check out these classic TV ads and vote for your favourite.
  

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  Filed: Recap

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With the launch of Gran Turismo dominating the news on Wednesday, you may not have noticed that 24 November 2010 was also the tenth anniversary of PlayStation 2 launching in Europe. The wonder-console that went on to sell 147.6 million units (at the time of writing) was introduced with an oblique advertising campaign that was occasionally dark, ambiguous and racy, but always stylish, inventive and fearless.

Of course, PS2 will be remembered for its unrivalled array of quality games, of which 1.5 billion copies have been sold since launch. And yet whenever I go to a party and mention that I work at PlayStation, many people still remember the girl with the alien eyes or the duck wearing a suit, even if that person has never had any interest in games.

Here are six of my favourite PlayStation TV ads from here in the UK. Watch them and choose your favourite in the poll.

Happy birthday PS2!

I’ll be checking out the comments this evening so please share your fondest memories of a console that is still going strong in its second decade.

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Hello internet,

It’s that time of the month again when a new issue of Official PlayStation Magazine UK hits the shelves. So I’m taking a welcome break from grinding through a particularly nasty level-wall in Fallout New Vegas to let you know what we’ve got for you.

First up is an exclusive look at Homefront. We’ve been to see the developer and had a play on what’s shaping up to be a very confrontational shooter. This Korea-invades-USA FPS is playing the ‘horrors of war’ card hard by looking at the Geneva Convention and making sure it breaks most of the rules. It’s full of shocking images and nasty stuff that marks it out from Genero War IV (which, you know, was good but not a patch on III)

More cheery news is that we’ve had one of our top driving experts playing Gran Turismo 5. So if you have any questions you want answered about the final arrival of Sony’s flagship driving sim then this should do it.

We’ve also been playing inFamous 2. We spent a day getting heroic in New Marais, saving people and electrocuting monsters. Christ, it’s good. As well as getting hands on we’ve spoken to director Nate Fox, lead designer Darren Bridges and communications director Ken Schramm. You won’t find more info on the superhero-sequel anywhere else.

And, to make sure you have the best blu-ray collection possible, we’ve rounded up The Movies That Shaped Modern Gaming. 25 films that influenced what you play today. From Enter The Dragon to Starship Troopers. These are the flicks that have influenced PlayStation more than any other.

And, throughout the mag, there’s plenty of stuff to keep you interested. Like our test of the latest 3D TVs – three writers take a different model home and live the three dimensional dream. Plus there’s a competition that gives you the chance to win a 3D TV, a PS3 and a Move starter pack. Admit it: you want that. Then there are previews of games like Test Drive Unlimited 2 and Operation Flashpoint Red River, your thoughts on the Killzone 3 beta and reviews including Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit and Rock Band 3.

That’s all on sale now for £5.99 with a playable demo disk. Or you can save up 50% if you subscribe.

And if you want to tell us anything, call us names or say want you want in the mag, then drop us a line on Twitter @OPM_UK, email OPM@Futurenet.com or get involved with our Facebook group.

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Greetings PlayStation.Blog.

Last week, our very own ModNation Racers was officially nominated Best PS3 Game and Best Driving Game in the 2010 Video Game Awards. To celebrate our delight, we’re rewarding ModNation petrol heads with another week of Double XP!

Fire up your PS3 and put your pedal to the metal to take advantage of this one-week offer which is live as of… right now!

Next Monday, we’ll also be kicking off qualifying sessions for the ModNation Racers European Tournament that we recently announced on the Official ModNation Community Site. Racers have now been selected, so stay tuned over the coming weeks to see which country will be crowned European Champions.

For a full breakdown of the official ‘rules’ and weekly updates on how your nation is performing, simply head over to the Community Events Page on the PlayStation Forums.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Carnival Props Pack which features in this week’s store publish. A new group of 13 “Big Top” themed track parts to make new tracks… or just make amazing tracks even better!

We love seeing your ModNation creations so be sure to share these with us on the Community Site. With the release of the Carnival and Stunts Parts Pack, we especially look forward to seeing your tracks with these new props in them!

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks for a ton of new and exciting content.

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